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esta-elavaris · 1 year ago

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Flufftober Day 15: Emergency, Confession, Adventure [2,778 words]

My Flufftober '23 masterpost can be found here ��✨

Notes: So I’m using Ada as the OC in this, and if you’ve read Catch the Wind, you’ll recognise her from that. But you don’t need to know that to understand this, it doesn’t have to take place in the same universe, it’s mostly just me taking a wee shortcut so I don’t need to built a whole new OC for the sake of this one little story.

This one was very difficult – not only because of, well, Jack, but because if I was going to do this well, it would be a good 50k words with a lot of build-up and development and all of my usual bullshit. But it’s flufftober and there’s no time for that, so it had to be super mega condensed instead. I figure you guys understand that, and shortcuts can be taken. The thing with Jack is that he's never going to be a fairytale prince (*cough*Norrington*cough*) so this was the closest I could get to a kinda sorta sweet romance involving him.

And it features murder.

Anyway, warning for canon-typical violence here 💜

Jack and Ada had something that she liked to think of as an understanding. It had begun one time, a couple of years ago, when he’d come to her tavern seeking a woman to pass the night with – before promptly finding something wrong with every single available choice on offer. Ada knew he was playing games with her then, for any woman who she employed was beautiful in some way or another, truly one for any and every taste, and so if none were to his liking (he declared that one had unsightly elbows, for god’s sake), it was because he was determined not to like any of them.

Then, when she’d asked him what exactly it was he was seeking, he’d gone to great pains…to describe her. Simply fixing her with that dark stare of his and watching with a smirk when she brought forth a girl who did look somewhat like her, before waving that girl away. Ada had laughed at him for it, and the laugh lost much of its impact when she fell into bed with him later that night.

She didn’t charge him. Not because she balked at the idea of being considered a whore, and not because she was soft on him either. No, mostly it was because she had a good time, and she knew that charging would set a dangerous precedent for the other men here. If they all thought she had a price, she’d never be rid of them. But a casual arrangement for some fun with a handsome captain who would never desire anything more from her? That wasn’t a half bad thing.

Until he got it in his head to start playing mind games.

“Jack,” she greeted when he swaggered into her tavern one night – the first night in months. “How can we help you tonight?”

By her reckoning, it had been upwards of five visits in a row that he’d chosen to wait for her to be free for the night rather than paying for the company of one of her girls. But it wouldn’t do to assume – and she knew him well enough to know his choice could be a decision to save gold…or a point of masculine pride, perhaps, for she wouldn’t fake a thing without monetary incentive. But the gold thing didn’t much check out, considering he could charm plenty of women across the island free of charge.

Still, when he sniffed and dug his hands into his pockets, she knew this time was different.

“That blonde lass, I think. Cheery one. Name like…Opal? Amethyst?...Topaz?”

Ada chuckled – something he didn’t seem to like as his dark eyes remained fixed on her for any hint of a reaction to the status quo being upended.

“I would never employ a girl called Topaz,” she teased. “It’s Pearl you’re after. I’d have thought you’d remember that easily enough. Make yourself at home and I’ll send her over.”

He hesitated, eyes narrowing for a moment, and then he sniffed and went to his usual table. And Ada? Ada put the matter from her mind. To not expect something like this from Jack was to be an idiot, and she was not an idiot. Indeed, her greatest reaction was to secure some company for herself for the night – only once he’d absconded with Pearl, otherwise the fool would get it in his head that she was trying to make him jealous. The only thing worse than giving someone the reaction they sought was having them mistakenly think you’d done so.

There was a particular sailor in for the night – handsome, and with the outrageous confidence to match. He was happy enough to hang around until her business for the night could be left in the hands of her right-hand man, who was always complaining about not having enough responsibility. Everybody won. A fair enough form of salvaging the night, she thought.

She slipped out of her quarters in the wee small hours, the tavern empty save for those who were passed out and too heavy to haul away, clad in a silk robe that had been a gift from a captain from the east who’d sought to seduce her. He’d succeeded, for a time. The stale smell of drink, smoke, and sweat lingered in the humid air – on the rare occasion they managed to get rid of it while they were closed, it would be gone just in time for them to reopen again the next day, repeating the process. When she found Jack sitting in the dark at the bar without that usual smug post-fuck look on his face, she suspected he could not say the same. Which was surprising, for Pearl was very talented – and more than charming.

“Drink?” she asked.

“Do I have to pay for it?”

“Usually I’d charge you double for the cheek of asking,” she snorted. “But we’re closed…and this is from my own stash.”

Retrieving a bottle of wine from beneath the loose wooden floorboard, she slid atop the stool beside his, uncorked it, took a gulp, and then handed it in his direction. Ordinarily at this hour, had they spent the night with one another, they’d have lapsed into quiet chat about nothing in particular – in a way that circled around to be about everything. He’d tell tales of his adventures, of the fantastical things he had seen in such a way that she was often left wondering if he was teasing her or not.

And Ada? Well, Ada hadn’t seen much beyond Tortuga. She’d come here young, very young, with her parents and worked her way up to where she was now once they died not long thereafter. So she told him what she wanted to see. Not in a dirty way, either. Of myths and legends she’d heard, and how she planned to find out for herself one day whether they were true or not. She had a plan for that, too, in the form of her ‘one day’ fund, carefully hidden in her room. She’d been adding to it ever since she stopped living hand to mouth, and one day was drawing nearer and nearer – she just knew it.

Jack was one of the few who did not laugh at her when she told him that.

“Busy night, love?” he asked.

“A lady doesn’t kiss and tell,” she teased.

His moustache twitched as his lips threatened to purse, and Ada arched one dark eyebrow at him.

“A more irrational woman might think you’re showing signs of jealousy, Captain. But that would be hypocritical, would it not?”

His brow furrowed for a moment, but then he sniffed, shrugged, and handed the bottle back to her before speaking lightly.

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“You wouldn’t?”

“No. I would not. It’s different for men.”

Ada cracked a dangerous, disbelieving smile. “Oh?”

“Take the King of England. He – they, all of them collectively…consecutively, in their time King-ing – have mistresses. The queens never do. See. Different.”

“And when did you decide that the King’s standard is the one you wish to follow?”

“I’ve robbed many of his men. Allows me to make a decent assessment of what he must be like.”

Scoffing, she toyed with the neck of the bottle and rolled her eyes at how Jack’s eyes seemed to struggle in distancing themselves from the gesture.

“The queens cannot stray because it calls the line of succession into question. That is not a problem here – unless you’re truly suggesting we have a child?”

There was nothing Ada liked the idea of less. Not with him, nor with anybody. Ever.

“I might be,” he sniffed.

“Ugh.”

He grinned – but then a thud sounded from the door to her quarters, tucked where they were behind the bar, and his eyes narrowed as they sought the source of the noise.

“A moment,” she murmured, slipping from the stool and making to go and see her guest out, like any good host would.

“Ada,” Jack said.

In hindsight, she would realise she should have noted the shift in his voice. The way it morphed from teasing and casual to suddenly insistent and serious. For Jack was never serious.

“I’m saying goodbye, Jack, not going for round two,” she snorted, shrugging off the hand that tried to grab at her arm.

Leaving swiftly so as to avoid any bickering on the topic, she rounded the bar and strode to her room. She entered to find it torn apart, the mattress askew in the frame, one of her pillows cut open, her drawers emptied and overturned. By the time she’d finished demanding what the hell he thought he was doing, he had a pistol aimed at her chest.

“Who were you talking to out there?”

God, she hoped Jack was hearing this. More still – she hoped, against all hope, that he would help.

“No one.”

“Liar.”

“No one!” she insisted loudly. “Mr Drake is passed out drunk, I was trying to wake him so he’d leave, but there was no managing it.”

The sailor’s lip curled, but he seemed satisfied enough – although he did not lower the gun.

“Where are the jewels? The gold?”

“Jewels and gold?” she breathed a laugh. “If I had much of either, I wouldn’t live here, lad.”

“This place makes a killing every night,” he jabbed the gun in her direction. “I’ve watched. I’ve noticed.”

“How observant of you,” she said drily, crossing her arms as though he was being ridiculous.

It allowed her to feel the racing of her heart all the more.

“You have to spend money to make money. Most of it goes back into the running of the establishment. Once the staff have been taken care of, I can barely afford to eat.”

“Your windows are cracked, your door is rotting, and your rum is second-rate. You’ve got a stash somewhere.”

“I have an old onyx necklace you’re more than welcome to,” she scoffed, “It only has one scratch across it, and the setting is tarnished. It might earn you a few shillings. Beyond that, I’m afraid I can’t help.”

A creak sounded in the tavern proper behind her, the sailor’s attention shot towards it, and Ada made her mistake. Her eyes darted in the direction of the porcelain dolls lined up neatly atop her wardrobe, and when she looked back to the sailor, he was already following her gaze. And then he was grinning.

He took a step in their direction, and the cocking of the pistol stopped her in her tracks when she made to follow. Tall as he was, it was little problem for him to retrieve one of the dolls – and when he shook it, it rattled heavily.

The shutters to the window were open, and he threw them one by one out of it. Ada listened to them hit the sand outside – years of careful saving and dreaming, all gone in a matter of minutes. Because she’d sought to salvage the night with the wrong person.

When the final doll was flung outside, he grinned and turned to her.

“Not often I get a bit of fun and paid for my troubles.”

“A pity your mother couldn’t say the same,” Ada shot back.

It was difficult to regret it, even as his trigger finger twitched. But, finally, he lowered the gun, grin in place as he smoothed back his blond hair.

“You’re emotional. I’ll let you have that one.”

Turning back towards the window, he leaned out of it and looked down. The tavern was on sandy terrain, and therefore on stilts, so no doubt he sought to make sure he wouldn’t land on his new prize in the dark. But then a shot rang out through the night, and his body slumped over the window frame, arms slackening and boots twitching against the floor.

Ada went down almost as quickly, arms curled over her head. A double-crossing accomplice, maybe? One who sought to double his prize? She remained there, crouched down low, poised to duck under the bed or run for Jack at the first sign of trouble, when the voice of that very pirate hissed through the night.

“Are you going to come and get these Ada, love, or am I to throw these very breakable dolls at you?”

She gawped, and then she was up in the next moment, dragging aside the corpse – it was far from the first she’d seen – and leaning over the bloodied frame. Jack stood there, smug as all hell, the very bloodied dolls gathered in his arms. Once she’d accepted them, he leapt up and grasped the sill with both hands, pulling himself up and into the room in a very annoying feat of upper body strength.

“Now,” he grunted as he clambered into the room. “I can’t say I’m not tempted to say I told you so.”

To illustrate his point, he knocked a boot against the leg of the corpse. Ada didn’t laugh. She was unable to, shakier than she’d like to show, counting and recounting the dolls over and over again, furious at her own stupidity in how she’d given the game away.

“Strange place to hide your gold, love,” he grunted.

Silently, she wrenched the head from one of the dolls, pulled a string of very fine pearls from within, and held it out in his direction.

“For your trouble,” she said flatly. “I’ll give you more if you handle the body for me.”

“I’ve never needed payment to handle bodies,” he teased, voice adopting a low note.

She didn’t laugh, taking in the wreckage of her room, still caught between shock, fury, and terror. The stock of very strong drinks next door was sounding very, very good. Even if they were second-rate.

“Ada, darlin’,” he changed tact, approaching and regarding the dolls. “If they’re all stocked up with goods like these…you’ve enough to book passage a hundred times over. What is it exactly you’re waiting for?"

"It’s not just about booking passage,” she shook her head. “I’m not looking to go from one shack to another. I want…I want adventure. Freedom. To go everywhere, see everything. I can’t do that alone – not as a woman. Look at what just happened here tonight under my own roof. I need…I need enough to pay a man or two to watch my back. Protection, food, passage for me and them, room and board…all of it.”

“Most men here would slit your throat and take the lot if they cottoned on to the stock you’ve got here.”

“I can be very charming when I need to be, Jack.”

“…Think that might only harm your case, depending on the man, love.”

Ada sighed, in no mood for this debate.

“Three necklaces,” Jack said finally.

“You’re haggling with me? Now?”

“I am not,” he looked offended at the very notion. “One for that. Two for getting rid of it. Another…for passage on the Pearl.”

Ada stared at him in disbelief. When he saw the look, he cleared his throat, frowned, and stared straight ahead – leaving her with the impression that the offer could be rescinded if she so much as breathed in a way that unsettled him in the next few minutes.

“They can spare you here for a few weeks, can’t they? Come out, see…whatever there is to see, after that…” he trailed off, shrugged, and sniffed. “That’s for after.”

“You’re asking me to travel with you?”

“Don’t get…clingy,” he made a vague sort of gesture – as if she’d ever clung – but the insult was taken from the rule when he added at a grumble. “…And don’t cavort with any of me men.”

He was offering this. Truly. Her disbelief was sharply morphing into delight.

“What about the women?”

Jack grinned. “Only if I’m invited, love.”

That could be arranged.

Links: AO3 -- FF.net -- flufftober masterpost -- dividers by cafekitsune

#esta's flufftober '23 fills #flufftober2023 #flufftober 2023 #jack sparrow x oc #jack sparrow/oc #pirates of the caribbean fanfic #pirates of the caribbean fanfiction #potc fanfic

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ask-a-w · 2 years ago

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Change of Plans

Summary: Newlyweds Leon and Ada Kennedy keep having their plans interrupted. Set after RE6 and follows OG canon with some RE4R lines as a shoutout. Takes place between Chapters 19 & 20 of my other story, "Life". Oneshot story and contains smut.

FF.net

AO3

---------

The velcro band around Leon’s arm increased in pressure dramatically, lingering for a few seconds before it loosened gradually. A series of pings sounded soon after and the doctor looked pleased. “Well, Mr. Kennedy, you have a clean bill of health, as always.”

Leon returned the smile and patiently waited for him to remove the blood pressure cuff. “Thank you. Does it mean I can be released from quarantine now?”

Dr. James nodded, “Indeed. I suppose you know the procedure, given by how many times they send you to areas with biohazard outbreaks. Please sign this and you’re free to go.”

A plastic clipboard was given to the blonde government agent and Leon scribbled ‘LSK’ in rapid succession on the dotted lines across a few pages. Already, his mind was on his beautiful wife who was waiting for him back home.

He and Ada got hitched a few months ago and this was his third mission since the wedding. They did not even manage to go on a honeymoon thanks to his unpredictable schedule. It seemed that they were still apart despite being together at last. Was destiny mocking them?

Leon was still thankful though, as after fifteen years, Ada reached out to him one day and explained that she had retired from espionage. The puzzle pieces quickly fell into place soon after and they settled into domestic bliss. It was only natural that they sealed the deal half a year after she moved in with him.

The doctor stamped and endorsed the quarantine release form before nodding to his patient. Leon was at the exit within seconds. Dr. James was quite amused by the change in his patient’s behaviour after getting married. As the agent’s physician for over a decade, Leon was always patient and professional with his physical examinations before his discharge from quarantine. Since the beginning of the year though, the blonde was suddenly eager to leave as soon as possible. That’s when the doctor learned Leon was seeing someone. He did not pry into his patient’s private life but gave his congratulations when he spotted a gold wedding band on the agent’s finger during an annual physical check up.

Protocol dictated two weeks of quarantine whenever agents encountered bioweapons. Even though Leon had never been bit, one could never be too careful. Previously, Leon enjoyed being cooped up in a room for half a month, taking some much needed downtime to himself. But now, the blonde had someone waiting for him and he grew restless.

[txt] I’m coming home.

Leon fired off a quick text as he got into his blue Cadillac which was a little dusty from neglect. He was re-adjusting his mirrors when a buzz sounded from his pocket and he immediately pulled out his phone. The message on the screen brought a lovestruck grin to his face.

[txt] Excellent. Getting ready for our date. ;)

Briefly, he wondered which outfit Ada would be wearing. She had plenty of clothes that accentuated her form in all the right places. Would it be a figure hugging number or one that showed off her sexy back? Either way, his wife looked stunning in practically anything.

Feet floored the gas pedal and Leon was barely under the speed limit as he drove down a series of familiar roads leading to the apartment complex. At least it was still the middle of the day and he did not have to be stuck in traffic.

---------

There was someone else in his designated parking spot and the government agent became annoyed. Was it a visitor that did not read the signs? Just because he was away for a while did not mean the space was permanently vacant. Leon circled around for a moment to locate an available slot.

Glancing at the intruder’s license plate when he got out of the car, the blonde made a mental note to file a complaint with the building’s superintendent. As he reached the elevator, he flipped open his wallet for a keycard… that was missing! Panic set in as he checked all the slots in his wallet and he quickly patted down his pockets, finding a couple of keys that were unfamiliar to him. He remembered his apartment had more keys than this…

FUCK!

Leon cursed inwardly when it finally dawned on him that they moved into a new house shortly before his latest mission. Ada needed more space and his bachelor pad was getting a bit cramped for two people so the couple purchased a nice two-storey home just near the outskirts of the city. It would take at least half an hour to drive to his new matrimonial home.

Running back to his car, he put on his ear piece and dialled Ada’s number.

“Hey handsome, can’t wait to hear my voice?” She teased him playfully when she answered the call.

“Sorta. I’ll be a little late, beautiful. I accidentally drove back to my old apartment. Completely forgot that we moved.”

Ada chuckled, “It will be fine, we still have time.”

“We might be cutting it close though. Tell you what, why don’t I meet you directly at the restaurant instead?”

His wife murmured in agreement and both said “I love you” to each other before hanging up.

---------

Given his proximity to the establishment, Leon arrived first and waited in a private booth. Glancing at the menu, he was tempted to order cocktails but both of them would be driving back in their respective vehicles so he reconsidered his decision.

The blonde settled on mocktails instead and instructed them to be served once his wife arrived. As for the entrees and mains, he would wait for Ada before deciding together.

Since it was early afternoon, the lunch crowd had long since dissipated and there were only a handful of patrons, mostly tourists, lingering in the restaurant. In the solitude of his booth, Leon closed his eyes briefly to rest. Age was catching up to him and he sometimes found his energy waning in the afternoon.

He still kept his senses peeled though, listening to the ambient noises of his surroundings. People were having small talk and waitstaff made their way around the tables and kitchen.

Leon estimated that he was idling for fifteen minutes when he caught a whiff of his beloved’s perfume and heard the soft click of her heels emanating from behind him. Immediately, he opened his blue-grey eyes and waited for her next move.

“Put your hands where I can see them,” Ada whispered into his ear as Leon turned his head and shot his wife a smile, remembering the time when she uttered the same words to him under different circumstances. He admired her outfit, which was a body-hugging purple turtleneck dress paired with tights and kitten heel boots. It was only after she moved in with him did he learn that she did have more colours in her wardrobe. He was always used to seeing her decked out in shades of red and it still surprised him whenever she wore something that was not her signature hue.

Obliging her request, he placed his hands on the table, sliding further down the cushioned seat when she made a gesture to make room for her. Ada sat down beside him and pulled out his wedding band from a ring box. “Do you?” He asked before she slid the ring onto his finger and replied, “I do.”

Whenever Leon went on missions, he left his ring at home for fear of losing it. Plus, he did not want his enemies to know he had a weakness that could be exploited. Furthermore, his physician also told him about the risk of ring avulsions and he certainly did not want to be subjected to such an injury even if he wore tactical gloves. Thus, the Kennedy couple created a small ritual of sorts between them when Leon cleared quarantine and came home. They would reaffirm their vows with Ada putting the ring back on Leon’s finger.

Leon kissed the back of her hand and rubbed his thumb over her ring. “I’ve missed you. How have you been?”

Before she could respond, their drinks arrived. Ada nodded her thanks as she eyed the beverages. “Isn’t it too early to drink?”

“They’re mocktails, honey. Just wanted to celebrate being with you again.”

A smile perked up on her glossy red lips as she leaned in for a quick kiss. “Why, thank you. I see you have not lost your charm in quarantine.” She took a sip of the pink concoction which tasted like grapefruit and carbonated soda water. “I’ve been busy at work. Valentine has been having me detail all B.O.Ws that I’ve encountered over the years and their weak spots. I’ve also been looking through their current catalogue of known B.O.Ws and updating them for accuracy if required.”

Leon listened intently and was pleased things have been going relatively smoothly in her new job. In an unusual twist of fate, she was now a legitimate employee of the BSAA. Despite having posed as one years ago in the Eastern Slav Republic, some strings were pulled when Jill offered the position of biowarfare consultant to Ada.

Director Jill Redfield knew a valuable asset when she saw one and even though Chris vehemently objected to Ada’s job appointment, she would rather have another qualified personnel on their side instead of losing a talent to the enemy… or whomever Ada used to work for.

“Enough about work, what would you like to have?” Ada said when she saw her husband had nothing to add. She flipped open the menu and barely read through the appetisers when his phone rang, piercing through the silence of their booth.

A perfectly groomed eyebrow was raised as Ada’s hazel eyes glanced down to his pocket. Leon pulled out his phone with an apologetic look and answered the call, “Kennedy here.”

Judging by the scowl on her husband’s face, it seemed his downtime would be cut short. Ada decided to glance at the menu as she let him continue the conversation.

“Will Hunnigan be assigned?”

There was a little pang of disappointment in Ada’s chest as that meant he was going on another mission again. But that was the nature of his job.

“Good. I’ll be there in an hour.” Leon hung up and sighed, scrubbing his face with the palm of his hand. “I’m sorry, beautiful… Looks like it’s another few weeks away from you.”

Ada placed a hand over his and pulled it away from his handsome mug. “I’ll order something to go for you. I know you don’t like to work on an empty stomach. You can eat during briefings, right?”

He nodded solemnly as his wife tugged the wedding band off his finger. The weight of the ring brought some comfort to him and he felt naked when it was gone. At least he could wear the special watch Ada got for both of them. It was waterproof, had GPS capabilities, and could monitor some vitals. Even if his wife could not be on the field with him, she was able to track him remotely.

The blonde leaned in to touch his forehead against hers, “I love you, Ada.” His lips met hers and he lingered for a few moments before parting.

“Love you too, Leon.” Ada Kennedy whispered before she slid out of the booth and made her way to the cashier. She returned moments later with a receipt and spent the next few precious minutes with her spouse as he drained his mocktail.

“I thought you were being transferred to training work… what’s taking so long?” Ada murmured as she laid her head against Leon’s shoulder. The blonde rubbed circles on his wife’s back. “Manpower shortage, unfortunately. It takes time to train someone to be competent.”

They sat in silence, enjoying each other’s company until a server walked over with a plastic bag and a plate of pasta. Leon sighed with reluctance as he eyed his food.

“I got you a cheese steak wrap. Time for you to save the day again. Be safe, handsome.” Ada whispered as she gave him one more kiss for good luck. Leon smiled a little as he grabbed the takeout bag and headed to his car.

His wife never took her eyes off him and only started eating when she could no longer see his car on the road.

---------

Damn!

Leon thought to himself as the B.O.W. mutated, growing new sets of arms and chucking more debris at him. The blonde quickly vaulted over a railing and landed onto the floor below in a tuck and roll. He had to be careful now, after a rock grazed his forehead from the monster’s first wave of attacks. The skin was stinging as a bead of blood ran down his temple.

