#and the plane fright is not helping

[beardedhandstoadshark]

Oh buddy I sure love vibing at home during rain only to get a call saying I‘m flying to a diffrrent country tomorrow and gotta pack up cuz someone spontaneously decided to buy some tickets without telling anyone! Lack of communication is so great! I love it!! =DDD (sarcasm)

In other news, blog might be deserted until the end of the month, y‘all‘s dashboards are free for a few weeks lol

[fictionadventurer]

The Unprintable News

All the planes that safely flew All the crimes folks didn't do The men who lived their day unharmed Free from danger and alarm

All the bridges that don't break The parts of Earth that never quake The homes that stand untouched by flame Those who of crime are never blamed

The friendly dogs who never bite The folks who sleep safe through the night All the simple kindly deeds That offer help to those in need

With headlines shouting all that's black My news provides the truth they lack: Although this world has fear and fright Much more often, things go right

[thealbatrovss]

nightmares come true // logan howlett x reader

summary: you get hurt during an intense battle

oneshot: ANGST, comfort. Swearing, injury, violence

word count: 2k

I’m currently taking fic requests btw!!! masterlist

The bleeding wouldn’t stop.

You could’ve sworn Logan described this exact scenario to you before. Down to the very last detail.

A few times actually. It was only ever after you calmed him down from the nightmares that he told you what they were really about.

They were the same, each time. Sometimes the location or clothes would vary, but the outcome never changed.

They were of you. Dying in his arms. In a pool of blood.

Death was something Logan never had to worry about. His powers wouldn’t allow it. But, when it came to you, that was a whole other matter. He thought about it all the time.

When the nightmares returned, and they returned often, they filled him with so much fear it scared you.

He woke with your name on his lips. You whispered words of comfort against his sweaty skin. And wrapped your arms around him, burying your face in the crook of his neck and told him you were safe. That he was safe too.

All those nights, you combed through strains of wet hair and held him close, waiting for his breathing to steady. Sometimes his claws would come out. Thats when the night terrors were really bad. On one occasion, they accidentally cut you. Logan refused to sleep in the same bed for days after that.

He would always ask you if you were okay after those frightful dreams. Every single time. And you’d tell him you were and hoped he’d go back to sleep. But you knew he stayed up. Afraid take he’s eyes off you. Afraid the dreams would become real.

Were you slipping into that dream now?

Kurt held your head in his lap. He pressed down on the right side with shaking hands, muttering under his breath. Something about God and healing. You didn’t really know, your hearing and vision were both fading.

He applied more pressure to your wound. The pain was so bad you wanted to scream. It was the kind of pain that made it impossible to think, talk, breathe, or do anything.

Your heart was beating for its life. The pulse pounding in your brain right where it hurt the most. It grew bigger and bigger. Your head was a ticking time bomb, ready to explode.

The ship shook violently, the battle outside raging on. You thought you could hear Logan shouting for where you were. But you couldn’t tell. There was blood in your ears.

You pleaded with the universe that Logan wouldn’t see you like this.

Another shockwave hit the plane. You winced from the sudden movement, your brain throbbing underneath a relentless force.

“I need… I need to help them.”

But Kurt wouldn’t let you move. You caught a glimpse of crimson on his blue skin and underneath his nails as he gently pressed you down.

“They’ll be fine.” He assured you. You were too exhausted to protest, your body sagging against your friend. “You just need to stay still.”

The constant rocking back and forth of the plane and the ground rumbling beneath you wouldn’t let that happen. But Kurt kept you as steady as he could.

Flickering red and orange lights illuminated the windows. Smoke billowed past, creating dark clouds. You noticed you couldn’t smell the fires burning. You could only smell metal. There was a man shouting at Kurt to open the hatch.

He carefully laid your body on his jacket, now soaked with blood. Your blood. You'd have to buy him a new one if you made it out of this mess. The thought brought a weak smile to your face. Kurt pressed one of the control buttons and the hatch slowly opened.

Logan couldn’t wait for the hatch to finish opening before rushing in, still asking for you. His black suit was full of holes but his skin was completely healed over. Dirt and specks of blood stuck against the sweat on his face and hair. He was breathing hard, the smoke from the fires making their way into the ship. He covered his mouth, finding the button that closed the hatch.

Then he saw you. Lying on the cold floor. Blood seeping into a coat pocket, body trembling.

Logan felt sick. Like someone reached into his stomach and rearranged everything. No amount of metal or regeneration could protect him from something like this.

His jaw clenched, ready to burst at the seams. It was a rubber band wound up too tight. “What the fuck happened?”

“I don’t know.” Kurt stammered, still shaking. “I see someone falling, I grab them.” He returned to the same spot, putting pressure back on your skull. “We came here once I smelled the blood.”

A whimper escaped your mouth. Logan snapped out of the initial shock and made his way over to you. His knees hit the hard floor. He took your hand. Nausea overcame him when your blood went cold against his skin. “Hey. It’s me. It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.” He kept repeating it. Just like he did in his night terrors.

This didn’t feel real. It couldn’t be.

Could it?

But it was.

He could sense it creeping in.

You weren’t supposed to be in this situation. Logan had gone out of his way to make sure something like this would never happen.

But sometimes, nightmares come true. And the worst one was unraveling right before him.

“Go… help.” You were wheezing. The rattle slithering out whenever you tried to speak. Was there blood in your lungs too?

What you said made him hold onto you that much tighter. “No way in hell. I’m not leaving you like this.”

He paused. From where he kneeled, he had a clear view of your injury. He wanted to tear those monsters outside to pieces.

You shut your eyes, face curled up in pain. Kurt continued to mutter prayers. Logan held your cold skin to his mouth, leaving frantic kisses on the back of your hand. It almost looked like he was praying too.

Then, a blood curdling scream irrupted from you. You screamed so hard that your legs thrashed and fingers tightened around Logan’s wrist. You’d never felt pain like this before. All consuming. Like a dragon swallowed you whole. Blades of flame and ice scattered along its esophagus.

Logan slammed his fist against the metal floor. “God dammit!” He was trying to keep himself from crying. A wild look overtook his eyes. He whipped his head towards the hatch and back to Kurt. “Go get Jean.” He ordered his teammate. “Now!”

Kurt nodded. He would not hesitate. He tried peeling Logan’s hands from your own, but Logan would not budge. He only looked more confused, hurt and angry.

Kurt sighed, pointing at you. “It’s for her.”

Logan let some of his anger dissipate, realizing what Kurt was trying to do. He let him guide his hands to your head and vanished into thin air as soon as Logan was in the proper place to care for you.

Logan pushed the fabric against the gash in your skull. Your eyes scrunched up again, teeth biting your lip.

“You’ll be fine.” He repeated over and over again. He soothed you with it. Cradled your head in his lap. Made sure to stay as still as he could. He put too little pressure on your head. As soon as he noticed, he put too much pressure on the wound. He eventually found the balance, watching your face twist back into a more comfortable position. “Nothing you can’t come back from.”

Something wet dripped onto your forehead. Mixing with your own tears. Was Logan bleeding too?

The darkness was inviting you to sleep. Yet, you didn’t want to leave Logan’s warm embrace. But you were so tired. And the nothingness was quiet. Your eyes fluttered, fighting the blood loss.

Panic shot through him. “Don’t you fucking dare.” His pleas grew more erratic. He was reaching for words that didn’t belong together. “The flowers in your room. You need to water them.” When did so much blood get in your hair? Your breathing became shallow. “Everyone gets hit in the head. Fucking get up.” You couldn’t smell anything anymore. Was his voice falling apart? “I think we should go home.”

There was a brief flash of blue that popped into your blurry view. Red hair swam front of your face. Cold hands taking over for him. There was more talking and cursing. You felt drunk in the head. Logan’s animalistic screams faded as he ran out of the hatch, claws unsheathed. Jean yelled for him to come back.

Then it was just darkness. A long sleep.

Logan was by your side when you woke up.

He nearly jumped out of his seat when he saw you struggling to open your eyes. But, he hesitated to touch you. Like one wrong move would send him back to that pool of blood and claustrophobic ship.

“Hey.” He let out a shaky breath.

With the pad of his thumb, he gently brushed away the crust underneath your eyelids. You could see much clearer now. The infirmary was empty except for the two of you. The lights overhead were nearly too bright to handle. Your head was still pounding. But the worst pain was in the chest, moving all the way to your back.

You noted the tear stains on his cheeks and the black, torn up X Men suit he was still wearing.

How long were you out? You really hoped he didn’t stay here watching over you for days on end. You needed him to take care of himself.

It took a while to gather the strength to speak. “Logan…” Your voice scratched the air. It still hurt to talk. “When did you last sleep?”

Logan let himself exhale once he heard your voice. You were alive. Right in front of him. But it didn’t feel real until now. “You of all people, are worried about me?” He chuckled, kissing your forehead, caressing your cheek. “Never change.”

You pushed your face into the palm of his hand. “Is everyone else okay?”

He nodded. That was good to hear. Everyone made it out of that hell hole safely. As soon as you were able to, you were going to go thank Kurt for everything he did. And buy him a new coat.

“See? Nightmare averted. You can sleep just fine now.”

His face fell. “No. I can’t. I won’t.”

“That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?” You motioned towards the water on the table. He sat on the edge of the bed and brought the straw to your lips. The water was cool against your dry tongue and sore throat. You let him put the drink back. “Was it that bad?”

He pursed his lips, tilting his head in discomfort. His fingers gripped the sides of the bed. They turned white against the blue sheets. “What do you think?”

“Can’t really think right now. My head is killing me.”

“And a collapsed lung.” He added. You thought he was going to break the bed.

Memories started flooding back to you. The powerful kick to the chest, the weapon slicing open your head. Then before you knew it, you were falling.

“I did a lot worse to that fucker than what he did to you. I made sure of it.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, his face curled up like he was in pain too. “This can’t happen again.”

Your throat was dry and it still hurt to talk, but you powered through. “I can’t promise you it won’t.”

He whipped his head around. He looked so tired. “You almost died last night.” The pain echoed off every single word. “It. Can’t. Happen. Again.”

You reached for his hand and he hesitated again. Eyes locked on the tiny injuries along your fingers. That’s where he kissed you as you lay dying.

“I’m sorry.” His fingers danced across your own, avoiding them like a crush.

“This isn’t your fault.”

“Sure feels like it is.”

You began to cough. Your bruised ribs hurt with each sharp inhale and exhale. Logan brought the straw back to your lips. “Jean will be back soon to check up on you. Take it easy, okay?” You swallowed, thanking him once again.

There was a pause, but not an uncomfortable one. “I think you should go get some rest.”

“I’m fine.” He picked at the fiber strains of your blanket. “I don’t sleep, I get a little tired. You don’t sleep, you can barely function. I get hurt, I heal just as quickly. You get hurt…” He stopped himself from finishing the sentence by biting down on the inside of his cheek. “God, I need a fucking drink.”

“Then go get one. After you take care of yourself.”

“That is taking care of myself.”

“No, it really isn’t.”

“Jesus.” He dragged his hands over his face. “You are not going to let this go?”

“Nope.” Logan wanted to kiss that stupid smirk off your lips.

He sighed. “I just don’t want to go through it again.”

“Maybe you’ll dream of something different this time. Something better.”

Jean walked into the room, still giving the two of you space. He knew you’d be fine with her. That you were safe now. But it still hurt to leave.

“Fine. I’ll go sleep or whatever.” Logan kissed your forehead one last time before standing up. “But then I’m coming right back.”

You watched him go with a weak smile. There was still a lot of healing to do, but you’d do it together.

[allpiesforourown]

more hatman brainrot takeover incoming

sy was a normal dude before being transmigrated into the role of 'hatman', a role specifically meant to evoke sheer terror into the masses who are getting too close to seeing into the other dimensions of the world, and lbh has been trying to dissociate from his entire life's bs since he was old enough to sell drugs to dumbass college students so he could pay for his moms medicine (she still dies, and his dad showing up later to claim him as his heir does Not Help)

he's trying a new strain given to him by dear ol dad, who's big into fashion drugs himself, which is how lbh and hatman!sy meet for the first time, but sy being sy, he is Instantly Enamored by binghe's whole everything, and doesnt wanna give binghe even more trauma, so he doesnt really scare him, cue the beginning of a very confusing and erotic trip for binghe

binghe is now obsessed with the entity with the insanely green eyes who seems to only ever visit whenever binghe is trying to enter another plane of existence (only ever touching him gently when hes paralyzed, sometimes even lightly smacking him when binghe tries to ask questions in the tripscape, but his eyes are so kind, and binghe is so horny) which is precisely against Company Policy, and eventually somebody above sy figures out he's visiting the same victimtransgressor and threatens to demote sy from hatman to transdimensional paperpusher in the departed souls dimension

now sy has to figure out how to convince binghe that he's actually something to be feared, gives him a REAL fright (dumping binghe's mind into the abyss), and binghe being binghe, he's deeply upset by this shift after spending time getting to know sy and being treated so "sweetly", and spends the next 3 years tracking down anyone else online who has seen The Hatman so he can figure out why sy suddenly hates him and prove to the hatman that he's worth crossing over into their world for, even going so far as to invent a machine that will trap the hatman in the material world (at least until he fan figure out how to make him stay on his own)

it leads to a lot of the wrong hatmen being captured and sy getting into a lot of trouble with the higher ups who are trying to keep him and the rest of their operation from being found out, and it wouldve all gone according to plan, except binghe manages to successfully catch him while sy is visiting liu qingge, but not successfully enough create a corporeal form for him, and it leads to sy thinking binghe is doing this on purpose for torturing him

the delicious misunderstanding of it all~ gonna stop there for now cuz i havent thought of how they reconcile this shit but i need binghe and mobei jun to both get high together and mobei meets his own hatman sqh who ends up being more terrified of of mbj and gets harrassed into helping catch sy for binghe

Dude the world building here is INSANE I need you to make this a best selling book idea

[danisbrainrot]

tell your boyfriend

natalie scatorccio x reader

warnings: cheating (sorry not sorry, travis), reader being a shitty person, angst

ever since I found out this song was actually about a woman, I don't know why, but I immediately thought of nat. I can't explain it LMFAO.

it had been weeks since the plane crashed, and the team was condemned to suffering in the wilderness. it was lucky lottie had found the cabin in the first place, but as you swung the axe high in the air, before bringing it down with a resounding crack, you started to wonder if life would've been better if you died in the crash.

you were starving, delirious and weak. there was no sign of a rescue team—who knows how long you'd have to spend out here. watching natalie and travis walking back, hand in hand, you felt yourself growl quietly to yourself. it wasn't fair that travis, who'd never talked to nat before the crash was dating her, but you—who'd loved her for years—were forced to watch from arms length. the sight wasn't made any better when you noticed the absence of meat.

everyone was teasing the two of them, causing you to storm off into the forest. you couldn't help but find everything unfair. falling for a girl who liked a boy—knowing if you were a boy, she'd love you.

kicking over a pile of leaves, you took out your anger on the forest. you hadn't even noticed natalie, until you almost pegged a rock at her (you'd meant to get the log). "oh my god, I'm sorry nat," you exclaimed, running towards her to see if she was okay.

she snorts, moving closer to you. "feeling hangry?" she teased, taking a seat on the log you were aiming at previously. you sarcastically laugh in response, taking a seat next to her.

"joke all you want, if you spent less time fucking travis and more time looking for animals, I wouldn't be destroying the forest," you snap, feeling your stomach begin growling. nat's eyebrow raised teasingly, eyes pointed at your tummy. it's timing was uncanny.

"we're not fucking," natalie replied, making your heart race in excitement. "I mean, I'd like to. . . but he can't get it up."

knowing this was your chance, you took advantage of this information. "maybe he's gay?" you reply, trying to sound as earnest as you can. you nudge her side, "no straight man could resist you," you wink at her teasingly, receiving a soft shove to your shoulder.

"I've always trusted your gaydar. . . but I don't think this is it," she mumbles in response, leaning forward and placing her chin in her hands.

there was a beat of silence, as you desperately try to come up with a plausible explanation to break them up. "you could always ask coach, I'm sure he'd know all about gays," you joke.

nat turned her head slightly to face you, "you're right. maybe I should—" your heart sank, realising that she was seriously thinking about it.

"have you thought that maybe he's interested in someone else? and you're just a distraction," you blurted out, wishing you could take it back immediately.

nat scoffed, standing up, "yeah, thanks. that makes me feel fucking fantastic," she snapped, stomping away.

