#and then the second longest part is trying to figure out how to get them from my brain to my hand
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drabbles-mc · 3 days ago
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Just Like Old Times
Jake 'Hangman' Seresin & F!Reader
Written for @narcosfandomdiscord Book of Inception: fanwork that provides an origin story for a character that doesn't have one & "He made me who I am" & improvement
Warnings: 18+, language
Word Count: 2.4k
A/N: the way that the last week or so has gone really just zapped all the motivation and creativity out of me, so getting this written really fought me every step of the way lmao. but i will say, that thinking about Jake Seresin in high school was fun. giving him a brother was also fun. going three for three on these prompts was challenging and rewarding and fun. and now i want to revisit these two at some point because idk i have issues lmao
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You knew from the second that you’d walked into The Hard Deck that night that he didn’t remember you. Part of you didn’t really blame him, high school being such a distant memory for all of you now. Not just in years, but in all the experiences you’d packed into those years as well. From one standpoint you understood it…sort of.
From another standpoint you couldn’t believe that he could look you in the face and not say a word, not have even the tiniest flicker of recognition. He had looked right at you, and moved right on along to the next person. No matter how much things changed, they always stayed the fucking same.
It wasn’t until everyone was sitting out on the beach after the football game that the two of you even had a real conversation. Up until that point everyone had been running circles around each other, and you had much bigger things to worry about than Jake Seresin’s recollections of you, or lack thereof.
You were mid-conversation with Bob and Natasha when you noticed that neither of them were really looking at you anymore. You searched their faces, trying to figure out what it was that they were looking at.
Natasha leaned back, palms sinking into the sand as she said, “Bagman, six o’clock and incoming.”
You rolled your eyes, still not turning around to look at him. “Man knows how to ruin a good day.”
You didn’t have to look back to know how close he was, the tilts of Bob’s and Natasha’s head spelling out that information for you. His footfalls were nearly silent on the sand. Without realizing it, the closer he got, the deeper you pushed your fingertips into the sand like you were searching for something to grip onto.
Suddenly you were cast in Hangman’s shadow as he stood directly behind you. You shut your eyes for a moment, the longest blink ever as you tried hard to bite your tongue.
“Ladies,” he said, and you didn’t have to be looking at him to know exactly what his face looked like. “Bobby.”
Natasha was squinting against the sun but she still pulled a bit of a face. “It’s a good day, Hangman,” she said with just enough warning in her tone. “Let’s keep it that way.”
He chuckled, and you could see from the movement of his shadow that he was holding his hands out. “Every day at Top Gun is a good day, Phoenix. Thought you would’ve known that already.”
You were hoping that it was just going to be a quick thing, an in-passing comment that he made because he simply couldn’t bring himself to walk by your little trio without saying anything. But of course it wasn’t. Somehow the shift went from Natasha making extremely thinly veiled comments to the effect that Jake should hit the goddamn bricks, to him plopping down on the ground right there with you. He wedged himself right there between you and Bob like he had been there the whole time.
It didn’t take very long after that for Natasha to find a reason to leave. And wherever Natasha went, Bob was only ever a few steps behind. That left it with just you and Jake and the ocean that was slowly beginning to calm in front of you. It was a scene that could’ve been a peaceful one if the man sitting next to you had any interest in that.
Legs bent and pulled up towards you, you draped your arms across your knees. You were staring out at the receding waves as you asked, “To what do I owe the pleasure, Seresin?”
You could feel him staring at you and you made a point to not return the gesture. “Where’d you say you were from?”
You shook your head. “I didn’t. Also don’t think you’ve actually asked me a question directly the entire time we’ve been here.” You cast him a glance. “Too busy giving Rooster a hard time.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly at you like he was studying you, but there was still a smirk on his face. The more time you spent around him, the more you wondered if that was just what his face defaulted to these days. He leaned back on his palms, legs stretched out in front of him.
“Wasn’t until I heard Phoenix call you by your last name earlier that I realized—”
“Wow,” you barked out with a laugh, unable to stop yourself. “You’ve been running drills and sitting in class with me for how long and it took until today for you to recognize me? No sense of déjà vu sitting two rows over from me and picking on other kids in class? Nothin’ jogged your memory even a little?”
He leaned back, brows meeting for a moment. “When did you—”
“The first night we all got here!” you said, gesturing emphatically at nothing.
The smirk instantly returned to his face. “I’m that memorable, huh?”
You rolled your eyes and shook your head. “Fuck off.”
“What? C’mon, you can’t be mad.”
“I’m not mad.”
“No?” he asked, chuckling like he knew better than to believe you. A lot of confidence in your character for someone who only remembered who you were within the last two hours.
“No. Being mad would suggest that I’m somehow surprised that you’re still the way that you are. And I’m definitely…not.” You sighed. “You’re still Jake Seresin. Only difference now is—”
“My rank? The number of confirmed kills I have?” he tried to fill in the blanks, cocky as he’d ever been.
You looked at him. “Only difference is now you’re old enough to know better.” You saw the way he rolled his eyes at you and couldn’t help but to say, “I don't get you, Jake.”
The look on his face let you know that it had been a long time since someone referred to him by just his first name, not his last or his callsign. There was something intimate about it in a way. You wouldn't have given it any thought if he hadn't flinched at it.
He recovered as quickly as he could, that air of nonchalance reappearing around him. “I'm no Mystery Man.” He held his hands out in a brief gesture, like an invitation to scan him over. “What you see is what you get.”
It wasn't untrue. Jake Seresin had never been the type of person who lived a double life. Who he was around you was exactly who he was around everyone else. Maybe when it was just him, when there was no one else in the room looking to him or expecting anything from him, he was a different person. Not that it mattered—the world was never going to know. Reaching as far back as you could in your brain for memories of him, he'd always been some version of the man sitting in the sand next to you. He was just looking a little more refined these days.
You had just been hoping, when you'd seen him again, that maybe he would've changed by now. Nothing would be different if he wasn't different, but it would've been nice if it could be. The longer you looked at him, the more you tried to un-blur all of the memories that you hadn't bothered to tap into in a long time.
“How's your brother these days?” you asked, diverting course just slightly.
The question was immediately met with an eye-roll. “Fine.”
You had to let out a quiet laugh at that. “Yeah? That good, huh?”
He shrugged. “You want the play-by-play or something?” He shook his head, looking out at the ocean instead of at you. “He's fine.”
“You two not get along anymore or something? I thought you were both—”
“I see him on holidays. We text on birthdays. He is off doing…whatever he does.”
You hadn't expected the tension. From what you remembered, the two of them had gotten along well enough. His brother was a few years ahead of both of you, in his senior year of high school when the two of you were freshman. But he'd always been nice, nicer than Jake had been anyway. But they ran in a lot of the same circles, played a lot of the same sports, and they seemed to have a relatively good time doing it. Judging by the way that Jake was avoiding looking in your direction, you were now wondering if you were misremembering it all.
“We're grown-ups now, you know,” you offered up finally. “If you don't want to talk about him you can just say that.”
He flipped it right back on you. “We're grown-ups now, I can answer questions about Tommy if you have them.”
You laughed quietly and shook your head. “I can see that. The answers you've given so far have been so thorough and paint such a clear picture.” It got him to laugh even though you could tell that he didn’t want to give you the satisfaction. After a moment you cleared your throat. “You guys just seemed to get along back then, is all.”
Now he was looking at you again. “Yeah, Tommy got along with everyone back then—still does.”
You hummed in amusement. “Guess that trait isn't a genetic one, then.”
He cracked a small grin as he swatted sand at you. “Funny.” There was a pause, and you were waiting for him to pick something else to talk about, or for him to just get up and leave. Instead, he gave himself a moment and then said, “Tommy graduated with a full ride, but even when he was gone somehow I was still…” he trailed off. “Navy was the first place I wasn't a legacy kid. No footsteps to follow. Just me.”
“Hmm,” you nodded, not sure what you really wanted to say in response to that.
He caught your uncertainty. “What?”
“Nothing, I just…you wanna say that your brother, your family, your whoever was why you were like that back then. Fine, I get that, kind of. But then why,” you curled your fingers into the sand, “are you still up to all the same shit?”
“I'm not—”
“You are.” The laugh you let out was dry. “I'm one of the only people here that you can't lie to about that. I knew you back then, and I know you now, and from what I've seen? Not much has changed.”
The pinch of his brows let you know that what you were saying was getting to him, whether he admitted to it or not. He tried to hide it, and was semi-successful at it—it probably would've fooled someone else. “If it ain't broke—”
You didn't let him get to the end of the sentence. “There's always room for improvement.”
You were used to laughing at your own little one-liners, but Jake laughing at them too was new, especially when they were at his expense. Whatever the two of you were doing in that moment, it was the closest to being friends that you'd ever been. It was still a stretch but it was something.
“I don't know, you stack my resumé up against anyone else's here and I'd say I'm about as improved as it gets.”
“I think the one thing that could definitely still do with some improving is your humility,” you rebutted with a laugh. You geared up to hear some comment about how there was no need to be humble if he could back up everything that he was saying. When he didn’t, you said, “And, if you feel like taking suggestions—”
“You got another one for me?” he joked.
You laughed. “Yeah, of course.” You cleared your throat. “You said it yourself that this is the one place where none of that other stuff matters, like it never happened. So maybe, when you get a chance, you should get around to dropping all the bitterness that goes along with the brotherhood rivalry.” You shrugged, offering a small smile. “Cocky doesn't pair well with the sad, ‘He made me who I am,’ shtick.”
He raised his eyebrows in surprise as he laughed. “You're meaner than I remember.”
“Yeah, that's because you don't remember me,” you said, the lift at the ends of your lips taking the sting out of your words.
The look of surprise didn’t fade from his face, neither did the amusement. “Damn.”
You still had a smile on your face as you stood back up. Brushing the sand off the backs of your legs, you looked at him. It was a strange feeling, caught between remembering how things were back then and knowing how they were now. A lot of things hadn't changed, clearly, but the circumstances certainly had. You wanted more of it to be different, but there was no saying it so plainly.
“You heading back?” you asked, standing completely upright.
He looked up at you from where he was sitting. Shaking his head, he replied, “Not yet.”
You cocked your head to the side, folding your arms over your chest. “Going to sit out here with your thoughts?”
He chuckled and shrugged. “Well, you did give me a lot to think about.”
“Don't think too hard,” you joked as you started to walk away, “otherwise smoke’ll start coming out of your ears.”
“Your concern is touching!” he called after you, laughing as he spoke.
Turning around to face him, you continued walking away. “Guess I'm just too sentimental for my own good!” you replied, throwing your hands up in apparent exasperation with yourself.
You could still see the grin on his face as you turned back around. Even with your back to him, you still found yourself smiling too. You knew better than to get your hopes up for much, but there was still part of you that was thinking that maybe there was still a chance for things to start changing before all was said and done.
There was still the very large possibility that things would continue to be the same as they ever were. You knew that. But, the same way you'd been wanting things to be different the first night you turned up at The Hard Deck, you still wanted things to be different now. It felt a little more attainable now than it had then. And, if nothing else, at least you knew that this time everything was going to be a bit more memorable.
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(divider by @inklore 🩶)
TGM Taglist: @garbinge @proceduralpassion @cositapreciosa @justreblogginfics (If you want to be added to any of my taglists, please let me know!)
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allbeendonebefore · 2 years ago
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me: i am going to open a stopwatch and start it when i start working on commissions so i have a good idea about how long things take me!
[didnt press start]
me: was that 10 seconds or 1 hour................. unknown
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queenimmadolla · 9 months ago
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𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐌𝐞
(A Lisa Frankenstein, Eddie Munson AU)
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next ┊ 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭
Summary: After a series of unfortunate events in your life, and lonelier than ever, you often turn to a dead guy and his tombstone for comfort. Never in your wildest, fucked up dreams did you imagine he’d turn to you for the same thing, but you find yourself hiding a living corpse, bringing him further to life, reaping some justice, and cutting off a lot of body parts all while trying to fit in and falling in love.
a/n: Part One is here! Just want to say thank you to my friends for hearing me rant and rave about Lisa Frankenstein for weeks now, though I’ve been unbearable with this concept in my head. This will be the longest chapter, just to establish some stuff, but we’ll get to the slaying! Hope you love Undead!Zombie!Eddie as much as I do. Happy reading! (p.s.,there will be some romantic smut in a later part)
Chapter warnings: a bit steve harrington x reader, some eddie munson x other female, death of a family member, brief description of SA (bordered with RED DIVIDERS if you’d like to skip), mistreatment of Reader, suicidal ideation (reader just has dark humor), implied murder, very campy, very cunty.
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THEN, 1986.
  “Where you head’n too so in a hurry, boy?” Wayne Munson asked, sat on the couch with a mug of steaming hot coffee in one hand and the television remote in the other as he watched his nephew bounce around the trailer, grabbing all of the the items he let haphazardly around. 
  Wayne always told him to pick up his things, but like the rambunctious boy he was, there was no breaking out of his messy habits.
  “I got people to see, pops. Things to do. Trouble to ‘cause, cops to anger, you know the drill.” Eddie didn’t even need to turn around to know his uncle was scowling but he was proven correct when he turned to throw his father figure a shit eating grin over his shoulder, “Kidding, old man. Mom had me baptized when I was a baby, remember? I can do no wrong, like Achilles.” 
  “Wha’?”
  “Ugh, dad. If I have to explain the joke, it ruins it. I’ll be back by dinner, alright?”
  Wayne fixed him with a pointed look, “You best be on your best behavior, you hear me?”
  “Always.” Eddie gave a mock salute before dipping out the front door, still grinning as he tossed the keys of the van and caught them midair. 
  While he wasn’t necessarily going to cause trouble, he certainly would be providing the fun grass, powder and pills that were often behind it. Eddie knew Wayne was aware of what he did, had implied so when talking about how he knew Eddie was a good kid, just living in the wrong circumstances sometimes. Always said he wanted nothing but the best for his boy and for Eddie to realize he was meant for more than what this particular town forced on him. 
  Made Eddie’s chest tight, but seeing things like the broken patio board—Eddie had accidentally stomped through it after seeing a spider—reinforced Eddie’s belief that he’d much rather help out any way he could than let his uncle bear the financial weight of providing for him. 
  The van roared to life, after sputtering for a good seven seconds, and Eddie revved the engine a little. As he let her warm up, something in the side mirror caught his attention. 
  Someone. 
  Sheila. His neighbor in the trailer across the street. She was hauling a box to a car, looked rather heavy and Eddie would have dropped everything to scramble over and help her, had it not been for Mr.Brawn at her side. 
  Eddie watched as the guy, who stole the girl he was in love with right out of his arms, grabbed the box. The two lovers exchanged words which ended with them laughing at something as she followed him to the car.
  He slid the box into the packed car as she climbed into the passenger seat, and before Eddie knew it, he was watching her drive away, right out of his life forever.
  Eddie hadn’t even realized he was clutching his steering wheel so tight, his knuckles were straining against the skin, hot tears pooling at his waterline but he refused to let them fall. He’d shed more than enough tears over her, over what could have been.
  They started off so promising; throwing flirty waves from their bedroom windows, occasionally at school, before she approached him for weed. After that, came the whirlwind romance and Eddie hadn’t considered himself a romantic before—hadn’t had a whole lot of opportunities to make that discovery but he was so fucking romantic. A big sap. And he wasn’t ashamed of it. 
  Until she’d graduated, and he hadn’t. Again. Turns out, not trying at academics all year and then aiming to ace finals wasn’t enough. 
  Suddenly, all the bullshit naive plans they had to run away somewhere far from Hawkins weren’t possible. At least, Sheila couldn’t with Eddie. 
  He lost her to a guy in another band, had made the mistake of taking a piss after he and Corroded Coffin performed to their tiny ass crowd, and had come back to see her talking to the keyboardist of the band that had gone on before them. She looked entranced, leaning forward to hang on to whatever the fuck he was saying. When Eddie had gone over to ask her if she was ready to head out, fully prepared to tuck her under his arm and way from the keyboardist, she’d insisted and told him to his face, in front of his apparent competition, that she was gonna stick around a little longer and he should head out without her.
  He’d spent the entire night pacing in front of his window, glancing out of it every five minutes and every time he heard a pair of wheels turn onto the dirt road. Eddie got his confirmation when his car happened to be one of them. He’d watched, heart splintering, as the keyboardist got out of the car and walked around to open her door for her before they disappeared into her trailer. Eddie knew her dad worked nights. Knew what she and that musician were doing and he’d thrown up the entire contents of his stomach at the imagery before passing out.
  Eddie woke up to Sheila hovering above him and framed by the glow of the bathroom light like some angel. She’d dumped him right there and left the spare key he’d trusted her with on the table.
  And now, she was living her dream with someone else while Eddie got to stick around this shitty town with these people who could barely stand him for no reason (and yeah, okay, maybe he’d poke their buttons). In truth, while he was a little heartbroken over her, it was the fact that she still got her happy ending that hurt the most.
  The girls around Hawkins might have been interested in maybe hooking up with him, but they weren’t interested in being Eddie’s girl. Weren’t interested in falling stupid in love with him, making plans to start a life together. Didn’t want him in their plans.
  Eddie Munson was lonely. And it sucked.
  With a heavy sigh, he cranked on the radio, fingers twisting the volume dial up to the most obnoxious level before shifting the gear to drive.
  “It’ll get better, Munson. Love ain’t no stranger.” He mumbled, sucking on his teeth and pulling out on the road.
  If he had known then where it would lead him, where the night would take him, he would have at least hugged his uncle. It would be the last time he saw him, and it would be the last time Wayne Munson saw his nephew alive.
  Three days later, he’d be identifying and weeping over his boy’s body in the morgue after reporting Eddie missing when he didn’t come home.
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  NOW, 1989
  “Where are you going? It’s almost time for breakfast.” Chrissy called out, head poking out from her bedroom as she watched you race down the hall.
  “Not hungry! I’ll be back soon!” You called over your shoulder, the large sheet of craft paper wrinkling in your hand as you took the stairs two at a time before bounding down the short entryway.
  You’d almost crossed the foyer and then slammed yourself back against the wall as you saw Laura, Chrissy’s mom, fiddling with something at the table. She had the radio on, some garbage self help tape spewing nonsense to her, and that condescending smile on her face.
  Yeah, you’d be avoiding her, lest you wish to be verbally and eloquently belittled. How Chrissy came out of her toxic womb to be such a good person, you’d never understand. 
  When Laura crossed into the kitchen, you sprinted for the door, fumbling a little with the knob in your urgency, but once you got it open, you were out, running across the walkway and the fencing around the house until you were in the woods behind it.
  Only then did you feel safe, the trees a welcome reprieve from your living situation, the magnifying glass this new town had you under, and from the world in general.
  You’d come from a small town before Hawkins, so you were used to small town living. But these people were so judgemental. You hadn’t even grabbed a box from the moving van before your neighbors were casting you snide looks, noses turning up and backs to you as they watered their yard and lounged about.
  Four months later, nothing had changed. If anything, they were more open with their disdain for you, commenting on your demeanor (and you were a cool fucking person), outfits, hair, body. It was annoying. They were annoying. EVERYTHING was annoying. 
  You didn’t even want to be there but you had no real choice. You’d graduated high school a couple of years ago and despite the popular teenage notion that you’d simply pack up your things, go to college and be successful at whatever career you wanted, life did not happen like the movies. The freedom you’d been promised by your own delusions never came. That bitch came with a hefty price tag and you weren’t exactly jumping into a safe of gold coins like Scrooge McDuck with your minimum wage job. 
  You’d gotten into several schools of your choice, but scholarships wouldn’t be nearly enough to cover it, and you’d literally have to sell your entire body to science if you wanted to be able to afford the loans you were being offered, since their interest rates were higher than the standard human beings’ lifespan. 
  So, living with the ‘rents was checked off on your list of things you didn’t want to continue doing past your high school graduation. And hey—you were only 19 years-old! You were still young! Just save up a few years, and maybe one day you’d be able to think about taking a loan. You had time. What could possibly go wrong to throw your plans off?
  Your mother was murdered.
  Yeah, that was a bummer. Could’ve been worse, you supposed. You could have died with her, when your home had been broken into, and sometimes you wish you had. Alas, you were still breathing, albeit extremely traumatized. But only good ol’ mom was six feet in the ground, in an entirely different town, because your father had also moved on a mere few months after her death, with the worst woman to leave flaming footprints on the earth’s crust, and they’d eloped after like six dates before moving you to a town where you knew no one.
  Thinking about it actually made you sick and feel a little delusional. 
  The only real good thing about your entire soap opera of a year was the community college you’d been able to enroll in. You had no real idea what you wanted to do in life, had no real drive for career paths, but you were doing something, and that something kept the she-devil that was your stepmother off your back. Most of the time. Some of the time. She couldn’t say you were a deadbeat yet.
  Chrissy, your sweet to a definitive and insensitive fault step-sister had pushed you into going with her for registration. Convinced you it was the perfect way to make some friends. It was hard to say no to Chrissy, she had a way with people and could make the meekest soul feel like they were capable of anything and everything. She could always see the best in people, and she was outgoing. Your time in Hawkins had been brief, but you’d easily gathered Chrissy was popular, a former cheerleader (and she’d successfully tried out for the community college team) and beloved by all. While part of you felt a little jealous at her confidence, you admired her more. She was never intentionally mean to you, either. She made the occasional comment, but it seemed like Chrissy had more so a filter problem, rather than spitting anything out with sugar coated hostility like her mother. Chrissy was...nice. After everything you've been through, you could use a little nice in your life.
  And sometimes nice was also the woods behind your house, as it led to the Hawkins’ Cemetery. 
  Morbid, sure, but you couldn’t help yourself. After a particularly nasty encounter with Laura the first week of your Hawkins sentence, and feeling lonelier than you’d ever felt before, you’d gone for a walk, tears decorating your face with wet trails as you tried to physically hold yourself together, arms wrapped around yourself. 
  You’d arrived at the cemetery, and because you couldn’t pay your mother a visit, you decided the only decent thing to do was visit other lonely souls.
  You’d stopped to pay your respects to just about every tombstone and plaque, but one in particular caught your attention.
  Tucked away in a corner and separate from the other graves, under a weeping willow, was the most damaged tombstone of them all. Parts of it were broken off, a lot of the information pertaining to the individual underneath it was seemingly grated off. You had no idea who it was, the only remaining legible letters were MUN and you figured it was he simply because you’d taken some paper to the tombstone for etching and ran a black crayon over it. You’d been able to make out the word ‘he’ on the paper and deduced it had once read may he rest in peace. 
  The state of his tombstone surprised you, given how recent the date of death was. While his birth date had also been worn away, the year of death—1986–had been left. It was 1989. No way his grave should’ve looked like that.
  Apparently, even the groundskeeper avoided his part of the cemetery. The grass around his grave was overgrown, and pitiful. So, you’d gone home, grabbed the lawn mower, and pushed it all the way over. You’d ended up disgusting, covered in grass, dirt and sweating like a cheater on a Sunday morning, but his grave was looking better. You’d taken to caring for his grave after that. A bunch of your trinkets and things you'd seen that you immediately thought he’d like surrounded him now and you’d even planted some bluebells. 
  He also made surprisingly good conversation, even though he never talked to you. His presence, while mostly imaginary to you, was comforting. 
  So, during any free time you had, you were sat against his tombstone, chatting about your day, life, whatever you wanted. Felt like he was always listening, no matter the subject and it was really lovely to be heard.
  When you arrived at the cemetery, it was practically vacant, with just the red headed girl you normally saw. You didn’t see her all the time, she was just one of the faces you saw the most, and that was only a handful of occasions. For the most part, Hawkins didn’t seem keen on remembering the dead. 
  “Hope you haven’t been lonely without me,” You greeted as you approached his tombstone, ducking under a few low hanging willow branches that still brushed over you anyways. You’d have to ‘borrow’ Laura’s shears soon, the willow tree was hauntingly beautiful around his grave, but you wanted its branches and leaves to frame his grave, not conceal it, “I missed you.”
  It was a little odd, but you did. 
  When you weren’t at his grave, you were thinking about him, trying to put a face to MUN, wondering what his life had been like. Did he have any loved ones? What had his interests been? How had he died? Had he felt as lonely as you did?
  “I know, I know.” You settled onto the grass in front of his tombstone, securing the craft paper to his tombstone with some masking tape, “I was just here last night.” You imagined he would say.
  “I just can’t stay away from you. You have a very intriguing aura: I can’t see it because you’re dead, and that makes me want to know you more.” You pulled a black crayon from your pocket and went about scribbling on the paper, over where you knew MUN would be etched in stone, “I’ve said it a million times, and you’ve probably turned over in your coffin repeatedly because of it, but you’re the only one who understands me. And you’re the only one here that I care about—probably in the whole world actually, except maybe Chrissy but I know her friends think I’m weird, and I don’t want to drag her down with me.”
  Once the letters appeared on the paper, you sprawled out STER and you dropped the crayon to produce a pretty hot pink marker from your pocket instead, signing your name with a little heart to go with it just above the last name you’d crafted for him.
  The odds of this dude being a Munster were slim to none, but you thought it was fitting for someone who lived in a cemetery.
  You sat back on your haunches to admire it, it was a cute piece. Would look nice on your wall and whenever you missed him and found yourself longing to be near his grave, all you’d have to do is turn on your side and you'd be able to see part of him. 
  You ripped the paper off his tombstone, and weighed it down on the grass with a rock. With that out of the way, you gave him your full attention, shuffling until your head and shoulder were leaning against the stone, “Would you wanna be dragged down with me? Be seen with me? I’m somewhat of a pariah around here. Did you have better luck when you were still kicking?”
  You figured with how fucked up his tombstone had been, probably not. You imagined he’d confirm it, too. Just out right say, ‘Nah, these assholes hated me.’
  “Yeah, looks like we’re two peas in a pod.” Then you glanced down, fingers, twirling the blades of grass over his grave, “Or, you know. Casket.”
  You let silence fall over you, broken only by the chirping of birds in surrounding trees.
  “Goddamit, why do you have to be dead?” Your eyelids fluttered close, and instead of the cold stone, you imagined your head pressed against a warm chest, rising and falling with breaths, and a heartbeat thumping strong below your ear, pushing blood throughout his body. Imagined he was alive, arms slipping around you, firm and strong to hold you together so you didn't have to anymore.
  But he wasn’t, and you were reminded when the groundskeeper shouted, “HEY!”
  You shot up, glancing around until you saw him by the entrance with a leaf blower, “YOU AWAKE?”
  What kind of a dumbass question was that? Sure, it had looked like you were asleep but you were clearly alert now.
  “YEAH!” You shrieked back to be heard, and he went back to not caring. 
  “He can see me leaning against your tombstone, but he can’t see overgrown grass, weeds, rocks, or your grave in general when I’m not here. Men, always so selective, amirite?”
  You glanced at the stone, half expecting it to respond. “Eh, what do you know, you’re just a man, too.” You reached your arm back, knuckles trailing over MUN.
  “Despite you mouthing off to me most of the time, I brought you something.” You reached into your other pocket and pulled out a necklace, lined with black pearls and a cross pendant. It had been your mother’s. While she had a pension for religion, it wasn’t something you thought about. Dying, sure, but whatever afterlife? Not so much. Felt wrong, sometimes, to carry it around with you—felt like you were disrespecting her a little bit to not believe what she did, even though she had no qualms with it when she was alive. So, you figured why not trust it with the other important person in your life?
  “Pretty, huh? It was my mom’s. She’s dead, like you. You wouldn’t happen to have seen her around, would you?” You joked, fingers stroking over the pearls. There was no risk in leaving them with your dead friend, people avoided him and you had a feeling even grave robbers wouldn’t dare step near the willow, so they’d probably be with him for the rest of eternity, “I want you to have them, take care of them for me.”
  You placed the necklace over the peak of his tombstone, smiling when they didn’t fall from their place, “Mm, you look good in them. Better than I do, I’m not big on pearls. More of a silver jewelry kind of girl. I could do gold and diamonds, though, only for a wedding ring.”
  You held your arm out, admiring your ring hand void of any actual rings, “Nothing too gaudy, of course. That’s what my earrings are for.” 
  Your eyes trailed from your outstretched fingers, to your wrist, and the watch decorating it. The time made you heave a heavy sigh, “I gotta go. Chrissy’s dragging me to a party tonight, so I’ve got to mentally prepare for that. You’ll think of me while I’m away, won’t you?”
  Trailing a finger down the stone, you leaned forward to press your lips to it in a sweet kiss. 