After years of being on the field, he was no longer surprised by grotesque transformations. Instead, it annoyed him as it meant that he had to waste more time taking it down. That was precious time away from Ada.

The B.O.W. roared when its prey went out of sight. This gave Leon time to formulate a new strategy to take it down. Even though he had enough firepower, it was not wise to waste all of them at once.

Leon kept to the shadows as the target lumbered down the staircase. It was not quite a tyrant but not a simple zombie either. He had to observe its movements and body for any weak points before deciding his next course of action.

The extra arms added more mass to its upper body which meant it was top heavy and slightly unstable. There also appeared to be glowing fissures on where the extra appendages attached to the main body. Grabbing his sniper rifle, Leon carefully aimed for what he assumed was a weak spot and fired.

It yelled in pain as the fissure was torn clean through and the arm dropped to the floor. His assumption was correct! Leon waited to see if it would regenerate and to his relief, it did not. This would be easy.

The game of cat and mouse began as the blonde ran in circles around the monster, firing off shot after shot to get rid of the extra arms. It grew weakened and more desperate as it broke into a rampage, tossing aside everything in its way, and chasing Leon down to the ground floor of the laboratory.

When it stopped near a gas canister, Leon seized the moment by pulling the pin on his grenade and hurling it at the creature. The canister exploded in a shower of flames as the B.O.W lit up like a Christmas tree. It shrieked an ear piercing scream, movements getting all jittery as it slowly got incinerated.

Smouldering corpse dropped to the floor and Leon spared it one last glance before continuing his mission. His report was going to be another long one.

---------

There was so much going on around him. Yet another self-destruct sequence was triggered and the building was on fire. The surrounding air grew uncomfortably warm and the grey smoke was threatening to smother him. He was also bone tired and had a gnawing hunger in his stomach too. But Leon could not falter now, not when he was so close. His chopper ride was right in front of him as he kicked open the door and burst onto the rooftop. With a surge of adrenaline, Leon ran and leapt off the building, grabbing the ladder that dangled off the chopper.

His arms protested in pain from the force of yanking on the ropes as he was successfully evacuated. His old shoulder wound was going to be terribly sore after this. He grunted as the winds swirled around him and he made the climb into sanctuary.

“Aurum checking in,” Leon said as he laid on the floor of the chopper, exhausted and spent. He had new codenames for every mission and this time, he quite liked it. Not too pretentious and nothing that would give away his identity.

Hunnigan’s voice rang in his headset, “Good job, Aurum. Glad to see you’re in one piece. Looking forward to your report.”

“Noted. I’m going to rest for a while. Do you mind letting A know I’m coming home? Aurum out.”

Hunnigan had become acquainted with Ada in the past few months and while his spouse wasn’t privy to confidential information about his missions, Hunnigan did notify her whenever Leon was coming home.

“Of course. Have a good rest, Aurum.”

Leon closed his eyes and promptly fell asleep despite how noisy the chopper’s whirring blades were. He dreamt of Ada teasing him with a coy smile before allowing him to take her into his arms.

A nudge to his shoulder awoke Leon some time later and he found Dr. James in his protective gear kneeling over him. “I can stitch up the wound on your forehead after we run your blood work.”

Pushing himself up off the ground, the blonde agent followed his physician to the decontamination chamber and examination room. It was time to serve out his quarantine.

---------

Fingers flew rapidly across the keyboard as Leon wrote down every single detail from his recent mission. After a good night’s sleep, he was energised enough to begin his report. When he reached a good stopping point, he decided to take a break for today.

Glancing at his watch, he saw it was dinner time. Right on cue, the bell to his room rang. Leon opened the door and picked up the takeout box on the table just outside his room. From the scent, it smelled meaty. Barbecue or rotisserie chicken maybe?

His thoughts went to Ada who would be on the way home from work at this hour. He would call her after he ate. It was pretty late when his preliminary medical examination concluded yesterday and he slept in this morning, leaving him no opportunity to hear her voice. They did exchange a few flirty text messages though.

He dropped her a request to do a video call when he was done with dinner. She responded promptly and her face appeared on his screen soon after. Her hair was damp and she wore a bathrobe, looking like a beautiful vision in his eyes.

“Hi, gorgeous. Did you just get out of the shower?”

“Hey, handsome. You called at the right time. I was going to start making some dinner,” Ada replied before doing a double take. “What happened to your forehead?”

He touched the bandage above his eyebrow. “Got hit by a rock and the skin split open. It’s not that bad.”

Ada pursed her lips as she made her way downstairs, stopping as she looked down and picked up a fluffy orange cat. “Cobalt misses you, by the way. He has been sleeping on your side of the bed.”

The cat grabbed onto the lapel of her robe, pulling it down ever so slightly and revealing the top of her cleavage. Leon blushed a little as he felt his pants tighten. “Give him a kiss for me.”

His spouse obliged and kissed the top of the ginger cat’s head before setting him down on the floor and taking a seat at the kitchen counter.

“Everything alright so far?”

She nodded, “Same as always.” There was a small pause as she continued, “I was thinking of having date night at home when you’re done. I don’t want to waste any more time…” His wife was looking at him all seductively as she opened up the top of her robe just a little more.

His mouth went dry as he became lost for words. She always had that effect on him. No matter how many times they’ve made love, he would go weak in the knees when she behaved sultrily.

“Are you blushing, Leon? It’s not the first time you’ve seen me almost naked.”

“You don’t know how alluring you are, Ada,” he replied as there was now some discomfort in his pants from the rapidly hardening erection straining against the fabric. His spouse merely leaned toward the camera and let him get a glimpse of the gap between the robe & her body. She was nude underneath and it was now borderline painful that they could not give into their passions in person.

Ada pulled away with a smirk and began to take out leftovers from the fridge and a plate from the cabinet. “I am looking forward to our reunion. I hope you can hold out till then…”

“You definitely love to tease me.”

She just continued to smile at him. “Because you look so cute when you’re all flustered, Mr. Kennedy.”

“Hmm, I should learn to take a page out of your book then.” Leon said coyly in return as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his head to show off his biceps.

His spouse regarded him with curiosity and accepted his challenge. “I look forward to it.”

---------

Leon could smell the scent of pizza wafting from the kitchen as he entered the house. He heard the bell jingle as a flash of orange turned the corner and Cobalt trotted up to him excitedly, rubbing his legs. He picked up the ginger cat and carried him to the kitchen where Ada was tossing some salad in a bowl. She was dressed simply in a pair of pajama pants and a sweater with an apron wrapped around her torso.

“Welcome back, handsome.” She wiped her hands on a towel and embraced her beloved, planting a quick kiss and being careful not to squish their cat.

“Anything you need help with?” He asked as he let the cat jump out of his arms and wander off. She gestured to the cabinets, “Could you help take out the plates and utensils please?”

“Gladly.” He laid out the required items before hugging Ada from the back. She smiled once more and chided him playfully, “I can’t serve dinner if I’m trapped against a counter.” Even though she could easily free herself from this position, she allowed her husband to have some fun.

Leon merely pressed a kiss on her temple, “Just giving you some support with my presence.” His hands rubbed her arms sensually before resting them on her wide hips, feeling the curves underneath the fabric.

“I think you’re just trying to distract me.”

“Whatever gave you that idea?” His voice was a little husky in her ear but the moment got interrupted when his stomach rumbled.

Ada laughed and turned around in his embrace, lightly tapping his nose, “You’ll need some energy first before you can ravish me.” Leon responded by giving her a lingering kiss before reaching behind her to grab the salad bowl.

At least dinner was simple and easy to consume. They spent a lot of it quipping innuendoes at each other and getting a little touchy-feely. When they finally loaded the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, Leon picked up his wife by the waist and lifted her onto the island counter. Ada wrapped her legs around him instantly as he showered hot kisses on her neck and reached underneath the sweater to pull it off her hot body.

He was fingering the straps of her red bra when his phone’s ringtone interrupted their make out session. The blonde ignored it at first as he reached behind Ada’s back to unclasp the bra, giving him a sight of her fair breasts.

When the ringing refused to stop, Ada sighed and gently disengaged, reaching over the counter to grab his phone. The way her muscles stretched made her look incredibly sexy and he really wanted to take her right then and there.

Holding the mobile in front of his face, Leon was forced to take the call. Once again, brows furrowed upon listening to the caller’s instructions which indicated that he had to leave his beloved Ada once more.

“At least you got to eat this time,” his wife said when he finally got off the phone. Leon pouted as he hugged his half naked wife and gently palmed her breast.

“I should give you something to tide you over until I return,” he murmured as his mouth descended onto her dark nipple and he gingerly scraped the bud with his teeth. Ada let out a soft moan and her fingers sought purchase within his blonde locks, tugging the hair strands when he nipped and sucked her tits the way she liked. Her nipples rapidly peaked within his talented mouth and delicious tingling sensations shot down her spine.

His hand cupped her nether regions through her pants and his thumb lightly pressed on her clit. At least the fabric was thin enough for her to feel his touch. She bucked against him as she wanted more and he acquiesced.

Ada’s face was flushed when Leon was done with his ministrations. “Well now I feel obligated to return the favour…” She scooted off the counter and pressed her body against him, capturing his lips once more as her hands undid his pants.

With a tug, they sagged to his knees and Ada pushed him to sit on the dining chair before kneeling down to free his manhood from his underwear. Before he could register what was happening, he felt his wife’s warm, moist mouth engulf his length and her slick tongue licking him slowly. There was no teasing today, he was on a tight schedule after all.

“Ada…” Leon muttered as it was now his turn to caress her hair. The blonde did not think he would miss fellatio this much but now he was slowly losing control. He felt himself hit the back of her throat and then a little further. That was new.

Her throat contracted around his girth as she continued to suck, coaxing him towards orgasm. “Oh god…” He moaned as her tongue swiped the underside of his cock and when she took another swallow, he just lost it right then and there.

His wife gladly licked him dry as he came and when he stopped shuddering, Ada pulled away with glee. She helped him pull up his underwear and pants before kissing him once more. Leon did not mind tasting himself on her lips as he savoured every ounce of affection she bestowed.

“I hope that’s enough motivation to slay monsters, handsome.”

“It’s more than enough. Now I can’t wait to properly fuck you when I return,” he replied as he helped his wife get dressed. This time, he departed in much greater spirits.

---------

Ada was getting ready to leave for work when her phone rang on the last day of Leon’s quarantine. She saw her husband’s name on the display and had a feeling it was going to be unfavourable news again. Such was the nature of being a government agent. His texts were a little sporadic this time and he was not keen on video calls. She figured he was exhausted. Going on back to back missions would be draining, after all. When he was recharged, she would be here for him. They had all the time in the world, after all.

“Good morning, Leon,” she greeted him after swiping the screen to accept the call.

“Morning, Ada…”

There was a long silence and she asked, “Is everything alright?”

A drawn out sigh was heard on the other end. “Do you want the good news or bad news?”

“Bad news then.”

“I need to do overtime to finish up some paperwork since I’ve been away for so long.”

Thank goodness it was not another mission. “But no fieldwork, right?”

“Mm hmm. Good news is no fieldwork and I’ll be given a few days off once I’m done with overtime.”

“At least we’ll still be in the same state,” she replied as she picked up her phone and headed out of the door.

There was another pause, and Ada thought she heard a huff of annoyance. "I thought you’ll be a little more disappointed that our plans keep getting disrupted.” There was a tinge of bitterness in his voice.

“That’s the nature of your job. I’ve grown to accept it when I married you, handsome.” Ada opened the door to her car and got in, strapping her phone to the holder on the dashboard and putting in her earpiece to continue the call. She turned the keys to the ignition and allowed the engine to warm up a bit.

Leon snapped back bitingly, “I don’t think you’ve changed since marrying me, Ada.”

His outburst caught her off guard and she glared at the phone. “I won’t be spoken to like that, Kennedy. Did something happen?” The change in his demeanour was perplexing as he was in such a cheerful mood during their last meeting. He would not act like this unless the mission went south.

“Other than seeing more people die, everything’s just peachy…”

Her heart broke for him and she wished she was there personally to soothe his pain. “I’m sorry that happened to you, handsome. Is there-” She got interrupted by the hiss and pop of a can and she could hear Leon chugging it.

“Are you drinking?” Ada asked worriedly as she pulled out of the driveway.

He scoffed, “What are you, my mother? And shouldn’t you be a little impatient to see me instead of going to work?”

In the past, Ada would have gladly dropped everything if she was still an independent contractor but now, she was gainfully employed. She took pride in her work.

If that was how he wanted to behave, she would not be his punching bag any longer. “I know you’re upset but I don’t appreciate that you’re taking it out on me. Until we can have a proper conversation, I am ending the call now.”

“Of course you run away,” she heard him take another swig from his beer can, “when things get dicey. You haven’t changed.”

Ada was dismayed by his response and hung up. How dare he say she did not change! Being a dutiful wife had never been on the cards when she was a spy. Didn’t he know how much he affected her life back in Raccoon City? Falling in love with Leon Scott Kennedy changed everything.

She was tempted to exhibit some road rage but all her years of training to control her emotions prevented her from lashing out. The ex-spy merely exhaled loudly through her nose and took a deep breath, filing this incident into another part of her thoughts to revisit later.

---------

There was radio silence from him since yesterday and Ada went about her morning with a slight emptiness in her heart. She will not reach out to him until he apologised.

Upon reaching the office, her supervisor, Mary, informed her that she had to go down to the DSO for a meeting since the staff who was supposed to attend it was feeling unwell. Ada took the clipboard and glanced at the meeting agenda. A frown appeared when she read her husband’s name. “Wouldn’t there be a conflict of interest? I am his spouse after all.”

Mary shook her head, “This has been cleared by the director. You are not handling any purchases or signing agreements with the DSO for this meeting. There is no COI.”

Ada remained silent with a pensive look on her face and Mary probed a bit with concern, “Trouble at home?”

She almost responded with a piercing glower out of habit. Her private life was just that, private. Instead, she gave a look that said she did not want to talk about it. Ada decided that she will conduct the meeting professionally, separating work from personal matters.

Mary’s gaze softened. Even though Ada was known to be quite a force to be reckoned with and having nerves of steel, she could sense some form of unease radiating from her. “We could always postpone it until-”

“I will go ahead as planned,” Ada said calmly as she strode off to her desk to pack a briefcase of files and stationery.

Meanwhile, at the DSO, Leon Kennedy was feeling a headache forming at the sight of the never-ending stacks of reports piling up on his desk. Even though he worked almost non-stop yesterday, it felt like he barely made a dent in his workload. Good thing he now had a small office to himself so he could curse out loud without disturbing anyone else.

He strode over to the window and opened it, allowing a bit of fresh air to stream in. The room was still a bit musty from weeks of disuse, after all. Almost immediately, he could hear the AC cut off thanks to him activating the window sensor. The blonde turned back to his desk and glanced briefly at the framed photograph of him and Ada on their wedding day.

A whirlwind of emotions coursed through him. God, why did he pick a fight with her? She probably would not want to forgive him now. Going after her like that after his gruelling debriefing was a cheap shot. Sitting there and listening to his superiors berate him for the body count took a toll on his psyche. Leon really should have gotten a grip on his emotions before the phone call with his wife.

At the same time, he wished Ada showed some neediness instead of being so level headed at his absence. It had been almost two months since they spent quality time together. Did she even miss him at all? What’s the point of being married if his wife was so unflappable? Just once, he wanted to be fawned and fussed over.

He sighed and angled the photo slightly away from him so he would not be too distracted by his thoughts. The blonde got down to work, reading through the multitude of emails that kept entering his inbox. He tried to clear it during quarantine but his expertise was well sought after by many parties, hounding him with email after email.

A pop up on his desktop reminded him of a biowarfare meeting with a BSAA personnel in half an hour. He wondered who it could be, Chris or his spouse, Jill? Those were the only two people he knew from that organisation who were typically sent out to meet others. Whoever it was, he would find out later as he squeezed in some time to reply to some urgent queries.

A knock on his office door fifteen minutes later interrupted him and he called out, “Enter.” The door handle jiggled and one of his co-workers, Jin-hee, opened the door.

“Hey, you have a visitor from the BSAA. I’m going to let her in, alright?”

Leon shook his head, “I appreciate her punctuality but please show her in at the appointed time. I still have some work to do.”

His colleague nodded, “I’ll just let her continue waiting in the lobby then.”

Outside at the entrance of level five, Ada sat on a bench in a prim and proper posture, exuding confidence and professionalism. Even though she acknowledged those who walked past her with a polite nod of her head, they gave her a wide berth as she exuded a vibe that indicated she was not in the mood for small talk. The DSO staff who escorted her in felt like he was going to disintegrate under her penetrating scrutiny too.

She turned her head upon hearing footsteps rounding the corner and stood up when she saw Jin-hee. He motioned her to take a seat though. “Apologies, Mdm. Wong. I’m afraid Mr. Kennedy is still not done with his current appointment. I will escort you in at ten o’clock.”

Ada nodded in response. It was surprising how her husband was sticking so rigidly to his office schedule. He was never in a rush on the battlefield but she surmised he had a lot of paperwork to complete. Well, if it meant delaying their “get-together”, she was sure he would be relieved. Given how he did not contact her this morning, he probably wanted to avoid her… for now.

No point dwelling on that, she ought to take the time to go through the agenda once more. It was mostly a discussion on ways to take down bioweapons and known patrons of the black market.

She jotted down some points on the sheet when someone cleared his throat from beside her. “Pardon me, Mdm. Wong. Mr. Kennedy is ready to see you now. Please follow me.”

Meandering through the various open concept cubicles, Ada did a quick glance of the office floor. Most of the workers appeared to have their heads buried into their laptops but she could sense them peering at her from the corner of their eyes. Everyone was well trained here, including her. They were all silently sizing each other up and the ex-spy maintained her poised stance. Eventually, the atmosphere changed into a relaxed manner as they acknowledged the other party’s expertise.

She was then led down a narrow passageway of rooms that had name plaques on them. Scanning through the names, she finally located Leon’s at the end of the corridor.

Jin-hee knocked on the solid wooden door and called out, “Leon, the BSAA staff is here.”

“Okay. Thanks, Jin-hee.”

His colleague gestured to the door and Ada murmured a soft thanks before he scurried away. She waited till he was out of earshot before she opened it. Ada was quite certain her husband would exclaim upon seeing her and it could potentially cause a scene.

She knocked and heard him asking her to enter. Taking a deep breath, her hand rested on the handle and she tugged it down, pushing the door forward. She was greeted by an empty chair before her eyes panned to the right where Leon Kennedy was seated. He was dapper in a light grey shirt, red tie, and a navy blue jacket.

His eyes were still fixated on the computer screen as he was speed typing a final response on the keyboard. Ada took the opportunity to look around his office as she closed the door behind her. It was small and a bit cramped, with filing cabinets that were ajar and filled to the brim with documents. Not as neat or spacious as his home office and the air felt slightly humid and smelled a little stale too.

The setup reminded her of old detective shows from the 50s which was not surprising, given how he used to train as a cop. If the Raccoon City incident did not happen, he could have the potential to be a sleuth now. More papers littered his desk and she noticed a photo frame angled toward a bookshelf instead of facing him. Hm, at least the photo was not face down on the table.

The typing ended and Leon sent the email. “Sorry about that, I-” he looked up and saw his beautiful wife dressed smartly in a coral coloured two piece blazer and skirt suit. Blue-grey eyes widened in shock. “Ada? What are you doing here?!” He realised his last sentence came out a little harsher than he intended as Ada regarded him coolly.

“I’m your ten o’clock appointment from the BSAA.”

His face must have twisted into confusion as Ada raised an eyebrow, “I am on the whitelist and have cleared security.” She strode forward and pulled out the chair in front of his desk before taking a seat. “Let’s get down to work, shall we? To keep things professional, you will address me as ‘Mdm. Wong’ and leave our personal lives out of the conversation.”

Leon had to admit that he was a tad disheartened that she was not identifying herself as ‘Mrs. Kennedy’ but nonetheless relieved she was wearing her wedding ring and did not use ‘Miss’ as a prefix.

“… Alright then.” He made room on the desk by picking up a few stacks of files and dumping them on a stool beside the bookshelf. Ada merely opened the briefcase on her lap and laid her notes on top of it, opting to ignore the space on the table.

That did not go unseen by Leon and he noted that his wife was probably still displeased with him.

“Do you mind if I take off my jacket before we begin? It’s a little stuffy in here,” Ada asked as she was ready to pop the buttons off her blazer.

The blonde knew that he would be thoroughly distracted by the tiniest hint of cleavage that peeked beneath her blouse and raised a hand. “Let me get the window for you, ma’am.” He rolled his chair back and reached behind to slam the window shut. The AC kicked in and hummed to life, blowing cold air into the room.

“This is going to be a sharing session on B.O.W. termination methods and known individuals who patronise the black market,” Ada said as she clicked her pen.

Leon linked his hands together on the table as he listened to her intently. “For termination, it depends on the type of bioweapon and the host. Is it a virus or parasite? Human, animal or an advanced gross mutation?”

Ada nodded in agreement, “Indeed. The common technique for humans would be a headshot, am I right?”

“Yes and not just any part of the head either. Preferably between the forehead,” he pointed to the spot above his brows. “Shooting them in the cheek just makes them look ghastlier,” Leon sniggered a little to himself as he recalled a zombie that struggled to moan while its jaw was barely hanging on. The sound it made was quite absurd, almost to the point of being funny.

His wife still maintained a neutral expression, preferring to jot down some notes. “The same target area can be used for animals. Just that they are more mobile and harder to hit. Some are too big to be destroyed with a single bullet,” she added, remembering Leon talking about an alligator in the sewers of Raccoon City and a shark-like entity in Tall Oaks. “… and that’s where explosives come in to deliver more firepower.”

It was refreshing to see Ada work like this outside the field. So professional and charismatic with a tinge of charm. She would definitely not be out of place in a boardroom meeting.

“Mr. Kennedy? Did you hear what I said?” Ada asked with slight bemusement. Less than five minutes and he was already spacing out?

“My apologies, could you repeat that?”

“I said that it’s a good thing that despite mosquitoes transmitting plenty of vector-borne diseases and causing a high number of human deaths yearly, there has been no evidence of them turning living things into B.O.Ws.”

The thought of that horrified him. It had never crossed his mind before. He hoped no scientist would try to turn mozzies into biohazard carriers. “Let’s hope it stays that way.”

“And that’s why any correspondence about anti-biowarfare has to be kept confidential. Don’t want people getting ideas now, do we?” She eyed him with a fleeting grin that disappeared when his stare lingered too long on her luscious, ruby red lips. “Now, do you have anything more to add for infected creatures or can we move on to advanced mutations?”

With a shake of his head, they began to discuss the methods of defeating stronger enemy types. Mainly highlighting weak points like glowing spots, fissures, joints or other things that looked out of place.

“If there are no obvious weak spots, scientists usually leave notes lying around that provide hints on how to destroy them,” Leon cited his Regenerador example and even though he had personally recounted his side of the story to her before, Ada still wrinkled her nose in disgust, glad that she only ran into the B.O.W’s corpse back in Spain.

“And when we have zero knowledge of how to defeat one, the best option is just to run. No point wasting precious ammunition if they cannot be stopped,” Ada replied as scribbled down more remarks on her documents.