"nat! I'm sorry!" you called out, but she ignored you.

«—(♥)—»

later that night, you found yourself in the storage room, with your stomach growling. you knew that mari was hiding some berries in here and you were so hungry that you no longer cared about stealing.

the sound of creaking behind you made you jump in fright, whipping around to let out some excuse when you realised it was just natalie. "oh, I thought you were mari," you mumble, turning back to continue your quest.

"looking for her secret stash?" she asked, you tried to work out if her tone was curious or teasing. "it's behind the box there."

when she pointed in the direction, you side eyed her, wondering how he knew where it was. glad that she'd shown you, you decided not to ask. you pulled out a large white bucket and hungrily opened the lid, only to be disappointed at the contents. "she's letting them ferment?"

you turn to face natalie, who shrugs, "it's not that bad. it's pretty strong though, just made purely out of berries, makes you get drunk quicker," she explains; you snort at her, shaking your head.

"you'd have a lot of experience with being drunk," you snipe.

"hilarious, you know you're so funny, you should think about joining snl," she replied sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest.

you sighed, putting your head in your hands. "I'm so hungry, nat. I can't keep living like this," you whisper, on the verge of tears.

natalie sits down next to you, placing a hand on your thigh. "it'll be okay, I promise. travis and I are heading to a new place tomorrow, we'll find deer there, I'm sure," she soothes. you lay your head on her shoulder, playing with her hand on your thigh.

"a new place to hunt? or a new place to fuck?" you snapped.

narrowing her eyes at you, she scoffed and got up, "you know, I liked that you weren't like the others, that you never slutshamed me. . . I guess you're just like the rest of them," she replied, leaving you alone.

you knew it was stupid to take your unrequited feelings out on her, especially because she didn't owe you romantic love. however, it killed you watching her fall in love with travis—and the hunger eating you away wasn't making you a nicer person either.

tentatively scooping some of the berry juice in your hand, sipping it, when you heard mari approaching. in a panic, you'd never put something away so quickly.

«—(♥)—»

natalie trudged through the forest with travis in defeat; the gun slung over her shoulder serving as a reminder of her duty as hunter—a duty she was failing. their eyes were still peeled for any deer, hopeful for any last minute catches. however, it seemed like all the animals in the forest knew about their plans.

groaning, nat put her head in her hands and sat on the log. "this is fucking stupid," she grumbles, ignoring travis as he took a seat next to her.

"maybe we should stay put here, just for a little while," he suggests, his thigh brushing against hers. nat rested her chin against her knees and offered him a weak smile.

neither of them noticed you, hiding in the bushes, having given up scavenging for berries. they'd been gone for three hours, leaving everyone else in the cabin to search for food—and for what? it seemed no one would be eating anything. . . meat or fruit. the disappointing view of just the two of them made your stomach growl, reminding you of how long you've gone without eating something substantial.

stepping on a twig accidentally, you winced as both their heads snap in your direction. "you're following us now? disappointed to see we aren't having sex?" natalie sniped, getting up and walking towards you.

showing off your basket, you know that she wouldn't believe you even if it's true. "just hunting for berries, figured they were further out than usual," you mumble, taking a step back the closer she got.

it wasn't until you were both face to face, your chest heaving and trying to look tough, that natalie smirked. "I get it, you're hungry, but you don't have to follow us," she teased.

you rolled your eyes, "travis, can you give us a moment?" you asked, your heart racing as you come to terms with what you're about to do.

travis scoffs, looking at nat for confirmation, who only gestured for him to return to the cabin. in shock, he sent her an odd look, before standing up, and walking away silently.

natalie turned to face you again, "what did you want to talk about?"

"i wanted to apologise. you're right, I shouldn't be slutshaming you because I'm hungry. . ." you pause, wondering whether or not you should continue. desperate to tell her about your feelings, you could feel your heartbeat raising impossibly fast. "it's actually so stupid—the real reason I was mad at you."

natalie raised her eyebrows teasingly, placing her hands on her waist and smirking at you. "let me guess, the real reason is that you like me?" you stare at her stunned, "please, you don't think I know? I'm not Jackie," she laughs. you feel a blush coming across your cheeks.

sliding her thumb through your jean loops, nat pulled you closer to her, until your chest was pressed against hers. "how'd you find out?" you whisper, looking up at her in awe.

"because I may or may not feel the same about you," she mumbles, her lips inches from yours.

"what about travis?" you ask; nat shrugs in response, finally pressing her lips against yours. initially, you freeze, not kissing her back, until she gripped your waist firmly, holding you in place, encouraging you to kiss her back passionately.

wrapping your hands around her neck, natalie pulls away for a second, "I should probably tell my boyfriend," she whispers. you raise your eyebrows in shock.

"tell him what? that I'm your girlfriend now?" you teased, eliciting laughter from the blonde. she nodded, before placing her fingers under your chin and pulling you in for another kiss.

[yourfellowhuman07]

A Map of Etheria (and other details)

Hi everyone! If you've been following me for a while you would know I was working on a map of Etheria, but I never ended up finishing it.

Then, I noticed I was nearing 1,000 hits on my fic Alliance of the Heart, so I decided I would remake it and type up some things about each country.

Also, thank you to everyone who created the She-Ra Fan Wiki because it came in clutch for this map.

Anyway, here's my info dumping about my head cannons regarding the geographical features of each land.

Etheria

Etheria is a planet about the size of Venus located on the outskirts of the Eternian Solar System. Since it is so far away from the Ethernian sun, the planet is sustained by its moons and the magically created heat they give off.

Each moon gives off a certain temperature, so the different climates are based on what moons travel over the most.

Bright Moon

Bright Moon is the third largest kingdom in Etheria, but they are the richest. They are located in the middle of all the major countries, meaning they are a crossroad for trade among the kingdoms. They also possess the territories of Mystacor and the Whispering Woods.

The climate is temperate and is akin to a cool spring season. The country has mostly different types of forests and meadows with some rivers and lakes scattered around.

Salineas

Salineas is the second largest kingdom in the form of an archipelago. The northern part is cooler with more rocky beaches, and as you head south the area becomes progressively more tropical with sandy beaches. The country has some mountains in the valleys when you get inland, but the country is mostly flat.

The country is also located on a tectonic plate line, so whenever the weapon inside Etheria is fired, more islands are created.

The Kingdom of Snows

TKOS is the largest kingdom of Etheria and is almost completely covered in snow. Despite being the largest country, it has a population that is close to Scorponi. The people live mostly on the coast and in large cities.

Dryl

Dryl is a country that spans the largest mountain range on Etheria with a couple of clearings. Its population lives under the mountains in one of the Six "Systems" of Dryl, which are large, carved-out areas within and under the mountains, containing the homes and mines of Dryl. As of the beginning of the series, the Crypto Castle is the only structure on the surface.

The climate is relatively cool, with more snow as you travel further north. The area also has large patches of pine forests and other small shrubs and flowers.

Scorponi

Outside of the Fright Zone, which was the site of an ancient meteor crash, the kingdom of Scorponi is relatively dry. It's relatively flat with expansive planes, sparse forests, and a couple of canyons.

The Crimson Waste

The Crimson Waste is a desert area with large patches of cacti, rocky areas, and large canyons.

Plumeria

Plumaris is one of the small countries with the smallest population with most of the area consisting of agriculture, forests, and flower fields.

Another aspect is the territory they technically have a claim over is an area I created called The Out Fields, which is where the Watch Tower is located and where Hordak found Adora. It's a large, expansive area of tall grass.

The Unnamed Kingdom

The Unnamed Kingdom belongs to Spinnerella and Netossa, which used to be two before the girls got married. The kingdom has a climate similar to Dryl with its own Mountains and forests.

Sweet Bee and Peekablue's Islands

These are tropical islands out of the way of the other kingdoms, helping them stay out of the way of the war. They are considered humid by Etherian standards and are densely forested with many flowers and fruit trees.

The Star Sister's Island

This is a collection of islands similar to the Kingdom of Snows with a cold temperature and mountain terrain.

Beast Island

Beast Island is off the coast of Scorponi and used to be an information hub for the Eternians. As time went on, water damage corroded the tech, causing it to corrupt and branch out into the forest and create the virus affecting the island.

Conclusion

If anyone wants to use this map, please ask me (and maybe tag me because I want to see what you need it for). Also, you can adopt as many headcannons as you want, but I would like some sort of acknowledgment if you use my idea of the Outfields.

Also, if you made it this far, thank you for reading and your patience regarding me creating this.

[kiwi-but-the-bird-not-the-fruit]

Male! Clawdeen x gn! Reader

Prompt- Claws and the reader are having a movie night at his house

They/them pronouns

Fluff

Nickname for the reader-sugar

(F/c) means favorite color

_________________________________________

It was a beautiful night, and within a distance a house with two love birds where getting ready for their monstrous movie night

Those two where Claws and [Name] the two where getting ready with making popcorn, fruit smoothies, and filling a big bowl with m&m's for the two of them alone

Yes alone, this was surprising since this was at Claws's home, and usually there would be the pups, the older siblings, plus the parents.

Though somehow each of them had something to do so that left the couple all by themselves which was great since they had been planning to have a movie night filled with laughter and lots of food in their stomachs

The two did truly planed everything for this night, even matching pj's thanks to Claws being the tailor that he was, had made a set with purple and (f/c) and it had turned out supper shreek a bonus was they where made of silk so supper comfortable

"Hey Claws" called [name] from the other side of the kitchen as they pop the popcorn "yes sugar?" Claws looked back at them with a smile as he poured the smoothies into the cups "you agreed for romcoms right?" They asked "yes sugar, but which one are you putting on first I saw you brought multiple CD's to chose from"

He turned back to the cups and placed down the blender pourer back to its place giving [name] some time to figure out what they wanted to put on first since it wa true that brought a lot of CD movies,the majority being romcoms which they liked the most since they where harmless fun with a cute romance.

Getting the popcorn bags from the microwave [name] walked over granted juggling between the two hot bags "let me help you" Claws quickly grabbed the popcorn bags from put them on the counter and grabbed two more bowls, they would have shared but [Name] would have devoured the bag leaving the poor guy with just a smoothie aswell as possible a few candy bits, which speaking of would be supper good right about now to [Name]

They shook their head and helped Claws  getting a tray for their snacks, they held on the the handels as Claws placed the two's snacks on it, afterwards he gave them a kiss kn the lips making [Name] giggle at their boyfriend's cute antics then started their way to the living room Claws right behind them

Sitting on the big couch [Name] grabbed the CD book and started to look over the options, Claws got close and looked over their shoulder and seeking his arm around [Name] waist gently rubbing their side with his hand making them stop for a second but quickly continued looking over the CD's with a smile on their features, making him snicker as he straightened up next to them

"What about this one?" They held up one to Claws, he examined it and read the tittle "50 first frights, the one with Adam frightner" he looked at them with a smile "that is a good one, made you laugh so hard from that one scene" he nudged [Name]'s shoulder "HAhaha I know, I couldn't help it though! Claws puts his hand on [Name]'s face and leand in and kissed their cheek " I know sugar, now let me put this in the CD player and we'll cuddle" he got up and placed the CD in and sat back down

[Name] pulled the blanket on the two of them and got closer snuggling to him "thanks for organizing this for us" they turned to Claws and kissed him on the lips he hummed withing the kiss sending a low vibration between the two

"Alright let's watch the movie" [Name] ended the kiss making Claws huff but didn't protest instead started to eat his popcorn in unison of [name] eating the candy

Half way of the movie [Name] turned to Claws and decided to lay on top of him, he gladly let them and change is position being under them, he put his hands on their hips and squeeze them softly making [Name] melt into him, he kissed on top of their head "I love you sugar"

A sweet intimate moment between them too add into their couple memories, a bubble of comfort and love just for the two.

_________________________________________

(Hehe did you get the Adam Sandler reference and the movie reference it's one he's in, he's such a great actor btw the movie i used was 50 first dates)

Anyway hope you liked this one! look at me on a role with these oneshots so proud of me haha

Please comment or reblog to let me know you liked it have a wonderful day and stay hydrated

[justmeinadaze]

I Have Nothing (If I Don't Have You) Part 5 (Steddie X You)

A/N: I bare you a gift :)

Warning: Security Guards/ Soft Dom Steddie X Singer Sub (slightly bratty) Fem Reader, SMUT, spanking, slightly rough, pretty much just the norm :), FLUFF and ANGST! Reader is trying to do better with her vices but gets so overwhelmed she disappears abruptly and the boys need to find her, the three of them do go into details with their trauma especially the reader. My own personal trauma (like with most of my fics) leaked through a bit i.e. feeling like I'm not enough. I think that's about it.

Word count: 6862

“How are you feeling today, Y/N?”

“Annoyed.”

“Because…”

“Because I want a fucking drink. I should at least be able to have that! Do you know how hard it is for me to not have BOTH the things that made me feel better when I was fucking depressed.”

You had been on the tour now for two weeks and you were exhausted. You love singing for your fans, you really did, but after your breakup and cutting out your vices…you felt like you were drowning. Talking to Daniel helped a bit but he was getting to that part of therapy where you needed (his words, not yours) to talk about the personal things in your past that led you to drink and drugs. 

You just couldn’t get there. It was like you kept running into a wall, the wall that you built to protect yourself. Even when you tried to open your mouth to talk about your family or relationships, nothing came out. Your brain froze like mental stage fright and it just made you angry. 

“No, I understand, Y/N. Trust me. I’ve been where you are before. I know it’s hard.” You scoff at his response as you fold your arms across your chest. “What you don’t seem to realize is those things, drugs and alcohol… didn’t actually make you feel better. You need to find something that does and focus your energy there.”

***

“Y/N! Jesus Christ, stop! Everyone stop! What the fuck is going on!?”, Mark shouts at you as he comes out on to the stage.

“I’m fucking tired! Can we take a goddamn break?”

“Not until we get this right! Your show is in two days!”

“Get off my back, Mark! I’m doing my best!”

It took all of Eddie’s energy to not get up and defend you. To an outsider looking in, they would think you were being a brat but this asshole was pushing you and they both knew that. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do. They were your security and their job was to protect you. Mark wasn’t physically hurting you…all they could do was grit their teeth and watch as you slowly fell apart. 

“Fuck this! I’m taking a 10. If you have a problem with it, call Jack.” The boys quickly got up to follow you as you headed outside and sat on the emergency stairs just near the back door.  “Fuck off.”, you growled when you heard Steve sigh. 

“You’re right, you know. You need a break.”

Their eyes scanned you over as your leg jumped anxiously. “Y/N, everything is going to be ok.” Eddie was trying to comfort you and you understood that but it wasn’t enough. You were spiraling. “Sweetheart, look at me.” He commanded as he descended to his knees in front of you. “I promise you. You’re safe, okay?”

“Eddie…I’m so tired.”

“I know, baby.”, he whispers.

Steve comes to sit beside you, pulling you closer to his side as you fold into yourself and begin to cry. 

***

The following morning when you aren’t in bed, they assumed Mark pulled you away again without notifying them but as they hurry down to the auditorium, they notice the man pacing back and forth. 

“Where is she?!”, he shouts when he notices them.

“She’s not here?”, Steve asks and Eddie immediately turns way to check his phone for your tracker. 

“No! No, she’s not here! I’m fucking sick and tired of her diva attitude. Fuck her!”

“HEY! She’s the reason you have this job. Now show some fucking respect!” Steve shouts before turning to his friend. “Did you find her?”

“I think this might be broken, Harrington. It says she’s in the Atlantic.”

“Fuck me. She got on a plane. Come on.” The man tugs his arm as they run to the hotel room to hastily grab their things. As they pack, he dials your publicist’s phone number. “Sarah! Y/Ns on a plane right now. We think she’s headed to Europe. Do you know where she might go over there?”

“Fucking hell! I thought she was doing better.”

“She was…is…she’s burned out. She… she wasn’t ready for this tour.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. Jack and them are always pushing her. Um…she used to talk a lot about this hotel in France. Her and her family stayed over there once when she was little.”

“My family went on vacation there when I was a kid. It was the happiest I remember us ever being. I go there sometimes when I want to be left alone. I feel safe there.”

“I know where she’s going. Thanks Sarah. I’ll keep you posted.”

###########

“I swear, sir. There is no one by that name here.”, the concierge at the front desk sighs as Steve glances towards the metalhead again.

Eddie flashes him his phone. “It says she’s here. I’m surprised she hasn’t ditched it like she did in Vegas.”

