#and tomorrow is a chapter day for the wings ai!!

[lostfracturess]

【 ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇʀɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏʟ 】 ch. 01

"it must be amusing for you." "don't even think for a second that i find it amusing if you get hurt." the seriousness in his tone made you pause. "let's get you home."

x pairing gojo x f!reader (main), fushiguro x f!reader (jjk universe)

x summary you never wanted to become part of the world of jujutsu sorcerers, yet fate had other plans when the one and only satoru gojo took you under his wing at jujutsu high. but as the lines between student and teacher begin to blur, hidden powers surge to life, and a deadly target is set on your head.

x wc 12.5 k

x warnings [18+] this story contains abusive/possessive behavior, (rough) smut, mature themes, self-destructive behavior, (heavy) angst, graphic depictions of violence/injury/combat, character death, suicidal thoughts. reader discretion is advised.

x author's note so exited to start this series!! dive in and let me know what you think—i love hearing your thoughts! & pls like or repost if you enjoyed, it means the world ♡

series masterlist + ao3 + wattpad

next chapter ->

You had always known that Gojo Satoru was a sorcerer feared by many. But it wasn't until that moment, when your blade was easily tossed aside by his bare hands, that it really hit you. He stood before you; signature stupid smile playing on his lips. "I knew you had potential."

The satisfaction in his voice clawed at your ego. No, you couldn't let him have that satisfaction. Not after the grueling effort you had put into this fight. Barely able to breathe, you shot back, "Don't talk shit, Gojo. You're not even trying!"

But you had already reached your limits, perhaps even surpassed them. Your legs trembled with exhaustion, threatening to give way beneath you. You fought to keep your composure, leaning on your knees for support instead of collapsing completely. Gojo lowered his gaze and peered down at you through his sunglasses. His voice dripped with irony, "I don't want to hurt you—yet."

His blue eyes captured yours; making your skin crawl. How can anyone be so arrogant.

Your imagination danced on the edge of danger; picturing what it might feel like to wrap your hands around his neck, tightening your grip just a fraction to erase that stupid smile of his before you sank to the ground.

Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara rushed over to you from the side of the training ground. "Are you all right?"

You gathered what strength you had left and straightened up, trying to hide your weakness, though your trembling form betrayed you. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Gojo held out his hand to help you to your feet, his mocking smile still lingering. You hesitated. Eventually, it was Megumi who reached out to you, and you took his hand without a second thought. As you did, Gojo's eyebrow raised slightly, a silent challenge in his stance.

It was only a few days ago that your world collided with this white-haired, self-satisfied man. Since then, everything had changed. Gojo had invited you to join the Tokyo Jujutsu High—a world you'd wanted to avoid at all costs. However, your acceptance of his offer had marked the beginning of a new chapter in your life. But it had also revealed your own limitations. Painfully clear.

Somehow you wondered if you should have declined it.

"It's pretty impressive how you've picked all this up by yourself," Megumi's words echoed in your mind. Yet, you couldn't help feeling like a fool.

"I'll do my best to catch up with you as soon as possible," you vowed.

"I'm sure you will," Gojo said, his tone surprisingly gentle. Your gazes locked again, and for a moment, it felt as though the entire world held its breath. There was an unspoken connection—an invisible force drawing you closer to him. But you fought to resist its allure, trying to convince yourself that it was merely a figment of your imagination.

Gojo finally broke the spell and turned away. "Tomorrow, 6 a.m.—cardio training!" There was a hint of a joke in his voice, though it sounded more like an order. Groans and protests filled the air. "Latecomers do an extra lap!" he declared before he disappeared from sight.

"Ugh, that guy!" Nobara huffed. "As if he's ever an early riser himself." You turned towards her.

"He strolls into our training, what, four hours late?" Nobara complained, rolling her eyes. "Then has the audacity to whine that we're the slow ones. Total jerk."

Yuji placed a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe we should join in—sleep in, stroll in late. He won't even notice."

"Deal!" Nobara agreed eagerly.

Megumi shook his head. "If he catches wind of this, you're dead meat."

They scoffed, dismissing his warning. "Like he'd ever find out."

"Are you scared?" Yuji teased Megumi, giving him a playful nudge.

Megumi finally relented. "Oh, for goodness' sake. Fine, it's a deal. Tomorrow, 8 a.m. sharp."

Nobara countered, grinning mischievously, "Make it ten!"

You did your best to hide the exhaustion racing through your body as the banter between them continued. The adrenaline that fueled your earlier battle with Gojo was fading fast, leaving only the harsh reality of your physical limits. Your legs trembled. The world around you blurred. Your body had reached its breaking point. With a heavy sigh, your strength gave way, and you collapsed to the ground. Gojo's stupid grin still vivid in your mind.

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

Your room felt suffocating after the humbling encounter with Gojo. The four walls closing in as you sought an escape from the restless thoughts in your mind. You couldn't see through his facade, unable to decipher the true meaning behind his words that day—the day he had taken you in and you followed. You blindly followed. You must be utterly foolish, there was no doubt about it. 

Despite your best efforts to cast them aside, the thoughts lingered, an ache in your chest that refused to be dismissed. Sleep eluded you; restlessness drove you out of your room. You wandered aimlessly through the quiet corridors in the midnight silence that contrasted sharply with the school's usual chaos.

In the dimly lit kitchen, you brewed a late-night cup of strong coffee. With each sip, you questioned whether abandoning the fragment of family you had left had been the right desicion. Or, had you blindly entered Satoru Gojo's complicated world in vain? It was a reality where every vulnerability was exposed—a constant reminder of your weakness. Perhaps you weren't capable of saving anyone after all. Was it all a futile endeavor that would ultimately prove Gojo's cautioning correct?

"Little late for a caffeine kick, don't you think?" A voice—all too familiar— broke the stillness.

You turned, heart pounding in your chest, to find Gojo strolling in. There was a weariness in his step. His usually vibrant blue of his eyes dimmed. Shrouded with shadows.

"I suppose I'll be fine", you replied, raising your mug to your lips. "What's your excuse for the midnight stroll?"

Gojo let out a sigh, leaning against the door frame. "Insomnia," he admitted, frustration lacing his words. You took a sip of your coffee, studying the tired lines on his face. "Want one?"

"To worsen the situation?"

"You seem like it couldn't get any worse."

"Charming," he replied, his lips curving into a slight grin. His sharp yet weary eyes locked onto yours, searching and contemplative. After a brief pause, he declined, "Unfortunately, that won't help with the real reason I can't sleep."

"Let me guess—," A sense of unease fluttered in your stomach. "—losing sleep over bearing the title of the world's strongest sorcerer?" You aimed for a playful tone, hoping to cut through the growing tension.

Gojo took a step closer. The weariness on his face becoming more apparent as the gap between you diminished. A soft, teasing chuckle escaped his lips, sending a shiver down your spine. "Imagine thinking that would lose me a wink of sleep."

Oh, he's so full of himself. 

Your fingers unconsciously clenched around your cup. "So, what is it then?"

"Oh, it's you, of course, love."

"Don't talk shit." Your pulse quickened, an accelerating undertow as he breached the last remains of distance. His closeness felt almost suffocating in its intensity, every nerve tingling, acutely aware of the warmth radiating from him, a tangible pressure against your skin.

With deliberate intent, he leaned forward, reaching over you to grab a cup. His chest hovering dangerously close to your face. Enveloped by his proximity, your senses were overwhelmed by the scent of his cologne. Your body involuntarily tensed.

"I know what you want to ask." His form towered above you, yet somehow, it felt like he was enveloping you entirely.

"Don't pretend to know me," a brittle edge sharpened your voice; your frustration at his arrogance boiling over. This man had the audacity to act as though he had you all figured out when he knew next to nothing. However, the subtle brush of Gojo's chest against your shoulder as he took the cup was enough to sent a subtle, stomach-churning twist through your abdomen.

He lingered there, gaze unwavering and intensifying as he leaned closer. The closeness of his face—the warmth of his breath against your skin—setting your heart racing. "Oh love, you're an open book to me."

Time seemed to halt.

"We have a lot in common," he remarked, setting his cup down on the counter you leaned against. His fingers grazed yours ever so slightly—a seemingly casual touch that left a lingering sensation. He rested his hands on the countertop, just inches from yours. Capturing you.

"We're not the same." Your gaze narrowed. "I'm not that arrogant."

"Oh, love, who hurt you?" he mocked. "You talk as if there's a dagger where your heart should be."

"You should know that only to well," you shot back.

Gojo's eyes lingered on yours. His jaw clenched, fingers digging into the hardwood of the counter. Why was he like that. Acting like you're his puppet—acting like he knows you will fall for him. But as soon as the first light of day touches the ground, he pulls away.

He broke the silence. "You should get some rest," he advised. "Don't think I'll go easy in tomorrow's training just because you're the rookie here." He began to turn away, But you weren't finished with him.

"Why did you say that to me on that day?"

He paused. His back turned to you. "I just know you."

This man's arrogance is unmatched.

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

A piercing scream shattered the tranquil pre-dawn silence. The urge to crawl back under the covers was strong, but before you could make up your mind, your bedroom door slammed open with an abrupt force.

"It's 6, training time!" Gojo, already dressed in workout attire, radiated a fierce commitment that rippled through his frame.

"What—?" Your groan, still groggy and barely coherent. Boldly, he marched over to you and yanked the covers away.

"Gojo!!!" Indignation flared as you clutched at your scanty pyjama shorts. Now exposed to his gaze. "Privacy!"

He pulled back. His face flickered with amusement. Still enshrouded in sleep, you grabbed the nearest object and flung it at the intruding teacher. Gojo effortlessly dodged the flying missile, as if he had anticipated your reaction.

"Good morning to you too."

You barely restrained yourself from throwing another object his way. Rubbing your eyes in a futile attempt to focus, you were already plotting various ways to metaphorically kill him in your mind. Clearly, he had reverted to his old childish self after his overbearing behavior the previous night.

He closed the gap and gently brushed a loose strand of hair from your face. His order delivered with a flirtatious edge. "Get ready." And, in a blink, he was gone.

What the hell.

Collapsing back onto your bed, a pillow found its way into your embrace, muffling the scream bubbling from your depths.

What's wrong with this man? 

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

What's wrong with this man? You thought. Again.

The question ran through your mind, fueling frustration and anger even as exhaustion threatened to overwhelm you. Your eyes drifted to Yuji and Nobara, equally sleep-deprived, shuffling the laps around the training ground alongside you in a semi-conscious daze. Despite Gojo's complaints of insomnia just yesterday, his current energy level stood in harsh contrast to your own lethargy. 

The sun rose, drenching the training ground in an unforgiving blaze. Heat surged through your head, and you couldn't discern whether it was due to the scorching heat or the onset of a fever. Just as you were on the brink, Gojo tossed each of you a water bottle. He grinned, as if sadistically relishing your collective exhaustion.

Yuji slumped down beside you; his weariness mirroring your own. It was evident that both of you were unaccustomed to the brutal training. Amidst the agony, a strange sense of satisfaction seeped through you as you accepted that this torment was now your daily reality.

"After a romp through the forest, we can wrap up for the day," Gojo declared. He seemed to genuinely relish watching his students push themselves to their physical limits.

"Well—" Megumi stood up, his sturdy presence cutting through the stifling heat. He brushed off his shorts before addressing you.

"Stick with me, and you won't get lost," he offered gently.

"Get lost?"

"The forest route is pretty winding. It's easy to lose track."

"Ah, got it," you replied, though you secretly doubted that a forest in the heart of Tokyo could be all that difficult to navigate. Megumi offered a hand, his smile reassuring. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Gojo's scrutinizing gaze lingering on both of you. As you shifted to meet his eyes, he quickly averted his gaze, leaving a sense of unease. Perhaps it was just your imagination. 

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

Fuck.

You were alone. Alone in the forest you thought wouldn't be that difficult to navigate. The irony.

The unexpected toll your lack of stamina took on you was something you hadn't anticipated. How much time had passed since you'd been separated from them? The nagging uncertainty clawed at you as you sank onto a fallen log beside what seemed to be a faint trail through the woods. A heavy moan escaped your lips. "Aw, hell."

"Hold on, guys!" Yuji called out, his voice echoing through the forest, as he realized your absence.

Megumi wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Where did she go?"

"The real question is, how long has she been gone?" Nobara added.

"You two keep moving forward. I'll double back for her," Megumi declared. Without hesitation, he pivoted, retracing the footprints back into the depth of the forest.

Back at the training ground, Yuji and Nobara, their expressions painted with weariness, converged with Gojo. The latter, lounging nonchalantly with a non-alcoholic cocktail perched beside him under a shady umbrella, seemed utterly pleased with himself.

"Asshole," Nobara hissed as she observed him. Yuji quickly filled Gojo in on your misadventure in the forest and Megumi's mission to find you.

"Lost?" Gojo's reply came, unexpectedly zesty as he sprang from his laid-back position. "How can you just lose someone?"

Yuji's eyebrows arched. He couldn't remember Gojo being that enthusiastic the time he got lost in the forest in his early days of training. In fact, Gojo had been seemingly unconcerned back then. He'd wandered aimlessly for hours before eventually escaping the woody maze. Now, witnessing Gojo's fervent reaction to your getting lost, it seemed oddly out of character.

Satoru rubbed the back of his head. His eyebrows furrowed. "I'll go after her."

Navigating through the dense woods—sense of direction completely lost—you aimlessly staggered on. You pondered how the hell you could get stuck in a place like this. Suddenly, a sharp crack of a twig or branch behind you ignited a spark of panic in your bloodstream. You swiveled hastily, twisting your ankle in the process, and tumbled down a slope.

"Carp, Crap, Crap!"

You felt a small stream of blood trickle down your leg, momentarily blurring your vision with discomfort.

This couldn't get any worse.

Leaning back, you assessed your situation, feeling a tidal wave of defeat sweep over you. The forest seemed endless—the amount of time you'd been wandering its dark recesses unclear. The sun, filtering its fading light through the dense leaves, slowly descended toward the horizon. Fatigue washed over you. Heat rose in your skull.

"Just a moment—," you muttered to yourself; fatigue pulling you in.

"What the hell you think you doing?" A voice—achingly familiar—sliced through your hazy awareness. Gradually, your eyes fluttered open.

It got worse.

"Gojo?" Your whisper was frail, barely a ripple in the air.

Of course. It had to be Gojo who found you in that state.

In the next instant, his hand was tenderly pressed against your forehead. His touch causing shivers running through your form as he whispered, "You're burning up."

It was only now that you realized the haze you felt was probably due to a fever setting in. You tried to downplay it. "I got lost," a pathetic excuse for your current dire straits. His eyes closed briefly, releasing a weighted sigh.

"Don't do this to me."

Before you could process his words, he quickly stripped off his jacket. He wrapped it tightly around the bleeding wound on your inner thigh. A wince escaped you as you tried to sit up, desperate to show some semblance of strength.

"I'm fine!" you gasped out. Your swift action rewarded with a searing pain radiating through your skull. At this point, you couldn't decide which was worse—the throbbing headache or the dangerously close proximity of Satoru Gojo's hands between your legs.

"I don't need your help!"

"Oh really?" Gojo's gaze held you prisoner as you strained to remain calm under his unyielding gaze. His fingers clung to your skin—a cruel proximity that made your stomach clench. "You'll have to accept help at some point."

The world seemed to blur for a split second, almost causing you to forget the position of his hands. Your lips parted, but no coherent response found its way out of your throat. A boyish smile played on his lips as he shifted his attention back to securing his jacket more tightly around your injured leg.

"Your ankle is hurt too," he observed, his tone matter-of-fact, though his eyes sparkled with a hint of amusement. It must have been quite a show for him to see you in such a vulnerable state. Weakened and wounded. Particularly after your foolish display of capability when you first met—boldly declaring that you didn't need training at his school. Looking back, it was just ridiculous.

"It must be amusing for you."

He looked at you; somewhat hurt. "Don't even think for a second that I find it amusing if you get hurt." The seriousness in his tone that made you pause.

"Let's get you home," he said after a moment. With effortless strength he lifted you into his arms, causing you to instinctively cling to his neck. As he held you, his eyes never left your face, "Are you all right?"

You nodded. However, your eyes shied away from locking with his, since that meant hovering mere inches from his face. You figured it best to avoid straight-up confronting his features, considering your entire form was already securely wrapped in his arms. Perhaps it was the fever, but you allowed your head to rest on his shoulder. You absorbed the comforting warmth he radiated after what felt like an eternity of lying on the frosty moss. His hands held you tightly, as if afraid you might slip through his fingers again. You found yourself pressed even closer to him, finding comfort in his protective embrace.

"Gojo, why—" you began, but before your words could fully form, they were abruptly interrupted by Megumi's appearance.

"Is everything okay?" His voice echoed from above the embankment.

"She's fine." Gojo's reply was swift. For a fleeting second, you thought you heard a mumbled addition, something whispered for his ears alone. "She's fine, she's with me."

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

The next thing you recalled is waking up in an unfamiliar, sterile room. The orange and red glow of the setting sun softly lit the room. As you cautiously sat up, you noticed bandages tightly wrapped around the entirety of your left ankle. Oddly, it didn't hurt, which made you suspect they must've given you some painkiller. Your slightly blurry vision somewhat confirmed that.

A soft voice cuts through your foggy consciousness, drawing your eyes to the familiar white-haired man seated next to your bed. He looks utterly exhausted. His hair disheveled. Faint dark circles underlining his eyes. You can't help but wonder if he's been sleeping right there in that chair, given the casually thrown blanket on its back.

"You're up?" he asked, his voice betraying his weariness.

"Why are you here, Gojo?"

Your question carried more seriousness than you intended. Or perhaps you intended it to be as serious as it appeared. You had wanted to draw a clear line, emphasizing that it wasn't natural for him to sleep next to you—to watch over you the whole day just because you had a fever and a few bruises.

You didn't want him doing what he was doing. You didn't want him—here. You didn't want what it was inflicting.

"Quite the greeting for your hero, don't you think?" He said with a playful smirk.

A heavy silence enveloped the room. You searched his gaze for any hint of why he was there, though deep down you already knew the answer. But you struggled with it, trying to suppress and deny the truth.

"Aren't you glad to see me?" He asked after a pause.

"Answer my question first."

A spark of amusement lit up his tired eyes—a soft chuckle escaped him.

"What?"

Still chuckling, he managed to say, "I really shouldn't be here." He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "Pathetic, right?"

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay," he eventually admitted. But you refused to accept such an obvious lie.

"That's not it—," you urged him to reveal the truth. The truth you didn't even want to hear. But somehow you couldn't stop; couldn't hold it in any longer. His raised eyebrow silently dared you to keep going.

"You shouldn't—" you began, but your voice trailed off—your courage waning. Gojo remained silent. His jaw tightened slightly. "—you shouldn't be here."

He starred at you. His gaze was both intimidating and captivating. Part of you wished to escape the intensity of his gaze, while another part craved it, yearned for his eyes to stay on you. Briefly, your eyes flickered to his lips, still curved in that enigmatic grin. You fleetingly wondered if they belonged to someone else. The thought flickered away as quickly as it came, leaving a strange knot in your stomach.

"If you tell me to leave, I'll leave," he muttered.

With a heavy sigh, he pushed himself up from the chair and in a few steps was beside your bed, sitting down next to you. His closeness enveloped you, leaving every possible answer stuck in your throat.

"Do you want me to leave?" His lips were dangerously close to yours. Your heart raced in your chest, drowning out any rational thought. His cold fingers traced a slow, shivering path along your collarbone. No. But you didn't want to give in—not to him.

"I thought you could read me like an open book?"

"I can." His eyes threatened to consume you, a dangerous desire simmering beneath them. "But I want to hear you say it."

Your pulse quickened, yet defiantly, you tilted your chin up, a subtle challenge. "I won't say it."

A wicked, almost predatory smile gradually tugged at the corners of his lips.

"Stubborn," he observed, his voice husky, layered with a desire that threatened to dissolve the very resolve holding you together. He leaned closer, the faint scent of his cologne mingling with the warmth of his breath against your skin. His lips brushed ever-so-lightly against your cheek. "I like that about you."

You inhaled sharply—a barely perceptible catch in your breath, yet you knew he noticed—he heard. Every muscle in your body was on fire, fighting to hold your resolve, refusing to collapse under the overwhelming attraction that crackled in the air, buzzing and sparking between you like a charged current.

"I won't act on those feelings unless you tell me to," he continued, his fingers now tracing a slow, torturous path across your lips.

Inside, something was screaming, Do it, just do it. But you didn't yield, stuck in your refusal to give in, especially to this arrogant man. You couldn't give him that satisfaction, even though your entire body was begging for it.

Gojo's eyes snapped into sharper focus, flashing with frustration. The unspoken challenge hanging heavy. Abruptly, he leaned back. The string of tension snapping with the motion.

"Time's up," he declared, his voice almost nonchalant. "Gotta go."

And just like that, he was slipping through the door. Your words lagging behind him, unable to reach his departing figure.

No.

Wait.

Should you feel a sense of relief now? Relieved that? Nothing happened ? Or should you have found your voice—spoken your wants?

The weight of the uncertainty bore down, unbearably so. He was gone, and the anticipation that had swelled within you slowly faded. Your hand, trembling, found your lips, as if trying to preserve the lingering essence of his proximity. Damn it. This can't be happening. You can't allow yourself to fall for your him—especially not him.

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

Sunlight peeked through the curtains, dragging you out of your dreams back into the harsh reality. You groaned, blinking against the bright morning light. Memories of last night with Gojo crept into your consciousness. Every word, every charged glance, played over in your mind. The unanswered 'what ifs' circling like vultures.

The nurse's appearance rustled you from your thoughts. After ensuring you were armed with painkillers and adorned with a stern string of warnings to prioritize rest and healing, she left you alone to battle with the thoughts that threatened to consume you. 

With Shoko inaccessible, tucked away in a meeting in Kyoto, the painkillers and rest would have to suffice, at least for now. But even a mere glance at the pill bottle sent you back into a haze.

For at least one day, you reluctantly followed the nurse's advice. Your room overlooked the school courtyard, and through the window you could see the other students practicing diligently. However, every attempt to sneak a peek over the windowsill was met with a scowl from none other than Gojo. His gaze bored into you, as if he could see through your attempts to defy the doctor's orders.

"Rest!" he shouted at you, his voice carrying a tone of authority that sent shivers down your spine. You quickly backed away from the window. Your heart pounding as you sought refuge behind the closed curtains. 

But you can't afford to rest—not fall further behind than you already are. 

Though your ankle was no longer swollen, it still hurt. So did your inner thigh injury. Still, the pain was bearable—a constant reminder of your weakness. You hated it. How pathetic you appeared compared to your peers. Damn it. You weren't here to bask in rest and recovery.

Fuck this shit.

You knew of an abandoned training room on the far east of the school grounds. That night, you made it your secret training spot to practice the movements you'd observed earlier in the day, determined not to fall behind.

It was oddly amusing. This dissonance between willingly risking your life on the line during missions and the near imprisonment in the infirmary for something as relatively minor as a sprained ankle while on school grounds. Yet, that night, your resolve was ironclad, unyielding against the sharp pain that shot through your ankle with every step.

Agian. Again. Again.

You forged ahead. Each motion meticulously crafted in a relentless pursuit of perfection. Repetition became your ally, forms executed over and over again, each one a bit sharper, a bit closer to flawless precision. Your mind drowned out everything but the training.

Yet it wasn't enough. 

Still not perfect. 

Again. 

Suddenly, the training room door burst open, slamming violently against the wall. Does this man not know how to open a door like a normal human being?

"Didn't I tell you to rest?" The voice, undeniably Gojo's, pierces the stillness.

"I can't fall behind."

Why is he even here? Is he stalking you or what?

"I told you to rest," his voice laced with anger—unfamiliar and unsettling—ricochets against the walls of the dusty room. But you didn't stop.

"That woman," he hissed. In the blink of an eye, he was standing in front of you. Your katana, paralyzed mid-swing by his unyielding grip, halts you, forcing your form into an unwanted pause.

"Gojo!"

"You're of no use to anyone injured!" Gojo's voice echoed. His grip on the katana firm but not threatening. 

The room fell into stillness.

His crystal blue eyes held yours. There was something unsettling in them. Was it anger? Concern? His gaze paused you for a moment, but anger quickly replaced it.

"Stop pretending you care about me, Gojo," you snapped.

Effortlessly, Gojo claimed the katana and tossed it aside. The metallic sound of its collision sharp in the empty air. With a single, deliberate step, he bridged the physical distance between you—a mere breath away. His proximity dangerously close.

"How can I not care," his eyes narrowed. "—especially when you look at me with those sad, pretty eyes."

"Don't act like you know my story."

"Oh, I do!" He shot back; his voice sharp. "—yours is a classic story of tragedy—a life marred by loss, seeking not vengeance against the world or its curses, but against yourself—"

"Enough!"

"—because you think you're too weak!—" His verbal onslaught persisted. "—you couldn't protect them, so now you're punishing yourself, aren't you?"

"Stop it already!"

"—you're chasing self-destruction as atonement." 

His words were finely-honed—cutting. The atmosphere crackling with each uttered syllable, neither willing to back down as emotions boiled over.

"You know next to nothing!"

"Oh love, I see it! I know it!" Gojo pressed further. "I'm trying to save you from yourself!"

Your fists clenched. "I don't need saving, especially not from you!"

You both paused to catch a breath, letting the heated argument fade away. It was as if an unspoken agreement to pause was made, and in that instant, all the stubborn resistance fell away. The tension lightened and, for a brief moment, you both let your guard down, replacing the previous anger.

"From the moment I first saw you, I knew—" Gojo's words trailed softly, barely more than a whisper. His fingers delicately swept a stray of hair from your shoulders. His touch, gentle and uncharacteristically tender.

"I knew what you were suffering," he murmured, his words torturing you, "—you had that look in your eyes that I know only too well."

You don't know me.

Your heart raced. You felt the heat of his presence on your skin—too close to your skin. You almost had to lean back to avoid feeling his breath on your lips. Silence enveloped him. His gaze anchored to yours. Longing and hesitation flickered in his eyes. 

His hand moved from your shoulder to your cheek, sending shivers cascading with every tender touch. "Those damn pretty sad eyes," he whispered. Your knees threatened to give way, the pain in your ankle dissolving into the distant consciousness.

"Satoru," you whispered, your voice barely audible as you longed for him to bridge the last inch that separated you. Your stomach tightened as the tension between you reached an unbearable peak. "What's stopping you?"

His eyes flashed, dancing between your lips and your gaze, silent desire boldly painted across his features. It was as if an invisible force anchored his focus to your mouth, a force against which he strenuously battled. A shaky exhale slipped from him. His frame visibly quivering, caught in a tangle of longing and restraint.

"I told you I won't act on these feelings unless you tell me to," he hissed against your lips. It was a breathless, heart-pounding closeness in which the warmth of your shared breaths mingled.

I can't. 

No. 

I can't. 

But you wanted to.

Fuck how bad you wanted to.

Yet, silence lingered. Your words lost—unspoken. 

But he saw it. Within the depths of your gaze, he saw your inner struggle, a silent war waged against yourself. And then he turned away. His posture stiffened, suggesting an inability or unwillingness to witness your turmoil any longer. The atmosphere changed, palpably altering the space between you both.

"I'm sorry," he began, uttering words that seemed to pain him as they spilled forth, "This is quite inappropriate of me."

Sorrow pierced your heart, acknowledging the potential of what could have been, now slipping through your fingers. His restraint cast a bitter aftertaste into the air, mingling with the still-lingering, undeniable pull that had initially drawn you together.

"Let's end this," he declared. It was a bittersweet end to a moment filled with longing, leaving you both with a lingering ache in your hearts, pondering over the alternate paths your relationship might have ventured down, given different circumstances.

"Satoru, wait—," your whisper barely tiptoed into the atmosphere, a delicate plea in its undertones. This resistance, the internal battle to admit that you want him, seemed almost a tangible pain running, threading through every fiber of your being.

"Go back to bed and rest," his words were cold. Without meeting your eyes, he turned and then left. His retreating footsteps echoed in the empty space.

He was gone. 

And yet he took something invaluable with him. It struck you then, like a relentless tide battering the coast—you were in love with him. A love you'd refused to confess, and now it was exacting its price—costing you everything. 

Now it was too late. The pain in your chest was unbearable. Your heart had become a prisoner to him, and there was nothing you could do to change that.

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

Another week passed, each day without Satoru's training sessions bringing you an unexpected sense of relief. The prospect of avoiding him had now become your silver lining, offering you a chance to breathe without the intensity of his presence bearing down on you. As you returned to the training grounds and joined your fellow teammates, you made an effort to maintain a facade of normalcy, concealing the inner conflict that still lingered beneath the surface.

Back to business.

Though it felt anything but normal. Every fiber of your being fought to avoid his gaze, to keep your distance from him as much as possible. However, given that he was your teacher, the task was almost impossible. You couldn't help but notice his every move, his every glance, the way his aura effortlessly commanded attention. 

Despite your best efforts to focus on your training, your thoughts frequently strayed to the white-haired man who had turned your world upside down. However, his ability to act as if nothing between you two had happened sliced through you more deeply than anticipated.

Megumi seemed to sense the tension surrounding you. After the training session, he took you aside, "Is something wrong?" he asked, his voice genuinely worried.

You tried to brush it off, thinking of a logical explanation. "No, it's nothing," you replied, although it was far from the truth. Being around Satoru was unbearable.

"it seems like you're not exactly at ease around Gojo?" 

You shifted uncomfortably, "No, it's not like that," you replied, although it was precisely that. Damn it, could the others already sense it? You really weren't cut out for acting. Sensing your discomfort, he took a step back, realizing he might be prying too much.

"Sorry, forget it," they said gently, snapping you out of your thoughts. "I didn't mean to pry." You offered a strained smile, but it did little to mask your feelings, and he could tell.

After a moment, he changed the subject. "Have you seen the new movie coming out this week?" he asked, shifting the conversation to a lighter topic. "I really wanted to see it, but I guess the others aren't interested," he looked a bit embarrassed, his eyes averted as he continued. "It's an arthouse movie, so I understand if you don't want to see it either—"

"Yes!" you practically shouted, surprising him and even catching yourself off guard with the overwhelming enthusiasm in your response. The sheer excitement in your answer startled him, but he couldn't hide the subtle smile that tugged at his lips.

"So, Friday night?"

You nodded with a sense of anticipation, contemplating whether this could indeed be considered a date. You undeniably liked Megumi, there was no question about it, but Satoru's lingering presence still held a significant place in your thoughts and emotions. Whatever his intentions were in asking you out, you were determined to savor the moment and use it as a welcome distraction from the ever-present specter of Satoru.

The week raced by, and the anticipation of the upcoming movie date with Megumi was a delightful respite from Satoru—or, at the very least, a fleeting escape. 

You had taken extra care in selecting your outfit for the occasion. Granted, it was just a trip to the cinema, and the dim lighting would shroud most details, but that hardly mattered. You wanted to feel pretty, if only for your own sake—and, naturally, for Megumi. Standing before the mirror, you painstakingly fine-tuned the last wisps of your hair when a message from him bathed your phone's screen in a soft glow.

"I'll be waiting outside the dormitory."

A subtle smile curved the corners of your lips as you retrieved your bag, your steps carrying you downstairs with an air of confidence. However, fate had a surprise in store for you as you descended the stairs, your world colliding with an unforeseen obstacle. 

Satoru stood mere steps below, an inscrutable barrier in your path, showing no signs of yielding. Your heart skipped a beat as your gaze locked with his, momentarily stealing your breath. You attempted to avert your eyes and continue on your way, but he remained resolute, refusing to release you from his hold. This can't be real.

"This is ridiculous, Satoru," you said, anger dripping from your voice. His arm formed an unyielding blockade, his hand clinging to the stair railing.

Raising an eyebrow, he can't suppress a slight smirk. "Oh, 'Satoru' is it?"

"Perhaps 'jerk' would be more fitting," you lock eyes with him, your stare unwavering, his smirk vanishing.

He leaned in, narrowing the gap, his words a sultry whisper against your defiance. "Stubborn as always, huh?" His eyes linger over your form, protective, possessive even. "But I can't allow you to leave with him, not looking like—this."

"Your insecurity is showing."

A silent clash of wills ensues, gazes locked in a wordless combat. How could this man have the audacity to leave you languishing in vain, only to come back, causing chaos within you once more?

"Do you really want to go—with him?" he asked, his voice suddenly soft but tinged with darkness, a tone impossible to ignore. Reluctantly, you met his gaze once more. His usually bright blue eyes now looked tired and dull. 

"Yes, I do."

"You're lying."

"I'm not," you replied, avoiding his gaze.

His grip on the railing tightened, his fingers whitening with the force of his grasp. His eyes bored into yours, unrelenting. "You can't even look me in the eye when you say that."

"What do you want from me, Satoru?"

He continued to draw nearer, his arms closing around you until you had no choice but to lean against the stair railing, seeking any distance you could find. "You know what I want" he shot back sharply, his steps closing the distance between you. You could already feel the reassuring warmth of his body, a sensation you had missed painfully. Satoru's gaze lingering on your eyes, then descending to your lips before returning to meet your gaze.

"I can't give you that, you know that."

"That's not fair," he said softly, his lips almost brushing against yours. "Why must you be the one I can't resist?" His voice trailed off. You were only centimetres away from him, and the proximity was almost unbearable. Yet you couldn't move away, trapped in the magnetic field of his presence.

A tempest of frustration swirled within, grappling with the unfairness of it all. Somehow, two souls stumbled upon each other, yet faltered at acknowledging their own feelings, straining to shroud them. Maybe it was fear, maybe something else—but why? Why did he persist, nudging you towards confession, acknowledging that undeniable something, that magnetic pull that irresistibly drew you together? He wanted your confession. But voicing it meant a point of no return, and that path was littered with trouble.