Leon patiently waited for her to complete her scrawls and he could not help but admire his wife, liking the way her brows narrowed ever so slightly when she was concentrating. What was their argument again?

Without looking up from her files, she said, “You’re staring.”

“I was waiting for you to finish writing before I start talking,” the blonde countered smoothly. Sometimes he forgot how well trained she was, being able to detect a person’s gaze on her without giving any indication that she was aware of their scrutiny.

Ada made a small ‘hm’ as she was finishing her notetaking. “Alright, now that we are done with bioweapons, it is time to talk about black market personnel.”

“I guess you might know more than I do about this,” Leon replied as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

“Doesn’t hurt to compare notes first,” she mirrored his posture too and also crossed her legs, balancing the files carefully on her lap. “And I am quite sure you are pulling knowledge from our personal life into this.”

Ada spent a lot of effort to make sure what she knew was not public knowledge, at least, not amongst government agencies. Many corrupted officials in the past were willing to keep her name off the books in exchange that the dirt she had on them would never see the light of day.

It was obvious they were now silently challenging each other but neither side was going to yield. The awkward tension in the air was borderline uncomfortable as well. Being so formal and courteous around each other just felt so unnatural. This tiff was just getting ridiculous.

“It felt like old times for a moment there, must have slipped into my previous habit,” Leon conceded in the end, knowing he did not have more time to waste with his growing mountain of paperwork.

“I certainly do not miss the old days,” Ada relaxed a little as well after their standoff but something in her words triggered her husband, causing those blue-grey eyes to harden, making them a few shades darker than they usually were. She was taken aback and it was reminiscent of the time he choked her when he was under a Plaga’s influence.

Leon felt himself tapping his arms irritably as he glowered at her, “Old days huh? Is that why you didn’t miss me at all? Disappearing when everything’s calm and then re-appearing at unexpected moments.”

If looks could kill, Ada’s eyes narrowed so dangerously and Leon felt as though lasers were going to shoot out from them. She spat acidly, “Are we really doing this right now?”

His arms loosened from his torso and they rested on the table as he nodded back at her.

In a composed manner, Ada packed her things into her briefcase and set it on the floor with a thud. With her chin held high, her voice was strong and unwavering. “What seems to be the problem here?”

Leon had a scathing retort ready but closed his mouth as quickly as he opened it. A small, rational part of his brain urged him to be civil. His wife remained patient, cupping her hands against her knee so she would not fidget.

After a moment, the blonde decided he was tired of locking horns with his wife and chose to confide in her, “I am upset that you don’t seem frustrated that I’ve been sent on back-to-back missions. You don’t even ask about my well-being either when I return home.”

Ada saw the change in his posture as he hunched over slightly and his gaze turned sorrowful. She had to be gentle now. “I am sorry for hurting you, Leon,” her voice took on a delicate tone. “Do you want to hear from my perspective?”

All Leon could do was nod in response.

“I feel that since you’re a grown man, and an extremely capable and experienced agent, you do not need to be fussed over. If I did not care about you, I would not look at the stats from your watch every time I wake up or before I go to sleep.”

Leon turned his wrist and glanced at the sturdy watch adorning it. The watch face was black while the hands and numbers were silver. The bottom of the watch had a digital display and he remembered toggling through various functions to showcase his vitals, elevation, direction, day, etc. His wife put a lot of thought into getting a set of matching wedding gifts that she too, had a similar one on her wrist.

“What stats do you see?”

“I mostly look at your pulse and blood pressure to make sure you’re still alive. And your current location as well so I know you’re making progress. If there are any anomalies, I would personally find you myself. I worry about you all the time when you’re on missions.”

Leon already knew what she would say but he wasn’t completely satisfied. “Hm. And can the watch read my mood?”

Ada shook her head. It finally dawned on her what an utter fool she was. How could she have missed all the signs?

He took a breath and sighed, “While I’m physically alright… mentally, it’s a hurricane inside.”

Ada leaned forward and looked into his eyes sincerely, “I take full responsibility for how my actions made you feel unwanted… What can I do to make things right?”

“I just want to hold you,” Leon whispered as he finally relented, accepting his beloved’s apology.

Without hesitation, Ada got up and went around his desk before plopping herself down on his lap. His arms immediately circled her waist in a vice grip and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face into the crook of his neck.

Leon pressed his lips against her temple, inhaling the sweet scent of her shampoo and he was instantly comforted by her presence.

The Kennedy couple spent the next few minutes just embracing in silence, occasionally rubbing their spouse’s back soothingly. No words were needed as they basked in each other’s companionship.

After a while, Leon pulled away and said earnestly, “I want to apologise for my outburst over the phone. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you…”

Ada laid her warm palm against his cool cheek and stroked her thumb gently on the faint scar adorning his skin. “Would you be open to suggestions?”

The blonde nodded against her hand before laying a quick feather-light kiss on the fleshy bit of her palm.

“I think you should go for therapy, handsome.”

He closed his eyes and huffed a bit.

“You’ve been through a lot since you were twenty-one, Leon. I don’t want to see you keep hurting yourself drinking like what…” the words got caught in her throat as painful childhood memories resurfaced within her, “- like what my mother did.”

Leon had rarely heard Ada sound so vulnerable before and it tugged at his heartstrings, vowing to never make her feel this helpless again. He opened his eyes and muttered an affirmative.

The blonde leaned in and rested his forehead on Ada’s before cradling her face. Their breaths mingled and it was inevitable that their lips met in a tender kiss. Ada responded with fervour, deepening it after a few moments and Leon reciprocated with equal passion. Hands roamed everywhere and Leon groaned when his wife lightly grinded against his crotch. Both were deprived of much needed intimacy and before Ada knew it, her back was on his wooden desk.

“I need to make up for what I did…” Leon said huskily as his hand caressed the hem of her skirt.

Ada could only grin and she merely kicked off her heels before placing one foot on his shoulder to halt him, “Do you mind drawing the blinds?” As thrilling as it was to have fun in his office, she did not want prying eyes to intrude on them in the throes of passion lest he get fired…

He agreed to the request and stepped back to tug on the string, allowing the blinds to fall and darken the room slightly. “Now, where was I?” He asked cheekily as his hands went back to her knees, feeling the soft skin beneath his fingertips.

“You were going to make it up to me,” Ada replied and already, she could feel her underwear getting a little damp from the anticipation.

“Mm hmm.”

Leon kept stroking her knees before he slowly pulled up her skirt to expose her bare thighs. His touch was delicate and gentle as he skimmed over the muscles underneath, remembering the way those shapely legs wrapped around his waist during lovemaking. The way they tightened along with her core during orgasm before turning to jelly. He was getting hard just thinking of the various ways he would get her to come.

As eager and impatient as she was to get to the main event, Ada allowed her husband to slowly take his time with her. Good things come to those who wait, after all.

His fingers trailed into her inner thighs, drawing circles on the skin before skimming over to her black lace panties. Ada whined a little when he skipped her clit altogether but was pleased when she felt him tugging on the waistband of her underwear. He merely chuckled at her reaction.

She automatically lifted her butt off the table to aid her husband in removing her panties. Leon tugged the garment off her and laid it on the table before gently nudging her knees apart. He was greeted by the sight of her glistening womanhood.

“I am flattered, beautiful.”

“You have that effect on me, handsome.”

Leon smiled at the compliment and began to stroke her labia, feeling the moisture from her arousal gather at his fingertips. His wife let out a happy sigh and relaxed against the table from his touch. “Did you touch yourself while I was gone?”

Ada raised an eyebrow and replied coyly, “What do you think?”

“Touché.” He leaned down and captured her lips before slipping two fingers into her wet entrance. Ada’s back arched off the table and her moans were muffled against his mouth. She wrapped her arms around his strong back, wanting him to be as close to her as possible.

Leon braced himself against the table with his free hand, careful not to squash his wife beneath his weight. She was getting more slick with each passing second and he used the extra lubrication to repeatedly slide in and out of her slit, feeling her walls contract against his fingers. He had to do his best in multi-tasking now that he was lost in her kisses and also pleasuring her with his hands.

Ada continued to quietly vocalise her approval and he alternated between gliding his two slicked fingers on either side of her clit before plunging his fingers back into her hot flesh. He was determined to make her come.

He curled both fingers upward to play with the spot of textured flesh within her and his thumb came into the fray as it rubbed circles around her swollen clit. That proved to be her undoing and she quivered with immense pleasure, almost melting into the table. They finally pulled away for air as they caught their breaths.

“I’m not done yet,” Leon muttered matter-of-factly as began to fumble for the zip located at the side of her hips. The skirt unravelled and he opened it like a blanket for her to rest on. The blonde took a seat and gingerly tugged those sexy legs forward till her pert ass was almost on the edge of the table.

Carefully placing her thighs on his shoulders, he dove into her flushed sex and took an agonisingly slow swipe from bottom to top.

“Oh God…” Ada panted. He barely gave her time to recover from his fingering and now he was giving her oral. If he kept this up, she was going to explode again pretty quickly. Emboldened by her reaction, Leon continued to deliver relentless kisses to her slit and clit, feeling the little bud engorge some more beneath his tongue.

Her hands were now fisting at the skirt beneath her as she tried so desperately to hold out. As if sensing her resistance to the orgasm, the blonde moved away from her vagina and nuzzled her inner thigh instead. Ada sat up and admonished him, “Leon!”

“I’m giving you a respite, dear. Don’t you want to enjoy this a little longer?”

“I do but I want you inside me too…”

He smiled at her reassuringly, “Then relax and just enjoy this. I’ll give you more in the future.”

She nodded and laid her head back on the table, closing her eyes and doing slow inhales and exhales. Soon, she felt the tension leave her body and relaxed, surrendering herself to what he had planned.

Leon trailed kisses from her thigh and down to her labia once more, sweeping his tongue from left to right and lightly brushing against her slick opening. Her hips jumped a bit from that teasing motion and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside, drinking in her essence. She tasted just as sweet as ever and he would never get bored of it.

This time, Ada allowed a series of delicious sensations wash over her. Her pulse quickened and her breathing became more frequent and erratic. Leon was truly a man of many talents…

While he was either stabbing his tongue through her moist folds or swiping it all around her slit, his thumb found its way back to the little bundle of nerves at the clitoral hood and he stroked it firmly in broad circles.

Ada seized up once more and her vision went white as she rode out the second wave of release. When her eyes could finally focus again, she found her husband gazing at her with adoration. “You really know how to spoil me.”

“You deserve it,” he replied as he took a sip of water from the tumbler on his desk. His pants were now unbelievably tight as his erection was straining to be freed. Leon reached down to unbuckle his belt and he barely popped the button on his pants when there was a knock on his door.

“Agent Kennedy? It’s urgent, I’m coming in.”

The door handle rattled and Ada sprung up, deftly snatching her panties and skirt off his desk before rolling off and ducking under the table in a split second. If the situation was not so urgent, Leon would have continued to admire her sleek flexibility. She managed to grab her fallen heels just as Leon scooted his chair inwards, feeling it press up against Ada’s form. It was a good thing his desk was enclosed on three sides and fully flushed to the floor. No one would be any the wiser.

The door creaked open and he recognised the man to be one of the trainers. He struggled to remember his colleague’s last name but recalled his first name starting with a ‘G’. Gerald? Gregory? Georgios!

“How can I help, Agent Georgios?” Leon asked as he felt Ada shift from his knee to between his legs. The raven haired woman laid her skirt on the floor and proceeded to sit cross legged on it as she waited for this interruption to end.

Georgios looked apologetic as he stepped into the room, “I know you just got back but could you approve the latest cadets for probationary field work?” He saw a briefcase beside the empty chair. “Sorry, do you have a visitor?”

“From the BSAA, yes. She went to use the restroom.” At his remark, Ada rolled her eyes and as she gazed at his crotch from her vantage point, a wicked idea formed in her mind. She reached up and gently stroked the bulge on her husband’s pants. Leon stiffened his legs as he tried to close his knees but Ada was holding them open. What on earth was she doing??

Leon got his answer when he felt his pants zipper get slowly pulled down. Was she serious?! He prayed that his co-worker did not hear anything unusual.

“That scary-hot lady in orange earlier?” Ada paused her stroking of Leon’s hard-on as she too, was curious on what this man was saying about her. “She was the walking definition of ‘if looks could kill’. I saw a ring so I guess she’s taken. Lucky man.”

Leon gave a small grin, “I guess so.” He then felt Ada slide her fingers through the split in front of his briefs and grasp at his manhood, bringing it out into the open air. He shifted ever so uncomfortably in his seat.

Georgios thought the blonde’s discomfort stemmed from agreeing with him that the BSAA visitor was beautiful. “Lighten up, Kennedy. You’re not cheating on your wife if you think she’s pretty.”

Ada took the opportunity to put her husband in a tough spot by brushing her lips on the tip, her wet tongue teasing the glans in a feather light touch.

His breath hitched in his throat and he closed his eyes to compose himself. With a quick exhale, he looked at Georgios in a no-nonsense manner. “It just so happens that she is my spouse.”

Leon was rewarded with a lick on the sensitive ridge on the underside of his cock and his manhood involuntary jerked in response.

There was a brief moment of silence before Georgios stammered out an apology. “I wish my partner would surprise me at work too."

“This is probably a… one time thing…” Leon dragged out his reply when Ada finally took him into her mouth. She hollowed her cheeks and began to suck him quietly.

Georgios went back to the task at hand, “Anyway, do you think the cadets can go to the field? The higher ups are pushing for more active agents.”

“If their performance is to my satisfaction.” Leon was trying very hard to concentrate when Ada was varying the tempo and laved her tongue on the entirety of his rigid length. “It’ll be a waste of resources if they all die because of a mishap.”

He remembered the castigation from his superiors on his latest debriefing and it was a good thing he was being thoroughly distracted by his wife’s talented mouth to even feel an ounce of disappointment right now.

If he approved all the rookies and they failed on the first mission, it would be his head on the chopping block. The higher ups could wait a damn while longer.

Ada noticed the change in her husband’s demeanour and was determined to keep him in a good mood. Her hands glided along his thigh with practised ease, knowing how he was sensitive there.

Leon definitely felt horny at that moment and the blood was rushing everywhere but his brain. He had to force his lips to remain in a thin line when they would rather hang open and slack with pleasure.

Georgios mistakenly thought his words were making his colleague relieve a bad memory. He had heard rumours that Leon was recently chewed out from his latest mission. Damn, this was bad timing. “You’re right. If we lose all of them, we’ll be forever stuck in a loop of recruiting a fresh batch of cannon fodder. Maybe approve whomever passes your strict criteria.”

“That’s the plan.” Leon could feel Ada slowing down her movements and impatiently drumming her fingers on his knee.

“Thanks. I’ll take my leave before your missus gets back.” Georgios retreated out of the room and swung the door shut behind him.

His wife released him with a wet pop and Leon rolled his chair back, glancing at Ada’s rosy cheeks and mischievous grin. “You’re being a bad wife,” he mock scolded her but his eyes were full of mirth.

“Perhaps you should punish me then.” Was her reply as she stretched out her legs, giving him a tantalising view of her womanhood.

As much as he wanted to roll around on the floor with her, Leon reached down to help his wife up and he planted a swift kiss before walking towards the door. The lock engaged with a loud click.

He turned back and saw Ada perching on his desk and crossing one leg across her knee, accentuating the roundness of her hips. Both his pants and underwear were left discarded on the floor within seconds as he hurriedly returned to his wife while he tugged the jacket off his torso.

Their lips came crashing into one another once more as Leon unbuttoned her blazer, peeling it off and leaving her in just a crisp white blouse. A surge of desire knifed through him as an image of her bent over his desk appeared in his mind.

“Turn around…” he asked and she complied. He plucked off a cushion from his chair and placed it on the desk in front of his wife to make her more comfortable.

The craving inside Ada was now on the verge of bursting as her legs and hips shifted restlessly while she got comfy. The sight of her wiggling her butt only made him even more aroused as his cock brushed up against the top of her ass.

“Hmm…” The disparity in height was going to be an issue but he got another idea as he eyed her footwear on the floor. “Wear your heels, beautiful.”

She could only smile, “How kinky.” Her feet slipped into the heels easily and the additional inches now allowed Leon’s manhood to align perfectly against her entrance.

Leon slid between her legs in a slow rocking motion, eliciting a throaty groan from her as she bucked up against him.

“Patience, dear.” He was coating himself with her essence and also getting himself nice and hard for the intercourse. It was a prelude for things to come and her thighs were a close mimic to the real deal, much to Ada’s chagrin. She rather he just got on with it already!

Once he was all worked up, he grasped her lush backside and slowly eased himself in. Ada’s eyes nearly crossed from sheer pleasure while Leon was amazed how snug her walls were hugging his shaft in this angle.

When he was fully sheathed inside her, he took the chance to lean down and shower more kisses on her neck while one of his hands plucked at the buttons of her blouse, splaying it open. His fingers slipped under her bra to play with a hardened nipple, pinching the brown bud lightly as he felt his wife shudder once more. Ada was practically melting like putty under his touch and she gave into all the affections that he was lavishing upon her.

He pulled out almost all the way before driving in at a languid pace, over and over again. Sounds of his wife’s throaty whimpers and the wet smacking of their hips filled the room which spurred Leon to give it his all. The grip on her ass cheek became firmer, leaving red finger marks on her snowy skin.

“Fuck, you’re so tight in this position,” he whispered into her ear as Ada squeezed him with her pelvis, giving him extra pressure on his cock. He reflexively twitched his length within her and she gasped when it stimulated another spot she did not know about.

“Do that again…” She begged and he obeyed, twitching once more as he slipped out and continued their fornication. “Harder…!”

Leon yielded to each demand and felt the tremors quivering down her legs. Sensation was building within him and a fire was now concentrating in his belly, threatening to incinerate at a moment’s notice. He was getting closer and he increased his speed, not letting himself slide out as much as before.

Ada was still vocalising her delight with each thrust and one of her hands reached up to grasp his arm that was on her chest. She was holding onto him for dear life and on the final push, she exploded into sheer ecstasy for the third time with a cry of his name on her lips.

Leon lost control soon after and his manhood erupted, flooding her vagina with his seed. He sunk his teeth into her shoulder as he emptied himself into her over and over, almost never ending.

The couple collapsed in a collective heap on his desk as they still spasmed from aftershocks of their lingering orgasms. Ada felt Leon’s heart pounding against her back and his ragged breathing took a minute to normalise. She was blinking away the stars in her eyes when he tried to pull out but her core was still tensed up. Both moaned at the intense friction of his manhood rubbing up against her walls when he eased his way out inch by inch.

If they did not have work to do, there would surely be a round two… or more.

Leon gently pulled his wife up and turned her around. Her raven hair was slightly damp with perspiration as it plastered on her forehead and almost all the lipstick was gone from her dainty mouth. His shirt, on the other hand, was drenched in sweat. She did not care about their appearances as she hugged him close. “That was incredible, Leon.”

“Indeed… I think I’ll forgo overtime and come home tonight for an encore.”

Laughter bubbled from her, “We never did quite finish our meeting either.”

“How about we conclude it over lunch?”

The next few minutes were spent dressing each other up to look presentable. Luckily Leon had a set of spare clothes in his drawer and he now donned a matching white top like his wife. Ada had to playfully swat away his hand when he began to grope her butt over the skirt. “You need to get back to work, Mr. Kennedy.”

“Just brushing away some lint, Mrs. Kennedy.”

She rolled her eyes as she helped to fasten his tie and flatten the creases on his jacket. When they were fully clothed, he thumbed a switch on his desk and the bookshelf slid to the side, revealing a secret exit.

While unexpected, Ada was not too surprised by this. Her previous line of work had desensitised her to hidden entryways.

He provided an explanation nonetheless, “I’m frequently called away on missions at a moment’s notice that they decided to give me an office with a private entrance.”

“That’s handy.” She said as she picked up her briefcase and took his outstretched hand.

They stepped through the archway and the motion sensor lights activated, illuminating a short L-shaped corridor. The bookshelf rolled back into place behind them. Both of them followed the lights and as they turned the corner, an elevator greeted them. Now Ada was impressed.

“It skips even numbered floors. You didn’t think they would make me run down so many flights of stairs now, would you?” Her husband remarked upon seeing the admiration on her face.

The couple stepped into the elevator and Leon punched the button for the basement. “What would you like to eat, Ada?”

Her stomach growled at the mention of food. Their intense lovemaking definitely worked up an appetite. “Something with rice. How about sushi?”

“That sounds good.” The elevator chimed upon reaching their destination and the doors opened up to the parking garage.

The Kennedys enjoyed an early lunch before parting with the promise of a spectacular night at home.

---------

Leon had managed to squeeze in time after lunch to contact the in-house psychiatrist and was immediately put on leave for his lingering trauma. The shrink was appalled that the blonde agent was being made to work overtime after such a punishing mission. Even though he had cleared the physical check up, there was zero assessment done on his mental state. Leon felt relieved that he could make good on his promise to his wife as he got off work on time.

Now, he had the most magnificent view of Ada’s breasts bouncing in rhythm with her movements. He drank in the sight of her once more, forever mesmerised by her form. His hands roamed everywhere, down her smooth back, the dip in her hips, and then the curve in her ass. It had been a while since he saw her in the nude. She was relentless as she gripped his shoulders, letting him glide in and out of her soaking core, stimulating the pleasurable spots within her.

Dinner was left forgotten in the oven as Ada was preoccupied with riding Leon, slapping her hips against his repeatedly. They had practically jumped on each other when Leon arrived home, shedding their clothes in rapid time before she shoved him on the sofa and eagerly impaled herself on his rigid length. Their cat was thankfully still asleep somewhere.

While they took their time in the office, Ada was currently impatient and wanting, the temptress in her unleashed as she was focused on having her fill of her husband’s cock.

“Twitch for me,” she said commandingly and he granted her wish. Feeling her walls grip him tightly once more. God, how did she get so snug? Does not having sex for a couple of months do that?

It did not matter now, they were reunited at last. Her nipple brushed against his lips and he took it into his mouth, eliciting an airy “Oh!” from her. His teeth raked against the bud and it always made him pleased when it hardened under his tongue. He released it and gave the same treatment on her other breast. Ada slowed down her motions, lazily rutting against him as she relished being pleasured in two places at once.

Even though she had reduced the intensity of her movements, the fire was burning brightly in his belly again with her muscles still clenching around him. “I’m going to come soon…” he rasped as she growled a bit.

“Not yet, not yet. I’m not done.” She moved again with determination, grinding the tip of his manhood on her G-spot.

Leon could barely hold back the rushing tide of his orgasm and he reached up, pulling her body down before rolling them onto the carpeted floor with his wife on her back, still joined.

Both her legs automatically wrapped around his waist; just the way he loved it, and he withdrew his manhood before roughly plunging it inside. Ada was practically shrieking with delight as he drove into her repeatedly at a furious pace.

“You’re completely irresistible…” he panted between thrusts before reaching down to stimulate her sensitive and swollen flesh. It didn’t take long for her legs to squeeze his waist as she trembled with bliss from head to toe, murmuring a mixture of words that consisted of “Oh yes!” and “Leon!”