The other man’s eyes widen as a sudden thought hits him. “That’s because she wants us to find her. Um, excuse me. Is there anyone by the name of Munson or Harrington listed?”

“Actually, yes. First name Munson, last name Harrington checked into her room yesterday evening. “

***

They quietly opened the door with the key front desk gave them as Steve scanned the room. Nothing seemed out of place except for the bottles of wine and vodka spaced out on the coffee table in the tiny hotel room. This wasn’t like the usual places you stayed in. 

It was much smaller with only one bedroom and living room that doubled as a kitchen. The back balcony doors were open wide and Eddie noticed a figure sitting on one of the chairs outside. They cautiously headed that way, finding you with your knees under your chin as you smoked a cigarette. Your eyes were bloodshot from tears and lack of sleep. Your hair that was usually styled in some way was haphazardly slung into a messy style bun as loose strands fell against your bare shoulders. 

It was relatively warm but there was a cool breeze that allowed you to be outside with your spaghetti strap shirt and pajama pants without feeling uncomfortable. 

You made no movement to acknowledge them as they placed themselves in front of you, leaning against the concrete wall of the patio. Eddie casually lit his own cigarette, offering Steve one who declined. 

“My parents were so excited…when we were able to afford a vacation out of the country.”, you stated in a gravelly, rough voice that tugged at their hearts as you continued to stare down at their feet. “My mom always wanted to go to Paris. ‘It’s the city of love!’.”, you smile as you mimic her enthusiasm. 

“My dad got us the tickets and I remember seeing the city as we flew over…I thought it was magic.”, you giggle but a tear fell down your cheek. “We went everywhere. I mean we literally saw every touristy thing you could think of. But…what I remember most is…that first night, we stayed in this hotel. My dad ordered us food and we all curled up in the bed to watch some black and white French romance film. A song started to play and I recognized it so I started to sing along but in English.”

“My father smiled and yanked my mother off the bed so they could dance as I sang. I knew then…that’s what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to sing and make people happy like that. I think that was the one and only time they approved of my wanted profession.” Your eyes shifted towards theirs as you tried to smile. “I’m sorry. I-I-I…”

Steve shook his head and bent down to take you into his arms which you eagerly accepted, wrapping your own around his neck and legs around his waist as he carried you back inside with Eddie close behind. He sat on the couch, petting your head as they allowed you to cry. 

The metalhead inspected the unopened bottles of liquor before quietly looking around the little hotel room for any more of your vices, signaling to Steve that he found nothing. After awhile the tears stopped but you didn’t want to let him go. He felt your fingers run through his hair behind his head absently as you nuzzled your nose into his neck. 

“It’s ok, baby girl. You’re safe. It’s alright.”, he cooed. “Do you think you can move to Eddie’s lap so I can make some phone calls. Let people know you’re safe.” Your head hung as you pulled back and climbed over to the other boy as you pouted. “Hey…you trust me, right?”

“They’re going to be so angry with me.”, you whispered in a small voice. 

Steve placed his fingers under your chin and lifted your eyes to face him. “Do you trust me?”

“With my life.”

They both smile at your answer as he rises from the sofa. Leaning your forehead into the nook of Eddie’s neck and shoulder, you gently run your palm along his chest. It wasn’t sexual and he understood that. Any other person may think you were trying to flirt or making a move but he knew. This was your way of grounding yourself; making sure they were still there in the moment with you. 

You had fallen into a little girl mind set but it wasn’t for pleasure. It was self-preservation. They knew how to identify which was which and were happy to take care of you in either instance. 

“Eddie?”

“Hm?”

“Are you mad at me?”

“No, sweetheart. I’m not mad at you. I’m worried about you; we both are.”

Your gaze shifts to Steve who was now pacing in the bedroom with the phone to his ear. 

“Yeah, we found her…No, Jack, she’s not alright. You guys are pushing her too hard. She’s exhausted… First off, don’t cuss at me. We just spent all night trying to get to her and I’m not in the mood. This wouldn’t have happened if you and Mark would listen to her. She’s a person, not a cash machine… Fine. Fire us, but we’re still not going to drag her back. Not until some changes are made and she takes a break.”

“I’m not going to let him fire you.”, you murmur. 

“Hey, don’t worry about that right now, okay? Is it alright if I ask you some questions?” You nod as he holds you tighter to his body. “Why did you place all these bottles on the table?”

“I…I wanted some. I really did but I couldn’t. I took them out t-t-to see them. I needed to see all of them.”

“Why, sweetheart?”

“Because…I used to drink all this…in one night. I-I-I thought maybe if I saw it front of me, it would help…stop me. Daniel said I should focus my energy on something else so…when I look at the bottles, I think of something else.”

“What do you think about?”

“You two.”

His soft brown eyes met yours and he knew instantly you were telling the truth. 

“Hello, front desk? Yes, for the Munson Harrington room, can you make sure no one disturbs us besides faculty. We don’t want any phone calls or unexpected visitors…Yes, sir. If anyone other than myself or my friend Mr. Munson asks don’t tell anyone we are here…thank you.”

“He’s assuming if he won’t tell them where you are then they will start hunting for us and since our names are on the room, they could ask which one. This way now if they do, the front desk won’t give them anything.”, Eddie explains. “Baby, I see the bottles but I have to ask, have you hidden any drugs for later or anything like that?”

“No, sir. I promise. Do…do you need to look at my eyes?”

The fact that you were being so open with him was slightly jarring but, again, he understood. They made you feel safe and you wanted to continue making them feel like they could trust you as much as you trusted them. 

“No, sweetheart. I trust you. Would it be alright with you if I got up to move these bottles so you don’t have to keep looking at them?” You nod but as he adjusts you so he can stand you continue to cling to his shirt. “Alright, hey, it’s ok. Follow me.” 

He takes your hand and pulls you towards the bedroom, playfully twirling you into Steve’s side who silently grins as he dips you before tugging you back up with one arm. Eddie fades away into the background as you hold the other boy to you. 

“Ok, I think that’s everyone and Sarah said she would release a statement for you regarding the shows this week. She said if you need more time just let her know.”

“I like Sarah.”

“Me to.”, Steve grins down at you sweetly. “Have you eaten anything today?”

When you shake your head, he nods before lifting you into his arms, carrying you to the kitchen, and setting you down on the countertop. 

“You know, I’m looking through this cabinet like I can read any of the French here.” 

His tone makes you giggle as you point to a piece of paper beside him. 

“That’s the menu for the hotel. They have some really delicious French toast.”

“Yeah? Let’s try it.”

After you three ate, everyone crashed. When you arrived at the hotel, you had been so anxious you couldn’t lie still long enough to get any kind of sleep. The guys had immediately hopped a plane when they had an idea of where you were and were so concerned about your wellbeing, they hadn’t slept either. 

When you finally woke up, you felt so much better and less heavy with your worries. It was dark outside but the lights illuminated the city as people walked around the Paris streets. Both men were still knocked out beside you so you snuck into the living area with an idea as you began situating the space.

##########

“Eddie. Steve.”, you whispered as you gently shook their arms.

“Huh? Wha? What’s wrong, honey?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to show you something. I also ordered some lunch/dinner for us since it is a little after nine.”

Your breathy chuckle and calmer tone cause them to open their eyes fully as they drink you. Physically you did look a lot better. You had changed into a new set of pajamas and your hair was now down around your shoulders. Your energy as a whole seemed much less erratic than when they had first walked in and that made them both extremely happy. 

They rolled out of bed, reaching for some sweats to be more comfortable before following you out of the room. Their mouths fell open at the sight in front of them as you opened your arms in a grand gesture. You had taken some of the couch cushions and pillows, creating a makeshift fort with extra sheets thrown over to finish the design. The little tv the hotel room came with was pushed in front of it with food and drinks on the nearby table. 

“Y/N, what--”

“I thought it might be fun. The guide on the tv says their also about to play a movie I really like.” You shift your weight from one foot to the other as you look towards the floor. “I wanted to do something for you…to say thank you for coming all this way. It’s not enough, I know, for all the trouble I caused but���it’s all I could think of in the moment…especially since this means a lot to me…like you two and what you just did for me.”

Steve’s hand reached out and brought your lips to his, letting you go so Eddie could do the same. 

“What’s the movie called?”

“Amélie. I love it. It’s about a woman who tries to help people find their happiness while also finding love.” You grin like giddy schoolgirl making them smile with you. 

You three devour the food concierge brought up as the movie played. They were completely entranced by it and occasionally mimicked the young actresses French as they tried remembering words for later. For a couple of hours, you forgot you were a famous singer and they were your security. You forgot that just a few hours ago you were falling apart and one bad decision away from opening the wine in the hotel. 

For a couple of hours, you were a tourist in a hotel room with two men you really cared about and seemed to genuinely care about you. 

“That was amazing. How have I never heard of this movie before?”

“Because you have never heard of most movies, Steven.”, Eddie laughs. His eyes shift over your frame essentially checking in and reading your body language. “May I ask you something, sweetheart? What was the song you sang when your parents danced?”

You softly smile as you get to your feet and run in the bedroom to get your phone. Ella Fitzgerald’s beautiful, soulful voice flows through your speakers as you place it on the couch and reach for Eddie’s hand. 

“Let's fall in love Why shouldn't we fall in love? Our hearts are made of it Let's take a chance Why be afraid of it?”

Placing your palms on his bare shoulders, you both danced to the music. 

“My mother loved music like this. She actually wasn’t a big fan of TV so anytime my father was out she would turn it off and play her records.”, you giggled. “God, and Ella always had the most gorgeous voice.”

“She really does. I feel like I should be wearing a shirt.” He smiles when you laugh harder, pulling him closer to you as you rest your chin near his head. 

“I remember once she played her album while she was cooking, waiting for my dad to come home while I sat on the counter and watched her move. She was swaying while she was singing and I thought she looked so beautiful… then she turned around with this big smile and said ‘Now see, that woman is a singer. You’ll never be as good as her I’m afraid, baby.’”

You heard Steve rise from the floor and you detached from Eddie to dance with him.

“Let's close our eyes And make our own paradise Little we know of it Still we can try to make a go of it.”

“It wasn’t just with music…that was just my biggest disappointment to them. When I was growing up, I was too fat or too thin, not dressed right, or I didn’t speak properly. They always acted like I embarrassed them. The first time I was arrested was actually when I was 16. I got caught at a party drinking with bunch of other kids. My dad hit me and said I was stupid. That I may as well become a whore because there was no way I was getting into college now. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I never wanted to go anyway.”, you chuckled but Steve just held you closer to his chest.

“We might have been meant for each other To be or not to be, let our hearts discover.” 

“I can’t do this. It’s too hard.”, you whisper as you push away from him and try to head for the bedroom. 

“Hey, hey, hey.” Eddie quickly grips your wrist. “Don’t run from it, Y/N. You’re doing really good. Just…let go.”

“Let me go, Ed.”

“Fuck them.” Your head turned to look at Steve. “Y/N, fuck them. If they can’t see how amazing and talented you are then fuck them.”

“You…you don’t understand.”

“Oh? Not being good enough for your parents. Your right I would have no idea what that’s like. My dad still calls me 24/7 commanding I come home to give up this ‘childish job’ and run is obnoxiously boring and bland as fuck company. When I was in high school, he always wanted me to be MVP and a straight A student but freshman year when I figured out that didn’t matter I just coasted by. Little did I know that would just make him worse. After I graduated, I said fuck them. I’ll do what makes me happy. My dad still thinks he can change my mind but…”, Steve shrugs. 

“I wasn’t good enough for my father either. So much so he left me with my uncle and ended up in jail. Supposedly, he complains about me in there. I’m a ‘pansy fucking pig’ now or some bullshit. I’ve explained a thousand times I’m not a cop but it doesn’t matter.”

“You still talk to him?”

“Sometimes…”, Eddie sighs. “Not as much as I used to.”

“Where’s your mom?”

The metalhead crosses his arms over his chest as he shifts his gaze to the floor. “She, uh, she died a long time ago.”

“What about you?”, you ask as you focus your line of questioning on Steve again. 

“My mom follows my dad around like a puppy. Honestly, I think she’s afraid of not having the money and lifestyle he provides her.”

You exhale heavily as you sit on the couch, fidgeting with your fingers. “The, um, the first time I drank excessively was after I was signed to my first label. I called my family and I told them thinking maybe this would prove to them I am good enough to make it. One of the many times I would think that while moving up in my career.” You roll your eyes before continuing. “My dad said ‘Wow. Amazing. Hey, did you hear that they renewed that show your mom and I like for a new season? Pretty cool.’”

Eddie and Steve came to sit on either side of you as they listened to you speak. When you froze, they tried to urge you to continue. 

“What about the drugs? When did that start?”

“Simon.”, you chuckle under your breath. “Three years ago…my mom and I got into a fight because I invited her to come visit me for the billionth time and they both came up with some excuse. I was drinking but it wasn’t enough so…” Your eyes met Steve’s before turning to find Eddie’s. “You both are actually the first people to walk into my life and not use me or be toxic.”

“Give us time. I’m sure we can be toxic if we tried.”

“Munson, oh my god. Shut up.” Steve reached over to playfully swat at his friend making you laugh. 

“Why aren’t you guys taken? Do you get into bad relationships to?”

“Yes and no. Stevie here has gotten the bulk of bad relationships.”

His eyes met yours as he softly smiled down at you, throwing his hands up in slight surprise when you crawl into his lap.

“I’m sorry, Steve.”

The man heavily sighs as his palm reaches up to pet your head. “It’s alright. I mean, it is what it is.”

“I haven’t…been with anyone…since what happened with Simon. I wouldn’t hurt you both like that. I…I really like you. I like the way…I feel with you.”

“And how is that?”, Eddie asked with a gentle tone.

“Safe. Protected. Cared for.”

“We do care about you. Very much.”, Steve cooed as he kissed your forehead. 

“Can you show me? Show me how much you care about me.”

“Are you sure you’re up for that? You’ve been through a lot these past few days.”

You nod vigorously as your lips land on his neck, tenderly kissing along the skin of his throat. 

“Hey, hey…” Lightly tugging on your hair, he pulls you back to look at him as his voice changes to a more authoritative one. “What’s the rule? When we ask you something…”

“I verbally answer. I’m sorry, Steve. Yes, yes, I’m up for anything as long as I’m with you two.”

He flashes you a comforting smile before shifting your body till your legs were straddling either side of his and your back was to his chest. 

“Good girl, baby. Lean back and get comfortable.”

You do as he suggests, placing a kiss on his cheek before resting your forehead against it. His palms roam you along your arms to your knees and back up between your thighs. 

“You’re so beautiful, honey. Isn’t she beautiful, Ed?”

“Gorgeous.” The hand closest to him reaches out to caress his face as he turns into your touch and kisses your hand. 

Steve’s fingers grip the bottom of your shirt as he lifts it over your head and tosses it aside. The feeling of him rubbing his strong, palms along your tummy and just under your breasts sets you ablaze. You could sit like this forever and be happy. Eddie scoots closer and you lightly moan when you feel his lips kiss your shoulder, down to your tits. 

Your legs start to close to relieve the pressure building in your core but they are both faster, each hand keeping you open as the metalhead wraps his mouth around your nipple. Throwing your head back, Steve’s lips meet your own as his tongue dances with yours. Feeling him shift slightly, you gasp out a groan when his hand massages your other breast, his fingers gliding over the erect bud as Eddie’s tongue plays with the one on his side. 

“Fuck…”

“Does that feel good?”

Your nose grazes his as you nod. “Yes. Fe-feels really good.”

“Is that why your grinding your hips?”, he chuckles.

“Can I take off my shorts, please?”

Eddie’s mouth released its grip on you with a satisfying pop as he trailed up your body to the side of your neck. 

“Oh, Steve. She said please. How can we say no when she’s being so polite?” Hooking his digits into the waistband of your pants and panties, you lift your hips, allowing him more mobility to pull them down your legs. 

His head tilted to look at you as he reached between your thighs to spread open your pussy lips.

“Jesus. Pretty girl is so wet already.”

As soon as the pads of his fingers graze your clit, you know you aren’t going to last long. 

“Please…”

“Please what, princess?”

“Touch me.”

“I am touching you.” Your eyebrows furrow in frustration at his answer and Eddie promptly grabs your cheeks, turning you to face him. “No attitude. No whining. If you can’t tell me…why don’t you show me what you want.”

