#anyway it’d be fun to force them to navigate that

[timetogetfeisty]

how funny would it have been if mad rat dead had happened in 2026 and just as soon as mad rat becomes comfortable with dying- oh what’s that? creatures have stopped dying and getting ill? that’s crazy

[gauntlets-shot]

just--a--jinx

“No—and for the record, I never hinted that you go up to Piltover. I just think there is another safer way of going about this.” 

Sharp, appraising eyes snapped up to Caitlyn. 

“‘…Safe?’” Jinx echoed the word as though she was unfamiliar with its meaning. 

Safer for who? 

No. No no no. This wasn’t right. It didn’t feel right. This stupid Topsider wasn’t making any sense. 

“Do you have some sort of secret passage way to Silco? Perhaps we could use those and…Never mind, we will figure out what to do on the way.”

And what?

Shoot him! A loud voice crowed in the back of Jinx’s head. 

Tie him up! Another suggested.

Stick pins in his eyes! A third voice interjected. 

There was no way Hat Lady was going to be down with that. It was as though the enforcer realised this, what with how quickly the suggestion tapered off into nothing. Whatever. It didn’t matter anyway. They weren’t doing this the ‘enforcer way’. That had never been part of the deal. 

“But first, can we please get something to eat? And you can’t leave me here to die. Do you really think getting to Silco and making it through Silco’s thugs will be easy? You can’t do this alone…plus call me empathetic, but I’m worried about your current mental state. That might cloud your judgement, don’t you think? Also if you let me die here, more enforcers will be sent down here. One of us dies and ten more show up. Then you’ll have to deal with them and Silco’s forces.”

“Uuuuuuuugh fine, whatever!” Jinx groaned. At least if the stupid enforcer was eating she wasn’t going to be making dumb suggestions or trying to steer Jinx in the direction she wanted under the guise of it being Jinx’s idea. 

Getting to Silco would be easy. Doing it with an enforcer was the challenge. Did Hat Lady realise what was being sacrificed just so she could have her little piece of the cake? Talk of bad judgement, empathy and repercussions fell on deaf ears. By that point, Jinx had already selected a direction and begun to walk. Yup. Taking an enforcer to get food. That was normal. Zaun’s finest for the Topside lady! Haha. Where would they go? Did this mean the next decision was going to be a Jinx decision? It was only fair that they got to take turns. 

“Listen, Hat Lady, if I was gonna kill ya, I’d pick something cooler than Slow Annoying Hunger Death.” Jinx drawled as she picked a route back towards the busy markets. It’d be easier to blend in there. Soon the smell of fish, hot pies and mystery soups began to fill the air. They were a team. At least for now. And teammates gave each other fair warning, right? 

My sister’s dead and you’re kinda buggin’ me. 

I wasn’t gonna kill ya, so stop making it sound so fun. 

A broad gesture pointed out the array of food stalls.

Pick one. 

“Maybe we should set a trap.” Jinx suggested, switching abruptly to a tone of false affability now that they were navigating busy streets. Acting upset and vulnerable only put a target on your head in The Lanes. Nope. Dead sister thoughts were promptly boxed up and buried in the darker recesses of Jinx’s mind as they wove through the market together. 

She was good at traps. You could control the variables with a trap. Single people out. It was early enough that there was no real confirmation that Jinx had changed sides. All of Silco’s warmth and guardianship undone in the space in one afternoon…he’d need more than just rumours to believe it. 

“Jinx goes poof, Silco comes looking. Easy.” 

No Vi. No Silco. 

Hell, once it was over, Hat Lady would be gone too. 

Alone. All alone.

Jinx shook the ugly thought from her head.

In all fairness, Caitlyn thought Jinx could find some sort of enjoyment in watching her starve to death. Clearly Jinx liked deaths that were more gruesome, perhaps more festive but was there no thrill to watch Caitlyn die slowly? Then if she did die, it wouldn't be by Jinx's hand and she'd be off Scott free—Caitlyn quickly shook her head and pursed her lips. It was just the hunger making her have such ridiculous thoughts, that's all it was. Thankfully, the blue haired girl began to walk and Caitlyn followed without any hesitation.

Caitlyn took a look at her options once Jinx had successfully guided her to some food. They were markets, sort of like Piltover except way less fancy. Down here, they were all huts held together by sticks and cloth. It was a hard contrast but Caitlyn absorbed the scene quickly so that she could find something to eat. She spotted some fish nearby and despite smelling amazing, it didn't quite look it. She tried not to make a face at the charred meal but desperate times called for desperate measures. Plus they were technically on the run still.

She went to grab a few pieces of fish before she paused. Caitlyn didn't have any money. It had surely been looted from her person when she was captured. Curse it all. She looked towards Jinx but only for a second. If the blue haired girl did have any money, why on earth would she give it to her? Sighing, Caitlyn looked around again before she noticed some of the gold finishes on her uniform. Gold should've held its current value even down here, right? She hesitated before she tore off a small chunk. She turned it over in her hand before she grabbed the fish and offered it to the shop keeper. "Will this cover it?" Caitlyn asked but the shop keeper looked more than satisfied. She must have overpaid. No matter, she had gotten food hassle free.

"A trap?" Caitlyn asked as she took a bite from one of her sticks of fish. She let Jinx explain herself before she shrugged. "That's not a bad idea." She wanted the food to be in her system so she could think properly but either way, it really wasn't a bad idea. "Would you care to elaborate on that idea?" Caitlyn asked as the pair began to walk again. Word would get around that Jinx was with some enforcer and that said enforcer paid a shop keeper in literal gold for a few fishes. That clearly wasn't something that happened everyday.

💣EVERYBODY PANIC!💣

Vi. 

The name ached in her brain, wrenching forth a sea of memories soaked in vile anger and tenderness. 

Your sister is dead. 

How many times had Silco uttered the words? Soothing every fear, wound and anxiety Vi had left along with her sister on the bridge that fateful night. But that wasn’t the truth, was it? Vi had never been dead. Just…gone, and Silco was fighting to keep it that way. It was an earth shattering revelation, hearing Silco’s hushed, urgent conversations about ‘dealing’ with family as though it were some ugly wound that needed lancing. What had really driven the sense of anger and betrayal deep was Silco’s pointed silence on the topic when Jinx returned for his daily medication. There had been a time where the routine was tender, where they’d shared secrets with one another and upheld a pact of honesty. But Vi’s name never left Silco’s lips. He was lying about her. He was trying to keep her a secret. 

The knowledge made Jinx want to drive the needle deep into Silco’s eye. Over and over and over and over. 

She did not. 

The one shred of self restraint holding back the tidal wave of anger and hurt from challenging her so-called father figure was the knowledge of the person tied in the other room. An enforcer. An enforcer that for some reason, had been talking to Vi about something that Silco didn’t like. But if Silco didn’t like Vi, who was the real enemy? The thoughts writhed in an agitated, wounded mess, battling with each other in a fruitless effort to make sense of it all. If Silco found out that she knew about Vi, everything would speed up. No. She’d heard Silco’s side of things in the whispers he exchanged when he believed she wasn’t listening. What about their prisoner? What did she know? 

It hadn’t been difficult to find where they’d been keeping her. Marcus and Silco had been spending the better part of the day formulating some convoluted plan of attack. As Jinx moved soundlessly past Silco’s office, she heard the two inside, hours deep into a debate on this shiny new enforcer’s life. 

Jinx entered the holding room noiselessly from above, perching on the rough, dusty rafters to stare down at the woman tied to the chair. She didn’t look as old as the other enforcers Jinx had learned the faces of. A cold distance filtered into Jinx’s gaze while she watched the enforcer as though she were a spider Jinx hadn’t decided whether or not to stomp on. 

“Ugh, I thought they’d never leave.” The snide commentary sounded from above as Jinx swung her legs over one of the wooden beams. 

“Y’know, it’s not sounding good for you in the old Decisions Room. Guess you should’ve kept outta the way.” 

There was a soft thump as Jinx hopped down from her vantage point, strolling absently towards the door to fix a makeshift barricade. She didn’t want any interruptions, after all. This chat was going to be important. 

Jinx’s voice softened to something dangerously quiet. Tender, with the threat of teeth. 

“…But you didn’t.” 

Jinx hooked around to the enforcer, imposing an unsettling lack of distance between them as she leaned into the unsettling behaviour that so often prized results from people. 

“Let’s talk about that.”

(( Starter for @gauntlets-shot ))

[parkers-gal]

Tom x reader where reader wants to move out & live with Tom only (not with boys). Tom doesn’t want to move out, maybe Nikki has a talk with him

the one T.H.

➢ a / n | went a lil overboard, heh, but enjoy this ! sorry it took a lil while :,(

➢ wc | 2.5k <3

｡☆✼★━━ requests are closed ━━★✼☆｡

There’s too many dishes in the sink, you note. There’s so many, that they won’t all fit for one load in the dishwasher. It’s a pain, and you know nobody in this house has the patience to wait for two full loads to carry through, so you have to hand wash half of them and allow the whirring machine to do the other half.

If this were a romantic comedy, you’d have Tom standing next to you and you’d hold hands under the suds while you wash the dishes together and chat about your future. This isn’t a rom-com, though. In fact, you don’t even know where the boys are right now. You were certain they went into the den to play Call Of Duty — or whatever it is that they play — but then you thought they went into the backyard with Tessa, but now you’ve just given up on figuring their whereabouts.

Not that you’re angry at Tom for not helping, though. He did the laundry with you earlier, so you’re content with his keeping end of the deal. It’s the other four that you’re a bit fed up with. Sam had just recently joined the Holland-Osterfield-Barrett household of mates, and while you’re all the more happy to welcome him in, it also means more work. There’s a chore schedule, but sometimes someone has work in a town or a country away, and the gaps in the schedule are only ever left for you to fill.

It’s tough, considering you have your own job, but you’re content with the situation — for now. You have Tom, the love of your life, and you have the best people of your life - Harry, one of your closest confidants, and Harrison, one of your partners in crime.

There’s a lot of baggage that comes with being the only woman in a household of boys that practically grew up with each other. You love Tessa with all your heart, but it’s not like you can really gossip to her about your day.

You’re not too worried about everything, anyway. The second anniversary of your relationship with Tom is coming up; it’s only a few months away, and though you’ve been pondering the idea for awhile, you’re thinking of getting a place with Tom, on your own, without the nagging and intruding fellow in-laws (to-be, hopefully).

Six weeks, today marks, for how long you’ve been thinking about the idea, debating whether it’s valid enough to bring up to Tom, deciding when the best time to talk to him would be. He’s a hard man to navigate — getting a spot in his busy schedule is like fighting to the front of a One Direction mosh-pit. That makes it practically impossible.

But, you’re Y/N. You’re his sweetheart, his darling, his weakness. You’re the most important person in his life, and when you want to have a serious conversation with him, Tom’s all ears and eyes, attentive and caring, understanding and, hopefully, supportive.

You’re hoping it won’t take much convincing — he’s lived with these people all his life, and if it’s truly hard for him to decide, you’ll know what he really wants then.

Ringing out a few glass cups, you let them dry on a dish rack that sits on the countertop. The buzzing and whirring of the dishwasher alerts you that it’s still happily running, and you walk towards the glass sliding doors that lead to the patio and backyard. Peering out, you see all four housemates and Paddy, playing with a frisbee and wrestling with Tessa and messing around with a rugby ball on the trampoline. They look like kindergarteners on the playground, and you decide then to bring them some lemonade like a mother in summertime.

“Hope you’re all a bit thirsty,” you set the tray down with a warm smile. Sam shuts his book of poetry to smile up at you from his seat. He’s been reading for a good fifteen minutes, but you reckon he’ll hop on the trampoline when Harrison gets off. For now, he watches as the Irregulars star jumps happily with Tuwaine.

“Oh, sick,” Harry runs over with the frisbee still in his hands, reaching for a glass and taking a big gulp. Tessa’s at his feet, awaiting for the frisbee game to resume, and you pet her head for a moment before Tom runs over to you, hair matted to his forehead in sweat.

“You’re the best, love,” his hand finds the small of your back as he kisses your temple. You smile again, eyes shutting in bliss at the feeling of his lips, but his hand maneuvers you so he can reach for a glass without bumping into you.

One by one, they come over for refreshments, before picking up where they left off beforehand. Tom’s last to leave, wanting to talk to you before playing with his brothers again.

“Oh, I have to talk to you later,” you whisper, fingers tracing down his damp (sweaty) shirt with a giggle. Tom raises a brow, and you nod softly, “Just, when you have time. Now have fun,” you push him off, and though he’s still just as curious, he leaves you alone on the patio. Taking one last glance at the rowdy group of boys, you bring the tray of empty cups inside, sliding the door shut and sighing to yourself. More dishes to do.

——

Tom’s drying his hair with a purple bath towel when he comes out of the steamy bathroom. He sighs contentedly, before remembering your words from earlier. He brings it up, “What was it that you needed to talk to me about?”

He walks over to the dresser while you look up from your phone. You hum as Tom puts something away, and you shut the electronic device off, setting it on your nightstand and twisting to face his direction.

“I wanted to talk to you about… us, I guess.”

You see Tom’s movement slow, and he removes the towel from his damp curls, turning around hesitantly. You smile, waving him off, “Nothing bad, I promise.”

He lets out an inaudible “phew,” and nods. “Good.” You agree with a nod of your head, and he furthers on with the questions. “What is it, though? Is it something important?”

“I mean…” Tom places his towel on the rack before walking to the opposite side of the mattress “Sorta?” You offer, and you see the gears turn in his head. He sits down across from you, on the bed, and he smiles encouragingly, still a bit suspicious.

“Well, I’m all ears, darling.”

You smile at the familiar pet name, and with a final breath in, you admit what’s been in your head for the past few months. “I was thinking maybe we could… move out… without the boys.”

It’s dead quiet for a few beats while the words sink into his mind. You’re not sure how he’s going to react, but you watch to gauge his reaction.

His mouth opens, almost as if he’s about to say something, but then he closes it, as if he’d suddenly second guessed himself. For once, you truly can’t read him.

“I thought… I thought you liked living here?” he says softly, almost a bit saddened.

You sigh with your words, “I do! Really, I do, but…”

“But…?” He bites his lip.

“Well, I mean…” you exhale again, “We’ve been together for almost two years,” he’s still listening, “Don’t you think we should be a little more independent?”

“I mean, sure, if we were a normal couple.” He laughs at the joke, and while you do too, it’s not really genuine, but more forced for the awkward tension in the air. “I just thought you… y’know, enjoyed spending time with everyone.”

You nod understandingly. “I do, Tom. Really, I do. But… y’know, we’re not getting any younger. I just thought maybe it was time for us to get a place of our own.” It comes out as more of a suggestion, a question for him to respond to. You quietly bite your lip while Tom nods at the information he’s taking in.

He looks down at his fingers, before locking eyes with you. “Can I think about it?”

You shut your eyes softly while nodding. Tom blinks, before standing from the bed, giving you a kiss on the forehead and bidding farewell, heading downstairs for more quality time with his brothers.

——

It’s been a week since that conversation took place in your room. You didn’t think it’d go so… bad? You’re not sure if you should say that, because he didn’t exactly say “no,” he just didn’t seem enthusiastic about deciding at all.

It’s a quiet Saturday. You’re out bowling with a few of your friends, news of one of them getting engaged spreading like wildfire. She’s having a dinner party later, but for now, you’re keeping the meeting small, inviting your closest circle for the fun day at the bowling lanes.

Tom asked you if you wanted to reschedule the dinner with his family, but you insisted that arriving late would be fine. It’s only four o’clock — the Holland family likes to come for late lunch and spend the night playing games and drinking beer, until the clock strikes midnight and Paddy’s passing out in the backseat on the way back home.

At least now, only one Holland brother stays with the parents.

Somehow, someway, the conversation had shifted to you. Everyone’s gathered in the living room, scattered on sofas, couches, beanbags, armchairs, loveseats. Tom misses you at his side, but the conversation of how your work is going just reminds him of what you’d proposed a few days ago.

“How’re things with her in general, though?” Nikki, Tom’s mom, asks with a smile. The eyes shift towards Tom, and he can feel his face heating up.

“Yeah, how’re things with the lovebirds?” Harry teases.

Tom chuckles, anxiety bubbling in his stomach, twisting his. “Uh- they’re- they’re good, yeah,” he assures them, though shaky.

“You sure, there?” Harrison teases. “Did someone propose or something?”

“No, no,” Tom airily chuckles. “Nothing like that.” “Oh?” His dad picks up, “What, then?”

“She- uh…” he licks his lips out of habit. “She wants to move out. Find a place for us, she said.”

The tone in which Tom tells them lets them know that he’s a little less than enthusiastic about the whole ordeal. It’s something that raises a red flag for Nikki; it’s something that makes her brows furrow in confusion.

“Oh,” Sam breaks the silent. “I’m happy for you, bro,” he pats Tom’s shoulder.

Tom smiles, though it’s forced and a bit spaced out.

“What’re you gonna tell her?” Harry asks. “You want it too, right?”

Tom shrugs weakly. Nobody talks about his responses, his reactions. It’s all a bit unexpected, for Tom to not be on board with the next step of the relationship.

“I mean, I don’t know, really.” He confesses with a nervous laugh, running a hand through his curls. “I’d miss you all so much. I just… I don’t know, I guess I just thought she liked living here too, y’know.”

A collective number of “yeah’s” and “mhm’s” go around the room, and Tom nods nonchalantly before the conversation switches to something more exciting. For now, Nikki lets it go, just until she can get her eldest in a room by himself, and before you get home.

It’s when Tom’s getting snacks for the group that Nikki decides to offer her help in the kitchen. They’re just putting dinner in the oven and preparing appetizers, but still, any opportunity to talk to Tom.

“So,” Nikki smiles, and Tom giggles while she puts another slice of tomato on the dish they’re preparing. “Moving out, huh?”

Though her tone is teasing, Tom can’t help but get shivers. He nods, quieting down a bit. Nikki’s movements remain, but Tom stops working altogether. “I don’t want to move out.”

His mum turns to look at him, and she nods, almost as if anticipating the confession. “Why not?”

Tom clicks his tongue, looking down as if he’s ashamed of feeling this way. “I just like things the way they are right now. I know at some point, someone’s gonna move out and the clan’s gonna go our separate ways, but I don’t want to be the one to go first.”

At this, Nikki fully turns to talk to Tom, no longer making dinner. “Tom…” She wipes her hands on a kitchen towel, and Tom does the same. “You were the first to go, you know.”

His eyebrows pull together in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” she sighs, “Your career was first to take off. You ran out that door so fast, we couldn’t keep up.” Tom laughs, reminiscing to himself. “You’re going to keep growing,” she says softly. “You can’t stop that. You can’t stop everyone from growing apart. Sure, you might not grow apart, but you won’t always be this cute little boy band from your school days.”

“Not a boy band, mum,” Tom grumbles. The two of them share a knowing smile.

“You can’t blame yourself for growing, darling,” she steps closer, grabbing one of his hands just like he had grabbed hers the day he was first born. “You can’t expect to be the glue that holds this- this temporary situation together forever. You’re not a superhero,” the two of them laugh again, but then Tom nods knowingly, and Nikki can see a faint batch of tears spring in his eye sockets.

“No, I know, mum.” He sniffles. “I guess… I don’t know, i’ve just always been afraid of never being there when everything changes. I always come back and everyone’s a different person, just…” he searches for the words, “with the same faces.”

She nods, turning back to her dinner dish. Tom keeps his eyes trained on his hands, which are planted on the countertop.

“She loves you a lot, you know.” Nikki says after a few beats. “She just wants a bit of privacy, a bit of your relationship without your annoying brothers.”

“Annoying is right,” Tom teases. They laugh again. “Yeah, I guess I just never thought of that.” Nikki hums, and the kitchen grows silent for a few moments. “Thank you, mum.”

“For what?”

“Being there.” Tom replies. “You never gave up on me, and now… I don’t know. It means a lot to me that you’re helping me with something so important to me.”

Nikki’s eyes soften, and both of them tear up. She nods, this time breaking the silence again. “I know how much you love her,” She says quietly. “One day, she’ll be yours for forever. She’s the one — I can see it in both of your eyes.”

Tom sucks in a breath and wipes his eyes. “I know she’s the one, too.” He adds in another tomato to the dish. “She’s always been it for me.”

[monomonomagines]

Could I get a thing for ryoma, fuyuhiko, mondo, nekomaru and toko with a s/o that lost thier glasses and now they can't see five feet in front of them?

Of course I’d be happy to write something as fun and silly as this with so many characters I adore! Thank you so much for the request and thank you even more so for your patience and support. I appreciate it more than anything and hope that you’ll enjoy what I’ve written for you even despite the long wait!

Ryoma

It wasn’t often that Ryoma didn’t see you without your glasses. He already knew it was difficult if not nearly impossible for you to see without them so it wasn’t like he expected to anyways.

Besides, he liked how you looked with or without glasses. He just enjoyed having you be close to him and having you to love and care for him so what else could he even ask for?

Regardless of his inner sappy thoughts though, he was soon met with the unexpected.

One moment it was quiet and peaceful and the next he soon heard a huge thud coming from another room in the house.

Worried that something terrible had happened he quickly makes his way to the room you're in only to see that you walked into a table and had fallen back on your ass, your glasses nowhere to be seen on you.

“S/o, did you lose your glasses?” He didn’t know why he was even asking you that when he knew the answer but his heart was still pounding from the little anxiety he felt when he thought something worse could have happened to you.

Nodding, you try to explain your current predicament while looking over where you assumed Ryoma to be.

Unfortunately, this was not close to where he was at all you realized from where his voice came from next. With his voice sounding as calm as usual though you weren’t able to notice his worry on his face right now.

“I’ll go look for them so how about you sit in here?” He offers, gesturing to the bed out of habit despite your lack of vision at the moment.

“I’ll find them for you but I don’t want you to get hurt trying to look by yourself.” He admits when you try to protest. His small hands have a firm grip on your own now as he leads you to sit on the bed nearby.

There was no way Ryoma would ever let something as silly as a lost pair of glasses get you hurt. Just leave this to him!

Fuyuhiko

If you often find yourself kicking up a fuss over losing your glasses then you better be prepared for Fuyuhiko to do so twofold.

If anything, while he would understand how easy it is to lose something like glasses he’d definitely be cursing up a storm out of frustration and even worry about how you’re going to get around without him once he’d realize that you can’t see anything in front of you.

Which is exactly why you didn’t want to let Fuyuhiko hear that you did lose your glasses and were currently struggling to navigate your own home.

You thought you could get by simply feeling around the house with your hands to guide yourself but all that felt like was as if you were quite literally groping around in the dark for something.

Then there was a sudden sound of shattering glass once you grabbed for one table and soon enough you heard Fuyuhiko rushing for the cause of the sound.

Shit!

As soon as you heard those hurried footsteps rushing your way you knew it’d be useless to try and hide what had happened.

“S/o, shit are you ok!?”

Noticing the broken vase laying at your feet he exhales relieved when he sees that you still have your shoes on.

“Go on, move over there or else you're gonna get hurt.” He huffs, pushing you lightly to add to his point when you feel him suddenly stiffen.

Before he can even process it, he ends up grabbing onto you tighter than when he was trying to guide you, forcing you to turn towards him.

“S/o, why the hell aren’t you wearing your glasses!?”

What sounded like anger but was really frustration erupted from Fuyuhiko as you bashfully tried to explain yourself.