Her name spilled from his lips continuously and he came hard once more before leaning down to kiss her passionately. Her nails raked down his back and he was too caught up in the throes of passion to even register the stinging sensation.

Both pulled apart for breath and Leon slumped down, bringing them to cuddle on their sides. His hand reached up to stroke her cheek before he gently touched foreheads, “That was one hell of a welcome home greeting, beautiful.”

She leaned into his palm and smiled, “You got me all worked up the entire afternoon with thoughts of you.”

“I spent a portion of the afternoon going for a preliminary therapy session.”

If there was any surprise, his wife did not show it. Instead, she continued to beam at him. “I’m proud of you, Leon.”

Both their stomachs rumbled and they chortled with laughter. “Let’s get started with dinner,” he said as he carefully disengaged from his wife.

They slipped on their undergarments before tucking into a hearty dinner, discussing potential destinations for their honeymoon. With their first marital crisis resolved, the couple was confident they would be able to tackle anything in their marriage as long as they were together.

#Ada stories #Ada Wong #Leon Kennedy #Aeon

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just-absolutely-super · 2 years ago

Text

Reassurance

Happy Valentine's Day!

A MegaMan x Roll oneshot I wrote because I love them. I hope you all enjoy it!

Summary: MegaMan doesn't have to worry about hiding his secret from Lan anymore, but now he has another dilemma on his hands: how does Roll feel about him being Hub Hikari? [Post-MMBN1; MegaRoll established relationship]

Pairing: MegaMan.EXE x Roll.EXE

Rating: K

Read it on AO3 /// FF.net

MegaMan typed onto his keyboard, eyes reading over each word as he checked and double checked that there weren't any errors. Normally he wouldn't put so much care into compositing a message to someone he was close with, but this was a particularly special occurrence…and for a special person in his life.

"What's got you so concentrated?"

MegaMan jumped, not expecting to hear the sudden noise of his operator. Turning around quickly, he came face to face with Lan.

"Oh, uh, nothing! I was just writing some mail to Roll, that's all…" the Navi replied. He was desperately trying to appear nonchalant, but seeing Lan's disbelieving look told MegaMan there was no fooling his brother.

Brother…

It had been a couple of weeks since that particular cat got out of the bag. Even though life returned to a sense of normalcy, MegaMan knew better that things were far from normal.

No, Lan didn't treat him any differently—and MegaMan didn't want him to—but he knew that things between them weren't the same. Lan looked at him with new eyes. Gone was the illusion that MegaMan was just a specialized program his father created for research purposes; now he could see him for who he truly was: Hub Hikari, a child thought lost to death but was digitized into a NetNavi.

It was a relief to finally quit hiding the truth from Lan. Before the reveal, MegaMan would often be anxious of how his twin would react to the news. Would he take it terribly? Would he feel betrayed by his family? Would he not care? Thankfully, the truth of the matter was that Lan was ecstatic to learn who he was, and was interested to continue learning everything there was to know about his brother.

And that was great! Megaman was happy.

Although…there was another matter he had yet to address. One that did not involve his twin this time…

Lan pulled MegaMan from his thoughts by speaking, "Why are you getting so nervous over mailing Roll? Don't you two do that, like, all the time?"

Megaman felt his cheeks flush, "Well, yeah. I mean, usually we do…but lately we haven't really had time to talk, so I figured I'd ask her to hang out for a little bit on the net together. Is… Is that okay?"

Lan raised an eyebrow, "MegaMan, I'm not your parent. You don't need my permission to see your girlfriend."

The blue Navi's cheeks burned brighter at the use of the word, "girlfriend". While it's true he and Roll were close, they never really put a label to it. Dating among NetNavis wasn't a particularly common thing given that human emotions like love and romance were far more complicated for their programming to grasp.

But given that MegaMan wasn't completely computer, it was far easier for him to develop these feelings. And given how nice and supportive and…well, pretty Roll was, it wasn't hard to believe he had developed an infatuation for her. What was shocking was when Roll admitted she felt an attraction towards him!

So…technically speaking, they were dating (that was the term Mayl first used when Lan asked why Roll kept "bothering" MegaMan all those months ago), but if he were honest, MegaMan felt there weren't any words to describe just what he feels for the female Navi. To him, it felt like a larger connection. Terms like "boyfriend" and "girlfriend" were just easier to say though, so the two allowed it.

But how they came to be together and the labeling of it all didn't matter during this moment. What mattered was the fact that ever since WWW had been taken care of, MegaMan did not have any time dedicated to Roll at all.

It wasn't on purpose, though—and it wasn't like they didn't see each other. They mostly hung out in their large friend group with GutsMan and Glyde. So while they were together, they weren't given the luxury of alone time. He could tell during those moments that Roll was slightly upset at not having him all to herself, but there was nothing he could do. Things post WWW were hectic for him, personally.

There was the fact that MegaMan was trying to get adjusted to the newly installed program. Dad needed to make sure that his and Lan's synchronization wasn't going to have unwarranted side effects thanks to the program, and that required a lot of time and visits to SciLab. Not to mention trying to readjust to life overall after saving the world from the LifeVirus, including reestablishing his relationship with Lan as not just his NetNavi, but his twin brother as well.

Which led to another reason for why MegaMan had not been seeing Roll as often…how did she feel about his little secret?

Roll had been present during his fight with MagicMan. She had held him while he was on the verge of deletion at the WWW Navi's hands. Of course she heard the conversation that followed when his father called to tell Lan that MegaMan and Hub Hikari were one and the same.

She didn't say anything back then, probably because she was still emotional over almost losing him, but nonetheless it was a large topic that he had been avoiding discussing with her. It's not something he's proud of, he hated feeling like a coward. And now that so much time has passed, he was beginning to feel similar insecurities he had experienced when thinking of Lan's reaction.

Would Roll be angry he never told her?

Was she hurt he hadn't come to talk to her in all this time?

Would she feel differently about him now that she knew he was partially human?

Would she break up with him?

MegaMan groaned. Why were relationships so hard?

"Yikes, why are you so down about this? Did you have a fight or something?"

MegaMan escaped his dark thoughts as he looked at Lan's concerned face.

"No, it's not that. I just…" he bit his lip, "I don't know how she feels about all this. Me being…well, me."

"You mean how you're Hub?" Lan asked, trying to understand his brother's quandary.

"Yeah," MegaMan confirmed. "It's a big thing, you know? We haven't had any time to talk about it. I just don't know if she's adjusting well."

Lan hummed, "Has she been acting differently around you when you hang out with everyone else?"

"Well, no, but that's with everyone else," MegaMan admitted.

He remembered his father requesting of Mayl and Chaud to not mention MegaMan's identity to anyone. There weren't any guarantees that everyone else would be as accepting of turning a child on the brink of death into a NetNavi. Lan assured MegMan that one day they would tell Dex, Yai, and their Navis; but for now, they had to hold onto the secret a little longer.

This left Roll pretending everything was normal in the presence of others. While he was relieved she would never betray his trust, the blue Navi didn't have any reassurance of her behavior without friends eavesdropping…

"How is it going to be if it's just me and her alone?" he softly asked.

Lan was quiet for a minute, seeming to contemplate the conversation. Finally, he nodded to himself and with the confidence only a child his age could have, said, "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"I don't?" the elder twin asked, confused.

"Nope!" the younger twin replied, "Roll likes you a lot, Hub. If there's anyone who can accept you for who you are, bet that it's her. Trust me on this!"

MegaMan smiled. He always liked hearing Lan's pep talks. There was something about the 11-year-old's spirit and upbeat attitude that was infectious.

"Yeah, you're probably right."

"What do you mean 'probably'? I know I'm right!"

Megaman laughed at the pout his twin was giving him, but sobered up quickly when he remembered that he still had to actually talk to Roll.

He turned back to the email, once again looking over the words he had typed, "Even so, it's better to get it out of the way and find out for sure how she feels about all of this."

After one more thorough read of the message, he hovered his finger over the send button. Turning back to Lan, he hesitantly asked, "You'll be okay if I go out for a bit, right?"

Lan rolled his eyes, "Please, you're only going to be a few feet from the PC, not all the way in Netopia! I'll be fine, go see your girlfriend!"

"Well, okay…but maybe I should think a little more about what I'm going to say before—"

"Ugh, fine, I'll do it."

With a quick and steady hand, Lan took his mouse and pressed the "SEND" button before his brother could come up with more ways to stall leaving the PC. MegaMan gaped at the space where his email once occupied and turned to glare at his brother. Lan, in his typical carefree fashion, ignored his ire.

"Now we wait." The younger Hikari said as he reclined back in his chair, arms behind his head casually and a large, teasing grin on his face.

"You are unbelievable…" The elder grumbled.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for them to hear the "PING" of the notification for new mail. Making sure Lan wasn't going to read it over his shoulder, MegaMan checked the contents and let out a breath he didn't realizing he was holding.

"Well?" Lan asked, tone almost eager.

"Mayl gave her the okay to go, so she'll be on her way soon," MegaMan replied, nerves coming back into his stomach with a vengeance.

"Awesome! So I guess I'll see you later tonight then?"

MegaMan rolled his eyes, "I won't be gone too long, don't worry. In the meantime, don't you have homework you should be doing?"

Lan winced, "Aw man, I was hoping you had forgotten about that."

"Of course not," MegaMan scoffed before turning to face his brother completely. With one hand on his hip and the other pointing at Lan through the screen, the Navi commanded sternly, "You better have it done when I get back, okay mister?"

Lan sighed in annoyance but raised an arm in a mock salute, "Yes, sir! I'll have it all done by the time you're done with your date, Megaman, sir!"

"Right…" MegaMan deadpanned. Despite Lan's show of reluctance, he could tell he was honest. Satisfied, he waved his hand toward his NetOp and logged himself out of the PC and onto the internet. He hoped all went well tonight…

---------

Much to his great relief, ACDC Area 1 was pretty barren this evening. There weren't even many viruses loitering about, save for a few Mettaur. They were harmless though, not even giving the blue Navi a second glance as they strolled on their way to a different part of the area.

MegaMan sighed. He hadn't been waiting long—only a few minutes at most—but he could not dispel his anxiety. He knew talking to Roll had to happen. Communication was key to a healthy relationship after all…or at least that's what the talk shows his mother watched during the day said. But nonetheless there was truth in that statement, and if he wanted things to continue with Roll he had to clear the air and discuss the current situation and how this could potentially change things between them.

Now if only she would show up.

He was standing on a large platform, a typical spot in the area that he and his friends often met at. It was the most ideal place to meet with his girlfriend. Craning his head in all directions, he confirmed that she still wasn't in sight—no one was, actually. Thinking it safe, he reached up and removed his helmet, allowing his natural brown hair to flow freely before combing it with his fingers. It was a nervous habit of his, but it did help to calm him in a way. He closed his eyes as he continued the soothing action…

"Oh! You have actual hair! Is it as soft as it looks?"

MegaMan jumped, not having noticed the arrival of his companion. Turning around, he saw Roll leaning slightly into him as she observed his brown locks, her green eyes shining with curiosity.

He found her really cute right now.

Blushing, MegMan quickly slammed his helmet back onto his head, hiding the physical feature that was proof of his existence as Hub Hikari. The pink Navi pouted at the action.

"Aww, you didn't have to do that. I think it's cute." She said simply. She tried reaching her hand up to his head—possibly to take the helmet off again—but her boyfriend stepped back out of her reach. The action caused Roll to pause, hurt almost clouding her face as she stared at him in confusion.

MegaMan felt bad for giving her that expression. "I'm sorry, I just… I'm a little self-conscious about it."

It wasn't a lie.

Hearing the sincerity of his words and seeing the obvious discomfort in his demeanor, Roll nodded in understanding. The air started to feel awkward and Megman mentally berated himself. This wasn't what he had wanted to happen at all.

Trying to bring things back on track, MegaMan gestured to the edge of the platform they were standing on, "Wanna sit down?"

Roll nodded, a small smile coming back onto her face much to the blue Navi's relief. The two moved to the ledge, carefully sitting down and allowing their legs to dangle in the air. They sat there in comfortable silence, their gazes looking out into Cyberworld. There wasn't much to see, admittedly, but MegaMan didn't care. Just being in Roll's presence was enough for him. He always enjoyed the feelings she sparked in him, and he hoped she felt the same way.

Speaking of feelings.

Might as well try and get it over with…

"So, have things been going well? We haven't had a whole lot of time to talk since…y'know." He started. He thought it would be better to ease into it rather than bombard her.

The pink Navi hummed, "Yes, things have been fine. Just the same old stuff really. Mayl still does her piano lessons but she's been trying out other kinds of hobbies too. Lately it's been tennis."

MegaMan nodded, "Yeah, everything is pretty much back to normal at our house too. Though Lan keeps going on about how bored he is. I have to keep telling him that we had enough excitement to last us a lifetime."

Roll laughed and MegaMan felt more at ease. The couple then went on to talk about other things—their NetOps, their Navi friends, new battlechips that Higsby imported from some country, the group of Mettaur from the path below trying to waddle their way home, everything and nothing all at once. Conversation flowed and it all felt so natural. That's how it was with Roll, MegaMan never felt like he had to try too hard to impress her. He felt like he could just be himself and she wouldn't ask for anything more. He loved this. He loved being with her.

He honestly wasn't sure why he felt nervous about talking to her in the first place.

"I know you said everything was fine at home, but I just want to make sure… You and Lan are still good? Things haven't been awkward since what happened at the WWW base?"

Oh…now he remembered why.

Swallowing his nerves, MegaMan replied, "No, no, everything is great. Better than great, actually. I feel like we're a lot closer now since he found out that I'm… I'm…"

He felt like kicking himself. Why couldn't he say it in front of her?

"His brother?" Roll finished for him. She had a patient smile on her face, but her brows furrowed slightly. Maybe she was confused about his hesitation, but MegaMan couldn't help but worry about the possibility that her expression reflected uneasiness about the matter.

"Yeah…that."

A silence settled over them and MegaMan admonished his behavior. He needed to get a grip. Everything was fine up until this point, why was he making this a bigger deal than it should be?

"I'm happy to hear that," Roll said, trying her best to redirect the conversation, bless her heart. "Mayl and I were a little worried about you two. I mean, it was so sudden, and Lan had no idea."

"Yeah, I know." MegaMan hated thinking about the time he kept the secret. It was one of the hardest things he had to do. Trying to broach the topic with Roll about his insecurities was starting to climb up there, though.

"But I understand why you didn't tell him. It's hard to imagine, that this person you thought was dead was with you all along as a NetNavi. You never know for sure how someone will react to that. I'm happy Lan took it so well, though. You two are such a great team—it makes sense now that I know you're brothers!"

She giggled at the irony and MegaMan allowed himself a chuckle. He really did luck out with Lan. If it had happened to anyone else, who knows what would have happened.

But her words to him did give him some hope. She spoke about his human identity so casually. Like not being completely computer was a common occurrence. Maybe Lan was right, she really did accept him for who he was and he had been worrying for nothing.

"So…what about you?"

He needed to hear the reassurance from her with his own ears.

"Huh? What about me?" she asked, head tilted to the side. He couldn't help but smile at how cute she was.

"Well, what do you think of me?" he asked, gathering all the courage he had in him. "And I mean the real me. Hub Hikari me."

He held his breath as he waited for her reply. He gripped the edge of the platform. It was now or never.

Roll, on the other hand, continued to regard him with confusion. It was as if he asked her the most perplexing question ever.

"Well, that's a silly question!" Roll said, arms crossed. After a very brief moment, realization dawned on her and she asked, "Is that what's been bothering you all evening? You're afraid of what I think of you being human?"

The blue Navi winced, but sighed dejectedly and nodded his head. His eyes turned downcast as he avoided her imploring gaze. He felt shame overcome him. Here Roll was, willingly spending her time with him and acting as if nothing between them had changed, and he had to come in and question her feelings for him. Some boyfriend, huh?

He was about to apologize to her when he suddenly felt her hand on his left cheek. Gently, Roll turned his head towards her. Her bright green eyes were practically shining as she suddenly exclaimed, "Mega, I think you're amazing! I've always thought you were. It doesn't matter who you are or what you are. You could have turned out to be a virus and I still would think you're one of the best people I know. Want to know why?"

Unable to find his voce, MegaMan nodded his head again. He felt inexplicitly warm as she smiled adoringly at him. Moving her right hand from his cheek, she slipped it to the back of his head, pulling it forward so his forehead could rest against hers. With her other hand, she reached out to gently place it against MegaMan's chest where the emblem of the Hikari family was. If he still had a heart he was sure it would beat like crazy at the feel of her touch. Reflexively, he placed his right hand on top of hers, keeping it there against him.

"It's because of your soul, Mega. You have a kind soul resting inside of you. I can sense it. You're caring, compassionate, smart, and have a strong sense of justice. Not to mention cute," she winked at him, causing him to blush. Giggling at his reaction, she sobered up to continue with her speech, "As long as you remain that kind soul, the MegaMan that I know, then know that I'll always be there for you and be by your side forever."

MegaMan stared at her in awe, moved by her words. His gaze then softened, a tiny half-smile gracing his face as he mused out loud, "Forever, huh?"

Roll giggled, keeping her tone teasing, "Forever! I'm afraid you're stuck with me, so start getting used to it!"

She let out a small squeak as she felt his unoccupied hand suddenly snake its way around her waist, pulling her more against his form if that were possible—the other hand that was still holding hers to his chest now trapped between their bodies. It was her turn to blush now as she gazed into the green of his eyes. The look he was giving her… Oh, if she had a heart it would surely skip many beats!

"Forever… I like the sound of that."

The only witness to the couple's embrace was the intricate coding that made up the cyber sky.

---------

"Are you feeling better now?" Roll asked later on as the two walked hand in hand to the junction that separated the path between Lan's PC and Mayl's.

They spent a few more minutes talking and cuddling on the platform's ledge as they enjoyed the other's company, but MegaMan had to bring it to an end when he realized how late it had gotten. Lan may have promised he'd do his homework, but MegaMan knew there was never any guarantees when it came to his brother's laziness with schoolwork.

"I am. Much better thanks to you." MegaMan affirmed, lifting Roll's hand to his lips for a quick peck. He relished in watching his girlfriend try to hide her blushing face from him.

"Th-That's good," the pink Navi stuttered before clearing her throat and regaining her composure. This boy will be the end of her! "Well, this is where we part. I'll see you tomorrow in the classroom comp?"

MegaMan nodded. "Yeah, and I think Lan was planning on asking Mayl to help him study for the math test coming up. I'll definitely be seeing you then."

"Oh, studying for math? How romantic!" she said sarcastically, earning a laugh from her boyfriend. Seeing the opportunity, she then asked, "If we do meet up for that study date, can I make a request?"

The blue Navi blinked but hesitantly replied, "What kind of request?"

Roll then let go of his hand to place both of hers in a pleading position, "Can I please see you without your helmet again? Pretty please? I promise you look so cute without it!"

MegaMan's cheeks burned as he subconsciously placed a hand to his head, "R-Really? Are you sure you want to see it?"

"Definitely!" his girlfriend confirmed. "It looks so soft too! I'm gonna have so much fun playing with it."

He wasn't so sure about that…but he loved seeing Roll happy, so who was he to deny her?

"Uh, fine, I guess. If that's what you want."

"It is!" she skipped over to him and placed a quick kiss to his cheek. She gave a mischievous giggle when the red of his cheeks intensified. "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Hub!"

MegaMan froze at her parting words, unsure how to react. Roll noticed his change in form and frowned in concern. Fearing she made him uncomfortable, she waved her hands in worry as she began to ramble.

"S-Sorry. I just… It slipped out. I wanted to try using your real name. I won't say it again if you don't want—"

"I like it."

Roll stopped her stammers, blinking at her boyfriend as she processed what he said.

"You… You do?"

MegaMan grinned, his green eyes practically shimmering with adoration for her.

"Yeah… I do."

Roll relaxed, feeling her anxiety melt away at seeing the content expression on MegaMan's face. Leaning forward, she kissed him again, but this time on the lips.

"Goodnight…Hub."

Hub exhaled a pleased sigh. How he loved this girl.

"Goodnight, Roll."

Everything was going to be fine.

#megaman battle network #megaman.exe #roll.exe #megaroll.exe #megaman x roll #my writing #fanfiction #i'm a fucking SAP #wasn't initially gonna post here but y'know what FUCK IT

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khaleesa · 2 years ago

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hi! I used to read your Shannon/Sayid Lost fic (when I was...*very* young) and spent YEARS looking for it afterward to no avail, because every time I looked on ff.net I found *another* beloved ship you wrote from the same time period and thought I'd confused authors.

I cried when I found your Lost fics again. They was so fundamental for me as a kid, and got me through some really rough life stuff. I've done a few Lost rewatches as an adult, and I was always so unsettled after Shannon's death and I SWEAR I read yours and it melted away—I'm talking rewatches across more than a decade. I've been trying to mentally compose this message for months in the hopes that it would be particularly eloquent, because that was the only way I could imagine being able to convey the depth of emotion and importance your writing meant for me (I just checked the dates and I cannot believe we're talking 18 years ago now), but decided tonight to just send it instead of putting it off. I hope the now very rambly message does the trick. thank you again, sincerely.

Oh my goodness. This message is so very kind, and I’m so glad you reached out.

I think I pulled my Shayid fics off ff.net at one point for reasons I can’t remember (Was it REALLY 18 years ago? YIKES!) but I’m so glad they’re still on my abandoned LJ and you found them again!

Ships tend to grab me at very particular points in my life when I feel compelled to write for them. Sometimes I think I’m working through stuff I can’t even articulate. It’s humbling and also a joy to know that my stories might have helped someone else, too, even if I didn’t know you or what you were going through at the time you read them.

(I never really got over what happened to Shannon! But even though I gave up on Lost sometime in S3, I did watch that finale and felt so vindicated when she and Sayid were reunited.)

Thank you so much for this message. I’d love to know what other ships we’ve shared! ❤️

#storieswelove #fanfic #shayid #sayid x shannon

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kaleidodreams · 2 years ago

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I posted 9,166 times in 2022

54 posts created (1%)

9,112 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@sailor-moon-rei

@moonlightsdreaming

@miyakuli

@story-kat

@lou-is-lurking

I tagged 298 of my posts in 2022

#sailor moon - 47 posts

#question - 44 posts

#yuri!!! on ice fanfiction - 38 posts

#yuri!!! on ice - 37 posts

#fanfiction - 35 posts

#sailor moon fanfiction - 35 posts

#questions - 26 posts

#heavenly pearl - 19 posts

#reblogging for otabek's birthday - 14 posts

#recs - 13 posts

Longest Tag: 108 characters

#which is actually pretty fun because my mom got the idea to nickname me meg from jo's sister in little women

My Top Posts in 2022:

For my second fic for Sailor Moon Rare Pair Week, I wrote a Reinako fic!