  “I’ll be back soon, and this time I won’t forget my book of sonnets. I know how much you love the cynical poems I force on you.”
  And though you announced your departure, you found it hard to leave him, like you always did. It took all you had to gather your crayon, marker, and your new poster (and you kept dropping all three to have an excuse to linger) and leave the cemetery behind, glancing back impulsively every couple of steps until it was no longer in view, and the moment it wasn’t you wanted to drop everything and run back to him.
  You had to remind yourself he was a stranger, who didn’t care for you, rotting in the ground. And it sucked. 
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  “I don’t wanna go.” You announced, staring into the bathroom mirror you shared with Chrissy. You’d just finished your makeup, eyes heavily lined, and lashes coated an electric blue that made your eyes pop. You were always a little heavy handed with your makeup, you figured the whole point of it was to use it as you wanted. Your hair had been manipulated to hell and back, but regardless of what you did, you were unsatisfied with the girl staring back at you, “I’ll just stay home.”
  “Not on my watch!” Chrissy declared, reaching in front of you for her pink lipstick. The bathroom counter was littered with your combined beauty products, “This is the first major rager of the year, the perfect social gathering. You need to meet people, sissy.” 
  You scowled at the idea, “I have met people.”
  Chrissy tubed the lipstick bullet, rubbing her lips together as she gave you a concerned side-eye, “People who like you, sissy.”
  Ouch, there’s that brutal honesty.
  “It’s not good for you to be on your own all the time,” She set the lipstick down so she could place a dainty hand on your shoulder, big blue eyes focused on you, “I worry about you. Daddy and mom worry about you. Your doctor worries about you. You need to get out more.” Chrissy stressed, pink lips pulling into a reassuring smile before she went back to focusing on the mirror and her makeup.
  You let out a heavy sigh, mulling her words over. Definitely could have been phrased better, but Chrissy was right. You were currently the town recluse, and occupying your room and the town cemetery wouldn’t change that. 
  “That blush isn’t the right shade for you, sissy.” Chrissy broke you from your thoughts and your eyes drifted back over to your reflection, the girl looking so unsure and right back at you, “You really have to accentuate your features, compliment them, because you’re already beautiful.” 
  Didn’t feel like it.
  Your expression must have given your inner thoughts away because Chrissy turned to you again, practically bouncing, “Wait a minute, you could use my tanning bed!”
  You deadpanned at the mention of the ridiculous full on salon tanning bed that Chrissy owned. There was a dedicated mini garage in the backyard for it, next to the pool, and complete with neon lights, her beauty pageant trophies and sashes as well as her cheer trophies. The PG&E bill was always through the roof for the Tan Shack alone, and you still had no idea how Laura could afford it.
  “No, Chrissy I-I don’t think that would work on me. At all.”
  Chrissy waved off your concerns, “It’s not about the tan, or even if you can tan. It’s the experience. When I lay in that tanning bed, with those little goggles on my eyes and I can hear the buzzing, I feel myself blooming. Regardless of whether or not my skin actually tans,” It didn’t. Chrissy burned but she somehow still looked good, “I feel amazing about myself.”
  “Are you sure that’s not cancer?”
  “You’re so funny!” Chrissy laughed even though you were being serious, “Sissy, every girl deserves to feel beautiful. If I can provide you with an experience that might raise those confidence levels that are dragging across a nail-covered floor right now, why wouldn’t I?”
  Your eyebrows furrowed, trying to decipher if that was a compliment or not, but you didn’t have long to mull it over before Chrissy was framing your face with her hands. 
  “And I can. Please, let me do this.”
  You groaned, long and drawn out and awkward, before squeezing your eyes shut and slowly nodding your head. She squealed, clapped her hands together and dragged you out of the bathroom.
  After explaining how it all worked, Chrissy bid you a cheerful goodbye and left you to your own devices so she could finish getting ready for the night ahead of you both.
  You’d selected your tan level, positive you wouldn’t see any real results but maybe the ‘experience’ would benefit you and shed your fuzzy slippers and robe, leaving you in some boy shorts and a tank top as you tried to settle yourself in the tanning bed. The dip was awkward, and you couldn’t get a good grasp on the top of the tanning bed since it was meant to only open and close rather than stay in position so grasping onto it for balance as you lowered yourself in led to you conking yourself on the head with a noticeable bonk.
  You hissed in pain, rubbing the sore area as you clambered the rest to the way in. Once you’d stretched your legs out, lowered the top, maneuvered the goggles over your face and waited for the magic to happen as you were surrounded by neon blue lights.
  You heard the buzzing as the tanning bed started up. The magic happened alright. The entire tanning bed shocked you, and you shrieked as you felt the intense electric current ripple throughout your body, sparking every single pore in the worst way possible.
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“I’m so sorry you got electrocuted, sissy.”
  Chrissy broke the silence as you sulked in the passenger seat, your hair a little bigger than normal and not a result of styling. After getting all five senses shocked out of you, you’d come out with a hairdo that would not usually be up to par with you, and some serious case of static electricity. You’d tried to gently press your hair down and when you saw a literal spark in it, you decided to just leave it alone.
  Your step-sister had been apologizing since.
  “It’s alright. I survived.” And you wanted to forget about it. 
  You could see Chrissy glancing nervously at you from the corner of your eye as she drove you to the party location.
  “So…how are you liking Hawkins Community, so far?” She asked, thankfully changing the subject. 
  “It’s fine. The campus looks relatively the same as the community college I toured in my old town. Classes are decent.” Pitiful. The classes were so boring and straight out of the book, but it cost you a fraction of a fraction of what you’d have to pay to attend a university. 
  Chrissy lips turned up in a mischievous smile and you internally groaned, fully expecting her next question.
  “See any cute boys?” And then, as an afterthought, “Or…girls?” Then she took her eyes off the road again, squinting at you as if she was trying to assess something, “Or…..anyone?” 
  You betrayed yourself, eyes darting to the window before they were back on her and she perked up in the driver’s seat. 
  “Okay, spill.”
  Your heart started thumping wildly in your chest as one particular guy came to mind, but you hadn’t thought about him too much. Hadn’t allowed yourself to entertain the idea of a romance with him. That’s how people got their hopes up and letdown.
  “Sissy! Sissy, come on. You have to tell me. I’m your only friend!” 
  This time, you could tell she was joking, even though she did have merit. You bit your lip as she ribbed you a bit more, the corners of your lips tugging up into a smile. 
  “Okay, okay!” Your hands flew to cover your face, embarrassed, shy and a little giddy all at once to actually be admitting you had a crush. 
  “Steve Harrington.”
  “STEVE HARRINGTON?” She repeated, incredulous and you shushed her even though it was only you two in the car.
  “Sissy, that’s so unexpected! I haven’t really seen him since high school but I didn’t think he’d be your type.” Chrissy admitted with a shrug of her shoulders.
  “He works in the library.” You sighed out, recalling your brief interactions with him when checking out a couple of books. He’d been kind, made a couple of humorous comments about the titles, and always tried to meet your avoidant gaze, which meant he was being nice to you. Coaxing you out of your shell. You actually didn't have much trouble interacting with people, you were more abrasive than you ever were shy, Steve was just a little too easy on the eyes. Made you forget how to talk, and on occasion, walk. It was embarrassing, “Always makes those cute displays with recommendations.”
  “Good for him,” She commented, sounding impressed. “I didn’t really know he was intellectual. Wasn’t, the last I heard. Had a big reputation in high school, seemed kind of mean and everyone called him King Steve.”
  You frowned, feeling the need to protect him, “Didn’t they call you the Queen of Hawkins High?”
  “Yeah, but only to make me seem pretentious.” 
  You raised your eyebrows, glancing away. Chrissy was kind, but sometimes, she could be pretentious.
  “And anyways, I’m not a student at Hawkins High anymore, so they can’t call me that. Maybe Steve really did change. Come to think of it, I haven’t heard much about him since he struck out with a series of girls. Maybe he took a good look at himself and decided a change was needed.” You could feel her eyes on you again. 
  “Does he flirt with you?”
  “No.”
  “See him flirt with any girls?”
  “Nope.”
  “Does he still make his hair all big and poofy?”
  “Looks more voluminous than poofy.”
  Chrissy hummed, “An improvement. Is he all beret wearing and drinking coffee now?”
  You tried to recall ever seeing him in a hat, let alone a beret, “No, I don’t think so. If anything, he’s introspective.”
  “He’s on the spectrum?”
  Your smile waned when you realized she was asking a legitimate question, “Oh. No. That’s—that’s not what that means. I just meant he’s thinking about what he does; how he acts, how he behaves.”
  It got quiet for a few moments.
  ”Well,” Chrissy broke the silence once more, “He might be there tonight. I’m not sure if they’re still friends, but Tommy Hagan is hosting tonight, and once upon a time, they were inseparable.”
  You made a sound of acknowledgment, upper lip twitching in disgust. You knew Tommy, saw him around campus. He was a big jerk, you’d witnessed him throw some guy’s backpack in the trash and pour his drink on it. You wish you’d known it was his party you were going to in advance. Tommy was a nasty piece of work, so his friend group was the same. Out of all of them, though, Carol got on your nerves the most. 
  She didn’t pay you a whole lot of attention, but when you were walking in with Chrissy—and this is Chrissy, so she acknowledged everyone—and she said hi, Carol would just look you up and down before pursing her big mouth like she’d sucked on something sour. One day, you’d like to give her your fist to suck on.
  ”Patrick McKinney is bringing three kegs and I heard Reefer Rick is bringing his whole inventory.”
  “Reefer Rick?”
  “Yeah, he’s the local drug dealer now. I mean, he’s always been but he used to have somebody sell for him while he supplied, but he died.”
  Your eyes widened while your pupils dilated, mind conjuring up some image of a poor dude being murdered for drugs and then the supplier just taking over, not fearful at all of meeting the same fate, “He died?”
  Chrissy nodded her head, looking thoughtful, “Yeah, Eddie Munson.”
  Munson.
  You sat up in your seat, fully alert and invested in the conversation now, “Eddie Munson? Is he buried under the willow tree in the cemetery?”
  You stared at Chrissy, willing her to think faster as she squinted and pursed her lips, “I think Tina mentioned something about someone peeing on a tree over there, so I think so.”
  Your mouth dropped open, expression utterly horrified that someone could do that, “That’s beastly, what the fuck?”
  “I know,” Chrissy sighed with a shake of her head. “I didn't know him all that much, bought some weed off of him a couple of times and he seemed a little scary—appearance and mannerism wise—but he seemed nice when you had to interact with him. He didn’t deserve that.”
  “How did he die?” You asked, voice small and heart shrinking. You didn’t like where this was going. Didn’t like it one bit.
  “Well, the official determination, if I remember right, was like a drug deal gone bad or something, but no one really believes it. He was known to have weed on him, kept the harder stuff somewhere else. Everyone knows he was murdered. They did a number on him, it was all everyone could talk about because Sydney Porter couldn’t even get her dad—he worked at the station—to show her pictures. He told her they messed Eddie up bad. People here really didn’t like him. No one knows who did it though.”
  You sunk back into your seat, mind troubled and stomach turning. This whole time, you'd been tending to and caring for the grave of a murdered guy, taken from this world simply because people didn’t like him. He must have been so lonely. So scared. And they killed him.
  Chrissy was wrong. People in this town knew who killed him, because one of them, or some of them, had to have been his murderers.
  Your fingers curled into tight fists, painted nails digging into the flesh of your palms. Chrissy noticed the change in your demeanor.
  “Oh, sissy. You’re such an empath. Don’t be so sad, I know it’s a horrible story, but he’s resting now. In peace.”
  “No, he’s not. They fucked up his tombstone. He can’t even be dead in peace.” You huffed, furious on his behalf.
  “How do you know?” Chrissy asked, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow. 
  “I go there a lot, it’s nice. Quiet. A little creepy, but that adds to its charm, makes it relatively peaceful. I’ve been visiting all the graves, but I was drawn to him the most. Etched his tombstone. He’s my favorite.”
  Despite the horrors you’d learned, the thought of Mun—Eddie, still brought a wistful smile to your lips. Maybe your presence was enough to settle him, bring him a little bit of peace this town and the people in it refused to give him.
  “H-He’s your favorite…?”
  “Yeah. I feel this….connection with him. From the very first time I visited. Now, I leave him gifts, flowers, pretty stones, poems I wrote, a book of sonnets I stole from the library.”
  “You….should talk to your doctor about this, Sissy. That’s really weird. That’s really weird, sissy.”
  You fought to not roll your eyes. As much as you cared about Chrissy, and knew she cared about you, she didn’t understand you. 
  “Well, since people ruined his grave, I thought it might be nice to clean it up and make sure he’s not forgotten.” You snapped, “It’s not like I call him my boyfriend or anything.”
  Chrissy eyed you skeptically, “Well, then that’s nice of you, I guess. Just don’t go around telling everybody about that, or you’ll be known as the Ghost Whisperer.”
  “He hasn’t talked back to me yet.”
  Chrissy laughed, and freed one hand off the wheel to lightly slap your arm, “See, now that’s funny. If you do tell anyone, end it with that joke. You’ll be a riot.”
  You smirked, staring out the front windshield. You’d let her think it was a joke. For now.
  You made a sound of displeasure as Chrissy pulled into a clear space on the grass and parked. She jumped out to dance over to her friends, some wine coolers cradled in a plastic bag she clutched.
  You allowed yourself a full minute to stew in your misery before getting out of the car and following after her. As you neared her group, you quickly realized that was a bad idea. 
  “Oh my GOD! Vickie, you fixed your teeth! They look so good. I wasn’t gonna say anything because I thought you were happy with the overcrowding, but now that you fixed it, I can’t look away!”
  Yeesh. You beelined away from them and wandered around the crowded front lawn, dodging rowdy friend groups and couples until you spotted a cooler.
  Maybe a drink would calm you down.
  You squatted down and popped the lid, digging around the ice but all you spotted were Pepsi and Squirt cans.
  “The liquid fun is inside.” A guy’s voice came from behind you and you rolled your eyes. You were so not in the mood to be hit on right now. 
  “What?” You asked, tone bored, but you didn’t want to make him seem helpful so you grabbed a Squirt.
  “Alcohol. He keeps it inside.”
  You slammed the cooler shut and popped the tab of the can, rising to your feet, “Yeah, I figured that mu—shhhh.”
  Oh, shit. 
  Steve Harrington was standing before you, eyes alight with mirth as he smirked down at you.
  You swallowed hard, hoping to god your tongue hadn’t gone down with the movement. See? Here you went getting all stupid around him.
  ”Funny seeing you here.”
  You laughed nervously, “Yeah. I—uh, mhm.” You forced yourself to take a drink of your soda to keep from making an even bigger fool of yourself.
  “Sorry if it’s weird of me to just walk up to you. I was chilling on the side of the house and thought I saw you, but I’m a little nearsighted and I didn’t bring my glasses.”
  You pulled the can away from your mouth as your brain registered the lack of metal frames on the bridge of his nose. He looked handsome with and without them, that wasn’t fair. It was still throwing you off. 
  “It’s—It’s okay. Uhm, no harm done.” You shrugged your shoulders, hoping it looked cool and not as stiff as you felt. You even added in a smile with some teeth for a little razzle dazzle.
  “I actually came over here to tell you your books are significantly overdue.” Steve deadpanned, tongue playing with his canine tooth as he scrutinized you and you shrunk, smile falling from your face. You had got to get better at following up on your due dates.
  “Oh.”
  He scoffed, face breaking out into a grin as his shoulders shook with his chuckles “I’m kidding.”
  OH, THANK FUCK. 
  “Oh,” And then, because every god probably hates you, you started snorting with laughter. You cut that shit quick, clearing your throat as you took another sip of your beverage.
  “So,” Steve took a step closer to you, “Are you enjoying─”
  “Hey!” Carol stepped right up to Steve, practically leaning all over him as her ruby red lips spread into a seductive smile, eyes lidded and no doubt a few drinks in with a drink for Steve in her hand. For the billionth time that night, you rolled your eyes, trying not to gag at how desperate she was. You knew Tommy had recently dumped her, the entire town knew and now she was clearly trying to get into Steve’s pants, “I found the keg.”
  She could eat shit, his pants were yours.
  “Oh, Thank you.” Came Steve’s bleak reply and part of you thought he might have actually wanted to talk to just you. Now, you were really annoyed she’d interrupted.
  “Hey, Carol.”
  Carol looked surprised that you’d even dare speak to her, raising her eyebrows, “Hey. Hi— sorry, how do we know each other?”
  “You’re my lab partner.” You were unimpressed, you expected her to be a better mean girl. 
  “Yay me.” The smile she directed at you was anything but friendly, reminding you of the one Laura would make after you did something in public she didn’t like, but she couldn’t yell at you until you were home. Carol swirled the liquid in her cup around, head tilting as she offered it to you, “You wanna sip, partner?”
  “Carol.” Steve warned and she tutted, flicking her wrist.
  “You’re right, I don’t know why I assumed she partied.”
  “I’ll take a beer,” You could handle alcohol, had cleared your mother’s wine cabinet after she was murdered, so this would be no big deal.
  Carol looked annoyed but handed you the cup, and to make sure you wouldn’t gag and vomit, you threw it back, throat opening as you swallowed the liquid as fast as you could to refuse it as much time on your taste buds as possible.
  When you lowered the cup, you realized you’d made a mistake and glanced into it at the small amount left behind, watching as the ground in your peripheral view began to shift.
  Steve seemed to realize something was wrong, quickly taking your cup and ingesting what was left. His suspicions were confirmed and he spat it out on the grass before scowling at Carol, “PCP? Really, Carol? What the fuck is wrong with you? Why the hell would you give that to her!?”
  “Oopsie.”
  But it was too late for you. You dropped the soda can in your other hand and lifted your hands to your face, watching the lines around your palms and fingers begin to move, swirling around and you backed away from them, watching as everything around you began to come undone.
  “Hey!” You heard a voice next to you and someone started rubbing your back, you hadn’t even realized you were crouching. You craned your head up to see Chrissy and you frowned. Her voice was so different, distorted. She sounded more like your dad than Chrissy. 
  Her face was both far away and right in front of you, you reached a hand out to test the theory, see if it really was close. Chrissy caught your wrist, frowning at the state you were falling into.
  Chrissy started asking you questions, about what you’d taken, what you drank but her voice was too loud for you, and the purple behind her head was distracting. Still, you nodded your head.
  At your confirmation, Chrissy’s frown intensified and she helped you to the ground before darting over to chew Steve and Carol out.
  You couldn’t stay on the grass for long, the blades of it stabbing you and sending pain shooting up your palms and into your bones so you crawled some distance away before you managed to push yourself up and stumble towards the house. It was hard.
  Everything was moving. You heard a loud sound and glanced around wildly until you were staring up at the sky, mouth dropping open to see green clouds and lightning. 
  You had to get away, the need to escape, be safe was urgent but it felt like the closer you got to the front door, the farther away it went. Your breathing was heavy and panicked as you kept stumbling forward, arm outstretched and finally you reached it.
  You yanked it open and nearly fell inside, tripping over your feet until you hit the back of the couch and used it to sink to the floor.
  You heard your name being called and lifted your head, eyes crazed as you tried to find the source. Fred Benson approached you, the skinny boy squatting to be eye level with you.
  “You okay?” He asked and you reached forward, grasping his face in your hand and squeezing to make sure he was a real person.
  “You.” Was all you said, booping his nose but still suspicious of him. Was he real?
  “Uh, yeah. It’s me. It’s Fred, we sit next to each other in ASL class.”
  He looked like Fred. You still didn’t believe he was human, squinting as your hands grasped at the back of the couch.
  “You don’t look so good,” Fred pushed the frame of his glasses up his nose, brows furrowed in concern, “Let's find somewhere for you to sit down for a minute. Or maybe a while. Man, what did you drink?”
  He stood up, offering you a hand and you took it but didn’t pull yourself up. Fred heaved with all his might and managed to get you on your feet but he realized just walking you wouldn’t be enough, and so did you because you draped yourself over him, one arm over his scrawny shoulders.
  Fred cursed under his breath but held your weight, leading you out of the populated living room and you watched a couple furiously make out on the couch cushions as you passed.
  “I hate parties. I don’t know why I came—well, actually I do. I never got invited to these in high school, so I guess I’m living out my fantasy now. In all honesty, I’d much rather be watching Weird Science. So far tonight, I’ve seen three cheerleaders throw up and a baby being conceived.”
  “Uh huh,” Was all you could get out, watching people swirl past you like shooting stars.
  “Would you count that as escaping the teen pregnancy statistic? I know they’re out of high school, but we’re all still pretty young.” He commented as he led you up the stairs. You tripped several times and almost sent him flying down them but the two of you managed to make it. 
  Fred was heaving by the time you'd shouldered him into the hallway wall, his face and hands clammy.
  ”Good god, how did I pass P.E.?” The two of you paused there until he regained his breath while you plastered yourself against the wall, cheek pressed to it and hands stroking over the wallpaper. Eventually, Fred peeled you off of it and kept moving until he could find a place to put you.
  “You like movies right? Got any favorite directors? Or favorite films?”
  “Wall.”
  “Huh? Oh, you’re just admiring the wallpaper.”
  “Great Wall of China.”
  Fred positioned you against the wall, looking a little annoyed. You didn’t care, could only focus on the framed photo of the Great Wall of China directly across from you.
  “Oh.” Was all he said when he spotted it. “Stay right here.”
  Then he disappeared and you watched as the painting came to life, and the stones of the wall began moving, rippling. You didn’t even know stones could move like that but now it made so much more sense. 
  Fred appeared again, tugging you along into an empty room. You spotted a trash can and nearly threw Fred into the bedroom wall as you dove for it, retching everything out of your stomach. You could hear Fred gagging, but he was decent enough to make sure your hair stayed out of your way. When you were done, he helped sit you up on the bed, and nearly collapsed next to you.
  ”We did it,” he cheered with no real gusto. And you sat there, still feeling the earth orbiting. It was the most odd sensation, you could feel a spot on your brain pulsing, like a migraine but it felt so euphoric to close your eyes.
  “Here,” They snapped right back open and you glanced to your side to see Fred offering you a handkerchief. Of course Fred Benson carried around a handkerchief. How amusing. 
  “Thank you,” You gave the three versions of him you could see right then a smile and used the handkerchief to wipe your mouth, eyelids fluttering close just as the sound of thunder filled the room, and a flashing of lightning accompanied it.
  “Huh, a rainless thunderstorm, looks like the angels are bowling.” You heard him muse next to you.
  And it brought another smile to your face, “My mom used to say that.”
  At the mention of her, your brain conjured up all the happy feelings and memories of her, huddled on your couch, in your old home watching black and white horror films. They didn’t scare her, so she could tolerate them. You missed her. She made you feel so light, so seen, so—no.
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  Something was wrong. Something felt very, very wrong.
  Your smile faded and you felt your belly sink as you opened your eyes.
  “Does that feel good?”
  You didn’t want to, but you looked down to see Fred’s hand on your breast. Your breathing picked up and Fred let go of you to grab your wrist and force you to touch his crotch, “Well don’t just sit there, help me out. Finish what you started.” 
  Anger filled you and you yanked your hand away, “No.”
  Fred opened his mouth as you got up, rushing away from him and stumbling back out the way you remembered while he yelled at you.
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  You had to get out, had to get away. Had to be safe, feel safe. You banged against walls as you went, desperate to get out of the house, away from Fred, from everyone, and to safety. That was your only concern as the drug really hit you.
  All you could remember was seeing colors, hearing and feeling the wind against your sweaty skin, leaves blowing with it and gusting around you.
  You had no idea how you escaped the mad house, how long you’d even been walking or how you actually got there, but you found yourself in front of the cemetery, a flash of lightning illuminating the gate.
  To anyone else, a cemetery would have been the worst place to find themselves on a night like this, but you’d already been to hell so you trudged forward, feet taking you to him. Even in your drugged state, you were able to find your way to Eddie. Always would be.
  Your knees dug into the grass as you collapsed in front of his tombstone, fingers reaching forward to trace over MUN and 1986 before your body curled around the large stone, hugging yourself to it. Electric blue tears slipped down your cheeks, staining them with your mascara.
  “I wish I was with you.” You whispered, hating everything, hating this town, hating the people, hating Fred Benson, hating Carol, hating Laura Cunningham, hating how your mom wasn’t alive, hating how the one person you’d unknowingly sought for comfort was someone you’d never met before who was six feet under the ground. And you hated how you weren’t down there.
  You laid there, hugging his tombstone for hours under the thunder and lightning as the PCP slowly left your system.
  When you were able to stand up on your own, you gave the tombstone another kiss, rested your forehead against it and quietly thanked him for helping you find your way home before you left, following the path you’d made during all of your visits.
  The house was quiet when you got in, and Chrissy’s car hadn’t been parked in the driveway when you’d walked up so you figured she was still at the party. Sluggishly, you made your way up the stairs, falling into your shared bathroom. Your hand searched the wall, struggling to find the switch. Once your fingertips made contact with it, you flipped it and squinted as the room was flooded with the warm light. It was still too much for your eyes but you kept it on and walked towards the mirror
  The girl looking back at you was not the same one you’d last seen in it. This girl had blue smudged all around her eyes, faint trails of it over her cheeks and a rats nest for hair. Her eyes burned, not from the light, but from a fury within. 
  She was stuck in a life she didn’t want to live and couldn’t do anything about. As a large strike of lightning flashed from the window positioned at the back of the bathroom, towards the back of the house, you decided to put her out of her misery, picking up a blow dryer and smashing it against your reflection with a yell.
  You stood there, chest heaving as you stared at the broken reflection. Then you tossed the blow dryer onto the counter, and went to bed.
  Your dreams were much more pleasant than your reality, eyelids fluttering open to the ceiling of your old bedroom. A glance to your side confirmed your mother’s photo was at your bedside, next to your alarm clock on your old bedside table.
  “Well?” Her photo asked, shooting you that gorgeous smile of hers, “What are you waiting for? Go get him.”
  Your confusion was momentary, your mother raised her chin in a direction and you knew what would happen, you were giddy for it as you looked down to see yourself wrapped in the most beautiful wedding gown you’d ever seen.
  You rose from the bed into a sitting position, picking up the bouquet on the pillow next to you. Your dresser mirror was directly across from your bed and you took a moment to admire the beautiful girl staring back at you. Where you last remember seeing trails of tears were diamonds, glittering against your skin. Her eyes sparkled with a joy you’d never known. You bid her one last smile as you turned your head to the figure sitting on the edge of your bed, dark curls cascading down his neck, past broad shoulders with his back to you. 
  His right arm was out, palm up.
  He was waiting for you.
  You shifted until you were on the edge of your bed next to him, staring straight forward just as he was.
  Without looking, you knew exactly where his hand was, and you placed your left one over it, feeling the warmth of his skin against yours. Slowly, the two of you leaned towards each other, until your head was on his shoulder and his cheek was pressed against the top of your head, his fingers curling around your hand to ground you. You sighed, all the tension and weight of the world leaving you.
  “Sissy. . .”
  “Sissy…”
  “SISSY!”
  You groaned as Chrissy shook you awake, eyes prying through all the mascara that had crusted over your eyes. It took a couple of blinks until you regained your clear vision, gaze locking on Chrissy leaning over you. Her face was clean of any makeup, skin glowing and hair wrapped up in rollers.
  She’d gotten home later than you and had still been able to look perfect. 
  What the hell?
  “You better get up, sissy. My mom’s losing it over the bathroom mirror.”
  You were confused for a second until you remembered smashing it with a blow dryer last night—or this morning. Well, it definitely would have broken at the sight of you now, anyways. 
  You frowned but made no move to get up so Chrissy tugged your blanket off of you, giggling when the both of you realized you had your hand in your underwear. Hastily, you yanked it out, and threw the blankets back over yourself.
  “It’s okay, Sissy. Everyone does it. It’s natural.”
  “Oh my god…”
  “So, what happened last night to bring this on?” She wiggled her eyebrows and you stared at her for a second. Part of you wanted to yell at her, berate her for letting you stumble around while high on a drug you’d never taken before, the other half knew in Chrissy’s World, it was all rainbows and sunshine—at least, it had been since she’d forced her mother to respect her boundaries. Chrissy didn’t expect the worst in anyone, didn't expect anyone to take advantage of you and certainly didn't expect you to wind up walking to the cemetery and then home on a bad trip. No, in Chrissy’s World, you’d probably spent the night flirting with someone, probably Steve, maybe fooled around in his car before he drove you home.
