#and then i’d smooch her cheek very loudly before pulling away

[chai-berries]

sometimes i think about cupping abby’s face in my hands and giving her the lightest of kisses all over her cheek, my lips barely leaving her skin. she’s sitting on a stool or something and i stand between her legs as i dote her in kisses. her hands tighten their hold on my hips. the apple of her cheek rises up to meet my lips more than once, a laugh in her voice as she asks me what i’m doing. “i’m just showing my baby some love, okay?”

[12tardis]

Drunken Smiles (Newt Scamander x Reader)

Warnings: alcohol mentions, obnoxious Theseus AGAIN Requested: Yes! Anon requested drunk Newt! Cute silent moments where he gets distracted and drinks someone elses drink. I hope you like it anon! I’m sorry if this isn’t exactly what you meant. Pairing: Newt Scamander x Reader Summary: Your boyfriend Newt hasn’t gotten drunk in front of you for years after he embarrassed himself back during your Hogwarts days. He seems to have a strange habit involving you when he drinks a little too much. Features obnoxious older brother Theseus and even some teasing Leta. Also features the bully from ‘Love Language’.

A/N: Inspired by my favourite manager who kept referring to his girlfriend as his wife for years whenever he was drunk. They’re married now <3 I hope you like. Please send me more requests!

Words: 3,270 Taglist:  @moonkissk7​ @just-an-outstanding-auror​

The music in the small jazz lounge was thrumming in your ears as you smiled back at your boyfriend adoringly, sipping on your drink as the two of you drifted closer together in the small booth. You had just finished up at one of his book signings and had knocked back a few drinks each as you waited for Theseus and Leta to join you shortly.

 “Oh hello,” you giggled when he scooted into the booth right next to you, wrapping his arm around your waist and pressing an affectionate smooch to your cheek, taking your hand in his free one and then pressing a series of kisses to your knuckles. You were pleasantly buzzed from the mulled mead you’d had so far but Newt was clearly a little more on the tipsy side as he was suddenly lavishing you with unabashed affection that was usually reserved for the privacy of your own home.

 “Hello, darling girl. My muse, my...my angel in disguise. Wait no not disguise because you’re clearly otherworldly”, he paused his rambling to hum to himself in thought and you giggled again, feeling your cheeks warm as you looked back at him.

 “Newton, what?” You chuckled, reaching up to card your fingers through his unruly locks, watching him frown as he tried to find the words he was trying to say. He pouted to himself when he came up short and you pressed a kiss to his cheek with a fond smile “it’s okay, I don’t expect you to be a romantic poet when you’re drunk too.”

 “I’m not drunk!” Newt huffed, looking back you in offence and huffing again to himself “I was just trying to tell my girlfriend how important she is to me”, he sighed, slumping back against the booth and you smiled softly at him, leaning in to brush your lips against his slowly and that’s how you knew he was a lot more tipsy than he let on. Because usually in public, Newt only returned short and sweet kisses but this time he slipped his arms around you and kissed you back slowly with a soft but happy sigh.

 And in your slightly buzzed state you too allowed yourself to lean more into the kiss, sitting back quickly when some other patrons accidentally brushed against you as they made their way through the rapidly filling club.

 You glanced down at Newt’s watch, straightening your dress out “they’ll be here soon. Let’s go get us some more drinks before the bar gets swamped?”, you tugged Newt to his feet, smiling as his arm wrapped around your waist again as he lead you towards the bar.

 Newt had refused to drink around you other than a few casual drinks after your first and last time getting drunk together had resulted in him embarrassing himself. And as he pulled you closer into his side when another gentleman smiled a little too warmly at you, you couldn’t help but remember that time in your seventh year.

                                              -     -     -     -     -     -

You and Newt had practically sprinted to The Three Broomsticks once you’d both finished your N.E.W.Ts exams, knocking back all the strongest drinks they had on offer in celebration. You were sitting, pressed up together in the corner of the pub laughing as you reminisced over some of your memories together when Newt suddenly wrapped his arm around your waist.

Physical affection was no stranger to your friendship. In fact, usually not a single conversation or interaction went by without you touching one another in some way but Newt usually only ever slung his arm around your waist when you were cold or in need of comfort, or in those instances when you would perch yourself in his lap and he did so to steady you.

 What you hadn’t realised was that Zachary Lindensbaum had stepped into the pub flanked by his buddies, prompting such a response from Newt. He was the very same douchebag that had asked you out on a date the previous year only to humiliate you in front of half the school when he loudly announced it was all a prank and Newt felt a surge of protectiveness when he spotted him arrive, remembering how upset you had been that time.

 Protectiveness as well as an undeniable flare of jealousy at the memories that cropped up of Zachary spending those few days wooing you with his smarmy pickup lines, half wilted roses and messy love letters- if you could even call them that.

 Newt had been so certain he had experienced his first real heart-break when he saw you smile shyly back at the Gryffindor beater the year before. But then only a week later he was the one to find you crying, beside yourself with humiliation and he felt utter disdain and contempt for the first time in his life.

 So when he saw that Zachary had spotted you and the way his eyes lit up as he made a bee line towards your table, Newt curled his arm even tighter around you. You stopped mid-way through your story when you felt Newt pulling you into him and you looked over at him, following his line of sight and swallowing thickly when you saw Zachary.

 You hadn’t spoken to the other male since that day and you had really hoped to keep it that way but now you straightened up in your seat, bracing yourself for whatever Zachary had to say this time. Your jaw dropped however when Newt held a hand up towards the other male “Nope. Absolutely not.”

 Zachary had already slipped onto the bench across from you when Newt spoke and he just stared back at him dumbly for a moment “I’m sorry what?” he frowned, his eyes flicking between you two but you were just as gobsmacked too.

 Newt simply shook his head, making a shooing motion at Zachary “Nope”, he repeated, popping the ‘p’ while his other hand began to soothe up and down along your side in an attempt to calm you.

 “Nope what, Scamander? I just sat down”, Zachary scoffed back at him, his temper rapidly rising causing you to press into Newt anxiously.

 “And you’re leaving now. You’re not sitting here, you’re not welcome. We don’t want to hear what you have to say. Off you go,” Newt countered firmly, fixing the male with a cold stare.

 Newt spoke so matter of factly that you couldn’t believe your ears and neither could Zachary apparently because he just gaped at Newt for another minute before he got up from his seat wordlessly and left.

 You watched until Zachary and his friends were long out of sight before you looked up at Newt, your head spinning from a mixture of alcohol and the sheer shock of Newt so confidently sending your harasser away like a complete badass.

 Newt smiled back down at you, promptly slipping back into his usual sweet demeanour as he tucked a stray piece of your hair behind your ear “I think we need more drinks don’t you?” he hummed, his confidence leaving you breathless.

 The night wore on and you were both soon completely sloshed, leaning on each other and the table for support as you both slurred through your words. You got up from the table clumsily, giggling at Newt’s equally as clumsy attempt to steady you as he looked up at you like a kicked puppy “Y/N where going?” he drawled, clutching your hand.

 “Bathroom. Be right back.”, you hiccupped and your words were considerably clearer than his but it took you much longer to form your sentences. You made your way to the bathroom, emerging a while later and freezing in your tracks, sobering up immediately when you saw Newt standing cornered by Zachary and two of his burly friends.

 “SHE IS SO FAR OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE IT’S A JOKE!” Newt shouted, moving right into Zachary’s personal space as other patrons began to crowd around, wanting to catch a peek at the drama unfolding.

 You stood frozen by the bathroom door, staring at Newt in shock and rising fear when you saw Zachary’s fists clenched in response, but your alcohol addled state wasn’t allowing your feet to cooperate with your brain. In your mind you were already at Newt’s side, pulling him back from impending harm but in reality you were standing there dumbfounded.

 “What and you think a freak like you is more her league?!”, Zachary shouted back and Newt didn’t even flinch as he shook his head.

 “No. No one is this god forsaken school is good enough for her! You’re a total idiot for throwing away your shot like you did! And a- a complete Neanderthal for hurting her like that!”

 Zachary didn’t even have a chance to form a retort because Newt was continuing to rant on about all the reasons why he had messed up.

 “You could have been with the most loyal, kind hearted, passionate, breathtaking woman to exist! The most incredible, adorable, and strong woman but instead you decided to be a cruel and blithering idiot!”

 You stared at Newt with your mouth agape, feeling your heart race and not just from the alcohol as you took in his words. Some of your peers were staring back at you too because they knew he was talking about you even though he hadn’t used your name. It was only ever you.

 “I wish I’d had half a mind to make your hair permanently purple!”, Newt shouted, and all the other students went silent in shock as Zachary grit his teeth. Zachary’s purple hair had been the talk of the school for several weeks, leaving the other boy humiliated everywhere he went.

 “I KNEW it was you that swapped out my shampoo!” Zachary shouted back at him, his fist colliding with Newt’s face not a second later in a sickening crunch. And your brain finally snapped into gear as you ran to Newt, shoving past Zachary and his friends to grasp his shoulders “Newt!”

 Newt gripped his face in pain as he stumbled back, growing enraged again when he heard one of Zachary’s friends sneer “all over some Hufflepuff bitch,” which drew a few disgusted gasps from the surrounding crowd.

 “YOU TAKE THAT BACK!”, Newt shouted, going to shove the guy that had insulted you but you grabbed two jugs of iced water from the bar and threw them over the group of boys before any more punches could be thrown.

 They all gasped collectively at the shock from the ice water drenching them and some of the bartenders took the chance to grab Zachary’s sidekicks, throwing them out of the pub while the maître d’, Dottie, threw a mop and bucket and some towels at Newt and Zachary angrily.

 “Clean up your mess and piss off! And you lot, stop gawking like twits! Nothin’ to see here!” Dottie scowled, making sure the crowd dispersed before she turned to you, taking the empty jugs from your hands.

You immediately began to stutter, apologising profusely for the mess you’d caused but Dottie simply waved her hand at you dismissively. She was an plump, older woman who could be truly intimidating when she needed to be.

 “No harm done, blossom. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you two helping me clean up the last time things got rowdy.” she smiled warmly, pushing you to sit down before she handed you a glass of water, seeing how tipsy and sleepy you were.

 You shot Zachary a cold glare when he shoved past Newt after cleaning up the area and once he was gone you began fussing over Newt and his split lip.

 You were so far gone you didn’t trust your ability to perform a healing charm on him so you let out a breath of relief when Dottie appeared with an ice pack that you gratefully took from her.

 “Oh Newt, you shouldn’t have done that,” you sighed, holding the ice pack up to his lip and gently brushing his hair back from his eyes, sighing when he looked back at you with wide doe eyes “he was being an ass!”

 You sighed again as you shook your head at him, feeling incredibly guilty for not stepping in sooner “I know but you went and got yourself hurt, Newt.”

 Newt looked back at you with a dazed and dreamy smile, taking your hand “anything for my wife,” he murmured and you looked up at Dottie when the woman cackled in response, clapping Newt in the shoulder.

 “Deary me, son. I think ya gettin’ ahead of yourself. There’s a couple steps in between ya know, girlfriend, fiancé?”, she chuckled again when Newt shook his head, pointing a finger in your direction. “Nope. That’s my wife,” he said matter-of-factly, smiling back at you with pride.

 You were openly gawking at Newt now, your cheeks warm and your stomach flipping but you didn’t allow yourself to believe the adoring expression he wore. Instead you looked up at Dottie in alarm.

 “Oh my stars he’s concussed! I’ve gotta take him to the med bay!” you panicked, quickly stumbling to your feet while Newt continued to spout nonsense at you.

 But Dottie was quick to placate you, having one of her co-workers who was also a nurse come and check Newt over.

 Within half an hour the two of you were headed back to the castle hand in hand and Newt was mortified and made you promise that you would never discuss the events of the night again.

                                          -     -     -     -     -     -

 You couldn’t help but laugh as you reminisced on Newt’s drunk shenanigans, leaning into his side while he ordered a round of drinks for the pair of you and Theseus and Leta. He looked down at you, raising an eyebrow “are you laughing at me again?” He asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes at you.

 You shook your head, leaning up on your toes to press a kiss to his cheek and before you could respond, Newt had knocked back the drink in front of him in one gulp.

In his tipsy state he had thought the drink was his own, completely failing to notice it was a different colour and served in a different glass to what he’d been drinking already.

 “Merlin that is NOT mulled mead!”, he gasped with wide eyes, his throat burning while the bartender stared back at him.

 “Hey! That’s my drink!”, a gentleman beside Newt complained just as the bartender shook his head in annoyance. You quickly intervened, paying for the drinks and a replacement for the disgruntled stranger beside you.

 Theseus and Leta appeared then, helping you to carry the drinks. “Newt, did I just see you shot a hogs tea?” Theseus asked incredulously, gripping his brother by the shoulder and you snapped your head up to look at Newt with wide eyes “Hogs tea!? He was already tipsy before!”

 Newt nodded, sitting down clumsily in the booth beside you while you hugged the couple in greeting.

The second you had pulled away from Leta, Newt wasted no time in tugging you into the booth beside him, wrapping his arms around your waist and hooking his chin over your shoulder.

 “Yes, definitely hogs tea”, Newt murmured, already beginning to slur his words. Leta and Theseus sat down across from you both, surprised to see Newt being so cuddly towards you. His affections for you had never been a secret but to see him so unreserved as he pressed a kiss to your shoulder and nuzzled at your neck was startling to the pair.

 “Newt, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drunk,” Leta said as Theseus nodded quickly in agreement.

 “Even I’ve only seen it a handful of times. What about you Y/N?”, he asked curiously, trying not to laugh at how flustered you were getting as Newt just smiled down at you with a love struck smile.

 “Only once before. After our N.E.W.Ts”, you murmured looking back at your boyfriend while Leta snorted at the memory. She’d heard about the drama the following day.

 “ ‘Mnot drunk thank you very much”, Newt protested with an irritated scowl, holding a finger up to Theseus challengingly and you giggled as you took his hand in your own, effectively drawing his attention back to you. You watched him as his features smoothed out again and he was gazing back at you in awe once again.

 “My beautiful wife,” he murmured, raising your hand to his lips and your mouth dropped in response as you felt your cheeks flush warm.

 Theseus slapped his hand on the table excitedly, practically bouncing with joy because he knew Newt had been planning to propose for a few months now. “What did you finally-OW” , he frowned when Leta stomped on his foot under the table.

 She too was excited at the prospect but she was much quicker to notice the surprise on your face and the obvious lack of a ring on your hand. There was no way she was about to let her boyfriend spoil her best friends eventual proposal.

 Thankfully you were completely oblivious as usual, shaking your head at Theseus “no he’s just drunk. He did this exact same thing last time- except I thought he was concussed then,” you breathed out, looking back at your boyfriend in wonder.

 You stayed at the club for another hour or so, glad to catch up with Theseus and Leta even though you were very distracted by how handsy and cuddly Newt was being. Theseus of course found the whole situation to be hilarious and decided to start correcting his brother, grinning at how increasingly frustrated Newt was growing.

“Water for my wife!” Newt announced proudly, setting a glass in front of you and only spilling a bit of it as he returned to his spot beside you, slinging his arm around your waist.

 “Your girlfriend you mean,” Theseus corrected with a slight smirk when Leta shot him an exasperated look.

 “No. Wife.”

 “Girlfriend.”

 “Wife.”

 And even Leta was starting to smile now watching the brothers bicker while you just watched on with a bewildered smile.

 “Oh you mean, MY wife?”, Theseus questioned, mocking confusion as he reached for your hand, gesturing to himself.

 “No!”, Newt huffed, slapping Theseus’ hand away and curling his arm around you tighter and this time Leta grinned as she decided to tease her friend too, taking your hand in her own.

 “My wife?”, she smirked, pressing a loud smooch to the back of your hand making you giggle.

 “NO!” Newt gasped with wide eyes, looking so miserable that you quickly took pity on him, slipping your hand out of Leta’s and cupping his face in your hands.

 “Okay okay! Honey I think it’s time we got you home”, you smiled sweetly at him before you brushed your lips against his and Newt promptly relaxed again.

 You said your goodbyes to Theseus and Leta before you made your way back to your flat with Newt. You didn’t correct him once, allowing yourself to enjoy the illusion of being Mrs. Scamander like you so wished to be.

 And when Newt woke the following morning with a pounding headache you were beside him waiting with a light breakfast and a cup of tea ready for him.

 “Merlin, did I do anything embarrassing last night?” Newt groaned, setting his hand on your knee as he sat up gingerly.

 “Not at all my, love,” you smiled, passing him his tea and leaning in to press a kiss to his head “nothing at all.”

  Please send me requests!

-MASTERLIST HERE-

[ladykissingfish]

Under The Mistletoe with the Akatsuki // Part Four // Deidara

Deidara

Ah, so it’s his turn under the fragrant green spotlight. He readies himself and stands underneath the plant, ready to endure (or perhaps enjoy) whatever is coming his way. It’s odd; when he was a young kid he always thought that kissing was gross. But now, as he waits for the first person to come to him, he finds himself almost ... excited.

Tobi

“Ooh! Lucky Tobi! Tobi is first for Senpai!” Oh, God, or Lord Jashin, or whoever it was that made things happen: Deidara does not want to kiss Tobi. Tobi is already a bit too hands-on for Deidara’s liking, a bit too attached to his Senpai. Also, it bothers him that at the moment, nobody else is in the room; the two of them are totally alone. Still, though, this should only last a few seconds, and everybody else is going to be having a turn, so why not? Tobi gets close to Deidara and, to the blonde’s shock, he pulls off his entire mask. Deidara’s brain is able to register small details about Tobi’s face, but only for a split second. After that, suddenly, everything went ... strange. He’s being kissed; he can feel ((surprisingly soft)) lips touching his own, but ... he barely notices this. Deidara is flooded with bizarre imagery, of vividly bright flowers and aggressively emerald fields, none of which are in the little room they’re standing in. Is this ... is this genjutsu?? After his first encounter with Itachi, Deidara has trained his eye to counter such illusionary tricks; he quickly snaps out of it and comes back to reality. But Tobi ... his mask is on, and he’s shaking Deidara’s shoulders. “Senpai?! Are you okay??” Tobi claims that Deidara fainted, and tells him to sit down while he gets him some water. Deidara does as suggested, confused. WAS that just a ... a dream? Had he fainted? Had he and Tobi kissed at all? He starts to write the entire thing off, but then he realizes that his mouth has the taste of dango in it. Wasn’t Tobi eating Dango earlier? Wasn’t — and then Tobi is back with the water, and Deidara drinks, his mind still jumbled. He hopes the rest of his encounters aren’t this bizarre.

Kakuzu

Deidara is an immature kid that reminds Kakuzu a lot of his own partner, Hidan. He can’t begin to count how many times in the last month he’s had to RE-reattach Deidara’s arms, because the guy kept doing reckless things with that damn “art” of his. Still, though; even Kakuzu has to admit that Deidara’s antics provide a steady stream of lighthearted entertainment, in an organization that could be very depressing most of the time. When it’s Kakuzu’s turn, he puts one hand on Deidara’s face and gives him a light kiss on the forehead. He smoothes back his bangs as he does, informing Deidara that there are many people who would pay good money for hair Deidara’s length, and if he’s ever interested in making a bit of money, to come see him (and his scissors).

Konan

Thinks of Deidara as being like a little brother, in a way. And a good friend; despite the loud and temperamental way he acts with the others, with Konan, he’s always been one of her biggest supporters and confidantes. There was even a time in the past when the entire group was traveling somewhere new, and Konan twisted her ankle in a concealed hole in a field. Deidara immediately lifted her off her feet and carried her the rest of the way to their destination. She approaches Deidara with a smile, leans in, and kisses the tip of his nose. Deidara responds by putting his hands on her cheeks, and giving her two smacking kisses with his hand-mouths. The two laugh and then Konan leaves to make room for the next participant.

Hidan

Surprisingly less objective than he was with many of the others he had to kiss. Even goes to the trouble of using a minty breath freshener beforehand. Makes absolutely NO comments beforehand about homosexuality or how “stupid” he feels this to be. “Ya ready for me, blondie?” He grabs Deidara around the waist, tilts him back, and gives him a brief (but impactful) smooch. Deidara blinks, surprised. This is ... oddly nice, but — why in the world does he suddenly taste blood on his lips?? Did Hidan just come back from a sacrifice? Did he do that completely unhygienic ritual of his where he licked the blood of his victims off his scythe? Hidan looks proud of himself, and, as he’s backing away, he tells Deidara that he reminds him of “a bitch in my old village that never let me kiss her. Now I feel like I have!”, to which Deidara gets angry and throws an explosive at Hidan’s face. “I’m a MAN, you stupid prick!” The two start fighting before Hidan is dragged away by Kakuzu, and Deidara goes to scrub down his mouth and lips before the next person comes up.

Pein

Ah, the youngest of his “children”. He’s happy that Deidara is so open with his feelings and being part of the group now; when he first came to the Akatsuki, he was a very secretive and somewhat shy young man, who had no trust in Pein or in any of them. Now he was so comfortable around his new “family” that it was like he was meant to be with them from the get-go. Pein goes to kiss Deidara’s forehead, stops, reconsiders, and kisses his cheek instead. Afterwards he smiles and gives him a friendly punch on the shoulder, before going back to his room.

Zetsu

Deidara may be the only member of the Akatsuki that Zetsu doesn’t really want to kiss. With everyone else, he likes to get close to them because they smell like delicious food. But the blonde guy ... he has a smell to him very much like clay, so much so that it masks the more desirable aroma of human blood. Zetsu is the only one who’s olfactory senses can detect this subtle difference, and it’s enough to deter him from ever trying to devour the kid. Nevertheless, he leans in, gives Deidara a quick smack on the cheek, and dashes away so fast that Deidara has doubts whether or not anything actually happened.

Itachi

Is very, very hesitant to approach Deidara; no matter what he says or how he acts, Deidara just radiates with hatred for him. He’s watched several of the others exchange kisses with him, but thinks of just skipping his turn and going to his room. However, Deidara spots him and, folding his arms in front of his chest, asks, “So now the mighty Uchiha is too good to kiss me, hm?” and Itachi sighs and steps over to him. “Where do you want it?” “Huh?? It’s a KISS, you idiot. Where the hell do you think I want —“ but Itachi interrupts him by yanking him close by the forearms (so hard that the stitching weakens just a little) and lays into him with his lips. He kisses him so intensely and so long that Deidara actually starts to feel light-headed. Right before he thinks he’s going to pass out, however, Itachi pulls back, and to Deidara’s surprise he’s SMILING at him. “How was that? That good enough?” Deidara is still so shocked that he can’t think of a smart ass answer back, all he can do is nod. Hidan, who had been watching, comments “Jeez ... after a kiss like that I think you have to marry him, Itachi.” Hearing this finally snaps Deidara back to normal, who scowls and snarls and barks out “As if I’d ever become a low-life Uchiha scum, hm!” Itachi, still smiling, walks away as Deidara shouts insults after him. Things are back to normal.

Kisame

Kisame truly enjoys being around the young artist. He finds Deidara’s sense of humor to be entirely refreshing, which was needed when working in an oft-depressing organization like the Akatsuki. He walks up and kisses Deidara on his chin, just beneath his lips. When Deidara asks why he picked such an odd spot, Kisame replies that everybody has already kissed the other places, and he prefers to not catch germs from the others (especially Hidan). Deidara laughs and agrees with him; after he goes, Deidara leaves and goes to brush his teeth and wash his face, to prepare for his final kiss of the night.

Sasori

Sasori approaches Deidara like he would approach a wild animal; slowly and cautiously. Deidara has been his partner for some time now, an Sasori is never quite sure what he’s going to get with him. Sometimes he’s loud and obnoxious, other times he’s quiet and thoughtful. Some times he acts like he can’t stand the puppet master, but sometimes ... “Hey, Danna.” “Good evening, brat. Looks like I’m last.” “Yeah, hm.” Sasori gets close to him. He cups Deidara’s face, stares into his eyes, and leans into his lips. Deidara’s eyes close but Sasori’s stay open, taking in every minute detail of this kid, no, this man in front of him. Unable to help it, he moves one hand and gently puts it in Deidara’s soft hair, fingering the silky golden locks. He’s again struck by how warm he is, how wonderfully human. After some time has passed, Sasori breaks the kiss and steps back, straightening out his robe. “Was that acceptable?” Deidara nods, although the expression on his face is somewhat unreadable to Sasori. Recalling what Hidan said earlier about Itachi, Deidara says, jokingly, “After kissing me like that, now you have to marry me, hm.” He’s kidding, but oftentimes humor goes straight over Sasori’s head. He replies, in his quiet, analytical way, “I’ve always found the concept of marriage to be a waste of time and resources. People in general fare much better, and accomplish much more as individuals, wouldn’t you agree?” Deidara nods, and Sasori turns to go. Halfway down the hall he stops, turns slightly, and says, softly, “Deidara?” “Yeah?” “If I ever was to take that step, if I ever was to marry somebody, to fully commit myself to another person; well, it could only be to —“ but suddenly Hidan bursts out of his room, loudly yelling and cursing at Kakuzu’s door about something. The mood broken, Sasori bids a quiet Goodnight to Deidara and continues on to his room. Deidara stays where he is for a long time, wondering what Sasori had almost said.

[deathtrapnest]

Ghost At Sea

fandom: One Piece pairing: Sanji x Usopp word count: 1,138 notes: quick Halloween SanUso fic! 

summary: Sanji and Usopp share a spooky midnight ship's watch together and receive a strange visitor.

ALSO@A03

Sailors were a notoriously superstitious folk. Sometimes the ships cooks were the worst of the lot in that regard. Growing up Sanji had heard his fair share of ghost stories- of siren spirits who called sailors to watery deaths, haunted ships crewed by the damned, skeletons of the drowned who would reach up and tickle your feet if you swam too deep, and no place garnered more supernatural tales than The Grand Line.

But who could blame men at sea for making up stories? After all, midnight on a night’s watch on a ship at sea could be a spooky time. The sounds of the boat creaking, the wind whipping the sails, the moon casting an eerie glow on a darkened sea… was enough to send a shiver up anyone’s spine.

Maybe that was one reason why Usopp made Sanji keep him company when he got stuck with the midnight watch on the Sunny and there was a full moon out. Only one of the reasons because Usopp and Sanji liked to spend their night watches together for another reason as well.

The moon that night kept being obscured by clouds passing over it and it was a foggy night- mist creeping over the water and shrouding the sides of the deck. The weather had gotten brisk after sunset, coming out of the range of an autumn isle, but Usopp already had Sanji’s jacket draped around his shoulders, and Sanji’s arms pulled tight around him were warm and comforting. The tea Sanji had brought out for them had already stopped steaming but Usopp could barely feel the wind the way they were huddled together on the grass lawn of the ship with a shared blanket wrapped over them.

The red light at the end of Sanji’s lit cigarette guided Usopp to the approximate location of the cook’s mouth in the darkness so he could press kisses against it. Under the blanket it was hard to tell where Usopp’s body ended and Sanji’s began but they both knew the clothes were in the way- Usopp’s hand fumbled against Sanji’s belt buckle, Sanji deepened the kiss as he traced patterns with his fingers against Usopp’s collarbone before working the strap of his overalls off one shoulder. Their breath was warm and urgent between their mouths by the time Usopp had arranged himself mostly on Sanji’s lap and Sanji had his arms around his waist.

Usopp had finished undoing Sanji’s belt when he abruptly froze and looked around. Sanji made a little grunt of complaint, canting his hips up needily.

“Why’d you stop?” Sanji whined.

“Shhh! I thought…” Usopp’s voice came back as an urgent whisper. “I just felt for a second like… Like we were being watched…”

Sanji just offered him a very self-satisfied smirk. “Oh really? How kinky.”

Usopp smacked him lightly on the shoulder. “Shut up! I’m serious! What if there’s someone out here?!”

“Everyone else went to sleep.” Sanji said.

“No, I mean…” Usopp gulped loudly. “Not one of the crew… Don’t you ever get that feeling out on the sea at night..? That creepy feeling on the back of your neck? Like there’s someone or something… watching you?”

There was a scratch of sound as Sanji ignited a match, suddenly illuminating the space between them with the fire’s light. He held it up past Usopp’s scared face and peered out at the rest of the deck. The dim glow of the flame sent shadows dancing in every direction Sanji’s hand moved but no creature or crewmate was in sight.

“See? There’s nothing out there…” Sanji gave a menacing chuckle suddenly. “Well… Nothing living, that is…”

Usopp made a keening yelp and gripped Sanji’s arm. “Don’t joke around!”