Summary: When Minako spends the night with Rei at Hikawa, secrets are revealed and confessions are made. (FF.net)

11 notes - Posted March 28, 2022

So...this story originally began as an entry I wrote for the @smquickies2022 event a few months ago. The challenge was to write a sexy fic in a thousand words or less, which I managed to do...but I wasn’t particularly fond of the result, to be honest. The entry ended up focusing almost entirely on the sex to the exclusion of everything else, so I decided to expand the story for Smutember using the Day 16 prompt of “Something New” for the original @smutember event. It can also fit under the Week 3 prompts of “First Times” and “Friends With Benefits” of Sailor Moon Smutember, hosted by @floraone. (It wasn’t Setsuna’s first threesome, but it was Usagi’s and Mamoru’s.)

Anyway, I’ve also included the original smquickies entry (Theme: Lace) as a bonus chapter for posterity, but there’s really no reason to read it if you’ve already read this chapter...unless you really are just interested in reading the smut part. In that case...have fun!

Summary: Looking for something new to spice up their sex life after a thousand years of marriage, Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion invite their good friend Setsuna into their bed for a memorable night together. (FF.net)

13 notes - Posted September 16, 2022

Get To Know

Thanks for the tag, @lou-is-lurking!

Rules: tag 9 people you want to get to know/catch up with

Last movie at home: I watched Hotel Transylvania 2 last night and will probably watch the third one later tonight.

Favorite color: Black (But I also love purple, blue, and deep red!)

Last song: “Oh, Holy Night” - Mariah Carey (Hey, it’s the eleventh day of Christmas -- don’t judge!)

Sweet, savory, or spicy: Hmm, it’s tough to decide between sweet or savory... Right now, I’m leaning savory.

Currently reading: Manga-wise, Knight of the Ice, Bakuman, Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku, and the last volume of Takane & Hana. As for fanfiction, the multiparts I’ve been actively reading lately are Beneath Your Beautiful (YOI) by EmHunter and Bunnycube, The Runner-Up (SM) by @daikon1, and Puppeteer (SM) by @floraone.

Currently working on: Final edits on my last two stories for YOI Rare Pair Week (Leo/Otabek and Minako/Celestino), a Chibi-Usa/Helios fic for @sailormoonrarepairweek, and a Victuuri fic for the YOI 18+ Discord server’s 2022 Winter Olympxxx event. Oh, and my YOI Big Bang.

Don’t feel obligated if you don’t want to, but tagging: @lilliebellfanfics, @quicksilverblue, @danni-bunny, @vchanny-og, @artimas, @teamvanessacloud, @venuscrescent, @moonlightusa, and @tinacentury.

13 notes - Posted January 5, 2022

Here’s a cute Victuuri story I wrote for the 2021 Yuri!!! on Ice Big Bang! The artwork was drawn by the talented dreamin.lilo, who can be found on Instagram. Check out the story to see the other two adorable pieces of artwork!

Summary: “Well, I’ve been thinking… Don’t you think it’s time we had a baby?”

Now that the two of them have officially retired from competitive skating, Yuuri is blindsided when his husband Viktor makes known his desire for a baby. He never even considered the idea of fatherhood before, but when Yuuko calls him last minute, desperate for someone to look after the ten-year-old triplets so she and Takeshi can celebrate their wedding anniversary, they’re given the opportunity for some first-hand experience taking care of children. (FF.net)

21 notes - Posted March 24, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Here's the first story I wrote for @sailormoonrarepairweek, featuring my all-time OTP, Chibi-Usa/Helios!

Summary: Helios has the ring in his pocket and a great speech prepared, but his plans for the perfect proposal keep falling through during his big anniversary date with Serenity. (FF.net)

23 notes - Posted March 27, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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cutesilyo · 3 years ago

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Notes and References for i know your eyes in the morning sun

Hi! These are notes and references for my IndoPhil fic i know your eyes in the morning sun, so please check it out before reading this!

Title: i know your eyes in the morning sun Summary: When a homesick Indonesia is unexpectedly taken out of his meeting for a day trip in Rome with Philippines, he isn't expecting much more than exhaustion ahead of him. Instead, what happens is a whirlwind of food, fun, and a surprising amount of reflection on their histories and differences as nations. And as he looks deeper and deeper in the other nation's bright eyes, he learns to come to terms with the feelings he's been ignoring for far, far too long. Alternatively: a nation who's too attached to the past goes on a date with a nation whose entire philosophy is built on trying to live in the moment. Yes, there is kissing involved. Read on: AO3 | FF.net

Scene 1: Pizza al taglio

As coincidence would have it, the G20 2021 Summit actually will be held in Rome, Italy. However, it’ll be on the end of October rather than the end of September like how its depicted in the fic. I’m also very much ignoring the COVID-19 pandemic. Pretend it never happened.

Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world, found in the island of Java, Indonesia. It was built way back in the 7th Century and it's probably Indonesia's top most visited site.

Terang bulan is basically like a really large, fluffy, folded pancake. It also has a variety of different names and is also eaten in Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore.

If you could have a convenience store dedicated solely to pizza, that's what pizza al taglio establishments are like. Its literal translation is pizza by the cut, and since it's a lot more common to find in Rome than in other places in Italy, it's also called Roman-style pizza. The layout for the al taglio shop that Indonesia and Philippines go to is inspired from the shop that me and my family went to: a small family establishment just a short walk away from the Vatican.

You can actually find a recipe for Indonesia’s arugula and mozzarella pizza here: https://shared.publicmediaconnect.org/docs/atk/Pizza_Taglio_Cooks_Illustrated.pdf

Scene 2: Souvenir store + Bus stop

Indonesian rupiahs are notoriously hyperinflated, so the 15 euros that Philippines uses to buy the keychains convert to 250k+ rupiahs. That's around 50k short for actually being able to buy a local economy flight on Lion Air. For comparison, the same amount of euros convert to approximately 900 Philippine pesos. It’s also a few hundred pesos short of buying a local economy flight on Cebu Pacific.

There actually was a point when a G20 meeting was held in the Coliseum. It was the G20 culture ministers meeting just a few months ago, in July 2021.

Yes, on top of the thousands of festivals we already have, Filipinos also celebrate Oktoberfest! It's more of an excuse for local beer companies to shamelessly promote their product and encourage drinking fests on a massive scale, but a more legitimate Oktoberfest celebration is organized by the German Club in Manila. Lucky Philippines gets to celebrate it authentically in Munich with the German brothers, who historically aimed to conquer the Philippines before America managed to stake his claim. So if you sense that Germany is being oddly shy towards Philippines here, that's just Germany being embarrassed because of their history.

Italy's major international airport in Rome is Aeroporto Internazionale di Roma–Fiumicino "Leonardo da Vinci", so you generally just call it Fiumicino for short. A possible travel route for flying from the Philippines to Italy is Clark-Dubai-Rome, and another is Manila-Hong Kong-Rome.

Scene 3: Gianicolo

Bali, Boracay, and El Nido are beaches that serve as major tourist destinations.

Vietnam has already been mentioned to be a menace when she's drunk in her most recent character introduction. Laos is at the top of ASEAN when it comes to alcohol consumption, with the average Laotian drinking seven liters of pure alcohol every year.

Indonesia is sometimes known as the Invisible Nation. What this means to say is that there have not been many things that Indonesia has done that made massive waves on the global scale. From what I’ve read, this seems to have been an especially popular sentiment among Western analysts during the Cold War.

Australia's awkward attempt at an apology is a reference to when the Australian government had allegedly monitored and spied on the phone calls of several Indonesian officials. Indonesia and Australia have a history that goes far deeper than that though.

Monas is a common abbreviation for Indonesia's Monumen Nasional, proudly standing tall in the middle of Merdeka Square as a commemoration of the fight for Indonesian independence. Taman Surapati is a large, chill public park; it also has a monument dedicated to commemorating ASEAN there. Both are located in Jakarta, Indonesia's capital. Meanwhile, Philippines' mention of Luneta refers to Luneta Park. It's also known as Rizal Park, as it's the place where the national hero Jose Rizal was executed for the influence he had in encouraging the fight for Philippine independence.

In Rome, there are seven major hills: they formed the geographical heart of Ancient Rome, with Palatino and Campidoglio as the most significant given how connected they were to Rome's founding and Rome's religion. Gianicolo is outside the boundaries of Ancient Rome, and as such, it isn't counted among the seven hills. It is dedicated to the Roman god Janus and was a place for the augurs to divine the will of the gods — kind of like a prophecy, if a prophecy could be divined from bird entrails. Now it's a great spot for a scenic view of modern Rome which features, among other things, a large statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi. Garibaldi was a major figure in the Italian Reunification.

Nusantara means many different things, but in the era of the Majapahit empire, it referred to the vassal kingdoms in what is now modern-day Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Timor Leste, and the southern parts of modern-day Thailand and Philippines. Modern usage of the word in Indonesia generally refers to the Indonesian archipelago, but it can also be used to refer to the entirety of maritime Southeast Asia. Culturally and historically, Southeast Asia is divided into the mainland region (the countries connected to the Asian continent: Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar) and maritime (the countries that are islands and archipelagos: Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines).

Italy, together with the United Kingdom, is the largest European migration destination for Filipinos. The largest migration destination for Filipinos in general is America.

Shout-out to Ro-na for this wonderful headcanon of Philippines being sickly in his early days as a Spanish colony! The galleon ships used to facilitate trade between the Philippines and Mexico (perhaps the Philippines' most major contribution to the Spanish crown) would often be attacked by pirates or destroyed in typhoons, especially in the first few decades.

Majapahit and Srivijaya are only two of pre-colonial Indonesia's many powerful empires. A lot of the pre-colonial stuff has been simplified for brevity's sake, but a brief summary of it all basically goes like this: pre-colonial Indonesia was involved with everyone in maritime SEA, where everyone traded with each other; and mainland SEA was non-stop fighting where the major powers were the empires that would later become Vietnam and the Khmer empire that would influence everyone else in mainland SEA. You can find a more detailed look into mainland SEA history by Gemu in her posts here, who is my main influence for everything mainland SEA-related.

A young Brunei picking flowers for a young Philippines is a reference to all the marriages that had occurred between their nobility during the pre-colonial era.

Scene 4: Apartment

The turtle fountain in Rome is a real thing: Fontana delle Tartarughe was originally designed with dolphins in mind, but the dolphins were removed and replaced by turtles. In fandom, you usually see Philippines calling Indonesia kuya, which is Tagalog for older brother. In at least one Indonesian language (I can't remember which one at the moment, sorry!), kuya means turtle.

Tondo, Seludong, Butuan, Sulu, Sugbu, and Panay are all polities in pre-colonial Philippines, two for each of the main island groups in the country: Luzon in the north, Mindanao in the south, and Visayas in the middle. Unlike pre-colonial Indonesia, the societies in the Philippines were never united by a single kingdom or empire; the Philippine islands were only united through the efforts of Spanish and American colonization.

Filipinos tend to sing a lot. Many of us are really good at it. Karaoke is really popular here.

Philippines' PIN code of 8862 is a reference to when ASEAN was founded: August 8, 1962. The founding members were Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

This might be as good of a time as ever for me to mention that I am depicting Philippines and Indonesia as Catholic and Muslim respectively. Filipinos are predominantly Catholic and the Philippines is the largest Catholic country in Asia, while Indonesia has a number of official religions and is the largest Muslim nation in the world.

Special thanks to Desa for helping me with Indonesia's prayer times! Normally, Muslims pray five times a day, but when travelling Muslims are allowed to pray only three times. This is called Qasr salah, or Qasr sholat in Indonesia. What is usually Fajr (called Subuh in Indonesia), Zuhr, Asr, Magrib, and Isha becomes only Fajr, Zuhr-Asr, and Mahgrib-Isha; essentially, without getting into the specifics of time, a prayer for sunrise, afternoon, and night. The mosques will remind everyone when it's prayer time with adhan (called adzan in Indonesia), but in non-Muslim countries abroad, many Muslims have to use websites and apps to keep track. Something I didn't mention in the fic is that Rome actually has the largest mosque in the Western world, Moschea di Roma, so Indonesia could have potentially prayed there.

Scene 5: Apartment dinner table

Sholat wouldn��t take Indonesia more than a few minutes, so imagine that he did something else while waiting for Philippines to finish cooking.

Baked fish with sliced lemons is a meal that got served to me a lot in Italy. Chop suey is Chinese, but China has had a significant cultural influence for most of Southeast Asia throughout history; the Indonesian version is known as kap cay. Indomie Mi Goreng is a particularly tasty and famous kind of instant noodles from Indonesia. It's very popular in many Asian countries. Indonesia doesn’t drink, but Philippines is drinking white wine because that’s what you’re supposed to do when eating fish. Red wine goes with meat.

Admittedly, this is my own personal headcanon, but I like to think of Philippines living in Spain with the other Spanish colonies while everyone else in maritime SEA were left behind to live in their own countries. It's my own neat Hetalia universe explanation for how much Spanish influence there is in Filipino culture, and how isolated Filipinos can sometimes feel among their neighbors.

I do think that Philippines would have a Hispanic-sounding human name, but I've never really settled on what name actually would be: in fandom, Felipe, Lorenzo, and Jaime get thrown around a lot. In contrast, it seems like most people have settled on Dirga (short for Dirgantara) for Indonesia.

Philippines is sometimes called as la colonia abandonada in Spanish sources: the abandoned colony. Because the Philippines was so far away, Spain couldn't manage the colony directly and had to rely on Mexico/Nueva España to do the dirty work until Mexico became independent. This led to a more relaxed manner in how the country was managed for most of its Spanish colonial life; some scholars even go as far as saying that Spain's treatment of the Philippines was kinder than Spain's treatment of Latin America. I don't really agree — it was different, sure, but it wasn't kind in the least.

Contrast that with Indonesia as the largest and most important colony of the Dutch empire. Aside from all the money and economic prosperity that Indonesia gave to the empire, you'll also find many Dutch songs and hymns that are all praises to Indonesia. Much of the research in Indonesian history, ethnography, and archeology was made possible because of Dutch interest and support; until now, the Netherlands remains to be Europe's leader when it comes to Indonesian studies. This isn't to say that Netherlands treated Indonesia well, however.

After the Japanese occupation of Indonesia in WW2, Netherlands fought to keep power over the archipelago. Needless to say, the Netherlands failed. Indonesia was recognized as an independent country soon after.

Indië is the Dutch colonial name for Indonesia.

APEC is the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, of which Philippines and Indonesia (and Thailand!) are members.

Scene 6 + 7: Apartment bedroom

What was Philippines doing in the 1920s, you ask? Being an American colony and trying to lobby for laws that would hasten his independence. Indonesia was in the middle of what’s called the Indonesian National Awakening; all the different peoples under Indonesia were beginning to come together and unite to fight for a single independent nation.

As a tarsier, Pien is actually supposed to be nocturnal; he shouldn't be sleeping at night at all. Maybe he just got jet lagged? Who knows.

BL stands for the boy's love genre of TV series. For years, Thailand had been the lead when it came to BL production with shows like TharnType and SOTUS. Recently, the Philippines has also been developing BL series — Gameboys specifically had achieved worldwide acclaim and is distributed globally through Netflix.

Filipino languages tend to have more complex verb conjugation and sentence structure compared to Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia. The linguistic explanation for this is that most of the Filipino languages are based on the older Proto-Malayo-Polynesian language while Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia are based on the newer, more simplified descendants of Proto-Malayo-Polynesian.

Pramoedya Ananta Toer was an Indonesian author that focused a lot of his work on nationalistic sentiments. He has a quote on bravery that I really like: Dalam hidup kita, cuma satu yang kita punya, yaitu keberanian. Kalau tidak punya itu, lantas apa harga hidup kita ini? Loosely translated, this reads as: In our life, we only have one thing, which is bravery. If it’s not, what is the value of our life?

Indonesia, as a large archipelago in the Pacific Ring of Fire, has a lot of active volcanoes. In contrast, the Philippines is regularly hit by tens of typhoons annually.

There are an estimated 12 million Filipinos overseas, and this number consistently rises through the years. It's one of the largest diaspora populations: name a country, you'll probably find a Filipino working there somewhere. OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) account for 10% of the country's population and the remittances they send back to their families account for 10% of the country's GDP. Indonesia has a similar phenomenon with TKIs (Tenaga Kerja Indonesia), of which there are 4.5 million worldwide.

Post-independence, Indonesia was very paranoid over Western influence in Southeast Asia. In that same time period, Philippine delegates to international conferences would always speak of democracy and the looming threat of Communism; even though most of the Asian delegates would prefer to move past Western problems and disputes to focus on a united Asia.

Telenovelas are soap operas produced in Latin America. They became popular in Southeast Asia as they were distributed and remade here. The Indonesian equivalent is the sinetron, and the Filipino equivalent is the teleserye.

Additionally, I cannot stress enough how much this fic is built on the foundations laid by others. I’ve already mentioned how much I took inspiration from Gemu’s depiction of mainland SEA, but I also credit Indonesia’s thing for temples to Desa; the passive-aggressive energy between Thailand and Philippines to Hali; amnesiac Piri to Koko, Kopi, and Sopas (among the many). There are a dozen other things I can attribute to a huge assortment of writers and artists: that Singapore has trouble remembering his pre-colonial roots as well, that Piri might have had a good relationship with Romano, Piri’s general flirty and flighty attitude, Indonesia’s awkwardness and big brother aura, etcetera, etcetera. If you’re someone that has been contributing to the SEA fandom these past few months, thank you. Thank you so much.

#mine #indophil #hws indonesia #hws philippines #hws #PHEW THIS TOOK THE WHOLE MORNING TO WRITE

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you-call-it-a-dude · 4 years ago

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I just got my wisdom teeth out today. So please enjoy this old Bechloe fic from my fanfiction.net account about Beca getting her wisdom teeth out! Not all my stories from ff.net have been moved to ao3 so if you’re interested feel free to check them out here

Words of Wisdom

"Beca, I know you're nervous, but please stop bouncing your leg. You're shaking the whole car." Chloe said, reaching across the center console to put her hand on Beca's knee to steady it.

"I'm not nervous." Beca replied, gripping Chloe's hand tightly. "I just- aren't I too old to be getting my wisdom teeth out? That shit happens when you're like twenty."

———

"That's true. You are. But because you don't know how to stop eating Reese Cups, you keep getting cavities in your wisdom teeth and I'm sure our insurance is very annoyed with how many fillings you've gotten the past two years. So now it's going to be all taken care of!" She gave Beca's knee a reassuring squeeze before returning it to the wheel to turn into the parking lot of the dentist's office. She pulled into a spot relatively close to the entrance and killed the ignition. She grabbed a book from the backseat and tucked it into her purse before getting out of the car. She was about to lock the door before she realized Beca hadn't got out of the car. She made her way to the passenger side and saw her wife in the seat with her arms crossed. She threw open the door and placed her hands on her hips. "I'm going to count to three, Rebecca. We already have two children, I don't need you acting like a third one."

"I'm not Frankie. That doesn't work on me." The redhead cocked her eyebrow at Beca, accepting the challenge.

"One…" Beca kept her gaze forward, refusing to look at her wife. "Two…" She snuck a glance at Chloe and saw her sporting her 'mom face'. She was getting a little bit nervous. "Two and a half…Don't make me get to three." The brunette refused to back down. Chloe just sighed loudly. "Three." Before Beca knew it, two strong hands were grabbing her by her biceps and literally dragging her out of the car. Chloe slammed the door and locked it before Beca could try and get back in. "Seriously, Beca. I don't have time for this. Please just cooperate." Beca let out and exaggerated sigh and grumbled.

"Fine." Chloe beamed a big smile and linked her arm with Beca's, leading her into the dentist's office.

Once they checked in, Chloe filled out Beca's forms because the brunette had absolutely no idea how to answer those questions. Just as Chloe handed the clipboard to the woman at the front desk, the dental hygienist called out Beca's name. Chloe kissed her wife's cheek. Beca stood up and looked down at Chloe.

"You're not coming?" She asked with a pout on her face.

"She can be with you until you fall asleep." The hygienist interjected politely. Chloe smiled and stood up. She put her hand on Beca's lower back and gave her a little push in the direction on the room.

The hygienist led them to the room Beca's surgery would be performed in. She instructed both girls to take a seat and Chloe shot Beca a stern look when the brunette attempted to sit in the chair that was meant for her. She pointed to the dental chair and Beca sighed in defeat as she slid in the chair. Chloe reached over and grabbed Beca's hand, squeezing it for reassurance. The oral surgeon walked in a few minutes later. He was a gentleman who looked to be in his early fifties. He shook both of their hands, introduced himself as Doctor Camden, and pulled up his stool.

"Alright, Mrs. Mitchell. I'm going to be taking out all four of your wisdom teeth. Luckily they aren't impacted, so it should be a relatively easy procedure. We can even keep you awake for it if you'd like."

"I wouldn't." Beca said curtly, making Doctor Camden laugh.

"Okay then. I'll give you local anesthesia and twilight sedation as opposed to general anesthesia. Does that sound okay?" Beca was too nervous to ask questions so she just nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry, what does all that mean?" Chloe asked respectfully.

"Local anesthesia will numb up her gums. I'll apply a numbing gel to the area first, and then I'll inject it into her gums, just like when getting a cavity filled. Twilight sedation is a very light form of general anesthesia. We will give it to her through an IV and she'll fall asleep. She won't feel any pain and she wont remember the procedure. She'll still be out of it when she wakes up, but we won't have to monitor her breathing like we would if she was under general because she wouldn't be completely out. I hope that answers your question."

"It does. Thank you."

"How about we get started then." Doctor Camden washed his hands thoroughly before putting on a pair of latex gloves. "I do apologize Mrs. Mitchell, but I'm going to have to ask you to step out now."

"Of course." Chloe stood up and pressed a kiss to Beca's head. "I'll be waiting for you. You're okay, baby. I love you." Beca frowned and watched her wife leave the room.

"Shall we begin?" Beca nodded and sat back, letting the hygienist clip that crappy paper bib around her neck. The surgeon began to lower the chair and Beca gripped the arms tightly.

Beca's had her fair share of cavities. Too many cavities are why she's in this predicament. But, Beca can't handle pain. You would think someone in and out of the emergency room as much has her would be used to it by now, but that's not the case. She secretly likes to blame it on her girls, mostly Chloe. Saying they've made her soft and Chloe babying her when she's hurt makes her mind think it's okay to be a wimp blah blah. In reality, the brunette has always been this way, but now she has someone to blame it on.

Once her mouth was numbed up and it was kicking in, Doctor Camden felt around the top of Beca's left hand, looking for a vein. He kept his thumb over the vein he would insert the needle in and cleaned the area. Beca gritted her teeth and cringed as the needle went in and sighed in relief when she actually felt no pain. He taped the needle in to keep it in place.

"Okay, Beca. IV is in and you should start feeling sleepy, okay?" Beca nodded. She could feel her eyes getting heavy.

"My hand hurts." She mumbled.

"Hold on, I'll fix that." He readjusted the tape and upped to dosage a bit, knowing it would be difficult for her to fall asleep if her hand was bothering her. "Better?"

"Ye-" Beca mumbled out the rest of her sentence. Doctor Camden had no idea what was said, but he caught the beginning of the word 'yes' before Beca knocked out.