  You didn’t see it necessary to shatter her world so you groaned instead, the full force of your migraine hitting you now that you were out of sleep’s clutches, and covered your hands with your face.
  “Ooh, your knees…”
  You glanced down to see what she was staring at and sure enough, your knees were scratched up from kneeling at Eddie’s grave, but in Chrissy’s World…
  “I fell.” Was the only excuse you could come up with and Chrissy smirked.
  “Me, too.” Her eyelid dropped in a wink just as Laura yelled upstairs for you, so, begrudgingly, you wrapped yourself in your robe and headed downstairs to receive your punishment.
  Just as you suspected, Laura had attacked you with allegations—that were true for once, you had smashed the bathroom mirror—and your dad looked like he could care less.
  “You know,” She stated, fixing you with those unnaturally blue eyes of hers, “Your dad wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt. See the good in you, but I knew. I’m an Intuitive Person, you know. An IP. They’ve got seminars for people like me.”
  Your mind flashed to How to Handle a Narcissist. 
  “Laura…” Your dad warned and Laura inhaled sharply, displeased that your dad was sticking up for you. For once. 
  “Did you know there was a tornado last night? It hailed. Wind blew the fence over. The yard is covered in debris, and now I have to focus on repairing the bathroom, too. I don’t think that’s fair.” She huffed and Chrissy spoke up from her place on the couch.
  “It was a tornado watch, mom. Not a real tornado.”
  “Actually, Chris, the weather was downright crazy last night. I mean, it was really something, I saw green lightning. Big balls of it in the sky.”
  You and Chrissy shared secret smiles at hearing your dad talk about big balls.
  “Love muffin, could you swap out being a weatherman for being a father, right now?” Laura gritted out through her chemically whitened teeth.
  “It’s a Meteorologist,” You mumbled and her head snapped over to glare at you before she was speaking to your father again.
  “Honey, your daughter is a vandal. She’s got a taste for vandalism, and she is deliberately vandalizing and destroying property. First, it was my collection of Precious Moments figurines─”
  “That was an accident, you didn’t wrap them in bubble wrap and I dropped the box when I tripped over the front steps.”
  “Mother,” Chrissy chided, hands crossing over her robe. “Be. Nice.”
  “I am being nice,” Laura hissed, glare never leaving you, “But I refuse to coddle her. She’s headed straight to the nut house with this behavior.”
  You frowned, wiping away some of the dried mascara under your eye, “Can you say that if you’re a Psych Nurse?”
  Laura had the decency to look embarrassed before whacking your father’s arm. He sighed, putting his newspaper down, “Sweetheart─”
  You clocked the twitch in Laura’s eyelid at the affectionate name your father used to refer to you.
  “─You’re gonna clean your bathroom, alright? Sweep up all that glass.”
  ”And?” Laura pushed, still staring at you.
  “And…..um. Pay for the mirror, I guess.” Laura turned her nose up, hurmphing. 
  “That’s fine, can I get ready for work now?”
  Your dad nodded and Laura looked like she wanted to protest but you turned your back to her and made your way upstairs, hesitating at the top when your fathered turned the volume of the TV back on and you heard the news reporter reporting from the cemetery, talking about a grave, under a tree, that had been struck by lightning. 
  You wondered if it had been Eddie’s. There’s no way you’d be able to check today, you’d get home from work too late, so you’d have to check tomorrow.
  You tried to stay busy during your shift at the local tailor’s. You didn’t really have a passion for it, but you were relatively good with a needle and thread. With the magnifier headlamp, you were practically unstoppable, altering coats, dresses, blouses, shirts, all with minimal finger injuries—though luminol on some of these clothing items would no doubt reveal traces of your blood.
  But hey—you now knew what it meant to work so hard you put your blood into something and you always had band-aids on you, in case anyone needed one.
  You were so invested in your work, you hadn’t heard the bell above the door chime when it was pushed open, and didn’t notice Steve leaning against the counter, watching you work until he cleared his throat.
  You jumped, head swinging around to see your crush smiling at you and you raised the magnifying glass portion of the head lamp off your face, feeling embarrassed that he’d seen you with the headgear on in the first place.
  “Hey! I didn’t know you worked here.”
  You let out some nervous laughter, mind racing for ways to make this seem cool but you came up short. “Yeah, I—employed.”
  “I can see that,” He chuckled, amused by your lack of verbal sparring.
  You didn’t know what to say after that so you stared, fingers twisting and pulling the thread you’d been working with, desperate for him to say something or get out.
  “Oh! Uh, I heard you guys also get rid of stains? I’ve got this one on my pan─”
  “THAT WE DO!” 
  You sighed, eyes slipping shut as your moron of a boss came bursting out of the office.
  “What can we do for you, Harrington?” Murray asked, leaning against the counter, causing Steve to lean back, smile now less than thrilled.
  “Murray…I forgot you worked here.” Steve said it in a voice that made you think he would have avoided the shop had he known who it was that was currently in charge of running it.
  “Yup, got me this sweet little gig. And no radios.” He gestured around to the shop, void of any technology save for the cash register—and he made sure it was never him operating it, “Would like to see the government try to control me now.”
  “Right, I just came here to drop off my pants, spilled something on—well, it doesn’t really matter, I just spilled something on them.” Steve placed the folded pair of pants on the counter and Murray immediately unfolded them, searching through the fabric until he found the stain by his crotch. To both your horror and Steve’s, he lifted the strained fabric to his nose, sniffing deep.
  “Mm. White wine?”
  It took Steve a moment to find his voice and close his jaw, “Crush. The soda.”
  “Same thing. We’ll get this right out, my man.”
  You and Steve shared one more look of disbelief before he slowly backed away, the bell above the door sounding as he left.
  “He’s a nice guy,” Murray commented and you shrugged your shoulders, wanting this conversation to be over, “I’m surprised you know him, little loser.”
  You shot him a glare.
  “Oh, c’mon, lets not pretend you’ve got an active social life—if I call you in for a shift, you’re available. Nothing wrong with being a loser. I was one throughout high school and look at me now. Who got the last laugh?”
  You were positive the look of pain on your face should have told Murray that anyone other than him got the last laugh. He was a forty something year old, afraid of technology, convinced the government was watching him, who tried to befriend teenagers. 
  You’d have to kill yourself if you were anything like him.
  When he disappeared back into the office, because of course you’d have to get rid of that stain for Steve, you snatched the pair of pants off the counter. Glancing around to make sure there weren’t any eyes on you, you pressed them to the side of your face, imagining yourself hugging Steve instead of the pants. They smelled like him. It was bliss.
  Then your eyes snapped open.
  Oh, god. You were a loser.
  After your shift, you’d gone straight home. Normally, you’d stop to grab a bite or something, you still had to pay for the mirror you broke so fast food was off the table for a couple of weeks, but on your dining room table when you walked into the house.
  A pizza box. Your stomach growled as you imagined the slice of cheese waiting for you.
  “Is there any left?” You asked, already making a beeline for it.
  “Should be a slice left,” Your dad mused and as you tossed the top of it open, all you wanted to do was maybe beat him with it.
  There, on the parchment liner of the pizza box, was the skinniest and tiniest slice of pizza to ever be cut. Not even the width of two of your fingers.
  “Want me to order another one, sweetheart?” Your dad asked and Laura immediately inserted herself into the conversation. 
  “She can eat it, love muffin. Besides, we’ve got vegetables in the fridge if she’s still not full.”
  “I said we should have ordered two, but my mom had a coupon she wanted to use.” Chrissy didn’t sound impressed.
  “Yes, we got a free soda!”
  Chrissy ignored her mom, “Sissy, we’re going to the movies! You could get something there, they sell pizza and nachos, right?”
  You knew she was trying to find a solution for you, but your bullshit meter for the day had already been capped. You didn’t want movie theater pizza or concessions, you wanted a  reasonable slice of this pizza, not some scrap your step-mother had saved you. It was obvious she was implying that she, your dad and Chrissy were the perfect sized family and you were simply an afterthought. Unwelcome.
  “Yeah, I’m passing on the movie.”
  Before you could stomp upstairs, Chrissy caught your hand.
  “Sissy, please? We’ve got to bond as a family, it’s crucial. If it takes two, how can I do it as one?” She pulled you into her side.
  “Really, Chrissy, I’m super tired.”
  “You’re tired?” Laura asked, incredulous. Here we go again.
  “All you do is work with a sewing machine for hours like some old spinster, I can hardly imagine that being tiring, but my Chrissy just got back from a five hour long cheer practice. They were throwing her around like raggedy ann and she stuck every landing.” 
  “Mom, stop.” Chrissy blushed, but you could see how proud she was of herself, “I’m sure Sissy pokes herself with those needles all the time, and it hurts, I’ve been prodded myself during all of my custom fittings.”
  “I have finger calluses so I don’t even bleed anymore,” You begrudgingly admitted, “I can take it.”
  “I bet you can.”
  After they’d left for the movies, you’d gone upstairs, showered, put on your comfiest pajamas and fuzziest slippers, you grabbed a bowl of chips and set yourself up in front of the TV to watch Dawn of the Dead. You had to give props to all these zombie actors, you couldn’t imagine having to act out being one of the walking undead, imagined it felt pretty stupid but the paycheck and experience must have been cool.
  You popped another chip into your mouth just as someone knocked on the front door. As you placed the bowl of chips on the table to get up, the knocking got louder, more aggressive and you hesitated, fear beginning to swell up inside of you.
  Maybe if you ignored it, they’d go away.
  You turned your attention back to the tv, picking up the remote to lower the volume and hopefully hide your presence in the house. 
  Then, much to your horror, you heard the distinct sound of a pained, gurgling groan. It sounded very similar to the ones you’d heard the zombies making on your tv, but this one was louder. 
  And it was coming from outside your front door.
  You crouched, duckwalking to the foyer where one of the house phones was placed. You’d just picked it up from the receiver when a shadow from the living room window caught your eye. You barely had time to turn your head when something came crashing through it, breaking the glass and yanking the curtains from the rod.
  Shocked, the phone slipped from your hands, banging against the hardwood floor of the foyer and you let out a scream at the same time as the person on your TV, running away from the figure invading your home. 
  You made it to the dinning room. Literally scrambling across the table to put an obstacle between you and the stranger—no, creature. Tall, caked in mud, leaves and stems, it resembled the Swamp Thing. It grunted, groans low and reverberating off the walls.
  “Uuuhhhnng…”
  This couldn’t be happening to you, you couldn’t die like this!!!! It was supposed to be by your hand or nothing!
  ”STAY AWAY FROM ME!” You shrieked, picking up the decorative plates from the table to throw at the creature. You nailed it a couple of times, watching it stumble as the fine china shattered against it. When you ran out of plates, you bolted from the dinning room, screaming as you scrambled up the stairs, and lost one of your slippers in the process but to hell with it! You had to get out of there. Hopefully, one of your neighbors heard your shrieks of terror and called the police.
  You peaked over the railing at the top of the stairs, to see the creature analyzing your slipper. While it was distracted, you locked yourself in your room and made your way to your bedroom window, pulling it open.
  “Okay, okay. I can do this, no big deal. Stunt actors do it all the time.” You climbed outside of your window, body nearly convulsing as you almost slipped down the roof, “Nonononono.”
  You tried to grip onto a couple of shingles but they gave away, slipping right off the house to shatter against the concrete walkway and you realized Laura had no fucking idea what she was doing when it came to house repairs, the dumb bitch had just laid the shingles out without securing them.
  “OH MY GOD-I’M GONNA DIE! HELP!”
  Your body slipped further down the roofing, until you were forced to grab the gutter, gagging when your fingers squelched against whatever was in it. You dangled a good six feet off the ground, and while it wasn’t exactly a ten story fall, with your luck, you’d land on your head and break your neck.
  Whimpering, you tried to pull yourself back up the roof, but it was no use. You had nothing stable to grab onto as you yanked yet another shingle clean off. You glared at it and muttered a goddammit before tossing it somewhere behind you as you went back to hanging on for dear life. 
  “Oh, no.” You mumbled, terrified as your fingertips began to lose their grip, wet with the mystery sludge from the gutter. “No, NO!” 
  You lost your grip, plummeting down but you didn’t meet the concrete. No, the Creature broke your fall and you were now face to face with it. The pressure of you landing on it, made it spit up into your face, green sludge, and you gasped before breaking out into screams again.
  Pushing yourself up and off of it as you ran around your front yard, nearly blind. You were not opening your eyes to let that bacteria infested swamp slime, water, whatever the hell it was, into your eyeballs. 
  You could hear the Creature stomping around behind you as you bobbed and weaved, could feel his presence and you could not believe you were actually gonna die fighting off a swamp monster in your front yard while blinded—in clear and plain view for your neighbors to see, by the way, and unbeknownst to you, an elderly couple was watching you, not even a little concerned about your well being or the creature chasing you around.
  “Stop it!”
  “Leave me alone!”
  “Go away, I’m just a girl!”
  The timed sprinklers went off and you were soon assaulted with them as well. With just about all your senses done for, and the sprinklers washing the guck away from your face, you made a run for the house, slamming your back against the door and locking it behind you.
  Your chest was heaving, wet body pumping with adrenaline as the back of your head thumped against the door. You weren’t done yet. That creature was still out there!!!
  You dove for the phone on the ground, hanging by its springy cord and shouted out hopefully loud enough for it to hear, “I’m calling the police, so if you don’t want your ass riddled with bullets, I’d suggest you leave! They shoot before asking questions!”
  You frantically dialed 911 but there was no ringing, instead, you could still hear buttons being pressed on the other line.
  Bleak, and accepting your fate, you put the phone back on the receiver, and turned towards the living room, where the other phone was located. 
  On the chair, next to where the table the phone normaly rested on, was The Creature. 
  You grabbed one of the lamps, ready to use it as a weapon but it didn’t attack you, just turned the phone receiver this way and that, as if admiring it. 
  Despite your fear, you took a reluctant step forward, casting the creature in the glow of the lamp you clutched and for like the billionth time that night, you gasped.
  The sprinklers had washed some of the filth off of it, too. Before, its head had been caked in a mud helmet, but now, you could actually see it’s head. It had long, disgustingly dirty curls, and wore a leather jacket, jeans and tennis shoes, all covered in grime.
  When it craned its head up to look at you, you readied the lamp, poised to throw it at it—him. It was a guy. Big brown eyes, stared up at you and he made no move to attack.
  Slowly, you lowered the lamp, and crouched down a few feet away.
  His attention returned to the phone—shoe shaped—in his hands and shakily, with stiff limbs, he put it back on the receiver.
  “It’s…It’s cool looking, right? The-The shoe phone.” 
  He glanced over at you and then the phone again as you mumbled out an explanation, 
“Our neighbor in our old town cheated on his wife and she threw all his stuff out the window at him and my dad snatched the phone.”
  “Merrrruhhhhh.” He moaned out, picking up your slipper and offering it to you. When you just stared, he dropped it and you moved the lamp to the side, crossing your legs.
  “I’ve never seen a zombie before.” You marveled, then squinted, “You are a zombie, right? An undead?”
  It took him an entire minute to choppily raise his shoulders, you realized he was shrugging. Or trying to. Every movement he made was choppy. Reminded you of how stop motion was made, except his scenes weren’t being played fast enough to have fluid movements.
  He tried to get up and promptly slipped, accidentally elbowing the mini sound system at his side. It turned on, Sinead O’Connor’s Drink Before the War playing. You’d been the last to use it.
  You watched as his head tilted in interest as Sinead began to croon out lyrics.
  “Do you like music? This is Sinead O’Connor. She makes music that heals souls.”
  He raised his wrist to his chest and you inhaled sharply as you realized he was missing the hand on it.
  “Uhm, no—I don’t think she healed your soul. I meant like, figuratively. Her music makes people feel.” You placed your hands on your own chest, trying to convey your meaning, “She’s one of my favorites.”
  A surprisingly comforting silence fell over the two of you—though he sometimes made his quiet dead guy gross sounds—as you stared at him, taking in the green-gray tint of his skin beneath the dirt all over him, cheeks sunken in. You had a feeling if you touched his skin, it’d be hard, maybe waxy and it was a bit unnerving how human his eyes were, but duh! Of course they were, he was a human. Just. A dead one. At least he wasn’t a skeleton.
  Man, Hollywood wasn’t too far off with their interpretation.
  “C’mon,” You stood up, eyes taking in the state of your home and all the dirt the two of you had dragged in, “I gotta hide you, new dead friend.”
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thevoidstaredback · 7 months ago
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Saturday's at Wayne Manor are family days. The whole weekend is reserved for the family to come and go as they please, but the biggest events are the Game Days on Saturday from 11:00 to 16:00 and Sunday Dinner at 18:00.
Every Saturday is a Game Day, but the third Saturday of each month is Competition Day. The kids all choose their favorite games, and everyone competes against each other. It's very rarely missed by anyone, but there have been times when someone has had to tap out for one reason or another. Alfred keeps track of who's missed how many days. Barbra keeps the tally of who's won what and how many times. At the end of the year, on December 31st, the scores are announced.
Sunday Dinners are sacred. No one ever misses a Sunday Dinner. The last person who did Jason is still getting subtle jabs and looks from everyone and that was a year ago and he had a very good reason, thank you very much! Everyone is always present for Sunday Dinner because everyone still has a room and the option to stay the night between the two days. Most usually take up the offer, but there have been extenuating circumstances that have pulled someone from the Manor.
No matter any of that because everyone is here and everyone is staying the night. That means everyone is patrolling Gotham tonight. Almost everyone. Batwoman has offered to take over Bludhaven for the night, so that's where she's gone.
Bruce plans to present his idea of messing with his coworkers when everyone gets back to the cave after patrol. All his kids know who they all are, having been trained by him, so there's no risk or accidental reveals on his part. In actuality, the kids thought of it like a game. They even had a folder for it on the Bat Computer and everything!
Yes, that night, after everyone returned to the Bat Cave, he would gather his Chaos Gremlins and invite them to mess with the Justice League with him. He'd also try and get Alfred in on it. Family bonding, and all that.
Though, making his kids sweat was its own form of amusement for him. It was 3:00 when everyone finally returned. They all ran their own routes, watched over by Oracle, and their own times, but everyone was always done no later than 3:00. It was a rule that the Gotham Rouges had yet to pick up on because Batman went back out until dawn more often than not.
Anyway, Bruce has been the first to get back and had put on an act of being upset. He usually kept his Batman persona with his suit, so he was rarely ever this stoic while he was Bruce Wayne. He hid his smirk as he sat at the head of the meeting table in the Cave, waiting for his children to change and sit with him. Duke normally was asleep by now, but he'd asked the boy to be there, letting him in on the harmless prank while they waited for his siblings and Stephanie to arrive.
Once everyone was seated, he waited a total of thirty seconds, meeting eyes with every one of his children, before he spoke. "I'm very disappointed."
Dick's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He'd known Bruce the longest - aside from Alfred - and had likely picked up on something the second he saw Bruce and Duke at the table. "At who?"
"The Justice League," It was amusing to watch the tension melt off of all of them when he shook his head, "We all know who all of them are, as well as everyone who trained under them, but they don't know who we are."
"Except Wonder Woman," Jason pointed out, "She figured me out when I came back."
Fair, Bruce supposed. Jason was always Diana's favorite. "I think they need some help," he said, "A push in the right direction, so to speak."
Stephanie had a smile on her face that promised mischief. "We're not telling them, right? 'Cause that'd be no fun."
"Course not!" Duke yawned, "B said we'd give them a hint."
"What did you have in mind, father?" Damian asked, stoic as always, but matching the gleam in Cass's eyes.
"We invite them to the Bat Cave," he said, "Show them around a bit. The only exits we tell them about, though, should be the Lane," How the ground vehicles get in and out. "-the Zeta Tubes," Obviously. "-and the elevator. But, we don't tell them what's upstairs."
Alfred seemed very amused from where he had taken his seat at the other end of the table.
"From there," Bruce continued, "We invite their civilian identities to the next Gala. Meet them. Hint about the Cave without actually saying anything. If I know Clark as well as I know I do, then he'll, at the very least, piece together that the Bat Cave is under Wayne Manor."
"And if we play it right?" Dick's grin was manic, "They won't connect who we are."
"Won't that be suspicious, though?" Tim spoke up for the first time, "They may not have put things together yet, but they aren't stupid. They're heroes. If we give them the pieces, they're gonna piece them together."
Damian was the one to answer him. "Batman and Bruce Wayne hate one another, though there is a grudging acknowledgement and respect."
"Give them the right pieces, with a few from the wrong puzzle, in the wrong order, we could totally have them fooled!" Jason explained.
The group shared looks between each other. Nothing needed to be said because the looks and movements said everything.
Alfred smiled and shook his head fondly. "You may plan this in the morning. For now, go to bed and get some sleep."
Part 1 Part 3
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sukioyakio · 3 months ago
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“𝚄𝚜𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞,𝚑𝚞𝚑?”-Y/L
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Paring: Sukuna Ryoman x SingleparentReader
Summary: You thought that after your visit with Sukuna who you thought never would see again.He just kept on insisting on you about the deal.
(I completely suck at summary So can you please just read it😭🙏)
An: I didn’t expect that this would be doing well,I just thought that um that I post this and that it and boom 💥 People actually likes this and so here is part two 😃🫶.Im completely sorry for how long it took to post this.Also I loved all of your comments in the last one.I HAD TO FUCKING RESEARCH SO MANY MOVIES 😭 that I personally think Sukuna would be in AND fucking stuff about a retail company that made so much money 😭.i literally had a dream about this for the longest and yes there gonna be a part three of this.Im gonna be completely honest I don’t think I cooked 😞.
Ԝ𝗈𝗋ᑯ ɕ𝗈υ𐓣𝗍:6,023
pevious>next
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past
Your body hurts so much,With every tear drop that fall out of your eyes a piece of you dies.The darkness of the blue night does nothing to help you sleep,as the moon light is company with the blue skies,barley shine through your empty bedroom window and yet nothing could make you sleep in these recents nights.
Constantly checking your phone for a certain person to message you back.As you scrolling through your messages. ————- {you}-“Sukuna please you can’t do this to me please,let just talk it out like adults please”*Delivered two weeks ago*
{you}-Please kuna all I’m asking is for you to come back with me.I’ll do anything just please. *delierevd two weeks ago*
{you}-“What did I do wrong?am I the problem here..please text me back please” *delivered two week ago*
{you}-“Kuna please I need someone to hold on please,I-i miss you please” *delivered two messages*
{you}- “Please god please just send me anything,Is it the baby that your afraid to have,Sukuna please if that the case then we can figure out something together” *Delieverd two weeks*
Multiple messages from you.All the having the same meaningless effort to get his attention
{you}-“Did you even love me,was I the wrong one here.Why can’t you tell me just one damn thing,I’ll take anything just please,text me whenever you are back from whenever you doing just please”*delieverd second ago * —————
You turn off your phone before you started crying again.You didn’t have to know that you looked like a wrecked;puffy red eyes with a mountain of red stripes that stain your cheeks with evidence of you crying.
Silence draped over the room like a velvet curtain, muffling even the faintest whispers.
The silence was deafening, each tear drop echoed like a raindrop in an empty hallway. The moonlight cascaded through the window, illuminating the room with a cold, pale light, casting shadows that danced on the walls like specters.
You clutched your phone tightly, hopelessly scrolling through old messages, searching for a sign of life, a sign of something, anything. But there was nothing.
Each message sent was like a plea into the void, a silent scream that went unanswered.
Curled up in a ball in your bed with no blanket on it because you hadn’t found the bother to cover yourself.
In the depths of the nights like this The worst enemy is the silence and yourself,it where you could hear the voices of your thoughts. Make-shifting them into monsters that drain you of any hope that he’ll come back and try to save ‘this relationship’.
“You were probably the one that deserved it,after all he probably didn’t want someone like you.He definitely did out of pity”
Another
“Maybe if you didn’t act like a cringy little lovesick child then you’ll get to live your fake loving lives together that you only lived in”
After another
“He never once said or tried to prove his ‘love’ in this relationship.Hadnt he?and yet your here with his child, who there father who’ll they never be able to have because he rather put himself then you from the beginning.”
After another voices that fills your head like toxic venom,but you can’t help but hear it.Particularly being drowned by it.
You acted like you couldn’t be able to handle yourself when you could fully do it.But after having your family completely taken away by death you were hopeless about having a place in life.
Without any support or guidance how will the baby bird survive in the world?Well the answer is to fall and embrace the dangers.
In which you did embrace the dangers of what it did to your heart by walking towards the tiger den.Completely swoon by him in every aspect that,in your eyes you ‘love’ him.You were so excited to have a child with him to share a future with him.
You knew you could just simply abort the baby and not have to stress about it but you couldn’t bring yourself to doing that to the baby.
As weeks passed by;Work suddenly became unbearable to deal with,being constantly yelled at for being late or having a bad presentation to the customers.
You were worried about losing your job due to uncertainty about how long it will take you for securing another one and the need to feed your growing child that lives inside of you.
Sometimes you couldn’t even take someone else orders without having the urge to throw up,or randomly get kick of anger or sadness.
Your hormones were acting up due to the stress and depression that you dealing with and could cause something to the baby.Moreover your hormones shouldn’t be acting this early on your pregnancy so please take mind of your care said a doctor.
With that being said,you really tried pushing the thought of him aside and should start taking of yourself but how can you when you’re carry his baby.
But you did it,you throw out all his clothes and stuff he left behind and clean up the house slowly but surely you were done.But over time the pregnancy was showing up and you knew that you were going to get fired because they can’t have a pregnant worker on there employees.
In which you did,Being called by your boss that you’re fired and you knew that everything is going to become more difficult for you from that point on.But You ‘moved’ on and now your ready to move forward with your baby. Present
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You woke up an hour earlier than your alarm due to your body unable to rest.And so you decided that it better to go take a shower to refresh your mind.
You swing you feet off the bed, yawning, as you rise to a stand.Your groggy vision clears as you look at the time, seeing you have woken up an hour before your alarm.
Your body feels exhausted, as you were tossed and turned all night long. Deciding a shower would help ease the fatigue, you make your way into the bathroom.
But before that you took a peek inside your daughter room seeing how her pink hair was a completely mess and how you saw a bit of drool that sipped from her mouth.
The sight of your daughter’s messy hair and that little trickle of drool slipping from her mouth brought a warm smile to your face as you watched her sleep. It was adorable.
You always notice the little birthmarks under her eyes bags;there barely noticeable but you couldn’t unsee it.(there like Yuji marks) You smile softly as you shut the door quietly.
Now you taking a trip to the bathroom to take a well needed shower.As you turn on the water to be warm as you wait for the cold water to heat up,when ready you jump in it.Letting The warm water drip down your curves and down onto the floor.The warm water washes away all the soreness and sleepiness.You stood there for a couple of minutes recalling yesterday trip.
’Use me then’
A flash of frustration creased your brow and sparked in your eye,as you shake his words out your head.Now getting back to finishing your shower by washing your hair and then your body.
Once done you got out of the shower and started drying yourself up with your towel before getting dressed for the day today.
You still had a good amount of time to waste and so you tidy up your room and the living room since it wasn’t big like your apartment but it makes up the time before you have to wake up little Nova up.(who’s is five years old)
So you decided to relax for a bit on one of the chair,and use your phone in the meanwhile and spotted a message from an unknown person.
you press on it;to see a long message. —————
{Unknown}-Good evening Ms LN,
I’d love for you and I to have a chat sometime soon this week about the deal on the matter.If you’re interested please don’t hesitate to send back a message or email.Here is the address if you’ll like to come in person ‘xxxxxxxxxxxxx’
Bye have a wonderful night Lady L.N.
^5,000 dollars send to your bank account^ —————
Your eyes brow raised up with question of who’s this,but continue on reading you already answered that question.Your jaw clenched as your hands ran through your hair as you mutter underneath your breath a couple of curses words.It was as obvious as it sounds.
“Use me then” His voice rings again as you shake the thought again.Your lips turned into a straight line,”Yea no”you replied to your mind,as you blocked the number but You were sure that Sukuna made someone else write this to you.
Which only proves how he really did care only about himself.A annoyed sigh left your sigh as you close the app and went to watch about a 10 minute documentary on YouTube about a missing girl tape. (YouTuber :Rotten mango)
Before the alarm rang and making you get up from your chair with a yawn and go to Nova room to wake her up.
Now walking Towards the her room with a more relaxed posture then a few minutes ago.You gently opened the door with it making a low creek sound.You push the light switch making the room alive with the light;making it able to all the little things in her bedroom.
