#anyway I gotta do a long blink now cuz I got work soon

[loveronlineee]

Being a Freak 101 Part 2 (Eddie Munson x Reader)

Masterlist   All Parts

Eddie Munson x Cheerleader! Reader (She/Her)

Warnings: swearing

Synopsis: Y/N gets her first class on metalheads as Eddie introduces her to his music and style

Y/N notes: thinner/smaller than Eddie, hair long enough to be put in a ponytail

Y’all remember part 1 of this??? Cuz I totally forgot about it. Hehe oh well part 2 is finally hereeeeeee

Also I changed the title, it used to be Pranks on the Preps

Sorry if you were waiting for more Three. chapters! I didn’t want to force myself to finish the next part and not take the time to plan out where the story is going. Gonna work on it more tomorrow:)

Hope you enjoy this for tonight!

Wanna be on the Eddie Munson tag list? Look here!

Wanna request something? Look here!

Eddie waited outside the school, leaning up against the wall, a cigarette in his mouth.

Suddenly the doors burst open and the cheerleaders spilled out, walking to their cars. Y/N came out with the same two girls she sat with at lunch. As soon as they saw Eddie, they started giggling to each other.

“Eddie! You waited.” Y/N said with a smile. The metalhead could tell this was her fake peppy act for this prank. Still, she was adorable.

“Of course. You asked me to.” He played along, showing the other girls that he was already wrapped around Y/N’s finger. In reality, he really was but he’d keep that a secret from Y/N for at least a little longer.

“I’ll see you guys on Monday!” Y/N waved as the rest of the cheerleaders drove out, leaving her and Eddie in the dark empty parking lot.

They began waking towards Eddie’s van. “How was Hellfire club?”

“Do you really care?” Eddie asked with a chuckle. Y/N smiled back.

“No, but tell me anyways.”

“Good. How was cheer practice?”

“Do you really care?” Yes.

“No, but tell me anyways.”

“Good.” The two got into the van and Eddie started it up.

“So what’s the plan L/N?”

“You gotta teach me about being a metalhead. Style, attitude, music. Everything.”

“So you want me to be your metalhead teacher huh?”

“Sure do Munson.”

“Yeah I think I can manage that.” Eddie grinned.

“So we going to your place?” Y/N asked. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. Eddie didn’t know much about Y/N’s living arrangements but he knew his trailer wasn’t going to be up to standards.

He found himself unable to speak. It didn’t help that Y/N decided to let her hair down out of her ponytail at that exact moment. She shook her head and ran her fingers quickly through it before turning back to Eddie with a smile.

“Y-Yeah. Yeah sure.” He started driving, nerves building along the way.

How bad did I leave the trailer today? What’s on the couch? Did I leave food out??

A flood of questions filled his head, trying to find any way to prepare for Y/N walking through his front door.

He turned into Forest Hills Trailer Park and began to sink in his seat. He looked over at Y/N expecting her to have her nose turned up at the sight of where he lived.

But instead she was swaying a little in her seat, looking out the window quizzically. As Eddie parked the van, he tried to memorise the state of the inside of the trailer.

“Uh you’ll have to excuse the mess. The maid won’t be round til tomorrow.” He joked to ease the tension. Y/N chuckled as they reached the front door. The pair went inside.

Eddie could feel his anxiety building more and more. He watched as Y/N closed the door behind herself and began to look around. He waited for a disgusted look at the mess, a crinkle of her nose at the smell, a negative comment disguised as a compliment.

But no. Nothing. Y/N just smiled at him.

“You probably don’t know this about me, well most people don’t…” Y/N began. “But I used to live in a trailer park.” Eddie blinked.

“You did?” She nodded.

“Yeah, when I was little. My parents didn’t have enough for a kid but suddenly I was there and they just had to do their best.” Y/N shrugged. “My Dad got lucky, a few things went our way and now we live on Maple street with all the rich kids.”

“I had no idea.”

“Yeah so, I wanted you to know so you know I’m not judging you. To be honest, your place feels weirdly nostalgic. Kinda comforting.” Y/N smiled again. Eddie smiled back, feeling calmer.

“Eddie.” The pair turned to see his Uncle.

“Wayne! I thought you’d be at the bar.” Eddie said, which sounded a lot more suspicious when there was a pretty girl standing in their living room. “U-Uh this is Y/N she’s uh-“

“A friend from school.” Y/N saved. “It’s nice to meet you Mr Munson.” Wayne gave her a nod of approval and walked out the trailer.

“I’m going to the bar. You two have fun, but not too much fun.”

The pair made their way to Eddie’s bedroom. Eddie scrambled to grab anything lying around and shoved it in his closet. Y/N took a seat at the end of his bed as he went over to his collection of cassette tapes.

“Okaaaaay L/N. Metalhead lesson number one. Our superior taste in music.”

“Superior?” Y/N repeated comically, cocking her head to the side. A song began to play as Eddie turned to her.

“Yeah I know what I said.” Y/N giggled as she began bobbing her head to the beat. Eddie played an air guitar before dropping down next to her. “Now this my dear, is Black Sabbath.”

He walked over to his closet and opened it, having immediately forgotten that he had shoved a bunch of crap in there moments ago. It fell to the floor which Eddie ignored in favour of going through his clothes. “Okay whilst we’re filling your preppy brain with Paranoid, let’s think about your outfits…”

Y/N watched as Eddie sifted through his belongings, picking out some things. “Now the lady metalheads dress a little differently to the guys usually, but this can be a start.” He turned around and held out a pair of blue ripped jeans and a black AC/DC shirt.

Y/N took them and went over to the bathroom. Eddie looked through his music, picking the next song as he waited.

“Eddie!” Y/N called out.

“Yeah?” Eddie looked up to see Y/N in his jeans, holding the waist on one side so they wouldn’t fall down.

“You got a belt?” She chuckled. Eddie tore his eyes away from the top of Y/N’s underwear and scrambled to get her his black belt.

“Y-Yeah yeah here.”

“Thanks. Won’t be too long!” She disappeared back into the bathroom. Eddie breathed out. He could feel the heat creeping up on his cheeks. It hadn’t occurred to him that seeing Y/N in his clothes might be a little too hot for him to handle. “Holy shit!” Eddie rushed to the bathroom door.

“What? What is it? You okay?”

“Your belt buckle is hand cuffs!!!” Y/N said excitedly. “That’s so fucking cool!” Eddie grinned so wide at that. Y/N emerged from the bathroom and gave Eddie a twirl.

The jeans and the shirt were way too big for her but weirdly, she pulled it off really well. Yeah, Eddie was right. This was way too hot.

“Lookin good L/N.” He grinned. The two went back to Eddie’s room so she could use the full length mirror.

“Oh my god. I look so different.” Y/N giggled to herself as Eddie stood next to her. “Well we definitely look like we’re going to the same concert.” She said, making Eddie chuckle. “So you said that girl metalheads dress a little differently?”

“Yeah you’ll probably want to get a women’s leather jacket, some type of black boots, my rings won’t fit you so you’ll want some of them…”

“Well then, sounds like we’re going to the mall tomorrow Munson.”

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[byulsgrease]

if you arent too busy, can you write a idol!hwasa x idol!reader, wherein they both have to practice with each other for a special stage. However on the first meeting they become starstruck and cant believe somethings are real, but soon warm up to each other?

i'm not terribly busy but this still took a while anyway oops - sorry this took so long anon! here you go :D

if anyone has requests for the other members hmu cuz I've got 2 more hyejin reqs after this one (not that I'm complaining)

"who says we can't do something on our own?"

(hwasa x idol!reader, ~1.2k words)

cw: food + alcohol mention (y'all know how it is)

I named someone Minjeong - it's not Aespa's Winter, idk anything about 4th gen gg's - 민정 is my Korean name so it's just what came to mind

"Hey, wake up. You've gotta see this. GET UP," a voice piercing through the fog of your sleep.

What a rude awakening. Your shoulders being shaken vigorously by a pair of small hands meant they belonged to none other than Minjeong, your youngest group member. You rolled over to glare menacingly at her with one eye open, trying to pull your brain out of the slumber. All you could see was the bright light of her phone shining in your eyes - a video of some kind. But then you heard the audio:

"Have you seen the clip?" asked the interviewer.

"Yes, my members and many MooMoos made sure I saw it"— Moos? Oh, it's Hwasa. WAIT. Both your eyes flew open as you sat up and snatched Jeongie's phone out of her hand to stare at the video. Your mind immediately flashed back to the interview you did last week - they asked who you most wanted to collaborate with, if there were no limitations. Your ears started to heat up at the sheer thought of the flustered mess of an answer you gave - of course you said Hwasa. Both of you debuted relatively close to each other, within a year, but never interacted much over the years. Mamamoo as a group was a force to be reckoned with, but there was just something about Hwasa specifically. You mostly just admired her unique singing voice and undeniable stage presence, and her relentless drive to always be herself in an industry constantly trying to fit women into a box.

Finally snapping out of re-living that embarrassment, your attention turned back to the phone in your hand. The interviewer must've asked her to send a message in response to you, because you couldn't believe that she was waving and saying, "How haven't we gotten to know each other better over all these years? I'd love to work with you on something sometime," curtly dipping her head in a slight bow.

"SEE? You needed to see that," Minjeong rushed to say, full of energy. "And close your mouth, your jaw's on the floor," jokingly pointing.

You side-eyed her and shut your mouth. "Is this what Loco felt like when she called him during Hyena on the Keyboard?" you wondered aloud.

"At least she's not calling you while on camera," she commented, knowing full well that you'd probably embarrass yourself again if she did. "But hey, at least she noticed you! Can I have my phone back now?" It would be a dream come true to collaborate with her, but cross-company collabs... always a pain. that couldn't be helped. The fantasy abruptly ended with demands from your rumbling stomach. Done with your what-if's, you placed the phone back in your maknae's outstretched hand to get up and make breakfast.

~~~~

With award show season rolling around, the crazy scramble of rehearsing for special live stages without leaking sets and collabs began. Checking your email that morning showed a schedule to record the backing track for a special live stage, but that was it. With who? You texted your members a screenshot, but they all told you that block of time in their schedule was empty. A solo stage? The solo mini-album you released this cycle did relatively well, the title track got a music show win, but not a multi-week chart-topper by any means. Possibilities turning over in your mind, you stepped out from your place to head to the company, totally in the dark about what was in store.

The recording studio always smelled the same along with the couches, a comfort for all the insanely long nights and crack-of-dawn early mornings over the years. With a bit of time to kill, you plopped down on one and gingerly patted the worn cushions as some kind of symbolic thank-you for supporting you (literally).

A hesitant but loud knock sent your gaze directly to the door. Watching it slowly open, you leaned forward to see who it was. Needless to say, your jaw fell to the floor again as you clapped a hand over your gaping mouth, eyes widening. Like a soldier obeying a command, you immediately stood up as straight as possible and bowed profusely at Hwasa, sporting a very similar expression on her face (which you failed to notice, your mind running a million miles a minute).

After a series of frantic bows and miscellaneous utterances to each other, she spoke. "It's nice to finally meet you," she said with calm, surveying your frenzied state. "I guess we're granting that collab wish from your interview, huh?"

The red-hot embarrassment leapt to your face. "I...I definitely made a fool of myself answering that question. And our maknae showed me your interview clip too, which was cool, but never did I think it would actually happen," you stammered. I should probably stop talking.

"Well, here I am," she half-smiled coolly. "Let's get started, I'm really looking forward to finally work with you on this," a gleam in her eye and a hint of excitement in her voice.

The studio suddenly felt a lot smaller with her in it, despite there only being your managers, the producer, and the both of you - less people than you and your members alone. Both of you remained relatively quiet the whole time, rather unsure of what to say or talk about. You watched enough MMMTV to know that all the members on their own were shyer than together, and Hwasa knew the same was true for you. But the work basically took care of itself, seamlessly taking turns in the recording booth, witnessing each other's work style and process. The both of you knew your way in front of a mic, seasoned professionals by now. Upon wrapping up, you bowed politely to each other after a quick exchange of KaTalk info, a short and sweet goodbye.

That was... anticlimactic. I mean, it's finally happening - I can't believe it. But maybe I was too idealistic about maybe creating a meaningful relationship with her outside of work... What does she think of me?

~~~~

In the days leading up to the collab stage, you kept going back and forth on whether to reach out or not, despite now being in possession of her contact info. What would you even say? Thoughts of a witty one-liner or relatable meme came to mind, but maybe she'd assume the worst - that you were clout-chasing, or something. Anxieties abuzz, your phone vibrated in your pocket. The KaTalk notification sprawled across your screen. Speak of the devil, it's her.

"Hey, awards season has me stressed. I know you must pretty busy right now too, but I somehow get off early tomorrow if you wanna grab dinner after work?" You had to reread that one. Oh, what? She's inviting me?

Trying not to be weird about responding too quickly, you typed out, "Wow, yeah, that sounds great! ^^ wait, your company doesn't care about you going out to eat during award season?"

"nah, they stopped having that kind of control over us a while ago, we are the money-maker of the company, after all 😏"

"so I guess this means they don't check your phone either ㅋㅋㅋ"

"nope :)"

You proceeded to set a time and place to meet, someplace with meat.

In the process of feasting on an inordinate amount of gopchang imbued with a splash of beer, you learned a fair amount about each other. You talked career, professional aspirations, the weird habits of your members, and more. What surprised you most was the amount of things she already knew about you, having admitted to watching some of your behind-the-scenes content after seeing your interview clip.

"Ah... I'm sorry if I came across as distant during that first recording session," she confessed, pausing to sip her beer. "I honestly didn't know what to do with myself, I felt a little star-struck."

"Oh what?? I felt the exact same, so no worries - and sorry if I came off similarly distant," you rambled back. A bit of silence fell between you, acknowledging the mutual sentiment. You spoke up after a bit, "Thanks for inviting me out tonight, I didn't realize how much I needed this."