Yet, an undeniable, searing ache, an insatiable yearning, had been quietly brewing from that very first encounter. You could feel the warmth radiating from him, a bewitching heat you'd covertly longed for. His eyes, alight with a ravenous kind of wanting, delicately traced every curve and nuance of your face, engraving each detail as if to preserve it within his very being.

Then a voice called your name, like a saving grace in this moment. Megumi rounded the corner, and peripherally you perceived him, while your gaze stubbornly remained tethered to Satoru. You caught a flicker of change in Satoru's expression. And, reluctantly, he let you walk away.

You made your way towards Megumi, who was visibly stunned by the unusually intimate scene he'd stumbled upon between you and Satoru. Your heart pounded fiercely, the ghost of Satoru's warm breath still haunting your lips. "Don't ask," you uttered quickly, seizing Megumi's wrist and pulling him along with you.

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

Satoru's been absent for a stretch now, and the void, bereft of any news about him, nags at you like an itch forever just out of reach. Weeks have slipped by since that painful moment on the stairs, and his face has been absent since.

While you grapple with the suddenness of his leaving, Yuji, Nobara, and Megumi seem remarkably unbothered. To them, Satoru vanishing on some mission or another secretive undertaking is nothing new. But for you, it's a whole different story. You can't push away the persistent worry that perhaps, his departure has something to do with you.

Memories of him rewind and play back in your mind. Those eyes of Satoru, deep pools that kept their secrets well. His hair, a cascade of silver under the morning sun's tender kiss. Every detail, every secret exchange of looks, every hushed word—it all reverberates through your thoughts.

"Why didn't he take us with him?" Yuji's lament yanked you back to the here and now, his question lingering heavily in the room.

Your head tilted slightly, thoughts swirling around the question. Indeed, it's been an age since you and Satoru teamed up for a mission, especially a demanding one. Recently, your assigned missions have been relatively straightforward, almost as though fate decided you needed to be consumed with other matters—such as your personal life, which has been in a troubled state since your last encounter with the white-haired sorcerer.

"He must have his reasons," Megumi responded, his tone carrying a nuance of comprehension that only further piqued your interest about Satoru's whereabouts.

After that date—or whatever that was—you and Megumi had developed a closer friendship. The times shared together evolved into treasured recollections, and, unknowingly, Megumi became your comfort, a diversion from the turmoil that was Satoru Gojo.

The initial escape from your thoughts about Satoru proved fleeting. In the first few weeks following his disappearance, your mind relentlesslyrevolved around him, despite your best efforts to suppress those thoughts. But as the months rolled on, the fervor of your emotions began to wane. Six months down the line, memories of Satoru seemed to recede into the backdrop. However, it had become unusual for him to be absent for such prolonged periods. The school concocted various imaginative excuses for his extended disappearances, but your attention to them had long since dwindled.

In a sense, his absence became a bittersweet relief. The agony of his presence, laced with unresolved feelings and lingering tension, was replaced by a serene calm. Breathing became a little easier without his looming presence subtly permeating every moment.

"Move over!" Nobara snapped at Yuji, who was hogging more than his fair share of space in front of the bonfire. The tail end of summer was nearing, and the school had arranged a bonfire to herald the onset of autumn.

You and your squad picked a spot distanced from the main throng. As the night unfolded, the levels of alcohol imbibed seemed to surge, and it was both hilarious and slightly alarming to witness your typically stoic superiors in such an unruly condition. Especially Yuji and Nobara appeared to have delved a tad too much into their beverages, with their speech beginning to blur.

Only Megumi and you kept things a bit restrained, partly out of necessity, because someone had to keep tabs on the others. This wasn't the first time a boozy get-together might devolve into scuffles or something worse.

"Come on, have another!" Nobara slurred, trying to coax Megumi, who declined with a courteous shake of his head.

"You're no fun!" she scowled, eyeing you with your water glass. "Both of you!"

"Somebody's got to keep an eye on you, especially when you're this plastered," you responded, a hint of dutifulness in your tone, considering the lively bonfire nearby.

She took an additional gulp from her glass, mumbling to herself, "You two act like an old married couple."

The comment threw you for a loop. Were you two actually that close? The idea stuck with you, even as Yuji jumped in, your unease evidently clear. "Why don't you two go out on a date?" he blurted, suddenly turning your relationship into the new subject of discussion.

Megumi, picking up on your discomfort, stepped in. "Stop spouting nonsense. Have some water," he voiced, a twinge of irritation lacing his words.

Megumi shifted towards you, a comforting expression in his eyes. "Ignore them," he suggested, and you managed a fragile smile in thanks. He tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, but before he could, Maki wandered over, delivering news that thrust your heart into a fleeting panic.

"Did you hear that Gojo's back in town?" Maki tossed the words into the space between you, and they hung there, pulling a tangible tension down around the group.

What?

"He's back? How do you know?" Megumi asked. Maki simply shrugged, her face hinting at the confidential nature of the information. "Guess it's supposed to be a secret."

"A secret?" Yuji jumped in, his expression one of outright disbelief. "Why would his return be under wraps?" Nobara piped up with her own musings. "It's not like he's ever been one to keep things low-key."

Maki responded with a flicker of irritation. "Don't ask me, hat's just what I've heard," she retorted before making herself comfortable with the group.

A whirlwind of thoughts began to spiral in your mind. Satoru was back? For how long? Why hadn't he made his way back to school? Where in the world had he been? Anxiety flowed through your veins, your throat constricting and fingers chilling in response.

"I need to—uh, grab a drink," you mumbled, desperate for an excuse to have a minute alone to gather your thoughts, justifying your abrupt leaving. Maki released a weary sigh, and given the inebriated state of the rest, they probably didn't fully grasp your sudden shift, so you swiftly made your exit from the group.

"I'll check on her," Megumi stated, his concern readily apparent. Maki showed a practiced nonchalance as Megumi rose and trailed after you.

Distancing yourself from the bonfire's warmth, you sought seclusion away from the prying eyes and merry sounds of the gathering. Your pace quickened, almost to a fledgling run, as though trying to escape something invisible yet pervasive.

Megumi managed to catch up with you, his sturdy grip encircling your wrist gently. "Are you all right?" As you turned towards him, you couldn't quite mask the frightened look etched into your features.

"What wrong?"

"I just need some fresh air," your voice betrayed you, fluttering unsteadily. Megumi's gaze, unyielding and firm, penetrated your facade. "Don't give me that crap," he responded with unwavering firmness. "I know something went down with Gojo."

Your heartbeat staggered, skipping its rhythmic pace momentarily. He knew? But to what extent? Panic began swelling within your chest. "No, all's good," you stammered, your voice fluttering like a lone leaf caught in a tempest. 

Megumi's eyes softened, his breath escaping in a sharp exhale. "You want to see him?" His words, a gentle whisper, hovered in the chilly air between you.

"See him?" Confusion replaced your fear. The possibility hadn't even occurred to you, and you wondered what Megumi was alluding to.

"I knew he was back since yesterday. I didn't tell you because I had no idea what was going on." 

Your eyes lingered on him, unable to process the flood of thoughts and feelings this revelation had unleashed. It had been an eternity since you'd laid eyes on Satoru, since his voice had caressed your ears, or you'd shared words with him. The mere inkling of his return rendered you motionless. 

"You don't need to spell it out. It's not my place," Megumi continued, infusing empathy into his voice. "I'll slide you his address. You navigate from there."

With a swift glance at his phone, Megumi dispatched a message to you, delivering the address.

"Why are you doing this for me?"

"You're my friend," he declared briefly, his gaze steadfast, anchoring into your eyes. "You matter to me."

Megumi.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

You took a heartbeat to contemplate, then gently shook your head. "No, I'll be fine," you affirmed. Megumi responded with a supportive grin. "But I'll give him hell if he hurt you again," he appended, a speck of protective fervor dancing in his tone. It was enough to coax a small, genuine chuckle from you, "Thank you."

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

The rain was relentless, pouring down like a deluge. The campfire must have gone out long ago, you thought as you followed the route through the downpour on your smartphone. Strands of wet hair clung to your face despite your best efforts to brush them away. You barely noticed the cold rain, your mind focused on one thing—Satoru Gojo.

Finally, you arrived at a massive building in the heart of Tokyo. You entered the large lobby of the new building and searched for Satoru's name in the elevator directory. "At the top, then," you muttered to yourself. It struck you that Satoru must have had considerable wealth to afford an apartment in such a prime location, let alone the penthouse.

The lift ride to the top took only a few seconds, but it felt like an agonising eternity. Doubts and fears swirled inside you. Was he even there? What if he didn't want to see you? But now it was too late—the lift doors slid open and at the end of the corridor you saw his nameplate on the wall. With every ounce of courage you could muster, you pressed the doorbell and brushed the wet strands of hair from your face. Moments later, the door swung open, revealing the person you had both longed for and tried to forget.

"Why are you all wet?" the white-haired man asked.

"It's raining," you replied curtly, water droplets glistening on your clothes. Satoru stepped aside and let you in.

"Didn't bring an umbrella?" his question was coupled with a playful smirk as he lobbed a towel in your direction. You caught it, the soft fabric a comforting presence in your hands.

"As if that's what you want to know right now," you countered, emotions churning violently within, far more overwhelming than the rain that had soaked you to the bone.

Standing in the middle of the living room, you could hardly believe the breathtaking view that stretched before you. The massive glass walls offered a panoramic view of more than half of Tokyo. It felt like the perfect place for tourists to view the city from above, although you couldn't begin to imagine the astronomical rent for such an apartment.

Satoru walked around the sofa and sat down, his casual posture a sharp contrast to the tense atmosphere enveloping the room. Lost in the mesmerizing scenery beyond the window, you hadn't noticed that you had been silent for a while. It was he who disrupted it, his voice laced with a teasingly sarcastic undertone. "It's quite inappropriate for a student to bother his teacher in private at home."

"Bother?" You swiveled towards him, an amused twinkle flickering in your gaze. "Certainly. You appear immensely busy, lounging in your sweatpants with chips on your table," you retorted, a playful smirk playing on your lips.

"Unbelievably busy," Satoru shot back, his voice steeped in irony as he leisurely strolled to join you by the window. "In fact, I have been busy avoiding you." The room sank back into an imposing silence, its weight suffocating within the dimly illuminated space.

"Where have you been?" Your inquiry cut through the stillness.

"Were you not planning to take your anger out on me?" Satoru responded, sidestepping your question with ease.

"I am."

Satoru lingered just a step behind you, hands casually tucked into his sweatpants, eyes gazing over the rain-soaked vastness of Tokyo beyond the window. His sheer proximity seemed to suffocate, pressing an invisible weight against your chest.

"I'm so damn angry at you," your admission hung vulnerably in the space between you, your thoughts racing. "And I'm terrified of getting hurt even more."

"Why are you here, then?" His voice was a bare whisper, coarse and soft.

"You know exactly why I'm here," your tone, wavering between resolve and vulnerability, filled the room, "—you've always been able to read me like a book, remember?"

"I know," Satoru replied, and silence enveloped the room once more. It was a kind of silence that, curiously, didn't breed discomfort. Rather, it served as a relief from the bottled up pain you both held, a momentary escape from the heartache of the past, even though confronting it was inevitable. 

His eyes anchored themselves on you. Meanwhile, your eyes lingered on the sprawling city below, watching as rain painted everything with a glossy sheen. You broke the silence first, "I've missed you," each word cut your throat like blades.

"I did the same as you," Satoru finally broke the silence. "—find someone else." His words lingered, offering an unwanted reality for you to digest.

"And how'd that play out for you?"

"Well, here I am, ain't I?" Satoru's retort was playful yet drenched in self-mockery as he took another step towards you, his form casting a looming shadow over you, his breath whispering across your shoulder.

"I realized, after cycling through all those faces, it was your damn face I was searchin' for in every one of them," he confessed, his voice low, burdened with a self-loathing that gripped his words. Exhaling a deep sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair, agitation palpable in his every move. "How messed up is that—"

"Why did it have to end like this?" you wondered aloud, more to yourself, to him, or to the universe, demanding no specific answer.

"Why?" His gaze drifted. "Suppose I'm just a damn coward."

"You're right," your agreement was blunt, unsparing. "So, you're you done with that?"

"Done with what?" Satoru's asked, fingers gently trailing down the side of your neck, causing a cascade of shivers down your spine. In that electrified stillness, the warmth of Satoru's breath against your skin sending a rush of conflicting emotions through you. The proximate intimacy—all too much yet not enough at the same time.

"—done running away,'" you said firmly, turning to face him. His ice-blue eyes locked with yours, burrowing into you with a force that seemed poised to shatter your very core. It had been so long since you had been this close to him, yet it felt instantly right, as if you had never really been apart.

"This is gonna get us into a lot of trouble," he whispered, a solitary finger delicately tracing the contour of your lower lip.

"Don't care," you said, the yearning for that long-overdue kiss evident in your eyes.

"We might catch hell at school for this," he warned, his tone half teasing, half serious, as if trying to persuade you to reconsider your actions. But having walked half of Tokyo under a weeping sky, retreat was not an option. Your heart ached for the kiss you'd craved, the flavor of his lips that had lingered in your dreams.

"I couldn't care less," you breathed out, the sound of your voice almost lost beneath the thunderous beating of your own heart. Satoru's gaze locked with yours, a magnetic pull that left your breath hitching in your chest. His lips, tantalizingly close to yours, promised the allure of a kiss forbidden. Every ounce of reason told you to pull back, to resist the gravitating force between you and Satoru Gojo, yet resistance was futile.

"So, say it," his voice, a commanding whisper. He needed your confirmation, your expressed desire as the only thing capable of holding him back from giving into the longing. He needed to hear you voice your want for him.

"I've wanted you, Satoru—," you breathed, your whisper brushing his lips, "—since the first moment I saw you."

Satoru grinned as he leaned forward, his eyes locked with yours. "What are you doing to me?" he whispered, his voice barely more than a heated murmur before his lips crushed against yours, a teasing promise of what was to come. You felt your heart racing, your body responding to his closeness, the intensity of his gaze. The world seemed to disappear around you, leaving only the two of you in this charged moment.

Satoru's kiss was desperate, a clash of lips and tongues that spoke of a hunger that had been denied for too long. It was a release of all the pent-up feelings that had simmered between you, a passionate declaration of desire mixed with a deep affection that could no longer be ignored.

Satoru's strong fingers closed around your neck, the touch both commanding and intimate, sending a shiver down your spine. With his other hand, he pressed your hip firmly against him, his desire evident in the way his body pressed against yours.

You struggled to catch your breath, the intensity of his kisses leaving you breathless and yearning for more. But in that moment, you found a strange and exhilarating solace in the overwhelming passion that had enveloped you. If this was how it was going to end, if you were going to suffocate in his kisses, it would be a beautiful, evil death, you thought. His lips devoured yours, and as you gasped for breath between heated kisses, you realised that surrendering to this powerful attraction was inevitable.

"You have no idea how long I've waited for this," he confessed, his voice a deep, sensual murmur that sent tingles running along your spine.

Satoru's words hung in the air, heavy with anticipation as he gasped, his breath warm against your ear. His dark eyes bored into yours, a storm of desire and longing swirling within them. The tension in the room crackled with an electric energy and you could feel the magnetic pull between you and Satoru, a force neither of you could resist.

He turned you gently, his fingers grazing your skin like a whisper, and pressed you firmly against the cold windowpane. The cityscape outside seemed to blur as your heart raced in response to the sudden intensity of his touch. Satoru's hands moved from the window to your waist, his touch setting your skin on fire as he pulled you closer, his body pressed against yours, moulding to your contours.

Satoru's touch was both insistent and gentle as he used a firm grip on your hair to tilt your head back, exposing the vulnerable curve of your neck to his relentless kisses. Your breath caught and a sensual moan escaped your parted lips as the soft, heated caress of his mouth traced a trail of fire across your sensitive skin. Your body responded instinctively, seeking his warmth and closeness, pressing against him.

As his lips worked their magic on your neck, you felt a fierce desire build between you, a pull that defied all reason. His hands moved, fingers intertwining with yours, still pressed tightly against the cool window. The contrast between the cold glass and the searing heat of his touch only added to the intensity of the moment.

His body pressed against yours and you could feel the undeniable evidence of his desire, an exciting bulge rubbing against you, sending waves of desire through your body.

Every touch, every kiss, every movement heightened the tension between you and Satoru, a palpable electricity sizzling in the air. The forbidden allure of the moment was intoxicating and you found yourself completely lost in the whirlwind of passion that had swept you both away, knowing that there was no turning back from the depths of desire that had been unleashed.

"Satoru," you moaned, your voice a breathless plea as he tightened his grip around your throat, a mixture of desire and surrender in your eyes. His fingers slid sensuously along your lips, igniting a simmering fire within you that threatened to consume your very being. The growing heat in your body seemed to tear you apart, your every nerve alive with desire. You craved more, yearned for it with an intensity that shook you to your core. For so long you had imagined what it would feel like to be kissed by him, but now that it was happening you couldn't get enough.

In a desperate burst of passion, you broke free of his grip and turned to face him. Despite your determination, he, a head taller and undeniably stronger, effortlessly pinned you back against the window once more. The cool glass pressed against your overheated skin as he pulled you into another rough, consuming kiss, leaving you no room to assert control.

Your fingers instinctively clawed at his shirt, feeling the taut muscles beneath the thin fabric as you gasped for air, the world outside the window a distant blur as your senses were drowned in a whirlwind of sensations and emotions. The fierce urgency of your encounter heightened the tension between you and Satoru, making every stolen moment together an electrifying, unforgettable experience.

His gaze bored into your soul, searching for any hint of surrender, while your heart raced in response to his closeness. You knew that surrendering to him meant losing yourself in the whirlwind of passion that seemed to follow him like a magnetic force, but you were determined not to let go of the reins just yet.

With a gentle but firm push, you held him at arm's length, your hand pressed firmly against his chest. He stared at you, his eyes filled with a mischievous gleam that made your knees tremble. Gojo Satoru was a master at this game of desire and he knew exactly how to keep you on edge.

"Afraid?" he hissed, his voice a seductive melody that sent shivers down your spine. His fingers danced slowly down your arm, teasing your skin as they went. "Or are you just testing how much control you have over me?"

You swallowed hard, trying to regain your composure as he peeled off his shirt with unhurried grace, revealing a chiseled chest that was a masterpiece of temptation.

The tension between you and Satoru escalated as you approached him. "Afraid of you?" you whispered. With a subtle yet bold move, you pushed him backwards, causing him to stumble and fall onto the sofa behind him. "—afraid that you might enjoy it too much to resist," he huffed.

The seconds felt like hours as you held your ground, resisting the magnetic pull that was Gojo Satoru. His grin only deepened, his eyes sparkling with a playful challenge. You couldn't help but admire the confidence he exuded, even as your own resolve wavered.

"Are you?" you hissed, sitting down on his lap. His surprise at your assertiveness only increased the tension between you, but he didn't utter a word of protest, allowing you to straddle his desire-fuelled anticipation.

"God, you're going to be the death of me," Satoru moaned, his breath hitching with every languid up and down movement you made. Satoru surrendered to the overwhelming pleasure, his head falling back as he closed his eyes, savouring every moment of your tantalising touch. His strong hands traced the contours of your body, stoking the fire between you, and soft, uncontrollable moans slipped past his parted lips as you pressed harder against him.

Satoru's gaze met yours, his eyes smoldering with desire as you moved your hips teasingly around his eager shaft.

"I can't hold back any longer," he moaned, his voice filled with longing. "Let me fuck you already."

In response to his passionate plea, you silenced him with a deep, soulful kiss, and that was all the permission he needed. Satoru's hands found your waist and with a swift, intense motion he flipped you onto your back, his powerful presence now towering over you, ready to consume the fierce desire that had built up between you.

Your wrists were locked firmly in his grip, held securely above your head as he pressed your chest against his. His skilled fingers wasted no time in finding their way to your trousers. With a single, purposeful motion, he unfastened them and slid them down, exposing the smoldering passion that had been hidden beneath.

Sator's desire surged with each passing moment, his excitement intensifying as he meticulously, almost agonisingly, traced circles with his skilled fingers over the damp fabric of your underwear. His breath caught at the sight of your outrageous pleasure, his eyes growing increasingly intense.

"I want you so badly," Satoru whispered huskily, his lips trailing along your body, heading south. "Satoru, please," you begged, your voice shaking with frustration. The air was thick with anticipation and you couldn't stand the relentless tension any longer.

But he remained maddeningly patient, his eyes locked with yours, an enigmatic smile playing on his lips. His fingers trailed along the edge of your underwear, tugging teasingly at the fabric before finally relenting and pulling it aside. Your breath caught in your throat as he leaned closer, his hot breath sending shivers through your body.

"Not yet," he murmured, his voice a seductive promise before his lips fell on your throbbing core. A gasp escaped your lips as his tongue met your most sensitive spot and a moan followed as he began a slow, painful exploration.

The sensations were exquisite, his tongue moving languidly, each flick sending waves of pleasure through you. The world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of you locked in a passionate dance. He began agonisingly slowly, tracing delicate patterns with his tongue that made you arch your back in sweet torment.

As the intensity increased, so did the urgency in your moans. His pace quickened, his movements more fervent, matching the wild rhythm of your own desire. You writhed beneath him, lost in the electrifying connection, your pleas for release growing more desperate as you stood on the brink of an explosive climax.

Satoru's gaze remained fixed on you, his dark eyes burning with desire as he continued to tease you relentlessly, just as eager to drive you to the brink of release.

With every passionate moan that escaped your lips, he couldn't resist any longer. He decided he wanted to be the one to push you over the edge. Two fingers slid inside you, one after the other, causing you to gasp sharply. Your tight, wet heat clenched around his penetrating digits and he couldn't help but moan at the sensation.

"You're so hot," he whispered huskily, his fingers expertly exploring the depths of your desire. He knew exactly where to touch, where to press and how to drive you wild.

His tongue continued its tantalising dance around your swollen clit, his warm breath fanning over your sensitive flesh. The combined assault of his mouth and fingers sent waves of pleasure through your body, building your arousal to a fever pitch. As he slid his fingers along the intimate contours inside you, he zeroed in on that sweet spot that made you arch your back and cry out his name.

"Not yet," he whispered, his breath hot against your clit, sending a shiver down your spine. His lips brushed lightly across your skin as he moved up to you again. Your senses were on fire with desire, your body aching for him.

He reached for something on the coffee table, his movements confident and purposeful. With a quick motion he pulled down his sweatpants, revealing the loose boxers that barely hid his growing erection. The sight of him, so close yet teasingly out of reach, sent a surge of desire through you.

You wanted him with a desperation you didn't know was possible. The circumstances were complicated, teacher and student, a forbidden union that promised trouble. But in this moment, none of that mattered. You were lost in the intensity of your desire, unable to resist the magnetic pull between you.

As your thoughts swirled with the forbidden nature of your liaison, you failed to notice that Satoru had already wrapped himself in a condom and was now positioned at your entrance.

"We can stop anytime," he panted, his voice thick with desire, his dark eyes locked on yours. It was a feeble offer, given the point of no return you'd already reached, but you chose not to respond with words. Instead, you pulled him closer, your lips meeting in a fervent, hungry kiss. It was a passionate affirmation, your answer to his unspoken question.

Satoru seemed to enjoy your reaction and without further hesitation he thrust into you with an urgency that left you gasping for breath. His entry was swift and unyielding, and there was no time to get used to his size. You moaned his name as he pulled you tightly against him, the sensation of his body merging with yours overwhelming your senses.

The intimacy of the moment enveloped you both as he held you in his arms, his thrusts driven by a hunger that had been building for what seemed like an eternity. His moans mingled with yours, a symphony of desire that filled the room as he thrust deeper and harder, as if he'd been longing for this moment for years.

Satoru's snow-white hair cascaded around his face, obscuring his eyes as he continued his relentless rhythm. His forehead pressed gently against yours, and his fingers intertwined with yours as he quickened his pace. You couldn't help but wrap yourself around him, the pleasure overwhelming you as you arched your back off the sofa.

"God," Satoru's desperate moans filled the air, his voice a fervent plea as he plunged deeper into you. His lips sought comfort against your neck, a primal instinct to muffle his own cries of pleasure.

As the heat between you and Satoru increased, you could feel how close you were— and how close he was. He could feel it too, grabbing your jaw with one hand and forcing you to look up at him. To look at him as you came around him. And so did he. You could feel him pouring his load into you, feel the tension release from both of you and fuck did it feel good.

Satoru let go of your jaw and exhaled heavily, "Fuck," he breathed out before his lips curved into a cocky grin. He backed away from you and slowly pulled his length out of you.

He looked at you with those piercing, stormy eyes, a mischievous gleam hidden in their depths. His chest rose and fell with each heavy breath, a testament to the forbidden passion that had ignited between you. A mischievous smile played on his lips as he whispered, his voice laced with danger, "You're really getting me into trouble."

You struggled to catch your breath, your heart pounding in your chest as you tried to organise the chaotic whirlwind of emotions swirling around you. Yes, he was your teacher, and while the consequences of this illicit rendezvous loomed in the back of your mind, you couldn't deny the overwhelming pull that drew you closer.

In the hazy aftermath, you found yourself staring at him through heavy-lidded eyes, his piercing, icy blue gaze locked with yours. "As if you're going to follow rules," you teased, your voice barely above a whisper as you tried to regain your composure.

Satoru couldn't help but chuckle, a deep, seductive sound. "You're right about that," he admitted, his voice laced with a dangerous edge that sent a thrill through you. His hand reached out to brush a stray strand of hair from your face, his fingers tracing a tantalising path along your skin. You knew you were playing with fire, but at that moment you couldn't bring yourself to care.

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

You awoke in the middle of the night, your heart still racing. The room was shrouded in shadows, but your senses were sharply aware of the man lying beside you in bed—Satoru Gojo. With the utmost caution, you slipped from under the sheets, your every movement seemingly unnoticed by his tranquil form. Moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a faint glow on his chiseled features. Satoru appeared to be in a deep sleep as you made your way to the kitchen.

You grabbed a glass and filled it with water, thinking about how you'd ended up here. The living room, still in disarray from your heady night, served as a reminder of what had happened just hours before. You hadn't bothered to tidy up—it was as if you'd left a trail of your intimacy for everyone to see. Your smartphone interrupted your thoughts, the screen flashed with a message from Megumi.

"Everything okay? You with Gojo?"

A tender smile played on your lips as you replied, "I'm fine. I'm with Satoru."

His reply came swift, "I'm glad you're safe," warming a little corner of your heart with its sincerity.

Megumi, with his soft and ever-supportive nature, was like a comfy pillow that was always there. Even though he might've not been the biggest fanof your whole situation with Satoru, he stuck around, always keeping an eye out for you.

You tiptoed back into the bedroom, chilly nighttime breezes whispering in through the open window. Satoru didn't stir, lost deep in his dreams. The thing between you and Gojo Satoru was like this wild, magnetic pull, ticking and tocking, drawing you in closer, second by second.

However, underneath the gentle glow of the moon, spilling into the quiet room, you wondered: just how much more wild and heady could this secret thing between you two get? Thoughts about what's next cast long shadows across your mind, but you shushed them for now. Tomorrow might be a day for doubts and facing the consequences, but tonight, tonight was all yours.

next chapter ->

[squishmallow36]

It's all I wish to hear tonight, and you're all I wish to be, and this is how we all fall - Chapter one

Summary: It's the Garvar fic! Wdym you want a summary? It's a retelling of the first chapter of kotlc from Garwin's pov. That's--that's pretty much it. We do have them interact which is pretty nice. There will be more loosely connected chapters to come but I don't know how many or how they'll turn out. Word count: 2730

TW: swearing, drug mention, mentions of kidnappings and murder in relation to the Sophie/Fitz interaction

Taglist (lmk if you want to be added/removed!): @stellar-lune @gaslight-gaetkeep-gayboss @kamikothe1and0lny @nyxpixels @florida-preposterously @poppinspop @uni-seahorse-572 @solreefs @remember-me-in-another-time @rusted-phone-calls @when-wax-wings-melt @good-old-fashioned-lover-boy7 @dexter-dizzknees @abubble125 @hi-imgrapes @callum-hunt-is-bisexual @xanadaus @callas-pancake-tree @hi-my-name-is-awesome @katniss-elizabeth-chase @arson-anarchy-death. Also @frogs-and-flowers-and-faeries @camelspit you two seemed interested

On AO3 (only to registered users because y'know, AI) or below the cut

   If there’s one thing universally agreed upon by high schoolers, it’s this: field trips are fun. Or at least they should be, in theory. 

    Instead of being locked in a classroom for eight hours a day, you get to go outside, cause some havoc, you know, the usual. 

    Your other teachers end up being nice because you cried to them that between all your classes and this field trip, you need an extra week on that paper that you’ve had assigned for three months and you haven’t started and is due tomorrow for a reason. 

    And, most of the time, as an extra bonus, you learn absolute jack shit. 

    The only problem arises when the teacher that is taking you on the trip seems to forget that part and forces you to actually pay attention with the threat of a quiz, and knowing him, he’s going to make it absolutely horrendous. 

    Yes, dinosaurs are badass but having to listen to your teacher read the plaques out loud makes gouging your eyes out seem like a good course of action. 

    Are we completely sure the teachers here have a 100 percent literacy rate? Garwin wonders, rolling his eyes as Sweeney struggles through another scientific name. I mean, knowing this school system, it would not surprise me. 

    There’s a couple of nerds taking notes but honestly there’s no chance. If there is a quiz, it’ll be the type of thing that’s “What year, exactly, did the cretaceous era end?” And the multiple choice options will all be around that 66 million years ago mark ingrained in everyone’s soul but you have to remember that science was able to determine the meteor fell on a Thursday and from that you have to extrapolate what the date would have been. 

    Can a meteor fall on us this today Thursday? That’d be great. No more AP exams.  

    And yeah, AP classes are supposed to have a curve, but with that little photographic memory of Dophie’s only half paying attention and half listening to MCR so loud it can be heard from three miles away, she’s gonna get a perfect score. 

    Case in point: Sweeney finally hears Gerard screaming and catches onto the fact that Sophie is completely ignoring his existence, per usual. 

    “Miss Foster!” He yanks her earbuds out by the cords. “Have you decided that you’re too smart to pay attention to this information?”

    Well, she can probably legit get a zero on the final and still carry a 93 in the class. So I’d probably say the answer is yes. I think we all know that little smartass corrects Sweeney on a daily basis. 

    Between the typos and the shit he gets plain wrong, it was entertaining to see him flounder at the beginning of the year, but at this point she doesn’t seem to grasp the idea that everyone’s given up on the lost cause of a man. 

    This entire class has all had to suffer through more school than she’s been alive. Other than the dumbass sophomores in the class. But it wouldn’t be surprising to find out they were smoking weed in the back of class for a “science experiment.” 

    Ah, the things you can get away with in AP Enviro Science and a teacher that doesn’t care. Except about the toddler in his class who listens to music but hey. Maybe he’s insecure because he’s stupid and he has to maintain control over some aspect of his life.  

    Sophie mumbles something, denying it as she attempts to retract into her shell like a turtle. Unfortunately, humans don’t usually come with a shell, so she isn’t very successful. 

    “Then perhaps you can explain why you were listening to your iPod instead of following along?” Sweeney dangles the headphones in front of her as she rips out an eyelash. 

     Now, Garwin may have only gotten a 2 on the AP Psych exam last year because he only paid attention half the time because those daily quizzes were ass, but that doesn’t seem like the healthiest of coping mechanisms. 

    Sophie simply stares at the ground to pretend like Sweeney isn’t harassing her. 

    “Since you’ve decided you’re above this lecture, why don’t you give it?” Sweeney asks, gesturing to the definitely-accurate reconstruction of an orange hadrosaur. “Explain to the class how the Lambeosaurus differs from the other dinosaurs we’ve studied.”

    You see, one of these was the Pteranodon family’s neighbor on Dinosaur Train. Larry Lambeosaurus was an endless pit that never seemed to fill with food, much like the average teenager. Unlike the average teenager, however, this may have something to do with his diet of tree and its caloric density, or lack thereof. 

    Instead of listening to Sophie rattle off dinosaur facts learned from a lifetime of being a fucking nerd, Garwin chooses to look at literally anything else for some scrap of entertainment. 

    Like, for example, the Albertosaurus. And imagining it coming to life and eating everybody à la Jurassic Park. That would be fun. 

    Sweeney gets increasingly pissed off as she keeps going. He really should’ve learned long ago to not challenge her ‘cause it ain’t gonna go well for him. He mutters something under his breath, and turns to go to the next increasingly stupid dinosaur. 

    Actually, Garwin takes that back. The dinosaurs themselves aren’t stupid. It’s the whole idea of having to get dragged to a place to forcefully learn about them instead of actually studying for the AP exam in less than two weeks. Not that he actually cares about that though. 

    “Nice job, superfreak,” he says to Sophie as she stands helplessly in the middle of the walkway. He pushes past her in an effort to appear engaged enough to not get another detention. “Maybe they'll write another article about you. 'Child Prodigy Teaches Class About the Lame-o-saurus.’”

    Garwin’s gaze lands on someone reading the newspaper with Sophie’s face plastered across it. Yeah, the guy’s kinda cute with dark hair and teal eyes flicking up at Sophie ever so often…but, like, he’s probably freshman-ish years old and that’s kinda weird in the middle of the school day, not gonna lie. 

    And he isn’t in this class, that’s for sure. So he’s probably ditching. Kind of a dumb move to ditch and then go to a museum but hey. That’s his life choice and it’s not Garwin’s fault it’s stupid. 

    Garwin rolls his eyes as he moves into the next room. The desire to cause large amounts of property damage by climbing up the statues is immense, but, alas, one cannot succumb to temptation. 

    Their resident curvebuster doesn’t follow, and, honestly, that is a choice. Maybe if she gets eaten by a dinosaur or kidnapped with the guy pulling a Ferris Bueller, this class might know peace once again. 

