#and we were told to come into work for noon tomorrow

[scary-grace]

omg Hana lives au where you’re in her group for a project and keep suggesting studying at her house. You say it’s because she has a library but actually you just think her brother’s cute.

You sent this ask and my brain started clicking, so here is a Hana (and Mon) lives ficlet, ft. a reader who’s lying about her quirk.

“Again?” Hana asks. She heaves a dramatic sigh and flops down over her desk. “We always study at my house.”

“Your house is nicer,” Yue says.

“You have a library and a bunch of pretty windows,” Manami says. “And your backyard is so nice! If the weather’s good we can study outside.”

All of what your friends are saying is true. Hana has the nicest house by far, and the most books you can borrow, but you’re not going to join in the guilt-trip. Hana picks her head up and glances your way. “You’re not going to say anything?”

You can’t. It’ll look suspicious. “I’m fine with wherever,” you say.

“No you’re not,” Yue says, and elbows you. Her elbows are really pointy. “You want to go over to Hana’s too. Say it.”

“Okay, okay,” you say. Maybe not going along with it looks more suspicious than going along with it would. “We have to go over to yours, Hana. Mon loves me, and I promised to go back see him soon.”

“Mon does really like you,” Hana admits. “Better than me. The only person he likes more is Tenko.”

“Is he going to be around?” you ask as casually as possible. “Tenko?”

“Yeah. Why?”

That settles it. You’re going to Hana’s to study if you have to climb over the back fence and study in the grass. “Just figuring out how many snacks to bring. If you’re hosting, I’m bringing food.”

Manami and Yue renew their attack on Hana. “She has a cooking quirk. People pay for her stuff and we get it for free. Come on, Hana —“

Hana heaves an even more dramatic sigh than before, but you can see her smiling slightly. “Fine. My house tomorrow at noon.”

Manami and Yue are grinning, pleased, but you feel a knot of anticipation pulling tight in your chest. You like going to Hana’s, sure, and you love seeing Mon. But you’d rather fail every class between now and graduation than admit to Hana that the reason you always want to study at her place is that you have a crush on her little brother.

You’re not that much older than Tenko is — just a year or so, since you’re a grade ahead in the classes you share with Hana and Yue — and if you told anybody about your crush, the age difference would be the last thing they’d comment on. Tenko can be a little intense, a little earnest, a lot awkward. When you first became friends with Hana, nobody was making him pay for it yet, but then he got to middle school, and you know he got picked on. Hana stood up for him as best she could, and so did you, if someone was mean when you were in earshot. You stood up for him before you had a crush on him. That’s not why you did it.

You’re not sure when you went from the kind of distant fondness you have for your friends’ siblings to this, but it happened, and now you’ll take any chance you get to hang out at Hana’s house. Even if it means you’ll be up all night baking, trying to make the quirk you lied about look real.

You’re at Hana’s house two minutes after noon, with your backpack and two covered trays, one with cupcakes and one with taiyaki. Hana beams. “Sorry I was weird yesterday,” she says as she ushers you inside. “I was worried my dad might try to visit.”

“Oh.” You know Hana’s parents are divorced — messily divorced, and Hana has really mixed feelings about her dad, who lives in a luxury apartment on the other side of town. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s good. I told him he couldn’t visit because I had friends coming over to study, so it all worked out.”

Hana lifts the trays out of your hands while you take off your shoes and goes to set them on the table. As you straighten up, you hear the sound of paws pattering across the floor. “Mon?”

Mon pounces on you, much more spry than his white-flecked muzzle would suggest, and you crouch down to greet him. You don’t have a dog of your own, but you’ve always been a dog person, and Mon’s your favorite by a mile. You tell him so. “Who’s the most handsome man? I missed you so much —“ He bounces up on his hind legs to lick your nose, and you laugh. “I promised I’d come back. You don’t have to give me that many kisses.”

“He wants you to pet him.”

That’s Tenko’s voice, and just like that, you’re nervous. You look up to find him watching you from around the corner, dark-haired and grey-eyed, halfway in the shadows. “You never pet him,” he continues. He got cuter since the last time you saw him. How is that possible? “Why not?”

“Do I have to pet him to love him?” you ask awkwardly. “He likes me anyway.”

“Yeah. A lot. But it’s weird that you don’t pet him.” Tenko scratches lightly at the side of his neck with a gloved hand. “If you’re allergic, you shouldn’t let him lick your face.”

“I’m not allergic.” You nudge Mon away, and thankfully, he defaults to sniffing your backpack, giving you an excuse to look at him instead of Tenko. “I promised I’d bring treats for you next time. Give me a second.”

“He can’t eat treats from the store. They’re bad for him.”

“I made these at home,” you say. “There are two kinds — salmon and quinoa, and carrot and cheese.“

Tenko’s quiet. You glance up at him and see a surprised look on his face. “You made him two kinds of treats?”

“I wasn’t sure what he liked best,” you admit. You take the package out of your backpack, and Mon starts slobbering all over your hands as he tries to get you to open it. “Can I give him one?”

Tenko nods, and you open the plastic bag, selecting a carrot and cheese biscuit. “Sorry I was mean,” he says quietly. “I heard Hana tell you. About our dad —“

“It’s okay,” you say. He’s so earnest about stuff. You can’t remember the last time you heard a boy apologize and really mean it. “Um, should I ask Mon to do a trick or something?”

“If you hold it up and say ‘up’ he’ll stand on his hind legs,” Tenko says, and you laugh. “Don’t make him do it for too long. He’s getting old.”

Tenko’s voice catches a little bit on the last words, and breaks your heart a little bit more. “Can he roll over?”

“Yeah. Mon, roll,” Tenko orders, and Mon flops down and log-rolls twice. “Good boy. Now he can have a treat.”

You feed Mon the carrot and cheese biscuit, which he snaps up in two bites. He must like it, because he immediately comes hunting for more. Tenko fishes around in the bag and comes up with one of the salmon biscuits, which he gives to Mon without asking for a trick first. He pets Mon with gloved hands and Mon immediately pops up, licking his cheek and snuffling his ears. Tenko laughs, a quiet, rusty sound that makes your cheeks heat up. “Don’t be dumb. There aren’t any treats in there. She has the treats.”

Watching the two of them interact, you’re amazed that more of Hana’s friends don’t have crushes on Tenko. There’s something sweet about him, something that renders any weirdness or awkwardness or itchiness irrelevant. You know he’s smart, and you think he’s cute, and the fact that he’s a year younger than you and your friend’s brother shouldn’t matter at all.

But it does matter, because when Hana calls your name, you jump out of your skin like you’ve been caught stealing from the cookie jar. “Where did you go?” she complains, then rounds the corner. “You don’t have to win Mon’s heart with treats. He already likes you second-best out of everybody.”

“He does,” Tenko agrees. He glances sideways at you, somehow managing to look up at you through his eyelashes even though you’re both the same height crouching down. “I can tell.”

You try not to blush and mostly fail, because it’s not Mon’s heart you’re trying to win. And even though you know you shouldn’t, even though you know it’s a bad idea, you reach out to pet Mon’s ears, stealing a little bit of life from yourself and passing it along to him.

part 2 ->

[darthwhorecrux]

I tried to write for another character but Shinji LITERALLY stormed into my room, flipped my desk, threw my laptop, broke my phone, spit on me and DEMANDED I write for him again

*

*

*

You'd been stressing and working long hours lately, catching little sleep. Today was another long one, running on only a few hours of rest. It was hardly evening, and you'd surpassed your manic, delirious phase and were now crashing, nodding off, eyes fluttering closed only for you to snap your head back up and force your eyes to remain peeled. Shinji was thoroughly explaining something to you and you could not for the life of you catch a single word he was saying, each one going in one ear and out the other just as quickly. You tried and failed over and over again to focus. Pain stung your tired eyes and your body felt much heavier than usual, nearly impossible to keep upright.

At first, Captain Hirako hadn't noticed, too involved in the work at hand and talking through something with you. It wasn't until he glanced your way again and noticed how lifeless you looked that something wasn't right.

He stopped mid sentence, not that you were conscious enough to notice, "(Y/N)?" He asked, narrowing his eyes skeptically. "Are you feeling alright?"

Hearing your name coming out of his mouth awakened you, at least enough to snap back to attention for the moment. "Hm? Sorry?" You were too tired to even worry about the harsh look he was giving you.

Shinji sighed. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

He stood abruptly from where he sat, approaching you. He got on one knee before you, looking up to you with concern. "Have you been getting enough sleep? Or is something else bothering you?"

"I'm fine, really." You lazily waved a dismissive hand, lying about your unwell state out of habit. "Can you just repeat the last thing you said?"

"I think we should call it a day," he ignored you. "I'll walk you home."

"Captain." You forced yourself to stand, trying to prove that you were of sound mind. You couldn't have yourself getting in trouble. "I don't think that's necessary. The task at hand is more important."

Shinji slowly rose, looking stern. "It is necessary. We can't do quality work if you can hardly stay awake."

He moved away to gather his belongings. You stayed where you were, guilt and worry waking you a little more and adding to your list of pains. It was too late. You were in trouble.

Speaking less formally now and more as his friend, you asked him, "are you mad at me?" You frowned while you waited for him to look at you, shuffling in place nervously.

"Of course I'm not mad," Shinji laughed at your puppy-dog behavior. "Just what kind of a guy do you think I am?"

"I wasn't even listening to you." You hung your head in shame. "I've failed you today."

"Don't be dramatic," he continued. "Taking care of yourself is the most important thing you can do - not this 'task at hand' nonsense you're spewing." You noticed that he had gathered your belongings as well while you were hesitating, holding them along with his. "Let's get going."

You followed him out of the office, a dreamy swell of adoration in your chest. "Oh, thank you."

*

*

*

You stood outside of your door with Shinji. The sun had set a little while ago, painting the landscape in the early stages of darkness. You could still see the Captain perfectly clear, turning to face him.

"Thank you again," you told him, voice coming out soft and wispy in your exhausted state.

"Let's meet again tomorrow at noon," he said seriously, reluctantly passing you your belongings. "Sleep in if you can."

"I will do my best." You forced a smile.

Neither of you moved. "Do you need anything?" Shinji asked gently. "Some tea or medicine to help you sleep?"

You were so tired, you doubted you needed anything to get to bed. "Tea would be nice actually." You supposed you were just looking for a chance to spend more time with him, even if it meant having to stay awake a little longer.

You'd always adored Shinji, and that adoration was further highlighted in moments like this, where he was putting you before your Soul Reaper work, encouraging you to take care of yourself and assisting you there.

He smiled, though it came out in that smirky way of his, like he as holding back laughter. Then he opened your door and went inside like he owned the place and was inviting you in. You followed, haphazardly discarding your belongings along the way.

You sat in your small kitchen as Shinji flowed about to make your tea, asking you simple questions here and there to navigate your kitchen. You were nodding off again when he placed the steaming mug before you, sitting across from you with his own cup to enjoy.

You sat in a comfortable silence with him, sipping tea. You were about halfway through your beverage when Shinji was at your side, his hand on your arm prepared to pull you up. You realized then you had been sitting there with your eyes closed, poised to pass out at any moment sitting in your kitchen.

"Let's get you to bed," he chuckled quietly, his voice sounding distant when you were halfway to the dream world. You loved that voice, trusted that voice. Right now it was a beacon of light for you to follow to get to sleep.

He pulled you out of your chair and stayed glued to your side, holding you upright, as the two of you went the short distance to your bedroom. As soon as you caught sight of your bed you went forward, unceremoniously collapsing onto the mattress.

"Do you have pjs?" He asked you, gesturing to your many drawers, though your face was buried in your comforter.

At the sound of pjs, you shot up, stumbling like a drunk over to the drawer that held your comfortable night clothing. You made quick work of pulling it open and grabbing the first thing on top, which happened to be a rather scandalous, frilly, girly nightdress. Without thinking, immediately after you slammed your dresser shut you began dropping your uniform, undressing right then and there to hurriedly get into the cozy material.

"What are you - you maniac!" Shinji quickly spun around and crossed his arms over his chest. Even if you didn't care or notice, he wasn't going to take advantage of you while you were in such a vulnerable state and watch you while you got naked. He didn't turn back to look at you again until he heard the sound you thumping back into bed, your Soul Reaper uniform left messily where you had dropped it from your body.

His jaw dropped when he saw you, splayed out on your stomach, wearing that ridiculously short gown that hardly covered anything. He felt like he was being tested by the universe, catching the slightest glimpse of your panties peaking out beneath your pajamas as you lay with one leg hiked up and the other hanging straight down.

He sighed in frustration, looking away from your ass and to your defeated figure as a whole atop your mattress. He came forward, scooping you up to pull you further up the bed so he could pull the comforter over you and hide your curves from his view. You stirred and turned to help him, flipping over to tuck your knees in, making room to push your legs under the heap of blankets.

When he saw your frontside, he was sure then. He was definitely being tested. Not only did the nightdress hardly cover your backside, but your cleavage was on full display too, the dainty, girlish fabric hardly covering each of your breasts. Shinji had never seen so much of your body with the modest way you wore your uniform. Now, one of your tits was threatening to spill out of the tiny strap holding it up, and Shinji was torn between looking away and trying to help tuck you in. All the while you were oblivious to his mental struggles, scooting in and pulling the comforter up to your chest, where your breasts were still exposed. Feeling perverted, Shinji grabbed it and yanked it up the rest of the way to your chin.

"Shinji?" You asked with your eyes closed.

"Yeah?" He gulped, prepared for the worst. You were about to call him out for being a perv, for staring at your ass and your tits while you were just so sleepy and oblivious.

But then, "you're the only one looking out for me," you mumbled tiredly and affectionately.

The Captain was able to breathe again, smiling at your cute, delirious talk. "Get some rest, okay?"

You went on. "I'll miss you."

"Miss me?" He laughed quietly.

You'd have never spoken this way to him when you were of right mind. He knew he should tell you to stop talking and go to bed before you spewed something you regretted, but he was too curious and admiring how sweet and fragile you looked and sounded while you were drifting off to sleep, wearing your revealing, princess-like nightdress. He was enjoying seeing this other side of you a little too much to be in such a hurry to leave. Maybe he really was perverted, perverted for your heart for sure.

"Yeah. Until I see you again tomorrow," you explained. "I hope I see you in my dreams."

If he was just as delirious, he'd tell you that he'd miss you too, that he missed you every time you were apart. "You really are tired," he said instead, laughing uncomfortably.

You opened your eyes slightly to watch him. "Will you stay until I fall asleep?" You asked hopefully.

He frowned, at war with himself. "I don't think that will take very long."

"Will you?"

It wasn't possible for him to tel you no when you looked at him like that. "I will."

"Thank you. I-" you wanted to say something badly, but the words never came.

"Yeah?" Shinji raised his eyebrows expectantly, in impatient anticipation.

You shook your head to yourself, fending off whatever thought that was trying to escape. "Thank you," you repeated again, shutting your eyes for the final time tonight.

Shinji was right that it didn't take long for you to fall asleep. He waited and listened for the steady, rhythmic sound of your breathing before rising, stopping to take one last look at your sleeping form, to sear this into his memory. As softly as he could, he reached out to push some stray hairs out of your face, yearning to do more, but knowing that he couldn't.

"Sleep tight, lovebug. I hope I see you in my dreams too."

When you woke the next morning, feeling rested at last, the first thing you noticed was that your room smelt pleasantly like Shinji, bringing back memories of the previous night. The last you remembered was sitting at the kitchen table, having tea with him. You wondered what transpired afterwards, how you got to bed, and were surprised that you were so exhausted you couldn't even properly remember.

When you saw what you were wearing underneath the comforter, you cringed at yourself, hoping that he hadn't seen your pjs and if he had, embarrassed that you had looked so slutty in front of the Captain. The sight of yourself mixed with the ghost of his scent in the room made you feel like a pervert. You were already starting to prepare an explanation for yourself, thinking of telling him it was laundry day, but then, how could you even bring this up to him? Maybe it'd be best to ignore it altogether, pretend like it hadn't happened, though you knew you wouldn't ever be able to forget.

And then when you got out of bed and saw the tea cups in the sink, you were thinking of him again. Shinji Hirako had already invaded your mind nearly every moment of every day, and now he had invaded your personal space as well, making it increasingly difficult to stop thinking of him inappropriately. It made your heart ache with desire and longing, his fleeting scent, his tea cup next to yours. He was just here, and you already missed him, already wanted to see him again. It was agony, having to smell his presence in your home when he wasn't here.

You looked at the clock, remembering his words about meeting at noon. It was still morning. That didn't stop you from pulling on your uniform and robes, scarfing down a quick and simple breakfast, wanting to see him more than you wanted to rest. You headed for his office earlier than you were supposed to. You knew he'd be there already, and you were way too excited.

Something needed to be done about this.

[daycourtofficial]

Falling in Love on the Fourth Floor - Part 3

Summary: Out of an act of desperation, you move in with a guy you kind of know who happens to have a really hot brother who lives next door.

(Part 1) (Part 2)(Part 4)

Author’s note: I’m a bit uncertain about this part tbh :/ on one hand I love it, on the other I’m not sure

It had been a few days since Azriel went with you to return the truck, and you hadn’t seen much of him or Cassian since. Cassian had told you they were both personal trainers at the same gym, and he even went so far as to put his schedule up on the fridge so you would know when he’d be gone.

Looking at the schedule, he had even left a sticky note telling you he had plans before work and that he wouldn’t be back all day.

Your day alone in the apartment didn’t go as well as you had hoped it would, your phone buzzing around noon, the name Dad lighting up your phone.

You sigh, letting it go to voicemail, and decide to call Feyre to avoid thinking about him. She picks up on the third ring, her voice chirping through the phone, “hello?”

“Hey Fey, do you wanna do something today? I don’t want to wallow all alone.”

She sighs over the phone, “I wish I could, but I’m walking into work right now. I can’t call out when they can see me walking in the doors.”

You sigh, “do you know if Mor’s free?”

You can hear some commotion from Feyre’s surroundings, like she’s walking into a building.

“Mor has that internship she just started, I think she’s busy getting things ready for that.”

A beat pauses before Feyre continues, “I gotta go, but I’ll call you when I get off, okay? We can do something tomorrow if you’re free.”

You smile, “can we go to that axe throwing place we’ve been talking about for ages?”

She laughs, “absolutely. I’ll even print out a photo of your dad and hang it up on the target. Okay, I really gotta go, but if you wanna text me you can. I’ll respond when I can. Love you!”

She waits for you to echo her sentiment before hanging up, leaving you alone again. You spend the day trying to distract yourself, finding anything you can to distance yourself from the loneliness you feel. You unpack a few boxes you hadn’t gotten to, and after being fully moved in, you pour yourself a glass of soda to commemorate the occasion.

You sip from your glass as you begin cleaning the apartment, organizing the pantry, cleaning out the fridge, hell you even strip Cassian’s bed and clean his sheets and comforter.

Once the place is clean, you run out to the store, picking up what you need to make your favorite meal. You unpack your groceries when you come back, pour yourself a glass of wine, and sigh in contentment at spending an evening alone cooking your favorite pasta dish. You are determined to salvage some part of today, even if it’s just with a nice dinner. You’re playing music from your phone, the sounds drowning out the notification of a voicemail from your father that you’ve been ignoring all day.

You sip your wine as you stir the pasta, however the blaring sound of an ad startles you, causing wine to go all over the front of your clothes. You sigh, looking to the ceiling for strength to not break down. You take some deep breaths before peeling off your wine soaked dress, opening the laundry door to throw it into the washing machine. You’re hopeful that getting it in immediately will help prevent a stain from setting in, but you still pour a little extra stain remover in.

Once you get the machine going, standing in your kitchen in your underwear, you decide to make the most of this. The day sucked. All day all you had wanted to do was hide under your covers, hide from the world. You took a deep breath and told yourself “I’m done hiding.”

Your favorite song starts playing, and knowing that Cassian won’t be home for several more hours, you dance. You jump around your apartment, whipping your head around, letting out the loose bun your hair was in for the day.

You skip around, the sounds of Super Trouper by ABBA drowning out the door opening until suddenly something stops your music. Turning around you find Rhys’s hand hovering over your phone, having just stopped the music, and Azriel, whose gaze is on you, soaking in every detail of your little show.

You blink a few times, trying to ensure this is not a nightmare, however you don’t snap back to reality until the timer goes off for the pasta. All three of you whip your heads towards the timer, it’s tone jarring all three of you back to the present.

You groan, starting to back away back to your room. “What are you guys doing here?” You exclaim, “but more importantly - please drain my pasta while I find pants.”

You slip into your room, finding a comfy pair of sweats and a crop top, coming back out to find Azriel draining your pasta into the colander.

“Well?” You ask, cutting up the chicken you had pan-fried earlier. Azriel won’t look you in the eye, a blush evident across his face as he’s turned in the opposite direction, facing away from you.

Rhysand doesn’t have the same affliction.

He smirks at you, “is this how Cassian gets greeted when he comes home? I must say I’d be more chipper coming home to that little show than to Azriel.”

Azriel does not respond to the jab. Instead, he picks up another knife, helping you cut. Rhys just stands behind you two, leaning against the fridge.

“Cassian most certainly does not get greeted by my bare ass when he comes home,” you respond indignantly. The two of you have finished chopping, so you motion for all the chicken and the pasta to go into the pan with the pesto sauce concoction you’ve made. Azriel helps you stir it, and once it’s evenly distributed, you two pop it into the oven.

“Well your ass wasn’t bare, it was slightly covered by your very cute-“

The task at hand done and a new timer set, you turn to face Rhys, cutting him off. “I spilled wine on my clothes and I didn’t want it to set and then I got carried away when Abba came on.”

He only smiles back, “got a hot date for dinner tonight?”

Azriel tenses ever so slightly, but you don’t think too much of it as you respond, “yeah word on the street is she has an incredible rack and a great ass.”

“Having seen them first hand I think the rumors are true.”

You roll your eyes, but decide you’re done with this game and want some sincerity.

“I had a shitty day and I just wanted my favorite meal.” You look down, crossing your arms. You don’t like being vulnerable, especially around people you just met. You think about Cassian, and how much he loves the two guys in front of you. Maybe you can take a leap, and perhaps they’ll catch you.

“I’d actually enjoy the company if you guys want to stay. I made plenty of pasta to wallow in so I think there’s enough to go around.”

Your eyes stay on the ground as you move your hands up and down your arms, a nervous movement. You watch as Azriel’s foot comes into view, standing in front of you as he gently taps his foot against yours, a silent request to look at him. “I love pasta,” he tells you, looking into your eyes. You’re struck by the absence of pity in them, and how they are full of sincerity, of kindness.

You look away from him when Rhys starts talking, “It’s decided. You got a two for one deal tonight - two hot dates for the evening.”

You smile, the thought of being alone almost overbearing, when you remember, “why did you guys come over here anyway?”

Azriel sheepishly looks away, clearly thinking about how they caught you half naked when they walked in the door. Rhys tells you, “we wanted to watch Forest Gump and we knew Cassian had it on Blu-ray.”

You nod, looking over at Cassian’s wall of dvds and blu-rays, which you had to admit was quite impressive. “I’ve never seen it - is it any good?”