"Thank you for making the time, I had fun getting to know you better," she articulated with a smile. "Maybe it'll make the collab stage better," she added on jokingly. You responded with a nod and expression of mutual affirmation.

~~~~

After that, messaging each other became a regular occurrence, that gopchang outing having broken the ice. Honestly, you tried your best to talk about anything besides work, but the baseline of shared understanding connected you in a way that came more naturally than it did with your non idol friends.

You stood across the way from her at the sound check for the final stage, dressed in joggers and slides. Funny to think that you'd be recording this for real in a couple hours, making eyes with the blinking red light on the cameras surrounding you. It sucks that fans wouldn't get to experience the energy and atmosphere of the performance - Hyejin alone is one thing, but adding someone else into her stage presence? Unmatched. There's nothing quite like a live performance - and while you knew everyone in the industry dealt with the consequences of the pandemic, it certainly took a toll to perform and not feel the energy from fans. But realistically, nothing you could do about it. The sound check went over smooth like butter. The stage chemistry came flowing naturally between you both, even when bare-faced and dressed in just sweats.

And when the time came for the actual filming, you both absolutely killed it, an upbeat mash-up of TWIT and your title track. At the very end came a sliver of hesitation before throwing your arms around each other with a big smile for the ending fairy, proud of the work you accomplished together, and a mental fist-pump to yourself for making friends with one of the industry's finest.

Once again walking to a restaurant that served mostly meat to celebrate, you playfully proposed, "We... should do that again sometime." A little puff of air came out her nose in amusement.

"Yeah, we should. Too bad we're gonna have to wait a whole cycle before we can release anything else together again," she sighed longingly.

"Who says we can't do something on our own?"

[theres-an-impulstor-among-us]

I give you a lot of angsty requests, so here, have a fluffy one!

Among Us: Through some glitch, a round generates with no impostors. For the first little while everyone is really on edge and trying to accuse each other, but they soon realize that nobody is dying and relax, although they're still very confused. Everybody does their tasks as normal, but instead of completing the last task, they all build a big pillow fort under the admin table and just take a rest for a little bit, hanging out and laughing over previous games and just being together without the tension of possible death and betrayal over their heads. Many stories are told, many "bodies" of friends knocked over in pillow fights are "reported", and many memories are made, before they finally decide to end the round! 💙

okay so this request was MEGA detailed so i didn’t get to every single part of it but i hope this is just as good lol

also bring on the angst I DARE YOU /lh

…

A weird feeling in his stomach, Etho presses the emergency meeting button, teleporting everybody to the table. Once everyone is assembled, Etho realises something strange.

“Okay, there’s been no deaths,” he says slowly.

“Wh- Seriously?!” Tango gasps. “That round lasted, like, twenty YEARS! Half the tasks have been done!”

Etho frowns. “Nobody’s seen anything suspicious, or…? No venting?”

Everybody shakes their heads.

“Okay… I guess we’ll skip, then. Everyone keep an eye out, though.”

When the meeting comes to an end, Etho trots after Tango as the latter heads towards weapons. “Hey, Tango? Does something seem a little off about this round to you?”

“Yeah. We’re a bunch of idiots who can barely play this game on a good day - except you, of course,” he adds, “but it’s definitely weird that we went that long without a single kill. The imposters must be really slow for some reason.”

Etho considers this. “Maybe. I’m not convinced.”

He leaves Tango’s side and peels off into navigation as Tango keeps going. After finishing his download, he goes back up and does his task in O2, before heading back to cafeteria to finish wires.

After this, he realises there still hasn’t been a body reported so he catches Astro as the latter enters cafeteria. “Hey, Astro. Can you hit the button for me?”

“Oh, sure.”

Astro presses the emergency meeting button, bringing everyone back to the table. Etho’s suspicions are confirmed when he sees that everybody is still alive.

“Okay, I’m sorry to call you back here, but we need to talk,” Etho says. “There’s something wrong with this round and we may have to abandon it.”

“What do you mean?” Skizz asks confusedly. “What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s been over three minutes and there’s been no kills or sabotages. I apologise if I’m not correct, but I just have a feeling that there’s something wrong. If you’re the imposter, please raise your hand now.”

Nobody moves.

“This isn’t a trick,” Etho adds. “I’m sorry if I’m ruining someone’s imposter round, but I’m genuinely a little concerned that the game has gone wrong.”

“I’ll support you on that,” says Tango. “Etho knows about this stuff. If he’s worried about the game glitching out, I’ll take that seriously. I’m not the imposter, but if anyone else is, I’d advocate coming forward just to make sure nothing’s wrong.”

After a moment, a chorus of murmurs comes from the others, all confirming that none of them are the imposter.

“Okay, so it seems the game has glitched and generated a round with no imposters somehow,” Etho says. “No need to panic; if we all finish our tasks and win the round, it should take us back to the lobby like normal.”

“But do we have to do that, though?” asks Impulse. “Tasks are almost done and there’s no imposters, so why don’t we just hang out a bit, without the threat of death?”

“I’m down for that,” says Endless unexpectedly. “I’ve always wanted to build a pillow fort in admin. The table looks perfect for it.”

“You mean out of pillows like these?” Joker holds up a pillow that he seemingly pulled from out of nowhere. “Hey, Skizz?”

Skizz turns. “What’s u-”

Joker whacks him in the face with the pillow.

“GAAAH!” Skizz shrieks, tripping over his own foot. “What the hell?!”

Clutching the pillow by its corner, Joker doubles over with laughter. “Oh my gosh, your FACE!”

“Okay, that’s it. Imposter or no imposter, I’m gonna murder you.”

Skizz snatches the pillow out of Joker’s hand and swings it at him, but Joker dodges and takes off running down the hallway towards storage, giggling like a child. Unable to help a laugh of his own, Skizz pursues him.

“Where did he even get that?” snickers Tango.

“Same place I got mine,” Endless says, holding up an identical white pillow. “Medbay.”

Brody tries to hold in a laugh. “Endless, I’ll give you a high five if you hit Tango with that pillow right now.”

Endless considers this for a moment.

Tango gives him a warning look. “Don’t. Endless, I swear to-.”

He cuts himself off and ducks as Endless swings the pillow at him, but before he can do it again, Endless brings it back round and whacks him in the side of the head, causing him to let out a yelp.

Laughing uncontrollably, Brody holds up his hand for a high five, which Endless gleefully gives him. “I like this,” he says happily. “I feel cool.”

“Endless, you’re starting something you can’t finish,” Tango warns.

“Then you finish it,” says Impulse unexpectedly, appearing out of nowhere to hand Tango a pillow of his own.

A grin slowly spreads over Tango’s face.

Endless blinks. “Oh. I’m in trouble.”

On the other side of the room, Etho glances sharply over as he hears a THWACK sound and finds Tango and Endless whacking each other viciously with pillows. He chuckles to himself and continues looking through the game’s code.

After a while, Brody approaches him. “Hey Etho, we’re gonna go build a pillow fort in admin. You should come join us.”

“Thanks, but I gotta work through this code.”

“You can do that in the lobby later. C’mon, we’ve got a once-in-a-lifetime thing here. This glitch will probably never happen again. Let’s have some fun on this map while we have the chance.”

After a moment, Etho nods and lets Brody take him into admin, where Mrs Tango and Astro are already piling cushions in the middle of the room.

“Is this what we do when we think the game might’ve gone wrong?” Etho chuckles. “Build pillow forts?”

“I mean, we may as well,” Brody responds. “Right? What else can we do?”

“Finish our tasks and end the round.”

“Where’s the fun in that, though?” says Astro from the floor.

As Etho opens his mouth to respond, Joker bursts into the room and dives behind Etho, who spins round to find Skizz skidding to a halt outside admin. “Where is he?!” he snaps, panting heavily. “I’m gonna kill that idiot!”

“What’s going on?” Brody demands. “Who are you talking about?”

“JOKER! He said my mohawk looks like a dead bush!”

Relaxing, Brody rolls his eyes. “Oh no. How terrible. He’s a MONSTER. We’d better throw him out the airlock right now.”

“Sarcasm duly noted,” Skizz huffs. “Where IS Joker, anyway?”

Brody jerks his thumb over his shoulder. “Hiding under the admin table.”

“Brodyyyyy!” comes Joker’s muffled voice.

Skizz walks into the room and takes note of the group of people setting up the pillows and blankets over the top of the admin table. “So what’s going on here? Boy scout sleepover?”

“Yup,” Astro responds with a grin. “Do you have a problem with that?”

After a moment, Skizz shakes his head. “Nope. Can I borrow a cushion to hit Joker in his stupid face?”

“No,” says Astro firmly.

“Can I suffocate him in a blanket?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Can you relax and stop being a stupid schoolteacher for ten seconds?”

“Not if it means letting you try to kill Joker.”

“C’mon, I’m not ACTUALLY gonna kill him,” complains Skizz. “There’s no imposters this round, remember.”

“Mhm.”

Within five minutes, everyone is huddled under the blanket fort over the admin table, using a rusty lantern as a light source. It’s fairly roomy inside the makeshift tent, but the ten people are still sitting fairly close together.

“So now what?” Brody asks after a while. “Are we gonna talk about something?”

“How about we discuss what kind of dead bush Skizz’s hair looks like?” Joker asks innocently.

Skizz responds to this by whacking Joker in the face with a pillow, knocking him over backwards.

“Oh, report the body!” Tango yelps with a grin. “Skizz did it! Skizz did it!”

This causes the whole group to laugh, even Etho. After many rounds of chaos and suspicion, it’s nice to be able to joke around and relax a bit.

“How does it feel, huh?” Skizz smirks. “How does it feel to be hit with a taste of your own PILLOW?”

“Honestly, I deserved that.”

“Yeah you did.”

Joker yanks Skizz down next to him, grinning. “Shut up.”

A short pause follows this.

“This is the only round we’re gonna get like this, isn’t it?” asks Evil.

Etho nods. “Should be. Why?”

“Dunno. It just feels nice to just hang out with you all as a group and be happy. I love you guys so much.”

“I hate you,” Endless murmurs. “I hate you all.”

Immediately, the two people on either side of him grab him in a simultaneous hug. “Well too bad, cuz we love you,” Astro responds with a smile. “Grumpiness and all.”

A low groan comes from Endless, but everyone can see the hint of a smile on his face.

Etho sits back against the wall and gazes around at his friends. Mrs Tango is resting her head on Tango’s shoulder. Astro and Evil are still hugging and teasing Endless. Brody and Impulse are quietly chuckling together about something. Joker and Skizz have fallen asleep with the tops of their heads touching.

Even though Etho isn’t with anyone in particular at this moment, he still feels connected to his friends. He’s alone but he’s not lonely. And that’s a rare thing for him.

This group really is his family.

[spacesuitsforemergency]

Bug Bros

Word Count: 2.4k

Requested by @lina-lovebug: Jaime Reyes x Parker! Fem! Reader? They both have a cruch on eachother and Tye and Ed and Barr tease him a lot about it, and always wonder why he doesn't just ask her out. Jaime just doesn't want to start a long distance since she lives in New York, but when she becomes part of the Young leaguers, now he has no excuse. They go out on a first date, which ends abrupt cuz his friends ended up following him. She kisses him anyway and he walks her back to Mt. Justice.

“Dude, staring at her isn’t gonna do anything.” Eduardo snickered at Jaime.

“There’s this thing called talking, you should try that with her.” Tye shook his head as he tossed the guys a soda, sitting down in the Mount Justice lounge with them.

“Shut up, guys!” Jaime groaned, face burning red.

You and your teammates, Peter Parker and Sam Alexander, were here in Rhode Island on official S.H.I.E.L.D business. This wasn’t your first visit here, so nobody was surprised when none of you had really paid attention to the debriefing back at S.H.I.E.L.D (as per usual), so the trip was taking longer than expected (as per usual). Your twin brother, Peter, was currently trying to work out some sort of deal with Black Canary, you and Sam were not listening. You were both bored, and eventually snuck off to the lounge, where some of the Outsiders were chilling.

“Guys mind if we crash here?” Sam asked them, sitting down next to Bart without an answer.

“Sure.” Tye mumbled sarcastically at him.

“So what do you guys do to avoid meetings around here?” You asked as you leaned against the back of the couch behind Jaime, eyes on the tv, which was currently playing Remember the Titans. Jaime’s eyes widened and he stiffened with how close you were to him, and his friends noticed.

“Usually just run the other direction.” Bart said through a mouthful of chips.

“What’s your meeting about, anyways?” Eduardo asked.

You and Sam both shrugged.

“How many times do we have to visit you guys for you to know we never know what’s going on?” You grinned.

“Yeah, we just follow Web Heads lead.” Sam stole a handful of chips from Bart. “It’s funny how you think we take our job seriously.”

Everyone looked at the both of you, concerned.

“We’re kidding, we take it seriously.” You reassure them. “Just nothing to do with...business meetings.”

“Nova! H/N! Get back here!” Spider Man ordered you. Sam rolled his eyes and took one last handful of chips before putting his helmet on and flying over.

“See ya later, Bug Bro.” You ruffled Jaime’s hair before shooting a web and swinging back over. Jaime’s face was now bright red, and he was clutching his soda can so tight his knuckles turned white. Eduardo and Tye started snickering at him, Jaime throwing his empty soda can at them in retaliation It didn’t affect either of them the way Jaime wanted it to, and they kept laughing at him.

“Why don’t you just ask her out?” Bart asked.

“Because.” Jaime crossed his arms and pouted.

“It’s a simple resolution, dude.” Tye picked up the soda can and tossed it back at him teasingly.

“Just ask her out, amigo!” Eduardo shouted a little too loud. Thankfully, you were too busy getting scolded by Black Canary and Batman to hear. “She obviously likes you, and even a deaf and blind man would know you like her!”

“I can’t ask her out, guys!” Jaime snapped at them, now actually angry. Now they stopped laughing and looked at him, concerned.

“Dude, whats up?” Tye asked his best friend.

“Looks, she lives all the way in New York. I live in El Paso.” Jaime sighed. “There’s no way it would work.”

“But you’re mostly here.” Bart tried to reassure him. “Rhode Island isn’t too far from New York.”

“Asami lives in Japan, we still make it work.” Tye added.

“Asami doesn’t live in Japan. She moved here last week. Don’t think I don’t remember.” Jaime mumbled.

“But before that we had a long distance thing.”

“For like a month while she sorted stuff out with her parents.” Jaime scoffed. “Y/N lives in New York. She’s not moving anytime soon.”

“So...you like her, but you’re not willing to even give long distance a try?” Eduardo raised an eyebrow.

“Well that makes me sound like el huevón, dude!” Jaime snapped. “Look, it just won’t work, okay? Would you guys just drop it?”

The boys all glanced at each other, shocked at Jaime’s outburst. He was always so chill, would hardly even yell at villains, so they almost didn’t recognize him when he was angry. Even Tye didn’t, and he’s known the guy since middle school.

“What’s the ups, dudes? Change the channel, games on.” Virgil waltzed in, snatching the remote from the coffee table.

Virgil didn’t notice the tense atmosphere until his team scored, and he went to high five Jaime, and didn’t get a response.

“Uhh...don’t leave me hangin, bro!” Virgil said, then finally looked at the other boys’ faces. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Jaime grumbled, getting up and walking out to the balcony.

“What’s his deal?” Virgil asked. “I didn’t think it was physically possible for him to be angry...”

“I’ll go talk to him.” Tye rushed after Jaime.

He walked out to the balcony, Jaime sitting on the rail and mumbling to himself, something he often did when he was nervous. Tye would often catch him doing this before math tests or trying a complicated skateboard trick.

“Talk to me, man.” Tye leaned against the railing, resting his chin on his hand.

“I really like her.” Jaime said, just above a whisper. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Well, you can either tell her and try, or never tell her and miss your chance forever.” Tye said nonchalantly, staring out at the city.

“Wow. That makes me feel better.” Jaime chuckled.

“Hey, you can always count on me to be real with you.” Tye nudged him lightly.

“That I can.” Jaime playfully shoved him.

“So? What are you gonna do?” Tye raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not sure yet.”

•

“Bug Bro!” You shouted, before jumping onto Jaime’s back. He yelped, quickly straightening up and holding onto the backs of your legs to keep you up.

“Warn me next time?” He asked, grinning up at you and you leaned over his shoulder to see his face.

“Sorry.” You laughed, ruffling his hair affectionately. “I have news, bro.”

“What is it, bro?” He asked as he continued making his way towards the kitchen for some lunch.

“Fury gave the green light, I’m joining the Outsiders!” You beamed excitedly.

“What? Really?” Jaime asked, eyes widening in shock.

“Yeah, I’m gonna be a counselor too.” You smiled.

“Why aren’t you staying in New York?” He asked as you hopped off his back and walked next to him.

“I need a change of scenery.” You shrugged. “Some space from my brother. I love him and all, but he never lets me do a lot on missions. Thinks I’ll get hurt or whatever.”

“Is it permanent?” He asked curiously.

“Nothings permanent, Jaime.” You giggled. “But maybe. I do want to help people more directly. I love my team but I just don’t have that kind of opportunity with S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“Yeah...S.H.I.E.L.Ds kinda scary.” Jaime rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Well, I’m glad to have you on the team, Y/N.”

“Now I’ll be with my Bug Bro all the time!” You grinned, elbowing him playfully.

“Yeah! Totally.” He grinned nervously.

•

“Dude, what do I even say?” Jaime hyperventilated as he paced back and forth in front of Bart and Tye.

Tye and Bart didn’t really get along, they tolerated each other, but thy weren’t best buds. But when Jaime needed help, they would stop the bickering and work together.

“You got the hard part over with.” Tye shrugged. “She said yes to the date.”

“I know. I thought that was the hard part, turns out it’s not.” Jaime said as he checked himself in the mirror for the thousandth time. “Now I gotta actually make sure she likes me?”

“Well...Yeah?” Bart blinked at his homie. “Dude, just be yourself.”

“But a little less nervous.” Tye added.

“And maybe stop sweating.” Bart nodded.

“Quit worrying about your hair, it hasn’t moved since 2008.”

“Try to flirt a little more.”

“But not too much, you don’t want to come off as an idiot.”

“But you said be myself! None of those things is myself!” Jaime shouted at his friends.

“Be yourself...but calm.” Bart instructed.

“How am I supposed to be calm? I-“

“Dude! You’re late!” Tye yelled when he saw the time, 7 minutes past when Jaime was supposed to leave to pick you up.

“Shit!” Jaime snatched his keys from the dish on the side table. “See you guys later! But what if I mess this up-“

“Go!” Tye and Bart both yelled. Jaime stuck his tongue out at ten before rushing out to his car.

Bart and Tye sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, blankly staring at the tv.

“Wanna follow him?” Bart grinned.

“Oh yeah.” Tye nodded. “Let me call for reinforcements.”

•

“...and then Danny punched a hole trough the wall and hit Sam on accident.” You giggled as you finished a story about your teammates.

“Isn’t Danny supposed to be the chill one?” Jaime chuckled.

“Apparently.” You shrugged. “To be fair, he had a reason to be mad.”

“I suppose. So-“ Jaime opened his mouth to ask another question, but froze when he saw something: a few tables back and on the row across from them, he saw Tye, Bart, Eduardo and Virgil wearing sunglasses, fake mustaches and their hoods. He instantly glared at them, motioning discreetly for them to leave.

“What are you-?” You turned to look where he was.

“Wait Wait Wait!” Jaime shouted, a little too loudly, gaining the attention of several other customers. He smiled nervously and cleared his throat. “Um...you mentioned earlier a time when Sam crash landed into the White House?”

“Oh yeah!” You laughed, and began the story.

Jaime wanted to pay attention, he really did, but he couldn’t take his focus off his idiot friends. First of all he couldn’t believe Tye agreed to the ‘disguises’. Second of all, he couldn’t believe they were spying on him! Had they no regard for privacy and personal space?? Okay, so, maybe he did believe it.

‘Jaime Reyes, I advise you to focus on the Y/N Parker. She may grow angry if she discovers you are not listening. Shall I activate and obliterate the Tye Longshadow, Bart Allen, Eduardo Dorado Jr and Virgil Hawkins so you may focus properly on the Y/N Parker’s story?’ The Scarab asked.

“No! No obliteration!” Jaime mumbled.

“Is the Scarab talking to you?” You asked curiously.

“Yeah, sorry. He’s been yapping in my ear, it’s hard to concentrate.” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“Oh. Well, we can leave if you want.” You smiled and waved over the waitress for the check.

“Please, let me.” Jaime set down his credit card before you could even open your wallet.

“Come on, you drove us here.” You sigh as the waitress took his credit card.

“It’s no trouble, really.” He shook his head. “It’s my fault this is ending so abruptly, it’s the least I can do.”

Once the waitress came back with his card he led to back out to his car, glaring at his friends as you passed the table. They all snickered, quickly paying their bill and piling into Virgil’s car.

“Where’d they go?” Bart asked as he leaned forward, between Virgil and Tye.

“Uh...there!” Eduardo pointed ahead. “¡Dale!”

Virgil stepped on it, following close behind Jaime’s black car. Tye looked at his phone when a text alert went off, seeing a text from Jaime: Quit following me! You’re all dead!

Tye just snickered, before responding with: wow, texting and driving? Not cool, man.

They followed Jaime’s car all the way back to Mount Justice, Eduardo and Bart bickering as they tried to see between the front seats, shoving each other. Virgil parked far behind them, just close enough to be able to see.

You were clueless to the car full of idiots as Jaime walked you up to the entrance. Jaime was well aware, and worried that you would notice them.

‘Jaime Reyes, get her inside quick. Once the door shuts we shall obli-‘

“Scarab, Stop!” Jaime scolded.

“He’s still chatty?” You giggled at Jaime as you reached the doors.

“Yeah, sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You can’t help that the alien parasite attached to you is talkative.” You smile up at him, making him laugh. “Uh...I had a really good time. Even if it was cut short.”

“Yeah, me too.” He smiled back at you, equally as nervous and awkward.

You both stood there for a few moments, not sure what to do next.

“What are they doing?” Eduardo asked as he shoved Batt aside to see better.

“They’re just standing there.” Virgil shook his head. “Is this dude really not smooth at all?”

“Trust me, hasn’t been smooth ever since we were kids.” Tye shook his head. “Doesn’t have a smooth bone in his body.”

“Actually, I’m pretty sure your bones are smooth-Ow! What?” Bart rubbed his arm where Eduardo punched him.

“Come on, Jaime, do something.” Virgil groaned, starting to get second hand embarrassment for the guy.

Jaime knew he wanted to kiss you, but was it what you wanted? Would you yell at him? Not return it? Never lack to him ever again? Luckily, his anxious thoughts were interrupted when you suddenly craned your neck up to be able to press your lips to his. It was a quick peck on the lips, just to test the waters. He pulled you in for another kiss, and you wrapped your arms around his shoulders to lift yourself up a little higher.

“Finally!” Tye shouted, probably loud enough for the both of you to hear if you weren’t so busy.

“Oh, gross! I said kiss, not suck face!” Virgil pretended to gag.

“Dang, they’re really going at it.” Bart mumbled.

“You guys ruin the mood.” Eduardo shook his head. “Is this what it’s like to date you?”

“First of all, watching someone suck face is way different than sucking face.” Tye said.

“Quit saying ‘suck face’.” Eduardo cringed.

“Second of all, I am a delight to date.”

“Ha!” Virgil snorted, then slapped his hand over his mouth when Tye sent him a death glare. “I mean...yeah dude, who wouldn’t date you? You’re just so...lovely.”

“Uh...guys...Jaime’s coming for us.” Bart warmed.

“Crap! Start the car! Start the car!” Eduardo shrieked as Jaime activates his Blue Beetle suit, flying at them with the thirst for revenge in his eyes.

[johnnycranes]

[reupload cuz i decided to post this chapter here as well since i met a lot of new people in the fc5 fandom recently <3]

next chapter of Some Kind of Second Chance is up. special shoutout to all my mutuals who tagged me in WIPs and to the amazing @desertvvitch who motivated me to post this thing!!

Whole thing is up on AO3

Word count: 3,364

Chapter 6: Revelations and Rifles

When Sydney came to, part of her hoped the hit she took to the head also knocked her memory back. But nope, still didn’t know who the voices in her head were.

She opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a wall decorated with different pictures of the Seed family and of Eden’s Gate. Next thing she noticed was that she was sitting on the floor and her wrists were bound in front of her to a metal pipe, kept in place with a ziplock tie.

She looked down at herself and saw she was still dressed in the shorts and tank top she was in when she left her cabin, the only thing missing was her jacket.

Looking around a bit more, it didn’t appear to be like any of the cabins in the compound. More like the inside of a trailer house. Something glinted on the floor and Sydney realized there were shards of glass littered around the room of what looked like a small trailer. If she could just reach out for a sharp enough piece, she could find a way to cut open the ziplock tie.

Whoever took her clearly didn’t think this all the way through, practically handing her a means to escape.

Oh shit, or was this some kind of creepy Saw thing? Either way she wasn’t going to stick around to find out.

She stretched her leg and started pushing a few shards towards her with her foot. Thankfully her captors were also kind enough to leave her sneakers on.

Sydney was able to drag some shards close to her when she heard a door open. She hid the shards under her legs quickly as the footsteps of whoever arrived got louder.

Two men wearing Eden’s Gate clothes walked into the room, sneering at her as soon as they spotted her. They didn’t look like anyone she knew.

“Good morning, sunshine.” The one with long unruly hair said.

“So sorry if we kept ‘ya waitin.” The bald one said.

Sydney shook her head. “Oh not at all. Just woke up actually. Comfy floor here.”

“The fuck?” Long-hair asked.

“You have any idea why you’re here, girlie?” bald one asked, and Sydney assumed he was trying to sound intimidating.

“Why bother? You’re gonna explain it to me anyway ri-”

The bald one slammed the butt of his rifle onto her knee. She groaned in pain, but made sure not to lift her leg so much as to make sure the glass was still hidden.

Hopefully they leave her alone again so she could escape.

It was safe to assume these two were part of the group of soldiers who didn’t like her. So Sydney’s only other option of getting out was someone in the compound noticing she was missing, unless of course the two idiots who captured her were actually smart enough to cover their tracks.

How long was she out? All she could tell from the light coming in from the window was that it was daytime.

“You have the guts to speak to us like that? After all you did, sinner.” Long-hair snarled the last word at her.

Sydney rolled her eyes. “Like I said, still waiting for you to fucking explain.” As far as she was concerned, they could even be Resistance agents in disguise who waited for the perfect chance to strike.

But then again, why target her and not the Seed family?

“You think yer so clever, fooling even the Father with yer fake amnesia bullshit.” Bald guy said.

Sydney huffed out a dry laugh. “Trust me, I wish it was fake. Maybe then I’ll know why you two assholes are pulling stupid shit like this.”

“Enough!” Long-hair yelled. “How dare you. How dare you think we can just accept you into our family, attend sermons with us, all because you supposedly forgot.”

“I did.” Sydney emphasized. “You can ask the doctor, he-”

“You just don’t forget the people you killed!”

Sydney froze.

She what?

The silence was deafening and that’s when the voices attacked. Screams, cries, incoherent shouts, gunshots, explosions, fires. They all invaded her mind.

Her blood ran cold, her hands started shaking and her head was throbbing.

She couldn’t freak out, not now. She tried to keep her breathing under control, long enough to ask, “What?” but it came out so pathetic and soft that she wasn’t surprised when they cackled at her.

Long-hair walked in circles around the room as he narrowed his eyes at her. “Killed. Put a bullet in their heads, threw dynamite at them, hell even cracked open their skulls with a fucking shovel!” He stopped in front of her and tightened his fists. “They were my friends! They gave their lives to protect the Father from you. And now he claims you’ll protect us?”

His fist collided with her cheek. He hit hard but it was better than him using the butt of his rifle.

Or actually shooting her with said rifle.

Sydney slowly turned her head back to face them, ignoring the throbbing in her cheek. She could thank him, actually. At least it distracted her enough to calm down a bit.

There were still so many questions she wanted to ask, but asking her captors may not be the greatest idea.

Their friends? So she killed people from the Project?

She instantly thought of Elena, Trevor and Benjamin.

Who did she kill? Why did she kill? And if she did kill people from Eden’s Gate, why was Joseph okay with her staying on?

Then she remembered the Father’s words the day she arrived at the compound.

So now you shall atone.

Oh fuck. Is that what she was atoning for?

He struck her again. “You are a sinner unworthy of joining us at Eden’s Gate! We will avenge our fallen brothers and sisters, we wi-”

“That’s enough, Kevin.” the bald one said as Kevin punched her once more, on the same cheek and Sydney had to spit blood out.

Kevin backed away from her to face his companion. “She deserves a lot more punishment for everyone she’s killed, Norm. You know that.”

Norm sighed. “We got lucky capturing her when we did. But people will wonder where she is soon so we gotta kill her now.”

Even though her face stung and she had to blink a few times for her vision to steady, she was conscious enough to hear what they said. Sydney knew she was running out of time. If she wanted to escape, she had to do it quickly.

With both her captors distracted and turned away from her, she shifted her legs, feeling the cool glass underneath as she inched them closer to her wrists. She dragged her hands down the pipe and closer to the floor, slowly so as to not get their attention.

Some of the shards cut the inside of her leg but it didn’t matter. She could bandage them up when she was free. She couldn’t bandage a bullet hole to the brain.

Sydney finally got one shard close enough to her hands. She stretched her fingers to grab it and fiddled with it as quickly and as subtly as possible.

Thankfully Kevin and Norm were still busy arguing.

“It’s not enough to just kill her and get it over with!” Kevin yelled. “She showed no remorse, so why should we?”

“Because if they catch us we-”

“Rook! Rook, you here?” All three of them froze when they heard a voice from outside the trailer.

Sydney didn’t know whether to feel relieved or frightened when she recognized it as Benjamin’s voice. She couldn’t just scream for help. What if he didn’t have a weapon with him? What if they shot him first? Or shoot her then him?

She hid the broken glass in her hand, closing it in a fist.

“Shit. I told you we shoulda killed her right away, Kev!” Norm hissed.

“Shut the fuck up and let me think!”

Benjamin yelled again. “C’mon, Rook. You better not have left the island.” His voice sounded closer that time.

Kevin took two shallow breaths and gripped his rifle tightly. “All right new plan. We kill ‘im both.”

Fuck this wasn’t good.

Sydney chanced using the shard again. She needed to get rid of them before they hurt her and Benjamin.

“What?” Norm whispered nervously.

“He’s gonna come in regardless.” Kevin said. “I’ll shoot ‘im soon as he opens the door. Then we shoot her. Ain’t that what you wanted?”

Norm shook his head. “We don’t kill our own, brother.”

“I’m the one doin’ the work. I’ll be the one to accept atonement for this. Now stay here, keep your gun on ‘er.”

Kevin left the room quietly… on his way to kill her friend.

Something inside Sydney snapped.

She saw visions of herself breaking necks and cracking bones. She couldn’t see the faces of those she killed, but there were so many. She could easily kill Norm now, free herself with the broken glass then slice his neck open or stab him in the vocal cords.

She knew she could do it. Then she could shoot Kevin easily right before he got to Benjamin.

She could.

But she wouldn’t.

If she was a killer before- and by the sudden wave of images that invaded her head, she really was - she wasn’t one now.

Norm wasn’t focused on her, instead staring out the room probably at Kevin, looking like a nervous wreck. And to think he took a cheap shot to her knee just a while ago.

Sydney took that chance to finally cut through the ziptie. She didn’t waste any time and went straight for a still fidgeting and panicking Norm.

No killing.

So she stabbed his hand with the broken shard before he could react and fight back. He screamed as he dropped his rifle and Sydney grabbed it.

She heard Kevin yell ‘What the hell!’ from out in the corridor but she ignored it. Too busy getting her revenge on Norm by slamming his head with the butt of his own rifle, effectively knocking him out.

She took cover by the wall beside the open doorframe and yelled “Benjamin you better have your damn gun with you!” at the top of her lungs.

“Rook?!” Benjamin called from outside.

Then she instinctively ducked her head when bullets whizzed by her. “You fucking bitch!” Kevin screamed over the gunshots.

She checked the ammo of her own gun and thanked Norm for having it fully loaded.

If Kevin was still inside the trailer, that meant Benjamin was safe. And she had to make sure that didn’t change.

“Stay where you are, Ben!” Sydney screamed over another hail of bullets.

“What the hell’s happening?” was his reply.

Kevin cackled, his footsteps getting closer. “Like you care what happens to my brothers and sisters. I’ll make sure you don’t hurt anyone else!”