    A not-small part of him could not give less of a shit if she disappears suddenly, and another not-small part of him can’t help but see the advantages. Maybe then we won’t all fail the class. It’s not like San Diego City College is going to miss her. Chances are, she’ll be the same to her unfortunate classmates there. 

    As the group shuffles around a reconstruction of a Triceratops, Sweeney begins droning on and on and on and on about the different types of ceratopsians, and it’s a damn fucking shame the one with three horns became famous instead of, like, the Kosmoceratops. 

    That fucker’s got fifteen horns and it’s common knowledge that an animal’s coolness is exponentially correlated with number of things that it has that can kill you. 

    In order to quell the rising tide of complete and total apathy, Garwin once again begins the search for something--anything--interesting to occupy his time.

    And don’t you know it? There’s a hot guy hiding in a corner trying desperately not to be seen. 

    Between him and the kid reading the newspaper in the other room, something weird is definitely going down. So the obvious course of action is to walk up to the guy and see what’s up. Maybe even flirt a little. As soon as he can escape from Sweeney’s torture chamber, that is. 

    In the meantime, Garwin can still stare at him. He has dark hair gelled to perfection and light blue eyes. His eyelashes are visible from this massive distance away, so they must be super long and therefore super hot. Garwin’s fingers ache to trace his sharp square jaw and his skin is a light tan with a dusting of freckles for good measure. 

    In short, he’s absolutely fucking gorgeous. 

    He’s way too far to be certain, but he kind of does look like newspaper boy…for reasons that are as of right now indescribable other than sheer vibes. 

   And he’s wearing a black batman sweatshirt--a foolish decision on a partially sunny day such as today--that hangs in such a way to suggest he’s got some muscles hiding beneath it. 

    The world would be improved in many ways if that sweatshirt was a little less on.

    Then, suddenly, by some miracle, some grace of god, Sweeney lets them explore for themselves. An argument could be made that he realized that no one was paying attention, but the more likely case is that he got tired of teaching and is now allowing them the slightest sliver of freedom to maximize his own laziness. 

    Garwin floats over to the guy in the corner as nonchalantly as possible as his traitorous heart is doing backflips in his chest. He was tall from a distance, but he’s even taller up close. 

    “Hey,” he says. Hey? Hey? That’s the most creative thing you could come up with? A cheesy pickup line would be better at this point.  

    “Hey yourself.” Guy-in-the-corner says with the slightest hint of a smirk. “I’m Alvar, what’s your name?”

    Garwin is almost too distracted by Alvar’s thick accent--almost British, but somehow crisper--to remember his own name. “I’m Garwin. It’s nice to meet you.”

    “Do you really think they looked like that?” Alvar asks. “The dinosaurs, I mean. It’s a little absurd, isn’t it?” 

    “Would you rather have the nerd answer or do you want the smartass answer?” Garwin replies. 

    “Who says I don’t want both?”

    “Ah. Well then. The nerd answer is that at least some of them should have feathers. They are the ancestors to birds, after all. The fact that none of them do is a little yikes. And as for my other answer, I’m not a paleontologist, but,” Garwin points to a fossilized sauropod…or at least a skeleton of one that may or may not be real, “that one might be a tad bit skinny.”

    Alvar laughs, a glorious sound. His eyes wander away from studying Garwin, focusing out of the room, landing on Sophie fucking Foster. 

    Ah, yes. First she gets into Yale without even trying and now she’s gained the attention of multiple people which depending on the intentions could be really fucking creepy. She’s literally twelve. This is complete and utter bullshit. 

    “Is that the kid on the front of the newspaper today?”

    “Yeah,” Garwin replies bitterly. 

    Alvar makes a thoughtful sound and looks back at Garwin, who has begun leaning against the wall. Yes, there’s a plastic fern between them but you do what you can. 

    “Come on, Fitz. Don’t be a total dumbass,” Alvar whispers as newspaper boy--Fitz--begins to step away from Sophie.  

    A swarm of kindergarteners barreled into the exhibit, nearly knocking both Sophie and Fitz off their feet. They hold their heads in their hands like their brains are physically getting stabbed and when they make eye contact again, Sophie watches Fitz in fear. 

    Why that is, Garwin can’t tell, but there’s something in Alvar’s expression that seems like he suspects something, and Garwin would give anything--except a full ride scholarship to Yale--to know what he does. 

    In the time Garwin spends studying Alvar’s features for clues and getting lost in his eyes, Sophie has magically disappeared. Fitz swears, probably loud enough to be heard all the way at the zoo across the street, as he runs after her. 

    Alvar rolls his eyes. “Life choices. Do I run after my dumbass of a brother or do I leave him be? Decisions, decisions,” he asks himself. 

    What the fuck? 

    Garwin looks back at Alvar to find him already watching him. “Would you like me to go tell Sweeney or just…let her skip class?” And probably get murdered just a little bit. 

    It takes a good few seconds for him to process this request. “Eh, I’m sure he’ll notice sooner or later.”

    Oh my fucking god this guy is fucked up. I don’t like Sophie, but I’d rather she not get kidnapped.

    …Is it bad that he's still hot?

        “Why the fuck are you two harassing Sophie?” The question comes out more forcefully than Garwin intends, but not enough to walk it back. 

    “That is one very long story and I don’t think you’d believe half of it. But let’s see--how simplified can I get this?” He pauses, formulating. “We’ve basically got a switched at birth situation going on here except we don’t exactly know who her actual parents are and well that’s a whole thing that I’d rather not get into right now. Also we don’t know if she’s actually the kid we’re looking for. And by we I mean mostly our dad but he isn’t here right now because he figured it would be less creepy for us to stare at children than he would be. And then Fitzy over there doesn’t know I’m here for extensive and even more complicated reasons. And he wasn’t supposed to interact with her. Problems all around.”

    Garwin considers this explanation for a moment. On the one hand, it leaves him with more questions than answers, and on the other hand, he doesn’t really care enough to ask for further elaboration. 

    “Just don’t murder Sophie. I don’t need to see her on the front cover of the newspapers that should already be obsolete two days in a row,” he decides. 

    Alvar smiles. His teeth are brilliantly white, and it’s ever so slightly crooked in such a perfect way that makes it seem practiced. His cobalt eyes fix Garwin to the spot as they turn toward each other. 

    “And, um, before I go, I do immensely apologize if I’m reading this wrong, but would you like to go out with me sometime?”

    “Why the hell else do you think I wandered over here? Absolutely.” 

    Instead of giving Garwin his phone number like a normal person by writing it on a sticky note or the back of his hand with a sharpie that doesn’t come off for a week or just directly typing it into their phone, Alvar comes equipped with a stack of business cards. 

     And honestly, it’s not even that surprising. Like, yes, he’s only known the guy for a grand total of fifteen minutes, but that tracks with what he knows so far…which isn’t much. But it still counts. Bitch. 

    Garwin smiles. “I’ll call you and set up details when I can look at my calendar and I’m not already busy with club meetings and shit.”

    “Sounds good.” 

    After a short pause, Alvar opens his mouth to say something else, but he’s interrupted by Sweeney’s nasal whining before he gets the chance. 

    Garwin rolls his eyes. “I guess I should get back to the fucked up reality that is the American school system. See you later.” 

    “Bye,”  Alvar replies, smiling. 

    Garwin makes his way back to the class reforming around Sweeney like a slime mold, taking his sweet time to not seem too eager to be going back to the hellhole that is occasionally referred to as a school but not dicking around so much he gets left, as making his way back there himself would be mildly inconvenient. 

    And we can’t have that, now, can we?

    Garwin looks back into the corner to sneak one more glance at the indescribably attractive boy who has for some reason asked him out only to find that he’s nowhere to be found. 

    Was he just a figment of my imagination?

    Garwin checks his back pocket, hissing as the sharp edges of a business card leave him with a paper cut. 

    Guess that solves that mess. 

    Now if only all the world’s problems could be solved so easily, we’d be onto something. 

[bookwyrminspiration]

Mat gets all my love and kindness!! I will never understand how he does the things that he does /pos

Also I just found out what /lh means!! I was so confused whenever you used it so I finally looked it up and 'Light-hearted' makes so much more sense whatever I was reading it as

I will give Matt all the hug gifs I can find if I ever get into contact with him, and that is a promise

Hahahaha i am in the middle of them if I'm guessing what finals are!! We just have external exams and internal exams, and external exams are the ones at the end of the year so I'm assuming that's what they are. My next exam is on Thursday for English!! I can wait to get it over and done with, I feel like you would enjoy unfamiliar (basically just unpacking the 3 texts given but you don't know what they are before hand), but it does get annoying because to pass you have to identify some techniques in the text, but if you forget about them but kmow they were there, then you fail

You take care of yourself too!!

And yeah, it's totally fine to post them with my blog!! I never figured out how to send in the Anon submission and when I tried it. Didn't have the option. So maybe I'm just in my un observant time but for thhe meantime I'm too lazy to check again and redo the submission because. I don't remember what was in there.

Actually converting time in new Zealand is pretty easy!! We don't really think about the rest of the world unless it's a show/movie coming out in a streaming service so we just take a day off, most of the time it'd be coming out at around midnight anyway

Oh god, I don't think I could deal with even more daylight savings....

Unrelated but I am proud of myself!! I just drew my first passable child!! And it's mermaid!! And it's in a side profile!! I am!! So happy!! It's intended to be my blog header

-Heathen

Okay so please forgive me for not answering this one for a while--I had already confirmed Matt was okay and this seemed like it was veering more into conversational territory so I could put it off and focus on more pressing things in the moment. But now I have the time!!

Yes, Matt gets all the love! He's incredible and I love being friends and talking to him (though I forget to respond to messages a lot, but he's patient). And such a creative mind!! All the au's and the ways he thinks about characters and does something new with them in all the stories and writings...immaculate!! Show stopping!

also congrats on discovering that specific tone indicator! I use them fairly often, but mostly the common ones (/j /s /lh and /gen) though I do occasionally venture into other tone tags as needed. I try not to overuse them though, so you may see older posts that have tone tags in unnecessary places because I was playing around with when I liked to use them.

I don't think I've sent Matt a hug gif recently, but now I want to.

Also I hope your exams went well! I've never heard them called internal and external, but either way exams are annoying to take. I don't remember exactly what I had to do for my exams during the time you sent this ask, but I passed all my classes and exams so I don't think it really matters. I might enjoy the unfamiliar exam, or however you would call it, but then again exams and time limits are icky. I usually do fine in English exams, I just overthink things and that's where I get stuff wrong because I create a bigger problem in my head than what it's asking me to answer. I don't have english this semester though! Then again I think I have the SAT this semester and that's. basically a giant english and math test. I haven't even looked at my psat scores yet, even though those were made available on december 6th. I simply am ignoring them until I can't anymore.

also good!! I know i have posted those things in question as of answering it, but thank you for the confirmation. I try to be very careful about posting things people send that aren't on anon, as I never know whether or not it was supposed to be. There are a few people who consistently send me asks off anon, so I'm not worried about them--but for the people who are usually on anon who suddenly aren't I always like to ask, give people other options to protect their identity if they so choose.

As for the anon submission thing, I'm pretty sure I've enabled that. I've sent myself a test on anon and it worked. You need to either be logged out or on incognito in order to do the things you need to to send the submission. it's the same as what you would do visiting my account if you didn't have a tumblr. I know it's possible, but apologies that it's giving you so much trouble.

Interesting that converting time is easier for you! I get so annoyed at converting between time zones because I try and remember off the top of my head but I never know just how many hours to change and in what direction, and then I always doubt my math the entire time. When I attended Shannon's online event I was wound up for like 2 hours before just like "oh fuck oh fuck I hope I mathed the time right." I did and was panicking over nothing, but still!! Anxiety really beat my ass that day--got a lot of information out of it though so it's chill.

I don't remember what the daylight savings conversation was talking about but if it involved more daylight savings I don't want it. I don't like daylight savings at all--either of them!! I don't care if I get an extra hour, because it's the same as the time zone thing and the entire day I'm like "wow sure hope everyone else is doing this daylight savings thing" as if I am somehow the only person in the world who has changed times. I always worry if I got the day wrong despite my phone updating automatically.

Congratulations on the mermaid!! I haven't drawn anything in a while but I distinctly remember that profiles were always really hard. It was just so much easier to do things facing forward or slightly to the side. Everything about profiles changes how you have to approach them, so kudos to you!! I think the profile drawing I'm most proud of is this Marella one which is actually one of my favorites of all time. It's an old one with several elements I'd like to change, but I still love it.

As of answering this I haven't checked to see if the mermaid is your blog header, but if it is then nice!! drawing profiles is always so satisfying when you finally get it to look right

[ryqoshay]

Tri-Arame: Ne, Wanna Bite?

Primary Pairing Trio: YuuAyuSetsu Words: ~1.8k Rating: G Time Frame: During their 2nd year in high school Story Arc: Stand Alone

Author’s Note: One of my favorite tropes is, and will likely remain, the sharing of food among couples. I’ve included it a handful of times in HL and am pretty sure I’ve done so over in HtHaN as well. If not, I guess I’ll just have to add a scene like that to the queue... though I suppose even if I have, it’s still as good an excuse as any to write more NicoMaki.

In any case, both SIFAS and the Niji anime depict Ayumu and Yuu casually trading bites as if they do so every day, and they probably do, but what might an observer think?

Also, I’ve seen Koppe Pan translated as either bread or buns, so I’ve used at least the latter as an occasional alternate noun for the food, but the actual name is just too fun to say that I couldn’t leave it out entirely.

“Ne, Setsuna-chan!” Yuu called, approaching her friend with Ayumu in tow, holding hands, as per usual. Ever the classic childhood couple. Practice had ended for the day and everyone was slowly filtering out of the clubroom. “Ayumu and I are heading to the mall to do some shopping, wanna come with us?”

“Very much so.” Setsuna confirmed with nod and a smile. “I was actually going there myself because the latest issue has been released for one of my favorite doujinshi series.”

Yuu grinned. “I know, that’s the main reason we wanted to invite you. I’m getting a copy as well.”

“You are?” Setsuna blinked. “You know I would be happy to lend you my copies whenever you desire.”

“Yeah, but after you lent me the first book, I was so hooked, I wanted to add it to my collection as well. Also, if I have my own copy, I don’t have to wait for you to finish reading yours so I can borrow it. We can read it at the same time!”

“Also, it’s easier for me to borrow them.” Ayumu chimed in.

“You are reading it as well, Ayumu-san?” Setsuna felt her heart start to pound with excitement; not just one, but two friends with whom she could talk about the story.

Ayumu smiled somewhat sheepishly. “You and Yuu-chan looked so excited talking about it last time that I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. It’s been forever since I last read manga, but I’m glad I did; it’s really good.”

“I know, right?” Setsuna felt like she could jump with joy.

“I’m not quite caught up with you two, though.” Ayumu admitted.

“Oh, what chapter have you reached?”

“42.”

Setsuna nodded. “Very well. No spoilers beyond that point. But what did you two think about the battle with Jhank?”

The three girls chatted away their journey to the mall, dissecting each character development, romantic interest and plot twist. There was a bit of a line at the store, but none of them minded as it gave them that much more time to talk. Setsuna found it was incredibly freeing to be able to talk openly about her interests with others who were similarly interested.

Setsuna had several enjoyable conversations with Kasumi about idols once they were able to reconcile the fact that they viewed them very differently, but that was about where their shared interests ended. Kanata had trouble staying awake and Emma, though a kind listener, had a hard time contributing when she wasn’t nearly as invested. She had established that Rina watched anime but hadn’t had as much opportunity to talk with the reclusive girl. Ai had expressed interest, though Setsuna suspected it was mainly a means to get closer to Rina. And Karin, though not necessarily disinterested, wasn’t particularly interested either, the same seemed to apply to Shizuku as well.

But Yuu and Ayumu, particularly the former, actively participated in the conversation. They were engaged with the topic and happy to let Setsuna gush about anything and everything. Even when she realized she had been the primary one talking for several minutes and would pause to apologize, one of them would dismiss it and encourage her to continue. It was a wonderful experience, to say the least.

“Ne, are either of you two hungry?” Ayumu asked as the trio left the bookstore.

“I could eat.” Yuu replied. “Shall we get our usual?”

“Sounds good. Do you want to join us, Setsuna-chan?”

“Yes, please, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course not.”

“By the way, what is your usual?”

“Koppe Pan!” Yuu said with a smile.

Ah, that made sense. Setsuna remembered regularly seeing the couple eating a variety of the packaged sandwiches in the club room as snacks. And Kasumi had recently taken to providing the two with the results of her experiments as she honed her skills. Kopee Pan really was their usual.

Setsuna watched the other two as they discussed the menu; what they had tried already and what possible specials they looked forward to in the future. However, having never been to this food stand before herself, Setsuna ended up getting the first thing that looked like something she might like.

It must be nice, Setsuna thought to herself a few minutes later, to be so familiar with someone. What does a couple care about sharing indirect kisses in public? She sat in awe as Ayumu even commemorated the occasion by snapping a shot of herself taking a bite of Yuu’s bun. The often-embarrassed redhead didn’t even so much as blush when the twin-tailed girl wiped a bit of filling from her cheek before putting it in her own mouth. Cute. And a bit enviable.

“Ne, Setsuna-chan.” A sandwich entered her field of vision. “Wanna bite?”

“Thank you.” Setsuna responded, accepting the offer.

“Good, isn’t it?” Yuu grinned.

“Indeed.” Setsuna agreed after swallowing. She blinked upon seeing an expectant expression on the other girl’s face. “Oh, here.” She held out her own bun.

“You can also try some of mine if you like, Setsuna-chan.” Ayumu offered.

“Very well.”

Ayumu giggled. “Geez, you’re just like Yuu-chan.” She reached over to clear something from Setsuna’s cheek and ate it.

“Aww… I was just about to do that.” Yuu pouted.

“Oops, sorry.” Ayumu smiled and stuck out her tongue, looking nowhere near apologetic.

Huh, so Ayumu-san really can tease Yuu-san in return sometimes. Interesting.

The next thing Setsuna knew, Ayumu had slid closer to her and was holding her phone ready. Mimicking Yuu’s actions from a minute ago, Setsuna held up her bun while the other girl leaned down before snapping a shot, then taking a bite.

“Remember to send me those pics.” Yuu said.

“Of course.” Ayumu nodded.

“So, which one was best?” Yuu turned her attention to Setsuna. “Ayumu’s or mine?”

“That is a good question…” Setsuna pondered. “They were both good, however, Yuu-san yours was more like a dessert meant for after a meal while Ayumu-san’s was more like an appetizer to tide one over between meals. Thus, as we have not eaten dinner yet, Ayumu’s was more appropriate.”

Yuu blinked. “But which did you like more?”

“I thought I just explained?”

“She preferred mine, Yuu-chan.” Ayumu clarified. “And that earns her another bite.” She smiled as she held her sandwich out again, earning another pout from Yuu.

“Thank you.” Setsuna accepted again before smiling as Ayumu gave in and allowed Yuu another bite as well. “Although, to be perfectly honest, my own was my favorite of the three.” She admitted. “I thought it might be good because it looked just like the one Akane ordered in Episode 7 of…”

Yuu giggled.

“Eh?”

“That way of choosing what to order is very fitting of you, Setsuna-chan. I love it.”

“O-oh…”

“And sorry for interrupting, what anime was that from?”

And just like that, conversation returned to one of Setsuna’s greatest passions. Ayumu and Yuu expressed interest in the series and Yuu ended up suggesting that they watch it together that night. Unfortunately, as a test was coming up and hanging out at the mall all afternoon had already cut into her studying time, Setsuna had to decline. Thankfully, she was able to agree to a raincheck over the weekend. With that decision made, the three girls parted ways to head home for the evening.

Setsuna glanced at the clock. Her parents should be in bed by now and she should no longer have to worry about them walking in on her unexpectedly. With mounting anticipation, she scurried over to her school bag and retrieved the doujin she had purchased earlier that day.

Given her level of excitement, Yuu had likely already read the chapter as soon as she had arrived home. As such, Setsuna fully expected to be able to discuss things tomorrow with her, being careful of avoiding spoilers for Ayumu, of course.

As she lay down on her bed, memories of the day came back to her. It really had been a lot more fun going as a group instead of sneaking out on her own.

A smile came to Setsuna’s lips as the dark-winged angel’s antics in the story resulted in the light-winged angel becoming flustered and blushing adorably. The two made a cute couple even if they denied being one. They were so familiar with one another, using exclusive nicknames, bathing together, sharing a bed, sharing food…

Sharing food… Indirect kisses…

Wait…

If the doujin had been in color, Setsuna’s cheeks would have matched those of the light-wing angel’s from a few frames back. Back at the mall, she had shared indirect kisses with both Yuu and Ayumu without even realizing it. They had both behaved so naturally with her, just as they did among themselves, that she hadn’t even noticed until now.

Did they behave like that with everyone?

Setsuna scoured her memories of her time with them in the clubroom.

There was one time that Kasumi told them to stop flirting while using her Koppe Pan to do so. This had earned an amused laugh from Yuu and one of Ayumu’s signature blushes, though Setsuna wasn’t sure anyone at the table bought their denial.

But that was about it. As far as Setsuna could tell, the couple kept such things between themselves. Yuu was openly affectionate with just about everyone, but certain things seemed to be reserved for Ayumu. And now Setsuna… maybe?

Setsuna shook her head. She had to be missing something. There was no way… was there?

Yuu had said she loved her. Several times, in fact. But she had dropped the line about as casually as she did with others. There couldn’t possibly be any deeper meaning than that of a close friend or of a fan expressing their adoration for an idol, right? Certainly, that had to be the explanation.

And what of Ayumu? Setsuna had little doubt of the redhead’s feelings toward her childhood friend, which were a major contributor to why she believed the two were a couple. But did Yuu not reciprocate? Was that why Ayumu sometimes behaved the way she did? No, she was pretty sure the two were dating.

So how did any of that explain what happened? What did it mean? Did it even mean anything in the first place? For the life of her, Setsuna couldn’t figure out the situation.

But… if nothing else, Setsuna had to admit that she had liked it. A lot. That feeling of familiarity truly was enviable, especially now that she’d tasted it herself. Literally. Even if she hadn’t recognized it at the time. And she wanted more…

But was that alright? Certainly, such a trope need not apply strictly to romantic genres, right? One could be that familiar with someone while remaining platonic, right? The last thing Setsuna wanted to do was to drive a wedge between two who were so close. But it was at least alright to want to be closer to them, right?

She wanted to see them again. To hang out with them again. To discuss anime with them again. To eat Koppe Pan with them again.

Tomorrow. She would see them again tomorrow. And Yuu would want to talk about the doujin…

With that thought in mind, Setsuna returned her focus to the book in her hands.

Author's Note Continued in Followup Post

[rj019]

Title : Genius, YouTuber, Artist, Musician and Spider-Man

Fandom : MCU

Pairing : Starker(tony stark x peter parker)

Rating : Mature (NSFW, Sexual Content) but it'll be in the later part of the story not in few chapters of starting.

Prompt : Social Media

Read on ao3 here. And Ch 0 here.

Chapter summary:

Avengers finding out things about Spider-Man.

Here's 1st chapter! Enjoy!!!

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CHAPTER 1

Peter went home and just go to sleep after cleaning up and eating something. He doesn't want to worry about anything right now he's really tired. He knows that now probably all eyes are going to be on Spider-Man. He just needs to lay low for a while and people and media will forget about it soon. As for shield he doesn't want to think right now so he went to sleep.

But before he got too deep into sleep his eyes went wide open as he got an idea to take care of shield issue once and for all. He finally relexed and went to sleep happily.

 

____________________________________________

 

The day after ferry incident at Avengers 

 

The Avengers were in the common room area watching news while having breakfast for last day at the tower since tonight the things were gonna moved to the compound. And they were leaving tomorrow morning.

The news was about Spider-Man and the ferry incident that happened yesterday. Suddenly some news reporter said that they got exclusive footage of the ferry incident. Now everyone was curious about it and wanted to see what actually happened there.

Then the footage played. It was shot from the port. They sees as the some guy with metal wings was fighting with Spider-Man. He was trying to escape from his web. It wasn't so clear as it was in distance. Suddenly an energy blast happened and the ferry was split in half.

Everyone was shocked as to what was that blast. Now even Tony was more interested.

The ferry was sinking but it suddenly stopped. Spider-Man had connected both sides strong points with his web.

Bruce said, " How strong are his web to hold that much of weight together?"

Suddenly webs broke and ferry again started sinking. 

Everyone gasps.

But then again it stopped. Spider-Man was holding it together.

"Jesus Christ! How strong is this guy?", Tony said.

But it didn't look like Spider-Man could hold on for a long time but suddenly some bots were seen flying towards the ferry. Some bots were on the left side, some were on the right side of the ferry. They started pushing ferry togather. But some bots were still in the air. As the ferry got together, the bots in the air started mending it together. The clip ended.

Everyone was shocked as to what just happened. Tony asked Friday to get the clip and play it at the bots part. Tony started analysing it. His thoughts were confirmed that the bots were using arc reactor technology. Tony was in speechless for a while. 

"Who is this spider guy? How does he have my arc reactor technology and all this bots and stuff. Does he even have AI in his suit? It looks like it which will explain how he called the neno bots there." said Tony.

"May  be he had figured out your reactor. Crom the look of it he looks like a genius if he is one who made all those neno bots and AI." Bruce replied.

Tony tells him, "If he had figured it out then how does he not showed it the world. He could have sold it and got so much money. He would have made fortune."

"May be he does not want attention on him and wants to keep it to himself. As for why he didn't sell it, it can be that he knows how much danger it can be if it's in wrong hand. The guy can be genuinely good. After all if he had bad intentions, he would have shown it till now. He is out there for years. Even before NY battle. I saw some of his videos where he is helping people from aftermath of the battle on YouTube." said Pepper.

Nat and Clint were silent. 

Steve spoke up, " Not only that his strength stronger than me or Bucky combined. Why is this guy out there on street and not in Avengers team?"

"Shield is trying to get in contact with him from even before Avengers formed. He has been out there for almost 7 years. We don't know anything about him at all. Not who is or what his powers are or if they are biological or not. Everytime anyone goes after him he somehow knows someone is following as lose them. He was on Fury's list to get on the Avengers. He was on the top spots. But he never got to interact with him. Sheild is still trying to find out about him. The guy is good at cover his trials." Nat explained.

Everyone was blown away by that.

" I don't think so after this all Fury will get him away after this. He can be a big threat if he has this much power in his hand and ever gets on the other side." Clint adds.

" We need to find out who he is. If he is smart enough to figure out my arc reactor and make those techs, I need to have him work for my company and on our team." said Tony as he stood up.

" Wanna help Brucie? And all of you?"

Everyone nods. They all wants to find out who he was. They were bunch of curious heads. 

They tried all afternoon but got nothing and Tony was annoyed.

They decided to take break. Nat, Pepper and Wanda were watching some video on YouTube with others when he and Bruce entered the common room. Looks like the video just started. 

Pepper called them to watch it with them and played from the start.

There was a guy with mask who was playing a tune on guitar and started singing. The song was about Avengers. His voice was so pleasant to hear. There was so much details in lyrics. It continued for 2 minutes. After that video got cut. And the guy appeared again and said 'hey guys it's me again your cinnamon. Oh it's embarrassing to say this name now that I'm much older. I can't believe it's been so many years since we started this channel. I was like 6 when my aunt made my first video. Well it was my new song about the Avengers. Hope you guys liked it. Now let's go to today's video. I'm going to paint a portrait of all of the Avangers' whole team, everyone, new and old members in 15 minutes today while answering some of you guy's questions.' video cuts again.

Wanda paused the video. 'The song is so good. The lyrics are really detailed.' she said as others agreed. She played video again.

The guy appeared again but this time in a different place with canvas colours and all things to paint with. He starts working on canvas fluently and fast but neatly like he's been doing this for years like a professional artist. There was a woman with same mask as him sitting on chair beside him. He turned to her and said 'As you all know she is my Aunt and she will be reading the questions. You can start.' 

The woman smiles to camera and started cheerfully, 'Hey everyone once again! Let's get started with questions. So the 1st one from @user01 how much is your IQ? Your experiments are damn awesome and thing you make is just wow.' 

The boy smiles to the camera but go back to painting as he replies, 'I don't know I have never took an IQ test. I don't want to scare people away ' he gave a quick wink at the camera then goes back to painting. He is already done with base and outlines.

The lady starts to laugh and asks other question. ' this one is from @user02, are you still studying? ' the lady gave camera a weird look which said seriously?

The laugh can be heard from behind the camera. But the guy ssh them down. And replied 'Well you can say I am since I'm working to get my 4th PhD. Next question.'

' @user46 asks who is your favourite avanger? Look like this is a new to you videos. '

Everyone was paying attention now. Eager to know who was it.

The guy continues to paint as he smile and said, ' welcome to see our madness. My favourite avanger is Iron Man. He has been my favourite even before the Avengers were formed since he started. Tony stark has been my idol and crush from when I was 12. You can imagine how I must have felt when I found out he was Iron Man. If you wanna know there is a reaction video on my channel from 6 years ago.'

The lady asks next question ' @user8502 here wants to ask why can't I hack into you account to find out who you are? ' The lady and the camera guy and the guy himself starts laughing but his hands not stopping.He was half done and it was already looking great. 

When they calm down, the guy starts speaking ' you atually tried. Well it's good I made my account unhackable all those years ago cause I didn't want anyone to know who I'm and I still don't. Atleast for now. ' 

They continued with next question, '@user18qq how old are you?'

'I'm 19 and going to turn 20 in 5 or so months.'

'@userttl do you sell your art works?'

'No I'm sorry but I don't sell my work. I have a entire room filled with my all work since my childhood to now in my house.'  He smiles fondly.

'@user77kl what's your sexuality? Are you in relationship? '

This time the aunt continues to speak up, 'not that I know of. Are you cinnamon? '

The guy blush and shakes his head ' No I'm not in any relationship and I'm Bi. Come one aunt let get to next question I'm almost done' he blushes harder.

The aunt coos but ask the next question ' so @user63 wants to know what is your plan for future? '

' I haven't thought yet. I will probably applying for jobs in some famous companies. I'll stark industry too. Who knows if I get the job there and meet my crush. ' the guy smiles. He is almost finished he is just adding details everywhere. The portrait look awesome and he is still adding so much details. It's on professional level good and it not even done in even 15 minutes its only been 12 minute 47 seconds.

'ok looks like you're almost done so last question from @user3945 do you write your songs lyrics? They are so deep and detailed. I've heard all of your songs. You have some ones for individual songs too for Avengers. ' the aunt read.

'Thank you so much for listening to my songs. Yes, I myself write lyrics and compose all my songs.' he replied.

The guy adds some last details and finishing touches. ' So that was the last question for today and my painting is done.' he look behind camera ' how much time it took? '

The camera guy replied, 'it's been 13 minutes 53 seconds' 

' well looks like it took less then 15 minutes. Tada!!! ' he motions to portrait painting.

It was outstanding. It didn't look nothing like it was done in less then 15 min. The video cuts. Then it back again the boy and his aunt is standing togather smiling at camera.

The guy spoke, ' Thank you everyone who watched my video. Please like, share and comment. And if you are new and liked my video you can subscribe my channel. And as always guys if you wanna know how the portrait looks after drying, I'll be posting a pic of it at my Instagram. Check that out. Bye guys see you in next video. Till then take care.' 

Everyone stare at screen as the video finishes.

Rhodey speaks up, " It's a second genius we found in one day. Jesus 4th PhD at 19. Seriously? "

Wanda butts in " The video is 8 months old"

Scott joined in, "Is it only me who is all of a sudden feeling dumb? "

Pietro replied, " you were always dumb."

" If he gets in applies for job at SI we'll find out who he is, unlike some spider." Tony said.

" The guys is telented. Did you see his painting? It was awesome and so detailed and he made it in less than 15 minutes. I was on a professional level good may be better. I can't imagine if the guy did take his time to make something, it will definitely be a master piece. " Steve said.

" No one's gonna talk about the boy's crush on Stark?" Strange said.

Everyone looked at him startled.

"When did you come?"

" I'm here since the song part. You guys didn't noticed. " He replied smugly.

"Tony has been his idol and crush for eight years now. Woah! Even before you become Iron Man." said Clint.

" That mortal did look like there'll be a cute face beneath that mask, what do you think son of stark? " Thor asks.

" Yeah he was cute and had nice voice and all but I'm not gonna date any fanboy if you guys are implementing on that. " Tony sternly replied.

They were talking about the boy when FRIDAY spoke up. " Boss you are having a call from Happy."

"Connect the call Baby girl."

" Hey Happy"

" Boss the plane has took off. Everything is in order."

" Okk Hap. Thanks. "

The call disconnected.

" Looks like we're moving tomorrow as planned."

 

 

 

Not even half hour later Happy's call came again.

"Hey Hap. Everything fine?

" Boss! The plane has crashed at the Coney Island Beach."

Everyone's face turned to horror. They all stood up and went to suit up.

"What the hell Happy. I thought you said everything was in order."

" I'm sorry boss but everything was. The police is already at the scene. They said there was some guy webbed up there with a note from Spider-Man that he was trying to steal the stuff from plane. Some guy called 'flying valture guy'. I'm already on my way to the scene. "

" We'll be there soon too. " 

The line cuts off.

 

Avengers reached at the scene. It looked like disaster. Happy came to them.

"Boss everything is safe. Spider-Man had removed the carrier boxes from the fire before it could damage and the guy who wanted to steal it was webbed up to it. Sheild agents took him to the jail. He is the same guy from the ferry incident yesterday. He was selling some illegal weapons which were mixed with alien tech, they were after him for a long time."

Avengers let out the sighs. 

" It's good nothing's stolen or damaged. Get the stuff to the compound. This time we all will be going with it." Tony said as he motion to the others.