You walked more into the room now getting a clear view of her cute messy sleep posture. You chuckled slightly as you witnessed her uncomfortable facial expression, her small groans, moans, and movements.
Her messy hair all tossed about on the pillow, drool leaking from the corner of her mouth onto the soft pillow, and her body curled up in a small little ball.
She was quite the sight to behold.Your heart felt warm and full just by looking at her like that.
A small smile appeared on your face as you hovered over her and kissed her cheek, causing her to grumble and scrunch her face even more.
“It monday Nova sweetheart wake up you got school today” You said softly as you careless her messy pink hair.
You were always found yourself adoring the color of her hair not just because it looked just like his hair but how it looked majestic.
Even as a child, you found yourself at peace in the presence of your baby daughter. Whenever you shed tears over the struggles of parenting and the challenges of raising her, her tiny pudgy hands would reach out to yours, gently guiding them to rest upon her head.
In those moments the weight of your worries vanished,replaced by confidence to move forward because you had your precious little girl beside you.
Nova little hands rub her eyes to focus on regaining her eyes.You leaned back letting her wake up.
She grumbles as she sit up on the bed Looking half dose off from sleep and half awake.Her mouth opens with a loud yawn making you chuckle.
“B-but it’s soo-another yawn escape from her mouth- early in the morning cant I have more time t-to sleep” Her voice sounding raspy and sleepy as you ruffle her hair.
“No cant do Nova or you’ll never want to get up” You said with a calm tone,as a soft sigh come out of your mouth.
“Mhm.. ok mom”Nova says as she stand up from her bed before walking into the bathroom she stretches her body,her pink hair falls down reaching her knees.As she goes off to the bathroom to take a quick bath. You lips form a proud smile from how smart your daughter is,already herself into the shower without your help.
You hear your daughter saying loudly that she already in the shower so you don’t have to worry about her not getting ready.You let out a scoff,rolling your eyes at the comment.
“It mine job to be doing that,troll-you mutter that part-“Well if there anything you need help call me Nova” You sighed in defeat as you walked towards her closet to grab her uniform and put on her bed to make it easy for her to put her clothes.
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A sunny morning that sprinkle its warmth onto a beautiful young girl who’s pink hair floats heavenly in the air making her look like a beautiful angel.The trees soothing with the breeze of the air and complimented with the sunlight.casting light to those around.
The girl seem running towards him with a radiant laughter that flowed through the air like soft melodies.He didn’t even mind the sound or the thought of moving his position,as the girl came closer and closer until he was face to face with her.
The girl who looked up at him,with her neck aching from having to look so high up.He immediately kneeled down towards her height.The young girl smile softly,and his lips turned slightly up in return.
He was about to ask the little girl what is her name,but his throat seem frozen.His crimson eyes widened.As in an instant the surrounding turned into more dark.
The soft wind that gently kiss his skin was now gone and replaced with a heavy and harsh wind that would blow him away from the little girl.But didn’t;the sun no longer shined it warmth now hiding it existence in the darkness of the dark clouds.The trees now were holding on their last leafs with how hard the wind were blowing onto them.
“Papa”
Sukuna immediately looked at her,noticing the change of her features.Her big eyes were looking at him with a serious sadness expression.As he saw her eyes forming a tears that flow down her cheeks.It hurted him to stand face in face and not to do anything.
“Why d-did you leave me-and m-mama. ..P-pp-papa?” She asked him with a shaky broken voice,as he saw the tears pooled in her eyes before they streamed down like rivers flows.
He looked at her eyes and saw your eyes in her.His heart banged Against his chest like a drum.His heart was heavy with the weight of his past mistakes. His vocal cords turned to stone, rendering him mute in the face of overwhelming emotion.
Then the young girl looked intensely at him with tears that ruined her beautiful bright face.
“W-what .. d-did I do wrong” She replied,her voice shaking like before.And then her presence changed into something he hadn’t seen before.
A young version of him,with streaks of red painful tears falling from his scarlet eyes ,Looking at him with pain,sorrow and loneliness in them.
“W-what . .. did I-i do wrong” His younger version said with a shaky hiccup.
Sukuna tried to tell him to say something,to speak but nothing came out of his mouth.
His younger version then disappeared into the young girl who now has her eyes widened slightly and her voice turned into more heavy breathing combined with shaky sniffing.
“P-papa. . P-Please d-dd-dont. . Leave m-mme” The young said in a broken voice as she steps closer to him and grabbing his wrists.Sukuna didnt even notice how his breathing become so heavy and how loud his heart beat sounded,especially when he could hear it banging in his ears.
He wanted to grab the girl and hugged her,to tell her that he isn’t going to leave her alone,to make her smile instead of crying like that.But his voice cut off.
And then the second the girl grab his wrist the scenery of the surrounding changed as well his body position changed,Now He standing up looking forward at a hallway that he knew to well and then he felt someone hands.
“.P-please. .don’t L-leave me P-pp-please”
He knew that voice,Your voice,as clear as he remembered.He winced in regret at hearing you choking on your tears.Then the his body moved on his own,his head turned to see you completely,
Shattered
“Please . . .S-Sukuna” a voice so painfully loud in his head,but so low that it could be miss taken as a whisper of the wind.
That was the only thing he heard from before everything went black.
As he gasp for out for air,his body covered in warm sweat,his body now in a sitting position.He heart banging against his chest like a drum,he quickly removed the blanket off his body.Sukuna felt something falling down his cheeks as he rubs his eyes noticing the wetness that come from it.
Tears,his tears.He hadn’t had a nightmare in so long that made him cry like that.He felt that his breathing was off,as he could feel the cold air brushing against his warm skin making him shiver.
“It just a dream”he spoke and so he stood up and glanced at the clock that stood there on top of the night stance.
“What time is it?”He asked in his head,as he keeps his breathing steady and his heart beating calm again.
4:30am on the dot,making him Groan and grumble as he walks around his large bedroom to the bathroom,he desperately needed a cold shower to wake up.To make him forgot about his stupid little nightmare.
Now entering the bathroom he turns on the light flashing his eyesight,making him scrunched up his nose and wince at how bright it is. He looks into the mirror showing his body and face.
“W-what . .. did I-i do wrong” A voiced ringed in his head,as he quickly turned away from the mirror and began to turn on the water.
Now waiting for it to become his prefer temperature,He just sits on the toilet manspread;head being held up by his hand;rubbing his hand against his face.
“It just a nightmare” He whispered to himself in agreement as he rans his hands in his striking pink hair.Taking off his clothes and jumping into the shower to be awake from the cold water.
The icy water hits his body,water sliding down his body and onto the floor of the tub.As it drips down from his face;smoothing his muscular fatigue just a bit.
But even that doesn’t make the damn dream go away.In fact it just keeps reappearing in his mind.
“Papa” “Papa” “Papa” “P-papa”
“P-papa. . P-Please d-dd-dont. . Leave m-mme” the little girl broken voice comes in his ears.Seeing an image of her crying for him;reaching out for him in sake of his warmth.
His breathe hitches as if it hurted to breath normally. ‘I-I won’t let you go’ he whispered to himself as if he knew what he saying is true or false or just a saying to him that maybe he just a hopeless as he was.
He didn’t know why he wanted to be in the little girl life,maybe because she his child,maybe because he it was his responsibility for making you pregnant with his daughter or,maybe because that it wouldn’t be fair to be her father and not care about her as her Stupid Ass father.
Or maybe that he saw himself in her,saw a glimpse of something that he couldn’t control,her hating him for the stuff he did.
He knew that deep inside he didn’t want her to feel like he abandoned her like how life did to him.
“.P-please. .don’t L-leave me P-pp-please” And then your voice comes in his mind as it comes out like an anchor of his regrets.He was really a piece of of shit.
“Please . . .”
-S-Sukuna”
He quickly opened his eyes that he didn’t even recall closing them,and decided to put the water into warm temperatures.He didn’t need this right now.A part of him says that what he did was for the best and the other part of him that deep inside of him knows that he should’ve turned around and walked back to you.But he didn’t.
He let out a big heavy sigh and remembered that he made his assistant ‘uraume’ to write you about the deal.Knowing that you wouldn’t accept it but he was willing to try at least.
And so he continued his shower and washed his hair and body,and once he was done he began wrapping a towel around his waist and glancing on the mirror to see how red his skin looked.
“Urgh fuck work” He reminded himself as he stormed out the bathroom and into his bedroom and started to get changed.
As soon as he was done it was already 5:40am and so he just went to where his garage where his cars are and then went to work early.
Sukuna was an actor and started a side company that was small when he started out,but soon grew into a big company as well as his acting career.
When he made it into his company he just went into his office,and that could be his start of his day.At 6:05am he started working in the morning as he kept his stern demeanor in place.
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While you drop off Nova at school you were quick to go to work where it was hell.And so right now you’re on the bus,sitting down with boredom painted on your face,but you kept thinking about the 5,000 dollars in your bank account.It bother you for some reason,like you were happy that you have money in your bank without having to work your ass off.
But the other was like,now it feels like you own him now,and it wasn’t your money that you worked hard for;no it was his money that he just flat out gave to you.
As the bus stop at the station that you needed to get out.And so you walked out of the bus station,wincing at the sunlight hitting your eyes,covering your eyes from the sunlight with your hand.
It was probably 8:35am when you started to walked.
People passing and going,some simply walking around with smile on their face,and other people walking to get on time to work like you.
You made it,at your job as a waitress.Moreover you winced from how many people were there,making you slip out a defeated sigh of that. Hearing multiple voices of people chatting about whatever topic and some trying to calm down their crying babies.
As you check in at the register,as the other employees were busy cleaning,taking orders,cooking,etc.As you were quickly ordered to take people orders.
‘Here goes a fun day of hell starting right now’You spoke to yourself now,putting on your fake smile on.
After a long stressful day of work,your body ache from having to practically running to write orders.You check your phone to see the time is 3:00pm on the dot.You immediately sign off from your shift and onto to getting your stuff and immediately start your walk towards nova’s school.Knowing it was very late to get her up but it is the only way you could make money.
You started to walk quickly towards the bus station,making it swiftly into the bus,and getting a seat.As the bus waits for the other passengers to hop on.After a while the bus start to close the door and finally starts moving.
As the sunlight Glows passing through the windows of the bus,Making the windows hot and warm to touch.As bus passes multiple stations until it was finally your stop,in which you politely Maneuver through the bus towards the exit.You said your thanks to the bus driver and who replied with your welcome.
Now walking towards the school,You really needed a car by now but it doesn’t matter asking as you’re able to pay for life essentials.
As you approach the school, you spot Nova making her way towards you, her backpack bouncing with every step. You plaster a smile on your face, hiding the exhaustion you feel from the long day at work.
"Hey, Nova! How was school?" you ask, trying to sound cheerful.
Nova shrugs, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "It was alright, I guess. Math was tough today."
You nod understandingly, trying to appear more interested in what she's telling you. The thought of having to work longer hours now to pay for tutoring services crosses your mind, but you push it away for now.
"That sounds rough," you reply, showing concern. "But I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. You're smart, after all."
Nova looks up at you, a hint of worry in her eyes. "Can we grab a snack before heading home? I'm starving."
You stifle a sigh, knowing that you're also hungry but also tired and just want to get home. "Sure, we can grab something quick. What do you feel like eating?"
You look at Nova and stare in which she quickly answer the question “um ice cream!” Her eyes sprinkles in joy and excitement at the thought of eating ice cream.
You rolled your eyes at her reply,letting out a small chuckle,as you smile at her face.
“Sure thing sweet heart,there should be an ice cream shop nearby” You explain while ruffling her pink hair.You already are tried out from walking but some more walking wouldn’t hurt.Nova will be the death of you some day.
“YAY!!Thank You mama!!”Nova yelled happily as she jumps up and down,and then rushes towards you with a big hug making you slightly stubble backwards.
‘Yep,she’ll definitely be the death of me’You spoke in you mind as your lips turning up into a big warm smile as you kneel down to hug her back.And giving her a kiss on her forehead.
“You welcome you little troll,now come on before it gets dark” you replied to her.
Nova nods as she politely breaks the hug and looking at you with her adorable smile.You return to standing up,as you extend your hand in gesture of wanting to hold her hand in which she complies to it.
As you both walks towards the ice cream shop that was just three blocks from the school.During that time the Brightness from the sun starts to decrease but rather starts to rise it ironic sunset glow.While walking towards the shop,you listen to nova talk about her day.Passing through multiple citizens until you finally made it there.
You look at the door seeing how it written open with a marker.You let out a sigh of relief that it wasn’t closed;you could feel nova excitement as she looks intently inside the shop.
Now opening the door of the ice cream,as nova enter through the door it makes a light jingle sound as a signal to the person here.Forthwith you walked shop quickly right behind nova.
You notice how small the shop look but how well care it was;you also notice how it give off a comfy granny vibes,not that you don’t like it,it just makes the ice cream shop feel more unique than others.
You saw that there no other customer here,as you see how nova was already at the front desk where the ice cream was displayed,You chuckled when you saw nova expression.
As you glanced at the choices that were being displayed.Then a door opened behind the front desk.
“Oh-h hello there,Good afternoon,is there anything you’ll like or need” a voice coming from the back,whoever voice it was gave off a warm and gentle comfort.As You could hear the steps coming closer to you guys.
Before you could even say hello,or opening your mouth,nova began talking.As the stranger was finally infront of you,and it was an elderly woman with her hair having sprinkled of white hair.Having winkles that were visible,She still looked attractive in her age and her eyes definitely showed adventurous and wisdom.
You would estimate that she was in her early 50’s but she looked still in shape
“Goood aftermoon,Me and mamma Are here for some yummy ice cream!Also I could like cookie and cream ice cream pleasee”Nova cheerfully says.
The older woman chuckled at Nova's enthusiasm,finding it endearing,she smiled warmly. "Well, isn't that a delightful choice. Cookies and cream, coming right up."
She turned around and began preparing the ice cream, adding a generous scoop of the sweet treat into a cone.
"And for you, dear?" she asked as she handed the cone of ice cream to Nova, her eyes looking at you and awaiting your response.
You politely shake your head,with a reassuring smile.”No thank you I’m alright,how much will the cost be in total” your glance at nova who enjoying her treat and return to the elderly women and pulling out your credit card from your bag.
The woman smiled warmly as you declined the ice cream, appreciating your politeness.
“Oh,don’t worry about the cost,dear. It’s on the house today.” She waved off your credit card with a gracious gesture.
"Consider it a small token for brightening up my quiet afternoon." She explains with a warm smile on her lips.
Your eyes widen in disbelief,as you let out a heartfelt sigh.As you thanks her for everything as you check what time is it on your phone to see that it 5:30pm,and you eyes widen from how much time has passed.You quickly put back your phone in your cross body bag.
“Come on nova we have to go back home,we don’t want the boogie monster to come get us,right”You announced to her;nova looks up and quickly walks over towards you with her bowl of ice cream,giggle sip out her mouth finding the thought of boogie monster coming after them.
“Thanks you for everything Ms” You spoke to the elderly woman,giving her a reassuring look.
Now walking towards the direction where the school was,and then you’ll just have to take an another bus ticket to get home. As you glance that the sky to see how the sky color looks more like it sun setting color.Glowing it orange shines through the building of the city.
You carried nova bookbag so it will be easier for you guys to get into the bus.When you made it there You laughed at nova adorable messy face while getting onto the bus.
The bus was crowded, as usual, the city traffic bringing workers home and students home from school.Nova and you found yourselves crammed in the middle, Nova leaning into you as you stood and held her up to keep her from falling.
The bus moved swiftly with each stop, letting people on or off. Nova watched from the side of the bus as you looked forward, watching the city move by.
As you feel nova head leaning against your shoulder,you glances at her to see her eyes close and her breathing evenly,You smile heart fully.Brushing the streaks of her pink hair that were in her mouth.As you leaned to land another kiss on her forehead.
’I give you the world to live to see you grow up.I promise that I’ll never pick myself first before you,nova Ryoman L/name’ You whisper to yourself.
As the bus ride continues on,stopping at bus stops.
The bus rides on, stopping and picking up passengers at every stop. The hum of the engine fills the air, and the sun gone and the moon light shines over the city in a brilliant display.
Nova sleeps against you,as you gaze off to the windows of the bus.The bus finally reaches your stop, and you gently scoop up Nova to carry her off the bus.
You carried her and your stuff along with carry her on your back,with her head slumped against your shoulder making quietly snores.You were careful to not get into to any of random danger in you way home.
Moreover you made it home safely,It not the best choice of place to live in but it works.You wake up nova to go take a shower,as you put away your stuff,your back begging to have a break.But you still needed to go make food for nova. Before you get any sleep.
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“Sir Ryoman!” uraume announced with a professional voice,As they knocks one more time against Sukuna office door.
It was 8:56pm in the evening.People always wonder how they are able to handle working with Sukuna,some admired their dedication and other would just make rumors about them and him.Either the rumors would be how they was making ties with him or how they was just his personal quickie.Which none were true.
As uraume thought of knocking on the door again but was stopped by Sukuna sternly voice saying to come in.
While opening and closing the door,They looked to see how dark the room is and how the only light was the moon light.They could instantly see his red eye, glowing under the light.As well his pink hair.
Uraume flicked the light switch on,Flashing the both of them with the bright white light.As they nonchalantly looked at Sukuna and now walking towards his desk,their shoes clacking off the floor,carrying a small stack of paper on top of them is their iPad,they carry it on the other hand.His silence hung in the air like a suspended breath.
Finally breaking the silence,he begins to talk.“What is it now uraume” He said, his voice cold and stern. He was clearly uninterested in what uraume had to say.
Uraume clear there’s throat,brushing their white bob cut hair with there hands.They began to speak with a direct professional voice.
“I have a few documents for you about the recents meetings and there are some paperwork in this pile that are needed to fill out” they say as they place the pile on his desk and grabbing their iPad and turning it on Before continuing on.
”You also are scheduled for three interviews and then your schedule to have meeting with your clients and providers.You have a email on from a director who is willing to give you a role for a upcoming movie” Uraume added off there voice steady and professional,as they turns off their iPad now looking at Sukuna eyes.
Sukuna leaned back in his chair,looking up at the ceiling of his office,a low grumble of irritation.His neck was slightly visible towards uraume,as he run his fingers through his appealing pink hair as it runs along his face and then he return to looking at uraume.His hand pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Thanks for the report uraume”Sukuna replied with sarcasm as well with irritation and uninterested into what uraume said.He already knew that he had new business to take care of,so this wasn’t any different from the other things.
“Is there anything you want to ask me about the regarding matters?” uraume said with control and professionalism,looking at him with a flat face.
He looks at his desk before looking at uraume face with a stern expression.His red eyes staring into uraume face.
“Did she respond back to the message that I had asked you to send?” He questioned along with his voice coming out harsh and demanding.But behind his facade the uncertainty gnawed at sukuna mind.
Uraume thought of the message he was referring too.They knew Sukuna had developed a strange interest for one particular woman.
But why should they judge him,after all it was a rare moment for him to express his personal interests to anyone else.
"No", Uraume stated in a professional tone, "I haven't received a reply from her yet. However," they added, "if you're looking for more answers, I can keep an eye on the situation and keep you updated."
Sukuna nodded,before adding on.
“Also I’ll like you to do a investigation on her life I want it to be done by the end of week with a full detail report on the matter,so If I hear as a simple person hearing about this I wont hesitate to chop your head off” He spoke with seriousness,every word carrying weight and importance.
“Yes sir” uraume nodded as they turns around walking towards the door.Stopping when they heard his voice again. Turning their head back to him.
“And send another message for me to her again today” He announced without looking at uraume figure,now looking at the paper he had to do.In which they simply nodded and left the room with a sigh as they walks to their own office.
Pondering What all this sudden interest in you;They has never seen him so clearly interested in a woman to actually ask for them to track them down,usually it was rather to get them out his house after every night stand he had.
As they enter their office,now walking to their desk with a heavy sigh,now looking at the time on their watch to see it 10:25pm.It was going to be a long night before they could get any sleep or even go home.
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author note: I know I left This on a god damn cliffhanger but this isn’t even the original edited version,I HAD to cut out the original by half cuz I think I made it to 10k words and it aren’t even done😭 but I fricking hope y’all love this and part three will be out hopefully soon,I have never hated writing the words they/thier/and them 😭 it so new for me to do.But I already copy and pasted the cut part off and it in own draft so I’ll will be working on it.
Taglist: @lil-annonie @scoobysnakz @chilichopsticks @axkermanrenn @domainofmarie @laraackerman @manikosii @chrys23 @mangiswig @gladiatorgladiator @kosmisoo @midnight-138 @kkshahrewar. I hope I got all of y’all tags list right and it didn’t do that thingy that doesn’t allow me to tag you.
@mononijikayu
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tokyo-daaaamn-ji-gang · 4 months ago
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Hi hi!! Hope you’re doing well, I love your writing! I was wondering if you could do some hc on how ran, Rindou, sanzu, Baji, and Kazutora would react if they had a crush on a shy girl, so they always stare at her, but she thinks they’re glaring and gets scared?
Ok! Here are some hc's on them staring at a shy girl and accidentally scaring her because she thinks they're glaring. Put the timelines next to the names, also tw for kidnap on Sanzu's.
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Ran (good timeline)
He really wasn't expecting to ever get caught staring at you, so the first time you suddenly turned and your eyes met his, he was caught off guard. He quickly recovered giving you a lazy smile though, and so the same thing continued everytime you caught him. Ran thought he was being charming and playful.....he never figured the stares would come off differently or that you would see his smiles as something sinister.
He doesn't understand why you always seem in such a hurry to get away from him. Were you not interested in him? Or is this part of the game?
Eventually he manages to trap you, standing between you and the door, grinning at you like a cat who just caught the mouse. Slamming his hand on the wall, next to your head, he leans in, intending on finally flirting with you verbally.
Only for him to suddenly notice your scared expression and realise that he's scaring you
Immediately backs off with his hands in the air, trying to show you he means you no harm. Explains the situation to you and actually apologises for scaring you.
He's mainly just surprised and a little embarrassed that he didn't realise earlier.
Rindou (good timeline)
Doesn't even notice notice he was staring at you at first, he's liked you for the longest time now and his gaze is just always wandering over to you unintentionally. He daydreams a lot while looking at you.
Anytime you turn to peek at him and your eyes meet, he tends to look away just as quickly as you. He hasn't quite figured out how he wants to approach you yet.
Eventually, he tries to talk to you but gets confused by your expression and by how you seem to practically run away anytime he gets close.
Actually assumes it's because you know his reputation as one of the Haitani brother's instead of it being because of the staring. So he tries to lay low a bit gang wise but the staring still continues.
Until one day, when you try to run off he calls your name and catches your wrist. He explains that he knows you're scared of him but that he won't ever hurt you and that you don't have to be scared because of the gangs. You look at him with a confused look for a moment before asking "so you don't hate me?". Rindou is very confused and also embarrassed as you explain the staring thing.
Sanzu (Bonten, tw: kidnap)
He's aware that you're scared straight away but it doesn't bother him. He's always observing people so has gotten good with knowing their thoughts and emotions, and picks up on yours immediately.
Sanzu's a bit different to the others though, since he never plans on actually having a relationship with you. Sure he's interested but Mikey is his king and the only one he allows himself to spend time on, he has to be his number one priority. So there's no time for a relationship, you're just a passing fantasy so it doesn't matter what you think of him.
He was wrong though, months go by and he's still interested in you. You won't leave his head, the staring intensifies.
Eventually he gives up, guess he has no choice but to approach you. He can probably make it work between you and serving Mikey too anyway. Besides he's no good to Mikey or bonten when he's all distracted like this.
You're walking home alone and don't see him till it's too late, one second you're walking and the next you're being pulled into an unknown car and being injected with something. Sanzu strokes your hair as your head rests on his lap, you were right to be scared of him.
Baji (good timeline)
He's in complete denial that he's even staring at you, Chifuyu and Kazutora both pick up on it and question him but Baji always denies it, getting defensive about how he definitely wasn't staring at you.
He hates how quickly you always leave, always rushing out of the pet shop whenever you see him. He wants to see you for longer, so wishes you would browse more like the other customers. Especially after he finds out that you happily stay longer and even chat with Kazutora and Chifuyu when he's not there.
This goes on for months, Baji staring at you longingly anytime you came in and you seeing his frustrated look, assuming he's angry at you and leaving quickly with your purchases.
Of course Kazutora and Chifuyu are the ones who have to step in. Making up some excuse about both of them being sick one day, so Baji would have to cover the shop alone for them. Meaning you and Baji would have to interact at the till.
Baji watches you as you casually walk into the shop, only to freeze when your eyes lock with his. You gulp and glance around before realising he's the only one there today, your only choice for buying your items.
You had hoped he wouldn't say anything to you but instead Baji immediately asks if you have a problem with him. He was never one for subtly after all. "I thought you had a problem with me?" You both end up surprised and clearing the matter up. Baji does have to deal with Kazutora and Chifuyu's teasing after though.
Kazutora (bad toman timeline)
You were being harassed by toman the first time he saw you, so of course he jumped in, beating them up to protect you. Toman shouldn't be hurting random girls. After he'd finished he was about to walk away when he heard the quiet "thank you" and realised you were offering him some tissues for his own injuries from the fight. You ran off after that, before Kazutora could offer to walk you home or even just ask if you were ok.
He figured he'd never see you again but then he did, just by chance. After that the two of you bumped into each other often, with him always staring after you. He wanted to say thanks for the tissues and get to know you more, he wanted you. You seemed so sweet, no girl had ever stuck around after a fight and offered him something to help before.
You thought he was mad at you because he had to beat up those guys or maybe he expected some kind of payment for doing that? He definitely seemed to be glaring at you...
It didn't take long for him to sense how uncomfortable you were with him around. It hurt him a lot, he assumed you were scared of him because you saw what he did to those guys.
He backed off immediately, stopped going to the areas where you were. After all he had an important job to do with Chifuyu, no time for romance. But it still made his heart ache.
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moosesarecute · 4 months ago
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Part 2: The shadows sing
Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
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Azriel was going crazy. He was sure of it.
How can someone be obsessed with someone’s eyes?
He had only gotten a small glimpse, but he couldn’t think about anything else.
He even almost lost the annual snowball fight, because he was daydreaming about the mystery female’s eyes.
It had been in the middle of the last battle against Hybern, so over two years ago.
For the longest time, he didn’t even think about the female. He lived his normal life.
However, he started to dream. And in the dreams the eyes would look directly into his. They were so sparkly and bright. Azriel couldn’t forget them.
He had been seeking for the female. Not obsessively, of course, but if he had time. Or if he finished his tasks early. Or if he asked Rhys for a couple more days or hours so that he could spend longer time away.
He had been all over Prythian, all the courts, on the ground and in the sky. The female had disappeared from the earth.
The only thing he knew was the female’s eyes and that she looked like she controlled the naga out on the battlefield.
It was so graceful to watch. The naga was steered away from all the people that fought against Hybern and towards all Hybern soldiers. It was almost like it was tamed.
After seeking for almost a year, he realized he needed help. He had to find this female, but he has no clue where to look.
He decided that during the next boys night with Rhys and Cassian, he would ask about the naga on the battlefield.
“You remember the naga that was let loose during the last battle?” He asked. Rhys and Cassian nodded hesitantly, they didn’t often talk about the war. “Who do you think let it out?”
Rhys sat back in his chair and Cassian took a sip of his drink.
“I have no clue, I was busy dying,” Rhys said trying to make a joke.
Both Azriel and Cassian glared at him, none one in the Inner Circle had fully forgiven him for that.
“But I seriously don’t know,” Rhys continued. “I know of a group of hunters who resides in The Middle, but we have no way of knowing if it’s truly them.”
“The Middle?” Cassian asked. “People actually live there?”
“It would give sense if it was them,” Rhys said and ignored Cassian’s question. “They basically live in their territory, so if anyone can tame a naga it would be them.”
Azriel felt his brain go faster and faster. He had been through The Middle countless times, how hasn’t he heard about or seen such a group? They can’t be many people, if they were he would have seen them, right? Was this female a part of the group?
“Azriel?” Azriel flicked his head towards the sound of Rhys’ voice. “Any specific reason why you’re asking?”
Azriel thought about telling the truth, but he suddenly felt embarrassed. He was obsessed with a female he had only seen once and only for a couple of seconds.
“The naga has just been on my mind lately,” Azriel mumbled an answer.
Rhys and Cassian shrugged and continued their conversation.
Azriel only thought one thing: he needed to get to The Middle.