Sanji laughed off his reaction and in a shake of his hand swiped the match’s light out, pitching them into darkness again.

“Relax.” Sanji reassured him, pulling him a little closer. “I’m here, aren’t I? If there’s a ghost I’d protect you.” He planted a smooch on Usopp’s cheek.

Even in the dark, Sanji didn’t have to see the sniper’s face to know he was blushing.

“Hey, I didn’t say I was scared.” Usopp huffed, pouting. “I once defeated a ghost princess and her army of spirits. If anything I should be the one protecting you.”

“Oh yeah? I feel much safer already.” Sanji chuckled. “Just curious- if you’re not scared, why are you still gripping me so tightly?”

“That’s just because… it’s cold tonight!” Usopp defended, nuzzling his face against Sanji’s neck.

Laughing, Sanji hauled him in for another kiss, longer and deeper this time and Usopp settled into Sanji’s comforting body heat, letting the cook trail his hands down his back and rest against his thighs. When they finally had to pull away for oxygen Sanji suggested, “It’s almost time for Brook’s shift to start. How about you go get the bed warmed up for me. I’m going to have a last smoke before going in.”

“Okay. But don’t get scared without me.” Usopp sing-songed, getting up and tugging the blanket around his shoulders as he left.

Sanji stood and walked to the edge of the deck, waiting until he heard the door close behind Usopp before getting his cigarettes out and lighting one. He took a leisurely first drag, not bothering to turn around and acknowledge the apparition in the corner of the deck that was watching him.

“So you’re still sticking around him, huh?” he finally said, blowing smoke out of the corner of his mouth. “Merry?”

Klabautermann were one of the legends that had been passed around the different ships’ kitchens Sanji had worked in as a child. Franky had told him once about a Klabautermann he’d seen on the Going Merry. But Sanji himself had never seen it, until the day he’d kissed Usopp for the first time. Then he’d begun to notice it- especially on full moon nights, sometimes just out of the corner of his eye, sometimes just as a feeling on his spine- an intuition that he wasn’t alone.

He finally turned to face the spirit, its’ form just barely distinct from the fog in the faint moonlight- a little sprite with a body outlined by mist and generating a dim glow on its own.

“Don’t worry. I’ll look after him.” Sanji said solemnly. “I promise.”

He couldn’t see if the swirl of fog that made up where the ghost’s head would be had much of a face but he felt that it smiled. And in the next exhale of smoke from Sanji’s cigarette, the Klabautermann disappeared, as if it had just been an illusion of the shadows or Sanji’s eyes playing tricks on him. Sanji shook his head, sighing and throwing the last remnants of his cigarette into the ocean before heading inside to join Usopp in bed.

End.

[is0gild]

Ice Cream and Fire Oven Pizza - Chapter 20

Pairing: Elsa x Lea/Axel || Side Pairing: Riku x OC

Summary: Modern AU. She's an introvert ball of nerves who works at Ice Palace, a mall food court ice cream shop. He's the outgoing, sassy goofball who works at the Pizza Planet across the way. Hilarity, snark, and fluffy romcom hijinks ensue.

Word Count: 10,096

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

Credit for super friggin’ cute and super friggin’ amazing cover art goes to the super friggin’ talented ky-jane here on tumblr!

Turns out once you've smooched a guy on the nose, things like holding his hand and other such minor displays of affection no longer seem so daunting.

Sure, even as I reached for his hand now, some small amount of mental self-cheerleading was still required in order to work myself up to it. And okay, the tiny flutter in my chest when my fingers brushed against his almost had me pulling back faster than you could say 'emotion-phobia.' But I didn't. And hey, this was way more than I could have brought myself to do even just a few short days ago. This was kind of huge for me, so I think I'd earned the right to take a little pride in my headway so far. Who knew, I just might pull off my half of this whole pretend dating deal yet.

Lea glanced down at my touch. Then he grinned, pulling my hand up to press a soft kiss to the back of it before setting it back down on the dinner table, his thumb trailing light circles along my knuckles. Picking right back up where he'd left off in the conversation, he said, "Oh yeah, GUMMI ships got all sorts of badass tech going on now, the likes of which would put both Star Trek and Star Wars to shame. Super, ultra, mega-laser cannons, impenetrable force fields, swarms of nanobots that can repair any and all damage just like that," he snapped his fingers. Lea then planted an elbow on the table and leaned forward to add in a conspiratorial whisper, "They even have defense systems in the form of giant, exploding space duckies."

Saïx gave him a flat look from where he sat on the other side of the table from us. "Not true."

"Sure it is!" Lea chirped, straightening back up in his chair. "I mean, how else are they gonna fight all those aliens out there?"

Propping my cheek in my free palm, I cocked an eyebrow at him as I felt an upward tug at one corner of my lips. "Aliens? As in little green men?"

"No, no, that'd just be silly," he waved off with a scoff. "As in lil shadow men. Creepy bastards with big, yellow eyes and twitchy antennae." Still holding my hand, he brought both of his own up to either side of his head, miming said antennae with his index fingers.

Closing his eyes, Saïx gave a low sigh into his wine glass. "Also not true."

Lea shrugged, "Oh sure, they're not all like that. There was that blue one they found over in Hawaii, what was its code name again… Experiment 626? Yeah, the government got that one covered up real fast. And don't even get me started on the total dreadnought that is Schwarzgeist lurking out there somewhere in the night sky that absolutely obliterated the USS Endymion."

"The sheer amount of not true you are spouting off right now is positively staggering," Saïx deadpanned, eyelids drooping as he dabbed his napkin to his mouth. "You really need to stop staying up late every night reading all those conspiracy theories out there on the internet."

Lips curling into an evil smirk, Lea said, "But how else am I gonna royally piss you off so much?"

That earned him a small scowl from his brother.

This was basically it. The whole evening in a nutshell from the moment I'd stepped foot into Lea's apartment. Like me, it seemed that Saïx was not much of a talker, at least not amongst strangers. Unlike me however, it appeared to have less to do with social anxiety and more like he just plain wasn't a fan of the whole talking thing and so only did it when he deemed it absolutely necessary. Which I could totally respect. It was just that between the two of us, it had a tendency to leave a bit of a void in the conversation every now and then. Luckily, it was void that Lea was only too happy to fill.

Saïx had been the one to cook dinner. It seemed that that was part of the breakdown of chores in their living arrangement: he usually handled supper while breakfast was Lea's job. Saïx and I had already emptied our plates by now while Lea was still working on his, seeing as how he was otherwise preoccupied with talking a mile a minute. The meal had been a very nice chicken bruschetta pasta paired with a red wine from a fancy looking bottle. The latter I'd thought to be a bit of an odd choice, as I didn't picture Lea being much of a wine drinker. But there he was, sipping away at it, pinkie raised as he did so for an added bit of flair. I guess he just wasn't picky and would drink whatever was put in front of him. I, on the other hand, had decided not to partake. Would rather keep a clear head during this bit of subterfuge we were playing out in front of Saïx.

The point was, there was wine. And wine equaled a wine tipsy Lea. And a wine tipsy Lea, as I was discovering, equaled a chatty Lea. The boy was already chatty to begin with, but this was an all new level. This was chatty on steroids. Needless to say, he was having no trouble whatsoever keeping the conversation rolling.

"Why are we even discussing the GUMMI space program again?" Saïx asked in his bored monotone.

Lea drove his fork down into his pasta, twirling it around. "You know you're always a total slut for outer space, man. The moon and constellations and all that crap is your jam."

"Yes, but our guest," he gestured towards me, "might not find the topic nearly so interesting."

Trailing a finger along the rim of my still full wine glass, I said, "Actually, I've been fascinated by the research their lead mechanical scientist Cid Highwind has been doing in the field of warping technology. With his help, it might not be long before our ships can travel to other solar systems."

Both men just blinked silently at me for a moment.

What? So I liked to keep up on current events by reading a news article every now and again online. It really was not a big deal.

Saïx was the one to speak up first. "Yes. It's said Highwind is hoping to have a working prototype in less than five years."

Do my eyes deceive me? Was that the hint of a smile ghosting over Saïx's mouth?

Oh wow, I think I'd managed to score some points.

...not that it mattered, of course. Since this was only a fake relationship, after all, so getting in the brother's good graces didn't really mean all that much to me. Not one bit. Nope.

Nuzzling his nose to my ear, Lea beamed, "Hell yeah! My baby knows shit!"

"More than you do at least," Saïx sniffed blandly.

Expression relaxing into a sly grin now, he shot back, "I know enough to know about an astral sea monster whose sheer mass is gargantuan enough to blot out the very sun, the terror of the cosmos, eater of spacecrafts and destroyer of worlds, the dreaded galactic space whale," he paused for dramatic effect before splaying a hand out before him as he intoned in hushed reverence, "...Monstro."

Saïx grumbled under his breath and facepalmed.

"By my count, that's the eighth time he's done that tonight," Lea stage whispered to me. "Just five more and I'll have beat my all-time record."

I gave a low hum of amusement. "I suppose it's important to have goals in life."

He snorted, returning his attention to his food as he scooped a forkful into his mouth. I noticed that he'd incidentally stained one side of his lips in the process and I had a brief flashback to a familiar scene of Sora and Kairi. Of the pair of them sitting in the food court and Kairi kissing away a similarly located blotch on her boyfriend. Now that right there had been a seriously advanced dating technique and one I was in no way ready to try out myself. You kidding me? I was still very much a beginner here and the very idea of trying to pull off such a maneuver already had my ears turning pink. That said, a newbie like me still had some options, especially with my newfound ability to make the first move and actually touch my (fake) boyfriend without completely spazzing out.

I tucked in my lower lip, hesitating briefly as my pulse thudded a little more loudly against my eardrums. But then I slowly lifted my hand.

Lea visibly stiffened as he felt my thumb brush at the corner of his mouth, wiping the smudge away. As I began to retract my arm however, he dropped his fork to snatch my wrist and stop me. I arched an eyebrow at him. He smiled back with hooded eyes. Then he gently tugged my thumb up to his lips and licked the sauce off it.

Breath hitching, I yanked my hand free of his grasp. His smile just turned smug as he winked at me.

Apparently, Wine Tipsy Lea had even less boundaries than usual.

As I wiped my thumb with a napkin and ducked my head to hide my boiling cheeks, I heard Saïx mutter, "One has to wonder what a woman of your obvious intelligence and sophistication even sees in an asinine clown such as my brother."

"Well let me think about it," Lea's eyes danced as he folded his hands together, steepling his index fingers so the joined tips touched his mouth. "Perhaps it's my devilish charm and debonair good looks?"

"Oh come now," he said cooly with another sip of his wine, "if you're going to be making things up, you should attempt to make them at least halfway credible."

"He makes me laugh," I suddenly heard myself saying. As both pairs of eyes turned towards me, I immediately felt self-conscious. I mean seriously, what a stupid, cliché thing to say. But that didn't make it any less true, any less… meaningful. I wasn't someone who laughed a lot. In fact, before I'd run out on my wedding, I could probably count the number of times I'd laughed in the last year on one hand.

Fidgeting with my fingers, I pushed forward, "He's sweet… and thoughtful. And genuine. He's not afraid to be himself. And because of that, I find it easier to be… myself... around him." Another thing that did not come easy to me.

As Lea slipped an arm around my shoulders so he could pull me closer and plant a swift peck to my temple, Saïx gave a soft harrumph, "Well, I guess there's no accounting for taste."

"Psst, Saïx," Lea lowered his voice, bending forward over the table and cupping a hand to his mouth. "The moon landing was faked."

With a heavy sigh through his nose, he merely rose from his chair and started gathering the plates and silverware together. As he reached for mine, I protested, "No, that's okay, I can take care of it."

"You're the guest," he said simply as he swiped it up in one smooth motion.

"Best not argue, otherwise he might unleash his berserker wrath on you," Lea sniggered to me. However, when Saïx next took his plate away (still with food on it), he snapped, "Hey! I wasn't done with that!"

"Then you should have eaten faster," he responded dryly.

He stuck his tongue out at him. "Oh yeah? Well the earth is flat." As Saïx turned towards the kitchen, the plates stacked in his hand "accidentally" smacked into Lea's forehead, forcing a small grunt out of him.

I hid a grin behind my hand as Lea pressed his fingertips to the fresh sore spot with a soft tch. Then he downed the rest of his wine as he stood up himself, gathering the other glasses between his fingers on one hand while balling up napkins together in the other. He looked at me, face brightening, "Why don'tcha go on and take a seat in the living room. I'll join ya after I finish helping Saïx clean up."

"Alright," I nodded. He used a hand (the one stuffed full of napkins) to pull my seat out as I stood and gave him a tiny smile before moving past him. Reaching the blue sofa, I moved some of its mismatched pillows to clear a space and took a seat on the far end, tugging the hem of my dress down to cover my knees as I listened to the sound of running water and clinking dishware coming from the kitchen.

I didn't have to wait long before the boys were rejoining me. Lea came bounding over first, plopping himself unceremoniously down onto the couch with me.

Leaving one whole cushion space between us.

I furrowed my brow over at him. However, I did not have to wonder for long at his unexpected seating choice.

For next thing I knew, he'd flopped over onto his side and was using my lap as a makeshift pillow.

My eyes widened and I jolted, one hand going to my chest. His cheek nestled against my leg as one hand went to my knee, his thumb tracing lightly along its top curve over the fabric. "Mmm… you're comfy!" he sighed contentedly.

It was official. Wine Tipsy Lea had absolutely zero boundaries.

Halfway into taking a seat into a maroon armchair to our right, Saïx stopped. Then he straightened back up to his full height with a tired, drawn-out huff. "Perhaps some coffee would be in order."

I gradually relaxed, my eyes crinkling as I glanced down at Lea with a resigned smile. He was like a kitten cuddling into my lap. A really big kitten. I half expected him to start purring. "Perhaps that might be for the best," I murmured in agreement.

My eyes lifted long enough to follow Saïx as he made his way back over towards their kitchen, long blue hair swaying behind him as he went. When I looked back down, I realized with a tiny start that one of my hands had taken it upon itself to start lightly stroking Lea's hair.

Huh. How did that cheeky little devil get there?

I should stop.

But it was just so very... soft. Softer than I remembered. So soft that it felt like I was doing something wrong, something… forbidden by daring to touch it.

...okay, I really, really needed to stop.

...ten seconds. Just ten more measly, innocent seconds, then I'd stop.

There was a low, pleased hum in Lea's throat as my fingers continued to slowly run through his fiery locks. Then he rolled over onto his back, capturing my hand with his to press a gentle kiss into my palm. It tickled and my heart stuttered as I felt a familiar heat creeping up my neck. He... did know Saïx was no longer nearby to witness this little production he was putting on... right? Then again, maybe Lea was too far gone by now to realize his brother had left the room and so was still on boyfriend autopilot. Cradling my hand to his chest just over his heart, his other came up to start fiddling with the end of my braid from where it hung forward over my shoulder as he grinned up at me. "Wanna know?"

My head tipped to one side, "...know what?"

"You said what you see in me, so now it's my turn. Wanna know what I see in you?"

I blinked at him. Then my eyes briefly flicked over to Saïx just beyond the island counter where he was filling a coffee maker with water. Could he hear us all the way over there? Hopefully… this might be good for show. With a low snort, I planted my elbow on the armrest next to me, propping my cheek against my knuckles as I dropped my gaze back to Lea. "Sure, why not? Go for it."

This should be good.

His grin twitched wider. "You're kooky."

...well I certainly wasn't disappointed.

Though that wasn't quite the word I would have expected out of him. In fact, not the word I would have ever expected out of anyone when used to describe me.

One of my eyebrows quirked. "I'm… kooky?"

He nodded, "Mm-hm! Most people don't know it, but it's there. Way, way deep down in here," he tapped a finger to a spot just below my collarbone before going back to toying with my braid. "Ya try to keep it hidden. Don't like people seeing that side of you for some reason. But I've caught glimpses of it. I like it. Makes me feel like I'm in on a secret no one else is. And you're fun. Hella smart, too. And so goddamn pretty."

"That so?" I muttered, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.

Wine Tipsy Lea was laying it on a bit thick.

Still… I was smiling despite myself.

"And that. Right there," he tapped a finger to my lips. "Your smile is gorgeous. Was the first thing about you that had me head over heels. I love being the one to put it there. Love being the one that can make you laugh."

Did I say a bit thick? Try instead a lot thick. Too thick. Like two metric tons too thick. Jeez, perhaps I'd be better off hoping Saïx couldn't actually hear all this. Even he might think it a bit too much to be believable.

Lea's eyes softened as he continued to stare up at me, his hand shifting over from my mouth to lightly graze his curled fingers against my cheek, leaving tiny tingles in their wake. "...I wish we were real."

Insert record screech.

E-E-Excuse me?!

My heart stopped. Like legit full on stopped. There were at least three full seconds there where if a medical examiner had checked my pulse, they would have probably declared me dead.

Lea froze, his whole body locking up. His eyes grew round and his face blanched, his expression now a perfect mirror of what I imagined my own must have looked like in that exact moment as he seemingly and immediately realized his mistake.

Now I definitely hoped Saïx couldn't overhear us! There seemed to be no reaction from over in the kitchen beyond the sound of water beginning to boil. Which was good. Maybe our cover wasn't blown and-

...and so not the point right now! The point was… was…

Ex-friggin'-scuse me?!

Wish we were real? What did that even mean? Real what? Did he mean that he wanted… that he wished he and I… that we were a… an actual, honest to god coupl-

No! No, I must have misheard. Yeah, that had to be it! He hadn't said… er… what I thought he'd said. No, what he'd probably actually said was, uh… was he wished we were… seals. Yeah, that's probably what it was! Seals were neat! And… and cute! I wouldn't blame him for wanting to be one, especially in his less than totally sober state! Or… or… he could have said that he… he fished… for Neil. Who was Neil, one might wonder? Got me! But you know what? Good for Lea, helping his ol' pal Neil out with fishing like that. Nice guy, that Lea. Such a giver, such a-

"TORS!" Lea suddenly shouted, practically making me jump out of my skin as he shot up off my lap and scooted all the way over to sit at the opposite end of the couch. He had a hand clasped over his nose and mouth, doing a poor job of hiding his reddened (wine flushed?) face. "Realtors! I wish we were realtors, is what I was trying to say!" he hastily clarified, shooting a weak chuckle my way.

I stared at him blankly.

Wha…? Realtors…?

Apparently, he wasn't done. "Yeah! You know, one of those power couples you hear about all the time! Partners in everything, from romance to real estate! That's some real lovey-dovey crap right there, don'tcha think? The epitome of passion! The sappiest dream to ever sap! The-"

"What inanity are you babbling on about now?" Saïx returned, causing me for the second time in as many minutes to nearly die of cardiac arrest. He was carrying two steaming mugs, one in each hand.

"Nothing! Not a damn thing! Nope! Total nonsense!" Lea said quickly, snatching up one of the cups and rapidly blowing on the coffee a couple times before knocking back the whole thing in one go. He pulled the cup away from his lips with a wince, probably suffering from a tongue that was now at least mildly burnt. Then he plastered on a grin, "You know how I get when I'm lost in the sauce, man. I start rambling off total bullshit that I don't even mean. Never. Mm-mm, nope, not one bit! Every word of it? Total garbage. Yup! Heh…"

I flinched back from the second warm mug that was suddenly being offered me. I'd barely had a chance to hold up my hand and shake my head before Lea was grabbing that one too, handling this one with smaller, more cautious sips.

...realtors.

Huh.

Okay, sure, why not?

Not like it was any crazier than any of the other explanations I'd come up with myself. Especially when you considered Lea was more than a little buzzed. People said nonsensical things all the time while under the influence. I'd know, I'd seen Anna in a state of three sheets to the wind on more than one occasion. You should have heard half the things she'd blathered on about at the time… adventures through magical winter wonderlands, talking snowmen, singing rock people, whole castles made of-

Shoot, Saïx was talking to me. Or rather, had been talking to me for a while and now seemed to be expecting some sort of reply. Still a little rattled, I scrounged together a flimsy but polite smile, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

One thin eyebrow arched ever so slightly at me as he cradled a fuming mug between his hands. Apparently he'd gone back at some point to get one for himself as well. "...I heard you were present during one of my sleepwalking episodes a couple weeks back. I hope I didn't give you too much of a fright."

"Oh! No! No, it's-" I got distracted as I felt Lea gingerly inching back over to sit beside me. Probably trying to salvage some semblance of the relationship pretense. However, his affections had become somewhat subdued, restricted now to only resting an arm along the sofa cushions behind my head and his knee brushing against mine as he continued to nurse the coffee. Regathering my train of thought, I tried again, "It's, uh… it's alright. Not your fault. Nor was I bothered by it at all. Just had to stay out of your way, is all."

"Still I-"

"Ya know what?" Lea suddenly piped up, plonking the now empty mug down onto the coffee table right next to the first one. "Sorry guys, but I think we gotta call it an early night! I'm beat! And I mean woof! Dog-tired!"

My eyebrows knit together as I glanced over at him. "...but you just chugged two full cups of coffee."

...what are you doing, you fool, shut up! He was probably trying to rescue us by putting a merciful end to what, as of the last five minutes, had officially become one royal disaster of an evening!

He bat a hand through the air, "That? Please, that was just to help sober my drunk ass up! Trust me, caffeine doesn't do jackshit to me when it comes to staying awake."

Saïx's mouth had settled into a flat line as his green gaze shifted back and forth between Lea and me. "Very well," he said finally, closing his eyes as he raised his cup to his lips, "I presume my noise canceling headphones will be a necessity while I work tonight."

I frowned. "Noise canceling…?"

Lea cleared his throat and gave a sheepish chuckle while scratching a spot behind his ear. "He, uh… thinks you're spending the night."

"Oh…" I said slowly before his words had a chance to fully sink in. Then they did. "Oh!" I repeated more loudly, eyes widening as I rocketed up to my feet, "You mean sex!"

...what the actual frick, mouth?!

"Which is a thing!" Apparently, I was only getting started. Panic mode was in full effect now. "A thing d-dating couples do! Which… which we are! Dating, that is. And a couple! Can't, uh… can't forget that part." Dear lord, where's a gag when you need one? "Which, I don't know w-why you would. Because clearly we're a couple. Yup! That's us!" Yeesh, at least when Lea had been yammering off nonsense, he'd had wine coursing through his veins. What was my excuse? "A couple! A couple who, ah…" Oh no. "...who have, er…" Don't you say it. Don't you dare say it. "...who have sex!"

I winced.

Just shoot me. Shoot me now.

"Oh yeah, lots and lots of it!" Oh great. There was more. "All the time! In all s-sorts of, um… places. My room. His room. Oh look," I pointed both my hands towards Lea's door, "there's his room now!" Make an excuse to leave. Any excuse. " I think we'll go in there now and make with all the sex!" Not that excuse! Pause, followed by tiny, nervous laughter from me. "Yup."

Then before I knew it, I'd bolted into said room, door crashing shut behind me. I pressed my back to it, clutching both hands to my mouth as I hyperventilated and trembled, eyes huge and unblinking as I stared off into space, registering absolutely zilch of what was in front of me now.

What.

Did.

I.

Just.

Do?!

You know what, cheeks? I won't even try and stop you this time. You go right on ahead and blush your nonexistent little hearts out. Fry my face to a friggin' crisp, for all I care. I won't judge. You have every right after… that. Whatever the heck that even was just now!

Oh gosh, had I really just gone on and on about, hrm… intimate relations? In front of Lea's brother? That... had to be... the most spectacular case of anxiety-induced word vomit to date from me yet! What was wrong with me? Who does that? No, seriously, I demand answers this instant, what in the everliving-

A soft knock at the door made me yelp and jump away, whipping around to face it, heart trying to jackhammer its way out of my chest. I was greeted by my own frazzled reflection staring back at me from the full-length mirror hanging there. My face could have been mistaken for a ripe, oversized tomato.

"...El?" Lea's muffled voice came through from the other side. "You might've, uh… kinda forgot something."

A crease formed between my eyebrows. Forgot something? No, I don't think so. I glanced down at myself, hands patting over my dress. Phone in pocket? Check. Shoes on feet? Check. No purse, I hadn't used one tonight. No coat, I'd thought it too warm out for it. My gaze settled on the door once more, eyes scrunching. "What did I forget?"

"...me?"

Oh.

Fudge.

After that, ah… stirring speech I'd just given out there a moment ago, it would certainly help drive the point home if I had him in here with me, wouldn't it?

After all, it took two to, ahem... tango.

As I reached a hand towards the doorknob, I realized I hadn't even locked it. Lea must have only been knocking to be considerate. A consideration I greatly appreciated, especially when you take into account that this was in fact his room that I'd taken sanctuary in. Taking a deep breath and expelling it slowly in one last ditch effort to calm my nerves, my still shaking fingers closed around the knob and twisted.

I cracked the door ajar about an inch, just barely enough for me to peek one eye through. Arms crossed and one shoulder propped against the doorframe, Lea tilted his head with a tiny smile, "Hey."

My gaze fell to my feet for a moment before flicking back up to meet his. "...hi."

"Can I come in?"

I hesitated for another heartbeat then nodded, pulling the door open further and taking a couple steps back. He turned his head to one side, calling out a quick, "Night, man!" to Saïx before walking in and closing the door.

Ah, awkward silence. Ye hath returned. Never could stay away from me for long, could you?

"So…" I hugged myself and decided to get into a staring contest with the floor. "...think he likes me?"

Lea snerked, folding one arm behind his back, hand hooking his opposite elbow as he leaned back against the mirror hanging from his door. "You kidding? He adores you. Practically ready to call ya sister-in-law."

I attempted a smile. It came across as more of a grimace. "Even after I was… all…"

"...smooth and cool as a cucumber?" he supplied, his voice chipper. "Absolutely! And you said you couldn't lie," he teased. "You handled that one like a total pro!"

...oh. Wow, he was right. Not about the "pro" part, obviously, but that I had lied. For the first time since this whole charade started, I'd told a straight out, bald-faced lie. It had been a monumental failure, to be sure, but hey… we all had to start somewhere. Guess I had to take my silver linings wherever I could.

"Gah, I should have just made up some sort of… of excuse or something." I started pacing slowly, eyes still downcast as I brought one hand up to chew on my thumbnail. "Said I couldn't stay because I had an opening shift tomorrow."

He shook his head, "Saïx knows you work at the mall with me, so he also knows I woulda happily driven ya over from here, even at the crack of dawn."

Frowning, I tried again, "Well then, I could have said that… ah! That you had an early test tomorrow so I shouldn't be keeping you up late!"

"Nah, he knows me too well," he smirked, waggling his eyebrows. "Knows I'd never let a lil thing like that stop me."

I blinked. Then I buried my face in my hands with a groan. "Oh god, I can never face him again. Not after that." Dragging my palms down to peek out between my fingers, I grumbled, "I'm guessing it's safe to assume he's retracted his 'woman of obvious intelligence and sophistication' comment." Ha. Showed what Saïx knew.

Shrugging one shoulder, he laughed, "I wouldn't worry 'bout it too much. Just another side of your kookiness that I mentioned earlier. 'Sides, he knows what a nervous, jumpy creature you are."

Up quirked one eyebrow. "...he does?"

"Well, he does now."

...fair point.

One that did not make me feel better.

"And look at the bright side," Lea continued. "It's good this happened here rather than in front of your folks! Now you'll be better prepared to handle it the next time it comes up."

My lips twisted sourly, "I guess so." As bad as this already was, it would have spelled utter disaster if that little freakout had occurred during the upcoming weekend with my parents. We're talking one epic catastrophe here, like meteor-taking-out-the-dinosaurs kind of catastrophe. Then again, I didn't particularly see this exact set of circumstances arising while I was around my family. Still… best to be on the safe side. I wrinkled my brow, "Better prepared… how?"

"Ah, well…" he pursed his lips to one side, tapping a finger against his other arm. "For starters… and I'm just spitballing here, but next time you could maybe just, ya know… not say the word sex repeatedly? If at all? I'm thinking this is 'less is more' kinda situation."

"...good call."

"Heh," he paused, rubbing his shoulder. "So... looks like we're bunkmates."

I lowered my gaze once more and brought my curled fingers up to my mouth, covering my deepening frown. "Yeah… looks like…"

I wish we were real.

Gah, why was I still even thinking about that?! Lea had already explained it, hadn't he? Realtors. The word he had actually said, had been in the middle of saying, was realtors. It was nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just the ramblings of a guy who'd had a little too much to drink. Why was I still stuck on this?