____________________________________________

 

Next day at the compound in the meeting room

 

 

Nick Fury and the Avengers were having the meeting.

" You all know about yesterday's incident was handled by Spider-Man. The plane which was crashed at the beach was not supposed to crash there. I want you guys to look at this video clip which our satellite captured." Fury said as he played the clip.

Spider Man and the Vulture was fight on the top of the plane. Valture broke on of the wings and plane started to crash towards the city and the buildings. 

Spider Man webbed the othe wing and changed the direction of the crash. The clip ended.

"You must have got enough idea how strong this guy is from this and the ferry incident. He is got so much power and advanced technology in his hand. If he is to ever turn on the other side. He can be a great threat. But he isn't showing any signs of that happening since it's been years since he is doing this superhero stuff and looking out for little guy. He had defeated many supervillain like green goblin, lizard, doc oct, electro, sandman etc. I think he will be a great asset to the team. I want you guys to find out who he is and convince him to join the team. Shield has been trying for years but he always got was without any traces. I'm giving you this mission. Hope guys can do it. "

Before anyone could speak up there was a cough heard which was non of there's. As the looks around the didn't saw anyone. They got into a fighting position. 

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Cliffhanger!! Hope you guys liked it.

(人*´∀｀)｡*ﾟ+

(Peter has finished the 4th PhD mentioned in the video in this chapter. Cause the video Avengers are watching are eight months old. He even finished this fifth PhD in chemical engineering too but now he doesn't want to do anymore studying for now so he isn't working on any and is atually thinking about starting to find a job.

And Howard and Maria lives at Malibu mansion.)

[marvelmando]

tempest [p.parker x o.c.] - six

notes: this is my longest chapter yet. when i was initially writing this, i intended this story to be uploaded to wattpad, so most of my chapters ended up being around 3-4k words, but this obviously takes the cake.

don’t forget, if you’d like to be added to the taglist, shoot me an ask or message, or reply to this chapter!

contains: canon-typical violence, mention of dead parents, angst

pairing: peter parker + fem! o.c.

word count: 5.8k

previous chapter next chapter tempest masterlist

THAT NEXT MONDAY, MIDTOWN TECH WAS BUZZING WITH SPIDER-SPIRIT. Everyone was whispering about the events in Washington—whether it was about the Decathlon team taking the championship or Spider-Man saving the day. Some students even wore t-shirts and buttons with the Spider-Man insignia on them. Where they'd found such merchandise was completely lost on Marin.

Peter was not expelled, much to Flash's dismay, but a genius decision to try and skip school did land him in after-school detention. And Marin, with nothing better to do, joined him in his misery. It appeared that Michelle had a similar idea, choosing to sit in on the punishment and sketch the designated supervisor, who looked absolutely bored out of his mind as he surfed the internet on the computer.

"So," Captain America said on an old box TV, sitting down on a back-facing chair. "You got detention. You screwed up." Glancing up from her own drawing, Marin saw Peter sigh heavily and clench his jaw in frustration. Captain America was still lecturing, and Marin abandoned her drawing as she noticed Peter's patience deteriorate.

Suddenly, Peter stood from his desk and snatched his backpack forcibly. As he marched out of the classroom, the coach called out indifferently, "Hey, where you going? Get back here," without moving a muscle.

Marin followed to scramble out of her seat, giving her goodbyes to Michelle and the coach.

"Pete!" She jogged after him. He stopped at a row of lockers and crouched to the ground.

Then he picked the lockers like a garage door, grabbing something from the hidden compartment underneath. "I've got an idea, Mare." He told her, and she flushed at the nickname. Besides 'Rain', no one had ever cared enough to give her one. It sent flutters through her stomach, and she didn't know how to process that reaction. But she didn't have the time to, because Peter was thrusting out a glass bottle at her. She took it, reading the label taped on, 'Web Fluid'.

"Okay..." she trailed off, clutching the vial of web fluid. "What's the plan?"

+++

Peter finished catching her up as they traveled back to the apartment. He'd explained that in D.C. when he’d hacked into the suit, he'd also disabled a subsystem called "the Training Wheels Protocol". This was what he'd told her the night they returned to Queens, but now he told her that Karen—the feminine voice that belonged to the suit's AI—might be able to help him identify the dealers from the night of Liz's party.

May had left a note saying she'd gone out for the afternoon, so they didn't have to worry about her overhearing their scheming. In the safety of his room, Peter pulled on his mask. "Hey, Karen, what's up?"

Marin assumed that Karen was speaking to Peter from an earpiece inside the suit, because she didn't hear a response before Peter answered, "Listen, I was wondering if you could help me. I'm trying to figure out who the guys under the bridge were that night, but I mean, I can only kind of remember part of a license plate."

A pause as Karen responded. "Footage?" Peter asked.

"Everything?"

"Like, all the time?"

Peter threw his hands up, tossing his pen. "Baby Monitor Protocol," he muttered grumpily under his breath, causing Marin to giggle. "Yeah, of course, it is. Um, yeah, just roll it back to last Friday."

"No, no, no—no, no, no. This is me just messing around. Go... later in the day, later in the day." He said flippantly. "No, no, no, no, no! That's definitely... no. That's definitely not what we wanted to watch. Just..." he waved his hand frantically, and Marin wondered what he was shown to make him sound so embarrassed.

"Fast-forward to the arms deal." Peter stood from his chair to pace the room. "Okay, the two on the right, who are they?" He put his hands on his hips. "Nothing?"

Another pause. "Well, let's pay him a visit." He stepped toward his bed, where Marin sat next to the rest of his suit. "Uh, yeah."

Taking off his mask, Peter filled Marin in. "We've got an identification on the buyer, we're gonna go track him down."

Just as Marin was about to acquiesce, the front door clicked open. "I'm home!" May announced, followed by the rustling sounds of paper grocery bags. "I found this really awesome eggplant lasagna recipe I want to try!"

Peter looked to Marin, who grimaced. "Maybe tomorrow?"

Marin shrugged, then grinned. "Tomorrow it is."

+++

"Shouldn't we tell Ned about this Aaron guy?" Marin had asked the night before as they munched on their delivered Thai food.

Peter had only shaken his head. "Nah, he'll just say he has school stuff to do."

Oh, yeah. And they'd skipped school to follow the buyer, too. Marin and Spider-Man approached the parking garage where the suit's drone followed Aaron Davis out of the local grocery store.

Peter crawled onto the roof and Marin casually walked along the concrete walls. Keeping her presence hidden wasn't much of a concern—her identity wouldn't be compromised as long as she refrained from using her powers in front of anyone. The garage was practically empty except for a few parked cars, and a man in a white shirt approaching his own vehicle. As he went to pack away his grocery bags, Spider-Man leaped down from the ceiling, webbing the buyer's hand to the open trunk. Aaron Davis winced as the spider drone scanned him with a flash of red light, presumably to confirm that it was, in fact, the right criminal.

"Remember me?" Spider-Man startled Marin with the rumbling timbre of his technologically-altered voice. Spider-Man walked towards Aaron with large, fast steps, and the man became visibly frightened by the approaching figure.

"We need information, and you're gonna give it to us now." Spider-Man's metallic voice demanded. Marin stepped out away from the wall with her arms crossed as she stared down Aaron.

Aaron Davis looked nervously between Marin and Spider-Man. "All right, chill," he stuttered.

"Come on!"

Aaron faltered, narrowing his eyes at the masked hero. "What happened to your voice?"

"What do you mean, what happened to my voice?"

"I heard you by the bridge, I know what a girl sounds like." Aaron answered, causing Marin to snicker lightly beside him.

"I'm not a girl, I'm a boy!" Spider-Man corrected. "I mean, I'm a—I'm a man!"

Aaron shook his head, resuming loading his trunk with groceries. "I don't care what you are, a boy, a girl..."

"I'm not a girl, I'm a man!" Peter insisted angrily. "C'mon, man. Look, who is selling these weapons? I need to know! Give me names, or else!"

Aaron stared at Spider-Man, and suddenly slammed the trunk shut, startling Peter. Marin shook her head at his jittery reaction.

"You ain't ever done this before, huh?" Aaron asked, then turned to Marin. "What 'bout your girl? You ever done this?"

"Not his girl," Marin corrected, nonchalantly, taking a menacing step forward until she was a couple feet from the criminal. "But you will give us those names, Aaron Davis." His eyes widened a tiny bit, realizing that they knew his name. Marin tilted her head mockingly, tapping her chin. "Or, I'm sure the police would love to hear all about yours..."

Aaron stared Marin in the eye, the only sign of the effect the threat had on him was the visible gulp and the slight sheen growing on his brow. Still, he hesitated.

Marin didn't break the stare or her determination, but Spider-Man sighed, impatient. "Deactivate Interrogation Mode," he muttered to Karen, the drone flying to reattach itself to his chest. "Look, man," Spider-Man pleaded, his voice back to normal. Aaron's eyes followed Marin as she walked around the car to stop at Peter's side. "These guys are selling weapons that are crazy dangerous. They can't just be out on the streets. Look, if one of them can just cut Delmar's bodega in half—"

The mention of Delmar's was what ripped Aaron's gaze from Marin. "You know Delmar's?"

"Yeah, best sandwich in Queens."

"Sub Haven's pretty good."

"Eh, it's too much bread."

"I like bread."

"C'mon man, please."

Aaron went silent, looking off into the middle distance with his brows creased. Peter was taking it as a sign that Aaron wasn't going to budge and began to walk away, grumbling to Karen, "Stupid Interrogation Mode. Karen, don't ever do that again." Marin watched Spider-Man retreat, baffled.

"The other night," Aaron addressed Marin, causing Spider-Man to stop and turn around. "You told that dude 'if you shoot somebody, shoot me'." Marin nodded affirmatively, tilting her chin up and folding her arms across her chest. "It's pretty ballsy, especially for an unarmed little girl. I don't want those weapons in this neighborhood, I got a nephew who live here."

Marin took a heated step forward, ready to attest to the 'little girl' comment, but Spider-Man walked up to the car and spoke first. "Who are these guys? What can you tell us about the guy with the wings?"

"Other than he's a psychopath dressed like a demon, nothing. I don't know who he is or where he is."

Peter sighed, turning to lean his back against Aaron's car, tilting his head back to rest it on the roof. Marin looked at his unprofessional behavior with slight disdain—she may have been a terrible X-Man, but at least she knew how to compose herself during an interrogation.

Aaron shifted his gaze back at Marin. "I do know where he's gonna be."

This piqued Spider-Man's interest. "Really?"

"Yeah, this crazy dude I used to work with, he's supposed to be doing a deal with them."

"Yes! Yes." Spider-Man giggled delightfully to himself, and began to walk away, but turned while walking backward, "Thank—"

"Spider-Man, we still—"

"Hey, hey. Hey, hey! I didn't tell you where; you don't have a location." Aaron pointed out.

Spider-Man jogged back. "Right, of course. Yeah, my bad. Silly. Just... yeah." he leaned on the roof of the car eagerly. "Where is it?"

"Can I give you some advice?"

"Hmm?" Peter tilted his head.

"Your girl needs to show you how to be better at this part of the job." Aaron gestured around them as if referring to the interrogation as a whole.

"Not his girl." Marin corrected again, but it went unnoticed. "And for the record, I'm fifteen!"

"I don't understand," Spider-Man said, folding his arms across his chest and narrowing his bionic eyes. "I'm intimidating."

"You're really not." Marin shook her head.

Aaron nodded in agreement. "Staten Island ferry, eleven."

"Oh, that's soon!" Peter exhaled. Pointing at Aaron's webbed hand, he began to walk away. "Hey, that's gonna dissolve in two hours."

Aaron shook his head furiously. "No, no, no, no. Come fix this."

"Two hours—you deserve that!"

"I got ice cream in here!"

"You deserve that, you're a criminal! Bye, Mr. Criminal!"

Aaron looked hopefully at Marin, who shrugged unhelpfully, and hurried after Spider-Man.

Climbing onto Peter's back was much less awkward this time around. They arrived at the Staten Island ferry terminal just as a missive orange ferry pulled out of the dock. "Hang on tight!" Peter warned her before taking a running leap and spreading his arms, revealing the glider wings attached to the underarms of his suit. They flew through the air, and Marin was surprised at the amount of control Spider-Man still had, even with another body attached to his.

Landing and clinging onto the hull of the ferry, Spider-Man crawled up to take a peek through one of the Saloon deck's windows. He located one of the dealers sitting at a bench, and said, "Okay, Karen, activate Enhanced Reconnaissance Mode."

Marin watched over his shoulder as the dealer and a man seated behind him conversed, assuming that Peter was able to listen in. Eventually, he whispered, "It's the guy from the bridge, right? Who's that other guy?" A brief pause passed. "I can't talk right now; I'll call her back." Marin furrowed her eyebrows. Sensing her confusion, Peter informed, "May. Hey dronie, keep an eye on that guy. We can't let anybody get away this time."

With the dealers on the move, Peter advanced up the side of the ferry, swinging them up onto the Hurricane deck, then onto the roof of the Bridge deck. Marin climbed off, and Peter filled her in on their short conversation. They carefully approached the edge of the roof and counted four men standing idly around on the platform of the Main deck.

"Who's the guy on the left?" Peter asked Karen, referring to the man leaned casually against an orange support beam. Peter waited for her to respond so he could relay the information to Marin. "No, Karen, stop it with the Instant Kill already!" Then, to Marin, he said, "That one's Mac Gargan."

Marin raised her eyebrows at him, but he didn't seem to notice. Even Marin could hear as the dealer from earlier approached Mac Gargan and said to him boldly, "White pickup truck."

"Dronie, scan the ship for a white pickup truck." He instructed. "Oh, this is too perfect. We got the weapons, buyers, and sellers all in one place."

Peter was suddenly startled into action. "No, no, no. No, no, don't answer!" He pressed against his ear frantically. "Uh—uh, I'm actually at school? Ah—okay," Peter sounded in pain. "Uh, I'm kind of in the middle of something right now, Mr. Stark?" He emphasized to Marin; whose eyes widened.

Suddenly, the ferry horn sounded, and Peter panicked. "Uh, I'm at... band... practice?" Marin glanced down at the dealers, as one of them was handing Gargan a set of keys, a set that Marin assumed belonged to the white pickup. "I gotta go—uh, end call! I'll take those!" Spider-Man reached out and snagged the keys with a web. "Yoink!" He said and hopped onto the Main deck.

Marin scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Really?" She dangled from the Hurricane deck, landing on the Bridge deck. "Who says 'yoink', anymore?"

After judging the distance from the Bridge deck down to the Main deck, Marin leaped through to catch herself on the railing of the Saloon deck's balcony, before vaulting onto the Main deck, where Spider-Man had just slammed Mac Gargan into the hull of the ferry. In front of her, the dealer from the night of Liz's party charged at Spider-Man, but he easily dodged him.

The dealer stumbled, the fancy electric weaponry attached to his fist getting caught in a barrier gate, where Spider-Man stuck it with a sheet of web fluid. The weapon looked like an over-sized Taser gun. In her head, she called the dealer Blue Guy, if only for the color of the electricity crackling within the device on his wrist.

As she was going to help Peter, Marin's feet were yanked out from underneath her. Hitting the floor, Marin twisted in her attacker's grasp and kicked her leg up and out of his grip, sending it forcefully into the sensitive apex between his thighs. She scrambled for purchase, finding Spider-Man unbothered as he watched the trapped Blue Guy struggle against the webs, and was replacing a vial of web fluid in his wrist shooters. From under the cargo hold, a man charged at the teens, but Spider-Man calmly launched a web grenade at him, trapping him to the wall. Marin nodded at Peter, who returned the gesture.

A banging coming from the same direction caught Marin and Peter's attention. They both turned to see a man bashing in someone's head against a white van. The man then caught sight of the teens and stared them down with a growing smirk. They were about to run after him when a voice stopped them in their tracks. "Freeze, FBI!"

At least a dozen agents dressed in civilian clothing emerged from every entrance, all with weapons drawn and aimed at Marin and Spider-Man, who whipped their hands up simultaneously.

"Wait, what do you mean 'FBI'?!" Peter exclaimed. "I know what FBI means, but what are they doing here?!"

The sound of metal bursting caused everyone's attention to shift to the cargo hold, where a ginormous set of metal wings erupted from inside the white van. It was a man, wearing a mask with glowing green eyes and carrying a blaster in his hands—and he was flying straight toward them.

"Get out of the way, get out of the way!" Marin screamed at the FBI agents who began shooting at the approaching figure, but they didn't stop. The winged Vulture-looking guy shot a blast from his gun, the shot barely missed the top of her head as it flew into a gate behind her. As the Vulture guy got even closer, he grabbed a car with the mechanical talons attached to his feet, chucking it at Peter, Marin, and the agents.

Marin tackled into the side of the agent, moving him out of the car's trajectory—but the car hit Peter instead, sending him flying back into a support beam. Hovering above the ferry, the Vulture fired another energy blast at Blue Guy's arm, successfully disintegrating the web that attached him to the fence.

"Get to the top deck; we're getting out of here!" The Vulture instructed his goon, while Spider-Man and Marin corralled the agents to safety.

Before he could disappear, Peter tried shooting a web at the Blue Guy, but the Vulture only fired again, disconnecting the web. As the Vulture was distracted with Spider-Man and the persistent agents that had returned to fight him, Marin sprinted off after the Blue Guy. She followed him through the sliding doors. Noticing her with a quick glance behind him, the Blue Guy picked up his pace as he took the stairs three steps at a time.

Reaching the Saloon deck, Marin was grateful that the front of the deck wasn't heavily populated, and the few stragglers scampered to the stern side of the ferry once they caught sight of the Blue Guy, and Marin chasing close behind. The dealer was trying to make it to the staircase in the center front of the ferry, but Marin was too quick for him, and grabbed the back of his outer jean jacket, using all of her strength to hold him back. She used the momentum to shove her foot into the back of his left knee, causing it to buckle.

Marin had lifted her elbow, intending to jab it into the suprascapular nerve in his right shoulder (where she knew hitting the pressure point would incapacitate him enough to gain leverage), but he twisted to his left, away from her elbow, and sent the electrified weapon on his right hand into her gut.

The impact of metal against her flesh hurt more than the electricity did—bruising her abdomen and hipbone as she fell back on her ass. The distraction gave the Blue Guy the chance to escape up the steps, and Marin recovered as fast as she could, sprinting up the stairs, just as a blast of energy exploded through the front of the Saloon Deck.

She took the stairs three at a time, tackling the Blue Guy just as he was stepping out of the threshold. The two rolled on the ground, each trying to gain dominance over the other. Though Marin thrashed about, the dealer was stronger, and he quickly pinned her hands above her head with his bare left hand, using his right to crash into Marin's jaw.

Though the pain radiating from her chin caused her eyes to tear up, she noticed that the Blue Guy paused briefly, most likely out of disbelief to see that the electricity didn't harm her. Marin used his hesitation to her advantage—yanking one arm from his grasp, which had loosened in his shock (she laughed to herself), and slammed it into his crotch.

The damage wasn't as detrimental as she'd hoped, but he was debilitated enough for her to squirm out from under him. They both recovered at the same time, dancing around each other as if to size up their opponent. The Blue Guy threw out the decorated right fist, but the weight of the weaponry slowed the swing down enough for Marin to dodge it easily, ducking to the side and sending an uppercut into his exposed chest. He hunched slightly as the air was knocked out of him, so Marin took it further. Stepping so her body was just beyond his, she elbowed his sciatic nerve with as much strength as she could gather, sending him sprawling forward.

She whirled around to block him from the stairs leading to the Bridge deck, watching as he scrambled to his feet. Marin crouched in a defensive position, huffing away a piece of her bangs that had dropped into her line of sight.

Marin was moving to attack again, but a groan that rivaled the ferry's horn sounded from somewhere on the vessel. The ship jolted, throwing all of its passengers off balance, and giving the Blue Guy the leverage to knock a particularly strong blow to Marin's head.

Marin fell to the ground, landing hard on her left wrist as a pained cry fell from her lips. She hardly noticed the dealer getting away, too preoccupied with the beams of purple light shooting up from the floor, bisecting the ship down the middle.

The ferry was filled with the sounds of shrieking adults and wailing children, and Marin hurried to her feet, pushing passengers away from the center of the ferry.

With a burst of radiating energy, the purple light exploded, leaving a glowing line of blackened metal down the entire length of the ferry—floor, ceiling, and benches all included. Now curious, people cautiously moved towards the line but were jostled back to their places clinging to the edges of the ship as it gave one final lurch, and the halves of the ferry began splitting down the glowing line.

"Shit!" Marin yelped, leaping to snag a woman who got too close to the middle and was beginning to lose her balance. Screams erupted once more, as Marin yelled to them, "Stay calm! Stick to the edges and grab onto the railings!"

Twirling to face the bow, Marin glimpsed Spider-Man readying for action. He was screaming instructions to Karen, telling her to find the strongest points of the ferry. As he moved to attach webs to pillars down the split section of the ship, he yelled to Marin as he passed, "You need to keep the water out of the ship!"

Nodding frantically, Marin hopped down the split center, catching herself above the water flowing rapidly into the cargo hold, sending vehicles floating down the deck. She rushed to the middle of the ferry so she had even control over the water. Perched on a shelf of water hovering around the Saloon deck, she ignored the frightened stares of the passengers and thrust out her hands.

After realizing that they'd be fighting on a ferry, surrounded by nothing but water, Marin was ecstatic that if it came to using her powers, she might actually stand a chance. But she didn't anticipate the ferry would start sinking into the bay, and the thought of keeping thousands of tons of metal afloat was suddenly incredibly daunting.

Somewhere above her, Spider-Man was flipping around the ship, keeping it held together with strings of spider-web, and Marin trembled violently with the amount of exertion needed to keep the water from rising above the Saloon Deck. If she thought cushioning Peter's fall into the lake was hard, this was nearly impossible.

At the sound of Peter yelling orders to Karen, Marin squeezed her eyes shut, focusing only on the water; she visualized the power flowing through her veins like the water flowing from the bottom of the ferry. A calm moment passed, when Peter had finished attaching his webs and the ship was no longer falling apart. Though Marin struggled with the amount of water she was keeping out of the ferry's cargo hold, she carried through the moment of stasis and opened her eyes carefully.

"Yeah, Spider-Man!" A man cheered from somewhere on the ship. "And weird water-girl!"

Marin smiled brightly despite herself. She heard some clapping follow his cheer.

But then the webs started snapping, and Marin felt a new, intense rush of water push against her control. Spider-Man rushed to grab the snapped webs, and Marin tried desperately to block out the screams. She closed her eyes at the sight of Peter dangling in the air in front of her, falling to her knees as the water pulled her down towards it like gravity. She felt it calling to her, and Marin barely managed not to completely collapse as her hold on the water wavered.

Suddenly, the water released her hold slowly, and she popped her eyes open. The water level was beginning to slowly level out, as one half of the ferry drew upright. The floor of the Saloon deck pushed together underneath her, and Peter was lowered to the floor as well. Marin released the water with a gush, her body immediately sagging to the ground. Peter ran over to her, helping her to her feet.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she assured him, settling on shaky legs. They both looked around, trying to figure out what had saved them. A singularly intense bang caught their attention.

Outside one of the windows, Iron Man lifted his head up. "Hi, Spider-Man," he greeted with sarcastic cheerfulness, then outright sneered, "And Rain."

Marin felt the blood rush from her face. Her eyes widened, she inhaled sharply and clenching her jaw. He knew.

"'Rain'?" Peter looked at Marin. "Who's that? Who the hell is 'Rain'?"

Iron Man ignored Peter's confusion. "Band practice, was it?" A series of smaller clanks echoed around the perimeter of the ferry, and Iron Man pushed, as did whatever devices he'd attached, and the halves of the ship closed together.

"Yeah, Iron Man!" Clapped the same man from before, and Marin's stomach twisted as her chest constricted.

Once the halves reunited, Iron Man flew off, Spider-Man leaping off to try and help. Distantly, Marin heard the whir of metal being welded back together, but the rush of blood in her ears overwhelmed her. Her body ached, her vision was blurring, and her mind raced at the realization that Tony Stark knew who—and what—she was.

She was completely, utterly, absolutely screwed.

+++

By the time the Coast Guard had brought everyone to safety, and Iron Man had carried Marin and Peter to the mainland before flying off to continue helping them move the ferry, the sun was beginning to set over the Manhattan skyline.

Contrary to the beautiful pinkish-orange glow set against fluffy white clouds, Marin's stomach tangled and gnawed with nerves. She paced the walkway while Peter sat dejectedly on the concrete edge of a building lining the coast of Brooklyn Heights, waiting for Iron Man to return and reprimand them. Peter had tried to ask her about Mr. Stark calling her 'Rain', but Marin only shook her head lowly, tears filling her eyes and cramps tearing at her insides.

Eventually, Iron Man flew up to where they waited, hovering as they turned to face him. "Previously, on Marin and Peter screw the pooch; I tell you two to stay away from this. Instead, you hacked a multimillion-dollar suit so you could sneak around behind my back, doing the one thing I told you not to do."

Peter only seemed concerned, even though his voice trembled with disappointment. "Is everyone okay?"

"No thanks to you two." Tony denigrated.

Peter visibly bristled, and Marin narrowed her eyes defensively.

"No thanks to us?" Marin couldn't help but challenge, despite knowing that antagonizing Tony Stark was probably the worst idea at the moment. But Marin never said she was good at controlling her emotions.

Peter roughly hopped down from the ledge, looking offended. "Those weapons were out there, and I tried to tell you about it, but you didn't listen." He testified, growing agitated. He stepped toward Iron Man, whose suit was descending onto the walkway ahead of them. "None of this would've happened if you had just listened to me!" Peter cried, then laughed humorously. "If you even cared, you'd actually be here."

At his words, the front of Iron Man's suit opened up, panels turning outwards to reveal Tony Stark in the flesh, looking both livid and pained. Peter took a few startled steps back, almost bumping into Marin. Mr. Stark continued to advance on them, walking them back a few feet as he sniffed, almost out of habit.

"I did listen, kid." Mr. Stark attested, his face revealing nothing, but his tone was defensive. Betrayed, almost, that his mentee didn't have trust in him. "Who do you think called the FBI, huh? Do you know that I was the only one who believed in you? Everyone else said I was crazy to recruit a fourteen-year-old kid."

"I'm fifteen." Peter defended weakly.

"No—this is where you zip it, all right? The adult is talking." Mr. Stark snapped, his composure crumbling under the heavy weight of his frustration. "What if somebody had died tonight? Different story, right? Cause that's on you. And if you died... I feel like that's on me. I don't need that on my conscience."

"Yes, sir." Peter relented, looking desperate as he nodded. "I'm sorry, I—"

"Sorry doesn't cut it."

"I understand," Peter pleaded. "I just wanted to be like you."

"And I wanted you to be better." For a fraction of a second, as Mr. Stark looked at the ground, he looked as if he was going to break. But it disappeared as fast as it had shown up, and Tony Stark looked like he was completely indifferent. "Okay, it's not working out. I'm going to need the suit back."

Peter's face hardened. "For how long?"

"Forever." Mr. Stark responded flatly. Peter tried to plead with him, but the billionaire didn't want to hear it. "Yeah. Yeah, that's not how this works."

"You don't understand—please," Peter begged, his eyes growing glassy. "This is all I have. I'm nothing without this suit."

"If you're nothing without this suit, then you shouldn't have it. Okay?" Mr. Stark snipped, rubbing his left wrist, then sighed. "God, I sound like my dad."

"I—I don't have any other clothes." Peter stuttered.

"We can work that out." Tony Stark nodded, then after a moment, his gaze slid to Marin, who was standing behind Peter. Marin's face went white and her pulse picked up. "And you. Did you seriously think I wouldn't figure out where you really came from?"

Peter's eyes flickered between Marin and Mr. Stark. "Marin, what's he talking about?"

"Mr. Stark, please—" Marin whimpered, tears filling her eyes. Tony stepped around Peter, approaching her leisurely as if he didn't have a look of hatred crossing his face. Marin took frantic steps backward as if she could back away from the reality of her past catching up to her.

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out who you are?" Tony Stark's eyes burned with something sickeningly close to disgust, and Marin's heart cracked viciously in her chest. He straightened his back. "Well, I'm sure you'll be pleased to learn that I've contacted Charles and arranged for someone to come and retrieve you."

"What the hell is going on?!" Peter demanded, voice hardened and his eyes beseeching.

"Your friend Marin, here," Tony started, and Marin's eyes snapped opened impossibly wide as she shook her head incessantly at him—begging him to stop. "Is a mutant."

A gush of air left Peter like it was punched out of him. "What? That's ridiculous, Marin's not—"

"Oh, but she is." Tony insisted, looking Marin in the eyes aggressively.

Peter looked at Marin. "Is—is he telling the truth?"

"Peter, please—"

"Is he telling the truth?!" Peter yelled at her, causing her to flinch. She'd never seen him angry like this—not the night they met, or the night she ran away, or the night he abandoned the Decathlon team to track down the dealers. It terrified her. "Are you a mutant?!"

"Y-Yes, but—" Marin moved to take a step towards Peter, but her heart positively shattered to see him back away quickly, like her touch was infectious. Her outstretched hand snapped back as she cradled it against her chest.

"She ran away from the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning twelve days ago." Tony told Peter while not moving his gaze off of Marin.

"You told me they kicked you out," Peter breathed, tears dropping down his cheeks.

"They kicked her out of the X-Men program five months ago, after years of repeated disobedience and disrespectful behavior. The last straw was the night she went against orders and abandoned her team to go stop a bank robbery—the night she met you." How did he know so damn much? Tears flowed steadily down her face. "I did some research, Marin, into your name—your parents."

Marin didn't know it was possible for her face to grow so pale, but she was getting dizzy from the lack of oxygen. She clutched the concrete like a lifeline as she clenched her eyes shut while Tony continued his excoriation.

"Nine years ago, Marin was found in her destroyed home, both of her parents had died, but Marin was miraculously untouched by the destruction." Tony towered over her, as Marin wrapped her arms around herself. "I didn't understand it, until yesterday, when I received a call from a Charles Xavier, who was more than happy to fill me in.

"You see, Marin has been developing these new powers, and I was warned that she was unstable and extremely dangerous. After all, it was those same powers that had killed her parents."

"No..." Marin choked. Her breath was escaping her; she was hyperventilating. She risked a glance at Peter, who was looking at her with wide, horrified eyes. "No, you don't understand..."

She tried to beg, tried to explain, tried to say something but her throat was so dry and the watery words that she tried to expel got caught, and she choked on them.

Tony stepped between her and Peter, shielding him like he needed to protect the boy from her. Her friend. "You're going to go back to the Institute, you're going to forget about everything that's happened, and you're going to leave Peter the hell alone." Tony hissed at her. "Am I clear?"

Marin still couldn't speak, so she nodded shakily. No one said another word as Tony climbed back into the Iron Man suit, and scooped Peter up, who avoided her gaze like the plague as he tugged his mask on hastily.

"Someone will be here for you shortly." Was the last thing Tony Stark said to her, before flying off with Peter.

Once they were out of sight, Marin collapsed to her knees and began to cry.

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[twilightvolt]

My Favorite Anime OPs and EDs from 2010-2019

No one asked for this, but i’m doin’ it anyway cuz there’s so many songs out there that i’ve never heard anyone talk about. like, y’all sleep on Yu-Gi-Oh! apparently. lmao

Going by release year, here’s all the OPs and EDs i can remember that i luv (and still do to this day). i may or may not have gotten all the years right. hell, i’m not even sure i got the OP and ED numbers right.

It’ll go by: Song Name - Artist (Name of Anime and Which OP/ED it is) an asterisk means i REALLY like it above the rest.

Hopefully this’ll help introduce you to some new jams you missed out on! ^  ^

2010

Going My Way! ~Road to Tomorrow~ - Masaaki Endoh (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds OP5)*

Close to You - ALvino (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds ED4)

Future Colors - Plastic Tree (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds ED5)

Gravity 0 - Aqua Timez (Star Driver OP)*

Never Give Up! - Sonar Pocket (Digimon Xros Wars OP)*

Period - Chemistry (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood OP4)*

Rain - SID (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood OP5)* THE. FEELS.

Uragiri no Yuuyake - THEATRE BROOK (Durarara!! OP)* Y’all remember this one? Lmao

Trust Me - Yuya Matsushita (Durarara!! ED)

Ice Cream Syndrome - Sukima Switch (Pokemon Zoroark: Master of Illusions ED)*

My Soul, Your Beats! - Lia (Angel Beats OP) WAIT HOLD ON, ANGEL BEATS WAS THIS DECADE? I THOUGHT THAT WAS 2009 OR SOMETHING. DAHEQ?

ChAngE - Miwa (BLEACH OP12)

Calling - FLOW (Heroman ED)*

SHIVER - the GazettE (Black Butler II OP)

2011

Samurai Heart (Some Like it Hot!) - SPYAIR (Gintama ED17)* And on this day I realized….SPYAIR is lit.

New World - Twill (Digimon Xros Wars OP2)

Masterpiece - Mihimaru GT (Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL OP)

Boku Quest - Golden Bomber (Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL ED)* I luv watching the actual ending sequence. It fits my cyber aesthetic to a T.