Sydney gripped the rifle tight, and after taking a deep breath, she moved out of cover and saw Kevin with his gun aimed right at her.

Jacob’s voice rang in her head.

‘You’ve been a damn good shot since you got to Hope County.’

She shot Kevin once, in the hand close to his rifle’s trigger. Kevin dropped his gun, yelping in pain.

Sydney slammed her rifle onto one of his legs, causing him to fall over.

She stood above him, keeping her rifle aimed. She kicked Kevin’s own weapon away as he groaned in pain on the floor.

“Finish me off then. Release that Wrath within you.” He pointed at the tattoo on her chest weakly.

“Shut up.” she hissed.

“You can’t run from your past, sinner. You ca-”

She put the rifle away to bend over and punch him hard in the face, knocking him out. There, now she paid them both back for what they did to her.

Sydney stepped back until she felt a wall behind her and slumped down, taking deep breaths.

Her adrenaline rush was slowly fading and she could feel the stinging pain on her face again and how her wrists were sore from being tied up for God knows how long.

She heard a door slam open followed by hurried footsteps. She looked up and saw Benjamin, his pistol out.

“Rook?” he asked softly.

If Kevin and Norm were telling the truth and she did kill people from the Project, maybe everyone else probably knew. And the scene in front of Benjamin probably looked suspicious, what with her being the only one conscious among the three people inside.

“They kidnapped me. They were gonna shoot you so I escaped, knocked them out and-”

“Whoa whoa whoa, easy Rook.” Benjamin placed his gun back in his holster and raised his arms up peacefully. “I know you didn’t have anythin’ to do with this.”

Sydney could only nod stiffly, grateful to her friend. “How’d you know to look for me?”

Benjamin placed his hands back down, and knelt beside her. “Elena got worried when you didn’t show up for breakfast this morning. She went to your cabin to check in on ya but you weren’t there. She asked me to help look for ya.”

He turned to Kevin then back at her, smirking. “Though it looks like you didn’t need my help.”

“What time is it?”

“A little past nine in the mornin’.”

She rubbed her sore wrists. Ok so she wasn’t out for long. Bless Elena’s kind heart for worrying over her. Sydney made a mental note to hug the old woman the next time she saw her.

“Let’s get you outta here, Rook.” Benjamin said, standing from his seat. “Need to get some ice for yer face.”

She frowned and looked over at Kevin. “What about him? And his friend in the room over there?”

“Pfft, assholes’re outcold. I’ll send somebody to get ‘im when we get back.”

Which reminded her, “Where are we exactly?”

“Still on the Father’s island. We’re in a little trailer not too far from the compound.”

Sydney laughed dryly. “How the fuck did those two even sneak me out of there?”

“Bah, prolly while everyone was attending the early sermon. Jacob’s right, we got great guards but anyone could pass through if they knew what our church schedules are, dammit.”

Sydney lifted her head up hearing the redhead’s name. “Does Jacob know? That I was gone?”

Benjamin sighed. “No, not yet. The plan was to tell him if I didn’t find you around the island. Luckily these two idiots were too afraid to stray far.”

Part of her was relieved that Jacob didn���t know. It meant she had time to process this new information by herself first. If he were the one who found her, she might’ve exploded and demanded answers from him. What were he and Joseph hiding from her? Why were they hiding it from her?

Sydney took one more deep breath before carefully standing up, mindful of the small cuts she still had on her legs from the glass. She strapped the rifle to her shoulder and brushed her hair away from her face.

She nodded at Benjamin and placed a hand on his shoulder as he helped her stand. “Thanks, Benjamin. For not accusing me of attacking them. Wasn’t sure what you’d think when you walked in and saw two bodies on the floor.”

Benjamin chuckled. “Aww hell, Rook! I got your back, I know you ain’t gonna hurt any of our own, unlike the two fools you knocked out.”

She smiled tiredly at him before heading out of the trailer, Benjamin following behind her.

Outside, there were two Eden’s Gate trucks. She found her jacket in what was probably Kevin and Norm’s vehicle.

Benjamin guided her to the passenger seat of the other truck before getting into the driver’s seat himself.

He started the engine before turning to her and softly saying, “Hey, I don’t know what those two said to you but, you’re a good person, Rook. We know you’re atoning.”

Sydney let out a short sob, willing herself not to cry. She nodded, keeping her eyes on the road in front of her.

And because she didn’t trust her voice not to crack, she simply said, “Thank you.”

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

It was a short drive back to the compound. Benjamin insisted she visit the infirmary first while he went to find Elena.

The doctor informed her nothing was broken. He gave her an ice pack for the swelling on her face to go down and disinfected the cuts on her legs. Thankfully the punches she took weren’t that strong, she only had a few bruises that should be gone in a day.

Elena practically busted the infirmary doors open, her eyes frantic until she spotted Sydney. The old woman looked like she was about to cry, hugging Sydney tightly. Sydney couldn’t help but hug her back, thanking her for being one of the reasons she was able to escape.

When the doctor was done assessing her, Sydney was free to go.

“You need me to stay with you, hun? Just ‘til you fall asleep?” Elena offered as they walked back to Sydney’s cabin.

Sydney shook her head. “That’s very kind of you to offer but I’ll be fine, thank you. You’ve done more than enough for me, already.”

“Oh hush girl! Like I said, we’re family. Then I’ll be back later to drop off your lunch. You just lie down and get your rest.”

“Thank you, that’d be great.”

They went their separate ways and Sydney saw her cabin in front of her.

She would’ve been relieved if not for Jacob leaning on the door.

She felt her heart sink. As much as she wanted to talk to him about what happened, she needed time to go over her thoughts first, untangle the memories that had begun to resurface.

Sydney stopped right in front of Jacob, who stared down at her intensely.

“You look like shit.” he simply said.

“It looks worse than it feels.”

He brought his hand up to move the hair away from her face, surprising her. He whistled as he looked over the swelling. “Damn, that’s still gotta sting though.”

Her chest tightened as Jacob casually and gently touched her, staring at her with those piercing blue eyes of his that sparkled when he genuinely laughed.

Funny how just a few hours ago, she did see them sparkle and she heard that wonderful laugh of his that made her smile when she and Jacob were talking over glasses of milk.

Then she got kidnapped, found out she was a killer and they didn’t tell her.

She turned her head slightly and Jacob paused before putting his hand back down. “The doc said I should be fine by tomorrow.”

He was still blocking her way and Sydney was about to politely ask him to step aside when he suddenly said, “The guys that took you, they-”

“I didn’t kill them.” she hissed.

“Hey, relax. I know. Your friend Benjamin told me.”

“Then can I go? I wanna get out of these dirty clothes already.”

“Look, Sydney I just-”

“Not now just… not now.” Sydney said softly, hoping he wouldn’t push her further. She didn’t feel like exploding in front of Jacob and the whole compound.

She needed to be alone with her thoughts, settle the crazy mess in her head first.

Jacob sighed heavily before finally moving out of her way. “At least get somethin’ to eat.”

His arm brushed hers as he passed her. She didn’t look back at him as she entered her cabin and closed the door behind her. Ironic how the last time they parted ways, it was a completely different mood.

Sydney took a quick shower to wash all the dirt and blood off of her before putting on some clean underwear and dressing in an oversized white shirt with the Project’s logo on it.

Her cheeks and jaw began to throb painfully and she patted them with the ice pack she was given. She stared up at the ceiling and allowed herself to process what she learned earlier, hoping the voices in her head would cooperate.

[meldy-writes]

Luckiest Girl in the World (Daryl Dixon X Wife! Reader)

Context:So I have an alt AO3 because for some reason I didn’t think a walking dead fic fit with the fanfictions I had under my Pen Name’s account, but at this point, I don’t think it really matters. Anyway, there’s this Daryl X Reader fic I’m writing on this alt account and I’m at the point where I’m writing two ways the story could branch, and there’s this little scene from the path I didn’t take that could work as a drabble. If you like this, or if you want to read the fic for context, it’s here. Be warned, it’s pretty long.

Summary: The Reader has been with the group since the CDC, and along the way, she fell in love and married Daryl Dixon. Now they’re in Alexandria and Aiden, one of Deanna’s sons has begun to harbor a crush. He doesn’t seem to realize that she’s taken. (Daryl’s not really mentioned until the last couple of paragraphs, but I thought those paragraphs were cute enough to warrant this being tagged as an x reader fic.)

Aiden sat at the top of the fence with her, casually leaning back in his seat. The front legs of the plastic chair were off the ground, his feet planted as he rocked back and forth.

“You’re gonna to fall backwards, you know.” (y/n) stated.

“You worried I’m going to get hurt?” he teased, leaning even farther back.

“No. In fact, I think it’d be funny. I just don’t want your mommy to yell at me.”

He let out a snort and put his arms behind his head as he began to rock back and forth. She rolled her eyes, amusement dancing on her features as she eyed the back legs of the chair in anticipation. As she predicted, they eventually snapped, and Aiden promptly fell backwards just as she’d cautioned.

She let out a barking laugh, and a few people passing by stopped to look up at her as the flushing boy tried to shake off the embarrassment.

“All right, all right, it’s not that funny.”

“Oh, I beg to differ, that was the most entertainin’ thing I’ve seen all week,” she argued, wiping a tear from her eye.

“Then your life must be very boring.” He countered bitterly, his pride hurt just a tad from how demeaning her tone was and how promptly she’d always shut him down.

“Oh, no. it’s not borin’, it’s just not fun, either.”

He finally recovered from his little mishap, tossing the broken chair down into the grass below to be fixed later, and choosing instead to sit against the wall. (y/n) kept to her perch, eyeing the expanse of pavement in front of the fence gate.

“You know, if you can’t find fun, you can always make it. There’s a game a lot of us play when we’re on watch to pass the time, want to play?”

She rolled her eyes. “I gotta keep my eyes on the gate”

“It’s a talking game. You can still keep watch. It’s called The Worst. We each share the worst experience we’ve ever had with something, and the one that’s the most terrible wins the round.” He continued, eyeing her with a charming smirk that, despite his best efforts, she hadn’t registered as flirty, yet.

He was an attractive guy, and after she’d saved his life on that run, and yelled at him, they’d bonded. He’d even swallowed his pride and let her train him. They’d gotten close, and they were both attractive, sarcastic, and confident people, so he couldn’t understand how they weren’t together yet. No matter what he did, she always shut down any plans he tried to make to hang out alone outside of the occasional look-out duty, and she always spoke to him like she was talking to a child. A very stupid child.

He didn’t let it deter him, though. No matter how much it hurt his pride. She’d eventually come around.

She turned her nose up at his suggestion, looking at him like he just told her the sky was green, and she was about to gently tell him he was a dumbass.

“That sounds like a game you don’t wanna play with me.”

He asked her why she felt like that.

“Because you’d always lose.” She stated simply, turning back to the scene past the gate.

“Okay, you don’t always have to play the jaded soldier. This world is shit, it’s fucked us all over one time or another, quit acting like you’re the saddest sack in the world.” He scoffed, smacking her shin with the back of his hand playfully.

She sighed, shrugging her shoulders.

“Alright, then. But if this ends up bummin’ you out, you can’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Internally, he celebrated. This was the first time he’d ever gotten her to agree to something she initially said ‘no’ to. Slowly but surely, he was winning her over, he was sure.

“Alright, easy. Worst night of your life. Mine was that time I left that supply run group behind. Usually, we’d go into detail, explaining what happened, but, you already know about that night ‘cuz I told you about it.” He stated sadly. She’d talked a big game, so he was pulling out the big guns. “What about you?”

Let’s see you top that, Debbie Downer.

She smirked, sensing the challenge in his voice.

“A long time before we all came here, we were stayin’ on Maggie’s dad’s farm. One night, it got overrun by a horde, an’ everyone got separated. I was with Carol, an’ a walker fell on top of me, tryin’ to bite into my shoulder. She thought I was bit, so she left me behind, but I was wearin’ a real thick jacket. I was fine, but I had to cut it open and drench myself in its blood so the herd wouldn’t sniff me out and tear me to shreds. I had to slice my way through a sea of those suckers, an’ then stumble through the woods covered in gunk for a whole day and a half ‘fore I found my people again. That was the first walker I ever killed on my own. Damn terrifyin’.”

He was quiet after that, face white as a sheet as he shuttered and coughed awkwardly.

“Y-your turn to come up with a topic.” He finally uttered.

“Worst walker encounter you ever had. Mine was this time at a mechanic shop out in… It had to be North Carolina. A guy tried to--well, it’s not important what his intentions were, the point was that he had me handcuffed to one of those automatic levers they use in autobody shops to lift cars, an’ I was hoisted off the ground. He had the keys in his front pocket, an’ I’d managed to get his head ‘tween my thighs to snap his neck. I was tryin’ to reach for the keys with my feet when he re-animated. I was strugglin’, I couldn’t go anywhere, I couldn’t use my arms, the only reason I got out of it was ‘cuz he accidentally bumped up against the control for the lift, and his head ended up crushed under the mechanism. I’ve had a lot of close calls, but I think that was the only time I ever truly felt like I was gonna die.”

Aiden let out a low whistle, letting her words settle. Maybe she’d been right after all. Still, depending on how she saw things, his might still be worse.

“Mine was right at the beginning. My girlfriend was with us while we were traveling for Mom’s campaign. I left for twenty minutes to grab some lunch, and when I got back to our hotel room, she was a walker. I don’t know if she was bitten, or if she had an accident, or if someone… I don’t know. All I know is that I had to kill her with my bare hands just to stay alive. I... dropped the hotel room tv on her head.”

He shuttered at the memory, and to his surprise, he felt (y/n) place her hand on his shoulder and squeeze comfortingly. He grabbed for it, but she pulled away before he could.

“Let’s uh, choose a more up-beat topic,” he continued weakly, “Worst date you ever went on. Mine was this girl Cierra Mauldry in sixth grade. I kissed her goodnight on her porch, and our braces stuck together.”

She laughed at first, but a long-suppressed memory resurfaced at the mention of dates, and instantly she was somber again.

“A guy I worked with at the CDC,” she started softly.

“He’d had a crush on me for a while, an’ I’d just learned that my dad died, so I was in kind of a vulnerable spot. I said yes to grabbin’ dinner together, an’ takin a walk ‘round the facility. When we got back to his room, he wanted to sleep with me, but I didn’t. I didn’t really like him that way, an’ I didn’t think it was fair to him to string him along, so I told him ‘no’, an’ that we should just remain professional from now on. Next day, he didn’t show up in the lab, an’ my boss sent me to go get ‘im. I found him as a walker hangin’ from his closet.” She took a hiccupping breath, reliving the memory in her mind, and scrunching her eyes shut. “Worst part is I cannot, for the life of me, remember his name.”

They were both quiet after that, and soon, they heard Spencer calling up to relieve (y/n) from her shift. She grinned sympathetically down and Aiden, and gave him the goodbye of:

“Told you it was a bad game to play with me.”

Still, when she got up, he scrambled to his feet as well grabbing her arm to stop her before she made her way down the ladder.

“Well, hey, I still had fun. I got to know you a bit better. I’d like to continue doing that, maybe you could come over for dinner and eat with my family tonight.”

She smiled the smile she usually did; like she was talking to a slow, and simple child.

“I’m sorry, Aiden, but tonight’s not great. Daryl’s gotten kind of close with his recruitn’ buddy, and his husband wants us to come to dinner tonight so he can finally properly meet me.”

Aiden scrunched up his eyes in confusion.

“What? What does Daryl getting close with them have to do with you? If they wanted to get to know you, couldn’t they just approach you without having to go through him?”

She smiled wider like he’d said something adorably stupid, as she clarified:

“I didn’t explain it very well, It’s more like a couple’s dinner party sort-of thing.”

Aiden blinked. What? What the fuck? Was she insinuating that she and Daryl were… she couldn’t be, right?

“You and Daryl are together?”

She nodded as if his statement was beyond obvious, “we’re married,” she corrected.

He squeezed his eyes closed, trying to picture the violent, mean, constantly dirty guy with the long, long hair together with the clever, beautiful, and secretly caring woman he’d been trying to flirt with for the past week and a half, but he just couldn’t picture it.

“How?” he blurted out.

“How do people get married?” she teased flatly.

“No, how did you two end up together? You’re so different!”

She smiled softly, looking down at her fingers as she began to twiddle them. This smile was different than any of the ones he’d reluctantly wrangled out of her. This one was genuine, and bashful, and affectionate, and dazzling. Aiden knew it wasn’t for him, and it almost felt like he was intruding on something he shouldn’t be just by looking at her.

“He an’ I are a lot more alike than people realize. We’re more alike than even he realizes, I think. That doesn’t matter though. These days, it’s not about whether you’re similar, or if you’ve known each other for a long time, it’s all about who you can trust and depend on. It’s about who you’d die for, and who’d die for you. We might not have ended up together in the old world, but in this one, we’ve got somethin’ strong. Somethin’ special.”

She grinned brightly, practically knocking the breath out of her companion as she looked him in the eyes and said, “I’m the luckiest girl in the world.”

With that, his grip on her arm retracted, and she finally made her way down the ladder. He watched her walk down the street and run into the man they’d just been discussing. He watched as she strode over to him, and gripped his leather vest, trying to pull him down for a kiss.

He noticed how Daryl grinned fondly and put his hands on her waist, placing a quick peck on the tip of her nose. He noticed how she leaned into him with her whole body. He noticed how the sun reflected off the ring on her finger, the ring he had not gathered was supposed to be a wedding ring until that moment. He noticed how soft Daryl was for her when no one else was around.

Or maybe, he was always like this around her, and Aiden had just been too absorbed in himself to realize.

[second-chance-stray]

(Split Ends) RP Log: Cravs, Riylli, and Rising’s friendship is tested.

(Cravendy Hound) It's not easy, but the three of them manage to hike back out of the Sylphlands without getting noticed, with Rising being dragged along on Crav's back. The trio finds their way to a Sylphic house and, with Rising's body laid out on the floor, are figuring out what to do next.

(Riylli Aliapoh) Riylli had done the talking, likely the only one here with any experience with the sylphs, and it had not been long before they had identified the plant responsible and secured the antidote. Now that it had been applied, there was nothing left to do but wait. In awkward silence. For a terribly long time.

(Cravendy Hound) Cravs taps her foot impatiently and, upon reaching the limits of the patience, whispers loudly to Riylli. "When's she gonna wake up?"

(Rising Lotus) Rising had still felt the world spin around her, even laid out on the floor with her eyes shut tight. Thing started to slow down however once the antidote was applied, eventually cracking one of her eyes open, the right amount of colors in front of her instead of every one of the rainbow. "Ugh..." she brought her hand to her forehead, rubbing it as she sat up.

(Riylli Aliapoh) Riylli had been leaning against the tree with her arms crossed, nervously picking at the dried paint on her arm. "...Should be- now, yes." The Miqo'te hopped up, stepping over to look down at Rising. "Good morning, how are you feeling?"

(Cravendy Hound) "Right. Ye think ye can stand?" Cravs fusses in the distance, keeping herself an arm's length from Rising.

(Rising Lotus) "Ngh... the dreams were the worst part..." she blinked a few times as everything seemed to be set in place instead of spinning now, wobbling a bit as she rose to her feet but otherwise looking stable. "Ngh... that's worse than when I went in that moldy city..."

(Riylli Aliapoh) Riylli pats the Roegadyn on the back. "This is why we don't mess around in Sylph territory... You're lucky they just like to mess with people for the most part."

(Cravendy Hound) Cravs tilts her head at the mention of a city, though there was plenty more she was curious about. "They're just dreams, they ain't real. But if ye've got a 'abit of stickin' yer nose in moldy places, then I've got a problem with that."

(Rising Lotus) "I 'spose so, saw some pretty neat colors  though." she glanced to Cravs. "Well that was before I joined up with Heartwood, an' I ain't gonna go there any time soon, was kinda neat though." she glanced to Riylli. "Where did we leave off before I started losin' it now?"

(Riylli Aliapoh) Riylli hesitated before letting out a sigh. "We were ABOUT to force Cravs to tell us what mess she's gotten herself into so we can help her. So... Hope you're feeling clear headed"

(Cravendy Hound) "Ye were about to do several backflips in a row." Cravs jokes. ".......don't listen to Riylli."

(Rising Lotus) Rising clenched her hands a few times as she watched them. "Honestly I feel more focused than normal, it's weird." At least the medicine didn't SEEM to have any adverse side effects. "Anyway yeah! You gotta tell us 'bout your mess!" she jabbed a finger in Crav's direction.

(Riylli Aliapoh) Riylli gives Cravs a rather unamused look. "...Y'better not try to run this time. Just gotta rip the bandage off, get it over with an' all that..."

(Cravendy Hound) Cravs lets out a tired sigh, head hung low. "Either I tell ye, or I don't and ye both'll still butt yer 'eads in my business, potentially messin' everythin' up." She sucks in air between her teeth, headache incoming. "Fuck."

(Cravendy Hound) "Last chance. Seriously, I won't care if ye leave me to my shit. There's...a lot, and I'm..." She trails off. "I'm sure ye don't see me in a positive light, but trust me, it can get worse."

(Riylli Aliapoh) Riylli lets out an annoyed huff. "Oh just out with it already! You know we ain't gonna leave you behind when you're in trouble, and unless you went on a killin' spree through an orphanage or somethin' I doubt we'll change our minds about bein' friends"

(Rising Lotus) "I ain't gonna talk to a loan shark with jus' Riylli, then get knocked out by some weird bandit, THEN get super blazed out of my mind in the Sylphwoods to back out now!" she said, almost a tinge of pride to this strange journey. "But yeah! You're my friend, our friend...and uh.." she starts to lose her steam a bit ".. I jus' want to help ya, an' don't want ya to leave, or have somethin' happen to ya.."

(Cravendy Hound) Cravs is taken aback by Riylli's earnestness, barbed as it may be. She looks between the miqo'te and Rising, frown trembling. How, and where, to start? Cravs is certain that if she speaks now, it'll come out all wrong. Instead, she reaches into her pocket and shows an empty tranquilizer cartridge to her friends.

(Cravendy Hound) The unique design of the ammunition leaves not an ilm of doubt. Either Cravs buys the same stuff as the bandit, or...she's saying without words, that they're one and the same.

(Riylli Aliapoh) Riylli just stares at the cartridge for a long moment, the hamster wheel in her head taking it's time to work out what it meant. Recognition eventually shone through in her eyes, and without a word the girl steps forward and slugs Cravs in the arm. "You ass! Y'know how long my head was achin' 'cuz of those things!? You better start explainin' or I'm gonna hit you again!"

(Rising Lotus) Rising clenches her fists as she sees the ammunition, her whole upper body starting to shake. She was gritting her teeth as she closed her eyes tightly. "Y-Y-You..." she said softly before her eyes shot open and stomped forward. "FUCKING ARSE" There were starting to get look at the tower they were in. "D-do you know how close I was to..." as she stared Cravs down her eyes were watering up as she looked to the side where her spear had hit Cravs. She turned away with a scowl as she started wiping eyes, streams of curses coming from her mouth about how stupid Cravs was.

(Cravendy Hound) Cravs instinctively moves her hand up to catch Riylli's punch. Worry flickers in her eyes as she forces her body to go slack, to let whatever hits that come next follow through. Hits, she can take. Rising crying in front of her, she can't. Worry turns to panic. "S-stop yer sobbin', alright?! Look, I can take a beatin'! Come on, show me what ye got."

(Cravendy Hound) "If it 'elps, I didn't expect any of you to be there. If I knew, I wouldn't 'ave attacked." She mutters.

(Riylli Aliapoh) Riylli changed it up upon gaining permission, kicking Cravs in the shin. "Rising almost killed you y'know! If I wasn't so busy takin' care of that kid you were supposed to be babysittin' you'd be dead right now!"

Rising Lotus seemed a bit more rattled if anything. "It would've of mattered if I got you where I was aiming!" she snapped back, sniffing hard as she kept her her gaze away from the two. "An' Riylli could've bashed your head in with a rock!" she brought her hands to her face, holding them there for a few moments to try and deal with this angry sobbing.

(Cravendy Hound) "Ow! Shit, 'ow do ye kick so 'ard with sandals?" She groans. Eyes downcast and pain radiating from her leg, she talks to the floor. "...Pah, I would've hung on. I won't die. Not until I've exposed Mindred for the bitch that she is."

(Cravendy Hound) Cravs straights back up, ready to take another hit if it's coming. "Mindred's the one hasslin' Baldur, and I won't rest till I see 'er suffer."

(Riylli Aliapoh) "'Cuz I practice!" Riylli states, quite confidently. "Wait, that's not the point! Why didn't you just tell us? We coulda all jumped her durin' our meeting if you had actually came with us and just explained she was the one behind it!"

(Rising Lotus) "Cause we would've been put to the gallow if we did that." she sniffled a bit more as she turned around, eyes still looking a bit teary but most of her crying under control. "Those types of folk have strong connections, there's a reason why they can keep gougin' people with out gettin' caught."

(Cravendy Hound) "What, without evidence?! 'ave ye two on 'er bad side too? I thought if I wasn't with ye two, she'd get the idea that I ditched ye." Cravs growls back. "She knows who 'Singing Gull' is, alright? Shits gonna spiral, and I didn't want ye both involved anymore."

(Riylli Aliapoh) Riylli crossed her arms. "Plenty of ways to get around that... Like, for starters, not givin' her our real names!" The Miqo'te shifted her glare back to Cravs. "And that still doesn't explain why you were tryin' to rob her caravan, or collecting drugs out in the Sylphlands."

(Rising Lotus) "Well we're past that..." she sighed. "Which means trouble might be comin' our way anyway if she thinks we're connected someway.." she takes a deep breath, grumbling afterwards. "So like it or not we're involved whether you like it or not. You planned this horribly." she rubbed her eyes a bit more to get hopefully the last tears out.

(Rising Lotus) Not one but TWO chances to like it or not! Look I'm tired xD))

(Cravendy Hound) "I attacked cause I needed to find some dirt on 'er, and I did...but I found the worst kind." Cravs looks to the side. "I'm friends with some bandits that get their goods illegally, and Mindred trades with 'em. So I'm was tryin' to find a way to prove 'er criminal ties -without- gettin' the bandit friends caught too."

(Cravendy Hound) "So I'm 'ere to find somethin' she can't resist. I guess ye can say I'm plannin' on plantin' evidence."

(Cravendy Hound) "There's always a bad apple in the bunch, but that don't mean the rest is spoiled. I figured...she'd think that way about 'eartwood. Shit, I didn't think this through, okay?!"

(Riylli Aliapoh) Riylli stares at Cravs for a moment, then tilts her head. "...You're friends with bandits? What kind of banditry are we talking..."

(Rising Lotus) Rising groans. "We need to figure out where to go from here.. otherwise we're jus' gonna run into more trouble... I jus' don't know what the in the hells to do, everything seems like it's in such a damn mess."

(Cravendy Hound) "Not just friends." Cravs turns away, hair obscuring her face as she crosses her arms tightly over her chest. "Ye could call me their.....organizer. Leader. Fuck, it was a mistake, okay? But when piratin' became outlawed, I was mad as 'ell!"

(Cravendy Hound) "It /is/ a mess. Oy, I warned ye." Cravs quips. She combs her bangs back with her hand and then groans into the sky.

(Riylli Aliapoh) "A bandit LEADER?" Riylli's eyes widen, though she seems more surprised than upset. She brings a hand to her head. "Alright, hold on, one thing at a time... What kind of banditry. Stealing? Killing? Kidnapping?"

(Rising Lotus) "So we got these bandits that we need to protect, while provin' that Rot is doin' somethin' bad, all while also helpin' Baldur out."  she rubbed her temple "What was your plan than with this toad goo?"

(Cravendy Hound) "It's more like a loose coalition of salt-eatin' pirates who want to relive the good ol' days. So, uh.......w-well." She puts a hand over her mouth. "What matters is that I 'aven't 'ung out with 'em since joinin' 'eartwood."

(Cravendy Hound) "The toad goo's like gold to a spice trader. So, after plantin' some kind of tracker in it...I was gonna give the goo to Dirtpatch, tell my bandit friends bout it, and wait till it got traded back to Mindred. Then, Dirtpatch could use it as proof that she gets 'er shit illegally."

(Cravendy Hound) "I was gonna take precautions to make sure Dirtpatch doesn't get raided or anythin'!"

(Riylli Aliapoh) Riylli kept her arms crossed, now tapping her finger impatiently. "You're avoiding my question... Are these really people you should consider friends..?"

(Cravendy Hound) "They're angry, they're stupid, but yeah, they're my friends. Look Riylli, I was one of them! Maybe I still am." Cravs spits out, self-loathing dripping from her words. "And if ye put two and two together, maybe ye'd know why Baldur 'ates me so much."

(Rising Lotus) "..Oh..." she looked away. "...It was in the back of my mind, from the little I knew about Wyda...but I thought it was jus' a coincidence." she let out another sigh, this day was full of long sighs. "So that's your interest in him then? Makin' up for killin' his pa?"

(Cravendy Hound) "Yeah. I set this all off. So I gotta make it better."

(Riylli Aliapoh) Riylli continued tapping her finger for a long time, indecision clear on her face as she tried to come to some sort of conclusion. "You don't... have to be one of them. Not if you don't want to be..." She offered, letting out a sigh and rubbing the back of her neck. "I know it aint that easy... Just... Don't think of yourself as a lost cause, okay?"

(Rising Lotus) Between the strange substance she had inhaled, the cure, and now all of this, Rising was looking particularly exhausted. "I don't know if it's a good idea to involve Dirtpatch, I'm sure they'd find a connection to Heartwood, an' I'm sure by now they figured out we have ties there. I don't really got any better ideas though. At least not right now."

(Cravendy Hound) Cravs blinks, touched by Riylli's sentiment, and then sends her a worn out smile. "I /am/ a lost cause. But that won't stop me from tryin' to make use outta the life I've got."

(Cravendy Hound) "Mindred already knows I'm at 'eartwood, but I'll do everythin' in my power to make sure that I'm the only one to face the music." She looks to Rising now, for the first time making direct eye contact with her. Then, to Riylli. "I'm doing my best, but it might not be enough. Might grow outta this, might not. Even still, would ye watch over me?"

(Riylli Aliapoh) Riylli frowns, then proceeds to kick her in the shin yet again. "Idiot! You're my friend, and I don't let anyone talk like that about my friends!" She shoots Cravs an annoyed glare, then pulled back to plant her hands on her hips. "Of course we'll watch over you! We'll figure this out together and get you out of this mess."

Rising Lotus broke eye contact with Cravs fairly quickly after their gazes met. " Yeah, I mean I'm involved an' all. We should probably think of a better plan, or work it out or somethin' though." she shrugs weakly, keeping her distance from the duo. "Sleep on it or somethin' I dunno... I kinda jus' wanna be alone for a bit."

(Cravendy Hound) "OW! Damnit, the same shin too?" Cravs jumps up and hugs her leg into her chest. But, despite the physical pain, she mostly feels relieved. While she wasn't off the hook yet, the fact that her friends didn't immediately disown her despite knowing about all this baggage...it was nice. It was really nice.

(Riylli Aliapoh) "You better get used to it, I'm gonna keep kickin' you 'till you learn to trust us!" Riylli said, grinning at the threat. She turned to Rising, looking her up and down. "...Yeah, you probably deserve a rest after that Sylph cocktail. I'll talk to Ava, see if she can come up with anythin' to help. I'll leave your names out of it though, don't worry!"

(Cravendy Hound) Cravs sends Rising a worried look and wants desperately to comfort her. But maybe she's the cause for Rising's discomfort? Unwilling to take chances, she just sort of stares longingly at the other woman.

(Cravendy Hound) "Bugger me, I better buy some proper leg guards then..." Cravs shoots back at Riylli. "And yeah, ye do that. No more bad dreams though, ye 'ear?"

(Rising Lotus) Rising weakly shrugged again, turning to start to leave the Sylph tower. "We can meet again soon an'd plan things out, figure out a way to get her an' everything." she sounded quite drained, but nonetheless hurried on her way off without so much as a wave.

(Cravendy Hound) Though Cravs had thought otherwise, the trio’s friendship has survived the truth. Burdens shared and a chance given - one that Cravs was determined not to squander. The three of them would eventually leave the woods with much to muse over on their own.

[lonelyfujoshi]

Errink

Ink left again. He left Error all alone again and Error wasn't happy.

Error was in the living room watching his favorite series. Crying his nonexistent eyes out.

"Asgorooo!" He yelled, reaching for the TV screen when the scene of Asgoro having a heart attack played.