When Cassian got off work from the gym, he thought he’d come home to a dark apartment, scrounging the fridge for any remnants of food. What he didn’t expect to find was his two brothers watching Forrest Gump, and seeing a tupperware container in the fridge with a sticky note with his name on it in Azriel’s neat script.

He walks in, Azriel shooting daggers at him. The audacity, Cassian thinks, watching a movie in my place and being annoyed that I’m here. That is until he comes close enough to notice your head in Azriel’s lap, a hand curled up on his thigh. His eyes linger on his brother’s hand that is slowly massaging your scalp, the hands he had always been so nervous and protective over. Cassian realizes he’s never seen his brother leave his hands to be so openly observed outside of his brothers.

He stares for a minute as your blanketed back slowly rises and falls, clearly asleep, before he turns, giving his brother a shit eating grin where they have a conversation without words. The conversation essentially boils down to Cassian’s eyebrows raising up and down, and Azriel’s continued scowl at Cassian’s inability to move through a room without making as much noise as possible.

Azriel doesn’t relax until Cassian is sitting on the other couch next to Rhys, tuning into the movie when Forrest is walking around Washington D.C.

“She didn’t even make it halfway through the movie,” Cassian whispers to Rhys.

“No,” Rhys replies, looking at you curled up on the couch, a soft smile on his face, “but she did ask us to stay for dinner.”

[plasticfreckles]

🪶 "how much do they know?" rookanis🪶

[prompt explanation under cut <3]

Lucanis laughs, quietly, and puts away quill and notebook when Rook approaches the bed, both arms spread up as far as they can go an a dramatic, clearly enunciated yawn from her mouth.

"Gods, I can't wait to get in these sheets."

Even so, she stops just short of the mattress, to lift her arms up behind her and lean forward.

Lucanis knows the sweet relief in the shoulders from that stretch, knows the guttural groan from deep within her that is sure to come bubbling up just before her nose touches her knee.

"I'll do my best to leave quietly, then."

Her head lifts. Lucanis can barely see her eyebrows over the mattress and her poofy blanket. He can, however, hear the little, pleased exhale; this posture stretches her chest, as well, evidently.

Taash had once held her up with their arms under her armpits and their hands behind her head, just letting her dangle mid-air for a while, her feet just below his navel.

"Wait, why?"

Lucanis picks up his notebook again, waving it.

"I have a lot of people to meet, tomorrow - Caterina's decided she can't be bothered with them. I'll need to step up. If I want to break fast in peace before that, I'll have to get up with the chickens."

"Ew." Her arms land flat on the bedtop, her head pushing back down toward the floor.

"But I have things to do tomorrow, too. I wouldn't mind getting up together."

"What do you have to do that requires you to wake before noon?"

He doesn't mean for it to sound judgemental, and Rook knows it. She still pinches the inside of his forearm.

"Before you ask, something you couldn't do for me, even if you had the time." A pause then, as she settles on her side and flips her hair over the pillow. A strand gets caught in a stray splinter of the wooden headrest.

Lucanis adds a quick note to his book, to have the carpenter sand it down, fix up the varnish.

"I hope you didn't write down, fix Rook's every problem. I can take care of myself, you know. Mostly."

"I wasn't."

He can tell she doesn't believe him, just from the way her muscles tense, her feet dig into the bed beneath, as she turns around with two fingers in her mouth to squish out the candle to her bedside.

"I'm just meeting with Gigi for breakfast again. No big deal."

"Gigi?"

"Oh, you know."

She crawls across the bed, across him, to snuff out his candles and wrestle him into her arms.

She knows he'll stay up all night if she doesn't. But she never holds so tight he couldn't escape.

"I.. I don't think I know a Gigi." The closest his mind supplies him is that quack Giovannino, who told his mother to walk off her broken ankle no month before she was murdered.

Rook's hand finds his shoulder, inside his sleeve, rubbing his biceps as well she can in the confined space between his skin and the fabric of his shirt.

"That talker Tia sent me to. Soulseeker, she called them."

Her hand shifts, resting over his breast, as he starts to turn toward her.

Over his other shoulder, the soft yellow gleam of her eyes is just a touch darker than a cat's eye finding even the smallest spark. Narrowed, just a little. Contemplating. Waiting.

"You're not taking a healer's concerns to a market monger only barely not selling ivy smoke, are you?"

"I feel like if I did that, you would already know." Rook pushes closer against his back, and the arm trapped under his neck curls to brush fingers through his hair. "But no. We were just chatting, and she said I could always try to talk to a soulseeker. I promised I'd give it a try, at least."

"Well," Lucanis says. He settles back down, reaches for her plush thigh and pulls it across his hip, hand under her knee. "If you're going again, whatever they do must be working." A pause. "What do you tell them?"

"Oh, nothing. Everything. We sit down with food and drink and I just talk at them until we're both finished. Airing it all out, you know."

He does.

"How much do they know, exactly?"

He almost doesn't want to know the extent, but even so, he's glad Rook does not need him to specify.

From how her belly tenses behind his back, however, he suspects there's a tease incoming.

"Oh, you know. The usual. I don't actually know how much they retain - they're usually finishing up their second bottle of port by the time we part."

"Tell me."

A shrug, both behind him and from within him.

"How we met. How long we've been together. How I feel about you. About us. About how Viago feels about me changing houses, as if I've been privy to his thoughts even once in my life."

A kiss to the back of his skull, then a shudder. From how the mattress shifts and the blanket moves away from him a little, Spite must be settling down behind her, holding her like she holds Lucanis.

An amused huff of air runs through his hair, hits his scalp, both warm and cold, somehow.

Oh-oh.

"How many grey hairs you've got on your left testicle."

Lucanis inhales his own saliva, and as he shoots up, blindly reaching for his waterbottle on the ground, Rook rolls away from behind him, laughing so hard she can barely shape her mouth to make words.

In his periphery, Spite pulls down his pants and tries to count them himself. Then he realizes he's never learned to count. Pouting and grumbling, he moves back behind Rook's ear, trying to goad her into telling him.

What is after Four? Why do WE not know? Tell me, sweet homemaker. TELL ME NOW.

But Rook is too preoccupied with wiping tears of laughter from her eyes, massaging the ache from her cheeks.

By the time they've both caught their breaths, and he settles back down in her arms, and she in Spite's, he decides to stay in bed with her in the morning.

He's already looking forward to her deep, guttural groan upon waking.

🪶

so the prompt was to take the lyric from Fall Out Boy's "The Last of The Real Ones": I wonder if your therapist knows everything about me.

And write a prompt based on that ig?? I took it way too literal and then it got out of hand, like most everything I touch lmao.

@chubritza tagged me.

Write something if you want to, if not, that's cool also.

[~rina]

[darkfalcone]

That's the Spirit! - 1

Pairings: Lottie Matthews/Reader

Warnings: Mari's being a little mean, None this chapter.

Summary: You make it onto the JV team, but unfortunately, you get picked to be the varsity’s new fucktoy.

You had just made JV, and you were excited, especially when Lottie, who was on varsity, asked if you wanted to come to a party she was throwing. Without thinking, you immediately said yes. She gave you the address and told you to be there on Saturday at noon. At first you didn’t question anything, way too excited for your own girl.

Lottie had asked you on Thursday morning, so after your classes during practice, you could see her and a few of the others staring at you. Mari smirked at you while Akilah laughed; they were both listening to whatever Gen was going on about.

You tried to ignore them as you did drills with the rest of the team, wishing that Saturday would get there faster. You wondered if any of your teammates were going to the party, but you had no time to really ask them. When practice was over, you rushed to the locker room to change and leave, telling yourself that you needed to get over the fear you had about being naked in front of your teammates.

“Hey, wait up!” You heard from behind you, turning around to see that Mari was calling you to come back. You turned to look at her, not noticing that Lottie and her group of friends were now looking at you as well. “Wait, never mind. I forgot what I was going to say… but good work today.”

You smiled, feeling your face heat up with her praise. You turned back around, rushing out of the locker room, thankful that you were able to go home and sleep. You were still excited for the party, but a part of you wanted to cancel. You were never one for parties, but at the same time, one of your classmates that you had a crush on asked you specifically to go to a party.

You began to walk home, wanting to clear your mind since you wouldn’t be picked up for another hour. A car pulled up to you, and when you stopped to look at who it was, you were surprised to see both Lottie and Nat.

“Hey, do you want a ride?” Nat asked after she rolled her window down.

“If that’s okay?” You called out.

“Wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t okay! Now get in!” Nat smiled.

You rushed towards Lottie’s car, getting in the back seat. You told them your address, and the car was nice and quiet. When Lottie pulled into your driveway, you went to get out, but they both stopped you.

“When you come to my house Saturday, who’s giving you a ride?” Lottie asked, turning so she could look at you completely.

“Oh, I didn’t think about that.” You admit. “I’ll probably just get a ride from my mo—.”

Lottie shook her head, cutting you off, “Absolutely not. I’ll be picking you up on Saturday at eleven-fifty.”

You nodded, “That sounds good! I’ll see you tomorrow at school and then Saturday!”

With that, you got out of her car and shut the door. You rushed up to the door and unlocked it. When you went in, you waved at Lottie and Nat as they pulled out of your driveway. You were even more excited now that your crush was finally noticing you after four whole years? You couldn’t wait.

Friday went faster than you had expected, but you weren’t complaining. All you could think about was the party, but when you sat with Mari and Gen at lunch, you felt them stare at you.

“Is… everything okay?” You asked, taking a sip of your drink.

“Oh no, yeah,” Gen said, causing Mari to roll her eyes.

“There’s been a rumor going around that you’re going to Lottie’s party tomorrow?” Mari asked.

You gave her a confused look. “Is something wrong with that? I don’t understand what you’re trying to get at. Are you going?”

Mari huffed, looking at Gen. “We weren’t invited. None of the JV team was, except for you.”

You weren’t sure as to why she was giving you such an attitude. Mari had been your friend for years, and although she occasionally gave you an attitude, it was never like this. You were hurt, but more than anything, you were confused.

“What’s with the attitude, Mar?” You asked.

“I don't know what they see in you,” Mari snapped. “That’s all.”

With that, you grabbed your things and went to sit by yourself at a table. You wanted to cry, but you held it together, and after a few minutes, Lottie came to sit with you.

“You okay?” Lottie asked with a frown.

“Yeah, just Mari’s being mean to me because you invited me to your party, but it’s okay. I just hope we can move past this; she’s one of my best friends.” You admitted it as Lottie rubbed your back to comfort you.

“You deserve a lot better than Mari,” Lottie hummed. “You are beautiful and a great soccer player. A whole lot better than Mari could ever be, and she’s just jealous that you were invited to my party and she wasn’t. She acted like this when Melissa was invited; it’s nothing you did. She’s just jealous.”

You nodded, wiping your tears away. You hated crying in front of everyone, but Mari’s comment hurt you.

“You’re going to have such a good time tomorrow with me and the team; you’re going to forget all about Mari.” Lottie smiled, caressing your cheek.

After lunch, your classes went by fast, and so did practice. You tried to listen to Lottie’s words, but you couldn’t get it out of your head. When you got home, you laid out clothes for you to wear for Lottie’s party, and you were even more excited. You were planning on staying the whole time, seeing as you barely go out and do anything that’s fun.

The next day, you got up and took a long shower, wanting to kill as much time as you could. When you dried off and got dressed, you patiently waited for Lottie to pick you up.

At eleven-fifty, Lottie pulled into your driveway, and you rushed to grab your bag and keys. You locked your door before rushing to her car.

“Hey,” you smiled.

“Hey,” Lottie said, eyes raking over your body. You suddenly felt self-conscious, having her eyes glued to you for a few moments before she spoke up again. “You look really good; this color looks really good on you.”

You felt your face heat up at her compliment, wishing she would give you more. The drive to her house was quiet, but it was comforting. Lottie turned on the radio, and you couldn’t help but look out your window.

That was until Lottie pulled into her long driveway - the first thing you noticed was there were only a few cars there.

Lottie put the car in park and turned it off before turning to look at you. “Are you ready to go in?”

You nodded, going to grab your bag, but Lottie stopped you. “You don’t need your bag or any of your stuff. This is a no-phones party. So keep yours in here.”

You gave her a weird look but decided not to argue with her. You left your phone and your bag in her car before opening your car door. When you were out and shut the door, Lottie got out and locked the car as she led you into her house. You were confused with how quiet the whole house was. Lottie led you to her living room, where you found one of the varsity team members sitting on the couches that were there. They were now staring at you as you stood in place awkwardly. You flinched as Lottie came up behind you and wrapped her arms around you. She hummed, kissing your clothed shoulder.

“I thought you said were having a party…”

[shygirl4991]

Chapter 4 Do you care?

All art belongs to @b-r-i-n-g-x do not repost! Fic prompt from @itsajanea Tags: Angst, Romance, Action Adventure, jealously, love confessions, SMG4 discovers he is bi, fluff, abuse, PTSD Last Chapter Next Chapter

Three lies in his bed frowning, his mind was driving him insane, it’s been several weeks already with Aster.Surely the magic of a new relationship has vanished, due to these thoughts Three found himself getting nervous when he saw his partner. Over time Three has been letting down his walls showing his softer side, while Aster seemed to be unchanged. It was driving him insane, some moments he wondered if that's just how they are. Then a memory comes to him from a few days back, the soft blush they had during their breakfast together was something that Three never stopped thinking about. Not to mention Aster said they had work to do, only to end up dressing up like a maid to  help his cafe. Aster never brought up that they did this also, he wondered if they knew pictures of them in a maid outfit were taken.

He sighs annoyed by the mixed feelings until Eggdog jumps on the bed, he turns and smiles softly as the pup cuddles up to him “I know…i should trust them but something tells me there is more to them, I can't put my finger on it.” a ding is heard from his phone, holding Eggdog close he reaches for the phone seeing the name duck girl on the screen. Curious, he unlocks his phone to see what Tari wanted from him. He smiles seeing how the crew wanted to invite him and Aster to a gaming competition at the castle, he goes to his contacts and finds Aster’s name. He pauses looking at the number feeling nervous, shaking off his nerves he presses the number and calls Aster. After a few rings he hears the line pick up “Hello Darling, didn't expect a late night call. Did you miss me that badly?” SMG3 couldn't stop himself from letting out a bright smile, just hearing their voice was enough to put Three in a good mood. Then his mood dropped when he started to think about their relationship, how often did Aster even call him by his name. He was always darling which wasn't something Three minded, yet the thought of hearing Aster call him by his name made his heart race. He smacks himself, annoyed by the school girl's thoughts “Yeah my bad i wasn't paying attention to the time, i just called cause Tari invited us to the castle to hang out. Wanted to know if you're up for hanging with those losers?” Aster lets out a chuckle “Sure,you know I don't mind hanging out with the crew. Though I do find it interesting how you always tell me they're not your friends, yet we just made plans to hang out with them in the morning.” 

SMG3 blushes at the comment as he glares at the phone “OI! I don't care about them, I only hang around them because it's better than having those guys be annoying near my cafe!” Aster lets out a hum hearing their boyfriend complain, the line goes silent for a moment. Three frowns unsure what to say, Aster sighs before speaking up hoping to end the silence  “I will be there at noon, I should let you go, it's late and now we have plans.”  SMG3 frowns at Aster’s words while on the other line Aster stares at their phone conflicted, they look around making sure Ztar wasn't around before speaking “Sweet dreams, cant wait to see you tomorrow.” Three smiles as they hung up, staring at his phone he decided that he was overthinking, he texted Tari and tossed his phone to get ready for bed.

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

Aster stares at their phone for a moment before looking around the house, seeing Ztar isn't around they out a loud groan “UGH! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!?”  Their heart was racing over what they told Three, the emotion was so sudden it startled them. They sit on their bed and stare at the photo the pair took together, they blush thinking about the phone call “He…is the villain we must kill, Ztar is already annoyed it's taken this long to get rid of him. I need to act faster and ignore whatever is happening, more than likely heartburn from that toad.” This hang out could be the perfect time to score the words needed to start the trap, the more they thought about it the more certain they became about the next plan. Aster glares at the photo before moving the photo out of sight, they make a note to attempt a love confession this month. They couldn't keep playing the slow game, something needs to happen to change their relationship. They lay down thinking over what they could do before sleep takes over, Ztar arrives home hearing snores. He floats over to see Aster sleeping. “You're getting soft, I'm going to have to remind you what happens when you get soft.” Suddenly an electrical energy zaps Aster causing them to jump up awake screaming in pain, Ztar stares as he zaps Aster again “Child, while I’m annoyed by not having our target in our hands. I’m more annoyed by what you have shown me about yourself!”

Aster hugs themself as their body felt as if it was on fire from the shock, they breath heavily as Ztar gets close and gives them a magical pat on their head. The dark star let out a sigh “You know how much it hurts me to do this to you, you're my best creation and seeing you screaming in pain hurts me more than you think.” Aster nods as the pain subsides, they get up showing Ztar a serious expression “Don't worry, I'm not being soft with the crew I know they can't be trusted. I will make my big move there and play my role.” They open a drawer and show a piece of paper with different confessions on it, Ztar looks at it and chuckles “You're going to tell him you love him to inspire his own confession, perhaps I had nothing to worry about.” 

Ztar uses his power to give Aster a gentle back pat, Aster smiles at the affection their father was showing them “Child i know i can be rough on you, but remember the pain i give you is nothing to what will  happen if i lost you. You're too important to lose.” Aster nods shoving their past thoughts aside, they can't let weird emotions get to them after all parents know what's best. They knew about what SMG3 did and they shouldnt let themself forget it, Ztar looks over them. Aster gives a stern nod before Ztar floats to the door “Aster, those people don't care about you so it's best you watch out for their lies. Plus those people will never accept you for what you are, a shooting star like you can't be trusted in their eyes.” Aster frowns from their fathers words looking down for a moment. “I understand, I promise father I don't care about those people.”

Ztar opens the door then floats out leaving Aster alone thinking over his words, they throw themself on the bed as they get lost in their thoughts.                             -------------------------

Four tosses and turns in his bed, since learning about his crush on Three things felt like a nightmare. How his stomach twists whenever he sees Three and Aster together, how the pair didn't care who was looking as they kissed. Not wanting to get angry from the memory he takes out his phone and goes to youtube, there he looks up his favorite girlfriend asmr video. Hitting play, he lays his phone on his bedside table as he closes his eyes. “Had a rough day baby? Come over and we can cuddle your stress away~” the woman's voice was calm filled with affection. Yet it wasn't helping him, annoyed he grabs the phone and looks over the list of girlfriend asmr videos. Each one that he played made him more annoyed, as he scrolls looking for the perfect one he pauses seeing the title on one of the videos. He taps on the video ‘Tsundere Girlfriend wants cuddles asmr’ he then gets comfy in bed listening to the video, “I just…I want cuddles there happy baka!” as the video goes on the attitude brought comfort yet wasn't enough for him.  His eyes go wide seeing his recommended videos, there in the list was SMG3 youtube channel.

He taps the account name and sees all the twitch stream highlights, he smiles softly seeing the man smirking in the thumbnails. He hits the playlist tab and sees a playlist of SMG3 asmr, he blushes staring at the playlist. He wasn't that down bad for the man that he would listen to the playlist, he chuckles thinking the idea was ridiculous as he taps on the playlist without thinking. Realizing what he has done he panics and attempts to exit out only to hit play on the video “Hello chat, this is SMG3 I will be doing a little asmr tonight to help you all go to sleep.” Four’s face goes red from the whisper, he never noticed just how deep and soothing Three’s voice was. He stares at his phone as if he was in a trance, he had spent so many years with this how could he have been so blind. Feeling sleepy, he hugs his phone with a soft smile listening to Three’s voice, as he dreams of finally being able to date SMG3 a loud scream jolts him awake. He sits up in a panic, he looks to his phone for the time only to see it died. Slowly he gets up from his bed and leaves his room, that's when he notices the game room doors being open. His eyes go wide seeing the one behind the screaming “OH FUCK OFF I SO WON THAT! Three shouted as he glared at a smug Tari. Four panics as he runs to the bathroom and fixes himself, once he looks presentable he steps out of the bathroom and peeks in the room. He smiles brightly “Hey everyone! Didn't know we were having a gaming day.” He watches as Three hands over the controller to Luigi, his grumpy expression making Four giggles and smile at him “Sore loser much?” Three rolls his eyes “Shut it scrub!”

His good mood then sours when Aster walks in the room with a bag of snacks “Listen just because I'm soft for my boyfriend doesn't mean you can keep sending me out to get snacks.” Aster smiles brightly making Three blush, any trace of the man being upset over losing is now gone as he walks over to his partner. Three grabs the bag digging around for his treat, Aster’s eyes then lock on to Four “Ah sleeping beauty has awakened i see.” Four felt his jealousy wanting to come out, swallowing the emotion down he gave Aster an eye roll “Yeah well Three is a pretty good alarm clock.” Three finally gets his treat and tosses the bag to the crew, hearing Four’s comment Aster turns to Three “Lost the battle Darling?” Three scoffs looking away from everyone “That's only because she cheated!” Aster gently grabs Three turning him to face them, Three stares wide eyed at Aster as they lean down to kiss him. Three closes his eyes ready to kiss his partner, the sight was making Four feel sick. Not wanting to see the pair kiss, Four pulls the gaming controller out of Tari’s hand. He charges up to the couple, the distance causing the cord of the controller to unplug from the console as Four points at Aster “ASTER I CHALLENGE YOU TO A MATCH!” The couple turn, staring at Four, Aster smirks seeing the anger in Four’s eyes “Oh? Now why would I do that hm?” Three steps back staring at Aster confused seeing the mischievous expression they had, Four chuckles as he fixes his hat “We can make things interesting, If I win you stop all that gross pda you do with Three. Not all of us want to see you making out!” Aster crosses their arms amused “Alright, then if i win you have to do one thing i ask of you. No matter what, we got a deal cupcake?” 

Three frowns as he watches the two shake hands sealing the deal, Aster gives Three a quick kiss on the cheek before sitting down on the couch. Four plugs in his controller before pushing Luigi aside to sit next to Aster, they exchange a look before going to the character select screen. Aster picks their character and lays back on the couch “Ready?” SMG4 takes a deep breath as he selects his character “I hope you're ready to lose pretty boy!” Aster chuckles as they lean forward, Four focuses in as he attempts to counter Aster’s moves. Tari gasps, jumping up from the intense match “I never seen someone able to pull off that combo!” Aster smirks hearing her comment about their play style as Four starts to sweat seeing his health dropping low. “Looks like round one will be mine~” they smirk as they land the final hit. Three bites his lip seeing the bright colored victory icon on the screen, as the second round starts he couldn't help himself as he whispers “Please lose Aster…please.”