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He had a busy week and had not been able to leave his missions to look for the mystery female.
Until today.
He flew and shadow walked until he was in the middle of Prythian.
After spending some time getting to know his surroundings, he started spying.
The first shelter he saw looked like it would fall down at any time. The construction was mainly out of wood and even through the snow it both looked and smelled rotten.
It didn’t take his shadows long to figure out that it lived two high fae in the shelter. A pair of twins, a male and a female. Probably originated from the Day court.
Azriel hid in a tree and waited for the twins to emerge.
His heart was beating so fast and he felt more restless than he had in ages.
What if he finally was going to see the female again?
“You idiot!” He heard a masculine voice yell from inside the shelter. “We are not going for a fucking bird, when we can take a naga!”
The door to the shelter was thrown open and out stumbled two fae. Both looked like they had seen better days. They had cuts and bruises various places on their bodies and both had black eyes.
Azriel immediately knew that this was not the female that haunted his dreams.
“I’m just saying that since Y/N got I few hits in, maybe we should do something easy today and take the naga’s tomorrow,” the female argued. “When we have healed a little.”
Y/N
Y/N
It was the most beautiful name Azriel had ever heard. It seemed so gentle and sweet. He decided there and then that he needed to find this Y/N.
“You’re a coward,” the male said.
Not even a second later the female landed a punch to his jaw. The male swore and fought back, kicking his twin in the stomach.
“Very stupid,” Azriel’s shadows muttered.
Azriel just nodded and took to the shy without a sound.
It took him five minutes to get to a different shelter. However, this one almost looked luxurious compared with the other shelter. It had both windows and a sturdy roof and the walls was painted in a dark brown color.
“Old male, lesser fae,” his shadows informed him. “Leader.”
That made sense, the leaders always had more money and resources than the rest. Even though it was unfair.
“Hurt,” his shadows then told him. They swirled chaotic around him. “We found, pretty eyes, hurt.”
The shadows started to pull him and Azriel realized he had no other choice than to follow.
He started to get excited, but also stressed. Was the female hurt? He could maybe help her! But what if it wasn’t her? And what if it was her? What would he say? Hi, I’ve been dreaming about your eyes every night for a year? He couldn’t do that.
Azriel landed in a tall tree. He looked down on a small shelter. It was not as bad as the first one, but not as good as the leader’s.
It had four walls and a roof. The roof had a few holes, one much bigger than the others. It had one small window and a door, but other than that, it wasn’t much.
“Pretty,” his shadows continued to tell him. “She’s like you, but pretty. Friends!”
Azriel didn’t understand what they meant. Like him? In what way.
“She’s hurt?” He asked his shadows.
“Hurt, ribs, leg, head,” his shadows replied. “Stubborn, arguing.”
“Arguing with who?”
“Friends!” The shadows said, almost sounding like they were smiling.
“Her friends?”
“Our friends!”
Azriel wanted to ask what they were talking about, but he didn’t need to.
Out of the cabin walked a female. She looked short, but strong. She wore leathers and a old clock. It looked like it would be freezing.
The female closed the door and when she turned around, Azriel finally saw the big beautiful eyes he had been longing for. He felt enchanted. Completely lost in the shiny and sparkling eyes.
However, Azriel’s eyes soon became just as big as the female’s. Because surrounding her was a bunch of shadows.
They soon disappeared, all to different directions, but Azriel was sure he saw them.
The female walked slowly with a soft limp to her left leg.
After a few meters she was again covered in shadows. Azriel now had no doubt in his mind: she was a shadowsinger like him.
Before he thought about it, he had already left the tree and landed on the ground. Starting to move towards the female.
Before he could reach her, she disappeared into the shadows.
“Friends left!” The shadows whined. “Pretty eyes left!”
Azriel couldn’t do anything else then just staring at the spot where the female had disappeared.
“Find her,” he said and soon all his shadows started to work.
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It didn’t take long for his shadows to find the female. What worried Azriel was the fact that they came back acting in chaos.
“Danger, hurt, pretty, naga, danger, help,”
They were screaming at him as they covered him and dragged him along where they wanted him to go.
When the shadows left him, he was in a clearing, still in the middle of the forest.
He hid in the shadows behind a tree and saw the female, armed with knifes, move carefully towards a naga. The naga was drinking from a nearby river and was too busy to notice the female.
She moved gracefully and quiet. Not making a sound as she put one foot in front of the other, even though the ground was covered in snow.
Unlike previously, the female was alone, no shadows in sight.
Azriel started to doubt what he had seen earlier. Maybe the female wasn’t a shadowsinger at all. Maybe he only hoped she was. If she was a shadowsinger, she definitely would have used her shadows when trying to take down a naga, she would be stupid otherwise.
Azriel didn’t think she looked stupid, she looked like she knew what she was doing as she stopped about 15 meters away from the animal.
She started to take her aim when Azriel noticed movement to the left of the female.
To his horror there was another naga, creeping up to her, waiting for the perfect moment to attack.
Azriel remembered the twins he saw earlier talking about nagas. This female and the twins must be in the same business, he realized.
Azriel stood completely still as he saw the second naga getting closer and closer to the female. But she didn’t react to it, he didn’t even think she knew it was there.
But she had to know, right? If she was a shadowsinger she definitely would have known. Maybe he should help her, or maybe this was all a part of her plan? When did he suddenly become so indecisive?
The naga started to attack and Azriel moved on instinct.
He shadow walked directly behind the female and used truth teller to slice the naga over the neck. It fell to the ground, dead instantly.
“Mad.”
His shadows told him, sounding almost scared.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He heard the most beautiful voice he had ever heard. “I had it, I had everything under control. It was mine.”
Azriel turned around and met the sparkling eyes he had dreamed about for such a long time. He was speechless.
“You just lost me money, money I need. You fucking prick.”
Azriel was too enchanted by her beautiful voice to answer.
“Are you deaf or something?”
Azriel shock his head.
“Mute?”
He shock his head once more.
The female only rolled her eyes. “I don’t have time for this.”
She turned around and walked towards a nearby tree and pulled her knife out of it. She must have tried to get the naga and then missed.
However, she had two knifes and the other one seems to be missing. Maybe she got one hit, but not good enough for the naga not to run to safety.
“She’s leaving.”
Azriel got out of his enchantment and stormed towards the female.
He took hold around her wrist.
“Wait,” he said.
The female turned around, ripped her wrist out of his hand and before he could even react, she slapped him across the face.
Azriel felt more confused than ever. He was usually always a few steps in front of his opponent. For some reason, this female kept on making him distracted.
“What’s your name?” He couldn’t hold back any longer. He needed to know.
The female just shock her head.
Buzz
Buzzzz
Buzzzzzzzzz
“Ouch!”
Azriel hit the insect that bit his neck.
He moved his hand and saw a small yellow bug.
He brushed it off on his leg and raised his gaze back to the female.
She looked like she had seen a ghost.
“Shit! Do you have the anecdote?” She asked him.
He almost laughed. He was a strong Illyrian warrior and she thought he needed an anecdote for a bug bite.
“I don’t need an anecdote for a small bug bite,” he told her.
But then he felt his hands get sweaty and his sight turned prickly. And not even seconds later, he hit the ground and lost consciousness.
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jewish-sideblog · 7 months ago
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Other notes of insanity from the "JVP Haggadah":
Adonai elohenu melekh ha-olam is translated differently literally every time it appears. First it's "spirit of freedom" then it becomes "the source" and "the eternal determiner of the universe" and "the one who sustains all life". Y'all. It's the same phrase in every blessing. Jews would know this. Pick one translation and stick with it!
Wine is typically a symbol of joy in the Seder-- it's often a joy for our liberation from Egypt. However, I've also seen it represented as joy despite the hardships and captivity many of us still face. JVP does away with all of that and dedicates each glass of wine to a different theme: Education, solidarity, boycotting Israel, and community. Wine is a symbol of joy in Judaism because drinking four glasses of Maneshewitz in a night gets you drunk. The symbolism is inherent to the wine itself. I don't see how getting shitfaced helps you boycott Israel.
Yachatz is fully gutted. The Hagaddah is supposed to detail how and why you break the matzah-- you can't just break it! There's symbolism and meaning to breaking specific pieces and creating an Afikomen. JVP says fuck an Afikomen, everybody just breaks a cracker and thinks about systematic oppression. They try to (incorrectly) address the Afikomen issue later, but it's nonsensical at that point because we never made one to begin with.
There is no Maggid. There's a section called Maggid, which includes a single verse from what I'm almost certain is the Christian Old Testament, not the Torah. There's no story. It literally just goes Bible Verse > Shitting on Israel > Four Questions > Plagues. They literally took out the longest and most important part of the Seder. I'm not shocked that they couldn't figure out a way to make the story of Exodus seem anti-Zionist, but still...
There's no Chad Gadya. Instead, you're supposed to go around the table, wish each other good night, and ask what they learned. This might actually be an interesting way to further involve attendees in the Seder if there were... you know... a Maggid. There's nothing to take away from this because there's zero substance. The story wasn't told. It's just there to force attendees to verbally shit on Israel before they're allowed to leave.
I'm sure there are other major issues with it; feel free to add them if you find any. I'm just personally still too baffled by the stupidity of it all to go through it a second time.
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imthesilentwriter · 1 month ago
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The Sleepovers
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Harry Potter x Wolfstar!Daughter!Reader
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Summary: You have sleepovers with Harry; however, you start to suspect something is up when you notice things either before, during, or after your sleepovers. That is, until you figure it out why you have them.
Warnings: mentions of blood and bruises (let me know if there is any more I need to add)
Authors Note: This is the longest oneshot I've written so far - it's also the first one in the "Pre-Hogwarts" section (how exciting). I would like to thank everyone for their support on my previous posts, it makes a world a difference to someone like me, who just loves to write. So, without further a due, enjoy this fic... excuse the 8 thousand words word count :)
Word Count: 8334
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Navigation | Masterlist
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You notice something is different when Lily comes to pick you up from your home, instead of your dads dropping you off at Harry’s. Maybe you’ve always noticed something, or maybe you’re just starting to pick up on it now.
Here you are, standing in front of your dad, Remus, who is lying on the couch, his arm draped over his eyes. You’ve seen him like this before, the way his body seems heavy, and his face is scrunched up with lines that make him look tired, but there’s something more today. A pain etched deep into his skin that makes your chest feel tight.
He huffs out a breath, a sound you recognize, one that only escapes him when he’s frustrated. It’s a sound you’ve heard more often when your sleepovers are planned. Your little four-year-old brain can’t quite wrap around why, but you know something is bothering him, something that always happens when you’re getting ready to stay over at Harry’s.
You keep standing there, watching him, as he stays curled on the couch. His breaths are heavy, and a small part of you, deep inside, screams at you to make it stop. You want to help him, to take away whatever is hurting him. But you can’t, and you know that. You’re not sure why, but you just know.
With soft footsteps, you step closer, standing near his head. You reach out a small hand and place it gently on his forearm, your fingers barely brushing his skin. “Dad?” you say, your voice barely more than a whisper, but it cuts through the quiet.
Remus hums in acknowledgment, but doesn’t move, so you pat his arm gently, trying again. “Are you okay?”
Slowly, he pulls his arm away from his eyes, revealing the soft, kind hazel eyes you know so well. But today, they’re different. He looks at you with love, but the pain is still there, sitting behind his gaze like something heavy he can’t put down.
“Yeah, sweetheart, I’m fine,” he says, his voice quiet and tender, but you see it – how the corners of his mouth don’t lift like they usually do, how his shoulders stay tense, even when he tries to smile.
You tilt your head, thinking carefully before speaking again. “You don’t look okay,” you say simply, and for a moment, his shoulders stiffen, like he’s been caught.
Before he can answer, there’s a knock at the front door. The sound pulls both of you out of the moment, and Remus glances toward the door. “Lily must be here,” he says, swinging his legs off the couch and sitting up.
But when he stands, a groan escapes him – low and quiet, but enough to make your heart hurt. He’s moving slowly, like each step takes more effort than usual.
He looks down at you as he struggles to straighten up. “You’ve got everything?” he asks, trying to sound casual as he walks to the door.
You nod, holding your little bag close to you. “Yes,” you say, “Daddy made sure everything was in my bag.”
Remus gives you a small, tired smile and opens the door. Lily stands there, smiling softly at both of you. “Hi, sweetheart,” she says, waving at you with her gentle, familiar warmth. Her eyes flicker to your father briefly, and you notice the way her smile falters, just for a second.
“Ready for another fun night with Harry?” Lily asks, kneeling down to meet your eyes, but there’s something in her voice, something you can’t quite place. It’s the same way she always talks to you, but today, it feels different. It feels like she’s trying to hide something.
“Yeah,” you say, though your mind is still on your dad. You glance back at him, watching as he leans against the doorframe, looking so tired, so worn.
Lily stands up and gives him a look, one that you don’t understand, but you know it’s important. “Take care of yourself, Remus,” she says quietly, and your dad just nods, his hand gripping the door a little tighter.
“Have a good time, sweetie,” he says to you, his voice softer now, like he’s trying to put everything into those few words.
You feel a lump in your throat as you give him a small wave. “Bye, Dad.”
Lily takes your hand as you walk away, but as you look back one last time, you see him standing there, still leaning against the door. And in that moment, your little heart knows something.
You might not understand it yet, but you know there’s something more. Something your dad is going through, something that makes him hurt, and somehow, you just wish you could fix it.
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The second thing you notice, that makes you believe something is up, is when James, Harry’s dad, leaves for the night without taking any of his belongings.
You’re sitting on the living room carpet with Harry, carefully stacking brightly coloured wooden blocks into a tall tower. You hear the sound of pots clanging from the kitchen where Lily is cooking dinner, her humming mixing with the sizzling sounds of food.
The room feels warm and cozy, but something in your chest still feels off. You’ve been thinking about your dads all day, wondering why you’re still here instead of back home with them.
That’s when you hear footsteps coming down the hall. You look up just in time to see James entering the living room, fully dressed to go out. His coat is on, and his shoes are laced up tight, but there’s something odd about him –  he’s not carrying his usual things. No bag, no wand holster, nothing.
“Hey, kiddos,” James says, his voice a little lighter than usual as he kneels beside you and Harry. He ruffles Harry’s messy hair, earning a giggle, and then glances at you with a quick smile. “What are you two up to?”
Harry points to the tower, his green eyes wide with excitement. “We’re building a super tall tower, Dad! Look, it’s taller than me now!”
James chuckles, reaching out to steady the wobbling blocks. “Impressive, mate. Just don’t knock it over too soon, yeah?”
But you’re not paying much attention to the blocks anymore. You’re watching James, your eyes narrowing as you notice the way he glances toward the door, like he’s in a hurry to leave. Something about it feels… wrong.
“Where are you going?” you ask suddenly, looking up at him with curiosity.
James straightens up, looking a little surprised by your question. “Just out for a bit. Got some things to help your dads with.”
Harry tilts his head, his playful smile fading. “Are you going to work?” he asks, his voice small.
James shakes his head quickly. “Not tonight, buddy. Just helping them out.”
You frown, your chest tightening with confusion. “But… why didn’t you bring your things? You always take your bag when you leave.”
James gives you a soft smile, though there’s something behind it you can’t quite place –something that makes your stomach twist. “This time’s different,” he says, brushing a hand through his hair. “I won’t need them where I’m going.”
You don’t like that answer. It doesn’t make sense. “But… when are you coming back?”
James kneels down again, this time looking you directly in the eyes. His expression is softer now, but there’s something serious underneath. “Not for a little while,” he says quietly. “But don’t worry, you’re in good hands. Lily’s got everything under control, and we’ll see each other soon.”
You nod slowly, but the worry in your chest doesn’t go away. If everything is fine, why does it feel like James is leaving in a hurry? And why didn’t your dads come to get you?
Lily appears in the doorway, wiping her hands on a towel. “Dinner’s almost ready,” she says with a smile, though her eyes flicker briefly between you and James. “You heading out now?”
James stands, giving her a quick nod. “Yeah, should be back by morning.”
He ruffles Harry’s hair one last time and gives you a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “You two behave for Lily, okay? And don’t stay up too late.”
Harry grins up at him. “We won’t, Dad!”
But you stay quiet, still watching him carefully. There’s something about the way he moves, the way he glances at Lily, that makes you think they’re not telling you everything.
As James heads toward the door, you call out again, your voice small. “Are my dad’s, okay?”
James pauses at the door, his hand on the knob. For a second, you catch a look on his face – something like worry, but he quickly covers it with another smile. “They’re fine, kiddo. Just busy, like I said. Don’t worry, everything’s alright.”
And with that, he’s gone. The door clicks shut, leaving you sitting there with an uneasy feeling you can’t shake. Harry is already back to stacking blocks, his giggles filling the room, but you can’t stop thinking about James’s hurried exit – and why he didn’t take anything with him.
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The third thing that makes you believe something is up when you’re told you’re staying an extra night. This isn’t normal. Sleepovers are supposed to be one night, and you’re confused. And, frankly, a little upset. You want to go home. You miss your dads, and you don’t understand why you can’t.
“No!” you shout, crossing your arms over your chest as Lily tries to guide you upstairs to get ready for bed. “I don’t want to! I want to go home!”
Lily kneels down in front of you, her eyes soft but tired. “Sweetheart, I know you’re upset, but you’re going to stay with us just one more night. You and Harry can have lots of fun tomorrow, okay?”
But you don’t feel like having fun. You feel angry, and a little scared, even though you don’t know why. You shake your head hard, your pigtails bouncing. “I don’t want to stay! I want Dad and Daddy!”
Behind you, James is struggling to get Harry into his pyjamas, Harry giggling and wiggling away like it’s a game. But you’re not laughing. Your eyes are stinging, and your throat feels tight.
Lily sighs and gently touches your shoulder. “It’s alright, love. Your dads will come pick you up tomorrow. They’re just busy tonight.”
Busy doing what? Busy without you? That makes you feel worse.
“No!” you shout again, your bottom lip trembling. “I don’t want to stay!”
You stomp your foot, the sound echoing through the hallway. James glances over, eyebrows raised. “Hey, it’s okay, kiddo,” he says, standing up after finally wrangling Harry into his pyjamas. “We’re going to have a cozy night, and then your dads will be here before you know it.”
But you don’t want a cozy night. You want your dads, and no matter what James or Lily say, it doesn’t make sense why you can’t just go home now. You can feel your chest tightening, the tears threatening to spill.
Lily looks at James, and for a moment, you catch the look they share, something silent and serious. It makes your stomach twist in a way you can’t explain. It feels like they’re hiding something.
“I don’t want to stay,” you mumble again, your voice small now as the tears spill over.
James walks over to you, kneeling down until he’s eye level. His hands gently rest on your arms. “I know, kiddo. I know you miss your dads. But they’re gonna be here tomorrow. You’re safe with us, alright?”
You shake your head, a few sobs breaking free as you bury your face in your hands. “I want them now,” you cry, your small body trembling with the force of your tears.
James pulls you into a hug, rubbing your back soothingly. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he whispers. “You’re gonna see them soon. I promise.”
But it’s not enough. You cling to him, your tears wetting his shirt as you cry, still wanting your dads. You don’t understand why you can’t go home, why this sleepover isn’t like the others.
Lily watches for a moment, her face full of concern, before gently taking Harry’s hand. “Come on, Harry, let’s go brush your teeth, alright?” she says softly, guiding him toward the bathroom. Harry looks back at you, wide-eyed, as he lets Lily lead him away, but you’re too upset to notice.
James holds you a little longer, whispering gentle reassurances into your hair. “It’s okay to be upset,” he says softly. “But you’re gonna be alright. We’ll do something fun tomorrow, okay?”
You sniffle, wiping your face with your sleeve, but don’t answer. James pulls back slightly, looking at you with those kind, patient eyes. “How about we read a story before bed? That might help.”
You don’t answer right away, but after a moment, you nod, still feeling the ache of missing your dads but too tired to fight anymore.
Once you’re in Harry’s room, you sit on the bed, still sniffling and sulking while James helps you into your pyjamas. Harry comes bouncing back from the bathroom with Lily, looking much happier than you feel. Lily sits beside you, tucking you both in.
“Harry picked out a story for tonight,” Lily says, holding up a book with a picture of a forest on the cover.
You glance at the book but don’t say anything. Harry wiggles excitedly under the blankets. “It’s about a werewolf!” he announces, like it��s the most exciting thing ever.
Your eyes narrow, and you frown. “I don’t like werewolves,” you mutter, turning away, pulling the blanket up to your chin.
Lily pauses for a second, glancing at you before opening the book. “Well, let’s give it a try. Maybe this one’s different,” she says gently.
She begins reading, her voice soft and soothing as she tells the story of a little boy who gets lost in the woods and meets a werewolf. But the werewolf isn’t scary – he’s sad, because he’s all alone, hiding from everyone because they think he’s a monster.
You shift a little, your frown deepening as you listen. Harry is listening intently, his big green eyes wide with curiosity.
“And then,” Lily continues, “the little boy realizes that the werewolf isn’t dangerous at all. He’s just a person, like everyone else. He just needs someone to understand him.”
You peek out from under the blanket, your brows furrowed. Something about the story makes you feel strange inside, like you’ve heard something like this before, but you don’t know where.
By the time Lily finishes the story, you’re quiet, staring down at the blanket in your lap. You don’t feel so angry anymore, but now there’s something else – something tugging at your chest, something you don’t quite understand.
“See?” Lily says softly, closing the book. “Not all werewolves are bad.”
Harry grins up at her, his thumb already in his mouth as he snuggles into the pillow. You, however, don’t smile. Instead, you look at Lily with a small, hesitant frown.
“Are… are there real werewolves?” you ask, your voice barely above a whisper.
Lily hesitates, her hand still on the book, before nodding slowly. “Yes, there are. But just like in the story, not all of them are bad.”
You think about this as Lily kisses both of your foreheads and turns off the light. You’re not as upset now, but you’re not sure why. You feel like there’s something more you’re not being told.
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The fourth thing that makes you suspicious is when, during one of your sleepovers at the Potters’, you can’t sleep. So, you sit on the couch, your small legs tucked underneath you as you stare out the window.
The house is quiet, everyone else already asleep, but the full moon is hanging heavy in the sky, casting a pale glow over the yard. It feels bigger tonight – brighter too – and you can’t take your eyes off it.
Your bunny is clutched tightly in your arms, and though you know you should be sleeping, you just…can’t.
The soft creak of footsteps pulls your attention away from the moon, and you glance toward the kitchen just as James walks in. He’s rubbing his eyes, his hair even messier than usual, and you can tell he’s still half-asleep. He fills up a glass of water, and as he turns, he notices you sitting there, wide awake.
“Hey, kiddo,” he says quietly, walking over to the couch. “What’re you doing up?”
You shrug, hugging your bunny closer, your eyes flicking back to the window. “I couldn’t sleep.”
James raises his eyebrows, glancing out the window as if to see what has you so distracted. He sits down next to you on the couch, his presence warm and comforting, and takes a sip of his water. “Staring at the moon, huh?”
You nod, your eyes fixed on the glowing orb outside. It’s strange how something so far away can feel so…close.
James watches you for a moment before asking, “Wanna talk about it?”
You hesitate, biting your lip. There’s been something on your mind for a while now, something that doesn’t make sense, but you don’t know how to say it without sounding…weird.
“Why do I have sleepovers with Harry once a month?” you ask suddenly, your voice small.
James blinks, clearly caught off guard by the question. “What do you mean?” he asks, his voice carefully neutral.
“Every month,” you say softly, finally looking up at him. “Why do I always stay here once a month?”
James pauses, glancing at the moon again before turning his gaze back to you. “Oh, well, you know… It’s just something we started doing, right? You and Harry are best friends, and your dads sometimes need a break, so we figured why not make it a tradition?” He smiles, but there’s something in his eyes, something that feels like a lie.
You just nod, accepting his answer, but deep down, it doesn’t feel right. It’s not the truth, but you’re too tired to push any further. Instead, you hug your bunny a little tighter, staring back at the moon as it seems to glow even brighter.
James clears his throat, gently ruffling your hair. “How about we head back to bed, huh?”
“I’m not tired,” you mumble, shaking your head. Your eyes are heavy, but your mind is still wide awake, thoughts swirling too fast to let you rest.
James just nods, not pushing you. “That’s okay,” he says softly. “We can sit here a bit longer if you want.”
You don’t say anything, but the quiet is nice. The two of you sit there together, the only sound the soft ticking of the clock and the faint rustling of the leaves outside.
After a while, James speaks again, his voice gentle. “How about you come sleep with Lily and me tonight? You’ll get some rest with us, I’m sure.”
You hesitate, glancing up at him. “I don’t know…”
“Just for tonight,” he adds, his smile reassuring. “I think it might help.”
Reluctantly, you nod, and James sets his glass down, standing up and holding out a hand to you. You take it, letting him guide you toward the bedroom. As you follow him down the hall, you can’t help but glance back at the window, the full moon still hanging there, watching you.
You don’t understand everything yet, but one day you will. For now, though, you climb into bed between James and Lily, her arms wrapping around you as she murmurs something soft and soothing. And slowly, despite everything, you start to drift off, the warmth of their presence easing you into sleep.
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The fifth thing you notice – that makes you generally terrified – are the fresh cuts and bruises on your dad’s back.
You didn’t mean to snoop, not at first. You were just wandering down the hall, minding your own business, when you heard quiet voices coming from your parents' room. The door was slightly ajar, just enough for you to hear bits of the conversation.
Normally, you’d keep walking – you know you’re not supposed to eavesdrop – but something about the low, serious tone of your dads’ voices makes you pause. It’s like they’re trying to keep their words quiet, like they don’t want you to hear.
And that’s exactly why you stop, holding your breath and creeping closer to the door.
From where you’re standing, you can just make out the edge of the room, your dad Remus sitting on the bed, his back turned toward the door. You’re about to step away when something catches your eye – something that freezes you in place.
His back… it’s covered in bleeding cuts and dark bruises. Some of the cuts are still fresh, red and angry, the blood just barely dried. The bruises are large and deep, spreading across his skin in painful purples and blues. You feel your stomach twist with fear and confusion. Why is your dad hurt? Where did he get those injuries?
Your breath catches in your throat, and your heart pounds in your chest. You want to ask. You want to burst in and demand to know what happened, why your dad looks like this, but you don’t. You can’t. Something in the air feels fragile, like if you interrupt, the whole world will shatter.
So instead, you just watch.
“Hold still, Moony,” Sirius murmurs, his voice gentle but firm. He’s kneeling in front of Remus, carefully tending to the worst of the cuts. You can see the worry etched into his face, the way his hands shake just a little as he presses a cloth to the bleeding wounds. “This one’s deeper than last time…”
Last time?
Your eyes widen as you piece together what you’ve heard. This has happened before? But how? Why?
Remus winces as Sirius presses harder, and you see him close his eyes for a moment, jaw clenched in pain. “It’s fine, Pads,” he says softly, though his voice is strained. “Just… finish up. We don’t have much time before she gets back.”
Before you get back. They don’t know you’re already here.
You feel frozen in place, torn between rushing in to help and staying hidden. Questions race through your mind – how long has this been going on? Why didn’t you know? Why didn’t they tell you?
James said he was helping your dads. He said everything was fine, but how could it be fine if Remus looks like this?
You swallow hard, your throat tight with fear. Your mind can’t make sense of it. What could possibly hurt your dad this badly? You’re scared to know the answer, but you’re also scared of not knowing. The room feels too quiet, too heavy with secrets, and you feel like an intruder in your own house.
As you stand there, the fear mixes with guilt. You shouldn’t be watching this. You shouldn’t be here. But you can’t tear yourself away, no matter how badly you want to.
Sirius finishes bandaging Remus’s wounds, his face tight with frustration. “You can’t keep doing this, Remus,” he says, his voice quieter now, but sharp. “She’s going to notice. You know how observant she is.”
Remus sighs, his head hanging low. “I know. But what choice do I have?”
The words hang in the air, heavy with meaning you don’t understand. Sirius stands, his hands on his hips, shaking his head like he wants to say more but doesn’t know how.
You step back, heart racing, feeling like you’ve just witnessed something you were never meant to see. Tears begin to prick at your eyes as you back away from the door, heart pounding.
You didn’t understand what was happening, but it was enough to make your chest ache, and your throat tighten with fear and confusion. You shouldn’t have been listening. You shouldn’t have seen the cuts, the bruises.