Chloe sat anxiously in the waiting room. She brought a book from home to read, but she kept getting distracted by texts from Aubrey. The blonde was sending Chloe updates on Frankie and Callie, but was also expressing the excitement of seeing Beca coming of her anesthesia. Aubrey and Beca have buried the hatchet years ago, but they have a very playful and teasing relationship that Stacie and Chloe find amusing. Aubrey just sent Chloe a picture of Frankie and Callie on the couch, watching The Little Mermaid. The eight month old was sitting comfortably between Frankie's legs and Frankie had her arms wrapped securely around Callie. She pouted at the cuteness and quickly made that photo her new lock screen. Just as she put her phone back into her purse and was ready to pull her book out (thinking she still had a ways to go because it has only been forty-five minutes), Doctor Camden came out of the room.

"Mrs. Mitchell?" Chloe looked up and smiled at him.

"Finished already?" She grabbed her and Beca's coat and stood up.

"Oh yes. All four of her wisdom teeth grew in perfectly straight so it was fairly easy." He spoke and he led Chloe to the room Beca was in. "She's just waking up now so she might be a little groggy and goofy. I want her to stay here for thirty minutes, just till the sedation wears off a little. Then you can be on your way." He opened the door for Chloe and she thanked him as she entered the room. He shut the door to the room once Chloe entered.

She could see the back of Beca's head. The brunette was rocking her head side to side and making a noise similar to a whine. She sat on the chair next to the dental chair and draped the coats on her lap. When she finally got to look at Beca's face, she couldn't help but smirk a bit. Beca had her eyes closed, still rocking her head side to side as if she were dancing to her own whines. Her cheeks were huge and she could see the gauze stuffed in her cheeks. Chloe took this opportunity to take a quick photo before she placed her hands on Beca's knee to get her attention. The brunette cracked one eye open and looked at Chloe.

"Hi, chipmunk." Chloe said as she bit back a laugh. Beca opened her other eye and smiled at Chloe for a moment before her face dropped in confusion. She reached up and touched her cheek, furrowing her eyebrows. She trailed her fingers across her cheek to her mouth, touching the gauze. "Leave it in there, baby." She looked up at Chloe as she gripped the gauze between her thumb and index finger, ready to pull it out. "Beca, I'm serious." She grabbed Beca's hand and pulled it from her mouth.

"I need to take it out!" She attempted to shout, but it came out tired and muffled. She pouted and lifted her hand up to touch Chloe's face. "You're so pretty, babe. Are you a parking ticket? Because fine." Chloe threw her head back and laughed at Beca's failed attempt at a pick up line. "I wanna get up." The brunette started to turn in her spot, ready to roll off the chair. Chloe put her hands out and grabbed Beca's hips to keep her there.

"You need to stay in the chair, Beca." Beca turned back onto her back and smirked.

"I'll stay if you give me a kiss."

"I can't kiss you right now. Please just stay in your seat for me? I'll love you forever."

"Oh god! That's even better! I'll stay in my seat." Chloe grabbed Beca's hand and kissed lightly over her Band-Aid.

"Good girl. Thank you." Beca smiled and looked lovingly at Chloe.

"I love you, red panda."

"I love you, too." She placed a soft kiss to Beca's temple.

"Chlo, I really love you." She looked up at Chloe with watery eyes.

"Beca, baby. Please don't cry. I love you too."

"Yeah, but I just love you, Chloe." Chloe pushed hair from Beca's face.

"I know, sweetheart. I know." Just as Beca was about to respond, there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Doctor Camden entered the room holding some paperwork and a packet with an oral syringe.

He stood at the desk with the computer and began highlighting things on the paper. Beca began humming and singing loudly to herself so Chloe stood up and made her way to the surgeon so she could hear him explaining things. He started to explain to Chloe how to clean her gums, things Beca can and can't eat for the time being and everything that Chloe needs to know to take care of Beca.

"Babe!" Chloe turned her head when Beca called out for her. She saw the brunette holding one of her bloody gauze in her left hand.

"Beca, I told you not to touch those." By now Doctor Camden saw Beca had taken the gauze from her mouth excused himself to get more.

"Catch!"

"Beca don't you dare!" Beca attempted to throw the gauze, but instead of letting it go mid-air, she let her arm go through the motions of throwing and let the gauze go when her hand was inches from the floor. "Rebecca, quit it." Chloe said through gritted teeth. Doctor Camden returned moments later and quickly inserted the gauze into her mouth.

Chloe finally got Beca home. After the whole gauze fiasco and Beca dubbing herself as 'speed racer' when one of the hygienists wheeled her out to the car. Getting Beca out of the car was a lot easier than getting her in the car. Beca was eager to get inside and take a nap. She spent the whole car ride telling Chloe how she was going to 'nap so hard she was going to wake up needing another nap'. When she led Beca into the house through the garage, Frankie immediately ran up to Beca and hugged her legs. Beca looked down at her daughter and smiled.

"Hi mama! Why your face like that?" Beca looked up and Chloe with a worried expression on her face.

"What's wrong with my face?"

"Ah, I thought I heard you, Beca." Aubrey came into the room with Callie in her arms. Beca gave a lazy solute.

"General." She leaned down a bit to get eye level with Callie. "Hi, chunky monkey." Callie furrowed her eyebrows and gave Beca a dirty look. "Hmm. Tough crowd."

"She's probably wondering why your cheeks look like hers." Aubrey said, adjusting Callie when she started getting fussy.

"Where's Stace?" Beca asked, looking around the kitchen.

"In here Becs!" She heard Stacie shout from the family room. Beca pointed in that direction and unsteadily walked into the family room. Stacie was sitting on the couch with her legs propped up on one of Frankie's toys. The taller brunette was now seven months pregnant and she just looked over it. Beca plopped down next to her best friend and smiled wide, making bloody drool slip from the corners of her mouth.

"Ew, Mama B. That's gross." Stacie grabbed a baby wipe from the package resting next to her on the arm of the couch and she wiped the drool away gently.

"You're so nice to me, Stacie. I love you." Beca said tearfully. She laid her head on Stacie's shoulder and sniffled. Stacie patted Beca's head softly.

"Okay, Becs. I love you, too."

"Can I take a nap on your boobs?" Stacie shrugged her shoulder nonchalantly, scrolling through her phone. Beca shifted so she was lying comfortably on Stacie's chest. Stacie continued to absentmindedly play with her best friend's hair while she looked through Facebook. When she noticed the smaller brunette starting to drool she carefully placed a baby wipe on her shirt, under Beca's mouth.

Beca had been sleeping on Stacie's chest for around thirty minutes. She was snoring loudly in Stacie's ear, but she didn't really care. She had been really hormonal lately and found comfort in cuddling with her best friend. Frankie came running into the family room around this time, Callie crawling behind her as fast as her little hands and legs can take her. Frankie stood between Stacie's legs and patted on her knees.

"Aunt Cee, mommy says lunch time!" The toddler said excitedly. Stacie pushed some stray hairs out of her niece's face.

"Is it? Did she tell you what we are having? Cause your little cousin is making me really picky." Frankie nodded and put her hand on Stacie's baby bump.

"Uh huh! Mommy said," Frankie paused and scrunched up her face, trying to remember what her mom told her. ", she said floppy hoes." Stacie laughed loudly, jostling Beca and making her jolt awake. She wiped the drool off her face and stared tiredly at Stacie.

"What's so funny that you laughed loud enough to shake the earth?" Beca asked, slightly annoyed.

"Frankie, tell mama what mommy made for lunch."

"Floppy hoes!" She said confidently, throwing her hands in the air. Callie finally made it to the couch and giggled at her silly older sister.

"I don't think that's right, kiddo." Beca said groggily, wincing at the pain she felt in her mouth.

"Thank you for relaying that message, Franny. Your mama and I will be there in a minute."

"Okay!" She jumped and ran out of the room and back to the kitchen, leaving Callie on the floor with a pout on her face. The baby sighed dramatically and began crawling towards the kitchen, smacking her hands on the hardwood loudly as she did so. Beca guessed that was her version of stomping away angrily.

"Let's go, chipmunk. I have floppy hoes to eat." Stacie said, laughing lightly as she shoved Beca off the couch. "I need your help getting off the couch though." Beca stood up and held both her hands out for Stacie. The taller brunette gripped them and Beca yanked her up, expertly avoiding getting impaled by her pregnant belly.

Beca groggily followed Stacie into the kitchen. Aubrey stood up to make sure Stacie got into her seat okay. Chloe stood up and grabbed Beca's hand, leading her to the kitchen sink. She pulled out the packet the papers the doctor gave her as well as the oral syringe. She read the packet to herself and grabbed the box of salt from the cabinet and filled a bowl with warm water. She added the salt to the water and filled the syringe with the salt water. She carefully pulled out the gauze and flushed her gums. Once her mouth was clean, she gave her some ibuprofen. Beca took her seat next to Frankie and the redhead set a bowl of applesauce in front of her. Beca groaned in displeasure and looked up at Callie who seemed jealous that Beca got applesauce and she was eating pureed carrots and buttered noodles.

"I'll trade you, Callie Cat. Actually, you can keep the carrots." Callie smiled at Beca and the spoonful of carrots that Chloe just fed her came spilling out of her cheeks.

All the girls sat around the table and enjoyed their lunch of sloppy Joes. Chloe talked about how Beca acted after her surgery and the brunette rolled her eyes and refused to believe it. Stacie told Aubrey and Chloe about Frankie calling their lunch 'floppy hoes' and when the toddler saw it made everyone laugh, she began to repeat it. That earned her a scolding from Chloe and a 'mom look' from Beca because was too damn tired and in too much pain to discipline.

After lunch was finished, Aubrey decided it was time for them to head home. She knew both Stacie and Beca were exhausted at this point and wanted them both to get some rest. Once they all said their goodbyes, Chloe flushed out Beca's gums again and replaced the gauze in her mouth.

"Becs, would you be opposed to napping down here? I want to be able to take care of you, but the girls won't be happy being confined upstairs. I'll try really hard to keep them quiet."

"Babe, I'm so tired I could sleep comfortably on a rock." Beca tiredly shuffled over to the couch, ready to lie down.

"Wait!" Chloe put her hand on Beca's shoulders to stop her. "Sleep on the recliner. Just for now. I was reading that it's good to keep your head upright." Beca just nodded and made her way to the recliner, pressing the button to raise the footrest, but keeping the top half of her body upright. Chloe grabbed a blanket from the linen cabinet and covered Beca up. Beca mumbled a half-assed 'goodnight' and fell asleep.

Chloe was able to keep the girls quiet for about forty-five minutes. They could only stay interested in Frozen for so long, especially when they had a sleeping and hurting mom to bug. Frankie, being the instigator she is, decided that she needed to be sitting on Beca's lap in order to enjoy the movie quietly. Frankie climbed on to the recliner and sat herself on Beca's lap. Because Callie was basically Frankie's shadow at this point, she crawled her way over to Beca's chair, started smacking on the arm of it and began whining. Chloe sprung up from her spot on the couch and picked up Callie. The tiny redhead immediately began squirming and started to cry.

"Shh, Callie. Mama is sleeping. Come sit on my lap." Chloe sat back down and nestled Callie on her lap. The baby didn't like it at all and she reached her arms out towards her sleeping mama. "Alright. Jesus." Chloe stood up and tiptoed to Beca. She carefully pulled back the blanket a bit and placed Callie under it, tucking part of it between the sides of the chair to create a pouch. Beca cracked an eye open at the movement and instinctively wrapped her arms around both her girls.

"I've got them." Beca mumbled sleepily. She absentmindedly began to rub both Frankie and Callie's arms softly with her fingertips, making both of them drowsy. "If they're falling asleep, turn that fuckin movie off." She added after fifteen minutes. Chloe grabbed the Xbox remote and exited out of the DVD playing. She opened Netflix and browsed through it, settling on watching Parks and Rec. She turned down the volume and snuggled back into the couch. "Will you turn the light off, too?" Beca said not even a minute after Chloe got comfortable. The redhead sighed and stood up, making her way over to the light switch and shutting it off.

"Anything else before I sit back down, babe?"

"I need a kiss." Beca said with her eyes still closed, but Chloe could see her smiling around her gauze. She bit her lip and made her way over to Beca, pressing light kisses all over her face, making her sigh contently. She also placed a kiss on both Callie and Frankie's forehead. Both girls were now sleeping comfortably on Beca's lap. The redhead made her way back to the couch and sprawled out, enjoying not having to share the space. "Hey, Chlo?" Beca asked a few minutes later, startling Chloe.

"Yeah, baby?"

"I love you so much, dude." She said, with a slight whine in her voice. Chloe chuckled and looked over at Beca, who somehow managed to fully knock out in the span of about two seconds.

"I love you, too, Bec."

#bechloe #beca mitchell #chloe beale #Bechloe babies

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honouraryweasley12 · 3 years ago

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Defender

Written for the 2021 @romioneficfest.

Also available on FF.net.

Hermione's pace slowed, boredom and loneliness taking hold as she patrolled the castle. All too often she'd felt the pull of self-pity, though she detested moping and feeling sorry for herself.

She could trace the feeling back to that evening months before, when Ron and Lavender became a couple—and she lost her best friend. Ron had tried to make up with her, his efforts intensifying as of late, but she couldn't do it.

She couldn't be happy for him, as horrible as that was.

Not when he'd crushed her heart, and certainly not after she'd made a fool of herself with her petty attempts at revenge; the cattiness, name calling, and efforts to make him jealous. She felt sick that she'd stooped as low as taking Cormac to that party. Where her feelings for Ron were concerned, she seemed to lose all semblance of logic.

She sighed, half-heartedly checking a few classrooms for wayward students or snogging couples, her mind slipping to memories of better days.

One of the best things that had come from being a Prefect was that she got to spend so much time with Ron. They'd really gotten to know one another during their nightly walks around the castle, often sharing things they didn't tell anyone else… Funny stories from their youth, their concerns and fears, and even on the rare occasion, their hopes and dreams.

Since their falling out however, they had been avoiding each other like the plague, even on patrols. She hated it, and it was severely affecting her enjoyment of having such a key responsibility at Hogwarts.

A noise at the end of the hall startled her, and she briskly strode to the source. It sounded like muffled voices, and she immediately suspected who it might be.

Hermione heard the voices again, her ire rising. She'd reprimanded the two Seventh Year Gryffindors more than twenty minutes ago during her rounds, but she would have to do so again. She was about to turn the corner when she heard a third voice, this one achingly familiar. She immediately stopped and hid, flattening herself against the wall before peeking out from her spot.

"What are you doing out at this time? It's past curfew," Ron asked as he walked up to the two other boys. Though he towered over them, she could see his reluctance at confronting students older than him, perhaps because they were also known to be close friends with McLaggen. However, as a Prefect, it was his duty.

The two boys, Branson and Smith, gave each other a quick look before replying. "We were just going back to the tower, I swear," Smith began, before nudging his mate. "This one has a bird in Ravenclaw and was saying good night. It's always the smart ones, eh?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at the idiotic boys and their ridiculous excuses. She wanted to scream at Ron to do something and not let them off.

Ron eyed them suspiciously, before addressing Smith. "If he was saying good night to his girlfriend, what were you doing then?"

"Oh, I'm keen on her friend. Was trying to get a good night snog of my own. Valentine's Day is coming up after all." He gave Ron a friendly punch on the arm, a transparent attempt to buddy up with him and avoid trouble. "Know what I mean, Weasley?"

Ron frowned, but didn't reply.

"Besides," Branson pleaded. "Granger just caught us out and took away points—for the third bloody time this week."

Ron eyed them with reluctance. "Well, if Hermione already took away points, I'll let you off with a warning. Just hurry back to the Common Room and I won't do anything else."

Hermione wanted to stomp her feet and give them all a piece of her mind. Those scheming boys, and Ron for believing their lies.

"Thanks, mate."

"Yeah, thanks." Smith piped up, a smile on his face. "Granger's been on the warpath for months. You know, ever since you started up with Lavender Brown, she's been a real bitch."

Hermione stifled a sudden sob. She'd been called horrible things before, and while that caused her pain, the thought of Ron agreeing with them hurt her heart tremendously. She placed her trust in him that he was better than that, and her fears were quickly disproven.

"OY!" Ron's face was murderous, his ears flushing red as he brought his wand up threateningly, pointing it at them. "Don't you ever talk about her like that again! Hermione is the best person I know. She's smarter than you two tossers combined, brave, beautiful, and an amazing friend. Fifty points from Gryffindor."

They had cowered back at Ron's sudden fury, unable to even defend themselves or complain about the harsh penalty. They too had misjudged Ron's feelings about her and were now paying the price.

"Get back to the Common Room before I report you to McGonagall," Ron ordered through gritted teeth, his eyes narrowing. "And watch your mouth, Smith. "

They turned around, grumbling to themselves as they quickly retreated down the corridor.

She could see Ron trembling from the confrontation as he slumped against the wall, trying to catch his breath after the rush of adrenaline. He let out a groan and banged the back of his head repeatedly against the stone as he looked up at the ceiling. "Yeah, always the smart ones."

He laughed mirthlessly, continuing to talk to himself. "Stuck with the girl you don't want and hated by the girl you... How did I fuck this up so badly?"

She pushed down another sob, this one out of happiness. She would've hugged him if they hadn't been on the outs, knowing that he did feel something for her. He had called her beautiful and she'd never heard him speak about her with such passion. Even though there was no reason for him to, he still defended her. He didn't know she was listening to the exchange. How could he?

It meant that he still cared about her, that things between them weren't completely unsalvageable.

She almost squeaked as he pushed himself off the wall and walked past her hiding spot. He was so close, she could hear him mumbling something about 'barmy girls', his head hanging down and his shoulders slumped. Had he just glanced up, he would've seen her.

He was missing her as much as she missed him, that much was clear. She could feel an inkling of hope—a feeling she had been suppressing for a good portion of the year—bubbling up and lifting her spirits. After everything that happened, Ron was still her staunchest defender.

If their friendship could be saved, perhaps there was a chance for them yet.

#romione #ron x hermione #ron and hermione #ron weasley #hermione granger

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the-power-of-stuff · 4 years ago

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Sukka Fic Rec List

Hey everybody — it’s my Sukkaversary! 🎉

A year ago today, I published my first Sukka fic on AO3, and I wrote that fic because I was really craving Sukka and having such a hard time finding the kind of stuff I was looking for. It was one of those things where I figured I’d just have to make what I was looking for myself!

The thing is, there are really lovely Sukka fics out there, they can just be a little hard to find since (as I’m sure you all know) “Sokka/Suki” is so often tagged even when their relationship is a minor part of the story.

So, to celebrate a year of writing Sukka, and of meeting other fans who are as hungry for more Sukka as I am, I wanted to put together a rec list of my favorite fics by other authors.

I present to you, my...

✨ AO3 Sukka Recs Bookmark Collection! ✨

Now, I am woefully behind on my reading — this is by no means a complete list. And I imagine that many of you have probably read most if not all of the fics in this collection already. But my goal is to keep adding to the bookmarks, and to post roundups here every month or so listing the fics I’ve added, and hopefully this can be a way to curate Sukka fics so they don’t get lost in the tags!

Some notes and disclaimers:

The ratings on these bookmarks range from G to E — so, y’know, read the tags and stuff!

This collection reflects my personal taste and is not a repository of all Sukka-centric fics.

There are bookmarks from FF.net as well as Tumblr, because AO3 allows that and I think that’s super cool!

I have come up with my own system of tags in an attempt to put fics into categories, so check out the Profile page of the collection for more info. :) (And if you have suggestions or requests for categories you’d like to see, I’m all ears!)

THANK YOU SO MUCH to all my followers and readers who have made this year of Sukka such a fun and fulfilling one! Here’s to many more years, and Happy Reading! 💙💚

#sukka #fic rec #sukka fic rec #suki x sokka #sokka x suki #fan and sword #it's my sukkaversary!#a year of sukka #ao3 sukka recs bookmark collection

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thejilyship · 3 years ago

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20 Questions: Writers Editions

Tagged by @theroomofreq and @cellularphoneexplosion

How many works do you have on AO3

40!

What’s your total AO3 word count?

787,000

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

The only fandom I have stories up for are Harry Potter, but I'm not embarrassed to admit that I wrote some Twilight back in my early ff.net days. It was actually a twilightxhp cross over that led me to the marauders I believe lol

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Let Me Love You

It's just Coffee

All This Time

And Then I Met You

Fighting the Odds

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Of course I do! I don't respond to all of them because your girl is very easily overwhelmed, but I try to! If it takes me more than two weeks to respond, I probably won't because some part of my brain things that people will be annoyed to hear from me after more than two weeks, but I know that that's probably not true since I don't care when people respond to my comments lol

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

On AO3 that would have to be Impossible Things even though it ends on like a hopeful angsty note. I'm very much not here to hurt anyone with escapism lol

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

All my fics come with a happy ending, but It's just Coffee is ridiculous in the amount of fluff/non angst

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

True crossovers? No. But I do implant characters into other worlds a lot. I have a merlin au, a princess diaries au, a hunger games au.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I've gotten some strange comments, but nothing I would classify as hate toward me. I got a few nasty comments about Lily specifically because someone thought she didn't 'deserve' James *eyeroll*

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I do not. I'm very asexual, and while I enjoy reading smut, I do not enjoy writing it. I have a hard time with kissing scenes lol

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I believe someone started to translate one of them into Portuguese once upon a time, but I cannot remember which fic it was.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! The first time I co-wrote a fic it was with a friend from high school, but we never finished it because we stopped talking once we were both in college.

The second time, was when I co-wrote Petalpocalypse with some fantastic writers!

What’s your all time favorite ship?

Jily. For sure.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

The Mighty Will Fall. I really really hate having that fic sit unfinished, but I don't even know where I would begin finishing it because it's massive and I wrote it YEARS ago.

What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm really good at dialogue. It comes to me pretty easily, probably because I spend so much time talking to myself

What are your writing weaknesses?

I am not good at writing 'pretty' Any kind of flowery, poetic or even basic descriptive writing is very difficult for me. I like character driven stories, and so writing anything else is not super fun

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

If you know the language your having your character speak in, or if you double check with someone who speaks that language, then we're good! But if you add a language you don't speak and use it incorrectly, it looks clumsy

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Are you ready? Rugrats.

When the movie came out, I was 7 years old and I filled a spiral notebook with everything I thought should have happened in the movie. I do not remember anything that was in it, but I carried that thing around with me for like a month.

And then twilight.

And then HP.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

we all want to kiss our friends sometimes

It's not one of my most popular one-shots, but I love it so much

Tagging: @abby10fanfic @women-inthe-sequel @solstilla @sirenicc

#tag games #fel writes

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starcloud-nova · 3 years ago

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thank you for the tag @dreamofmysteries !! i also love to ramble about my fics so We Are The Same.

Names: Moooost people call me Nova but some do know me as Acacia and of course there is my ao3 name November_Clouds

Fandoms: I write for BNHA but I read a ton for DC Comics because I am in love with that found family aspect *chef’s kiss*

Where you post: Ao3! Always. When I was much too young to be doing much it anything on the internet I had a few stories up on FF.net but you won’t find anything there now.

Most Popular One-Shot (by kudos): The day Shouta met his (favorite) Problem Child

This one was for a friend’s birthday and I genuinely did not expect it to get as much attention as it did. It’s a Sports Festival fic but as all authors know, writing the SF is the most boring part, so I decided to mix it up a bit and wrote it from Aizawa’s perspective up in the stands! It follows Izuku and the shenanigans he gets up to and did I mention that he’s in Gen-Ed in this fic?