As if to help you, Steve grabs your wrist and places your hand where his friend’s had just been. Sliding your fingers through your slick, you push two into your sex, leaning back again as you moan. It’s not enough, not even close. You need their long, thick fingers to reach the places you can’t. Your eyes meet the metalhead’s as you silently plead for him to get the message. 

“Need something?”

“You. I need your fingers inside of me. Please.”

Placing his lips gently on your own, he takes over what you are doing and effortlessly glides his digits into you. Eddie thrusts into you at a quick, brutal pace as your arm wraps around Steve’s neck to cling to his hair. 

“You have to be open with us, Y/N. Always. We can’t automatically know what you want.”

“I-I figured—fuck—I thought you would…know what I need. Wh-what’s best for me?”

Your surprised when you hear them both chuckle.

“That’s a whole different level of trust, sweetheart. I don’t know if we’re there yet.”

“I’m sorry.” His rhythm slowed then as he scanned you over. “That…that I haven’t given you enough of a reason to trust me yet. I’ll do better. I promise.”

“Baby…” Your heart broken little girl voice was tearing them apart. Steve kissed your temple as Eddie used his free hand to brush some of your hair back. “I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant. We do trust you. You’ve gotten so much better at proving that to us since we met you.”

“What he means is, he doesn’t think you’re ready to let go and trust us like that.”

“But—”

“Sweetheart, it’s not a bad thing or anything you should be ashamed of. We just…after everything you’ve been through with people commanding you around and hurting you…”

“I wouldn’t have asked you here, if I didn’t feel comfortable letting go and trusting you.”

“To be fair, you didn’t ask. You led and we followed.”

Gripping Eddie’s wrist, you moved his hand from between your legs and climbed onto his lap, cupping his cheeks forcefully in your hands. 

“Tonight, I’m letting go. I told you to show me how much you care about me. No reservations, no holding back.” When they glanced at each other, you roughly moved his face to focus back on you. “I said…show me.” His chocolate eyes glare into your confident ones before you’re abruptly lifted from behind and carried to the bedroom. 

You were so entranced by the other boy that you didn’t even notice Steve stand until he took hold of you. After throwing you on to the mattress, you watch as they quickly get undressed, and kick their clothes aside. Without saying a word, Steve dropped to his knees, grabbed your thighs, and yanked you to the end of the bed. 

Closing your eyes, a moan left your throat as he practically shoved his face into your cunt and his tongue began devouring you. You felt a dip beside you and turned to find Eddie holding his cock as he brought the end to your lips. 

“Open.”, he commanded. As soon as your mouth parted just enough, he pushed himself between them, lacing his fingers into your hair as he began to thrust his hips slowly. “That’s it, princess. Flat tongue, open throat. Fuck… we can do the rest.”

The metalhead grunted as you whimpered around him as his friend built you up. As your thighs tried to close, his firm hands pressed them flat as his mouth wrapped around your clit. Your eyes squeezed tighter together as you mewled and hollowed out your cheeks. Drool and spit were leaking from both corners of your mouth as both men held you still.

Eddie suddenly pulled back, leaning down till his forehead was against yours as his grip on your hair tightened. 

“Cum, baby. Cum all over Steve’s face. It’s ok if it’s messy. We like it that way.” Your hand clung to his wrist as you panted against his lips, moaning as the coil snapped, and your legs shook in the other man’s grasp. “Good girl, sweetheart. Good girl.”

Steve rose to his feet lifting you again, bringing you further up the mattress, and man handling you onto your stomach. Spreading your legs a bit wider and lifting your lower half, you groaned when you felt him spit directly into your pussy before guiding his cock into your entrance. Falling flat against you, he rolls his hips, allowing you to adjust to the feeling of him as your eyes roll.

“F-fuck yes. Yes, Steve. P-please.”, you beg as he tenderly traces kisses along your shoulder. 

“Why are you begging, honey? I thought—fuck—I thought you wanted us to take control? For us to show you we know what’s best for you?”

“I-I-I do. I just… you feel so good. Please.”

“Shhhh. Shhhh. It’s ok, pretty girl. I got you, baby.” His palm slides around to grasp your throat as he grounded his hips harder into you. Your eyes widen, jaw going slack as he grunts loudly behind you and thrusts into a bit faster. “You feel so fucking good, Y/N. Your little pussy takes me so well. I’m gonna take care of you, ok? You…you remember what to say if I’m hurting you?”

You could barely form a coherent thought let alone answer his question. Ringed fingers moved some of your hair out of your face as Eddie’s breath warmed your ear. 

“Come on, princess. You can do it. What do you say if you feel uncomfortable or if we’re hurting you?”

“P-P-Paris.”

“Good girl.” You felt like you wanted to cry with happiness when they both praised you.

Steve leaned back on his knees and lifted his leg, placing his foot near your side. One of his hands held the meat of your ass as the other grabbed the back of your neck, pressing you into the mattress. At this angle, when he slammed his hips into yours, you swore you felt him reach your inside your stomach. Eddie’s hand reached for yours and you held on to it tightly as Steve punched his cock into you. 

Releasing his hold on you, the man placed his hand beside your head allowing you to crane your neck so you could look at him. 

“So…deep, Steve. Fuck.”

“Does my dick feel good, baby?”

“Y-Yes, Steve.”

“Cum, Y/N. Cum hard on my cock.” Pumping into you faster, you screamed into the sheets as you felt your walls clench around him and your vision was blinded by white. “Goddamn it! Come here. Come here, pretty girl.”

Pulling out, he grabbed your arm as he fell back against the bed, fisting himself with your slick as he guided your lips to his tip. “Open up, honey.” Without hesitation, you took over, bobbing your head as fast and deep as you could. Whimpering, his fingers aggressively threaded through your hair to hold you still as he thrust his warm spend down your throat. “Fuck…go-good girl. Take it all and swallow.”

As you softly trailed kisses up stomach to his chest, Eddie laid himself beside you two, shoulder to shoulder with his friend. You glanced his way and he offered you big, sexy grin in return. 

“No rush, sweetheart. Take your time.”

When your eyes met Steve’s again his head tilted in amusement when he realized what headspace you were in and what you were looking for. Cupping your cheeks in his hands, he brings your lips gently to his own.

“You want to fuck Eddie, baby girl?” When you nod, his thumb caresses your bottom lip. “Ok. Why don’t you ask him if that’s ok.”

“Eddie…can I fuck you, please?”

Your needy, little voice had the metalhead licking his lips as he motioned for you with his fingers. “Yeah, beautiful. Come here.” Placing you on his lap, you straddle his waist as your hands reach out to hold his shoulders while he grips the base of his cock. Lifting your hips, you gradually descend on to him, both of you moaning at the feel of him stretching your walls. Your sweaty forehead falls against his as you begin to grind. 

“That’s it, sweetheart. God, you’re so gorgeous especially—mmm—especially riding my dick. Really ride it, babe. Take all of me.” His palms take hold of your sides as you lean back and do what he says. They both watch with glassy eyes as your tits bounce along with you. “Come on, Y/N. Harder!” You whimper with pleasure as he smacks your ass, trying to move as hard as you can. 

“E-Eddie. Please…help.”

“You need some help?” Taking your face in his hands, he brings you down to your chest is flush with his as presses your face into the pillow behind him. “Of course you do, little one. You know why? Only we know how to please you.”

His hips thrust up into yours hard and you immediately saw stars. Grunts and groans filled your ears as he set an aggressive pace. 

“Y-you’re doing so good, Y/N. Fuck…your cunt is so fucking tight. It’s too good. Let go again, sweetheart. Let me make you cum.”

Eddie released you and you sat back as your own palms leaned against his chest while his hands forced you down to meet each pump of his hips. Steve reached over you both and rapidly rubbed against your clit as you moaned loudly. 

They watch as you come undone, trembling as you pant and fall forward with your mouth just above his. The metalhead’s lips passionately dance with yours as he continues thrusting into you until you feel him release inside of you. 

Everything is silent except for both of you trying to catch your breath. Eddie’s hands glide up your back as he holds on to you, carefully turning you two on to your side and slowly pulling himself out of your now aching hole. 

His breathy chuckle fills the room as he pets your head that is still pressed into his chest. 

“You didn’t die on me, did you?”

Feeling movement behind you, you quickly turned to grab Steve’s arm. “No! Don’t go.”, you plead.

“Hey. You said you trust me right?” You nod. “Good. Plus, this hotel room isn’t like the fucking mansions you usually stay in so…” He continues talking to you in a light tone as he heads for the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. “…you can see me walk from each room without a telescope.”

You smile as he jumps back into bed, opens the cap, and hands it to you. After glugging back half of it, you hand him back the bottle who in turn hands it to his friend. 

“You always put him first.” Steve’s head shot up to look at you. “I’m not saying it like it’s a flaw. It’s just something I noticed. You make sure everyone else’s needs are met first.”

He gazes out the window for a moment before softly smiling in your direction and taking you in his arms to carry you into the bathroom. Placing you on the sink, he spoke as he started making a bath. 

“Probably because I know what it feels like not to be taken care of. That’s probably also why we’re so good at this job. Remember, I told you my dad had this idea of who he wanted me to be? Well, he never even stuck around to make sure it happened. I spent most of my childhood alone or with friends.”

“I’m sorry, Steve.” Eddie comes up to your side and lifts you again, placing you in the warm water before they both follow after. “I like that you’re both loyal to each other. It’s one of the first things I noticed. Honestly, except for Sarah, I think everyone else is looking out for themselves.”

“Maybe…when you go home…you should change that.”, the metalhead sighs as he cleans you. “It’s been really hard for us watching Mark talk down to you the way he has.”

“And Jack.”, Steve adds. “It sucks because we can’t protect you like that.”

“Like what?”

“Y/N, if you worked for us we would have fired all these people already. As soon as Mark raised his voice to demean you, we would have told him to fuck off. But we work for you. Technically, even he is above us.”

“I’m learning. It’s part of the reason I’ve been such a bitch. I panic when I feel out of control so I just ugh!”, you playfully growl to emphasis your point. 

“It’s called fight or flight, sweetheart.”, Eddie smirks. “You lean more towards the fight side like we do but sometimes…”

“What about you, Ed? Were you cared for as a kid?”

“By my mom, yeah. Then a few years later with my uncle after my dad went in.”

“May I ask what he did to get sent to jail?”

“No, you may not.” His tone was stern but not rough in any way. It was meant to be a warning. 

“Are you ready to get out, honey?”, Steve whispers. After you nod, he rises from the tub and helps you step onto the tile, wrapping you in a towel as he dries you off. 

“Have you two ever been out of the country?”

“My parents have so many times but not me.”

You glance at the metalhead who shakes his head as he shuffles the towel through his hair. The other boy leads you back into the bedroom and helps get you into some fresh pajamas. 

“Maybe, if we’re up for it, tomorrow I can show you guys around. Paris is a beautiful city.”

“That sounds like a good idea, baby. For right now though, are you hungry or anything?”

“No. Thank you for asking but I’m exhausted.”

Steve smiles as he watches you crawl under covers, letting you get comfortable before doing the same and pulling your back to his chest. Eddie lays in front of you and you pleasantly sigh as he touches your cheek. 

“I’m sorry for being short with you. I have some trouble talking about that period in my life.”

“I understand. Trust me. I get it better than anyone. Whenever you’re ready, sweetheart. I’ll be here.”

He chuckles as he watches your eyelids become heavier. “I don’t think you’ve called me anything like that before. Usually it’s just ‘Eddie’ or ‘Asshole’.”

You smirk as he leans down to kiss your forehead. 

“We’re here to, Y/N, and we aren’t going anywhere any time soon.” 

###############

@rckstrbee @melodymishahiddlestan @strangerfreak

@siriuslysmoking @micheledawn1975 @cositaslua

@munsonmoonshine86 @unfocused81 @paleidiot

@dad-steddie @aol19 @strngrlytn @mrsjellymunson

@needylilgal022

[kookygranger]

Let Touches Shake

Ghost!Steve Harrington x Witch!Reader

Series Masterlist

800 words

“They’re really good don’t you think?”

His voice is clearer than any above the cacophony of instruments coming from further in the venue. You look up from writing in your notebook, the bass guitar buzzing through the walls and against your spine, although that tingly feeling could be caused by the smile he’s giving you as he leans against the opposite wall in the narrow corridor.

People offer you a smile or short greeting as they pass on their way to the bathrooms, paying him no attention.

He's not used to it, not being seen. But it seems this friendly ghost was only visible to witches and gifted seers. And if he was being honest with himself, he’s too damn focused on the one before him to pay any mind to the way eyes look right through him.  

“You’re getting really good at this haunting thing. Couldn’t let me have the night off?” You mutter as he comes to stand next to you, grinning at the twitch of your mouth upon his appearance and the hair standing at attention on your arms as he brushes ever so slightly against you.

He can’t help himself, leaning into you and causing that zap that makes you flinch. You frown as you shift away from him. He still wasn’t able to touch you for more than a moment without his translucency returning but it hadn’t stopped him from trying. Secretly hoping that one day he’d be able to hold you.

“What if you need protecting?”

You huff, looking right at him as you converse in the currently empty hallway. “And how would you do that exactly?”

He shrugs, “I dunno. Go all spooky on their ass.”

You can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of your chest, shaking your head in a fluster as his face lights up. You finish jotting down your thoughts in your notebook before tucking it away into your bag.

“You wanna stay for the rest of the gig then?”

He nods, “Yeah. I like them.”

“Okay.” You push off from the wall, feeling that familiar tingle as he follows you, a space somehow always free for him next to your body even when people come up to greet you and talk about the music, inexplicably unbothered about slipping into the empty space beside you.

He sits next to you later in the night during your train journey home. Walking around your space as you type up some of your thoughts, talking to you as you brew some tea to bring with you to bed. When you say good night to him, he disappears from your sight but still lingers in a warm presence, on another plane of existence but never too far.

You know at some point the next morning he’ll pop up. Usually, at exactly the right time to startle you, which seems to be one of his favourite things to do.

You think it’s a sick pleasure he indulges in watching you get a fright, but for him it’s the way you fluster at his attention, the shyness that takes over you when you realise he’s come back again and again. The way you tuck your chin and avoid his stare that would make his breath stutter if he could breathe. Sometimes he swears that it does. You just have that effect on him. The more time he spends with you the more he feels alive again; the more he feels.

For weeks he seems content in keeping up with your routine. His presence now worryingly familiar to you as you go about your life with your new ghost friend.

One night, you’re not really feeling the music, about to turn to Steve and ask him if he wants to leave when you notice him staring across the crowded room. You catch his line of sight falling on a young girl around his age, her blonde hair cropped and wavy, freckles dotting her cheeks that lift in laughter. She’s deep in conversation with another girl who’s wrapped her arm around her back.

Steve has a sad smile on his face when you turn back to him.

“What’s wrong?”

He shakes his head, eyes still on the girl, “Just saw someone I know.” He tries to shrug it off but there’s an aura of deep pain radiating off him and he’s pliant when you suggest leaving.

He’s quiet on the journey home, and you sit there silently mourning the loss of his smile. You’ve always felt deeply, an empathic witch since birth. But Steve’s emotions seem to take extra energy away from you.

You can’t stand the silence anymore, reaching over to squeeze his arm in reassurance. You don’t flinch away from the zap this time and your hand settles softly on his bicep, never falling through him. Steve looks down, snapped back to attention as he feels warmth for the first time in what feels like an eternity.

He looks up at you, a tear escaping onto his cheek which you brush off with ease. Your breath hitches when a smile finally finds its way on his face.

You offer him one in return, nodding at his questioning look.

[nishayuro]

Saw that you were asking for Stanley x reader requests because I need to see more of him.

So you know how Xeno is Senku’s mentor? What if Stanley was our Mentor? He mentored us similar to Senku before the Stone Age and now we’re with the kingdom of science.

Dr.Stone Stanley Snyder as your Mentor

A/N: YESSSS MY LOVE STANLEYYY

Genre: Fluff / small Angst (its dr.stone new america city, its gonna have some angst lmao)

GN!Reader.

Also, This will be Platonic, let me know if you want a more romantic approach lmao

You’re originally from America and back in the old world, in your teenage years, you were a regular at a local shooting range near your school. You were very interested in the art of shooting a gun, so much so that you’re also a great FPS player. But you prefer the real deal. 

One time, a competition was being held at your local shooting range, so naturally you signed up. 

Your skills astounded everyone, even those who were older than you.

You naturally won the competition, and decided to stay back to get some more shots in. 