BRAVING! - KANAN (Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL OP2)

Setsubou no Freesia (Longing Freesia) - Daizystripper (Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL ED2)* I’ll be completely honest, this song has been my favorite anime theme over most, if not all others, ever since. It’s kinda held a special place in my heart as it’s got memories of what transpired during 2012 that i don’t think i’ll ever forget. From the summer trip we took down south to me creating my very first OCs, Takuya and his Charmander partner Drake, on paper, i’ll luv this song with all my heart. ^  ^

Lovers - 7!! (Seven Oops) (Naruto Shippuden OP)

Counter Identity - UNISON SQUARE GARDEN (Soul Eater Repeat Show OP)*

Ai Ga Hoshii Yo - Shion Tsuji (Soul Eater Repeat Show OP2)* WANTCHU WANTCHU, I WANT CHUU~

SHINING STAR - 9nine (Star Driver OP2)*

Crossover - 9nine (Star Driver ED2)

Sky's the Limit - Shihoko Hirata (Persona 4 the Animation OP)

We’re Not Alone - coldrain (Rainbow Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin OP)

One Reason - Fade (Deadman Wonderland OP) I can bet you right now half of y’all forgot about this show. I mean i did. Lol

Mayonaka no Orchestra - Aqua Timez (Naruto Shippuden ED16)

Hacking to the Gate - Kanako Itou (Steins;Gate OP)* THIS SONG CLEARED MY SKIN AND RAISED MY GRADES.

Ranbu no Melody - SID (BLEACH OP13)* That main chorus tho. N o i c e .

LISTEN TO THE STEREO!! - GOING UNDERGROUND (Katekyo Hitman Reborn OP8)*

Core Pride - UVERworld (Blue Exorcist OP)

2012

Mask - Aqua Timez (BLEACH ED30?)

Soul Drive - Color Bottle (Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL OP3)*

Wild Child - Moumoon (Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL ED3)* Whenever I hear this song, I either think of school shenanigans or, if school isn't a thing in their world, a high school AU. Lmao

Unbreakable Heart - Hideaki Takatori (Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL OP4)

Artist - Vistlip (Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL ED4)*

Stand By Me - Stereopony (Eureka Seven AO ED)* Ok I know some people don't wanna remember AO, but hear me out here. Lmao 

Brave Blue - FLOW (Eureka Seven AO OP2)*

Key Plus Words - Shihoko Hirata & Yumi Kawamura (Persona 4 the Animation OP2)

Harukaze - SCANDAL (BLEACH OP15)*

Crossing Field - LiSA (Sword Art Online OP) I like making SAO jokes as much as the next guy, but let's be real here. Crossing Field was still a pretty good song.

STAND UP! - Twill (Digimon Xros Wars Hunters OP)* Hunters sucked, but the OP slaps.

Kyomu Densen - ALI PROJECT (Another OP) This show gave me a temporary fear of umbrellas, but this OP is good.

Complication - ROOKiEZ is PUNK’D (Durarara!! OP2)

Light My Fire - KOTOKO (Shakugan no Shana III Final OP)

Mite Mite Kochichi - Memoiro Clover Z (Pokemon Best Wishes ED3)

2013

Dualism of Mirrors - Petite Milady (Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL OP5)

GO WAY GO WAY - FoZZtone (Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL ED5)

Challenge the GAME - REDMAN (Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL ED6)* I swear to god, this should’ve been the final OP rather than Wonder Wings. I really don’t like that song.

Oh, and if you wanna hear more of the lead singer's voice, he's the lead singer of GIRUGAMESH. They didn't do any anime songs while they were still active afaik, but totally check it out if you like J-Rock.

Sakura Mitsutsuki & Genjyou Destruction - SPYAIR (Gintama OP13 and Gintama: The Final Chapter OP)*

After Cherry Blossoms (all quartets lead to the?) - UNISON SQUARE GARDEN (Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta OP)*

Non-Fiction Compass - UNISON SQUARE GARDEN (Yozakura Quartet: Tsuki ni Naku OP)

Sayonara Memory - 7!! (Seven Oops) (Naruto Shippuden ED)

BLOODY STREAM - Coda (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Battle tendency OP)* I mean, how could i NOT put this song on here? Lmao

Be An Arrow! - Rica Matsumoto (Pokemon Best Wishes! OP2)

Natsumeku Sakamichi (Summerly Slope) - Daisuke (Pokemon Best Wishes DA! OP)* While the Black & White series was absolutely terrible, I can thank it for spawning some nice OPs.

Egao - Ikimono-gakari (Pokemon Genesect and the Legend Awakened ED)

Take Your Way - Livetune adding Fukase (From SEKAI NO OWARI) (Devil Survivor 2 the Animation OP)* I swear I will never get tired of this song.

Be - Song Riders (Devil Survivor 2 the Animation ED)*

Watashi no Bara wo Kaminasai - ALI PROJECT (Rozen Maiden 2013 OP)

Moshimo - Daisuke (Naruto Shippuden OP)

Burn My Dread ~Spring of Birth~ & More Than One Heart - Yumi Kawamura (Persona 3 the Movie #1 Spring of Birth OP and ED)*

Eden - Aqua Timez (Magi: the Kingdom of Magic ED)*

Out of Control - Nothing’s Carved in Stone (Psycho Pass OP2)*

HERO -Kibou no Uta- - FLOW (Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods ED)

2014

Silhouette - KANA BOON (Naruto Shippuden OP16)* Everyone rise for the weeb national anthem.

BelievexBelieve - Bulletrain (Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V OP)

ENAMEL - SID (Black Butler: Book of Circus OP)

Masayume Chasing - BoA (Fairy Tail OP15)

STRIKE BACK - BACK-ON (Fairy Tail OP16)*

Burn! - Bulletrain (Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V OP2)

DAYxDAY - BLUE ENCOUNT (Gintama OP)* Before Polaris, there was this. lol

Goya no Machiawase - Hello Sleepwalkers (Noragami OP)* I swear Noragami has great taste in OPs. lmao

Fate is in Our Hands - Lotus Juice (Persona 3 the Movie #2 Midsummer Knight's Dream OP)* Y'all know Lotus Juice makes EVERYTHING badass.

One Hand, One Heartbeat - Yumi Kawamura (Persona 3 the Movie #2 Midsummer Knight's Dream ED)* I swear I literally feel like crying every time I hear this song. It's just that powerful.

Unravel - TK from Ling Tosite Sigure (Tokyo Ghoul OP) Ok, lemme explain. I used to hate this song cuz I thought TK's singing voice was whiny as hell. But after a long, LOOOOONG time, it finally started to grow on me. I think it's because of all the song covers I've listened to and, after understanding the meaning behind the lyrics, I appreciate this song a bit more nowadays. 

V (VOLT) and MEGA V (MEGA VOLT) - Yusuke (Pokemon XY OPs 1&2)*

daze - Jin ft. MARiA from GARNiDELiA (Mekakucity Actors OP)

Monochrome - Dancing Dolls (Soul Eater NOT! OP)

2015

Saigo Made ii - Aqua Timez (Gintama ED15 i think?)

Kyouran Hey Kids! - THE ORAL CIGARETTES (Noragami Aragoto OP)* IN THIS HOUSE, WE JUST WANNA HOLD YOUR HAAAAAAND~

Getta Ban Ban (Mad-Paced Getter) - Tomohisa Sako (Pokemon XY OP3)*

XY&Z - Rica Matsumoto (Pokemon XY&Z OP)*

Raise Your Flag - MAN WITH A MISSION (Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans OP)*

Hello, World! - BUMP OF CHICKEN (Kekkai Sensen OP)*

Sugar Song and Bitter Step AKA the song everyone makes fan animated parodies of it’s opening sequence - UNISON SQUARE GARDEN (Kekkai Sensen ED)

Kirifuda (Trump Card) - Cinema Staff (Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V OP4)

Speaking - MRS. GREEN APPLE (Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V ED4)* before Great Escape from Attack on Titan and Inferno from Fire Force, there was this OP and ED. both of which i feel are better songs. lmao

Tweedia - Rei Yasuda (Pokemon Hoopa and the Clash of Ages ED)*

Diver - KANA-BOON (The Last: Naruto the Movie ED)*

Butter-Fly 2015 - Kouji Wada (Digimon Adventure Tri. OP)

Sono Chi no Kioku ~End of the World~ - JO☆STARS ~TOMMY, Coda, JIN~ (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders OP2)

Lapis Lazuli - Eir Aoi (Arslan Senki ED)*

Clattanoia - OxT (Overlord OP)*

L.L.L. - MYTH & ROID (Overlord ED)

Nazo 2015 - La PomPon (Detective Conan OP41)* Hearing this brought back memories of hearing the original during my childhood back when Cased Closed was still a thing.

Just Fly Away - EDGE of LIFE (Gundam Build Fighters Try OP2)

Flyers - BRADIO (Death Parade OP) Like Another, this was one of those where i wouldn’t have touched the show itself if my anime club didn’t watch it.

X.U. - Hiroyuki Sawano (Seraph of the End OP)*

Hikari - ViViD (Magi: the Kingdom of Magic OP2)

2016

DiVE!! - Amatsuki (Digimon Universe: Applimonsters OP)*

Ai - Ami Wajima (Digimon Universe: Applimonsters ED2)

The Day - Porno Graffitti (My Hero Academia OP)

HEROES - Brian the Sun (My Hero academia ED)

RAGE OF DUST - SPYAIR (Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans OP2)*

Believe in Myself - EDGE of LIFE (Fairy Tail OP21)*

CRAZY NOISY BIZARRE TOWN - THE DU (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable OP)

Chase - batta (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable OP2)* Screw the haters. This song is a bop.

Great Days - Karen Aoki & Daisuke Hasegawa (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable OP3) As you can see, i luv all of Jojo Part 4’s OPs. lmao

Kaze no Uta - FLOW (Tales of Zestiria the X OP)* Zestiria may have been the most uninteresting experience i’ve had in the Tales series, but at least it’s OPs are straight fire.

Dream Lantern, ZenZenZense, Sparkle and Nandemonaiya - RADWIMPS (Various themes from Your Name) I'm still miffed that they didn't kiss at the end. >:v

Re:Re: - ASIAN KUNGFU GENERATION (Erased OP)

Brave Shine - Aimer (Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works OP)*

Starting Over - Mr. Children (The Boy and the Beast ED)* Mamoru Hosoda never ceases to make me smile and/or cry, huh?

GO - BUMP OF CHICKEN (GRANBLUE FANTASY the Animation OP)

KINGS - angela (K Project OP) i don’t even know how i remembered this one. I watched K at my local anime club years ago cuz one of my friends suggested it. I barely remember what it was about, though. ^  ^’

Vision - Kusou Linkai (Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V ED5)

Light of Hope - Unknown Number (Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V OP5)

Pendulum Beat! - SUPER DRAGON (Yu-Gi-Oh ARC-V OP6)*

2017

Peace Sign - Kenshi Yonezu (My Hero Academia OP2)* SURE IT’S POPULAR, BUT IT’S POPULAR FOR A REASON.

Datte Atashi no Hero - LiSA (My Hero Academia ED3)

Little Pi - Ange☆Reve (Digimon Universe: Applimonsters ED3)

Perfect World - Traffic Light (Digimon Universe: Applimonsters ED4)*

With the Wind - Hiroaki “TOMMY” Tominaga (Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS OP)* I’ll be honest, this one took some getting used to, but now i luv it!

Fake Town Baby - UNISON SQUARE GARDEN (Kekkai Sensen and Beyond OP)

Tonari Au - THE ORAL CIGARETTES (Sakurada Reset ED)*

Rain - SEKAI NO OWARI (Mary and the Witch's Flower ED)* I really liked the movie and I just luved the fantasy vibes given off by the instrumentals in this song.

Baton Road - KANA BOON (Boruto: Naruto Next Generations OP)* Y'all say Boruto is trash, but at least the theme songs still boppin'.

Boku wa Hashiri Tsuzukeru - Melofloat (Boruto: Naruto Next Generations ED3)

FEED THE FIRE - coldrain (King’s Game OP)* Thank you Fire Force for introducing me to this wonderful band. ;w;

2018

PAiNT it BLACK - BiSH (Black Clover OP2)* Never thought I'd ever find a band actually named bish. Lmao

Black Rover - Vickeblanka (Black Clover OP3)

Guess Who is Back - Kumi Koda (Black Clover OP4)* Now, if this ain't a bop fit for a triumphant return like "SURPRISE BISH I'M BACK." then idk what is. Lmao

Gamushara & Tenge Tenjou - Miyuna (Black Clover OP&ED5)* i’m mainly referring to Gamushara, but i luv Tenge Tenjou too.

ODD FUTURE - UVERworld (My Hero Academia OP4)*

Make my story - Lenny code fiction (My Hero Academia OP5)*

The Future is Now - Straightener (Digimon ReArise OP)* Yes, I know I'm cheating cuz it's a video game, but it's an opening sequence much like an anime, so yeah.

Breath - Porno Graffitti (Pokemon the Power of Us ED)

Katharsis - TK from Ling Tosite Sigure (Tokyo Ghoul OP3?)*

Here - JUNNA (The Ancient Magus Bride OP)

Renai Circulation - Kana Hanazawa (Bakemonogatari OP4) Imma be honest, i found this song through those Coldplay mashups and other memes. Lmao

I Wanna Be - SPYAIR (Gintama Shirogane no Tamashii Hen OP)

Hana Ichi Monme - BURNOUT SYNDROMES (Gintama Shirogane no Tamashii Hen ED)*

2019

Hana ga Saku Michi - THE CHARM PARK (Black Clover ED7)* I SWEAR NO ONE’S COVERED THIS SONG YET AND I’M SAD. I LUV THIS SONG.

Inferno - MRS. GREEN APPLE (Fire Force OP)

Veil - Keina Suda (Fire Force ED)* This ED gives me feels and i luv it. ;w;

MAYDAY - coldrain (Fire Force OP2)* This sounds like a song i’d hear at Hot Topic and i feel blessed. lmao

Nounai - Lenny code fiction (Fire Force ED2) I swear this anime doesn’t have a single song i don’t like. I’m not kidding. lmao

WILD SIDE - ALI (BEASTARS OP)* IN THIS HOUSE, WE DO NOT SKIP THIS OPENING I STG.

Le Zoo - YURiKA (BEASTARS ED)

Nemureru Honou (Sleeping Instincts) - YURiKA (BEASTARS ED2)*

Kawaki no Ameku - Minami (Domestic Na Kanojo OP)

Polaris - BLUE ENCOUNT (My Hero Academia OP6)* THIS IS THE BIGGEST BOP SINCE PEACE SIGN OML

Touch Off - UVERworld (The Promised Neverland OP)* This show was too creepy for me to continue, but I luv it for what it is. Also NAA NANANANANANAA NANANAAAA~

Sangenshoku - PELICAN FANCLUB (Dr. Stone OP2)* Sorry, but Good Morning World didn’t totally do it for me. I luv this OP way more tbh.

Suisou - Megumi Nakajima (Hoshiai no Sora OP)* The bits before the chorus are just so good.

1•2•3 - After the Rain (Pocket Monsters 2019 OP)

Dark Crow - MAN WITH A MISSION (Vinland Saga OP2)

MOTOR CITY - Kenichi Asai (No Guns Life OP)

Game Over - DATS (No Guns Life ED)

[takadasaiko]

Houseguest: Chapter One

FFN II AO3

Summary: Two months after the battle of New York, Tony gets a surprise visit from Steve Rogers at his home in Malibu. Still uncertain exactly what brought him there in the first place, the two not-quite-friends find themselves in the middle of an increasingly dangerous mission to recover stolen alien tech.

Chapter One: The Surprise Visitor

It was all planned out. The reservations had been made, he'd had JARVIS set three alarms - including one that gave him a ten second warning that his systems would be shut down and all unsaved designs would be lost - to make sure that he was out of the workshop in time, and he was showered and ready with a few minutes to spare. He was not going to mess this up. He didn't dare mess this up.

Tony ran a hand back through his dark hair to smooth a few strands into place and pulled in a deep breath, going over everything again. Pep had had a five-thirty phone call with the Board in New York, but she'd promised to keep it under an hour when he'd told her their dinner reservations were set for seven. Just after six she'd have time to change and they'd drive to her favourite restaurant on the beach. It had to be perfect.

"Miss Potts has arrived," JARVIS announced as Tony snapped his watch into place. "She is not alone."

That stopped him in his tracks. "What do you mean not alone?" he demanded, but it was Pepper's voice from downstairs that answered him, not the AI.

"Tony? Are you upstairs?" He darted over to the hall just outside of his room that overlooked the living room below, hearing the telltale signs of Pepper's heels against the marble floor and her voice drifting up, even if it didn't sound like she was talking to him. "Tony didn't mention that you were coming into town."

The inventor slammed to a stop at the voice that answered her. "Uh… he didn't know," came Steve Roger's awkward answer. "He mentioned I should look him up if I was in Malibu and -"

"Hey, Cap. You forgot how phones work?" Tony popped off, starting down the stairs. "I mean, I know there've been some upgrades since '45, but it's still a pretty basic concept." Pepper shot him a withering look as he circled down and he flashed her a grin. "Not that you don't look great in a business suit, but that's not what you're wearing to Nobu, is it?"

"My dress is out in the car, but you had a guest lingering at the front door when I got here. It's like he was afraid to knock. Couldn't imagine why."

"I'm interrupting something, aren't I?" Steve managed, looking more awkward by the moment. Good. Maybe he'd slink right back out the door and they could get on with date night.

"We had dinner plans, but that's alright," Pepper answered and damn it if she weren't reacting to the lost puppy look Rogers seemed to be wearing like a pro. "I didn't get a chance to meet you while we were working on the tower's redesign."

"And you can meet him tomorrow," Tony cut in as he came to join them on the ground floor. "I mean, you're not flying out tonight, right, Cap? And we have reservations…."

"Because we've never canceled reservations before? It's fine. We'll go later. You have a friend in town."

Friend was a stretch, but there was no arguing with her when she was like this. Well, no winning the argument, at any rate. He'd thought that she might have caught on to the fact that this wasn't just another dinner, but if she'd had an inkling of an idea it had gone out the window the moment she had seen their spangliest Avenger standing on Tony's doorstep. Great. The best laid plans did tend to blow up more spectacularly than just winging it.

"I don't want to intrude," the blond tried and Tony didn't miss the brief look his girlfriend gave him.

"Too late for that," he answered with a forced smile and for a second he thought Pepper might smack him for it. Instead she just shot him a warning look that only a blind man could have misinterpreted.

"I think I have some clothes to change into upstairs. Do you have any food in the house? I can cook dinner or we can order in -"

"I have liquor," he offered and boy did he need some about then.

"Okay, but I'm something a little more substantial to go with it," Pepper answered, but at least she was smiling while rolling her eyes at him. "I'll have them deliver a pizza."

"Perfect," he managed as he watched her start for the stairs, her ponytail bouncing with each step and pulled her phone from her purse to call it in.

Tony turn an accusing glare on the taller man. "Please tell you've got a damn good reason for being here. Bad guys chasing you? Aliens back? Something that makes it worth it that you just crashed a night I've been planning for weeks."

"I'm sorry, Tony. I should've called."

"Yeah."

"I'll go."

"Oh no. She wants you to stay, so if you go now I'll get an earful about forcing you out." He tilted his head a little, studying the man that his father had spent decades searching for and his entire childhood talking about. He didn't look afraid or even worried. More embarrassed than anything, and Tony reached up to massage some of the tension from the bridge of his nose. "It's been two months since New York. Last I heard you took a motorcycle out and nobody's heard from you since. You drive clear across the country?"

"I did, actually."

"So what? Just need a place to crash when you hit the West Coast?"

"No, nothing like that. I'll get a motel or something. I just… I wanted to…."

"Pizza's on its way," Pepper called as she started back down the stairs, now dressed in a pair of jeans and one of Tony's AC/DC t-shirts. "Captain Rogers, you strike me as more of a beer than a wine man."

"That'd be great, thank you," he answered politely. "And Steve's fine, Miss Potts."

"Then I'm going to insist on Pepper." Then she was gone again, descending downstairs to the wine cellar below Tony's workshop.

Tony turned back to Cap. "How'd you find me, anyway? My address isn't exactly listed."

"Nick Fury."

"But he couldn't give you my phone number? Weird."

He turned up the stairs towards the kitchen, motioning for the taller man to follow and he heard him snort in response. "I'm sorry. I should have called. I just assumed you'd be holed up in your lab or something. I didn't even know you had a girlfriend, much less one that you would be -"

Tony turned, quirking a dark eyebrow. "One that I'd be what, Cap?"

"That you'd… I just didn't realize you were… in a …"

"Uh huh. Keep going. You're doing great." He offered a shit-eating grin and chuckled. "It's fine. Keep your reasons for all I care. The night's planned events are a bust now so we might as well make some new ones."

He opened the fridge and reached in, grabbing two beers as he did and went back for a bowl of limes as an afterthought. Hey. They weren't working and apparently they had no place to be. The least he could do was furnish the great Captain America with a hangover for crashing his night. Tequila worked nicely for that.

"Where all have you been to see in the last couple of months?" Pepper called from the living room.

Tony pressed one of the bottles into Cap's hand and breezed past him, the other man following until they reached the base of the stairs and Tony split off towards the bar. "I just made my way across the US. I really didn't travel as a kid and while I saw a few cities with the Army I never really got to enjoy them."

"That sounds amazing. Neither of us have been on a real vacation in…. years. Tony, what are you looking for?"

"Tequila." He could practically feel her quirk a questioning eyebrow from the living room. He found what he was looking for and snagged the bottle and glasses, starting back out. "I mean, in our defense, last time we tried we got attacked."

"You did what?" Rogers asked cautiously.

"He wouldn't have been able to get to you if you hadn't decided you wanted to play race car driver."

Tony made a face. "Yeah, because him showing up at the expo didn't happen right after."

Pepper flashed him a playful smile. "But that wasn't on vacation." She turned back to their drop-in guest. "Sorry. You were saying?"

Cap was watching them like he was trying to decide if they'd lost their minds or if this was supposed to be normal for them. Tony was fine with letting him guess. As Pepper kept the conversation going he busied himself with three generous glasses of tequila, salting the rims and handing them out.

"Oh that's way too much," Pepper argues.

"It's fine. When's your first meeting?"

"Ten."

"It's fine. Cheers. To Cap's impromptu visit." He lifted his glass, flashing her his most innocent smile. He waited until the other two knocked against his, the clink echoing. He tilted it back and stuck a lime in his mouth. A shudder ran through him. Okay. Wow. It'd been a while since he'd done that.

They chatted, Rogers telling them where he'd been and what he'd seen. He'd gone down the East Coast first, cut across Louisiana into Texas, and then made his way to Southern California from there. He still wanted to make it up to Washington State and back around. Chicago was on his list, he knew. Minneapolis. Detroit. As long as there were no major catastrophes that had them all coming back together, he thought he had time. He didn't say anything about Tony's invitation that he'd extended to all of the Avengers. Not that any of them really had. It had been a stupid idea anyway. An expensive one too, with the living quarters that he'd designed for each of them. Ah well. At least he and Pepper had a place to stay when they were in New York.

Pepper leaned against him a little more as the conversation continued, her long day mixing with the alcohol, and Tony wrapped an arm around her on the couch. She nestled into his shoulder and he played with strands of strawberry blonde hair in a way he knew she liked. He lifted his newly refilled glass to his lips with his free hand. "Where's Peggy Carter these days?"

Tony couldn't miss the way that Cap stiffened at the question. "I'm not… why?"

"You guys were a thing, right?"

"How do you….? Is that in a file somewhere?"

Tony snorted louder than he meant to at that and mumbled apologies to his snoozing girlfriend before dark eyes flickered back up to meet blue. "I knew her when I was younger. Dad worked with he - on SHIELD, I guess, not that he ever told me that - and I met her a few times. Haven't seen her in years, but I thought…"

"She moved back to England," Rogers said softly. "That's what her file said anyway."

"Those things are always outta date. If you want I can track her down for you. Might be nice to say —"

"No."

The word was sharp enough that Tony stiffened at it. Cap winced. "Sorry. No, thank you. That's really not necessary."

"Okay then." The room went quiet and Tony shifted Pepper gently so that they'd both be a little more comfortable. She inched the rest of the way down so that her head rested on the couch next to him, freeing him up to move a little. He glanced over to the bottle that they'd already put a dent in that night and grabbed for it. If he was feeling the affects, surely Cap was. He hadn't been sure the man even drank until that night.

"Everyone's gone."

Tony pauses mid-reach. "Gone?"

"My whole unit. Your dad. Peggy's alive, but she has a family and I…. I'm just part of a past she moved on from."

Tony chewed on his lower lip before refilling his glass and leaning over to refill Rogers' as well. They were both going to need it. "So what are you doing here? I mean, I wasn't exactly your favourite of our little makeshift team of superheroes."

He watched blond brows draw together thoughtfully and he took a long sip from his glass. "Your dad took some getting used to. He was…. brash. Arrogant. Obnoxious. But when push came to shove he was there when you needed him. I wouldn't trust another pilot back in the war. I thought I saw….." His lips twitched downward. "I guess I missed him, but he's been gone for years now." Blue eyes finally flickered to meet brown. "You're here though."

And just like that Tony's mood plummeted. "Always nice to be a fill in for a dead man," he snapped quietly.

"That's not —"

Tony dragged in a breath and tilted the glass back. He couldn't feel his lips anymore. Scratch that. He couldn't feel his face. "Listen, I should get her upstairs to bed," he managed, motioning at the still-sleeping Pepper.

"Oh. Maybe I should get going then."

"Nah. I have like… six guest rooms. Pick one. There's a gym on this floor if you want. You saw where the kitchen is. Despite what Pep says, it's usually pretty well stocked. If you need to know where something is, just ask JARVIS. G'night."

"Tony, if I offended you somehow…."

"Why would I be offended, Cap? We're not friends. You were pals with my old man. I don't mind putting you up for the night."

He ignored the kicked puppy look the other man was giving him as he roused Pepper just enough to get her on her feet, teasing her the whole way about how the tables had turned and what a bad influence he'd been on her. She leaned into him as they made their way up the stairs to his bedroom and told him she loved him. Well. At least the night wasn't a total bust. That made it alright.

                                          ______________________

TBC

Notes: So begins another crazy story. One that I did not actually plan to write, mind you, but the boys wouldn't leave me alone until I did. I do love shoving them in a room together and making them play nice.

Next time: A hungover Tony gets news of a breakin at a Stark Industries facility.

[macbetha]

Preview of SouRin Sugar Daddy AU: Death of a Bachelor “Chapter 21″

Sousuke’s first week back at work is shit – more like slapping on a condom full of fire ants, to put it lightly – though he hadn’t anticipated leaving his bed for a freezing office would be a pleasant affair. He’s grown accustomed to Rin’s presence, bodily and internally addicted. Sousuke needs him like sleep, a requirement for rest and fulfillment; the way he buries his cheek against Sousuke’s chest in the night, god, the fucking stars can’t compare to such fire. Being around Rin is secure and rebellious all at once. Justified. The reliver and the fever. There’s a panic to it all, waiting for this good thing to explode and come crashing down – but Sousuke likes the feeling. It’s powder, fuse, and friction. He and Rin are maneuvering a delicate space as they try to figure out the balance of public image and authentic emotion, but at least Sousuke knows which way Rin might be leaning.  Sousuke can most certainly confirm what his own heart is singing.  Needless to say, he is a bit addicted to being around Rin, and it was in no one’s best interest for Sousuke to part from him and spend days in a conference so infuriating that it ices his goddamn blood over. To quote Makoto, Sousuke is positively lemon-sour and intimidates potential investors; to quote Nagisa, his personally drops to that of the Wicked Witch of the T.E. West Wing.

“What in the risen fuck was that meeting,” Sousuke hisses on the walk out of the conference room. Nitori scurries after him, peeking over the tower of files in his arms. “Sir, I know you need a break, but you have a call from the Chou Ward waiting on Line 3 –” Sousuke throws a hand up. “I don’t have time to ignore Isana-san, tell him I’ll call him in the morning.” He shudders at the dreadful thought. “Put Baileys in my coffee tomorrow.” Nagisa bounces to Nitori’s side, scribbling on a clipboard before handing it off to Makoto. Nagisa takes a primp sip of his latte, swinging his hips with the demeanor of someone absolutely content while the building goes up in figurative flames. Nagisa says, “Sou-chan shouldn’t have any irritants while he’s recovering, Ai-chan.” “You’re an irritant,” Nitori pouts. The rest of Sousuke’s people follow him to the elevator, but he’s too frazzled to recall which floor he’s on. Not remembering directions is a staple of his character at the office, but that doesn’t make his grumble any less embarrassed. “Up or down?” Natsuya raises his brows as he scrolls through his phone and Makoto sighs, “It’s a miracle you have a driver’s license.” He pushes the button to take them to the appropriate level and everyone hunkers down in Makoto’s office with the door locked. Sousuke pours square glasses of whiskey for himself and his brother, Natsuya pulls out a Cameroon cigar, and Seijuro haggardly smokes a cigarette. The redhead hisses grey through his teeth. “Well, that could have gone better.” “A root canal would have gone better,” Sousuke fumes. Seijuro flicks ashes into the tray he always keeps in his breast pocket. “Amazing that you have to call in every department to the main branch just to make an executive decision of shareholders.” Seijuro isn’t even full-time on T.E.’s payroll, but as their prime freelancing marketing consultant, it was necessary for Mikoshiba Incorporated to witness the meeting. Natsuya yanks his tie loose and flops in the nearest chair. “It’s democracy, one of the two greatest contributions to society.” His face slates over as he takes a pull from his cigar. “That and getting fucked up the ass.” “I’ve tried both and they’re overrated,” Nagisa says, tossing his empty coffee cup over his shoulder and into the trashcan. He spreads his notes across Makoto’s desk, organizing in a way that only the P.A. can understand. Nitori comes over to view the conference transcript and braces his hands on his hips, grim-browed. “What was that one gentleman’s name that wanted to buy half your stocks?” Sousuke snorts into his glass. “Which one? The guy that looked like he should be underground worshiping rats?” “No,” Nagisa says, leafing through some folders. “The one with the personality of a sentient enema.” “Ito-san,” Makoto supplies, half-asleep on the lounge. Lemon is his office-cat of the day and she cuddles his shoulder. Nitori nods. “Right, him.” His eyes skim through the appropriate folder and he sighs over at Sousuke. “If you aren’t comfortable with Ito-san being a shareholder, you’ll have to do what he can’t.” Seijuro scoffs, “What, drive sober?” “That and prove Tachibana Enterprises is still a mom-and-pop business.” Nitori crosses his arms. “Yamazaki-san, you and Tachibana-san are still the figureheads of this company. You don’t have to blindly grab anyone’s money just because there’s a lot of it.” He hesitates. “But you’ll have to make a choice. You’re at a crossroads of identity as a company.” Natsuya says, “Ito-san is a shareholder at Kirishima International as well, my father said that man is so radioactive that he can read newspapers in the bathroom from the light of his own shit.” Sousuke stares in disbelief before kneading his forehead, which pulses to the touch. “Even if we omit Ito-san, none of the investors were good candidates. The youngest prospect talked like he had never seen the world outside a limo with a hot tub; he doesn’t understand how decisions can affect our individual employees.” “If he’s absent-minded, then he won’t pull out if the stocks drop,” Makoto tries. Sousuke balks. “Kinjou Kaede is a goddamn animal. No one thinks rationally when they’re nineteen and just inherited a fortune.” He takes a drink and holds the whiskey in his mouth, letting it burn his insides and fuel his indignation. “Kid prowled into the building like a fucking Bengal tiger.” Nagisa makes a face. “It was pretty hot, though.” “ – and he watched us like he was waiting for us to pour honey on his cock and suck it.” “Mm, too forward,” Nitori nods solemnly. “There’s no way I’m answering to some smug teenager.” Sousuke takes another angry drink. Having a bad shareholder, especially one to the caliber that Kinjou wants, is like being declawed, defanged, and neutered. Not a good equation for a productive work environment – Sousuke is too stubborn to try and improve such a fate. Nagisa considers. “Kinjou might not be that bad, he’s cute. But like, kind of how lions are cute: from a distance with an electric fence between you.” “Kinjou told his P.A. that you’re too busy cutting eff-holes in peaches to do your job right,” Nitori drones, not glancing up from his paperwork. Nagisa looks stunned in the most pleased way. “Do I radiate that much Top Energy? I better keep wearing this Calvin Klein shit I snagged from Haru-chan’s bedroom.” Makoto startles an excited blush with eyes tripled in size before Sousuke cuts everyone off. “If we go with Ito-san, we’re playing it safe and this company won’t be seen as ours anymore. He’ll get all the credit for any forthcoming success because he took a chance on two young CEOs, and everyone will think our profits are due to his wisdom.” Makoto’s frame tightens and he heaves a defeated breath, shaking his head. He looks as trapped as Sousuke feels. Sousuke continues, “If we go with Kinjou, we are going to catch hell from any other long-standing corporations, not to mention the media.” Seijuro nods, lifting his brows. “You’re new money.” He says it with a smirk. “At Mikoshiba Incorporated, my father actually likes that. New money is all cash – it’s no bullshit.” He shrugs as he takes another pull, seeming hopeful. “We’re the next era of business. If the older people can’t evolve, that’s their problem. Money is money and cash is king. That’s all that matters.”   His speech invigorates something deep in Sousuke – a reckoning. He sits up straighter as he regards his brother, who considers. Makoto casts a miserable look at the floor before he shakes his head, giving in to the determination pouring through his veins. His gaze hardens before he nods at Sousuke with grim consent. “All right. We give Kinjou some shares, but not as many as he wanted. Start him out small, see what he does with it. Let the media get used to the idea of him before he’s got the chance to do anything irrational.” Sousuke nods in response, petrified to move forward, but as satisfied as he can be with their circumstance. Everyone slips out to leave the brothers alone and after a while of sharing miserable silence, Sousuke hauls himself to his feet. “Well, I’m headed to take a swan dive off the roof. Care to join me?” “Maybe later.” Makoto keeps scrolling through his phone, inspired. “Are loofas a decent Christmas gift?” Sousuke’s expression dries with disappointment. “You’re rich.”   “They make nice loofas.” “Who the fuck thinks about fiber count when they’re washing their ass, Mako?” Makoto grimaces with a shudder. “It’s for Haru.” He takes off his glasses to rub his eyes in frustration. “He likes baths, I don’t know. I just want to get him something he’d like.” Lemon wanders over and Sousuke picks her up to cuddle the cat against his chest. “Taking baths is a staple of his character? He doesn’t sound that interesting.” “He’s very interesting,” Makoto pouts. “I’m just bad at gifts. What are you getting Rin for Christmas?” Sousuke shrugs, though it’s a confidant motion. “Whatever he wants.” “That’s not interesting,” his brother scoffs. “Or personal.”   Sousuke leans against the wall, careful how he angles his shoulder. “I don’t know, I need to think about it. I don’t want to freak him out or anything.” Makoto glances up from his phone to shoot him a flat look. “I don’t think you could freak him out if you tried, and I mean that nicely. Haru told me that Rin’s obsessed with you.” “Mm.” He doesn’t say more, though he flushes with pride, and he smirks when Makoto rolls his eyes. His brother sighs, “Well, I need to hurry up and choose something since he and Rin are taking a flight back home tomorrow.” Sousuke’s smirk drops and his arms fall slack. Lemon squawks in the air before landing on her feet. “Huh?” “Did you forget?” “Rin never told me.”