Most Popular Multi-chap (by kudos): (silence as I scroll past my old marvel fics) where do we go? is my most kudosed fic (and still in progress!)

This one was....also a birthday fic heh. Written for one of my closest friends, I followed a prompt they left (which i still havent revealed 😳) and tried to take my spin on it. I haven’t updated in a bit because of personal reasons + writer’s block but the premise is that after OFA shows Izuku a dream, he decides that in order for Bakugou to do well in the hero course, he has to stop interacting with him. So...... he transfers to 1B! Fun, right? (wrong)

Favourite Story I’ve Written: from your hands to mine

This fic was suchhhh a doozy to write and I consider it my last fic of 2020 (even if ao3 says otherwise). It’s in second person POV (you and your instead of his and him) so if it’s not your thing I understand but trust me when I say its an artistic choice done well! The story follows a quirkless Todoroki Natsuo and his thoughts on canon events! It was fun to write and fun to go back to, even if the process was... a bitch at times.

Fic You Were Nervous to Post: love’s not overrated (i just don’t like the way you do it)

This one is about aro!ace!Bakugou on Valentine’s Day and I guess I was a bit worried that the wrong crowd would find this fic but thankfully that didn’t happen! It was so fun to write and I recommend you check it out

How do you choose your titles: Soooo many people complain about titles (and I get it!) but they come...fairly easily to me. Usually, I take a main theme from the fic and turn it into a title and my favorite example of this is for ‘from your hands to mine.’ There was a theme of hands in that fic, so I knew there had to be hands in the title. I rarely enjoy using song lyrics as titles so usually I come up with them myself or I ask a friend. And yes, I am that bitch with the titles in lowercase.

Do you outline?: For ‘where do we go?’ Yes. For everything else? No. I write mainly one-shots and there really is no point sdjkhfdhsfj.

Complete: I do happen to be one-shot heavy because long term plot eludes me so 94% of my works are complete.

In Progress: ‘where do we go’ is not abandoned I promise! I am also working on a birthday fic with Authoress_Lilly that I have not even thought about in months but it is !!! Also not abandoned so keep a look out. I also have a marvel fic I am rewriting that I promised a chapter-a-week for and I...gave up a few weeks ago. I will continue that one as well so please be patient with me!

Coming Soon: I don’t know about ‘soon’ but I have a DC social media fic, a Death Note fic and a few BNHA ideas lurking around somewhere.

Not started: ...Not many actually. I tend to write as I go and do not have many AUs lined up however I am constantly thinking about the Ben10 au that I will never write

Upcoming Work You’re Most Excited About: Hmm... chapter 2 of where do we go probably! It’s going to be..so long oh my god.

This was fun to do! Tagging @catlady5001 and @queenangst (because I’d really love to see both of yours) and anyone else who sees it and is interested of course!

#tag game #about the author!!!

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gumnut-logic · 4 years ago

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Thunderfam Appreciation Post

I’m giving this a new post to prevent scroll city, but the original and several reblogs can be found by clicking the above link. Also, it’s an excuse to post a piccy of Virg cos any excuse, really :D

Many thanks to @willow-salix for writing this question list :D

Before I start, I just want to say that I value every member of this fandom. I’m often hopeless at communicating in group settings so I don’t speak to many peeps, but that is my failing, not anyone else’s. You are an amazing group and you have supported me and each other just brilliantly over the last nearly three years that I have been hanging with you guys. Thank you ever so much for all your wonderful support and encouragement. I’ve had so much fun and created so much stuff…you guys are amazing. Thunderfam rock!

Please note that my memory is pathetic and I will fail to mention everyone. Please do not take any offence if you aren’t listed below. That does not mean I don’t value you, I do, it just means I have swiss cheese between my ears.

-o-o-o-

Your favourite writer of your favourite boy.

@i-am-chidorixblossom You are a whumper and comforter after my soul. You speak the Virg :D @vegetacide I adore your turn of phrase and your description is to die for.

The person who's stories you will always read.

I try to read most fics that come across my dash, but there are a few that have me jumping up and down. @i-am-chidorixblossom , @vegetacide , @tsarinatorment , @scribbles97 , @the-lady-razorsharp , @janetm74 Of course, I regularly fail at this as some of you write a huge amount of fic and I am often playing catch up, but fic!

Who wrote the first fic you read in this fandom.

I landed on FF.net back in May 2018. I immediately ran into @the-lady-razorsharp who I knew from another fandom ten years prior and she was absolutely wonderful, drawing me in and introducing me around. I gobbled up several of her fics in the process.

Person you can talk to for the longest without a break.

I am hard to get started, persistence is required, but once started, it is usually hard to shut me up. @scribbles97 @vegetacide and @tsarinatorment have all discovered that. Dangle a Virg, a plotline and stand back.

Person you can't be trusted to be left alone with.

Um, @vegetacide and I have plotted out the entirety of Warm Rain together…poor Virg. Add @the-lady-razorsharp into the equation and Virgil ends up with a beard, dressed in leather and riding a Harley – that was a hilarious evening. Between @tsarinatorment and @janetm74 Virgil gets grey hairs and has to go rescue Scott – because Scott inevitably ends up in the story :D @scribbles97 gets the blame for Gentle Rain – expand your horizons she said ::headdesk:: But then there was the time I left one random line about Eos visiting Virgil in the shower and went to bed. I woke up to hilarity and chaos as Thunderfam took the idea and ran with it! Love you guys :D

Person whose fic made you cry the most.

I know there were at least two fics that made me cry, but for the life of me I can’t identify them. I did cry writing my own fic – Flannel – and don’t tend to reread it for that reason. Purupuss traumatised me with A Quiet Day to the point I had to put it down and walk away for a bit ::wails::

Person whose fic made you laugh the most.

I have no idea. I know there are fic out there and I know I’ve read it, but without a complete list of everything I’ve read, I don’t have a clue.

Person whose fic made you think the most.

Aaaargh, I don’t have a master list so can’t remember everything. Staring at my paltry favourites list on FF.net (which was mostly gathered three years ago and never maintained), Purupuss’ ‘Brothers in Arms’ and her whole Quiet series has me wanting to write a Scott-Virgil telepathic fic (and she has given me permission to run with the idea, I just haven’t actioned it yet). Counterpoint by Swallow and Amazon is amazing and likely contributed to Sotto Voce.

Person you have laughed with the most.

I’m really not liking this ultimate one person idea. I’ve laughed with a lot of people in this fandom. I’ve candy cannoned a bunch of you as well :P There has been mad plot cackling, evil conspiring, fic written to stir pots and delight on purpose. Hell, I’ve even written fic that was purposefully a giant virtual hug because I’m so far away that even if half the world wasn’t in isolation, I couldn’t hug most of you. Sure, I talk with some of you more than others, and there is laughter in those chats…oh, god, so much cackling, poor, poor Tracy boys. But then there are also so many smiles both vocalised and not. Thunderfam is one of my happy places. Bring on the belly laughs :D

Your comfort fic that you'll go back and read again on a bad day.

I will often resort to my own fic when I’m really down simply because it helps me get to sleep :D and it is kinda tailored to me ::grins:: (and my memory is that bad I often forget what I wrote anyway – yes, it is that bad) But there are also a few on my FF.net favourites list. Mostly hurt/comfort in a Virg flavour. Cheesycheese, nhsweetcherry, A Small Rescue by Nalina, Breathe Easy and Under the Weather by @loopstagirl – several of hers, in fact – the Virg ones :D Pretty much anything that has Virg fainting and being looked after apparently :D Chiddi and Veggie fic, of course.

Favourite piece of fan art.

I have never been so honoured by artists before. This fandom has some amazing skills and I have been gifted some beautiful works. You guys are amazing (I keep saying it like a broken record, but you are).

Again, I’m stuck on having to list one and I can’t. I think Fanart Appreciation Month in January pretty much summed up my opinion.

Who have you known the longest in the fandom.

@the-lady-razorsharp followed by @vegetacide both wonderful peeps. I can’t miss out on @weirdburketeer either for her amazing support almost from day one.

Favourite OC.

I have to say that I really enjoy reading about Ray from @i-am-chidorixblossom ‘s fics :D He is so gentle and kind and just ::sigh:: Virg likes him lots :D Selene by @willow-salix is, of course, a major presence in the fandom and amazingly written. @hedwigstalons ‘ Claire is lovely.

Person who supports your work the most.

The Thunderfam? There have been some wonderful people who support all the time. @hedwigstalons @cg29 @janetm74 @weirdburketeer in particular have been amazing support liking and commenting on just about everything I write. I honestly don’t know how they do it. Plus several peeps over on FF.net and Ao3 who support me over there.

And then there are the poor souls who put up with me in chat and listen to my wibblies and whining and character checks and field random chunks of writing that get thrown their way. @scribbles97 @vegetacide @the-lady-razorsharp @tsarinatorment @i-am-chidorixblossom @onereyofstarlight @godsliltippy @willow-salix @janetm74 all have had random passages thrown at them at all times of the day and night by a crazy me begging for feedback. Does this work? Is this in character? Am I insane? What the hell is Scott doing? Is this John??? I give up, tell me what to do? Virgil is driving me insane! So, um, yeah

Person who's progress you are the most proud of.

I love those peeps who appear in fandom who start off poking around commenting and generally being lovely and then all of a sudden get out their own pens and start writing and they are frickin’ amazing! Both @janetm74 and @hedwigstalons come to mind in this department. Like holy cow – ‘here is my first fic and I’m not sure’ ::reads it:: Omigod! Where did you come from? That was amazing. Sit down here now, keep doing that writing thing, bloody hell! I think being brave enough to pick up a pen and join in is a major thing :D

Person who's story you think is underrated and should be read by more people.

If I find fic I like, I reblog it and shout about it. What I like is definitely skewed in a Virgil direction and this dictates often what I’m going to read first. I can’t reblog what I haven’t read. So, this equation will always be skewed by ‘reasons I haven’t read a fic’ which mostly involves either Virgil or the fact I’m juggling RL. So, my answer to this is if I think a fic needs to be shouted about, I shout about it.

Something you think people would say about you.

She’s nutty.

Silliest 'thing' you do with someone.

I’ve been known to write fic on the fly directly into chat windows to try and distract peeps going through shitty times.

Favourite pairing you now Stan because of someone's fic.

Virgil/Kayo because of @vegetacide for reasons I have blamed her for multiple times. @the-lady-razorsharp and @weirdburketeer were accessories to the fact.

Favourite headcanon from someone's fic.

Um, Virgil and coffee? I got that from somewhere and it has infiltrated my fic…a lot.

Ultimately, though, I feel most people I interact with contribute to my fic and how I’m feeling. This has been a wonderful experience. I try to return the support as much as I can, but sometimes it is a juggle between writing more, my stupid fluctuating mood, the demands of RL and my own creative drive. I hope I’ve helped a few peeps, because you guys have certainly helped me ::major group hug::

And yes, I hug a lot, because to be honest, I have no other descriptor to communicate how I feel, so you get buckets of hugs :D

Tagging the Thunderfam. Feel free to grab these questions and run with them. You’re all part of the gang whether you write, read, art, gif, screenshot, chat, babble, stare at Virgil all day...I know I do a lot of staring.

Nutty

(Thunderfam rocks!)

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderfam #thunderfam rock

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wheresmynaya · 4 years ago

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Lost in the Lights Ch.15|Brittana

A/N - Thank you for being patient and still leaving behind your reviews! The struggle to write continues so I think next chapter will be the final one. Thanks for sticking it out with me 💙

Available on ff.net (x) ao3 (x) & under the cut

The first thing Santana notices when she awakes is that it’s too damn bright. It’s kind of ridiculous how bright it is – like there’s no logical explanation for why anyone would be okay with waking up to that – but then she remembers something.

This isn’t her room.

She knows as much because Santana likes to keep her room as dark as possible during the early mornings and this is the complete opposite. But that’s not the only thing out of place. Everything feels different; the bed is softer, the blankets are warmer, and it’s like the pillow she rests her head on has been infused with her favorite scent: Brittany.

The smile forms without thinking and suddenly she doesn’t care all that much about the equivalent of a million flashlights being beamed at her eyelids – she might be exaggerating a little there – because this isn’t her room.

It’s Brittany’s.

Despite not being a morning person in the slightest, Santana’s always been the first to awake at sleepovers for some reason. Maybe it’s her body’s way of letting her know that she isn’t in her usual surroundings, but for once she just wants it to chill. She always hated having to wait until everyone else woke up, but she finds that she feels a little differently this time around.

While it seems like the rest of Lima still sleeps, Santana takes the quiet moment to admire her girlfriend. Because before, when she’s out there in the world it sometimes feels like she has to be guarded about it – her glances are usually stolen, her smiles are small and secretive.

But she doesn’t have to hide here.

Brittany’s blonde hair is all over the place while one arm drapes lazily over Santana’s hip and the other is crooked above her head. She’s sound asleep with these soft little snores escaping slightly parted lips and it makes Santana smile. Brittany swears she doesn’t snore even though Santana has heard it on multiple occasions over the phone, but it hits differently now that she’s actually here and can see it for herself.

If anything, it just makes Santana want to kiss her even more.

She doesn’t though; it feels like it’s still way too early for anyone to be awake so Santana let’s her sleep while she continues to admire. She has rarely been able to be this close to Brittany without feeling overwhelmed by everything so it’s nice to be able to do this now.

Watching someone sleep has always sounded so weird to her and she’d judge anyone hardcore for doing it and yet here she is doing the exact same thing, only now she gets it. To be so close that she could count every little freckle dotting Brittany’s cheeks, it’s almost like being caught in a dream.

Santana runs the back of her finger along Brittany’s cheek and it’s like the touch solidifies that this is real, that it’s actually happening. A year ago, even six months ago, Santana would not have imagined this kind of reality for herself. She figured after everything that went down with Dani and all the drama with Bree and JBI, she wouldn’t find happiness until she had put Lima far, far behind her.

How wrong was she?

Santana glances to Brittany and she has to stifle a chuckle because this girl; this beautiful, talented, amazing girl literally just appeared one day and her whole life changed. Really, everyone’s did. To have a female quarterback leading the Titans and actually doing it well was something no one saw coming and it amazes Santana. Of all the people Brittany could’ve set her eyes on, she chose her.

And the same goes for Santana.

In all her daydreaming, Santana hears Brittany let out a sleepy sigh before she’s tightening her arm around Santana’s hip. The blonde snuggles in close, her head sliding off the pillow and instead nestling against Santana’s chest. The brunette smirks at that – if it weren’t for the little snores returning, she would’ve thought Brittany had woken up.

Instead, the brunette gets cozy too. Maybe if she closes her eyes, her mind will stop and sleep will find her easily once again?

The next time Santana awakes, it’s to Brittany pressing gentle kisses all over her face. As she begins to stir, the kisses get quicker and sloppier until Santana’s giggling for Brittany to quit it. When the kisses finally pause, Santana cracks an eye open to find Brittany hovering over her with this goofy grin on her face.

“You really want me to stop?” Brittany asks devilishly.

Santana’s only answer is to wrap her arms around Brittany’s shoulders and pull her down for a real kiss. She can feel Brittany’s smile as their mouths move and she can’t think of a better way to wake up – if only they could do this every morning.

“Good mornin’,” Brittany mumbles against Santana’s soft lips.

“Mhmm,” Santana replies happily.

Once they pull away, Brittany moves to keep herself hovering over Santana. It’s a risky move because Brittany’s strong arms tense in the most distracting way, not to mention how Brittany’s baggy sleep shirt hangs loose around her torso – meaning Santana can see that she definitely isn’t wearing a bra.

“It’s a very good morning,” Santana flirts.

“Hey,” Brittany teases when she catches on then rests back on her heels.

Santana pouts at the lose of a great view and it makes Brittany giggle.

“Careful,” Brittany jokes as she taps on Santana’s bottom lip, “Might get stuck like that.”

Santana rolls her eyes playfully at the jab before smiling, “Did you sleep well?”

Brittany nods, “I should sleep in more often. I don’t usually miss a morning run.”

“God, you do that on the weekends too?” Santana scrunches her nose cutely, “Gross.”

Brittany chuckles, “It’s always Leg Day, baby!”

Santana knows it was meant to be a joke judging by Brittany’s sing-song tone but hearing Brittany say baby reminds her of last night and she can’t fight a smitten little smile from forming. If Quinn could see her now, a constant smiling fool, the teasing would be endless.

Santana doesn’t care though, she might even put up with it if that means she gets to keep Brittany.

“You’re crazy,” Santana ends up saying to cover up the obvious adoration. She doubts it works judging by the soft expression on Brittany’s face too.

“Hungry?” Brittany asks a second later, “My mom’s making breakfast.”

Santana feels reality starting to set in and their little bubble beginning to burst. She knows they can’t hideaway like this in Brittany’s room forever, but it would kind of be nice to.

Nevertheless, she sits a little straighter and nods, “Yeah, starving.”

The couple venture downstairs awhile later after brushing their teeth and changing into warmer clothes. All that means is Brittany opted for fuzzy rainbow socks while tossing Santana one of her hoodies that was always a little too big for her. Santana has to roll the sleeves twice for it to sit comfortably while Brittany teases her for being so tiny.

“Mornin’ girls!” Whitney greets when the pair make their way into the kitchen.

Whitney’s definitely been busy as the entire island counter is covered in various plates stacked with different flavors of pancakes and bowls filled with blueberries, strawberries and chocolate chips. Other toppings surround a long wooden cutting board and Brittany’s already poking around for a snack.

“Good morning, Mrs. Pierce,” Santana greets politely while Brittany steals a strawberry from a small bowl.

“I see the couch was empty this morning,” Whitney comments cryptically in Brittany’s direction.

When Santana glances to Brittany, she can see the blonde’s face go red and blue eyes dart away from Whitney’s.

“I – well,” Brittany stammers, “It gets cold down here at night...”

Santana’s eyes go wide. Was she not meant to stay in Brittany’s room last night?

“Uh-huh,” Whitney gives her a knowing look.

Brittany smiles apologetically, “Sorry?”

Whitney only shakes her head and nods to the counter, “You two hungry?”

“Yeah, but I only said Santana was sleeping over, not the entire school,” Brittany jokes as she pops the berry into her mouth.

“I know,” Whitney laughs before flipping another pancake, “I might’ve gotten carried away. I saw this thing on the internet called a pancake board. It’s like one of those fancy cheese platters but pancakes. I figured I’d give it a try. How’s it look?”

“Amazing,” Santana compliments, “Way cooler than any breakfast I’ve ever had.”

“You’re too sweet,” Whitney smiles and swats at Brittany’s hand going for another berry, “Leave some for the rest of us.”

Brittany backs off with a chuckle and Santana finds herself grinning too. This family dynamic is so different than what she’s used to and it kind of catches her off guard to be in such a laid back environment. Growing up, breakfast at the Lopez residence was far and few between with her parents’ work schedules. If they were miraculously together, they’d usually just go out to somewhere fancy with a dress code.

She starts to feel a little fidgety and asks, “Did you need any help?”

“I should be finishing up in here soon,” Whitney answers, “Maybe you both can clear a space in the living room and check on Pete while you’re out there. I haven’t heard him in awhile, make sure he isn’t up to anything.”

“You got it, mom!”

Santana nods too and follows after Brittany to the living room, confused as to why they won’t be eating at an actual table.

“You didn’t tell me I was meant to sleep on the couch last night,” Santana mentions softly.

Brittany just shrugs, “I was meant to but no way I was gonna stay down here by myself.”

“Chicken,” Santana teases.

“Says you,” Brittany smirks before calling out for Pete when she finds the couch empty but the cartoons still playing on tv.

Santana looks around the room too; no sign of Brittany’s little brother anywhere.

Brittany lets out a playful sigh and nudges Santana to play along, “Bummer, he’s not here. Guess Santana and I will just have to eat all the pancakes by ourselves!”

“Wait!” Pete shrieks before he pops out from under a stack of throw pillows. The expression on his little face goes from shock to excitement when he sees that Santana’s standing alongside Brittany, “Santana’s here?!”

Santana’s never seen someone so excited to see her – apart from Brittany – and Pete’s rushing towards her with a giant grin on his face. He throws his arms around her as soon as she’s in reach and Santana doesn’t know what to do but stiffen and look to Brittany for an explanation.

Brittany only laughs, “I might’ve told him you were coming over later today for lunch.”

“You’re here so early!” Pete beamed as he looked up at her, “You going to have breakfast and lunch with us too?”

Santana bites her lip at his excitement and the adoring look Brittany’s giving her.

She’s never been too fond of being around kids, she’s never known how to act – she still doesn’t, but Pete’s different. He’s actually cool and Santana finds it starting to get easier to interact with him the more time she spends around the Pierces.

“Looks like it, P,” Santana ends up replying coolly with a ruffle to his hair before sinking down to whisper to him, “Also heard that you might be the Monopoly King around here.”

“I am,” He responds proudly before puffing out his chest, “You wanna challenge me?”

Santana smirks, “Maybe after breakfast.”

When Pete’s smile widens, it looks like Santana’s just made his entire day. When she glances over at Brittany, it looks like she has just made her entire day too.

\\\\\

It’s a total back to reality moment for Brittany as she pulls into the McKinley High student parking lot on Monday morning. After the blissful weekend she had, she never felt so bummed about it having to end for the sake of going back to school.

Spending all that time with Santana was just…perfect. She fit in so well with her little family – even Pete was begging for Santana to stay a little while longer after winning a second round of Monopoly. But all good things must come to an end, at least for a little bit.

It’s the beginning of a big week for her though so she at least has that to curb her slight grumpiness. The Championship game is this Friday which feels like the culmination of her entire high school football career. She hasn’t been putting too much thought into it – too wrapped up in her new relationship with Santana and the rivalry between the Titans and the hockey team – but now that it’s all starting to come to an end…she feels a little sad.

Playing football has always been something that has made her feel closer to her dad. It’s something that he exposed her to when she was young and it blossomed from there and it should make her feel proud because she has come so far thanks to him, but it makes her feel like a chapter is closing.

A chapter she started with her dad and ended…without him.

She quickly pushes those thoughts away, not wanting to get caught crying in her car by Santana – or even worse by someone random. No, she has to seek out the positives because that’s exactly what he would’ve wanted her to do. He would’ve told her not worry about him, this is all about her and she should feel proud of her accomplishments.

It’s easier said than done lately, but she just focuses on her dad’s wise words of wisdom and prepares herself for a busy, busy week ahead.

For the most part, it’s smooth sailing for Brittany.

On Monday there was a quiz in her History class, but she was actually prepared for it so it didn’t stress her out too much and she was confident that she did great. On Tuesday, her Astronomy class got back their graded assignments and Brittany surprised herself with a perfect score – the only one in the entire class.

Santana was so proud of her for that one that they skipped their study session at Elliott’s to instead make out in the back of Santana’s car. Brittany remembers how they giggled like mad afterwards because Santana had to turn on the screen defroster, it was that foggy inside.

This week, Brittany felt like she was on a roll and that reflected during football practice as well. The quarterback nailed every throw – even the trickier ones where the defense applied extra pressure. Although it was only practice, her passer rating must’ve been through the roof because she was doing so well with her completions.