That's when a guy with blonde hair stood next to you and shot all the targets with a bullseye before you could even blink. 

You were shocked, and you looked up at the man

“Wha-” you stammered, impressed by this man’s marksmanship. You stared at him in awe, “I watched your game, you’re quite the natural” The man complimented, facing towards you. ‘Oh damn, he’s pretty’ you thought, “oh.. Uhm… Thanks, it's a hobby, I guess” you answered. 

“Is that so…” He trails off, “Were you the one who shot those bullseyes in a flash? How’d you do it?!” you asked excitedly, getting over your shyness. “I’m in the US Military.” He answered, shocking you. A military officer just complimented your skills? “Wait, really? That’s so cool! Thank you for serving our country!” You exclaimed. 

 “I’m Stanley by the way, Stanley Snyder” He introduced, “I’m Y/N L/N, nice to meet you!” you replied.  “I probably shouldn’t be doing this, but honestly, why not? Hey, want me to show you a few tips and tricks? You’ve got skills, it'd be a shame to not see them prosper.” He offered, making your eyes wide. You nod aggressively with a smile. 

Whenever he had free time, he’d meet you at the range. Sometimes, he’d take you hunting or to paintball to test your improvement. He’s taught you about different guns, about how to properly feel for where the bullet will go by knowing how the wind affects it and all that other stuff.  Since then, you’ve joined lots of tournaments and won. 

Unfortunately, your family had to move to Japan, and Stanley was being deployed on a mission, so your time together was up for the meantime, however, you made him promise to you that he’d keep in contact whenever he can, and he agreed. 

Fast forward to Japan where you met Senku, Taiju and Yuzuriha when you transferred to their school. Taiju recognized you as the famous junior marksman. You easily fit right into their small friend group. 

The day of the petrification, you were in the science lab along with Senku, just playing a shooting game on your phone after Taiju barged in and did the whole Yuzuriha confession spiel, and that's when you noticed the green light. 

You were revived by Tsukasa, after Minami said that your marksmanship can help with hunting, along with Ukyo’s. 

As confused as you were, Taiju and Yuzuriha filled you in on everything that’s been happening, and obviously you sided with the Kingdom of Science.

Since then, your new weapon of choice has been a bow and arrow since no other projectiles were present. You aided the Kingdom with hunting for food. As well as in battle during the treasure island arc.

After the treasure island arc, Senku made you your own gun. 

Background done, let’s move on to the New America City Arc. 

You and your friends were just minding your business when Tsukasa asked everyone to get into cover because a plane was shooting at your boat. 

Despite the initial fright, you grew excited, knowing that the big guns are back in the world, but grew scared again once you remembered that it's the enemy team that has them. 

When you saw the plane flying a bit lower, you grabbed your gun and took a shot towards its engine. Hitting it and making it crash in the forest. 

Now, this was your new friends’ first time seeing your gun skills since you’ve been using the bow and arrow. So they were shocked when you hit the mark. 

“Y/N-chan?!” Gen screamed in shock, Yo’s eyes were bulging out, and Ryusui was laughing out loud. “Well done, marksman. That ten billion percent took out their engine” Senku exclaimed with a smirk. 

After that whole incident, you, Kohaku, Chrome, and Gen were sent to pursue the plane’s pilot. However, Gen asked Kohaku and Chrome to stand back, and asked you to come with him but to leave your weapons. 

You eventually found the person, with Gen going into panic, but you just stared at the man in shock. 

“Stan…ley?!” You whispered, although apparently enough for him to hear and set his eyes on you, which widened at the sight of his old student. “Ah, I didn’t expect our next meeting to be like this.” He said, “you know each other?!” Gen exclaimed in surprise, “He’s my mentor.” You answered. 

“Well, I'll need you two to come with me. I got a whole heap of questions. Bet you’ve got some too. So, How about you come meet our leader?” Stanley said, walking towards their base. Gen looked at you, letting you know that this mission is a now or never deal. 

He brought you to their base, where you met Dr.Xeno, who you remembered from before when Stanley would tell you about his childhood best friend. After threatening Gen, he looked down at you. “And you?” he asked. “Y/N L/N, pleasure to finally meet you, Dr.Xeno.” You said in a calm voice to help with your situation once you realised that you were being read on a Polygraph test. 

“Oh? That name’s quite familiar.” Xeno ponders, looking towards Stanley. “My Mentee back in the old days” Stanley answered. “Ahh, is that so. Yes, I’ve heard quite a lot about you. In that case, this will make this whole thing easier.” Xeno said, a smirk on his face.

“You of all people should know how dangerous my dear Stan is, so it will be in your best interest to comply with us.” Xeno stated, his back towards us. “Yes, I understand. Although, I haven’t been with the group for long, so I don’t think I can give you much information” You answered calmly again, as if you were stating facts.

After the whole act Gen put on, with him revealing that Dr.Taiju was the lead scientist, you were let free to go for the time being while Xeno gets ready to talk to the Kingdom of Science. 

“Yow, Y/N. It’s been a while, how’re you fairing?” Stanley approached you while you were with Gen. “I’ve been better, seem’s you’ve been enjoying life here recently, yeah? I mean, I see you’ve even got machine guns.” You answered with a smile. Although he is your enemy right now, It’s still a great feeling to reunite with your childhood mentor. “Heh, I’m guessing you’re the one who shot down my plane with a single bullet to the engine?” He smirked, looking kinda proud. “So what if it was me? I learned from the best, didn’t I?” you smirked back. 

“A person who blindly trusts a person who double-crosses their own people needs an appointment with a head doctor. That said, Y/N, I don’t trust you one bit, we might’ve been Mentor-mentee in the old days, but until your little kiddy science team surrenders, you’re not off the hook.” He states, a serious look in his eyes.

“I knew that much, you’ve always been a cautious person. It’s fine, I’ll just prove myself to you perhaps.” You answered, you knew he wasn’t going to be buddy buddy with you just yet. But it’s worth a shot.

“Mhmm, you do that.” Stanley replies, walking away. As you look at his back profile, you’re reminded of the same person who you’ve bonded with since your childhood. A small smile appears on your lips.

You notice the man stop before the door, looking back at you, you see a small smile of his own, with a hint of pride in his eyes, are you imagining things? Maybe, but his next words shocked you.

“I might not trust you, but that doesn't mean I'm not glad to see you again.”

masterlist

navigation

[ficjoelispunk]

Ch 04 - ATTACK

You can find the continuation here

<< Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >>

Author's Note: Guys, I'm sorry for any grammatical errors, don't give up on me, translating is not easy, but I did my best. Correct me as much as you can. Thanks.

That was a mistake. That was a mistake. That was a mistake. That was a mistake.

Your head was looping. Maybe if you repeated it enough times, you would believe it.

But the truth is, you could never forget that kiss. Javier's lips in yours. The way he held you. The way he kissed you, as if you were something he needed. As if you were something he wanted.

Oh, God.

His smell on your clothes was something very dangerous for your brain. And you were completely wet. Your clit sore. You were tight around nothing. Needing it. In need of something. But you convinced yourself not to touch yourself, thinking of Javier Peña, with the excuse that this would not fortify your crazy feelings for him.

Bullshit.

How would you work the next morning, in the same environment as this man? You would burn.

Idiot.

That was the effect he had on women. And that was the effect you had avoided for years working in the department. How can you surrender to something so carnal?!

***

Luckily, the sector was full of work. The connections with complaints began to have pranks. What was terrible. But there were also reliable complaints. So the agents were busy in the tactical, on the streets. Checking the clues.

But your joy was fleeting.

"I need a favor" Peña was next to your table, serious and closed.

You jumped out of your chair in a fright. Closing your eyes.

Your stomach froze. Okay, a favor, which favor? Rub my needy body in yours as if I were desperate for sex?

But oddly enough, Javier was so inexpressive that you came to think that the episode in the archive room could have been a dream.

You blinked, thinking, it even seems that a kiss would make Javier Peña present some kind of feeling. It was surprising that he didn't play cash notes at you after the kiss.

Like, hey, don't worry, take your payment here.

You scratched your nose.

"Ok..." You smashed your eyes, wetting your lips, waiting for the continuation.

"We received a complaint about a possible location of La Quica, but I can't ask the Colonel to release us a team, to check a place just because they bought a toilet like the one Escobar used in La Catedral"

"A toilet?" You blinked at him.

"I need the request to reach Centra Spike for the plane to fly over the area to see if we can capture any listening, and confirm some location.”

"A listening, about a toilet?" You looked at him over his eyelashes.

He snorted, and looked away from you.

"Do you need an authorization for a listening on a toilet?" You couldn't help the smile on your face.

Javier looked at you with his eyes fixed, nervous. The way he's always been with you.

And here we go.

There was Agent Peña you knew. Insolent. That's what you wanted to think. But you could only see how nervous he was. And it was hard, because you felt comfortable dealing with the asshole, not with this man full of feelings.

"Sorry, I don't know if..."

"It's very important!" He leaned over your desk.

"Everything is very important"

"I don't have time for jokes"

"I'm not kidding, I'm working, who needs a listener to a toilet is you, not me"

"It’s. Important." He said slowly "you know what La Quica represents, don't be stupid"

You are shocked.

"Don't be stupid, taking your frustrations out on me"

"Sorry... I... really didn't want to..." he closed his eyes, after listening and scaling what he himself just said to you.

Honesty. Did Javier Peña have anything but horniness inside him? That was new.

"I imagine it is. I really imagine. But I can't release another request for you urgently, when you left here a few days ago, with a team and found a doll with the President's face."

He closed his eyes. And took a deep breath. Lowering his head. Disappointed with himself.

"Sorry" you said in a lower tone.

"I really need this requirement, shit" he hit lightly on your table, speaking more to himself, than to you. It was a thought out loud. Visibly exhausted, in this dog and cat hunt.

He walked away from your desk. Running your hands over your face.

You pulled the air through your mouth, to speak. But he hesitated. He roused his lips.

He looked at you, his eyes sad and tired. In the end he knew you were pondering correctly. Javier and Murphy were aware that the latest events were not favoring both of them.

"Go to Centra Spike, I'll send the application"

He paused processing, then grew at least 10 centimeters recovering his posture with his speech. And taking steps backwards while maintaining eye contact with you. He seemed a little discredited that you would help him.

Javier stopped halfway.

Then he returned to your desk in a hurry, leaned over to reach your gaze that was already on the typewriter filling out the form. You looked at him.

"Thank you," he murmured.

You nodded.

"Go" you murmured.

Sh it.

You would need to do a self-analysis. If what happened last night was affecting your judgment. This could interfere with an entire operation.

What were you talking about? It was just a kiss. For God's sake. Pull yourself together.

***

Well, with you receiving the Ambassador's demands, you could hear the listening. After all, you needed to register them to send them to Bogotá.

So basically listening to the toilet, led the agents to an address, which was possibly the place where Pablo Escobar was living with his family.

Nice toilet, isn't it?

You, Agent Murphy, Agent Peña and Messina, evaluated the satellite photo of the place where the wiretaps were captured.

"Which of the sites has access from the east and west?" Messina asked.

Murphy indicated in the image.

"It's big and luxurious, it has access on both sides, it could only be that, it's Escobar's style," Peña added.

"We can attack from both sides," Murphy suggested.

"What about Pinzón?" Peña asked if directing to you "we need vehicles and agents"

You nodded.

"Leave Pinzón with me."

Murphy and Peña looked at each other.

You half closed your eyes to them, angry at the doubt of your ability passing through their small brains.

Peña shrugged. And you left.

In cases like this, you could ignore some protocols, and go straight to the source. Instead of filling out application forms and waiting for them to be evaluated, you went directly to talk to Colonel Pinzón.

"I'm not going to release any men for you, your agents captured President George Bush the last time they left with my team"

"They were based on complaints, this time we have listening to Velasco's voice," you explained calmly.

"You think my men work for you, and your American agents, but the reality is that I say how we can work together, they are different things. I'm not going to release any operation. You need to pay attention to your forms"

You wanted to assault this little colonel of the fifth category. But you knew that the humiliation could be much greater, in other ways.

You already knew what to do.

Unfortunately, your way back to his table had to go through Agents Murphy and Peña.

"What did he say?" Peña asked, following your walk with your eyes, as soon as you pointed in the hallway.

"He said no," you replied without looking at him and kept walking.

Murphy and Peña looked at each other. And they snorted.

"I knew it" Murphy threw a briefcase on the table "With this pretty little face, and this sweet voice, she will never achieve anything with these colonels, the Ambassador is crazy leaving this keychain taking care of things around here, we are fucked."

Peña didn't say anything, and frowned at his partner. He knew that your quick mouth wasn't just to provoke him. You were competent enough. He needed to trust you.

"Give her a chance," Penha murmured to Murphy who rolled his eyes.

Everyone works for someone. That was your reasoning.

So you called your boss Crosby. And Crosby called President Gaviria. And in less than 15 minutes, Colonel Pinzón was kissing the canvas without you having to move a muscle against his ugly face.

Javier tried to contain his smile when you arrived with the news, but he was too proud of you to contain himself.

Murphy and he left for the preparations for the operation.

Before passing by you, he stopped.

"Good job." He murmured.

"I do my best." You murmured.

And they left.

You were confident. Waiting. Aflita. Writhing for not receiving any call from the radio informing. Were they in prison at that moment? Could it be that at that moment a war had started?

You walked from one side to the other. I couldn't sleep until they came back.

When they returned. From their face, you knew it hadn't been this time.

You sighed.

You saw Peña, Murphy and Messina disappointed from afar. You decided that it was not a good time for questions.

Peña's eyes found your from afar, you could know everything he would like to say just by looking.

It wasn't this time, and now it's going to be much worse.

That's what his eyes said. In all these years following this persecution against Pablo, you knew that every time they were close, and failed, the next chapter would be worse. You were still in the city of Escobar. That thought shuddered you. You swallowed it dry.

He looked away. And you nodded.

***

And there it was.

Your sixth sense has never failed. And Pablo Escobar was predictable.

A few days after the operation. A move outside the Academy made the whole department run out.

Cars with injured police officers wouldn't stop arriving. Cops shot. Others without an arm. No leg. Concrete dust ash.

We suffered an attack.

You were walking in the middle of at least 40 wounded. Your eyes are wide. Your body was shaking. Your stomach chewed you. You felt like throwing up. With the nervousness, anxiety and that whole scene before your eyes.

All this because you requested an operation in the dead of night for Pablo Escobar's house, which was failed, between Pablo's attempts at negotiations and the politicians.

You used to hear people screaming. Helicopters landing. Ambulance sirens. It seemed like you were going to faint as you circled around yourself looking at that whole war scene.

Javier held your arms, stopping you. You jumped in a fright.

"All right, it's me," he said looking into his eyes.

You blinked desperately, while your body trembled.

"C’mon, let's get you out of here," he ran his arm over your shoulder, and was guiding you in. "It's going to be okay," he murmured repeatedly in his ear.

Javier knew there was no place for you there. You would never be prepared for a field scene like this. His place was inside the office, solving bureaucracy and dealing with politicians.

You came in, and Javier took you to a quiet room, he closed the door behind you, and dragged a chair for you.

"It's my fault" you spoke with your eyes glazed in nothing, your hands restless, as you sat down.

"Stop this” he shook his head.

"All these men..." you swallowed it dry, "it's my fault"

"It's not your fault. Look at me" Javier crouched in front of him holding his face in his hands.

You didn't have the opportunity to talk so that he could tell you how the operation had been. They themselves reported together with Colonel Pinzón, to Crosby, and you also did not go after him after starting side conversations on the subject.

"Pinzón faltered, and acted like an amateur, he could arrive quietly, but he missed turning on the sirens so that everyone knew we were coming. Pablo saw it, and had time to run away. You did an excellent job. You got everything we needed," he added.

"And then everyone died" his voice failed.

Javier's eyes danced through his face.

How would Javier explain to you and your sweet heart that that was not great things and you were exaggerating without hurting your feelings and seeming that he had already seen and killed so many people that he could no longer sympathize?

"Look at me" he pulled his face at him.

You looked. And the comfort that his touch brought to you, made your eyes water.

Ok. Ok. Don't cry. Don't cry in front of the DEA agent who has no heart and will find you emotionally unstable.

"Escobar kills about 400 police officers a year, all fucking year, this is not your fault, it's Pinzón's attitude, are you listening to me?"

You nodded to him, your eyes wet.

"It's not your fault," he repeated.

You nodded again.