This was embarrassing when you have Fuyuhiko yelling right in your face but at least you knew it was just because he was worried for you.

“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me? You lost your glasses?” Stopping to take a peek at his surroundings you hear him “tch” to himself before continuing with his admonishing.

“Look you just go back to your room, I’ll get someone to fuckin’ escort you if I have to and I’ll go find them!”

As you go to open your mouth to protest, Fuyuhiko only narrows his eyes, sighing loudly as he continues to admonish you once again speaking over you. “Listen to me or else I’ll make you regret it!”

“I…” Noticing how loud he got he turns away from you, speaking so quietly that you just make out what he’s saying. “I don’t wanna see you get hurt because you can’t see, ok?”

Mondo

While Fuyuhiko was known to get quite loud once he was agitated, Mondo was a whole other case.

Mondo just often got loud in general. When he’s angry, when he’s upset, when he’s nervous, and well just nearly any gosh darn time really.

Therefore, nothing really made this case much different other than the fact that you probably haven’t seen or rather heard Mondo so worried for someone before.

Little did you know that Mondo was always fretting over you. If anyone hurt a hair on your head they’d have him to answer to.

That was something he at least said rather than just saying he worried about you purely to keep up his tough-guy persona.

“If anyone puts their hands on ya, you just let me know and I’ll cave their goddamned skull in, alright?”

Sure if it was said by anyone else it might not sound the most comforting and all but for Mondo, you knew that was a little part of his hidden softness coming out when he spewed lines like that. Whether he realized it as well or not.

However, this time Mondo wouldn’t be able to beat the crud out of anyone as the only person that ended up hurting you was, well you!

You had no clue where you had left your glasses and while you could have asked him for assistance, you decided you’d be fine to hunt them down yourself rather than wasting more time by asking for help.

And while hindsight is 20/20 it maybe should have been a bit more obvious to you that Mondo would honestly be pissed to know that you didn’t want to rely on him when he’s always there for you.

If only you could have avoided a confrontation with him. However as luck would have it due to a lack of glasses you quite literally collided with Mondo before you could even begin your wild hunt for your trusty specs.

Damn! The jig was up just as soon as it started.

“Ah, shit! You alright, S/o!?” Mondo asks, worried that he hurt you given how hard the two of you knocked into each other.

You were doing fine so long as losing your glasses didn’t constitute for you being hurt of course but as soon as you saw that worried expression of Mondo’s change to an angry-looking one you knew he had noticed your current predicament.

“Are you fuckin’ kidding me?” He knew he’d come to regret his harsh tone later but he couldn’t stop himself from still showing how annoyed he was with you. Why didn't you tell him that you had lost your glasses?

Thankfully it wasn't hard for Mondo to put this stuff behind him even if his reactions could be a bit frightening. Besides he wasn’t as dumb as he always credited himself as being either.

He probably assumed that you just didn’t want him to worry but he was bugged because it’s his job to worry over you.

Sighing at your downcast expression he flicks you on the head between the eyes in a moment of meanness.

“Don’t look so down. I’ll find them for ya. Just wish...that you’d rely on me a little, yeah? I mean for fucks sake it’s my job isn’t it?”

As usual, he was crass and wasn't gentle at all with his delivery but his words and his actions radiated his love for you.

“Now you just sit pretty, ok? I know how to go about this sorta thing since I lose my shit all the time anyway!” Beaming at you this time Mondo gives you a thumbs up that you can barely make out.

That was all the confirmation you needed to show that he cared though, whether he knew it or not.

Nekomaru

While many of those on this list may be annoyed or concerned over the possibility of you getting hurt, Nekomaru may just be the opposite of this.

In fact, due to him being such a positive person he may have already convinced himself that you’re simply trying to teach yourself how to survive without your glasses to overcome your visual “weaknesses” until you finally tell him that you’ve been hunting down your glasses.

However, until then you may as well count on Nekomaru being convinced that the house being like an obstacle course is something that you were counting on this whole time.

Even more so, he’d admire your courage and strength when you maneuver around any corners well despite your lack of vision or avoid tripping down the stairs.

He would be sure to watch you of course and would be ready to catch you if you were to fall but he made sure not to get in the way of your training lest he’d interrupt your progress with this challenge.

This was a battle of strength, and possibly keeping your wits about you as you were struggling to find your glasses.

It was only once you finally piped up and asked Nekomaru if he’d “help you find them” that he finally caught onto this not being a challenge but a rather challenging time for you in which he was of no help.

“WHAT!? YOU LOST YOUR GLASSES!?”

Not keeping any sort of indoor voice as usual Nekomaru certainly wasn’t hiding his astonishment when you finally admitted it to him.

He felt terrible for not helping sooner and at hearing your explanation had decided then and there that he’d make it up to you.

“Don’t you worry about a thing, S/o! I’m about to kick some ass so go take a break and I’ll get your glasses for you in five or else my name isn’t Nekomaru Nidaiiiiii!”

Finding it hard not to laugh at his constant screaming, you nod your head in agreement. You could use a few moments on the bench or couch rather after such a messy attempt at searching for your glasses.

Maybe you should tell Nekomaru about this stuff off the bat though it was a bit funny to hear that he thought this was a challenge you put yourself through.

Regardless of the inner monologue going on in your head at that moment, it was certainly a sight to see Nekomaru’s blurry frame rush off at the speed of light to search for your glasses.

Nekomaru would do anything to help you even if he can be a bit intense with his affection so you may as well take advantage of it.

Toko

While Toko could get quite attached to the person she’s in love with she still wouldn’t be the nicest whenever she assumes that you got yourself into a problem.

Believe me, she’ll still do whatever she can to help you but it certainly won’t be without complaining about it or blaming you sometimes the whole time.

Unfortunately for you, this was one of those times as luck would have it. Just yesterday Toko told you not to forget to put your glasses in their case and now she’s going to know as soon as she sees you that you didn’t.

Man were you not looking forward to hearing her go on about how this is “your fault”. You were tired from staying up and didn’t think to do anything other than set them somewhere before heading to bed so it’s not like you meant to leave them.

As if she’d even take that as an excuse though. Whether you liked it or not you knew that she’d be all over you if you didn’t find them soon so like any “reasonable” person you decided to search for them on your own despite your obvious difficulty seeing five feet in front of yourself.

Oh, but how unfortunate you would be for that search of yours would all be in vain. Your glasses were nowhere in sight and within moments you had quite literally toppled over into the blurry image of your girlfriend Toko.

Hearing a groan in pain from her you quickly utter an apology as you hear her grope around for her own glasses that fell during your collision.

“It’s f-fine.” You hear her mutter as she adjusts her glasses. “B-but what do you even think you’re d-doing running into m-me like that?”

Sensing the slight annoyance in her voice despite having a difficult time seeing her expressions you apologize again earning only a sigh from her in return.

“I didn’t n-need you to ap-apologize again, S/o. I just...I wasn’t e-expecting you to be r-rushing around so much.”

Bashfully laughing it off you agree that you were going quite fast however, once you did so you could feel Toko staring at you intensely as if you had just had the wrong thing.

“W-wait your g-glasses!” Seeming to feel bad now as well, Toko begins to look around, seeming to assume that they fell off during the spill you two took just a moment before.

You could use this opportunity to say you don’t know where they are technically where she wouldn’t nag you for forgetting to put your glasses away but should you really take it?

Deliberating on it as she got down on her knees and searched you couldn’t help but feel guilty when you thought about using this as your chance to avoid any blame. That wouldn’t be right of you because even if Toko pointed out your faults sometimes she never used them against you in the end.

Kneeling down next to her you decide to tell her what really happened as you begin to search for your trusty specs alongside her.

“W-what? W-why didn’t you j-just te-tell me that. I could’ve he-helped you look for them.” She critiques, looking annoyed despite the determined tone of her voice.

You knew you could count on Toko whether her words said it or not because every action of hers screamed it out. Whether it took all day or only a few moments she’d be there for you to lean on.

[solomonish]

Growing Pains (Lucifer & Mammon)

At first, Lucifer thought that to fall with those he loved more dearly than anyone was the final blessing the Celestial Realm would bestow upon him.

But Father did not intend to stop after taking Lilith from them. He just took her first - the brothers still had themselves and each other to lose.

ao3 link: here!

---

The office in the manor was slowly becoming more and more cluttered as Lucifer continued to drag stacks of paperwork and countless manuals on Devildom culture into the house when he returned from his meetings with Diavolo. The business he had been tasked to sort out for the rest of his existence needed to be started on right away, leaving Lucifer tied up with an amount of work fitting for the place he now had to learn to call home. Instead of navigating the new life with his brothers, he had to spend his time navigating the halls of the palace or bent over an old wooden desk. The impressive castle doors now instinctively sent a pit into his stomach and finding the Royal Butler Barbatos waiting for him to lead him so he wouldn't lose himself in the halls hurt Lucifer in a weird, bruising way he had never felt before.

By the time he got home, the house was normally quiet. It scared him, at first: after spending so long in battle, silence could only mean something bad. During the first days, he found his brothers huddled up in the same spot, unwilling to be alone. Beel and Belphie would be curled around each other in some way, inseparable as they had always been. Mammon could be found sprawled over the carpet,, one hand gripping Satan's ankle or wrist as if that'd be enough to stop one of his rampages. Perhaps it was; from what Lucifer heard, every day he was getting better, learning more. Mammon wasn't the only one gripping him; Asmodeus was often cuddled next to Satan, clinging tightly to his arm or sometimes even to him. He was getting awfully affectionate lately, but maybe it was doing Satan some good. Only Levi wasn't directly touching anyone, but even though his back was turned, his new tail would occasionally twitch and brush against one of his brothers.

These scenes gave Lucifer pause, the feeling he was learning to be pride swelling in his chest. Everything was alright. Mammon had kept things under control.

He left them alone, not wanting to disturb their peace, and continued his work, the task distracting his mind and the affection distracting his heart from the crippling grief that loomed above them all.

Eventually, though, the brothers disbanded. The quirks he had noticed growing in them soon became hallmarks of their new beings: Asmodeus' affections were becoming increasingly licentious, Belphegor could hardly be found awake regardless of the time, items turned up missing and wound up in Mammon’s possession...each of his brothers seemed to spiral further and further towards degeneracy, save for Satan, who was as sinful as it got and instead retreated into himself and forming a grudge against everyone for his status as what seemed like a half-baked replacement.

Ever the dependable brother - a thought that was now strangely accompanied by a twinge of something unpleasant instead of the warm, affectionate delight Lucifer was used to - Mammon still tried to keep everyone together.

At first, it seemed to work. Nobody seemed entirely willing or even purposely trying to avoid the others. However, it seemed that the sin they began to embody were too great an obstacle none of them knew how to hurdle. Any interruption infuriated Satan, and Asmo seemed offended at the concept of taking his own time away from himself to check in on his brothers. Beel and Belphie could never be taken away from easing the effects of their sins for long enough to hold a meaningful conversation, and Levi had already dug himself so deep in a self-deprecating hole he seemed convinced any efforts to connect were the beginning of an elaborate prank to make fun of him. When items turned up missing immediately after Mammon’s visits, doors started slamming if they even opened.

Still, his attempts to keep the camaraderie alive meant Lucifer had more time to spend on the paperwork. It was a good system - at least, that’s how he felt. Evidently, Mammon didn’t feel the same.

Normally, on the days where Mammon made a futile attempt at his rounds (days that were becoming more and more scarce throughout the week), Mammon passed by Lucifer’s door. This time, there was an angry knock on the door, more of an alert to Mammon’s presence than a request for permission. The door didn’t bang against the wall, but Mammon had twisted the doorknob rather ferociously and Lucifer almost flinched at the noise it made. Taken aback by his brother’s stormy entrance, he nearly watched him approach impassively. There hadn’t been any opportunity to discuss the proper, respectful way to enter his workspace - clearly, this needed to be remedied soon.

“What’re ya even doing in here?” Mammon bellowed, looking around. The shelves that had books in them were put together nicely, the sturdy wood packed with old books about a life they both used to find reprehensible. How cruel of their father to force them to live what He made them fear most.

“You can lower your voice,” Lucifer answered, dropping his pen on the desk. When he leaned back, ignoring the way his upper back twinged at the change from his previous slumped posture, he met Mammon’s eyes and was surprised to see genuine frustration behind them. “I’ve been working.”

A scoff had never sounded more irritating to Lucifer’s ears. “Is that what it is? Because to me, it seems like you’re avoiding us.”

Lucifer scrunched his eyebrows. “Where did you-”

“Is that it? What, we all lost so now we’re losers and you can’t stand to look at us?”

“I never-”

“Or you couldn’t fill the void left when you were thrown out as the world’s best lapdog, so you became Diavolo’s instead?”

“Stop right there, Mammon,” Lucifer commanded, standing from his seat. His voice had a steely chill to it that it never had before, one to match the resentment burning inside of him. Instinctively, Mammon backed off. They didn’t know much about their new predicament, but they knew how the seven of them ranked in power, and Lucifer would always come out on top. “I’m won’t concern myself with where you got these foolish thoughts from. Perhaps it would benefit you to spend less time with Levi-”

“Levi? How could you know if he even had anything to do with this? When’s the last time you saw him?” Mammon shot back. “Spending less time with anybody isn’t the answer to anything, though of course it’d be your answer to things.”

Lucifer sighed. “I’m working out the details of this situation so you don’t have to worry yourselves with it.”

Mammon didn’t have an immediate response to that, instead watching Lucifer with betrayed eyes. He seemed to deflate over time, a resignation falling over him that forced his fire out with a sigh. "We were a team, Lucifer. What the hell happened?"

There were obvious answers to that, and there were not so obvious answers. Faced with so many options, Lucifer found himself unable to choose between them, and instead stared blankly at Mammon. Slowly, Lucifer sat back in his seat without breaking eye contact.

We've been ripped away from everything and left to become scabs over the wounds we've been given. All I'm trying to do is give you the freedom to heal however you need to, to keep you from the chains that could have just as easily awaited us as this fate did.

I'm hiding from you a burden that is too heavy to pass on - if I move it from my shoulders, I fear my arms would be too weak to carry it to you.

There were so many ways to tell Mammon that Lucifer had to lock himself away, the door a heavy shield against his own grief and the ever-growing work that buried him and the secret he carried. Even if Lucifer didn’t trust his own mouth to only say what was necessary, he could just thank Mammon for his efforts, tell him that he trusted Mammon more than anybody to keep together the one thing that ought to stay intact after the holy hell they’d created. But something inside him bristled, swelling uncomfortably until he felt like a balloon ready to burst. Gulping down his thoughts, Lucifer resumed his writing, the pen scratching against the paper more ferociously than the claws of any creature by which they now found themselves surrounded.

"I don't need your help," Lucifer answered simply, with finality. Though the words rang true in his mind, they were leaden with the way they pulled on his heart and tasted like iron on his tongue.

Mammon scoffed again, narrowing his eyes so Lucifer wouldn't be able to notice the tears that began to gather within them. "Fine, then. I-I didn't wanna help ya out anymore anyway."

As Mammon stomped out the door of his office with a huff, Lucifer felt something snap inside him. It wasn't in the way pent up rage unleashed itself, apparently, somehow in the form of a sixth brother, but more in the way one holds on desperately to a branch too thin for the weight. Once it snaps, the plummet is rough, with stronger branches breaking up the fall and taunting tossing them around in a cruel ricochet. Outside of the thick wooden door, it was startlingly quiet, as if the house itself was forcing Lucifer to grapple with the final thread holding them together being cut with his own words.

The pain started in his chest, the way it always did, wrapping around his heart and lungs like thorny vines. The spot on his lower back, occasionally tickled by phantom feathers, throbbed as his entire brain seemed to weigh heavier in his head. After a near eternity surrounded by laughter and the beautiful, enchanting hum of Celestial life and a thundering of battle that would ring in his head for the rest of his existence, the silence seemed like a stifling blanket, the final lock on the cage they had been forced into.

When one opposed Father and lost, he truly did lose everything.

[ahkaahshi]

stay here [iwaizumi hajime x reader]

pairing: iwaizumi hajime x fem reader

genre: smut (18+) and fluff

warning(s): explicit sexual content, penetrative sex, a bit of dub-con (bc of the fact that alcohol was involved), alcohol consumption, swearing, brief mentions of toxic relationships

word count: 3.5k

overview: a post break-up night at the club with your best friend ends a bit differently than you’d expected

notes: a commission for the lovely @devlovesiwa-channn​! sorry this took so long bb but I hope the wait was worth it! thanks for supporting me ily ❤️

The heavy bass pulsating through the club shakes every bone in your body as you sit at the bar, head propped up by your hand and fingers tapping against the side of your face to the beat of the song playing. From where he is beside you, Iwaizumi watches you breathe out another, long sigh with furrowed eyebrows.

“Oi,” he barks, drawing your (e/c) gaze to his dark one illuminated by the bright lights flashing from the ceiling, “Quit thinking about that jerk, would ya?”

With a roll of the eyes, you retort, “You say that like it’s so easy, Hajime. I did just get my heart broken not even a week ago.”

“And you say that like I’m clueless. Don’t forget who’s spent the past—what is it now? Five?—nights over at your place, watching movies with you and making sure you get to bed at a decent time.” His words elicit an immediate feeling of guilt that wells up inside your gut and makes you avert your gaze to search for the bartender who should be finishing up your drinks any moment now.

What he’d said was entirely true, and you knew it. Ever since you’d gotten out of a relationship earlier that week, you’d been a bit of an emotional wreck. Mountains of snack wrappers and tissues had already been piled up in the trash bin placed in your room when Iwaizumi had first showed up at your apartment after hearing about the news. He’d sat with you every evening this week, huddled beneath the covers of your bed or a pile of blankets on the couch while you’d switched between directing words seething with venom towards your ex and struggling to speak through sobs. He’d made sure that you’d eaten your meals, gone to bed at a decent hour, and had done everything in his power to be the friend you’d needed.

So, to even mention that you’d just endured a heartbreak like he had no idea about the situation was nothing less than a slap in the face to him—and you knew it. However, the noticeable discomfort written on your face has Iwaizumi shaking his head as if trying to negate the harshness of his statement.

“Hey,” he tries again in as soft a voice he can use when he’s having to compete with the music blaring, “all I’m saying is that I’ve seen the hell you’ve been put through because of that asshole, so I want you to be able to take your mind off of it for a bit and enjoy this night out, okay?”

You can’t help but chuckle in a way that reflects how jaded you feel by your predicament but shoot him a small smile anyway as you respond, “No promises.”

“We’ll see about that,” he challenges, a smirk flashing across his lips when the bartender sets down two shot glasses on the metal bar top before you. As if in synchronization, the two of you reach for your drinks at the same time and clink them together in a toast. “Here’s to a good night.”

After downing your shot, squeezing your eyes shut and taking a sharp inhale at the burning sensation of the alcohol traveling down your throat, you state, “Gonna need a few more before we get started with that.” Iwaizumi nearly chokes when you raise your hand to summon the bartender for an instant refill so you can tilt your head back once more to knock another one down. “What?” you question upon noticing his wary gaze, “You said you wanted me to have fun, didn’t you?”

“I’m not hauling your ass out of here if you get wasted, (f/n).”

“Guess our definitions of fun are a bit different, then.” He clenches his jaw and grunts with indignation at your response, and you laugh heartily at his annoyance, reaching over to graze the sleeve of his floral button-up shirt with your fingers. “I’m kidding! I promise I’ll stay conscious.” Another, louder murmur of disagreement that echoes from behind his pursed lips has you rolling your eyes and placing both your hands on his muscular shoulders. “Learn how to take a joke, would ya?”

He huffs, “It’d be easier to if what you’d just said hadn’t actually happened before.”

Sighing, you move your grip from his shoulders to the hem of your skirt, holding it down as you hop off the barstool. “Well, if I have to choose between sitting here, recounting my unfortunate run-ins with alcohol or dancing to this mediocre song, I think I’m gonna head to the dance floor.” After attempting to give your friend money for the drinks that he refuses out of kindness, since your plans for the evening had been made by him to begin with, you offer, “You know where to find me,” before making your way through the throngs of clubbers to the dance floor at the other end of the venue.

Iwaizumi shakes his head as he watches your figure disappear in amongst the sea of people and turns his attention to the empty shot glass he’s taken to tracing his fingers along pensively. As much as he wants to ignore the thoughts that have a habit of returning each time he sees you fall out of love with someone else, he can’t seem to rid himself of them—of the idea that maybe, just maybe, things would be different if you were with him instead. All this time, he’d been sitting on the sidelines, forced to play spectator in the games that other men seemed to enjoy playing with your heart while knowing damn well he would treat you with the respect you deserved.

It makes him a bit angry for you, actually, the way others haven’t known what to do with your heart after you’ve given it to them. He knows better than most that you can’t help who you choose to fall in love with—since he’s felt a natural affinity towards you since the first moment he met you—yet he can’t help but hope, after each of your breakups, that you give him a chance with your heart instead. However, out of respect for you, since you haven’t given him any indications that you might return his feelings, he’s kept quiet and maintained your close friendship.

The nagging thoughts persist, and each time, he shoves them into the darkest corner of his mind so he can help you pick up the pieces of your heart after another man drops it.

But they return when he eventually ventures out to the dance floor to find you after you’d returned to the bar for another round of shots to fuel your agenda of forgetting about your ex and sauntered away once more. Navigating through the waves of gyrating bodies finally brings him within a few feet’s distance of where you stand, swaying along to the music without a care in the world. 

As he watches you with the same admiration he would give the only twinkling star in a dark, nighttime sky, he wonders how your former boyfriend could’ve ever thought to treat you the way he had—with such blatant disregard for your feelings. Anyone who tried to dim your light wasn’t the one for you, and now all he wants is for you to shine brighter than you had before. Whether or not you do so for him doesn’t matter in his eyes. He just wants to see your radiance and happiness return.

Just as he’s about to approach you so he can join in on the fun, the song changes into one he knows well—because it’s your favorite. He can’t count the number of times he’s listened to you belt out the lyrics while driving or caught glimpses of you performing bits of the choreographed routine you must’ve created whenever you hear it played in a public setting, but what he sees unfold before him this time is entirely different to anything he’s witnessed before. 

Even if he didn’t want to look, it’s impossible to ignore you when the thin veil of sweat over your skin makes you shine under the bright, multicolored lights in a dazzling display as you move to the beat. With the way your body’s undulating in cadence with the music, a seductive look on your face while your hands run from your torso down to your thighs, you’ve attracted more than a few hungry gazes. But his is the only one that you meet with your own, silently beckoning him over to you moments before you lift a finger to summon him in a request to join you. His feet carry him across the distance separating the two of you without a second thought.

There’s a gentle, somewhat amused smile on his face at seeing you finally letting loose, but it soon becomes much more serious when he feels your fingers clench around the fabric of his shirt. The space around you is hot and charged, and you’re barely able to tell one direction from the other with the way your head’s spinning in a pleasant buzz from the alcohol, but you know exactly what you’re doing. The heat of his body radiates onto your hands as you run them along his toned torso while singing along to the song’s lyrics, and you relish in the way his dark eyes are traveling along every inch of your skin.

When your hands reach his, you turn your back towards him and place his palms on both sides of your waist. Feeling his hold on you tighten and strong fingers pressing against your skin spurs you to grind your hips against him slowly in an attempt at testing the waters. He encourages your actions by pulling you closer to him and moving in synchronization with you. His acceptance and reciprocation of your invitation has heat pooling in your stomach and your heart fluttering in your chest.