Aster chuckles seeing SMG4 struggle with avoiding their attacks, Aster smirks seeing his health bar drop low “Hope you're not a sore loser cupcake, cause I’m about to win this bet.” Four rolls his eyes at the comment as he manages to block Aster’s attack “Not giving up to some pretty boy that wears so much eye shadow he looks like a raccoon!” Tari giggles at the comment as he pictures a racoon version of Aster “Aw I think Aster would be a cute racoon.” Annoyed by the comment they glare at Four, Luigi smiles along with Tari on the idea of Aster being a racoon.  Aster grip on their control tightens “Would you guys kindly not make comments about my taste while im playing?” Tari and Luigi apologize as the pair keep playing, Four’s health has dropped to a low percent causing both Four and Three to panic. In one quick move Aster does the final blow, they drop the controller smirking at Four “I win, be ready to do your end of the deal.” Four frowns as he stares at the winner screen, he didn't think they would be so good at fighting games. It was almost as if Three’s partner was perfect at everything, while Four was pouty over the loss Three clenched his fist he felt sick at the fact Aster won. “I can't believe you Aster…” hearing their name they turn confused at Three. Even the others in the room were surprised by the hostile tone in Three’s voice “You told me you wanted me, yet you make this sick bet with Four. Well go on do your stupid request, i know what you want to ask him.”  Aster looks at Four then at Three, they weren't prepared for a situation like this as they think over what to say. “Darling, I have no idea where you're going with this.” 

SMG3 lets out a sarcastic laugh causing Aster to walk up to him “You're being strange, are you okay?” as Aster reaches out only to have their hand slapped away.  Aster looks at Three surprised, the shorter man glares at them “I know you made that stupid bet to get a date with SMG4.” Now it was Four’s turn to get up from the couch and stare at Three in shock, there was no way Three honestly thought Aster had feelings for him.  Aster shakes their head “Darling what would give you that idea? We were just having friendly competition, isn't that why you invited me to join everyone so we could have fun?” They were starting to feel strange, they didn't understand why their chest was feeling tight. The thought that Three would think they were interested in someone else was ridiculous, they needed to show the only one they wanted was him.

Four gets up in a panic “Whoa no! SMG3 why on earth would I want your partner?!” Four couldn't let this misunderstanding happen, sure he is all kinds of jealous over what Aster and him have. But to get in the middle of that without a good reason was cruel, he hated to see Three hurt after everything they have been through. He cared too much about his ex rival, Three glares at Four “You have taken plenty, every relationship I have had you manage to get in the middle.” Four’s eyes go wide at the comment before Aster reaches out one more time to Three, seeing Aster reach out the man swats their hand again walking out of the room “GO ON ASTER MAKE THAT REQUEST! WHO DOESN'T WANT THE FANCY YOUTUBER OVER SOME CAFE LOSER!” Four takes a step back feeling his heart break hearing the man's words, Aster follows after Three “Darling I don't want Four, where is this coming from it was just a silly bet nothing serious.” Three growls as he turns around “IT'S OVER ASTER!” They pause as Three’s words echoed in their head, their legs suddenly felt heavy. He snaps his fingers opening a portal next thing the crew knew Three was gone. Aster stood still in shock, their mission is at risk if SMG3 doesn't want to date them. They had to chase after Three, except they couldn't make any attempt to move,they just stood there frozen.  Mario pats Four’s back before whispering with a smirk “Hey good-a job now you can get your gay lover.” Four frowns hearing Mario’s words, this was not how he wanted things to go. It didn't feel right to go after Three with the thought of making a move when his crush must be in pain, he sighs throwing himself on the couch making Mario worry.

Tari runs up to Aster “Are you okay?” taking a deep breath they force their heavy body to move giving Tari a small smile “I will be fine blue jay, I just…need to think on things.” They walk out of the castle with Tari slowly following them. “Three has a rough past…please don't hold it against him.”  Aster nods as they leave the castle, they walk down the forest path lost in thought. Tari watches in concern before returning to the gaming room “Guys what are we going to do? We have to help our friends!” Four bites his lips, his feelings were mixed on the whole situation. Getting up he turns to his friends “We need some kind of event, something that can bring those two to have some kind of talk.” The group goes silent thinking on what to do, then a loud slam of the front door catches their attention. They go to the main lobby to see an excited Meggy “GUYS! Guess who is going to be the host for the new and improved splatfest!” her smile drops seeing Four and Tari frowning. “Hey everything okay?” she hugs Tari then Four as she waits for them to explain everything, Four gives her a small smile “Three and Aster got into their first fight, Three told Aster it's over but…knowing Three if it was really over Aster wouldn't have walked out of here in one piece.” Meggy nods then hands a ticket to splatfest “Then how about we get these two talking,” Four takes the ticket remembering all their bonding during the first runs of splatfest. How professor E gadd helped make a gadget for everyone to now be able to join the event, thanks to Meggy being turned into a human. He takes the ticket and nods “I will go to Three and try to talk to him, you guys find Aster.” As Four was about to leave Mario grabs him “Are you sure? If we fix this fight…you-a lose your chance.” 

SMG4 looks behind Mario making sure the others can't hear “I know…but I love SMG3 too much to see him suffer, I can't do that to him again.” Four leaves the castle and snaps his fingers, nervously he tosses a rock making sure the portal is stable. Seeing that the portal wasn't going to blow up, he runs in hoping to all the memes he wont end up blowing up or ending up in the wrong place. Four looks around the woods hearing the clicking of the local memes was enough to confirm he made it, walking he looks around in surprise from all the new buildings. “Wow..Three really is an amazing ruler,” he stops walking when his eyes meet with the iconic starbucks building. He walks in and smiles softly, it's been so long since he last saw this place. He frowns as he hears crying, Four gently knocks on the door “GO AWAY I'M ON A BREAK!” Three shouted attempting to sound angry. Four pushes the door open only to get a pillow to the face “AH! Dude it's me Four!”

Three blinks as he wipes his tears “Four? The hell are you doing here, didn't you do enough back at the castle?” Four sits on the bed ignoring the glare the other man is giving him. “Offering a bet with Aster was dumb of me, I guess I hated…” Four closes his eyes thinking on what to say, the last thing he wanted was to let his feelings for the man be known. He turns to Three “I’m sorry, I was upset that you got to find someone that understood you. While me…I try so hard to get a relationship but heh no one gets my passion for memes. Maybe it's the curse of being a guardian.” Three stares at Four silently, he hugs his pillow shaking his head. Four watches as Three's eyes move from him to the floor. “This is my fault.” feeling his eyes water, he looks away. “Aster acted so perfect, or maybe it was all in my head. Every relationship has been a pain in the ass yet here comes some random guy from the dark web, they just changed a lot of things for me.” Three throws himself on the bed getting Four to stand up to give him space “I fucked things up cause i couldnt trust them, Aster side of the bet just screamed i was an idiot for trusting them.” Four nods as he listens to the man, he peeks out the door asking a few Eggdogs to grab coffee. After a few moments the coffee arrived, he thanked them with a quick pat before offering the cup to Three. Three sits up taking the cup and sipping as Four begins to speak “I don't know Aster as much as you all do, but I do see how they look at you these days. I’m pretty sure the rizzler has charmed this dark web guy pretty bad, no way could Aster look at anyone else.” He hated having this talk with Three, just thinking of the soft looks Aster gives Three when they think no one is looking always made him feel sick. Four stares at his coffee thinking back on that look, he wondered if that's how he also looks at Three.

Four looks at Three seeing how the man was avoiding eye contact, how he stares at the floor hoping it will give him the answer he needed. Four was about to reach out to the man before Three let out a shaky breath, his voice cracking “Aster will never forgive me,” clearing his throat SMG3 finishes his coffee “Even if you're right about them…I told them it's over.” Four gets up putting his coffee on a nearby table, he then digs into his hat pulling out a ticket “We both screwed up, so how about we fix it?” Three stares at the ticket confused, Four rolls his eyes and takes Three’s hand placing the ticket on it. Three places his coffee down as he begins to read it “splatfest hosted by Meggy?! The squid is bringing that back, wait how the hell is this going to fix anything?” Four smirks at Three giving him a wink “We are going to get you and Aster a moment alone, we fight all the time and make up after talking. I’m sure Aster will hear you out, just be honest with them.” Three lets out a soft chuckle getting up “I doubt this will work, but I don't have anything going on that day,” Four nods as he walks to the door “This lets hope the others found Aster.”

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

Tari looks around frowning “How will we find Aster? We  don't even know where they hang out, oh why did none of us ask for their number.”  Mario smirks as he walks in front of Tari “Aster has the looks of a god, to find someone like that you must find the simps!” He takes out binoculars looking through the crowd, that's when he notices a small group of people giggling. He sprints to the group of people leaving Tari to run after him “Mario wait!” Mario slides up to the group getting strange looks, he takes out a photo. The group looks at it before one of the women takes it with a huge smile “omigosh! That's the hot guy we saw at the cafe, you know he is out of this world hot when he makes your boyfriend question himself!” The girl giggles along with the others over the photo, Mario takes out a spray bottle and starts spraying the group of girls. Tari catches up and watches the whole thing in shock, she grabs his hand stopping him “Uh sorry about that guys thank you for the help!” Tari pulls Mario away “We can't spray people, how are we going to find Aster that way?” she frowns as Mario rolls his eyes “Fine fine!” He walks up to the girls again, seeing him the girls huddle together glaring at him. Mario lifts up his hands, he turns to see Tari giving him a thumbs up. He smiles at her before turning to the group of girls “Listen here, if you don't want to get the spray again you will tell me where that person is.”  Mario points to the bottle making one of the girls hiss at him “We found him at cafe meow.” Mario takes the photo back as he walks over to Tari giving her a thumbs up, she cheers as she follows after him. 

Aster sighs as they lay on the floor, a small black cat walks up to them slowly staring at them.Aster smiles as they reach out to the cat “Hey little buddy, want to join me in thinking how to fix my fathers plan?” They couldn't wrap around how they manage to screw up the mission so bad, they thought they were being the perfect partner. The cat meows as it cuddles up to them making Aster melt and smile, only for the moment to be ruined when Mario kicks the door open “ASTER COME GET YOUR MAN!” They sit up as the cat runs away in fear, Tari lets out an awkward giggle “Hey Aster..we were looking for you for Meggy.” They look at the pair suspiciously, they stand up focusing on their heart. There they heard Mario’s wish for pasta making Aster shake their head, then they turn to Tari. Their expression softens when  they hear Tari’s wish for her friends to make up, relaxing more knowing there was no danger they smile at the pair “Meggy? Did something happen?” Tari smiles, handing them a ticket “She is hosting the new splatfest, it's an inkling event, it's a lot of fun. Oh but it can also be really scary…I used to be in a team with her back in the day.” Aster takes the ticket and stares at it curiously, they hum trying to picture Tari firing ink at anyone making them giggle “How did you guys even manage that? Don't inklings swim in ink?” Tari smiles while taking out her cell phone showing them pictures of her time in the competition, Tari starts telling them about their adventure with Axol and how they saved anime. As she tells them the story Aster’s eyes sparkle as they smile brightly, Tari frowns as she fondly looks at the group picture they took together “We lost a lot of people…Axol and Desti aren't with us anymore. But they won't ever be forgotten.” Aster frowns as they look at the photo then at the ticket, the crew have gone through so much together. It was different from what their father told them, they think over the story before looking at Tari and Mario seeing them frowning. Aster then smiles wrapping their arms around them both “Hey, I can't really relate to what it's like to lose someone but im sure they both are happy you carry on their memory!” Tari looks at Aster and smiles “Yeah!” Mario steps away from Aster feeling awkward being too close to them “Mario takes it you will join us?” Aster nods “Sure, maybe at the same time I can figure out what to do with Three..” Tari and Mario exchange a surprise look before Mario smirks at Aster, Tari gently pats their back “Don't worry together i'm sure we can figure things out!”

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

The next day the crew met up in the inkopolis plaza, Aster looks around in amazement while Meggy giggles at them “It's funny seeing the calm and collected Aster looking like a child in an amusement park.”’ Aster blushes then pouts trying to regain their mask “Ahem, I was just surprised by all the colors.” What was wrong with them, they needed to stay focused on the task. They only showed up because they had to fix things with Three, not to be on some field trip. Aster shutters at the thought of what their father would do if he learned that they weren't with SMG3, they needed to get this mission done and get payback. As more of the crew showed up Aster was beginning to get nervous, the meme guardians weren't around. They bite their lip wondering why they were showing up late, then a thought came to their mind. The pair had a history together, could they have gotten together after their fight with Three? Aster places their hand on their chest feeling it get tight at the thought, it was strange for them. Why would something like that bother them, they think it over and sigh coming to the conclusion they were nervous about disappointing their father. That's when in the corner of their eye they notice the pair showing up together, something in them snapping at the sight.

As the pair arrived Three felt himself getting nervous, Four smacked Three’s back earning him a glare “Don't be nervous I'm sure Aster will be all for hearing you out!” With a nod the pair join the group, Meggy claps excitedly and starts to lead the group to her new office. As the group walk Three awkwardly moves himself next to Aster “uh hey..” Three looks up hoping that Aster would talk to him, Aster looks down at Three. This was their chance to make things up and fix everything, they had to keep the plan moving forward. Aster opened their mouth to talk only to shut it, they mentally scolded themself for struggling to talk. They needed to fix things for the plan they just had to say what they needed to “ Brave of you to say hey to me after showing up with him, after the things you told me.” Aster wanted to scream at how aggressive they sounded. Before Aster could take back their words, Three scoffs at them “Unlike you I'm friends with the scrub and i didnt make any stupid fucking bet with him.” Aster wanted to slam their head against the nearest wall, why did they say that now all chances to fix things are ruined. Three walks ahead with Four following after “Dude what happened?” Three facepalms as he walks not wanting to talk. 

Aster stops walking letting out a sigh, Meggy turns, catching what happened “Hey guys uh there is an arcade over there, how about we play some games and we can meet up at the office later?” A few members of the crew cheered running to the arcade while Tari, Four and Mario stayed outside with Three. Meggy then walks up to Aster “Hey Aster join me? I'll be pretty lonely seeing my office alone, plus I need to see who I will be up against in the future!” Aster nods following Meggy as they attempt to figure out what's going on with them, it was a simple greeting yet they couldn't return it. All that came out of them was annoyance, why did it annoy them to see Four so close with Three? Once they were away from the group Meggy turns and tosses a splat gun “THINK FAST!” Aster panics as they catch the gun, they look at the gun in their hand confused “Uh why are we throwing weapons?” She smiles as she points to an arena “When i need to think or get over negative emotions i go target practice!” Aster looks at the arena then the splat gun, with a shrug they go with Meggy. She does a quick explanation on how the gun works then points at the target “Okay focus on the target, think on something you would love to hit. That's what I do and it helped with my aiming when I first started, you got this Aster!” She cheers as Aster stares at the target, their mind starts to picture Four making them growl as they aim and fire hitting the target. They gasp, surprised they really hit it while Meggy gives them a thumbs up “Heh thanks coach, did help a little though i rather not spend too much time firing at a target. I doubt it will give me any answers,” Meggy deflates as she watches Aster frown walking away, she quickly walks after them to point them the right way.

“Well then what's the problem?” Meggy wasn't one for romantic advice given her failed past with it, even so it wouldn't stop her from trying her best to help her friends. Aster shakes their head “It’s fine, we are here to celebrate you being the new host for splatfest.” They smile at her as they arrive at her office, Meggy opens the door excited to see the office “Just remember you're not alone Aster, if you don't want to talk about it that's okay. Now let's see this ro-” Meggy freezes seeing the office, Aster looks around unimpressed “Pretty dusty, this inkling must have been gone for a long time. Hm one shot wren?”  Meggys breathing quickens hearing the name as she reaches for her hat, flashes of her meeting with wren. ‘DRAW’ Meggy screams making Aster turn quickly, she shakes her head crying holding on to her beanie as if her life depended on it. 

Aster stares at her, focusing hard seeing the negative energy “Shit..even if i attempted anything there i would be worse off.” They slowly approach her, unsure what to do. As they look around the room they notice multiple wren photos giving them an idea, their purple eyes glow as they erase anything with Wren on it “Uh Meggy I got rid Wren, are you okay?!” She hugs herself breathing heavily, Aster curses to themself, they sit near Meggy thinking on how to help. “You know it's pretty fun seeing your home, hitting something with ink was really fun!” They begin to talk hoping that their rambles could help the women next to them. As they keep talking, Meggy slowly relaxes as she stops hugging herself, she watches Aster as they ramble about their thoughts on her home.  Seeing her feel better they get up and get her fresh water “Need some air?” she drinks the water before slowly getting up “That…sounds good.” The pair walk outside the building, they stand there in silence before Meggy speaks up  “Sorry about that, I’m normally able to handle things better than that..” She lets out a shaky breath as she removes her beanie, Aster stares at the road watching inklings walking around “It’s fine, sorry i wasn't the best company to have for this.” Meggy smiles softly “It was nice not to be alone for once, this feeling reminds me of when I first became human…” Aster turns towards Meggy “Ah yeah Tari told me, you guys had a whole anime arc.” She nods as she puts her beanie back on “I lost someone close to me, a rival, an old crush. When the others told me about you and Three, well all i could have thought of was how i never got a chance to get closer to Desti. I didn't want you two to fight and leave each other's life without seeing how deeply you care about each other.” Aster blushes at Meggy’s words, how could she think that they care deeply about SMG3. 

They must be that good of an actor to make the crew think they care about what happens with the man. Aster could laugh at how hilarious the idea is, yet their chest was feeling strange again thinking over her words.  Before the two of them could chat more they notice a group of inklings running, Meggy runs up grabbing one of them “What's going on?” the pink inkling pointed towards the arcade “Killer Ink is having a battle with a bunch of humans over at the arcade!” Aster and Meggy nod at each other as they run towards the arcade. A loud explosion of ink could be seen as they approach, Meggy starts to speed up sliding in seeing the crew hiding behind a pile of crates. There she sees Killer Ink laughing as they keep shooting “That all you guys got? This is why humans should stay away from splatfest!” Meggy growls taking out her splat gun “HEY! Leave my friends alone!” Aster arrives looking around, seeing the buildings covered in ink, then their eyes land on Three. They both blush looking away from each other, the leader of killer ink rolls her eyes “Oh look who it is again, just cause you got lucky and won splatfest years ago doesn't mean you can take this one from us.” 

Three swears under his breath “Ugh these fuck heads ruining our planning!” Four yelps as he hides behind the crate dodging the shot. Wearing white overalls at this time is a choice Four is hating at the moment “How did they even know we were here, god these guys sucked so much when we first met them!” Three peaks and gasps seeing a shot almost hit Aster, he hits the floor as he thinks about what to do. Four felt a chill making him turn to Three “Three…what are you planning?” Seeing Three get up taking a bomb out of his hat makes Four eyes go wide, he grabs Three “No! My meme sense is saying this is a bad idea, Three if you go out there with a live bomb you could hurt Meggy and Aster!” Three looks over at Aster and Meggy who are now hiding by the arcade, he then turns looking at the inklings chuckling. He growls pulling his arm away from Four “I will be fine, after all i felt the same with you and look your still standing! I’m just going to put them in their place, I'm not some wuss that hides!” Three goes over the crates and tosses one of his bombs, one of the inklings scream running as it explodes. SMG3 lets out an evil laugh making Aster smile, Meggy steps out and aims, hitting a few of the other team members. The team looks to their leader in a panic, she growls frustrated at the situation “I won't let humans scare us off!” She fires her gun, the ink hitting Three’s bomb, Four gasps as the ink makes the lit bomb fall next to Three. Aster eyes go wide seeing the bomb get hit, their eyes glow the moment the explosion goes off. 

“YOU'RE SUCH AN IDIOT!” Aster yells as they hold Three close to them. Slowly Three pulls away staring at Aster in awe, Aster places their hand on his face checking on him “YOU COULD HAVE DIED THREE WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?” Three grabs on to their arm “I..wanted to teach them a lesson,” he mumbled at them. Aster’s eyes water shaking their head “That was worth risking your life? What if you died? What if…” They let go of Three slowly touching their face, their voice crack “What if…I never got to see you again?”

The leader glares at the pair and readies her gun only to hear footsteps behind her, she turns to see Meggy smirking at her “Game over, thanks to your stunt as host of this year's splatfest you're banned.” She swears as she gets up walking away “You won't get away with this!” Meggy smirks, putting her splatgun away and  joining the crew. Seeing their concerned faces she turns to see what they were staring at. Aster starts to wipe their tears confused as Three gently caresses Aster’s face “I…I’m sorry, for everything…What I did was stupid but not as stupid as what started most of this mess. I got scared that you were using me, I let it get the best of me and I snapped at you when I should have trusted you. Do you forgive me?” Aster slowly pulls away from Three, their heart racing seeing the soft look the man was giving them. Aster then runs away, Three watches them run off as he clench his fist “FUCK!” Four slowly walks up to Three and gently rubs his back. Aster falls to their knees after running for a long while, it felt like hours having Three’s face haunt them as they ran. They could have ended their mission there, that bomb would have killed Three yet they stopped it “Whats…wrong with me, why cant i stop crying?” Aster looks around to see they ended up at a beach, they get up and walk toward the sea staring at the sunset. They stare at the sea thinking over everything that has happened the past days, was their father right?

The more they thought about the crew the more things felt confusing, their father told them all these stories about the crew. Yet none of it was adding up, they shouldn't question their father. They frown feeling panic grow “Was he right? Am I getting soft with the crew…with him?” The very thought of seeing Three hurt made them feel sick, it never did before which frustrated them more. They sigh, drawing in the sand thinking everything over, their phone starts to ring. Taking out their cell phone they see Three’s name, they feel their heart skip a beat as they silence their phone. Perhaps they needed to accept what was happening, the very thought put fear in them. They stop drawing and stare at their phone “Have I…already failed my mission? Am I falling for you?” Once the words escaped their mouth they felt a strange pull, their head hurting. They close their eyes, suddenly an old man's voice is heard “Oh man you really know how to keep an old star waiting~” Aster’s eyes shoot open as they look around “who..who said that? 

[yueichihara]

Choose me.

◇Summary: Caleb and Zayne are more than just people you know, they're your childhood friends. The stories you share, the bonds that tie you together, remain. Regardless of anything that's happened, your love for them will always be there. Your feelings are clear, there was never a choice to make.

◇Content warnings: female!mc | fluff | angst | jealousy | jealous caleb | messaging and text style | mc x zayne | caleb = calbe | zayne = mr elsa |

Edit: posting the rest of the story now that I have the time to make it readable here, also adding the 'zayne x mc' tag because of obvious reasons!!! I might or might not be writing a caleb version. It depends on something I'm writing 'you x caleb' sooo.... don't get your hopes up just in case. Btw, the 'x chat' is there to guide the reader, mc gets them mixed up.

calbe chat:

calbe: what time did ya say you had to leave, again?

You: lemme check

around 5pm give or take

calbe: gee that means we have like… 3hs tops if i have to get all the way to the hotel to leave my stuff

You: yeh

calbe: remind me again why i cant leave it at your apt???

You: already told you i’m not staying home today and the padlocks at the building are being fixed i have to use the physical key for a few days its a pain in the ass

calbe: k anywaysssss did ya see yesterday episode of colour your life?? newt actually confessed to mike??? You: ikrrr!!!!!! like i totally thought he would bt nt riht in fron t of lindsay calbe: yo calm down you’re shitty typing again You: you know what i meant calbe: typing…

•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•

mr elsa chat: mr elsa: Guess what. You: what mr elsa: Guess You: 😒 okay then but what do i get if i guess correctly mr elsa: Isn’t the satisfaction of knowing me well, enough for you? You: no but okay then... you found those ginger and honey candies the old lady in the yellow house used to give us back in the day the ones we talked about last time mr elsa: Well, look at you. Sharp as an ice stalactite. You guessed right You: yasss wait please tell me you bought enough for me too mr elsa: Of course. I’ll give them to you when we meet tomorrow.