The pillow he clutched in his arms was wet with tears. Looking at him was laughable. Seeing the former destroyer cry easily like this.

In all honesty, the film wasn't the only thing he was crying about. He just decided to watch Undernovela to express his emotions while Ink was away.

Ahh, yes. Ink, the God of Creation.

He and Error had been dating for six years now. Almost seven. Two weeks from now will be their anniversary and Error couldn't help but be nervous of that.

Why?

He's been thinking that Ink is loosing interest in him. Error is scared.

He loved Ink with all of his life. He gave up destroying for the God of creation. He left the anti-void to live in their house for him. He tried doing good things out of his character for him.

He just loved Ink dearly.

And it all started ten years ago during Giftmas.

It was a special holiday for all monsters in the multiverse and the light and dark side has an untold treaty that no fight or attacks during this holiday.

No one established the rule, no one wrote it, no one spoke about it. It was just there. Monsters understanding the importance of the holiday.

Error sat on the cliff of Outertale where the stars shone to its brightest. His glasses on with his new galaxy scarf.

He sat there, enjoying the silence even when you can still hear the distant jingle in the town.

And Ink appeared.

Error scowled when the creator made his way to where he sat. He glared at Ink.

The creator however ignored the mean glare telling him to fuck off and sat down beside Error with a large grin. To close for the black skeleton's liking.

"What in the hell you doing here skittles?" Error grumbled harshly.

"Nothing much glitchy~. Just wanted to see the stars in this lovely night."

"Then go sit somewhere else. Don't ruin my night."

The smaller skeleton summoned his strings and began to play with it. Waiting for Ink's retort but it never came.

He looked up to see Ink staring at him with a thoughtful expression.

"... Nah." He finally said and Error wanted to hit the Ink blob with the brush he always had.

"But you know Error, tonight's Giftmas. I've given every monster I've encountered a gift to be traditional." Ink continued, looking up the sky.

Error glared at the string that somehow became tangled in his fingers and mumbled stuff like; "Who the hell asked?", "I don't give a fuck.", "Go do more of that and leave me alone."

Ink ignored his rude comments and summoned a window to his subspace. "So I thought... maybe I should give you a gift too."

"Hah! Did you really think that I'd want a gift from you?"

Again he was ignored as Ink continued to look for something in his subspace.

Error's socket twitched with annoyance. Watching Ink's body halfway through the window portal already, digging deeper into his pile of garbage as Error liked to call it.

The dark skeleton was about to push the lighter skeleton into wherever the window led because of his annoyance but Ink pulled back with a victorious laugh.

"Found it!"

Before Error could react, Ink placed the thing he got in front of the destroyer with a great big smile in his handsome face.

Error stared at it... Ink waiting for his reaction patiently.

In front of them was a pair of slippers. Red fluffy slippers that hugged your feet like socks and it had strings on the hole to tighten the hold if needed.

"Really?" Was all that Error could say. He didn't know what to feel about it. Ink, his supposedly mortal enemy, had just given him a 'gift' for some reason.

A pair of slippers no less. Error could tell that these were top quality and made for comfort. And how he loves comfortable things. The little sparkle in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by Ink.

"Well go on! Try it!" Ink encouraged.

Error grumbled but complied nonetheless. He threw his strings away carelessly and grabbed the red slippers, put it on and stilled.

"Ehh? What do you think?"

The darker ignored Ink's teasing tone and wiggled his toes.

"It's okay I guess." He said.

And that was a fucking lie.

'Oh my GOD! THEY ARE SO COMFORTABLE! I'M IN LOVE!' He screamed in his mind.

Unknown to him, the creator could see his softened look and the brightening of his eyes. The destroyer even unconsciously smiled.

Error looked up to see Ink staring at him with another one of those unreadable look.

"What?" He narrowed his eyes at him.

"Don't tell me you expect something in return cuz I ain't giving you anything. And you can't take these back!" He hissed.

Blinking, as if snapping out of trance, Ink made a confused noise before laughing.

"What the fuck? What is it rainbow asshole?!"

"Hahahaha haha.. hahhh... I-It's nothing Error. I just realized something."

"Tell me what is it."

"I like your smile."

Even with his fucked up memory, Error remembered this.

He remembered that the next day after that night, he anonymously sent Ink a puppet version of the creator. Ink soon found out it was from him.

Since then the lighter skeleton never initiated a fight. He acted all buddy buddy with Error which pissed off the darker to no end. It frustrated him greater than his frustration with the 90's parasite.

Ink messed with his emotions. The creator popped up in his mind in random times that he thought he was finally becoming insane. He thought he was.

Three giftmas holidays passed and Ink surprised Error with a confession. The glitch outright crashed the moment the words that Ink said, I like you, was processed by his 'brain'.

Error fled the moment he came to, in Ink's arms. He thought he was gonna die because of how loud his soul pounded. It actually hurt his ribs.

For a month he couldn't stop thinking of Ink and he didn't even realize ha had fallen for the creator. He also locked himself in the anti-void. Time passed and he decided to go out and destroy. Maybe to let some steam out.

Ink was there. Wherever he go, Ink was always there, wooing him.

Every sanses and their counterpart in every universe knew about Ink chasing Error, courting the destroyer, asking for his love.

Ink was very sweet in those times. Always giving Error presents even when the glitch thought it was weird because it's not even Giftmas.

The next giftmas came and Ink knelt in front of Error. They were surrounded by the bright stars of Outertale.

"Will you be my boyfriend?" Ink said and Error was looking sick at how blue his face was.

His soul pounding. Emotions overflowing even though he was extremely confused with himself. He didn't know what he is feeling or what he was supposed to feel but everything felt right.

Even his inner voice telling him to say yes. 'It's not like people are lining up to hang with me anyway.' Was there as an excuse.

"Fine."

He never regretted agreeing.

Now though, Error was really worried.

It's because of the event that happened two weeks ago.

Since Error lived in the same house as Ink, the taller had always made time for him. His schedule was simple enough.

Leave for work in the council every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Leave the house by nine am and come back at around seven pm. Sunday is their special day as they usually go on dates.

Error usually stays in the house or visit Blue while Ink is away. Other times he goes AU hopping and going to Nightmare's castle.

Until this peaceful cycle was disturbed.

"Where are you going?" Error asked softly. He just woke up from his nap on the couch and he was rubbing on his sockets to help him wake quicker.

Ink was putting on his scarf and fixing his shoes by the mirror making Error confused.

"I'm just going on a meeting babe." Ink simply said with a smile.

"But... it's Thursday."

"Yeah, I just got called. Said it was an emergency."

After seeing the worried look on Error's face, Ink went up to the smalled and kissed his lover's face.

"Don't worry, it's nothing I can't handle. I'll be back before four so have lunch without me."

Error nods. "But wait." He holds Ink's arm.

"Let me prepare your lunch."

"No need babe. And I'm in a hurry so I gotta go." Ink said with a wave before he jumped into a portal.

By Saturday, Ink left again saying that he had to meet up with Reaper.

Error thought nothing of it because Reaper, being a God, sometimes meet up with other gods to see how the multivers is going.

And he thought, 'Oh, it's been a long time since I've been able to visit Geno. Maybe I should now that he's finally alone.'

Error planned to stay there for at least three hours so he got some chocolates, ketchup for Geno, blankets and puppets.

He puts them in a handmade bag before jumping into a portal.

"Hey, Geno! Thought it might be a good time to visit since Reaper-... Reaper?"

"Hey Error. What's up?" Geno greets him.

"Uh... the ceiling?" Error was still very confused that he couldn't come up with a proper reply.

"That would've been good pal, it's just that this place doesn't really have a ceiling." The cloaked skeleton beside Geno chuckled.

"Why are you here?" The dark skeleton asked.

"Job's slow today so I decided to visit my bea. What are you doing here?"

"Visiting Geno too."

"Great, the more the merrier." Reaper said unenthusiastically. Clearly he wants some alone time with his 'boyfriend'. Well soon to be anyway.

"Uh heh, nice to see you again then, Error." Geno said awkwardly while Error stood there still.

"Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting with Ink?" The former destroyer finally asked.

"A meeting? Wha- Shit! We have a meeting?!" Reaper abruptly stood up, startling Geno.

"You forgot." His 'boyfriend' deadpanned.

"I didn't forget, I just didn't know." Reaper frowned.

"Uh maybe you should hurry, he left.. like an hour ago." Error said.

"Crap. I guess I'll see you later babe. Have fun with Error." Reaper left with a wave.

"Wow." Error and Geno said at the same time. They looked at eachother and laughed.

Half an hour later, there was a blanket fortress in the save screen. Two skeletons inside it, eating condiments and chocolates.

The 'screen' was blocked by Error's massive one way window portal and the watched Undernovela.

A portal opened and Error quickly lift the blanket up a little to see who it is.

It was Reaper.

"Oh hey Death, you finished your meeting with the creator?" Geno asked. He helped Error lift up the blanket.

"... Uh. No. I couldn't find Ink."

"WhAt?"

To be continued

[flimflamfranky]

exploding bottles

aka franky and iceburg hugging like they goddamn should. post enies lobby.

AO3

~

Iceburg was alive.

He was banged up and bandaged to hell and back, but he was alive. He had repaired a lonely ship in the middle of a monsoon. He had sailed to meet them in a Galley-La ship crowded with shipwrights. And now, he was walking around the ship, talking with the shipwrights and laughing at the Straw Hats’ antics. Doing alive-guy things.

(He really thought Iceburg was dead, even after Nico Robin’s assurances. Lucci’s words had broken his heart, and he was finding it hard to piece it back together).

Franky was hovering.

It wasn’t like it was weird, he told himself. So what he just happened to be wherever Iceburg was? It was a- okay, well, it wasn't a small ship, but it was a crowded one. It seemed like Iceburg packed the entire Galley-la workforce onto the ship. So, he didn't have much of a choice in where he ended up, and if he ended up being close to Iceburg, so be it.

And Iceburg was hanging out with the Strawhats, and the Strawhats were constantly trying to rope him into their little group. And when they weren't, his family was, and his little brothers and sisters nearly died for him, so who was he to say no?

And since he kept ending up near Iceburg, entirely by accident, well, it made sense to keep an eye on him. The man had nearly died (shot, burned, drowned), after all, and was still pretty injured and they’re- well, they were family at some point. And he was keeping an eye on Kokoro, and Chimney, and the rest of his family, so why not Iceburg?

Sure, it could be pointed out (by Kokoro, repeatedly), that’d it be easier to keep an eye on him up close instead of at a respectable distance, but, well.

He was just happening to end up near Iceburg, and was just happening to keep an eye on him, and he just hadn't happened to get closer to him. That was all. If it did happen, he’d welcome it! But it just hadn’t yet.

(Franky wasn’t a liar, it wasn't in his nature, but he had gotten good at lying anyway, over the years. Especially when it came to himself. He wasn’t afraid, he told himself. He wasn’t scared of those words, from that terrible day, circling in his head like a storm.

It wasn’t like he was planning on forgiving himself anytime soon, either.)

~

“You’re lurking!”

“I am not! Stop saying that, you hag!”

“I will when you stop, brat!”

Franky glared at Kokoro’s gleefully smug smile, and she just smiled wider, baring her teeth in a teasing grin. What did she know? If anything, she was the lurker, with the way she was always hanging around.

Chimney hopped forward, and folded her arms over the barrel Franky was (completely casually!) leaning against, and looked up at him with those big innocent eyes.

“If you’re not lurking, then what are you doing?” She asked.

“I’m just hanging around. Can’t a guy just hang around in peace?”

“Not a guy like you. You’re too suspicious!” Kokoro cackled. Franky tossed a bit of stray rope at her.

“Then why are you watching Mister Iceburg?” Chimney asked.

Franky’s arm slipped off the barrel, and he nearly face-planted into the deck before he caught himself on the railing. He awkwardly stood back up and nonchalantly leaned back against the rail. Chimney and Kokoro both stared at him, one worried and one smug.

“I’m not watching him,” Franky said, crossing his arms. “I’m just keeping an eye on him, all right? Why’re you guys getting so twisted up about this?”

“From all the way over here?” Chimney tilted her head. “Why don’t you go and hang out with him?”

“Cuz he’s a stubborn brat, that’s why,” Kokoro said, pointing her bottle at Franky. “They both are -  too stubborn for their own good. I don’t know where they get it from.”

Franky scoffed at her and was immediately hit between the eyes with the rope as Kokoro chucked it back at him. He glowered and slid down to the floor and out of Kokoro’s sight. Chimney and her pet plopped down next to him, both grinning at him like they knew all he wasn’t saying.

“You take too much after your grandma, kid,” he said to her. 

“I heard that!” 

~

“Bro, are you still watching him?”

“What do you mean, still?” Franky squawked, as Mozu and Kiwi boxed him in on both sides. Between them, and the mast he was sitting against, he was trapped.

“Aw, come on bro!” Mozu started.

“You were watching him when we last came by,” Kiwi continued.

“And the time before that,”

“And the time before that!”

“Alright, alright, stop!” He waved his hands between them. “You guys are making it seem like way more than it is! You’ve come and gone, like, five times in the last hour.”

The sisters exchanged a glance. “So,” Kiwi said, grinning. “You admit you’ve been watching him for an hour?”

“Wh- No!” Franky spluttered, as the sisters laughed. “That’s entrapment! No, I just happen to be looking at him whenever you guys come by. It’s just a coincidence.”

“Some coincidence,” the sisters said together. Franky couldn’t glare at both of them at once, so instead, he crossed his arms and glared out at the sea.

“Believe what you want,” He said. “And I’m not watching him, I’m keeping an eye on him. There’s a difference.”

“Sure, bro,” Kiwi said.

“Whatever you say, bro,” Mozu said.

Franky slumped down, feeling outnumbered. “Don't you guys have someone else to bother?”

“Well...” Mozu started, looking devious.

“I suppose we could go bother Iceburg...” Kiwi continued.

“And maybe accidentally let it slip that you’re ‘keeping an eye on him’...”

Franky groaned and slumped down even further, hair falling down over his face as they giggled. “Why do I even bother.”

~

“Alright, what’s your deal?”

“My deal?” Franky squinted up at Paulie, who was dangling from his ropes, irritatingly, in front of the afternoon sun. “You’re the one hanging from the mizzenmast like a moron.”

“Yeah, but that’s what I do.” Paulie lowered himself down until he was more on Franky’s level, though he kept himself just above eye level. “What’re you watching Iceburg for, huh? You gotta problem with him?”

Franky groaned and slapped his forehead into his hand. “I’m not watching him! Why does everyone keep saying that?”

“If several people are saying it, then I got bad news for you, pal.”

“That, or people can’t mind their damn business,” Franky said, glaring up at the other. 

“Well, as a Galley-la employee, Iceburg’s business is kinda my business.” Paulie swung closer to poke Franky in the chest. “And I’m not about to let you mess with him.”

“I’m not gonna! We just went against the world government together, what kinda guy do you take me for?”

“A crime boss who’s been watching my boss for the past hour?” Paulie said, like he couldn’t believe he had to spell it out. 

“It has not been that long,” Franky muttered under his breath, before saying, out loud, “Look, I’m just keeping an eye on him, alright? I mean, he’s still pretty injured from the-” Franky grimaced. “Well, you know.”

Paulie stopped cold, somehow even managing to halt his swinging rope dead in its tracks. “You’re worried about him? You?”

Franky spluttered, not sure if he should deny the accusation, or be offended at the surprise. He finally settled on crossing his arms and glowering. “Yeah, what of it?” 

“I'm just surprised. I thought you guys hated each other, ya know, being rival bosses and all that.”

Well, Franky thought, you’re half right. “That was only for show. I don't hate him.”

Paulie nodded, still looking confused, and there was a moment of silence. Well, between them, at least. The rest of the ship was just as noisy as ever. Franky’s eyes slid back to Iceburg, almost involuntarily. He was laughing at something one of the other shipwright’s said, his smile pulling at the bandages wrapped around his head. 

“How do you know him?”

Franky blinked and looked up at Paulie, who was now leaning forward causally in the slings of his rope. “You don’t know?”

“No?” Paulie raised an eyebrow. “Should I?”

“Ah, I guess with all the commotion, he probably didn’t have time to explain…” Franky scratched his chin. “We used to be apprentices, back in the day. We had to keep it secret because of the blueprint, but-!”

He cut off when Paulie fell out of his ropes, and onto the deck with a loud thud. When he scrambled back up, his eyes were wide with surprise. “You’re that apprentice he’s always complaining about!?”

“What’re you talking about?” 

“Iceburg was always going on about this moron he used to work with. He never gave any details, but man, he could complain for hours! About how he would never did his work, or follow safety procedures or building standardization-”

“Hey-”

“And how his blueprints were always a cluttered mess-”

“Alright-!”

“And how his ships were these dangerous heaps of-”

“Stop!” Franky nearly shouted. “Yes, that was me, congrats, you figured it out, Iceburg hates me, we can stop there!” Franky pivoted on his heel, and began to storm away. He had been watching Iceburg too much anyway, he had better things to do then-

“He doesn’t hate you.”

Franky stopped. He turned back around, just so he could give Paulie an unimpressed glare. “Really? Sure sounds like he does.”

Paulie shrugged. “I mean, yeah, he complained a lot, but...I dunno. He always seemed very fond at the same time.” He tilted his head, making a show of pondering something, a smug gleam in his eye. “Actually, he kinda sounded like how you looked, when you were watching him.”

“I wasn't watching him,” Franky gritted out, before walking off, shoving past curious onlookers.

He didn't need some upstart coming in and getting his hopes up.

~

“Ah, so that’s what they meant.”

Franky looked down to see Nico Robin pulling herself up into the crow’s nest that he was totally not hiding in. As she stood, reaching out to steady herself, her hair caught on the afternoon sun, and, for a brief moment, she shone, and Franky found himself dazzled by her. But then she leaned away with an expectant look on her face, and his brain finally processed what she said.

“Wait, what who meant? Meant what?”

Nico Robin smirked, amused. “About you watching him.”

Franky groaned and slumped down into the nest so he could bury his face into the wood. “People are talking about this?! Does everybody know?!”

“Hmm, everybody but Iceburg, yes.”

Franky groaned again, and thumbed his head against the wood. He turned to Nico Robin, and said, too late and too desperately, “I’m not watching him, I’m just keeping an eye on him. There’s a difference.”

“I understand,” Nico Robin said. 

Franky sighed, and readjusted himself down in the base of the nest, backing leaning against the boards and legs splayed out, as much as they could, in front of him. Nico Robin crouched down as well, arms crossed over her knees, leaning against his legs for support. 

“Is it really that obvious?” He asked, after a moment. 

Nico Robin nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

Franky titled his head up, hair pushing against the wood behind him, and he looked up into the sky. “I’m no good at this pretending thing,” he said after a moment. “I don’t want to be good at it. But, after all these years, it’s become a real bad habit of mine.”

“We do what we must to survive,” Nico Robin said. “And that can be hard to let go, when the time comes.” She rested her chin on her knees. “I’ve been struggling with it too. I understand what you’re going through.”

Her words twisted their way into his chest, and he found himself having trouble keeping a steady breath. “I don’t want to pretend anymore,” he admitted. “But I’m scared. He said…” His eyes burned. “He said never.”

Nico Robin nodded, but she didn’t press when he didn’t elaborate. Instead, she said, “Fear can be overwhelming. And it can be especially difficult when it’s a reasonable one. But...” She glanced down, as if looking through the wood to the deck below. “Even if what you fear does come to pass, you have family and friends to support you, and trust me, that makes all the difference.” 

“Okay. Thanks,” Franky said, which definitely didn’t feel like enough compared to what those words meant to him, but he didn’t trust himself to say anymore without his voice cracking. 

But Robin seemed to understand. She smiled at him, and patted his leg before taking her leave. 

~

Arlight, he told himself, enough beating around the bush. It’s time to stop moping around, to face your fears, and go fucking talk to him. 

Franky stood by the railing of the main deck. Iceburg was by the port bow, leaning against the hull as he chatted with Tilestone. Franky stared. Iceburg nodded along to something Tilestone said, looking relaxed. His white bandages shone in the afternoon sun, bright against his purple-blue hair. 

Franky’s bravery failed him. He wavered, and then, suddenly feeling very un-super, looked away. 

And his eyes landed on his family.

They were gathered on the aft lower deck with the Straw Hats, all of them together in one large group, that was only growing larger as passing shipwrights joined in the celebrations. Usopp, still wearing that ridiculous mask, had started performing a dramatic recreation of their recent adventures, helped along by Nico Robin and her additional limbs. Straw Hat and the tanuki were dancing and cheering and quickly roping others into their festivities. 

He watched as Mozu, and Kiwi, and Zambai, and all his other brothers and sisters celebrated, with large grins and loud laughs. He watched as Chimney joined the dancing, swinging her blue pet around with glee. And he watched as Kokoro drank with the swordsman, with a lightness that he hadn’t seen for a while. 

And as he watched, Nico Robin caught his eye. He saw her understand what he was doing, and she gave him a smile and wink.

You have family and friends to support you, and trust me, that makes all the difference.

He smiled back, and, spirits bolstered, he turned back to the bow. Iceburg was alone now, leaning against the rail and looking out across the sea. Franky squared his shoulders, and marched right up to the other, causally taking the spot next to him like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“Hey, Ice-for-brains.”

Iceburg turned his head toward him, and smiled. “Oh my! Hello, Franky.”

Franky had been expecting a lot of things. Or rather, his fear had been expecting a lot of things for him - a cold look, a tense argument, anger, intense and unforgiving. It had been so long, and they both had been so bitter and traumatized that Franky couldn’t convince himself that this could end well, no matter how much he wanted it to. 

The smile was so unexpected, and it came as such a relief, that Franky immediately lost whatever tenuous control he had and burst into tears. 

“Ah!” Iceburg, at least, looked as blindsided as Franky felt. “Franky, what-?”

“You-!” Franky blubbered. “I thought you were dead!! I was so worried!!”

“Me?” Iceburg blinked, and then his face wobbled and scrunched up. “What about you!? Getting taken by the government! I thought-” His voice wavered. “I thought I lost you for good this time!!” 

“I thought I lost you first! Taking a risk like that, what were you thinking?!”

“Like you’re one to talk, you jerk!” Iceburg was now crying now, too. “You’re the most reckless idiot I know!” 

“Shut up!”

Iceburg shook his head, but he was smiling again. “Look at us,” he said, wiping at his eyes. “Arguing again already.” 

“You started it!” Franky tried to say, except it came out as unintelligible sobs.

Iceburg laughed. “You idiot,” he said, unbearably fond. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Franky was crying so hard he could barely see, but he did see a blurry Iceburg open his arms. He stumbled into them immediately, like they were kids again, and buried his face in the nearest shoulder, wrapping his arms around his brother and squeezing back as tight as he dared. 

His throat was too tight and his breathing too short to say the words in return, but those eight years had been hard. And even though he had Kokoro and his whole gang of brothers and sisters, and even though he and Iceburg always argued and never got along well and there was all this anger and hurt between them, he had just…

He had just really really missed his brother. 

And now, here they were, crying and hugging like Franky never thought they would. And that idealistic, all-too-hopeful part of him that he’d been ignoring for far too many years, thought that, maybe now, things could get better again. 

And for the first time in a long time, with his brother in his arms, he actually believed it.  

[eye-raq]

Baby Fever. ONE SHOT.

Adonis Creed x Black Reader.

Imagine: Donnie is having baby fever and he wants to make you pregnant at all costs.

“Hey, Babe?”

Donnie called from the bathroom after dabbing his face with a white micro fiber towel. He was bare everywhere else, standing in front of a fogged mirror.

“Yes, D?” His favorite girl responded from their shared bedroom. They had been dating for about three years. Donnie’s friends in Philly kept asking him when he would settle down and make it official with his brown skin beauty which he hadn’t popped the question yet. One thing’s for sure, he had the guts to want her pregnant. Ever since he visited his friend and fellow boxing opponent, Victor, seeing him take care of a baby had him wanting a fat butter ball brown baby with shiny hair and chubby wrists.

“You ever think about having a baby?” He asked casually while rubbing neosporin on his under eye cut from his victory win.

“Where is this coming from?” She spoke with her Jersey accent even though she lived in Philly.

“I’m curious. I can’t be curious?” He asked with a raised brow and an astonished tone.

“You can! It’s a free country I just wanna know what made you say it?” She said in a quiet voice because of his aggressive response.

“Maybe it’s because I wanna put a baby in you.” Donnie picked up her cocoa butter and vitamin E body oil gel, smoothing it across his chest, neck, arms, back, and abdomen.

“Oh, please,” she said in a flippant tone.

“I’m dead fucking serious. You still on the pill?” Finally finished, Donnie turned off the bathroom light and walked across the hall to their shared bedroom. Naked and standing in front of their dresser, Donnie pulls out a pair of basket ball shorts with a wife beater.

“No, I stopped like a week ago.”

“Why you stop? Figured I’d be asking for a fucking baby?”

“No...I just never got them refilled. Had a million and one other things to take care of. Like...teaching a class full of hormonal seventh graders who want to do nothing but fight.” She places her phone on the night stand next to her to give Donnie her full attention. Online shopping would have to wait.

“So...” he looked her up and down in an arrogant manner, “wassup?”

“Wassup is I have a class to teach in the morning and I’m tired,” she slouched down on their memory foam mattress, pulling the lamp light string to cloud the room in darkness except for the television. They were currently in the middle of season two of Dark.

“Forget all that tired shit, Y/N,” Donnie placed his body next to hers, looking down at her. She looked damn good with her curls in a pineapple and one of his wife beaters on like a night gown. She looked so delectable.

“I’m tryna plant my seed in you.”

“Like I’m soil or something? Nigga go to bed! You sure your brain cells still working after getting punched in the nugget so much?!” She laughed at her own joke.

“Funny, cuz as soon as I stand up you’ll be acting all scared. Don’t talk shit now if you can’t back it up, babe.” He even tries that calm, passionate, and husky voice that always drove her crazy. Crazy like he owned her or something. No matter how many times Donnie told her that he owned her she would never let him have it but as soon as he was fucking her into the soft mattress she would give in.

“Aw, are you trying to sweet talk me into opening my thighs, Mr?” She gave him a teasing smile.

“Y/N, I don’t have to tease. You’ll do it anyway.” He was right, but he didn’t have to be correct right now she was exhausted.

“Adonis, you just had a fight maybe...four hours ago? All that stamina and adrenaline doesn’t have you on E? You really want to do this now?” She whines like a child, legs automatically opening for him and Donnie trapping himself in between.

“Think of it as...a victory present. You give me a baby, and my night would be 100% better,” Broadening smile, he looks down between her legs noticing the simple yet sexy pair of colorful polka dotted boy shorts she wore.

“These looking real sexy on you by the way,” Donnie places his body flesh against hers, the smell of the body oil gel on him crowding her senses. His skin felt so slick and warm. Y/N gripped his biceps tightly, pushing softly at him.

“You’re driving me crazy,” she breathed out harshly, tiny sounds of struggle escaping her closed mouth as she unsuccessfully pushed at his large frame.

“How many times you gotta do that, Y/N? Baby girl?”

Donnie was humored when she tried to keep up with her shoving like the bratty girl she was. This reminded him to bring her to the gym when he practiced. Adonis had enough of her struggling, grabbing her small wrists that fit in his hands perfectly. Using force that had her eyes blinking with lust and mouth parted as if choking on her words, Donnie brings her arms up above her head.

“Stop.” He says between hard breaths.

Gulping, Y/N stills herself, keeping her eyes locked with his, waiting for his next move.

“Are you done playing hard to get now?” The sneering smile on his face made her glare at him.

“You can’t always have what you want. You expect to be a champion everywhere,” Y/N rolled her eyes in a pretty manner, turning her head to focus over Donnie’s broad shoulder at the TV. She was missing the damn episode. Now, she was going to have to rewind.

“Oh? I thought I was.”

“Says who?” Y/N back talked, moving her hips in annoyance but it only aroused Donnie even more.

“Y/N...” Donnie tilted his head down at her to gain access back to her pretty tawny colored eyes, “You telling me you don’t want a baby in you?”

“...Maybe.” In moments like these a woman’s mind wanders. She began to think about what life would be like raising a baby with Adonis. Her made up future that she played out in her head seemed perfect.

“Think about all the moments we would share. Think about watching our baby grow in your belly for nine months. Think about all of that and how I’m gonna be there.” Donnie kisses her forehead, making those low throaty sounds that always drove her crazy.

“You’re wrong for this,” She moves away from his kisses, “Don’t try to seduce me into this with your sexy noises.”

“You’re not making it easy for me, girl.”

She could feel his dick jumping against her inner thigh. Seething, She looks back at him, wanting badly to catch a smug smile but his face was deadly serious. Y/N regrets how that made her feel. He was staring into her soul and it felt like he was reading her mind. Donnie knew from the moment he was in that bathroom that she would give into him.

“...just for a little bit. When we fuck it can go on for hours.”

The smile on his face was adorable. He covers his face with her belly, looking up at her through his long lashes. Y/N takes her hand, rubbing the back of his head tenderly while keeping his gaze. He could be so adorable at times. Pulling at his ear that always made him fall asleep, Donnie takes his fingers, grabbing the edge of her panties to pull them down. Y/N closes her eyes to enhance the feeling of touch against her skin. It always worked. The fabric was passed her knees now, bare pussy cool against the air of the room.

Adonis takes his rough yet gentle hands to part her thighs, all while Y/N kept her eyes closed. She could feel him wrapping his large arms around her plush thighs, pulling her toward him a little. His knees rested on the back of her thighs elevating her legs a little more. Donnie pulls the shorts down and around his ankles causing the bed to shift and bounce slightly. Now that he was back in place, she shudders from the texture of his toned thighs against hers. Leaning his large body forward her legs automatically went up and over his shoulders. He was going to kill her like this. This was his favorite position. Opening her eyes, she could see him looking down at his dick. Always beautiful to look at she focused on it too, admiring the way he jerked it a little to get it the way he liked.

Stilling his hand, Donnie points it at her pussy, not inserting but rubbing gently over her folds to slick him up. He was smirking at her then and it made her roll her eyes. Of course her pussy was wet, it always was when she was around him. He didn’t even have to talk to make her wet all he had to do was exist. He had a habit of brushing his dick along Y/N’s clit and she loved the stimulation but not as much as his own tongue doing the job. This went on for another minute because Donnie loved the way she reacted to his motions with the soft moans she tried to hide and how low her eyes were.

“Stop teasing me...” she brought one hand up to rest over her forehead.

“Stop feeling so good against me then.” Donnie strokes downward, finally bringing his dick to her entrance. Stiffness overtook her hips as to prepare her for the insertion. She always had to do this with Donnie. They could have sex over 500 times and she would still do this to prepare for the collision. He was rather girthy so the feeling of fullness always took a lot to get used to. Y/N used his biceps as handle bars instead of the rocky headboard. Donnie inserts the tip while gripping himself, stopping once he was half way in. Y/N automatically clamped her thighs around him, locking him there.

“Oh, shit,” she whispers, “go slow.”

“Y/N, I’m not even all the way there yet. Loosen up your legs for me,” Donnie looked down at her with a raised brow, “you want me to hold your legs back for you? I will.”

Donnie uses the force of his toned hips to ease himself further, finding it rather difficult when Y/N wouldn’t let up from her hold. Taking matters into his own hands, Donnie holds her legs back, pushing fully in now. She bit down on her bottom lip, eyes clenched at the same time her pussy clenched him.