The way your bodies as one, like they’ve been created to fit perfectly together in this moment has any restraint you would’ve normally shown evaporating completely. In your mind, you only want him. You’ve known that. You’ve known that for so long, yet you’d been out chasing down other men who’d inevitably become the sources of your heartaches. Now, you think it’s high time you finally go after who it is you’ve truly been yearning for in silence for far too long.

Once a change in the song brings an end to your fairly explicit dancing, you turn to face him again, (e/c) eyes drifting from his own down to his lips as your hands instinctively find his arms to steady yourself in amongst all the movement surrounding you. He seems to hesitate for a moment, since the two of you stand and stare at each other in silence despite the bass sending vibrations through your chests, but he eventually finds the courage to act on his desires. In an instant, his large hand is moving to cup your face and bring it closer to his so he can press a strong kiss against your lips.

A mixture of exhaustion and utter euphoria knocks the wind out of your lungs, sending soft pants tumbling out of your mouth when he finally breaks the kiss. “Hajime…” you utter, voice barely audible above the vocals bouncing off every surface of the club’s interior.

The distinct scent of alcohol taints the breath that fans across your face when he asks, “Yeah?”

“I want you. I want you so badly. Please.” The confession falls off your lips with such ease that you question why you haven’t been able to say it all this time.

A curse word escapes his mouth in a gentle whisper, and you can feel his hard-on against your body when he pulls you in for another heated kiss. “Wanna get out of here?” he wonders. Your enthusiastic nod forms a smile across his lips, and his arm is wrapping around your waist to safely guide you through the crowds so he can sort out a ride home.

What happens next all feels like a blur to you, since all you can think about the entire car ride back is having Iwaizumi’s hands all over your body the moment you get to your doorstep. It appears you’re not the only one who’s impatient, since he’s caging you against the wall in the entryway with his body moments after you’ve kicked off your shoes and locking lips with you once more. The combination of the booze and the pleasure is making your head spin, but you’re able to take his hand and pull him into the bedroom with you so your back can be against the mattress instead.

The strong, passionate nature of his sloppy, open-mouthed kisses serves as a telltale sign of how long he’s been waiting to experience such an intimate moment with you. All along, he’d thought he would want to take his time in this situation—trailing gentle kisses across every inch of your skin and making sure no part of you is left needing his tender but firm touch. However, in the heat of the moment, he’s quick to abandon any ideals of a slower pace, intent on ravishing you.

Your fingers fumble with the buttons on his shirt so you can push it off his broad shoulders as his hands work on yanking off your little clubbing outfit. You can feel your heart pounding in your chest with excitement at the new, uncharted territory you’re both delving into together. For the first time in the many years you’ve known one another, you’re seeing each other at your most vulnerable states.

A gentle moan sounds from your throat at the feeling of his fingers traveling between your legs so they can slide along the saturated fabric covering your slit. Wrapping your arms around his back and pulling him closer to you, you bring your hot bodies flush against one another so you can taste more of the alcohol lingering on his tongue. He swallows another whimper you release when his fingers shove your panties aside so they can toy with your sensitive clit. The sharp sensation of your fingernails pressing into his skin makes him grunt gently, but also sends a rush through him like a buzz of electricity.

“That feel good?” he murmurs, his deep voice prompting your walls to clamp around his thick fingers as he pushes them inside of you.

Hips bucking at his thumb stroking your pearl and legs already shaking from just how mesmerizing his touch is alone, you nod in response and breathe, “So good.” His lips return to yours for another kiss before forming a smile as they press against your jawline, neck, and collarbone, slowly making their way down towards your breasts. Feeling his tongue drag across one of your hardened nipples has you crying out softly as your hands fly to his head, fingers carding through his dark hair.

The delicacy with which he’s sucking on your pebbled bud sharply contrasts the fast, fervent motions of his fingers thrusting into your warm, wet core, edging closer and closer to your sweet spot each time.

“H-Hajime!” Your voice shudders when his name tumbles off your tongue. “Want you inside of me… please, baby.”

Hearing your voice become so needy and desperate as you beg has him groaning against your skin. “Wanna cum all over my cock, princess?” he suggests lowly, moving his head away from your breasts so he can look down at your eyes clouded with lust.

Your heart skips a beat at the name he calls you in jest being used in this situation instead, and you gaze up at him with a mixture of awe and affection burning in your chest until your mouth falls open again at his fingers kneading your sweet spot. You moan loudly in place of the words you’d meant to say, but continue once you take a breath, “Yes! Please, fill me up!”

The way you sound makes him want to do anything for you, and he withdraws his fingers from inside your core so he can unbuckle his belt and push his pants down. Your eyes widen at the sight of his large dick adorned with beads of precum, which he notices and acknowledges by rubbing soothing circles on your thighs while he rids you of your soaked underwear and spreads your legs further apart so he can slot his torso between them. “You can take me, baby; I know you can,” he reassures you in between gentle pecks to your lips.

You hum in agreement, your gaze focusing on his as he aligns his leaking cockhead with your entrance and pushes inside you slowly, stretching your walls in a way that sends currents of both pain and pleasure shooting through your body. He groans, “Oh, fuck; you feel so good,” while your pussy swallows him inch by inch until he’s fully sheathed inside your inviting warmth. He starts with a slower pace than expected given how quickly he was thrusting his fingers into you just moments earlier, rocking his hips against yours and nudging your cervix.

“Faster, Hajime, please,” you beg breathlessly, “I need you.”

A particularly hard thrust he can’t hold back at hearing your request has you mewling with both surprise and satisfaction. “I’m gonna fuck you so good,” he growls, heavy breaths falling onto your ear as he picks up his pace and intensity, filling your stomach with a familiar warmth, “Gonna be the best you’ve ever had.”

His strong hand gripping your hip, lifting you up slightly to meet the angle of his precise thrusts—despite the animalistic desire that’s overcome him—has your legs trembling where they’re wrapped around his waist. The sound of his skin smacking against yours is barely audible above your own moans mingling with his loud grunts. All you can feel is him. Every inch of his body, every ridge of each muscle beneath his hot skin, and every ragged sigh that fans over your neck. He’s all you want, and you can’t help but voice your desires over and over again in the form of his name.

“H-Hajime, I’m gonna cum!” you squeal when he starts drilling deeper inside of you, sending waves of pleasure flowing over your body with each thrust. Your toes are curling, your heart’s racing, every muscle in your body’s tensing as you dangle on the edge of your orgasm—so tantalizingly close to coming undone.

He seems to know what you need to reach the state of euphoria you’re craving, since he pulls out of you to flip you over onto your stomach. The room tilts around you ever so slightly at the sudden change in orientation, but your head drops to the comforter when he pulls your hips up towards his and slams into from behind instead. More feverish sounds of pleasure and begs of “Don’t stop!” leave your mouth unabashedly when the sensations overwhelming you slacken your jaw and create white spots in your vision.

“That’s it!” Iwaizumi hisses as your pussy spasms around him and you cry out his name in the heat of your orgasm, “Fuck, baby; you’re gonna make me cum.”

Your velvety walls clenching around his dick so affectionately and your hips thrashing against his as you ride out your high has him reaching his as well moments later, and he releases inside of you, filling you to the brim with warmth. His hands on your hips keep them in place while he finishes, and he remains inside of you a few seconds afterwards before pulling out and lying down on the bed beside you.

“Fuck…” you sigh as your chest rises and falls with deep breaths. The exasperated tone in your voice causes worry to bubble in Iwaizumi’s chest for a brief moment until you turn to regard him with a bright smile. “That was the best sex I’ve ever had.”

“Glad you feel that way too,” is his response delivered with a chuckle.

In the darkness only interrupted by pale shards of moonlight seeping in between the blinds, your hand finds his face so you can tilt it towards yours and press another, tender kiss against his lips. “I’m sorry,” you whisper even though your mouths are still connected.

“Why?” His fingers brush your hair away from your face on their way to rest at the nape of your neck.

“Because I should’ve been with you all this time and not those other losers.” There’s a short pause, bathing the room in silence save for the beating of your heart against your ribcage. “I love you, Hajime—and I have loved you—but I’ve just been running away because I’m scared of ruining things like I have with other guys.”

The warmth his lips spread over your body when they return to yours puts you at ease, as does his arm snaking around your waist to pull you closer to him.

“I love you too, (f/n),” he confesses, pecking the crown of your head, “So how about you stop running and stay here with me, hmm?”

Nestling your face against the crook of his neck and taking a deep breath, you sigh, “That’s all I want.”

masterlist ⭐︎ treat me to a coffee!

taglists (see pinned post on my blog for form)

general: @dinablossom​​, @newfriendjen​​, @devlovesiwa-channn​​, @ohbyunhunn​, @aftcrlust​​, @mister-future​​, @kyleclxin​​, @kac-chowsballs​​, @osamusmiya​​, @nit-sir-hc​​, @arixtsukki​​, @shinsurou​​, @ichorizaki​​, @dominikmagnus​​, @yamagucji​​

iwaizumi: @misora-msby​,@lotsoffandomrecs​, @tsumue​, @heyhinata​, @cuddlysoftbear​

[arrow-guy]

Spill Your Guts

Summary: You’re used to working in the shadows. You’re happy with that. But when you unexpectedly meet Steve Rogers on a roof one night, something changes. What happens when you run into him out of costume two months later at one of Stark’s infamous parties?

A/N: A One Night Stand type story came to me one night, and this was it. BUT, considering I’m incapable of writing that kind of content, this is what really came from that idea. I think it’s kind of fun, and I hope you guys will enjoy it!

Page dividers by @carryonmyswansong​

Pairing; StevexReader

Word Count: 4.2k

Warnings: None

“It can’t be as serious as you’re making it out to be.”

“Matt, I swear on your stupid little glasses, it’s serious. He caught me on the roof after you abandoned me two months ago and then cornered me at that fucking Stark soiree you dragged me to last week. Something is going on, and I don’t think that I’m cut out for this shit!”

“Okay, but how do you even know he knew it was you?” Matt asks. “It’s not like he saw your face on that roof.”

“Have you never gone through any of their files? Rogers has a damn near eidetic memory and super hearing. You think he wouldn’t recognize my dumb voice?!”

"Your voice isn't dumb."

“Were you listening when I was talking to him?”

“Well… no, I wasn’t.”

“Then you don’t know that it wasn’t dumb when I was talking to him.”

“Since when are you all worked up over an Avenger?” Matt asks. His mouth quirks up in an amused smile. “Three months ago, you couldn’t care less about them.”

"Because it's Rogers," I hiss. "I know you can't physically see him, but the man is gorgeous."

"And?"

"And I'm still trying to figure out what the hell he was doing talking to me, of all people." Matt stops in the middle of the sidewalk and I turn back and stare at him. “What?”

He carefully navigates to the bench near the brownstone we just passed and sits down. “Sit.”

“Okay.” I plop down beside him. “Why?”

“You’re gonna tell me exactly what happened that first night.”

“On the roof?”

“Yes.”

“You already know what happened on the roof.”

“You’re being weird about this, so clearly there’s something you didn’t tell me.”

I drum my fingers against my lips and sigh. “Okay, well, you heard something I didn’t that night, abandoned me on the roof, and then…”

“Huh.” I freeze at the sound of a familiar voice. “Could’ve sworn I heard two voices.”

“That’s because you did. My, eh… colleague just abandoned me.”

“Colleague?” I can’t read his expression through his helmet, but he sounds amused.

“Yeah, I think he heard you bounding across rooftops and decided to be anywhere but here.”

“And yet you’re still here.”

“He has better ears than I do.”

Rogers tilts his head to the side. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” I snort in my attempt to keep from laughing. “I’m the eyes of the operation.”

“Judging by the way your shoulders are shaking, there’s a joke here that I’m not getting.”

“You ever met the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, Captain Rogers?” I ask.

“Can’t say I’ve ever had the pleasure.”

“Yeah, well… keep up with these little midnight patrols, and you’re bound to bump into him.” I look him over, knowing full well that he can’t see me through the veil over my hood. “You seem like an observant guy. I’m sure you’ll get the joke eventually.”

“Oh really?”

“Mhm, really.”

He hooks his thumbs around his belt buckle. “So your colleague is Daredevil. What do they call you?”

“Eagle Eye,” I answer.

He tilts his head to the side. “Eagle Eye?”

“Well, you see, as apt as it would’ve been, Hawkeye was taken.” I lift one hand to the side of my face and, in a conspiratorial tone, say, “And by someone much cooler than me, might I add.”

Rogers laughs and I smile. “So what’s your deal then?”

“My deal?” I shrug and shake my head. “I have no deal.”

“But you hide your face.”

“I hide my everything, Captain. It’s part of my schtick.”

“Sounds like you’re hiding something.”

I snort. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Well… yes. That’s the point of highlighting something obvious.”

“I see. Well,” I move across the rooftop towards where Matt disappeared earlier. “This has been a real gas, but I’ve got places to be.”

I jump over the side and just barely manage to catch myself on the edge of the building when I hear him call out to me. I haul myself up enough to see him quickly drawing closer.

“Wait!” he says.

“What?”

“I have more questions I’d like to ask you.”

“I’m afraid I’m booked solid tonight, Captain. I’ll have to slot you in some other time.”

“But-”

I mockingly salute him and drop down to the alley below. “Catch ya later.”

I don’t wait for his response and disappear into the shadows as fast as I can manage.

“After that, I didn’t run into him,” I say. “It didn’t seem like he tried to follow me, and he was never close enough to put a tracker or whatever on me. As far as I know, there was nothing left to worry about.”

“Honestly, (Y/N), it sounds like you made yourself a mystery.”

“I did not.”

“Someone who covers their entire face and answers anything with more questions? You literally turned yourself into a walking puzzle.”

“Well how the hell was I supposed to talk to Captain America? With a “Yes sir, here’s my face, sir. Have a nice night, sir”? Absolutely not. He’s old, but he barely looks older than we are.”

“That doesn’t mean the man doesn’t deserve at least a little respect.”

“I’m not saying he doesn’t! And I wasn’t disrespectful towards him. I just wasn’t playing his game.”

“Because you didn’t have a buffer.”

“You abandoned me!”

“I didn’t abandon you. I just didn’t stick around when I heard trouble coming.”

“You’re an asshole, Matt Murdock.” I shake my finger at him. “Not many people would have the brass to tell you that, but I’m not scared of you and I don’t feel sorry for you.”

He just laughs. “Good. But that makes you and about five other people in this city.”

“Does it ever get old?” I ask. “Hearing the pity in people’s voices?”

“Well, yeah, but there’s relief too, sometimes. Like when they realize that I’m blind, they don’t have to worry about what they look like for once.”

I hum. “That makes sense. Especially in our little corner of the city.”

“Mhm.”

I jerk my thumb up the street. “Can we get going again?”

“Only if you tell me what happened at the party on the way to the café.”

“Again?”

“Yes, again.” I haul myself up from the bench before I offer Matt a hand and pull him to his feet. “Because now I feel like either I missed something when you first told me about it, or you did a terrible job of explaining yourself.”

“You’re forgetting the third option in which both of those could’ve verywell happened.”

“Could be. Anyway,” he bumps my arm with his elbow. “Start from the beginning.”

“Okay, well,” I offer him my elbow and he takes it and allows me to lead him down the sidewalk. “You dragged me with you to that party because you wanted to pass someone off as your guide, but I’m still convinced that you just wanted to force me to be social.”

“You need it sometimes, (Y/N).”

“Debatable. Regardless, you wandered off to talk to someone and I didn’t know anyone and didn’t know what to do with myself, so…”

Without Matt close to me, I quickly get overwhelmed by the steadily growing volume of the party and it feels like the large room is slowly growing more crowded. I spot someone returning to the party from one of the balconies and I immediately cross the room, slip through, the door, and out into the cool night air.

I lean heavily on the railing, eyes squeezed shut, and take deep, calming breaths. My panic drains away with each passing minute and, when I’m calm enough, I look out across the city and admire the view.

“It’s beautiful out tonight.”

I stand stock still. I know that voice.

I glance over my shoulder and find Captain Rogers standing in the doorway, staring up at the sky. His cheeks are rosy and he wears an easy smile.

“Yeah,” I say slowly. “I guess it is.”

He chuckles. “Sorry, I probably startled you, huh?”

I shrug. “A little, but you walk softly. There’s no way I would’ve heard you over the wind.”

“Mm, probably.” He moves to stand beside me and regards me silently. “Have we met before?”

I shake my head. “Can’t say that we have. Parties aren’t really my scene.”

“Yeah?”

I nod. “Parties like these are especially overwhelming.”

“Yeah, I get that.” He sighs and leans on the railing. “Tony’s parties can get pretty out of hand.”

“I could definitely see that happening, with all the people who showed up tonight.”

“Sometimes Thor will bring Asgardian mead with him.”

“Oh?”

He flashes me a grin. “Yeah, things can get interesting after that. It’s nice to actually loosen up.”

“Is it safe to assume that’s what happened tonight?”

He shoots me a grin. “What makes you say that?”

“You seem like the kind of guy who would stick with either his friends or his colleagues at this kind of shindig. Considering I’m neither of those things,” I shrug. “I guess there’s one conclusion to draw.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“I’m (Y/N), by the way.” I offer my hand and he shakes it.

“Oh, you came with, uh…” he snaps his fingers a few times, trying to recall the name. “Murdock, right?”

I nod. “Matt, yeah.”

“I think he’s a lawyer?”

“Mhm. Good one, too.”

“Well he’d have to be, working with us.”

“Wait, he’s worked for you guys?”

“A few cases, yeah.”

I shake my head. “Figures that’s how he’d get invited to a party like this.”

“Like what?”

“Funded by Tony Stark. Attended by the Avengers and just about every powerful person who could pass the background check.”

He smiles lopsidedly. “You think everyone here got screened?”

“Well, you knew who I came with, for starters. And I figure you guys throw these things to let loose, right? There’s no way you’d let a threat walk through the door on your night off. It’d kill the mood.”

“You’ve really thought this though, huh?”

I laugh. “I guess I kind of have.”

“You do that a lot?”

“What?”

“Overthink?”

“I… ” I frown. “Yeah, probably. Kind of a force of habit.”

He just nods and falls silent. He looks more relaxed than he did on the roof the first time we met. He gives no indication that he recognizes me, but I can’t just assume that he hasn’t figured it out, even if he truly is tipsy.

After about five minutes, he starts pointing out things around the tower that were different when he was a kid. The places he and his best friend would loiter. Which bodegas would let them take a candybar every once in a while as a reward for good grades. I rest my chin on my fist and listen intently as he explains. He winds up going off on a tangent about how different he thought the future would be.

“Lemme guess, you thought there’d be flying cars?”

“Yeah, actually,” he says. “I did. You should’ve seen the one Stark presented at the World’s Fair in forty-three.”

“As soon as time travel is a thing, I’ll have to go check it out.”

He laughs. “You know what I mean. The thing damn near blew up, but it hovered for a good ten seconds before it gave out.”

“Sounds like it would’ve been pretty impressive for the time.”

“It was! Buck was so excited about it.” He sighs and shakes his head. “He always liked stuff like that.”

“Sounds like you two were close,” I murmur.

“Yeah. We’re working back to it, but after everything that’s happened over the years, it’s gonna take a while.”

“If you’re both willing to put in the time, it’ll be worth the wait, won’t it?”

“I-yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“If what I’ve heard about the situation is true, and I haven't heard much, then you remember him as he was. And, not that I’m any kind of expert on this or saying that you should take my advice, but it’s hard to live up to an image that someone has of you when you know damn well you haven’t been that person for a long time.” He opens his mouth to say something, but closes it and sighs. “Sorry, that was a little much. We don’t even know each other.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I hadn’t thought of it like that before.”

“Oh. Then you’re welcome? Maybe?”

“No, I definitely appreciate your perspective. Thank you.”

My phone buzzes in my pocket and I pick it up immediately. I frown and Rogers shifts closer.

I open the text and frown. “Huh.”

“What is it?”

“It looks like Matt’s trying to find me.” I type out a quick response and turn the screen off. “I'm so sorry, I’m being called away.”

“No, I understand, you don’t need to apologize at all.”

“It’s been really nice talking with you.”

The corner of his mouth lifts in a lopsided smile. “You too.”

“Well…” I shove my phone into my pocket and back towards the door. “Have a nice night, Captain.”

“You too.” I smile at him and pull the door open. “Oh, (Y/N).”

I pause and look back at him. “Yes?”

“I…” His smile softens. “Call me Steve.”

“A-alright.” I glance into the tower and then to him. “Goodnight, Steve.”

“Goodnight.”

“Then I left to find you and we went home.”

Matt steps through the door I hold open for him. “Well you definitely didn’t tell me what you’d talked to him about.”

“I did so!”

“You didn’t go into detail like you did just now. I didn’t know you gave him advice on his brainwashed best friend. That puts this in a completely different category.”

“Which is?”

“I think you’re kind of friends with him.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, seriously. It sounds like he was comfortable around you.”

“You’d know better than I would.”

“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. You could have worse friends than Steve Rogers.”

Someone behind us says, “Well, I’d certainly like to think so.”

I grip Matt’s arm and he winces. I murmur, “Is that-?”

Matt nods. “Yup.”

“Ah. Well.”

Matt turns us around and greets him first. “Captain Rogers, it’s good to see you.”

“You too, Mr. Murdock.” He glances at me, then back to Matt. “Could I speak with (Y/N) for a moment?”

Matt nods. “Of course.”

“Go ahead and order without me,” I murmur.

He nods and turns back to the counter. I gesture for Steve to follow me to a table at the back of the café. We sit and stare at each other for a few minutes before I can't take it anymore and break the silence.

“So, um…” I chew at the inside of my cheek. “Hey.”

“Hi.” His eyes flit over my face. “How are you?”

“I’m alright.” I frown. “What’re you doing here?”

“You never called or texted. Did I do something wrong?”

“I… Steve, I don’t have your number.”

“I gave it to you last Saturday,” he says.

I think back to that night and shake my head. “You definitely didn’t.”

“Really? I could’ve sworn I did, just before you left.”

“You paused like you were gonna say something big, but then you asked me to call you Steve.” I hold my hands out in defense. “Not that you asking me to use your legal name isn’t a big deal, or anything, there just wasn’t any mention of phone numbers.”

His cheeks flush pink. “Then I apologize. I should’ve just asked instead of tracking you down like this.”

“Honestly, I’m just surprised that it was important enough to you to find me in the first place.”

“Why?”

“I’m a nobody who got lucky enough to be on that balcony at the same time as you. Even luckier that you even talked to me that night.”

“You’re not nobody, and you didn’t get lucky.”

“Wh-explain.”

“I saw you with Matt at the party and your build and the way you carried yourself seemed really familiar. So I watched you for a bit-” he notices my discomfort and backtracks. “I wasn’t stalking you or anything-”

I lift one eyebrow. “But you followed me out onto the balcony?”

“Yes.” He sighs and scrubs his hand over his face. “I wish I could blame the alcohol, but I was only slightly tipsy.”

“Just enough to be relaxed,” I say.

Steve nods. “What I’m trying to say is that I know you’re Eagle Eye.”

I grip the edge of the table. “What?”

“I wasn’t sure until I actually talked to you, and even then I figured I was just seeing what I wanted to.”

“What convinced you that you were right?”

“Your reaction just now.”

“Makes sense.”

“So I’m right?”

I nod. “Well, I never did have a good poker face.”

“Is that why you cover your face?”

“Among other things.” I lean back in my chair. “Did you figure out my little joke?”