Trying to be the best friend possible, you’d been frantically arranging schedules between Caleb and Zayne. You had set the date for meeting Zayne last week when he told you he was free, but then Caleb called you to tell you he would be coming for a visit before a long trip. There was no way you would miss seeing any of them when it was such a hassle to coordinate. This was one of the things you hated about being a working adult: meeting with the people you cared the most about was nearly impossible.

It wasn’t even your day off. You had to talk to one of your teammates to trade with his own. Meeting Zayne was alright because it was in the evening, but Caleb would be arriving around noon and leaving on the same day. Time was gold.

You’d have loved to have them both together so that you could spend more time with both, but things were complicated. You couldn’t even remember the last time you saw them talk to each other. It was such a long time ago…

A quack sound brings your attention back to your phone.

calbe chat: calbe: but honestly same also i didnt think mike’s dad would support their relationship he’s such an old dated dude

Chuckling to yourself, you type back.

You: lmao yeah but that part was so cute such a pity lindsay is such a bitch wine stains are not easy to wash off a white shirt calbe: lol did you spill wine on yourself or smth? You: not on myself but 

You hesitate before your next message. Zayne’s topic has been kind of taboo with Caleb, you can’t seem to figure out why, though. Even when you were all little, they seemed to bicker all the time, but they also had moments when they would make each other laugh. Nostalgia is a recurring feeling whenever you think of both of them. Yet, deep inside, you know it will never be the same again. Not after everything that’s happened.

But you can’t bring yourself to lie to Caleb, he’s your best friend after all.

You: last month i accompanied zayne to a charity event i accidentally tripped over my own two feet spilled the red wine all over him it was a disaster calbe: accompanied? lol  is he your child i wish i was there you could have washed it with my tears after laughing so hard  You:dudeee do you have any idea how much it was to remove that stain!? calbe: you could have just bought a new one You: great minds think alike cause thats what i did calbe: we should test our telepathy powers next time i’ll get a plushie at the claw machine and you have to guess if it was the one i wanted You: no wayyyy you could easily cheat that way calbe: i’ll write it down then You: yeah, but i’ll be the one to keep the note i can’t trust you calbe: typing…

Releasing a sigh, you release the tension that was building in your shoulders. Now, that was easy. Another quack interrupts you and you open the text bubble.

mr elsa chat: him: But what do I get in return? You: you can keep the plushie and if i win you have to buy me the limited edition mr beanie beanie!!! him: typing…

Changing screens, you open the ‘Linkon City Tourists Attractions’ article you were reading previously, not paying attention to the names on your chat’s bubble. You and Zayne had once talked about how little of Linkon you actually knew, your jobs making it almost impossible to visit new places. So now that you were both a little bit more free, you decided to challenge yourselves, touring the city and its most interesting places. 

Another bubble pops up.

calbe chat: him: I’m a very trustworthy person. You: certainly, you are ill have to repay you for your kindnessssssss how bout we visit that patisserie we saw on the news last time a colleague gifted me some coupons  she said their macarons taste like heaven him: typing…

Waiting for a response, your stomach suddenly growls. Blocking your phone, you make your way to your kitchen. Notifications keep coming in, but you focus on the task at hand, too hungry to care for anyone right now. 

When dinner’s ready, you sit on the couch and put on your favourite show. Taking your phone again, you open Zayne’s chat.

mr elsa chat:

mr elsa: ? Sure, if that’s what you want.  Sounds cute. You: it is!! saw some pictures of the place on their page it’s got a huge patio and a jasmine's garden we should totally take loads of photos there mr elsa: Okay? You: whats the question mark forrrrr i’m sure you’ll love it remember the time, yeah? mr elsa: Nothing. Yes, tomorrow 6pm.  😊 You: at the plaza anyways gotta go, my novela is starting mr elsa: Okay, see you tomorrow. Don’t stay up too late or else you’ll be nodding off the whole date. You: i will not!! mr elsa: *day You: goodnight mr elsa: Goodnight

You feel heat creep up your neck at his typo, wishing deep down he hadn’t corrected it. It was hard to keep a straight face whenever Zayne did something that could easily be misinterpreted. Sometimes you were sure he was coming onto you. But some other times, you were forced to bump into a wall of ice, impenetrably cold. You knew you had to bring it up sooner or later. For your own mental wellbeing.

Changing chats, you go back to Caleb’s, a long string of deleted messages leaving your previous conversation way too far into the ether.

calbe chat: calbe: so anyways lets do that… You: dude wth with all the deleting make up your mindd you’re not gonna get out of this one!!! calbe: seems like i wont btw, stop spacing out you took your sweet time to write back you missed all my complaining You: and thank the lemurian god i did wouldnt want to read all that anyway, gotta go colour your life’s new episode is startingggg byeeee calbe: whoa  whats more important your soap opera or me? You: obviously… my novela duh calbe: 😭 dont spoil it like the other time im on duty tonight You: kayyy good luck!! 😊 calbe: 😊

Following doctor’s orders, you sleep soon after, finally getting a good night’s sleep. Your mood is up through the roof, ready to tackle whatever comes your way today. You find Caleb already waiting for you near the arcade’s subway station, next to a banner from the new addition to the plushie family. It will soon be coming home to you, that’s for sure.

“Well, you look chirpy.” Caleb says when you’re close enough.

“I am.” You respond with a smug face. “I actually slept, which is a lot already. But it was a good sleep. I’m ready to kick ass today.” You throw your arms around him, giving him a tight hug.

Caleb smiles and hugs you back, lifting you off the ground as he turns around. “As long as it’s not mine, I’m fine with it.” With a giggle you fake a kick as he lets you down, both of you heading into the arcade. You hear your phone ring and signal for Caleb to go in while you step away to take the call, handing him your game card. 

“Zayne, is something wrong? It’s rare for you to call me on a day we’ll meet up.” You watch as Caleb nears the admission table, already getting his wallet out to recharge the cards. 

“Hey… not exactly. Well, maybe.” For him to hesitate this much, something must have gone wrong. You let him take his time as he finds his words, sending Caleb a thumbs up through the display window to show him everything’s alright. “I’m on my way to the clinic. They just called me because a patient of mine showed up with an open wound. I-” You hear him take a deep breath, trying to center himself. You feel the urge to turn away from Caleb’s watch. He might not be listening in to what you’re talking on your phone, but he’s been the one closest to you for years, he knows how to read your reactions and body language just as much as you can read his. And for some reason, you feel like you need to keep this private. Zayne lets out the breath he’d taken and continues. “I know we promised to meet today, and I’m not saying we won’t. I can assure you we will. But I’m not sure how long this would take, they described it to me on the phone, yet I need to take a look to know exactly. I’ll try to keep you updated, hopefully it’ll be quick and I’ll even have the time to go back home before we meet up.” This last part is said with resolve, his voice steady and firm. That’s how you know everything’s going to be alright.

With a smile, you turn back to the arcade, making your way to the door. When you see Caleb inside, watching you every move, your smile falters a little. “Then I guess I have nothing to worry about. See you later.” As Zayne hangs up, Caleb hands you your card back. “Thanks.”

“No need, you owe me one, pip-squeak.” He says as he points to the newly added plushie on the claw machine. “How about we put our telepathy to the test.” With twin smirks, you both head to the gaming area. As the time drags on, you receive a few messages from Zayne. 

mr elsa chat: mr elsa: The wound is fine. That sounds weird. It's normal, the procedure is simple. I’ll be out before 3pm. mr elsa: The operation was successful.  mr elsa: Since we’re meeting a few stations away from the hospital, I might have a late lunch and wander a little. Going home seems like too much of a hassle. mr elsa: I remember you telling me you had something else today so I guess that’s why you haven't been answering. Let me know if everything’s alright, see you later. You: hey, i’m sorry it’s good everything went well congrats on a successful operation1 you can tell me all about it when we meet cant wait!

You’d been checking on his messages but decided not to reply to him in case it would distract him, but now that he assured you he was finished and out, you replied back. You feel Caleb watching you from the corner of your eye, so you turn to him. “Should we go get something to drink? I’m thirsty from kicking your ass.”

He chuckles and looks away, walking towards the dining area. “And here I thought I was the one who was kicking your ass.”

“Puh-lease. If anything, we’re even. And we’ve still to check if our predictions were right about the telepathy thing. You promised to get me the Mr Beanie beanie that’s sold in the gift store!” He looks at you as if you were making no sense. “Ohh, don’t you dare look at me that way! You agreed to it!”

“Did a wanderer hit you in the head or something? What are you talking about?” 

“I told you yesterday.” You pull out your phone, going through your chat history trying to recall when you sent the message. “Did you delete my messages, too?” Before you could keep scrolling up the row of deleted messages, Caleb’s hand covers the screen and takes your phone. “Hey!” 

“I didn’t delete those.” He blocks your phone and puts it in your bag. “I remember now. Mr Beanie’s special limited edition beanie, right?” He nods as if to himself, so you nod, too. You know he’s acting weird, but you decide to let it go.

The afternoon goes smoothly and you walk Caleb to the station’s entrance. “Okay, I guess that’s all for today. Please, don’t forget to write back every once in a while. I know these missions require you to lose contact sometimes. But even an emoji is enough.” You fiddle with the strap of your purse, changing your weight from one foot to the other. 

“Don’t worry, it’s not that level of danger this time around, so I’ll keep pestering you for now.” He looks at you, head tilted to the side. “What’s got you so eager? We’re about to part for a few months, but you look like we’re meeting after a few months away. What was it you had going on later today, again?”

“Oh, um. I didn’t actually tell you what.” Guilt washes over you. You had exploited every second spent with Caleb, but your mind kept wandering towards Zayne every once in a while. Looking down at your feet, you’re about to actually tell him you’re meeting with Zayne, when you feel his hand ruffling your hair. “Hey! Stop that, you’ll mess up my hair.” You look up at him then, his warm smile sending you back in time. Suddenly, you’re both in high school again, Zayne long gone to university, both of you navigating life without a care in the world or worry for what’s to come.

“Don’t look at me like that, pip-squeak. It’s not like I want you to feel bad for parting with me,” His hand that was resting on the top of your head, moves to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing slightly over your skin. “but it would be nice if I was the only one in your mind when doing so.” You see his eyes dart down and then to his hand on your face, before he lowers it. He coughs and opens his arms. “Where’s my hug?”

You feel at odds with the interaction, but shake it off in favour of changing the atmosphere. You walk over to him and hug him, his huge build almost covering you. When you try to step back, he tightens his grip. “Caleb?”

“Sorry, just a little more. I need to recharge for the time I won’t be able to see you.” He rests his head on your shoulder and you feel him take a deep breath. 

You realise then that this will be the first time since you met again, that you’re going to spend so much time apart. Following his example, you take a deep breath, trying to remember the smell of your childhood, patting him a few times on his back. You feel him tense at first, but he soon relaxes. Finally stepping away, he cups your face and plants a kiss on your forehead, a big smile lighting his features. “You can go now, I’ll go get my stuff first.” You nod to him and say your goodbyes, heading over to take the subway towards Akso hospital. 

Messaging Zayne, your mind clears, the excitement making itself present again. Once you arrive at the station, you head towards the exit, a bounce in your step that you can no longer control. You were supposed to meet a few blocks down the road, but you catch a dark haired bump sticking out near your exit. You can’t help your wide smile as you come closer, his gaze finding yours through the multitude of people. 

You’ve always been super aware of Zayne’s expressions. Even when others couldn’t tell his feelings, just a slight narrow of his eyes, or a lift of the corner of his mouth, told you wonders about what he thought or was about to say. That’s why these kinds of new expressions made your stomach go crazy, butterflies spilling away: nonchalantly smiling, eyes shining with something you couldn’t quite place yet. “Hey. You made it.” His voice smooth and low, almost a whisper. That’s all it takes for you to feel your smile grow even bigger. 

“Yeah.” That’s all you can say at the moment, so you nod to clarify.

“Shall we?” Both of you turn to start walking towards the address of the patisserie you’d sent him this morning, when a shadow blocks your way, forcing you to take a step back. 

“Oh, so it was a check up appointment.” The voice makes your blood drain from your face, suddenly feeling how close you were to Zayne and stepping away. “Akso hospital is the other way, though.” You stare in disbelief at Caleb, who's standing with his arms crossed in front of his chest, his eyes glaring daggers at Zayne. You’re about to freak out about him showing up in front of Zayne, remembering how he made you promise not to tell him about him being alive. But when you turn towards Zayne, ready to figure out what to say, you see no surprise reflected in his expression, his own cold gaze staring back at Caleb. Suddenly it dawns on you. Zayne already knew. 

Anger rises up, either at him or Caleb, you’re not sure. You’re about to speak up, when Zayne beats you to it. “It’s not a check up, it’s a date.” Date. That’s all it takes to mitigate your anger, apparently, because you’re forced to look down to hide the smile and the redness on your cheeks. 

“That’s weird. She didn’t mention it was a date, and we spent hours together today.” You look up when you hear Caleb’s teasing tone. It’s the same he’s always used whenever you three were together. But his choice of words was what put a frown on your face. “Oh, I see. Maybe you got it all wrong, Zayne. You shouldn’t force a patient to go out with you just because you have no friends.” The tone he used and the way he said Zayne’s name made your gut twist distastefully. Caleb was coming onto Zayne, the same way he did to your bullies back in high school. 

But you’re no longer that fragile little thing anymore, and Zayne’s no bully. You turn to grab Zayne’s arm, ready to pull him away, but he’s already staring at you. “I don’t think I’m forcing her to do anything.” His gaze lowers, his lips parting slightly as he stares at your mouth. He turns to Caleb as he offers you a hand to take, which you do without hesitation. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a place to be. You’ve monopolized her enough for today.” 

When you were kids, you’d always fight like this. Sometimes you’d take Caleb’s side and Zayne would just look away and go on, his gaze meeting yours throughout the day, Caleb feeling smug. And sometimes, you’d take Zayne’s side, his lips turning up slightly whenever you walked to his side. When the latter happened, Caleb was sure to make a tantrum, refusing to let go of your hand. You’d give him a hug, assuring him you’d take his side next time, and take the opportunity to get free and run to Zayne. It would take you days to make him smile again. 

Now, walking away with Zayne hand in hand, fingers entwined, you realise you had never really taken Caleb’s side. It had always ever been just Zayne. You had just wanted to appease Caleb’s mood, loving him enough to want him to be happy, but never enough to want to stay by his side. 

Stopping in your tracks, you turn around. Caleb’s standing still in the same place you left him, his back turned to you. “I need-” 

“I know.” When you turn to him, you see him looking back at Caleb, too. He squeezes your hand before letting go. “Go to him, I’ll be waiting.” He doesn’t look at you as he walks down the road towards the cafe.

Closing the distance in a few strides, you walk over to Caleb and get in front of him. “You’re acting stupid right now.” There’s sorrow in his gaze, but that’s something he’ll have to work on his own this time. He opens his mouth to say something but you cut him off. “Care to explain to me what was that all about? Did you meet Zayne after telling me not to tell him about you?” There’re hundreds of questions going around in your head right now, but there’s little time for that.

You see his jaw tighten, probably struggling between instinctively teasing you, or answering you straightforwardly. “Actually, I met him before you.” Both it is. 

“And you didn’t tell me because…” 

“Because I didn’t want you both talking and bonding over me being back.” You refrain from saying you’d actually started bonding because he was gone. It wasn’t the right time, this talk would have to wait. “You’re angry at me.” He says matter-of-factly. 

“I am. Do you know why?” You don’t know when you did it, but you’re standing the same way you do when you’re about to fight a horde of wanderers, legs spread apart, stance straight, arms hanging at your sides ready to punch or pull your guns. 

“Because I lied to you.” He looks down, arms falling at his sides.

“No, Caleb.” You cross your arms over your chest. “It’s because you look like a kicked puppy when it was you who pissed on the floor.” He chuckles at your comparison, making you smile, stress releasing slowly from your shoulders. “I don’t want to lose you again.” At the seriousness in your voice, he gazes up at you, meeting your eyes. “But you can’t ask me to choose, not this time.” He searches for something in your face, and whatever there is seems to not be the answer he needed. You see his shoulders slump, but he smiles, defeated.

“I know.” 

“I need to go.” You say, but you’re not going to, not until you know he can make this through. He sees your hesitations and his whole demeanor changes. He squares his shoulders and straightens his spine, holding his head high. 

“And I have work to do. My colleague must be waiting for me at the hotel. I’ll take my stuff and head back.” He reaches and ruffles your hair, a warm smile on his face. “See you later, pip-squeak.” He walks away, leaving you stunned and not giving you time to say anything back. You turn and watch his back blend in with the rest of the passersby. 

You stay like that for another minute, allowing yourself to grieve for something that might never be the same, that already wasn’t the same as before. And then you turn back, heading down the road towards the café. You find Zayne sitting at a table in the grand patio of the patisserie, staring at the jasmines blooming beautifully. His back is turned to you, but you don’t need to see his face to know he’s feeling down. You can see it in the angle of his shoulders, the way his head is lowered slightly, hands tightly pressed on his lap. Walking over to him, you lean down on his field of vision. “So, date, huh?” You smile at him.

He blinks slowly, seemingly unfazed, but you notice the shade of red of his ears. You pull back and walk over to the seat in front of him. “I thought you wouldn’t come.” He brings his hand to his face, trying to push up a set of glasses that are not there. You recognise this action now, as something he does when he gets nervous. 

“Too, bad. I don’t like missing out on dates with Dr. Zayne. After all, he doesn’t have any friends.” You take the menu from him, hiding your own nervousness behind it.

“I do have friends, by the way. I just prefer spending time with you more.” He puts two fingers on the top of the menu and gently pushes it down, your face flushed now exposed to him. You stare at the smirk on his mouth and ponder between slapping it or kissing it away. 

[witchygagirlwrites]

Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz x Reader

When you take a place on a task force and get hurt Mouse has to face his entire world falling down

Warnings: talks of death, gunshot wounds, suicidal ideation?

You sat in the middle of the bed in the hotel room holding your laptop across your legs as Mouse’s face came into view. A smile split your face the moment you saw him “Well hey there handsome” “Hey beautiful. How’s New York?” he asked and you sighed “Not as good as Chicago, you’re not here”

When Sergeant Benson and Erin had asked you to join the task force SVU and Erin’s team had put together for a six week operation you’d been on the fence. That was a long time in your opinion to be away from home, from Mouse and your unit but you could do some good well a lot of good. You’d hesitantly agreed with Voight’s blessing on the job front and Mouse’s blessing on the personal front. After Erin left Chicago that was his push to join the academy and as soon as he could Hank pulled him for intelligence. You loved working with him and knew he loved having his girlfriend and best friend right there at his side most days. 

He smiled “I miss you too love. You don’t have much longer and you’ll be home” you turned to get comfortable against the headboard and he grinned “Taking me to bed with you Detective?” you laughed lightly “Why yes officer Gerwitz, just don’t report me to the ivory tower. Might see it as me using the fact that I’m higher ranking than you to get you in bed” “Lucky me I say” he teased. 

You listened while he caught you up on things you’d missed in Chicago and you told him about some of the things in New York. “Promise me when I get home we don’t have to leave our apartment for like two days solid. I just want to curl up in your arms” you told him and the smile he gave you made your heart flip “How could I turn that down?” you smiled “I love you so damn much Greg” he grinned “I love you too sweetheart. Get some rest, you have another bust tomorrow. I don’t want you tired going into it” you nodded “Tell everyone I said hey. I’ll call you around noon your time” “I’ll be waiting”

It was a little after twelve and Jay knew Mouse was getting worried even if he was trying his best not to show it. You always checked in right on time with him. When Jay’s phone rang he nearly knocked it off the desk trying to answer it and when Erin’s voice hit his ear his heart dropped to his feet “Jay?”

He hadn’t really spoken to her except via text since she’d left. You and her kept in contact regularly hence you taking the place on the task force. If she was calling him…. “Jay, are you there?” she asked and he replied “Yeah I’m here”

She took a deep breath and he heard her voice shake at the end. Something was wrong, really wrong. “Is Mouse around you?” he cut his eyes across the room where Mouse was texting you again “Yeah, you want to talk to him?” “I can’t Jay…He he doesn’t need to hear this from me” he could hear the tears in her voice “Erin what happened” he didn’t even think about the fact that he probably shouldn’t have said her name but Mouse’s eyes flew up and everyone in the room turned to look at him.

“There was..there was a perp..he had a hostage and Y/N drew the fire to herself..everything happened so damn fast…I promise you I tried to get to her…I tried to stop him..” 

Mouse stood up from his desk to walk towards Jay only to feel his entire world shift when Jay asked Erin “Is she dead?” The next few moments were the longest of his life. He could read Jay too well. He could feel his legs try to go out from under him but Kevin moved to grab his arm. “Yeah I’ll call you” Jay hung up and walked towards him.

“Is she dead Jay? Is the love of my life dead?” he asked and Jay took a deep breath “It’s bad man. You can try to get a plane but she might not make it until you land” he nodded “I’ve got to try” “I’m going with you” Jay told him, looking back at Voight who’d come out of his office and caught the  end of the phone call “Go”

Erin sat just outside of surgery, your blood drying on her skin. She could only keep replaying those moments in her mind. The bullets tearing through your vest, how your body dropped. When she got to your side the way you’d looked at her and how scared you’d looked when you’d told her “It doesn’t hurt Erin…why doesn’t it hurt?” 

This was her fault, she’d called you onto this task force. If you died she killed her best friend. Her hand was wrapped around Mouse’s dog tags you always wore, it didn't feel right leaving them in a patient belonging bag when she knew how much they meant to you. “Tell Greg I love him” was the last words you told her before you’d lost consciousness. Your heart stopped and she’d done CPR until the ambulance got there. She only hoped it was enough.

__________________

Mouse was numb the entire plane ride. He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, he wanted to break down but it was like the entire world was holding its breath. His entire being needed to see you, needed to see if you were alive. He couldn’t think of a world without you in it. What was he without you? You were everything to him, the reason he was still here. The reason he’d fought to stay clean when he’d nearly slipped after getting the job at CPD. You were there helping him every step of the way. You were the one person who never got annoyed with him, never yelled at his rambling when his mind wandered.

You were the love of his life. Every thought of the future was of you. If there was no you there was no him. If you died? He had no reason to keep living. Erin had said you drew fire from a civilian, a kid that was about fourteen. That was you to your core, always saving someone even at your own expense. If he lost you, who was supposed to save him? 

When they landed in New York Sergeant Benson had uniforms waiting to take them to the hospital. You were still in surgery but at least that meant you were still alive. You were still holding on.

“Erin!” she flinched when she heard Mouse’s voice. She glanced up and saw him and Jay walking towards her. His eyes went to her shirt, jeans and hands. “Is that her blood?” she nodded slowly “Mouse, I never meant for this to happen..” 