“Sweet fucking torture.” He says with a chuckle.

“Fuck.” Y/N looks up and over his shoulder.

“You Okay?” Donnie sniffles a little while speaking in a hushed tone.

“...what you think?” Y/N squints at him.

“...I think you want me to keep going honestly.”

There clearly was no denying that with the way her eyes looked. Not giving him the response he clearly wanted, Y/N allowed herself to feel every single push and pull action he provided while fucking her. His hand came down to grab the collar of the wife beater she wore, pull the fabric like it was a lasso for him to hold onto for the ride. Her breasts peaked over and the view was enough to make him move faster. The head board smashed loud against the wall.

“Damn, D,” she wiggles, one hand coming down to rest over his abdomen. Adonis places his arms on either side of her head, moving in and out, in and out, pace increasing with each passing stroke. That damn annoying banging and spring bouncing wasn’t loud enough to hide Y/N’s moans.

“Yes, D, fuck me,” smiling over her shoulder at his accomplishment, Donnie snapped his hips forward to perfect his stoke earning a sexy moan from her.

“So wet and so tight,” he praises while continuing his assault on her warm pussy. Eyes rolling with pleasure, Donnie bends down to take one of her nipples into his mouth, her hands coming up to stroke the back of his head. Her legs automatically widened and her cries pierced his ears.

“Fuck, I’m gonna cum,” Her knees dig into his neck from their position, breathing harsh and shallow as her pussy gripped him tightly. Donnie could feel her creaming on him and this was just number one.

“You ready to give me another one?” Donnie teased in her ear, “I want another one.”

“Yes.” The smacking of flesh peaked and all she could do was take it. Donnie started to grunt and moan in her ear, driving her ass insane.

“Oh, Mhm, Mhm, Yes, give me that pussy.”

That alone had her hollering. She could feel the urge to pee and that meant one thing.

“Shit, I think I’m gonna squirt,” Y/N always did in this position anyway. That’s why Donnie fucked her like this.

“Fuck, ahh,” she clenched her fists, accepting the intense feeling since her legs were locked around his neck and she couldn’t go anywhere. Stretching out her thighs over his shoulder, she releases herself on him, astonished by the way he continued to fuck her through the mess. She wasn’t going to stop him.

“Donnie!!!” Y/N felt him throb inside of her. This was it, he was going to cum deep inside of her and she had no protection. The thought of him doing that has her locking her legs so hard on him to keep him in. She was just complaining of being exhausted now she wanted him to stay buried deep inside so she could milk it all. Insane.

“DAMN GIRL!!” He increases his motion, “I’m about to make you pregnant! You ready for this nut?!”

“Yes! Give it to me, Daddy!”

“I gotchu, baby, Daddy gotchu!”

————-

Y/N stares down at the second pregnancy test that evening after work. She waited a while, around three weeks before testing herself to give it some time. Tapping her acrylic claw nails against the marble bathroom sink counter, she frustratingly sighs, pushing both negative tests on the floor. She tried a total of four that day. Two at work and two at home. Y/N ran a hand through her braid out, biting her lip to calm herself. She needed to scream into her pillow. All that excitement over the last three weeks between her and Donnie over the possibility of having a little baby felt so false. She hated feeling like that only to find out him cumming inside of her didn’t work at all.

“Screw this shit,” she threw her hands up, ready to leave the damn bathroom. That was until she heard Donnie down the hall.

“Babe! I went past the grocery store on my way back to grab the fresh salmon for tonight. Figured you could make me that teriyaki salmon again, shit was good.”

Finally at the bathroom door, Donnie noticed one of the tossed pregnancy tests near his feet. Picking it up, he flipped it over in his hand, noticing the negative sign. He wasn’t completely clueless, he knew what that meant. Not saying a word, Donnie looks up at Y/N, reading the stress in her shoulders and back. She had on a fitted sundress, the yellow one that he liked. Her ass looked extra phat every time she wore it.

“Negative, Donnie. After cumming in me twice no pregnancy,” with folded arms, Y/N turns to him, “do you think it’s because I took a bath after and it may have washed out? I don’t know...it’s just weird.”

Shrugging, Donnie walks forward, leaning against the sink, “nah, maybe you should have waited to test yourself. Maybe a month?” Donnie didn’t really know all he could do was try and comfort her some how.

“...I guess I can wait until then I just...I was just hoping to see it, you know? We had our hopes up.”

She had that sad face that Donnie hated. Pulling her into his embrace, Donnie hugs her close with his nose in her hair.

“Baby girl, we had sex how many times after that? One of times could be it as well.”

She rolls her eyes, “I’m just...I was excited.”

“I’m still excited, shit, I get to cum in you whenever I want.” Y/N scowls at Donnie, ready to leave that bathroom and go to sleep. Her body was so tired.

“Babe, we have so many other opportunities. Don’t let this one discourage you.” Her smell had him going wild. It was sweet and warm. The stimulations from her scent went straight for his dick. The more it pressed against his jeans the more painful it became. Pulling her away from him, Donnie looks down on her with low dangerous eyes. Y/N looked from his lips to his eyes, waiting for what she was sure was about to happen. Without warning, Donnie palms her ass, squeezing then spanking her.

“Who told you to wear my favorite dress today, hm?” He had both of his hands on her ass now, spanking her with both hands because she didn’t respond.

“Hm? I said who told you to wear this? You showing off all this?” He spanked her harder, she jumps, “huh? You showing my ass that I touch and I eat out?” The crease in his brow had her breath hitching.

“No answer?” He rubbed her ass in circles, “no response? Just wake up and say fuck Donnie.”

“No...I just felt like wearing yellow, D.”

“Nah, I think you just felt like getting me mad. You must want me to fuck you like I’m mad at you.”

She couldn’t deny that his aggressiveness made her pussy wetter.

“N-no. I just...I felt like being cute today. It’s hot, baby.”

Smiling, he places a sweet kiss to her cheek, “you are cute, but still...You didn’t ask for my permission, gorgeous.”

Donnie flips her around to face the mirror without warning, taking one of his hands to pull her back by her hair while his other hand pulled the dress up and around her waist. Thong covered ass was now visible.

“Shit, you got a thong on too?” He chuckles, getting down behind her to pull at the string. Donnie takes the fabric, pulling it to the side to expose her pussy.

“Bend over.”

She does, hands planted on the mirror. Donnie takes one of her legs and lifts it onto the sink, opening her up more to see. Perfect. He spreads her cheeks, sticking his tongue out and eating her from pussy to ass. Nails dragging against the mirror she moaned, staring st her flustered reflection. His long wiggling tongue reached ever spot with precision.

“Oh my god that feels so good baby,” Y/N’s head fell in defeat, she couldn’t control how weak she was from him eating alone. He rubbed on her and kissed and licked. All the anger she felt about the pregnancy test was out the window. He flicked her clit and that’s what had her screaming.

“Bend that ass over, now. Spread your fucking legs...yeah...arch your back too,” Donnie pulls his pants down, shirt up to his chin and exposing that body to her yet again. Locking eyes in the mirror, Donnie held onto one of her legs while inserting himself inside of her pussy. She arched automatically, face planted against the glass. Her breath fogged the mirror with every moan and cry of pleasure. He was literally fucking her guts up and this was nothing like last night. The obscene smacking, the wet sounds, the vulgar names, Donnie was a different person. He always switched it up. Maybe this would get her pregnant this time.

“Daddy, omg!!!” She practically fell into the sink.

“I know I’m getting that ass pregnant now with how I’m fucking the shit out this tight ass fucking pussy!”

She looked at his face while he was all in her pussy, locking eyes and sharing moans of pleasure.

“Fuck me! Shit, fuck me!” Donnie pulled at her hair, pulling her back onto his dick over and over. This man was a raging bull.

“Daddy, hold up,” she tried to push at him, “daddy hold up I’m cumming!”

Donnie didn’t say a word all he did was fuck. She had no other choice but to grip the edge of the sink and hold on for the ride. Eyes watering, Y/N tried to breathe out through her nose.

“Fuck, Donnie! Shit, Baby!” Her orgasm hit hard like a high velocity ball striking someone’s head. It was so huge she pushed his dick out with force. Donnie didn’t like that at all. He grabbed her up, picking her up one handed and wrapping her legs around him.

“You wanna push me out when I’m tryna buss all in you? Don’t do that again.”

She was filled once again, arms around his neck and dress up to her waist. Donnie bounces her over him quick and smooth, uncaring of how much she cried about it being too deep or too much. He knew she couldn’t handle it like this but the more he fucked her through the struggle it just made him even more horny.

“I love this fucking pussy,” he watched with love as she came on his dick again, almost falling off of him.

“You gotta hold on baby. It’s like a ride, you gotta let me drive it,” she smiles despite her exhaustion, pulling Donnie into a kiss while he fucked her. Touching foreheads they both got lost in the moment with locked eyes and shared breaths. All he wanted to do was make her pregnant. He could give her more than one baby if she kept feeling like this and loving him like this.

“Oh, fuck, I’m about to cum,” He said with struggle, “open your legs so I can get deeper.”

She cried into his neck, hands wrapped around him to hold herself steady. Whenever Donnie was about to cum, he would push so deep her cervix could feel the impact. With his hands squeezing the hell out of her ass Donnie pumped into her one last time before exploding, shaky arms pulling her tightly to the point of breaking her spine. She could feel the warm liquid fill her up. Y/N clenched him while he slowly strokes, making sure he got everything out and where it was supposed to be. Donnie rubbed his sweaty face against hers, stilling himself but not leaving her cavern.

“Babe,” She was too tired to get him to put her down.

“Y/N, I’m not pulling out.”

“Donnie,” she pushed at him, “Baby my legs hurt.”

“Wait, Y/N, I’m getting hard again.”

“What? Fuck...” she knew exactly what that meant.

“We gotta make sure you get pregnant, baby girl. I need you pregnant next time.”

————-

“You are definitely pregnant, Y/N!”

She could have jumped in that exam room. That rough sex was clearly needed to get things going.

“How far along?”

“About two months.”

Confused, Y/N blinks down at the ultrasound tech, eyes traveling from the screen that didn’t make any sense to her and the gel that covered her belly.

“Wait...I tested and it said negative.”

Donnie even had the same look on his face.

“False readings are normal, Miss Y/N. Happens all the time.”

Y/N and Donnie shared a look, humor dancing between them both.

“Didn’t I tell you to wait a little?” He wanted to say that so bad clearly.

“Yeah! But I just-“

“Would you look at THAT! Two heart beats! No...wait...three?!”

Donnie went slack jawed and wide eyed. Y/N was just as frozen but more calm enough to speak.

“Three?! Triplets?! You sure? Cuz ... I’m looking at a whole lot of grainy mess.”

“Yes. Three is here in your womb!”

Donnie has his eyes planted to her belly. Three? How the hell was he going to raise three.

“Three tiny Creed’s.”

———-

@nickidub718 @chaneajoyyy @hearteyes-for-killmonger @youreadthatright @drsunshine97 @blowmymbackout @goddessofthundathighs

[fablesrose]

Of Kings and Shadows X

Chapter X

Description: Y/n, a girl who seems to have found her calling. Being a SHIELD agent is like a dream come true. With a friendship starting to form with the Avengers, she’s the Queen of the world! What could go wrong?

Pairings: Avengers x reader, Loki x reader (eventually)

Notes: On Wattpad -> Here

A/n: Sorry it's late. Finals week's been kicking my butt, but the dead know that by heaven I'm gonna kick it back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I would have thought that going on that mission, which went remarkably well, by the way, would have rejuvenated me for weeks. It did, for a while, but then I felt like I was hooked on adrenaline. I wanted to go on more and more missions. I asked for as many as I could handle, and then maybe a few more. I kept getting stronger and stronger in both training and out in the field. Some of the missions I was manning the drones, others, with my team watching their backs while by their side.

And I was loving every minute of it.

That is until my high fell, like a rock. I guess in all the heightened excitement my brain couldn't tell when my body was saying stop.

I got sick.

It wasn't just sniffles and sneezes though. My head was spinning, it took longer than it should to focus on something, and it was honestly a miracle that I even made it to work in the first place.

Speaking of which... When did I get here? And how?

I only frowned a moment when I tried to recall. I shook my head and tried once more to focus on my computer screen, wrapping my blanket tighter around me. Before I knew it it was a full hour later and I hadn't scrolled at all. When I got to the bottom of the page I suddenly realized that I couldn't recall a word I had read and had to return to the beginning. By about the fifth time I figured I had understood enough of the passage to scroll to the next page. I took a moment to blow my nose and open up a cough drop before attempting to continue reading.

After another couple of hours, my body had become stiff and creaky. I groaned when I unfolded my legs from my criss-cross position on my chair. I attempted to stand, once, twice, thrice. I finally rocked one last time and used my desk to stand. My eyes rolled back at the aching in my body and a shiver wracked me when my blanket slipped from my shoulders. I would like to say I reached for it quickly, but I probably looked like an old woman.

When I had eventually secured my blanket around my body I decided it was time to walk around to stretch my legs. I tried to avoid as many people as possible; nobody wanted to see a sick person, nor did I want anybody to get sick because of me.

I got tired quicker than I expected and soon headed back to my office to stare at my computer.

This sucks.

I sniffled all the way down the hallway and attempted to blow my nose when I got there but to no avail.

I really wanted to cry.

Instead, I thought it would be a good idea if I just sucked on my water bottle like a toddler. It made me feel better.

A knock came to my door a moment before it opened. I was sitting criss-cross-apple sauce in my office chair, wrapped up in a blanket, sucking on a water bottle pathetically, and jerking my body awkwardly to turn around and face the newcomer.

"Y/n, you look like death."

"That's cuz I feel like death Agent Fletcher!" I angrily continued sucking on my water bottle, glaring at Brian.

He pressed his lips together and gave me a look that I couldn't tell if it was disappointment or concern, "You should go home."

"No! I hate being behind!"

He blinked at me and then left my door open.

"Hey! You could at least close the door!" I scootched my chair over to the door and closed it, then jerked my body around to twist the chair back towards my desk. I got about half-way there when my door opened once more.

I scowled and wiggled to see who it was this time.

"How are you feeling?" Clint folded his arms over his chest and stru.2ggled not to smile.

"I'd feel a lot better if I could get to work! How does it look like I'm feeling?!"  I readjusted my blanket around my shoulders and sniffed aggressively.

He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, "Okay, come on. I'm taking you home."

I hissed at him, "No! I already missed two days! I've gotta get ahead!" I frantically gripped at my desk, struggling against Clint as he grabbed my chair.

"You've got to rest, Y/n!" He grunted with effort, but I wasn't letting go easily.

"AAaaaahHHH"

He then gave up tugging on me but I didn't let up my grip; I still latched on, anxious and ready for the next attempt. Instead of grabbing my chair or even my hands, Clint did something truly diabolical.

He stole my blanket.

"Cliiiiiiiinnnnntttt, give me my blankie back," I whined at him, still not trusting myself to let go of my desk, I reached one hand at him desperate to calm my now shivering body with my stolen blanket.

His face seemed to break slightly at my pathetic attempt, but he stayed firm in holding it, "No, Y/n, you've got to go home and rest. Feel better and then you can come back to work. Okay?"

I deflated, the exhaustion only just setting in, I looked back at Clint who relaxed slightly. My eyes drooped heavily as I whispered, "Okay..."

I stood up slowly, pausing when I became light-headed. I packed up my stuff and traded it for my blanket to Clint. We walked down to the parking lot where Clint started to lead me to a black car.

"But my car, Clint..."

"Yeah, you're in no condition to drive, and I wouldn't have a ride if I drove your car. Besides, it's a company car, it'll be safe in its company's parking garage."

I huffed and got into the passenger seat. The smooth leather was warm when I slid onto it. I cinched the seatbelt nice and tight, securing me to the seat and my blanket around me. I turned to seat heater on and soon I found myself drifting to sleep curled up in the warm car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Y/n," Clint looked over to her beside him after she had been quiet for a couple of minutes. He saw she was comfortably curled up and sleeping peacefully and he couldn't bring himself to wake her. She needed the rest, desperately.

He sighed, "I don't know where you live."

He sat at the light trying to make a decision on what to do. He only made it right as the light turned green. He drove to the next best place where he knew you would feel comfortable. The car pulled up to the front of the compound, careful to not jerk to a stop.

Clint walked around to the passenger side and opened the door as quietly as possible. He was contemplating on how to get her into the building when she sniffed extra grossly.

"Nope, nope, can't do it. Sorry Y/n, but I really don't want to get sick." He closed the door softly and locked the door. Clint walked into the lobby and called on the AI, "Hey Jarvis."

"Yes, sir?"

"You mind getting Thor's attention?"

"Of course sir."

Clint tapped his foot waiting for a response, "Too bad Steve's out on a mission. I don't think he would get sick."

"Thor is currently in the middle of watching a romantic comedy and asked to not be disturbed."

Clint groaned, "wh- you know what? I'm not going to ask." He tapped his foot a minute longer before speaking again.

"Jarvis, tell Loki that I need his help down here."

"Right away, sir."

Clint waited impatiently for Loki to come down after Jarvis informed him that he was on his way. Finally, Loki came from the elevator, leisurely strolling towards Clint.

"The voice informed me you need help?"

"You don't get sick right?"

Loki paused and tilted his head slightly, "Not by your infirmities, no."

"Good, I didn't care anyway--"

Loki rolled his eyes and halfway thought about just leaving to go back to his room.

"Y/n's in the car asleep, sick as a dog," Clint pointed to the car on the other side of the glass doors and then at himself, "I have no need to get sick."

Loki looked intrigued, but still not convinced, "Why don't you just wake her up?"

"She really needs her rest," his attention was fixed on the little bit of her he could see over the car window, "I couldn't get myself to."

Loki rolled his eyes, "Fine."

"Thanks, now why don't you bring her to--"

"I'll wake her up." Loki started for the car.

"NO!" Clint quickly grabbed his arm to stop him. "She needs all the sleep she can get and she'll probably throw a fit being here instead of at work or at home!"

"All the more reason to wake her up so you can take her home."

Clint scowled and decided to bring out the big guns, "That really won't help her, do you want another round of what happened the last time you didn't help her? I'll go get Nat right now."

Loki stiffened remembering the pure fear of being under the wrath of both Clint and Natasha. He twisted his neck and glared at him, but Clint didn't break. "Fine! Fine. I will take her to..." He gestured for Clint to continue his thought.

He hesitated for a moment before he remembered his thought, "Oh! I'm not sure if there are any bedrooms set up, or where they are, so just take her to the common room couch for now."

They walked out together to the car door. Clint unlocked it and carefully opened the door for Loki. Clint gave home one last glare in warning before Loki stuck his head in to unbuckle the seat belt.

Y/n shifted in her sleep and both men froze until she stilled herself. Loki half thought about throwing her over his shoulder just to spite Clint, but seeing her pathetic little sniffles as she slept caused him to not follow through. He carefully hooked one arm under her knees and then the other under her back where there was enough space to wedge into.

Clint guided them out making sure nothing caught on the way out. He closed and locked the car and walked in front of Loki to open the doors.

Not long after being removed from the hot car Y/n began shivering. Loki looked down at her with concern and adjusted the blanket as much as he was able. When the shivering didn't cease, he hugged her a little tighter to his chest hoping to provide her a little warmth. While she didn't stop completely, she wasn't vibrating as violently as before.

When the three of them reached the common room Loki placed y/n on the couch with the most sun shining on it. Clint ran around gathering supplies: tissues, cough drops, lots of pills, a fluffy pillow that he was never going to use again after today, and he even refilled her water bottle.

Loki wasn't exactly sure what to do when mortals got sick, but he didn't think the constant shivering was a good thing in any race of beings. He casually strolled over to the closet and grabbed a couple of extra blankets to place over her. She quickly latched on to them and curled a bit more into herself like she was conserving heat.

"Clint, I think she is still too cold."

Clint popped his head back into the room from the kitchen to see for himself, "Hmmm, yeah I think you're right. I think Natasha has some rice bags or a hot water bottle or somethin' Y/n could use." He scratched behind his hearing aid thinking of where to find them, "I'll go look around, try and find them."

Loki watched him go and then sat on one of the other couches to read.

Eventually, Clint came back with a couple of rice bags in his arms. He walked to the kitchen and started warming them up in the microwave.

"Oh! Hot! Hot!" He hissed as he played hot potato with the rice packs coming back from the kitchen. He placed one by her feet, one on the small of her back, and the last one in her arms for her to hug to her chest.

Y/n took no time to curl around it and let out a little puff of contentment.

Clint sighed softly, "I'm going to go tell Nat that she's here, I have to go back to Shield to finish up some stuff." Clint turned to Loki who was barely paying attention to him. "I trust -- no, you'll watch her for a few minutes in between me and her being here."

Loki hummed, disinterested, as he slowly turned his page.

Clint took that as a yes and walked down the hallway asking Jarvis where Natasha was in the building.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up feeling better sickness wise, but still so tired. I tried to move only to find I was effectively incapacitated by a tangle of blankets. It took me a couple of minutes to free myself, all the while trying to remember when I grabbed this many blankets. I sat up on the couch, why am I on a couch? I glared at the ground trying to recall the last place I remember being. I knew the rice pack I was hugging to my chest despite it not being hot anymore wasn't mine, but that didn't give me much clue. My surroundings seemed familiar, it obviously wasn't my apartment, but my brain was so blurry I couldn't think straight. I rubbed my eyes and shook my head trying to clear it with a slight grunt.

"Ah, you're awake."

My head snapped up to see Loki on another couch, not looking at me from his book. How I didn't notice him before is a mystery. I blinked at him, making sure I was really awake and not having cough syrup overdose hallucinations. When he didn't move or waver I answered gravelly, "Uh, yeah... Is this the compound?"

"Indeed."

"Uh, Your Highness? How did I get here?" I took a sip from my water bottle which soothed my throat.

"Do you not remember?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I did."

Natasha entered the room in a t-shirt and joggers, "You're feeling well enough to sass it sounds like."

I huffed, "Yeah, I guess so."

She sat the closest she could without being on the couch with my pile of tangled blankets, "To answer your question, Clint was charged with taking you home early from work but you fell asleep on the way. He was a softy and didn't wake you up for your address so he just took you here."

I nodded, it starting to come back to me, "That's right..." I looked at my bag with all my stuff, "Well, tell him thanks, but I feel well enough to drive now. If you could give me a ride to Shield so I can pick up my car..." I trailed off for two reasons, one: the question was obvious, and two: Natasha was looking at me with a 'really?' look.

"It's late, you're not going anywhere."

I opened my mouth to protest but she continued.

"Besides, Tony, Steve, and Clint will be back in a bit," Nat checked the time, "And I'm gonna drag Bruce out of the lab about the same time. An hour." She smiled at me kindly, "You still need to rest to get over your bug, so you're gonna stay over here for at least tonight to get the best care."

I smiled but immediately saw a problem, "That's kind of you, but I don't have my clothes for tonight or tomorrow."

She wordlessly grabbed a bag from the side of the couch I couldn't see previously. I recognized it as a bag I used regularly, usually hung by my front door. She tossed it onto my lap. Opening it up I found two sets of clothes and a pair of pajamas.

All of them were mine.

I looked at her puzzled, "How-?"

She responded with nothing, only staring me right in the eyes.

I decided not to ask.

I guess it was settled. I was going to stay here for the night.

Oh boy.

Tag list: @nightrose64

[dreamcity-rawr]

Jacket || Jeno

Character: Lee Jeno (NCT DREAM) Genre: fluff, romance  Words: 1.4k words Summary: you accidentally take stranger Jeno’s jacket and find some weird things in his pockets but hey, he smells pretty damn good and looks pretty damn cute.  Warning: none

   “Don’t you think that guy in the corner looks cute?” You look up from your coffee cup to give your friend a raised brow. You follow the direction she’s looking at to see the male at the corner of the café, typing about on his laptop as he sits alone. He is indeed good-looking.

  He has these cute eyes, a sharp nose bridge and the most pinkish lips you’ve ever seen. He looks like the really kind and proper kind of boys that high school girls would swoon over. The male suddenly looks up from his laptop while removing his glasses with a sigh. That’s when your eyes meet and you look away, back to your friend.

  “Go talk to him if you want” You shrug your shoulders at her, reaching for another  sip of your drink. Your best friend scoffs before motioning at you with her eyes, “I already have a boyfriend. It’s you that’s single, lonely and miserable”.

  You chuckle, shaking your head, “I’m not into polished guys like that. I need me a man as weird as me so I don’t feel like a baggage”. Your friend sighs before giving you a sympathetic look, knowing where your words are coming from.

   “Is that jerky ex still bothering you?” she asks, hand reaching out to touch yours in comfort. Your ex left you with quite a lot on your mind, because he’d always try to change you. To be as proper as him. To be a good match with him. And you hated that he couldn’t love you for who you are. That’s why you keep in mind to only really get close to people who are either very accepting or as weird and full of flaws like you.

   Your phone suddenly lights up with a call from your ex. Your friend notices as well as she scoffs, “Is he still trying to get back with you?”. You sigh, a little uncomfortable but still pick up your phone as you stand up, “He’s coming over to get his stuff…I should probably go now” you say.

   “Yeah, get it all over with the earlier the better” She nods understandingly. You unconsciously take one last peek at the corner of the café to see the boy previously sitting there already gone.

  Turning to your friend, you share your goodbyes and you walk towards the doors. Just before you reach the café doors, your friend shouts from across the room, catching only your attention but also anyone else’s that’s in the café, “Don’t forget your jacket on the rack!”. With an embarrassed smile, you turn towards the rack and reach for your jacket, mouthing a quick “Right. Thanks” to your friend before exiting.

  You hurriedly put the jacket on before picking up the call all the while walking down the street. “I’ll be there in a minute. Just don’t enter my house” is all you say before hanging up on your ex, not even wanting to hear his voice.

  You take a deep breath, and that’s when the unfamiliar scent hits your senses. You lower your head down, closer to your jacket and take another inhale of the scent on your jacket. Your brows narrow in thought for a moment, “Has my fabric softener always smelled this nice?” you mumble to yourself.

  You slip your phone into your jacket’s pocket when you hear a clink against the phone screen. Your steps slow down after you reach into the pocket to fish out whatever was in the pocket that you forgot was there.

  Your eyes widen when you see the ball of pink fluff in your palm. “What the hell?” You tilt your head in confusion, not really remembering ever owning a fluffy squeaky toy.  Out of curiosity, you reach into the other pocket and widen your eyes once you pull out half a choco bar.

  That’s when you stop walking completely and wonder, is this really your jacket?

  “E-Excuse me?” You feel someone tap on your shoulder and turn around only to come face to face with the cute boy you saw in the café earlier. “Can I…..help you?” You ask, wondering why he’s panting as if he just ran just to get you.

  “I think we got our jackets swapped up” he says once he catches his breath again. It is now that you notice the jacket he’s holding up. It’s your jacket. Wait, but that means that the jacket you’re wearing is-

  “Oh crap. Is this yours then?” your two hands up move forward and you open your palms, one holding the fluff ball and the other holding the unfinished choco bar. The boy’s eyes widen upon seeing those and he immediately reaches out to take them before hiding them behind his back.

  “Y-Yeah. That’s my….um, jacket” He says, hand scratching the back of his head with a small smile. His smile absolutely mesmerizes you. his eyes turn into crescents and his lips stretch out ear to ear. You blink a few times before remembering that you’re still wearing his jacket.

  You quickly take it off before handing it to him. the boy takes it with a smile while handing yours to you. “This belongs to you then?” He says and you nod, just staring at him. It definitely is his jacket. The scent you smelt from the jacket earlier is all around him as well.

   “You smell really nice” you say out unconsciously. It is when you hear his full on laugh that you realize how weird that must have sounded, coming from a stranger. “N-No, that sounded weird, I-”

   “No, it’s okay. It makes me less embarrassed to know I’m not the only weird one” He shakes his head. Dang his smile really is charming. You notice that the glasses he previously wore were already off, allowing you to see his face more clearly now.

  “I’m y/n” You offer him a wide smile and put your hand out to shake with his. He gladly takes your hand, shaking it very lightly while introducing himself to you. “Lee Jeno. Nice meeting you” his words come out as sincere as his hand is warm around yours.

   His thumb naturally glides against the back of your hand and you’re this tempted not to let go. that’s when your phone rings and you’re snapped out of your daze. You let go of his hand and hurriedly fish out your phone only to realize you put it in Jeno’s jacket earlier.

  The male realizes it’s in his pocket and pulls it out. “Mama’s little bitch?” He reads the caller ID and chuckles, you take the phone and shrug your shoulders in dismissal, “My ex is a snob” you say, almost rolling your eyes.

  “He’s calling to bother you?” he asks, out of curiosity and a tiny bit of concern. “He wants whatever he gave me back so….I gotta go get the things for him” annoyance is evident in your tone and Jeno nods understandingly, “Exes be that annoying sometimes”.

   “Tell me about it” You give the boy a small smile, a little saddened that you’ll part ways now, but before you can even open your mouth and say goodbye, Jeno pulls out something from the inner pocket of his jacket, the pocket you haven’t checked yet.

   “Actually,.... I have an additional movie ticket. Would you like to come with me?” Jeno’s holding two movie tickets, waving it around a little while smiling his wide and adorable smile The corner of your lips curl up at Jeno’s appealing offer, “Are you telling me to ignore my ex now?”.

  Jeno leans in a little closer with a playful smile to say, “No one deserves to deal with annoying exes. Especially not someone as cute as you”. His words follow by a wink and you swear your smile was reaching your ears. You take a look at your phone screen, still lit up with the call and your thumb swipes to turn the call down. “Sounds interesting. Tell me more” you say in amusement, feeling the thrill of having declines the call of someone you always had to say yes to.

  “Great. The movie starts in a few minutes, how about we make a run for it?” He chuckles and to be honest, you feel like this is the most thrill you’re had in such a long time. And Jeno’s smile sent your feelings into a frenzy. “From swapping jackets to running from exes. Aren’t we going a little too fast?” you joke, making him laugh.

  “I don’t like slow and steady. I like mad and crazy” Jeno offers you his hand, which you gladly take. “Exactly my type” you say, not even knowing yourself whether you meant those words about life or him as an interest.    

   author’s note    it’s been suuuuuuuch a long time, I know ToT. I’ve just been through quite a lot, things after things happened and I guess I couldn’t enough time to write or upload anything until now. Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish all your requests as soon as I can. I really hope to upload much more frequently cuz I owe it to yallllll~ I am working on the requests, tbh I’ve got quite many and a lot of them I am still hesitating on because I need more time to do my own planning and whatnot. Anyways, thanks so much for waiting patiently!! ♥️ I love you ♥️

[calpalirwin]

Difficult and Stubborn

Summary: When country difficult meets rock stubborn there’s bound to be a clash. And there’s bound to be more than one side to the same story.

A/N: So, in case y’all didn’t know, I’m a country music ho! And Morgan Wallen’s Chasin’ You gave me angsty Ash fic vibes so I paired it up with 5SOS’s Want You Back. And I think it worked?

Content: Swearing. Angst. Some fluff because I can’t write bad endings? I dunno. Same shit, different fic.

Word Count: 5,200-ish.

And, (like always) away, and away we go! (Have y’all caught on to this joke yet?)