He laughs. “About a week after we first met, yeah.”

“That true?” I ask. I look over Steve’s shoulder and see Matt nod. “Good for you, then.”

“How long have you known Mr. Murdock?” Steve asks.

I shrug. “Going on, maybe… seven or eight years now? We started working together about four years ago.”

“Which work?”

“Corporate type work. We started our nightly routine a year after.” I gesture to the counter. “Do you want anything? I’m kind of starving.”

“Uh, sure. Anything you’d recommend?”

“Their croissant sandwiches are pretty good. I usually just go with ham and cheese.”

“Then I’ll trust your judgment on that.”

I shove myself up from the table. “You want anything to drink? Coffee, tea, water?”

“I feel kind of bad giving you an order like this,” he admits.

“Don’t, I offered.”

“You sure?”

“Of course. Now,” I gesture dramatically. “Drink?”

He chuckles. “Just water, thanks.”

Jo greets me when I step up to the counter. She seems a little nervous, and I can’t really blame her.

She slides the sandwiches across the counter and asks, “Is that Captain America?”

I nod. “It is.”

“I thought you didn’t run with guys like that.”

“I don’t, usually, but Matt worked a couple of cases for the Avengers a while back and I got dragged along to a party with him because of it.” I tuck the sandwiches under my arm and grab the water and the cup of tea I ordered. “Now we’re here.”

She glances back at Steve. “Just make sure all my furniture is intact when you leave today. Replacing single chairs every few months isn’t cheap.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen, Jo.” I blow across the surface of my tea, dispersing the steam. “It’s a friendly visit, and I intend to make sure it stays that way.”

“Good.” She pauses, slow smile creeping onto his features. “He’s pretty handsome, (Y/N).”

I roll my eyes, but can’t help smiling. “I’m doing my best to not think about that right now.”

“Is he at least nice?” she asks. “I always thought he looked like he’d be a nice guy.”

“Yeah,” I whisper. “He’s pretty nice.”

She grins. “At least there’s that.”

I head back to the table and pass Matt along the way. I tell him to head back to the office without me when he’s done and that I’d meet up with him later. He just nods and takes another bite of his sandwich.

I place Steve’s sandwich and water on the table in front of him before taking my seat. I immediately tear open a packet of sweetener and pour it into my tea. When It’s stirred in, I take a sip and lean back in my seat.

“I’m sure you have questions,” I say. “And I figure it’s only fair that I answer them, considering you spilled your guts to me at that party.”

“I did what?”

“You rambled about what New York was like when you were a kid.” I rest my chin in my hand and smile at the blush that creeps across his face. “It was cute.”

He focuses his gaze on the sandwich and starts to unfold the paper. He mumbles, “Well that’s kind of embarrassing.”

“I don’t think finding joy in your childhood is embarrassing. I think it’s a sign of a good childhood.”

“It wasn’t all good,” he says. “But I had good people around me.”

“And it sounds like you were happy.”

“Most of the time, I was. But that’s how it is for most kids, right?”

I shrug. “I guess.”

He picks up half his sandwich and, before he takes a bite, asks, “What about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, what was your childhood like?”

“It was fine. My parents were pretty strict about grades, but they just wanted me to succeed. When they found out about my abilities, they tried to capitalize on it a bit, but didn’t really push when I got bored.”

“Abilities?”

“Oh, right. I’m called Eagle Eye because of my enhancements. I’m like a low-level version of you. Enhanced strength, hearing, healing, speed, all that, to a slightly lesser degree. But the big thing is my eyesight.”

“So when you said you’re the eyes of the operation-”

“I meant it. My parents used it to their advantage when they started taking me to the range and putting me in shooting competitions.”

“Oh?”

“Everyone on my mom’s side is a fuckin gun nut. I’m not a huge fan of them, to be honest.”

“What’s your weapon of choice, then?”

“I’d prefer a bow and fistful of arrows to a gun any day.” I grin. “But I think knives are pretty fun. More versatile than a gun, and definitely more of a challenge. Playing cards will do, in a pinch.”

He laughs. “That’s kind of terrifying.”

“I know. At this point I use a beanbag gun and a few throwing knives, but that’s about all I carry.”

As I take a bite of my sandwich, he asks, “So what is it that you do?”

“Well, I started out as a bounty hunter.”

“And now?”

“Now I’m a bounty hunter and a masked vigilante.”

“When you say bounty hunter-”

“I mean someone who tracks down people evading arrest. I don’t hunt and kill people. Besides, Matt wouldn’t let me, even if I tried. Terminally good Catholic boy, and all that.”

“Mm, yeah I could see that.”

We talk as we eat. Steve asks more questions about my abilities and how I got them. I don’t have answers for him, but he doesn’t seem to mind. The conversation eventually turns to mundane things like art, literature, and sports. I don’t have strong opinions on New York baseball, but listening to Steve get worked up over it is entertaining. I find myself smiling more than I have in a very long time.

“You are so much more interesting than you let on, (Y/N).”

I roll my eyes and crush up the sandwich wrapper. “You’re just saying that because I threw out all three of my fun facts one after the other.”

“No, I’m not. I didn’t try to find you because I wanted an answer. I had a feeling about you when we talked at the party.”

“Oh, a feeling?” I laugh. “Sounds scary.”

“Is it?” he asks. “Because I don’t think it’s been this easy for me to talk to someone outside of my team for a very, very long time.”

“Pure exaggeration.”

“It really isn’t. A lot of people would’ve jumped at the chance to try and use this situation to their advantage. But I’ve been watching you try to talk yourself out of the possibility of there being something here.”

I clutch my tea between my hands and frown. I refuse to get my hopes up. “Something?”

“Some kind of connection,” he says.

“I’m gonna need you to paint me a really detailed picture here, because I don’t want to misinterpret what you’re saying.”

“(Y/N), I think that you’re interesting and intelligent and, uh…” he coughs awkwardly and scratches the back of his neck. “I think you’re attractive.”

“Oh,” I murmur, my voice suddenly very small.

“If you don’t feel the same, that’s fine, but I’d hate to just let this go, even if it’s just friendship.”

“It’s not that I don’t feel some kind of attraction to you, Steve. I’m just… I really am nobody.”

“Well I don’t think Matt thinks so. I’m sure the people that you help don’t think that. And I certainly don’t think so.”

“Even so-”

“You don’t have to make headlines for me to like you, okay?” His brows pull together and he reaches across the table and takes my hand. “I just want to be able to spend more time with you. Get to know you better. I don’t want to push you for anything you don’t want, especially considering we haven’t known each other all that long.”

I squeeze his hand. “Okay.”

His eyes light up. “Yeah?”

I smile and nod. “I’ll warn you, though. I move really slow with this kind of stuff.”

“So do I. But…” He runs his thumb over my knuckles and I relax just a little. “That just means I have ample time to get to know you. And that’s been the best part of this so far, anyway.”

“I’ll make no promises about showing up to Stark’s parties. But…” I cover the back of his hand with mine. “I have a few more questions about you.”

He grins. “Ask me anything, sweetheart.”

I don’t really know whether or not they’d be a long term thing in the end. Like as sweet as I think it’d be, all I can really think about are the shenanigans she and Clint would get up to when they’re introduced. I mean, two master marksmen in the same room? It just screams trouble.

I’d love to hear what y’all thought about this onshot! Do you think that Steve and the reader character make a sweet couple? Do you think they’d make it work? Or do you think they’d wind up just being friends in the end? Be sure to like, reblog, comment, and/or shoot me an and and tell me all about it!

If you’d like to be tagged in future fics, please let me know!

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[nighttimepixels]

TALK TO US ABOUT MASS EFFECT I HAVE BEEN AN INSANE MASS EFFECT/SHAKARIAN TRASH PERSON SINCE 20-FUCKING-11 AND LEMME TELL YOU THOSE FEELINGS HAVENOT TARNISHED A SINGLE FRACTION IN THOSE TEN YEARS OH MY GOOOOOOODDDSSSS!!!!!!!

I DEMAND A PLAY-BY-PLAY UP TO THE MINUTE OF YOUR REACTIONS TO EVERYTHING!!!!

you are so valid and I totally see why everyone I've ever mentioned it to loves the hell out of it

aksdjlsdfj I meannnn if you want to hear my rambling about it then hell yeah

Okay, gonna put this below the cut to save everyone else XD also- since I'm not leaving this Mass Effect obsession anytime soon, if you're not interested in seeing occasional posts about it, please feel free to block the tag "night plays ME"~

(mild spoilers ahead??)

((also for real I mean it when I say this is rambling as hell lol, apologies and no stress if absolute no one reads all this))

OKAY SO Mass Effect 1-

Stars help me, I was honestly hooked right from the start?? Like even in Legendary Edition (the combined trilogy just re-released in one "can play it on one system + minor improvements", for anyone who doesn't know) where it's smoothed out, of course it's obvious that ME1 is a decade old... but the foundation for these relationships are all there and gods I love them already.

Like - Kaiden right off the top is a delightful good fightin lad, what the hell. I've heard that he's viewed as 'bland' by a good portion of the fan community but I dunno, he's a delight and even more complex by the time 2 rolls around and you encounter him on Horizon, it was honestly Ashley I was way more meh about - mostly because before you can learn about her family history/etc, she comes off as hella xenophobic and I was immediately offended for my growing space family that she didn't like/trust all the aliens around, pfff.

(she gets redeemed a bit through further actions/evolving thoughts, but I thought in retrospect it was a bummer that they didn't flip the order there, give her a chance to be liked before the complicating factor of being so rude about aliens >:c that then she could grow from... ah well. Apparently she has a good arc but uh, let's just say I chose Kaiden at the "key junction" in the latter part of the game so I won't be seeing anymore of Ashley uh... anytime soon, haha.)

Garrus??? Is??????? The ABSOLUTE best???????????

I liked him from the start, I'm always a bit of a sucker for a rogue-detective "the system won't bring this bastard to justice, so I've got to" type and all their moral shadiness XD But he just gets better, honestly, and where I'm at in ME2 (right before the Reaper IFF mission, as of typing this, with everyone's loyalty!) I am only digging myself deeper into this hole-

-*wheezing* okay anyways -

Wrex is AMAZING I love fightin' middle-aged krogan bastard, gods. Liara is great too, I'm a sucker for a wlw relationship (playing fem!Shepard, so) - buuuut I'll admit she's a bit more one-note in ME1. Last week while I was still on ME1 I remember hearing (while trying to dodge spoilers) that her arc is really good, though. I think they leaned a little hard on the 'innocent but sexy' sterteotype on her (so despite the yikes aspect of a few of the things I've learned in ME2, lol, I actually really like the complexity that's been added to her character.)

Saved Liara first, so by the time I got to Noveria and had the standoff with Benezia there was the chance to have emotions over Liara having to face her TwT and of course, I made the questionable but quality decision to free Queen Rachni heheh. no ragrets

More than a blow-by-blow of my choices though I totally wanna take the chance to say that even in the mild jankiness of ME1 (goddammit, the Mako.... please..... please just go up this impossible cliff I just want to resource hunt-) the way that the lore, both obvious/key to main plot and the lesser/filler/background/world-building kinds... I just love it. It incorporates it well, you can go ham in the codex learning more, or just dive into the basics - it's clearly a complex galaxy (and they do an even better job in 2 of fleshing it out further), and it never really felt overwhelming. It was pretty natural figuring it all out-!

Plus the interesting implications of resource hunting amongst the sapient races, and the little side missions you better bet I did every one of- there's so much rich depth in the story if you do 'em!! (And that lead with that Keeper side mission...? Looking back, damn, clever foreshadowing-!!!)

And oh my gods, Ilios??? hell yeah. I loved that mission so much, especially having Garrus & Kaiden with me when talking to the hologram/computer, and more than anything, that last sprint in the Mako trying to get to the jump before it closed-???

yeet the boi-

Also mannn I love a good setpiece, and having to go up the side of the elevator, space-side?? such a cool setup!!

Plus it felt good having been Paragon enough (as simple as the good v bad vibe system is, I don't hate it, lol) to avoid one of the Saren fights, ngl. And the er, "second fight" with Sovereign-Saren.... hell yeah

... I'll admit I had to double check my choice re whether to save the Council. I did in the end, but I swear, sometimes the way they phrase things I'm like ".... okay but Garrus is right, defeating Sovereign is more important than these few leaders??????" woops. Listen, priorities, is all I'm saying..... (￣ヮ￣|||)ゞ

'Course later they emphasize (in ME2) that there were 10,000 people on that same ship and I was like well I wouldn't have second guessed if I'd known that, I mean c'mon-

Also I did indeed romance Liara in this one, so I got that scene ;Dc But,,,, I also knew by the end that I was totally gonna romance Garrus in 2 since he's an option then finally,,,,, lemme tell you the guilt as I waffled over whether to romance Liara bc of it. hahaha.

Aaaaand Mass Effect 2-

So I'm only up to right before the Reaper IFF Mission, so I don't know the ending, etc etc lol. That said, I've just finished every side mission I've found with the exception of the Shadowbroker Quest and the Arrival Quest (I've heard the latter basically leads into ME3, and the former is best either right before the Omega 4 jump or in postgame).

So from the start - fuck yeah fuck yeah what a high adrenaline start Shepard noooooo but also yes save Joker aH-

The motion comic too hot damn nice job

I loved this setup, seriously - especially forcing Shep into this situation, having to work with/for Cerberus, and the compelling reasoning given behind "why" they do what they do (I especially found it a good point that the Salarians have the Task Force, the Asaris the Commandos, the Turians the- etc... like, true, when you put it like that, having a similar group advancing human interests/solving human interstellar problems is pretty reasonable...). That said, I love too that it really isn't shied away from how Cerberus is nonetheless fucked up - or its at least done fucked up stuff.

Listen, I still think some messed up stuff is gonna be revealed in 2's endgame......... after that Horizon mission and the Collector's ship???? TIM I SEE YOU YOU SHADY MF-

aaanyways lol...

I'm so so glad on a gameplay level they nixed the Mako style exploration. A few Hammerhead missions are fine and a lot more focused than the slippery ass navigation in that glorified ATV, pfff. The probes are a neat way of getting after similar resources - and more importantly, having good levels and some good hubs (the Zakera Wards, Omega, Ilium, etc) is way way more fun than having a more 'sprawling' space that is.... a lot of empty nonsense, lol.

Then there's the fact that we get Joker right off the bat and you can interact with him so much - and him and EDI??? Get out gods I love them. Kasumi is so right when she says they sound like a bickering old married couple lol. I have a terrible feeling that some shit is gonna happen with EDI..... but I don't think she's evil as-is, at least.

Side-eying the hell out of those "access forbidden" parts of her that she doesn't even know.... and the fact that her AI core has a locked door access................... something's gonna happen gdi LEAVE OUR ADOPTED AI ALONE.

(Also Joker pls stop fracturing your thumb on the mute button)

Also please save me there are so many hot aliens in this game,,,,, the xeno/monsterfuckers really comin' through strong in the sequels............... doin' the lord's work........................................

In general, I love how many levels ME stepped up in two with complexity and interwoven narratives!! Like, to the point it'd be almost a drag to replay ME1, even though it was fun going through it (if occasionally a bit tedious with the cookie cutter rando planet science/mine facilities, lol). Like, just from how fun and interesting ME2 is, mostly! more of all the pre-introduced races, plus new ones, plus more filling in of intragalactic politics, and more interesting implications of all these space-faring races mixing....

Also gods WREX and his planet holy shit,,,,, fuckin' hell yeah my man get their shit together and also adopt Grunt yes good-

And Mordin??? My singing semi-evil scientist best friend forced to confront his choices more than he thought he ever would have???? With some of the best ongoing general report chatter of all the companions??

(when I tell you I choked on my coffee when I talked to him after confirming romance choice w/ Garrus and that 'pamphlet' and 'anaphalactic shot if ingesting-' kajsldkfjsldfjk)

Like, fuck, the fact that they actually dive into the mixed morality and horrors of the genophage, and you can confront Mordin on it, for good reason, yet he still stands his ground, until finally some bits of his loyalty mission seem to... affect him, and I'm guessing might set up things for 3 with him? Unsure, but either way, damn, the fact that they start to dig into it...

And Taliiiii my beloved forbidden alien wife TwT her loyalty mission was SO GOOD. I love how varied they all are?? Getting to defend her and discover what she'd unwittingly been a part of-!!

Zaeed is a bastard but tbh I love that he is and that he's unapologetic in him - and Kasumi omg, best thief. A heist?? Gods, yes- I love our couch lounge chats XD

Samara is..... illegally.......... she's an illegally powerful and beautiful and eloquent MILF...........................

(.... listen I'm sapphic as hell and I'm kicking my own ass for picking her up last aksjdlfksjdfl - but her loyalty mission, damn. And seeing how there's this interesting cultural subset, and the struggle with the Asari in that they unquestioningly accept/respect justicars, but also know that the impact outside their culture is a diplomacy nightmare waiting to happen-)

,.,,,,,T,,, Thane,,,,,

I am weak for morally implicated murder dads okay?? And that voice??? His mannerisms?????? How you first see him, and that prayer after assassinating her...???????? And his history/his people's history with the hanar, gods I love how messy it is, it feels so much more real!

Also Jack is a mess and I love her (and want to get her some therapy, omg), and her and Miranda nearly duking it out after you've done both their loyalty missions??? so good and makes a lot of sense-! Honestly I would love more interactions between teammates on the ship, but there's already so much the devs had to balance I can't blame 'em for minimizing, heh. But suffice to say I also love Miranda and Jacob, even if I'm softest for my alien crew XD Hell yeah Jacob, we'll get loud and spill drinks on the citadel indeed TwT

.... I could write a whole essay on how much I love Garrus oTL Perhaps because he and Tali are the throughlines from 1 on your 2 crew, I have some of the strongest feelings about them... but genuinely, he was one of my favorite companions in the first game, and how you find him as Archangel in two? Getting to help him fight his way out after he's gone nearly 48 hours straight fighting off three gangs alone, jfc. His vengeance quest and what can happen there.... That line? fuck me, that line -

It's so much easier to see the world in black and white. Grey? I don't know what to do with gray...

How DARE you come for my heart like this, devs holy shit

(also, some other choice faves so far from the series from him include We can disobey suicidal orders?? and This wasn't in my training manual... [in 1, if you have him with you @ th Thorian fight] and his whole.... pop the heat sink - in his romance ;Dc)

asdasdfksadjfkl like I said I can write an essay on him PFFF suffice to say I'm very looking forward to his romance scene and where things go in 3

But yeah gods I'm just gonna keep rambling if I'm not careful lol. Gods I don't even know what to talk about it's all so good and while I can understand people roasting the obviousness of Paragon V Renegade (v neutral) choices/alignments, I think they do a pretty damn good job in 2 of pushing it further - to the point that there were some times that I accidentally got renegade points and I wasn't that mad, haha. There's so much fun in the interactions that I just have a good time anyways~

I have so many thoughts about TIM (The Illusive Man) and Cerberus.... theories evolving galore............... and like, what the hell!! Omega 4 going to the center of the galaxy is such a cool twist, goddamn - though my heart still breaks at losing Kaiden (his line if you haven't romanced him?? about feeling like he lost a limb when he lost you??? holy shit.... but I also can't blame him for not trusting Cerberus to the point of it affecting his ability to trust Shepard... like fuck Shep go after himmmm) I'm really excited to see where that goes since he comes back in 3, and what the fuck happens with Cerberus bc while I love the fact that obviously there are a lot of people in it for the right reasons, doing good work, there are those that are doing the opposite, and I have a very bad feeling about where TIM will end up landing....

All that said though I need to do the Reaper IFF mission (where I'm lightly spoiled as to getting That Boy, but not how/what happens to make it so - just that it's apparently wise to have all your side missions done before getting him...) and the actual Omega 4 jump. So we'll see what happens and what I think about it from there heheh!

.... major kudos and genuine props if you made it here to the end, I am so sorry for not editing on condensing all this, and appreciate you so much ;w;

[south-park-meta]

Brontide – The low rumbling of distant thunder. stanman

Kind of one-sided Stanman (or at least Stan being nervous about Cartman's intentions) and Style.

General psych horror warning I guess in that I find Cartman to be physically/psychologically/sexually abusive and it causes fear but he doesn't do anything he hasn't done in canon.

[Stan saw once on those court shows, like Judge Judy or something, that a guy ended up winning possession of part of his neighbor's property because he put in a new fence three feet left of the old one, and the neighbor let it go for too many years before complaining that it was on his land. He's letting Cartman redraw his property lines, giving himself up three feet at a time. "Just go to sleep," he says to Cartman in the dark. They're sharing a blanket and he thinks of ripping it off of Cartman and rolling up in it, just to stake a claim in what's his.

He doesn't.]

Cartman does this thing, pushing boundaries. He pokes and prods at them. He figures out which ones are fences made of steel and which are those paper ropes; ceremonial and easily snipped with scissors. He started inviting himself over at ten when things started going sideways in their group. He invited himself over to Kyle's, too. Cartman kept them apart, enjoyed their time all to himself, all while saying how important it was to keep the group together. How terrible it is that the broship is splitting up, Cartman would lament, shoving Cheesy Poofs into his mouth, before telling Stan how much fun he and Kyle had playing a game on their new X-Boxes.

Divide and conquer.

After the four of them tied themselves back together, Cartman started doing it again. He got better at it, cornering them each alone. He's good at it now at sixteen years old. It's strange, knowing so well what Cartman's doing this time around, but it's still somehow hard to stop it. Cartman forced a place for himself in their lives once and it's easier for him to find that place now because of it; he walked the path so many times that his feet can find it even in the dark.

It's just lucky that Stan and Kyle have gotten better at navigating, too. They aren't tripped up so often anymore.

Cartman realized when the Jeffersons were their neighbors for a couple weeks that sleepiness is a weakness to be exploited. He crawls in through Stan's bedroom window in the middle of the night and right in bed beside him. Stan wakes up and startles.

"Dude, get the fuck out of my bed," Stan says. "You're wet."

That's the reason he gives. Not that Cartman came in without asking, that he broke into the house in the middle of the night, that Stan doesn't want him there at all. The thunder rolls outside. He's making the bed cold, uncomfortable.

They look at each other in the dark. Lightning cracks close outside the window and brights the room, and Stan's breath catches. He gets the idea, that half-second of being able to see Cartman's eyes clear as day, that Cartman will suggest taking his clothes off and laying together, dry.

"Forget it," Stan says quickly, before Cartman can say anything. Just in case, so he knows Cartman will be keeping the clothes even if he's giving up the bed. He turns over, turns away. He knows he shouldn't. Not because the actual act of turning his back on Cartman is letting himself be weak, though it is; being stabbed in the back is more of a betrayal because you can't see it coming. He's aware of the vulnerability but not exactly afraid to give it. Cartman's never hurt him before. He sort of thinks Cartman won't ever try to because he's him and Cartman's Cartman and something about those two facts prevents it, and he sort of thinks he just hasn't ever given Cartman a good enough opening to take.

It's because turning over, letting this stand, is saying it's allowable. Still allowable. He let Cartman get away with sneaking into his house as kids plenty of times despite never wanting him there.

Stan saw once on those court shows, like Judge Judy or something, that a guy ended up winning possession of part of his neighbor's property because he put in a new fence three feet left of the old one, and the neighbor let it go for too many years before complaining that it was on his land. He's letting Cartman redraw his property lines, giving himself up three feet at a time. "Just go to sleep," he says to Cartman in the dark. They're sharing a blanket and he thinks of ripping it off of Cartman and rolling up in it, just to stake a claim in what's his.