But what crossed your mind was that you would be fired by the end of the day at the latest. You breathed irregularly. Your body was out of control. You had spasms and chills.

"You're in shock. I'll get you some water" Peña got up, and left.

And you allowed yourself to cry. Alone, until he came back.

You silently thanked him for being there with you, and getting you out of the middle of all that. You couldn't stand that. It wasn't part of your job. Things were going in a way that you didn't have much control over.

But Javier Peña gave you some kind of security and comfort. It had been a few years since you worked together, and between slaps and now kisses, ok one kiss, you could say that he was the closest to a "colleague" you had within this sector in years.

You were surrendering to the enemy. But looking at it closely, he no longer looked like the enemy. Somehow, at some point when you don't know exactly which one, something has changed. You were having access to another Agent Peña, one you hadn't known. That it wasn't exactly like your co-workers' description, and that it didn't fit the hateful profile you had created of him.

Something was changing.

[accihoe]

Flight or Fight

Pairing: Duff McKagan x fem!reader

Summary: He has a panic attack mid flight and turns to a stranger for help.

Warnings: Panic attack

A/n: Like with my Steven fic, I don't know lots about GNR. I know the music, but I'm holding back from knowing them beyond that, so I'm very sorry if my work for them is inaccurate. I might be wrong but I've read a few places that he used to have panic attacks on planes, and just saw a really cute post about an old lady waking a passenger up to hold her hand because she was scared. I couldn't help but want to write an inspired fic. Without further adue:

Xxxx

Duff's seatbelt unclicked with a loud click, and he tossed the two ends away, chest beginning to heave. The loosening of his seatbelt did little to ease the worry within his chest. His thin arms trembled as they laid across the armrests. He pressed his back into the seat, trying anything to distract himself from the upcoming panic attack.

"Sir, could you please fasten your seatbelt? We are experiencing some turbulence."

The air hostess's voice made him jump, his already wild heart almost thumping through his ribcage. His fear spiked, worsening his situation.

"I-I-..."

His throat constricted, unable to get out any more words. He sighed shakily, trembling hands struggling to clip the metal pieces back into place.

"Thank you."

She continued walking down the aisle, checking for any more passengers to tell. It seemed the entire plane was clipped in and asleep, leaving him more alone. The darkness of the night did nothing to ease his worries. His head shot up, wanting to plead with the air hostess to help him, to give him air, reassure him, hell, even slap him. But she had already gone back.

Duff looked around, panic stricken face desperately searching for any help, anyone else awake. His head snapped to the beautiful woman beside him, the one he'd been too shy to greet when he boarded the flight. As his airways got more constricted and his eyes pricked with more tears he decided to try and ask her.

He raised a quivering hand to her, gripping her upper arm as he shook it gently, breath disappearing more by the second. She awoke with a jolt, looking around confused before her eyes landed on him in the darkness, and then moved to his hand around her arm. He dropped his quaking hand.

"Please help me."

He croaked out, throat straining as he held back tears.

"I-I think, I think I'm having a panic attack and I'm so sorry to be having it up h-here and waking you but please, please help me, I don't want to cause a scene,"

He pleaded softly. Y/N could hear the fright in his voice, and she was instantly wide awake. She pushed the arm rest up, moving to the middle seat so that she was sitting next to Duff, who was on the aisle seat. His reached out, eyes pleading with hers. She took his shaking hand, giving it a gentle squeeze to ground him.

"Here, hold this."

She took his other hand, heart shattering as she felt how badly it was trembling, and put it on the cold armrest between them. The only thing separating them.

"My name is Y/N. Can you repeat that for me?"

She asked gently.

"...Y...Y/N."

She nodded with a gentle smile.

"Follow my breathing, deep breaths. In through your nose, out through your mouth. There we go,"

His eyes darted across her face, hand gripping hers like a vice. It took several dreadful moments of her having to show him a task as simple as breathing, but he got there, and she praised him for it.

"Alright, you're doing so well. Now, tell me 5 things you can see."

"I-I uh, I can see you?"

She nodded encouragingly.

"I... the- the... I can't! I can't see- or breathe- I can't breathe please-"

She gave his hand another squeeze, a very gentle one.

"Tell me your name."

"Duff... my name's Duff. Michael Andrew McKagan."

"That's a beautiful name, Duff. And you said it beautifully. Well done, keep breathing for me, alright?"

Duff found himself feeling better, he'd achieved at something. Even something small and normal, it was an achievement. He nodded frantically, watching her chest as he tried his best to mimick the patterns.

"Duff, you're alright, you're safe, you're fine. We're in capable hands. We're all going to be fine, we'll have landed before you know it. Its just a brief bit of turbulence."

His other hand, still shaking, moved to up grasp at hers.

"But what if we don't!? I-I've.. I've got so many people to make amends to I can't die! I need- I need to say sorry!"

"And you will, I promise you will. But in the meantime, tell me 5 things that you eat."

"Um... Turkey- chili turkey. A-and sweet potato fries! Grilled chicken. S... salad?"

"Wonderful, sounds nice, doesn't it?"

He nodded, eyes still searching her face.

"Tell me one more. The fith one."

"... Banana bread..."

"That's one of my favourites. Wonderful, Duff. You're doing great. Are you feeling any better yet?"

He nodded, forcing a small smile.

"Tell me what you need."

"I want, I need to be able to move."

He rasped, still shuffling against the seatbelt.

"It's okay, unfasten it. I won't tell if you don't."

She smiled, one he couldn't help but return. He let go of her hands to unclip himself but took her hands as soon as he was free, exhaling in relief.

"Better?"

"Much."

Though the attack had calmed, she knew that so much as another sudden shifting of the plane could trigger it again.

"Would you like a hug, Duff? Only if you're up for it. If you want one, I'm right here."

"Y-yeah, yes I'd very much like that. Thank you."

He rushed out, letting go of her hands. Y/N pushed up the arm rest that was between them and opened her arms. He lunged forward, gripping onto her for dear life. Y/N draped her arms across his back, hugging him, stroking her hand up and down his back.

He was still trembling slightly, but a lot less than a few minutes ago. His grip around her tightened with each passing second, and she kept her arms clasped around him. Eventually, he pulled away.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

He whispered, smiling sheepishly. Y/N nodded with a warm smile, moving back to her seat. She picked up her blanket that had fallen to the floor, shaking it out.

"I... would... would you mind if I sat here instead?"

He pointed toward the middle seat. She shook her head with a smile, patting the seat as a friendly gesture. He shifted instantly. Y/N watched as Duff wrapped his arms around himself and looked around in thought. Worried he might pull himself into another state she called out to him gently.

"Duff, would you like to share my blanket?"

"I don't want to keep you from sleeping."

He smiled, though he wished with his whole heart he could snuggle up against her under the warm blanket.

"I'm awake, it really won't bug me."

His stomach panged with guilt. Y/N could see the suble jerk of his body.

"I-I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean..."

"Duff, hey, it's alright. It's really alright. I promise. I love talking to people. I love helping people. It's what I do. It's what I love. You really didn't bug me. I promise."

She gave him a warm smile, shifting so that her body was half facing him. His face flushed with relief, and a smile broke out across it.

"So tell me, Mr. McKagan. How come you're in economy on an international flight from San Fran to Sydney?"

He shrugged with a smile.

"Felt like a change of scenery. The jet gets boring."

She snorted, rolling her eyes.

"So, Y/N?"

He smiled, still slightly on edge.

"Mhm?"

"Why are you going to Sydney?"

"I'm moving there. For work."

"Woah, all the way from good old San Fran?"

"Yep. I'm excited. It comes with a nice raise. So maybe I'll be in first class next time."

"That's great."

His hand fidgeted with the seat.

"Duff?"

He hummed, looking at her.

"If... uh if you'd like... you can snuggle with me? I know it's super weird but I'm getting cold looking at your bare arms so-"

"I'd love to."

He grinned, moving closer. Y/N grinned back, lifting the blanket. He wormed underneath it, shuffling to lay, pressed against her chest with his head tucked into the crook of her neck. Y/N draped the blanket across his back, worming her arms under. Duff sighed, content, and draped his arms around her loosely.

"Should've had a paic attack ages ago."

Y/N huffed a breath at what he had to say, swatting where she could reach.

"Oh uh.. I said I was going to make amends so I-I uh... I guess I'll start with you... When I got onto the plane- and I saw this was my seat, you smiled at me. And I didn't smile back. I just sat down. I'm sorry. You're like really beautiful, and I was nervous. So I'm sorry about that, for not greeting you."

Y/N listened to him, grinning as he spoke. He leaned his chin against her chest, looking up at her.

"That's quite alright. I forgive you."

He grinned, moving so that his cheek was resting against her chest again.

"You're like one of the coolest people I've met, if not the coolest. I don't know any other lady that would do this for me. Let alone a stranger after I ignored her and then woke her up."

"Well, we're not strangers anymore, are we?"

"I suppose not."

And that's how he found himself falling asleep, something he didn't not at all even consider when boarding the flight. Y/N found herself hugging the man from the magazine she'd had a few fantasies about, the one who's music helped her through tough studying nights.

"You were there for me, I'll always be here for you."

She whispered to the sleeping figure of Duff McKagan in her arms, pressing a soft kiss to his hair. He seemed to further relax against her and she smiled, closing her own eyes.

Xxxx

Fin. Very rushed. Written during a thunderstorm the night before an audit at work. Promise my stuff will be better when I have time.

Lots of love, always xx

[leohtttbriar]

thou wast not born for death

Ezri is haunted by many ghosts and she needs to decide if she wants to banish them or keep them. Written for trektober 2024: Day 31 ghost hunter & ghost

A leaf fell from the tree and blew in a long and whirling diagonal to Ezri’s feet. The sun was out but it was doing little to warm the air. It burnished the treetops and the grass and the sound of distant chatter. The park was mostly clear as Ezri walked through it, kicking up leaves. The vessel on her shoulder buzzed with dead life.

The restless spirits she had captured sat heavy in her mind, though she supposed that was common for anyone who had hunted ghosts. No longer around to haunt the living, they still lingered, as all things did, in the vacant and unplaceable memories of those who encountered them. Torias was a particularly difficult catch—taking to the air until whatever was tying him to this plane tugged him back down. But Ezri had managed to capture him in the end. 

She wasn’t a born ghost hunter—or even properly trained. But when her grandmother had unexpectedly passed, her will had skipped over Ezri’s mother and brothers and handed her an old house in a distant city, far away from the family’s business, far away from the clenching love of her mother, far away from busted lines of affection that always seemed to grow more uneasy the more attention was paid to them. So Ezri had left for the countryside, to a beat up old dwelling, with glass windows that were melting towards the ground and a leaky roof and walls that housed the undead. 

At first, she was bewildered, having only read about the ghosts—gāsts as her grandmother had called them—the “breaths” of the dead Trill lingering still as if they held up somebody, whose flesh was undoubtedly buried at sea and gone. They were a radiation, a collection of information, that could not go missing right away, not for many long centuries—or even more. There were scholars and institutions dedicated to hunting these ghosts, collecting their histories, and then banishing them, for their life was over and could not be allowed to affect the lives that weren’t. Special ones were kept in the Commission secret archives; those that were un-special were simply dissolved. 

Ezri was unprepared to see and hear so many when she moved into her grandmother’s crumbling home. But there they were, unmistakably. Seven in total, she managed to count—most causing strange things to grow or rattling the wall chimes or commenting on Ezri’s “insufficiently nutritious” breakfast. (Audrid was the first she had captured.)

She nearly called the commission at the first sighting, but a spirit who liked making the fireplace glow with new colors, Lela, had whispered through the floating ash that perhaps Ezri should know what she was truly doing before dooming them all. Which was fair enough. 

So Ezri had researched how to build a spirit vessel herself—with the generous help of Tobin, whose interest in the engineering was enough to overcome his wariness at the idea of being captured by it. Then she had caught them all. And needed to figure out what to do with them. 

She could banish them. She had learned how. But the shop she had ventured to for the right crystal was unclear about the sensation of being banished and told her to contact the Commission. Evidently there wasn’t a lot of information about whether or not it was painful. 

She had left, disappointed and increasingly uneasy and sad.

On her way home, she stopped at the graveyard that her grandmother had kept and guarded nearly all her life. She sat on the cold stone bench in front of her grandmother’s tombstone and wondered if her grandmother had noticed the ghosts in her house or simply let them be. The ghosts didn’t speak of her to Ezri, so perhaps they never knew one another. But her grandmother was no fool—and Ezri wished she was there. 

“We’ll fade away eventually,” said a woman. 

Ezri jumped in her seat, hand going to her throat in fright. “Gah!” she said, smartly. 

It was another spirit—but she was more corporeal than most. She was dressed in a uniform of some sort and stood straight and tall in the glowing evening air. She was profoundly beautiful.

“Hello Ezri,” she said, with a small, crooked smile. 

“Hi,” said Ezri. Had she missed a ghost? Was she new?

“You’ll never become a professional hunter with observation skills like this,” said the woman. “I’ve been watching over your shoulder for weeks.”

“But”— 

Ezri stuttered on both her words and what to say. She was definitely blushing.

“I’m Jadzia,” said Jadzia, helpfully. “And you look like you could use someone to talk to?”

Ezri could not contradict this. So she just nodded. 

“Well,” Jadzia sat next to her on the bench, blocking neither cold wind or setting sun. She appeared almost made of light in the golden hour beams. “Lay it on me.”

Ezri frowned at her. Then frowned at the grass around her grandmother’s tombstone. Some yellow leaves scattered across it on the breeze. 

“What do you mean,” she heard herself asking. “That you’ll fade away?”

“Just that,” said Jadzia. “Eventually we’ll fade, all our information fully converted into a new form of mass or energy.”

“But I thought that’s why the Commission captures you?” said Ezri. “And banishes you. If you didn't fade--otherwise we’d be—overrun.”

“I don’t think they’ve ever claimed that explicitly, they’re too clever for it,” laughed Jadzia. “But whatever impression you’ve been given, it’s probably not complete.”

Ezri had suspected this, of course, even before Lela had warned her. 

“Oh,” she said. She started wringing her hands. “But then—what should I do?”

“Whatever you want.”

Ezri sent her a look. “That’s not helpful.”

“It’s your life, Ezri.”

“It’s yours too,” and Ezri didn’t know why she was feeling so desperate about this, but she was. “You’re still here, in a way.”

Jadzia smiled crookedly at her again, but there was a distinct edge of heartbreak at the corners of her eyes. 

“I am fading,” she said, softly. 

“We’re all fading,” said Ezri, clenching her hands on the fabric of her pants and looking down at her grandmother’s tombstone again. How beautifully carved it was—how horrific. 

Jadzia lay a hand on Ezri’s shoulder, a facsimile of a touch. It warmed Ezri in the cold evening. 

“What do you want, Ezri?” she asked. 

Ezri wrapped her arms around herself. 

“I don’t know,” she said. “I want my grandmother. I want to stop feeling so alone in all this. I want—I want to understand people better. I feel like I’ve never understood anyone. I feel like I understand everyone too much.”

The wind picked up. Jadzia dropped her ghostly arm around Ezri’s shoulders. 

“They eat them,” said Jadzia. “The ghost hunters—the ones who work for the Commission. They eat the spirits they catch.”

Ezri shivered. “What?” she gasped. 

“In order to keep their knowledge and memories. The select few get to eat them.”

“But, do they...” and Ezri felt silly saying this. “Do they ask?”

Jadzia laughed. It was sad. “No, they do not ask.”

Ezri furrowed her brow and chewed her lip and thought and thought. 

“What if I kept you in another way?” she asked. “What if you were able to be kept forever, passed down and down?”

Jadzia looked away from her and up to the sky. She said, stone-voiced, “I died very young.” She closed her eyes. A silvery wet line shown her cheek. "I miss the world."

“I could take you everywhere I go,” said Ezri, now starting to get excited, to feel something marvelous and bizarre in her blood. 

“Is that what you want, Ezri? Truly?” said Jadzia. “Tell me now.”

Ezri leapt to her feet and said, “I don’t know what I want—but I want so much. Don’t you see?”

Jadzia looked up at her, sweet and compassionate. “Yes, I do see.”

“I can help you,” said Ezri. “I want to help you. In fact, that’s what I want—I’ve decided. I want to help you all.”

Jadzia considered this, studying Ezri’s face. Then she said, “There’s a creature, in the undersea air caves—they live in shallow pools that interconnect over half the planet. They’ve hidden themselves from us for a very long time. But they hold information. They contain more biological mechanism for memory than any being in the known galaxy.”