My face must have been an open book. "Listen, I… meant what I said earlier," he spoke abruptly and my eyes darted up to lock on his. He averted his gaze and scratched his cheek, "You can't take anything I say too seriously when I've been drinking. Often my brain is just stringing random words together and spitting out the first arbitrary bullshit it can come up with. Like a toddler that's just learned to talk, regurgitating words it doesn't even understand just cuz it heard it from someone else at some point. Half the time, the things I say when I'm liquored up don't even make any sense." His eyes settled on me once more, this time accompanied by a weak smile. "So just don't be too… concerned about any gibberish that came blurting outta my stupid drunk mouth, 'kay? And you won't hear another peep of it tonight. Those two coffees are kicking in fast, so I'm much more clear headed now."

I tugged at my braid before folding my arms tightly together once more. "...okay."

And now onward to Act 1, Scene 2 of the award-winning and critically acclaimed musical: Awkward Silence.

"I have a lizard!"

My head rocked back at Lea's sudden declaration out of nowhere, both eyebrows shooting up my forehead. "...a lizard?"

He nodded eagerly, grinning big now. "Yeah! Wanna see? Come take a look!" He moved off to his left towards one corner of the room and for the first time I realized that there was a large glass terrarium situated on a long, low table in that spot. Lea squatted down next to it, waving me over to join him. I obliged and when I got close enough, he took hold of my hand and tugged me down into a crouch beside him. He squinted into the enclosure for a second, scanning all the rocks and plants inside before, "Ah-ha!" He pointed, tapping his finger against the glass, "There he is!"

And indeed, there he was, curled up inside a small, hollowed out log and blinking back at us. He was a tiny thing, all big eyes and blue skin except for the purple markings running down his back. "Oh wow," I slowly smiled, "you really do have a lizard. Why didn't you say anything last time I was here?"

"Cuz 'come into my bedroom so I can introduce you to my lizard' sounds a lil sketch, don'tcha think?" he chuckled, waggling his pointer finger up and down at his pet in greeting.

A soft snort. "Yeah, that might have earned you a dubious look." The critter crawled out into the open now, giving us a curious look. "Can I hold him?"

Lea flashed some dimple, "Course!" Straightening up, he moved the terrarium's lamps to one side before sliding out the lid and reaching inside, mumbling, "C'mere, Bruni." Picking the reptile up, he then offered him to me, "Now, the lil guy's usually shy at first but warms up quick and can be a bit of a flirt."

I stood as well, holding one hand out. Bruni cautiously put one stubby-toed foot on my fingers, eyeing me warily before fully walking the rest of the way into my palm. He was small enough to fit perfectly in it. Then he cocked his head up at me. I cocked mine back then hummed a low laugh, stroking a finger along the top of his head. That seemed to be all it took to win him over, for he then bellyflopped into a cuddle against my palm before rolling over onto his back.

"Bit of a flirt indeed," I murmured, rubbing his tummy with my fingertip. "What kind is he?"

"Salamander. Which, I know, technically not a lizard. But feels simpler most of the time just telling people that's what he is." He fell silent for a second, eyes crinkling as he watched us. Then he walked past me, saying, "Hey, welcome to my room by the way!"

I turned to face him and for the first time got a real good look at the place. If I had to pick one word to describe it, that word would be pandemonium.

Clothes were strewn about everywhere, covering floor and furniture alike - pretty much anywhere conceivable besides actually inside a dresser. Bookshelves stacked high with no rhyme or reason, textbooks next to movie DVDs (from action thriller to cornball classics) next to game CD cases next to vinyl records. Walls and ceiling plastered with posters, mostly of classic rock bands, but there was the occasional renegade: one here in which a dangerous looking man posed with an Assassin's Creed logo across the bottom, another one there depicting a grim reaper character dual-wielding sickles that looked to be from another video game of some sort. A queen-sized bed with black and red sheets buried beneath a mess of paper and more textbooks, along with a closed laptop and his shoulder bag tossed carelessly on top of it all.

And that was just barely scratching the chaotic surface. Needless to say, it was a lot to take in.

"Pardon the mess," he gave a rueful chuckle, scrambling to snatch clothes up off the carpet here and there to chuck into the laundry basket residing in his open closet, just under a black, full-length coat hanging from the rung in there. "Wasn't expecting any overnight visitors."

"It's, uh…" So many adjectives, so little time. As I searched for a word, I felt Bruni crawling up my sleeve. I kept an eye on him to make sure he didn't slip, but otherwise let him do his own thing. At last, I settled on, "...big."

"Yup! I got the masters! Comes complete with its own bathroom and everything," he jerked a thumb towards a second closed door on the other side of the room. By now, Bruni had found his way onto my shoulder and was snuggling into the crook of my neck. My fingers came up to pet along his spine. Narrowing his eyes on the salamander, Lea went on, "Surprisingly, Saïx prefers the smaller, cozier room. He's a minimalist, so not like he needs all that much space anyhow. Which works out for me, especially since I used to, er… heh, shall we say, host more sleepovers?"

I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth, but whatever I'd been about to say was forever lost.

For that's when Bruni did it.

He took the plunge.

Straight down into the neckline of my dress.

I yelped, arms crossing over my bosom. Lea's eyes widened, "Motherfu-" He lunged forward, hands outstretched before him like he had every intention of going down in there after Bruni. Then Lea froze, seemed to think better of it and instead folded his arms together, shoving his hands into his armpits as he looked away. "You, uh…" he cleared his throat, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye, "...you okay?"

"Yeah. Just tickles a bit," I wrinkled my nose, trying not to squirm as I felt the little guy climbing around against my chest. Thankfully, it wasn't long before he moved over to start making his way down my sleeve. I gave my arm a gentle shake to help speed his progress along and eventually he came tumbling out into my palm.

"Sorry 'bout that," Lea scooped him back out of my hand into his, using the other to ruffle his hair with a tiny, bashful smile. "I know I said he was a flirt, but he's never been this brazenly forward before."

Shaking my head with a snerk, I said, "It's fine, really. Don't worry about it."

Walking back over to the terrarium, he turned a scowl onto the salamander. "And what do you have to say for yourself, young man?" Bruni just answered with a lizard grin, flicking his tongue out to lick his own eyeball. "Smug lil shit," Lea grumbled, setting him back down inside his home.

One corner of my lips twitching up, I turned to take another look around his room. Despite Lea's hasty tidying up, his carpet was still a disaster zone of shirts and other garments. As I began to carefully navigate it, I asked, "So how are we doing this?"

"Doing…?" I could hear the frown in his voice.

I looked back at him. "Sleeping arrangements?"

"Oh! That's easy!" Having now set the lid and lamps back into their rightful places, Lea walked towards me with his grin resurfacing. "You get the bed, I'll take the floor."

My eyelids drooped. "You can't sleep on the floor, that's ridiculous. It's your room."

"Exactly!" he started clearing the papers up off his comforter, gathering them all together and tucking them away inside one of the textbooks. "It's my room, so I'll sleep wherever I want in it! And tonight, the floor's looking pretty damn good!"

I huffed. "Enough with the chivalry already. I'll sleep on the floor."

He picked up his laptop and made his way over to a large mound of clothes. Oh wait. There was a desk hiding under there, or so I realized as soon as he started shoving all the shirts and whatnot aside. Placing the laptop down on top of it, he then shrugged back at me, "Hey, if that'll make ya happy, more power to ya. Doesn't change the fact that I will not be taking my siesta in that bed tonight."

A low harrumph in my throat. "Fine."

"Fine," he agreed, now opposite the bed from me as he hung his bag from a wall hook there. Then he squinted one eye at me, "So it's settled then. We're both sleeping on the floor. Like the couple of rational, mature, grown-ass adults that we are. While the perfectly good bed goes to waste. Cuz that makes total sense."

I shot him a deadpan look. "Alright, fine then. Bruni gets the bed."

He slapped his forehead, dragging his hand down his face with an exasperated laugh. "C'mon, El, will you just take the bed please? I won't be able to fall asleep if I know you're just curled up on the floor."

"Sounds like not my problem," I crossed my arms with a smirk. Oh-ho, that's right. I could be stubborn when I wanted to be.

"Woman! Just take the freaking bed before I throw you in the damn thing!" both his hands gestured in mild annoyance at said bed.

Scoffing, I turned my head to one side. "Please, it's the twenty-first century, your neanderthal tactics won't work on me."

Green eyes flashing, he said in a low, even voice, "They will if I make good on 'em."

My gaze narrowed on him now. "You wouldn't dare."

He bent forward, fists planted on the mattress as he gave me a tiny glare across it. "Wanna bet?"

My legs turned traitor and defected, sitting me down on the bed so quick, you would have missed the motion if you'd blinked.

"There now," his face immediately lit up like the first rays of sunlight at dawn. "Was that so hard?"

I made a little hmph in my throat, tucking my legs beside me as I smoothed my dress over my knees with as much dignity as I could muster. "I'll have you know that I chose of my own free will to take the bed tonight and it had nothing to do with any thinly veiled threats that may or may not have been made on your part." I unzipped my ankle boots, letting them fall to the carpet below with a couple of heavy thuds. "I mean, I am the guest after all, it's only proper etiquette that I sleep in the bed. I'm just making sure you're adequately performing your role as the host."

A soft snerk came from his nose as he kicked off his own shoes and spread his arms wide to give me a mock bow, "Well, thank you, Miss Manners, I dunno what I'd ever do without you."

"You're welcome," I sniffed lightly. It was nice of him to let me have this. I then felt the bed quake beneath me as Lea flopped down beside me, stretching out comfortably and cushioning his head with his arms. I blinked down at him. "...I'm sorry, did that conversation just end differently than I thought it did?"

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Hm?"

"Thought you were taking the floor."

"I am, but that's not until lights out. Right now, we're just chilling!" he beamed. But then his expression relaxed and he propped himself up slightly on his elbows, cocking his head at me. "This is okay, right?"

"Er…" I glanced away, gnawing on my bottom lip.

Yeesh, I seriously needed to grow up. This wasn't a big deal. Like, at all. So what if we were sitting in the same bed? Nothing to freak out about. I mean, sure, I'd never shared a bed with a guy before, not even my ex. Come to think of it, I'd never even been in a boy's bedroom before. But hey, there was a first time for everything. This would be fine. I would be fine.

"...yeah, it's okay," I finally responded. He frowned, not looking convinced. I put on my best brave smile and managed a tiny laugh, "Really, it's fine." Or at least it would be once we stopped talking about it. Wanting to move the conversation along to something else, I searched my brain for a new topic. "So… you and Saïx…" I drew my knees up, hugging them to my chest, "...do you always mess with each other like that?"

"Oh yeah, all the time," he chuckled, settling back down into his pillow and folding one arm back behind his head. "Nothing says you care like making the other person's life a constant living hell!"

Settling my chin down onto my knees, I snorted. "Remind me never to let you care about me."

"Too late!" he chirped. My eyeroll belied the tiny cartwheel my stomach was doing. "'Sides, all siblings are like that. I'm sure you and Anna have terrorized the crap outta each other more times than you can even count."

"Well yeah," I turned my head to look over at him, resting my ear to my legs instead, "but that was way back when we were children. We grew out of it a long time ago."

Lea grinned cheekily, "Oh really? I seem to recall a certain someone chasing her sister 'round the living room trying to straight up murder her dead not hardly more than a week ago."

Wow, had that really only been just last week? It felt like eons ago by this point. A soft noise of contempt huffed out through my nose, "Don't exaggerate. I didn't try to murder her."

"How did it go again? ...ah, I believe your exact words to her were, and I quote, 'dip you in liquid nitrogen, snap every frozen limb off your body one by one, and then I'll kill you.' That about sum it up?"

I pursed my lips to the right, "...there were extenuating circumstances."

"Heh," he stared up at the ceiling, "if ya say so."

I lifted my head back up, my arms loosening somewhat around my legs as I considered my next words carefully. "About Saïx… can I ask what happened?" Lea glanced back at me quizzically and I clarified, "I mean with…" I tapped a finger to the bridge of my nose.

"Oh, his scar?" he rolled over onto his side towards me, bracing his head in one hand. "Old battle wound from our time in the foster system. Same shithead who let us two numbskull brats play with a chainsaw. Negligent and abusive. Real winning combo there, huh?"

"You mean a foster parent did that to him? On purpose? That's terrible," I breathed, looking horrified.

"S'okay," he gave a one-shouldered shrug, then smirked wickedly. "I retaliated by burning his house down."

My eyes widened, "Did you really?"

Lea sighed, "Unfortunately, no, but not for lack of trying. Only managed to set a bed ablaze and blacken a few curtains before the fire department showed up."

I stared at him blankly. "I am just... simply amazed that you survived long enough to make it to adulthood. Either of you."

He blew out an amused pft through his teeth. "Yeah, Saïx and I were definitely prime candidates for the Darwin Awards growing up. Told ya, we were lil hellions forged straight from the fiery pits of El Diablo. Hey, speaking of Ol' Bullseye over there..." he trailed off as he suddenly sat himself up.

"Bullseye?" I asked, arching an eyebrow his way while watching him fold his legs beneath himself so he could stand on his knees atop the mattress.

"Ya know. Mr. X-Marks-The-Spot," he tacked on by way of explanation, abruptly shoulder-slamming into the wall behind us just above his pillows and making me jolt.

...the heck?

"...you mean Saïx?" I furrowed my brow, wincing as he followed it up by crashing his elbow against the wall next. "Aren't those nicknames a bit… mean?" My question was punctuated with another loud thump.

Seriously, what on earth…?.

"Nah, he likes it." Whack! "Knows they're terms of endearment." Bang! "Only from me though. Anyone else ever even so much as thought about calling him anything like that, I'd make sure next time they turned up would be in a bodybag." Whump! "'Sides, you should hear half the shit he calls me, especially when he's royally ticked." Thwack! "This one time, he-"

"Wait. Hold it. Stop," I held up my hands, eyes flicking back and forth between him and the wall. "...what exactly is it that you are doing?"

"Huh?" he stilled, blinking at me a couple times. "Oh this?" his shoulder rammed into the surface once more. "This is the wall I share with Saïx's room."

...well okay then, sure, that totally and one hundred percent cleared up my utter confusion and lack of comprehension.

Not.

"Alright," I said, stretching the word out. "And so…?"

"So he's come to expect a certain level of enthusiasm on my part whenever I'm entertaining a lady friend," Lea winked and clicked his tongue before once again striking the wall.

"Oh?" I frowned down at my hands. Then it clicked with another louder, "Oh!" Followed by a slower, more quiet, "Oh…" Cheeks warming now, I looked back over at him, "You mean you… that is, against the wall, you've… oh." A pause while my eyes shifted about in my awkwardness. "But wouldn't the headboard get in the-" I stopped, glancing back over my shoulder and answering my own question. "Oh… oh, I see. No headboard. Got it. How very, er..." I cleared my throat and ducked my head to my knees, muffling into them, "...very practical."

I heard him snerk as the beating the wall was taking continued. "You're funny when you're flustered, ya know that?"

My face cranked up the heat dial even further and I scowled.

If you listened closely, the signs of a very steady, very distinct rhythm to the pounding could be heard beginning to take shape.

...I needed to stop listening so closely.

My eyebrows knit together as I then remembered something. "Wait… didn't Saïx say something about noise canceling headphones?"

"Well yeah, so he's not hearing any of this, but he can still see whenever any of the crap on his shelves or any framed pictures or anything else that might be up against his side o' the wall shakes from the impact," he shrugged, halting to puff out a noisy breath and wipe his forehead with the back of his hand. Apparently, he was working up a sweat. Then he grinned brightly, "This is actually kinda fun! Wanna have a go at it?"

I shot him a flat look. "...I think I'm good, thanks."

"You sure?" Another slam. "It's actually pretty satisfying. One might even say cathartic. Got any pent-up aggression you gotta work out?" And another, this one taking the form of a punch. He immediately regretted that one, eliciting a pained hiss as he shook out his now reddening fingers.

"Yeah, no," I rapidly shook my head, "no pent-up aggression here. Fresh out." Insert weak chuckle at my lame joke that was neither funny nor an actual joke.

"Suit yourself," he laughed, smacking the wall hard with an open palm this time. Then his back snapped straight and his face lit up, "Oh yeah! Before I forget…" he pivoted to his left, reaching into his messenger bag he'd hung up earlier and rooting around in it.

I snorted, "Done already?"

"Just giving that wall a breather," he said, not looking up from his searching. "We've found some other surface to bear the brunt of all our lovemaking for now, but we'll probably be back to this one later."

Oh gosh. Way to go, mouth, you just had to ask, didn't you? Just when my cheeks had begun settling down too.

"Ah! Found it!" he triumphantly pulled something out of the bag. Flopping back down to once more lay flat on the bed beside me, he held it out towards me, "Pour vous, ma petite amie jolie."

I squinted at the booklet in his hand. Or more precisely, a catalog. "Twilight University?" I read the bold lettering as I reached out to take it, staring at the image on the cover of a handful of young adults gathered around in a small circle of desks and looking photogenically excited about education.

"Yup! It's the course listings for next semester at my college. Lookie here," he opened the booklet up, leaving it propped in my hands as he started thumbing through it quickly. "Ah, there!" he stopped on a page, resting his head on my shoulder as he pointed to one of several listings that had been circled here. "They offer a few different introductory drama classes ya might be interested in."

I blinked down at the catalog as vague memories of a conversation I'd had with Lea last time I was here to help him study started coming back to me. "...you remembered?" I asked quietly.

"'Course!" I could feel his cheek pull into a smile against my shoulder. "It seemed important to you, so how could I forget?"

Honestly? I myself had forgotten. But to be fair, I had had a lot on my mind the past couple weeks, what with suddenly having a boyfriend now (pretend or otherwise), trying to figure out how to make a proper show of being a girlfriend, and stressing out over the all too soon to come visit with my parents. Frankly, my life had been turned upside down as of late and had become the very definition of insanity. There had just quite simply been no time to think about childhood fantasies of singing and performing in musicals.

But I guess… right here, right now in Lea's room, I had a bit of a reprieve. I mean, it's not like there was anything exactly pressing at this very moment, nothing that couldn't wait until tomorrow at least. I suppose I had a few seconds I could spare to entertain the thought. It couldn't hurt anything…

"...so where is Twilight University exactly?" I stretched my legs out to lay flat on the mattress, crossing my ankles and resting the open booklet down in my lap. "Is it close to my apartment?"

He hummed low in thought. "Probably a bit too far if you're on foot. But maybe we could carpool there. And hey," he lifted his head to glance over at me, "I still got a free elective course or two that I need to take. I could enroll in the class with ya!"

I felt a grin tugging at one corner of my lips as I looked back down at the catalog, absently trailing my fingers down one of the circled paragraphs. "I think I'd like that…"

"Yeah?" he asked softly and for a second I thought I might have sensed him leaning in a little closer. But it must have just been in my head, for now he was pulling away to flop over onto his back on his side of the bed once again, making a small cough into his fist. "I, uh… talked to my friends too. The ones who run the local community theater. You're in luck! They're between shows at the moment and are actually gonna be holding auditions soon for their next one. Sometime this week, I think. It's a musical too!"

"Really?" I returned my gaze to him, closing the booklet but using a finger to hold the page. A sigh then escaped me as I worried my bottom lip between my teeth, "I don't know… I doubt I'm ready for anything like that."

Lea shook his head with a chuckle, "Ready for what? Just to talk to 'em? It's not like you actually hafta audition or anything. Nah, you can just head down, meet them, get some deets… maybe find out the where and the when so you can go and just watch other people tryout, ya know? Just get a feel for it, if you want."

He made a good point. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious. I could go and just ask some questions, that's all. Surely, there would be no harm in that. "Maybe…"

"Well if you do decide you wanna drop in for a lil chat with them, their day job is over at Halloween Town in the mall. They should both be on the clock there around noon tomorrow. Ask for Jack or Sally and just tell 'em I sent ya," he jabbed a thumb into his chest with a big grin, "got it memorized?"

"Jack or Sally… okay," I nodded, responding with a small smile of my own. "I might do that. Thanks, Lea."

"Always happy to be of service! Now," he hopped up off the bed and made his way over to one of his shelves that was pure anarchy incarnate, "whaddya think? You up for a movie?"

The corners of my eyes crinkled and I set the catalog aside on the nightstand. "I could be. What are the options?"

He rubbed his chin, scrutinizing the mess crammed into the rack before pulling out a couple DVD cases, one from the top shelf and the other from somewhere in the middle. He held them up in either hand for me, "I'm thinking either Sixteen Candles or The Labyrinth. Thoughts?"

I looked between the two choices. Then my eyes scanned about the room and I frowned. "I'm thinking it's going to be hard to watch either of them without a TV."

"Without a-?" he blinked a couple times, looking over to his right. Then he sighed, "Hang on a sec," as he tossed the movies down onto the foot of the bed and made his way over to another towering pile of clothes against the wall directly across the room from his bed. "Watch and be amazed as I make a flat screen appear outta thin air in three… two…" he whipped the garments aside with a flourish, revealing the television beneath, "Ta-da!"

"Ah," I gave a polite clap and settled more comfortably down into his pillows, "I stand corrected. Though who needs movies when we have your amazing wizardry to keep us entertained?"

He scratched the back of his head, "Heh, it'd be a short magic show. 'Fraid I just got the one trick up my sleeve."

"Too bad." I paused, eyeing the DVD cases. "Make it a double feature?"

He snapped his fingers and snatched them both back up.

"Girl after my own heart. Pure genius."

Author's Note: Ah, yet another classic cliché for the books: our couple encounters one room, one bed for the night xD Also, fun fact: I started out this chapter stumped for what they should be talking about over dinner. Then I asked my bestie, who simply said: "gummi ships." And I just laughed it off at first, all "naw, that wouldn't make sense for this AU." But then it churned in my mind for a few minutes and I was like "wait… no… I think I can make this work…" And thus the Global Union for Multigalactic Mobility Investigation aka GUMMI Space Program aka NASA rip-off was born xD And further thus, Lea being an alien conspiracy-nut JUST for the sake of pissing of his space-loving half-bro was born xP Anyhoo! For those of you who haven't seen Frozen 2 yet (for shame, it's SO good, I demand you go out and watch it THIS INSTANT), Bruni the salamander is from that! He's a fire spirit in the movie with legit fire powers, so I got excited to give the fire boi a fire lizard for a pet! Also, maybe you can start to see the inklings of actual plot starting to sneak back into this story xD Slowly, we'll get back on course, but not before at least one more hijinks-y misadventure takes place… hehehe…

What does the next chapter hold in store for out couple? What new challenges could their budding fake relationship face? Is Elsa really going to pursue any sort of acting class or community theater? Will Lea ever follow his realtor aspirations he seemed so passionate about? Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading, I super duper appreciate it! And an extra BIG thank you to those of you who’ve liked, reblogged, and followed so far, seeing those lil notifications always brings the biggest, goofiest smile to my face!

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

[badcowboy69]

High Kaydia Heartthrob

Here’s a small bit of an AU of sorts having Travis and his husband Riley featured in the universe I created years ago.  It’s a planet that’s all “old west” but with some modern luxuries to it.  It’s all part of my almost 500 page novel I wrote about me and my bad cowboy.  And before anyone asks, NO you cannot read it nor will it ever be posted anywhere.  It’s a guarded treat I only let those near and dear to my heart read.  Anyhoo...this is a small spin off of sorts from the saga @fuzzyelves and I created recently.  I hope anyone that reads this enjoys it and I’m more than willing to answer any questions about it. Placed under the cut for length.  Enjoy!

My ride home from High Kaydia was finally over and I wearily guided my horse, Chance, up the dirt path of my parents’ ranch to the shaded comfort of the barn.  The ranch was quiet, which was unusual, but for that I was thankful.  I wasn’t wanting to deal with my parents and their curious questions right now.  My mind was already a flurry of activity and I didn’t want it clouded with anything else.  

Dismounting, I began to remove Chance’s tack and put it to the side so I could tend to his needs first.  I wiped the sweat and froth from his body then checked and cleaned his hooves.  Satisfied with his well being, I led him to the gate leading to the pasture and let him loose.  He gave a shrill whinney seeing his friends and galloped off.  I sighed as I watched him run with Ghost, Domino, Sundance, and all the other horses of my mom’s small herd.  My thoughts went to Riley’s horse, Indigo, and I imagined her running alongside them.

“Shit!”  My daydream shattered as I remembered I promised to call Riley to let him know I arrived home safely.  Jogging back to the barn, I gathered up my pack and quickly made my way to the house.  Stepping inside I noticed how empty and quiet it was and I wondered where my folks were.  Then again, maybe it was better I didn’t know!  Blushing at the thought, I went to the phone and fished Riley’s number out of my wallet.  After requesting to be connected, I stood nervously while twisting the phone cord around my fingers in anticipation.

“White’s General and Supply.  Riley speaking.”

My heart about soared hearing the smooth tones of Riley’s voice and a pleasant wash of warmth surged through me.  “Hey there, mister.  Wondering if y’all got any sickle blades in stock?”

Following a small bit of silence, I heard a soft gasp on the other end followed by, “Oh, Travis it’s you!  I take it you’re home now?”

“Yeah, not happily, though.  I really wish I coulda stayed on another night,” I frowned, finding an unfamiliar yearning in my entire being to be in Riley’s company once again.  

“Likewise.” was the short answer followed by an uncomfortable pause.  I knew he had to be missing me like I was him.  At least I hoped.  After a few moments, he continued.  “I...I really had a great time with you last night, Travis. I hope that we can hang out and do it again very soon.”

I nodded to myself then directed my eyes towards the window hearing my mom’s joyful laughter from somewhere outside.  I had to make this quick.  “M-me too.  Um...listen, my folks are gonna be here any minute now and I’m sure they’re gonna harass me about stuff so I better scoot.  I’ll try and give you a call tonight if you want.”

“That sounds good.  Actually, I can call you if you’d like?  After dinner maybe?  We could probably discuss plans about my coming to visit you.  Maybe later this week?  How does that sound?”

I couldn’t contain the huge grin that spread across my face hearing that.  He truly did want to continue seeing me!  I cleared my throat and pushed my hat off my brow.  “S-sounds perfect!  I’ll...I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you then.  Thanks again for everything.  Talk to you soon!”  After I heard him bid me goodbye for now, I hung up the phone and sighed.  I didn’t want to miss him, but I did.  I only hoped it wouldn’t be too long until we saw one another again.

The screen door squeaked loudly indicating that someone entered the house and I turned to see my mom carrying a basket of eggs.  “Well, there’s my adventurous son home at last!” she exclaimed while putting the basket on the counter.  “How was your trip?  Did you manage to get the saw blades?”

“Y-yeah, I did.  Got ‘em in my saddlebags back in the barn.  I have to get ‘em and put my gear away soon.  Thought I’d come in and get a cold drink, first.”  Giving one last glance at the phone, I went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer.  As I twisted off the cap, I noticed my mom was leaning against the counter with her arms crossed in front of her chest and a knowing smile on her lips.  I felt my cheeks warm with a blush and I quickly turned away.  “I...uhh...I better go and get those blades and tack put away afore pa gets sore at me leaving things lying around.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” she replied.  

I felt her eyes still on me as I guzzled down the beer.  I was about to put the empty bottle on the counter when she stepped in front of me and placed her hand on my arm.  I looked sheepishly at her and bit my lower lip.  “Anything wrong?”

“What’s he like?”

I paled.  “Wh-who?”

“The man in High Kaydia who caught your fancy.  Travis, you can deny it all you want, but a mother knows these things.” 

I rubbed the back of my neck and looked away, but felt her hand on my cheek turning me face her again.  “It’s nothing to be upset about.  I’m glad you found someone who’s special enough for you to keep busting up blades over and making a two hour ride to go and get.  I take it he’s a store keep?”

I nodded shortly making her smile gently.  She patted my cheek and nodded in approval.  “Well, whenever you’re ready to share details about him, I’d love to hear them.”  She pulled me into a tight hug and sighed.  “And don’t worry about your father.  As much as he squawks about that town, he’ll trust your judgement.  Now, go get your stuff put away before he does find something to squawk about.”

Nodding, I pulled from her embrace and hurriedly slipped out the backdoor and headed to the barn.  As I hung up the new sickle blades in the workshop, I heard my pa’s fox cries of “Yip, yip, yip!” out in the distance indicating that he was herding up our few cows for their routine inspection.  I was glad as it also meant he wouldn’t be crossing my path anytime soon.  Even though ma said he wouldn’t have issues with my having a possible love interest in High Kaydia, I still didn’t want to deal with any probing questions or comments.