He doesn't.

He doesn't shut his eyes right away. He stares at the wall and listens to the thunder. He feels the house quiver with it. He's waiting for something, but he's not sure what that something is. There's a creeping fear, but he's not sure what he has to be afraid of. Other people have reason to be scared of Cartman, because he's actually done something to them somehow. From other people, Cartman has fed off of their humiliation, over dominating them or belittling them. All Cartman's ever taken from Stan before, really, is a physical presence.

Closer and closer.

Here's the lion, knocking at your legs, trying to cut you off from your herd. Better keep up.

Don't be divided, don't be conquered.

Stan rolls back over. He has to because Cartman's in the way of his night stand. Cartman hasn't closed his eyes, either, and they stare at each other up close and personal. Stan lifts himself onto his elbow and leans over Cartman to grab his phone.

Cartman grabs his wrist and says, "Using your phone in bed is bad for your eyes," with a funny kind of smirk. Stan got his first pair of glasses this month. They look at each other for a moment longer, and then Cartman lets him go.

Can I come over? he texts Kyle, I miss you

If they were still neighbors he wouldn't have asked, but it's not a two-minute walk anymore. It's something he needs to drive to now, in the cold and rain and dark. He holds his breath. They've changed notifications and turn them on high at night, so they can wake each other if they need to. But it's no guarantee.

A few beats.

You saw me all day.

He can read the tone. It's not putting him off; it's teasing him, and he makes himself not-smile so Cartman can't catch this weakness. He and Kyle have been shifting their boundaries, too. It's nothing yet, undefinable but different than it had been before.

So? I miss you anyway

Yeah. Come over.

He has to swing over Cartman to get up. Cartman doesn't do anything with that fact besides quirk his eyebrows. No funny comment, no stopping him, no....whatever. He doesn't try anything in those last moments where he could, at the time that would be the worst. It's not that Stan wishes he would, but it's easier to draw hard boundaries with Cartman when he does something really awful. those moments that are 'Enough is Enough' moments, the ones that could do him real harm. There's been a few of those moments through the years, where he can see that what Cartman's going to do might really, irrecoverably hurt him and he clamps down on it hard to stop it. He ends their friendship clean and fast.

And then he lets it creep back up on him, because he's never been hurt by Cartman, not really. Maybe it'd be better if Cartman does hurt him, for real, just once. So he has the pain for reference and knows why he doesn't want to do it all again. So he has the reality instead of the possibility.

But maybe that's why Cartman's never really hurt him, and maybe he never really will.

He walks out, leaving Cartman alone in his room. It feels like a loss, because he's not sure at all what Cartman wanted, and he let Cartman have free rein over all of his things. But he wakes up with Kyle's arms around his waist and face pressed between his shoulder blades, and that feels like a victory.

[datawyrms]

Changed Hunt

For Phic Phight 2021! (not completely finished but AAAAfinshnowwww) lowkey Dannymay Day 2 Portal, as well

"That portal is awesome!" Sam says. "Would be so cool if it worked."

Danny goes down into the lab that night to try a few things—it doesn't quite go as he planned.(aka a no one knows au) (Dey’s prompt!)

Danny really wished Sam and Tucker had stayed a bit longer that day. With them around, maybe he wouldn’t have wandered in that portal like an idiot. In his own defense, how could he have known that little panel in there had been an on switch? Who’d put that inside a reality tearing portal device? Jack and Maddie Fenton, apparently. He was just lucky the thing hadn’t killed him! Or at least, managed to overdo it to the point he...survived somehow? He hadn’t really decided what that portal had done exactly. Waking in a pained heap, bathed in a haunting green glow from the now active portal was confusing enough. Looking up and seeing a stranger in the reflective panel nearby just made it worse. Of course he didn’t take it well, or know what to think. If he’d become a ghost, his parents would freak. Fixing their portal by turning into some...evil human hating creature probably wasn't in the plan. At least his terror somehow managed to get him to become human again. Heartbeat and everything. He hoped it had just been a weird one off, or he’d imagined it from trauma. Until he started falling through things. He died so hard  that he got his life back? The portal only managed to kill half of him? He was dead but ‘imitating humans’ was his specialty? Some human that just got to use his ‘soul’ or whatever to be a ghost early? Sam and Tucker might have had guesses- but he knew one thing right away. Whatever happened, he wasn’t all human anymore. He couldn’t tell them. What if they decided that was just too weird? What if they blamed themselves for not being there- thought they’d killed him? It wasn’t worth the risk. Besides, he couldn’t let Mom and Dad find out, so he’d be trying to hide any of the new weirdness anyway. Might as well just always do it. Maybe the weird new abilities would just go away. They hadn’t. They just forced him to think about it to keep both feet on the ground. He could deal.

Until other ghosts started showing up. Ghosts that actually knew how to be ghosts, terrifying powers and all. Ghosts that seemed to know what he was. He’d nearly jumped out of his skin when a green woman in a hairnet tapped him on the shoulder and asked who ‘changed the menu’. There was a lot of screaming and running away at that, considering she was floating and well. Obviously some sort of dead person. Freaky Fenton attracts freaky ghosts. Of course. She didn’t buy his claim of not knowing why the menu wasn’t exactly the same as fifty years ago (why would he? That’s a lot of years!) and thought setting ovens on fire and throwing them at him was a fair answer! So apparently Mom and Dad were totally right about ghosts being completely terrifying monsters that he should run away from very quickly. Which he did. He only ran into two walls he meant to go through, even. Just more reasons to never, ever tell anyone he might be like that crazed ghost lady. Mom and Dad proving their inventions actually did work sometimes was just icing on the ‘i’m so screwed’ cake. Ghosts exist, they fought one, and the school got shuttered for a week from excessive damage via flying appliance. Fun.

It was dumb to pretend that was a one off thing. It was stupid to think he could keep hiding what happened that day. Even if it felt safer, even if he just wanted to keep denying the portal was open so she could keep pretending it hadn’t done anything to him. Maybe if someone knew, he wouldn’t be hopelessly trapped by a huge glowing robot. Running didn’t work on this one like it did the older ghost lady. He tried, he really did, but the self proclaimed hunter kept tracking him down. Even when he transformed into the strange ghost version of himself he failed to dissuade the robot. Punching metal still hurt as a ghost, and so did getting pelted with little missiles. So much for intangibility being an advantage.

“You’re lucky that you’re a rare creature, whelp. Otherwise I’d be disappointed by how little effort hunting you took.”

Great, flame head thought he was a disappointing freak. More pressing was the net the ghost had shot at him that he couldn’t struggle free of. Even drawing on his weird ghost side wouldn’t let him phase through it. “Pretty sure you can’t hunt endangered species!” He redoubled his effort as the ghost picked up the net, trying to trick himself that his swinging was making him feel ill, not the terror of being carried off by some monster that came through the portal just to hunt him down.

“Hah! If I didn’t take you ghost child, someone else would simply end you.” The blank green eyes stared into his own as the machine pulled him up higher. “You should be grateful to be part of my collection.”

Danny gulped, unsure if he should keep his attention on his captor or the fact they were getting closer to the swirling portal. “How about no thanks? Since you’re such a good samaritan and all. You can just let me go and forget all about uh...this.” Why couldn’t he just squeeze out of the net, or make the rest of him all weird like when his legs decided to vanish sometimes? Pulling with his gloved hands wasn’t working, and the glow just grew  brighter as the lump in his throat got thicker. “Please? You already said I was weak, if you let me go I’ll be stronger next time!” Okay, it was a stupid plea but he’d try anything right now to not get dragged to some ghost world.

“I’m not a catch and release sort of hunter.” The ghost chuckled as his prey shrank back with the denial.

“How can you be the ‘Greatest’ hunter if you just go after kids, huh?” Begging wasn’t working, so maybe getting him angry? He couldn’t go through there, what if being on the other side made him more like this thing, or the other weird green monsters? “More like lamest hunter.”

“Oh you’ll see the sort of creatures I normally hunt, ghost child. Once you join them.” Skulker shook the net hard, rattling what little bravado Danny had managed to gather up right back out of him.

So much for that hope. “This has got to be a mistake, just let me go!” The ghost didn’t answer him, and he couldn’t help closing his eyes when the mechanical monster fired up a jetpack and flew through that portal. It wasn’t as cold as he feared it would be, it wasn’t like the void of space. Just as green as the portal, still a swirling background to everything. He swore he saw faces and doors, but couldn’t keep looking for long. The combined movement of being dragged along with the spinning energy was stomach churning enough, and he had to deal with the fact he didn’t know anything about this place. Even if this ghost decided to let him go, where would he go? Was there even anything to navigate with? He certainly didn’t see anything useful like stars. Would all this green stuff just soak into him and make him not want to find home? Nothing here made sense! It was easier to curl up instead of struggling with the net to stretch out, and the stupid ghost couldn’t see how the tears welled in his eyes as he struggled not to cry.

He should have been braver, should have tried to watch more, but it’d been too much. The crunch of metal against stone jarred him out of his silent self berating, just to be even more confused. He was on an island? That just floated, because islands did that here. Islands that had forests on them, that grew out of what looked like rock. Sure, okay. At least it was a bit of a distraction from the fact he was trapped by some evil robot in a completely different reality! Well. It had been. Seeing the fact the ghost lived in some weird stone skull jutting out of a mountain made him snort despite himself.

“You said my puns were bad, and you live in that thing?” He was pretty sure the green mohawk monster was Skull-something anyway. Mostly tuned it out after he kept repeating the ‘greatest hunter’ bit. “Ghost Zone’s Greatest Halloween Decoration’s a more fitting title.”

“For a terrified whelp, you are very chatty.”

“I think I looped around from terrified when I saw how doomed I am.” He was just joking. Totally. He wasn’t goofing around to try and fend off the engulfing panic of never getting home, nope. Absolutely not. He tried to pay attention to the strange ‘skull mountain house thing’, but the fact it reminded him more like a zoo inside wasn’t helping. Massive, monstrous glowing ghosts leering out and snapping as they passed, smaller sorts that didn’t even look up and several empty cages stained green was not calming his nerves. He couldn’t even describe some ghosts, being such a confusing jumble of parts that didn’t remind him of anything. All he could tell was robo-hunter probably didn’t have any willing guests. Unwilling guests that looked far, far more powerful than anything he could dream of trying. He was so, so doomed. To the point that being tossed roughly in a similar cage was almost a relief so he wasn’t right beside the ghost anymore.

First task was struggling free of the no longer glowing net (deactivated somehow? weird.) which wasn’t too hard, but just left him in his freaky ghost form, in a cage, in the middle of who knew where. The Ghost Zone, that’s what they kept calling it. Not Earth. Fantastic! That’s enough to get a C-, but not enough to get him out of this cage. Reaching through the bars was out, the unexpected shock had him rubbing his hand and grumbling to how having some invisible field between the bars was just unfair. At least let him see it before hurting him more. Now what? Grasping that feeling that let him walk through walls wasn’t letting him through the cage floor, just like how the net wouldn’t let him out.  Floating just reminded him of getting dragged here. So that was it. Why did he have to get stupid dying powers? They didn’t even do anything useful!

Stressing out and not finding a way out was an exhausting way to spend a few hours. He kept thinking of new problems, like he didn’t have enough already. When the robot wandered past, he almost grabbed the bars to get closer. “Hey! Screw head!”

The ghost actually looked at him, the stern face looking more confused than anything.

“Yeah you! You know I’m gonna like, starve to death in here, right?” Danny had no idea how he was managing to say something he was very terrified of coming true like it was a joke. “Kind of a waste, don’t ya think?”

“You will be fine, ghost child. Your pleas for freedom won’t fool me.”

“Wanna bet? Maybe we’re so rare because we all starve to death in this dumb ghost world or whatever.” That and there probably weren’t too many people dumb enough to get shocked to...sort of death. “That and like, you’re some freaky machine man, you probably don’t know anything about eating to start with.”

Skulker kept staring at him, as if doing that would suddenly reveal all his secrets. “Well I prefer live specimens, but I suppose I could always do with another rug.”

Oh gross! “Seriously? Do I look like rug material to you?”

“Wall art?”

Yup, he was gagging now. The very idea a ghost would want to do that just made his spine want to shake right out of him with disgust. “I’d be way out of place, all of the other ghosts here look like animals! You’ll just gross all your hunter buddies out.” Maybe if he pretended to be some know it all like Jazz the ghost would...reconsider making him into wall art? Uurk. What was his life that he even needed to think that?

At least that got the metal monster pondering, massive hand scratching at his chin. “I do wonder if your pelt would only show half of your nature.”

“How about we don’t test that and say we did.” He’d seen some of the knives on the way in and did not want any of them near him thank you very much. Not that he had much of a choice- oh man he really, really did not want to learn why Sam hated the fur industry this way. “Pretty sure I’d just die. More. Or something.”

“Oh, but you’ve seen the other pelts on the way in. They’ve still got enough of a spark to not melt to nothing ghost child. I’m not that sloppy.”

Oh so he could be barely aware wall art. Even better!  What would he do, skin him alive or just crush him? Both? “Humans don’t melt.” It was all he could think of blathering out. Don’t think about what the terrifying ghost guy can do Fenton, just don’t.

“True...unfortunately I don’t have another subject to test on.”

Score one for being a unique sort of freaky ghost kid. Maybe. “Soooo how about you just bring me back and rethink the whole uh. Hunting me thing.”

That just got Skulker laughing. “Not a chance whelp.”

“I’m not a whelp! I don’t even fit in with all your monster-things!” It had annoyed him, really. The other ghosts didn’t really...talk? “I’m not some animal!” 

More chuckling, as if amused by a puppy chasing its tail. “Of course you are, with that stench of the human world on you.”

“You think I smell. With what nose, metalhead?”

“None of your business. Not to fear, any ghost here can tell you’re a hybrid. That human body you insist on wearing can be felt even when you’re in a superior form.”

Oh, was this a ghosts thinking humans were animals thing? Or was this a ghosts are kinda racist to different ghosts thing. Was there a difference? He probably should have paid more attention in civics. “Yeah well that ‘human body’ needs food.” He wasn’t even going to touch the idea that he was ‘wearing’ his own body, eeeeugh.

“I’ll figure out a solution to your hybrid failings, child. I won’t let a prize go that easily.”

Greeeeeeat.

[galactichen]

i’ll force the seas apart for you | bang chan

prompt #3. “You’re not hurting me, you’re not heavy. I’ve got you, love.”

description. because nothing is scarier than a captain fighting for the love of his life.

pairing. bang chan x reader

genre. romance, adventure, pirate au

word count. 2.3k

author’s note. decided that the world needed more pirate chan, so i delivered. enjoy pirate chan and his crew ;) this is definitely hinting at a skz pirate au hhhhh

warning. blood and gore. just pirate things

When Jeongin accidentally ate the last of their food rations, Chan didn’t get mad. He only expressed his disappointment in the youngest member of the crew before telling Jisung to steer the ship towards the nearest port to restock; they had a little extra cash from their previous raid to spend anyway.

When Minho drunkenly spilled about their next target in a bar filled to the brim with treasure-seeking pirates like himself, Chan didn’t get mad. He only sighed, quietly making his way back to the map he had built with Jisung, the crew’s navigator, to mark a big red ‘X’ over what once was their target. Jisung then proceeded to give Minho a piece of his mind when the latter arrived back to the ship, burdened with a terrible migraine, an angry Jisung, and a disappointed captain.

Chan still didn’t get mad when Changbin, in a fit of rage over an apparent spew over the captain’s ability to direct his crew, sliced off the arms of one of their allies, effectively initiating a war between the crews. It ended in terrible bloodshed; multiple casualties on both ends and a few of Chan’s key crew members badly injured with a frantic Woojin pacing back and forth between patients. They had to replace many of the planks in the ship, for they had been stained with far too much blood to simply wash out; it left them stranded on land for days and drained of gold for weeks until they could pinpoint their next raid for money. And yet, he only expressed gratitude towards Changbin, his first mate, mainly because the other crew was pretty shitty anyway and he’s been waiting all this time for a reason to cut off their allyship.

But when he sees you, all bloodied, beaten, and tied up to the mast of their enemy’s ship like some sort of sick sacrifice—that’s what makes his blood boil.

His knuckles turn a sickly shade of white from gripping the handle of his sword too hard, and it makes Woojin glance at him rather worriedly, for the mind of the medic was never not worried about the well-being of his crew—especially that of his captain.

“What is it that you desire?” Chan yells, and it makes the rest of his crew flinch because none of them were used to this kind of Chan; the kind of Chan who only appears when you, the love of his life, were in danger.

The opposing captain only grins—the sort of grin that sends shivers down one’s back because of the ferocity it holds, like you weren’t sure when they were going to pounce like an animal gone feral. He reaches up and tilts his cap back to reveal an even more ferocious look in his eyes, even in the glass one.

“Desire? What do I desire?” the opposing captain laughs, though empty of any humour. But then he stops abruptly, the silence that follows deafening before he slams his foot down, the look on his face suddenly contorting into that of a mad man. “Your ship. Give me that beaut’ of your’s,” he slurs, “and she,” he says, pointing to your unconscious form, your head leaning a little too far on one side to expose bruises that shouldn’t be there, “is all yours.”

The ship. Chan’s scowl only etches deeper into his face. His hands start to shake from rage. That’s what you were kidnapped and beaten and possibly—Chan doesn’t even want to think about what other unholy things they’ve done to you—all for what? His ship?

The ship that he inherited from his father? The ship that he and Changbin both sailed together by themselves to different landmasses, in search of the crew they stand together in front of today? The same ship that Hyunjin and Seungmin snuck into one night, seeking shelter and accidently got adopted by a whole crew of pirates instead?

The same ship that brought him to you and your brother Felix, where you were huddled in a corner with tears streaming down your face as Felix bravely tried to fend off a band of bandits by himself with nothing but a dagger before Chan and the rest of the crew arrived by chance?

“Don’t do it,” Changbin whispers quietly from Chan’s left. He knows how important both the ship and you were to the captain. He wasn’t about to make his captain choose between one or the other; the ship held an incredible amount of sentimental value to Chan, Changbin, and the rest of the crew. And you were, well, Chan’s biggest source of happiness.

They were going to find a way around this. Changbin was sure of it.

But he doesn’t get a chance to elaborate further when Chan quietly says, “Have it.”

Even the opposing captain looks stunned out of his mind when Chan accepts the offer of taking you back in exchange for his ship. Changbin doesn’t even try to hide the bewildered look that crosses his face. Was Chan out of his mind? That ship was so, so important to both him and Chan! That ship was gifted to Chan by his father. It held so many memories; why was Chan so willing to give it all up for this piece of shit of a captain?

Oh, how Changbin wished you were conscious so you could slap Chan out of it.

Felix taps Changbin’s shoulder and Changbin is met with a “is he serious?” look from the younger male, which makes Changbin shrug in response.

“That’s it?” the opposing captain all but shrieks, and his voice makes you stir a little, your head bobbing a little before you slip back into dreamland once more. “No fight? No ‘arrrgh you piss me off’ moment?” the captain flails his arms around for show, effectively demonstrating his shock.

“Quit pissing me off and give her back,” Chan growls. Don’t misunderstand; he’s pissed all right. He’s pissed that this joke of a captain was making him choose between his beloved ship and the love of his life. He wants nothing more than to slice that man’s head off clean with his sword, but the only thing that holds him back is the thought of the blood of his enemy splattering all over you—the thought of that ever happening to you made him gag.

But at the end of the day, the ship can be replaced.

You, on the other hand, could not.

The opposing captain halts his arm-flailing and turns only his head in Chan’s direction before hissing, “Nah.” He slowly lowers his sword and brings it close to his face, making a show of moving it across and even licking the blade. “Where’s the fun in that?” he asks, finally lowering the blade after a long, excruciating moment. “I came to see you get your panties in a twist, and I refuse to leave before that happens.”

Then he swiftly picks his sword up and makes a move to plunge it into your chest which makes Chan’s entire crew yell in panic, but Felix is quick on his feet and makes a frantic leap for the opposing captain, throwing the dagger that was in his hand and praying to god that it’d hit true and do something to stop what looks to be the inevitable.

Chan himself lets out an entire battle cry, throwing his own sword only seconds after Felix.

It’s slow motion as it happens, both blades flying in the air towards the opposing captain as he’s in the middle of thrusting his sword forward to your chest. 

The opposing captain’s sword strikes first, the blade meeting your body in a burst of pain that makes you wake from unconsciousness, mouth opening in a silent scream. But what everybody hears instead is the scream of the opposing captain instead, Felix’s dagger slicing into the skin of his hand clutching the sword, making him drop the blade before it could do further damage to you. 

Chan’s sword strikes next, the momentum of his arm giving it enough power to pierce through the captain’s neck as well as the crewmate beside him. Both of their eyes roll back and they tumble to the ground without another sound.

Then it’s chaos.

The sound of swords unsheathing fill the air, cries of men and women alike close behind as the bloodbath between two crews begins. Blood begins to fly and the ship they stand on quickly becomes a jungle as Chan and his crew try their best to dodge the flying blades and fight back, desperately defending their captain as he draws a second sword to fight his way over to you, guarded by two members of the opposing crew.

All Chan sees is red.

He was so close to being tricked and losing not only his ship, but you as well. All he could focus on at this moment was the developing bloodstain at the centre of your chest, your hooded lids fluttering open and closed as you frantically tried to get a gather at your surroundings. Woojin stands close behind him, waiting for the perfect moment to hop in and grab you so he could treat your stab wound as best he could, given the circumstances. Changbin’s not too far off either, but he was far too occupied with beating the shit out of anyone who dared to come within a foot of Chan and Woojin—the rest of the main crew was no different.

Limbs fly as Chan desperately swings his blade through the air, swinging at whatever dared to cross his path. Fortunately, the rest of his own crew was smart enough to stay far away from Chan’s line of sight so they wouldn’t accidently get mutilated by their captain.

“Quickly!” Chan shouts at Woojin just as he slices the head of one of your guards clean off. Woojin nods and doesn’t hesitate to dash forward in the path Chan has successfully cleared to you. Minho is at Chan’s side within seconds, and the two furiously fight to defend the mast of the ship where Woojin frantically works to carve at the ropes that bind you to the mast.

“Woo...jin?” you murmur weakly, recognizing the familiar kind gaze and sweet smile of the crew’s medic in front of you as he cuts through your ropes.

“That’s me,” he says with a smile despite the carnage behind him. He does his best to block your vision by making you look down at his feet, but then a head rolls along and—well, it’s the life of a pirate anyway. “You’re safe now,” he lets out a quiet huff as he cuts through the last of the rope that binds you to the mast, and with the little strength you have left, you push off the mast and fall into Woojin’s arms.

Another pair of arms lift you from Woojin and you fight back temporarily until Seungmin’s voice soothes you quietly, saying, “Hey, hey! It’s just me, it’s just me.”

“Hold her like that,” Woojin tells Seungmin as he reaches in his back pocket, likely for some spare gauze he always keeps on his person. He makes quick work of your wound, tying the gauze across your chest tightly as a temporary fix until he can properly clean and fix up the injury.

“Where’s Chan?” you ask the boys. You’re dizzy, you’re tired, and all you wanted was to be in the safety of the captain’s arms. Too long have you suffered in the cell of the enemy crew’s ship, beaten when you refused to let them use your body to their desire.

“Fighting for you,” Seungmin says.