Ezri’s heart started racing. The sun was going down. The vessel of spirts she had set down on the grass was buzzing with energy. 

“It’s a worm,” said Jadzia standing and stepping close to Ezri. “That we can merge with—that you can then merge with your own body.” 

She cupped Ezri’s face with her not-hands. 

“Your grandmother was working on it,” she said. “On how to keep us.”

Ezri’s eyes and throat stung with tears. She trembled. Jadzia, as she was—spirit, information, energy, memory—held her up by the chin. 

“What do you want, Ezri?” whispered Jadzia. 

“Haunt me,” breathed Ezri, leaning forward, and more forward, and into the person before her who she wanted to help. “Haunt me forever.”

Jadzia lay her mouth over hers and Ezri breathed in.

The sun dropped below the horizon. In the distance, lanterns were lit to remember the pathway home, even in the dark.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Opinion  Lifelong lessons in coping with fear and humiliation

Age and time usually offer us the gift of learning to take ourselves a lot less seriously.

By Anne Lamott

+

As a woman of faith and cranky optimism, I am usually afraid of only a dozen or so things at any given time, which is a major improvement since childhood. I was the single most scared child on Earth in the 1950s. For instance, I was habitually afraid of being murdered while I slept, so I’d practice looking dead. Then the murderer would peek in my room and think, Hmmm, no one to kill in here; the little girl is already dead.

I don’t do that anymore (very often).

Now I am mostly afraid of my son and grandchild dying before me, beside which all other fears pale. I do worry about falling and breaking my hip. Gravity is a killer. I am, as we speak, on a long airplane flight, hearing a loud mechanical rattle, such as what a wing might make as it works itself off toward freedom. Also, I fear inheriting my mother’s Alzheimer’s, my father’s brain cancer, snakes, the election and the guy behind me coughing.

Maybe worst of all, I have to get my driver’s license renewed fairly soon, which means I have to take the written test. I would rather go to my periodontist and let her do the deep gum planing that she seems to enjoy. Even five years ago when I last went to the DMV to renew my license, I was full of dithery fear, bumbling around like Mr. Magoo on crack cocaine looking for the right counter. To my astonishment, I passed the test.

But now, only five years later, I have to do it again. It’s so wrong.

I notice a difference now: Back then, fear felt like a swamp inside, with Burmese pythons swimming around, patiently, so I sloshed through the DMV. With age, it is more shadowy, a sneaky menace. Ahh — gotcha! — and I’ve learned to quiet it one fright at a time.

They say that babies are born cute so that their fathers won’t eat them, and I think a similar thing takes place when we age. As we look older and somewhat more frail, we have a last chance to coax forth compassion and kindness from the world. As we surrender to the reality that, as we age, most of the systems of body and mind start to go on the fritz, we invite humility into our lives. There is no greater strength.

I am definitely running out of time, and I have (mostly) made peace with that.

When I was a child, one of the most important events of the year was the county fair. My friends and I would go on all the carnival rides and eat all the carnival food. But around 10 p.m., someone would notice the time. We’d have only an hour until our parents arrived. Suddenly we had a new clarity of purpose. We stopped wanting to ride the Gravitron or eat more cotton candy. We wanted to get one more funnel cake and then head for the Ferris wheel. This is what aging feels like. You suddenly realize you’ve got one hour left at the fair, and you get serious about how you are going to live.

Twenty-five years ago, my then-9-year-old son inadvertently helped me see the way: I was racing to an appearance at a theater on the docks of San Francisco Bay, holding a purse, a coffee, a batch of papers and my latest book, and trying to get Sam to hurry up behind me. Suddenly, some pages blew away toward some bored cormorants on the pilings. Sam caught them and then glared at me. “Mom,” he said, “you’re carrying too much, and you’re going too fast.”

You get away with this manic, burdened way of living for the first two-thirds of life, but as you transition to the third third, you start to wonder whether this pattern argues a wasted life. You slow down. You start to actually be here for your life. What a concept.

After all the losses, disappointments and deaths that every older person has experienced, we usually discover how life miraculously goes on, reshapes itself toward homeostasis and more grace than we could have imagined. We learn to look beyond our dire imaginings and trust that this miracle might just happen again. I once heard someone say that hope is faith with a track record.

Take this morning. Something humiliating happened to me professionally. It was not ideal, as I was nearly 3,000 miles and many days away from home.

I felt a kind of cold, vibrating sheet metal fear. It was way too early to wake my husband and close friends back in California. What to do? How to get through the morning, let alone my godforsaken life?

I cried for a moment, then fluffed up the despair with some rage and plans for revenge, which is the Christian way. This steadied me.

Then I remembered something: Deep breath! Oh, right — breathe. Get outside and look up. I dressed and raced out.

The morning’s icy blue sky told me that even though it was very, very cold, the blue was burnished by the sun and was an invitation. More warmth and light was on the way. I usually love the mysticism of clouds more than what I sometimes call the sky’s tyrannical blue, but some days you just can’t beat the brightest blue.

George Saunders said that what he’s learning as he ages into retirement is that “kindness is the only non-delusional response to everything.” I stroked my shoulder like the best mom, who knew how to keep the little patient comfortable.

Next, an overly large, gloriously unhealthy breakfast. Sometimes you need to lift off and fly, but sometimes you need ballast.

Back inside, no longer gasping like a fish on the dock, I picked up the 200-pound phone and risked waking my husband. He was apoplectic on my behalf and then helped me with my plans for vengeance — snake attack, of course, and hemorrhoids. Next I called my Jesuit friend Tom Weston. He said I had to arrange for a burnt offering at my next destination, to appease the ancient Canaanite gods. (They love barbecue.) Also, that the god of his understanding is very willing to help Protestants, most of the time.

His love made me a bit teary, but I found myself laughing with him.

Age and time usually offer us the gift of learning to take ourselves a lot less seriously. We smile ruefully at ourselves more often. And laughter is the Dippity-Do of the spiritual life, jiggly at first and then holding us firmly. The wiggle and jiggle play with your toxic internal attempts to control life, loosening the membrane between you and the moment, you and the ocean, you and your armored intellectual head; you and me. The hold held me like a rock.

[laurikarauchscat]

Beware the fate of the Rat that lives on the street of the Sun...

This was written with pettiness. I had fun being petty. If that is not your vibe, you can give this a skip.

[Please don't judge me too harshly! I was bored, and on a bus, and I cannot help where my brain drew inspiration from 🙏]

Once upon a time

From the darkness and chaos of ages long past, emerged a town in which creativity, above all things, was revered. Houses were erected and dedicated to genres, legends, styles, and histories - each little house a lovingly crafted representation of its owner's tastes.

The citizens of this town were not especially kind, nor patient, nor steadfast. They were human - quite like you or me.

It was not a town governed by a particularly righteous or wise ruler (no, certainly not wise), but the rules of community were strictly enforced. Not by violence, mind you, they were enforced by tokens of admiration, friendship, and solidarity.

And the withholding thereof.

Now, in this little town, there was a quaint little street, inhabited by those who dedicated their creativity to the Sun. Some revered its body, for all its frightful glory. Some considered our beloved star lonely, and contrived to find it an equal to dote upon. Yet others dedicated their creations to those who had been scorched by its unforgiving rays.

Disparate though these various approaches were, it was a peaceful little street. Located in a district that contained within itself an enormous diversity of thought. Disagreement was tolerated. Disrespect was not…

In this little street there lived a lady. This lady dedicated her creations to imagining the future. After all, it was known that the great Sun could not burn forever. So what would take its place? What would inherit its reign?

This lady was not the only citizen on the street of the Sun to take up this pursuit, but she was particularly passionate in her approach. Though she may once have had an audience, her incessant screeching had driven all admirers away: “No! No! No! The rays of the Sun cannot shine silver! Only Gold!” She would scream.

“The future of the Sun is GOLD!”

People avoided her house. Their steps sped up when forced to cross her sidewalk, and they stuffed their fingers in their ears when she approached - for none in town had moved there to be so restricted by another. Despite their best efforts, however, the lady would not be so easily ignored. Soon vandalism became a common crime committed on the street of the Sun. Messages of support, sent with love in paper planes had always been encouraged - but now, bricks were tossed through windows carrying messages of vile hatred: “The rays of the Sun CANNOT be silver!” they would read - alongside wishes of death and misery.

All the neighbors knew who the vandal was. Everyone kept ignoring the angry lady, but you see, art of any form is created with love. The people of the town had not moved there to be so restricted by another, and for many it was galling that a place built for them to feel safe in their creations would be so blighted by arrogance. So some neighbors met bricks with bricks. Others would warn newcomers of potential discomfort.

Animosity grew, and the lady got nowhere in her quest for dominance. So she boiled in her own bitterness, and eventually it consumed her. Striped from her the joys of creation, and left only rage.

One night, all the neighbors were awoken to the sound of a roaring fire! They rushed to their porches and saw, at the end of the street, the vandals house was burning. On the grass, in front of the house, stood a lonely figure. Small, and defeated.

"Look at what you did," She wept bitterly, pointing at her neighbours "look at what you made me do! You would not listen to me. You would not do what I told you to. You stole from me my ideas, my precious creativity!

You made me burn down my own house!"

And then, she was gone.

___🕊🌤☀️___

The street was peaceful, following the lady's departure. Not perfect, mind you - some impressionable minds had watched the chaos unfold and sought to emulate her behaviour - but the neighbors moved on. They kept creating.

People soon came to realize, however, that while the lady might be homeless, she still lingered. The random acts of vandalism soon commenced once more.

"Did she turn into a ghost?" An ashen-silver haired girl asked her father.

"No darling. Ghosts are mysterious. And elegant." He bent down to her level, amber eyes gleaming with love for his only child, "This behaviour is more akin to that of a rat. We know it is there, but we cannot be sure where it lives. We merely hear its scratching every now and then."

"Ew, gross!" The little girl giggled, before becoming complative once more. "Pappa, why did she burn down her own house?"

"It was an act of cowardice, my dear. It is a lot easier to be mean and critical about the creations of others if your own are not subject to scrutiny. "

And so the warning was understood, in the little town, built by those who revered creativity - do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

[rocksandrobots]

PotP Ch 52 - Christmas With The Krampus: Part 1

Madame Canardist blew out the last of the candles and placed the antique decorations into a cardboard box. The silvery glint of the  ornament caught the eye of the chimpanzee next to her and he 'oohed' with interest.

"Here Vigor, be a dear and put this in the back with the others." She sweetly called out to her pet.

The monkey grabbed the box and dutifully waddled his way to the storage room in the back of the shop as Cardanist finished cleaning up from the celebrations of a long forgotten holiday. Even in their own world, the festival of stars was a dying tradition, as there was no longer a people to carry on the old ways.

Canardist still did. She still remembered all that her parents had taught her, the same as their parents had taught them. How knowledge of the heavens and the secrets in its patterns could protect the world, or, in her case, worlds.

She frowned as she picked up a tattered scroll. However, unlike stars, knowledge was not forever. It had to be preserved and passed down in order to continue.

Canardist never did find an apprentice to teach.  She had vaguely hoped one of the younglings of this universe would take interest... but no one took magic seriously here.

And then there was the matter of Vigor.... there would be no guardian to care for him once she was gone. She was the last who knew his secret.

Not for the first time she contemplated packing up and starting anew somewhere else... or even returning to their home plane... but there was still the prophecy to fulfill. Things had been set into motion and they needed to stay to play their part.

As she paused in her clean up to read the scroll again, Vigor was unsteadily climbing a footstool, box still in hand. He stood on tip toe on one foot as he precariously balanced himself in order to push the box on to an empty space on a higher shelf.

His other foot swayed with the exertion and accidentally tipped over what looked like a snow globe.

Canardist heard the glass shatter. She flung the scroll down and ran to the back, even as Vigor's terrified screams grew louder.

"Vigor!" She yelled, but her voice was drowned out by an unnatural wind that swirled through the air of her little store; knocking over antiques, books, and ingredients for spells.

Then the wind died as suddenly as it had started.

Canardist screamed as something monstrous, tall, and hairy, wrapped a clawed hand around Vigor.

Fright was replaced by anger.

"Let go of him you big galoot!" and hurled a book at the creature. Only to be pushed away by a muscular arm. The breath was knocked out of her as she went flying into the bookshelves behind her.

She heard Vigor howling with fright as lumbering footsteps shook the floor.

She looked up just in time to see the door of her shop being ripped off his hinges.

"Vigor!" she cried out again as her beloved pet was stolen away by the mysterious monster.

----------------

"Who wants peppermint hot chocolate?"

The various party goers swarmed around Aunt Cass as she handed out the festive refreshments.

She was just handing the last mugs to Carl and Globby when a knock came at the back door.

She excused herself and ran back to the kitchen as she overheard Noodle Burger Boy telling the rest of the kids about  their recent holiday vacation.

"Feliz navidad!" Cruz yelled as soon as she opened the door.

He was wearing a ridiculous sweater with a reindeer knitted on it and holding a piece of mistletoe over his head.

Poor Megan gave an embarrassed grin beside him. "Hi Miss Cass." She greeted before running past her and ducking into the dinning room with her gift.

Cassidy purposefully ignored the mistletoe and moved to grab the tupperware container under Cruz's arm instead.

"Oh you brought the popcorn to string! Thank you!"

Cruz couldn't help but look a little put out as she started to hurry from the kitchen.

"Ah-ahem." He coughed, and held the mistletoe up higher. "That's not all I brought."

Cass feigned ignorance. "Oh the decoration... yes.... ummm... just put it up anywhere."

Cruz sighed with frustration as she left, and then hung the mistletoe over the door mantle.

He'll have to try again later... when she was less busy.

----------------

*clink*, *clink,* *clink.*

Honey Lemon rapped the side of the coffee cup with a spoon to gain everyone's attention. She stood behind the cash counter as Baymax turned down the holiday music that had been playing. The various conversations stalled around the room as all turned to look at her.

"It's so great to see that everyone could make it tonight, and now that we're all here, it's time for the gift exchange! The rules are simple. We're going to pull names out of a hat. When your name is called you'll come up and pick out your present, and once you open it you gotta guess who gave it to you."

"If you guess right, you'll get a sticker. If you guess wrong, then the rest of the party gets to guess and have a chance to win the sticker themselves. The person with the most stickers at the end of the night gets a prize!"

"Do we get to guess ourselves?" Megan cheekily called out from the back.

"No, but you can try to fool the other people guessing." Honey Lemon answered, then she turned to a man dressed in a tux standing over in the corner. "Heathcliff, will you do the honors?"

"Yes, Miss Lemon." He gave a little nod of his head and pulled a slip of paper out of a top hat. "Mr. Wasabi"

Wasabi got up and Honey Lemon handed him a broad rectangular package with his name on the tag.

He carefully began to untape the snowman themed wrapping paper.

"Oh come on, just rip it off!" Juniper yelled at him.

"And tear the paper!?" He asked, aghast. "Please, we aren't animals here people."

And with that he finished pulling off the last bit of tape. He gasped in delight at what he found.

"OOOHHH! Personalized Labels!!!" He hugged the folder full of stickers to him. "With my name on them and everything.... Ooo, ooo, and look! They're even categorized by function! Storage, food, folder tabs!"

"So who do you think is your secret santa?" Tadashi asked.

"Hmmmm..... Honey Lemon? You're the sticker fanatic around here. Was it you?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, I got someone else."

"Sam!?... You know me better than anyone."

"Hey, you can't guess twice!" Karmi complained.

"Sorry again, Wasabi, but Karmi's right. Who else thinks they know who Wasabi's secret santa is!?"

Trina timidly raised her hand. "It was NB. That's the same wrapping paper Globby bought for our gifts."

"That's right!" Noodle Burger Boy shouted as he jumped from his chair. "I'm the bestest gift giver ever!"

He opened his mouth and more printed stickers streamed out like ticker tape. He then handed this to Wasabi.

"Merry Christmas Wasabi, and a Happy New Year!"

Wasabi took the hamburger themed stickers in surprise. "I never would have guessed.... but, come to think of it, the french fries shaped ones probably have tipped me off. Thank you NB."

As Wasabi took his seat again, Heathcliff called out the next name. "A Mr. Stu..."

----------------

Cruz saw this as his chance. As the kids played their game, he brushed down his sweater, made sure there were no crumbs on his mustache, and walked over to Cass who was watching the game with interest.