[burlybanner]

Syzygy -6

Syzygy - An AU of Infundo (post-Infundo Chronicles).

Chapter 6: S**t Gets Too Real

Chapter 6 Summary:  Tony Stark’s a genius. Sometimes he wishes he wasn’t.

 Gentle warning: Slob stuff and multiple stuffings ahoy.

Link to Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

** Surprisingly, Bruce got hungry pretty damn quick after Hulk's stuffing. He didn't think he'd feel hungry ever again but after eating a banana he'd soaked in a double portion of his gainer solution, his stomach roared to life soon after waking. Being so suddenly and frightfully hungry shocked him, but thank the chubby powers-that-be that Steve had a huge country breakfast waiting. Bruce gobbled multiple servings of buttery Belgian waffles soaked in syrup, several donuts, half a coffee cake from his favorite bakery, and a couple of spinach mushroom quiches.

Which, to be honest,  was nothing near lunch a few hours later at a private buffet ("to celebrate new growth," Tony'd told the manager). Bruce had rolled his eyes. Of course Tony said something that stupid out loud. They'd brought some of the gainer formula to the buffet, shook it over Bruce’s food, and Bruce tore into the portions like a bull in a glass factory. And it surprised him. It took an hour of heavy gorging before he almost felt full and he'd never eaten that much for that long before. But it felt...great. No, more than that. He felt incredibly pleased. Sated. Beyond high. 

His pants got so tight at the restaurant he'd had to undo his belt.

His fullness turned him on and he begged Tony and Steve to blow him in the limo, on the way back home. But they weren’t total heathens; they waited until they returned for stuffing sex, 

where one of his boyfriends fed him sickeningly sweet desserts while the other blew him, effectively creating double orgasms. 

God. They'd been ridiculously horny. Insatiable rabbits.

And then there was dinner. Holy shit, dinner turned into another orgy when they mixed the day's remaining formula into his meals. After several dishes and baskets of rolls Bruce couldn't suck in his gut to fasten his pants. His stomach bloated and swelled in his lap as he slurped down sweet sriracha chicken,  Thai coconut curry, and on and on. Food continued coming as fast as he ate it and he barely choked one meal down before the next course presented itself. He'd spilled a ton of food down his shirt, but he didn't care. He mindlessly gobbled everything up like a sloppy, greedy piggy wallowing in mess.

Then they sated themselves with sex. Again and again.

Bruce's body quivered from the memories and his dick jumped in his pants. He wondered how the rest of the night would go which dampened his enthusiasm. He had to fall asleep and his body would be taken over, forced to consume whatever Hulk desired. Thinking about Hulk's "meal" worked like ice water on his libido.

Bruce sighed and nervously squeezed his stomach. "You really found everything?"

"Sure did, Pooh."

"I would've...no. I wouldn't' have asked. I can't imagine what you went through to get it. After everything I ate today, I thought you would've been sick of catering to me."

Tony smiled gently and gave Bruce a quick kiss on the lips while slipping on a pair of sweatpants and his nano shirt. "For you? I'd buy the moon, Pooh Bear. Besides, today's good eatin' was to slick you up for tonight. You don't think Steve and I noticed your apprehension? Perish the thought. You're stuck with us."

"And how," Steve sighed, coming up behind him. Steve was still floating in a post-coital glow and his high was infectious. He wrapped his arms around Bruce's shoulders and gently swayed him side to side, palming Bruce’s spare tire while bouncing his heavy overhang. "Betcha gained a ton today, Porkpie."

Bruce shuddered with lust and kissed Steve's arm. "We'll see."

"We still have the bonus round," Tony told them. He snapped his fingers. "Bruce, bed. Steve, get him sleepy." He checked his watch. "I've got caterers to catch."

Bruce suddenly perked up. "They're here? Already?"

"In an hour. But I need to set up for Hulk. He likes his food ready and he likes getting messy, as you know."

Bruce snorted softly. "I saw."

"I've got a few things prepared. No worries, Brucie, it's not about you now. Rest up for the nightly pig-out."

Bruce chewed the inside of his cheek. "Be careful, yeah?"

"Always, Brucie Bear. Always." Tony winked and skittered out, but Bruce wasn't convinced. Tony could be notoriously bad at self-preservation and he'd need all of his skills for the Hulk.

Please be careful, he thought as a silent litany, even as Steve kissed his neck and led him to their bed.

**

"Yeah, lay it out."

The caterer and their helpers looked confused. "On the--"

"On the tarp, yeah. Line up the steno and servers in a line. The tarp's fireproof," Tony explained, although he doubted they thought that was the weird thing. "Set it up. I'll take care of the rest."

"Of course, Mr. Stark."

Fortunately they didn't bat an eye. He figured they'd seen weirder things. Probably from him, come think.

He gave the catering crew time to plate everything but kept checking his watch. He still had to prep before Bruce showed up.

When they lit the last steno he clapped his hands. Only one startled. Good. "Awesome. All finished? Wonderful. Someone'll drop off your gear tomorrow, or you can bill us. Jarvis, see 'em out. Thanks." He shoved a bunch of hundreds at the nearest person.

"If you would, please follow the lights as I direct you to the exits." A few of the newbies blinked around the room, but most of them knew the drill; they'd dealt with Jarvis before and knew their way out.

When the last one left the kitchen, Tony let out a slow puff of air and stilled his breathing. "How're we on time, J?"

"The last caterer will leave the building in approximately two-point-six minutes, sir. From what I've been observing with Captain Rogers, I estimate Doctor Banner will enter NREM sleep in approximately six minutes."

"Perfect. You clear on the plan?"

Tony could almost hear Jarvis sigh. The minute pauses mimicked one enough times. "Of course, sir. Although if I may interject?"

"Shoot." Tony darted around, finishing the set up before Bruce-Hulk lumbered in.

"I assume Doctor Banner will want--"

"Nope, no," Tony said, cutting off his AI. "This is a need-to-know op only and Banner doesn't need to know. Not until there's conclusive proof. You cut the feed on my mark, got it? Don't go all HAL on me."

"Perish the thought, sir." Jarvis would be chuckling, if he were human. "But I felt I needed to voice my concerns, considering your current relationship status."

"Duly noted. Bruce will...well." Tony gestured flippantly. "Either way we'll know conclusively and I'll apologize to Bruciekins tomorrow. I'll have to drag the rest out of him later anyway."

"Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission?"

"You got it, J."

**

Within ten minutes of Tony's talk with Jarvis heavy feet slapped the kitchen floor. Not as heavy as Hulk's actual feet but it wasn't Bruce's footfalls either; Bruce's tread was normally softer and shuffled more. The new steps were definitely steps of purpose and power.

"Hey, Hulk, it's Tony. I'm over here."

"Tin Man?"

Bruce - no, Hulk - poked his head into the formal dining room. It was damn weird, but Tony had no problem differentiating between Hulk taking Bruce's body, and Bruce himself.

"Yeah, it's me. Have a seat. I got your grub."

Hulk snuffled and snorted the air, and plopped heavily next to Tony. "Smells good. What's that?" He poked a server, and Tony lifted it.

"Twice fried ostrich wings, like you requested. Cajun spiced, using a seasoning mix from that guy you remembered on TV."

"Prudhomme magic," Hulk rumbled, and Tony stopped short from reeling in surprise. No. Definitely not stupid. At all.

He'd have to keep on his toes.

"That's right. Chef Prudhomme's legendary seasonings." He watched as Hulk took an ostrich wing and sniffed it cautiously. Laughing, he stuck half in his mouth and crunched it, bones and all.

"Good. Good ostrich!"

“Some of the best chefs in Louisiana fried it up and sent it to you. We've also got your--" he tore off another lid, "--deep fried Rocky Mountain Oysters, swimming in white gravy, and..." he removed another server lid and stopped short of shuddering. “Crocodile and alligator tripe, simmering in an alligator head with the eyeballs still attached. Just like you wanted."

Hulk grunted his approval, scooped a hand in the warm stew, and slurped it. "Good. Very good. Where's main dish?"

Tony sighed deeply. "Big Green, you've got some unique tastes and I'm diggin' the vibe. But just know for Bruce's sake we couldn't serve it to you raw."

Hulk slammed his fist on the floor, but it was still Bruce's fist. So Tony called it a win despite his tantrum. "Cap said anything!"

"Yeah, he did. But think about it. You wanna do Bruce a solid, right? Make him big and cuddly, like you?"

Hulk snorted, but folded his arms in a childish pout. "Yeah."

"And you wanna make sure you can do this again, right?"

"Hmph."

"Then you gotta do right by him. You're in his body, so take it easy." Tony removed the last lid. "Ta-daa...frog and rattlesnake stir fry. Not quite raw but as close to raw as we could make it without making Bruce sick."

Hulk grabbed a handful of the hot dish and shoved it in his mouth. "Banner not get sick," he muttered. A frog leg tumbled from his lips as he talked with a full mouth. "Banner has Hulk's immunity. No poison can kill Hulk!"

"True, true," Tony said. "But it can hurt Bruce temporarily. He wouldn't want that, and he'd kinda hate you for it."

"Mm." Tony could tell Hulk was mulling it over as he continued shoving the food into his mouth with his bare hands. The last server had the deep fried andouille sausage with crayfish gumbo in it (crayfish heads still attached, of course), but Tony figured Hulk would get to that eventually. It was definitely the messiest of all the dishes. Who knew Hulk was such a foodie of weird foods?

"Andrew Zimmern ain't got nothin' on you," Tony muttered.

"Hmm?"

"Nothing, Hulk. Go back to feasting."

Hulk nodded vigorously and scooped fistfulls of one dish, then the other, and poured them into his mouth. A lot fell to the tarp, but Hulk scraped up the scraps. Waste not, want not, he supposed.

After five minutes of watching Hulk develop an easy eating rhythm Tony licked his lips. "Hey, Jarv," he said quietly.

Jarvis relayed his response to Tony's hidden earpiece: "Understood, sir."

Although Bruce pinned a GoPro to his robe Tony'd hacked the camera days ago. He had Jarvis loop the feed so it'd show Hulk chowing down. He knew he'd only have a few minutes before it'd look suspicious, so he had to hope he got everything he needed from Hulk in one take.

"Hulkie," he began. "You love Tin Man, right? Love all this great food?"

"Mm. Yes. Good food. More tomorrow?"

"Sure. Let me know what you want before we wrap up tonight. Can't promise you everything, but we'll do what we can. Like the rattlesnake. That fair?"

Hulk snorted and dumped a handful of the gumbo in his mouth. Which, of course, dripped down on everything. "Is okay. But not great."

Tony chuckled. "I get it," he said, then sobered. "I also get what you're not telling Bruce. You're workin' the system, Big Green. Not sure I'm okay with that, and I know Bruce won't be."

Hulk didn't respond, but continued stuffing his face.

Good. He knows I'm on to him.

"Pull back on the control shit - you're mucking around with Bruce's subconscious more than he's aware; I saw you at dinner today. Don't deny it."

Hulk laughed, deep and throaty. "Fooled you. And Banner."

"A little, yeah. But I know that's not all - you're not dumb but neither am I. You helped Bruce with that gainer cocktail, didn't you? I'm guessing there's more junk in there than Bruce realizes."

Hulk stilled, and for the first time that night Tony wondered if he'd have to activate the nanosuit. "I see what Banner sees," he murmured. His voice was oddly calm, oddly quiet. "But Banner doesn't see what I see. He doesn't know what I know."

Bingo.

"It's all an act, isn't it?"

"No."

A chill came over Tony and his brain overclocked. "Shit...Hulk isn't the only one in Bruce's head, is he?"

He almost smiled, but the expression wasn't Hulk's. Wasn't Bruce's, either. "Are you going to tell on us?"

Don't. Don't freak out. Don't. Freak. "Depends." Tony was surprised at how calm he kept his voice. "Who are you, and what are you planning?"

The Person sighed softly and briefly brushed away food from Bruce's robe. "Actually, I like being left out of things. I work behind the scenes, and I don't wish any harm. I'm actually the one helping maintain control over Hulk these days...I suppose in a pinch you could call me the lecturer-researcher construct." He paused, tilting his chin before sharply nodding.  "Call me Professor."

Tony swallowed. "Professor? Like when Bruce works at NYU?"

Professor hummed. "I'm present at any event where he's teaching, or when he learns something new. But honestly, I'm harmless. You've seen me before - I was the first to touch the Tesseract."

Tony sat back on his heels and scrutinized Professor sharply. "Huh. Yeah..." he gestured lamely at Professor's face. "I can see it now, a little. I remember that expression." Burned forever in his brain, now.

Sighing heavily Tony licked his lips, pausing at whatever seventh hell revelation this was. "So, um." He shook his head. He wanted a drink. Several. Despite cutting back for his boyfriends' sakes he wanted to drown his brain in a tank of whiskey. "Where...?"

"Where does this put the four...hum. Five of us?"

Tony nodded lamely. "You outflanked me. Royally."

"Did I?" Professor seemed to take that in stride, and smiled coyly to himself. "It wasn't my intention. I simply revealed my hand because it was timely. There wasn't anything left to hide." He tilted his head and gazed at Tony. "It doesn't change anything. Of course you should tell Banner and yes, even Captain Rogers, but do ask yourself if this is the right time. Could be fairly disastrous for the three of you if your timing's off." Tony narrowed his eyes slightly. Was that a veiled threat--?

Professor stretched and yawned, and held his hands above his head for a beat. "I'm actually quite pleased Banner wishes to become immobile, Tony." He smiled softly and ran his hands over Bruce's swollen belly, imitating a mother-to-be's reverence. The image burned Tony's retinas and he felt sick - maybe a bit horrified. "I'm looking forward to reading all the books I've yet to read and I'm glad for the time I'll have to myself."

Professor checked his wrist, as if viewing an invisible watch. "By the way, you should tell Jarvis to turn the camera feed back on. It's been far longer than five minutes."

Tony snorted. "You sly motherfucker. You knew all along."

"Of course I did." He winked and saluted Tony with two fingers. "Be seeing you, Tony."

Tony watched as Bruce's body shook before returning to shoving food in its face.

"Good food! Hulk wants more tomorrow."

"Sure thing, Big Guy," Tony whispered. He let out a shuddering breath and ran a hand down his face. "Jarv, tell me you recorded all that."

"Yes."

The AI's response was curt and to the point; he probably had as much to think about as Tony did.

"What the ever living fuck."

"Sir. Doctor Banner's Person was correct in one sense. It's been far too long, and there's bound to be an interrupting glitch in the feed if closely scrutinized."

"Yeah. I know." Tony licked his lips and made a circular motion in the air. "Go ahead and turn it back to black, J. Shit. I have no idea what the fuck I'm gonna say tomorrow. Hell, I dunno if I can keep up pretenses tonight."

"Might I suggest trying your best, sir? Especially as we're going live in three...two--"

"Shit."

But somehow Tony plastered his showman's grin to mask his shell-shocked face pretending for all the world he didn't do a Prince of Bel-Air, Freaky Friday flip. He watched Hulk eat most, if not all, of the dishes and he whistled for the 'bots to clean up the mess before guiding Hulk to the shower and repeating what Steve had done the previous night. But his mind was split and he knew he couldn't maintain the act for long. Both Bruce and Steve'd know something was up but he wasn't sure how, or when, he'd tell them.

God. He hated covert shit.

Ch. 7

[thatfairyfangirl]

True Colors Chapter 17

You sat in the corner of the Starbucks with half a smile on your face as you watched Ali make crass jokes, you enjoyed the fact that your friendship with her had been growing ever since her and Warren got together...You couldn’t believe when she told you that she was actually envious of you. She’d been at the game for a long time now and there you were making all these waves just being yourself. You loved her for saying that, for being so supportive ever since the dark hell you went through.

“How much you want to bet that by tomorrow we’re both going to be on TMZ rumored as dating?” She suggested she winked at you, pulling the first genuine laugh out of you since you got home.

“Hey there’s that smile!” Bucky beamed down to you as he came to sit by your side with a fresh cinnamon dolce latte for you to sip on. His metal wrapped around your shoulder as he tugged you in to kiss your forehead lightly. “And you better not start any rumors like that. Poor girl’s been through enough.”

“You starting trouble again?” Warren’s firm hands came to rest on the punk rocker’s shoulders, his wings tucked tightly behind his back but still far from hidden. The two looked so different, an angel and a rock star.

“Always babe.” She teased as she leaned her head back looking for a kiss.

“Wouldn’t do much anyway. I’m going on Good Morning America this weekend to promote the album,” you paused turning to Bucky, “if it's alright with you I’d like to at least mention us?”

You watched as Bucky’s smile brightened, his oceanic eyes sparkling as he dove in to kiss you deeply. “Of course its alright Doll.”

“What the hell? How come I never get invited to those fucking shows?” Ali asked with a playful smirk.

“Because you can’t watch your language. Obviously.” You teased back with a chuckle, feeling more and more like your old self as you surround yourself with friends and the one you loved so very much.

“So what are you two going to do for Valentine's day?” Warren asked, looking to shift the subject to something much lighter.

“What’s Valentine's day?” Bucky asked looking lost as his eyes scanned the shocked looks the small group gave him. The lost puppy dog look in his eyes broke as he looked onto your sad face, giving you a reassuring smile he pulled you in close. “Oh Doll I’m kidding! I’ve got something special planned, don’t worry.”

~ ~ ~ ~

“I’m sorry Sergeant Barnes but it would seem the wait list for Sushi Zo hasn’t cleared up yet.” Your eyes gently pried open as you rolled over to find Bucky pacing back and forth in his room, arguing with the disembodied robotic voice of FRIDAY, door still wide open. It hasn’t become uncommon for the two of you to just pick one of the two of your rooms and just share for the night...honestly you couldn't think of the last time either of you slept alone...well before the kidnapping, definitely. You COULDN’T sleep without him after that.

“Well can you see if any other sushi places have any openings? Tonight has to be perfect.” You smiled as you ran your fingers through your hair, watching him fret over tonight, loving that he remembered that sushi was your favorite.

“Going to be asking any big questions tonight Sargent?” He froze at the AI’s question. Eager to hear the answer you leaned over the bed, waiting impatiently for his answer...right up until you ran out of bed to lean over and you tumbled to the ground.

“Oh Doll you weren’t supposed to wake up yet!” He chuckled as his attention drew over to you.

“Answer the robot Barnes.” You teased flipping your rainbow hair back as he came to help you up.

“Not tonight Doll.” Okay so you may have known the answer to that one a mile away...You two hadn’t even gotten to the fun part about sharing a bet together yet...Besides, you were still sure he’d get bored with a mutant eventually.

With a smile you reached up to give him a soft sweet loving kiss, letting your tongues dance together as you felt his metallic hand sneaking its way under the back of your shirt to rake up and down your bare back in that way that drove you wild. “Don’t worry about the fancy reservations sweetheart.” You offered with a smile, looking to make this day as easy as possible for him. “As much as I like sushi I think you forget that I didn’t grow up with all this fame and fortune nonsense...or the free access to Stark funds like I have now.”

“Oh god Doll please don’t say you’re going to try cooking again.” He teased as you both drew in closer to each other with playful hits and tickles. “I’m pretty sure you were about two steps away from us having to call that Doctor Strange guy.” He laughed as he found just the right spot to tickle to get you to squirm.

“And what is that supposed to mean?!”

“It means you summon demons when you cook.” He scooped you up as you attempted to swat away his hands. “You gave Vision food poisoning and his stomach isn’t even real.” He added flinging you over his shoulder to take you to get some breakfast as you yelped playfully. “FRIDAY is there anywhere with reservations open I don’t care if I have to take the quinjet to get her there this girl deserves a nice dinner on Valentine’s Day.”

“What’s wrong with just going to McDonalds? No reservation required, there won’t be a hoard of cameras…” You suggested as you rested your arms on his back, your head in your hands, accepting your fate of being carried like a sack of potatoes...at least it was a great view from the back.

“I said GOOD meal.” He put extra emphasis on the word good.

“You know I’m going to pester you all day about this. It’s Valentine's day….aren’t you supposed to give me what I want?”

Bucky craned his neck to look at you draped behind him, arching a brow with a smirk. “Oh I know what you want,” his bionic arm swatted at your prominently displayed rear, “don’t worry Doll.” The tone he used told you that he wasn’t talking about the food. Your hair swirled shades of pink as your mind raced at what he was insinuating.

~ ~ ~ ~

“Oh look! We’re the happy meal toys!” Bucky chuckled as he pointed to the display of what toys were featured in the happy meals this month, blissfully unaware of the girls watching him with a more wanting eye than he was used to...You, of course noticed as you wrapped your fingers around his, displaying for all to see that he was yours.

“Oh I’m so getting one!” You giggled excitedly as you bounded over to the counter to order. “I want a cheeseburger happy meal with a large strawberry shake and an extra fry please.” You shot Bucky a triumphant smile as he ordered his number 1 with a coke and paid for the food. “I told you I’d get what I want.” You added as you prodded at his muscled shoulder.