“Either you die here, or you walk the plank,” you hear Chan snap at one of the remaining enemy crew members. The scream that follows is deafening and indicates the desire of the pirate to fight to the end; the deafening silence that comes after makes everyone breathe out a sigh of relief.

At last, the fight is over.

Bodies litter the deck of the ship, and it makes Chan grateful that he didn’t bring the entirety of his crew over, for they would have suffered even more losses.

Oh, but seeing you alive and breathing, Chan is reminded of why he came with his best fighters and medics in the first place.

“Chan!” you weakly call out when you spot him making a run over to where you’re being held up by both Seungmin and Woojin, for you were far too weak at the moment to be standing on your own. 

Chan chants your name over and over again when he finally reaches you, arms wrapping tightly around you as you cry out for him, desperate for his embrace because you were afraid you had forgotten what it was like after all your time in the cells. 

“My love, my love,” Chan whispers. Seungmin and Woojin quietly step away from the precious reunion, turning their attention to the rest of the crew to help the injured across the wide plank that connects their ship to the now-crewless enemy ship. Hyunjin, Jisung, and Jeongin all run across when they’re given the signal that the coast is clear, happy that all went well in the end.

“I-I couldn’t,” you start to say, but Chan hushes you, leaning forward to kiss you briefly.

“Tell me after we have you fixed up, love,” Chan says with a soft smile after he pulls away, his smile a stark contrast to his previously enraged self. He then proceeds to pick you up bridal-style, to which you gasp and clutch onto his neck in response.

“Am I too-”

“Shh,” Chan whispers, nuzzling his nose into yours. “You’re not hurting me, you’re not heavy. I’ve got you, love.”

You only nod in response, deciding to simply bury your face in the crook of Chan’s neck as he makes his way over to his ship, carefully stepping over the bodies that litter the deck as cheers erupt from the other side when the rest of the crew spot the captain making his way across with his beloved in his arms.

Because the captain’s beloved, was also the crew’s beloved.

[dahniwitchoflight]

Homesquared Chapter 16

Alrighty, that was a fun tangent, now back to John it seems?

Oh, no, Narration of John (So Actually Dirk, speak of the devil and he shall appear and all that etc etc)

“ leaving John with one final touch on the shoulder. John leans into it in response, though he’s a bit ashamed of chasing down a sliver of physical affection so soon after obliterating Karkat’s evening like he had. “

pfft lol so Im not the only one that thought it would be funny if that scene was interpreted in a Pale Romantic light, even though that really wasn’t what was happening

OIh! but we still get Roxy, just the other version of Roxy

Roxy subtly being like “hey!! shit has apparently gone down, were not exactly close atm but I feel bad about you dying to want to know if youre still alive so im gonna message you while trying to make it look like i dont care about it as much as I do”

JOHN: trying to align my memories of my youth with whatever is happening right now so

and the wonderful question is, what IS going be happening with you now John?

Roxy looking nice and casual, but also yeah narration, why are you making this ominous, its not like Roxy’s out here to double spy on behalf of Jane, I don’t think Roxys on her side THAT much

ROXY: may have to do a smidge more if my old bff decides im next on the list for bombing out

ROXY: but so far so good

ROXY: just a coupla exploded cars in the yard from some shenanigans our dear son and his friends were in but u kno it is what it is!!!

Roxy once again being a master of hiding how shes feeling, even when trying to open up, feeling pretty stressed about whats happening with Jane, understandable, the exclamation points give it away lol

The narration is really trying to make John nervous though

OH lol that was the implication haha no lol John it obviously wasn’t that

“John feels his shoulders unbunch. Of course. Yeah. He’s almost embarrassed by how relieved he feels. So what if his ex wife wanted to hook up? Shouldn’t that be a situation he could navigate? Don’t people like to find solace in human physical connection during dire times? Why did the idea of it make his mind white out in panic more than, say, any number of the traumas he just experienced? He doesn’t know, but he believes Roxy that he must look pretty haggard. He probably feels haggard? Maybe sitting down will feel better.“

lol once again, Dirk has no idea how to read Roxy at all and just trips over himself and his assumptions XD

Yeah, looks like Roxy not on the Jane train and is doing some takesies backsies, shes glossing over her feelings on the matter still though, I know thats par for the course of how Roxy tends to handle stuff too but I wish shed open up a bit more, but maybe shes playing the smart game, yknow, knowing that Dirk has a hard time reading her, so glossing over stuff is how you protect yourself against the narrative force, confusion and vaguery in the narrative and her actions only helps her to keep control over it, because at any point, you can decide to “clear up” any narrative “miscommunication” or “confusion” and lay down what is it thats actually happening with you any time you want

Void working in the behind the scenes to do what they want

JOHN: like it’s my HOUSE.

JOHN: but mostly it always felt like my dad’s house?

JOHN: and when i started living there after i moved out of here, it was like i crammed myself back into whatever was left of my kid self?

JOHN: and it didn’t feel good, but it at least was familiar, you know?

JOHN: like living there let me feel closer to my dad, trying to be like the way i remember him, or like how i remember him wanting me to be, or something?

JOHN: and i didn’t realize how much i hated doing that until i saw it all go up in flames.

JOHN: so i guess i could have used my powers to stop the fire and save whatever was left of the place, but i couldn’t bring myself to do it.

JOHN: like some fucked up part of me was glad i got there too late?

JOHN: so i just sat there, watching, trying to figure out why watching my house burn down felt like i was being released from prison.

JOHN: and even now i keep trying to explain it away, as though it’s because of how fucked up everything else is that it made me feel good.

JOHN: but that’s just bullshit.

JOHN: it DID feel good.

JOHN: i DO feel free.

JOHN: sorry.

ROXY: no need 2 apologize

ROXY: we just delved in2 my whole gender thing last time so it seems fine for u to have a turn

JOHN: i didn’t say it was a gender thing.

Im pretty sure you’re talking about a gender thing John, like, very 100% sure now this is what’s happening

because if you were actually a girl, of course you’re dad leaving all these notes about how one day hes gonna be so proud of the man youll become, yeah, that can feel a little pressuring, even if your dad didnt mean it like that, since he was unfailingly the kind of dad just bumbling around trying to understand their kid as best they could and leave encouragements everywhere, thats what his intent was, but all his notes come off a bit wrong in particular issues

remember the note under the fridge that was all like “SON. IF YOURE READING THIS NOTE, YOUVE FINALLY BECOME STRONG ENOUGH OF A MAN TO PICK UP THE FRIDGE.” not exactly that but that was always the vibe Dad’s little notes always had

Yeah, i can see how John would view it as a bit off, but if he hadnt the self awareness to realize it was a gender thing at the time, hed be understandly confused as to why such a thing would bother him

now though, he’s realizing, maybe, he doesn’t exactly want to be the man his dad always encouraged him to be

John does seem a lot happier here in his convo with Roxy than he did on his own when the house was burning, that conversation with karkat left me wondering if John was about to start dissociating he was so down, but here he says he feels freeing and happy about it?

ROXY: but like now that u mention it

ROXY: *meaningful pause*

JOHN: …

JOHN: i

JOHN:

John’s beginning to question stuff, or acknowledge that he’s questioning stuff, cuz it’s true, and hes feeling happy about it, in a way that he wasnt before, but he hasnt quite connected the dots here between the happy feeling and what exactly he has to be happy about

ROXY: aight then no wind bending just use your mangrit

Roxy flexes, the corner of her mouth pulled up into a familiar grin. John feels his guts, so recently calmed, twist up into knots again. Her eyebrows shoot up and the smile loosens. He must have shown something on his face.

ROXY: ok or just like push when i push

ROXY: we both got sick muscles

ROXY: no other adjectives necessary

JOHN: yeah ok.

Yeah Roxy’s 100% picked up on it, and maybe Dirk has as well if the narration is commenting on it

Alrighty then, to the secret lair under the bed!

oh I just noticed how kind of cute and interesting Roxy’s nickname for Harry is, “Lil H A” Harry Anderson shortens to Ha like laughter haha

and if Harry had Roxy’s last name, it’d be Harry Anderson Lalonde

Lil HAL

lol what is Callie doing under Roxy’s secret bedchamber XD

This whole secret bedchamber thing is turning into one big metaphor isn’t it?

That thing behind the curtain kind of looks like the Attic Portal shape from Hiveswap though

that’d be neat if that was it, like obviously we knew one of the cherubs had to have something to do with that portal just going by the design of it alone

Honestly it makes sense that Callie is doing it under the curtain of Roxy’s Void, it’s honestly the safest place to do something like that

lol Calliope has grown past writing fanfic about shipping and being in love, now the drama of broken relationships and divorce is all the rage XD character growth? haha

CALLIOPE: besides, hUman divorces are even more fascinating than i had ever imagined, and being able to witness yoUrs in motion was an honoUr.

CALLIOPE: so i consider Us aboUt even at this point.

Calliope just burned him harder than his childhood home’s destruction

CALLIOPE: ah right, right. yoU're probably a little cUrioUs as to where the dickens we are.

have you been talking to Jake lol (I mean, probably Original Grandpa Jake tbh if that portal is actually the portal)

Alright so John is getting caught up on the major plot points, Earth C is indeed in the large black hole, his choice didn’t matter since both choices happened anyway yadda yadda

CALLIOPE: think of it like a coin flip.

CALLIOPE: the series of events that led to Us being trapped beyond the event horizon of an Ubermassive black hole could be considered "tails", while the events which would have occUrred otherwise could be considered "heads".

CALLIOPE: since both were possible, and paradox space is the way it is, they actUally both happened. and we jUst "happened" (hee hee) to get tails instead of heads.

yup yup yup pretty par for the course of timesplits in homestuck so far

CALLIOPE: not at all! since both possibilities depend on one another's existence, it really doesn't make sense to call them "right" or "wrong". they both just "are".

yup, this is true, the ending’s of both referenced the others, so it’s disingenuous to say one is “canon” while the other isn’t

one is simply in the realm of actual possibility, the other is in the realm of unlikely possibility

More than likely, John would have chosen to leave and go die and be the hero like in Meat, but there was still the possibility that he would stay, even if it was unlikelier than the other, but since both were possible choices for him to realistically make, both actually happened for real

CALLIOPE: anyway, the reason i went on this tangent in the first place was to explain that the space we are standing in right now has a special significance, in that it is the location which corresponds to the black hole's singUlarity

that’s interesting, so there’s the original meteor that crashed into the surface of Earth C, and it’s in here that the singularity of what I don’t wanna call the Green Hole to match the Green Sun when I wanna talk about this specific Black Hole lolol

but yeah, here in this meteor lies the crux of the paradox it seems, interesting, also interesting again, this is where that Hiveswap Portal is

Hiveswap does have a plot point of “Joey must do thing in 11 days otherwise Earth and Alternia will be destroyed” and the only known destruction event of Earth and Alternia so far in canon is the Green Sun’s Creation from the destruction of both universes (and then later Callie’s destruction of the green sun into the black hole) so is Hiveswap gonna be a factor in the green sun’s destruction/creation as well? (Joey has the symbol of the Green Sun for a reason, I’m super curious as to what factor Joey has in relation to the Green Sun’s Existence, We still don’t know what the fact those black monsters are too, they’re like nega-first guardians, the kind of things that look like would come out of a Black Hole that came from the Green Sun tbh)

It’s all inter-related I tells ya

ROXY: ur not gonna enter a weird time vortex and change the trajectory of a little girls life with the power of love

JOHN: aw.

You say that now but

CALLIOPE: it's not strictly speaking "bad" for Us to be inside of a black hole, mUch thoUgh that contradicts most of what anyone knows about them.

CALLIOPE: of coUrse, if we had fallen into it, that woUld be a whole other kettle of fish.

CALLIOPE: the tidal forces woUld have stretched Us all into spaghetti and then ripped us apart!

CALLIOPE: bUt the natUre of oUr arrival was more akin to simply "being" here, sUddenly. one moment we were not, and the next moment we were, and somehow always had been.

yeah that’s basically how this multiverse’s reality works, the future is a thing that already physically exists, just in a different location in the universe somewhere else

time travel and spacial teleportation could be said to be the same thing all along

that’s why violating the events of the future has actual consequences, because its like asking to go somewhere that doesn’t exist but how has to exist because it’s the future, too much of that and reality starts cracking at the seams to make room

same thing happens with sessions and playing sburb

the planets and dreaming moons and all that simultaneously have always existed here, and started existing only because the player played the game and the planets were generated upon entering a session, but to the player involved, it looks and feels like you are just being teleported to a different location in the universe, because you also kind of are

CALLIOPE: i mean, the natUre of space and time is a little finicky in here, bUt for the most part it doesn't seem to be anything too oUt of the ordinary.

CALLIOPE: bUt beyond that, it means that we are sealed away from the rest of existence.

CALLIOPE: oUr sphere of inflUence is limited to the sphere of the black hole's bounding horizon.

CALLIOPE: as far as everyone else is concerned, we might as well not even exist!

So you’re just in a little seperated bubble, that’s not connect temporally to any other place of existence, you aren’t anywhere in the past or the future of anywhere else

nowhere leads here, and here can not lead outwards either, theoretically, and yes it exists, so it must also

JOHN: is there no way we could let anyone know that we're in here...?

CALLIOPE: almost certainly not!

CALLIOPE: there are very few ways for anything to escape the kind of predicament that we are in right now. one of them is to be an all-powerfUl being with control over the very fabric of space, with the energy of two Universes at yoUr disposal.

CALLIOPE: in which case, escape woUld become rather trivial, if a little Unscientific.

JOHN: ok. i am going to assume that we can't just do that.

CALLIOPE: yoU've hit the nail on the head, UnfortUnately. U_U

CALLIOPE: the method i described was the one employed by my alternate self, who yoU may recall crashed through the event horizon in the body that once belonged to jade harley.

CALLIOPE: she departed through a pUnctUre she created in the black hole's surface shortly after consUming my brother, a deed which provided her with the necessary "oomph", and which was frankly rather breathtaking to watch. =u=

CALLIOPE: bUt Upon her departUre, the rift closed for good. as far as i can see, there's simply no way for Us to commUnicate with the world oUtside the black hole.

CALLIOPE: i woUld certainly be very sUrprised to find oUt that anyone had managed sUch a thing!

So someone else definitely has managed to do such a thing

JOHN: knowing that we're inside of a black hole... does that actually change anything?

JOHN: like, can't we just go on living like normal?

CALLIOPE: oh absolUtely not.

CALLIOPE: i don't know if yoU've noticed john bUt this world is on the brink of a total cataclysm.

JOHN: oh.

CALLIOPE: oUr exclUsion from the overarching coUrse of events which governs all reality means that oUr existence here is liable to dramatic and violent Upheaval.

CALLIOPE: to pUt it another way, becaUse nothing in here "matters", we are likely to be sUbjected to things which are a bit bats in the belfry, for no reason other than it's totally insignificant to the wider canon of reality.

CALLIOPE: and mUch thoUgh i am personally titillated by some of the conseqUences of this predicament, it is a degrading way for Us to live. u_u

JOHN: that's... certainly one way to put it, yeah...

yeah, so because here in the black hole neither affects the past or the future of anywhere else, being so disconnected, they are technically free of the reigns of the Alpha Timeline that exists elsewhere in the multiverse

the Alpha Timeline now being understood to simply mean, The Narrative

Things are the way they are because they are thus written to be so

CALLIOPE: at first, i believed that this was simply necessary. Us playing tails to oUr coUnterparts' heads, the black to their white, and so forth.

CALLIOPE: bUt over the years i have come to the conclUsion that this is simply not kosher.

ROXY: its total bs is what it is

CALLIOPE: right, yes.

CALLIOPE: a steaming pile of bUllshite.

CALLIOPE: and so we have decided that something needs to be done aboUt it.

Hmmm. It’s a dangerous idea to be playing with for sure, to decide all the black pieces in the game of chess suddenly become white, it is a very flip turning of reality upside down to be sure

To be honest, I’d think you’d need a powerful Doom player at your disposal to even try something like this

or actually, a powerful Doom user would be most likely to shut this entire thing down, knowing how bad of an idea it’d be, maybe it’s more you need a powerful Life player to do something like this instead

is that also why Dirk viewed Jane as an ally then? She would technically have the kind of power to upend the black and white doomy laws of reality if driven to her full potential, i mean obviously yes, we know this already because of the candy colored I-can-do-whatever-I-want-with-no-consequences lollipop

Is this what Calliope hopes to achieve with the Hiveswap Portal then? her goals for Joey and friends are to be the ones to prevent their universe’s twin destructions, and thus the Green Sun’s initial existence and then also the destruction into the Black Hole after the fact? that would be one way to prevent the Black Hole from existing, making it so the thing that creates the black hole never exists either

and that's certainly a canon event that would be difficult to tear asunder without major consequences

That would be a “Re-writing Homestuck from the very beginning” level of canon event

And if I’m correct, Joey is theorized by me to be a Mage of Life, if any classpect at their full potential was gonna do something like that, or have the impossible knowledge to something impossibly paradoxical like that, well..

ROXY: but u dont need to worry abt busting us outta space jail tbh

ROXY: thats not ur problem to fix

JOHN: oh.

JOHN: i'm... not sure i follow, then.

ROXY: i mean yeah ur gonna obvs facilitate it in a sense

ROXY: but only by going and busting the person who can actually help us outta normal earth jail

CALLIOPE: we need yoU to free vriska from the clUtches of oUr misgUided friend jane, and bring her here, to the singUlarity.

ROXY: weve been calling it the plot point

CALLIOPE: yes, the plot point is a key part of oUr plan.

CALLIOPE: as far as we have been able to sUrmise, the only remaining method for escaping oUr grim confinement depends on leveraging the UniqUe properties of this location to create an event of sUch catalcysmic proportions that it simply cannot be contained within the black hole any more.

CALLIOPE: something SO dramatic, so hyper-relevant, that it becomes ontologically impossible for anyone to ignore it.

CALLIOPE: for that, we need an individUal of sUfficient narrative cloUt, so to speak.

CALLIOPE: and to liberate her, who better than the embodiment of the aspect of freedom itself?

I mean yeah! makes sense! Johns major factor here is Freedom, Vriska’s is Importance

and yeah, I can think of no other wholly dramatic event that to mess with stuff with the Green Sun, everyone will have eyes on that, they have to, their whole existence the way it is relies on it

But, they could also mean something else, its only condition is that it has to be something so imflappably impossible, something so not-canon and so outrageous that it basically horse-shoes around to the other end of the canon spectrum to being something that truly exists again

and that could be literally anything and it’s nerve wracking and exciting to see what thing theyre gonna come up with to just directly kneecap Homestuck itself

ROXY: thx babe

ROXY: oh is it 2 soon for that joke or

JOHN: no, weirdly enough, that one’s fine.

(yeah that’s because Babe can be construed as feminine June)

so, I’m basically convinced they’re doing June Egbert now

that to me was like, pretty severely on the nose

John: Hey Roxy, what it does mean when you find a sense of freedom when all of the symbolism of the masculinity surrounding your childhood burns down around you

Roxy: idk It’s probably a gender thing man

John: I didn’t say the word gender-

Roxy: It’s ok babe no pressure, we can hash it out later

John: Hmm, later then. :)

Roxy: (Turns and looks towards the camera with a knowing smile)

shit all that imagery makes me think of Roxy as that picture of the small kid smirking at the camera while a house burns in the distance XD

[laws-yellow-submarine]

Together With Fruit Ch. 9 (Snippet)

Omgomgomg I actually finished something omg

Obviously this is not the full chapter, but it’s a pretty major chunk of it, and because I’m just so proud of myself and happy that I actually got something I set out to write forever ago FINISHED, I am posting this snippet here as a one-shot (it’s...more than a snippet really, it’s like 4000+ words, and it’s mostly unedited so...ye’ve been warned lol)

Word Count: 4199 (yikes)

Enjoy! Hopefully I’ll have the rest of the chapter finished within the next week or so!

“We’re finally nearing the Grand Line…” Nami muttered, pointing at a spot on the map. “It looks like the only way into it is through Reverse Mountain here.”

“Reverse Mountain?” Hazel murmured, peering over the girl’s shoulder at the point where the seas intersect.

“What a pain. Can’t we just sail straight through it?” Zoro groaned, glaring from where he sat leaning against the rail. Sanji shook his head.

“Nope, from what the geezer told me, that’s the only way boats can enter.”

“How come?” Usopp asked.

“Cause it’s supposedly dangerous.”

“But how come?!”

“I don’t know any more than that!” Sanji yelled, glaring at the sniper. 

“Boys, please…” Hazel scolded, trying to stop any fights before they could occur.

“The reason for that is-”

“Alright! I got it!” Luffy interrupted Nami, pointing at the map. “Then let’s head straight into it!”

“Are you even paying attention?!”

“But it sounds fun!” Luffy insisted, grin never wavering. “Plus it’d feel way better going straight into it!”

“Fun or not, I’d like to actually make it to the Grand Line before we die,” Hazel told him, side-eyeing her brother’s enthusiasm. Nami shared the sentiment.

“Talking to you makes me feel like I’m gonna go crazy…” the navigator whined, palm to her forehead in exasperation. Luffy soldiered on, ignoring the women’s concerns.

“Anyways, let’s stop at an island first and get meat! Meat! Meat!” Nami reached a finger out to point at a spot on the map, and Luffy and Hazel both peered closer at the paper.

“There’s a famous city on this island...Loguetown.”

“Loguetown?” Luffy asked, puzzled look on his face as he tried to think. “What? Is it famous for its meat?”

“Also known as the city of the beginning and the end…” Zoro chimed in, thoughtful look on his face. “I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that before.”

“It’s where Gold Roger, the former Pirate King, was born,” Hazel supplied, appearing somber, “and where he was executed.”

“The town where the King of the Pirates died...” Even Luffy’s voice was tame, contemplation clear in his eyes. Nami swung her gaze to meet his, sly smile finding its way across her cheeks.

“Wanna go?”

“Yeah! I wanna see it!” As he spoke, his voice grew more excited, though it never lost its reverence. “I wanna see the town where the man who got the One Piece - everything this world has to offer - was born and then died!” Luffy stood up, grin fixed firmly back in place. “Nami! Set sail for Loguetown!”

As the crew scrambled to set their course, Hazel smiled at her brother’s excitement, though she didn’t share the enthusiasm. She didn’t really harbor any opinions on the former Pirate King, good or bad; there just wasn’t enough information available on who the man truly was. She had asked her grandfather once, considering what she knew about his connection to Ace, but after hours of pestering the only thing he’d told her was “don’t believe everything you hear”. Other than that cryptic statement, she knew about as much as anyone else: he was born in Loguetown, he circumnavigated the entire world, then turned himself in (to her grandfather, no less), and was executed in his hometown. For someone who was so famous, you’d think there’d be more to know about him.

Hazel looked down at the notebook in her hand, blank since Shells Town except for the notes she’d taken. She wasn’t going to let Luffy fall into that same level of anonymity. Sure, the boy couldn’t care less about the fame; his views on being the Pirate King weren’t shared by most other pirates, though she found his ideals to be more admirable. What she really didn’t want to happen, though, was for her baby brother’s name to be smeared by the media, with nothing to counteract it.

Which meant she had a lot of work to do.

“Well, before we get to Loguetown, I have to get to work. Which means I’m shutting myself in my room until I’ve finished writing about our adventure so far!” Hazel stated for all to hear. She ignored the odd looks sent her way. “So no one bug me, ok?” When she’d received satisfactory nods, Hazel made her way to the girls’ room, shut the door, and plopped herself down at the writing desk. She ripped out her pages of notes so she could refer to them easily as she wrote, then opened to a blank page, her pencil hovering above the paper.