Love interest?  

I snorted at that thought and began to give my tack the once over before putting it all away in their appropriate spots.  Heading back to the house, my mind drifted to Riley again.  Could he truly become a love interest?  I sure would like to hope so.  Although romancing and stuff really isn’t something I’m all too familiar with, I ain’t exactly too green with it either.  Mostly it was the random cowboy that moseyed onto our ranch looking for temporary help before he continued on his way.  Handsome face, kind heart, sweet talker.  Never amounted to anything, really.  Maybe a few casual outings...usually a smooch or two, maybe a handjob, but I never let it go beyond that.  Why bother?  Why get emotionally and physically involved with someone I probably would never see again?  Or even want to.  Shit like that always left me feeling unsatisfied and dirty anyways.  I also never pictured myself to be the relationship kind of guy none either.

So, why Riley?  What makes my feelings for him different?  

I grabbed another beer from the fridge before continuing to my room, scooping up my discarded pack along the way.  I slung it on the bed and closed the door with a sigh as I twisted the cap off my bottle and took a deep drink almost emptying it.  “Dammit.”  I sat heavily on the bed and pulled off my boots, wiggling my toes to get the circulation back in them from being cramped up from the long ride home.  Flopping backwards, I closed my eyes and draped my arm over my brow.  I wanted to nap, but now that I was alone and relaxing, my mind had other ideas.

Riley.

Again with Riley.  

I groaned and rubbed my face with my hands then stared up at the ceiling.  There was no denying I had it bad for him and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.  It couldn’t be bad, though, could it?  I mean, he made me feel great!  I love listening to him talk and I love simply being in his company.  I love hearing him laugh at my dumb jokes or antics.  I love the surge of warmth or tingles that went through me from any thought, any touch...any time those gorgeous blue eyes of his gazed at me.  And don’t even get me started about that red hair!

Lordy!  When he permitted me to touch it last night I could have died right there on the spot!  

I rolled over on my side, grabbed my pillow, and clutched it tightly to my chest.  My arms ached to hold him again.  My lips ached to kiss him again.  I started yearning to have his body pressed against mine like it was last night when we kissed goodnight in the shadows along the side of the bed and bath.  The first kiss we shared by the campfire was plenty amazing as it was, but the goodnight kiss?  Woo boy!  I never wanted it to end!  

Riley had me backed against the side of the house with his hands clutching my hips keeping me close against him.  My hands were busy fussing with his amazing red hair, of course.  Riley was murmuring a few gentle compliments, but I hardly heard them 'cause my concentration was somewhere else...mostly on how close we were.  I held him tight, my fingers pressed against his back while I secretly wished for our shirts to be off.  I wanted so badly to feel the heat of his freckled skin against mine in the cool evening air.     

I now began wondering just how much hair covered his chest and I not only imagined myself gliding my hands over it, but also found myself shifting my thoughts to his freckles.  I also began to wonder to what extent those freckles went on him and if I’d be lucky enough to touch every one someday.  Did they cover his back?  Did they dot his legs?  Hell, did they go throughout his inner thighs?  The hell with touching them, I think I’d much rather glide my tongue over them!  A groan escaped my throat with that fantasy and once again I imagined us up in a hay loft.  To explore him in those small, but intimate ways would surely be a dream come true!

I sighed and turned over onto my back, still clutching my pillow against me.  I also discovered my left hand had a will of its own and it managed to slip down the front of my britches without my even realizing.  I blushed and immediately yanked my hand from there.  What the hell is wrong with me?  I ain’t never felt like this way about nobody before.  As badly as I wouldn’t mind getting closer to him than our light smooches and touches, I really wanted to learn a bit more about him along the way.  I mean, you could find someone that could be the best lay in the world, but if they were a horrible or boring person then no amount of fucking would be worth it.

Thankfully, I already knew from the small bit of time spent with Riley there was no way in hell he was boring.  So far every moment we were together was fun and amazing.  Hell, every time I was around him I felt my heart soar!  And with his gentle personality I seriously doubted he was a horrible person none either.  Still, there was so much more to learn about him and I truly hoped he’ll teach me for a long, long time to come.  

  Fin~  for now....

[fullmetalscullyy]

day 10 - last christmas - wham

the magic of christmas time - royai advent calender

24 days - 24 oneshots | with angst, fluff, and everything in between | both canon and au

a collection of christmas themed oneshots to celebrate royai | chapter prompts based on my favourite christmas songs

read on ao3

this year, to save me from tears

i'll give it to someone special

Roy walked up the stairwell. As he ascended higher, the knot in his stomach grew tighter. He still felt guilty about how he’d treated Riza on Christmas a few days ago, so was setting out to make things right. Maes seemed very put out and worried about the whole situation, so Roy offered to get the apology train moving. It was the least he could do. First, he made her flee the room because he’d made it awkward and fought with his ex.

Truth be told, he hadn’t even thought about Solaris since Christmas Day… Another woman with whisky coloured eyes had taken up his focus instead…

What made his actions worse, was he’d forced her outside in the bitter cold and the snow, leaving her shivering and slightly damp when she entered the Hughes’ home again. Then, he’d – loudly – declined the offer to go out with her. It wasn’t personal, but Riza probably wasn’t aware of that.

The thump of music reached him from behind the closed door. Roy took a deep breath and rapped his knuckles against the wood, awaiting her to open the door so he could say his piece. Whether it would be welcome or not, Roy didn’t know, but he had to try.

The door flew open and a woman who wasn’t Riza blinked back at him. “Can I help you?” she asked. So, this was the apartment the music was blaring out of. He didn’t peg Riza the type to listen to blaring pop music, however he didn’t even know her, so Roy wasn’t sure where that thought had come from.

“I’m here to speak to Riza.”

“Riza!” she called loudly over her shoulder into the apartment. The brunette turned on her heel and left, her hair swishing as she moved. Roy watched, left standing awkwardly in the doorway for some time, as the brunette sauntered over to the couch and sat down, folding her feet underneath her. She picked up her game controller then resumed playing, her eyes glued to the screen.

Riza’s curious expression tore Roy away from the brunette. The curious look fell, replaced by something unreadable, and Roy’s stomach tightened again. He didn’t want her to look at him that way, for some reason.

“I apologise for Rebecca’s loud music,” she stated softly, closing the apartment door slightly behind her. It wasn’t closed but closed enough so they’d have some privacy. “How can I help you, Mr. Mustang?” Riza asked. The formality was back and there was a hardness in her eyes now that they were on her territory.

“I came to apologise.”

“What for?” she asked casually. As if she didn’t know.

Roy let out a long breath. “For my behaviour.”

“I’d say it was warranted,” she quipped.

Confused, Roy cocked his head. “How?”

“No offense, but your girlfriend like a bitch.”

Roy blinked at her in shock, then his amusement took over. He laughed. “She is. And don’t worry, she’s not my girlfriend.”

Riza’s friend cleared her throat, behind them, interrupting the moment between them. The door opened, revealing her hard look.

“Are you coming in or what?” she asked Roy.

He opened his mouth to reply, but Riza beat him to it. “He’s just here to visit –”

“You’re letting the heat out,” Rebecca interrupted abruptly.

“We’re just going to talk,” Riza reassured her. There was no harshness in her tone though, just a gentle reassurance, which said something because this girl’s tone was rubbing Roy up the wrong way.

“Well,” Rebecca started slowly, giving Roy a once over. “If he’s the booty call just bring him into the heat.” With such an abrupt statement, Roy was left stunned. Riza’s cheeks turned a bright shade of pink.

Riza glared at her. “He’s not, I can assure you of that,” she muttered.

Rebecca groaned. “So what? Just invite him in if you’re going to talk. I’m hungry and want to eat.”

Riza glared at the back of her friend’s head.

“Ah, ah!” Rebecca called loudly, holding up a hand to say stop as soon as Roy crossed the threshold. Then she pointed upwards with a finger, and Roy’s stomach sunk when he saw the mistletoe above him. Surely not, right? “Smooch tax.”

“Rebecca,” Riza warned.

“Smooch tax?” Roy asked at the same time, muttering it quietly to himself.

“Smooch tax,” Rebecca confirmed. She marched up to Roy and pressed her lips against his, leaving him stunned and making an indignant sound at the back of his throat. “Eh… It was okay,” she shrugged, then walked back to her spot on the couch.

“What…?” Roy asked bewildered.

“Ignore her,” Riza muttered darkly, but there was a nervousness in her voice. Roy wondered why –

Riza began to walk away from him but was stopped by another loud protest from Rebecca. “Smooch tax,” Rebecca stressed, shooting Riza, and then Roy, a pointed look.

“Fine,” Riza growled, and turned to face Roy. She was nervous and obviously didn’t want to. He opened his mouth to tell her she didn’t need to – the last thing he wanted to do was put her off him even more – but before Roy could, Riza closed in. Her lips were soft against his, and something burst forth inside of him. It coiled in his stomach and rose up into his chest, spreading across it as Riza’s lips still lingered on his. When her hands rose to rest against his chest, Roy wrapped one of his arms around her tightly, suddenly feeling the need to be as close to her as possible, while the other rose to her face, cupping her cheek in the palm of his hand. A whispered moan left her, and it spurred on this sudden hunger inside of him. Unsure of what had brought this on, Roy continued with it. It felt amazing, kissing Riza, and he wasn’t quite sure he ever wanted to stop.

She pulled away, breathless, but didn’t tear her gaze away. Her lips were red and swollen, begging to be kissed again. Roy pecked her lightly on her lips – unable to help himself at the sight – and when he pulled away, there was a quiet noise of protest from her, and Roy couldn’t help it. He smiled. It caused Riza’s face to turn pink, but he didn’t care.

Solaris was so far out of his head now, and Riza had now occupied it wholly. His heart sang at the thought, ready to embrace these new feelings that were stirring inside of him. He’d taken his heart back from Solaris, who had tread and stomped on it under the heel of her shoe. This time, he’d make sure he gave it to someone special, and it looked like it might be Riza.

The skin of her face was soft and smooth underneath his fingers. Unable to stop himself, he swiped his thumb across her cheekbone as if to test it if it was as smooth as it looked. Riza shivered underneath his touch and gripped his bicep harder. She tugged him in close again, initiating a third kiss and who was Roy to deny her of that, especially when it felt so good?

His stomach was vaulting inside of him, his heart rejoicing in his chest as he lightly brushed his tongue against her lips. Her mouth opened and they were lost to one another.

Roy didn’t know how long it was until the broke apart. All he knew was Riza’s friend loudly cleared her throat, causing Riza to jerk away from him, her face the colour of a tomato. Roy’s own face heat up, but he wasn’t sure if that was

But she didn’t pull away.

“I knew there was more to it when you were complaining about him,” Rebecca grinned. “The power of the smooch tax,” she added, seemingly very proud of herself.

[oumiyuki]

The Best Medicine is Snuggles

Summary: You is sick. Chika wants to take care of her. And so…they end up snuggling in bed. 

Pairing: YouChika

Genre: Fluff, Romance, Sickfic

Words: 1637

Read me at fanfiction.net or AO3 too~

Author Notes

Writer mum said “Get off Tumblr. You should be writing” and I’m a good kid, so I did. XD

This story is dedicated to chika-chan <3

May you enjoy~

 It didn’t take a genius to know that You was sick. It only took a Chika to notice those well-hidden signs as You did her best to put up a strong front. But try as she might, the moment concerned scarlet eyes was locked on the swimmer with an unusually pale complexion, her secret was exposed.

“You-chan.” Chika gave the ash-brunette a chance.

“Mm?” You turns to the orangehead with a chirpy grin.

Nice try, but…

Chika jumps in front of her best friend, lifts her hands high into a salute and big smile as she shouts “Full speed ahead~!” and through it all, her eyes never left You as she watched You lagged to respond.

“…Yousoro!” You takes a few seconds too long to return with her catchphrase and lift a shaky hand up to her forehead in a salute.

I knew it.

Chika sighs, grabs You’s hand, ignoring the surprised yelp from You and presses their foreheads together before You could even complain.

“Chi-Chika-chan?”

Still trying to hide it? You sure are stubborn.

Chika pouts with purpose as she made her expression to be stern. “You’re sick.”

You blinks a multitude of guilty times, unable to look her best friend in the eye now. “I-I’m…I’m not..?”

Chika sighs exaggeratedly louder, seeing You flinch at the sound; she knew You never liked hearing upset sounds from her. She also knew that You is really bad at keeping things from her. “So, what are you.”

It wasn’t even a question now. You lowered her head as she confessed. “I’m sick…”

Chika smiles. “Good. Now let’s go home and get you nursed!”

You’s cheeks flushed red. “You don’t have to follow me home…I can get back myself-”

Chika raises both eyebrows at You who sniffled twice too many times in less than a minute; letting Chika know that You was coming down with a cold, if not already. And that state caused You to say something ridiculous.

Part of me wants to think this is cute. But You-chan is always trying to be tough. And I much rather she relies on me more! Muuuu!

Chika holds You’s hand tighter and pulls her along.

“Chika-chan…”

“We live in the same house, dummy…” Chika looks to the side, hoping You can’t see her own blushing face.

We live in the same house…Don’t forget that. Sheesh.

It was only after two minutes of walking before You goes, “Oh…” Sniffles loudly before turning her head away with a cough and then turns back to smile sheepishly. “Sorry…”

Chika shakes her head. “Don’t say sorry. Sneeze when you need to. Cough when you have to. And let me hear and see all of them. Cos I’m your nurse!”

You smiles then covers her mouth as she coughs again. “And my doctor?”

“And your doctor!” Chika beams and squeezes their still connected hands.

  Now back home in their shared apartment, Chika ushers You into the shower and helps You dry her hair when done.

You-chan is kind of like an obedient puppy with her hair ruffled like that and not complaining…

Chika moves the towel lower to clean the back of You’s ears, thinking of how much the ash-brunette reminds her of a dog and wanting to pet You more.

You’s cough breaks Chika out of her distracted thoughts but before the orangehead could go back into worry mode, You places her hands on Chika’s. “Chika-chan…”

“Mm?” Chika brings the towel over You’s hair once more before waiting for her girlfriend to continue.

Could she tell I was thinking of her as a cute dog?

“You can go do whatever you want now…” You takes the towel from Chika to dry her hair herself.

“What?” Chika doesn’t leave the room as she couldn’t tell what You meant by that. She was her nurse! And doctor!

You turns back around. “It’s just afternoon…You should go do what you normally would do. Spend the day normally…” You sneezes and groans a little from feeling weak. “Mm…And anyways, Chika-chan being healthy and energetic as per normal will help me feel better.”

You climbs onto the bed and sits there to make a point. “So go. I’ll be resting up now.”

Chika makes a face; thinking, contemplating, worrying, and finding the ash-brunette adorable for still thinking of her first when she’s the one that’s sick. “Alright. Call me if you need anything.”

You returns a smile as she lifts her hand up to make a fake phone over her ears. “I’ll ring the emergency contact.”

Chika laughs and mimics the phone finger to her ear. “And I’ll pick up before three rings.” The orangehead winks in exaggeration causing You to laugh.

That laugh, however, becomes a coughing fit and Chika hurries over to pat You’s back. “Hey…Sorry, are you alright.”

In between coughs, You shakes her head and waves her hand to kind of let Chika know she’s alright. “Ah…I’m alright. I’m okay.” You coughs a little more and furrows her eyebrows, not wanting to worry Chika more than she already is doing. “Go outside. Don’t want ya catching my cold…”

You pulls the covers over herself, lies down and points to the door.

Chika rolls her eyes at her girlfriend’s adamant behaviour. “Aye, aye.”

If you weren’t sick, I’d sit on you.

Chika pouts at the head of ash-grey before exiting the room.

 Chika ponders to herself what she would be doing if it was a normal day while sitting on the couch. “Hmm…Usually, I’d…”

Scarlet eyes scanned the house, pass the dining table, in the kitchen, the living room walls…and onto some photos, they put up of the two of them. “…Hang out with You-chan. Mess around with You-chan. Joke with You-chan…”

Everything has to do with You-chan.

Chika drops her head on the sofa’s headrest and blows at her hair. “This is boring.”

I mean…Even if I did my own thing, I feel like You-chan would be involved somehow.

Chika grabs her phone off the table and then plops back down on the sofa. “I would text You-chan just to disturb her, no?”

The orangehead scrolls her messages and other social media messaging systems. A smile grows on her face as she reads through the antics You and her does almost daily. “She’s such a dork.”

Hehe~ My dork though~

“Chika…chan… Chika-chan…”

Chika switches her phone screen off and looks to the room. “You-chan?”

The orangehead pokes her head in the room to see her girlfriend huddled under the blanket as she left her but this time, her hair seemed more all over the place and her face smooched in another pillow You was hugging tightly and murmuring her name into.

“Chika…chan…”

Chika feels her heart squeeze at the scene and her cheeks warming too.

She walks over to get a better look. Seeing You all vulnerable; face flushed, a clear sign that she was starting to get a fever, and nose very much red, and a rough breathing sound from the sore throat. But through it all…You would keep mumbling her name in her light slumber.

If you want me…

Chika climbs into bed, going under the covers.

Don’t ask me to stay outside.

You opens her eyes to look blearily at who joined her. She sniffles and croakily speaks. “Chika…-chan…It’s not night yet-”

“It doesn’t have to be night for me to take care of you, You-chan.” Chika speaks relatively sternly before her gaze soften as You took in a big breath and tried to hold back a cough.

“But…”

“No buts.” Chika shuffles closer, grabbing the stand-in pillow-Chika away from a flushed face, stuffed nose You that whined pathetically but cutely at that.

Ugh, it’s like I took a soft toy from a kid. I love her when she’s so sick too!

Chika clears her throat for her slightly embarrassing thoughts. “You’ve got the real thing now.” The orangehead speaks gently as she wraps You in her arms, letting the ash-brunette’s face nestle in her chest. “Comfy?”

You hums and comments unthinkingly (possibly the fever’s doing). “Would be better...without the bra…”

Eh?

Chika blushes; not used to such a straightforward You about things like bras and panties when it isn’t about designs. Chika sits up without warning, leaving a pouting You to whine at the loss of warmth who goes silent when she sees Chika’s hands behind the orangehead’s back and her shirt was shifting from the front.

I’m only doing this for you cos you’re sick…

When You blinks again, she was presented with a sight of her girlfriend dangling a light orange bra in front of her eyes before dropping it over the bed.

And maybe to get you blushing!

You lifts a hand to rub her eyes, wondering if it’s a dream.

Chika chuckles; embarrassment and nervousness mixed in. “It’s real, silly. And…this is just for you. Just so you know…”

Just for You-chan…

Chika makes herself comfortable beside You again; her hands around You’s back, pulling her down with the cold girlfriend close. Purposefully resting the ash-brunette’s head in her chest again. “Better?”

You nods and relaxes in Chika’s embrace; warm and soft. “Chika-chan…”

“Mm…You-chan…” Chika closes her eyes, relaxing fully with You in her arms, listening to the swimmer’s breathing as she later drifts to sleepy land with You.

 You wakes later to blush harder as she knows that Chika is braless and pretends to be asleep when Chika wakes after. Chika knows that You is feigning sleep since You was blushing so hard and in turn makes her extra blushy too.

This is just for You-chan!

Stop blushing so hard it’s not that embarrassing!

You’re making me embarrassed too!

“Chika-chan…” You speaks in blush language.

Chika grumbles and hugs You tighter. “What.”

“Th-Thank you?”

“Mmmmmmmmmmm.” Chika drags on as she really didn’t know what to say.

 Author Notes

When we can’t stop blushing…can we just keep snuggling? XD ahhh gosh, they are both so cute!

I’m guessing You and Chika falls back asleep again to avoid the blush-inducing situation. With all this extra sleep, You recovers and they are back to normal again. :3

Normal in the sense of naturally flirting of course ;D

Leave a comment if you like! (Our two love birds are busy snuggling after all! Waking to your comments would make them smiley! :D)

See you next yousoro~! ^w^7

[isolavirtuosa]

Starting Over (For Real?) 27-28

[fanfiction] NaruSasu

Read the previous parts here.

- 27 -

  “Have you two been having intercourse?” Kakashi asked, shaking his head.

“Get out,” I replied, swirling my sharingan back at him.

“It’s kind of important,” Kakashi said, unfazed.

“Is it worth your life?” I asked.

Naruto kissed my neck sleepily.  “Sassy Baby, just let him talk.”

I glared at him and he didn’t even notice.

“Yes, Sassy Baby, let me tell you about how we are getting the fuck out of here,” Kakashi said cheerfully.

Naruto and I didn’t move; me because I didn’t care and Naruto because he was sleeping.

“ANBU!” Kakashi yelled, throwing his arms up in the air and waving them around.

Naruto started awake.

I stared.

Kakashi sighed.  “It seems that Lightning’s depleted manpower and resources has led them to make an alliance with Hyuuga.”

“Huh?” Naruto said, rubbing his eyes.

“Konoha ANBU are policing the Land of Lightning and we’re all in their Bingo Books,” Kakashi concluded, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

“What is a Konoha ANBU compared to us?” I snorted.

“Don’t get cocky, love,” Naruto said, kissing my neck again.  He seemed to get distracted, kissing it some more.

“Just because you’re an indecisive castrato…”

“I’m going to find out what that word means,” he growled at me, burying his teeth into my flesh.

I moaned.  Much more loudly than I intended.  Which was to say, that I hadn’t intended to moan at all.

“Well, that makes sense,” Naruto muttered, smooching the abused flesh before sitting up properly and stretching his arms over his head.  “Masochistic sadist…”

I didn’t look at him.

“And I’m not indecisive,” he said, retracing the conversation.  “I just understand that there are consequences to my decisions.”

“So you don’t make decisions at all.”

“Just because I don’t make the decisions that you want me to make doesn’t mean that I’m not making decisions.”

“Okay.”

Naruto started to frown, then shook his head.  “Let’s go, Hot Stuff.”

“You’re going to let some pathetic ANBU chase us out of town?”

“Yeah,” he said with a shrug.  “Let’s go back to Suna.  They have food and supplies, and Sakura-ch… Sakura got Baa-chan there.  Gaara’s there.  It’s the best place to set up.”

“You don’t want to charge into Water and take out the daimyou’s anti-ninja forces?”

“Of course I do, but we need a plan first.”

“You are an alien,” I declared, finally getting up and picking the rest of my clothes up off of the floor.

Naruto was clearly annoyed with me, but didn’t say anything else.

I didn’t particularly feel like being chased out of town by some pissant ANBU, but I followed Naruto down to the lobby anyway.

Karin and Sai were sitting there, talking quietly.

I simultaneously wanted to know every word that they were saying to each other and did not want to know at all what those two could possibly have to talk about.

“Naruto,” Karin said warmly.  “Sasuke,” she added coolly.

I rolled my eyes.  Karin was apparently permanently stuck in her Jekyll and Hyde personality.

“I thought you banged,” Sai commented.  “But you look tense and unrefreshed.”

“Don’t say banged,” I said.

“But you told me not to say fornicated,” he protested.

“Don’t say that either,” I said.  “Stop talking about other people’s sex lives.”

“But that’s what adult males talk about…”

“He has a point,” Karin agreed.

Naruto stayed out of it, which was irritating.

“Anyway, what are we doing here?” I asked.  “It’s our first chance to sleep not on a shitty boat or a shitty forest in weeks, and we’re fleeing from pathetic ANBU?”

“The bounty on your head is the biggest,” Sai said cheerfully.

I tried not to preen.  “Oh?”

“Kill on sight.”

Naruto flinched.

“I’d love to see them try,” I hummed.

“Your main charge is killing that Hyuuga,” Sai explained.  “Kakashi and I are wanted dead or alive for desertion, Sakura is wanted dead for,” he paused and proceeded to make the most exaggerated air quotes I had ever seen, “kidnapping the hokage, Karin here is wanted dead or alive for crimes related to her exploits with your Team Taka and Orochimaru, and Naruto, well he’s just wanted alive for questioning.”

“…what?” Naruto said.

“They think they can still get you back,” I said, rolling my eyes.

He frowned.

“Maybe we should make a statement.”

“A murdery one?” he asked, not looking amused.

“I was thinking more Naruto-style childish prank, but I see what you think of me.”

“Why do you have to make everything into a fight?”

“It’s what I do.”

“Well, get another thing to do.”

“Okay.  So did you want to embarrass the hell out of the ANBU or not?”

Naruto paused.  “What kind of embarrassment?” he asked, looking slightly interested.

“Uchiha, I know you’ve shielded us with a genjutsu and all, but is it possible that those gentlemen over there are seeing through it?” Sai interrupted.

I glanced out the window where he was pointing.  “Seems like,” I observed as the two men pretended not to be spying on us when they obviously were.

“I’m pretty sure they look familiar under their own henge,” Sai hummed.  “So you were saying something about embarrassment…?”

I felt a grin slide across my lips.

“Oooh, Sasuke is scheming,” Karin said, getting interested.

It wasn’t so much a scheme as me being all-powerful and petty.

Sakura and Kakashi hadn’t made an appearance, so they were left out of the plan.

Sai and I strolled out of the inn together, leaving Naruto and Karin behind.

“Well, it seems they’ve taken the bait,” Sai hummed, sticking his hands in his pockets as we walked.

“Are all ANBU this stupid?” I asked him.

“They’re lower down in the hierarchy,” Sai explained.  “This is clearly not where Hyuuga was expecting us to resurface.”

“So he’s an idiot,” I said, nodding.  “Of course the men following him would also be idiots.  How can he possibly not know that we’ve been heading north through the Land of Water?”

“Because the spy network was disrupted in Water due to the daimyou’s war on ninjas and all that.”

I looked at him.

“Hm?” he asked.

I shook my head.  “I’m not used to dealing with logical, intelligent people.”

“Am I keeping you on your toes?” he asked, grinning his awkward grin.

“Kind of.”

His grin widened.

I suddenly realized that Sai and I actually were friends.

“What are you frowning about?” he asked, still looking happy.

“We need to get clear of the town,” I said, jumping up to the rooftops.

“Okay, boss,” he agreed, following me.

We hit the edge of town soon enough.

“Have they figured it out yet?” I asked, not bothering to look over my shoulder.

“No, I do not believe they have,” Sai said.

We stopped at the tree line, and finally turned to face the two men who were following us.

They were quite far behind us, and they casually ducked out of sight.  ANBU must have had a minimum recruiting standard.

“Should we try and look more vulnerable?” Sai suggested.  “Maybe we should undress.”

I let out a very undignified laugh.  “You are so fucking weird.”

“I’m creative,” he challenged me.

“I think you just want to see me naked,” I said with a shrug.

“Eh.”

“I’m sorry, did you just ‘eh’ the amazing body that is Uchiha Sasuke?” I asked incredulously.

“You’re so cute when you’re full of yourself,” Sai cooed, pinching my cheek.

“Are you thinking of joining your little ANBU brothers in their humiliation?” I asked, smiling at him.

“You are terrifying,” Sai said agreeably as he let go of my cheek.

That was good to hear since I felt like a neutered dog most of the time.  “Do they really think that we don’t know they’ve been following us?” I asked.

“Oh, we knew,” a man said, rising up from the ground in between us.

“What’s the point of the element of surprise if you waste it on one-liners?” Sai asked, kicking the man in the head and sending him flying across the landscape.

Usually only Naruto could make me laugh, but I cracked up.

Sai looked very pleased with himself.  “You liked that?”

“I did.”

He beamed.

The other ANBU was sneaking up on us, so I decided to take a page from superpowered Kamenosuke and did a quick seal, shooting fire from my finger.

He leapt out of the way, but Sai already had his brush out, furiously painting a lion that dove from the scroll straight at the ANBU.

I spun around to parry the next attack from the ANBU who had been kicked, only to find Naruto blasting him away.

“Hi,” he said, grinning and leaning in for a kiss.

It was so completely inappropriate to be kissing in the middle of a battle.  I sighed loudly before pressing my lips to his.

Naruto grinned into the kiss, and when he pulled away he waggled his eyebrows at me before charging back into battle.

That left me with… nothing to do.

Karin slid up beside me, resting her arm on my shoulder.

I looked at the offending arm.

Karin continued to play it nonchalant.  “Well, it seems to be going well.”

I looked at her.

“I really love you, you know,” she informed me.