You turn and walk quickly down the hall, your small feet padding softly against the wooden floor as you make your way to your bedroom. Tears are already spilling down your cheeks by the time you reach your bed, and you throw yourself onto the mattress, curling up into a ball as silent sobs shake your body.
You don’t want to cry. You don’t want to feel scared. But you do. And the tears keep coming, even though you press your face into the pillow, hoping to muffle the sounds. Why is Dad hurt? Why didn’t anyone tell you?
The questions keep swirling around in your head, but they have no answers. You’re left feeling lost, scared, and alone.
After a while, you hear a soft knock on your door, but you don’t move. You keep your face buried in the pillow, your body trembling with quiet sobs. The door creaks open, and you hear the familiar sound of footsteps.
“Princess? I’ve been looking for you,” comes Sirius’s gentle voice, soft but tinged with concern. You don’t answer. You can’t. All you can do is cry.
His footsteps stop near the bed, and you can feel him hesitating. “Hey, sweetheart,” he says, his voice closer now. “What’s wrong?”
You sniffle, trying to stop the tears, but it’s no use. You don’t want him to see you like this, but you can’t hold it in any longer. You feel the mattress shift as he sits beside you, and his hand gently touches your back. “Hey, hey… it’s okay,” he murmurs, sounding worried now. “What’s going on?”
You don’t respond, just cry harder, your body shaking as you curl up tighter. Sirius’s heart seems to skip a beat, and he quickly scoops you up into his arms, holding you close to his chest as he stands. “Shh, it’s okay, I’ve got you,” he whispers, swaying gently as he holds you, his voice soft and soothing. “It’s alright, princess. You’re safe.”
You cling to him, your tears soaking into his shirt as you bury your face against him. His arms are warm and strong, and he holds you like you’re the most important thing in the world, his hand rubbing soothing circles on your back as he sways.
“Daddy…” you finally manage to whisper through your sobs, your voice small and broken.
“What, princess?” he asks gently, his chin resting on top of your head as he continues to rock you.
“I want Dada…” you sniffle, your tears still falling as you cling to him.
Sirius’s heart aches at the sound of your broken voice. He presses a kiss to the top of your head and murmurs, “Okay, love. Let’s go see him.”
He carries you out of your room and down the hall, your little arms wrapped tightly around his neck as you continue to cry softly into his shoulder. He pushes open the door to the bedroom, where Remus is lying in bed, his face pale and tired, though he sits up a little when he sees you.
“She’s upset,” Sirius says quietly, looking over at Remus with worry in his eyes. “She wants you.”
Remus’s face softens, and he opens his arms as Sirius gently sets you down on the bed beside him. You crawl over to him without a word, wrapping yourself around his arm as if holding on to him will make the fear go away. His skin is warm and familiar, and despite the cuts and bruises you saw, he still feels like your dad.
“It’s alright, sweetheart,” Remus whispers, his voice gentle as he strokes your hair. “I’m here.”
You don’t say anything, but your sobs quiet as you nestle closer, your small body trembling less with each passing moment. You can feel Remus’s steady heartbeat under your cheek, the familiar rhythm calming you even though the fear still lingers.
Sirius sits on the edge of the bed, watching with concern, but you barely notice. All you want is to be close to your dad, to make sure he’s still here, still okay.
Eventually, your eyes grow heavy with exhaustion. The weight of everything – the fear, the confusion, the tears – finally pulls you into sleep. Your small fingers are still wrapped tightly around Remus’s arm as your breathing evens out, soft and steady.
Remus exchanges a quiet look with Sirius, his tired eyes full of gratitude and sorrow as he watches you sleep. He holds you a little closer, his hand resting protectively over yours.
“Sleep well, my love,” he whispers, his voice barely audible. And for now, with both your dads by your side, you do.
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You’ve been acting strange. Everyone can see it, even if they don’t understand why.
It started off small – little changes that only your dads seemed to notice at first. You wanted to help Dad, Remus, with everything. Holding his hand when he walked, carrying things for him even though they were too heavy for your little arms. You were always there, hovering near him like you were scared he’d disappear if you didn’t keep him close.
But then, it got more intense.
You didn’t want to be held by Sirius anymore. Whenever he’d try to scoop you up, you’d shake your head and squirm away, making a beeline for Remus. Always Remus. You’d cling to his legs or lift your arms up toward him, begging to be carried. Even when Sirius tried to join in the bedtime routine, you’d edge away, making sure you were tucked into Remus’s side instead.
At night, you refused to sleep in your own bed. You’d crawl into your dads’ bed, nestling between them. But you always pressed yourself as close to Remus as possible, your tiny body clinging to him like a lifeline. No matter how much Sirius coaxed or joked, you wouldn’t budge.
It was confusing. They didn’t know what was going on – why you were suddenly so attached, so desperate to be near Remus all the time. They tried to ask, but you couldn’t find the words to explain. You couldn’t tell them about what you saw, the cuts and bruises on Remus, the ones he tried to hide but you had noticed.
Now, it’s another night, and you’re at the Potters’ house for your monthly sleepover with Harry. But things aren’t the same.
You’re in Remus’s arms when they arrive at the Potters’. You haven’t let go of him all evening, your small arms gripping his neck tightly, your face buried in his chest. Sirius stands nearby, looking concerned but trying to keep things light. “C’mon, sweetheart,” he says gently, stepping closer, “time to go with Lily.”
But the moment Remus moves to set you down, something inside you snaps. You cling tighter, shaking your head fiercely. “No! No, I don’t want to! Dada, please!”
Your voice comes out high-pitched and frantic, tears already filling your eyes. Remus freezes, exchanging a startled look with Sirius. You’ve never reacted like this before. “What’s wrong, baby?” Remus asks softly, pulling you back against his chest. His voice is gentle, but you can hear the worry in it.
“I don’t want to leave you,” you sob, shaking in his arms. “Please don’t go, Dada, please!”
Remus tries to soothe you, rubbing your back and murmuring soft reassurances, but you’re beyond comforting now. Sirius steps forward again, trying to coax you gently. “Hey, sweetheart, it’s okay. You’re safe here with Lily and Harry. We’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”
But when Sirius reaches out to take you from Remus, you kick out, struggling against him with more strength than anyone expected. “No! No!” you scream, your tiny fists gripping Remus’s shirt, your cries turning into a desperate wail.
It takes both Sirius and James to gently pry you from Remus’s arms. You’re thrashing, kicking, your little face red with tears and frustration. “Dada, please!” you keep crying, over and over, like it’s the only thing you know how to say.
Remus’s heart shatters with every sob. He kneels in front of you, his hands trembling as he reaches out to touch your face, but he knows there’s nothing more he can do. “I’m so sorry,” he whispers to you, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ll be back soon, I promise.”
But you don’t want promises. You want him. You continue to cry, your arms reaching out for him even as Lily finally steps in, wrapping you in a soothing embrace. “It’s okay, sweetie,” she whispers softly. “I’ve got you. You’re going to be alright.”
Remus looks like he’s about to say something – maybe that he should stay behind – but Sirius shakes his head, his face filled with pain. “We don’t know what’s gotten into her,” he says apologetically to Lily. “This... this isn’t normal. We’re so sorry.”
Lily shakes her head, her tone calm and firm. “It’s alright, really. She’ll be okay. I’ve got this.”
Reluctantly, Remus lets Sirius and James pull him away, but he keeps looking back, his face pale, his eyes filled with sadness. You keep screaming, reaching for him as they finally leave, their figures disappearing into the night.
Once they’re gone, you collapse against Lily, sobbing into her shoulder. She holds you tightly, her hand rubbing soothing circles on your back, whispering soft words until your cries slowly start to quiet.
Even after you’ve calmed down, you refuse to leave her arms. Throughout the night, you cling to her like you did with Remus, not wanting to be put down, not even when it’s time to eat or play with Harry. Lily doesn’t force you. She keeps you close, holding you until you finally start to grow heavy in her arms, exhaustion from your earlier meltdown catching up with you.
Bedtime comes and goes. Thankfully, Lily managed to get you to sleep in Harry’s bed with him – though not without a bit of negotiation.
It started with you sitting cross-legged on the floor, arms crossed over your chest, your lower lip sticking out in a pout. “I’m not tired,” you muttered, glancing toward the window as if expecting your dads to come back any second.
Lily knelt in front of you, her voice soft and patient. “I know, sweetheart, but it’s late, and Harry’s already in bed. Don’t you want to keep him company?”
You shook your head, looking away. “I want Dada.”
Lily sighed, sitting back on her heels, thinking for a moment. “How about this? If you go to bed now, I’ll read you your favourite story. And tomorrow, we can make pancakes for breakfast. You love pancakes, right?”
You hesitated, eyes flicking toward Harry’s bed where he was already fast asleep. “...With chocolate chips?”
Lily smiled, sensing victory. “Of course, with chocolate chips.”
You uncrossed your arms slowly but still didn’t move. “What if I have a bad dream?”
Lily’s heart softened, and she reached out to gently touch your cheek. “If you have a bad dream, you can come right into my room, okay? I’ll leave the door open, so you can come get me anytime.”
That seemed to be enough. Reluctantly, you stood up, clutching your stuffed animal tightly to your chest. “Okay,” you said softly, your eyes still glancing toward the door, but this time you let Lily take your hand and lead you to Harry’s bed.
As she tucked you in beside him, you held onto her hand for a moment longer, your small voice barely above a whisper. “Promise you won’t leave me?”
Lily leaned down and kissed your forehead. “I promise, sweetheart. I’m just in the next room.”
Satisfied, you finally settled into the covers, snuggling up next to Harry. Your eyes stayed on Lily as she pulled the blanket up over your shoulders, but when she smiled and whispered goodnight, you closed them, holding onto the comfort of her promise as sleep began to take over.
But it’s not long before, after Lily’s put you to sleep, that you wake up. Your small voice breaks the silence of the night. “Lily?” you whisper, standing in the doorway of her bedroom, clutching your bunny to your chest.
Lily sits up, blinking sleepily. “What is it, love? Did you have a bad dream?”
You nod, your lip quivering as you clutch your bunny tighter. “Can I sleep with you?”
Her heart softens instantly, and she lifts the covers without hesitation, inviting you in. “Of course, sweetheart. Come here.”
You crawl into bed beside her, snuggling into her warmth, and for a moment, everything feels okay. But as you settle down, you glance out the window and see the full moon hanging in the sky. It’s big and bright, and for a moment, you just stare at it, your small brow furrowing.
“Lily?” you ask softly, your voice barely above a whisper.
“Hmm?” she hums, brushing a strand of hair from your face as she watches you.
“Why is the moon so big?” Your question sounds innocent enough, but there’s something deeper in your tone – something Lily can’t quite put her finger on.
She glances out the window at the moon, its silver light casting shadows across the room. “That’s just how it looks when it’s full,” she explains gently, her hand still resting on your cheek.
You nod slowly, but the quiet lingers longer than usual. Lily thinks you’ve fallen asleep as your breathing starts to slow, the rustling of the blankets the only sound in the room. But then, in the stillness, your soft whisper catches her by surprise.
“I know about Dad.”
Her heart skips a beat, and she looks down at you, confusion and concern written all over her face. “What do you mean, sweetheart? What do you know?”
You hesitate for a moment, your small fingers twisting the fabric of your bunny’s ear. Then, in the same tiny voice, you whisper again, “I know he’s a werewolf.”
Lily’s breath catches, her heart aching for you. She sits up slightly, pulling you even closer, her arms wrapping around your small body. “Oh, sweetie,” she murmurs, pressing a kiss to your head. “Is that why you didn’t want to leave him tonight?”
You nod, your face pressing against her side, and your voice is muffled when you finally speak again. “I don’t want him to get hurt.”
Lily holds you tighter, her own heart breaking at how much you’ve been carrying inside. “Oh, love,” she whispers, her fingers gently stroking through your hair. “Your dad is very strong, and he has Sirius and James with him. They take care of each other, and they’ll always come home safe to you.”
You sniffle, your grip on your bunny loosening just a little as her words sink in. “But… I saw him. He had cuts and bruises.”
Lily’s heart squeezes painfully at your confession. She stays quiet for a moment, unsure how to respond. “I know it must be scary,” she says softly. “But your dad is always going to come home to you, no matter what.”
You look up at her, eyes wide and filled with worry. “Promise?”
Lily nods, her hand gently cupping your cheek. “I promise, sweetheart. Your dad loves you so much, and he’ll always be okay.”
You don’t say anything else, but after a few moments, you burrow closer into her, the tension slowly leaving your little body. Lily continues to hold you close, her heart aching for the weight of the secret you’ve been carrying.
Eventually, your breathing evens out, and Lily thinks you’ve fallen back asleep. But just as her eyes start to flutter shut, you whisper one last thing.
“Thank you, Lily.”
Her eyes well up with tears, but she swallows them down, pressing another kiss to your hair. “You’re welcome, love. Now get some rest, okay?”
And with that, you finally drift off, safe in Lily’s arms. The full moon outside continues to shine, but for now, you feel just a little bit more at peace.
When you wake up in the morning, Lily holds true to her promise – pancakes with chocolate chips! The smell fills the kitchen, and you sit on the bench, legs swinging as you watch her expertly flip each pancake in the skillet. The kitchen is warm, sunlight streaming through the windows, and for a moment, everything feels perfect.
Just as Lily finishes the last batch, the front door creaks open, and you turn your head to see James, Sirius, and Remus walk in. Your heart skips when you notice Sirius leading a kind of hurt-looking Remus toward the couch, his arm around him protectively. Remus looks tired, pale, and a bit wobbly on his feet.
“Morning, love,” James says as he steps into the kitchen, planting a kiss on Lily’s cheek. He flashes you a grin. “How’re my two favourite girls doing?”
“Good,” you reply quietly, but your eyes stay fixed on the living room, watching Sirius fuss over Remus, guiding him gently to sit on the couch.
You try to hop down from the bench, but it’s a little too high for you to manage on your own. Without a word, James notices and comes over, lifting you down with ease. “There you go, kiddo,” he says with a wink.
You don’t waste a second. As soon as your feet hit the floor, you run straight to your dad, Remus. He barely has time to brace himself before you fling your arms around him, giving him the biggest hug you can manage. “Dad!” you say, your voice muffled against his chest.
Remus lets out a soft laugh, though it’s a bit strained. He wraps his arms around you, holding you close as you sit in his lap, clinging to him like you’re never letting go.
Sirius watches the two of you from the side, hands on his hips, and he lets out a dramatic sigh. “Where’s my hug, huh?” he jokes, feigning hurt.
You giggle, still snuggled in Remus’s lap. “You don’t need a hug, daddy, you’re fine,” you tease, glancing at him with a cheeky grin.
Sirius raises an eyebrow, stepping closer with a mock pout. “Fine? Me? Do I look fine? My heart’s breaking over here!”
Remus chuckles softly but says nothing, his hands gently brushing through your knotty hair.
You roll your eyes playfully at Sirius. “It’s just because… Dad’s special.”
Sirius snorts, eyes twinkling. “Special, huh? What, am I chopped liver? Come on, sweetheart, where’s my special?”
You giggle, glancing over at him, then say without thinking, “You don’t get one ‘cause you’re not a werewolf.”
The room falls into a sudden, heavy silence. All the adults freeze.
Sirius’s eyes go wide, his usual playful demeanour gone in an instant. “What?” he blurts out, looking between you and Lily, panic rising in his voice. “Who told her?”
Lily’s face pales as she stammers, “Sirius, she-”
“I figured it out,” you interrupt, your small voice cutting through the tension. “After last sleepover, when I came home, I saw Dada covered in lots of cuts and bruises.” You turn to Remus, your eyes wide and sincere. “I know you get hurt every time the moon is big.”
Remus’s arms tighten around you, his breath catching. He looks to the others, who are all standing there, unsure of what to say or do.
Sirius groans, running a hand through his hair, clearly distressed. “Merlin, Moony, I thought-”
“It’s okay,” Remus says quietly, his voice thick. He looks down at you, his expression soft, though there’s a sadness in his eyes. “She’s smart. She figured it out.”
James and Lily exchange a look, both unsure of how to handle the moment, but neither says a word.
You feel Remus sigh under you, his chest rising and falling heavily. He kisses the top of your head, brushing your hair gently. “You’re too clever for your own good, you know that?”
You just hug him tighter, as if holding on will keep him safe next time.
Remus’s arms remain around you, and he swallows hard before speaking, his voice soft but carrying the weight of everything unspoken. “I didn’t want you to worry about me, sweetheart,” he says, his words quiet but careful. “I hoped… maybe we could keep this from you for a little longer.”
You look up at him, confused. “But I already know, Dad. I’m not scared,” you say, your voice small but sure. “I just… I don’t want you to be hurt anymore.”
Remus’s face tightens, his eyes brimming with an emotion he’s trying to hold back. He glances at Sirius, who looks just as tense, before turning back to you. “I know you don’t, love,” he murmurs. “And I wish… I wish I could promise that I wouldn’t be, but…”
Sirius cuts in, his tone unusually sharp with worry. “We should’ve been more careful. I should’ve been more careful.” He’s pacing again, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “Merlin’s beard, Moony, she’s too young to have to worry about – about this.”
Remus sighs, rubbing a hand over his face as he watches Sirius pace. “It’s not your fault, Sirius,” he says, his voice steady but laced with weariness. “It’s no one’s fault.”
Sirius stops in his tracks, his jaw clenched. “But we should’ve been more careful. I should’ve been more careful.”
Remus shakes his head, looking down at you still sitting by his side. “She’s smart. We can’t hide everything from her forever.”
Sirius opens his mouth to argue, but Remus cuts him off, his voice gentle but firm. “It’s not your fault, Padfoot. She was going to figure it out eventually.” He gives a small, tired smile. “And I’d rather she hears it from us, in her own way, than find out some other way.”
You pull away from Remus’s chest just enough to look at Sirius, his usual playful smile nowhere in sight. “It’s okay, daddy,” you say quietly, trying to offer him a smile. “I just wanna help.”
Remus rubs your back gently, shaking his head. “You don’t need to help, sweetheart. It’s not your job to worry about me.” He pauses, struggling to find the right words. “This… thing I go through every month, it’s hard, but I’ve been dealing with it for a long time. I don’t want you to be afraid.”
“I’m not,” you insist, your arms still clinging to him tightly. “I just don’t like seeing you hurt.”
Remus’s eyes soften further, and he lets out a heavy sigh. “I know, love. I know.”
From across the room, James speaks up, his voice gentler than before. “Kiddo, your dad is stronger than you realize. We’ve been with him for years through all of this, and we’ll always make sure he’s okay.” He exchanges a glance with Sirius, then adds, “And we’re going to keep you safe too, alright?”
You nod, but there’s still a weight in your chest. You glance back up at Remus, your mind racing. “But… why do I have to go to sleepovers every time the moon is big?”
The room goes quiet again, and you can sense the adults exchanging looks over your head. Remus shifts beneath you, clearly uncomfortable with your question. Sirius stops pacing, running a hand through his hair.
“It’s for your safety, love,” Remus says carefully, his hand brushing your hair out of your face. “Sometimes, when the moon is full, it’s… it’s better if you’re not around, just in case.”
“Because you’re a werewolf,” you state simply.
Remus stiffens, his jaw tightening. “Yes. Because I’m a werewolf.”
You study his face for a long moment, then nod, though something still doesn’t quite sit right with you. “But you’re not scary.”
Sirius’s voice cracks a bit as he lets out a strained laugh. “Oh, trust me, kid. He’s scary.”
Remus shoots Sirius a look, but you’re already shaking your head. “No, he’s not. He’s just Dad.”
Remus’s expression softens even more, and for a moment, he looks like he’s fighting back tears. “You’re too good to me, love,” he whispers, holding you close again.
The tension in the room seems to dissipate slightly, the weight of the secret hanging between all of you, but now out in the open. After a moment, James claps his hands together, trying to break the silence. “Well, now that that’s all out in the open… how about those pancakes?”
Lily, who has been quiet this whole time, steps forward with a soft smile, clearly relieved for a distraction. “Right. Pancakes.”
But before you can move, Remus tightens his arms around you one last time. “I love you, my clever girl,” he whispers, and there’s a warmth in his voice that makes you feel safe, no matter what the moon does. “Always remember that.”
You smile, squeezing him tightly. “I love you too, Dad.”
Remus gently helps you down from his lap, and as you straighten up, Sirius grins, holding his arms out wide. “Alright, now that we’ve had all the emotional stuff, where’s my hug? I may not be a werewolf, but I’m still pretty special, you know.”
You laugh, feeling lighter as you run over to him, wrapping your arms around him. “Okay, daddy,” you say, making Sirius groan dramatically as if your hug is squeezing all the air out of him.
“See? That’s better,” Sirius says, ruffling your hair with a playful smile. “Don’t let dad hog all the hugs.”
Lily’s gentle voice cuts through the moment, her smile soft but relieved. “Pancakes are ready, everyone.”
As you all start heading toward the table, James claps his hands together. “I’ll go grab Harry. Can’t start breakfast without him,” he says, flashing a grin before heading upstairs.
You turn to Remus, still feeling the weight of everything that’s been said. “Are you okay, Dad?” you ask softly, peeking up at him.
Remus smiles down at you, brushing a hand through your hair. “I will be, sweetheart. Especially with you looking out for me.”
You nod, the warmth of being surrounded by the people you love filling your chest. Together, you sit down at the table, the heavy secret now shared, but the bond between you and your family feeling stronger than ever.
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hyperdramas · 3 days ago
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assumptions | lee seokmin
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pairing: lee seokmin x reader
warning: non-idol au, angst, romance, major league baseball player!seokmin, popular x nobody, depressing themes, unlikely meeting, sprinkles of fluff, miscommunication, pg-13/some suggestive themes (??) mentions of peer pressure, drinking & insecurity, cursing, there IS a happy ending (i promise)
playlist: assumptions, sam geliatry | runaway houses city clouds, tame impala | softcore & reflections, the neighborhood | passion, pinkpantheress
part: 1 of 3 extra note: thank the amazing @slytherinshua for coming up with this absolutely GENIUS idea🙏 / word count: 1.7k (longest thing i've written???)
Even though popular and talented Major League Baseball player Lee Seokmin had everything that eleven-year-old him would've wanted, he felt empty as he watched his own replays on the television.
Seokmin had fame—he was known everywhere, not only for his raw talent as a pitcher, but his model-like qualitites and his supposedly likeable personality. Seokmin had money—he lived in a pretty upscale apartment that was cut off for the rest of society, tucked away on a cliff overlooking the bustling night view. Seokmin had merit—he was praised for his physical ability, humble disposition, and respectable talent.
He had it all, and yet he had absolutely nothing.
Just hours earlier, the crowd's roar was tantalizing, drawing Seokmin in as he stared out at the thousands of fans coming to cheer for him and his team. Now, it sounded static-like and overwhelming, the sound unbearable as he had to switch the television, sighing as he moved away from the suffocating room that was once his comforting living room.
Seokmin's footsteps echoed into the empty, lavish kitchen, white tile unblemished as he searched his fridge. He wasn't hungry, but he looked inside it anyways, closing it moments after as he sighed to himself, hands in his hair as he rested his elbows on the sleek marble countertop.
Why did he feel so empty? He had his teammates if he needed to call, but he didn't want to hear their voices right now. He didn't know why he was angry at them, but he was.
Seokmin was never an angry person—sure, he got fired up at times or had strong opinions that he wasn't going to let go without a fight, but he was never one to just be angry for no reason. Something was bothering with him, but he couldn't figure out what it was or how to stop it.
Why was he even trying anymore?
"Fuck." Seokmin sighed out the curse word, bite still harsh behind it as he let his head fall down on the counter with a hard knock.
A knock at his door brought him out of his sour reverie, and he stared at it confused. He lived far off from the nearest residental area—who was here? How did they get here?
The doorbell rang just seconds later, and Seokmin groaned, tired eyes empty as he made his way to the front door, swinging it open to reveal you, standing in all of your oblivious, confused glory.
"Can I help you?" Seokmin's voice was obviously not the one you were expecting to hear, and you jumped at it, face a hot, blaring red as you realized what was actually going on here.
Your friend had given you an address that a party was going to be at, and you reluctantly promised that you would go. You had followed the directions to the letter, and didn't even think twice about when you arrived at the massive apartment, undeterred by the lack of cars or absence of party music.
You were obviously at the wrong house.
"Can I help you?" Seokmin repeated again—this time around, his voice was sharper, more annoyed. You stood in shock, obviously in denial that this had happened to you.
"Is there a party going on here?" You questioned, and Seokmin blinked, silent before he shook his head slowly. "....No?"
Not only were you at the wrong apartment, but you were at popular celebrity Lee Seokmin's apartment. The Major League Baseball player your little cousin was a fan of was standing right in front of you, in his attractive, dashing glory.
"I'm so at the wrong house." You say awkwardly, and Seokmin just stares at you, just as confused and disturbed as you are. There was this random girl at his door, talking about a party that he had heard absolutely nothing about.
"Yeah, you are." Seokmin actually let out a little laugh at that, eyes crinkling like the ways you say they did on television. You smiled, an even brighter red because the Lee Seokmin was laughing at you.
"Well, I should go. I'm sorry, uh, Mr. Lee." You said, trying to mend the awkwardness you were feeling. Seokmin paused, eyebrows furrowing together slightly as he spoke. "You know who I am?"
"Well, yeah. My—my little cousin—he's a really big fan of you." You reply, mind somewhere else. You're not a big fan of the man or anything, but you have said he's attractive on multiple occasions to your Major League Baseball-enraptured friends (who would not let you live it down if you told them that you had met him by accident).
"That's sweet," He says, and you nod, offering a small 'yeah' as the two of you fall quiet. "We'll, I'll go now." You say, smiling awkwardly as you start to walk away.
"Stop." Seokmin's voice is quick, but strong, and you pause, turning back around as you meet his gaze. His brown eyes were even prettier in person, and the tight, black tank top he was wearing (and you were trying to ignore) just made the whole ordeal even more unbelievable.
"Can you stay?" I just—" Seokmin pauses, struggling to find the right words. He couldn't even believe what was coming out of his mouth right now, but he couldn't seem to stop the words from coming. "I don't want to be alone."
You were stunned, unable to speak for a second as you replayed his words—he was asking you, a random college girl who inputed the wrong directions and ended up at a celebrity's rich-looking apartment—to stay with him.
And here you were, saying yes. "Yeah, uh—sure." You conceded, stepping inside the apartment as you slipped off your shoes.
Everything was so upscale, and you felt out of place, t-shirt and sweatpants doing nothing but making you feel like you were intruding in Seokmin's clean, neat space.
"Make yourself at home. Do you want anything to drink?" Seokmin was in his kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water as he looked to you for your response.
You were watching his back intently, watching how his muscles tensed when he did certain things—he was built, no doubt about it, and you could imagine the curve of his collarbone and dip of his abs from your vantage point.
"Oh, um, water's fine." You answer, noticing that Seokmin had been staring at you for who knows how long, waiting on a reply.
He went to work, filling your glass as he passed it to you. It was cold, and you took a sip, quiet as Seokm looked out the massive window that stood his dining room. The air between you two was still very awkward, but you felt like you could open up about anything to him, and he wouldn't judge you like your mom or friends would.
"So, you live here all alone?" You questioned, and Seokmin nodded, taking another sip of water. "Yeah. It's just me." Seokmin answered, and his hand tightened around the glass. He was so alone, and so miserable.
"What about you? Do you live alone?" Seokmin returns your question, and you shake your head. "I live with a college friend."
"Oh." Seokmin nods, and you nod with him, silence falling over you two again. It was so awkward, sitting with this famous baseball player while drinking cold water and talking about your living situations. Could your night get any weirder?
You studied Seokmin's face, never really paying attention to it while you were talking. All the pictures never really did him justice—his eyes were prettier in person, and you never knew that he had a tiny beauty mark on his cheek. You guess it must've always been covered up, or obscured by his helmet.
His frame was as described by everyone in love with him—he was strong and broad, muscles bulging from his sleeveless tank top.
According to a Men's Health article you read once, Seokmin worked out daily, and they weren't lying—he looks like he was sculped by God, spending hours and hours to get to where he was now.
"Thanks for staying, by the way. I know it was weird, asking you to randomly stay with me in my house." Seokmin becomes timid, and you shake your head, shrugging. "Of course. I mean—I have nothing better to do, and I really didn't want to go to that party my friends were going to."
"You really didn't want to go, did you? You came to the wrong address just you wouldn't have to, huh?" Seokmin laughs, making a joke. You flush, laughing nervously as you set down your glass. "I guess you could say that, yeah."