An hour later and the page was still blank.

Hazel’s pencil had moved, at least. It’d been set on the desk, balanced on her nose (a failure on her part, but no one could see it so she wasn’t too pressed), twirled between her fingers, tucked behind her ear as she stretched in her chair (and changed position at least three times; currently she had her feet on the back of the chair with her head leaning on the desk). She’d doodled little pictures on her note pages; tiny flowers and crude renditions of her crewmates (note to self: hide these so Nami doesn’t see). There’s a reason she hadn’t decided to illustrate this book.

Another hour later and her legs hurt from how much she’d been bouncing them. The page remained blank, her mind void of ideas, and her eyes were fixed on the picture frame hanging on the far wall. Maybe some food would help? She didn’t think she ate much at breakfast…

As Hazel made her way on deck, she couldn’t help but smile at the sight that greeted her. Nami was lounging in the sun on the top deck, being served some fancy drink from their newest member. Zoro was, surprise, napping beneath the mast, his swords propped in his lap. Luffy sat on the other side of the ship, watching Usopp practice with his slingshot. Oh, that could be fun!

“Whatcha guys doin’?” Hazel asked, sneaking up behind the sniper, causing Luffy to laugh at the boy’s frightful shriek. “Oops! Sorry, Usopp!” He just glared at her in return.

“Usopp’s practicing his slingshot! See? We set up some targets against the other side of the deck, he’s really good!”

“Well, you see Luffy, I’ve been using a slingshot for at least 25 years,” Usopp boasted, ignoring the fact that he was only 17. “Which of course makes me an expert sniper!”

“25 years, huh?” Hazel snarked. “Well, mister “expert”, whaddaya say to a little contest? The closer to a bullseye gets you more points. Whoever gets the most points wins.”

“Uhh, ok, Hazel. But where are you gonna get a slingshot?” Hazel just pointed to Luffy. Specifically his arms. “Hey, now, wait a minute! You can’t use him!”

“Why not?” Hazel and Luffy asked, both with blank looks on their faces. The sniper spluttered.

“Because-! He’s not-! And you-!”

“Ok, look - we’re not going for power here, just accuracy, so it’ll still be a fair contest. And we’ll use the same ammo, ok?” She left no room for him to argue back, immediately grabbing one of the pellets from his hand and positioning her brother. Usopp rolled his eyes behind her, but sidled up next to the two, aiming his own slingshot at the first target.

“Ready...aim...fire!” Usopp let the pellet fly, smacking the target right in the center.

“Hey, nice job Usopp! But I’m gonna tie it up right here!” Hazel ribbed, tying Luffy’s fingers together to form a sling. She pulled them back, tongue poking out between her teeth as she aimed carefully. When she felt confident in her position she nodded, waiting for Usopp to give the signal, and then let go.

The target shattered to pieces.

“Oh fuck-!”

“WHAT ARE YOU THREE DOING?!” Nami’s shrill voice called, causing all three to wince.

“Luffy did it!” Hazel immediately yelled while Usopp checked the ship for damage.

“No I didn’t!”

“Now, Luffy, you know you shouldn’t lie.”

“I’m not-!”

“ENOUGH!” Nami yelled again, interrupting the siblings. “I don’t care who did it, you’re just lucky the ship didn’t get damaged! You and you-” she pointed to Usopp and Luffy “-clean this up! And you!” Nami pointed at Hazel, making the older woman feel suddenly small. “You’re supposed to be writing right now! Not breaking things!”

“Well...you see...the thing is…” Hazel trailed off as Nami continued to glare at her. Huh. She didn’t like being on the receiving end of this. “I was hungry…?”

“Then ask Sanji-kun for a snack and get back to work. You told us not to bother you and we’re listening, take advantage of that!” At Hazel’s huff Nami smiled. “If you’d like, you can sit in the tangerine grove. I find it very relaxing when I need to focus.”

“Hmm...a change of scenery may be helpful. Thanks, Nami,” Hazel smiled, rolling her neck. “I better go bug Sanji.” But Nami held up a hand to stop her.

“Nope! You go sit, I’ll get it. I don’t want you to get distracted again.” The orange-haired girl walked away without another word, and Hazel was forced at that point to just listen to her. She made her way to the upper deck, finding a nice spot under the trees to nestle in. She reopened her notebook to the still blank page, and tapped her pencil against her chin as she tried to focus. The breeze up here was nice, as well as the sounds of her crewmates (Luffy and Usopp had made a game out of cleaning up her mess). The smell of tangerines wafted over her, muddying her senses. One of her curls was tickling her forehead.

She’d made zero headway by the time Sanji appeared with a snack. 

“Hazel-chwan!~ I’ve brought you a plate of delicious sandwiches, and a fresh glass of cabernet sauvignon,” the man said, brandishing a platter on one hand and a glass of deep red liquid in the other. She looked to the glass curiously. Despite having practically lived in a bar half her life, she’d never actually tried wine. Her alcohol tended to be of a rougher variety.

“Oh, yeah, alcohol. That’ll help,” Hazel muttered, hoping Sanji didn’t think her rude. For all she knew, it would get the creative juices flowing, so to speak. “Thank you, Sanji.” She smiled at the cook, his feet practically floating off the ground in happiness. He turned to leave her, and Hazel tentatively took a sip of the wine...only to immediately cringe when the bitter liquid hit her tongue. She glanced around in panic, hoping the blond didn’t see, and snuck the glass behind her back, hidden under the trees. “Ooh! Sanji, wait up!” she called, wine forgotten as she grabbed her plate and ran after him.

“Yes, my love?” Sanji asked, twirling around to gaze at her through heart-shaped eyes.

“I just realized that I never asked about what happened at the Baratie! After we left?” The cook’s expression had switched to confusion at her question. “In fact,” she continued, following him into the galley, “I don’t actually know that much about you. Tell me, what’s your dream? Your motivation? Your tragic backstory? Spare me no detail!”

For the first time since they’d met, Sanji wasn’t looking at her with adoration. In fact, he almost looked a little scared. His eyes darted around for half a second while she pulled out her best pout, gray eyes shining like a puppy begging for table scraps. Later, she’d chide herself for being so mean. After all, she used to practically torture Ace with that expression. But for now, she needed answers.

“Well…” Sanji started, pulling himself together before all the blood rushed out of his nose. “I am merely a humble sea cook, mademoiselle. I fought valiantly for my former home, and for the chance to gaze upon your lovely visage once again.” He flourished into a low bow.

“Uh huh,” Hazel chuckled, an amused smile on her face as she raised a brow. “Definitely humble.” Sanji rose back to standing, an easy grin in place at their shared humor. “Come on, lover boy. Sit with me awhile and tell me a story.”

The two sat and talked for a time, Hazel’s pencil scratching across the pages of her notebook as Sanji divulged all the details he felt comfortable sharing: how Luffy had bartered with Zeff for his freedom, the way he’d swatted projectiles with a single kick. She had a feeling he may’ve been embellishing his actions a bit, but having seen the way he’d toppled part of a building at Arlong Park, she knew it wasn’t all bluster.

He told her of Pearl, the man who’d covered himself in armor, only to lose his mind (and catch fire, apparently) at the first drop of blood. How Gin, the man he’d helped, had taken the old man hostage, and how he’d been willing to die to save his mentor’s dream. Hazel filed away that note for later, planning to ask about the clear devotion Sanji had for the old man, even if the blond tried to hide it behind snark.

She tried not to laugh when Sanji told her Luffy destroyed part of the ship. From what he was telling her, it was actually a brilliant stroke on Luffy’s part, and definitely contributed to Sanji’s outlook on the situation; but the way the blond’s curly brow furrowed over his eyes at the memory was, in her opinion, hilarious. 

“So, wait,” Hazel started, pausing Sanji’s tale of his fight with Gin. “How did you come to the Baratie in the first place? Zeff isn’t your father, is he? Why so devoted to preserving his dream?”

Discomfort crossed the cook’s face, as it had earlier, but whether it was his dedication to please the woman in front of him, or because he’d already come this far, he gifted her with the reason. “He saved my life,” was the simple answer. The follow-up nearly brought tears to her eyes. 

Hazel reached across the table, covering his hand with her own, and she sent him a soft smile. A light blush dusted his cheeks, and she allowed him to turn away to light a cigarette; she even grabbed the ashtray off the back shelf for him.

Just as they were about to continue, the door to the galley swung open, a rubbery body bouncing its way inside. “Sanji!! Food!” Luffy yelled, head turning frantically before his eyes finally settled on the cook.

“You just ate, you damn animal!” The cook scolded, and the somber mood was broken as Hazel burst into laughter.

“But I’m hungry! Food!”

“I’m busy!” Hazel took that moment to step in.

“It’s alright, Sanji. I can get the rest from you later. If you don’t start dinner soon, we may not have a ship to sail on anymore,” she laughed, drawing Luffy’s attention. The boy leaped onto the bench in front of her, taking Sanji’s place, and glancing at the notebook for a second without reading.

“Whatcha talkin’ about? Whaddaya need Sanji for?”

“He was telling me about your fight with Don Krieg, since I missed it.”

“Oh! I can tell you! There was a boom! And a woosh! And then I went ‘Gum-Gum Bazooka’! And then there was poison gas, but we’re fine, and then everything went boom boom boom boom! And then I got poked a lot! And then-” Hazel tuned out as her brother continued telling her all about the fight with as little detail as possible. Sanji shot her a confounded look over their captain’s shoulder, and the girl replied with a nonchalant shrug. When Luffy finally finished, he looked to his sister expectantly, proud grin wide across his face.

“Thanks Luffy, I’ll make sure to write that down.” The boy nodded, then looked back at her notes from Sanji’s story.

“Looks like you’ve gotten a lot done!” Hazel flinched, grimacing into her palm.

“Yes and no…” Luffy just looked at her, confusion in his eyes, and Hazel gave a heavy sigh. “To be honest, Luff...I don’t really know where to start.”

“At the beginning. Duh.”

“Wow, I never thought about that,” Hazel deadpanned. “And get your finger out of your nose!” As Luffy stuck his tongue out at her, something struck her. Hazel’s eyes widened, an invisible energy urging her hand to move across the paper. “Actually, Luffy, you’re a genius! Thank you!”

She vaguely heard him say something in agreement, but her mind was too focused on the idea it had. Start at the beginning...she was surprised the thought hadn’t occurred to her earlier; after all, she’d only just told the story a week ago.

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

Foosha Village had always been a peaceful town. Even when pirates had settled their sails at its docks the year previous, the villagers had yet to deal with much past the occasional bandit or two. Our lives had been much the same, short as they were; filled with fun and laughter and play. Then one day, the stuff of legends became real, and peace would be known no more.

The sun had shown brightly that morning, though my brother and I had already been up for hours. We always had trouble sleeping the closer to Shanks’ departure. In only a short time, the red-headed man had wormed his way into our lives, and our hearts, and my brother especially was determined to join him this time.

So it was that we stood on the deck of the Red-Hair Pirate’s ship, the hustle and bustle of supplies and crates being loaded around us. A few of the men were singing songs - definitely inappropriate considering the children in their company - but we’d already spent the last seven years in a bar. There was nothing in those songs we hadn’t heard before.

I had been listening to Benn Beckman’s tale of their last voyage when Shanks’ voice had called our attention to the figurehead. Standing atop the dragon’s maw, my brother Luffy stood glaring down at our pirate friends. Unfortunately, none of us had taken his declaration of strength seriously. Not until he drove the knife beneath his eye.

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

The paragraphs flew quickly out of her hand, the day in question clear in her mind. Hazel took a moment to shake out her wrist, feeling stiff as she read over her work so far. She liked it, she really did. Now to keep up this momentum.

The door opened once again, and Usopp and Nami wandered in, talking about something she couldn’t hear. Hazel was still glaring at the page, chewing her cheek as she thought about how to word her next sentence. She heard Sanji mention dinner would be ready soon, Luffy’s excitement sounding through the room, then Usopp’s hiss for him to be quiet.

“Don’t distract her! She’s scary when she’s mad!” the boy whimpered out, much to Luffy’s amusement.

“No she’s not!” he laughed, drawing the sniper’s ire.

“You didn’t think that when she made you take a bath!” Hazel stifled a snort.

“Speaking of which,” Nami chimed in, holding a hand to her nose. “How long ago was that?”

“Actually, Luffy, you are due for one. Zoro too,” Hazel said, looking up at her surprised crewmates. What, did they think she couldn’t hear them at all? “Why don’t you go wash up before dinner. Please?” Luffy groaned, glaring at the navigator, but dutifully made his way to the bathroom. Despite what he said, he didn’t want to push his sister. Again.

Hazel took that moment to stand up, stretching her back with a loud pop, grabbed her notebook, and made her way outside to tell their grungy swordsman his bath was after dinner. She couldn’t see him at first when she stepped outside, but after glancing around for a moment, she finally spotted him. She blinked when she saw his bare back, mesmerized for a moment at the way the muscles rippled as he did push-up after push-up. A second later, she blinked the distraction away, and walked down the steps to the grass-haired man.

“Hey, your turn for a bath after dinner,” she told him, practically hearing him grit his teeth at the notion. “Dinner’s actually almost done, by the way, so you may wanna wrap it up here.”

“Not done,” he grunted, prompting her to raise a brow in his direction.

“Well find a way to be done. We’re hungry, and you’re sweaty.”

“If I’m gonna get stronger, I can’t cut training short. I need more weight.” His gray eyes swung up to hers, and Hazel got the distinct sense he was sizing her up.

“What do you want me to do about that?” She regretted asking the instant she said it. Zoro gestured to his back. His extremely sweaty back.

“Climb on.”

“Excuse me? What are you insinuating here?” She crossed her arms, trying to decide if she needed to hit him for calling her fat or not. She caught him rolling his eyes.

“You’re all muscle, it’s heavier. Climb on.” Hazel chewed her lip, weighing the pros and cons. Then, deciding she had nothing to lose except her hygiene (and really, she could do with a bath herself), she stepped closer to him, cautiously sitting down when he paused for her. He reached his arm around, causing a startled squeak as he adjusted her position, then he resumed his training, a new strain in his breath.

While he worked, Hazel puzzled once again over her notebook. Disappointment flowed through her as she stared at the four lone paragraphs, the struggle for where to take the story next staying her hand. She’d gotten nothing done today, and it was difficult not to take it to heart.

“What are you sighing about up there?” her cushion grunted below her. Hazel rolled her eyes, but decided to humor him by answering anyway.

“I’ve been working on this all day, and somehow I have nothing to show for it.” Zoro was silent except for his heavy breathing, but for some reason she pushed on. “What kind of record-keeper am I? What kind of storyteller can’t tell a damn story? I don’t even have to make it all up, it’s all stuff that happened…” A puff of air escaped her as her eyes began to sting. “Maybe I’m not cut out for this…”

She hadn’t meant to say it, at least not out loud, and was startled when her chair suddenly stood up. She cried out as she fell, but before she could hit the floor, Zoro’s arms came out to steady her. She looked up at him in shock, affronted at the small glare he sent her way. “Read it out loud,” he said, pointing to the little book in her hands.

“Eh?!” Hazel shrieked, appalled at the very notion of any living being actually hearing her work out loud.

“Read it out loud,” Zoro said again, shrugging his shirt back on. “Then I can tell you if it’s shitty.”

“No way! It’s not ready for human consumption yet!” she yelled, glaring as he sat below the mast. “Besides, who are you to tell me if it’s shit? You wouldn’t know good literature if it waved a sword at you and said ‘boy, speak your name’!” Zoro rolled his eyes at the reference, but leveled her with a steady gaze as it dawned on her the trick he was trying to pull. “Stop it, it’s mine. Why should I share it with you?”

“Because I like the way you tell stories.” He said it so simply, like it didn’t carry nearly the weight for him that it did for her. Hazel felt the blood rush to her cheeks, but she didn’t look away. Something held her gaze on his, something she couldn’t possibly name.

“So how does me reading it aloud help me write it?” Her voice was so quiet, she was surprised he could even hear it.

“Just write it how you’d say it,” he answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. And when he said it like that, it did seem obvious, and Hazel could kick herself for not thinking of it sooner. Before she knew it, she felt herself nodding, sitting beside him beneath the sail.

“Foosha Village had always been a peaceful town….” she began, reading from the beginning, and surprising herself when her voice continued past the last paragraph. He’d heard the story before, but still Zoro sat, listening with rapt attention. Her voice slowed as she wrote, not allowing herself to forget what she’d said, what phrases she used that flowed from her mouth like water.

At one point Hazel glanced beside her, surprised to see the swordsman’s eyes shut. She let out a sigh, finishing her sentence, but not continuing on. She found herself rolling her eyes at the sleeping swordsman, irked that he apparently found her so boring.

“You stuck again?”

Hazel turned to him again, meeting his gaze through half-lidded eyes. She let out a half chuckle, shaking her head in amusement, before diving into the next paragraph.

It was only Luffy’s call of “Dinner!!” that finally drew the two inside.

[punkscowardschampions]

Mattie & Lulu & Dolly (mostly)

PlanityPlan: Okay, so we wanna get down what Mattie, Lulu and Dolly are like, that’s the main point

PlanityPlan: but then we wanna pinpoint the time of this reunion for their storyline together, so we can then say what Jay is up to, Beckett not really ‘cos he’s a child but we could also say what we wanna do with you eventually here because we are planning to use him but yes, kind of unrelated but not

PlanityPlan: So it’s like, individual story, what they’re like, the lives they’re living, and then the storyline we’ll do with them together

PlanityPlan: OKAY so Mattie doing an accelerated 2-year Maths and Computer Science degree at Greenwich (57, 58) and then her PGCE which takes a year and in this year you do 2 school placements, 2nd placement at the girl's new school after gay teacher drama in Surval, so this 2nd meeting after first failed attempt at contact, in 59

PlanityPlan: Basically, energy being, making contact before starting Uni and the twins are like nah and then we show up at their new school (accidentally) and the twins relationship has suffered so now we have an in

PlanityPlan: OKAY OKAY so Mattie reaches out Summer 57, she's about to start Uni, the twins are 14 and just finished year 10, 58 teacher stuff to happen and come out year 11, 59 we move to new school year 12, Mattie starts placement too

Junie B Jones: The school I found for the twins is called Surval Montreux in Montreux Switzerland and they’d have been going there from age 12 (and leaving at 19) it’s obviously an international school but there’s a heavy focus on French in lessons as obviously because English is usually a 2nd language, but don’t even worry ladies cos there is only a maximum of 10 girls (cos it’s only gals) in your classes and 60 in the entire school

Junie B Jones: worth noting the finishing school bit from 17-19 cos your mother would love that for you and you can share a room no problem as it’s usually 2 or 3 anyways

PlanityPlan: So, do we be evil and say they have to share with another poor gal?

PlanityPlan: ‘cos we could run with that

Junie B Jones: that poor girl requesting a transfer cos they are so odd hahaha but yeah I say there’s potential there even if it was only for a while like maybe it’s lowkey a version of how they put me and Trace in separate classes cos the teachers are like UM

PlanityPlan: I see that, forcing you to stay involved, ‘cos with 60 people you’d have to be all up in each other’s business, like you’re for sure meant to see the teachers as friends/fam too

Junie B Jones: the website was very culty and that energy

PlanityPlan: which brings me to my first idea ‘cos I think it works on many levels beyond being a cliche

PlanityPlan: Okay so, I thought it’d be interesting to have a secret between them ‘cos how hard it’d be to keep

PlanityPlan: and then I thought that it’d be hilarious karma if Dolly had an affair with a female teacher but we actually let it go there

PlanityPlan: ‘cos it’d be a massive scandal even your parents can’t ignore and the girl gives off some gay vibes and it’d be like, a thing they can’t share in if Lulu isn’t gay like we share a boyfriend but we’re not sharing this teacher moment

PlanityPlan: and it’d probably get you both kicked out so we can time it when we want it and Chloe would be fuming about this lesbianism lmao

PlanityPlan: so with the whole culty school like this would be NEWS ‘cos they’re tight with the teachers clearly so it’s like ARE THEY ALL BEING GROOMED lmao

Junie B Jones: Lulu gives off the straightest vibes EVER so I am down & also the vibe that she would love that culty school

PlanityPlan: right so not only have you kept a love affair and gay from me, you’ve also ruined our school moment, it’d really shake them and their weird twin energy to it’s core, which is the fun of it all obvs

Junie B Jones: I see now why you agreed to share a boyfriend hun, also the potential for her to have a gay awakening with the roommate so hitting all those cliches

PlanityPlan: right, I’m not being gross but it’s true that all-girls school girls experiment together, facts, like Lulu probably joined it with it too but it’s like oh you actually like girls for real

PlanityPlan: but if Dolly isn’t just then living her best gay life and is trying to get shit back to how it was, I think it makes it different

Junie B Jones: the tea and also it seems like the kind of school where a teacher would go there, especially if it’s a younger/artsy one like that film Cracks that Imogen Poots was in, soz Nancy but most teachers won’t

PlanityPlan: it’s a cliche with posh schools for a reason, the bond is closer by the fact there’s not 30 kids in a classroom, there’s more opportunity for it to happen because you have actual relationships with all your teachers, whereas in normal schools they barely know your name lol

Junie B Jones: gross but necessary question being how long do you see the relationship spanning in secret before the big reveal

PlanityPlan: it should probably be somewhere between enough that it’s an actual thing that happened and not like, it happened once, like the teacher probably thinks they’re gonna be together if she doesn’t go to jail lol, but not so long that it is like, how’d you not know

PlanityPlan: it’ll be fun to like, play out, see how long we feasibly could

PlanityPlan: and if Lulu finds out before EVERYONE finds out, then she has to decide what to do with this info for a bit too, which would also be good

Junie B Jones: I love that because the twin vibe is very much like oh we can read each other’s minds haha bitch you thought

Junie B Jones: totally can picture Lulu snitching on you ngl gal

PlanityPlan: accidentally fucking yourself over when they kick the lot of yas out, a mood

PlanityPlan: NEW CO-ED SCHOOL IN SURREY, STILL BOARDING

PlanityPlan: maybe Lulu does care more about school in general, but also specifically that school and being one of the girls forever

PlanityPlan: ‘cos then it’s gonna be hard to win her back when you end up in another school, with boys dundundun

Junie B Jones: she very much comes across like that to me, not only because she’s clearly the clingy controlling twin here but I think she clearly likes how small and family like this school is trying to be cos of how chaotic and lacking their home life is, she’s definitely scared of boys & navigating socialising with them without making a tit of herself because of how little dealings she’s had so it’s gonna be a SHOCK

Junie B Jones: dobbing her sister in because 1. You think the teacher will get sacked and it’ll be over 2. You think you can score some points back and stay in the school’s good books

PlanityPlan: It’s honestly sad how much sense it makes, like you really buy all in with the family vibes and then ya twin fucks it all up, rude

Junie B Jones: okay idk how plausible this is but remember in Wild Child aka the greatest film of all time that boy is like the headteacher’s son, what if the boyfriend (Danny Griffin is his IRL name but I’ll give you a french af one in character boy) they share is like the son of someone who works at the school (obvs he doesn’t go there but like he’d have to live nearby and generally loiter) which is part of the reason Lulu picks him cos all the girls would want to but also she could tell him something about this and he’s like UM you have to dob her in

PlanityPlan: I see that, they can’t all be spinsters like this is an enid, they’d have families and stuff, I can vibe it because again, a thing if there’s any male in the vicinity we all lose our minds lol

Junie B Jones: and like obvs that’s why she got with him but there’s potential for an actual relationship to form with this boy on some level if we want

PlanityPlan: Yes, maybe you actually like him, because clearly Dolly doesn’t, have him to yourself hun, but also then you’ll have to move so rude

PlanityPlan: Another reason to be fuming when you were the clingy twin before, role reversal

Junie B Jones: and another reason to not want to leave because I can’t imagine that your parents will move you to another school in Switzerland because it’s tiny and the scandal so literally in a different country

PlanityPlan: yeah, we’d probably move you to the uk like we’re going to be more involved like doubt that lads but you know

Junie B Jones: my thoughts exactly

PlanityPlan: so the question is do we want to do this before Mattie gets in contact or after

PlanityPlan: I’m leaning towards before so then 1. You’ve got a chance of getting in but 2. You can also help or not help them get on better terms, whatever we vibe

Junie B Jones: maybe when she first gets in contact it’s a secret still so we get the best of the both worlds, cos like you’re gonna get stonewalled then hun but when it all pops off you can be there

Junie B Jones: just cos I’m thinking if it’s all happened by the time they’re 16 that’s slightly drama but then again we’ve done worse lol

PlanityPlan: That’s a good idea, it makes the most of it for sure

PlanityPlan: I’m not sure what the age of consent is but that might affect how in deep shit this teacher gets

Junie B Jones: it’d be a way to show how their dynamic and relationship changes from a POV that isn’t just their own

PlanityPlan: for sure and then we can have the outcome be not just down to their new school and their parentals

Junie B Jones: poor Mattie getting way more drama than she expected

Junie B Jones: are you having her go to a UK uni because obviously relevant because this isn’t getting resolved in a summer hol

PlanityPlan: I’m kind of vibing no uni, honestly

PlanityPlan: because a lot of gen 4 do go and it isn’t the only option

Junie B Jones: love that for her tbh

PlanityPlan: So yeah, you’ll be around for sure

Junie B Jones: do you have a job/career in mind yet?