I raised an eyebrow.

“But you’re a total asshole,” she concluded, moving away.

“Good to know,” I said.

Karin rolled her eyes at me.  “You can pretend you don’t care all you want, but eventually everyone’s going to get sick of it.”

“Can’t wait.”

She smacked me in the arm.

I stared at her.

“You’re going to lose everything if you can’t let down your walls for more than five seconds.”

I continued to stare at her, feeling the truth of her words creep along my skin and doing my best to ignore them.

We watched the fights.

“Your boyfriend’s cute,” Karin finally said.  “I’m glad you could at least let go of your pride enough and finally be with him.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean, let go of my pride?”

“Okay, do you know how much you used to talk about Naruto?”

“First of all, no, I didn’t.  And second of all, what does that have to do with anything?”

“Oh my god, don’t even try that,” Karin said, shaking her head.  “If it wasn’t Itachi this and Danzo that, then it was Naruto, Naruto, Naruto.”

“That is not true.”

“See, at first you would try to be subtle.  ‘This idiot I used to know’ or some other euphemism.  So I didn’t realize that you were always talking about the same person.  But then it became very clear that before you came to Sound, there were like three people in your life, and the one you were always talking about-”

“Karin.”

“I was talking.”

“I know, and I wish you would stop.”

“Don’t want to hear the truth?”

“Not really, no.”

“Well, at least you’re honest about that,” she said.

Naruto waved to us from across the field, pointing to the unconscious ANBU on the ground.

I waved back.

“Shall we move on to the next step?” Sai asked, dragging an unconscious body behind him as he approached us.

“Yeah,” I said, no longer as enthused about what was clearly a childish and stupid idea.  I certainly wasn’t sulking about yet another person reminding me that my entire life revolved around Uzumaki Naruto.

I did cheer up slightly as the plan went into action.

“I want them to say ‘I’m with stupid!’” Naruto declared to Sai.

“‘I’m with stupid’?” Sai asked, letting his brush fly across the bare chest of one of our chained-up assailants.  “Is that like being ‘with child’?”

I took a breath.

“No, no, see, then you draw an arrow that points to the other ANBU!” Naruto explained happily.  “Do you get it?!”

Sai painted the arrow and studied the tableaux of ANBU he had created.  He tilted his head to the side, then smiled slowly.  “Ohhhh, I see.  It’s implying that the other ANBU is stupid.  Hurk hurk.”

Naruto nodded enthusiastically.

At the very least I’d accomplished my mission of getting Naruto to act his age.

Karin pulled our pictures out of their Bingo Books and replaced them in their pouches with a friendly note informing them that we were not to be followed.

We left the two ANBU tied to trees and stripped to their skivvies with matching ‘I’m with stupid’ inked across their chests.  We needed to move on before they were found, which would be very soon.

“Did I miss all the fun?” Kakashi asked, suddenly appearing in front of us.

Then he sucked us into his Kamui.

 - 28 -

  We were in Suna in almost a blink of an eye.

“Hey,” Temari greeted us coolly.

“Uh, hi,” Naruto said, scratching the back of his neck and looking around.

“Glad you could finally join us,” Sakura said, standing next to Temari.

We appeared to be in a hospital waiting room.

“Come,” Temari said to Naruto, already moving past a guard into the secured ward.

“Just me?” he asked, looking around at the rest of us as he moved forward.

“You and the disgraced acting hokage,” she said without looking back.

“That’s me!” Kakashi said delightedly.

The two of them followed Temari, and the door was swiftly shut behind them.

“Cool, so what are we here for?” I asked.

“Kankurou has rooms for us,” Sakura said, leading us out of the hospital.

“I had a perfectly good room in Lightning,” I pointed out.

“I’m sure you did,” she said, and there was an edge to it.

“No one minds that I’m here, right?” Karin said, looking around nervously as we moved down the stairs.  “I mean, I’ve never personally had any problems with the kazekage and his dramatically taller yet still apparently biologically related siblings, but…”

“You’re fine,” Sakura said.  “Sasuke’s the one who tried to fight Gaara to the death over Naruto’s hand-”

“That is not what we were fighting about!” I snapped.

Sakura cracked up, and Karin and Sai joined in.

“What the hell is so funny?” I growled.

“You,” Sai informed me in between chortles, “are the color of a tomato.”

“I got too much sun,” I snipped, trying to keep my face away from the hyena horde.

“You’ve been losing your cool a lot lately,” Sakura hummed.

“Didn’t I save your ass from Naruto?” I muttered.

She flinched at that.

“Don’t mind him,” Sai said, slinging an awkward arm around Sakura’s shoulder.  “He and I are in human training.”

“Human training?” Sakura repeated.

“Yes, since we’re both emotionless monsters,” he said cheerfully.

I wished I was an emotionless monster.  Everyone was starting to see through my façade, starting to realize that I wasn’t so cool and I wasn’t so mature and I wasn’t so together…  Starting to realize that my only good point was my relationship with Naruto, which I seemed hell-bent on destroying.

Karin poked me in the stomach.

I glared at her.

She grinned and threw the exit door open, flooding everyone’s eyes with sunlight.

Sakura lead us through a maze of streets until we finally arrived at what looked like a very nice apartment building.  “We’re still figuring things out, but for now they said we can stay here free-of-charge.”

“Not bad,” Karin hummed.

“Will we all be bunking together like best friends?” Sai asked hopefully.

“Uh, no,” Sakura said.  “We all have our own apartments.”  She proceeded to pass out keys.

“Are we really staying here?” I asked, looking the building up and down.  We’d been roughing it for so long that it just seemed strange to have a proper roof over our heads.

“Until circumstances change,” Sakura said vaguely.

I found myself alone for the first time in weeks… no, months, even.  I just lay on the floor and stared at the ceiling.  At some point I fell asleep, only to be awoken by the sound of someone pounding on my door.

I had a door.  With a lock.

“You’re fucking loud, Naruto,” I snarled, throwing the door open.

He stared up at me with his puppy dog eyes.  I thought it was an affectation at first, but the whites of his eyes were red from crying.

“Get in here,” I said with a sigh.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, sliding past me.

I closed the door and locked it.

Naruto stood in the middle of the small living room, seeming confused.

I sat on the couch.

He looked at me, hesitating.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, trying to look open and welcoming.

“You look like you’re gonna murder me with your eyes,” he sighed, slumping into the couch next to me.

I pursed my lips.

He grinned at that.  “It’s cute,” he said.  “When you try to be nice but you look like a psychopath.”

My purse turned into a scowl.

He leaned in and kissed the scowl off of my face.  “I really like you,” he said, grinning dopily.

Why did he have to be like this?  I couldn’t even look him in the eye.  “No.”

He laughed.  “‘No’ what?”

“Just no!” I said irritably.

“You are completely red, Sasuke.”

“Your eyes are mistaken.”

“At least your body is honest.”

I tensed up.

Naruto caught me in a one-armed hug, resting his cheek against my shoulder.

“Why were you crying?” I asked abruptly.  “Did the old lady finally bite it?”

“See, that’s where you cross the line,” he muttered, digging his teeth into my shoulder.

I let out a startled yelp.  His teeth were fucking sharp.

Naruto looked up at me, his teeth long and his eyes red.

I swirled my sharingan at him and Kyuubi immediately retreated, Naruto’s eyes fading back to blue.

He looked very unhappy.

“I’m… sorry,” I decided.

His eyes widened a little, but his expression softened.  “I appreciate that.”

I waited.

“They’re… they’re saying she’s not going to make it,” he finally said.  He swallowed.  “But she’s still alive, you know?  So why wouldn’t we do everything possible to keep her alive?  Obviously she’s still fighting.”

He still hadn’t told me what was going on, but I was good at reading between the lines.  The hokage was in a coma.  If Sai’s intel was right, she had probably been partially turned into a white zetsu.  That would make her a shell of her former self, even if she came out of the coma.

She was like a mother to Naruto.

“Sometimes we have to let go of the people we love,” I said.

That was clearly the wrong thing to say.

“You’re just like them,” he snarled, getting to his feet and stomping off.

Well, at least he could still act like a childish brat sometimes.

Just like me.

I got up and started looking for him.  I wasn’t sure which room was his, but it didn’t matter.  I could feel him.

He was on the floor below me, and actually answered the door before I knocked.  “Sorry,” he muttered, standing aside so I could come in.  “I wasn’t ready to hear that.”

“The running away thing is getting old,” I told him.

“Yeah,” he agreed, pushing his hand through his already messy hair.  “I don’t… know how to face things anymore.”

I looked at him, and he crumbled.  “Naruto?” I said, confused and worried.

He just sat on the floor, his knees pulled to his chest.  He shook his head, rocking himself back and forth.

“Naruto,” I repeated more sharply.

“I’m falling apart,” he whispered.

I didn’t know what to do.

Then those eyes looked up at me, and I found myself crouching beside him.  I hesitated before curving my hand behind his neck and pulling him into my chest.

His arm dropped from his knees and wrapped around me.

It was a very awkward position to be in in the middle of his entryway.  I couldn’t relax, I couldn’t just comfort him, and it made me even more tense.

Naruto sat up, and shoved me in the chest.

I hadn’t expected it and fell flat on my back.

“I need you,” he said, staring down at me.

I felt almost helpless.

“Sasuke,” he said, hurt, tired, and disappointed.

“What… do I do…?” I asked.

“Sasuke.”

“What do you want from me?!” I snapped, feeling the frustration transform into anger.

“I want you to be here,” he said, his own voice rising.  “I want you to care.”

“I do care!”

“Then try acting like it.”

“I don’t know how!”

“Then fucking figure it out!”

I sat up.  I was seething.

Naruto glared at me with red eyes.  He was also seething.

“Fuck this,” I spat out, moving to leave.

Something hit the back of my head.

I whirled around, staring in disbelief at the shoe lying on the floor behind me.

“Why do we always have to go from zero to a hundred?!” Naruto yelled.  “I’m sad, so take care of me!  God!”

“You… just threw a shoe… at me…” I said slowly.

“Yes.”

“A shoe.”

“Mm-hm.”

“At me.”

“That is correct.”

“Naruto?”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to kill you slowly.”

“Like I haven’t heard that one before,” he said, waving it off like I wasn’t serious.

I was very serious.

“Love, your eye’s twitching.”

“Who the fuck are you calling ‘love’?” I snapped.

He frowned.  “You, the person I love.”

Even in the middle of a crisis, he loved me more than anything, and I hated him for it.  I opened my mouth to tear him apart.

And then I stopped.

I took in a breath and let it out shakily.  I crawled over to him and pulled him into my arm, holding him close and whispering into his ear, “I’m here.  I’m right here.”

Naruto burst into tears.

It was unpleasant.  I didn’t want to be there.  Naruto’s pain was visceral, and I didn’t want to see it, didn’t want to hear it, didn’t want to touch it, but I had to.  I held him even though it did nothing.  I muttered meaningless nonsense to him even though it didn’t soothe him.  I stayed there and suffered with him until it was over.

“Sorry,” he finally said, face still buried in my chest.

I felt impotent, rubbing his back and not knowing how to pull him back together.

When he finally looked up at me again, he was all red-eyed and pathetic, but he gave me the smallest smile.  “I needed that,” he said quietly.  “Thank you.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Sometimes that’s what I need,” he said, untangling from me and sitting up properly.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to say.”

“It’s better when you don’t say anything,” he said, smiling.

“Isn’t that my line?” I asked with a frown.

“See?” Naruto said, and he even laughed.

I wanted him to be okay, so I stayed quiet and waited.

He scrubbed at his eyes with the hem of his t-shirt, then rolled his neck around.  “Sas’?” he finally said.

“What?”

“I don’t know what to do.”

“…about…?”

“Everything.”

“Well, that’s not vague.”

“Yeah.”

I wanted to not be a sarcastic asshole and actually help him.  I really wanted to.  My complete failings at human niceties had never bothered me before, yet here I was, floundering to be normal for once.

He reached over, smoothing the wrinkle in my brow.  “What are you thinking?”

I looked at him.

He waited.

[yukiwrites]

The Perfect Kind of Peace

Thank you so much for commissioning me again, @lesibelle! This was so cute to write, I hope you like it!

Summary: Lumina and Tsubaki could say that they were living the happiest time of their lives: Kokoro was a smart and healthy young toddler while Caeldori grew more and more each day, even as a baby. Flora and Felicia, old friends of Lumina’s from her days at the Ice Tribe call their family for a meeting so they can catch up after so many years...

Commission info HERE and HERE!

It was a blessing. Young Caeldori grew bigger each passing day -- she was already able to stand and give a few steps by herself at her early age of one year and a half.

Kokoro would always make sure to cheer her little sister on whenever Caeldori took it upon herself to get up, which happened basically all the time.

"What a great sister you are, Kokoro! I'm sure Caeldori will walk by herself in no time with such a great cheerleader." Lumina giggled as she took the baby's tiny hands on her own to help with the walking.

"Give one hand! One hand!" Kokoro opened and closed her small fingers, wanting to guide her little sister as well.

"Gentle, alright?" Lumina reminded.

"I knooowww," Kokoro puffed her cheeks, nodded and took Caeldori's hand. "It's so tiny!"

"Less tiny than before, though, hm?" Lumina gave a step back so Caeldy could give a few forward, stumbling on her chubby legs.

Kokoro also fumbled on her feet to walk backwards, but managed not to trip, fully focused on the task at hand. "Still tiny!"

Lumina snorted, shaking her head. "Yours is tiny for me, too, you know?"

"Eh?" Kokoro stopped walking, making Caeldori bump into her stomach. "Wah- Caeldy!"

Lumina simply held Caeldori's hand up high, preventing her from toppling backwards. "It's okay, Mommy's got her." She winked, though found Kokoro staring down at her own hands.

"Kokoro's not tiny!" She looked from herself to her little sister. Lumina crouched beside her daughter, placing one hand behind Caeldori's back to support her as she flashed the palm of her other hand to Kokoro. "But your hand is tinier than mine, see?"

Kokoro placed hers over her mother's, seeing the difference. The little girl blinked. "Kokoro's gonna grow bigger than Mommy one day?" She asked, receiving a nod in response. "When?! I wanna be bigger!"

"Hah," Lumina snorted, booping her daughter's nose. "It's going to take a while yet, but now you can grow beside your little sister, hm? By the time she's as big as you, you'll be even bigger!"

"Oh!" Kokoro opened her mouth in surprise, then pointed right into Caeldori's cheek. "I was this big before, right? Even thiiiis big?" She made the gesture of a very small object.

"This 'tiny'? Yup, you were. Like I said before, Mommy protected you inside her belly until you were big enough to come out, like Caeldy here."

Once again Kokoro looked at her hands, then her sister's, then her mother's. "Wonder when I'll be big as Mommy..."

The sound of a shoji door opening behind them followed by a chuckle made the three of them look at who had just come in: Tsubaki. "Daddy is still bigger than Mommy, though. Look!" He held a letter with his right hand, showcasing his left one right beside Lumina's.

Kokoro gasped loudly. "Mommy is still growing too?!"

Lumina chuckled, resting her head on Tsubaki's shoulder at the same time Caeldori cooed for her father to pick her up. "Mommy stopped growing a long time ago; Daddy's just bigger than me, now."

The little girl's expression was one of extreme shock. "Kokoro won't stop growing! I'll grow big big big so big I won't fit in the house anymore! Graoooh!" She stretched herself the most she could, then roared as though she were a monster.

"Oh, no! We'll have to build another house!" Tsubaki indulged his daughter, holding the baby with his left arm. Soon Caeldori was pulling on whatever paper he had been holding. "Oh, no, Caeldy -- this isn't for you!"

"Let me," Lumina swiftly took the letter from the baby's grips. "What's this? It has the nohrian seal..."

Tsubaki sat on the floor, crossing his legs so Kokoro could sit in the middle and peek at the paper. "It's an invitation from Flora and Felicia, actually! Prince Forrest turned one year old recently and they're asking us to come over and meet him. The twins are your friends, yes? It HAS been a long time since you've been over there in Nohr, so I figured we could go -- all of us."

"Kokoro too?! I wanna meet Mommy's friends!" She bounced in her father's thigh, not understanding what was written, but looking from it to her mother excitedly.

Lumina read the letter carefully, smiling softly. "I feel bad for being away for so long without barely any contact -- I didn't even go to Dwyer's first birthday party..."

Tsubaki nudged his nose on his wife's forehead, "to be fair, you had your hands full with... Mother's constant visits and being pregnant with Kokoro, after all. I am sure they understand this -- which is why they're still sending you this."

"Mhm," Lumina rested her head on her husband's shoulder, welcoming Kokoro in her lap for the little girl to 'read' the letter, or interpret it however she thought best. "Before, I didn't really feel much since I avoided being with people; so I thought that our friendship didn't really amount to much. But now -- now that being with you made me able to feel so much, to express myself so much better than before, I KNOW that I truly cared for them. And still do." She clutched her heart, blinking with emotion. "I miss them dearly."

Tsubaki placed one hand by his wife's waist, bringing her closer to him, his smile proud and soft. "I know you do, Lumina." He whispered by her hair, closing his eyes to inhale her scent. "That means we're all going to Nohr, hm?"

Lumina felt her heart ache with how deeply Tsubaki's love seeped into her, securely holding Kokoro by her lap before nodding. "Yup."

"WE'RE GOING ON A TRIP!" The little girl tried to jump, but Lumina's grip on her made her barely hop in place. Lumina knew her daughter well, after all.

"Hahah!" Tsubaki and Lumina laughed aloud, opportunity which Kokoro took to slip away from her mother's arms and run around the room.

"We're going on a trip! Trip, trip, trip!" She extended both hands upwards, the room suddenly turning colder. "Oh- I did it again! Mommy!"

"You truly did!" Lumina scooted on her knees to her daughter, "let's turn this down a bit before you freeze your little sister, okay?" She touched Kokoro's hands, immediately making the cold go away.

"Mhm!" Kokoro nodded vehemently. "I wanna do cold like Mommy!"

"My friends in Nohr also do cold, did you know? There will be four of us now- wait, I wonder if young Dwyer can use ice powers as well? Prince Forrest, too!" Lumina's surprised expression threw a jab of cuteness through Tsubaki's heart.

No matter how many years they've been together, Tsubaki could never get enough of his wife's adorableness -- in fact, each passing year only made her cuter: be it hiding or expressing emotions, Lumina was still the single cutest woman in the whole world.

Tsubaki didn't realize he stared at his wife with a foolish expression in his face until Caeldori accidentally slapped his face trying to mimic her older sister in jumping around by bouncing in her father's arm.

Although sudden, the trip to Nohr went out smoothly: they took a carriage to the port, travelled through Cyrkensia to get another carriage to Nohr, where Jakob and Felicia were waiting for them at the gates of Castle Krakenburg.

"Luminaa! It's been forever! You didn't change a thing! And those kids!! They're sooo cute!" Felicia fawned over her old friend, hugging the living daylights out of her before pinching Kokoro's cheeks until they were as pink as her mother's hair before turning to Caeldori and filling her with smooches. "I miss when Dwyer was this small, aww. Don't you, Jakob?" She asked to hold Caeldori for a bit, though Tsubaki fervently refused. He knew how clumsy Felicia could be and although he instinctively understood that, as a mother herself, she must've outgrown the clumsiness, he didn't want to risk her dropping his child on the ground.

"He's much quieter now, so I'd rather he didn't go back to crying every time he wanted something, no." The butler replied coldly, helping the coach carry the luggage inside. Lumina and Tsubaki both blinked at his seemingly unfaziness towards his own child, but Felicia didn't seem fazed by his remark, however.

"You're just saying it!" She slapped his back so hard it made a loud sound. "That day I got a cold and couldn't take care of him, you were crying-"

"NOT ANOTHER WORD!" He yelled out of embarrassment, his entire face and ears bright red. "We are not here to talk about ourselves, yes? Let us hurry to bring our guests out of the cold." He dodged the embarrassing story like a pro, but Felicia kept giggling by herself as she helped with the luggage as well.

Tsubaki and Lumina exchanged glances before smiling to themselves.

Apparently, Krakenburg and Valla Castles had been 'merged' into one through the power of the portals between Nohr and the Forgotten Kingdom Kamui wielded. The Queen opened a portal large enough to connect the still-standing part of Valla Castle to the eastern wing of Krakenburg, so even though the vallite castle wasn't seen from outside Krakenburg, one just needed to cross a corridor to stand in literally another world.

Kokoro crossed the portal in an awe, her mouth agape as they left the perpetual cold in Nohr to the warm spring of Valla. "It's like we're back home! But it took so long to arrive..." She walked beside her mother as she twirled around herself.

"Although neither me nor Flora mind the cold in Krakenburg--"

"And, honestly, it's not THAT cold, either," Lumina said at the same time Felicia remarked, both women giggling afterwards.

"Yup, even though it's not THAT cold in Krakenburg, Prince Leo wanted Forrest to be raised without ONLY knowing the cold he did as a child, so..."

"So we moved our rooms to the vallite side of the castle, although temporarily," Leo interrupted Felicia as they approached the room they were supposed to meet. "Soon my sister Kamui should be done with the sealing rituals, so we will need to move back to Krakenburg. Until then, however..." He opened the door behind him, showing the beautifully vallite decorated room, full of see through lace tapestries, light blue and golden colors. It was a wonder.

In the middle of it, surrounded by cushions, Flora and little Dwyer sat on the floor. She held little Forrest who was cooing at his mother and his cousin, but all of them looked up the moment the door was open.

"Ah, welcome! I'm sorry I can only greet you like this -- Forrest got sleepy all of sudden and-"

"Mommy! Her hair is blue like ice!" Kokoro ran straight to Flora, inspecting her and the little baby. "So is his!" She then looked at Dwyer. "Yours is like Caeldy's!"

"Well, Felicia DOES also have pink hair, Kokoro. Remember to greet someone before speaking to them!" Lumina nodded to Leo and Flora before entering, "may I?" she asked before sitting, receiving a nod from her old friend.

"To think you'd have such a good expression on your face." Flora teased, nudging her friend's elbow with her own as both of them held their little babies. Lumina snorted, not realizing this had becoming something natural for her to do so after meeting Tsubaki.

"Right back at you. You look radiant, Flora. I'm sorry it took so long for us to meet again-"

"Don't." Flora adjusted Forrest on her arms. "It's fine; what matters is that we're together again. We do, however, have a lot to talk about."

Lumina smiled softly, looking down at her own baby before glancing at Flora's. "Indeed we do. Maybe we should extend our visit -- I had no idea we would be back in Valla, after all."

Tsubaki smiled lovingly at his wife as she conversed with her old friend. Dwyer, Kokoro and Felicia were already getting along, talking about ice powers.

He took a deep breath.

That was what peace felt like.

[shewhowantsmouseears]

fake wedding dimeshipping nonsense!

So I don't remember if I've ever shared this here (possibly not, it was years ago) but since I've gotten more Dimeshipping fans on here, why not upload it? Years ago I had this idea of Scrooge and Magica (1987 DT + comics, which explains why I mashed Ratface and Poe into one being) pretending to get married to get Magica's family off her back, with all the shenanigans that would naturally ensue. I've tweaked it a bit since then, but here are some scenes I wrote all those years ago! And for the unfamiliar, yes, these are all canon characters -

Granny de Spell - Magica's well-meaning but overbearing blonde Granny. Rosolio - Dim-witted warlock who's in love with Magica. (I did make him an oocly jerk, and sometimes to insane degrees, but, well, again, this was written years ago XD) Witch Child - Magica's niece, because everybody's got nieces in disney. Samson Hex - Magica's so-called apprentice, who's not that talented. (admittedly i've never read any of his stories, just gleamed it off INDUCKS)

Anyway, here we go! warning, LONG AS HELL.

The only sounds filling the gigantic dining room were that of clinking silverware, and mouths chewing food. To the left side of the table was Magica's family - Granny sipping her wine contemplatively while eyeing Scrooge, with Poe on her shoulder offering sympathetic looks to his sister. Witch Child occasionally hummed, enjoying mushing the fancy food together to create new concoctions. Samson Hex's fork rhythmically tapped against the plate, too nervous from the tension to even think of eating. Rosolio was also looking at Scrooge, but his look contained more anger than curiosity, glaring daggers at the man who "stole" his woman.

To the right side of the table was Scrooge's family. The triplets were hiding their vegetables under their napkins, exchanging glances with themselves, and Webbigail, who easily enough entered into a staring contest with Witch Child (and lost.) Daisy was the only one smiling, doing her best to try and lift everyone's spirits, often complimenting on how delicious the food was. Donald was clearly struggling to keep his beak closed, chest shaking with suppressed laughter.

At the front end of the table stood Duckworth and Ms. Beakly, ready to serve more food at a moment's notice, but also looking for ways to escape this clearly awkward situation. At the other end of the table sat the "happy' couple", matched in their miserable expressions. Scrooge was doing his best to ignore the looks on him, cutting so hard into his beef that his plate began to suffer damage. Magica was swirling yet another sugar cube into her tea, no doubt by now more sugar than actual tea.

Suddenly Granny lifted her head, arms crossed. "I've just noticed something, dearie."

Magica raised the cup to her beak. "Enlighten me."

"We've been here for an entire week... and I have yet to see you kiss your future husband."

Magica spat out what little tea was in her mouth, Scrooge's knife split his plate, Rosolio dropped his utensils, Donald burst out into hysterical laughter, Daisy elbowed Donald in the ribs, and now all eyes were locked on the "couple". When the noise had settled, Magica and Scrooge looked at each other for the briefest of moments before returning Granny's attention.

"That's... that's..." Magica hesitated for the right words. "That's personal!"

Granny merely smirked. "Is it? I've seen Donald and Daisy do it six times these past few days, and they're only dating."

Donald promptly shut up, and Daisy rubbed her temples. Scrooge attempted to retaliate. "We're not very 'in' to public displays of affection."

"Is that so." Rosolio cut in, hands gripping the table. "If I were in your shoes, I'd never stop kissing her! If I wasn't some fiance-stealing crook, I'd kiss her right now!" He hissed. "But I'm a gentleman."

Scrooge grumbled deep in his throat, and looked to Daisy, clearly demanding some aide. She seemed to shrink in her seat a little from his intensity. "W-Well, uh... you just haven't been here long enough! Give them the right time and place, and they smooch up a storm, let me tell you." This was met with gags from the triplets, and Donald shoving bread into his mouth to keep from laughing all over again.

"I don't see anything wrong with this time and place." Granny replied, eyes never leaving her granddaughter. "Is asking for a kiss really such a difficult demand?"

"You're ruining a perfectly nice dinner." Magica glowered, standing up, chair pushed back. "All you ever do is demand things! You can't ever believe, you always need proof!" Scrooge had fallen silent at this point, lost in thought.

"You don't find it strange that a couple never kisses? I've barely seen you hold hands."  Granny reached behind her to pat Poe's head. "Isn't that right, Poe?"

Poe was ready to molt from the glare Magica was giving him. "Uh... w-well... that is... oh, wow, that ham looks delicious, is anyone else going to have a slice?"

"What do I have to do to convince you, and get you out of my life, you horrid woman!" Magica screeched, slamming her palms down on the table. "Do I have to throw a parade about how much I love him? Write a novel about all of our affairs? I told you I'd get married, so I'm getting married, you're never satis-"

The next instant was a blur in Magica's mind when she would recall it later on. The "blur" was Scrooge ever so calmly getting out of his seat, and then, with all the speed of a cheetah, placing one hand on her cheek, his other fingers in her hair,  and pressing his beak to hers as deeply as possible.

Simultaneously, everyone's jaws dropped - save for Donald, who had fallen backwards onto the floor, nearly in pain due to how much he was laughing. Magica's entire face had gone redder than the wine in Granny's cup, her body unable to move, frozen in place. She didn't even appear to be breathing. Was she even aware that they had become the center of attention? Her wide eyes didn't seem to be looking at Scrooge, but off, in the distance, trying to pinpoint some place of coherent thought, like she couldn't decide what to do or think. Time had gone still for her.

Then, slowly, to the note of everyone, her eyes lost that distance, and her muscles relaxed. Her eyelashes fluttered, before settling on closing completely, accepting, or pleased, or both. The color faded from her cheeks, though it was eternal in doing so. Just as quickly as it had started, it was ending, as Scrooge's hands left her face, and he pulled away from her. Their eyes opened, and it was impossible to tell what they were "telling" each other in those looks. Scrooge then promptly sat back down, adjusted his spectacles, and dabbed his beak with a napkin, as if nothing had happened at all. "Duckworth, I think we're all ready for some dessert."