The laughing dies out between you after a while, and you yawn, eyes growing heavy. Whether it's because the lack of real conversation you and Seokmin are having, or the fact that his voice is so calming and down-to-earth that you could phase into his countertop and sleep forever, you don't know.
"Your eyes are closing." Seokmin says—his voice sounds like he's laughing at you, but you're too busy fighting sleep off that you let it slide. "Well, yeah, I guess so."
"You're getting sleepy, aren't you?" Seokmin questions again, and you nod without thinking, head falling on the countertop as you mumble a yes.
Seokmin leaves his place on the other side of the countertop, making his way over to you as he leads you by the shoulders into his living room. His massive, warm hands engulf your shoulders easily, and you let him lead you, not putting up a fight as he lays you on his plush, velvet couch.
"What will the people think if they found out I was sleeping on your couch?" You muse, half-asleep. Seokmin pauses, brain racing at your simple question—so many things could happen if this were leaked to the public. His clean image would be stained by dating rumors if that happened to you, and Seokmin didn't know what he would do if the word actually got out.
"They're not going to." Seokmin says blankly, and you mumble something before drifting to sleep. Seokmin stares down at you, watching your soft features contort into a neutral expression.
What would reporters say? What would his teammates say? What would his coach say? What would his manager say?
Seokmin didn't know, but he found himself not wanting to think about that as he dimmed the living room's lights, walking upstairs to his room as he stripped himself of his pants and got into his bed, lights going out as he stared into the darkness.
What was he doing?
feedback & reblogs are so appreciated! i wanna hear your thoughts :>
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jessequinones · 8 months ago
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Writing Advice: Chapters
A lot of my advice comes down to, having beta readers, and “it’s up to you” which doesn’t sound like good advice but when it comes to writing, everyone writes differently so there are different ways of doing the same thing. So, what’s my advice when I talk about chapters?
To me, a chapter is a section of the book which talks about a certain event. There’s no right or wrong way for how long the event should be, and there’s no right or wrong way of how the event can start or end. Here’s how I write my chapters and what I’ve learned along the way.
Starting the chapter:
Before I start the chapter, I need to figure out what the main event is gonna be. Will this event be informational? Action pact? Suspenseful? It can also be a combination of a few events as well, such as having my characters find information, but something goes wrong and now they have to escape.
After I figure out what the main event is gonna be, I start writing and once I complete that event I end it and move on. I try not to carry on too much after the main event has finished because I feel like my chapters might drag if I do.
Writing the chapter:
When it comes to a chapter, I try to have a beginning, middle, and end section. (Keep in mind this doesn’t work for every chapter.) Let me explain what I meant about those sections. The event in this example is Nix and Dante are tryna get information, but something goes wrong after they get said information. So the chapter starts at the beginning where Nix and Dante enter a secured location. The middle is where they get passed all of the alarms and hacked into the network. The ending is they got the information but an alarm gets triggered anyway.
Expanding the chapter:
So, I wrote the beginning, middle, and end, the event is done, but it was kind of boring. Let’s expand it to them escaping. This is where I think chapters start to become long. Some people combine two events into one chapter and some events are longer than others. Escaping a secured facility sounds more difficult than sneaking in. So, adding an escape attempt can spice up the chapter, but you need to be careful with how you do it.
I think when people complain about long chapters, one of their reasoning is “This feels like it could’ve been split into two chapters”. It might be the fact there are two separate events, both with their beginning, middle, and ends. If you want to expand upon your chapter, I would change how the beginning, middle, and end originally played out so it feels more natural when you go from one event to the next. This will take practice and beta readers can help if a chapter sounds too long or just right.
So instead of sneaking into a place, getting the information and having to escape. I would get rid of the middle part where Nix and Dante were sneaking and just show them entering the building, maybe talk for a few paragraphs before they reach their end goal because I already know escaping is gonna add several more pages. It’s a trial and error, and some readers might prefer the sneaking portion, while others might enjoy the fast pace. The end result is what do you like?
Continuing chapters:
What about chapters that don’t need a beginning, middle and end? Those chapters are what I call, continuing chapters. The most obvious examples of continuing chapters are the final climax of a story, like a big battle. The big battle might take multiple chapters to get through, and starting at the beginning, middle, and end of each chapter where the main event is the final fight, might get a bit tiresome. A simplified way of taking a large event, like a big fight, and breaking it over several continuing chapters is having each chapter be its own thing. Let’s say it takes three chapters to finish the final confrontation. The first chapter is the beginning, so there’s lots of build-up, but nothing too bad. The second chapter is the middle and is normally the longest out of the three. It’s the one with the most fighting and maybe a character dies at the end as a cliffhanger. The third chapter is where the villain is defeated and the fight is over thrust concluding the three sections.
That was a very simplified way of explaining continuing chapters, but yeah, not every event can be told in a single chapter, sometimes you have to space them out a bit. I would recommend letting the readers know that said event will most likely take a long time to complete so they'll be aware it's gonna be a long read.
Length of a chapter:
People often ask, how long should a chapter be, and there’s no real answer to that. Some can be a page, and I’ve seen others that are thirty. (Looking at you DragonFire). I personally don’t try to go for a word count or page limit. Often times when I try to make my chapters reach a certain goal, I find there’s a lot of filler that could’ve been cut. This is why I like to write my chapters as if I were writing an event and just focus on the event itself. If I need to expand or get rid of something, I can do that later.
My chapters are normally three pages in length, whenever I go over that, I try to tell my readers the next upcoming chapters will be long. This kind of tactic will depend on your story of course, but let’s go back to Nix and Dante.
In the example, Nix and Dante went into a secured location, took some information and got caught, now they needed to escape. If I want to add the escape portion in the same chapter because breaking in was kind of short, I might tell the reader before said chapter even began that “This mission won't be an easy one”, or “You’ll need to be real careful stealing the information because if you get caught, guards will come.” So, by the time Nix and Dante do get caught, the reader should be aware, the chapter will continue for a few more pages.
Oh yeah, if you’re gonna write a long chapter, make sure to have at least one smaller chapter to break it up. (DragonFire) Having long chapters, after long chapters, is, at least for me, very tiring. I don’t like to stop reading midway through a chapter, but reading thirty pages in a day is very difficult. So if you know you have some long chapters, throw in a few short ones.
Readers might also hate long chapters because they feel like there’s a bit too much filler in them. (Filler-in chapters aren’t the same thing as filler chapters).
Filler-in chapters might appear in one of two ways, either there’s too much filler to get to the main event, or there’s too much filler and the chapter should’ve ended already. Beta readers are a good way of telling you if there’s filler in a chapter or not. Keep in mind, that you, as the writer know what’s best for your story. Readers can only tell you how they feel. If you feel the “filler” part isn’t filler, but a lot of people say it is. Finding a workaround can be difficult. Unfortunately, I don’t have any advice on this kind of topic because this kind of writing problem is unique for every writer. Writing groups might be able to help as they’ll have your text and can help figure out what's going on.
Filler chapters:
There’s nothing wrong with filler chapters. Not every chapter needs to focus on the main story. I personally like filler chapters. They’re fun chapters which explore the characters and the world. A bit of a refresher after an intense fight is fine. When people complain about filler chapters, it’s often because there’s a bit too much of them. Or they came out of nowhere and killed the pacing. For example, if everything has been dark and gritty, having a chapter that’s more on the upbeat side is strange. Also if the chapter ends with a character's death and the next one ignores it, readers might not like that. This is one of the reasons why I don’t like POV swapping between every chapter. If someone dies in character (A) POV, and the next chapter switches to character (B) POV where they’re on the beach…I might get a bit annoyed. Even if Character (B) POV isn’t filler, I just witnessed someone die, I wanna know what’s going on and not swap to another POV.
Also filler chapters tend to be on the shorter side as well. If a filler chapter goes on a bit too long, then it might feel like the story is losing its focus a bit.
Beta readers can help point out which chapters are filler and where to add in filler if that's something you want to do.
Chapter Endings:
Ending a chapter is always interesting, do you want to end it with a cliffhanger or not? Does your chapter flow smoothly from one to the other? I don’t mind cliffhanger endings but try not to make every chapter a cliffhanger. At some point it becomes a bit much for some readers such as myself, I prefer to stop reading at a good stopping point. Cliffhangers aren’t a stopping point, I need to see what’s gonna happen next. Creating a cliffhanger after a long chapter, for me is a bit much. Long chapters already drain me, and forcing me to continue to get to an actual stopping point will make me enjoy your book less. (I understand no one is forcing me to read a book, but I just really, really hate stopping at cliffhangers). Not to mention if there are multiple cliffhangers in a row, I might put the book down and not pick it up for a long time because I’ll have no idea how many cliffhangers I’ll have to deal with before getting to an actual pause in the story. Personally, as a reader, I feel like there needs to be good stopping points. Places where it’s safe to stop reading and the reader can pick it back up later.
If you end a chapter in a city and the next one starts in a jungle, that kind of scene change might be a bit confusing so again, just send it through a couple of beta readers and see how you did with the transition portion of going from one chapter to the next. The same thing goes for tone as well. If the last chapter ends with a death, and the next one is in a circus, the tone shift might be a bit much. Just pass it along with a beta reader.
That’s about it for chapters. If you want some more detailed advice on certain chapters then let me know, but chapters are one of those things where it comes with practice. The length, the event, the ending, all of this stuff will be determined by your ability to write. Beta readers are a great way of pointing out how they felt while reading a chapter and you can go from there.
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sepublic · 2 years ago
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            I love ragging on Belos but also DAMN he’s fiendishly clever. Like let’s analyze his ‘reunion’ with the Collector;
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         Gets caught, Collector is suspicious and scared? Belos immediately calms him down by making the Collector feel in control over his own spell he openly doubted, pointing to the moon symbol on Raine’s forehead; Telling this kid not to worry about his most immediate question! And then Belos justifies the anomaly by playing along with the wishful fantasy rules of a kid who believes in the magic of friendship! Anything can happen, so no need to question any further, he flatters the child.
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         Then there’s his next line, in which Belos warns the Collector that he’s in danger, which is incredibly vague and could mean anything; And in the couple of seconds it takes the Collector to react in derision, Belos figures out he needs to be more specific and how to elaborate on this, claiming someone is going to betray the Collector.
         Note that he never name-drops anyone on his own, because Belos doesn’t really know who’s around the Collector, other than Odalia. But just in case, he keeps it vague so the Collector can provide an answer for him, the first person he’d assume, and thus the one whose betrayal he fears the most: King!
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         Belos latches onto that. He sees King isn’t here, so he asks where is he? Note he doesn’t give an answer, doesn’t make any claims because he doesn’t KNOW anything. Belos is trying to avoid saying something that can be contradicted later on, so he keeps it vague by throwing a very simple, ‘safe’ question that nevertheless makes the kid doubt.
         The Collector watches, is reassured, looks back to Belos to brag! Then he checks again, sees what King said, and looks away. The kid is concerned, but he’s not jumping to any conclusions, and you may think, oh! This is where he checks again, just to be sure.
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         And that’s when Belos drops the bombshell; Luz is here. And as he so cleverly plans, this revelation shocks the Collector, distracting them from checking on King again to hear what he ACTUALLY meant. Because Belos doesn’t know for sure how genuine King is or not, but either way, the less this kid is actually in touch with the outside world, the easier it is for Belos to control the narrative and filter all information through himself. The kid has seen enough to doubt, no need for him to find out more and potentially clarify.
         Likewise, Belos has been manipulating this kid for hundreds of years; Like it or not, the Collector is the longest relationship he’s ever had in his life, by a long shot. He knows the kid’s psychology in and out, he knows exactly which buttons to press, and he guesses at how jealous the Collector can get. If he’s friends with King and holds him in high regard, then King has probably told him about Luz during the time they’ve been hanging out. 
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        And that Collector is an insecure kid… So Belos creates an Us VS Them scenario, plays into the Collector’s worst fears of King replacing him for Luz (gee, it’s like Philip speaks these insecurities from experience). The fact that Belos himself contributed deeply to the Collector’s trust issues, and is now using them is just. Ugh.
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         Now Luz is something Belos DOES know about, having inhabited Hunter, knowing she followed right behind him and does plan to change things, and herself doesn’t know any more than he does; If anything, she knows less! So Belos is a lot more free to make claims about Luz’s motives and goals here, because he actually knows them for the most part. Luz is something Belos can guarantee and thus reliably interpret for the Collector to support his claim.
        That creates an unpredictable element that unsettles the kid, pair that up with the ambiguity of what King said (never checked back on, due to Belos diverting the Collector’s attention) and you’ve got the perfect recipe to manipulate this child all over again… An empty sandbox the Collector can’t verify from which Belos can craft a new narrative with, and anytime something comes along that can be interpreted in its favor, like the ending of the episode? You betcha.
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         God he’s so smart, so confident that you might not even notice at first how baseless Belos’ claims are. You’d understandably think he actually DID somehow know, and wasn’t just adapting and having good luck in guessing! Imagine society if Belos weaponized his autism for actual good.
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marigold-hills · 5 months ago
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June 23: accident | @wolfstarmicrofic | word count: 584
PREVIOUS PART • NEXT PART • FIRST PART
Time to be brave, Sirius decides, or this will never happen.
Opens his mouth wide, then closes it on a grimace. “No,” he says, “I don’t know how to yodel.” Claps, three times. Nothing happens. “I’m clapping, James.” Does it again, feeling ridiculous, eyes locked onto Remus.
“Oh!” James scrambles up, “yes, you are! Wormy-boy, up you get. Off we go. No, don’t grab your stuff. I’ll transfigure you a pair of trousers in the common room. Come on now, up up up with you.”
Peter, the poor man, gets bodily pushed out of the room, trying to pull his T-shirt down to cover his boxers. James sends Sirius a wink and a salute (the idiot child) and closes the door behind them.
“Remus, I… actually wait a second.” He pulls his wand out of his hair, letting it down, and spells the doors shut (then spells it again with an anti-unlocking charm).
Casts Silencio onto the room for good measure, because he wouldn’t put it past James and Peter to eavesdrop.
“Remus. I-” tries again, gets flustered because Moony is looking at him like that and what can he do but fall apart in front of him like a house of cards, fall onto his knees? “Fuck.”
“Mo réalta,” Remus takes over, getting up from his bed and crossing the room to sit next to Sirius, hand on his knee, “have you figured it out?” Because of course he knows, of course he’s there to guide Sirius through this (even through this).
“I have,” he admits, the words so easy they’re almost an accident. Too easy, he thinks. Nothing in his life has been easy and there is no way this can be the exception, there is no way he could get so lucky. He waits for the other shoe to drop, asks: “Did I take too long?”
“Of course not,” Remus laughs that Moony laugh that makes everything better. “You took as long as you needed.”
“Really?”
“Of course. I told you, didn’t I? That I’d be here? I would have waited no matter how long you took, love.”
Sirius folds into him, head on shoulder, hands gripping onto Moony’s thighs. “Thank Merlin and all his dead disciples,” he whispers into his neck, and out loud: “I’m sorry I made you wait this long.”
“You’re worth it. I would have waited a lifetime for this moment with you and if it never came, I would have been glad for what you’ve given me.”
Sirius needs to get closer. He does, pulling himself into Remus’ arms, onto his lap and still it’s not enough because the way Remus looks at him is enough to break every wall he’s ever put up.
Can accidents be deliberate? he’s left to wonder when the words come out and he both means them and didn’t choose to say them, but all the same: “I love you.”
Then there are hands cradling his face like he’s the most delicate sugar-spun thing, and Remus pulls him up so they’re eye-to-eye, so there could be no misunderstandings.
Sirius knows how Remus speaks. Hastily, broadly, with no care. Not now. Each letter is pronounced with purpose and with care, and he responds “I love you too, my star. Is tú mo ghrá.”
The hold he has on Sirius is so tender, he can barely stand it. Needs more, but is loath to break the moment.
“I see you,” Remus huffs out a laugh because his Moony knows him, always knows him.
NOTES:
Part 23! This is officially the longest fanfic I’ve written, at 12k words. Yay!
Is tú mo ghrá means “you are my love”
the next two or three chapters are just going to be smut. Don’t read if at work (or if you do, do so at your own peril ;) or if you’re underage etc etc
@moon-girl88 @digital-kam @tealeavesandtrash @sweetstarryskies @alltoounwellll @hunnybeemarie @hoje--aqui @annaliza999 @hihimissamericanbi @gipitothefrog @shamelesswolfstarshipper @a-pine-cone @cosmicweeds @cocoabutterandbooks @bloodoffire @residentdisaster @shamelesswolfstarshipper @ravenwordss @prancingpony42 @themoonlovesthestars @starving-marauder-lover
(let me know if you do/don’t want to be tagged in next parts)
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yumeka-sxf · 11 months ago
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A chronological analysis on Twilight and Yor - Part 21
*This is part of an ongoing post series. If you missed the Introduction/Part 1, click here*
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The next morning, Twilight muses to himself that there are still things in the world he doesn't understand, but nevertheless, a spy must overcome fear of the unknown. While his face and tone are dead serious, it's comical that the thing that caused him to burst into this heavy-handed inner monologue in the first place is none other than his misinterpretation of Anya's reactions the previous day. AniTrendz described the humor of this scene perfectly by stating that "Loid really spent all morning acting dramatic when he's just sad that his daughter called him lame."
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And yes, he really was bothered by the fact that he's still having trouble understanding Anya's emotions. While her mental well-being is important for Operation Strix, he also cares very much how she views him as a father. Unfortunately for Twilight, this trend will continue – after a whole day of fun activities, he's devastated to see the scowl on Anya's face when they're having dinner that evening. And, once again, he blames himself and even thinks that Anya could possibly hate him.
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As I've mentioned before, Twilight is always cool and confident when it comes to his spy missions, but whenever Yor or Anya are upset, he becomes a second-guessing nervous wreck! It's telling how frazzled he gets when trying to figure out what's going on in their minds versus anyone else. If Anya and Yor's happiness is tied to a mission, and he's always calm and collected about his other missions, why would he get so bent out of shape about them in particular? I think we all know the answer to that.
It's also important to note that the couple of days on the cruise are likely the longest amount of time Twilight has been alone with Anya, without having Yor for parenting support. If she were with him during all this, there's no doubt that her patience with Anya's antics and the encouraging words she always offers, would put his mind at ease. But without her around, there's no one to buffer his constant freak outs when trying to analyze the mind of a child. His anxiety gets so bad that Anya even starts to feel bad about it.
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Meanwhile, the big showdown on the deck between Yor and the assassins has so far been the most gritty and violent scene in the series. Endo has stated in the fanbook that making Yor likable while also giving her a profession that involves killing people, was difficult (though I think he's done a stellar job!) A reoccurring theme in Spy x Family is how the tragedy of war has led to otherwise good people partaking in immoral acts, whether for survival or because they're brainwashed into thinking that the side they're on is the right and just one. It's not only Twilight and Yor, but other characters as well, such as Yuri, Sylvia, even the young terrorists from the doggy crisis arc, as well as the assassins on the cruise – the factions that they work for, the politics behind their decisions, and the jobs they're assigned to do, are not framed as heroic nor completely evil, only the aftermath of political turmoil that the next generation has to suffer for.
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In Part 13, I mentioned an interview in the fanbook where Endo states that the Forgers should not be seen as virtuous role models…he doesn't think it's correct to only see their "nice family" side. Despite all the comedic antics in the series that sometimes stretch the veil of realism, one very realistic aspect is that none of the characters are depicted as "black and white," "heroes and villains," and their professions are portrayed as more tragic and ugly than "cool." This is in contrast to other shonen series, where the main protagonists are often portrayed as role models who fight for noble causes we can't help but support, while banishing only the most wicked of villains. And often these protagonists started out "normal" only to suddenly gain superpowers, opportunities to go on grand adventures, and have big battles against villains. But Twilight and Yor are the opposite. The series starts with them already having extraordinary abilities and exciting, dangerous jobs, so the end goal is instead for them to be able to attain a peaceful, normal life…because their professions aren't framed as wish-fulfilling but as heartbreaking, grim, and sometimes terrifying.
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Twilight and Yor's professions, as well as those of pretty much every other character in Spy x Family, have a lot of gray areas on the moral compass. This is why having a balance of both fun, slice-of-life scenarios, and spy/political action and drama conflicts, brings out the true complexity of the characters. Twilight may lie and act cold as ice towards people during his missions, but because we get to know him while he's living as Loid Forger, we can see that he's doing it for a noble cause, and underneath all that callous calculating, he's a compassionate guy who cares about the feelings of others. Likewise, we see that when she's not killing people, Yor is a total sweetheart who doesn't have a mean bone in her body, is a loving mother to Anya, selfless sister to Yuri, and, like Twilight, she does what she does because she truly believes she's doing good in the world.
If we only see Twilight and Yor as a spy and assassin, our view of them could be skewed negatively. On the other hand, if we only see them as a "nice family," we would be doing exactly what Endo warned against in his interview. But because we get to see both sides of them, we're able to relate to them even more, which makes us want to root for them. Is the immorality of their jobs too much to be forgiven, or are they righteous people who are simply victims of a cold war? Obviously if you're a fan of the series like me, you're opt to lean towards the positive view that Twilight, Yor, as well as many of the other characters, have been sorely damaged by the post-war era that they live in, but the commendable things they do far outweigh the ugliness of their professions, so they deserve a happy ending. And that's really the main appeal of the series – with all the gray areas of morality, seeing whether they can truly live happily without lies is something to look forward to.
Continue to Part 22 ->
<- Return to Part 20
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c0smoshit · 5 months ago
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I wanna live ○°•
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⋆ ࣪. ℙ𝕒𝕚𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕘 ≫ Solid Snake/fem!reader
⋆ ࣪. ℙ𝕝𝕠𝕥 ≫ Someone pays you a visit after Shadow Moses...
⋆ ࣪. 𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 ≫ smut! vag penetration, fingering, finishing inside (yeah he is infertile) also slightly angsty and fluffy too!!
⋆ ࣪. 𝔸/ℕ ≫ of course my longest fic had to be one about mgs, anyways, I really enjoyed writing this😭
⋆ ࣪. 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕔𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕥 ≫ 6.278
⋆ ࣪. part I / part II ࣪.⋆
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Hour after hour
Day after day
Weeks till months.
Your brain could still make a solid image of his face, the cold breeze of Alaska and, of course, the thrill you felt there.
It all seemed like the perfect dream.
A normal girl like you, surviving the most action movie scenario that could've had happened.
But it did right?
And you surely weren't alone.
His deep voice some days waking you up from another familiar dream, the tender slip of the sun, grazing your skin as you looked down and saw his hand moving along it. You couldn't get your mind off him, not even the last words you had heard of him.
"Maybe it's time I live for someone else"
"Someone else?"
"Yeah"
"Someone like you"
Mind sloppy, your eyelids stayed closed just a few seconds ago, hand reaching out for you to see your watch.
18:00 pm
What did he even mean by that?
You could only wish he felt the same way as you did now, frustrated with whatever was going on after Shadow Moses. It really wasn't fair.
Reaching out you looked at the serene wind moving the leafs of the trees softly, quietly tickling them as you scratched your forearm. You saw a tiny squirrel submerge inside it's homemade hole and it made you felt warm despite the chilly weather of autumn.
Frecuently you thanked the demands your job had to offer.
At first, having to practically hide yourself from humanity wasn't a really attractive option, but without anyone to really care for anymore it was pretty much a welcome invitation to a better lifestyle.
Of course you missed the warmth of people, seeing kids laughing as they played on some parks. But it really wasn't a big deal after all you had been through now.
A sound you really couldn't distinguish, it either was a branch falling right on your door or some wild animal trying to break in. For you, living in the outskirts of a practically unpopulated neighbourhood surrounded by miles and miles of trees it was something pretty normal.
However you soon figured out the rustle of some boots so you guessed you had some unexpected visitor. So, quickly readying your gun and placing it hidden on your hip, you carefully opened the door.
"Yeah, I was right"
Wait
"Pretty hidden spot ain't it?"
Wha-
His lips moved, his hair was still as short and dark as the last time you saw him, hell he was even wearing some dark clothes. But his bandana wasn't laying on his forehead anymore.
Your hands held the doorknob tighter as you finally figured out what was happening and most importantly, who was standing tall and proud in front of you that exact moment.
How did he even-
"Snake"
You mumbled out, finally snapping out of it and opening the door wide open. You saw his eyes trailing down your figure, as if he was searching for some kind of change, but he saw none just as you did.
You both stayed silent before you akwardly beckoned him inside, feeling goosebumps already forming on your bare arms as the chilly afternoon breeze seeped into your skin.
Fumbling over your hall, he stepped into your living room, small but cozy, his eyes searched for two cups, two pairs of slippers anything that could be shared.
Yet he found none.
Your table was a bit messed up from your paperwork but the rest of the room was pretty tidied up, he found those little details cute about you.
"What are you searching for hmm?, I ain't got no one hiding here sir"
You said with a sarcastic voice as he turned around to look at you, his face painted with a smug grin at your comment and you finally got to take in his state.
He was freshly shaved, his hair looked even better than before and he was wearing normal clothes, not the skin tight suit you got used to see. It was such a pleasant sight.
He didn't look as tired as he did inside those cramped up cold walls, searching desesperately for the so aclamed "Metal Gear".
He was just passing by, that's all.
"Your home looks pretty nice"
His compliment should've warmed your heart up, but there was quite other big reason why it was beating so fast. You lured him to sit down on the couch, sitting beside him right after.
"How did you even know where I lived?"
You asked with a surprised tone, yes he was fucking Solid Snake, it still amazed you the way his tricks worked not only inside espionage engaged missions.
He grunted before responding.
"There's a ton of info the coronel hasn't given you"
"The coronel gave you my location?"
You asked even more taken aback, first, how did he get such an important information so easily and second why did he want to pay you a visit here?
"What, you aren't happy to see me?"
He joked, and you furrowed your eyebrows in response, of course you were, you almost felt as if your soul had travelled outside your body the moment you made eye contact with him once again.
"Of course I am, but-"
You cut yourself off before responding, his eyes searching yours as you fiddled with your hands that where now placed over your lap.
"Why have you come here? After all this time..."
He placed his hands between his legs, bending his back a bit foward as he looked at the wall in front of you. Taking a deep breath before opening his mouth.
"I've tried to leave it all behind, everything. Shadow Moses, Liquid, all the people I had to kill..."
"But I just, can't with you"
You stayed silent at his words, your hands gripping the couch as you stared at him, looking at his profile as he still wouldn't face you.
"Do you want a drink?"
You didn't know why, but your mouth automatically opened to say those words. Maybe to cut the dense tension that had already formed in the air or just for you to take in all what was happening now.
He nodded his head and you noticed how he quirked his brow but a second later you saw him with a more serene face so you guessed it was a good option for the both of you.
Making two warm teas your head spinned and spinned, travelled over all the memories and asked and asked.
. . .
"Figured out jazmine would be the best option"
You added as you sat back down on the sofa, resting your left side against it as you looked directly at him right now.
His face was facing you as he took the hot cup between his hands and his mouth opened, yet yours did too.
"Hey-"
"You're-"
You both where still as indecisive as always, however you couldn't help to feel nostalgic about the confidence you seemed to have back in Alaska.
I mean, It really was a life or death situation so you were able to even joke with him, flirt, whatever your mind came up to.
But now?
It was a whole different story, he was sitting on your couch, drinking your tea and talking to you. The simple thought that he was back with you, that he actually searched for you as you did for him made you stutter around him.
"Thought I'd never see you"
Surprisingly, you were the first one to talk, and by your words it really struck him. You both were really desesperate for this moment.
"Don't forget my words"
"I do want to live up to someone"
You locked eyes with him, all the past and present tension starting to break up. All the emotions that time hadn't let both of you express were coming off strong right now.
And he was being serious.
When you both had survived, limping on each other, reaching your way out from the coldness of the snow and dry weather, you did take his words into your naive hands, backing them all up inside your heart.
And by the simple flow of your blood, they were starting to spill into your guts.
After all the days you've spent wondering about him, trying to finally put your feelings aside and start a new page, he was back here with you.
"Sna- David."
You corrected yourself yet his name felt a bit bitter on your tongue, you were already used to call him by his code name.
"I just- It's been months and just seeing you here is very overwhelming"
Your hands moved, eyes darting across the room as you talked about everything you had kept to yourself.
His icy eyes pierced through your face, however, they were still as soft as ever. As tender as his hands held your hand as he guided you around, contrary from his strong and rough demeanour.
They were calloused, your brain reminded you as he took your right hand between his own.