~~~

March 2019

Y/N’s POV

“You know you gotta perform this song with me, right?” Morgan asked me.

“What?” I asked, my eyes going wide. I was a song writer, not a song-singer. Why did the people I wrote songs for keep rewarding me like this?

“C’mon, we sing it so much better together,” he winked.

I rolled my eyes, patting the man’s shoulder. “I’ll sing with you,” I relented. “But that’s it!”

“Great!” he grinned, hugging me tightly.

I rolled my eyes again and gave out a small laugh.

“Y/N?” a familiar- too familiar really- voice sounded and I ducked behind Morgan, eyes taking in the man strolling down the hall towards me. The brown curls I had spent many a night running my fingers through were now bright red. More tattoos decorated the arms that used to hold me tight. And Ashton Irwin was the last person I wanted to see before I was about to perform the song I had written about him.

~~~

March 2019

Ashton’s POV

“Ash, c’mon, mate,” Calum’s hand pulled on my arm.

“Yeah, right behind ya,” I said, following him down the hallway, before my eyes took her in. I stopped, blinking. It couldn’t be, could it? Despite being in the music business, we had managed to run in different circles. But it was. I would recognize her anywhere. “Y/N?” I called out, before I could think about it. She froze, recognizing my voice the same way I would recognize hers. But, instead of turning, she ducked behind the man she was standing with. 

I was about to call out to her again, but Calum gave me a sharp tug, pulling me along. “C’mon, mate. Don’t do this,” he told me, his voice low.

~~~

March 2017

Y/N’s POV

“You know you gotta perform this song with me, right?” Kelsea asked me.

“Kels, I just write the songs. I don’t perform them,” I said, holding up my hands, declining her offer.

“Oh, c’mon Y/N,” the pretty blonde pleaded. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for your songwriting.”

“Just thank me in your speech, and we’ll call it even,” I assured her.

“Kelsea, you’re on in five,” a stagehand directed.

“Get her mic for me, would ya?” she winked at the stagehand, who shrugged and pushed a microphone in my hand.

“No, I do-” I protested, handing it back to him.

He looked at Kelsea, wondering what to do as I tried to get him to take the microphone back. “She’s doing this,” Kelsea smiled brightly at him. “Make sure they announce us both. That’s songwriter Y/N Y/L/N.”

“Yes ma’am,” he said, rushing off.

I narrowed my eyes, “I could kill you right now.”