"... Yes, sir." He was just grateful to leave the room for a few precious seconds.

Scrooge looked to Granny. "Satisfied?"

Granny didn't reply, but managed to close her mouth. She did, however, clear her throat, trying to get Magica's attention. As for Magica, she was still standing, eyes still transfixed, giving the impression she was half asleep. When she sat down, it was with certainly less finesse than Scrooge, loudly plopping down, nearly falling over, as if she'd been struck by lightning. Scrooge caught the entire spectacle, and couldn't help but wear a prideful little smile. He still had it.

"And that's when they're in public!" Daisy chirped.

~*~

"What in all hells was that?!" Magica screeched at Scrooge, once they were alone in his bedroom and trying to settle for the night.

Scrooge was buttoning his nightshirt, rolling his eyes at the tantrum. "If I didn't do that, they'd never shut up."

"You couldn't have warned me?" She sat on the bed, kicking her feet to show off her displeasure.

"What couple do you know that warns the other before they kiss?" He placed his nightcap on his head, and turned to her. "If you want this charade to work, we're going to have to be a lot more..." He shuddered to say it. "...affectionate, when your family is around."

Magica groaned, clutching herself, feeling her skin crawl, and leaned on a bed post. "Disgusting... why can't they just get back on their brooms and go home!"

She began to ramble once more about how much she hated her family, and so Scrooge tuned out, used to the rant. Would it kill her to be quiet for more than two minutes? He shook his head, reminding himself that all these headaches would be worth it. Soon enough, he'd be rid of her, and would actually be able to relax for a while. He rubbed his spectacles with his fingers, in a cheap attempt to clean them. Yes, soon, he'd be able to relax, and he'd have this entire room sanitized to get rid of any sign that she was ever there, that she was ever on his bed, in his bed...

... Get rid of any sign that he ever kissed her, that he ever held her, that he ever ran his fingers through that black hair that seemed to pool over with such soft and silky tenderness that he could feel it it for ages, that he ever pressed her delicate frame to his own body to feel her heart beat rapidly against his chest, that he ever looked into those deep eyes that never really reflected him but instead had their own cosmos of stars glittering inside to pull him in and never let go...

She flopped on the bed, sighing heavily, perhaps unaware that her thin nightgown was riding up past her long shapely legs. "Well?" She turned her head to him, some of her hair falling down her face. "What are you waiting for?"

His heart leaped into his throat - she surely didn't mean that. "What?!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Turn off the lights, I want to sleep already."

Oh. Right. Yes. Lights. Surely. That and nothing else. Dammit, she was getting to him. "Don't go around demanding things, free-loader." But the spectacles came off, the lights came off, and the ducks were soon enough both in bed, as far apart from each other as possible, as per the norm.

Once again, they had something in common - both remained wide awake, thinking over the day.

~*~

Ever since Magica De Spell had been forced to live within his mansion, Scrooge McDuck made sure she was never alone, so she couldn’t pull any schemes involving his dime. So that evening, when he walked into his library and realized the woman was completely alone, there was a mild panic within him. Nearly slamming the door behind him, he nearly forgot why he had entered the room in the first place as he stormed up to her, temper flared. “And just what do you think you’re doing!”

The sorceress had been lounging on a long sofa, surrounded by photo albums, and casually glanced up at him. “What does it look like I’m doing?” His glare didn’t falter, so, with a roll of her eyes, she flipped a page as she answered. “Research.”

That drove him into an even further panic, fingers tightening on his cane. “I knew it! You can’t be trusted! I can’t believe I was foolish enough to ever let you in my house! If you’re not gone by the time I count to three, I’ll - ” But the threat was suddenly dismissed when Magica pulled out one photo and showed it right into his face, almost onto his beak. It was of a particularly plump bird, with blonde hair and a flower hat, standing proudly beside a decaying old riverboat. There was a squiggle of handwriting right on top of the woman’s dress, a signature, reading ‘Belle Quack.’ Scrooge was quiet.

“Ever since that Brigetta woman barged in here…” Magica slowly put the photo back in its place. “I got curious about what other women you’ve had.” There was an odd tone in her voice that the elder duck couldn’t quite place. It seemed like an imbalance between jealousy and disbelief.

He cleared his throat, trying to regain his dignity. “For the last time, Brigetta and I were never involved. It’s all imagined on her part. And…” With this explanation, he waved airily with his hand, trying to make the entire matter less important than it was. “And… well, Belle is just a business associate.”

Magica quickly whipped out another photo. “Was Tilly Billbrook another business associate?” Judging by the flirtatious look this next woman was giving the photographer, the answer was obvious.

Scrooge quickly got defensive, crossing his arms. “Oh, what’s it to you? This whole marriage is a sham, what do you care if I’ve been with a few women?” Though he knew that "few" was an understatement, and wished she would just close the darn book already.

“I don’t.” She put the photo back, and sat up straight, her tone never changing. “I just find it interesting, that’s all. And I don’t want any other crazy women coming after me and accusing me of stealing you.”

He held up a hand, trying to placate her and end the conversation. “I can swear to you, that won’t happen again. I’ve made it perfectly clear my life is dedicated to my money, and not to having someone on my arm.”

The sorceress clicked her tongue to her cheek as her finger traced down a page. “Klondike Kate here doesn’t seem to think so.”

His cheeks were beginning to redden but he refused to believe it. “All right, those women don’t count, I was young, and it was a very long time ago.” Immediately he regretted saying so, as Magica whipped out yet another photo, this one only dated a few years ago. Signed ‘Fiona Rapson’, this one didn’t even look to be half his age. “That… no, you don’t understand, she was just doing a news segment…” Whip, another photo, ‘Mrs. Williams’, only slightly older than Fiona. “I was just lending that woman some help, and - ” Whip, again, now ‘Rosy Curenbois’. “Now that one is completely out of context!”

Finally, she closed the book, loudly and forcefully.  The two glared at each other, though oddly unsure just why they were so mad. The staring context continued until Scrooge growled, deep in his throat, and turned away, ready to leave. “Put it back where you found it. Any mess you make, you have to clean up.”

A derisive snort came from her. “What I don’t get is how you kept getting tricked by so many gold diggers.” She stood, ready to put the photos and book right from where she got it.

However, Scrooge stopped where he was, having been ready to grab the door handle out. Slowly, he turned his head back, making sure he heard right. “Gold diggers?” There were a few in the batch, but to say "so many"? That wasn’t right at all.

“Of course.” Though she had returned the book to its original place, she was now scanning the others among them, wondering what else was good reading material. “Digger after digger, until they nearly dug your grave for you. I would've thought you'd have learned your lesson after a while.”

After a moment, Scrooge caught the underlying message of her spite. “You’re implying all of those women were only attracted to my money and not me?” His pride had taken a direct hit. Granted, many of those women and those incidents were ones he longed to forget, but he had earned those stalkers fair and square.

“I’m not implying it. I’m saying it. What woman in her right mind would only go after you?” Such a notion made her laugh, her devilish cackle that usually came with a magic spell. “Take it from me… wrinkled, whiskered stubborn men aren’t high on a woman’s list for men we want. Those women probably flocked to you the second you opened your wallet.”

His fingers began to tape on his cane, irritation building. Bad enough that this implication was being made, but being made by her of all people? This had to be fixed as soon as possible. “Did it ever occur to you that I could go after them?”

Now Magica laughed even harder, leaning on a book shelf for support. “Oh, please! Like you could get any woman on your own! Scrooge McDuck, the casanova!”  She began banging her fist against the bookshelf, shaking with laughter. The very idea! Of course all of those women had been only after his money; it was the only thing that made sense. He was old and ugly and miserable, and she couldn’t wait to be rid of him after this fake marriage ordeal was over. So she laughed and laughed, trying to calm herself and catch her breath, and even when her body had settled, snickers still escaped. Maybe she could think of another good insult to lobby at him, one he wholly deserved.

Magica would have come up with one; had not a single finger pressed behind and onto her, between her shoulder blades, and rode itself past her neck and into her hair. The startled screech that came out of her could have shattered glass, and in an instant her head was turned to look at her attacker. Naturally, there stood Scrooge, though now he stood so close to her that personal space no longer existed. She could also glance at his eyes, and knew the look he was wearing at once. It was that expression when he was angry, but didn’t look angry, and instead was bottling up the anger so he could do something calm and precise. A tranquil fury, one could argue, that allowed him to get revenge in a given situation.

She had seen that look many times during their heated battles when she had been trying to get his dime, and knew she was in big trouble. Though her eyes widened in fright, she would not admit her fear, and returned her face to the books, beak high in superiority. “Very funny.” Her eyes tried to look at the titles of the books again, but again she was startled by his touch, as now his hands were on his shoulders, giving her a comfortable squeeze. For a man his age, the touch was very firm. Now her laughed was forced, and obviously so. “Ha… ha ha. Did I hurt your ego, Scroogie Darling? Ha ha… haaa…” How was he working the knots out of her muscles? She didn’t want to know.

Instead, she rolled her shoulders hard, trying to shove him off with a grunt. His hands retreated, but then located elsewhere, one arm wrapping around her waist, pressing her back into his chest. His other hand listlessly weaved through her hair, making sure not to tangle as he played with it. His touch was very gentle, yet containing a trace of power in it, saying that she couldn’t stop him if she tried. Magica stared straight ahead at the books, her entire body freezing up defensively. “W-what… do you think… you’re doing?” Even though she was perfectly aware what he was doing, she just didn’t want to admit it was her fault things were leading this way.

“We’re engaged.” Scrooge replied, but even his voice had changed to fit his vengeance. “I believe this is what fiancés do with one another.” Now he stressed heavily on his accent, yet his voice was quiet, almost a whisper. He was breathing directly in the direction of her ear, and she could almost hear his smirk. “Is there a problem, Magica?”

To hell with him, she would not admit what he was making her feel! She’d rather die! With that resolve, she shut her eyes tightly, ignoring her beating heart and flared cheeks, trying to think of distractions. She tried to conjure up images that would anger her, upset her, make her laugh, do anything that would make her stop feeling the soft caresses he was administrating to her neck. Think of something, anything, she told herself! Being in jail, trying to stitch together old dresses, memorizing old spells from hundreds of years ago… Yes, she could focus on that… Focus on the crinkled old paper with that distinct smell…

… Or focus on his hot breath on her neck - damn him to the furthest pits of hell!

All of a sudden, his support was gone, and she found herself falling backwards with an outward cry. She was caught with one arm, as it turned out Scrooge was just dipping her low, and it was a wonder none of his bones were breaking at his age. Holding her close yet still dipping her low, he leaned in so that their beaks were just barely grazing one another. She could nearly see herself reflected in his eyes, and inwardly swore at how stupidly flustered she was looking. But the assault wasn’t over, if Scrooge’s continued speech was any indication. “Magica, darling.” A few of his fingers came under her bill, and tilted her head up even more. “What in the world makes you think I couldn’t have you if I wanted you?”

In all of her years, Magica had never been looked at or addressed to in such a way. She did have men sometimes after her, but they were nothing like this. None of them carried such intimate passion in their voices, nor carried a supreme sense of dominance in their eyes. They had wanted to woo her, whereas this man looked like he wanted to capture her. It was becoming very difficult to come up with any kind of rebuttal. Scrooge McDuck was not supposed to be like this, and she had never even dreamed he could be like this. It just wasn’t making sense, and her mind was fizzling out. It took all of her remaining strength just to speak, and even then, it was stammered and weak. “Y-Y-You… wouldn’t d-d-dare, McDuck.”

He dared. Magica, by this point in the sham, had thought she was used to kissing Scrooge, and being kissed by him, in order to fool her relatives and the press. Proving her wrong yet again, when his beak came on top of hers, she was lost. She wasn’t foolish enough to think it contained love, but she did know it contained hunger, possession, and that there was no use fighting it. If that wasn’t bad enough, a hand was cradling the back of her neck, delicately pressing all of the right spots in her spine. There was definitely experience in these movements, lessons had been learned, and he was implementing all he knew.

Perhaps she would have had a fighting chance if it was just a single, solitary kiss. However, the old man wanted her to remember this, and to make sure she never doubted his abilities again. So there wasn’t one kiss, but another, and another, and another, each one greater than the last, quick breathes of her name, not letting up even when Magica was nothing more than a sagging lump of a stunned sorceress. All other men were just cold fish compared to what he was doing to her. All of this power, combined with the fact it was Scrooge McDuck of all people doing this to her, it was more than her mind could handle. Frankly, she considered it a miracle she could hold onto her consciousness.

Finally, he granted her a small mercy, pulling his mouth back only to whisper to her ear again. “Do you still think all of those women were gold diggers? Or…” A small kiss to her cheek. “Do I have to keep convincing you?” He growled again – but unlike before, which had been a growl of petty annoyance, this one was pure predator, as if she didn’t have a choice in the matter. She felt she didn’t have it. She felt… she felt… oh, every god and goddess that blessed magic, she felt…

Then his supportive weight was gone again, and she landed splat on the floor in a heap. Scrooge stood up straight and tall, smoothing down his clothes, and adjusting his spectacles.  Whistling a merry tune, he picked up his cane that he had set aside before he attacked her, and casually strolled out of the room. When he opened the door, his nephew Donald nearly ran smack right into him. Fortunately the younger duck managed to stop in time, skidding to a halt, and bent over to catch his breath. “I-I’m sorry, Uncle Scrooge!” he spoke quickly, wanting to get Scrooge’s rant at him over as soon as possible. “I know we’re not supposed to let her out of our sight, but I was just getting a sandwich, a really small one, and the next thing I knew…”

Much to Donald’s surprise, Scrooge didn’t rant, and even shrugged. “Not to worry, Donald. She’s in there.” He jabbed a thumb back into the room behind him. “And she won’t be doing any damage for a while.” Off he walked, whistling the same jaunty tune, and to Donald, he seemed relatively proud of something. Just what, the boy couldn’t guess, and assumed it was monetary matters as always. Curious, Donald entered the library, and found the witch still lying on the floor, twitching here and there, unable to move naturally of her own accord.

Donald took one look at her demented smile, and quickly turned back around to leave. “Nope, I don’t wanna know.”

~*~

Granny De Spell flipped a page, and, ignoring her granddaughter's protests, continued to show off the old photos of their past and homeland, with the triplets pestering her with questions. Scrooge continued to check his watch, waiting for the moment he could be free and attend to his work, instead of listening to nonsense he couldn't care less about. It wasn't until Louie said the following that curiosity finally reached him.

"Say, is that Magica?" The duckling prodded one photo. "She looks so different!"

All eyes went to that photo, and it was a general agreement that there were differences between the Magica of the present, and her in the photo. Aside from years younger, the photo showed her in a brilliant red dress that appeared to be swaying off her, a fresh rose placed within her hair, her hands waving about in jubilation, and, perhaps strangest of all, looking happy not for reasons of malice or misfortune upon others. Just an actual, pure happiness for whatever she was doing. She didn't appear to be aware her photo was being taken, dancing in the crowded street, attracting the eyes of many young fellows in the background.

"Ah, yes, that's her during one of our Romanian festivals." Granny chuckled lightly, pulling the photo out of the book. "It happened to fall on her birthday that year, so we splurged and celebrated as best we could. She had quite a fetch of suitors back then!"

Present Magica had burning cheeks, arms crossed, refusing to look at the group. "Are we quite done here?"

"What are you being so bitter over?" Granny clicked her tongue. "It's a nice photo. And you should dress like this more often. All of that black is so depressing."

"No one would want to see me in that." A roll of her eyes from the sorceress.

As the argument rolled on, Scrooge kept his eyes on the photo, and found himself, as always, disagreeing with Magica.

~*~

The overture hadn't even begun yet, so the ducks knew a long night was ahead of them. Scrooge irritably tapped an arm rest, glancing over at his "future wife". "When, exactly, is your grandmother going to stop insisting on these bonding moments?"

Magica didn't even look at him, eyes ahead, upper and lower beak rubbing together in a frustrated grind. "I don't like this anymore than you do."

The third in the row, however, was not as agitated, as the goose rubbed his hands together in excitement. "Isn't this exciting, Magica? When was the last time we got to see a play together?"

"If I recall correctly, never." Magica leaned back into her seat, sighing. She would preferred sitting next to anyone - blabbermouth Daisy, annoying Donald, busybody Granny, ANYBODY, but, no, there was Rosolio, gazing at her in a sickening wave of love while making several attempts to touch her hand.

These attempts did not go unnoticed by Scrooge, raising an eyebrow at the other male. "Rather unlike a gentleman to try and hold a married woman's hand."

Rosalio now looked at the elder, love turning into hate. "Rather unlike a gentleman to try and steal a fiance. I still haven't forgiven you, and I never will."

"My heart breaks." Scrooge rolled his eyes. They both went on to ignore the woman's groans.

"I'd be surprised if you had a heart, underneath all that ice and money!" The goose hissed, crossing his arms in indignation. "What do you have that I can't give her?"

"Money."

"Besides that."

"Power."

"Besides that."

"Respect for her personal space."

"Besi - hey!"

Magica straightened up for a moment to see if the other families were nearby. Why was she suffering alone? Rosolio was relentless, continuing on despite the fact the orchestra had begun playing the overture. "I've known her forever! I understand her better than anyone! You just want her for her beauty!"

Scrooge, at least, had managed to lower his voice, so he wouldn't shout over the music. "And yet, despite all that, I'm the one she's marrying."

"Just admit." Rosalio narrowed his eyes, and pointed an accusatory finger at his enemy. "You've got a hold on her, don't you? Blackmail, threats, you're forcing her to do this! A man like you treats women like another dollar!"

Scrooge didn't reply so easily this time. Not out of lack of answers, but the sheer idea that he did not treat women well - he, who loved his mother, who adored his sisters, who had all but adopted Webbigail, who always lifted a finger to aide Daisy - was something he would not take lying down. The duck and goose almost appeared to enter a staring contest of anger, and then, the richer one cleared his throat. "Magica?"

"What now?" A bitter snap.

His arm extended out and around her shoulders, and suddenly, she was pushed in close, her head on his shoulder. Keeping her pinned there with his elbow, he began running his fingers through her hair, being careful not to create any knots. "Is that more comfortable for you, darling?"

Two birds went a bright red. Magica, her cheeks with embarrassment, mouth agape in sheer shock. Rosolio, his entire face, a fury that was struggling to be capped. Scrooge happily smirked at his opponent, before returning his false attentions to his bride, using his free hand to take one of hers, and running a thumb over the top of it. As for Magica herself, her voice was a desperate whisper. "Scrooge, what do you think you're doing!"

"Just enjoying myself." He held up her hand to kiss the knuckles, and then was back to addressing Rosolio. "She does like it when you touch her hair, right? You are the expert and all, having spent, what did you say, 'forever' with her?"

"Scrooge!" Magica squirmed, but he wasn't letting her go anytime soon.

"What? It's an innocent question." McDuck desired a camera, just to catch Rosolio's expression, perhaps make a game out of all the veins that were popping. "And maybe I could ask him for advice about you, since you two used to be fond of one another. Or was that just him?"

"Leave me out of your idiotic jealous fists, you miserable old miser!" Was she shaking? She was definitely shaking, fully aware that several of the playgoers were ignoring the stage, preferring the performance going on within those three seats instead.

"For example!" Scrooge let go of her hand, stopping the hair action to support her back, and tilted her beak up with his fingers. "Perhaps you can tell me, Rosolio, my good man, exactly what way our darling Magica prefers being kissed?"

The straw broke on the camel's back, and Rosolio stood up in his seat, roaring, throwing off his hat, and reaching for his magic wand - and, with a single THWACK from Granny's purse - what do you know, the rest of the families just so happened to be right behind the trio - he was down, a knocked out mess on the floor. Seconds of awkward silence followed, as others turned back or forward in their seats to watch the play that had begun minutes earlier. Scrooge released his hold on Magica, allowing his hands to relax in his lap, wearing a grin of victory. Magica sunk into her seat, upset that there was no rock to hider under. "You enjoyed that far too much." She murmured after a moment.

He put a finger to his beak. "Shhh. I can't hear."

~*~

Though night had fallen, neither of them were ready to sleep just yet. Scrooge was at his desk, going over a few more tax forms, while Magica was standing before the large vanity mirror, looking herself over in silence. Eventually she huffed, Daisy's words still ringing in her head. "Scrooge. I want your honest opinion on something."

"What is it?" He continued his work, hardly caring for the question.

Hesitation, and then a sigh, adjusting herself, hands on her hips, smoothing her nightgown down. "Do you think I'm beautiful?"

Whatever question Scrooge had been expecting, it wasn't that. He looked up, then at her, to make sure his hearing was in tact. "...What?"

"It's a simple question!" She pointed at herself, growling. "Do you think I'm beautiful?"

Warning sirens blared off in the miser's mind. He had to get out of this line of questioning as soon as possible. "... Is this because of what Daisy said, because Donald told me-"

"Just answer!" She stormed up to him, grabbing his chair and turning it around so he would fully face her. "It's not that difficult! You either think I'm beautiful, or you think I'm not!"

Not that difficult, his foot! His eyes darted around for any sign of an exit. "... That's... It, I, Uh... Oh, what do you care what I think!"

Although he prepared himself for further argument, it was not given. Instead her face fell, and she released his chair, retreating to the mirror. "I see." Her fingers pressed her face, now easily seeing all the wrinkles and lines of time. It seemed she believed his answer meant "no"'.

"Jiminy Cricket." Scrooge groaned, and stood up from his seat. "I didn't say you weren't!"

"You didn't have to." And now she could see all the split ends in her hair.

"It's not like that... it's..." He faltered, trying to think of an adequate explanation. "I don't... I never... You'd never see me as handsome, would you?"

A quick glance his way. "Of course I would."

Goodness, she was just throwing him all kinds of loops tonight. His spectacles almost fell off due to the surprise on his face. "...What?" he repeated.

"I hate you, but I'm not blind." Her eyes went back to the mirror. "Not to mention all those girlfriends I keep hearing about."

"I've... they weren't... I explained those!" Now it was his turn to storm up to her. "I've lived a long life, and... and... Brigetta has never been my girlfriend, I don't know where you're getting that idea, and... further... more... will you knock that off and look at me!"

So she did, upset, holding herself. Women, honestly! Scrooge ran a hand down his face, closing his eyes. "Fine, fine... I've never actually looked you as, as a woman... so... I'll do it now. Then I'll tell you what I think."

"Fine." Hmph.

A deep breath was taken, trying to expel the past from his mind. Ignore his own hate, everything she had done to him, who she was... and just look at the body. Judge that, and only that. He opened his eyes, and looked from bottom to top. Her legs were strong and shapely, with one foot nervously tapping the floor in impatience. Though her frame could be seen as delicate, there were hints of muscle here and there, showing the years she had worked alone to get what she wanted, the trials she had gone through to get certain spells. Her hands were small, but firm, gripping her arms intensely. Her hair was growing longer, he noticed, slowly starting to go beyond shoulders, giving off an appearance of black silk. She wasn't wearing any make-up, and that was for the better, as her cheeks would be rosy all on their own. Though her eyes were worried and saddened, they still shone clearly, attentive, colorful and alive as jewels she longed to have.

He exhaled. "Yes, you are beautiful. Now will you be quiet?"

A pause, and then she nodded, turning away to head to bed. "There now, was that so hard?"

Scrooge scratched the back of his head.... Was that so hard? She had no idea.

~*~

Magica hadn't been invited to many engagement parties in her left, but she had a distinct feeling they were supposed to be a lot louder and less awkward than this one. The rented ballroom was full of friends, family, and even some news groups, that were timidly picking at the buffet, making idle chatter, but mostly staring and gossiping at her and Scrooge. She couldn't really blame them – Scrooge McDuck, richest man in the world, settling down to marriage? And to his enemy, Magica DeSpell, no less! What had been a simple plan to get rid of her annoying family had managed to snowball into a national phenomenon. Magica hated Scrooge for not giving her the dime, hated her family for that stupid wedding contract, hated Daisy for thinking of this plan...

And, right now, most of all, hated the outfit she was being forced to wear. It was an exact replica of the red dress from the photo album, except it had been tailored in size to fit her age. It wasn't uncomfortable, in fact it was a perfect fit, and she didn't dare ask how the numbers of her body had gotten out. It looked good on her as well, giving her a slim appeal, and there was no question she looked beautiful in it. The hate was not entirely with the dress itself, but of its origins. How shocked she had looked the other day, receiving the boxed cloth, arriving straight from Romania, and signed as ordered by her "future husband".

There was an addition to the dress that was not in the photo, however. The red collar around her neck, holding a single silver bell, carried plenty of hate as well. She was sitting next to Scrooge at a long table covered in a white cloth, and cast a glare at him. She flicked the bell with her fingers, the noise getting his attention, stopping him in his drink of tea to look over calmly. "What is this?" she lightly hissed. "I feel like a pet cat."

"It warns to me when you're getting close." His tone was of a cruel joke, smirking, but then he shook his head, resuming his drink. "I thought it'd look nice. And you'll pay me back for all of it when this farce is over."

"I can't afford it, and you know it." Her hands settled in her lap. "Why would you even get me this ridiculous outfit in the first place? Do you need to humiliate me that badly?"

He placed his cup down. "Your grandmother was right."

Now that was rare to hear. "About what?"

"You shouldn't wear black all the time." He left it at that, his cup empty.

She went silent, and fingered the bell again. How she hated that bell, that collar, that dress. She hated that he bought it all for her. She hated that he had thought of her and that he remembered the photo. She especially, deep down, hated how happy it had made her. The bell jingled with the lump in her throat.

~*~

Rosolio clutched his hand, having gotten used to the pain in his left arm – this new one to his right hand was out of nowhere, almost making him drop his wand. Ignoring his opponent for the moment, he looked to where the shot of magic had come from, up in the sky.

Hovering high above, Magica was firmly holding onto her broom, her own wand clutched firmly in her hand, aiming right at him. She appeared out of breath, using all of her energy to arrive there as fast as she could force herself. Upon her shoulder was Poe, and he was suddenly jerked off by his sister. "Go, get them out of here!" She snapped, never taking her eyes off of the enraged sorcerer.

"O-O-On it!" The raven stammered, stretching out his wings and flying down to the confused ducks below. The rental tuxedo store was halfway decimated, but Scrooge and Donald were still intact, though slightly bruised due to Rosolio's efforts. Poe grabbed Scrooge's cane, trying to urge him to move along. "Come on, we've gotta get outta here!"

"Wait a minute!" Scrooge yanked his cane back, using it to point at the goose. "What in blazes is going on with him?!"

Rosolio was distracted by Magica, sputtering and growling as he tried to get his wand to work again. "You should have stayed at the church! I'm going to end this!"

She began to hover in closer, taking her time, wanting to stall as long as she could make it. "If you continue using the Forbidden, you'll wind up killing yourself. Stop this madness, and put down your wand!"

"Never!" In defiance he raised his weapon again – a bright light emitted from the top, sucking in the air around it and making the sound of a hideous tornado.

"HIT THE DECK!" screamed the raven, and, joined with the male ducks, took cover behind one of the crippling concrete walls. Though they couldn't see the attack, they heard a tremendous blast hitting the wall, almost enough to deafen, and the wall suffered great damage, creating hot red cracks and dismantling the edges. It was obvious that it would not survive a second round of the same attack.

With her stalling tactic failed, Magica commanded her broom to head straight down, and once she was close enough, she jumped off, hitting the ground on her heels, and striking Rosolio in the side with her wand. Although he cried out, he parried with her, wands sparkling off fizzling lights as the two fought one another, using all of their strength to try and drive the other away.

Scrooge grabbed Poe roughly by the left wing, demanding answers. "Explain! Everything! Now!"

After some terrified crowing, the smaller bird managed to choke it out. "H-He's using the Forbidden! They're spells that cost you a year of your life every time you use them, because of their power! They do things that only the gods are supposed to have control over! He managed to learn two of them – the first one causes permanent love!"

Donald found his traditional hat among the debris, and plopped it back on. "Somehow I doubt that's the spell he's using on us now, so what's number two?"

The hideous whirling noise began to make itself known once more, as Poe's wing was released. "Death!"