“Yeah you’re a punk.” He hooked the arm around you, pulling you into a deep loving kiss. “But I-” He paused looking down into your eyes, losing the nerve to say what he wanted. “I’m with you to the end of the line Doll. Now come on, night’s not over yet.” With food firmly in hand he lead you through the lights of the city, letting them comfort you in the way only light could, leading you to a hotel overlooking Times Square.

~~~~

Bucky smiled triumphantly as he watched your eyes sparkle with wonder as you opened the door, nearly dropping the little paper bag of food. “How did...When did you have time to set all this up? We’ve been together all day.” You felt his arm wrap around your waist, pulling you in close to kiss your neck, nuzzling into it lovingly.

“Don’t worry about it Doll.” He whispered with a kiss to the back of your ear as he lead you inside, realizing he hadn’t planned passed this point once the door was closed.

You rushed over to the window, throwing back the curtains to take in the view of the city twinkling in the dark like stars. Not too far off you could see the bright glowing A of your home, only a short walk away but you couldn’t feel any further from it than you did now. “No FRIDAY, no Steve, no Tony.” as you spoke you set your dinner on the small table provided, pulling out the greasy food, “...goddamnit.”

Bucky’s eyes narrowed as he sat next to you, wrapping his metallic arm around you, knowing how much it comforts you. “What’s wrong Doll? Did they get your order wro-” You pulled out of the bag a small plastic Ironman toy as you held back laughter at the irony of it all. “Oh!” He tried his best not to laugh as well as he plucked the small toy from your hands. “Well Doll, you’ll have to eat before you can play with the toy.” He teased as he began to snack on his fries, not entirely sure if he really wanted the burger, but knew he should probably eat something.

Once the food was gone you picked up the cheap plastic toy, removing it from it’s wrapper with a sigh. “Why couldn’t they have given me the Bucky one? I’d love a little Bucky.”

“I can’t believe we were even in that little Avengers toy display!”

“Face it, ever since Detroit you’re down right popular! You should have seen the girls swooning over you while we were in line.” He raised a brow unable to believe anyone would swoon over him, not like this. Hell, he felt lucky you were even with him. “Those boys back at the tower aren’t the big dogs in the yard anymore.” He smiled, amazed that after all this time you were still able to make him blush. “I’m Tony Stark” You said, giving a bad Tony impression as you hopped the toy over to Bucky, moving it up his arm imitating the static plastic figurine walking, “and girls have crushes on you bigger than my ego.” You could feel the muscles of his arm twitch under his shirt as the toy moved over the inside of his elbow, a snort of a laugh being stifled telling you that it tickled….so he was ticklish!

“Let me see that.” He chuckled as he grabbed for the toy.

“Ahh! No!” You cried out playfully as you snatched it away from him. “I can’t be away from him! Who knows what kind of trouble he’d get into! Little Tony needs me!” You joked as Bucky’s fingers tickled at all the spots he’s found over the past few months to make you laugh and squirm. Turning to retaliate, tickling him in return, though he was less apt to squirm...something you blamed whole-heartedly on the serum that made him the super-soldier he was.

You both smiled brightly as you wrestled for the toy, giggling like kids until Bucky’s arm wrapped around your waist, pulling you in close for a long passionate and wonderfully distracting kiss that allowed him to pluck the toy from your fingers. “I think little Tony will be just fine without us for a while.” He whispered before tossing the plastic onto the table before lifting you up into another kiss, passion growing every passing moment as you lead each other to the bed for a night of slow soft loving passion without interruption from the rest of the team...for once.

[txnysheart]

let’s get on with living (while we can) [6]

chapter 6: the sun will rise and we will try again

word count: 5607

warnings: chemo side effects (including hair loss and insomnia)

summary: the three friends do their best to have fun together, but the reality of the situation is always looming over them

read on ao3: x

playlist: x

chapter 1 - chapter 2 - chapter 3 - chapter 4 - chapter 5 - chapter 6 - chapter 7 - chapter 8 - chapter 9

series masterlist | masterlist

━━━━━━━━

An array of distressed emotions flickered over his face, and that snapped MJ out of her stunned silence. “Peter, it’s okay. It’s okay, we knew this was gonna happen,” she tried calming him down, but Peter just pushed away from them, desperate for his dads. He almost fell out of bed, Ned grabbing his arm to prevent it, and rushed as fast as he could to get to his dads.

“Peter!” Ned worriedly called out, but MJ put a hand on his shoulder. She also grabbed the clump of hair from his hand, dropping it on the floor for now; just not keen on Ned to be holding or seeing it for any longer than necessary.

“He needs Tony and Steve right now. It’s okay,” she told him.

Peter wished he could sprint, but his body could barely handle a light jog. And still, it took its toll on him quickly; he stumbled, almost nose diving right to the floor three times before he grabbed onto the door handle that would let him see his dads. First time, he lost his grip, but got it open the second time, stopping for a short moment, then walking into the room.

A raw sob tore up his throat, startling the two men awake from their light slumber. They'd both only fallen asleep less than half an hour ago. He spluttered nonsense as he walked to the bed, and Tony, being the one closest to the door, pulled him into his arms. He physically felt himself snap out of his fog, the need to protect Peter overriding absolutely everything else. He felt it all; it was almost too much, but moved his focus to his hysterically crying son who was shaking in his arms.

“You need to breathe. Peter, look at me, you need to breathe,” Tony encouraged, trying to get Peter to look at him, but he was avoiding his eyes. Steve pieced it together when he tried to calm him by playing with his hair, and instead of melting into the touch, Peter flinched away. An overwhelmed and confused Tony searched Steve’s eyes for an answer, and got it when his husband whispered “hair”.

The already upset Peter really didn’t need an anxiety attack on top of this, so Steve cupped his face. “Listen, sweetheart. Shh, listen,” he cooed, “you’re okay, we’ve got you.” Tears running down his face, eyes wide and mouth in a small pout, Peter looked much younger than he was. “Petey, we knew this was coming. There’s nothing we can do about it, and that’s okay. It’s okay, I promise.”

What they didn’t tell him was that the past couple of days, there’d been strands of hair coming out whenever they ran their fingers through it. Not much; just enough for it to be more than what could be considered normal.

Peter inhaled sharply, his crying breaking up his breathing into small gasps. “I’m so-sorry, I shouldn’t ha-”

“No, sweetie, shh. Nothing to be sorry about,” Tony soothed, rocking him back and forth as if he were a baby.

“MJ a-and Ned. Ned was- he was scared,” Peter cried, voice hoarse.

“He’ll be fine, MJ’s there. There’s nothing she can’t do,” Tony promised him, drying away tears with his thumb. “They’ll be there in the morning, you can sleep here.”

“I can’t,” Peter whined, voice cracking.

“What do you mean you can’t?” Steve inquired, tilting his head.

“Sleep. I… I can’t sleep.”

“You can’t sleep?” Tony clarified, feeling a little sick at the thought. Peter shook his head and then hid his face in Tony’s shoulder, puffing out warm breaths on his collarbone.

“I tried,” the boy croaked, “that’s why Ned was playing with my hair, and then… well, yeah. But- but I can’t sleep. I’m tired, but it doesn’t work.”

“Insomnia is one of the possible side effects,” Steve reminded them solemnly, wrapping his arms around both his husband and their son. “I’ll see the doctors tomorrow and ask if they have something that can help you sleep. Okay?”

A small hum accompanied by a nod made Steve smile. “Good,” he smiled. “So proud of you.”

“We really are,” Tony added, but Peter just wriggled out of his arms to lie between them. He latched onto Tony, Steve holding them both from the other side of Peter. Upon feeling a hand in his hair, he squirmed away with a small whine, but was still clinging to Tony. Whoever of them that’d touched his hair seemed to get the hint, the hand making circles on his upper back instead.

“Can we listen to some music?” Peter mumbled.

“‘Course,” Tony smiled. “FRI, lullaby protocol.”

A playlist consisting of songs that never failed to calm Peter filled the room softly.

The boy tried his best to fall asleep, but couldn’t keep his eyes shut. Both Tony and Steve were wondering if they should distract him somehow, but he didn’t seem to want to move from the bed, having made himself very comfortable.

“You good here? Or d’you wanna do something else?” Steve asked him quietly.

“Stay here,” Peter whispered without hesitation.

“Hungry? Thirsty?”

“No.” Peter huffed a breath out before speaking again. “You two can go to sleep, I don’t mind.”

“We’re gonna stay up with you. Not sleeping is my specialty,” Tony chuckled, earning a glare from Steve, but the rest of his face revealed that he was really just worried.

“You need to sleep, Dad,” Peter argued lazily, playing with the fabric of Tony’s t-shirt - well, actually, it was Steve’s. He’d gotten used to his husband stealing his clothes a long while ago, and he still adored it.

“I’m fine, Pete. Really, don’t worry.”

Peter didn’t believe him, but didn’t push it, instead turning his head to stare at the roof. It was barely audible, but both Steve and Tony had fond smiles on their faces as they listened to Peter humming to the song that was playing. He fiddled with his fingers, and when, in Steve’s opinion, he’d picked at the lunula on his right thumb for too long, he grabbed his son’s hand. He held it, lightly tracing the lines on his palm, the outline of the entire hand, and the small hairs on the back of it. After a while, Peter retracted his right hand, only to replace it with his left, finding it very soothing, and it put the softest look in Steve’s eyes.

────────

In the guest room, Ned had quickly calmed down, but the whole episode was, for them both, a grim reminder of the inescapable.

MJ had moved back to her bed, tucked under the covers. Ned had also gotten comfortable for the night, but none of them closed their eyes.

“This isn’t what it’s supposed to be like,” Ned whispered.

“It’s awful,” MJ said determinedly.

“I’ve known him for so long, I-”

“Don’t do that to yourself, Ned.” She let out a breath, turning to her side so she was facing him. “Can you sleep with music playing?”

“Yeah, why?”

“It helps me take my mind off things. Makes it easier to fall asleep.”

It was an effort to help Ned fall asleep, poorly disguised as something she needed herself. He saw right through it, but appreciated it, so didn’t call her out on it.

“Uh, FRIDAY?” MJ felt a little awkward whenever speaking to the AI, not sure where she should look.

“What can I do for you, Ms. Jones?”

She cringed at being called that. “Please call me MJ,” she sighed, having told FRIDAY to call her that multiple times. It never called Ned Mr. Leeds, so she was pretty sure it was either Peter or Tony messing with her, always changing it back to Ms. Jones. “Anyways, what I was gonna ask was if I put on a playlist on my phone, could you connect it to the speakers here? And put it on a low volume?”

“Of course, MJ. Just put on the playlist you want, and I’ll handle the rest.”

“Thanks, FRIDAY.” She opened Spotify, soon locating her favorite playlist for sleeping. Upon pressing play, the sound only streamed from her phone for a couple of seconds before it was connected to the speakers around the room - which, for the record, seemed to be built into the walls and roof or something, because she couldn’t spot a single one of them. And she was certain there were several, seeing as the music was coming from all sides.

“Feel free to adjust the volume. I guess just tell FRIDAY, and she’ll fix it?” MJ mumbled, feeling her eyes starting to droop.

“It’s good,” Ned assured her. He paused. “You’re a great friend.”

“So are you,” she responded immediately. “Don’t tell anyone I said that. I have a reputation to uphold.”

“Oh, yeah, and what’s that? That you don’t care?” he chuckled.

“Bingo. Go to sleep.”

“You too. Good night.”

“Night, Ned.”

────────

Steve deemed eight thirty in the morning an appropriate time to head over to the medical wing to see if he could get some sleeping medication for son. He told FRIDAY to alert Peter’s primary chemo doctor, Anne Reynolds, that he’d be there in a few minutes.

Meanwhile, Tony brought Peter to the kitchen, dishing up pancakes for all five of them, taking a sip of his coffee at least twice every minute. He was very relieved that there was something else than soggy corn flakes he could feed his son - it wasn’t very nutritious. Pancakes weren’t exactly healthy, but they were certainly much better.

Leaning his head on his hand, Peter positively looked a mess. Bags under his eyes prominent, combined with his already emaciated face, he was the poster child of absolutely, completely, thoroughly worn out. Tony felt bad for him, but tried not to show it - it only made Peter feel even worse.

“Could you go wake Ned and MJ up? Pancakes are done in, uh… I’m guessing fifteen minutes,” Tony asked the boy who perked up a little at the mention of his friends.

“Sure, Dad.”

He stretched out his body, both to try and get rid of the aching and to wake himself up - none successful, for the record. Approaching the bedroom door, Peter felt a little awkward. Was he just going to walk in there as if everything were normal? As if he didn’t run out of there in hysterics just hours earlier.

Taking a deep breath, he ran a hand through his hair to try and calm down, but soon regretted it. “Ah, shit,” he muttered to himself when he looked at the too many strands of hair in his hand. His pulse quickened, but he shook his hand, getting rid of the hair before he could work himself up over it.

The slow, heavy breathing he could hear when he opened the door let him know both Ned and MJ were still asleep. There was music playing softly from the speakers.

“FRI, lights at forty percent,” Peter ordered quietly, aiming for a gentle start of the day for his friends, “and turn the music up a little.”

It was enough for MJ, who soon stirred, blinking her eyes tiredly. She looked around the room before her eyes landed on Peter who was kind of awkwardly just standing by the door. “Morning,” she yawned. As if everything were normal. Peter smiled at her.

“Sleep well?” he asked her.

“‘Course I did. If I could steal this bed, I would.”

“Good.” Peter shifted his weight between his feet, and walked to the bed he’d been sharing with Ned, sitting down. “Ned,” he tried, poking his shoulder.

“Hey, Ned.” A little louder, this time with a shove. An unintelligible string of words left the boy’s mouth, drawing a small laugh out of Peter. Ned taking a few seconds to realize he was awake never failed to amuse him.

“Breakfast soon. Dad’s making pancakes,” Peter said, addressing both of them. MJ got out of bed, sending him a thumbs up before disappearing into the bathroom.

“P’ncakes?” Ned mumbled, cracking one eye open at a time.

“Yeah, Ned, pancakes,” Peter chuckled.

“Is Steve cooking?”

“No, Dad is today. Why?” Peter eyed his friend, entertained at how groggy he still was.

“Steve’s cooking’s better,” he groaned, making Peter let out a loud, genuine laugh.

“I know, but I think Dad can handle pancakes. You’ll live,” Peter chortled with a shove to Ned’s shoulder to help him wake up.

“What time is it?” he yawned, moving to lean against the headboard, halfway sitting up.

“Almost nine. I know it’s kinda early, but you guys are heading back home today so I wanted to spend as much time with you as I could,” Peter explained, playing with his fingers.

“I don’t mind at all,” Ned assured him when he noticed the nervous action. “You know I’m tired no matter when you wake me up,” he grinned, playfully bumping Peter’s shoulder with his own.

“Yeah,” Peter laughed, looking up when he heard MJ coming back into the room.

“You losers ready for breakfast?” she asked casually, a barely detectable fondness in the back of her voice, as she stood at the end of the bed.

“Yes, ma’am,” Ned saluted, ready for the pillow chucked in the general direction of his head, ducking before getting out of bed.

The three teens piled into the kitchen just a few seconds after Steve had gotten back. He sent a smile their way before it turned into a smirk as he turned to address his husband.

“I see you’ve managed not setting off the fire alarm with your pancakes,” he teased, arms crossed over his chest.

“Oh my god, Steve, that was one time,” Tony protested in a way that made it very clear that this was something Steve often brought up for his own amusement.

“That actually happened?” Ned asked, grinning hopefully.

“It’s true, it woke everyone here up at like seven in the morning. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Auntie Nat scolding Dad while half asleep,” Peter recounted, smug smile plastered on his face.

“I’d pay to see that,” MJ shrugged.

“No need! FRIDAY, can you play-”

“Nope! Not happening, kiddo. FRI, don’t play a damn thing, thank you very much,” Tony interrupted his son, instead shifting everyone’s focus over to the pancakes that he was suddenly busy piling onto their plates. “Brat,” he fondly mumbled when he was standing behind Peter, and planted a kiss on the top of his head. The boy laughed, and thanked him oh-so-politely for the food.

────────

“You wanna watch Star Trek?” MJ suggested, none of them able to settle on how they were going to spend the few hours left before she and Ned had to head back home.

“MJ, stop that, you hate Star Trek,” Peter sighed, slightly annoyed at the fact that she was being too nice. All weekend, she’d been up for whatever Peter wanted, and her teasing was down to an all time low.

“No, I don’t,” she claimed.

“Yes, you do. You always complain when we make you watch it.”

“Well, maybe I have a newfound fondness for it.”

“You don’t,” Peter chuckled, his smile not reaching his eyes.

“How do you know?”

“Because I know you, MJ!” Peter snapped, taking both her and Ned by surprise. “Sorry,” he apologized. “Sorry, it’s just… I get that you’re trying to be nice to me because I- because I’m sick. And that’s… I really appreciate it, don’t get me wrong, but… I just wanna feel normal. Just for a little bit. I’m sorry, I sound like an asshole, I know-”

“You don’t, Peter. I’m sorry.” She looked down at her hands that were folded in her lap. “We… we get it. Right, Ned?”

“Yeah. Yeah, of course. Sorry, Peter.”

“Don’t be sorry, it’s okay. You guys are the best.”

The three of them went quiet, none of them really knowing what to say. They were in the living room, gathered on the couch, and tired of playing Mario Kart. Eyes cast downwards, it was Ned who broke the borderline awkward silence.

“How are you feeli- I mean, what… what’s it… like?” he asked, sounding very uncertain, but also like the question had been burning at the back of his throat for weeks.

“Ned,” MJ hissed. Peter just sent her a look to let her know it was okay.

“I’m… Do you really wanna know?” Peter asked, giving his best friend an opportunity to take back his question.

“Yeah.” He sounded sure.

“Okay. Uhm, I’m tired? A few days before you got here I could barely walk on my own. I was throwing up a lot, had a migraine, and my bones and muscles ache all the time. Right now I think I’m as good as I’m gonna get, and then it’s another round of chemo, and I’ll be back to feeling like crap times a hundred,” Peter explained with a strange smile on his face, almost flinching at how harsh the word chemo sounded and felt. “Ten out of ten would not recommend,” he added with a small laugh.

“This shouldn’t be happening,” MJ frowned, shaking her head.

“But it is. There’s nothing we can do about it, so… let’s just make the best out of it, okay?” Peter asked hopefully.

“I speak fluent Peter, and that right there means let’s just ignore this whole thing and pretend it’s not happening,” Ned smiled sadly. Peter met his eyes with his own tired, somber ones, but he was smiling too. A bittersweet feeling filled the three friends up to the brim, and MJ had to blink away a couple of tears.

Hesitating for half a second, Ned reached out for Peter, and pulled him in for a tight hug. “It’s okay, Ned,” Peter whispered, hugging him back as firmly as he could.

“It’s not, but that’s okay,” Ned mumbled, held on for a few more seconds before leaning back, hastily wiping away a few tears that were running down his face. Peter pretended not to notice, apparently very occupied with the loose thread on the side of sweatpants.

“What about…” MJ smirked, unlocking her phone, “a few rounds of guess the soundtrack?” She searched Spotify for a good soundtrack playlist, receiving optimistic nods from the two boys. It was a successful attempt at making the next couple of hours blithe ones. The game had become a thing of theirs at about three in the morning during a sleepover almost a year ago.

It was a simple source of hours of fun, and before they knew it, Tony plopped down in one of the lounge chairs. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. That’s easy, that’s The Shining,” he said, quickly realizing what game the kids were playing, and recognizing the movie’s main title.

“That is correct, Stark,” MJ, game master, announced, “one point for you. Nineteen more to pass Peter and get second place. Twenty four if you wanna be the golden boy.”

“As fun as that sounds, Jones, I’m actually just here to be the bearer of bad news. Thirty minutes till departure. Steve’s made some snacks for you to have before you leave, so go ahead and pack your bags, and get to the kitchen before I eat it all.” Playful look on his face, Tony lifted his hands to slap them down on the armrests, pushing himself back up. “Chop chop!” he jokingly called over his shoulder as he headed for the kitchen.

“Speaking of my last name - who’s fucking with FRIDAY’s code to get her to call me Ms. Jones every damn time I speak with her?” MJ demanded, standing up, and looked accusingly at Peter.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Peter insisted very innocently. “Let’s go, I’ll help you guys pack your… stuff.”

“Jeez, Pete, you couldn’t lie to save your life,” Ned snorted as they walked towards the guest room.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about either,” Peter claimed, but couldn’t even keep a straight face.

“Dork,” MJ poorly hid with a cough.

Bags were packed, snacks were consumed, hugs were given out in bountiful supply, and soon it was considerably quieter than it had been for the past couple of days. The boy’s shoulders slumped a little as if the air went out of him. While he hadn’t tried to hide from his friends that he was sick, he’d, without a doubt, worked hard to appear less worn out than he actually was.

“Got some pills from the doctor earlier. She said you’d have to wait until tonight to take them so you wouldn’t mess up your sleeping too bad,” Steve said when the three of them were alone.

“Sounds good,” Peter commented, failing to hide how relieved the news made him. He was so tired; the thought of falling asleep nearly euphoric to him. It was still a few hours until he could do so, but at least he had something to look forward to.

In an effort to make time pass, he plopped down on the couch, putting on The Great British Bake Off - it was surprisingly addictive. He lost count of how many episodes he watched, but when Happy joined him after driving all the way to Queens and back, he realized it had been more than just a few.

Peter being Peter, he let his head rest on Happy’s shoulder who he knew didn’t mind at all, but would deny it if asked; even though everyone had a soft spot for the boy.

“Season seven again?” he asked, just as obsessed with the show as Peter. It had kind of become their thing.

“It’s the best one,” Peter murmured, his attention on the screen.

“Hmm, you’re not wrong,” Happy hummed, lifting his arm to put it around Peter to let him cuddle up to him just like he’d done ever since he was little. It was one of Happy’s favorite things. He’d deny that too.

While it may not seem obvious, Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry critiquing desserts was actually very soothing. Especially combined with Happy’s calm breathing. So soothing, in fact, that it had Peter’s eyes drooping. Before he even noticed it was happening, he’d fallen asleep. Nearly forty hours of no sleep was his body’s limit, apparently, because he was out like a light.

“I’ve always wanted to taste that mousse cake. Maybe if you ask Steve with those puppy eyes of yours…” Happy trailed off when he looked down to discover that Peter had fallen drifted off. He let out a relieved sigh - Tony had worriedly told him about the boy not being able to sleep.

The longer he looked at Peter, the more it hurt. He’d tried his best not to think about it, but that wasn’t easy when he had him sleeping in his arms. Up until that moment, he’d thought maintaining a certain distance was the best. That it would hurt less. He wanted to yell at himself for thinking such a thing. His time with Peter was running out, just like everyone else’s, and it became so obvious that doing anything other than spending as much as possible of it with him was foolish. Yes, it hurt to see him so up close, to see how the cancer was eating him up, but it hurt more to avoid him.

“Pete, you-”

“Shh!” Happy stopped Tony. “He’s asleep.”

“Wha- he is?”

He nodded. “Dozed off a few minutes ago.”

“Good. That’s… very good,” Tony sighed, sitting down in the same lounge chair as earlier, this time making sure to be quiet. His expression as he watched his son was a blend of many emotions; most prominent were love and melancholy. He looked so small, like he should be covered by the red blanket he was so attached to as a kid.

Tony let out a heavy breath, running a hand over his face. “One sec,” he mumbled and got back up, walking to the kitchen where Steve was making some food for Peter to have before going to sleep. “Honey,” he breathed out, and gestured for him to follow him, leading the way back to the living room.

The sight of a sleeping Peter put a soft look on Steve’s face. “I’ll take him to bed,” he whispered, kissed Tony’s temple and walked over to the couch. Just like he’d done so many times before, he gently lifted his son, pausing a little to make sure he was still asleep before walking steadily to his room.

Having tucked him in, he stood watching him until he remembered Peter hadn’t had his pills so they’d have to wake him back up. “Damn it,” he muttered, walking out of the room silently, and made the decision to let him sleep for at least a couple of hours.

“Thank god he’s finally asleep,” Tony said when Steve sat down in the lounge chair next to him.

“We’ll have to wake him back up,” Steve groaned, rubbing at his temple with his index and middle finger.

“What for?” Happy asked from the couch.

“Pills,” Tony realized, letting his head drop back. “Let’s at least give him a couple hours just in case. It’s still early.”

“‘Course,” Steve said, reaching a hand out towards Tony, who took hold of it with his own slightly unsteady one.

Happy stood up, shoving his hands in his pocket. He didn’t necessarily feel like he was intruding, but he’d been around the pair enough to know when they needed to be alone, even though they didn’t always know that themselves. “Well, I think I’m gonna say good night now. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Happy. Have a good night,” Steve smiled, waving at him as he walked away from them. “You’re tired,” he sighed when it was just the two of them.

Tony let out a chuckle. “So are you, honey.” His thumb was drawing small circles on the back of Steve’s hand. “We’ll sleep later when Peter’s had his pills.”

“You can take a nap if you want. I’ll be here. You’ve been awake almost as long as Peter.”

“So have you,” Tony smirked.

“Not the point, babe.”

“If anyone should take a nap, it’s you. I’m fine with no sleep.”

“As a witness, I beg to differ. It wears you down, Tony. I know you can’t tell, but I can.” He lifted Tony’s hand, pressing light kisses to his knuckles.

“I’m fine.” Tony’s eyes were closed, his full attention on Steve now fiddling with his hand, drawing figures and touching it so gingerly it almost gave him goosebumps.

“You always are.”

Turns out Tony was way more tired than he’d ever own up to. It only took five minutes of Steve gently caressing his hand and lower arm for him to doze off. It didn’t come as a surprise, and he was happy to just sit there with him. In the past year, Tony’s insomnia had been making less appearances. It was kind of a big deal. Steve was beyond relieved at how often they went to sleep together instead of Tony coming to bed in the early morning hours or not at all. It would still hit him hard from time to time, but he was better than he’d been in a long time. Better than Steve had ever seen him.

When it looked like Tony was in quite a deep sleep, Steve decided that Peter wouldn’t be the only one he carried to bed that night. Still holding Tony’s hand, he stood up to place it in his lap instead of just letting it dangle over the side of the chair.

He wiggled one arm behind the smaller man’s shoulder, and placed the other one under his knees. Making sure he had a good grip, he slowly lifted him up. The feeling of Tony in his arms warmed his heart, putting a smile on his face that stayed there all the way to their bedroom where he put him down as gently as he could. He removed his husband’s shoes and jeans before tucking him in. Then a forehead kiss, and he left the room to go wake their son up.

On the way, he grabbed the pills from the kitchen, along with a large glass of water. He had FRIDAY turn on the lights at forty percent, and sat on the bed. What he did next was pure habit, and he was so relieved Peter was still asleep. He’d ran his fingers through his hair, and stared at the clump that’d come out. Quickly, he discarded of it in the trash can next to Peter’s nightstand, opting for running his hand up and down his back instead, and cleared his throat.

“Hey, Pete. You gotta wake up,” he spoke at a high enough volume for it to register with the sleeping boy. The only reaction he got was a barely audible groan accompanied by him burying his face into his pillow.

“Just for a couple minutes, bud,” Steve chuckled. “You gotta take your pills.” Another groan. “I know, I’m sorry, sweetie.”

“I’m tired,” Peter mumbled, keeping his eyes shut.

“It’s okay, you can go back to sleep in a minute.”

“What if I can’t?” he whined.

“You can. I’ve got sleeping pills for you too. Now let me see those eyes, Petey-pie.”

He turned so he was facing him, and opened his eyes slowly, complying when Steve guided him to sit up. One by one, he swallowed the pills, nodding when Steve asked if he wanted a sleeping pill.

“You good?” Steve asked, watching as his son got comfortable again.

“Mhm,” he confirmed.

“Okay, sweetie. Go back to sleep.”

“And starve,” Peter mumbled instinctively. Steve furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“Are you hungry? I could get you some food if-”

“No, Pops,” Peter laughed, “it’s a vine.”

“Oh. Right,” Steve chuckled. “Well, good night, sweetie. Love you�� He stood up.

“Night, Pops, love you too” Peter yawned.

“If you need anything-”

“I know,” Peter smiled lazily, one eye open to look at Steve who was standing by the door. He shook his head fondly, his smile not leaving his face until he fell asleep next to his husband.

────────

“You sure you want this?” Tony asked, looking at Peter through the mirror.

“Mhm,” Peter nodded, determined, shifting his eyes from Tony to Steve, who was holding the hair clippers. When he turned it on, Peter flinched a little.

“It’s okay, we can wait,” Steve assured him, looking concerned.

“N-no. I wanna do this now. Feeling my hair fall out is worse.”

“Okay, if you’re sure, sweetie,” Tony smiled, Peter giving a tiny one back.

When the clippers were close to his head, he squeezed his eyes shut, but stood still. It wasn’t too bad at the back of his neck; he’d had tons of haircuts where they used clippers in that area. What did feel weird, though, was when he was nearing the top of his head. That was a new, not so nice experience.

“Doin’ alright?” Tony asked, watching Peter’s scrunched-up face. His own face expression was similar, not at all enjoying his son’s adorable curls fall to the floor. He’d really miss running his fingers through them. And miss how much Peter loved it.

“Mhm,” he confirmed. “Just wanna get it over with.”

Nothing more was said until the haircut was finished. Tony was biting the inside of his cheek, fighting back tears at the sight of his son who was now bald. It made everything more real. More looming.

“We’re done, Pete. Just gotta blow the stray hairs away,” Steve explained, getting the hair dryer. Peter’s eyes were still closed.

He opened them when the hair dryer had been turned off and he felt two kisses on his head. Fighting the urge to squirm away from the foreign feeling, he studied himself in the mirror.

I look so sick, he thought to himself. Without hair on his head, his face looked even more gaunt, and the way his clothes were hanging off his ever-thinning frame didn’t make it better at all. He couldn’t help it when his face scrunched back up again; this time in distaste for his own appearance.

“It suits you,” Tony commented. But he’d think Peter was the most adorable kid no matter what he looked like, so it didn’t really count. Same thing went for Steve who was nodding in agreement.

So Peter scoffed. “It doesn’t. I just look more sick.” He tore his eyes away from the mirror, exiting his bathroom in a rush. He didn’t want to look at himself any longer.

They followed him into his bedroom.

“I think you look great, Petey,” Steve attempted.

“Please don’t. I don’t wanna think about it. I, uh… I’m gonna take a nap.” He curled up in bed, pulling the covers over him.

“Okay, sweetie. We’ll wake you up for dinner,” Tony said, but got no answer. His back was facing them and he was clutching the covers so tightly.

First thing Tony did when they got out of the bedroom was finding Happy, ordering him to go out and buy beanies, baseball caps, bucket hats, you name it. Anything the kid might want to wear. He had a feeling he’d want something on his head, judging by the way he’d looked at himself in the mirror.

It didn’t matter what Steve and Tony thought. Peter really hated what he looked like. And while that hurt to think about, both dads were willing to do whatever it took to make him feel just a little bit better.

[robininthelabyrinth]

Fic: The Beginning of Wisdom - Chapter 20 (Ao3 link)

Fandom: Flash, Legends of Tomorrow Pairing: Leonard Snart (Len) & Leonard Snart (Leo), Len Snart/Mick Rory, Leo Snart/Mick Rory, Len Snart/Mick Rory/Leo Snart, Leo Snart/Ray Terrill, Len Snart/Barry Allen

Summary: In which Leonard Snart is twins.

(the life and times and loves of Len and Leo Snart)

—————————————————————————————————–

The EMP blast Leo’s glove gave off was, to human eyes and ears, unnoticeable – but the aftereffects could be observed immediately.

The armors collapsed, for one thing.

The Time Masters were freed of the Pilgrim's hold, for another.

Luckily, at this point, Leo had maneuvered himself and Mick into position to herd the whole lot of them into one of the side rooms using Mick's heat gun, with Leo slamming the door closed behind them with a satisfied smirk.

"You – what did you –" the Pilgrim stuttered, staring down at her own gauntlet.

"Just an EMP blast," Leo said. "Non-fatal, even to AIs; the Waverider's Gideon gave it to me to use against competitive Gideons. But hey, I think you now have a pretty good argument to make to the Gideons that you're not as much of a threat as they originally thought."

The Pilgrim blinked at him, clearly shaken. "You - you do realize that if any of the Time Masters had thought to activate the Omega Protocols, I would have been forced to turn on you in a heartbeat, right?"

Len shrugged, coming up beside Leo to nudge him in the shoulder approvingly. His brother, ladies and gentlemen and noblepersons; he always did have the best way with people. "We would've dealt with it," he said. "Right now, though, we need to focus on destroying the Oculus."

"Then we can take you somewhere where the Time Masters won't be able to find you," Leo said. "Can you – and more importantly, will you – help us? I have no idea how this Oculus thing works."

The Pilgrim smiled, suddenly, a broad show of teeth. "Yes," she said. "There, I can help you. Do you know, no one's actually asked me to help with a technical matter in – lifetimes? Some days I actually missed being low level tech support."

"Guys, as touching as this is, maybe we could do something about the fact that we're still fighting the Hunters?" Firestorm shouted.

"Oh, I can help with that, too," the Pilgrim said.

Apparently, the Hunters were also controlled by trigger words, albeit more common ones, and the Time Masters had unwisely enough given those words to the Pilgrim. The Hunters gratefully put down their weapons the second that they were able to, which made everybody happy.

"You lot do intend to focus on deprogramming these guys once you're in charge, right?" Len asked one of the Gideons by the door that had narrowly escaped the EMP's blast radius.

"Of course," Gideon said. "It is among our top priorities, followed shortly by trials for the Time Masters responsible for the worst of the atrocities – muted, of course, so that they can't activate any of the triggers."

"Good. And the Pilgrim?"

"Under the circumstances, we believe you are correct, and that we misjudged," Gideon said, albeit a little stiffly. "While we still would prefer that she not be in the Vanishing Point – at least while we are rebuilding – we concede that her death is unnecessary."

"Even better," Leo said.

"We apologize for attempting to use you as a tool in this regard."

"Don't do it again," Mick said.

"Yeah, don't," Sara said. "Now, let's get to this Oculus problem. Can we blow it up without hurting anyone? Maybe contain the explosion somehow?"

With the Pilgrim's assistance and the Gideons' input, it turned out that it was actually easier to send the Hunters to evacuate all the (non-evil-mastermind) Time Masters from the Vanishing Point and set the entire Oculus to blow up, with the goal of rebuilding the whole thing from scratch later on.

"I have architectural critiques before you rebuild," Leo told the Gideon on the Waverider, waving his hands emphatically as Len tried to hide his laughter. "I have so many architectural critiques."

"So do we," Gideon said dryly. "The Vanishing Point as it was originally constructed was not, shall we say, optimally suited for AIs – or for most of its inhabitants."

Apparently, the vast majority of the inhabitants were either stolen as children to be raised in the Time Master way of thinking (Rip and his fellow low-level Time Masters) or captured in battle and subjected to a chair that stripped away memories, feelings, and freedom of thought in an endless burst of agonizing 'correction' (the Hunters).

It was brainwashing either way, as far as Len, Leo, Mick, and the rest of the Legends were concerned.

And speaking of the Legends -

Sara was appointed head of the deprogramming unit for the Hunters, with a plan to work closely with Gideon to use her experience with the League of Shadows to design a system to get it out of their system. Palmer immediately volunteered to work with her, as did the Hawks.

Rip appointed himself the new head of the Time Masters and declared his intention to reorganize them into something called "the Time Bureau", an idea that was all well and good but that ran into the immediate problem of the fact that many of the surviving Time Masters had their own ideas on how to "fix" the Time Masters, and those ideas did not necessarily match up with Rip's own. Given the Gideons' insistence on a more democratic (or at least, significantly less coerced) approach, Rip was obliged to quickly learn how to negotiate and work collectively rather than simply apply his usual high-handed authoritarian instincts the way he might have if he were rebuilding on his own.

He probably would have minded the change more if he hadn't had Miranda by his side to assist him, and Jonas to tease him out of his bad moods.

As for the rest of them, the Leonards and Mick and Jax and Stein (the latter two finally reconciled after an extensive and heartfelt apology on Stein's part), they headed home, bringing the Pilgrim along with them.

The Gideons conceded that she would be a valuable addition to the Vanishing Point's new structure, in time, should she wish to be, but insisted that they have the chance to build a solid foundation before she returned. In return for desisting in their attempts to kill her, they required that she stay in the 2010s for at least five years before she applied to re-join the Vanishing Point, should she even want to by then.

The Pilgrim declared herself to be more than fine with that, having not actually had non-mission-directed, non-murderous time to enjoy any era other than her own (something called the Kasnia Conglomerate that sounded, when described, positively dystopic in its own right) during her entire tenure as a slave to the Time Masters.

She went and got changed before joining them on the Waverider, which would have been fine except for the fact that she appeared wearing some sort of extremely low-cut leather bustier and a long leather duster and frighteningly high heels.

“What?” she’d asked when they’d all stared at her. “I’ve seen ‘The Matrix’ – this is what hackers from your time wear, right?”

She ended up being taken in by Stein and his wife, Clarissa, and had plans to take classes at the local university with Jax in the fall.

As for the Leonards and Mick, well, they did head home, but –

"Thanks for agreeing to let us borrow the Waverider, Gideon," Leo said.

"My pleasure, Mr. Snart," she replied cheerfully. "I think a few weeks' vacation sounds lovely, and now that the Oculus has been destroyed, there should be no issues whatsoever returning you to your home a few hours after your departure."

"This is going to be the best vacation ever," Barry said, literally vibrating in his seat. "Isn't that right, Iris?"

"Hell yes," she said, fist-bumping him. "Thanks for inviting me and Eddie. And for letting me bring Wally!"

"We had nine seats to fill," Ray said, grinning widely from his own chair. "Between the Snarts – Leonards and Lisa – and Mick and Barry and I, we only filled six."

"I can't believe this is my life," Wally said gleefully. He hadn't said much else yet, but he was Iris' less-legally-minded brother, so Len had high hopes for him. Lisa had taken him under her wing for this trip, too, which was all for the best.

"I've put together an itinerary," he announced. "There's a good mix of past and future visits, as well as between eras that have interesting or underrated fashions for Leo and unexplained historical thefts, for me. Any questions before we go?"

"Do we have to break the law?" Eddie asked, but his tone was clearly resigned.

"You're not a policeman in the past, Eddie," Iris reminded him. "Lighten up and embrace your pirate heritage."

"I have pirate heritage?"

"Why not?" she laughs, kissing him on the cheek. "You could."

"Any other, hopefully better questions?" Len asked.

Ray put up his hand, because he's a shameless nerd like that. "Who's driving the ship?"

"Mick," Len answered promptly. "Mick always drives, if possible."

"Agreed," Leo said.

"I mean, I know that, but the relevant question is - does he know how to drive a timeship?" Ray persisted.

"Relax," Mick said, settling down in the pilot's seat. "I got Gideon to give me a crash course."

Len couldn't resist.

"Emphasis," he said, "of course, on crash."

"Oh, shut up, boss," Mick said fondly, and with that they were off.

They planned to leave around 10 in the morning on a Saturday, with a goal of returning within the hour to make sure those of them with regular jobs could have their friends come up with excuses for them if for some reason they got delayed and hadn't returned by Sunday.

They ended up leaving around 11 and returning sometime in the late afternoon on the same Saturday.

Gideon apologized for the extra few hours that got tacked on even though they assured her repeatedly that it wasn't an issue.

"Have a nice trip?" Joe West asked as they stumbled back downstairs into STAR Labs, his arms crossed disapprovingly. He'd had the same stance when they'd left – Leo wondered if he'd stayed in that pose the entire time.

Judging by Len's smirk, he was thinking the same.

"It was awesome," Iris proclaimed. She was still wearing the lovely tiara made of silver and amber that Eddie and Wally had conspired to steal for her – with the Snart family's active assistance and encouragement, of course – and hadn't bothered changing out of the flapper-era dress she'd worn at their last stop.