“I know” he whispered, eyes glued to her bloody hands. She held out his dog tags “She made me promise to tell you she loves you” Mouse took the dog tags in his hand, fingers tracing over the drying blood that he knew was yours “Erin, how bad is it?” He saw tears slip down her face as she said “She told me it didn’t hurt, she was so afraid because it didn’t hurt” he pulled her into his arms and they both finally broke sobbing against each other, one for her best friend, one for the woman he loved. Jay stood to the side not knowing how to comfort either of them.

The surgery took a total of five and a half hours. Your insides were shredded from the bullets. When the surgeons finally walked out they asked for your family so Erin, Mouse and Jay stood up. “This is her boyfriend and best friend” Jay explained so the doctor nodded “She’s alive but in critical condition. The next twenty four hours will tell if she makes it or not. The bullets did extensive damage. We repaired what we could, it's up to her body to do the rest”

“Thank you” Jay replied knowing neither Erin or Mouse was in the shape to talk. “Can they see her?” he asked and the surgeon shook his head “I’m afraid only one visitor is permitted in ICU” 

Erin looked at Mouse “You go” he nodded “Ok” the surgeon waved him through “A nurse will show you the way”

__________________

A nurse led Mouse through the hallway to your room. When she walked him inside he froze at the foot of the bed. The body laying there didn’t even look like you. It was like you were already dead, there was no life left. Wires and tubes stuck out of you in every direction. Bandages covered every inch of your body and dried blood covered your face. 

He walked to the side of the bed, fingers lightly skimming your hand, careful of the iv. “Is there any hope for her waking up? I don’t want the sugar coated answer. This woman is everything to me” he turned to look at the nurse and saw the answer in her eyes before she ever spoke “If she wakes up sir I will believe in miracles” then turned and walked out of the room.

Mouse watched her go then looked back at you. The tube in your mouth helping you to breath making a soft noise with every inhale “They don’t know you do they baby?” he whispered, eyes filling with tears. “Wake up for me love, please? I need you, the world needs you. Please don’t leave me. It feels like I just got you. I can’t lose you now”

He knew it was probably hopeless but you’d never given up on him. He wasn’t giving up on you until the moment your heart stopped beating for good, even then he’d still love you with everything he had and probably wouldn’t be far behind. There was nothing on this earth for him if you weren’t in it.

Follow You

[fluentmoviequoter]

Proud to Listen

Requested Here!

Pairing: David 'Deacon' Kay x fem!reader

Summary: You perform in a talent show, and your boyfriend Deacon is proud of you for singing a song that means something to you.

1.1k+ words of pure fluff! He is With Us by Love & The Outcome

Masterlist Directory | Deacon Kay Masterlist | Request Info/Fandom List

“Hondo, 20-Squad’s needed for assistance on a federal raid out in Covina,” Hicks calls as he exits the situation room. “Grab one of Rocker’s guys to fill the gap.”

“What gap?” Luca asks.

Hondo looks to Deacon, who answers, “I’m leaving early.”

“Why?” Street inquires. He gasps when Chris backhands his arm and brings his opposite hand to cradle where she hit him. “What? It was just a question!”

“I’m going to watch a talent show,” Deacon says.

 “You’re abandoning us with Rocker’s guys to watch a talent show. That’s cold, Deac.”

“Your kids?” Luca guesses.

“Not exactly,” Deacon says carefully.

“Your church?”

“It is there, yeah.”

“They’re gonna keep askin’, Deac,” Hondo points out. “May as well let ‘em start getting the questions over with now.”

Deacon nods before he admits, “My girlfriend is singing.”

Hondo smiles as the rest of the team looks at one another and then at Deacon. They knew he’d been on a few dates with someone, but he hadn’t told them that the relationship was getting serious or that he’d moved on to the next step of 'boyfriend/girlfriend.'

“Can I come?” Street asks.

“No, you’ve got work,” Hondo says.

“Deacon’s going!”

“Because his girl is singing, and he asked off weeks ago.”

“Well, if he hadn’t kept it a secret, I could’ve asked off too.”

“Kid,” Hondo warns.

“Guys, I’ll introduce you soon,” Deacon promises. “But I didn’t think dragging you all to watch her sing in front of a crowd would have been the best first impression. And I didn’t tell you that we were getting serious because we’re just getting there.”

“I’m happy for you, Deacon,” Chris says as she wraps her arm around his shoulders.

“Thanks, Chris.”

“We’re all happy for you, even if one of us has a weird way of showing it,” Luca adds.

“She’s already said she wants to meet you guys, too, just not today. We’ll plan something soon, but you need to focus on prepping for the Covina raid,” Deacon reminds them.

“Yes, sir,” Street replies with a pathetic salute. “Enjoy your ‘noon at the theatre.”

“What is wrong with you?” Chris asks under her breath.

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

“Tell her I want to see the video!” Hondo calls after Deacon.

“Why does he get to see it?!” Street yells.

“Hi,” Deacon says as he walks to your side. “How are you feeling?”

“Good, a little nervous but mostly excited,” you answer honestly.

“You’re going to be amazing. Hondo asked me to record it for him.”

“Of course, he did.”

“I take it you finally picked a song?” Deacon teases, reminding you of the hassle you went through trying to find the perfect song.

“I did. But you’ll have to find out when I’m on stage.”

“Like everyone else?” Deacon asks.

“I’m really glad you’re here.”

“Me too. I’m going to go get a seat, but you’ve got this, sweetheart.”

“Thanks, Deac. I love you.”

Deacon has heard those three words innumerable times since you first said them several weeks ago, but they still impact him just as deeply as the first.

“I love you,” he replies before kissing your temple. “See you after.”

You squeeze his hand before he steps back and leaves to find his seat. With a deep breath, you steady your shoulders and hum the song again. You picked a song you have been listening to and singing constantly over the last few weeks. Even while browsing other popular songs, you were humming it to yourself. So, you’re confident you made the right choice and are excited to perform it outside your car or shower.

After a brief intermission, you peek onto the stage and see Deacon sitting in the second row with a clear view of the stage. He supports you in all you do, but having him here for you now brings you the peace that you need to walk onto the stage and smile at the crowd. Deacon’s smile lights up when your eyes meet his, and as the music starts, you nod at him before losing yourself in the lyrics and what they mean to you.

“Remember when your hope is lost, and faith is shaken. Remember when you wonder if you’re gonna make it. There’s a hand stretched out through your deepest doubt. We can’t pretend to see the ending or what’s coming up ahead, To know the story of tomorrow. But we can stay close to the one who knows.”

As the first chorus begins, you find Deacon again, and he is still smiling, but there’s something else in his eyes. You know his faith is important to him, but you’re still surprised that he seems so touched by the song. Or maybe it’s just that you’re the one singing it.

“We can trust our God. He knows what He’s doing though it might hurt now. We won’t be ruined. It might seem there’s an ocean in between, But He’s holding on to you and me, And He’s never gonna leave, no. He is with us…”

The crowd applauds as you finish the song, and you smile as you exit the stage. There are only a few performers after you, and your eyes remain on Deacon until the announcer dismisses the performers to join their friends and families in the audience. You rush toward Deacon, who pulls you into his arms and hugs you tightly.

“You were amazing!” he cheers. “I’m so proud of you!”

“Thank you, Deacon,” you answer as you step back and sit beside him.

“Even if you don’t win, you should know that you affected every person here. You meant what you were singing, and that’s incredible.”

You nod and whisper another thanks to Deacon as the announcer returns to the stage with an envelope containing the winners’ names. Deacon takes your hand between both of his and holds you tightly. Even if you don’t win, Deacon being proud of you is more than enough reward. Besides, you’d like to sing more songs like this one where people can hear them.

Deacon shakes your hands when your name is called, and he helps you stand so you can walk to the stage and receive your certificate. You don’t hear the nice things that the man awarding you says, but you hope the audience listened to your song, not you, but what you were singing.

“These are for you,” Deacon says, extending a bouquet of flowers.

“Deacon,” you whisper as you take the arrangement.

“I’m so proud of you,” he says again. “What do you want to do? Dinner, movie date, anything you want.”

“Why not both?”

Deacon pulls you into his arms as he says, “For you? I’d do it all.”

“Even make plans to introduce me to 20-Squad? Because I love Hondo, but the rest of them are your family too.”

“Of course. They’re going to hear all about this, too.”

You drop your forehead against Deacon’s shoulder, but you love that he’s so proud of you. He’s amazing, and you’re grateful to have him by your side.

[clarisse0o]

The Mayor - Chapter 40

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternate Universe: Mayor and Architect

Words: 1200

Masterlist

———————————————————————

It’s often said that you truly realize how much you love someone when they leave you, by the emptiness it creates.  

So yes, I loved Lucy, without a doubt.  

When she left, I was seized with spasms and uncontrollable sobs, feeling as though I was falling into an abyss.  

That night, I went to Alexia’s place. I explained everything to her, from beginning to end, pouring it all out in a flood of words, between tears.  

She was silent, listening, clearly shocked by what I was telling her. She hadn’t seen it coming. As a friend, she didn’t judge me, but held me gently, and gently scolded me for not telling her earlier.  

I stayed at her place that night, struggling to fall asleep, immersed in my dark thoughts.  

The next day, Lucy sent me a message. A message of formality, repeating what she had said the day before:  I care about you but...   I’m sorry for making you unhappy...  and the infamous  I hope you can forgive me.   

That same phrase I had said to Alessia a few months earlier. The irony of it all.  

The initial feelings of sadness and confusion were soon joined by anger and bitterness.  

I was angry at her, pure and simple. She had handled our relationship like one of her political cases. I had offered her time, the expression of my feelings, and what I truly felt. She had rejected me. And the fact that she kept insisting she made this decision  for me  drove me crazy. I had immense resentment toward her, which only grew.  

To try to forget all this, all the pain, all the frustration, and to try to forget her, I threw myself into work.  

I used to spend a lot of time in my office or on construction sites, but now, I spent all my time there, only going home to sleep.  

I had lost my appetite; I’m not one of those who eat excessively after a breakup like Bridget Jones. Instead, I just smoked more.  

 "Not in the office, Ona, and think about your lungs!"   

It was Alexia scolding me that Tuesday at noon as I was smoking a cigarette, busy sketching.  

She continued:  

 "Come on, I’m taking you out to lunch!"   

Alexia had been amazing with me over the past two weeks, supporting me, comforting me without being suffocating.  

 "I’m not hungry, I’ll eat something later!"   

 "Sure, sure! I know you! You won’t eat anything! I swear, if you don’t come with me right now, I’ll bring Jeanne’s bottle tomorrow and feed you by force!"   

I smiled and nodded, giving in.  

 "I didn’t tell you! I bumped into Lucy at the supermarket yesterday!"   

I looked up at her. Alexia continued:  

 "Well, she knows I know everything now, I think! I was with Jeanne in the same line as her, hard to miss her! She came up to me with a big smile, a little embarrassed. I wanted to tell her off so badly! But I just kept it cold..."   

I smiled to myself, imagining Alexia being cold. It didn’t suit her at all.  

 "How was she?"   

I blurted out the question without thinking.  

Alexia bit her lip.  

 "Maybe I shouldn’t have told you..."   

 "Don’t worry, Alexia, it’s fine..."   

Even though my heart was still raw.  

 "If it helps, she’s let herself go! I think she’s gained 20 kilos, and she had some fuzz on her coat, dressed in the most outdated tracksuit!"   

I laughed now. My Alexia, that ray of sunshine.  

That evening, Philippe showed up at the office. He had called over the weekend to ask if he could drop by.  

Philippe Arous was an old friend. We were neighbors when we were kids, and our parents were friends. They used to go on vacations together, so we spent a lot of time together even with our five-year age difference. He had studied journalism at Sciences Po and worked in Paris for several years. A political enthusiast, he moved back to his hometown to try his luck first as a advisor, then as mayor.  

He was quite a character—intelligent, cultured, altruistic, but also loud-mouthed, which could get him into trouble.  

He had asked me to join his campaign list in support for the latest elections, knowing of my involvement in associations. I enjoyed getting involved in concrete projects, especially when they were related to my city. That experience had been enriching, though it ended in a rather predictable loss to… Lucy.  

He arrived around 8 PM. I was alone in the office.  

I made him a coffee, and we talked about trivial things, before the subject turned to the elections:  

 "Have you heard that Lucy Bronze is running after all?"   

 "Yeah, yeah... I heard about it 15 days ago!"  I replied with a tired tone.  

 "What a surprise! This doesn’t really help our cause; she’s a political beast, that one... I’m fine-tuning my list now..."   

It’s quite a job, putting together a list.  

 "Is it going well?   

 "Yeah, we have to present it in a few days! Well, Ona, I’m here to ask if you’d like to join it! I didn’t want to at first, with the whole Mojito situation, since you were working on Lucy Bronze’s campaign too..."   

I was taken aback. He continued:  

 "But we talked about it with the team yesterday. They loved your personality, how you were involved even though you were just there in support! A real ray of sunshine, insightful and effective!"   

 "Uh... thanks..."   

I didn’t know how to respond.  

 "I’m offering you a spot on the list, possibly in an electable position if we win, and even possibly eligible if we lose with a good result. You could be a city councilor, or just be supportive if that’s too much for you!"   

This was the best! I was already dreading the election period, with Lucy’s giant posters all over the city. But this...  

I began to laugh nervously:  

 "I’m sorry, Philippe, I really can’t. I worked with Lucy for 6 months on that project, that’s enough for me!"   

I smiled inwardly at the double meaning of my words.  

 "Exactly, you know her well, and she doesn’t seem like someone you like!"   

He tried, as best he could, to convince me, listing all the arguments.  

 "Sorry, Philippe, it’s a no. But I wish you all the best of luck! I’m behind you, no doubt!"   

I wanted Lucy to lose the election, to have nothing but tears in her eyes. My resentment went that far.  

Philippe seemed disappointed as he left the office. Even if, under different circumstances, I would have jumped at the opportunity, the situation made it impossible.  

I returned to work, a new project downtown. That night, under my pencil strokes, I thought about Philippe’s offer, laughing at the irony of the situation.  

I imagined myself running in those elections, on that list. I pictured Lucy’s face, enraged and beside herself...  

Little by little, this possibility, which seemed impossible just an hour ago, took shape in my mind. Why not, after all? I wasn’t going to hold back for her!  

I grabbed my phone.  

 "Philippe? Yes, I’ve thought about it! I want in... What position? Electable!" 

[mxpseudonym]

The Worshipping at Greenwood

Pairing: Lizzie Shelby x OC (Maggie)

Summary: Lizzie and her lover, an Arrow House maid, christen the bedroom of one of the new Shelby properties.

Length: 3.9k words

Warnings: NSFW, Infidelity (sorry-ish Tommy)

A/N: I really enjoyed this one. 🤭 Sapphic Lizzie Shelby has been on my list for so long, and I'm so glad I got to write this. Also, Natasha O'Keeffe is so beautiful it's crazy.

“Elizabeth. Like the queen.”

“Not like the queen.”

Lizzie chuckled and pulled the cigarette from between my fingers. “Not like the queen,” she said again before placing it between her lips.

“Alright, like the goddess,” I settled. “Lizzie, the Goddess.”

Lizzie shook her head at me like she always did when I talked like that, her black bob shaking softly. These days, she didn’t go on about not understanding me, though, and she stopped saying I thought she was someone she wasn’t. Her husband was the one who hired me and knew her longer, but I would reckon I knew her better.

“Alright, you sit there. I’ll put these away,” she ordered.

It had been six years since I started at Arrow House. Five since I began frequenting Lizzie Shelby’s bedroom on nights when her husband was away, which was often. It began as helping her nightly routine. She had trouble sleeping, so she started trying tea by the fire. Then she started having midnight baths. The other maids were sick of it and thought she was too low-born to make a fuss. I didn’t see the issue, however. It was our job, first and foremost. But I’d also been having trouble sleeping in the large, creepy mansion. At least I was paid and made friends, however. Lizzie was alone unless she was with Ruby or Charlie.

Eventually, Mr. Shelby allowed her to move to a room with a better view under the prescription of his aunt, a gypsy witch. But after nights spent dressing and undressing her and boiling tea again and again, eventually, I cracked. I crawled into bed beside her and held her until she dozed. It went on like this until hands began to brush against, wander over, and hold each other. Then lips, and then—

“Are you listening?” Lizzie asked, taking me out of my reminiscent thoughts. She was placing items in the cupboards I’d just cleaned earlier that week. It was the spring now, and Charlie and Ruby were still weeks away from coming home from boarding school. Mr. Shelby was busier than ever, even taking a wayward trip to America here and there. Most importantly, there has been tension between them lately. The maids were guessing an affair… again.

But really, Mr. Shelby was expanding again and doing even more dangerous things. Without the children, Lizzie felt shut in. So the all-knowing Shelby aunt suggested Lizzie break in a new property in the country called Greenwood. The main house was large. It has six bedrooms, three stories, and an attic and basement. But most importantly, it had 100 acres of land. A small staff worked the farm and kept the house together. There was a boarding house on the land for the farmers and a smaller cottage for the older couple who managed it all.

“Yes, I am,” I lied.

“I don’t believe you, so here it is again. I told the old woman, Mrs. Humphrey, that we’d do most of the cooking, but she bloody insisted, so she’ll come around noon and leave after making dinner. She said to keep the dishes in the basin, but we can do that,” Lizzie said. She wanted to be domestic, she’d said as we drove up here. Otherwise, I would fight her on trying to do chores when I would rather her not lift a finger.

“And when does this start?”

“Tomorrow. She’s already made dinner for us. It’s in the stove.”

Lizzie closed the cupboard and wiped her hands on a dishcloth. Neither of us spoke. The quiet was foreign and fragile. We couldn’t take it for granted for even a second.

“I’m glad we’re here. And I’m glad you agreed,” she thanked me.

“I go where you go, Madam.”

“Well, I think I’m going upstairs to try out the bed next. We have all night, but I want it right now,” she mused. The cheeky woman sauntered out of the kitchen towards the stairs. I sighed happily.

“What a woman.”

She wasn’t sensitive at first. Lizzie was familiar with groping and even liked it. But she made the best sounds when I kissed her first and talked to her.

“Open your mouth,” I told her. My fingertips pressed her cheek gently until her lips parted. I placed mine over hers. They were soft and silky from where she licked them. My tongue traced them, then slid past them. Lizzie was stubborn about showing her desire so freely, but she let a hand wound its way into my hair, and the other slid up my arm. I cupped her cheek, kissing her deeper until her calf rubbed against mine. She whimpered, frustrated that there was no pressing her thighs together to create friction for the pretty thing between. I only moved to her cheeks and jaw to catch my breath. She panted softly in my ear. If I lowered my hand, I wouldn’t even have to remove her lingerie to hear her say my name— gently cupping her would be enough. But I would save that for later.

Instead, I kissed her again, firmer this time, and slid up her waist to her breasts. Humbly sized and full from motherhood. She said she wasn’t sensitive there when I started dressing her in the mornings. That she never had been, even before when she “did most of her work lying down.” If she was ashamed of her past, she didn’t show it. She was comfortable in her body and knew it well. But I’d been on a mission to change her there. I stroked the swells as my tongue slid against hers. Her hand gingerly clenched the sleeve of my robe. I brushed over her nipple, and she hummed. Too distracted to be determined that it wouldn’t work on her. I shifted to lay fully between her legs and cup both at once. Her head tilted, and it was her turn to deepen the kiss. My thumbs steadily rolled her nipples while I massaged her. I would tease her later for the way her hips rolled once I finally pulled at them. She fidgeted under me, her knees pressing against my waist as I toyed with the strengths of my pulls. By the time I moved my kisses to her jaw to give us air, she was swearing.

“What’s the word?” She whimpered. I raised an eyebrow but only hummed as I licked over the places I bit on the column of her graceful neck. “Persistent. You’re fucking persistent about this.”

I could only laugh. She was right about that.

“Because they’re so perfect,” I explained as I reached her décolletage. My fingers slid under the thin straps of her top and sat back to shuffle it down to her waist. The angle gave me a breathtaking view. Lizzie’s face was beet red, with lips swollen and soft pants passing through them. My marks trailed down to her rising and falling chest. I didn’t dare look beyond her bare tummy, or I’d get ahead of myself.

“Take this off,” she told me, tugging at my robe. I did as I was told and then got back to work. My tongue circled her left nipple, exploring on its own accord. I kissed my way to the right side, leaving my hand to continue on the left, massaging and tugging. On the right, I licked and sucked and grazed my teeth over her tender bud. Lizzie gasped, and her hips jolted against mine.

“She likes it,” I whispered with a chuckle.

“Maggie,” she moaned. Lizzie kept surprising me today. She was early. But I wasn’t done. I moved my leg over hers, leaving one of my thighs pressed between hers. I kissed my way up again, meeting her lips again. She kissed fervently now. She would be needy soon and only able to be talked through it all. There were pros and cons to her in that state. The biggest con was that she would be too far gone to tell me when she was overstimulated, in which our time would be over. The pros were… everything else.

My hands moved to her hips and were starting to search for an outlet of any kind using the smallest thrusts. I pressed my thigh in further, parting her legs until I felt damp, warm silk against my skin. I didn’t have to say a word, only pressed her hips down, guiding her to grind against me. It was something she could play with while I had my fill, and play she did. I decorated the beauty before me with kisses. The slopes of her breasts were perfect for faint bite marks, soothed by a lapping tongue. I’d worked too hard not to enjoy the fruits of my labor. Lizzie made new sounds, rich sounds, wanton sounds with every alternation. Her face screwed up, went slack, turned unseemingly red, and was everything I’d hoped for. I snatched her hand away when she moved to cover her mouth. Never.

She found a rhythm against my thigh but disrupted it time and again when she was in a frenzy. I moved back to her left breast and generously helped her keep the rhythm by guiding her hips again. Lizzie’s gaze, glossy and desperate, turned down to watch me. Our stares locked just as I circled her nipple once more, then took it between my teeth, a bit rougher now. Her eyes rolled, and with her thighs wrapping around mine, keeping me pressed right against her, she came undone. The most precious gasps left her lips while her back arched. She was a thing of beauty. A goddess amongst man.

I wasted no time giving her a knowing kiss but once again decided to save my teasing for later. I was too interested in ridding her of her pajamas. Naked before me, she stretched and then ran her fingers lightly over her tender body.

“What are you doing to me, Mags?”

“Worshipping, I think they call it,” I whispered, fully enthralled by Lizzie’s hands, never ceasing until they stroked the soft curls leading to her center. She was nearly dripping, all shiny and slick, even on the insides of her thighs. Her hands were those of a housewife— manicured and soft but just as alluring.

“You’re still on about that?”

“What else would I call kneeling before you and giving you my all?” I questioned as I crawled between her spread legs. Refusing to leave an inch untouched, I kissed the softness of her belly. I was in awe that she’d held a child, creating it and bringing it to life in this very body. My life-giver sighed when I reached the crevices of her thighs, the creases inviting me to run my fingers over them and later use them as anchors to hold Lizzie in place.