"I tried everything to forget, because I know this isn't fair for either you and me"
Your head tilted, fair?
What was even fair about the world you two had to live in, all the fighting and all the stress you had to carry over your shoulders just to make happy a few world leaders.
You remembered his words, how he wanted to live, how dead and life meant the same difficult story to him, yet he prefered to live rather than die without trying.
His mindset was a strong yet a naive one, he didn't know why he was still taking orders, why he killed his father or why he didn't seem to forget someone like you.
"I don't want to take the risk to go on other wars and die on you"
Your mouth dried up, he was totally right. Nevertheless, he could say the same about you, you both were involved in all of this and it wasn't easy.
His head then turned around so you couldn't see his dreadful expression then your hand met his shoulder, getting him to look at your face again.
And when he saw your smile, the warmth coming off not only from your hand but from your eyes, your words, your voice. It was starting to him dizzy.
"You aren't "dying on me", if so, I will be there to slap you back to life if necessary"
He chuckled, you both did, a little joke helped mend the thick air around your bodies.
Your hand then travelled to his arm, sitting closer to him as you desesperately seeked all the sensations you once felt.
"I do want to live up for someone too, I've been alone for quite a while now"
"And if it's gotta be with the same man who taught me all about Alaska's fauna, I'm so down for it"
You finished off as you stared at him and for the first time you saw a glint on his eyes, so precious and pearl-like. Not even killing all fox-hound off made his breath hitch as your words did.
Maybe he was finally feeling it, maybe this was the quickest route to happiness he longed for.
"I'm sorry if I-"
His eyes quickly snapped to your red face, finally taking in how close you two actually where as your body moving further from him on the couch gave him a cold shiver.
Desesperate for your heat.
So, as many times as before, he let himself flow with the ambient, him being the one to approach you, watching as your face came closer to his own.
And finally it happened, the moment you two were so needy for, not letting your minds even cross that scenario just for the sake of professionalism.
Lips melting into each other, you two weren't even touching each other as he parted from the softest kiss you had felt in your life. And it was coming from a man that has been through almost everything dealing with violence.
Silence comfortably seeped through your room, his mouth hungry for more as he had discovered this new feeling of love, lust.
19:40 pm
The sun had already started to set through your window, bathing yout face in a way that seemed too surreal for him. He had always found you attractive, cute, but seeing you this way made his heart ache even more.
He then really took in your clothes, wearing nothing but a loose shirt and some shorts paired with same coloured socks on your feet.
His arms wrapped around you as he pulled you into a very needed hug, it wasn't the first one you had shared but it definitely had some new feelings incorporated. Your breathing slowing down as you felt the rise of his chest against yours, drowning your thoughts into his steady heartbeat.
"I've waited way too long for you"
His eyes flinched open at your words before cussing at himself for keeping both you and him waiting. It happened so casually, so naturally it felt too good.
"I'm here now"
His forehead rested against yours, your hands still resting on his shoulders as you looked into his eyes, seeing the dying red sun on his iris.
He looked so peaceful, you had dreamt of seeing him like this, home and without any stopping a nuclear war stress visible on his frown.
Without the need of anymore words, you spilled your thoughts into his mouth, melting into a deeper kiss as you leant your body foward. His arms were still around you as you wrapped your own slowly around his neck.
Taking the first step yourself you climbed into a welcome lap after a while of kissing, your tongue begining to search his own when-
"Hmm?"
You looked into his eyes and you found doubt crossing them, he looked sideways as he parted from you before speaking.
"This is too straight foward"
He said and even when his words were confusing you found adorable the way he was out of breath, a slight pinkish tint painting his cheeks as he spoke.
"But I do want this"
You whispered out, your left hand laying on his cheek as you got him to look at you once again.
He couldn't help it, those eyes looking at him, begging him to please continue. It messed with his brain, looking back at your lips as you bit them softly before looking back into your eyes and seeing the security, love and lust inside them.
"I want you"
You mouthed into his lips, letting him choose if he still didn't want to take things this way as you had lowered your face into his, not closing the gap once again.
. . .
The sun had set just a few minutes ago and you parted from his lips as you lifted yourself a bit from his lap, earning an unsatisfied growl from bellow. Turning off the lamp next to the sofa creating a soft orange glow in the salon, not too strong to iluminate all of it but at least you could distinguish his face.
You turned around, forced by two calloused hands to sit back down on his lap, silenced by a hungry mouth that intended to finish what you had started.
Inside his head he saw the glint of your skin with this new added light, seeing how a thin layer of sweat had started to cover it in a delicious manner. It only added fuel to his deep desires of just kissing you, biting you, smelling you.
"You look too cute"
Your sudden voice alarmed him, making him face you with that hot blush still resting on his cheeks not giving any signs that it was going away in a while. However he just bit back a chuckle, smirking as he lowered your head to meet his lips once again.
At this point you had lost track of time yet you both still remained with the same clothes as before.
His right hand resting on your back while the other grabbed your thigh as you adjusted yourself on his lap, opting to just wrap your legs around him as he laid back into the sofa, careful not to crush your ankles in the process.
He felt your hands slowly make their way into the start of the half zipped biker jacket he didn't care to take off yet. Sensing your signs, he let you take it off as your lips traveled souther until they softly met his adam apple.
He really felt embarrassed by the way your only kisses were making him feel so hot under his skin.
With his jacket off and your hands exploring his chest within his loose shirt he too started to play with you, feeling up your back and down with big palms as you were busy kissing and nuzzling his neck.
Shuddering by his administrations you took a step further, peeling your shirt off as you revealed your comfy cotton creamy bra. You were starting to kind of regret all of this, you weren't wearing nice clothes, hell your shirt had some dirty spots from cleaning or cooking, you couldn't remember.
"So pretty"
You took in his words before the feeling of his hands laying on your bare skin now, dangerously close to the underside of your breasts as you looked down at him and saw that look of adoration in his eyes.
But you saw something more in them, permission.
"They don't bite"
And by your words, he slowly, really slowly it was starting to make you desesperate as you thought it was his way of teasing, placed his warm palms on your breasts.
They really shouldn't feel that good.
As weird as it sounded your mind started to wander off to how would they feel while you were on your period or even when you took off your bra after a long day, soothing away the pain.
You sighed, closing your eyes as you took in all the sensations, you could feel how tense he was, practically oogling at them it seemed like the first time he was doing this.
But your hands trying to take off his shirt distracted him, chuckling a bit before helping you out, throwing it on the ground the same way you did with your own.
Seeing his chest in all his glory you couldn't help but trace your hand over a scar he had on his left breast, seeming like a bullet wound. He took your hands from it, kissing it before turning your attention back to him.
His stealth skills really gave him advantage not only on the battlefield as he silently undid your bra, only taking notice of it when it was already peeled off from your body.
"Where have you been hiding these"
His comment made you turn redder than you already were, stretching your spine as you now felt his hands touching you properly. His kisses travelling down your neck as a string of saliva united you and his lips.
"Been waiting for this so long"
His roughed out voice made your mind forget the moment he had laid you down on your back on the sofa, his mouth kissing and almost biting your neck.
Wringling your hips he had to keep you grounded as your legs now where at his sides, whimpering as he kissed the spot right bellow your ear.
You could feel everything, the glide of his bare chest against yours, the warmth of his mouth, the tickling sensation of his breath. God you almost fainted when his hand found your nipple, pressing his thumb into it before massaging it around.
"Snak-"
"Call me David"
Right, david.
Liquid wasn't behind your asses anymore.
Shuddering his name his tongue rolled over your left nipple, massaging the other one with his right hand as you gripped his hair. Kind of missing his bandana but glad you could finally see his brows too.
The room was filled with silence and the sound of your shuddering breathing mixed with his own, the moon keeping sight of all of your sins tonight.
If he had known how good you'd sound, he would've done this much, much sooner. He craved you, he needed someone to take care of his needs, sick of just having to hide himself and work for others.
He needed you
And it wasn't only a need, he had felt this way for a long time already. Hell, he hasn't had any time for himself ever since he joined the fox unit once again.
He swore he was going to die without buring his face into a woman's legs once again.
His hand creeped downwards till he found what he was searching for, only to be interrumpted by some shorts. You quickly nodded your head, letting him take them off.
His hand smoothed unnecesarily slow over the skin of your thighs, making you shiver as you begged him to stop his teasing although he really hadn't that intention yet.
"You want this right?"
Sighing, you took his face in between your hands, feeling the smoothness of his aftershave having an effect on his skin. Locking eyes.
"After all the talk we've had, you're still asking for consent?"
You giggled but it really was another sign that attracted you more to him.
"Of course I want you, I've wanted you ever since I met you David, or should I say Snake"
You kissed his ear after muttering his code name, feeling how that little gest made him get all stiff in your arms again, relying on the soft groan that escaped his lips. You smiled greedily, now noticing how aroused he actually was, pressing against your knee.
Groaning he lifted himself up from you a bit, looking with blown out pupils the way you were sprawled bellow him, in nothing more than a pair of messed up panties. He closed his eyes tightly at the sight of seeing you so frustrated and wet, just from him.
Your feet palming him through his pants brought him crashing back down to reality, eyes shooting open to watch the scene. Your lip in between your teeth and your foot deliciously moving up and down his erection, you swore you felt him twitch.
"Playing dirty huh?"
Your half lidded eyes and smirk looking up at him, your chest glistening from his saliva.
His hand then swated your feet off him and now it was his turn to make you all messy and hot like he was.
"Spread your legs out for me sweetheart"
So with his chest heaving he opened your legs for him with big hands keeping them apart. It wasn't a secret that he had to guide all his movements on the battle, however, you were kind of impressed he did too in bed.
His right hand made contact with your inner thigh, head lolling back on the couch as he reached your through your panties, feeling all the slit that had acumulated there pretty much ever since you sat down with him on your sofa.
The arch of your back, your shallow breathing and the way you would flutter your eyes closed in such a beautiful way made him want to already skip foreplay.
Rubbing his fingers up and down your panties he saw the way your hips squirmed by his touch with lidded eyes. He pictured you taking him right there, begging him to please cum with you as your legs trapped him in a jail he wanted to be a prisioner for a long while now.
"Touch me please"
Your words gave him all the green lights he needed, diving right in as he took your panties off, helping you lift your butt and sliding them off your thighs.
He was enthralled with you, feeling softer than he could have ever imagined on lonely nights, sounding way prettier and getting into such a delicious dance with him.
You were slowly empting his sane bar.
His fingers were welcomed back into your heat, almost rolling his eyes back into his skull at the warmth, all the mess you had already got yourself into.
"Already this wet?"
Blushing you turned your head away from him, your arms resting by your sides as you avoided his stare.
"Cmon sweetie, look at me"
But still you wouldn't budge, still too embarrassed to look at him, were you really that messy down there?
"That's it"
He praised when he heard your muffled moan against your palm as he circled your clit, squeezing your cheeks with his other hand as he turned your face to look at him.
Hips halting upwards, he forced them down as he watched you squirm under him, taking your palm off your mouth so he could hear all your sweet whimpers being spilled into the lustry chilly night air.
"That good huh?"
He muttered into your neck as he fastened his movements on your clit, your eyes tearing up as you nodded your head, scratching the back of his hair approvingly as you felt him almost purr into your neck by your sudden contact.
"Gonna stretch you out, yeah? Want me to?"
"Y-yeah, yes"
You coughed as your voice had broken up a bit, feeling a smile forming against your neck in the process.
The pad of a finger began testing the waters, sliding around your entrance as he watched your face, seeing your mouth hang open, eyes closing. Tenderly making his way inside he kissed your mouth, swallowing every moan spilling from your lips as he had freed your hand now, feeling it caress his back as the other one still laid by his head.
The kiss was the slopiest one he had yet given you, sliping his tongue in between yours and the roof of your mouth as he started to move his finger.
The air had gotten even hotter and before he had noticed, your hand had crept inside his pants, caressing him through his briefs as you tried to get some "revenge".
"Mmhp"
Separating from you he let out a low moan, halting his movements for a brief moment as he got used to your soft hand on him, wanting nothing more than your touch.
You were playing the same dirty game he had started yet he couldn't "lose" to you.
So he sped up his movements, biting off a chuckle as he heard your surprised gasp, adding another finger to the stretch as he felt your walls hugging him tightly.
Your hand did wonders too, shuffling him off his pants and briefs as they now pooled right bellow his cock as it sprang free now. You cussed yourself you couldn't even glance at him because of his shoulder blocking your view, however, you could get a pretty solid idea of how it felt against your hand.
And god did it feel heavy.
Playing with his tip you saw his eyes flutter as he now laid his chin on your chest, shutting them close as he tried to focus on your pleasure.
"I'm the one here that's pent up and wet but how about you?"
"You're as hard as a rock"
You whispered the last words into his ear as you brought his head back into you, his nose resting against the headrest.
"It's been a while"
His voice was muffled but you could sense that he was bashfull, pumping him as fastly as he was fingering you, you both had finally became silent, fueling yourselves off the sounds that escaped your mouths.
You felt yourself getting closer, his mouth taunting you with kisses as a mere excuse to shut himself up. Pumping your hand up and down his hips tried to follow your lead, unable to stay put.
"Tell me whenever you're close"
His groggy tone vibrated inside your ear and that mixed with the feeling of him all over you made the coil that was slowly brewing inside your tummy fasten itself.
"Wanna fuck you so bad after this, so warm"
You could no longer see his face as his words were kind of muffled by the sofa and his own groans. You felt him twitch in your hands, his own fingers picking up the fastest pace you had felt yet.
"Dave- I think"
Your words were cut off as you felt yourself tighten, searching for your imminent climax as you clinged into his back, your hand no longer pumping him.
He was rutting into your leg like a dog in heat, kissing all your sweet spots he had come to know by this short period of time.
"Cum for me love, I know you can"
That was all you needed, practically screaming his name as you tilted your hips upward, head laying down on the sofa as your eyes closed shut.
His fingers kept pumping inside of you, driving you through your orgasm as he shushed you softly, caressing your cheek with his other hand as he rested himself up in his elbow.
The aftermath of his ministrations really tired you up still, as soon as you felt him rocking slowly into your leg you knew what you both really needed. He took off his pants, almost stepping on them as they fell to the ground.
"Woah, already ready for round two?"
"It's not a round two if you haven't even cum"
Your heated words were soon forgotten inside his head as you had now pushed him into his back, climbing back down into his lap. But now, feeling all you against all of him.
He was standing tall and proud by your stomach and you couldn't help yourself but take a good look out of the scene. You placed your hand right on your belly button and on top of his angry red tip, smiling at the hiss that left his mouth.
"You're gonna reach this deep"
Your words came out unexpectedly as his eyes turned almost white from how far they had opened, looking down with you as he admired the view, such a beautiful one.
"You think you can handle me being, that deep inside you?"
He puncuated his last words by grabbing a hold of both of your cheeks, squeezing them after giving them a soft pat.
He knew what he was doing.
He fucking knew.
But you loved it.
This side of him, his raw part, the one he didn't have to fake for anyone, his true feelings and needs. He was making you see red, rubbing your ass so smoothly, practically motioning you to sit on him already.
So you did, hovering over him with your hands placed securedly on his shoulders as he held your back tenderly with his right hand while his left rested on your hip, helping you down.
Wait, hold on, wait-
"Snake- I mean David, fuck, I forgot protection"
You went over to scramble off him but his hands kept you secured into his chest, not letting you go anywhere as he rubbed your back trying to get you to listen to him.
"Don't worry about that, I can't become a father even If I wanted to"
"Huh?"
Your eyes searched his face, looking into them as you saw a ting of pain inside them.
"You know all of my father clonation shit, I'm sterile, I'm not trying to lie to you y/n"
Right, you know remembered the talk you had with Otacon one day, explaining to you all of the "enfants terribles" project and hell was it terrible.
"Right, sor-"
His lips were on yours before you could even mutter a single apology, his left hand begining to move yourself against him once again as he sensed you pulsing down there. A good sign, he thought.
So you parted from him, getting into the real fun as your lips started to take him. Feeling his head pop in a little too fast, you whined out, a stretchy tingle of pain visible in your face as you stopped.
"I'm a patient man, be careful"
However, you could see that he wasn't. Biting his lip as not only his eye twitched the more you sunk down.
You repositioned yourself, a hand on his chest while the other still grabbed his shoulder for support. Finding the right angle it felt like it would never end, both of you closing your eyes as you savoured the moment. He knew if he opened them and saw you trying to fit him in, he would've busted right then and there.
"Fucking hell"
That's when he knew he was all the way inside, your butt touching his legs as you took a deep breath his eyes not leaving your face for the slightest moment.
"I don't want to be just your fuck buddy"
A confused groan left his lips.
"I know you will have to leave after this, but please, don't let this be a one time tension reliever"
He toon your cheek into his hands, rubbing it softly as he tried to find the sweetest voice he could utter out.
"I'll find you, I promise, I will come back here"
You felt a tear fall down your cheek, you felt connected to him, in a deep and far from understanding way.
"It's difficult now, I know, but I'll find you y/n"
His skin was yours, every breath you took was his, everything.
So with that said, you began moving, him immediately responding with a low groan at your sudden movement.
You felt full, not only in a sexual way, but your heart was full too. Crying out, not from pain like he would've thought but from pleasure, from the way you loved him so dearily, from having him beside you once again.
"I miss-ed y-you"
Your words were cut off everytime you bounced off his lap, your words being more than enough for him to want to coddle you up, so he did.
Grabbing your back he pulled him into you, hearts beating into each other fastly as your nipples rubbed against the expanse of his broad chest.
"I missed you too- hmpmh"
His own voice even cracked when you tightened up on him, feeling the wash of a brief overstimulation against him.
His cock rubbing all the right spots inside you making you hug him tighter, fuck him faster and kiss him deeper.
His hips began pushing into your own movements, making your vision blurry from all the pleasure he was giving you.
"You like that huh?"
"Please more Dave"
No more words were needed for him as he picked up a brutal pace within your cunt, hips pistoning into your own making you see starts.
He was spilling all of the words unsaid into you, all of his piled up feelings into your womb, eyes almost crossing when you had tightened up. Your arms digging into his back you were reduced into a stupid mess by now, blabbering his name as you bounced up and down almost automatically now.
"I'm pretty close... fu-fuck sweetheart"
He groaned out as his hands kept a bruising grip on your hips, basically doing all the work for you. And you could feel it.
The way he had become even bigger inside you, his tip pushing your fungy spot all over and over again, your name spilling out of his mouth out of the blue often. He felt as if he was going to explode so soon yet he wanted to drag you down to hell with him too.
"Cum with me... pl-please"
Your tear stained cheeks begged him so badly, so cutely to just cum, just for you. Almost the same vision he had imagined earlier, your mouth red the same tone as your cheeks as you pleaded.
"Please Dave- I... ngh! Need it"
Your voice pitched up as he drove himself so deliciously into you, he wanted nothing more than to fill you, to see it dripping out. Pumping himself inside of you he stayed there as ropes of white had began to paint your insides, your own climax washing all over you as you felt his arms pull you into him once again.
Chest heaving into each other, panting into each others ears like animals you tried to regain concioussness after the extreme pleasure you had recieved.
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"Feeling alright?"
Hearing your voice he opened his eyes to see you in the most ethereal way he had ever seen you. Your hair sticking into your forehead, teary eyes looking out for him and trembling limbs on his lap.
You were absolutely spent.
And it was all his fault.
However, he did look like and angel too. The afterglow of sex lingering on his skin as he tried to regain his breath which he did pretty quickly, his body soaked up in sweat and his loving eyes, pupils blown wide.
"Better than ever"
He smiled so sweetly, so cutely you just felt the need to squeeze his cheeks like a granny, nuzzling his nose as you both giggled.
With a sigh you laid into his chest, forgetting the gushy sensation in between your legs, feeling it dripping down his legs. His arms wrapped around you like a blanket, not letting the chilly air of the air cool you down.
You let out a hiss as he repositioned himself, enhancing both of your overstimulations on the process.
"Shit, right, sorry"
You smiled at his rushed apology, but he quickly brushed it off you as he slipped out of you, whining out into his neck at the loss of contact.
"Lets get you cleaned up"
And with those words and your stolen answer from his sudden movement, picking you up from the sofa and starting to walk into what he thought was the bathroom.
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mieanme · 3 months ago
Text
Merman x Siren au
Hualian - (part IV)
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Previous part: PART III
First part: PART I
We finally reached the part I've been thinking about for ages 😭 I hope you like the siren, guys ^•^
ALSO, if you wanna know how Hua Cheng looks like, I drew him: here
***
"Well, well, well..." the deep, unfamiliar clicks echo down the trench, causing unpleasant chills to run up Xie Lian's spine. "What do we have here?"
With a racing heart, Xie Lian slowly turns his head upwards, finally facing the creature blocking the daylight.
The first thing that pulls Xie Lian's gaze is the longest tail he has ever seen in his life. If not for the sharp, bloody red scales, he would say it resembles an eel more than any other creature he's ever come across. Other merpeople said that sirens take after reptiles such as crocodiles the most, but those don't usually live in salt waters, so Xie Lian never had a chance to check if their words were true. Not like it matters now anyway - following up the tail, Xie Lian sees the huge back fin, a few smaller ones on the sides, pale yet tough looking body and, the most terrifying for him, arms geared with shining claws.
"I,I... I—," Xie Lian clicks a few times, trying to maybe bargain with the siren, but all that comes out is rather incoherent.
"Hmm?" the creature respondes, arcing its left eyebrow.
When Xie Lian steals a short glance at its face, not daring to stare, he only catches eye contact with the creature's left eye, the right one being covered with long, black hair. From that one look, Xie Lian figures out the siren is probably a male, with a sharp jawline and more or less masculine features.
"Are you inaudible, little merman?" the siren mocks, swimming closer to Xie Lian, as if he wanted to catch his prey this instant.
In seconds Xie Lian in his mind sees the image of the siren getting closer and holding him by his throat to cover his gills. The vision of himself dying slowly and painfully in the creature's hold finally untangles his own tongue.
"N-no, that's not the case!" he exclaims, trying to back out of this situation, but soon enough his shoulders bump into the wall of the trench behind him. Ruoye managed to move onto the merman's stomach, so luckily it didn't suffer the collision. "I-I can explain! I just need one thing, I promise!"
"Interesting," the siren speaks up again, still approaching Xie Lian in a painfully slow and very mocking manner.
The siren knows the merman cannot escape and so does Xie Lian. He's just toying with his meal at this point and Xie Lian doesn't like that thought one bit.
"So you not only ventured into my territory uninvited, but you were also planning to take something without my permission nor knowledge. It's called stealing, little merman. But please, explain away."
Xie Lian grins to himself, noticing that the siren does have every single right to execute the merman here and now. However, he doesn't want to give up just yet. He hopes that the siren will understand him and cooperate.
"I know how it sounds, but I have a good reason, I promise I had no malicious intent coming here," Xie Lian starts, not daring to look up at the siren. "Some of the members of our pod have suddenly fallen ill to a highly dangerous and infectious disease. They are innocent merpeople, gatherers and nursery guardians. They were unable to swim since then and whatever they eat, they vomit out a few minutes later. If they're not granted the medicine for this illness, they are going to die suffering. But there's only one cure to this illness, at least that's what our oldest medic said - it's an algae that grows in almost full darkness, practically only in the ocean trenches. And the only trench we know of is this one! I-it's also not that we all agreed to come here, our leader even forbade us from coming into your territory, so, please, don't hold it against our pod, I came on my own! But I really want to help them, so please, let me take the algae!"
Xie Lian rapidly spits out the last sentence, begging the siren to have some mercy. However, after he finishes his speech, only silence follows. If not for the shadow still remaining casted at him, Xie Lian would think the siren left, since he no longer could sense his presence nor water movement around. Just then, siren finally reacts to his words, but it's not a reaction Xie Lian was waiting for.
The siren bursts laughing, making Xie Lian lift his gaze at him. The creature is way closer to him than Xie Lian thought - now he's able to see every single scale on his body and even some strange marks resembling veins on his torso and neck, travelling down his left arm and even up his face. Only then Xie Lian realises the siren doesn't have the second eye; where it should be, there's an ugly scar covered in the same strange marks that the merman noticed on his body.
Xie Lian doesn't have any more time to think about it though, because when the laughter dies down, the siren keeps staring at him with a mocking smile, as if he never saw anything as stupid and amusing as this very merman in front of him.
"Why... why are you laughing?" Xie Lian finally says, almost clinging to the wall when the siren comes even closer to him. The siren's black hair brush over Xie Lian's shoulders and tangle with his own, painting a beautiful yet terrifying picture.
"Foolish, little merman," the siren sums up, reaching out one of his hands to Xie Lian's face. Ruoye jumps up to attack him, but Xie Lian manages to catch the octopus with both hands and hug it to his chest, not wanting to anger the siren even more. "You won't pick that algae, no matter how much you want to."
"Please, let me go there! I really need it, we will repay you for your kindness if you let me go look for it! I promise! Please!"
However Xie Lian shuts up the second the siren's cold, clawed fingers touch his face. The siren catches his chin in two fingers, the rest slowly brushing over the merman's skin. It's terrifying, but also... it feels quite pleasant. Xie Lian doesn't understand it, but his heart starts beating even faster, but not only out of fear. What's the other emotion - he cannot tell.
"I am not stopping you from diving down the trench. I'm simply stating the fact, little merman. You are unable to pick that algae."
Xie Lian is dumbfounded. He blinks a few times, this time looking straight into the siren's eye.
"What... What do you mean? You're not stopping me? So... Why wouldn't I be able to pick the algae?"
"It's very simple," the siren states. "It grows too deep for any mer to pick it. That's why that disease that has fallen over your pod is called the 'black desolation'. It brings only two things over merpeople - annihilation from the illness and darkness from the places they try to find the medicine and fail. Your elder didn't mention it, did they?"
Xie Lian is speechless once again. What the siren says is even more terrifying than his presence itself.
'It... It can't be,' he thinks to himself. 'So there's no cure at all?'
"I see, you actually didn't know," the siren continues. "That's a pity—"
"But!" Xie Lian cuts him short, suddenly feeling a rush of courage wash over him. "I won't give up until I try! I want to see for myself if I can pick it or not! Please, let me go, I can endure whatever the depth has there for me!"
The siren's eyebrow flies up yet again, visibly not believing in Xie Lian's success.
"So you still really want to start bleeding from all your flesh, lose all your senses and die a painful death, crushed by the conditions down there?"
Xie Lian hesitates, but then he nods. He knows he probably looks like the most pitiful creature in the siren's eye right now, but it doesn't matter.
"I will pick the algae, or I will die tryin—"
"No need," the siren chimes in, letting go of Xie Lian's face. "I will pick the algae for you."
The siren backs away, leaving Xie Lian so surprised that he even lets go of Ruoye. The octopus, still angry with the siren's attitude, charges right at him, but even when it wraps itself around it's arm and bites down, the siren doesn't look amused at all.
"Ruoye, no!" Xie Lian exclaims, but he knows it's already too late.
"Don't worry, it's venom can do nothing to me. It's not the first blue-ring octopus I pissed off," is the only thing the siren says before Xie Lian manages to reach him and gently takes Ruoye in his hands, trying his best in convincing the animal to let go. When the octopus finally admits defeat, it wraps itself around Xie Lian's back again, obviously glaring at the siren.
Only now Xie Lian realises that as soon as Ruoye disappeared from his hold, his hands chose to rest on something else - that happened to be the siren's forearm, right in the place a small bite mark is now visible. Xie Lian blinks, unsure of what to do. Then he feels his cheek being touched by the siren's cold fingers yet again, making him look up at his handsome face.
"I will be back shortly. Stay here," the siren assures, but is taken aback when Xie Lian grips his arm even tighter instead of letting go.
"But... aren't you going to get hurt? I don't want you to risk your own life just because I probably cannot reach the algae. I... I want to do it on my own without putting any more lives on the line."
Xie Lian doesn't expect the siren to chuckle, but it actually happens. The siren only shakes its head, smiling leniently at the merman.
"My body is very different from the one of a mer. I can dive way deeper and endure extreme conditions. I am what your kin calls a 'monster', after all. Only a pitiful monster wouldn't be able to do such things. I'd rather live up to my titles."
With those words, siren suddenly dives down, not letting Xie Lian even think of a response. Within seconds he's totally gone in the pitch darkness, leaving the merman and the octopus alone.
***
Hello~! I feel like this part is a little longer than the previous ones, I hope you enjoyed it!! Lemme know what do you think in the comments ^•^ See you soon!!
PART V
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