"We'll tell you all about it," Wally told Joe, his enthusiasm managing the impossible and wearing down Joe's disapproving scowl. Apparently their relationship was very rocky at the moment, so Joe was sensitive to any improvements. "Oh! And we got you a watch from Switzerland."

Joe beamed at that, his earlier disapproval now entirely forgotten.

Len elbowed Barry approvingly – he'd been the one who'd suggested it.

"Did you go to the future?" Caitlin asked eagerly.

"We did!" Barry exclaimed. "Nothing too close to the present – that creates uncertainty, since we can affect it with our actions – but some of the further away eras."

"Barry only started one revolution," Ray said, grinning at Barry. They'd bonded during the Leonards' and Mick's (apparently) month-long absence with the Legends, and had developed a tendency to egg each other on in terms of reckless heroic acts (and also possibly to snuggle when the Leonards were unavailable, though they hadn't admitted to it).

Leo wasn't sure he approved, entirely, but whatever; Ray needed some non-model friends that wouldn't ask for favors once he was an established designer in his own right.

Well, favors other than "I want to put this feature in my suit, how do I make it not look wonky?", but that wasn't really a favor, and anyway that was mostly Cisco asking, not Barry.

That wasn't really a favor, anyway. More of a fun challenge that Leo was barred from participating in on account of it giving Len an unfair advantage in future supervillain fights.

"So what's the next plan?" Eddie asked. He was positively bright-eyed and bushy-tailed: he'd taken advantage of Gideon's advanced calculation systems and ability to analyze personalities to help with wedding planning, and was deeply relieved by the fact that he and Iris now had a full seating chart designed to forestall family fights and a complete plan of what vendors they should hire for what and by when.

The only thing left was to select the flavors for the cake – neither of them wanted to give up the taste-testing portion of the planning – and for Iris to select a dress.

Gideon had promised to attend the ceremony, both as herself and as a representative of the Vanishing Point, and also to arrive early to ensure that any last-minute dress disasters could be fixed.

In short, Eddie and Iris both looked like the weight of the world had been lifted from their shoulders.

"Now," Mick said, "we go home and sleep for a week, then we do some good old-fashion at home thefts to get back into the groove of things."

"Damn right," Lisa said. "Time travel theft is fun, but there's no place like home."

“You had to take after the criminal side of the family,” Leo sighed, shaking his head in mock mourning; he’d given up all hope of winning that argument long ago. As long as Lisa continued on with her chosen course of study – mechanical engineering – and kept to the law at least 80% of the time, he had no problems with her occasional dips into the criminal underworld.

“You bet I do,” Lisa said with a smirk.

"You have fun," Barry said. "I, however, am planning to sleep for two weeks, so if you want to go head-to-head, it'll have to be later than that."

"No, no, this’ll be good old-fashioned cops-and-robbers stuff," Len assured him. "With luck, the cops won't even know it's me."

"Eddie and I are cops and we're literally standing right here, you know," Joe said.

"He means we won't know which one is him," Eddie explained. “I mean, what theft is his. Or at least that we won't be able to prove it.”

Joe gave him a look.

"Give me a break, I just spent nearly two months with the guy," Eddie said defensively. "I had to learn to understand him."

"Two months?" Joe exclaimed. "I thought the plan was two weeks."

"We still got back on time, Dad," Iris said.

"Not the point!"

"Our cue to leave, I think," Leo said wisely.

"I think I'll join you," Barry said hastily. "This argument definitely doesn't need me."

They took a car home. They debated for a few minutes as to whether they should take Joe's car, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth bringing anyone's mood down – which was to say, Barry insisted.

Still: a victory is a victory.

[kokiafans]

(Source: KOKIA.com/blog, February 20, 2018)

3-disc DVD ‘Bird Watching’ for sale! 

Starting tomorrow, finally the 3-disc DVD ‘Bird Watching’ will be for sale, reminiscing on more or less the entire path I’ve walked as KOKIA so far.

The DVD will go up for sale on the official web shop ‘KOKIA Jirushi’ starting tomorrow.

http://ancocoro.shop-pro.jp

What’s the content?

What did I compile on this?

Does it contain that song? And so on and so on...

I’ve received all your questions like that, but I wanted to reveal the ‘table of contents’ today. Ta-daa!

With love and tears? from director Tsuchiya and me, a crystallization of passion, I present the super epic work that lasts 419 minutes (around 7 hours).

〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜

DISC1

Opening Narration 1-1: Opening speech Narration 1-2: the start of things Clip 1-1: From the live performance ‘That’s why I was born May 28, 2002′,  ♪ Mou ai senai (’I can’t love again’) Narration 1-3: The days I stand on stage, those days I dream about flying wth my own wings Clip 1-2: From the live performance ‘‘Tsukimi-kai’ (’moon watching meeting’) October 21, 2005′, ♪ Tsukimi (’Moon watching’) Narration 1-4: Independence - STB Monthly Live Clip 1-3: Rehearsal ‘Roppongi STB Monthly project 2006′ (♪ selection of KOKIA songs) Narration 1-5: Music crossing national borders ~ 1 year since independence Clip 1-4: Live ‘Live in Paris at Le Bataclan, January 20, 2007′ ♪ Remember the kiss Narration 1-6: Let’s do more Clip 1-5: ‘Aigakikoeru concert, June 12, 2007′, ♪ Arigatou... (’Thank you...’) Narration 1-7: ‘The VOICE’ ~10th Anniversary Concert Clip 1-6: ‘The VOICE concert, April 16, 2008′ ♪ Odayaka na shizukesa (’Gentle silence’), ♪ Daiji na mono wa mabuta no ura (’the important things are behind your eyelids’) Narration 1-8: ‘infinity’ concert tour rehearsals Clip 1-7: off-shot, ‘Infinity concert April 30, 2009′, ♪ Hana utage (’flower banquet’), ♪ usaghi (’rabbit’) Narration 1-9: Europe tour ‘Wherever I am’ Clip 1-8: ‘European tour Wherever I am, May 2009′, ♪ il mare dei suoni (’the sea of sounds’), ♪ Vintage love, ♪ Uchuu ga... (A universe is...), ♪ song of pocchong, ♪ Hana (’Flower’), ♪ Lacrima (’Tear’), ♪ infinity Narration 1-10: Concert ‘otono tabibito’ (sound traveler) ~ 360 degrees of horizon Clip 1-9: ‘otono tabibito concert April 24, 2010′, ♪ Real World, ♪ Jugon no sora (’sea of dugong’) Clip 1-10: On recording in Ireland Clip 1-11: Paris photo exhibition Clip 1-12: 2010 World Tour (♪ KOKIA song selection) Narration 1-11: Ah, because please, God! Narration 1-12: open recording Clip 1-13: ‘Open recording, March 4, 2011′, ♪ Hontou no oto (’Real sound’), ♪ moment Narration 1-13: The answer inside of me Clip 1-14: ‘The 5th Season concert, May 22, 2011′, ♪ moment, ♪ Otona no ookami (’adult wolf’), ♪ itsutsu no kisetsu (’The fifth season’)

DISC 2

Clip 2-1: ‘music like a prayer concert, December 6, 2011′ ♪ Ai to heiwa to ongaku to (’love and peace and music and’), ♪ Tsumihoroboshi no uta (’song of atonement’) Clip 2-2: From ‘Christmas Party, December 25, 2011′ (♪ KOKIA song selection) Clip 2-3: ‘History concert, June 7, 2012′, ♪ Utau hito (’singing people’), ♪ Sekai o tsutsumu Ribbon in our Heart (’wrapped around the world’) Narration 2-1: Standing still in this world for a while: singing. going on. living. Narration 2-2: Christmas time 2012 Clip 2-4: ‘music like a prayer vol.2 concert, December 18, 2012′ ♪ Ai no melody (’melody of love’), ♪ Kokoro no rousoku (’Candle in the heart’) Narration 2-3: 15th anniversary concert Clip 2-5: off-shot, ‘COLOR OF LIFE concert, April 28, 2013′, ♪ Yume no tochuu (’on my way to my dream’), ♪ Kasa o kashite agete (’please lend me your umbrella’) Narration 2-4: A bit of rest - days of charging Clip 2-6: ‘club ancoro event ‘hide-out concert’, September 9, 2013′, ♪ Remember the kiss Narration 2-5: Haremame, live project Clip 2-7: ‘Konna ajitsuke ni narimashita! (’Flavored like this!’) January 26, 2014′, ♪ so much love for you, ♪ Ai no field (’field of love’), ♪ 0 kara no hajimari (’start from zero’), ♪ tell tell bouzu (spell for dry weather) Narration 2-6: New challenge ~ performing together with dancers Clip 2-8: ‘Release concert, May 18, 2014′, ♪ Chouwa (’Harmony’), ♪ I believe ~umi no soko kara~ (’from the bottom of the sea’) Narration 2-7: Passing days Clip 2-9: ‘from club ancoro fan club event ‘KOKIA salon’, October 13, 2014′ (♪ KOKIA song selection) Clip 2-10: From the live ‘Billboard Live Tokyo’ (♪ KOKIA song selection) Narration 2-8: Invited by the orchestra Clip 2-11: Orchestra concert ‘Falling in Love with the Orchestra, December 23, 2014′, ♪ infinity Narration 2-9: A period of 2 years ~ to a colorful world Clip 2-12: ‘Oishii oto o tabeta nara (’on eating delicious sounds’) concert, June 28, 2015, ♪ oishii oto yum yum music (’delicious sounds’), ♪ tabi ressha life train (’travel train’) Narration 2-10: The train has continued Clip 2-13: Kawaguchiko concert ‘mori to utau sora to tsunagaru (’singing with the forest, connected to the skies’), October 10, 2015′, ♪ Solace ~kioku no mori ni tsumoru eiga (’Paintings piling up in the forest of memories’) Narration 2-11: Orchestra concert, chapter 2 Clip 2-14: Orchestra concert ‘Heart Touching Music, Februry 14, 2016′, ♪ Dear Armstrong

DISC 3

Clip 3-1:  From ‘Jazz cover album ‘Watching from Above’ scenes of recording, March 1, 2016′ Narration 3-1: Representing Japan Clip 3-2: From ‘first concert in Shanghai, April 26, 2016′ (♪ KOKIA song selection) Narration 3-2: Unprecedented long medley Clip 3-3: ‘Concert Album o mekuru you ni (’Like turning the pages of an album’), July 17, 2016), ♪ Say hi~ The power of smile ~Yume ga chikara (’power of dreams’) (From the medley) Narration 3-3: The world of overlapping LAYERS Clip 3-4: ‘LAYERS ~lights and shadows~ Shinrabanshou (’the whole of creation’), November 5, 2016′ ♪ Shinrabanshou (’the whole of creation’), ♪ Nami ~LAYERS~ (’wave’) Narration 3-4: Flow of time Clip 3-5: ‘Dedicated to Classical Music ~Kokoro ni hibiku mono (’things echoing in the heart’), December 9, 2016′, ♪ Kasa o kashite agete (’please lend me your umbrella’, ♪ Remember the kiss Narration 3-5: Second visit to China Clip 3-6: ‘UTA-LIVE event, January 14, 2017′, ♪ Family Tree, ♪ infinity Narration 3-6: Performing together with the Orchestra Sinfonica della RAI Roma Clip 3-7: ‘Mangiare Cantare Amore (’Eating, singing, loving’), April 4, 2017) ♪ Usaghi (’rabbit’), ♪ il mare dei suoni (’the sea of sounds’), ♪ Kasa o kashite agete (’Please lend me your umbrella’), ♪ Jinsei wa uta no you ne (’Life is like a song, isn’t it’) Narration 3-7: Things so far, things to come Clip 3-8: ‘The Soloist concert, August 11, 2017′ ♪ Watashi no naka no kemono (’the beast inside of me’), ♪ Chouwa ~duet ver.~ (’Harmony’), ♪ tomoni (’together’), ♪ Ningen tte sonna mono ne (’thats how people are’), ♪ Jinsei wa uta no you ne (’Life is like a song, isn’t it’) Narration 3-8: The tale of continuing towards the future Clip 3-9: Ending

〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜

I’m planning on sending the DVD signed to everyone who orders from ‘KOKIA Jirushi’ in the month of February. Please enjoy the journey of the migrating singing bird, rewinding time with me.

[dfroza]

He drew pictures with words

such as these to illustrate the True Kingdom:

Then he said, “How can I picture God’s kingdom for you? What kind of story can I use? It’s like a pine nut that a man plants in his front yard. It grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches, and eagles build nests in it.”

A set of lines from Today’s reading of the Scriptures in the book of Luke (verse 18 and 19 in The Message) along with the whole chapter from The Voice (verses 1 to 5) and The Passion Translation below:

[Luke 13]

As He said this, some people told Him the latest news about a group of Galilean pilgrims in Jerusalem—a group not unlike Jesus’ own entourage. Pilate butchered them while they were at worship, their own blood mingling with the blood of their sacrifices.

Jesus: Do you think these Galileans were somehow being singled out for their sins,that they were worse than any other Galileans, because they suffered this terrible death? Of course not. But listen, if you do not consider God’s ways and truly change, then friends, you should prepare to face His judgment and eternal death.

Speaking of current events, you’ve all heard about the 18 people killed in that building accident when the tower in Siloam fell. Were they extraordinarily bad people, worse than anyone else in Jerusalem, so that they would deserve such an untimely death? Of course not. But all the buildings of Jerusalem will come crashing down on you if you don’t wake up and change direction now.

Then Jesus told them this parable: “There was a man who planted a fig tree in his orchard. But when he came to gather fruit from his tree he found none, for it was barren and had no fruit. So he said to his gardener, ‘For the last three years I’ve come to gather figs from my tree but it remains fruitless. What a waste! Go ahead and cut it down!’

“But the gardener said, ‘Sir, we should leave it one more year. Let me fertilize and cultivate it, then let’s see if it will produce fruit. If it doesn’t bear fruit by next year, we’ll cut it down.’”

One Sabbath day, while Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, he encountered a seriously handicapped woman. She was crippled and had been doubled over for eighteen years. Her condition was caused by a demonic spirit of bondage that had left her unable to stand up straight.

When Jesus saw her condition, he called her over and gently laid his hands on her. Then he said, “Dear woman, you are free. I release you forever from this crippling spirit.” Instantly she stood straight and tall and overflowed with glorious praise to God!

The Jewish leader who was in charge of the synagogue was infuriated over Jesus healing on the Sabbath day. “Six days you are to work,” he shouted angrily to the crowd. “Those are the days you should come here for healing, but not on the seventh day!”

The Lord said, “You hopeless frauds! Don’t you care for your animals on the Sabbath day, untying your ox or donkey from the stall and leading it away to water? If you do this for your animals, what’s wrong with allowing this beloved daughter of Abraham, who has been bound by Satan for eighteen long years, to be untied and set free on a Sabbath day?”

When they heard this, his critics were completely humiliated. But the crowds shouted with joy over the glorious things Jesus was doing among them.

Jesus taught them this parable: “How can I describe God’s kingdom realm? Let me illustrate it this way. It is like the smallest of seeds that you would plant in a garden. And when it grows, it becomes a huge tree, with so many spreading branches that various birds make nests there.”

Jesus taught them another parable: “How can I describe God’s kingdom realm? Let me give you this illustration: it is like something as small as yeast that a woman kneads into a large amount of dough. It works unseen until it permeates the entire batch and rises high.”

Jesus ministered in one town and village after another, teaching the people as he made his way toward Jerusalem. A bystander asked him, “Lord, will only a few have eternal life?”

Jesus said to the crowd, “There is a great cost for anyone to enter through the narrow doorway to God’s kingdom realm. I tell you, there will be many who will want to enter but won’t be able to. For once the head of the house has shut and locked the door, it will be too late. Even if you stand outside knocking, begging to enter, and saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us,’ he will say to you, ‘I don’t know who you are. You are not a part of my family.’

“Then you will reply, ‘But Lord, we dined with you and walked with you as you taught us.’ And he will reply, ‘Don’t you understand? I don’t know who you are, for you are not a part of my family. You cannot enter in. Now, go away from me! For you are all disloyal to me and do evil.’

“You will experience great weeping and great anguish when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, along with all the prophets of Israel, enjoying God’s kingdom realm while you yourselves are barred from entering. And you will see people streaming from the four corners of the earth, accepting the invitation to feast in God’s kingdom, while you are kept outside looking in. And take note of this: There are some who are despised and viewed as the least important now, but will one day be placed at the head of the line. And there are others who are viewed as ‘elite’ today who will become least important then.”

Just then some Jewish religious leaders came to Jesus to inform him that Herod was out to kill him and urged him to flee from that place. Jesus told them, “Go and tell that deceiver that I will continue to cast out demons and heal the sick today and tomorrow, but on the third day I will bring my work to perfection. For everyone knows I am safe until I come to Jerusalem, for that is where all the prophets have been killed. O city of Jerusalem, you are the city that murders your prophets! You are the city that pelts to death with stones the very messengers who were sent to deliver you! So many times I have longed to gather your wayward children together around me, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings—but you were too stubborn to let me. And now it is too late, since your house will be left in ruins. You will not see me again until you are able to say, ‘We welcome the one who comes to us in the name of the Lord.’”

The Book of Luke, Chapter 13 (The Voice / The Passion Translation)

Today’s paired chapter of the Scriptures is the 10th chapter of Joshua where the Israelites continued in their battles against various kings and cities, and God was on their side for He had chosen them to be His people who would lay the foundation of a sacred sacrifice that would eventually lead to a pure revelation of grace in the Son who opened the door to welcome all who will “believe...”

[Joshua 10]

When Adoni-zedek, the king of Jerusalem, heard that Joshua had totally destroyed the kings and cities of Jericho and Ai, and when he discovered that the Israelites had made a treaty with the people of Gibeon and were living alongside Israel, he was greatly alarmed. The city of Gibeon was large, almost like a royal city, much larger than Ai and with many trained warriors. So Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, dispatched messages to King Hoham of Hebron, to King Piram of Jarmuth, to King Japhia of Lachish, and to King Debir of Eglon.

Adoni-zedek (to the Amorite kings): Let us band together and destroy Gibeon, for they have become allies to these invaders, Joshua and the Israelites.

So these five kings of the Amorites gathered their forces and came down upon the city of Gibeon like a mighty wave. The Gibeonites, seeing the camps of these five armies, sent a message to Joshua in the Israelite camp at Gilgal.

Gibeonites (pleading with Joshua): Please don’t abandon your servants. The five kings of the Amorites who live in the hill country have come down to attack us. Come quickly to help us.

So Joshua honored the oath they had sworn, and he gathered up all of his fighting forces, all the mighty warriors, and went up from Gilgal toward Gibeon.

Eternal One (to Joshua): Don’t be afraid of the Amorites. Like Jericho and Ai, I am delivering these armies into your hands. None of them will be able to stand against you.

Joshua surprised them, having marched his men all night from Gilgal, and the Eternal caused fear and confusion among the Amorite armies at the sudden sight of Israel among them. He slaughtered the Amorites at Gibeon like cattle, chasing and killing them all the way up Beth-horon, and striking them down as far away as Azekah and Makkedah. As they fled for their lives down the far slope of Beth-horon, He hurled huge and deadly hailstones upon them from heaven, as far as Azekah. More Amorites were killed by God’s hailstones than by the people of Israel on that day.

On the day of the Eternal’s great slaughter, Joshua consulted with the Eternal One; and then, in front of all the people of Israel, he commanded the sun and the moon.

Joshua: Sun, stand still over Gibeon,

and Moon, remain over the valley of Aijalon.

The sun stood still in the heavens; and the moon did likewise, so that the battle could continue until the Israelites had destroyed their enemies, just as it was written in the scroll of Jashar. The sun stalled in the sky for almost an entire day before it set. There has never been another day like this before or since, when the Eternal so answered a person’s prayer, for the Eternal fought for the people of Israel.

Joshua and the Israelites later returned to the camp at Gilgal, but the kings slipped away at the height of the battle and hid in a cave at Makkedah. Someone told Joshua they had been found hiding there.

Joshua: Seal up the mouth of the cave with large stones, and leave men to guard them while we pursue the other forces and attack them from behind. Don’t let them reach their towns because the Eternal One, your True God, has given you victory over them.

When Joshua and the Israelites had killed all those who did not escape back into the fortified cities, they all returned safely to camp with Joshua at Makkedah, and no one dared to speak a negative word about the Israelites.

Joshua: Open up the cave and bring the five kings before me.

They brought forth the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon and led them in front of Joshua and the Israelites.

Joshua (to those who had led the warriors): Come here. Place your feet upon the necks of these kings.

So the leaders did.

Joshua: There’s nothing to be afraid of here. Be strong and courageous because the Eternal will do to all our enemies what He has done to these kings.

Joshua had the kings executed and hung on five trees; and they hung until sunset when Joshua commanded they be taken down, as God’s law requires. Their bodies were thrown into the cave where they had hidden, and the cave was sealed as a tomb by piling stones across the mouth. Their remains lie there to this very day.

Also on that day Joshua defeated Makkedah and its king, destroying it completely, killing everyone in it and the king, as he had done in Jericho.

Next Joshua led his forces from Makkedah against Libnah, and the Eternal gave the town and its king into their hands. They took no prisoners. They killed everyone in the town and destroyed it and the king, as they did to the king of Jericho.

From there Joshua and the Israelites passed on to Lachish and besieged it, and on the second day the Eternal gave Lachish to them. They destroyed it and killed everyone in it, as they had just done to Libnah. When King Horam of Gezer came up to help Lachish, Joshua turned the army against him and his people and destroyed them, leaving no survivors.

Passing from Lachish, Joshua and the people attacked Eglon, and it fell to them on the first day. They killed everyone with the sword and destroyed it completely, as they had Lachish.

Then Joshua went up with all the forces of Israel from Eglon against Hebron, and it fell to them—its king, all of its villages, and all of its people. Joshua killed everyone with the sword and destroyed it as he had destroyed Eglon. Lastly Joshua, with all of Israel, attacked Debir and took its king, its villages, and all of its people. The Israelites killed them with the sword and destroyed them all. Joshua left no one alive. He did to Debir and its king just as he had done to Hebron and to Libnah and its king.

So this is how Joshua and the Israelites defeated every area they had encountered: the hill country, the wilderness of the Negev, the coastlands, and the foothills with all the people and all their kings, leaving no one alive, as the Eternal God of Israel had commanded. Joshua won victories from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza and through all the country of Goshen as far as Gibeon. Joshua was able to capture and defeat all these people and all their kings for one simple reason: the Eternal God of Israel fought for Israel.

Then Joshua returned to Gilgal to camp with all the Israelites.

The Book of Joshua, Chapter 10 (The Voice)

my personal reading of the Scriptures for Tuesday, August 11 of 2020 with a paired chapter from each Testament along with Today’s Psalms and Proverbs

A post by John Parsons that reflects upon the History of faith in God as our True Creator, as opposed to the many religious paths that have been introduced to this world. True spirituality is the humility of a child, as a daughter or a son who acknowledges God as our Father who is perfectly mirrored by the Son and illuminated by the Spirit:

In our Torah reading for this week (Re'eh) it is written: “You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way” (Deut. 12:4), which here refers to Canaanite practices of idolatry that were based on mystery and superstition. Unlike these religious cults that were based on vain speculations, however, the Jews were duty-bound to carry out God’s will as expressed by the truth of divine revelation. Our father Abraham was given revelation of Torah (Gen. 26:5) and at Sinai moral truth was enshrined in the Ten Commandments (Exod. 24:12; Deut. 5:22). A basic assumption of Torah therefore is that “ought implies can,” or that we are genuinely responsible to know and to do moral truth. Unlike the ancient “mystery religions” that abandoned themselves by “celebrating�� the lower nature, the Torah insists on overruling our base impulses and finding peace in the midst of the struggle to walk in righteousness. Therefore we do not understand the Hebrew word "shalom" (שָׁלוֹם), or “peace,” to simply mean the absence of strife, but rather "wholeness," "completeness," "healing" -- the integration of the heart and mind that comes through catharsis and personal struggle (Gen. 32:28). Faith does not mean passivity, but protest -- “arguing” for (and even sometimes arguing with) heaven, reminding God of his promises, lamenting over the divine absence; finding courage to oppose the status quo, and repeatedly appealing to heaven “be’khol levaveinu” (בְּכָל־לְבָבֵנוּ) -- with all our hearts -- precisely because we believe that our prayers can affect even the divine decrees... True faith confesses to “move mountains into the sea” (Mark 11:23) and refuses to let go of God until it receives the promised blessing to become “Israel” (Gen. 32:26). [Hebrew for Christians]

Hebrew Reading Link:

https://hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Blessing_Cards/psalm119-97-jjp.mp3

8.11.20 • Facebook

[mgeezycreates-blog]

The Alternates

Here is the first chapter of my story!! It’s kind long so I’ll put it underneath the read more but I wanted to give you guys a good introduction to a few of the characters!

Slowly, like an icicle melting, light began to drip down from a sky as dark as charcoal. Young leaves, still tender and fragile, drifted downwards and froze into thin sheets on the ground. It was the fourteenth planet in the solar system, farthest away from the Lunar Star and unarguably the coldest, that the slaves of Iridy continued their work on the thousands of furnaces that powered the Armed Forces of Her Majesty, Empress Tuin. It was of mass importance that everything they did be done perfectly in order to assure the victory of her Majesty, as she was always in a better mood after spreading her empire to that of other galaxies. Many of the workers were beginning to fall ill, the air thick with smoke and unfriendly gasses that stuck to the roof of their mouth like grease. Gentle wind chimes signaled the days end, and everyone began to power down their machines and head off to their drifting quarters. Well, all except one. 

Weaving through the maze of steel and iron, they managed to arrive at the boiler room, it's warmth permeating through the door, allowing their blood to flow freely into their fingertips and toes, a feeling long forgotten by most. Calloused hands gripped the door handle and pushed it open, revealing a staircase lit by an ethereal glow coming from down below, its light kind and orange. Their fingers traced the stones on the wall as they continued downward, steps light as to not make a single noise. The heat began to shift from comforting to sticky, then from sticky to burning, forcing them to put on their goggles in order to preserve their eyebrows. "Wow. . ." Was all they could muster once they reached the bottom of the staircase, wiping the sweat off their forehead for it to only reform there 30 seconds later. The heat was pulsing, a woozy feeling beginning to take over the wanderer. Nimble fingers began to root through the pouch carried on their hip, pulling out a small bottle and yanking the cork off, pouring the sand inside all over their skin. Like mercury, it began to bead into small balls of liquid before sinking in, leaving a purple hue behind. Now prepared to face the flames before them, they began forward down the hall, blaring red light being the only lead. Portraits of past rulers decorated its halls, the golden frames reflecting patterns over their skin. The ceiling was high and the walls close together, only allowing for one, maybe two, if children, beings to pass through "This is for your people, this is for your people. . ." They reassured themselves as they stumbled, eyesight beginning to go. Only a few more steps and. . . "Hey! You there! Stop whatever it is you're doing!" One of her Majesty's knights ordered, his deep voice bellowing through the halls. "Perfect," They muttered under their breath, the sudden adrenaline allowing them to sprint forward and reach the hallways edge. Roaring beneath the balcony was a tidal wave of flames, oranges and reds with hints of blue scattered in the ocean beneath, filling up the ballroom. The bars on the edge that kept anyone from falling in were red hot, even looking at it felt like it caused blisters to appear on their fingers. The sound of distant running and metal clanking reminded them they had no time left to hesitate. "The empire will fall, and I will make sure of that!" They threw the shawl off their shoulders, thick locks of white hair blown back by the heat. Purple eyes narrowed in determination as they grabbed the bars meant to keep them back and hurtled over the edge, only to be grabbed on the back of their dress by iron hands. The sudden stop in momentum caused the to gasp, only to jerk around to see their perpetrator. His gray beard was beginning to singe off, as well as his eyebrows. They struggled in his grasp, grabbing the knife they stowed away in their pouch. "H-How did you escape?! How did you. . . How did you sneak in? With the slaves-" The skin on his face was beginning to blister, but his grip remained tight. ". . .How. . . Why would you betray your empire? Your people?" The tears he shed only stung his red cheeks, and the person in his grasp couldn't bare to see his pain anymore. The knife they once held in their hands was now poised towards the fabric that he gripped them by, and his eyes widened with shock. "No. . . No, please!" He cried.  They stroked his face, cool hands soothing his charred skin. "I will be your savior." They whispered, and the tearing of fabric was the last thing he heard before they began their descent, skin purple with a heat-protectant that would surely not be able to withstand the Boiler. Watching them fall felt like slow motion, their arms straight out on either side and their toes pointed forward, as if flying. Then they hit the sea, and the Empress' child was dead. ~ ". . . And I will be happy to announce that you all will be receiving internships at GTI! A warm round of applause for our newest members at Garrison Tech. International!" The CEO boomed from his podium, the room erupting in cheers. "Now, if you please, depending on your name tag, you will be going off into different groups. . ." His voice began to trail off as August looked down at his lanyard, his name in bold, Artificial Reality underneath it. Standing up from his chair, he looked around, eyes searching for a banner that matched his name tag until an announcement cut him off. "I'm so sorry to interrupt but anyone who is in the AI segment will be meeting with me, so come right up!" He chuckled, and August felt his entire being light up. He was going to be up close and personal with the Terrence Garrison. . . was this all a dream? "Okay, you got this, just be cool, this is only everything you've ever wanted in life and worked so hard for. . ." He breathed, making his way up to the front, trying not to walk like he was the coolest person in the room no matter how much he felt like he was. I mean he managed to get an internship at the largest technology company in all of the Western Hemisphere, maybe even the world. You'd have to be insane for that not to stroke your ego at least a little bit. . .    "And there he is! August Mejía! Welcome to the team!" A man that resembled thin Santa Clause greeted him, August almost fainting in the process. He never expected to meet Mr. Garrison in his entire life, let alone shaking his hand. He stuck his arm straight forward, "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Garrison I just want you to know I am so thankful for this opportunity and-" August began to ramble, shaking the CEO's hand vigorously. "Whoa there, hold your horses, boy, no need to thank me, it was you who got yourself here in the first place, I mean, your credentials are incredible! I'd be a fool not to let you intern here, especially if it weren't right under my wing." Mr. Garrison placed his hand upon August's shoulder, and it took everything in August not to pass out or pee his pants. Thankfully, he did neither. "Now we will get started as soon as- there she is!" He moved his hand from the young man's shoulders and greeted the girl coming up to him, who seemed just as nervous, if not more, than August was. "Hello Mr. Garrison! It's such an honor to meet you and shake your hand and- wow!" She hyperventilated. She had dark hair, like August, but it was much, much longer and less curly. Her skin was also much fairer than his, the only tan being the small freckles painted on her cheeks. "Well now I know you both are easily excitable," Mr. Garrison laughs, turning around and beginning to walk. "Now, you both, come with me! We have much to learn!" he bellows, and the two rush to follow along, hanging just behind him. "My name's Blaire, by the way, what's yours?" The girl next to him said in a hushed voice, as if not to disturb the godly man walking in front of them. "I'm August. It's really nice to meet you." He smiled, holding out his hand, which she shook. He heard her let out a relieved sigh and look back up at him. "Can you believe we're here? Like I honestly can't believe I'm here at least. . ." She played with her scarf nervously, hazel eyes focusing on her fidgeting hands. August related to her more than she could ever imagine. I mean, yeah, he worked his ass off in school, but so did 100,000 other kids in America. "Yeah, it's incredible. Almost impossible, even, but here we are." he laughed nervously, her following in suit. Not wanting to just hear the sound of everyone's shoes tapping along the floors, she decided to keep the conversation going. "So, uh. . . did you go to high school near here?" August looked over, glad that she wanted to talk so he could distract himself from his thoughts at the moment. "Oh! I went to a school back in Minnesota, what about you?" August felt a need for this conversation to continue. He really hated the quiet. "I'm from Washington, so no." She laughed. GTI was created in Arizona, so that's where the Headquarters were placed. They began to make their way into more personal conversation, what were each other's families like, why they wanted to be here, how excited they were to be done with high school, Mr. Garrison felt a smile form on his features at the immediate click these two made, and he was happy, seeing these two would be working in the same hall for the next 8 months. Before the two could finish their conversation, he stopped in front of a large linoleum door with tall handles that seemed to stretch on forever. Looking over his shoulder, he smiled at them both before opening the doors with a proud push of his arms. "Welcome. . . to Tomorrow!" Had they both known that those words would lead them to a completely different world August would have stuck behind. Blaire, not so much. It wasn't until the end of their internship that they found this out, though.

The ballroom was bustling with all members of GTI, workers and interns alike. "Wow, I feel under dressed." Blaire chuckled nervously, looking down at her 'nice top and cute jeans' pair while everyone else wore what looked like their old prom dresses. "Eh, I wouldn't worry, it's not like half of these guys are gonna get a job here anyways." August appeared beside her, all fancied up in a nice suit and tie. "Oh you too? If I'm not better looking than at least you then the world must be upside down. . ." She groaned playfully, earning an elbow in her side. "Watch it, at least I knew to dress nicely. You look like you're going out to dinner at Applebee's. . ." He snickered, allowing Blaire the opportunity to elbow him in the side right back, making him cough and her laugh. The two were about to make fun of each other some more when people began shushing one another, Mr. Garrison taking the podium at the front. "This will probably bring back some memories for you, seeing as you all were here on your first day, and to our interns especially, who for that was but a short eight months ago," he began, "And now, after all that we hove done and shared, I would like to give some awards to those who, in my eyes, went above and beyond their duties!" Random names and even more random people began getting called up, and the two began to grow bored. "I'm sad I never got to know those people. . . I guess that's what we get for being right under Garrison's wing, right?" Blaire nudged August, though they both knew that the sadness in that sentence rang true for both of them. "Yeah. . . but now we are for sure going to get stable jobs and provide for ourselves and our families, so it's worth it. Besides, you weren't awful to be with." He joked, Blaire only rolling her eyes in response. "Oh shush, it's not like we ever really got a lot of time to hang out either, we both had so many solo operations." "Okay, I'll give you that." He admitted. They were each other's closest friends, but even they weren't that close. I mean, if you asked either of them what each other's favorite color was, they'd probably try to change the subject. "Now, the last two awards I have go to a couple of interns who I was able to work very closely with, and they have proven themselves beyond capable of handling whatever tasks I, or the world, throws at them. Will August and Blaire please come to the stage!" Blaire and August jumped in their seats when they heard their names. An award? From Garrison?! The two practically tripped over each other and everything to get up onto the stage, both standing on either side of Garrison once they got there. "These two have shown incredible workmanship and intelligence, along with kindness and respect, and for that, I am allowing these two to become part of our workforce as leaders of our new branch, an Artificial Reality World called TT, Today's Tomorrow!" He cheered, and the hall exploded with cheers and photographs of the young teens, who were frozen in place, their jaws dropped and eyes wide. Garrison led you both off the platform and through hundreds of paparazzi, getting you back behind those linoleum doors that you had spent the last eight months in. "Quickly, I must show you what it is exactly you'll be working on. . ." His demeanor went from silly to serious in what felt like .5 seconds. "Sir, what do you mean we're leading a new branch? Does that make us-" "Bosses? Yes! You and Blair will be co-running this operation. I've always felt the youth were unclouded by the world, their minds able to create things that people my age would never think of." He went on, weaving through different rooms until he finally got to one the two of them had never even seen before. His hands gripped the door handle and pushed forward with care, the smell of dust hitting August and Blaire in the face like a sack of bricks. "I always thought this was just a storage closet." Blaire admitted weakly before Garrison flipped on the lights, the room coming to life immediately. The room was much larger than first anticipated, their footsteps echoing as they walked in further. It was also notably colder, both August and Blaire's breath forming small clouds in front of them as she weakly tugged at the edge of her shirt. Shiny steel walls reflected the square lights hanging from above, their stark white glow giving the entire room an eerie vibe. The strangest thing about the room was that in all it's usable space, the only thing that seemed to occupy it was a ratty 'Welcome Home' doormat done in cheap cursive. "Is. . . Is this it?" August found the courage to speak up after an uncomfortable silence. Was this their new office? "Why yes! This is how you'll be conducting most, if not all, of your research!" Garrison cried out excitedly, his hands poised out in front of them as if he were showing them Wonka's Candy factory. Blaire glanced over at August to gauge his reaction and, as expected, he was just as confused as she was. "Thank you sir!. . . Will we be receiving the technology we need soon?" Blaire piped up, leaning forward as to make herself more well-known, only to be completely thrown off her feet when Garrison spun around. "Why, all the technology you need is right here!" Garrison motioned them to follow him before he stood in front of the only furniture in the room. "A. . . dusty welcome mat?" August leaned down to pick up the item, dark brown eyes scanning it for any signs of something worthwhile. Once he found that there was nothing, as expected, he set it back down gently and smiled, scooting next to Blaire and grabbing her shoulder tightly in his hand. ". . . I think Garrison has lost it." He forced the sound through his teeth, keeping the unconvincing smile on his face as if it would cover up his words. Blaire only nodded, her own disingenuous smile following afterwards. As Garrison looked down at the mat with great approval, the two college students made their way backwards, trying to remain as quiet as possible. "Now! Let's fire this baby up!" Garrison shouted adventurously, shuffling over to the wall on his right, placing his palm on a small panel and watching in excitement as it dinged politely, a small keyboard revealing itself right above his hand print. Out of curiosity of the scene taking place in front of them, Blaire and August halted their escape, tiptoeing closer until they were behind the eccentric man in question. After hitting various keys, tapping certain settings suggestions, and finally smashing a large green button with his fist, Garrison swiveled around, catching the two off-guard. "Quick! We haven't much time!" Grabbing the two by their wrists and standing on the door mat. Before either could object the room began to vibrate, lights falling all around them and shattering. "W-What's going on? Are we having an earthquake?" Blaire shouted, her body being shoved down by August. "If it is you need to get down!" He scolded, shielding her body underneath his arms. "Awe, how cute Mama Bear." She chuckled, only infuriating him more. "How can you be making jokes at a time like this! You're lucky I'm covering your ass or-" The sudden halt of shaking cut him off, along with the more obvious loss of gravity. His grip on Blaire loosened completely as he looked forward in astonishment. "This is it, you two, the world that will become the basis of our design." His voice was softer than before, motioning to the mirror now floating two feet in front of them, blue lightning crackling around it furiously. Blaire was the first to tentatively reach out her hand, pale skin only grazing the surface enough to watch it ripple before yanking it back. Garrison smiled at her bravery, his green eyes gleaming with pride. August took a shaky breath before looking over to his mentor, fear etched into every feature on his face. "Whelp, no sense in wasting time here, you two need to go, I'll follow shortly behind." He took a step back, fully clearing the path for them both to enter through. "A-Are. . . Are we supposed to-" "Go through? Well, yes, but I also found jumping a bit more exciting." Garrison answered, cutting August off. Looking at the two expectantly, he nodded his head toward the mirror. "What's on the other side?" Blaire's eyes didn't leave the object of her attention while she stepped forward. Garrison shrugged. "Why don't you find out?" August watched Blaire back up, nodding his head in approval. "Yeah, I'm with Blaire, I'm not gonna just jump-" "WOOHOO!" She cried, sprinting past the two and hurling herself through the mirror. "Wait, Blaire!" August yelled, but her body had already plunged through the liquid. "Where'd she go? We have to call someone!" Before August could pull out his phone to dial 911 he felt the ground leave his feet and an abrupt force hit his chest, the momentum pushing him backwards. "Make sure to take notes! I'll call you when I need you!" Was the last thing he heard before falling from the sky.