I started at the insides of her knees, earning a groan because I was surely taking too long for her liking. But she was much more patient with one undoing under her belt. I loved the dimples of her thighs, the stretch colors of her stretch marks, the evidence that she was living fully. The closer I got, the warmer she was. Lizzie’s legs went over my shoulders habitually, and her calves caressed my back. When I licked the essence that was slathered across her inner thighs, just a head tilt away from the folds of her pussy, I took a moment to appreciate how she consumed me just as I consumed her. Her thighs covered my ears, my nose pressed against her skin, and, in a few minutes, her hands would be in my hair, holding me there. I smiled at the thought and accidentally let my lips brush against her folds, and I turned to clean her left thigh. Lizzie gasped, and her hands reached. I forgot that she was early today, and I didn’t have it in me to keep her waiting much longer.

I didn’t understand the disdain some men had for tasting a woman here and understood the confusion around it even less. Does one not want delicious fruit? When you bite into a peach, ripe and waiting, does one fear the juice that dribbles down their chin? No. They take it eagerly and drink as they eat it.

“Maggie,” Lizzie sighed, back arching. I lapped between her folds, tasting the creamy evidence of her earlier release. Then, up around her hooded bud, I traced, careful not to rush. She was always generous with her juices, giving me more every single second she enjoyed herself. Her hips moved against my tongue, becoming greedier by the second. “Don’t you think you have as much as you can handle?” I wanted to ask them. But she would cry out “Yes” like a chant sung in the most delicious tone, and I conceded. I didn’t know a thing.

Keeping her waist still was a special challenge. The act in itself worked her up and caused them to move even more. Once, I pinched her and told her to stop that. I may as well have rewarded naughty behavior because she came right away. She was too far gone to put two and two together, but I kept the act of pinching in my back pocket ever since. She didn’t need it today. She was feeling it more than usual, after all. One hand stroked my hair, all her restraint going to not tugging on it, and the other letting it all out on the bed sheets.

I glanced up as I began prodding her entrance with a stiff tongue. She whimpered again, then gradually moved a hand to her undoubtedly tender breast. She hissed with gritted teeth when her palm brushed her nipple, but she invited the feeling, still massaging with gentle pressure. Her wetness flowed, and I would swear nectar poured down my throat as if I were drinking water from a spring. I would save the pinching for another day, but I still moved my tongue to her sensitive bud to make way for my finger.

“Fucking hell,” Lizzie gasped. My lips wrapped around her clit while my tongue did steady work. Slowly pressing into her simultaneously left her quiet and slack-jawed. It was too amusing and caused me to hum against her. Her hips jerked beneath my hand. A second undoing when I was only a knuckle deep? She was in rare form.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring myself to wait for her to calm down. I pressed my full finger, feeling her fluttering walls give me more of her wetness. I decided to add a second, and by her sob, I believe she found it agreeable. Lizzie did like to go on for some time. One undoing was never as good as four or five. Or perhaps it was me who didn’t know how to stop at just one. The more she came, the prettier her face. I liked the look she was giving now— eyes closed, lip between her teeth, face flushed like a rose. I knew she wasn’t thinking of anything. Not the past, not the present, not home, not a man. She was this body, in her bed, with me. My fingers curled within her, but she didn’t cry my name. I slowed and turned to kiss her thigh.

“Breathe, my love,” I told her. She took a shaky breath in, then another.

“Maggie,” she finally said, looking down at me. “It’s unbelievable.”

I could only smirk and continue my work. Two could become three with how wet Lizzie was, but she was reaching satisfaction. She wasn’t as greedy as I was and not as selfish as I’d like. She would reach for me soon.

Her third undoing was strong. Her thighs threatened to close around me, but I stubbornly caught every drop that came from her, memorizing her taste, temperature, and scent. As expected, she shifted away from me, pulling me up until we were kneeling in front of each other. Then, she kissed me this time, with some being a ruse to lick her essence from my chin.

“Don’t think I don’t know you’re dripping, love. I can almost hear it,” she said in my ear. My face flushed hot, and my lips rubbed together. A benevolent goddess gives as well as she receives. For all I knew, Lizzie knew me better than I knew myself, and she was ruthless. She let her fingers stroke the insides of my thighs while she kissed my neck. I was already on fire. Every touch felt like the one that could push me over the edge.

She moved behind me, her hands reaching around to grasp the fullness of my chest. My breasts were larger than hers, and she always mentioned that she loved that.

“You’re incredibly sexy, Maggie,” she said sweetly. “Do I get all of you?”

“Every bit,” I confirmed.

Lizzie was much more skilled with her fingers than I could ever hope to be. She pushed me forward so my chest pressed against the bed and she could kiss down my back. She was less patient than I was, as well. But it was likely out of necessity. She languidly tongued my folds from behind. I tried to imagine what she was doing, but my mind was muddled in seconds.

“You come so quickly,” she said, both amused and in awe. “You get yourself all worked up when you’re messing with me. I’ll have to start with two, just so you can feel it.”

“Lizzie,” I cried out. She made me feel full every time. Her two fingers, long and nimble, reached farther within me than I ever could on my own. I could hear my own slickness squelching in the room, and my thighs trembled.

“Ah, ah, don’t. Not yet. Not until your goddess says, yeah?”

I blinked at the order. She kept surprising me. My eyes were clenched, and whimpers spilled from my lips as I pushed back against her hand. She said that meant I wanted it deeper and began meeting the rhythm of my hips. Lizzie pressed kisses against my lower back, my thighs, and my perched ass while telling me how erotic this was. How erotic I looked.

The begging began when Lizzie announced I was truly dripping only her sheets and slid in a third finger. She never said the consequence for going against her order, but nothing was better than being obedient to her. Stars appeared behind my eyelids before she finally said it was okay. Lizzie’s voice talked me through the jolting and trembling. Her arm looped around my waist, pressing me against her so I was still enough to keep receiving her fingers. She pulled out her fingers only to use her thumb to firmly circle my pussy. She stimulated my sensitive bud and folds and freshly stretched hole. I sobbed into the bed when she leaned down for a taste.

“You’re sweet,” she mused. She lapped at me until one release melded into another, and I had to push her away. We stayed in bed for a while longer.

There was no one in Greenwood, and there wouldn’t be for the whole summer. I propped my head up on my hand as she said it again and again while rolling around. No smoke. No mud. No Birmingham.

She rolled onto me, making me laugh and wrap my arms around her.

“Just us,” she said, finally. I nodded.

“Just us.”

[jean-vi]

The Volunteer | Jean x Reader

Pairing: Jean Kirstein x Marley!Reader Inspiration: “No, I’m not afraid to disappear” - I Know The End by Phoebe Bridgers Summary: this choice will have consequences. Genre: Rivals (?) to Lovers, One Bed Trope, Angst, Fluff? Warnings: Implied Major Character Death, SPOILERS S4, Non-canon storyline and timeline, map inaccuracies.  WC: 6.3k A/N: DARLINGGG GUESS WHO’S BACK FROM JAIL?!  Other: Masterlist

     Paradis was peace. It was a place where you could be yourself and feel less afraid than before, which was saying a lot considering your drenched skirts. The man before you was nothing more than a rowdy customer who was already rosy with drink despite the early hour. You had taken the early shift this day so that you could explore Paradis without getting the you missed your shift again talk. Honestly, the people in Paradis were nothing like the ones back at home. They were nicer, even when they were leering in your face with slurred words. You were just glad you were alive. 

    “Miss, miss, please, oh please can I have another–” the man groaned and you delightfully plucked the drink from his hands. It was like stealing candy from a baby. 

    “Sir, I think you’ve had just about enough for today,” you chirped happily. The man seemed disgruntled but easily seemed to forget his rage as a buddy slung an arm around him. Soon enough, a merriment filled the air. 

    “Not even noon yet,” Mrs. Wasatch sighed pleasantly as she bustled through and started clearing tables. You jumped in as well, eager to get your duties over with for the day. Mrs. Wasatch was a squat woman with full hips and a wide rib cage. Her dark hair was curled quite fashionably into a bun, the strands falling just right. Mrs. Wasatch helped run the bar and while she had been skeptical of you, Mr. Wasatch was an avid supporter of Eldian refugees from Marley. 

    “You know they never settle, dear,” Mr. Wasatch bustled through the kitchen door and into the dusty bar. The man always wore the same pitch black work boots and broken spectacles. You had offered to get the cracked glass replaced, but the barkeep had refused. 

    “I’m surprised we don’t hear more complaints from the neighbors,” Mrs. Wasatch laughed and you couldn’t help cracking a smile. You swiped at the stains on the tables and kept your eye on the door. If that pesky watch guard of yours showed up, it would be over. Your day of fun would be canceled and you’d be escorted straight back to the camps. 

    “Hun, you must be just itching to go out and enjoy the sun,” Mrs. Wasatch said with a warm smile, “the day is clear, not a cloud in the sky. When I was your age, all I wanted to do was go outside. Of course, the walls mattered a lot more then, so there was never truly any freedom.” 

    “That must have been awful, Mrs. Wasatch,” you hummed, your mind wandering. 

    “It sure was, darling. Probably nothing worse than your situation though.” 

    It was only then that you noticed she’d stopped wiping the tables down and instead was staring intently at you. You hated the pity in her eyes. You’d much prefer the anger of the protesters to this. She reached out and touched your arm, which forced you to keep a pleasant smile on your face. Her touch burned, just like the hands that had touched you before. Everything was always too hot and you felt like you were going to melt. You needed air. You needed to get outside now. 

    “If you ever want to talk about your experience, please, never hesitate to come to me, darling,” Mrs. Wasatch said softly. Then, she dropped her hand, her smile fading as she followed your eyes to the windows, “you may go.” 

    You didn’t need to be told twice. You rushed to the backroom and took off your apron. Then you hurriedly let down your hair and haphazardly combed your fingers through the strands. You breezed past Mr. and Mrs. Wasatch, giving them thankful smiles. 

    “I’ll see you tomorrow!” You called cheerfully as you left the building. You peered carefully around the corner. A sigh of relief. No one was in sight, which meant you were free to explore beyond the walls without a soldier breathing down your back.

    “I can trust you’ll be staying inside Wall Rose?” 

    Dammit. You froze and plastered a wide smile on your face as you turned towards the all too familiar voice. The man kicked off the wall, shaking out his light brown hair. 

    “Jean!” You greeted pleasantly, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

    “You and I both know that’s untrue.” Jean raised an eyebrow and took a hand out of his pockets to grip your shoulder, “don’t even think of running.”

    “Of course, I wasn’t planning on going outside the walls,” you said with gritted teeth. He didn’t seem convinced, which wasn’t surprising. He rubbed his chin and looked at you intently. 

    “Well, if you need to do errands, I would be happy to join you.” 

    You let your smile drop a little and shrugged off his hand. Not every Marley volunteer had a personal guard to watch them, but not every Marleyan volunteer had escaped into the wilderness three times. Now, it wasn’t out of feeling like a prisoner, that you kept leaving, it was more so out of curiosity. This supposedly dangerous island was probably the best thing that had happened to you. 

    “That’s so kind of you, but there’s no need, Jean.” 

    “I insist.” 

    “No I insist.” 

    “I’ll drop the subject if you tell me where you plan to go.” 

    “The market, of course,” you lied. 

    “That’s so funny, I didn’t know there was a market called ‘outside Wall Maria’!” 

    You shot him a frustrated look and he seemed vaguely amused. He then crossed his arms and sighed.

    “Look, I know you’re interested in what’s outside Wall Maria. I think anyone in the Scouts understands that feeling. It’s safer than before, but somehow the Scouts managed to find you in the restricted areas more than once, so there’s no way we can trust you. I’m sorry, but rules are rules now.”

    “That’s big coming from the faction that overthrew the government.” You smiled, but for some reason a darkness filled his eyes. In fact, the look was somewhat saddened or perhaps nostalgic. The afternoon sun was high and bright, falling over his furrowed brows in a delicate shape. His features were accentuated, the shape of his jaw and the way his nose sloped were illuminated in gold. 

    “Well, I’m going to have to follow you either way.” 

    “Romantic. I like that,” you teased, if only to lighten his mood. Jean had this way about him where he’d go from joyful to serious in a blink of an eye. You’d overheard a few of the other scouts say that he’s been a changed man since learning of the outside world. You looked up, breathing in the chirping birds and the wind that whistled through the buildings. You couldn’t imagine living trapped in the walls, in a constant state of fear. 

    So perhaps now you had begun to feel ashamed, for what you had been taught in Marley. Marley. You turned on your heel and made for the gate out of the wall. The sting of betrayal was still fresh. Your mother’s face, her dreadful face, flashed through your mind. 

    Shaking your head, you waved to the guards, who had seen you pass through enough to know your name, and stepped into the unknown. Well, it wasn’t really the unknown. First, it was a series of Marleyan Volunteer camps and then beyond a rickety wooden fence was familiar territory. You wanted to explore beyond that today. Sadly, Jean just had to catch on to your antics. 

    “It’s so funny, Jean, how these old fences keep Marleyan soldiers tame.” You kicked a log and Jean raised an eyebrow. 

    “They understand that they’re not meant to stay here forever, but it looks like someone didn’t get the memo,” he grumbled. 

    “Well, I can’t imagine this old thing keeping me back,” you chuckled. 

    The man sighed and stepped in front of you. Sometimes it was easy to forget that Jean wasn’t just the little angel singing on your shoulder and was instead a breathing human. He took up space in this world. Did you? It was a question you sought to answer on your adventures. You hiked up mountains, felt the cool air hit your face, and climbed trees. You’d danced in open fields and pressed flowers into a notebook. How could anyone take that away from you? 

    “It’s for your safety. Not just from what’s out there, but also for the people who may not be as happy to see a Marley soldier.” His eyebrows furrowed and while you did admit he had handsome features, they certainly weren’t aided by the saddened look on his face. You wanted to take a wipe to it and bring back joking Jean–the one that would allow you to go out. 

    “Come on, just a little exploration? Just a little?” You smiled and pushed him playfully. He groaned. 

    “You’re never going to let up, are you?” 

    “I was never one to back down on my word,” You gave a mock salute and Jean just rolled his eyes. He ran a hand through his pretty brown locks and then stepped aside. 

    “Fine. I’ll go with you, but only to the wall. If I get in trouble for this, you take the fall,” he eyed you apprehensively, but you couldn’t help seeing a small glimmer in his eyes, “and remember, I’m only doing this so I can keep an eye on you.” 

    “Aw, Jean, I thought we were friends,” you laughed and took his arm as he begrudgingly went and got his horse. You went to untie another, but he made a noise of disapproval. You looked up and he was shaking his head. 

    “Like hell am I letting you ride your own horse,” he patted the space behind him, “you’re riding over here.” 

    You frowned, “I won’t run away, I promise.” 

    “I’d feel a lot better if you just rode with me,” he said and you sighed, walking over. Hopping onto the horse, his hand instinctively went back to grip your thigh for a moment. You bit your lip, but didn’t say anything, “hold on,” he said lowly. 

    And then you were off. You held onto his shoulders at first, but gradually let your arms wrap around his waist as you took off into the open fields outside. It was so wonderful. The fresh air and the breeze. The sun. The landscape was gorgeous in the afternoon as the golden rays of light illuminated the grass. 

    “It’s so pretty!” You shouted over the wind and he glanced back. 

    “What?” He called back. You just laughed. You passed a few villages of people slowly rebuilding since the Scouts retook Wall Maria. You didn’t know how long it would take to reach the wall itself. Then you felt Jean tense under your grip and you looked up. A forest of tall trees. You’d seen it from a distance, but all the times you’d gone on foot it just wasn’t really possible to get there. You’d thought of stealing a horse before, but it wasn’t feasible. Too many soldiers around. 

    “What’s wrong?” You shouted, and this time he heard you. 

    “It’s nothing. Just old memories,” he muttered and it seemed to be mostly to himself, but you still caught some of it. You were quiet at his statement. Old memories. You could understand his tenseness now. You shook off your own ghosts. 

    “You’ve been to the forest before? I’ve always been interested,” you tried to prod a bit more, but didn’t want to push it. He didn’t respond for a long time and then shrugged. 

    “Yeah, I’ve been a lot more than I would have liked.” The horse had slowed to a light walk now and you loosened your grip. You opened your mouth to say more, but he interrupted the silence.

    “It’s getting late. We won’t make it to the wall. Let’s go to a nearby town and find a place to stay for the night. We’ll get to the wall tomorrow,” Jean cleared his throat as he spoke and you sighed as he slowed to a halt. You looked up. The sky was indeed becoming a dusky orange and pink. 

    “Let’s go then,” you said and he was quiet, just turning the horse back towards the last village you had seen. 

    As you rode along the fields, you leaned closer to Jean, “tell me more about yourself, mister,” you teased and he seemed to lighten up a bit. 

    “Well, I’m not sure there’s much to say. I think others would call me a leader of sorts.” 

    “More than your suicidal maniac friend?” 

    Jean’s lips lifted into a grin, “I haven’t heard that name in a while,” he then shrugged a little, “I guess. He’s a different kind of person than I am now,” he glanced back at you, “tell me more about yourself, miss. Like how did you end up as a Marley soldier?”

    You paused at his question and you knew he picked up on your hesitation. You tried to cover it up. You laughed a little, “you already know a bunch about me, Jean. I never stop talking, after all.” 

    He scratched his chin at that as you entered the village. There was still a lively murmur in the air as vendors were packing up their stalls and kids were being ushered back home. Jean found a barn where other horses were being kept and you both hopped off. 

    “Not often we get newcomers,” said the man who took your horse. He had on a wide-brimmed hat and he had this long, white, beard, which he stroked thoughtfully. 

    “Just staying for the night,” Jean said politely, “is there an inn?”

    The man hummed to himself for a moment, scratching his chin, “don’t think so.” 

    “Oh, well, then we’ll head to the next town over–” Jean started, shooting you an apologetic smile. You were just watching the whole interaction with much amusement. It was clear that the man knew who Jean was and was more than happy to have such an important member of the Scouts in town. 

    “Wait, wait, you can just stay with my wife and I! We’ve got a spare room that you and the missus can use,” the man smiled, “and we’ve got two kiddos, but they’re no trouble at all.” 

    Jean raised an eyebrow, “oh, no, we’re not–” 

    “We would love that, sir,” you grinned, interrupting Jean and taking a hold on his arm. Jean seem unamused, but he didn’t contest it as you dragged him along, following the man back to his home. 

    “I’m Peter,” the man introduced as you approached a cozy looking home. The house was a little on the outskirts of the town and had two stories. A yellow candle flickered in the windowsill and you could see two children running around in the dining room. 

    “I’m home! I’ve brought two guests with me, just for the night,” Peter announced as he opened the door. His wife was pretty. She had long brown hair and blue eyes. An apron was tied around her waist as she bustled around the kitchen preparing dinner. 

    “Ah, how wonderful!” She smiled happily and you looked over a Jean. For some reason, he had a forlorn expression on his face, which he easily hid when he noticed you looking. 

    “This is my wife, Greta,” Peter said, giving her a kiss on the cheek and taking a few bowls from the cupboards, “come, come, sit, eat.” 

    You introduced yourself and Jean, which they smiled at. Then you sat down, at the behest of Greta. 

    “How did you two stumble upon this here town?” Greta asked as she began to serve dinner. She ladled big portions of hearty potato soup into the bowls and served you and Jean, then her children, and then herself and Peter. Their children were cute. You estimated them to be about nine and ten. 

    “We’re traveling to Wall–” you began and Jean cleared his throat. 

    “My girlfriend wanted to see the forest of giant trees, since it used to be a big tourist destination,” Jean explained easily and you just followed his lead. You knew he was stressed about people finding out you were Marleyan–even if you were Eldian by blood. People had weird ways of drawing lines. 

    “That’s so sweet, but you be careful out there–although you probably don’t need me to tell you that,” Peter coughed, glancing at Jean’s uniform. You smiled and chuckled, nudging Jean to do the same. 

    “Do you have your swords with you?” One of the kids piped up excitedly. 

    “Yeah! Yeah! Can you show us how to slay titans too?” the other shouted. 

    “Settle down boys, settle down,” Peter said gruffly and Greta shook her head. 

    “I apologize for them, they’ve never seen a soldier in person before,” Greta smiled sheepishly and Jean scratched the back of his neck. 

    “It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” he said. He reached out and ruffled one kid’s hair, “I don’t have my gear on me right now, but I’ll tell you what, I’ll come back soon and show you, okay?” 

    This was met with a chorus of okays. You raised your eyebrow at Jean, but he only met your eyes for one moment. You weren’t sure if he was lying or not, if he’d have time and actually remember. Then he gave a small shrug. Peter and Greta seemed pleased by Jean’s offer and you supposed it was a small price to pay for the graciousness of them sharing their home. 

    “Our town just got some premium wine the other day, you should share some with us,” Peter offered, standing to grab a bottle from the kitchen counter, “just a little glass to end the night?” 

    You were about to accept–you weren’t one to refuse a drink, but Jean intervened. It was unexpected, but he cleared his throat, “actually, we’ve sort of sworn off drinking for now,” he said, feigning sadness. You shot him a confused look, but hid it well as Peter shrugged. 

    “More for me then,” Peter laughed and Greta rolled her eyes. She cleared the table and started ushering the children to bed as Peter got up, “let me show you to your room.” 

    Up the stairs, you and Jean followed Peter. The narrow staircase led to a hallway with three doors. Peter opened the first door on the left. You and Jean peered inside. 

    “It’s not much, but it’s homey,” Peter said with a firm nod. You gave him a small smile. 

    “It’s perfect, thank you, sir,” Jean dipped his head and Peter shot you both a knowing gaze before slipping away to kiss his kids goodnight. 

    Now alone, you got to thoroughly inspect the room. There weren’t any glaring problems with the room except for, well, except for the bed. You saw Jean grimace as he stepped in fully and you nudged him. 

    “Hey, you don’t have to look so upset about sharing a bed with me,” you yawned, going to take a seat on the edge. You looked up at him and he rolled his eyes. 

    “It’s your fault we’re in this mess,” he said, pinching his nose bridge. Then he rubbed his temple, thinking, “I’ll take the floor,” he finally concluded. You stood and walked over to him. You flicked his forehead, making him look at you with surprise. 

    “Took you long enough to come to that conclusion,” you scoffed, “but I don’t think it’s necessary. I’ll just scoot over and it’ll be no problem,” you gestured to the bed. He gave you a funny look and sighed. 

    “It’s unprofessional. I can’t.”

    “And I say you can,” you gave him a disapproving look, “you’re acting like it’ll be the end of the world.” 

    His ears went red and he looked away, “I just don’t think it’s a good idea.” 

    “Maybe not, but the Scouts have had worse ideas, don’tcha think?” You grinned fiendishly and while he initially seemed unamused, you did catch a crack of a smile. Jean was so serious, for as long as you knew him, but you’d heard he’d been quite childish once. Maybe it was before all this Marley and Paradis thing started. Well, really it had gone on for centuries, but it was a relatively new part of Jean’s life.

    It had gotten dark and you went over to the window to light the oil lamp. You had slowly been getting used to the ways of Paradis, but you weren’t completely familiar. You hadn’t grown up here and learning to ride a horse had taken a bit of time. Jean watched you fiddle with the lamp and he went to sit on the bed. He wasn’t putting up any more complaints, so that was nice. Truly, you were suggesting you share the bed because you felt bad for dragging him all this way. 