"Oh, how cute. Juniper and Stu got each other in the Secret Santa exchange." She said as he neared.  

Cruz turned to see the former criminal, face practically hidden in the giant scarf and hat he'd just received, get down on one knee to present his present to his sweetheart. Juniper screamed with delight when she saw the ring.

As everyone clapped to congratulate the happy couple Cruz couldn't help raising an eyebrow. "A little young aren't they?" 

"Oh, plenty of people get married in college." Cass dismissed. "You and Maria did." 

"Yeah and look how well that turned out." Cruz couldn't help but mutter. Cass put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but still gave him a long, suffering look. 

"Now that was long after college… besides you gotta let them figure it out. Live their own lives. And who knows, it might actually work out for them?" 

She shrugged and then grabbed a tub full of dirty cups. As she made her way back to the kitchen as the next name was called out. 

"Mr. Fred." 

Cruz didn't pay any attention as the Fredericksons' boy walked up to get his present. He was too busy following Cass.

"So what about you?" He asked as he entered the back room. 

"What about me?" She asked, confused. 

"When are you going to settle down?" 

Cass could barely contain her laughter. "Me, marry?" She shook her head in answer. 

"What's so inconceivable about that?" Cruz chuckled. 

"For starters, I'm not interested in marrying anyone, and secondly, who needs it? Oh, no offense to anyone who would want to… It's just… You don't have to go through all the trouble just to be with someone." 

Cruz nodded his head in consideration. "I can see where you're coming from… but you've nothing against dating, then." 

She shrugged again as she finished placing the last coffee cup in the dishwasher. "Dating's fine." 

"Would you wanna go on a date with me?" 

Aunt Cass froze in mid-action as she rubbed her hands with a dish towel.  

The still running faucet was the only sound in the kitchen as the awkward silence filled the room.

Chief Cruz gave an awkward cough to gently nudge the conversation along.

"Ummm..." She finally hummed.

"'Ummm' isn't really in answer." Cruz nervously laughed.

"Weeeellll..." Cass squeaked instead, and Cruz frowned. That was an even less encouraging response.

"It's just..." She stumbled a third time. "I... I'm kind of seeing someone else right now."

"Oh." Cruz deflated, but quickly recovered. "Well serves me right for waiting too long. Who's the lucky guy?" 

He could see Cass squirm even more as she thought of an answer. 

"Well, umm, you two do know each other… and he's in his 40s… he's tall a-and he umm… oh.." 

"Just spit it out Cassidy." 

"It's Alister." She quickly mumbled and ran from the kitchen.

Cruz stood stunned for a moment as he tried to figure out who 'Alister' was… then it donned on him. 

"Keri!?"  

He stormed after Aunt Cass as she tried to distract by handing out more appetizers. 

"Anyone for some pigs in a blanket?" 

"Cass…" 

"Thumbprint cookies?" 

No one took up her offer, as everyone paused in their game. 

"Cassidy."

"I'll go make some more coco then." 

She dodged her best friend and ran back to the kitchen with the food. Cruz followed. 

"You're dating Keri!?' 

"Well, he's really been putting in an effort lately and…"

"And we've talked about this Cass. He's not any good for you." 

"Oh and who are you to tell me who's right for me or not!?" Anger replacing her guilt. 

"You dumped him for a reason, remember?" 

"Yes, I do remember, and so does he, and he's been putting in the effort to change." 

Cruz rolled his eyes. "Guys like that don't change Cass. You know that." 

"Why do you always expect the worst of people?" She sighed. 

"Because I don't want my best friend to be taken advantage of!" 

Aunt Cass could only laugh at that. 

"Diego, we're not in high school any more. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." 

"I know you can, but I don't trust him." 

"Then why not be an actual friend and trust me ." 

Cruz frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? Of course I trust you." 

Cass only folded her arms and gave him a purposeful look. 

"Okay… so I'm a little protective sometimes, b-but that's only because I care-" 

The expression didn't change on her face. 

Cruz sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll respect your decision to date Keri." 

"Thank you." 

"And when it all falls apart again, you still got me as a shoulder to cry on and for a good 'I told you so'." 

Cass rolled her eyes at the joke, but could dismiss the smile off her face. 

"I wouldn't expect anything less." She chuckled as she gave him a hug.

----------------

The Gift Exchange had ended and the party guests were now milling around, eating the rest of the food, and conversing. A few were dancing in the corner as Minimax played DJ, blaring out those catchy Christmas tunes that Varian had heard on a loop for a month now wherever he went.

Christmastide was indeed an important festival season in Corona as well, but Americans really upped the ante when it came to the holiday. Instead of just being twelve days of feasting, the US started celebrations an entire month before the first actual holy day came to pass. 

It was exciting and exhausting all at once. So many new traditions, so many lights, so many new foods to try, and not a single boring church service in sight! But after you heard "Jingle Bells" for the thousandth time, well, the 'Christmas Spirit' started to lose its appeal somewhat. 

"So when's your flight?" He overheard Hiro ask Wasabi. 

"Five in the morning," Wasabi groaned. 

 "We should be at Mom's in time for Christmas Dinner." Sam added. 

"You know I could always just open a portal to Hawaii for you." Varian offered, adding himself to the conversation. 

Wasabi turned the offer down. "No thanks. I would prefer not to give my future in-laws a heart attack upon first meeting them." 

Tadashi raised an eyebrow, "In-laws?" 

Wasabi froze. 

"In-laws?" Sam echoed, a teasing smile on his lips. 

"Ummm… I just… I just meant… hypothetically… you know… in case… this works out… long term, I mean…. Hey, weren't we going to decorate the tree?" 

Wasabi ducked out the group and ran over to the other side of the room where Karmi, Fred, and Baymax were already hanging homemade paper decorations onto a plastic tree. 

Sam and Tadashi shared a laugh and went over to join them. 

Varian was about to follow when he heard some call his name. 

"Hey V, can ya help me with this?" 

It was Carol. She was covered in stickers and juggling several gift baskets that she had won in the games. 

Hiro beat him to it. 

"I got it." He took one of the baskets. "Boy you racked up?" 

"I know, right!? This is going to feed me all through the next week… I just need to make sure none of the other girls find my stash. Now where were those leftovers?" 

"You're not going home for the holiday?" Varian asked as he handed her the goody bag that Aunt Cass had made earlier. 

Carol shook her head. "No, it's too far and tickets are too expensive… and I also don't want you giving Grandma a heart attack with those mad scientist portals if yours." 

Varian rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone think people will get heart attacks from my portals?" 

"Well, we do need to work out the kinks some." Hiro admitted. "You want some help carrying all this out? 

"Oh would you? That's awfully sweet. Fred is giving me a lift back home, and I think Heathcliff parked the car on the corner." 

"No problem…." He said as he readjusted the baskets and followed her out the door. 

"So umm… What exactly did Karmi say to you when you helped her pick out my gift?" Varian overheard his brother whisper as he and Carol left. 

Carol had apparently helped a lot of people pick out their gifts for the Secret Santa. That was how she won the guessing game portion of the gift exchange. 

Karmi had gotten Hiro, and Varian could tell that his little brother was desperate to know if the handmade keychain from his crush meant anything deeper.

That reminded Varian… he hadn't seen his own crush in awhile… 

He walked over to where everyone was dancing. Stu and Juniper were lost in each other's eyes, Heathcliff was, surprisingly, twirling Barb around, Gogo had graciously agreed to a dance with Mole… provided that he stuck to the six foot rule, and Carl and Globby were slow-waltzing in the corner… Minimax wasn't even playing a slow song at the moment. 

Varian scanned the small scene before him but he didn't see the pretty redhead. In fact he didn't see her anywhere. 

That's when he spotted Megan and Trina off to the side. They were giggling over something. 

"Hey… have you seen Honey Lemon?" 

Both girls stalled, and Varian got the distinct feeling that he had just interrupted something. 

"Umm… I think she went into the kitchen?" Megan guessed. 

"She said something about how her brother was going to be here soon." Trina added. "I think she went out to wait for him."

"Thanks… oh and thanks for the gift by the way." 

"I'm glad you like it." Trina replied. "You are the hardest person to shop for, you know." 

"Well you did an excellent job. Who else would think of a recipe journal?" 

Megan disagreed. "I think Minimax has the hardest pick… what on earth do you get for Mole? He already has everything?" 

Trina shrugged. "A signed autograph from Boss Awesome apparently." 

"What was it that you got again?" Varian asked. 

Trina's face lit up and she excitedly showed him the guitar pick on a string around her neck. "It's a limited edition Mind Smith Turbo collector item!" She turned towards Megan. "I don't know how you ever found this."

"Ah, it was easy. I just had to go scrounging around AuctionBay. What I can't believe is that Carol found my gift at a thrift store for only five bucks. It's a genuine Noir jacket. Those are like five hundred dollars off the rack! We have got to go bargain hunting as a band more often." 

Varian backed away slowly. "Yeeeeaaaah when I hear the words, "bargain hunting", I know it's time for me to dip out." 

"Just because you don't have any taste!" Megan joked. 

"Let us save you from your poor sense of fashion!" Trina called after him. 

"I'm good!" He yelled over his shoulder as he ran away.

----------------

Varian found Honey Lemon in the kitchen leaning against the door frame. She was looking at the bracelet he had given to her, examining its details while a smile played on her lips.

"Do you like it?" He asked.

She looked up in surprise, having not noticed his presence before, but quickly recovered.

"Oh I adore it. Where did you get it?"

"I made it." He beamed.

"Really!? It's beautiful...and I love that it's rose gold! Oh and all the little flowers! You know, you have a real talent... this is art."  

"Ahh, I don't about that." Varian sheepishly shrugged off the complement, but then more seriously, he said. "But when I got your name for the gift exchange, I knew I had to give you something special."

 He reached out and grabbed her hand. Honey Lemon blushed, but didn't pull away. She did however try to change the subject.

"What does the inscription say?" She asked, pointing to the engraving written in the band of gold.

"Alles Liebe."

"Alles Liebe." She echoed, not quite getting the pronunciation as well as he did. "Is that German or Russian?"

"German. It's a common saying in Corona, something you might write on a gift tag or at the end of a letter... it's short for 'to you, with lots of love' or 'with all my love'.  

Honey Lemon felt herself blushing even more. As was pointed out, it wasn't uncommon to put well wishes on a present, but something about the way Varian said it, the way it was so delicately and thoughtfully etched into the glinting metal, and the fact that it was told in a language that no one else they knew spoke, made it seem more romantic... like a secret that was only shared between them.  

Varian took her other hand in his, and her pulse quickened. She racked her brain looking for another excuse to change the conversation, but found none. 

Why did she want to anyways? Not when he was staring at her intently with those piercing blue eyes of his, or when he was leaning closer to... to what exactly?

Honey Lemon never got her answer, for no sooner did she close her eyes and tilted her head towards him, lips parted, heart pounding her ears as she desperately hoped he understood the clear hint she was giving him, then did Karmi hurried into the room.

"I'll get it! it's near th-... oh!"

Both teens immediately jumped away from each other upon the intrusion.

Karmi seemed embarrassed, as Honey Lemon plastered on a fake smile and Varian avoided eye contact.

"Sorry... I just came in here to get the popcorn." She awkwardly said as she picked up a tupperware container on the counter. "Didn't mean to interrupt. Just go back to doing what you were doing, and I'm going to get out here."

"Oh we weren't up to anything... I'm just waiting for my brother to pick me up."

Karmi clearly didn't believe Honey Lemon's protest, as she gave them both a skeptic look. Then in reply, all she did was point upwards.

Honey Lemon and Varian looked up in response and saw the small bouquet of bright green leaves.

"Oh..." was all Honey Lemon said, and Karmi gave them both a smirk as she left the room.

Honey Lemon and Varian both made a point not to look at each other even after the other girl had gone.

"S-Sooo... you have mistletoe here too, huh?" Varian finally asked, trying to brush aside the awkwardness.

"Hmm, hmm." Honey Lemon hummed in response, still choosing to play with the tip of her hair then to look at him.

"Does it work the same way in Fansokyo as it does in Corona?"

"I... I think so... Do you... do you ... you know..."

"Kiss?  ... Yeah."

"Then yeah... it- it's the same here." She placed her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on her heels, still trying to find some other place to look, any place other than his hypnotizing eyes.

He also looked around desperately trying to find anything else to talk about... seconds slipped past and he began to tap his foot impatiently.

They were doing it again... avoiding their feelings…

Screw it... Just ask her!

He shut his eyes tight. "Do... do you wan---"

*HONK*

A loud car horn interrupted him.

Both teens poked their head out of the door and saw an old, beat up pick-up truck parked in the street out front.

A young man, close to their own age, was sitting in the driver seat. He honked the horn again upon seeing them.

"Oh it's Carlos!" Honey Lemon explained, as she ran back inside to grab her purse. "Mama's expecting us for Mass tonight, so we need to get on the road."

Varian however could only look on helplessly as he saw his chance slipping away from him yet again.

"Oh... well.. I hope you have a  nice time then... Drive safe," was all he could muster.

Suddenly, Honey Lemon was by his side, a tender hand on his arm.

"I really do love my gift."

"I'm glad. Merry Christmas." He smiled back, and then, to his surprise, she kissed him! Right on the cheek!

It was just a quick peck. Nothing you could call romantic, but it left him in awe nonetheless, as he dumbly watched her run over to the parked car.

"Bye. Merry Christmas!" She yelled back. She turned to see him standing in the doorway with a stunned smile on his lips.

Her heart pounded in her ears even louder. She couldn't believe what she had just done.

It was the mistletoe. She told herself. It's tradition. It didn't mean anything.

She hopped into the seat on the passenger side and her brother gave her the most infuriatingly smug look. 

"¿Ese es el chico que te gustaba?" He asked.

"Cállate" was all she said to him, then she poked her head out the window again as her brother cranked the car, laughing to himself while doing so. She ignored him.

"I'll see you next week!" She waved at Varian as the truck pulled away.

Varian's dumbstruck smile only grew wider as he waved after the receding vehicle. Soon that smile turned into a giggle, which turned into a laugh, which finally ended in a whopping holler of exuberant elation as he punched the air and spun around yelling "yes" frantically in the empty alley.

----------------

Hiro stretched and yawned as he turned down the sheets on his bed.

"So what time are you waking us up tomorrow?" he heard his brother say. He looked over to find Tadashi already snuggling under the covers of his own bed.

"Six, four… two in the morning? Just remember you gotta give Santa time to actually deliver the presents first." he chuckled at his own joke.

Hrio rolled his eyes. "I'm not eight. I'll probably sleep in tomorrow. So don't you wake me up early for Krei's burnt waffles... or whatever he's making in the morning."

"Knowing him, he'll probably bring over a whole catering service rather than cook."

"On Christmas?"

Tadashi shrugged. "Not everyone closes on Christmas. Maybe we'll have Indian curry for breakfast, who knows?"

Hiro shook his head. "I can't believe Aunt Cass invited him to celebrate with us."

Tadashi yawned. "Face it Hiro... the heart wants what the heart wants."

"Yeah, and they also say that the heart is stupid and love is blind."  But he never got a reply back as Tadashi was already asleep.

He shook his head and went over to Baymax's battery case to see if it was hooked into the computer properly. The faithful robot was already powered down and his memory banks for the week were steadily up loading to the storage base. 

That was when Hiro heard the low growl behind him.

He froze and out of the corner of his eye he saw something dark and menacing looming in the window.

Were those red eyes he saw?

He quickly spun around to catch whatever it was that was trying to climb into his room, only to see a flurry of claws and a swishing tail hauling it itself up to the roof.

He ran to the window sill, hopped up on his bed, and pushed the window open.

Cold air hit him in the face but he ignored it as he leaned out as far as he dared in order to look up at where the creature had gone. All he saw however was the clear sky and the bright full moon.

He looked back to his brother but Tadashi was already soundly snoring. He clearly hadn't heard anything.

He heard another clatter, this time coming from below. He peered down into the alley, but it was only Mochi rummaging in the trash.

He saw a light stream out into the dark as someone opened the back kitchen door and he heard his aunt call the cat back inside.  

Hiro shook his head for being so silly and closed the window.

Of course there wasn't any monstrous beast lurking in alleyways. All his time superheroing had made him jumpy.

Then again....

Hiro spared one glance back at the window.

Still nothing.

Shoving the gnawing pit in his stomach down, Hiro finally crawled into bed.

He was asleep in minutes and therefore he never noticed the glowing red eyes that continued to watch him through the window.