Fortunately by the time the spell hit the wall again, this time shattering it apart, the boys had scrambled away, although they were scraped by falling pieces. However, with the store crumbling apart, and now other buildings beginning to take damage from the war of the wands, the hiding places were becoming few and far between. There was no way to get out, aside from the sky above, and Poe was very sure if he tried to get away that way, he'd earn yanked off feathers. As they tried to make due with what used to be front desk, they also got a good view of the fight, able to see that Magica was trying her best to disarm Rosolio, but he wasn't showing his love any mercy. Their wands were pressed heavily against each other, with colors and fires exploding off of the contact, flying off into the distances.

"The others will be here any minute." She hissed, both hands firmly on her long, thin wand, unable to tell in some places if she was sweating or bleeding. "Even you aren't strong enough to stand up against them!"

"Then I'll use the Forbidden on all of them!" He roared at her, madness gleaming in his eyes. "Even if I only wind up with one year to live, it will be more than McDuck will see again!"

"And you think that will make me love you?!" Her shoes were beginning to crack, she knew he was pushing her luck. Her fear was being realized – she wasn't strong enough to defeat him. Hoping that such terror was suppressed from being expressed, she continued pushing and fighting, hoping that if she could not defeat him, she could at least wear him out. "Be a man, Rosolio! Accept your losses!"

"I've – lost – nothing!" He wasn't even looking at her in the face anymore – no, he was staring hard at her neck, where that belled collar – that damned collar! - was STILL being worn, and it only added on to his rage, his wand changing colors – and then it was suddenly thrust to her stomach – it was not the Forbidden, for the wind was still in tact – but before anyone could blink, there was violet colored electricity at her gut, and she was sent flying, back – back- back - she was now laying several feet away, sprawled onto her stomach.

The scream of her name left Scrooge's mouth without him knowing it, and he abandoned the desk, much to the dismayed shouts of his nephew. He threw his cane aside, running without thinking to get to her side, becoming breathless in seconds. He knelt down on the streets now made of rubble, and took her into his arms – to his great relief, she was breathing, though a scarlet line was now trickling down her face. Her eyes opened halfway, and her voice was cracked. "What do you think you're doing...fool."

"Saving your hide." But as he pressed her close to his chest, he realized there was still no way to escape. Running down the now abandoned roads would just earn a chase from Rosolio, and with Magica's weight in his arms, his age, and the exhaustion he was feeling already, it wouldn't be much of a track record.

Speaking of the disgruntled goose, the sight of the lovers together caused him to hold onto his wand so tightly, his fingers dug into his hands, creating deep cuts into his palms. "Get away from her!" His voice no longer sounded of this world, so tangled up in jealousy and insanity. "She's mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!" With every chant of the word, the whirling noise and the light became whole once more, becoming terrible warning signal atop his weapon.

Magica gave Scrooge a light shove, trying to sit up, and aim her wand right back at Rosolio. "Get out of here. I can handle him."

"Are you daft?" Scrooge's arm came around her shoulders. "You can't even stand up." His free hand joined hers, holding the wand with her, and his voice became soft. "I'm not leaving you alone."

She said nothing, but the wand now pulsed under their hands, gaining power. No spell can defeat the Forbidden, she knew this, it was one of the earliest things all those of the magic world learned. Yet there were other lessons that rang in her head, as Rosolio's light grew brighter, as her own wand changed colors.

Magic is connected to your emotions, to your belief, to your body, to you. It cannot give without receiving something in return. The harder you try, the harder you believe and wish for it, the stronger your spells become. That is why it is discourage using it for money and for power. Those things can only last you so long, and your magic will suffer for it. Only when you have something true to fight for, will your magic be supreme.

Her wand lifted, Rosolio's wand lifted, they aimed, and, feeling the rush of confidence and sheer strength rushing from her arms and throughout her entire body right back to the wand in a circle of infinity, she shut her eyes tightly with a single tear escaping, and exhaled, felt she needed to tell him, must tell him, if anything else he had to be told, "Scrooge, I - "

THWACK!

Rosolio fell onto the ground, face flat down, his wand rolling out and away from him. A lump was on top of his head, and, standing behind him, holding Scrooge's cane, was Donald, now twirling the lump-maker in his hand. "So, I guess that means I finally give that ten cent raise?"

~*~

It was around noon, and thus Ducksworth was in the dining room, ready to help serve the residents of the mansion. As he entered, he noticed Scrooge had already sat down, and was jotting down notes on a small piece of paper. The butler cleared his throat to make his presence known. "Tax season again, sir?"

The duck shook his head, looking up for only the briefest of moments. "Just experimenting with something." Tapping the pencil to his beak, he decided it was safe enough to share his findings. "You know the belled collar I got Magica for the engagement party?"

"Of course." the butler walked over to be next to McDuck. "She wears it constantly now."

Scrooge's beak twitched, suppressing a smile that fact brought. "I know... but I've noticed something. This is just a guess, but I think any time she's pleased by something, she fiddles with that bell."

The dog raised his eyebrows, a bit intrigued. "What makes you say that?"

"Little things." The pencil now tapped the paper. "For example, let's see... ah, yes. When Rosolio got her that bracelet, the one with the emeralds, she played with the bell, and we all know how much that witch loves jewelry. Then she did it again when she got that letter fro Madam Mim, her best friend. Then, today, when Daisy was asking what color the wedding invitations should be, she touched the bell when Daisy suggested red. And I told the chefs to remake the lobster salad from the party, because I saw she had three servings of it, and will definitely ring when she has it for lunch today." Scrooge looked up, a little proud of his accomplishment. "So what does that tell you?"

Ducksworth bit his tongue, wondering if he dared really comment. "...To be frank, sir? That tells me you pay rather... close attention to the likes and dislikes of Miss De Spell."

The smile vanished from the duck's bill, eyes wide and a hint of red on his cheeks. He slammed the pencil onto the table, his cheery voice now a grating growl. "Don't you have lunch to serve!"

"Of course, sir." Off he went to the kitchen, hoping his pay wasn't cut for pointing out the obvious.

Scrooge began to cross out what he written, hoping to hide his embarrassment, and mentally remarked on the foolishness of his servant. It had been harmless observation, that was all! Moving to erase his frustration, he stopped when the woman herself strutted in, wearing the collar, and sat down a few seats away from him. True to form, she crossed her arms, already impatient. "Well, where is it?"

"Professional meals take longer than boiling noodles over a cauldron." He quipped, relaxing, and watching the doors to the kitchen carefully. Mere minutes later, Ducksworth had returned, and placed a bowl of lobster salad in front of each duck, and then went about fetching glasses of water for them.

Magica idly poked the leaves, huffing. "Can't your chefs make anything original? Didn't we already have this?"

"Either eat it, or your next meal will be ice cubes." But his tone wasn't bitter, stirring his fork in his bowl as he kept his eyes on the collar. If she rung it, his theory would be correct.

The sorceress made a "hmph" noise, before eating. A few bites into it, she paused to take a drink, and one hand pushed some hair back, stroked her neck... and then touched the bell, echoing a small "ding ding" noise.

Triumphant, Scrooge pointed a fork at her in his victory. "I knew it!"

Glass half empty, Magica placed it down, staring at the accuser. "What?"

"You ring that bell every time you're happy about something!" He gestured to her neck with her utensil, grinning and absolutely ignoring Ducksworth's knowing look from the corner.

The woman took a quick look at her hand, and then was quicker to remove it. "Don't be stupid, it was a nervous habit." She didn't even appear to notice she had been doing it in the first place.

"You're like a little girl." There was sneer with that, leaning back in his seat. "Just admit you do it."

"I will do no such thing." Her arms were crossed once more, the meal ignored. "Because I don't do any such thing!"

"He has a list." Ducksworth was at the table again, grabbing the slip of paper before Scrooge could make a jump for it, ignoring the yell of his name from the writer. He handed it over to the surprised sorceress, and much to Scrooge's chagrin, she could read it despite the crossed out lines. When she was finished, she crumpled it in her hands, throwing it behind her, which the butler went to go clean up, and use an excuse to exit the room.

She was instantly on her feet, agitated, tapping her foot on the floor. "Do you have nothing better to do than study my neck?"

"How am I supposed to ignore that constant ringing?" He jabbed a fork into his food, preparing himself for the fight that was about to ensue. "Why don't you ever take it off!"

"If you hate it so much, you shouldn't have bought it in the first place!"

"Maybe I shouldn't have!"

"Then don't buy me anything ever again!"

"As if I would ever waste my money on someone like you!"

They spat insults back and forth at each other, loathing increasing with each lobby, until Magica stabbed her salad with a fork, and menacingly jabbed the utensil at him, threatening to shove the implement and the leaf attached to it in a place where the sun didn't shine -

Until the door to the living room was knocked, followed by the cheery voice of Magica's grandmother - "Hello, sweetie!" - and without waiting for the all clear, opened the door anyway, gazing upon the frozen scene of her granddaughter holding a fork of food to the supposed fiance. Silence followed as Granny adjusted her glasses, making sure she was seeing correctly."'Husband" and "wife" took their time looking at each other, wondering how to fix the mistake, and keep playing the game. Granny spoke slowly, skepticism clear. "I'm sorry, was I interrupting something?"

Gears whirled in Magica's mind, and, shaking a bit, she placed her empty hand on Scrooge's shoulder. "Not at all, Granny! We were just enjoying lunch." Continuing to use a voice laced with a mix of sappy sweetness and acidic adjectives, she waved the fork to the man's mouth. "Say 'ah', Scroogie darling."

Wishing he could say a few words that weren't for ladies ears, he complied, allowing the fork to enter past his lips, and quietly chewed the greenery as Magica sat back down, wiping the utensil with a napkin. She spoke again once she deemed it clean enough. "What brings you by this hour, Granny, without a call or a single word of warning?"

Not believing the act for a second, the old woman strode up to her granddaughter, hands behind her back. "I just wanted to ask about the music that would be played at the wedding."

"A church organ is all we need." Scrooge replied, once he had swallowed the forced food.

The relative scooted next to Magica, blond hair falling past her glasses. "Haven't you thought about it? Music can set an entirely new theme for a wedding! How about a choir of-"

"No." Said the couple in unison, trying to get back to eating.

"Then how about the jazz styling of - "

"No."

"We could always spring for country-"

"No."

"Not even a classical waltz theme?"

"No." But this time, after the duo had said it, there was a faint "ding ding" that followed. Magica went perfectly still upon realizing what she had done, and her face flushed deeper than the lobster's shell in the salad as she felt Scrooge's smirk boring into her from the back of her head. She was on her feet fast enough to knock her chair backwards, grabbing her bowl and storming out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Granny stared where the chair once was, puzzled at what had just taken place. "What on earth was that about?"

Scrooge held up his glass of water, taking a steady sip. "Why, I haven't the faintest idea." He waited until Granny had left to chase after her granddaughter to admire his smug appearance in the reflective glass. Of course he had been right, his theories always were. Why, he had even more examples of her doing that action that he hadn't written down.

When Daisy showed the witch family the McDuck photo album, and displayed the one of him in his younger Klondike days, ding ding.

When he had asked her to dance during the engagement party, ding ding.

When he and Rosolio were arguing who really did know Magica better, ding ding.

When they had to fake kiss again in front of the family along with some new reporters, ding ding.

His confident expression faded, as each new recollection began to create a startling theory in his mind that was wholly unwelcome.

~*~

"What is magic?"

Tea on the patio, with the fading sunset, that is where and when the strange question had been asked. Magica held the cup in her hand, having paused in her drink once the words had left the miser's mouth. She looked at him, making sure she had heard correctly. Since one of his eyebrows was raised and his gaze was curious, the question had been real. Quietly, she resumed her sip. "Why do you ask?"

"It bothers me..." He replied, voice already annoyed. "... when things happen with no explanation. I've seen you buy potions and wands, and buying a weapon is something anyone can do... but you also can conjure up spells all on your own. It should be one or the other. What's the difference?"

She traced the outline of the cup. "... Yes, almost anyone can buy weapons. But that doesn't mean everyone can use them. If a man who has never used a gun before picks one up, he will not fire straight, and he might even wind up injuring his hand in the process. One needs experience before mastering bought weapons."

"But even then... a gun is a machine. You speak of experience with the supernatural."

A shrug with one shoulder. "I could teach your nephews how to use bought spells and potions for the rest of my life, but even when they turn gray, they would never be as powerful as myself, or other sorcerers and sorceresses."

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the insistence of that term. She always got angry if she was called anything but a sorceress. For the sake of learning, he'd put that aside for now. "And why is that? What makes you and your ilk different from me and my nephews?"

"Blood. Genetics." Catching the skepticism in his expression, she smirked. "Is it that much of a surprise? Like any genetic anomaly, magic is inherited. If a man with blue eyes and a woman with blue eyes have a child, there is a stronger likelihood that their child will also have blue eyes. My father had magic, my mother had magic, so Poe and I had magic."

"Poe doesn't use magic." He refilled his cup. Some stars were beginning to shine out. The moon was hidden behind faint clouds. "I've never even seen him try."

"It's a part of his transformation." Her eyes looked away, uncomfortable with the subject, yet still willing to relent. "When I turned him, I didn't just change his outer appearance... I changed his blood, his DNA. The only thing left that is truly him and our family is his memory. We are no longer blood related."

There was a tense silence. At first, the elder was ready to ask if Poe knew... but... it became clear in his own mind. If Poe hadn't been told of it, the raven would have figured it out on his own, when he couldn't perform even the most simple feat of magic. Perhaps that was why Granny treated him as more of a pet than a grandson, since he "wasn't" a grandson to her anymore. Yet as the older one kept thinking, he could recall moments where Magica treated Poe not quite as an equal but still as family. Even now Magica looked decidedly unpleasant, with an emotion he thought she wasn't capable of - guilt.

Scrooge cleared his throat. "That still doesn't explain some things... all right, so you got it from your parents, who got it from your grandmother, and back and back... where did it all start?"

She took another drink before getting back into the conversation. "With the gods, of course."

"Of course." A derisive snort.

"It's natural of you not to believe... but there were ancient times where it was commonplace for everyone to believe in gods. But as science and technology advanced, people disregarded their beliefs... but not everyone did. Those others, in fact, praised the gods for these advancements. But the people also became worried that, at this rate, belief would be stomped out everywhere, and future generations wouldn't believe in the gods. So they prayed and sacrificed, begging the gods for a way to keep belief alive. The gods decided to bless these people with magic."

"I've seen more believable nonsense in Donald's comic books." A wag of the finger. "Where is your proof?"

"Our own history books... which are up to interpretation. No one is alive from those days, so for all I know, it could be false. But it's just easier to believe that story." Her cup became empty.

"I still don't understand it all. How can your body, just because of a few select strands of DNA, be able to do things mortals can't?"

She looked down at her hands, placing the tea cup away. "... Desire."

"Desire?"

The only light between them was a single flame, flickering brightly over a red candle. Magica took the candle holder, a faded golden color, grasping it lightly in her fingers. With her other hand, she held up her wand in preparation. Then with a soft and quick breath, the fire was gone. "You can light this again easily enough with a match, you can do it all by yourself, with your own hands. With magic... it deeply depends on what you want. You must want it with all of your heart." She pointed the wand at the burnt tip, and they both glowed deeply - in the blink of an eye, the candle was lit again. "I desired warmth and light. Desire... and desperation. Us of the magic cannot blend so simply into mortal society. Sometimes our lives are not easy. We become desperate to continue living, as our kind die out."

The candle was the same as it had been minutes ago, as if it had never been blown out. Night was settling in. The fire was reflected in her eyes, and her face was illuminated. How much time had passed since he invited her to tea out on the patio? She placed the candle back down on the table. He watched it a little more before speaking. "If you don't have any children, the De Spell line dies with you."

"And another magical family is eliminated from the gene pool." A snap of her fingers, putting her wand down. "But I don't care. I've never cared too greatly for children... I can barely stand your brats. When I have the amulet granting me the power of the Midas Touch, I will be rich enough so that my line is eternally remembered. Our wondrous last stand. It's the same with you."

He did not respond, and felt no need to. Just a nod. He could see where she was going with that reasoning.

"Even when the worms are eating your bones, everyone will still remember the name Scrooge McDuck. No nephew of yours carries that same last name. You are the last of the clan McDuck, and with your wealth, you will be remembered forever. That is a magic no sorcerer could create... the power of immortality."

This time, he crossed one arm over, and pointed a finger at her. "About that, immortality... and I don't mean that whole 'remembrance' thing. Why can no sorcerer do that? I imagine wanting to live forever would generate tons of powerful desire."

One of her legs crossed over the other. "... That is even stronger proof that the gods gave us this power."

"Explain."

"There is a branch of spell work that is called The Forbidden, because it is exactly that - forbidden. Using those spells threatens to expose magic to the entire world, and would create havoc, making us the new gods of the world. As punishment, whenever someone uses such a spell, they lose a year of their life."

"That's hardly proof."

"Well, it's not like when they use it, a god suddenly appears and smacks them upside the head. They just die much sooner than expected. After it happened enough times, the mathematics were figured out."

"Have you ever used one?"

A soft chuckle. The sun was gone. "I'm not stupid, as much as you're inclined to think so. I want the rest of my life to enjoy my riches."

"So what are The Forbidden?" A few fireflies were making themselves known in the close gardens. Scrooge would silently shoo one away if one get too close, but Magica would allow one to crawl along her arm if it wanted to.

"Extending someone's life span. Shortening someone's life span. Death. Love-"

"Now hold on." he cut her off, leaning in. "I've seen you use plenty of love potions and spells."

"Mediocre things." A dismissive wave of her hand. "Those types had time limits, and only seized part of the heart. The Forbidden Spell Of Love captures the entire heart and mind, for all time. It's a love akin to madness. The victim cares for nothing but the caster... not even their own health. That spell has been the cause of much bloodshed. Helen of Troy was a victim, as was Romeo and Isolde..."

His brows furrowed. "... Wait... do you mean Romeo and Juliet? Tristan and Isolde? Those are made up stories."

"So is magic, to some." A smile, and then she stood. "It's getting cold. I'm going inside."

"One more question." He stood as well. "Do you actually know how to use The Forbidden?"

Her eyes met his. "Yes. For the sake of our dying history, sorcerers and sorceress are even taught those spells. Granny, Samson Hex, Rosolio, even Witch Child could use one, if their desire was strong enough."

He picked up his cane, that was previously laid against his chair. He appeared amused. "Should I take it as a compliment that you've never desired me dead that strongly?"

She approached the doors. "Fool. If you died, that dime of yours becomes worthless. Then I'd have to find the next richest man alive." Though her hand was on the door handle, she did not press on it. She could feel his eyes on her, still inquisitive. A sigh. "All right, what else?"

"Those gods... if they gave your people magic, that makes these supposed divine beings useless. They wouldn't need to help your people anymore, since they could help themselves. What became of them?"

She stayed where she was, even as he walked up to her. Slowly, she turned to look at him. "We believe they help the non-blessed. The mortals. They give you strength... you just aren't aware of it. When you desire something that desperately... they are there to lend that power. Fate changes. Miracles occur. They can't do this to everyone... without belief, their abilities grow weaker all the time. But they will live on so long as humanity does. Because desire... always exists."

They stared at each other. The candle was still lit. There was no wind.

"You're saying, if I desire something strongly enough, the gods will help me?" He had desired many things in his life, he knew that well.

Desire and need are two different things, they both thought. People need food and water, need comes with survival. Need is primal, and can over ride the mind in order to get it. Deaths can be as a result of an unfulfilled need. Desire is different. Desire is a pain that cannot be described, yet, with time, it can be pushed away. People can live without desires being fulfilled. Yet there is not a single person who has ever lived who has never felt desire at least once.

There are also people who let desire consume their lives. They feel without this wish being granted, they are better off dead. If they allow it, a desire can control a person. That's when the desire becomes a need. That's when the gods can no longer help.

The door handle was gripped. "It's possible. But they have better wishes to grant than the ones of a rich old miser. So, probably not." The door was opened, and she was soon gone.

When he could no longer hear her footsteps, he returned to the table, and picked up the candle holder. He blew it out. "Yes," he murmured, touching the remains of wax. "Probably not."

~*~

When, exactly, did he realize she was a woman? It felt like such a ridiculous thing to think about, but during the course of their lives, he supposed he never really acknowledged that about her. Of course he knew she was female, but due to all of her aggravating attacks on his dime, he had just molded her into 'that person'. He had always been satisfied with that state. She was his enemy, there was no need to change that. Things could have stayed like that, if it wasn't for this entire ruse.

Now here he was, hugging her, having her lean onto his body, fully aware of what she was and who she was. She felt so small against him, as powerless as a doll, her head resting on his chest. No objection had been made to the embrace, as it had started out as an accident. They were descending the stairs, ready to get some lunch before having another dreadful afternoon with her family, when suddenly, nearing the last steps, she had tripped and fallen forward. He not only caught her, but instinctively his arms had gone around her. Though now she was capable of standing up and walking on her own, neither made any attempt to leave.

The gigantic mansion of a home was silent. The only thing that could be heard were their light breaths, and his heartbeat so close to her ear. She wasn't even returning the gesture, her arms curled up on his chest. Of course he was in no rush to see Magica's family again, and there were other reasons not to leave this moment. He just couldn't think of them right now. Frankly a lot of his mind was refusing to work right now.

Wasn't she supposed to be pushing away to make some scathing comment? He was almost afraid to see what kind of expression she was wearing. The more time that passed, the more sense reached into his head. With great reluctance, he moved his hands, grabbing her by the elbows, and ever so lightly pushed her away by mere inches. Her wide eyes showed that she was initially surprised, but her look settled in understanding. Except he still hadn't really let go, and judging by his grip, still wasn't planning to.

He apparently wasn't planning on doing anything at all, yet she appeared to be expecting something. Maybe she understood this situation better than he did. His grip eased, not entirely holding her in place, but still enough to be felt. It became a staring contest, his confused and slightly bewilderment to her anticipation and patience.

Just then, the door to the dining room creaked open, and Ducksworth stepped in, mouth open to announce, again, that lunch was served. But when he caught sight of the ducks in such a position, who were now staring right back at him, he hesitated, then stepped back, closing the doors and leaving them. The spell broken, Magica abruptly shook her arms loose, and stuck her bill up high, indignant. Once again, they had become enemies. It was if nothing had happened in those past few minutes. That was completely fine with Scrooge.

Yet as she walked by him, her arm brushed against his, and for the faintest of moments, her cold fingers ran up his arm. Feeling his heart jump into his throat, he turned to look at her, but she was already at the door, opening it to leave. She glanced back at him, still wearing her usual expression of distaste, leaving him to wonder if he had just imagined that fleeting sensitive touch. She left the room, and he would only join her once he was positive his face was no longer red.

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Sailor Proof by Annabeth Albert

Shore Leave #1

 What fun this book proved to be! I fell in love with Derrick and Arthur but also with Arthur’s family and the look into what it must be like to be involved with someone in the Navy. I knew that the men on the LST that evacuated us from Lebanon were missing their families, appreciated the effort they made to keep us safe, and thought of them again today while reading this book and realized even more the sacrifices they and their families make every day to do the jobs they do.

 What I liked:

* Derrick Fox: Petty Naval Chief working with sonar in a submarine, orphaned as a youth, raised by his grandmother, the Navy is his career, and he is focused, sweet, kind, gentle, confident, and perfect for Arthur.

* Arthur Euler: musician, different from other family members, fun loving, lives for himself, kind, generous, interesting, perfect for Derrick.

* The Euler family: large, loving, boisterous, competitive, do-gooders, there for on another.

* The look into part of what it might be like to be in the Navy and/or to fall for someone in the Navy.

* The growth of the relationship between Arthur and Derrick

* That the obstacles to overcome were dealt with honestly

* The communication between the couple

* The support of Arthur’s mother

* That the relationship between Derrick and Arthur was healthy and normal and believable

* The family reunion and the activities and situations that occurred there

* All of it really!

 What I didn’t like:

* Can’t think of anything except maybe the undervaluing of Arthur by some of his family.

 Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series? Yes

 Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Adores for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 5 Stars

   Sailor Proof by Annabeth Albert is available in trade paperback, eBook and audiobook on September 28th!

 The sexy Navy chief and his best friend’s adorkable little brother…

 It’s petty, but Naval Chief Derrick Fox wishes he could exact a little revenge on his ex by showing off a rebound fling. His submarine is due to return to its Bremerton, Washington, home base soon and Derrick knows all too well there won't be anyone waiting with a big, showy welcome.

 Enter one ill-advised plan…

 Arthur Euler is the guy you go to in a pinch—he's excellent at out-of-the-box solutions. It's what the genius music-slash-computer nerd is known for. So when he finds out Derrick needs a favor, he’s happy to help. He can muster the sort of welcome a Naval Chief deserves, no problem at all.

 Except it is a problem. A very big problem.

 When Arthur’s homecoming welcome is a little too convincing, when a video of their gangplank smooch goes enormously viral, they're caught between a dock and a hard place. Neither of them ever expected a temporary fake relationship to look—or feel—so real. And Arthur certainly never considered he'd be fighting for a very much not-fake forever with a military man.

 Add Sailor Proof to your Goodreads!

 Carina Adores is home to highly romantic contemporary love stories featuring beloved romance tropes, where LGBTQ+ characters find their happily-ever-afters. 

 Discover a new Carina Adores book every month!

Meet Me in Madrid by     Verity Lowell (coming October 26)

The Life Revamp by     Kris Ripper (coming November 30)

If You Love Something by     Jayce Ellis (coming December 28)

D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding     by Chencia C. Higgins (coming January 25)

Sink or Swim     by Annabeth Albert (coming February 22)

 Buy Sailor Proof by Annabeth albert

https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335984920_sailor-proof.html 

  EXCERPT

Derrick

Arthur turned out hot. That was my first thought when I spotted him after I heard my name called. Derrick. My actual name, not Fox, not Chief, and outside of Calder a couple of times, I hadn’t heard that name in months. And definitely not like that, all eager and excited and happy. On the sub, hearing my name inevitably meant that someone needed something right that minute, but the way Arthur said it didn’t inspire dread at all.

I’d already been caught up in the energy of the day. Homecoming day was always exciting, even if I didn’t usually have someone waiting. The whole crew was jostling about, getting into our dress whites, making sure everything from our cover to the chest candy of ribbons and medals to the gig line was perfectly straight. Getting chosen to be on deck as we came into port was an honor, one that I usually let others, especially those with kids, fight over, since there was still plenty to do belowdecks in preparation and support. As the chief sonar tech, I was responsible for working with the A-gangers from engineering and the operations department to help navigate us in. Adrenaline was contagious, and by the time my department was cleared to disembark, I had enough energy to rival the reactor that powered the sub.

And then I heard my name.

I recognized Arthur’s red hair right away. But the rest…

Wow. Arthur had grown hot. Still shorter than me and skinnier, but wiry now, each lean muscle defined under a thin white shirt and tight jeans. No signs of his ever-present too-big nerd-humor tees. Same startling green eyes as before, though, and a new, more chiseled jaw sporting the perfect amount of fuzz. He’d grown into his long regal nose, and the hair that had seemed to have a life of its own when he’d been a teen was sculpted now, this perfectly styled wave that made me want to mess it up. His hands, which had always seemed too big for the rest of him, were clutching a giant sign.

For me.

And for a second—a literal instant when our eyes met and time stopped—I forgot it wasn’t real. And in that moment, I wanted it to be. Someone smiling that broadly for me. Had Steve ever been so happy to see me? Hell, I wasn’t even sure the poodle my grandmother had let me keep had been that happy. Arthur just radiated pure joy. The kid was one hell of an actor.

“Welcome home.” Even his voice was different. Deeper. Sexier.

“Hey,” I said because I was simply that brilliant at conver­sation. I reached an arm out, instinctively going for a hand­shake, but Arthur shifted his sign and met me partway, coming in for a hug.

A really tight hug.

Damn, he felt good. Amazing really. Solid muscle against me, hair tickling my nose, exactly as silky as it looked, strong arms able to haul me in and hold me tight. He smelled like mint and green tea, two things in short supply on a boat that tended to smell like old socks on a good day. Sweet. I inhaled deeply as his lips brushed my ear.

“Calder said to kiss you,” he whispered. “And I want to. But you gotta tell me you’re good with that first.”

Was I good with that? Hot guy who smelled like a concoction I wanted to drink every day for a month wanted to kiss me. And ordinarily, the friendship code would put Arthur far, far off-limits, but here was Calder telling us to kiss. It was a free pass, the sort I’d be a fool to turn down.

I wasn’t a fool.

And what harm could a peck do?

“Yeah.” My voice was a rough whisper, and I didn’t have a chance to brace myself before Arthur was sliding his mouth over from my ear to mouth. A double shot of tequila would have had less punch than the first brush of contact.