    There was a long silence as you lit the lamp, basking the room in a warm glow. You glanced over at him, his profile. A sharp jaw and stubble complementing brown hair. 

    “Hey,” you called softly, “I can take the floor if you’re really uncomfortable with it.” You walked over to him, lamp in hand, “I’m sorry I dragged you all this way, Jean. I just wanted to have some fun.” 

    He didn’t respond for a long time. Then his eyes slid over to you and he let out a deep breath. You set the lamp down on the nightstand and waited for him to speak.

    “No, no, it’s fine,” he said as he unlaced his boots and tucked them under the bed. You did the same on the other side and then you both lay on top of the covers like two sticks. He was tense and you were being careful to keep the room. You shut your eyes, but you couldn’t sleep with him just laying there, stock-still, next to you. Finally, he broke the silence. 

    “You’re so tense.” There was a teasing lilt to his voice and when you turned your head, opening your eyes, he was staring at you. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. 

    “Can’t sleep,” you mumbled, turning back to look at the ceiling. 

    “And?” 

    You eyed him and rolled onto your side to look at him. He mirrored you. 

    “I don’t know, Jean. Maybe you should bore me to sleep, as per usual,” you huffed. 

    You could tell he wanted to rebuff you, but he just shook his head with exasperation, “fine. I’ll humor you.” He hummed to himself for a moment, thinking, “I’m going to quit drinking.” 

    You raised an eyebrow, “I said boring, Jean,” you then smiled a little, “so you weren’t lying earlier.” 

    He shook his head, “I just think it’s been something I’ve used as a crutch for a while now, but I should really get out of the habit. Too many things happening lately, I need to have a clear head.” 

    You nodded at his words. He was right. God damnit, Jean Kirstein was right. There was another silence and you averted your eyes, tracing the pattern on the wallpaper behind him with your eyes. 

    “You never really told me how you got in this position,” he said and your eyes flicked back to his. His words made your heart clench uneasily. 

    “I don’t know what you mean,” you muttered. 

    “Yes, you do. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s just your past, but I doubt it will change what I think of you.” 

    You fixed him with a hard stare for once and he didn’t back down. You let out a breath and rolled onto your back. Your past felt so far away on Paradis, but it wasn’t so long ago that it all happened. You closed your eyes for a moment and then began your story. 

    “My family has been Eldian in Marley for generations now. We were always good Eldians. We never stepped out of line, never talked back. I have a brother and a sister, but they’re a lot younger than me,” you smiled a bit at the thought of them. 

    “You’ve never mentioned them.” Jean said quietly. 

    “Didn’t think it was important,” you shrugged. More like you didn’t want to let anyone know any intimate part of yourself, because that would mean they could hurt you. You’d already been hurt enough. “I was my mother’s favorite. My father was busy trying to support us financially.” 

    You rolled over to look at Jean. To your surprise, he was listening quite intensely, his eyebrows furrowed together. Maybe he could tell that for once you were being truly sincere, that you were telling the whole truth. 

    “The signs were there, but I didn’t want to believe them. My mother started disappearing at night, when she thought no one would notice. But she was my mom, so I always noticed,” you sat up a bit, pulling your knees to your chest. For some reason, recounting your history out loud seemed to bring out this vulnerable side of you, the side that wanted nothing but comfort and love. You didn’t like that. You wanted to be unshakable. 

    You cleared your throat, “and, well, she betrayed us. She joined the rebellion, but she got caught, of course. They threatened to kill our whole family, but I volunteered to join the military instead. And for penance, my siblings will need to join when they are of age as well,” you bit your lip. You couldn’t believe you’d left them. You wondered if they were still alive. 

    “I felt ashamed. I still love my mother, but I hate her for what she did to our family. And then I think I just hate Marley for making things work this way,” you mumbled, burying your face in your knees.

    Things were quiet, but you felt Jean’s eyes on you. And then you felt his hand on your back, “you have every right to feel this way. I hope you can find peace knowing you did the right thing for your family.” 

    You let out a mixture of a laugh and a sigh, “I don’t know if I did. I don’t know if dooming my siblings to a life of serving in the military is any better. I’m just prolonging their death sentence. It’s selfish of me to want to have fun and explore on Paradis while they suffer at home.” 

    Jean nodded a little and pulled your form against his body, enveloping you in his warmth, “You want to know a little secret?” He asked. You nodded silently against his chest, “It’s my job to stop you from wandering off, but secretly I admire you. And I feel encouraged by your energy. It reminds me of all the hopeful Scouts who dared to go beyond the walls in search of freedom. I wish I was still like you. Sometimes, I’m scared to let people in because people in my life seem to die whenever I do.” 

    “You are, Jean, oh gods, you are just like me,” you laughed a little and looked up at him. It felt right to be in his arms, “I can see it in you, sometimes. It’s a flash, but I still see some of the horseface boy that they used to talk about.” 

    His cheeks grew red, “hey, how do you know about that?” he stammered. 

    “I have my ways.” 

    You felt your eyelids growing heavy, “Hey, Jean,” you mumbled, “you’re a really good guy. I hope you know that.” 

    He was quiet as you drifted off to sleep. You heard him reply, but you didn’t register his words at all. 

    The next morning, he was gone. You awoke, bewildered. There was an indent in the shape of him next to you, but you were holding onto nothing. You stumbled out of bed, pulling on your shoes and combing your hands through your hair. 

    “Jean?” You called, testing the waters to see if he was just in the bathroom or something. But no, you didn’t see him or hear him. You cursed under your breath and hurried downstairs. Greta was bustling around the kitchen, preparing breakfast. It smelled delicious, but you didn’t have time to think. You raced to the front door. 

    “Oh, honey, he just left. He said he’d send someone for you, but he needed to leave urgently,” Greta said, but even she seemed to know it was a lie. She gave you a knowingly sad look. You just took deep breaths, chest heaving up and down. It was all reminding you of your mother leaving, your back against the wall as everyone gave you pitying looks. 

    “No, no, he wouldn’t.” you whispered, “no, he was–” you stopped yourself, swallowing, “he was going to take me to the forest of giant trees.” 

    Greta nodded sympathetically, ushering you to sit, “it’s okay dear, these things happen. I’m sure he’ll explain it to you later,” she said reassuringly. She plated you some breakfast, but you politely declined. 

    “Sorry, I just need a moment to think,” you said, out of breath. You felt like you couldn’t breathe properly. It was like the world was closing in. Why did he leave you so suddenly? Was it because you finally opened up? Because he was scared of holding you? Maybe there was something fundamentally and irrevocably wrong with you that caused everyone to leave. 

    “I’ll give you a moment,” Greta murmured softly, swiping her hands on her apron and heading upstairs. 

    The second she left the room, you knew you needed to leave. But how? You stood. You needed to steal one of their horses. You clenched and unclenched your fingers, pacing. Think, think, think. You grabbed the wine from last night and took a swig for encouragement. Then you set it down, wiping your mouth. 

    “Sorry,” you squeaked quietly upstairs. Then you bolted out the door and towards where they kept the horses. Indeed, Jean’s horse was gone. There were two more in the barn and you managed to soothe one enough to let you ride it. You were off not a moment later. You needed Jean to do some real explaining and you were going to kick his ass. 

      But when you got back, they’d assigned you a different guard. Jean was nowhere to be found and you were losing hope of seeing him again. You didn’t know what you’d done to make him so upset, but you wished you knew. 

    After some time had passed, you barely left the bar where you served customers. Mr. and Mrs. Wasatch were growing concerned as your adventurous spirit had dwindled. It made the new guard’s job a lot easier. You just wanted to see Jean again. For the first time in a while, someone had finally made you feel comfortable, and now he had the audacity to rip it away from you? 

    One day, the bar was closing and you were clearing off tables. Mrs. Wasatch was counting the register and Mr. Wasatch was shooing out the stragglers. Then the bell rung, signaling another customer. 

    “We’re closed,” Mrs. Wasatch began, not looking up. But you looked up and saw a swatch of familiar blonde hair. 

    “Niccolo!” You called with a grin. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wasatch looked up. Seeing that you seemed to know the man, they gave a nod of approval. Niccolo stepped in, his usually happy expression shifted to something more serious. You sensed the changed in his attitude and waved him over to you. 

    “It’s been a while, how have you been?” you greeted pleasantly, but Niccolo looked pale, nervous. 

    “Is there somewhere we can talk privately?” Niccolo muttered and you looked behind him at the Wasatches. You then nodded and pulled him into the backroom. 

    “What’s up?” you asked, concern knitting your eyebrows together, “is everything alright, Niccolo? You look…scared.” you reached out, gently steadying him with a hand. He returned the favor, but his grip was deathly tight on your arm. 

    “Have you had any wine?” He inquired quietly, but urgently. 

    You stayed quiet, trying to remember. Then you remembered that morning. The moring after Jean left you. You just averted your eyes as you got the sense this wasn’t the answer he wanted. He could tell. He inhaled sharply and looked at your face. 

    “You need to get out of here. Now.” He ordered, his face growing paler by the minute. 

    “Hold on, Niccolo, tell me what this is all about,” you implored him, now slightly panicked as well. 

    “The wine. It has Zeke’s spinal fluid in it. He wants to turn everyone into goddamn titans when he returns to start the rumbling,” Niccolo hissed and you felt the color drain from your face. Now you could understand what his panic was about. Shit. Shit. Shit. Your eyes must have been wide because Niccolo shook you slightly. 

    “There’s still time to leave.” 

    “I can’t.” 

    “What?”

    “I can’t leave. I still have things to finish up here,” You repeated. 

    “Like what? Talking to that guard? Yeah, everyone knows about you and your guard,” he scoffed, “come on, he hasn’t tried to reach out to you–”

    “He’s just scared,” you bit back fiercely, “he’s just scared of commitment. He’ll come back.” 

    Niccolo’s gaze dropped and he deflated, “I can’t stop you. Just know it’s not the right choice.” 

    But maybe Jean was always the right choice. 

      He didn’t show. He didn’t show when the wine poisoning had been revealed. He didn’t show when you got your armband. You felt like you were being branded again. You just stared. Mr. and Mrs. Wasatch had given you time off as you waited around for the inevitability of your demise. It was a pointless existence. And so you were determined to find Jean. 

    Early one morning, you packed your things and left, bidding a quiet goodbye to the lovely couple who had taken you in. They had, by some miracle, not had a single drop of the wine. 

    It took you a while to find Jean and when you did, you didn’t know what to do with yourself. You couldn’t just confront him. It didn’t feel right. And suddenly you felt foolish for following him still. But he was right there. He was standing, talking to his friends, laughing. 

    You watched for a moment, then you slinked off, finding an inn to stay in for the next few nights. You knew tensions were rising, you just didn’t know what they would end up amounting to. The volunteers were never told much, not even as much as the citizens. The citizens barely knew anything either. You just knew some were behind Eren Jaeger and others weren’t. You were on Jean’s side though. 

    It took another day until you found Jean again. This time, he was alone. It was getting late at night and you were following him, being indecisive of whether to approach him or not. You kept your eyes on the ground, thinking, as you walked. And then you looked up, the cloak around your shoulders swaying a little .

    Dammit. You lost him. And then you felt a breath near your ear and his presence behind you. 

    “Why are you following me?” he said lowly. 

    You turned and his expression softened. He stepped back, “why are you here?” he asked quietly, “how?” 

    You had so much you wanted to say. So much. But the first stupid thing that fell out of your lips was, “you left me.” and it sounded like a kid crying out for their mother. His eyebrows furrowed and he pulled you close to him, but you pushed him back. 

    “Why did you leave me?” You demanded, your voice hushed fury. 

    Jean stared at you for a moment and then he averted his gaze. He had the decency to look guilty, “honestly, I don’t know. I woke up and I just, I needed to go.” 

    “You just don’t like me,” you said flatly and he shook his head. 

    “No, no, it’s not like that at all. I…I think I like you too much. I was scared it would eat me alive and you would leave soon anyway. You have a family back home,” he said softly. You bit your lip. 

    “I believe you, Jean. I really liked you too,” your hand moved up under your cloak to cover the armband that gave away your poisoned status. 

    “Liked?” he whispered. 

    “Yeah.” you turned away.

    “Wait, surely you didn’t travel all this way to just tell me that,” he said, reaching out and grasping your cloak. You pulled away harder. 

    “Maybe I did,” you bit back. You weren’t a violent creature, you didn’t know why you were lashing out at him. The cloak slipped off your shoulders into his hands. You both froze. You both froze because you both saw it at the same time.

    You reached up, quickly covering your arm, “hey, you don’t drink, right, Jean?” you asked lightly, barely turning to look back at him. But you saw his drained expression. 

    “I–”

    “Good.” You whispered. 

    “When did it happen?” 

    “The morning you left. I took a swig for courage, how else?” you murmured. 

    “I’m sorry.” 

    “It’s too late, Jean. I think you just need to let this go. I need to let this go.” 

    “We were never anything at all,” he said, defeat tinging his words. 

    “Maybe that’s the worst part of all.” You turned fully then and cupped his face in your hands, “don’t dwell on a Marley traitor.” 

    “How could I not?” he leaned down, but you dodged his kiss. 

    “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be,” you sighed. 

    “Do you want this?” he asked and you hesitated. 

    “Yes, I do. More than anything. But I–” 

    And he leaned in again, his lips pressing against yours with a needy passion. The kiss of someone who had no time, but he was stretching it as far as he could. You returned the kiss with equal passion and when you pulled away, out of breath, cheeks rosy, he grinned. It was a smile that quickly slipped away when you stepped back. 

    “Bye, Jean.” 

    “Don’t go.” 

    You clenched your hands, “I’m sorry.” 

    And then you were gone. 

Fin.

[bts-hyperfixation]

Outside of the Fox

Chapter 35 of????

1779 words

Y/N longs for a new life when the one she’d been living comes to an abrupt stop. Without much thought to those she is leaving behind, the little fox packs a backpack and disappears. She stumbles across the shelter and makes an interim home for herself while she works out exactly what she wants from her second chance.

Last

Your phone starts to ring before you get a chance to climb into the driver's seat.

"Y/N, you shouldn't be here," Taehyung says, not wasting time on pleasantries.

He sounds exhausted. 

"You shouldn't be here either Tae, you should be at home in bed with me and the others." 

He sighs through the and the silhouette moves from the window.

"I'm coming to get you, wait there..."

You're not waiting for long before he comes jogging from the building's side gate. You expect him to take you in his arms like he would if you were at home, instead he kisses you on the cheek like you were a mere acquaintance. He looks around nervously as if checking for spies. 

"Walk quickly behind me and keep your head down," He says lowly.

You follow him briskly back into the house as he avoids all the open spaces in his own home with practised ease. Seeing this side of Tae, so serious and timid, is a complete juxtaposition to the man that you've come to know and love that it leaves you reeling. 

He doesn't stop moving until he is pulling you into a room that could only be his childhood bedroom. The walls are covered in a juvenile wallpaper pattern and there are paint and makeup stains in the carpet that only come from careless youth. You want to ask him about the secrecy but then his lips are on yours like he has been starved. 

He leaves you breathless as he pushes you back further into the room, his arms wrapped firmly around your waist.

"I've missed you so much," He whimpers against your lips.

"You saw me this morning," You point out. 

He puts a finger to your lips and shushes you.

"They can't know that you're here," He whispers.

"Why can't they, I thought they were your family?" You whisper back. 

He sighs dramatically and flops back onto the bed. You follow him, sitting gently at the end of the mattress. 

"Taehyung, what are we missing here, what don't I know?"

"This is a really long story Y/N... and it's so late. Can we just go to sleep and I'll tell you all of it tomorrow?"

"I told the others I was only going to the store..." You confess. 

"Well text them where you really are and then lie down with me,"

His obvious exhaustion leaves little room to argue with him, so you do as you are told. You send a quick text and receive a thumbs-up reply from Namjoon almost immediately then you toss your phone to the side and climb under the covers with Taehyung following closely behind. He curls up and reaches to pull you behind him turning you into the big spoon, protecting him from whatever it is in this house that is making him so scared. 

__________________

The morning comes around too quickly it would seem. The pair of you are awoken by a loud bang on the door.

"Master Taehyung your lady friend needs to leave now." The grumpy butler from the night before calls through the door. "Your bride-to-be and her family shall be arriving at noon, and your father will be furious if he finds the poor girl here."

"Wait what?" You sit up, rubbing sleep from your eyes.

"Jessup probably just saw the car in the drive... I should've had you move it if I had been thinking straight." He shrugs pulling the cover back up over his shoulders

"Not that Tae," You yank the covers away from him "He said your /bride-to-be/" 

"Right... that." 

He sits up with his back against the pillows and does his best to manhandle you into his lap. He links your fingers, playing with each one as he launches into his life story. 

____________________

Ever since he was a young cub his parents had had high expectations of him. Taehyung had never really played well into those expectations. It's not that he didn't try, it's just that they often set impossible goalposts, or at least Taehyung had thought they were impossible until his brother and sister had come along and managed to hit each one. He decided to give up sometime around puberty.

For a while his parents just let him carry on with his life, ignoring every cry for attention in favour of his siblings. Each time Tae was in trouble at school or with the law, they threw money at the problem until it (and he) went away. Eventually, after the third overnight jail stay, his parents threatened to cut him off. This was when they all realised how easily he could be controlled by money.

Having wasted his studies on alcohol and flings, he hadn't a whole lot of skills to fall back on and the thought of being disinherited left him terrified. He had no way of knowing what might happen to him if the money and family prestige were gone. His relationship with his siblings was good, but not good enough for them to risk their inheritances to help him if it came down to it.

Of course, he had always suspected his parents to be bluffing, not wanting to risk their own reputations' to destroy his. But he was never brave enough to test his theory.

So in public, he became the perfect eldest son.

He attended ribbon cuttings, he managed a business, he shook hands and kissed children. Anything that was asked of him to keep the peace and keep his bank account full.

All of this culminated in the ultimate sacrifice in Taehyung's eyes, his hand in marriage. This time his family were asking for too much, but what could he do? He had promised you guys, his real family, so much that he would no longer be able to deliver if he turned down their request. 

________

Tears rim his eyes when he is finished telling you everything. You try to turn and look at him clearly but he holds you in a way that won't let you. he buries his face in the crook of your neck hiding his shame.

"Do you think poorly of me now?" He asks, voice cracking.

"I could never think poorly of you Taehyung," You comfort him. 

"Don't say that to make me feel better," 

"I'm not. I'm the last person that could think poorly of you for concealing your past."

"Yeah, but you gave up your family name and their prestige for what you believe. You were so brave when facing a choice like mine, I'm a coward."

"You are no coward Kim Taehyung."

Before he gets a chance to answer back, a much more timid knock sounds through the room followed by a quiet voice.

"Taehyung... he knows... and he wants you both in his study now." 

Taehyung stiffens behind you, his anxious scent almost choking you as it fills the room.

____________________

The study is clearly room designed to be threatening. The large mahogany desk in the centre of the room gives an imposing aura and the chair behind it looks more like a leather thrown than a comfortable working seat. Two smaller chairs sit in front of the desk, a little too low to be able to comfortably sit at the table before them, but Taehyung ignores them anyway electing to stand. He has you stand behind him just a little, an arm protectively in front of you.

As it turns out Taehyung's father, while bearing a striking resemblance to his son, is far scarier than you had been expecting. You can finally see why adult pandas have no natural predators. His smell is bitter with an undercurrent of rage. You try not to shrink back as his eyes rove over you.

"I thought we had come to an understanding Taehyung-ah... You are an engaged man now, these silly flings need to stop, no more late-night bimbos."

"Y/N is not a bimbo father," Taehyung responds.

"To be entertained by you? She must be," The older man rolls his eyes.

Taehyung bites back a growl, and you have to stop yourself from pushing past him to take on Mr. Kim in his defence.

Mr Kim spends the next five minutes verbally abusing his son in front of you, blaming him for every misfortune within the family and accusing him. Each hit may as well be physical with the way that Taehyung flinches. You reach out to take his hand but he shrugs you away. 

"Now go and get ready, the Hirelys will be here shortly and you can't be reeking of affairs before you are even married boy. Say goodbye to your little friend, you shan't be seeing her again." 

You scoff at his dismissal, ready to fight for Taehyung and your love but you just get ushered from the room by a forlorn Tae. 

"Y/N you should leave. I... I'll see you later I promise."

"You can't be serious Tae, you can't stay here, you can't marry her."

"Look, if I want to keep my family and inheritance and treat all of you the way you deserve then I need to go along with this for now. It's the only thing I have to offer any of you. I promise I will be home soon and this will be all over but you need to go," He sighs walking you to the front door. 

"We don't care about the money Tae, we care about you. Your family name, the wealth, everything that comes with it we don't need it,"

"Yeah? WELL MAYBE I DO!" He snaps at you, the regret is immediately obvious on his face. "I promise I will fix it soon, just go home."

You can't believe he is so willing to go along with his family's ridiculous idea of proper just because he doesn't seem to trust that he can offer more to the pack than his wealth. 

_____________________

Taehyung watches from the doorway as you pull out of the drive. His sister sidles up beside him, resting her head on his shoulder to comfort him like she would when they were younger.

"You love her don't you?" She asks.

"Not just her..." He admits.

"A whole pack? Is that who I've been smelling the past few weeks?  How many?"

"Seven, eight including me I guess"

"That's going to be a really hard sell to mom and dad,"

"I won't be selling it to them at all, they need never know."

He pushes his sister away and storms back into the house.

"Tae!" She calls after him "That was Y/N L/N right?"

He pauses and looks back at her.

"Thought so, I think I have a plan to get you out of this mess."

Next

Masterlist

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Not bothering to send this on anon because I'm 75% sure no one in this story even has Tumblr, and I'm 100% sure the main person in the story hasn't used Tumblr since 2017.

AITA for not waking up my friend?

Asking this because a birthday of a deceased loved one is coming up soon and I would really feel like an asshole if I didn't text my friend, but we're not on speaking terms at the moment.

Okay, so story begins 5 days ago: me and some friends (all F between 22-24 years old) including me (24F) and B (23F) were going to hang out at a park near B's house. Everyone except B was ~1 hour drive away, but this park has a migrating species visiting this time of year, and this park was special because B's mom also took her there before she passed away when B was a teenager. So me and other friends drive up, and we are all in a group chat discussing what time we're leaving, so there are text records of when we left, but nobody texted an ETA to B until we got there. B's house is about 5 minutes away, so we figured it wasn't a big deal and she'd meet us soon, so we wait in the parking lot. An hour of us texting and calling her goes by with no responses from B, calls went straight to voicemail. Eventually, she texts back saying she just woke up (it was past noon at this point, and she had texted us ~10am) and that she was still in bed. We all decide to leave without her, and that's when she starts blowing up everyone's phones.

She eventually shows up and finds us, and she had clearly been crying. She started chewing us out on the walking path telling us we should have gone to her house to wake her up, or called her dad to wake her up. (She lives with her dad, but it was the middle of a work day, so I didn't even know he would be home.) She was very upset about us not waking her up and not telling her our exact ETA before we got there, but we were all kind of annoyed that we had waited so long for her too, so it was a very tense hang out.