But it wasn’t just her, the entire team was doing exceedingly well too. After the stunt they pulled last week in the cafeteria, the Titans seemed to be more united and that showed in the way they practiced. Sam and Mike hadn’t dropped one pass yet and you couldn’t strip the ball away from Puck if you were the strongest person on Earth.

Anyone with eyes could see that the Titans wanted this Championship win, that practiced that hard. Brittany’s teammates were putting in extra work in the weight room and staying later after practice ended just to get in a few more catches.

Everyone was determined as ever and that pissed the hockey guys off even more so. But like always, Brittany opted for the higher road. She wasn’t going to stoop down to their level – no Titan was going to – and she just hoped that they’d eventually take the hint that they weren’t going to be intimidating anyone any time soon.

By Wednesday, the anxiousness over the big game starts to settle in. The school is all a buzz about the possibility of Brittany and the Titans ending this Championship drought. Any other day, that buzz would leave Brittany feeling giddy but the pressure of winning and the sadness she feels about this chapter coming to an end is louder.

She knows it’s not exactly where her head needs to be right now, but she can’t help it. This storm cloud has been brewing for awhile and she has done her best to keep it at bay but it was only a matter of time before she stopped being able to outrun it.

Miraculously though, she isn’t the only one that has noticed the shift in her mood.

Brittany’s sitting in the cafeteria, surrounded by all of her friends and teammates while she slowly picks at her lunch. Usually by this hour, she’s starving but not today. It’s not that she has lost her appetite because she loves chicken patties but she’s just not feeling it. She can tell Kurt and Mercedes are talking excitedly about something and Brittany wishes she could focus enough to be apart of the conversation but all she hears is noise.

It’s almost like she’s caught in a daze and everything’s moving around her like usual but she’s stuck in slow motion. It’s a weird feeling, one she hasn’t experienced in a long time – maybe since she moved to Lima.

No one notices either, not until someone fills the seat next to her.

“Hey B! I got you something,” Santana says cheerfully.

Brittany goes to glance in her direction but her smile isn’t quite as bright as it usually is and that’s enough for Santana.

“Are you okay?” She asks as she slides the gifted pressed juice onto the table.

“Is that for me?” Brittany asks instead and nods to the juice, similar to the one Santana brought her at the beginning of the year.

Santana looks between the drink and Brittany, “Yeah. Figured you might need the energy boost. I remember you saying this morning that you had some trouble sleeping last night so I stopped by the Cheerios lounge before coming here.”

Brittany smiles adoringly at her. It still surprises her how caring Santana can be. It’s enough to distract Brittany from her troubles for the time being. How could anyone think about anything else when her girlfriend is the most thoughtful person in the world?

“You’re too sweet,” Brittany compliments as she squeezes Santana’s knee beneath the table, “Thank you.”

Santana just shrugs her shoulder bashfully, but their little interaction is enough to gain the rest of the table’s interest – specifically Kurt and Mercedes.

“I had my suspicions but I couldn’t be sure,” Kurt comments behind a playful smirk, “Not until now.”

Santana quirks her brow and Brittany frowns in confusion.

“Really?” Mercedes looks at him with this unamused look on her face, “I clocked it the day she came to sit with us. Cheerios don’t ever break rank.”

Brittany starts to catch on and glances to Santana again to see her reaction because so far the only people at school who know about them are: Quinn, Mike and Sam. And apparently Kurt and Mercedes have a bit of a reputation for being the school gossips so if they get a hold of this it would be public knowledge now.

Brittany’s heart beats a little quicker as she continues to watch Santana.

“Don’t assume,” Tina scolds the both of them before smiling at Santana and Brittany, “Although you two would make a really cute couple.”

Brittany blushes while both of Santana’s brows rise. Brittany has no idea what to say to and she can’t tell if Santana’s about to beat Tina with her lunch tray or laugh. She’s hoping it’s neither; she’s hoping that Santana would want to tell the truth. Santana has been doing so well so far, why wouldn’t she?

It’s a long pause afterwards where everyone just waits for an answer from either Brittany or Santana. Brittany’s waiting on her girlfriend to take the lead but she wonders if Santana’s doing the same too.

“So are you?” Kurt asks; cutting through the silence and right to the chase.

“Well,” Brittany starts uneasily, “We – “

“Yes,” Santana answers without wavering, “We’re together.”

Brittany’s jaw just about drops and so does everyone else’s.

“This is outstanding!” He cheers, “I’m – “

“Hold up,” Santana raises her finger, “No matter how excited you are or whatever, this is not your business to tell. It’s ours – as in me and Britt – not you. Don’t go throwing us a rainbow themed party or build us a Pride Parade float to have us chauffeured around on. That’s not how we’re doing this.”

Kurt’s lips part but Santana cuts him off again then eyes everyone at the table down – excluding Brittany of course.

“Every single person that knows so far knows because we told them and because they know how to keep their trap shut about things that aren’t theirs to share so if this were to get out before we decide, I know exactly who I’ll be going after,” Santana warns before straightening up, “Believe me, you don’t want that. These Puck Heads and their lame ass slushies have nothing on what I’d do.”

Kurt, Mercedes and Tina all gulp. Santana just smirks.

Brittany looks back and forth between everyone uneasily – halfway turned on by how assertive Santana was just then and also a little guilty about threatening her friends. Then again, when it comes to this she guess a little tough love might be in order.

“Stay in your lane and we won’t have problems,” Santana adds in a friendlier tone, “Understand?”

Brittany’s friends just nod in unison.

“Great talk,” Santana grins before turning her attention back to Brittany with this sickeningly sweet smile on her face, “So B, how’s your day been so far? ”

Brittany’s a little speechless at first but then she lets out a chuckle before answering Santana’s question.

The rest of lunch goes on smoothly. Santana and Brittany talk about their day so far and what assignments still need completing. They make plans to go to Elliott’s again this weekend to study together – like actually study this time and not…do other things.

That’s when Puck goes to stand on his chair to apparently make an announcement.

“Puckerman, get down!” Mr. Phillips scolds.

“Just a sec, Mr. P, I’ve got to say something,” Puck tells him.

“Do you need to stand up there while you say it?”

“How else will everyone hear me?” Puck shrugs.

Mr. Philips narrows his eyes.

“I’ll be super quick,” Puck assures him.

“Fine,” Mr. Philips rolls his eyes and wanders away.

Brittany and Santana pull away from their own conversation long enough to see what’s got him so worked up. They aren’t the only ones listening in though, Rick and the hockey guys linger nearby too.

“Listen up! So everyone knows the Titans are going to kick Carmel’s ass this Friday, right?” Puck asks and everyone within listening distance cheers loudly.

Mr. Philips turns and gives Puck a glare.

Puck just smiles apologetically before continuing, “It’s history in the making, our parents didn’t even experience this shit, so I think that deserves celebrating. The Titans deserve celebrating! This has been a great year for us – mostly thanks to Pierce over there.” Puck points over to Brittany and everyone cheers again for her.

Brittany gets a little bashful around the applause but even more so when she finds Santana smiling at her so proudly. If she knew any better, she’d think Santana was about to kiss her.

“Without her, I don’t know where we’d be. No offense, Hudson.”

Finn just shrugs, seemingly unaffected by the jab.

“So in saying that, I only know how to celebrate one way,” Puck smirks, “Victory party at my place after the game! Everyone’s invited except those losers.” Puck nods over to Rick and starts to laugh when he sees the hockey guys getting pissed.

The Titans all pound the table as Puck gives an approving nod to their response before making his way off the chair. Brittany laughs at the display while Mr. Philips rushes over to quiet the team down.

“Puck and his parties,” Santana comments with an eye roll, “Looks like you guys better win.”

Brittany sighs playfully, “No pressure, right?”

“What? I thought you work well under that?”

“You’d know, wouldn’t you?” Brittany smirks and Santana gasps at the suggestion.

Brittany just laughs as she watches Santana’s cheeks grow a little darker.

By the end of lunch, Santana and Brittany have to go their separate ways instead of walk together to their next class. It’s something about Santana needing to stop by Ms. Pillsbury’s office before so they part ways at the cafeteria exit.

It’s no big deal. Brittany uses the time instead to head to her locker and drop off all the books she won’t be needing for homework later. Maybe if she doesn’t have to carry as many, she can help Santana carry hers?

The thought makes Brittany smile before she’s closing her locker and heading to class.

Like any other day, she takes her usual route to Ms. Holliday’s classroom. She walks past her History class from this morning and spots Sam getting settled at his desk. They wave at each other before Brittany continues on. She passes a corridor and another block of lockers before turning down the hall, only this time someone waits for her there.

Well not someone…as in singular.

“Sup Pierce,” Rick nods while his usual two guys flank him.

Brittany feels the atmosphere shift so she stands a little taller.

“Hey,” Brittany nods. She notices they each have a hand behind their backs and she can already guess what’s coming.

It all happens in an instant. One moment she’s minding her own business heading to class and the next she’s drenched from head to toe in red slushie.

“What the hell?!” Brittany snaps as she wicks slush from her face.

“Equal treatment, right?” Rick sneers as he and his guys toss their emptied extra large slushie cups at Brittany’s feet where red slushie is already starting to drip off of her.

Brittany’s too cold and shell-shocked to even say anything more, but what leaves her speechless is seeing Karofsky and Azimio watching the whole thing from behind them. Brittany waits for them to jump in, to give her some type of back up here…but they don’t.

They don’t say a word. They just turn and leave.

“Let this be a lesson to you, Pierce. Some things you just can’t change around here,” Rick says, “Football’s reign was over the moment they enlisted you as their quarterback.”

“Yay, girl power!” One of his guys jokes before they leave Brittany standing there.

She can’t tell if her brain is completely frozen by the slushie or if she’s just too angry to move. All she does is stare down at her feet, watching the slushie pool around her once white Converse.

She thinks about Azimio and Karofsky and how they turned their backs on her and she’s never felt so hurt before. Which is saying something because she was literally tackled to the ground because of them, but this is different. They aren’t on the field and to see them walk away like that just shows how horrible they actually are.

“Oh my God,” Someone says and it breaks Brittany from her whirling thoughts.

When Brittany looks up, she finds Quinn searching her with worried eyes.

“Are you – ” Quinn starts but she sees something written all over Brittany’s face and stops. Instead she puts on an apologetic smile, “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up before it stains.”

Brittany thinks she nods but she isn’t sure. She doesn’t start to move until Quinn’s hands are on her shoulders, coaxing her along.

The bathroom is just on the other side of the block of lockers Brittany and Quinn were standing next to and Quinn quickly gets to work wetting a paper towel. She hands it to Brittany so that she can wipe her face.

Now that she’s starting to regain some feeling, Brittany begins to get angry. She’s kept her cool for so long, let everything roll off of her but this? A line was crossed so she doubts she can be as forgiving.

“I can’t believe this,” Brittany says as she slams down a wad of soaked paper towel into the sink.

Quinn looks somewhat surprised by the outburst but nods anyway, “At least it’s not the blue one. That’s the hardest to get out.”

Brittany shakes her head as Quinn passes her more paper towels, “I can’t believe people are still like this. I can’t believe Azimio and Karofsky just stood there. I’ve never met so many guys who just refuse to accept a little change. I’m not even doing anything radical here! What’s the fucking problem?”

Quinn drops her hands to rest on the sink as she listens. Brittany’s fuming but what surprises her most are the tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She blinks furiously to keep them at bay because she has sworn to never shed a tear over this crap and she doesn’t want her first bonding moment with Quinn to involve her tears.

So she takes a steadying breath, “It would be one thing if the Titans weren’t winning, but they are. We’ve broken records together and I’m leading them to a Championship after how many years? Why isn’t that the focus for these people? Why does it matter that I just so happen to be a girl? Why is that an issue in the first place?”

Quinn lets out a sigh and shrugs, “The hockey guys are idiots. I don’t think they even know which narrative they want to pick. Is it because you’re a girl? Is it because you’re a Titan? Is it because you’re winning?”

Brittany lets out a frustrated sigh.

“They’re going to be Lima Losers for the rest of their lives while you’re out doing bigger and better things. You aren’t meant for this place, Brittany, they are and that’s why they’ll never leave. They’ll never evolve. Why do you think anyone with common sense wants to run as far as they can from this place? No one wants to be a Lima Loser and those that don’t care about becoming one – like the Puck Heads – aren’t people you should lose any sleep over.”

Brittany nods. She remembers a conversation a long time ago about Quinn wanting to go to Yale because it was so far from Lima. She always wondered why anyone would want to leave their family like that, but maybe their families are made up of people who refuse to evolve like Quinn said. She thinks about Santana and her dad and how Santana’s one of those people who want to run too.

Brittany didn’t really get it before, but she does now.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this,” Brittany mentions while Quinn continues to fuss over her. It makes her chuckle despite everything and she wonders if she’s like this with Santana too.

Then she remembers something.

“She would’ve been with me,” Brittany mumbles out the realization. Quinn gives her a confused look, “Santana. We usually walk together to our last class but she went to see Ms. Pillsbury this time. She would’ve been with me. They would’ve gotten her too.”

Quinn shakes her head and lets out a dry chuckle, “It did not go over well when they slushied her the first time. I doubt it would go over well if she were there this time.”

Brittany frowns, “She’s been slushied before?”

“Yeah. Last year,” Quinn’s expression grows somber, “Shortly after everything came out.”

Brittany feels like she’s been gut-punched as she starts imagine what that must’ve been like for Santana. She can just hear the comments Rick would’ve cooked up and how small they would’ve made her feel. It infuriates her even more and plans of retaliation start to piece together.

“You want me to text her to bring you a change of clothes?” Quinn asks upon Brittany’s silence,

Brittany looks to Quinn through the mirror and shrugs, “It’s fine. I’ll be okay for one class.”

Quinn raises her brow and it’s funny how similar the expression is. She wonders if she got it from Santana or maybe it was the brunette that rubbed off on her.

“You can’t walk around like that,” Quinn says, “Your clothes are soaked through and your letterman jacket is already stained.”

Brittany looks to her sleeves and frowns, “Crap. I can’t afford to buy another one.”

“Don’t worry, I can sort that for you,” Quinn adds casually, “I know a guy, owns the best dry cleaners in Lima. Technically it’s the only dry cleaners but he’s great. You can get it back in time for the Pep Rally on Friday.”

“Oh,” Brittany replies. She’s not really used to this kind of interaction with Quinn. Not because they don’t get along or anything, but because they’ve never really had the opportunity. It’s kind of nice, Brittany thinks. She’s glad Santana’s had a friend like her all these years.

“Look, it’s not a big deal,” Quinn says with a smile, “I think I have a pair of warm-ups in my locker and I’m sure Santana’s bound to have something in hers too. You can at least be more comfortable for your last class.”

Brittany finally nods, “Yeah okay. You can text her.”

Quinn only smiles in return before she’s reaching for her phone.

Santana practically comes running into the bathroom with a stack of clothes under her arm. Her expression goes from hurried to concerned when she finds Brittany leaning against the counter with her clothes stained red.

“Shit,” Santana gasps and throws the clothes at Quinn. As soon as she’s close enough, her hand goes up to cup Brittany’s cheek, “You okay?”

Brittany leans into the touch and smiles, “Yeah. I’m fine. Just frustrated, I guess. I’m glad Quinn was there though. I might’ve done something stupid if she wasn’t.”

Santana nods and whirls around to Quinn, “Who did this?”

Brittany goes to cut in but Quinn’s already answering.

“Who do you think?” Quinn replies, “Karofsky and Azimio were there too. Not with them, but they didn’t exactly do anything about it either.”

“Son of a bitch,” Santana snaps as she starts to pace, “That motherfuckering fuck! I’m going to load up on slushies, see how he fucking likes it. Or maybe I’ll use something worse like…like dry ice.”

“Where are you going to get that from?” Quinn asks while Brittany looks on worriedly.

“I don’t know, Q. I’ll figure it out!” Santana brushes off, “I swear, I will go all Lima Heights and they’ll regret the day that they decided, that they even thought about doing this to – “

When Santana turns to Brittany, she pauses upon seeing the blonde’s expression.

“Please don’t,” Brittany says.

“But –“

“No more fighting for you,” Brittany tells her sternly. She pushes off the counter and goes to run her hands down Santana’s arms calmingly, “I don’t want you to get into any trouble over this, over me.”

Santana’s jaw tenses. She looks conflicted, “You can’t let them get away with this, Brittany.”

“I won’t. I told my guys no more slushies or fighting, I can’t go back on my word now just because I’m angry. I’m not going to feed into this bullshit.”

Santana shakes her head, “No. Now is not the time to be diplomatic.”

“It’s also not the time to get even.”

“She’s got a point,” Quinn mentions from behind them. Santana glares at her while Brittany gives her an appreciative nod.

“Listen,” Brittany says softly to Santana, “I know you’re angry, baby, I’m angry too. I’m really, really angry but I was always taught that you can’t act on anger. Violence doesn’t solve anything, we have to go about this differently if we want there to be actual change.”

Santana relaxes just a little more, “I’m more of a punch the crap out of them now and ask question later type of girl.”

“I know you are,” Brittany smirks, “I’ve got something in mind for Azimio and Karofsky. Just let me take care of this.”

“Fine,” Santana lets out a deep sigh, “But if I come across any of them off of school property it’s fair game.”

“I,” Brittany starts before she relents with a smile, “Okay.”

“Maybe you should get changed, Britt,” Quinn steps forward to offer the clothes.

Brittany nods and takes the stack, “I’ll be just a sec.”

Santana nods too before leaning in to kiss her cheek.

When she comes out, Brittany’s wearing Quinn’s pants and Santana’s Cheerios jacket. She glances at herself in the mirror and chuckles.

“Feels weird not wearing a shirt under this,” Brittany comments.

“You didn’t have an extra shirt?” Quinn asks Santana.

Santana shrugs, “I just cleaned out my locker yesterday.”

Brittany looks to the Co-Captains and replies, “It’s okay. I only have to sit through one class anyway. Speaking of which, we’re all super late.”

“Ms. Holliday will understand,” Santana says before looking to Quinn, “You on the other hand are screwed.”

Quinn rolls her eyes and Brittany instantly feels guilty.

“Crap. You wouldn’t have been late if you didn’t help me,” Brittany says.

“Don’t worry about it,” Quinn brushes her off, “I’ll just get Ms. Pillsbury to write me a note. I’ll see you guys later.”

Surprisingly, Quinn gives the both of them a hug before she’s on her way.

Santana raises her brows at it but she doesn’t comment. Instead, she looks to Brittany and smirks.

“What?” Brittany asks as they head out of the bathroom too, “Do I still have slushie dye on my face?”

Santana chuckles cutely, “No. It’s not that.”

“Then what?”

Santana slides her arm through Brittany’s and gives it a squeeze as they walk in the direction of Ms. Holliday’s classroom, “I’ve seen plenty of girls walking around here wearing someone else’s letterman jacket, but I’ve never seen someone in another girl’s Cheerios jacket before.”

Brittany looks to Santana and chuckles, “Yeah? How’s it look?”

Santana just grins, “Hot.”

Despite the weight on her shoulders, Brittany can’t help but laugh.

By football practice, every single Titan knows what the Puck Heads did and they are pissed. Brittany worries that they might have an all out brawl afterwards and that’s not what anyone needs right now. She does her best to keep the peace still even if she’d also like to punch Rick in his dumb face.

“I’ll talk to their Coach,” Coach Beiste says in hopes to calm the team down, “Their behavior is unacceptable and I’m sick of no one dealing with it. Don’t worry, Pierce, there will be repercussions to their actions.”

Brittany nods, “Thanks Coach.”

“I just can’t believe they went after Pierce like this,” Finn snaps.

“I bet they waited until she was alone,” Puck adds, “Just like the punks they are! They wouldn’t dare go after her if we were there.”

“We should’ve been with her,” Mike says to Sam.

“But our classes are on the opposite side of the school?” Sam frowns.

“So? Britt needs a security detail.”

“No I don’t,” Brittany cuts in, “I don’t need a security detail like I’m the President or something. And I wasn’t alone.”

“Wait, what?” Finn looks confused, “You mean Quinn?”

Brittany shakes her head, “No. I mean Azimio and Karofsky were there.”

“What?!” They both snap.

Coach Beiste looks at them expectantly, “Is this true?”

“I don’t know what she’s talking about,” Karofsky tries to lie, “I wasn’t – “

“Don’t,” Brittany stops him and turns back to the team, “Why would I lie about this? What would I gain by throwing half of my O Line under the bus? They were both there and neither of them did anything, but is anyone surprised?”

Mike glares at them, “Nope.”

“Not even a little,” Sam adds.

“I’m really disappointed in you two,” Coach Beiste says, “What the hell were you two thinking?”

“What did you want us to do?” Azimio tries to defend himself, “She’s got that stupid no slushie policy in place!”

“You could’ve asked if she was okay? You could’ve gone to get a teacher. You could’ve let me know so I could talk to their coach? Literally anything that would’ve made you look like a team player, that would’ve shown that you care about everyone on this team.”

Azimio and Karofsky look away guiltily.

“You have proven to me and everyone on this squad time and time again that you aren’t team players and I’m done. There is no room for that kind of behavior here,” Coach Beiste says with a kind of finality that makes everyone perk up.

“Wait,” Karofsky pleads.

“I’m done with the excuses and this was the last straw!” Coach snaps, “You’re both off the team.”

“But the Championship game is in two days!” Azimio implores.

“I know when it is!” Coach replies loudly, “And you know what? I’ve got a friend from Ohio State coming to watch too. Maybe he’ll pick some of you up, but not you two.” Coach turns her steely gaze on Azimio and Karofsky, “You two will be watching from the stands – if I even allow that.”

“But – “

“Go!” Coach tells them both firmly, “Clean out your lockers and leave.”

Neither of them say another word and sulk off of the field. Brittany just stares wide-eyed. She didn’t think Coach would go that route – actually she wasn’t sure of the route at all – but she’s glad this was taken so seriously. Those guys have been skating by for so long, she’s glad something’s finally being done about them.

“Anyone else not want to be a team player?” Coach asks.

No one makes a sound.

“Okay good,” Coach smiles, “Now about this recruiter from Ohio State. He’s a good friend of mine but he’s hard to impress. Very high standards so play well because Cooter just might be your ticket into OSU.”

Brittany’s heart rate spikes. She’s heard of the possibility of a recruiter attending this game since the beginning of the season, but now that she knows it’s actually happening she needs to be on her A game. She needs to push everything else aside for now and focus on football and winning this game because –

“Wait,” Finn says with his signature dopey, confused look, “His name is Cooter?”

Coach Beiste nods.

“Cooter…the Recruiter?” Finn adds and Puck’s already snickering.

“That’s unfortunate,” Kurt jokes flatly and the rest of the team starts to chuckle.

“Cut it out,” Coach warns, “We’re going to be training harder than ever for the next couple of days. I’m extending practice for two hours in preparation for the rest of the week. We’re not getting this far only to lose. That’s not an option for us.”

Brittany nods; she’s right about that.

#Lost in the Lights #Brittana #Brittana Fanfiction #QB!Britt #Remember when I could pump out a chapter once a week lol good times

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