She just turned her bright smile to me, “You could, but then you’d have to perform solo.”

~~~

March 2017

Ashton’s POV

I sunk low in my chair, bored out of my skull. Being at an award show just to show face was the dumbest idea my management had come up with thus far.

“Drink after this?” Calum whispered to me.

“Fuck yeah,” I agreed. “What about Luke, though?”

“It’s an after-party, not a bar.”

“Performing Miss Me More, country music artist Kelsea Ballerini, and songwriter Y/N Y/L/N!” the host announced and our conversation got cut as we clapped politely as two women came out on stage, the blonde perky, the other shooting daggers with her eyes.

“Who’s that?” I nudged Calum.

He just shrugged, “But if looks could kill, yeah?”

I nodded, keeping my eyes on the woman who looked like she would rather be anywhere else in the world than on stage as the music started.

Kelsea sang her way through the first verse of a rather upbeat, ballsy fuck-you country tune, before the other woman joined her on the chorus. Then, when that second verse hit, it was just the other woman alone singing “I put on my old records that I hid in the back of the closet. And I turned them up to ten. And then I played them all again.” She got into it at that point, giving a little sway of her hips as she continued, “I found my independence, can’t believe I ever lost it. What you wanted, ain’t it? It’s what you wanted.” She gave a smug smirk and a wink at Kelsea before they both continued with the rest of the song.

“Thanks, y’all!” Kelsea grinned, taking a small bow to the applause. “Let’s give it up for my talent friend, Y/N!”

I don’t know what compelled me to do it, but I was on my feet, whistling through my fingers, suddenly feeling way better about being here.

~~~

March 2019

Y/N’s POV

“Please welcome to the stage, Morgan Wallen and Y/N Y/L/N and their new hit Chasin’ You!” the host announced and Morgan’s hand took mine as we walked out.

Morgan sang the first verse by himself, and I swayed quietly on my stool, my eyes closed, enjoying the music before I opened my eyes and joined him for the chorus.

“Chasin’ you-ooo-ooo like a shot of whiskey. Burnin’ goin’ down, burnin’ goin’ down. Chasin’ you-ooo-ooo like those goodbye headlights, headin’ west to anywhere out of this nowhere town. Chasin’ that freedom, chasin’ that feeling, that got gone too soon. Chasin’ that you and me, I only see in my rearview. Yeah, I’m layin’ here tonight holdin’ someone new, still chasin’ you. Still chasin’ you.” 

My eyes glanced across the crowd watching us and I found him easily, too easily.

~~~

March 2019

Ashton’s POV

Her eyes found mine as she started singing the second verse, a sad smile on her lips.

“You always used to talk about LA. I heard you got as far as Santa Fe. Oh, wait. You know I tried to track you down, but I only got as far as Guitar Town. Singin’ bout a boy I used to know, used to know. You should know that I haven’t given up, I’m just on your radio.”

I sucked in my breath as her eyes stayed locked on mine. I knew the song was about me. I just wondered how much of it was true.

I got up from my seat, Calum’s arm grabbing my arm in protest, but I yanked from his grasp and strode out, my mind racing.

God, how had her and I gone so wrong, so fast? How did we get back to the people we were when we met? How did anyone come back from a breakup in a relationship you were never sure you had in the first place?

~~~

March 2017

Y/N’s POV

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said, clapping a hand over my mouth as the man jostled me.

“Oh, nah, that was my fault,” he apologized. His words were either accented or slightly slurred as he pushed his brown curls out off a set of honey-gold eyes. “Oh, hey! You’re that girl,” he smiled as those eyes took me in.

“It’s Y/N,” I said with a small laugh, offering him my hand.

“I’m Ashton,” he told me, his large hand enveloping mine. “That song rocked. And I don’t even like country all that much.”

“More of a rock band type?” I asked, my brain clicking through the names and faces I knew and not finding his, but recognizing his name anyway.

He tapped a finger to his nose knowingly. “Typical, I know. The drummer of a rock band likes rock music. Go fuckin’ figure.”

“Ah!” I said, my eyes lighting up in recognition. “You’re Ashton from 5 Seconds of Summer. What were you guys doing at the award show?”

“Showing the world that LA hasn’t swallowed us whole,” he shrugged, holding out his arms, the drink sloshing around the lip of the cup. 

“Easy there,” I said, laughing and wondering if he felt the same jolt of electricity as I did when I touched his arm to bring it down. “The booze may seem free, but the cost is gonna be one wicked hangover.”

“Can’t be hungover if I never stop drinking,” he winked, taking a long sip.

I laughed again. The man had some solid logic, even if it was heavily flawed. “C’mon you, let’s see if we can’t sober you up a bit.”

~~~

March 2017

Ashton’s POV

I wasn’t drunk. I wasn’t even close to it. But I let her drag me outside anyway. 

“Okay, maybe this was a bad idea,” she chuckled, rubbing furiously at her bare arms. 

“Here,” I said, shrugging off my leather jacket and placing it around her shoulders. 

“Won’t you be cold?” she asked, sliding her arms in, letting the warmth envelope her.

“Nah, I’ll be good in this,” I said, pulling at my long sleeves. The leather jacket, combined with the small buzz I was working on getting, and the way she looked was making me too hot, so I was glad to shed the layer I could, letting the early spring night air cool me down. “So, do you live in LA?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Nashville with all the other country folk.”

I nodded. “So you write, but you don’t sing?”

She laughed. I liked it. “I could ask you the same thing, Ashton.”

“I’m a drummer, what’s your excuse?”

“I don’t need my name up in lights. I write music for me, not for anybody else.”

“Sounds a little hypocritical to sell those songs then, no?”

She shrugged. “Gotta make a living somehow. Might as well make money doing what I love. But I don’t need all the glory that goes with it.”

I nodded. “That’s almost a shame, really. Cuz you sound great.”

She smiled, “So do you.”

Maybe it was the alcohol in my system. Maybe it was the way she looked in the streetlight glow in my leather jacket. Maybe it was a combination of the two or something else entirely. But the next thing I knew my lips met hers and her hands were in my hair and mine were on her hips.

~~~

March 2019

Y/N’s POV

“Y/N!” Ashton’s voice called as I walked down the hallway headed for my seat in the theater. 

I stopped and turned, trying not to lose my composure over how nearly two years had only made him more handsome. I’m not sure what I wanted him to look like. Maybe broken like I was? No. I didn’t want that. He didn’t deserve that pain I felt in my chest looking at him. God, it was pathetic. I was pathetic. We were barely a thing when we were a thing. And now we were back to being nothing. Two strangers in a hallway. God, if only that were true. “Ashton,” I answered, keeping my voice level, cold even. 

“Ashton? Really Y/N? That’s how it’s gonna be?” He gave a shake of his head, a hand rubbing at his neck, a breath coming out in a slow, shaky huff.

“What do you want, Ashton?” I asked, the iciness from my tone giving way to weariness.

“To talk?”

I rolled my eyes. “What about?”

His eyes darkened. “Jesus, are you always this difficult?”

“Are you always this stubborn?” I shot back. 

~~~

March 2019

Ashton’s POV

A low frustrated growl ripped through my throat. “I’m stubborn?! Jesus, woman, I’m just trying to talk to you!”

“I don’t have time for this,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “You don’t have time for this,” she added, her eyes locking on my fist that was clenched around the drumsticks. 

“Later then, yeah?”

“Later. Break a leg, or whatever,” she muttered, before walking off.

I watched her, shaking my head. God, even when she was mad she was hot.

“Mate…” Calum’s voice said, his eyes following where I was looking. “I specifically told you not to do this.”

“I’m not doing anything, Cal. She’s the one doing it.”

~~~

June 2017

Y/N’s POV

“C’mon,” he said, his eyes wild as he shed his shirt.

“Ash, you’re crazy!” I laughed.

“Live a little, baby,” he whispered in my ear, placing a kiss on my lips that tasted like the whiskey he took a swig off. Then, he was running down the river bend in the moonlight.

I took a swig of my own, then ran after him. I would chase that boy anywhere.

“You ever gonna chase me to LA?” he asked when I caught him. Okay, I would chase him almost anywhere.

“We talked about this, Ash,” I said, my voice soft, not wanting to have the same fight we've been having for three months.

“You’ll chase me all around Nashville, but not LA? Baby…” his voice begged with a small chuckle of disbelief. “You can still write in LA.”

“You can write in Nashville,” I countered. Then, “Can we not do this? Can we just enjoy whatever this is?”

He pushed his hair back with a click of his tongue and a shake of his head. “Yeah, whatever.”

I rolled my eyes. “You’re really going to be mad at me for having a life, Ash?”

“I’m not mad that you don’t have a life. I’m mad you only act like were a thing when I come here.”

“I was in LA last month, and you ignored me!” I shot back.

“I was busy!”

“So what? I have to change for you, but you won’t change for me? How is that fair, Ash?”

“I’m not asking you to change!”

“Then, why are you trying to ruin a good thing, Ash?” I asked. “C’mon, be here with me.”

“In Nashville?”

“No,” I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, taking his hands in mine. “Here. This moment. Me and you. Nobody else.”

A small smile crept across his lips and I knew we were done fighting. “You drive me crazy, you know that, baby?”

“Honestly, how you put up with me, I’ll never know,” I said, reaching up on tiptoe to kiss him deeply.

“Mmm, it’s cuz you kiss like that,” he told me, his eyes shining in the way that sent shivers down my spine.

“Like what?” I asked innocently, repeating the kiss. “Like this?”

“Just like that, baby.”

“Keep calling me ‘baby’ and there will be plenty of kisses just like that.”

“Baby,” he grinned, placing his lips on my neck to leave his own kisses and marks. “Baby, baby, baby.”

~~~

July 2017

Ashton’s POV

“You never change, do you?!” she screamed at me in the parking lot, the summer rain making it hard to tell if she was crying or not.

I kept my face neutral, deciding to say nothing. I had just asked if she wanted to join me on tour and she was acting like I set her on fire.

“Say something!” she yelled, her voice cracking- yep, she was crying- her hands pushing hard at my chest, enough to make me have to throw a foot back to catch myself.

I dropped my gaze, deciding to take this moment to memorize her before I never got another chance. Her hair was starting to frizz in the light drizzle. Her voice that could be so soft was loud and harsh, ringing out in the parking lot. Her thin shirt- my favorite one, the one with roses on it- clung to her skin. “All I asked was if you wanted to join me on tour,” I said simply. “Didn’t even have to be for the whole thing. Just thought maybe you were in the mood to travel. With me. Your boyfriend.”

“Oh, is that what you are?” she asked with a disgusted laugh.

I blinked, dumbly.

She let out a wild scream of frustration. “I broke up with my ex because I valued my independence. I thought you respected that. We never said what we were, Ashton. You just come around every now and then, shake up my world for a few days, and then leave.”

“I do respect that! But you can’t have it both ways! You can’t get mad at me for leaving, and then turn around and get mad when I ask you to come with me!” I shouted at her, losing my temper the way she had already lost hers.

“Because when I did come, you ignored me!”

“You’re really gonna keep using that argument?!”

“I make time for you every time you come to Nashville! But you couldn’t do the same?! And you think you’re my boyfriend?! God!” Her hands came to rest on her head and I knew what was coming next. “I do- I don’t know how we’ve been working for as long as we have. We don’t work. You and I will never work.”

“Message received,” I said shortly, grateful we each had met up so I didn’t have to endure a hard silent car ride that may or may not led to make-up/break-up sex. I could just leave, here and now. Before I shattered.

~~~

March 2019

Y/N’s POV

“And now, 5SOS with their new hit Want You Back!” the host announced and I clapped politely, but wished for the theater to open up and swallow me whole. I couldn’t hear this song. Not here in front of people.

“Can’t help but wondering if this is the last time that I’ll see your face. Is it tears or just the pourin’ rain? Wish I could say something. Something that doesn’t sound insane, but lately I don’t trust my brain. You tell me I won’t ever change, so I just say nothing,” Luke sang the clean acoustic version, but my eyes were on the man just beyond the blonde. God, how could he make something as simple as snapping look so damn sexy?

His eyes were closed, lost in the music, and I was glad for it. It meant he couldn’t tell that I was watching. It would have stayed that way if he had kept those damn honey colored eyes that I saw every time I closed my eyes shut. But, I wasn’t lucky when it came to Ashton Irwin. No, those eyes snapped open with his fingers and locked with mine. So much for pretending to move on.

~~~

March 2019

Ashton’s POV

I had kept my eyes closed, because I knew that if I looked I would find her and I really didn’t want to break down on stage. But the first verse ended and my eyes opened up, almost without my permission, and found her watching.

“No matter where I go, I’m always gonna want you back. No matter how long you’re gone, I’m always gonna want you back. I know you know I will never get over you. No matter where I go, I’m always gonna want you back, want you back,” I sang into my microphone along with the rest of my band, swallowing the lump in my throat, and the pain swirling in the pit of my stomach.

I wondered if she was sitting there thinking the same thing I had when it had been her up here instead of me. I wish I could tell her that every word of it was true. I would never not want her. But, that confession would have to wait.

~~~

September 2017

Y/N’ POV

I chucked my phone in anger. I needed to stop. God, it wasn’t even like we were a thing to begin with. So why did it hurt so bad? Why was I constantly scrolling through his band account to see whether he looked broken up or happy? Why was I still hung up on him?

I pulled my notebook closer, gave my pen a quick tap, and started writing.

“We used to taste that Chattanooga fray. Couple kids in a Chevrolet. Catch a little air when we hit the tracks. Sipping on something from a paper sack. You hang your shirt on a maple limb. Slippin’ through the moon to the river bend. Wasn’t very long I was jumpin’ in, jumpin’ in. I guess I’m still doin’ now what I was doin’ then,” I sang along, plucking out a melody, figuring maybe putting him in a song would get him out of my head once and for all.

~~~

November 2017

Ashton’s POV

My fingers itched as I clutched my phone tighter. “Don’t do it. Don’t you dare do it,” I whispered angrily to myself.

“Give it to me,” Calum said, his brown hand outstretched.

I sighed in defeat and handed it to him. “I don’t know what to do, Cal. She’d push, and I’d pull. So, I would push, and then she would pull. I never knew what she wanted me to do. Did she want her freedom? Did she want me? Did she want both, and I just didn’t know how to give her that? God, I can’t think straight!”

“Here,” he said, pushing a notebook and pen in my hand. “Get it out. Maybe getting it on paper will clear up your head.”

I offered him a small smile of gratitude. “Thanks, Cal.”

“I’m always here for ya, mate. Now turn this moping into a hit.”

I chuckled for the first time in what felt like a while, the sound strange to my ears. I opened the notebook and the words came easily- too easily.

“I remember the freckles on your back, and the way I used to make you laugh. ‘Cause you know  every morning I wake up, yeah, I still reach for you. I remember the roses on your shirt when you told me this would never work. You know even when I say I’ve moved on, yeah, I still dream for you.”

~~~

March 2019

Y/N’s POV

I got up out of my seat. I couldn’t sit here and watch him up there anymore. It was my own damn fault. I hadn’t wanted a relationship, so I had kept him at arm’s length, and every time he tried to close the distance I pushed. But then I would get mad when he didn’t pull me close anyway. I had wanted him to fight for me and every time he did I balked, scared of risking losing myself like I had in my last relationship.

My wandering in my dazed state led me to the hallway backstage, and as fate would have it, I smacked right into the person I still wasn’t sure about.

~~~

March 2019

Ashton’s POV

“Whoa, easy there,” I said, grabbing her arms to hold her steady as she stumbled back. “You okay?” I asked when her eyes traveled up and I got a good look of her face- broken, struggling to keep her composure.

“I’m fine,” she all but snarled, her eyes hard despite the rest of her face being soft, jerking out of my grasp.

I held up my hands and took a small step back. “Just making sure you don’t fall on your ass, baby.”

“Don’t you dare call me that.”

“Baby, baby, baby,” I taunted, crossing my arms.

“Stubborn asshole.”

“Difficult baby.”

“You infuriate me.”

“Oh yeah? Is that why you wrote a song about how you haven’t given up? Because I infuriate you?”

“That song’s not about you. It’s Morgan’s song about his ex,” she lied.

“Bullshit it is,” I scoffed.

“Oh, like you didn’t just perform a song about me?” she challenged.

“I never said I didn’t.”

“So, I’m the fake betch who treated you really wrong?” she asked, accenting the words like Luke and I had, not realizing she had just admitted to keeping tabs on me.

I laughed harshly. “That’s the part you chose to focus on? The part where Luke and I were dicking around as he tried to make me laugh for the first time in months?”

“I’m not fake, Ashton. I wasn’t faking anything with you.”

“I never said you were.”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t even know why I’m trying right now.”

“Trying what? You’re the one acting hostile. All I did was keep you from falling flat on face.”

“If you wanted to keep me from falling flat on my face you should- nevermind.”

I tilted my head. “I’m sorry? I should’ve what?”

“Nevermind.”

“You going to the after-party?”

“Yes…”

“Cool. We’ll talk there, yeah? Maybe without the hostilities?”

“That depends, are you going to be stubborn?”

“Are you going to be difficult?” I asked back.

Her eyes narrowed, but she fought the eye roll. God, all I wanted right now was to kiss that hard look off her face. “Just find me later, Ash,” she finally said, using the shortened version of my name as an act of good faith.

~~~

June 2018

Y/N’s POV

I wasn’t sure why I was watching the video. The last time I had watched a video of him I had cried for hours wondering if he really thought I was a fake bitch who broke his heart like it was nothing. Did he really think I was a monster? Was I a monster? Hell, maybe I was for pushing away a guy who only wanted to hold me together. God, I was so stupid!

I was expecting Ashton to go off on what the lyrics meant to him as I watched the video against my better judgement, but he surprised me by talking about the process of writing the song, rather than what it meant to him personally. Maybe he wasn’t drunk enough yet. Maybe he had written the song to move on, and it had worked for him. Good. At least it had worked for one of us.

~~~

July 2018

Ashton’s POV

“So, you actually wrote this song, Y/N, is that right?” the radio host asked her in the live stream of the video I was watching.

She nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I wrote the lyrics anyway. Morgan and his team wrote the music for it.”

“She’s being modest,” Morgan cut in with a laugh. “She had a guitar melody in mind when she showed us the song that we worked with.”

“And yet, you let him sing it?”

She laughed. “Yeah, or I try to anyway. I keep telling Morgan I’m just the song writer, not the song singer, but he can be very persuasive.”

The radio host leaned in, “Oh, so is Morgan the someone new you’re holding?”

She laughed again. “No, Morgan and I are just friends. There’s nobody new I’m holding. It was just a good fit lyrically.”

The radio host leaned back, clearly disappointed that there wasn’t an exclusive scoop for him to exploit. I sighed in relief, as that line had tore me up inside every time I heard it. “Rumor has it the song is about a certain rock drummer you were spotted getting friendly with last year. So, were you and Ashton Irwin of 5SOS dating, and is the song about your breakup?”

She shrugged, and I watched the small flash as her face fell before she kept it neutral. “It’s based on experience, like all my songs are. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s about a breakup, though. Ashton and I…” her voice trailed off as she struggled to find the words. “We had fun. We had potential. And, uh…”

“He’s just a feeling you’re trying to chase?” the radio host supplied.

She let out a breath that held the trace of a laugh. The sound of shoulda/woulda/coulda beens. “Ash was more than a feeling, but uh, yeah. I guess you could say that.”

I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry.

~~~

March 2019

Y/N’s POV

I took a swallow of my water, waving my hand dismissively at the harder drinks being offered my way. I needed to be stone-cold sober for this chat I was mentally hyping myself up to have with Ashton. If I could stop being so damn defensive that was. God, I was the one who had pushed him away. I had no right to play the victim. I forced a smile, that really didn’t feel all that forced, as I saw him shouldering his way through the crowd towards me.

“Found ya,” he said simply.

My smile widened. “You did. So, that talk?” I asked, deciding to jump right in.

“Outside?” he suggested.

I nodded, taking his hand and letting him lead me out to the balcony. I fought against the nostalgia washing over me at finding my hand in his again, instead shivering against the night breeze. I really needed to learn to bring a jacket. I felt his hand leave mine and then the enveloping warmth that was his leather jacket and scent on my shoulders. “Thanks,” I mumbled, thrusting my arms through the sleeves. “You didn’t have to do that.”

He shrugged, his hands going into the pockets of his black jeans. “Didn’t want you to be cold.”

I sighed, looking out over the city. “What are we doing?”

“It’s just a jacket, Y/N.”

“I don’t mean the damn jacket, Asht-” I started, feeling angry at all the emotions I’d kept bottled up for nearly two years. “I’m not talking about the jacket, Ash,” I tried again, keeping my voice calm and level.

“I know. But it’s a good metaphor all the same, don’t ya think? You fighting back against every nice thing I did like the difficult woman you are?”

His tone was teasing, so I didn’t feel too bad when I rolled my eyes and gave his shoulder a small shove. “You mean you fighting me like the stubborn man you are?”

He let out a small laugh and shrugged his shoulders. “I’ve been known to be stubborn, yes.”

“And I’ve been known to be difficult,” I relented.

“So, where does that leave us?” he asked, his honey eyes locking on mine.