And okay, not a peck.

We were kissing. Arthur and I, which should have been weird but somehow wasn’t. At all. Someone whooped behind us, but almost all of my attention was riveted on Arthur, like I was on watch and every sense was heightened lest I miss something vital.

Like how soft his lips were. Full too. Or the bristle of his scruff against my cheek. I’d done a submarine shave that morn­ing, not my best job, but close enough that the rasp of beard felt electric. Our chests were pressed so tightly that I could feel his heart pounding. Or maybe that was mine, blood zooming to places that had been in deep freeze for months.

“Wow.” Arthur pulled back, leaving me dazed and still clinging to him.

“Damn.” The statuesque purple-haired woman he’d been standing with laughed loudly and thumped Arthur’s shoul­der. “Is that the best you can do? Your man has been at sea how many months?”

Your man. If only. If he were actually mine, we’d be racing across base, a mad dash to find a room with a door. But he wasn’t and all we’d ever have was this moment. A potent mix of want and resolve raced through me as suddenly I was determined to make this count.

I pulled him back to me, and this time when our mouths collided, I was ready. Ready to taste. Ready to absorb every single detail. Ready to seize control and kiss like the world might be ending.

And it could have. Not sure I would have noticed. Everything faded away. The crowd. The docks. The balloons Arthur had been clutching and his sign both as his strong hands clung to my shoulders as we kissed in earnest. He tasted like he smelled, sweet and minty, and his tongue against mine was like floodlights coming on.

“Welcome home,” Arthur breathed against my mouth as the sound of applause gradually pulled me back into awareness of our surroundings. Applause. Whoops of laughter. Clicking cameras. But still I couldn’t seem to look away from him.

About Annabeth Albert

Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a Pacific Northwest romance writer of many critically acclaimed and fan-favorite LGBTQ romance series.  To find out more, check out: www.annabethalbert.com. The fan group, Annabeth’s Angels, on Facebook is also a great place for bonus content.

 Connect with Annabeth Albert

Website: https://www.annabethalbert.com/ 

Facebook Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/annabethsangels 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnnabethAlbert 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annabeth_albert/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6477494.Annabeth_Albert 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Annabeth-Albert/e/B00LYFFAZK 

[ezrafanfic]

An Unexpected Future

Part 14:

Ezra’s parents were in town and we made plans to meet them for dinner. I was pretty excited to see them. They were both very warm and kind people and had taken a liking to me right away back when Ezra and I first met as kids. They always referred to me as the nice girl who their rebellious son would ruin one day.

But Ezra had changed so much since we were in high school, the last time I saw his parents just before he dropped out when we were almost 15. He was becoming very successful with both his music and acting career, something I remember his parents always worrying about in the beginning when he first made the decision to leave school. Although he still occasionally seemed to get a little carried away when partying and sometimes got himself into a little trouble (like at the bar the previous night), he was pretty well rounded and doing a lot of good for himself. I was becoming more and more confident that he was going to be a great father to our baby and I looked forward to sharing the news with his parents.

It was the early afternoon. I’d been spending almost every night at Ezra’s over the past week. I had class that morning, but I ended up staying over the previous night.

I just woke up and found Ezra in the kitchen. He was on the phone, standing by the opened back door with a cigarette between his lips.

“Oh she will definitely be surprised…” I heard him say as I opened the fridge and grabbed the milk. He looked up, noticing my presence.

“Ah, I gotta go.” He said rather quickly as I made myself some cereal. “Okay, sounds good. Talk to ya later…”

He hung up and looked at me, grinning. “Why, hello there, sleepy head. How did you sleep?”

“What was that all about?” I cut right to the chase. I could sense that something was up.

“Oh, that was just my mom,” He shrugged, “Is 6 o’ clock okay to meet my parents for dinner?”

“6 o’ clock is fine.” I rolled my eyes as I sat at the table and began to eat my cereal.

He sat across from me, folding his arms across his chest. “What?”

I smirked. “You know, for an actor, you’re pretty terrible at…acting.”

He let out a loud laugh. “What the hell does that even mean?”

“It means that you’re hiding something.” I gave him a serious look, pointing my spoon at him. “I’ve got my eyes on you…”

He rolled his eyes and got up from the table. “Whatever you say, weirdo.” He ruffled my hair as he walked past me. “I’m going to take a shower. I can give you a ride to school then if you want. I’ve got some things to do today and I can pick you up after.”

“Alright,” I said with a mouthful of food. “And don’t use all the hot water…”

He turned around, facing me. “Oh, I see how it is. You eat all my food, hog up my entire bed and now you want to use my shower?”

I got up from the table and rinsed out my empty bowl. “So?”

“So…” He wrapped his arms around me from behind and I turned around, looking up at him. “You’re here almost every day. You’ve stayed over the past 3 nights…”

“Is there a problem?” I asked.

He chuckled. “No, not at all. It’s just…well. We have a baby on the way, a baby that we plan to care for together, right? Now, wouldn’t it make sense for us to live under the same roof if we plan on doing so?”

I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Are you proposing that I move in with you???”

“I…think I am.” He suddenly seemed nervous and it was adorable. “Is that taking things too fast? I mean, I’m just trying to be practical…”

I giggled. “No, no. It’s totally practical. And definitely not a bad idea…”

He grinned. “Really?”

“Yeah,” I took a deep breath. “Like you said, I’m basically here all the time anyway and I agree, it would best for the baby to have her mommy and daddy both living under one roof…” I gave him a nervous smile before continuing. “ I also think it could be a good opportunity for us to be closer and possibly grow as a couple.”

“Absolutely.” He pressed his lips against mine. “So, that’s it then? You’re moving in?”

“Yeah. I guess so.”

Between that morning’s discussion about me moving into Ezra’s apartment and us meeting his parents for dinner that evening to tell them about the baby, I was unable to stay focused during any of my classes.

It was around 4 o clock when Ezra picked me up from my last class. He took me back to my place and I changed into something more fitting for dinner and grabbed a few of my things to bring back to his place that evening. I tried not to show it, but I was pretty excited for us to live together and I figured I’d slowly move some of my stuff in until my lease was up at my apartment in a few months.

Ezra seemed overly excited to be meeting his parents for dinner. He was in a very cheerful mood, playing his music loudly in the car and singing along as we drove to the restaurant.

“Shouldn’t you be more nervous about this?” I asked him. “After all, not only are we going to have to tell them about the baby, but now we’re going to be living together…”

“Nah, I’m not the slightest bit worried.” He said, practically smirking. “I have a feeling things are going to go very well.”

We showed up at the restaurant and Ezra lead me inside. Right away, I knew something was going on. The place was pretty empty and Ezra lead me back towards one of the private rooms.

“What the hell is going on?” I said as he opened the door.

“Surprise!!!” A bunch of voices yelled and I was beyond confused.

Everyone was there: Angelica, Josh, Lilah, my parents, my older brother Stephen, Ezra’s sisters Saiya and Caitlin, and his parents.

“Ezra?” I turned to him, noticing the amused look on his face. “What is this???”

“Your baby shower, duh!” Angelica ran up to me, throwing her arms around my neck. She pulled away, laughing. “You should see the look on your face right now…Actually, I’m shocked lover boy here was able to keep his mouth shut.”

“Thanks, Angelica.” Ezra said and I looked at him as my parents and brother approached us.

“Stephen!” I squealed and gave my brother a hug. “Oh my God, it’s been almost a year…”

“I know right?” He laughed as he pulled away, looking me “Almost a year and you got yourself into some trouble with this guy, I see…” He nodded towards Ezra, who nodded back awkwardly. “Damn, sis. You’re pregnant as hell.”

“Stephen,” My mom rolled her eyes and I laughed, giving her a hug. “Don’t listen to your brother. You look great.”

I gave my father a hug too. “It’s good to see you, dad. Thanks for being here.”

“Of course.” He said and turned to Ezra, shaking his hand. “Good to see you again, Mr. Miller.”

I noticed Ezra’s parents watching from across the room after my parents walked away.

“So, they already know?” I folded my arms across my chest, looking up at my boyfriend.

“I figured at this point that was a given.” Ezra said.

“And how did they find out?” I didn’t want to be mad. I was beyond happy to see my family, especially my brother and it was very nice of Ezra to throw a surprise baby shower for me. But I couldn’t believe his parents were in on it and I didn’t even know they knew about the baby.

“It wasn’t me, I promise.” He suddenly got defensive and his sisters were the next to approach us.

“Congratulations again, little brother.” Caitlin said, grabbing her brother and planting a smooch on his cheek, making him blush.

Saiya did the same and Ezra shrugged her away.

“Alright, that’s enough, blabber mouths.” Ezra said and was serious all of a sudden, “So, what’s up with mom and dad? Are you sure they're not super pissed?"

Saiya rolled her eyes. “Of course they’re not…”

“I told you a million times,” Caitlin said, putting her arm around both of our shoulders. “They’re really happy for you guys.”

His parents were walking towards us and Ezra seemed tense. “Ugh, I think I’m gonna hurl…”

“Hi, Mr. Miller.” I waved at Ezra’s father and his mother. “Mrs. Miller.”

“(Y/N)!” His mom pulled me into a tight hug. “It’s been so long, sweetheart.” She pulled away. “Look at you! Oh, Ezra Matthew Miller, you better be taking good care of this girl…”

“Of course, ma.” He grinned, giving her a hug.

His father patted me on the arm. “I’m sure he's probably the one that needs taken care of.” He joked and I laughed. “He’s a good man if I raised him right. And I’m sure you’ll both be great parents.”

“Thank you.” I said. Ezra and his dad talked for a minute or two as I chatted with his mom.

“So, you’re having a little girl.” She smiled warmly, taking my hands in hers. She was such a sweet woman. “Girls are wonderful, much less of a handful than boys. Ezra was always a handful as I’m sure you can imagine. His sisters were much more calm and collected as children…And now they’re all pretty hard to keep up with. Enjoy motherhood, sweetheart. It’s a very magical thing and they grow up fast…”

I smiled, giving her another big hug. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Miller. Really, I’m so glad that you and your husband could make it here tonight.”

“You know,” she laughed, talking slightly softer. “My son absolutely adores you. I can tell by the way he looks at you. I know he will do his best to take care of you and the baby, but promise me, you’ll take care of him too. He’s such a sweet and sensitive soul. I know he’s a bit stubborn and unpredictable, but I also know that he’s got a very big heart and if he loves you, he will give you every part of it. Just be gentle with it. That’s all I ask from you as his mother.”

I nodded, slightly taken back by what she was saying, but I knew she only meant well and cared for her son the way that I would for my daughter.

“I will, Mrs. Miller.” I said. “Your son is my best friend in the entire world and I care very deeply for him. I promise, I’ll do my best by him…”

She hugged me again and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

I looked over at Ezra, who was now talking to Lilah and Josh and I couldn’t help but smile. After talking to his mother, I realized how strongly I felt for her son. Sure, we were always best friends and now boyfriend and girlfriend with a baby on the way and moving in together. But I was really starting to think that I could really be in love with this guy.

[thirstytrashblogger]

Such a kind man A/n I know I'm usually a star wars blog but I just saw Mob Psycho 100 and Reigen was too good to be true. I had to write about him. Hope y'all like it. I had to delete and post this again because I did a thing and messed it up 😅 sorry. Imagine: Reigen saving you from your abuser and comforting you. Warnings: abusive relationship, hitting, HYPNOSIS PUNCH!!! Reigen's POV: Damn I really stayed late today at the office. I'm sure I missed the train home. All well, a walk won't kill me. I walk along the sidewalk at night. A cigarette between my lips and briefcase in hand. The crisp night air was refreshing. About 20 minutes later I walked by an ally and saw a couple smooching it up and getting touchy. At least they're away from where children can see them. I continued my stroll until I heard a woman’s voice yell out ‘no’ followed by the loud sound of a slap. The cigarette dropped from my mouth as I turned back to see the woman was now on her knees crying with her hand on her red cheek. The man was standing over her looking furious and full of hate. I hid by the wall to listen to the situation before acting. The human slime grabbed the woman by her jacket and pulled her up to face him. “The Hell did you say to me?!” “n-no” “Answer me (y/n)!” “I said no…” “DON'T YOU EVER SAY NO TO ME YOU BITCH! IF I SAY LET'S DO IT NOW WE DO IT NOW! GOT IT?” “y-yes” *Slap* this one sending her flying to the ground. “That's yes sir slut. Now do I need to teach you manners again?” “I think you need to learn some manners yourself before you swing your arms around like a wild ape.” I spoke up rushing over to help the fallen lady. She has blood coming from her nose and a faded bruise around her eye. It broke my heart to see her so hurt. Someone needs to show this scum bag that this is no way to treat your partner. “huh? Get the hell out of here string bean before I beat you to a pulp.” “Oh excuse me sir allow me to introduce myself” this idiot might need a calmer approach “I am Reigen Arataka. Greatest psychic of the twenty first century. I-” “I don't care who you are psycho guy. I was just walking home with my girlfriend.” “Oh so I take it you don't want to have a commentary palm reading by a famous psychic?” “Huh? What are you playing at wei-” “HYPNOSIS PUNCH!!!” The huge brute falls to the ground nearly unconscious “DON'T YOU KNOW IT'S TERRIBLE TO ABUSE PEOPLE! WHAT KIND OF SHITTY PERSON ARE YOU TO BE SLAPPING YOUR GIRLFRIEND AND FORCING HER TO HAVE SEX AGAINST HER WILL!!!??” “I-I she deserved it!” the brute stood again. *KICK IN THE GROIN!! “YOU LOWLIFE LOSER!! RESPECT WOMAN YOU MONSTROUS SHIT HEAD!! YOU SHOULD BE THROWN IN JAIL FOR YOUR CRIMES AND HAVE THE KEY THROWN OUT!!” *FINAL BOW PUNCH* he passed out. I caught my breath looking at the giant collapsed on the ground. Sweat glistening on my face. I turned to see the girl still looking shaken looking at me. “Oh I won't hurt you. I think the worst is over now. Are you alright?” She ran over to hug me and sobbed loudly into my chest. “You're okay now. Don't worry.” I say while patting her on the back. “we should probably call the police and have them throw this gorilla in prison.” “Thank you” she said between sobs. “Really it was my duty as a stand by.” She continued to cry. I held her tighter. The poor thing was shaking in my arms. “Do you have a safe place to go tonight?” She shook her head no. “Very well. Do you trust me enough to stay with me?” She thought about it for a minute before giving a small nod. “Okay. My apartment isn't very far. We can ring the police station now and they could meet us there.” “Do police need to be involved.” “is there a reason they shouldn't be?” “No it's just this is so extreme. I just never imagined myself in this situation.” I place a hand on her shoulder. “It's going to be okay. None of this was your fault. Sometimes for one reason or another humans are shitty and do terrible things. Those people are losers and will never have happy lives and probably live in their mom’s basement. He won't hurt you ever again. I promise you that.” “Thank you” --- We arrived at my apartment after a few minutes. I fixed us some tea and gave her a blanket since she seemed in shock and cold. After we talked to the police they informed us the abuser would be put away for a long time.We sat in silence after the authorities left. “I don't think I caught your name ma’am.” “(y/n)” “Reigen Arataka. A pleasure.” She cracked a small smile. The first smile is seen her make since I saw her. “Are you hungry (y/n) I have some curry if you'd like” “I don't really feel like eating thank you. I just I don't understand. The relationship started out good but then I messed up and he didn't like it. It just continued until I was stuck” “A trap.” “huh?” “innocent people being trapped by scum like that. It's awful and they show no shame. Know that is was never your fault.” “Thank you.” She hugged me again. I wrapped the blanket around her again and held her tight. We must've fallen asleep like that. I woke up the next morning on the couch with her still holding me tighter than a koala cub. Her tear stained face quietly breathing and nestling into me for warmth. In all honesty, I must admit it is quite nice to be held by someone. I stayed there like that. Watching her calm slumber. It felt odd though. Being cuddled up with a strange woman on my couch. I decided to get up to at least brush my teeth. My mouth tasted like stale cigarettes and old tea leaves. When I moved from my spot and out of (y/n)’s grasp she groaned a bit from the loss of warmth. I must admit she looked quite adorable scrunching her face up like that. I grabbed another blanket and draped it over her. It was cute to see her cuddle up into it. I noticed the time on my watch. Crap! I'm late! I ran to the bathroom to get ready and grabbed my keys. I booked it for the door. Wait. I turned to look at (y/n) still asleep. I don't really want a person I met last night alone in my house. All well I mean I slept through the night and she didn’t take off with anything so I guess it's okay for her to hang around. Okay yeah maybe it's best she left. “hey (y/n)” I said quietly and nudged her a bit. Her eyes blinked open. She let out a little yawn and rubbed her eyes. Her scraggly bed hair was in her face. “huh? Oh Reigen. I must've fallen asleep I'm sorry. I should probably get going.” she removed the blanket and stood to fold it. “I'm not kicking you out. Don't worry. I just woke you to let you know I have to get going so yeah I guess I'm kinda kicking you out.” crap have I no soul? “Very well. Thank you for everything Reigen. If there's any way I can repay you I’d be more than happy to. If it wasn't for you I would've just had my life stuck like it was and could've been killed. You're my hero Reigen Arataka.” Oh jeez I feel like such a big sap now. Okay calm down. Play it cool. Don't cry man you're stronger than this. “I-I it was nothing. Don't think too much of it. However I wouldn't mind the pleasure of taking a cutie like you out to dinner sometime.” She blushed at that. “I'd love that actually. Can I get your number.” “Oh sure my new business cards arrived too. I'll just write my cell on the back.” “Thank you again. I look forward to seeing you Reigen.” “It was honestly pretty nice to meet you too (y-” I was cut off my a small kiss being placed on my cheek. She stood in the doorway and here I am like a sweaty blushing idiot not knowing what to do next. “he*voice squeaks* *clears thought* Okay bye now and give me a holler if you need an exorcism done too.” she was gone. Wow I didn't play that as cool is I would've liked. I know I sound like a teenage girl saying this but I can't wait to get a call from her. Notes: lol. Out of blog character but I like it. Message me if you'd like a part 2. I couldn't mind continuing this

[egoiistas]

Checkmate

A/N #1: I am so excited that @theysangastheyslew is getting fics for her art because she’s got some amazing pieces This one was specifically inspired by The Equivalence in the Exchange because I love me some passionate Royai smooches in addition to listening to Suavemente by Elvis Crespo (aaayy) 

Rated T /  Fluff Word Count: 1943 ffffff one day I’ll break 2k

Mustang loses a bet; Hawkeye is determined to stay in the East

“How long have we been playing like this, Mustang? I’d thought you have learned some moves by now.” The old man lifted his rook onto the middle of the board, eliciting a pensive look from his opponent.  

He rested his chin over a balled-up fist, anticipating the old man’s moves. “Not even a year, sir. To be completely honest with you,” Roy’s pawn moved towards the rook, a deliberate move to allow the king to escape. “I blame it on instructor error.”  

Grumman laughed jovially, sliding his tower two spaces to the right. “Yes,” he cooed. “You’ve improved, but is it enough?”  

The White Queen over took a knight approximately two turns away from checkmating his King. Roy leaned back in his chair, visibly pleased with himself. “Enough to see your strategy.”  

“You caught me!” He stroked his chin as he peered onto the chessboard and analyzing the remaining pieces. When he came back up there was a mischievous glint in his eyes, but it was visible only briefly. The light hit the surface of his glasses at an angle that it created a glare only adding more to the shift in atmosphere. “Say, why don’t we make this interesting? How about a wager?”

“Oh?” Mustang crossed his arms. “I’m listening.”

“If you win, I’d be more than happy to give you a promotion. Imagine being the youngest Colonel Amestris has ever known.”

The Lieutenant Colonel’s eyes widened and his body felt a chill disperse, half in excitement and half in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”

“100% serious.”

Grumman held the same look as Roy mulled it over, it made him uneasy, but the excitement still bubbled. At the same time, he wondered if this was another one of his ploys. But all in an effort to win? When he does it so effortlessly?  Roy uncrossed his arms, letting his hands to his knees and supporting him as he leaned forward “And if you win?”

“Oh ho ho. Simple. I set you up with a match.”

Roy’s lip twitched, “What do you get out of that?”

“I’d get to live vicariously through you!” Another unsettling hearty chuckle. “Consider it a Christmas present for keeping an old coot like myself young again.”

“You’re dangling a promotion in my face. This is very interesting indeed.”

“I’d say so. But it is your turn, young man.”

He sat back to look at the chessboard, Roy failed to notice when the old man had gone. It may as well been his downfall

It only took five more turns, Roy realized dejectedly as his demeanor sunk  along with his short-lived excitement of an unexpected promotion.

He gave it a good go, but eventually, the white king and queen were cornered in the opposite side of the board. Checkmate came with his king being pinned by black knight, rook, and queen. “I should have known.”

“You got too eager.” The old man said, gloating. “But it’s not all bad news, you can meet my granddaughter!”

Of course, Roy imagined a grotesque image of a young lady with the Grumman mustache and glasses. He began to clean up the pieces from the board when the General spoke again. “Your granddaughter? Isn’t that a little personal?”

The glint in his eye was back, “I have a feeling you’ll get along swimmingly, Mustang. A match made in heaven.”

“And if I break her heart?”

Grumman’s mouth dropped, “You wouldn’t do such a thing to her.”

Roy shrugged playfully, “You know my reputation, sir. It precedes me.”

He heard laughter from across the table, “Do you really think you’re the first one to come up with that facade? I know men like you, Lieutenant Colonel.”

Roy paused, looking up at him warily as Grumman innocently tucked away the chessboard under his arm. The old man stood quietly, a smirk visibly under his gray mustache. “I’ll give you a call when she’s ready.”

The Second Lieutenant stood as the General’s secretary gave her the “OK” to enter his office. It was a simple request, surely he’d be reasonable. Riza silently entered and closed the door behind her. He sat at his desk, large window behind him casting sunshine into the room.

“One second, dear.” He placed a hand up, as she saluted him. He picked up the telephone receiver on his desk and began to dial. He noticed her at attention, he gave her an inquisitive look.  He waited as the phone rang and perked when he received an answer. “Now,” He said cryptically into the telephone. “Yes, now.”

She couldn’t place it, but there was a feeling of uneasiness.

The General replaced the receiver and he stood, walking around his desk. “My apologies for that, what can I do for you?”

She was still saluting him, eyes closed, as she stated, “Sir! As you know, for General Armstrong’s transfer request to be denied, my commanding officer must submit a formal refusal.” Riza heard him mutter, “At ease, lass.” and her hand fell from her brow bone. “Permission to ask you to refuse her, sir?”

“I will.” He said simply.

Subtle relief overcame her at his response, figuring her uneasy feeling came from poor choice in last night’s dinner. She began to salute again in appreciation, “Thank yo-”

But he interrupted her. “On one condition.”

Her brow flattened, shoulders dropping. “The Lieutenant Colonel said you’d say that.” Her worry stemmed from the unknown. She hardly knew the man, but the Lieutenant Colonel trusted him and from what she’s seen, it’s obviously reciprocated.

General Grumman was quiet; lost in thought she assumed. Until his back began to face her and he brought a hand to stroke his chin.

She calmed herself, taking in a deep breath.

“Ah yes, the Lieutenant Colonel. I want you to kiss him under some mistletoe.”

Her efforts to remain calm completely flew out the door she just came through. Her mouth dropped from the words that he uttered. It brought back memories of her father’s apprentice  and her youthful crush. Hawkeye regained some of her composure as those memories felt like a lifetime ago, it might as well been.  “Kiss Mustang?” She asked him and even as she said them, it sounded so absurd.

“That’s right, my dear.” His voice was jovial, the sentence ending off with a little flair.

She felt a sweat drop at her cheek, “Why?”

“Because it will amuse me.”

“Why?” Hawkeye repeated, a little more seriously.

“Because you’re all ‘Second Lieutenant Hawkeye’ and ‘Lieutenant Colonel Mustang’” He began to flail his arms to emphasize their ranks, as if it meant something she wasn’t privy to.  Grumman clenched his fists and shot it skyward to the air, exclaiming so loudly it reverberated in the room. “And it’s Solstice.” He turned his back towards her again, crouching like an excited child. “And I have a puckish side that will not be denied!”

“Puckish?” She said softly, more to herself than to him.

She watched him stand again, composed and dignified. In a more serious tone than Hawkeye had ever heard in the entirety of their conversation, he finally said, “You want me to deny your transfer to the North? You kiss Roy Mustang on the lips for no less than one-potato, two potato… five potatoes.”

“But isn’t that-“ Riza sighed, hoping she could find a loophole. “That’s fraternization?”

“That’s the deal.” He was persistent. He rushed to his desk to pull out a mistletoe bundle attached to a string and a stick, probably to purposely place it above them. “Take it or leave it.”

“Yes, sir.” She said, defeated. It wouldn’t have to be right at this moment, maybe if she held it off long enough the old man would forget.

As her thoughts finished, the door opened from behind her, feeling the blood drain from her face. “All right sir, I’m ready for our-” Roy Mustang paused as he caught sight of her as she saluted him diligently. “Match?”

“Well! Look at that.” General Grumman announced innocently.

Hawkeye received a rough push to her shoulder blade and her legs moved her forward towards him. The mistletoe dangled in front of them, but her brown eyes stayed on him

“Mistletoe! You take a step right up to the little sprig!”

He looked at Grumman with a blanched face and his brows had taken a worried shape. If her heart wasn’t threatening to leap out if its cage, Riza would have laughed at the look on his face. A sick joke really, she thought. To blatantly fraternize by kissing her childhood friend, her superior officer, who managed to look even cuter as he turned his head to her with apologetic onyx eyes, his lips shifting into an awkward smile.

“This was the favor?” He asked. “You’re the-“

Riza swallowed her hesitance. It was now or never. If she thought about it now, she might overthink it or he might disagree. She’s heard several great things about Briggs, but nonetheless, she lurched forward aiming for his face. Her eyes closed as her lips gingerly made contact with his. He “mmph”-ed as she caught him by surprise.

The hard part was over, she figured. Her hands slid up his arms and curled her fingers around the fabric of his military coat to hold him in place for five potatoes. There was probably a red tinge to her cheeks as she felt her face grow warmer. She felt his lips curve slowly into a grin as she rested hers on his bottom lip. His tense body relaxed underneath the scrunched fabric where she held him and his lips no longer rigid against hers. She expected an awkward five seconds, Riza could have handled an awkward five seconds to stop her transfer to the North.

It began slow when his lips moved, hers naturally responded in turn, - like it was normal, like it was natural.

Before she could process what a great kisser he was, Riza felt him breathe in and he deepen the kiss. And when that wasn’t enough for him, his hand tickled her neck as he combed through her short hair with his fingers to bring her lips closer.  Riza tilted her head and she could feel something begging to growl from the depths of her chest, endorphins sending tingling sensations throughout her entire body. She could feel the flesh of her lips begin to swell as their lips caressed each other.  Her fingers clutched him tighter, her mind began to swim, completely lost in this kiss.

It wasn’t rushed, it was calm and rhythmic. Ardent, but soft. Tender. Longing.

Before she knew it, Riza felt out of breath, stepping back and deeply regretting it. Her lips still felt the sensation of his lips.

She felt a blush creep on her face and gave an embarrassingly satisfied smile. “Was that enough potatoes, sir?”

When Grumman didn’t answer immediately, she looked up, stealing a glance towards him as he blushed and smiled, looking away from them. A nervous chuckle escaped her swollen lips. The man’s face was plastered in shock, but he recovered well. Was he crying and smiling? “Plenty…” Grumman started, gleaming. “A whole damn field.”

She stole another glance at the Lieutenant Colonel, noticing he was doing the same just moments before. Riza absent-mindedly toyed with her bottom lips as her mind replayed the recent events once more for her.

“I’ll go finalize the paperwork!” It broke her from her thoughts. The mistletoe on a stick was tossed to the wayside. She looked at him and he looked at her. “Happy Solstice!” He said, slamming the door shut and leaving them to their own heated devices.

A/N #2: OKAY SO I MADE A READING ERROR WHEN I FIRST READ THIS (even though I’ve seen this 85364859 times bc i am a dork for these dorks and i still hadn’t caught it)  I INTERPRETED MATCH AS IN GRUMMAN HAD MADE A MATCH FOR MUSTANG AND YEAH YOU KNOW, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY PROBABLY A CHESS MATCH.  I HOPE IT’S STILL GOOD  ;-;