I was willing to let it go, honestly, even though we've been fighting about a couple other things recently (that deserve their own post, but I know I'm not the AH in that one) and because I had a similar issue last year where I slept through a hang out, and I just ended up showing up late, no big deal. I actually apologized for sleeping through my alarms, which B has still not done. If she'd apologized and THEN said we should have told her our ETA, I would have apologized for that. I have not and do not plan to apologize for not waking her up or calling her dad, because I find that kind of thing childish, but if I'm ruled TAH, I will. I know one friend from the group is on ny side entirely, I don't know the opinion of the other.

We fought about the situation more that night, and after I said it was childish of me to call her dad to get her, she stopped responding. B did text me back the next day telling me she didn't have time to discuss then, but she'd text me back when she did, and now it's been radio silence for almost a week. Now B's mom's birthday is tomorrow, and I feel bad not saying anything to her. In past years we've always talked or hung out, because I know that day is especially hard for her. I definitely feel a little like TAH, but I'm also still mad. AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[justagalwhowrites]

Holly Jolly - Ch. 2: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

You and Joel get the girls together for a playdate. A continuation of Holly Jolly, a modern no-outbreak TLOU fic found on Tumblr here.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

Warnings: None really!

Length: 4.1k

AO3 | Main Master List | First Chapter | Next Chapter

Sarah, it seemed, had become president of the Sharon fan club. 

She talked about her the whole ride home. She talked about her as Joel got Sarah ready for school the next morning. She talked about her all through dinner. 

“Hey Dad,” she said as he read her a story and tucked her into bed. “Can I play with Sharon tomorrow maybe?” 

Joel sighed. 

“Wouldn’t you rather go play with Mackenzie?” He asked. “Or maybe we can watch a movie, just you and me?” 

“But I like Sharon,” she said, whining a little. “Please?” 

He sighed again. 

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said. “But you have to go to sleep, OK?” 

“OK!” She said quickly, snapping her eyes shut. Joel laughed a little. She opened one eye ever so slightly to make sure Joel was watching and closed it again. 

“Alright, Kiddo,” he laughed again. “Sleep tight.” 

“I’m trying to, Daddy, but you keep talking,” she scrunched her nose. 

“Sorry,” he smiled and kissed her forehead before turning out her lamp. “Goodnight, Baby Girl.” 

“Night, Dad!” 

He closed the door quietly behind him and went to the living room, all but collapsing on the couch and pinching the bridge of his nose. 

Joel really didn’t want to text you. He wasn’t exactly eager to talk to you just after meeting you let alone after you saw his card get declined and decided to take pity on him to buy the fucking picture. And then he was a bit of a dick about it. Something else he wasn’t exactly proud of. 

But he didn’t want to disappoint Sarah more. So he gritted his teeth, found your text from yesterday, and typed out a message. 

Hey, it’s Joel, Sarah’s dad. She’s been talking about Sharon non-stop, would you like to try to get them together this weekend? 

He almost hoped you didn’t respond. If you didn’t, it wouldn’t be Joel’s fault that Sarah didn’t get to see Sharon again. She’d be disappointed but she’d understand and Joel could feel like he’d done his job as her dad. 

But you responded almost immediately. Because of course you did. 

Hey Joel! Sharon’s been talking about Sarah a ton, too! Does tomorrow work? There’s a playground at our apartment complex and I can make lunch. 

Joel gritted his teeth. Were you trying to feed them because you didn’t think he could feed his kid? Or were you just being nice? He sighed. Sarah liked Sharon. He had to at least try to be nice.

Sounds great. What time?

Again, an almost instant reply. 

Noon OK? 

You added your address. 

Sure. See you then. 

Sarah was damn near giddy when he told her the plan the next morning. He’d never seen her run to brush her teeth quite that fast and she immediately went to her toy box to start trying to find things she wanted to bring over. 

“You can pick three things,” Joel said. “And it has to be stuff you want to share, OK?” 

She nodded seriously. Joel put her curls into springy pigtails and let her pick her clothes for the day - Sarah carefully selecting pink pants and a purple shirt with a lot of glitter before insisting on adding the ponytail holders with the pink, plastic balls to her hair. 

Joel stopped at the HEB on the way to your place and picked up some juice boxes and some cookies so he wasn’t showing up empty handed. The check and finally cleared so he pulled out cash to give you, too. There was a bright green wreath on your door and a doormat with a snowman and Joel tried to not cringe as he knocked. 

You answered quickly, smiling like you had been before but not completely covered in Christmas shit this time, at least. 

“Hi,” you said. “It’s good…” 

Sharon careened around the corner and almost fell into Sarah, eyes wide and excited. 

“You’re here!” She said, giddy, before grabbing Sarah’s hand. “Come on, I want to show you this sticker…” 

The two girls tore into the apartment and you laughed a little before stepping to the side and holding your arm out, welcoming Joel in. 

“Come on in!” You laughed a little. “Lunch is almost done. I decided to do something pretty basic, I hope that’s OK…” 

“Sure it’s great,” Joel said, holding out the juice boxes and cookies like an offering. “Thought we could contribute.” 

“Thank you,” you took them and headed inside, Joel trailing behind you. 

“Also, here,” he held out the money. “For the picture.” 

“Oh,” you looked at the cash for a second and then back up at him. “Really, don’t worry about it. Lord knows people have helped me out enough over the years. Just pick up the tab for someone next year or something.” 

He wanted to fight you on it but you were already headed to the kitchen, putting the juice boxes in the fridge. 

While you weren’t covered in Christmas stuff, your house sure as shit was. Paper chains hung from every doorway he could see, a Christmas tree in the corner twinkling with a small pile of gifts below it, a collection of wooden snowmen on your coffee table. It definitely made the four foot tree that was older than Sarah with nothing below it seem lacking. He tried not to resent that, too. 

You pulled something out of the oven as Joel hovered awkwardly in the entry to your small kitchen. 

“Oh, you can have a seat if you want,” you nodded to the breakfast bar. “We’ll give them a few minutes to check out the new stickers. Sharon’s school holiday party was yesterday and the kids all got goodie bags and she traded like everything in hers for as many stickers as she could get her little hands on. I don’t know what the obsession is…” 

“Thanks for havin’ us over,” Joel said, watching as you cut up the bread you’d just pulled out of the oven and he realized that you’d made little sandwiches. “I appreciate it, especially since I wasn’t exactly the friendliest the other day.” 

You looked up at him from the pan and he realized he could see your cleavage down the v-neck of your impossibly soft looking sweater, a sweater that looked like it was made to play off the color of your hair and skin and eyes. 

“Oh, it’s fine,” you waved him off and went for the fridge. “I’m sure you just had a long day. Why else would you be in line to see Santa at 8:30 on a Thursday night?” 

Joel laughed a little. You weren’t wrong.

“Yeah,” he said. “Fair enough. Still. You were being nice and I should’ve been nice back.” 

You shrugged and pulled some cut up vegetables and fruit out of the fridge and put them on the counter. 

“The holidays are hard,” you said. “Really, it’s OK.” 

“Don’t look like they’re hard for you,” he said, looking around. 

Your eyes looked a little wide. 

“Really?” You asked. “Oh, thank God. This is the first Christmas I’ve had a kid in my house, I keep worrying I’m not doing it right…” 

“Looks like you’re doin’ good to me,” Joel said. 

“Thank you,” you said. “Really, that means a lot.” 

Joel looked at a picture on a nearby wall, you with Sharon and a woman who looked a little like you. 

“Is that Sharon’s mom?” He asked, nodding at the photo. You leaned over the breakfast bar to see where he was looking and he resisted the uncomfortable urge to get a better look below your sweater. 

“Yeah,” you nodded with a sigh. “My sister. She was a single mom and she died in February.”

“Shit,” Joel said. “I’m sorry, that’s… that’s hard.” 

“It really is,” you said, eyes a little wide. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Sharon. That kid is my whole world. But I was only ever supposed to be the cool aunt who took her to Europe when she turned 16 and went with her for her first tattoo because her mom would hate it and she wanted support. I’m not supposed to be a mom.” 

“Is it just you?” Joel asked on impulse before he realized that he was prying into the life of a virtual stranger. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer…” 

“It’s fine,” you waved him off. “And yeah, just me. Before wild child in there I wasn’t really interested in much tying me down so I haven’t had a real boyfriend or anything in years. Our parents died a few years ago and we didn’t have any other siblings so it’s just me and Sharon. She’s a great kid, though. So much like her mom, it’s all so worth it. I just hope I’m doing right by her, you know? 

“Her mom would go all out at Christmas,” you continued. “Like that house looked like Buddy the Elf went to town on it every year. Meanwhile, I had like three ornaments I’d gotten as gifts before this year. I always went to her place for the holidays, it seemed silly to decorate mine.” 

“Looks like you’ve got it down already,” Joel said. “Just bought a house a few months ago, haven’t had the chance to really decorate anything yet. I just keep hoping she doesn’t really notice.” 

“Seems like you’re the kind of dad who spends a lot of time with her,” you said. “That’s the important part.” 

You called the girls over for lunch and you and Joel just watched as the two of the chattered about Frozen between bites of carrot sticks and sandwich. 

At one point you made eye contact with Joel when Sharon talked about trading for all the stickers yesterday at school and Joel had to fight not to laugh when he realized that he actually liked you. When he wasn’t in a shit mood and having his card declined by the mall Santa, you were just a kind person who, for some reason, wanted to be kind to him. Even after he’d been rude to you. He hadn’t thought you’d be his kind of person but he liked you.

“So ladies,” you said as plates were cleaned and leftovers put in the fridge. “Playground?” 

Sarah’s face lit up and the two of you got the girls into their jackets before walking over to the park, the kids immediately running for the slide, giggling manically. You sat on a bench and Joel joined you, the two of you silently watching them play for a moment before you glanced over at him. 

“So,” you said. “When you’re not shepherding a five-year-old girl through the mall Santa line, what do you do?” 

“I’m a contractor,” Joel said. “Mostly small to mid-sized jobs, just wrapped up one and I’ve got something small to run through the holidays before the next bigger one starts… You?” 

“I’m a teacher,” you said. “Physics, at the high school down the road.”

Joel smiled a little. 

“I went to that school.” 

“Really?” Your face lit up. “It’s a small world!”

“Or I just never made it far from where I finished school,” Joel said, looking back at the girls. “You like it there?” 

“I guess,” you shrugged. “I’m still getting the hang of it. I never planned to be a teacher, I was an architect before but I needed something that would work better for Sharon schedule wise so I got my teaching certification.” 

Joel frowned. 

“That’s a hell of a sacrifice.” 

You shrugged again. 

“She’s worth it. Besides, the kids are really fun. I have juniors and seniors and they’re so dramatic at that age, it’s like every little thing is the end of the world, and they care so passionately about things. It’s like living as an extra in a soap opera. That’s actually why I was dressed so crazy on Thursday, we had our holiday parties for the a-block classes but one of my kids was having some issues so I just stayed late and the next thing I knew I was late getting Sharon from daycare and everything was a mess… Anyway…” 

“You’re doin’ a good job,” Joel said, watching you, and you looked at him. Actually looked at him. 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah,” he said. “Trust me. Been doin’ this on my own since Sarah was four months old. You’re doin’ a good job.” 

The girls played for almost two hours before they wore themselves out and you all walked back to your apartment. 

“So, I hope I’m not overstepping by asking but… where are you at with Christmas shopping?” You asked. Joel just blinked at you for a moment but you kept going. “I’m only asking because there’s a thing some of the other teachers do where we take turns watching each other’s kids so we can run errands or go Christmas shopping and I’m dropping Sharon off tomorrow afternoon. They’re cool if I add another kid to the mix so if you need to get out for a few hours and cross some things off the to do list…” 

You looked worried and Joel, for a moment, wondered just how much of an asshole he’d been to you that you thought doing him a favor would piss him off. 

“That would be great, actually,” he said. “You’re sure they don’t mind?” 

“Not at all,” you smiled. “I’ve covered for some of the others a few times when stuff comes up with their other kids like sports tournaments and things, it’s really no problem. Besides, something tells me that Sarah’s a good kid. Don’t think she’s going to give them much trouble. If you text me your address, I can pick you up around 10 tomorrow morning? Drop the kids?” 

“Uh… sure,” Joel said, surprised that he was actually looking forward to it. “Thanks.” 

When he tucked Sarah in that night, he told her that she was going to see Sharon again the next day. She was giddy, kicking her little feet under her blankets. 

“I really like her, Daddy,” she smiled, that gap in her teeth one of the cutest damn things Joel had ever seen. “And her aunt is really nice.” 

“Yeah,” Joel said, tucking the blankets around her. “Yeah, she is.” 

***

“But can we ask them over to make cookies?” Sharon asked as you French braided her hair. 

“Maybe,” you said. “But it’s the holidays, girlie pop, they might already have plans. It would be very rude to try to monopolize their time.” 

“But I really like Sarah!” She said. “And she said they only do the cut out cookies and I told her about the peanut butter ones I made with you and mom last year and…” 

You still got a little choked up at the thought of your sister. You didn’t know it was going to be her last Christmas at the time but, in hindsight, it was like part of her had known she was going to be gone a few months later. 

It had been a picture perfect Christmas, filled with movie marathons and cookie baking and a Christmas light drive with a thermos of hot cocoa and extra marshmallows. You’d loved every second of it, loved that it felt like the three of you against the world. 

And now it was just you and Sharon and you were trying desperately to fill the massive shoes your sister had left behind while not replacing her. 

“We can make the peanut butter ones again,” you said, swallowing the tears that tightened in your throat. “And it will still be fun if it’s just you and me and not you and me and Joel and Sarah. Right?” 

“Yeah,” she sighed dramatically. 

“I know,” you tied off her braid and kissed the crown of her head. “I’m such a let down.” 

You made a face at her in the mirror and she giggled. 

“Come on,” you said, giving her shoulders a squeeze. “Let’s go get our new friends.” 

You tried to not be nervous about spending at least part of the day with Joel without the girls. You were pretty sure he didn’t like you much. You’d been positive about that at the mall. You knew you tended to come on a little strong and you’d been so flustered when you’d met him that you were sure it was worse than usual. You hadn’t expected him to actually reach out and you certainly weren’t going to text him unless Sharon was particularly eager to see Sarah and you felt like you had to. 

And then he texted you. 

Yesterday had gone better, at least. He was kinder than he’d been before and you’d enjoyed talking with him while the kids played. He was clearly such a dedicated father. Sarah fell off the play structure at one point with a small shriek and he jumped to his feet with a look of sheer panic on his face. But he stayed by the bench, giving her a second to get herself up before Dad rushed in. She did just that, brushing wood chips off her knees before immediately climbing the ladder to the slide again. 

It wasn’t something you were used to seeing from men. Sharon’s father hadn’t been anything like that. He’d stuck around for a few months after he’d proposed to your sister when he knocked her up. But by the time the baby shower rolled around, you could tell he was getting cold feet. Sharon wasn’t even a day old yet when he pulled you aside at the hospital and asked you to tell your sister to leave him off the birth certificate. You didn’t even get a chance to respond before he turned and left and that was the last time you’d seen him. 

Joel, clearly, had done the opposite. 

When you rang the door bell at the small house with peeling paint on the trim, it took almost a minute for Joel to answer the door. 

“Sorry,” he said quickly. “Come in, we’re havin’ a bit of a morning… Sarah didn’t sleep great so she didn’t want to eat breakfast and now we’re behind and…” 

“It’s fine,” you smiled. “We’ve got time.” 

You nudged Sharon in ahead of you and followed behind Joel, his dark curls wet. You sat down in the living room and peered around. There was a small artificial tree in the corner that looked a little threadbare and stockings held by push pins by the fireplace. A chunk of drywall had been cut out near the back door and there were some tools in slightly organized disarray on the floor nearby. 

“What’s that?” Sharon frowned, looking at the exposed pipe. 

“That is the current project,” Joel said, guiding Sarah into the room. “Some stuff in the house doesn’t work quite right…” 

“Hi Sharon!” Sarah waved frantically and Sharon’s face lit up. 

“Hi Sarah!” She waved back. “Sarah, I brought my favorite Barbie! The one with the red hair, it’s in the car!” 

“Cool!” Sarah said. “I asked Santa for a Barbie Dream House for Christmas! When I get it, you’ll have to bring your dolls over and they can be friends, too!” 

You caught a glimpse of Joel’s face at the mention of Barbie Dream House, almost like a wince. 

“You promised to sit still if you got to sit in the living room while I did your hair,” Joel said. “Sooner we do that, sooner you can go see that Barbie, let’s go.” 

Sarah sighed dramatically and flopped on the loveseat. Joel stood behind her and quickly gathered her hair into several small buns while Sarah did her best to hold still while talking animatedly to Sharon. 

It didn’t take long and soon, the four of you were piling in your SUV, Joel putting Sarah’s carseat in the back alongside Sharon’s. 

“I really appreciate this,” he said after you dropped the girls off and headed to the Target in town with the biggest toy selection. “I had no damn clue when I was going to try to get any Christmas shopping done…”

“Tell me about it,” you said. “If it wasn’t for this whole kid watching exchange, I was going to have to take a day off work. I’ve never had to try to do this before, it’s her first Christmas without her mom and I really can’t mess it up, you know?” 

“Can I ask what happened?” Joel asked after a moment. 

“Car accident,” you said. “On her way to get Sharon from daycare in February. Thank God she wasn’t in the car, too, or they’d both be gone…” 

“Jesus,” Joel said. “I’m sorry, that’s… that’s hard. Seems like you’re handling it well, though. Sharon seems to adore ya.” 

You shrugged. 

“I think I’m still just the cool aunt in a lot of ways,” you said. “Part of me thinks she still expects her mom to come back eventually. I don’t know. This isn’t how life was supposed to go for either of us.” 

Joel just nods slowly. 

“I get that. S’not what I expected for mine, either. It’s all worth it for Sarah but if you’d asked me what I was gonna be doing at 27 years old, shopping for a fuckin’ Barbie Dream House wouldn’t be it. Oh shit… crap, sorry. I try not to swear in front of Sarah or people I don’t really know, I don’t…” 

You laughed a little. 

“Don’t worry about it, I’m a big girl. Think I can handle a little adult language.” 

You parked at Target and the two of you headed inside, each grabbing a cart. 

“Did you want to split up or…” Joel asked. 

“Well, if you wouldn’t mind me tagging along?” You asked, a little sheepish. “This is the first Christmas and her birthday was just before her mom died, I’ve never done a big gift day with her. I could use some help. If you’re up for it, I don’t want to impose, it’s totally fine if you just don’t want…” 

“It’s fine,” Joel smiled just a little. “At this point, know a lot more about little girls’ toys than I have any right to. May as well put it to use.” 

The two of you started in the girls’ clothes section before heading on to the toys. Joel went straight for the Barbie aisle and he stopped in front of the Dream House, just staring at the box. You picked a Barbie for Sharon and stood next to him. 

“That thing is huge,” you said after a moment, glancing his way. “No way there’s room for it in my place. No one has room for something that big…” 

You chewed the inside of your cheek a bit, hoping that giving Joel some kind of out wasn’t too awkward. 

He didn’t take it, though. 

“It’s just outta my price range this year,” he sighed. “Keep tryin’ to do the math and I want to get it for her. I want to get everything for her. But shit, I’ve got maybe that much for all of Christmas. Can’t spend that on one toy.” 

You saw him tense his jaw for a moment when you had a thought. 

“What if you made her one?” You asked, looking up at him. He took his eyes off the box for the first time in more than a minute to frown at you. 

“Make a Barbie Dream House,” he said, skeptical. 

“Yeah,” you shrugged. “I mean, it wouldn’t look just like that but… I’m an architect. Or I was. You’re a contractor. I bet, between the two of us, we could come up with something that would cost like $50 in materials. I’ll design it for you and then you can build it and…” 

“You’d do that?” He asked, brows raised. “Just plan out a toy for my kid?” 

“Sure,” you shrugged and smiled. “I mean… it’s Christmas. Besides, it’ll give me a chance to practice at drawing up plans again. I could use the excuse, I miss it.” 

Joel looked at you for a moment and you thought - not for the first time - that he was one of the most beautiful people you’d ever seen. You’d thought it when you first saw him in line for Santa, you’d thought it when he’d showed up at your door the day before, you’d even thought it as you watched him style is daughter’s hair earlier that day. 

You looked at the box for something else to focus on. 

“We can do that,” you said. “Piece of cake.”

Next Chapter

[thevoidstaredback]

So, I told you guys about the Minecraft server that's been having problems lately, right? The one that I'm salty about for several reasons, one of which being that I'm not able to do what I was told I would be doing.

Anyway, our admin (a long time friend of mine) announced this past Saturday that he would be ending the project. The main reason being that the people holding big roles (I would totally [user]name drop them, but I'm not gonna be that petty yet) have been bailing out literal hours before recording happens. Two of them have even been ghosting us all!

The problem is that I don't want to give this up. This project is something Admin has been dreaming about since we were in middle school. I've been helping him with this since I was in middle school (he in high school)(he's a year older than me). I want this to be a thing that happens because, and this is a little selfish, it's something I've been wanting to do, too.

Now, I've got two options. I can continue with this on my own, get everything set up before even approaching anyone about retrying; or I can talk to the others (Admin R, admin I, admin S, admin B, and myself (admin L)) and we can work together on retrying it. Either way, we have to be more cohesive.

This is where y'all come in. I need advice. Under the cut is a message I have drafted to send to the others, or at least Admin R. Will y'all let me know what you think about it? Anything I need to add or clarify?

Any advice is welcome because I don't normally have conversations like this, but I have before.

I'm also very stubborn about this. I will be doing this project with or without the others. It'll just be faster and funner with them.

If y'all don't really care, that's fine. Most, if not all, of you followed me for my writing, and I promise stuff is coming soon. But I can't go to my other socials with this because they follow my other socials and I don't want them knowing about this until I've got what I need/want to say sorted out. Regardless, a version of this message, if not this exact thing, is being sent out by noon tomorrow.

Y'know, I was thinking about the announcement from Sat. If we want to try and pick this up again in the future, doing an actual casting call would probably be our best bet. With a hard set schedule, the world built before even looking for voices, and a storyline to follow (if we don't wanna improv our way through)

It wouldn't even have to be paid roles! A casting call between friends to see who would be best where would be fine as long as we have a set schedule that eveeyone knows to follow. Like when putting on shows for school, except the rehearsals would be recording episodes. (Same with crew calls, because having a set crew and a set cast is always good)

If we do end up going with the paid route, we'd have to establish ourselves and a channel first so we can actually pay people.

This is, of course, in the scenario that we actually wanna do something like this again. If we do, we have to delegate and communicate between ourselves, and whoever joins us, better. A lot better

I think our problem was that we held too high expectations for this project. Expectations aren't bad, they're great, even! But there's a bar that we set that we couldn't reach for several reasons.

I get it, life happens, stuff gets in the way. That's where we fell apart, I think. No one was communicating with anyone, and when people did talk, it was sporadic with hours to days between messages. Last minute schedule changes across the board that wouldn't have been last minute if we'd all communicated better.

I have the most time out of all of us, I'm pretty sure, as well as several large followings in different places. I can take on a lot more than the others because of that free time and ability to reach as long as you let me. If we want to retry this, it'll take a while to set up, but I believe we could.