“Right about here?” I suggested, reaching up on tiptoe to kiss the lips I had missed kissing more than I cared to admit out loud.

~~~

March 2019

Ashton’s POV

“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” I murmured against her lips, pulling her tight to me.

“I’m sorry,” she was whispering back as her hands snaked into my hair, her lips letting go of mine so she could look up at me. “I didn’t know how to keep you and my independence. But this freedom? It’s suffocating.”

“I never wanted to keep you. I just wanted you in any version you were willing to give me.”

“Keep me. Please.” Her voice was a heartbreaking plea.

“Anybody tell you that you’re difficult?” I asked with a chuckle.

“Anybody tell you that you’re stubborn?” she shot back, playfully. “Ash, I’m finally asking you to hold me close like you wanted. Are you really going to say this isn’t want you want anymore?”

I shook my head. “You drive me crazy, you know that, baby? But, I love it. And you.”

“You love me, huh?”

“I love difficult, what can I say?”

“Good thing I love stubborn, then.”

I tilted my head back, chuckling into the night. “Baby, your love is gonna be the end of me.” 

“You love it when I kiss you like this?” she asked with a playful laugh, kissing me the way she knew I loved being kissed.

“Just like that, baby,” I nodded, my fingers dancing across her waist to hold her tight.

“Keep calling me ‘baby’ and there will be plenty of kisses just like that.”

“Baby,” I grinned, placing my lips on her neck to leave my own kisses and marks. “Baby, baby, baby.”

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Two Hundred Sixty-Nine: Contacts ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Oil and Blood ] [ AO3 Link ]

“...I don’t like owing people, so…you’ll get compensated, either way.”

What a string of events this has been. First, one Hyūga Hinata - a simple young woman working in the claims division of a body modification insurance company - couldn’t sleep a few nights back. Then, she went for a walk to try and wear out her mind to get some rest. But before she could finish, she happened upon a member of the Uchiha crime syndicate, beaten and stripped of his (very expensive) mods, and proceeded to ignore every self-preservation instinct in her body, and instead haul him to a half-legal, half-very-illegal medical facility.

Upon going to check on him the following day, the Uchiha - given name Sasuke, as she’d found out - told her in no uncertain terms that he now owed her a debt. One he intended to pay.

And now she’s left wondering what exactly that means: to be owed a debt by someone who’s part of one of the largest and most powerful underground factions in Japan, let alone her home city. The past several days have seen her tired, tense, and tentatively awaiting a bunch of gang members to just...show up and ask her if she needs anything ‘taken care of’.

...okay, maybe she’s watched too many dramas, but she really has no idea what this Sasuke fellow means. And not knowing something makes her already nervous disposition all the more unnerved.

The day after her visit, she gets a call from the doctor that runs the clinic she took him to, informing her that he was cleared and sent him with a (mostly) clean bill of health.

“He just needs some time to recuperate from his beating, and me installing the new eye socket fitting. I managed to get him the replacement mods, so he’s all ready to go. He said to give you his thanks again for dragging him to me.”

“He, um…” Hinata hesitates, not sure how to phrase her question. “He doesn’t know how to, um...contact me, does he?”

“Well, I didn’t give him your information...and I think I only addressed you by your family name. But honestly given he saw your face and knows your last name, he’ll probably be able to find you if he really wants to...why? Did he threaten you?”

“Oh, n-no!” Hinata backpedals at the hard edge in her companion’s tone. “No, nothing like that!”

“Good...I’d have to have words with him otherwise.”

“He just - he, um...he said he wanted to pay me back, and that sort of...w-worries me?”

“Ah...understandable. Not exactly keen to interact with yakuza, right?”

“R...right. I mean...I appreciate your help, but even talking with you is a big risk. I don’t want to l-lose my job, or get in some kind of...l-legal trouble.”

“No, I understand. Well...I can send word through the contact I have, but...in the end, I doubt I have much sway. Debt is a pretty serious thing to people like them. Take my advice: ask for something small, and just get it out of the way. He’ll feel like he repaid you, and you’ll be in the clear.”

“...I guess so...I just don’t want to be, um…” ‘Associated’ seems like too strong a word… “You know...caught up in a-all of that.”

“As someone who is, I get that,” the medic replies with a dry laugh. “Don’t worry - they know what their presence means. If he’s smart - and I daresay he is, despite his attitude - he’ll bear that in mind, and not want to cause you even more trouble and increase his debt. Don’t worry, Hyūga-san.”

“...you know, I think we talk enough you can p-probably call me Hinata by now, ne?”

“Well, I try to always be professional, especially since we trade clients, you and I...but sure. I can do that, Hinata-san. But don’t worry about Sasuke. It’ll be fine.”

“...I hope so,” Hinata sighs before letting the call end.

...why does she get the feeling that isn’t going to be the case?

Several days later, scrolling through the holographic social media feed from her palm, Hinata startles and nearly drops her coffee as someone steps out in front of her, snapping her eyes back up. “Oh, I-I’m sorry, I -”

Glancing to her coolly, Sasuke doesn’t reply, just...looking expectantly.

Hinata immediately balks - they’re in public! Just...out on a sidewalk! “ I- ? Y-you shouldn’t -!”

“Relax, Hyūga. This is Uchiha territory. Cops are paid off. Otherwise I wouldn’t bother you.”

...oh. She...hadn’t known that. Blinking wide eyes, she nonetheless glances around warily. “D-do you, um...need something? How did you...find me?”

“I have contacts,” he replies vaguely. “Wasn’t that hard to track you down, in all honesty. To get to the point, I’m here about that favor I owe you.”

“Uchiha-san, really, I don’t need you to -”

“I don’t like being indebted. So just...give me a task, and I’ll do it.”

“Well, I...I don’t…” She struggles to think of something to occupy him...and in the interim, asks, “...how are you feeling?”

“Fine. Got all my tech replaced, the new fitting healed nicely...and the bruising’s about gone. I got off lightly, in all honesty.”

“I’m glad you’re all right. You looked, um...very out of sorts.”

That earns a snort. “Funny way to say ‘beat to hell’.”

She flushes a light pink.

“So, what’ll it be, Hyūga? I don’t have all day.”

“I...I really don’t know. I don’t really have any, um...issues? That need to be...dealt with?”

“No coworkers you have any beef with? Family? Exes or past friends?”

Hinata quickly balks. “Oh, g-gosh no! No. I...I wouldn’t want to cause any trouble with anyone, a-anyway. And it might get back to the wrong people, and...no. I-I’m fine.”

“Hm...no enemies you need protection from?”

“...not that I know of? Really, Uchiha-san: I’m just...a very run-of-the-mill person. No enemies, no...beef. I just work a basic job, live in a basic apartment, have basic mods…”

“Sure about that?”

“...what do you mean?”

“Cuz it didn’t take much digging to find out about your disinheritance. Not bitter about that?”

Hinata’s expression instantly shifts, becoming stonily blank. “...no.”

“Quite the fortune you’re missing out on.”

“I don’t care about money.”

“...well, damn. Paying you off was my second option. Strong-arming your dad was my first.”

“My father is n-none of your business. And I don’t want your money, either.”

“One of the largest mod manufacturers is, in a way, my business. And if he’s doing you dirty, then that’s also my business...if you want it to be.”

“Well, I don’t. So please, just...leave him out of things.”

Sasuke sighs, arms - one biological, one technological - crossing across his front. “Well then what do you want? It’s gotta be something, Hyūga. Otherwise you’re going to have to deal with me dogging you about it...and my temper getting shorter the longer I have to keep pestering you and wasting my time.”

She’s almost tempted to pout - why can’t this man just...leave her alone? “...any other suggestions?”

“None that immediately come to mind, no.”

Well, drat. Glancing aside, Hinata mulls this all over a little longer. And then an idea worms its way into her head. “...can I request something...specific? As in...a one-time favor, but only when it comes up?”

“...depends on what you mean.”

“Well, I...you probably guessed by where I took you that I have a few c-contacts of my own. Since the company I work for can’t always - or...won’t always - help people, I’ve taken things into my own hands before and refer them to underground technicians. And sometimes I have to meet them in person, which is...risky. If I ever feel like a meeting is going to be dangerous...could I enlist you as, like...a b-bodyguard?”

Sasuke perks a brow. “...not what I expected you to say, but...yeah, sure. Just give me a day or two notice if you can, and I’ll be there.”

“...really?”

“I do protection details sometimes, sure. Wouldn’t take much. And I guess that would be enough to call us even.”

She perks up. “Well...good! Um…” Teeth nibble her lip in thought. “I...guess I would need to be able to contact you…?”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll give you my call signature, if you’re good with that.”

“...sure.” Watching him lift his modded arm, Hinata withholds a flinch as he hovers his palm over her right ear. In an instant, the information is traded wirelessly.

“Mind sharing yours? Promise not to bug you unless it’s important, but...something might come up.”

“Okay.” Modded hand lifting, Hinata does the same. “Just, um...avoid it if you can during business hours, in case I get screened, okay?”

“Will do. So...we even?”

“I guess so. I’ll let you know when I need you.”

“Sounds good. Hopefully sooner than later so we can get this squared away.” Giving a mock salute, Sasuke shoves hands into his pockets and just...disappears into the crowds.

Hinata watches, having completely forgotten about the now-cold coffee in her hand. Well...at least that should be a simple enough trade. She’ll call him in for her next arranged meeting, and have a little more peace of mind...and he’ll be free of his debt. Then they can both move on with their lives.

...but for now, they wait.

                                                      .oOo.

      (For previous works in this 'series', see days 250 and 254!)      Well, I'm officially back to being two days behind OTL I ended up with a majorly long, tiring day...and fell asleep early nursing a toothache. My bad ^^;      But, we're back with more of the cyberpunk AU! With a little more interaction between these two - and it seems they have a plan on how to get things even between them. Seems simple enough, right?      Riiight :3c      Anywho, it's very late, I'm still very tired, and I have even more to do tomorrow! Life is very busy lately, but I'll do by best to catch up soon. Either way though, thanks for reading (and for your patience)!

[strayneoculturekids]

enemies to lovers AU Doyoung x Reader

Summary: Your roommate was the worst possible person ever, always fricking nagging. The only person you’re able to complain to is your online friend, and in return, you listen to his complaints about his roommate. You two find out you got to the same college and finally he tells you his name, turns out he’s actually your roommate.

College AU, enemies to lovers AU

Genre: fluff, kinda slight a little bit angst but like not really, crack(?)

BTW “Y/U/N” means your username and for the sake of the story it can’t be your actual name

You walked into your shared dorm where you found your roommate sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone. He immediately turned his eyes to you when you walked in as if he was waiting for you to return.

“You didn’t clean up after yourself this morning, so I did it for you” 

Now, normally, cleaning up after someone when they forgot to do it is considered a nice gesture and you would’ve thanked them. With Doyoung though, his tone was so passive aggressive and you were much more than sure that he did it just so he could rub the fact that he’s cleaner than you in your face.

You grumbled a barely audible thanks, quickly going to your room so you didn’t have to look at him any longer.

You’ll admit, Doyoung is handsome. Probably the best-looking person you’ve ever met. But oh god was he annoying. Every second you spent with him was another cell gone from your brain. His constant nagging and passive-aggressive responses to everything were the worst things you had ever gone through.

You made it to your room, shutting the door behind you and immediately getting out your laptop from your bag, sitting down on the floor, placing the laptop in your lap because both you and Doyoung were too broke to afford two desks so you bought one and split the price. But the desk was in the room Doyoung was currently in and there was no way you were spending more time with him than absolutely needed.

You opened your laptop and got up the messaging app you used to message your closest friend. You’re pretty sure he knew like everything about you, and you knew everything about him. Including the fact that you were...pretty kinky. Hey, he was your closest friend, like you weren’t gonna tell him about all that.

[Y/U/N]: hey

[dongie]: heya, what’s up? You seem in a bad mood

[Y/U/N]: how were you able to tell that from one word

[dongie]: cuz i’m smart, unlike someone I know

[Y/U/N]: shuddup, you wish you were as smart as me

[dongie]: yeah yeah, just tell me what’s up

[Y/U/N]: my goddamn roommate is nagging again, he’s so annoyingly passive-aggressive. ughhhh save meeee

[dongie]: trust me, I wish I could but I gotta get to class like right now and unlike someone, I actually care about my grades

[Y/U/N]: wow thanks for making me feel better

[dongie]: I know, I know, I suck but hang in there. Your roommate is just a total dick. I gotta go now, love ya!

[Y/U/N]: love you too you absolute dummy

You smiled when you read his message. You guys told each other that you loved each other pretty much every day. It wasn’t a romantic thing but it definitely got you flustered, even after he had said it so many times.

This was basically routine for you two. You texted all the time but at least twice a day, you both would complain about your roommate to each other. He hated your roommate along with you and you hated his roommate along with him. It was a winwin situation. (A/N: sorry for my shit pun making skills)

Just as you were about to start studying, you heard the door slam shut, making you jump. Geez, could he be any louder? You thought, annoyed but glad that he was gone so you could use the desk.

The next day came around and you were so rudely awoken to the noise of the door being opened and then slammed shut. Again.

“Seriously?! I don’t have any classes until the afternoon! Could you be a little quieter?!” You yelled

No response.

Usually, he would argue back so you can guess that he had just gone to one of his morning classes and in fact, didn’t just come back from staying out ridiculously late after his night class yesterday.

Doyoung sucked. Like really sucked. But he was always on time for rent and never invited anyone over without your permission, plus he wasn’t a party guy and never trashed the apartment. He was just a dick in his attitude, not his behavior. Which you guess is the only reason you tolerated him.

You grumbled, rolling over on your side and grabbing your phone, seeing a message from your best friend.

[dongie]: hey, you up yet sleepyhead?

[Y/U/N]: ya, unfortunately

[dongie]: my roommate just yelled at me while I walked out of the apartment :(

[Y/U/N]: aw, my poor baby, you must be so devastated

[dongie]: I literally cannot tell whether you’re being sarcastic or not

[Y/U/N]: I’m being sarcastic. Anyways, what are you doing right now

[dongie]: I deserved that

[dongie]: and i’m just walking to class

[Y/U/N]: it just occurred that I never asked you what college you go to?

[dongie]: oh yea. I go to insert college name here

[Y/U/N]: ...

[dongie]: ?

[Y/U/N]: ...I go there as well...

[dongie]: ...

[dongie]: so you’re telling me that we’ve been going to the same college all this time and didn’t know?

You sigh, trying to calm down your racing heart as well as trying to prevent yourself from throwing your phone against a wall as hard as you possibly can

[Y/U/N]: yep, that’s exactly what i’m telling you

Immediately, you feel your phone vibrate and look to realize that he’s calling you. Like anyone would be, you were surprised but answered the call anyway.

“Holy SHIT” 

is the only thing you heard before silence and very ragged breathing

“I just screamed that in the middle of the street.”

“Dongie?” you asked, trying to hold back a bit of laughter

“Yep that’s me”

His voice sounded familiar but you couldn’t really put it to a face. It was over the phone so you couldn’t hear him that clearly

“so...are we meeting up?” you asked, trying not to freak out

“I’ll be fucked if we’re not”

You finally let out a laugh and you got a small chuckle in return. The only thing that went through your mind in that second is how beautiful is laugh was and how you wanted to hear more of it.

“I haven’t even told you my real name yet,” he said, slightly breathless “It’s Doyoung”

Your eyes went wide and before you knew what you were doing, you immediately hung up. You threw your phone at your floor, looking at it as if it were the most cursed object in existence

“...fuck,” you said aloud, just about ready to yell at the top of your lungs

You hear your phone vibrate again, most likely Doyoung trying to call back. You pick it up and deny the call, hands shaking.

[dongie]: Y/U/N?

[dongie]: hello?

[dongie]: what happened?

[dongie]: are you ok?

You turned away from your phone, trying to distract yourself. But it just kept vibrating because of Doyoung’s consistent and confused messages.

After a while, the vibrating stopped which you assumed was because Doyoung had reached his class.

About maybe two hours had passed and you voiched for studying on the desk the entire time. Normally you would procrastinate and leave it till last minute like every other completely logical college student, but all you needed right now was something to distract yourself with.

You heard the door open and turned around to see Doyoung, his eyes and shoulders droopy and his lips contorted into a frown. You had never seen him so sad in all this time living with him. It definitely hurt your heart.

“hey” he said quietly, quickly brushing past you to go to his room

You were frozen. You were pretty damn sure that you had never felt this bad about anything in your entire life. Ever.

You took in a deep breath and picked up your phone, your heart beat picking up. Your fingers shakily moved to call Doyoung. As soon as you hit the button, you heard a thump come from his room, as if he had fallen off of his bed and immediately after a very loud and worried hello, which you heard from your phone as well.

“Hey...”

“why did you hang up?! Did I do something?! Are you ok?!” you could hear everything he was saying loud and clear from his room

“yeah, you did”

“What is it?! I’ll do anything to fix it!” he sounded so desperate, making your heart ache even more

“yeah. You nag way toO FRICKIN’ MUCH” you said, getting louder with each word, making sure Doyoung could hear you from his room

There was more loud thumping and suddenly Doyoung burst out of his room, his eyes meeting yours. His hair was dishevelled and his eyes were wide.

“FUCK” he shouted before sighing extremely loudly “THIS IS THE OPPOSITE OF HOW I WANTED TO MEET YOU”

“tell me about it” you said, trying to control yourself, not believing you had never noticed the resemblance between your online friends’ personality and Doyoung’s personality.

You both stared at eachother for a long time. Once the you had both calmed down, it started getting really awkward.

“I- this is too much” he said, confused

“Don’t worry, it took me a while to process it too”

Without warning, Doyoung started walking up to you and put his face at the same level as yours. You could see red rising to his cheeks and he opened his mouth.

“I love you.”

“You- you what?” you said, heat rising to your cheeks as well

“You’re annoying as fuck. I know you think I’m also annoying as fuck. But you’re also funny and you listen to my worries and always manage to make me smile with your utter stupidity, and I know that I also somehow manage to make you smile. I love you.”

you blinked a few times before what he had said completely registered in your brain.

“...I love you too. You absolute dummy” you said, a bit hesitantly

He smiled and pulled you into a slightly awkward hug. You would work out the fact that you two complained about each other to each other without knowing for who knows how long. For now though, let’s just focus on all the things you loved about each other.

[kusunogatari]

[ ObiRyū October | Day Twenty-Seven: Lucky ] [ @abyssaldespair ] [ Uchiha Obito, Suigin Ryū ] [ Verse: Like Magic ] [ Previous || Next ]

Though Ryū wouldn’t call herself a star student by any stretch - at least not in most of her subjects - she does well enough, and excels in a few. Herbology, potions, and other classes that relate to her long-chosen profession of healing are ones she has studied diligently...and her hard work pays off. By her sixth year, she performs in her core classes to nearly the top rank, still managing to keep up with her homework as she also volunteers in the hospital wing.

And in addition, spends time with her boyfriend, one Obito Uchiha.

The pair have pretty much been dating since the year previous, when Ryū actually took the first step and asked him to the Yule Ball. Though they didn’t actually sit and make it official until sometime after, it was pretty much implied from that moment on. And Ryū couldn’t be happier, having been quite fond of Obito since...well, about the time she met him. Obito, however, had had eyes for Rin...who liked Kakashi...it was an entire mess that’s only recently begun being sorted. Between being different houses, the odd web of relationships, and other factors during their years at school, their group friendship has been through its share of metamorphoses. But things seem to be finding equilibrium.

Sitting at a table in the Hufflepuff common room, Ryū is currently writing an essay for her potion’s class regarding several high-value concoctions they’ve yet to attempt making. Her current paragraph is on Liquid Luck, eyes flickering between her Advanced Potion Making book, and her parchment.

“Oi, Suigin!”

Looking up, she sees a seventh year coming in, an amused look on his face. “...yes?”

“You’ve got company.”

Blinking, she then sees Obito following the other Puff in, peering around a bit sheepishly. He’s been in here a few times now, despite the typical school policy of each dorm being off-limits to those of other houses. But Hufflepuff is by far the most welcoming, and though most students were a bit put-off by the bulky Slytherin, it soon became clear he was far softer on the inside than he appears. He’s practically been adopted by them.

Perking up, Ryū gives a smile, gesturing for him to join her. “Not swamped with coursework?” she asks as he sits beside her.

“Er, well...actually...have you started that assignment in potions? About the high-tier ones?”

“Oh! Yeah...I’m working on that right now, actually...need some help?”

“...maybe? Some of it’s just going a little over my head.”

“That’s okay. Here, we’ll get you caught up to where I’m at, and then we’ll go on from there together, okay?”

A wide grin blooms across his face. “Yeah! You’re the best, you know that?”

“Happy to help,” is Ryū’s reply, nonetheless going a bit pink at the praise. Once Obito sets up his supplies, she goes over the first few potions, their ingredients, effects, and risks when brewing. All the while, Obito scribbles diligently until they reach the last potion, Liquid Luck.

Looking over the text as Ryū starts, Obito seems struck by something, and gives her a grin until she pauses in question.

“I think someone smuggled some felix felicis into my pumpkin juice…”

Brow furrowing, Ryū asks, “...what?”

“Because if I’m here with you, it must be my lucky day,” he then finishes, laughing as Ryū rolls her eyes with a groan. She even goes so far as to pick up her book and gently slap his shoulder with it.

“Did you really just make a potion pun? Not only that, but a potion pun that’s also a pick-up line?”

“You didn’t think it was funny? I thought it was funny!”

Sighing, Ryū has to fight against a smile. “...you’re ridiculous.”

“But you love me anyway, right?”

The word begets a small pause, the pink in her cheeks darkening. “...of course I do. You and your silly pun. But we really should get this done, eh?”

“...right.”

Together they wrap up the last segment of their papers, Obito looking ecstatic at having finished so quickly. “How do you do that?”

“I dunno, I just...do. It’s a subject I need to become a Healer, so...I’ve put a lot of work into it, I guess.”

“Oh…”

“What about you? Got any idea what you want to do after next year?”

There’s a pause, and then Obito shrugs. “Thought about being an Auror. I dunno if I’ll qualify, though. Might try for a hit wizard position, instead. Gotta have five Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.Ls, which I’ve got.”

Ryū gives a thoughtful hum. “...I can see you doing that, yeah. Either one, I bet you’ll be good at it! I’ll even help you study, if you want to get to an Auror’s level.”

“...really?”

“Of course! If that’s what you want to do, then I’ll do what I can to help you get there. And working for the Ministry is sure to be good!”

“Guess so. You gonna work at St. Mungo’s?”

“I suppose...or maybe someplace a little quieter. I’ll just have to see how things go.”

“But...you’ll stay near London, right?”

Ryū glances up at his tone, sounding a bit...pleading? “...I really have no idea. It’ll depend a bit on whether or not I end up at St. Mungo’s, I guess.” Her head tilts in question. “...why?”

“Well, y’know...since I’ll be around if I get the job I want…” Obito trails off, and Ryū brightens in understanding.

“Well either way, I doubt I’ll go too far. And I can always Apparate.”

“...I guess so.”

“...what’s wrong?”

He looks pensive for a moment, as though considering admitting to something. “...nevermind.”

“Obito...you know you can talk to me. Are you...worried about something?”

Slowly, his cheeks flush a rosy pink. “...I guess I just...I…” He rubs at the back of his head quickly, looking nervous. “I thought we’d...y’know...end up sort of...close together.”

“You mean, both in London?”

The pink gets darker. “Y...yeah...or maybe...closer.”

Closer than the same town? What does that…?

...oh. “You mean, as in...living together?”

“I-I mean, maybe not right away. Maybe it’d be a little...weird that early on. Maybe after a while. I just...y’know…”

Blinking, Ryū then softens. “Well...I guess we shouldn’t rule that possibility out...right?” It’s her turn to blush. “Sure, maybe it’s a little early to think that far ahead, but...I wouldn’t be against it…”

He looks up, eyes wide. “...really?”

Ryū just gives a shy nod.

“...oh! Okay then,” he agrees, looking far more at ease with that off his chest. “I mean, a lot can change between now and then, so…”

“That’s true.”

“And I mean...we’re still young…”

“...mhm.”

“So...I just didn’t want to...y’know...assume.”

Not bothering to stop a smile, Ryū offers, “It’s always good to be cautious. But I, for one, don’t see that much changing...right?”

Obito glances to her, still pink. “...y-yeah...I hope not.”

Beaming, Ryū leans against him with a happy sigh. “...well, we’ll just take the days as they come, hm?”

“...right.”

With their coursework done, however, the pair seem to unspokenly agree that maybe they’d rather spend a little time out of the dormitory. It’s rather crowded, after all. So Ryū offers to walk him back to the Slytherin dorm, which Obito accepts, the pair heading out into the hallway and walking hand in hand.

“...you really think I could become an Auror?”

“I know you can become an Auror. You just have to set your mind to it, that’s all. You’re a skilled wizard, Obito! It’s just a matter of hard work. Get through that, and you’ll pass the N.E.W.Ts you need.”

“...yeah...you’re right!”

“Of course I am.”

That earns a snort. “Cheeky, aren’t you?”

“I can be,” she replies with a small grin. “But at least I don’t make puns.”

“Hey, that was a good pun.”

“No such thing as a good pun.”

Obito gives her a pout. “You’re so mean…”

“There isn’t a mean bone in my body. I’ve checked.”

“Well, I can be mean...would you like one?”

Looking to him, it takes a moment for the joke to sink in, at which point Ryū blushes a bright red. “E-excuse me?!”

That gets him to break out into a full laugh, ignoring her swats to his shoulder. “I’m only joking.”

“Y-you better be!” Still quite flushed, Ryū squeaks as Obito drags her...into yet another broom closet. “O-Obito!”

“You know as well as I do these are the only private places in this bloody castle…”

Whimpering as Obito’s hands find her waist, Ryū glances aside, cheeks rosy and expression flustered. “Honestly…”

He just chuckles, nuzzling against her jaw. “How am I not supposed to tease you when you get so adorably worked up when I do?”

She doesn’t have a counter, just failing to bite back another whine at his attentions.

“I’m not about to do anything you don’t want me to do.”

“...I-I know.” A bit shyly, Ryū loops arms around his neck, hiding in the crook. “...I guess sometimes I just don’t know what I want…”

“Hn...I feel the same. But I know one thing I want.”

“...oh?”

Grinning, he pulls them apart and gives her a kiss, feeling her stiffen just a hair. “...that, at least, I’m good with.”

She just tucks back into his throat with a muffled sound of embarrassment, making him laugh.

“...I really am lucky…” he then muses softly, feeling her tension lesson. “I have a sweet little Hufflepuff all to myself…”

Still hiding, Ryū replies, “...and I’ve got a sweet big Slytherin.”

“I’m not sweet. I’m scary!”

“No you’re not.”

“Yes I am. Have you seen the first years scatter when they see me?”

Ryū giggles against his shoulder, making him grin. “You’re also an honorary Hufflepuff, which means you are sweet.”

“Hn…”

“At least you’re sweet to me.”

“...and that makes you very special.”

She backs up enough to meet his eyes, a happy softness to her face. “...guess that means I’m pretty lucky, too…”

     MOAR HP VERSE. Mostly because Meg wanted it, tho I'm certainly not opposed lol - and Obito got to make a felix felicis pun which was glorious. I'll just have to save my backup idea for another time ;3      Anywho, there...isn't much else to say? These two are adorkable and I love them. And this verse. I'm gonna be both relieved and sad when October is over. Relieved cuz omg double drabble duty for two months this year has been Rough™, but sad cuz...less excuse to write these two. Not that I'm going to stop anytime soon (and I have PLENTY of WIPs), ahaha~      But yes! That's all for now~ Thanks for reading!