PlanityPlan: not really, like I see you being a bit lost in that sense, which is fine because you’ve got a lot in other respects and you’re looked after, but it’s definitely a vibe of not knowing what you want to do, but not just doing uni ‘cos as most people in that situ do, so you probably have lots of random jobs

Junie B Jones: that’s legit cos loads of people don’t know what they wanna do but don’t have the luxury of taking time to figure it out but she does & lowkey it doesn’t matter if she never does cos like you said she’s fine in a lot of other ways

PlanityPlan: like I won’t let you be insufferable with it and not work and just bum about but you’re just striking me as work-driven, which a lot of characters are again, so I’m not mad

Junie B Jones: I like it

PlanityPlan: So it’s just working out what your actual main motivation is, which I think could be tied into getting in contact with this fam

PlanityPlan: as we’re saying Jay doesn’t really want to, so it’s a difference there

PlanityPlan: and it’ll be good to have it not a total failure if you do make something with the twins but we know you won’t with Chloe so there’s the struggle with that

Junie B Jones: it pleases me because the obvious and cliche thing to do would be to have Jay be the one trying to do this as she actually has memories of and issues with Chlo whereas Mattie is basically Ava’s child

PlanityPlan: and I don’t think it resembles like, Edie’s feelings about Drew and Caleb etc either, it’s not like I NEED you to be my mum because you biologically are

PlanityPlan: it’s just lowkey a curiosity like, people can’t just vanish from our lives like that, like what are they doing, ‘cos you know their main house is still in London too, like it’s just like, why shouldn’t I look into this

Junie B Jones: agreed, it’s not coming from a place of having a deficit, she’s happy and has everything she needs in that sense, so it makes sense for her to only gain from it

PlanityPlan: and it is naive but that is how I vibe her being in a not really annoying way lol, not a jaded character though

PlanityPlan: and it will be shit when Chloe is Chloe but it won’t destroy her or anything it’s just like oh god, what is wrong with her though

Junie B Jones: and that’ll strengthen her relationship with Jay because she doesn’t wanna talk about all of that and you’ll get why in a way that you can’t unless you experience the crazy that is Chloe for yourself

PlanityPlan: exactly, like that can be a source of strain between you when you’re first deciding to do this

PlanityPlan: and you’d give Chloe a few chances ‘cos like I said you aren’t looking for a mum so you’d be trying to lowkey work it out and being empathetic so she’d probably actually love that ‘cos she’s a narcissist so it’d be a bit dicey

PlanityPlan: suddenly wants to tell you every drama in her life like poor me

Junie B Jones: how real

PlanityPlan: ‘cos you can think you’re like objective and just putting the mystery together but you’re gonna get dragged in, clearly

PlanityPlan: especially combine this with the twin drama which you do genuinely care about

Junie B Jones: mhmm, Lulu is gonna drag you in gal, not like she can bring these emotions and drama to her new school when it’s a scandal and this is supposed to be a fresh start

PlanityPlan: which is what you were warned about/one of the reasons we left it ‘til you were grown but you’ll have to work this all out, which will be good

PlanityPlan: ‘cos you can’t be dealing with your younger sister’s drama instead of living your own life but clearly at a point here we are ‘cos bit lost

Junie B Jones: you’re so clever boo, this is such a good idea that flows

PlanityPlan: heheh, I think it makes sense if you’ve had such a chill upbringing and the twins have not that this chaos can take over your life and drag you in

PlanityPlan: I’d like to think we all get to a healthy place gals but we’ll see tbh

PlanityPlan: as for who Dolly is… I think she never bought into the school as hard, like it’s probably better than home, not that we’d know, but we’re not like omg this is IT

PlanityPlan: same with the boyfriend clearly, none of it is as real but the twin bond is so like may as well until the gay drama comes along

PlanityPlan: but then that’s lowkey over before it’s begun so then we go into overdrive of trying to win her back

Junie B Jones: which Lulu is not having sis

PlanityPlan: like in reality we should accept our truth and start working on separate personalities but we’re like no no

Junie B Jones: potential for how far aka too far she can try and take winning her back, like that creepy book energy

PlanityPlan: deffo, like we’ll have to think of ways but if we’re going all-in on this, there isn’t reason not to

PlanityPlan: ‘cos we don’t care about school or whatever mum and dad are saying or doing

Junie B Jones: not gonna kill you off gal but oh the possibilities for danger cos lbr your grandparents can’t stop you either clearly

PlanityPlan: bless them they’re alright people but obvs a bit useless for all this to happen lmao

Junie B Jones: hence I vibe that Lulu totally walks all over/ has them wrapped around her little finger like Chloe did but more subtly because she has no nuance

PlanityPlan: deffo, oh lads

Junie B Jones: which is a shame when they could literally give you the family energy you want without need for a creepy cult school but hey, you’ve been taught to treat them like that

PlanityPlan: exactly

PlanityPlan: they should’ve lowkey took you in but we’re too posh for that and you’ll probably be fine right lmao

Junie B Jones: at least Dolly can stay with them when her parents are literally hate criming her

PlanityPlan: sad that you won’t ‘cos getting back in that closet so hard like will you forgive me if I’m straight and we’re still the same

Junie B Jones: it’s really sad like this isn’t sustainable huns and shouldn’t have been allowed to be a thing for this long

PlanityPlan: at least Mattie does have fresh enough eyes to be like, respectfully, maybe let’s not do this

Junie B Jones: just like Lulu don’t haze your sister thank you

PlanityPlan: right, I think this gives us energy to go on for all y’all

PlanityPlan: *** so the energy now is she can get more drawn in because she's literally there living at the school too, and after the placement, she's getting a permanent position at the school, so we can actually work through this together and have relationships etc etc

[allsassnoclass]

All I Really Want is You

Clearly showing on the screen is the beginning of an email from a jewelry store, the kind that specializes in engagement rings, with the subject line Order Confirmation. He can’t see the body of the email, but it’s enough.

Ashton bought an engagement ring. It might even be in the house right now. Michael is going to get proposed to at some point, possibly very soon.

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“I can’t find it,” Ashton says, his huff of frustration breaking the easy silence of the evening as he continues to scroll through his email.  Michael glances at the phone from where he’s plastered to his side on the couch, watching letters blur together, none of which seem to spell “escape room.”

It was Luke’s idea to book one for all of them.  Apparently being best friends and living in each other’s back pockets for nearly a decade is not enough “band bonding,” and the last time they all got together Luke complained that they always neglect each other when on breaks between touring and writing.

“You should third wheel the Mashton dates, like I do,” Calum had said.  Luke had pulled a spectacularly sour face, then pouted when he saw that Michael had the same expression.

Michael thinks some space is healthy.  He also thinks that getting all of them in the same room to fail at solving puzzles is going to be the most fun he’s had since they played their last show.  As such, Ashton booked the room a few days ago and now apparently can’t find the order confirmation that they need for tomorrow.

“Let me try,” Michael says, taking the phone and navigating to the email search bar.  He types in “confirm” and waits for the results to load.  Once they do, he freezes.  Next to him, Ashton stops breathing.

Clearly showing on the screen is the beginning of an email from a jewelry store, the kind that specializes in engagement rings, with the subject line Order Confirmation .  He can’t see the body of the email, but it’s enough.

They’ve talked about marriage before, so this isn’t a new concept.  They’ve been dancing around each other since they were teenagers, and it had always been part of the plan once they finally, officially got together, both of them too nervous about risking the band to take a chance on a relationship together they weren’t already 100% sure of.  It’s been years since the subject was first mentioned, and Michael distantly knew this day would come.  They’ve been working with management to come out separately, to mostly supportive reactions.  They always said that marriage would happen when they felt like they could be open about it.

It’s very different to talk about in hypotheticals than to know that one of them has a ring somewhere.

Michael blinks himself out of his daze, steels himself, and keeps scrolling.  He obviously wasn't meant to see the email, and they need to find the escape room confirmation before Michael loses himself thinking about this.  Ashton breathes out next to him, arm tightening just barely around his shoulders.

“Found it,” Michael says, clicking on the proper email and flagging it so Ashton can find it again if he clicks away.  He hands back the phone and picks his own up with the intent to get rid of some of his own notifications, but he can’t move beyond the homescreen before he’s staring at it blankly.

Ashton bought an engagement ring.  It might even be in the house right now.  Michael is going to get proposed to at some point, possibly very soon.

Ashton snorts next to him.  Michael glances at him out of the corner of his eye, and then he’s giggling, growing into full-out laughter by increments.  Ashton’s laugh has always been infectious, and Michael can’t help but join him.  The entire situation is ridiculous enough that it’s verging on hysterical, and Michael’s laughter doesn’t die until Ashton has melted into the cushions.  He can’t believe he’s in love with this man.

“Why are we laughing?” he asks.

“You know why,” Ashton says, and that almost sets them off again, because he does know.  They both do.

“Is it… is it here?” Michael asks.  Ashton smiles at him.  If it was in his pocket and he whipped it out right now, Michael would say yes, but he knows that won’t happen.  Ashton likes planning his romance.

“Yeah, it’s in the house,” he says.  A shiver of anticipation zips up Michael’s spine.

“Is it hidden?” he asks.

“Obviously,” Ashton says.  “Don’t go looking for it or I won’t give it to you.”

Michael pinches his thigh in retaliation, but Ashton just laughs and pulls him closer.  Michael twists so he’s in his lap and tucks his nose against Ashton’s neck, even though he knows it tickles.

“Can we play hot or cold?” he asks.  Ashton flinches a little at the puff of air, predictable in a way that makes Michael smile.

“Absolutely not.  You’ll just have to be patient.”

Michael whines.  Ashton laughs at him, because patience has never been his strong suit.

“This better be worth it,” he says.

“I hope so,” Ashton says.  Michael cuddles closer, as if trying to get Ashton to absorb him through osmosis will show just how much he loves him.

“It will be.  It could be made of tin foil and it’d be worth it.”

Ashton hums, carding his fingers through Michael’s hair while he checks the rest of his email and any other notifications left unopened on his phone.  Michael dozes off, but when they move to the bedroom he spends too much time awake, imagining what the ring is going to feel like on his finger.

-/-

“So,” Calum says the next day, once they’ve escaped the room (surprisingly) and sent the others to order their food.  “What’s got you so distracted today?”

Michael hums, squinting against the sun and watching a few cars go by.  The cafe is a bit out of the way, but they have good sandwiches and good quiche and the patio is really nice.  Ashton managed to find it within the first week of officially moving to LA, and they’ve been coming here ever since.

“Ashton told you, didn’t he,” Michael says, because Calum is barely containing a grin and looks far too smug for Michael’s taste.

“Have you found it yet?” he asks.

“He asked me not to look.”

“Usually that would just spur you on.”

Michael shakes his head.

“Not with this.  It means too much to him.”

Michael glances through the window to the inside of the cafe, where Ashton is standing in line with Luke, locked in his own conversation and waiting for their orders to finish.  As if he senses Michael’s eyes on him, he glances at him and smiles.  It’s instinctual to smile back.

“I’m really happy for you,” Calum says.

“It hasn’t even happened yet,” Michael replies, going back to tracing the lines of their patio table with his finger.

“But it’s going to, and we all know you’re going to say yes.  You two are made for each other.  I’m glad that my best friends are happy.  Besides, it’s a really nice ring.”

“You’ve seen it?” Michael asks, gaze snapping back to Calum.  A lazy grin spreads across his face, and this is definitely intentional.  He knows that now Michael is going to be thinking about this for the entire rest of the day.  Michael is going to trip Luke on his way over here so Calum’s food goes flying.

“Luke and I went with him to pick it out.”

“What?” he squawks.  “I’m the only one who hasn’t seen it?  Cal, that’s not fair .”

“What’s not fair?” Ashton asks, setting down a plate in front of Michael.  Calum snorts, but doesn’t say anything, so Michael sighs.

“All of you have seen the ring except me.”

“Oh, that.  You’re still not allowed to have a sneak peak,” he says, then turns to Calum and Luke.  “And neither of you are allowed to drop hints or encourage him to look for it.”

“I wasn’t going to,” Luke says.  Calum just grins, so Michael kicks him under the table.

“Ow! Fine, I won’t, either.”

“Good,” Ashton says.

“So have you guys thought about a wedding date, or…” Luke asks.

“No wedding talk until we’re actually engaged,” Michael says.  “Band rule, established right now.”

“Of course,” Luke says very seriously.  “You still need to have the option to say no.  I understand.”

“Hey,” Ashton says defensively.  Michael puts a hand on his thigh under the table, in case he’s about to get insecure and actually think Luke isn’t joking.

“If Michael says no, I’ll marry you, Ash,” Calum says.  “I’d be the better option, anyway.”

Michael really hopes Calum gets a huge bruise from the amount of times he’s kicked him under the table today.

“No one is marrying Ashton except me,” he says.  “Now we’re switching conversation topics, and you guys are going to stop bringing up our impending engagement until it actually happens.  Let’s talk about when Luke thought we had to pry the door open despite everyone telling us no brute force would be used.”

Luke huffs and sets off in a defense of every idiotic moment he had in the escape room, and Michael stabs his quiche and starts to eat.  Ashton’s hand lands on the one still resting on his thigh, squeezing briefly before he goes back to his own meal.  Michael smiles to himself and rolls around the word fiance and then the word husband in his mind a few times.

-/-

Michael manages to push thoughts of the ring to the back of his mind for about two weeks, but when Ashton steps in water because Moose knocked over her water dish and Michael goes to get him another pair of socks because he is a nice boyfriend, it comes rushing back into his mind.

Sock drawers are a very stereotypical place to hide an engagement ring.  Surely, Ashton wouldn’t hide his there.  Ashton is better than that.  He wouldn’t put it somewhere Michael would think to look if he was actually snooping, right?

“Hey Ash?” he calls.

“Yeah?”

“The ring’s not in your sock drawer, right?”

“What?”

“I said--” he starts to shout, but then Ashton appears in the doorway.  “I said, the ring’s not in your sock drawer, right?”

“No, it’s not,” Ashton says, smiling.  “You’re not going to find it unless you’re deliberately looking and get lucky.”

“Good,” Michael says, and he’s surprised by how relieved he feels.  He wants to get engaged, wants it even more now that he knows it’s so close to happening, but he doesn’t want to ruin whatever plan Ashton may or may not have.  If that includes not seeing the ring yet, he’s going to do whatever he needs to in order to not see the ring yet.

“It’s cute that you’re worried about that,” Ashton says, stepping closer and sliding his hands around Michael’s waist.  Michael’s own hands follow the lines of his arms up to the shoulders, tracing familiar muscles until he can properly play with the hairs at the back of Ashton’s neck.

“It’s cute that it’s something to worry about, in general.  Cute that you bought a ring and have it somewhere,” he says.

“Not as cute as you,” Ashton says.

“Obviously.  I’m the cutest,” Michael replies.  Ashton smiles, then ducks forward and kisses him quickly.

“Can I have my socks now, please?”

“No,” Michael says, pressing closer.  “I’m going to keep you here a little while longer.”

“Okay,” Ashton says, and meets him for another kiss easily.

-/-

Michael and Ashton try to have Date Nights every two weeks.  They do a lot of things that could be considered dates all the time, but Date Nights are for special things that they plan in advance.  Sometimes it’s as simple as a dinner out or going to a movie, and sometimes it’s an elaborate anniversary idea that involves a scavenger hunt around LA to places that hold significance to them, because Ashton knows Michael likes driving and they both like getting sentimental sometimes.

Ashton takes them to an arcade for this one, a reliable date that Michael always enjoys as if it’s his first time there.  They go late, so the place is full of young adults hanging out, bowling, or renting karaoke rooms.  Michael leads Ashton from game to game, offering advice on games they don’t know how to play and trash talk on the ones they do.  They make fools of themselves on a dance game, and do spectacularly bad on a knockoff version of Guitar Hero, which Ashton wins.  Michael loves every second of it, and he loves it more because Ashton is right there next to him, laughing and getting snacks and staring at Michael in that fond way that makes him feel like he’s melting from the inside out.

“This was a good one,” Michael says when they’re back in the car.

“That implies that I’ve ever taken you on a bad date,” Ashton says.

“The ridiculously long hike,” Michael reminds him.

“That wasn’t a bad date!  You admitted that the view was worth it!”

“Maybe I just meant that getting to see your smile was worth it.”

“That’s too cheesy and I’m not allowing it.”

“Fine.  The restaurant where we both got food poisoning.”

Ashton makes a face.

“I’ll give you that one.”

Michael tries to come up with another bad date example, but it doesn’t work.  There have to have been some, because you don’t go on dates consistently with the same person for a few years and not have a few misses, but all the amazing ones and the fact that each of them is intentional time spent with Ashton tend to cloud his memory.

“Seriously, though,” Michael says after a few moments.  “I had a really good time tonight.”

“The night’s not over yet,” Ashton says.  Michael glances at him as much as he can while driving.  He’s got a small smile on his face, looking out the window at the houses and other cars passing by.

“I thought we were going home?”

“We are,” Ashton says.  “That doesn’t mean I don’t have something else planned for us.”

“Like what?”

Ashton mimes zipping his lips.

“Ashton,” he whines.  Ashton laughs, but shakes his head.

“I’m not telling.  You’ll find out in five minutes.”

��Is this just your way of saying you want to have sex tonight?”

“I wouldn’t be opposed, but I really do have something else planned for us first.  Unless you need something to take the edge off?” Ashton asks, hand landing dangerously high on his thigh, big and warm through the fabric of Michael’s pants.

“No teasing while I’m driving,” he says, a rule they agreed upon because Michael is far too easily distracted when it comes to Ashton.

“I wasn’t going to do anything,” Ashton says, faux-innocent, but he shifts his hand to a more respectable place on Michael’s leg.

“Is it food?”

“I’m not telling.”

“Come on!”

“It’s five minutes, Mike.  You can wait for five more minutes.”

Michael pouts, but Ashton is more stubborn about stuff like this and just lets his thumb rub a gentle pattern on Michael’s leg right up until they get to the driveway and exit the car.

“Hey, go in without me, okay?  I need to check on something quick,” he says.

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” Ashton says.  He leans forward and pecks him on the cheek, and Michael thinks his hand might be shaking slightly where it lands on his waist.  “I shouldn’t be too long.”

Michael wants to press, but something in Ashton’s voice stops him.  He looks at him, Ashton smiles back, jittery with something , and Michael says “okay” and enters the house alone.

The dogs greet him at the door, like they always do, and once they’re satisfied with a few ear rubs and cooed compliments he straightens up and freezes.

There’s string everywhere.  A piece of red yarn stretches through the entrance, taped to one spot on the wall, hooked on the coat rack, and disappearing into the living room.  Attached with a tiny clothespin is a piece of printer paper that reads MICHAEL! Start Here in Ashton’s handwriting.  Michael flips it over, but there’s nothing else on it, only a few more papers and photographs clothespinned to the string beyond.  Michael looks at the first one, a simple notecard.

October 2011, we met at a house party. I never told you, but I had to psych myself up to go over to you.  Something about you felt important, and now I know why.

Michael swallows.  He looks at the door behind him, as if Ashton might finish checking on whatever he was lying about and come join him, but it stays firmly shut.  This is a journey Michael is supposed to go on alone, evidently.

The next notecard talks about their first Facebook conversation.  Then there’s a picture, a printout of the one that was posted on the band social media on December 3 to announce Ashton as their new drummer.  It’s got writing all over the back of it, spilling over to another notecard because Ashton never sees the need to be concise when he has something specific to say.

Ashton talks about the Annandale, the electricity on stage despite how much they sucked back then, and he talks about taking this first step together as a band and how Michael looks under stage lights, high on adrenaline and music.

Michael follows the string to a screenshot from their “Teenage Dirtbag” cover, then to other notecards and pictures and moments that are somehow significant to the story of them .

Ashton talks about the day he picked Michael up from school without the other two and they got ice cream, then stayed out late enough that they had to get dinner at a McDonalds, too.  It wasn’t a date, but that night Michael couldn’t sleep, replaying every moment over and over in his mind and wondering what an actual date with Ashton would be like.

Ashton talks about recording their first EP, and he talks about their almost-kiss the first time they went to London.  He talks about Michael dying his hair and about their late-night writing sessions that always turned into just the two of them talking about things they couldn’t say to anyone else.  He talks about going on tour and how every fan vying for his attention could never keep it for long if Michael was there, too.  He talks about meeting Alex Gaskarth together, and he talks about his jealousy at seeing Michael come back from dates with an easy smile on his face while Ashton stewed and tried to figure out how to tell him how he felt.

Michael reads every notecard and back of a photograph carefully, tracing over the inked-on words with his finger and whispering them to himself, just to get a feel of what they taste like in his mouth.  The string stretches around the living room, winding through the kitchen and around to their makeshift studio in the basement, where Michael reads about their actual first date and first kiss in multiple notecards hung above the drum kit, one right after another.  He smiles to himself, sitting down on the drum stool to remember all of the things Ashton doesn’t have first-hand experience in, like how Michael spent two hours freaking out to Calum and then Luke about it, and how his heart was beating so wildly he thought he would have a heart attack right until he saw Ashton waiting for him with a smile, when everything seemed to slow down and settle.  In the end, the date itself felt as easy as breathing, jitters turning into excited thrills and anxiety melting into happiness.

He can recall that first goodnight kiss as if it were yesterday, despite how many they’ve shared since then.  He remembers the warmth of Ashton’s breath on his cheek in the second before he closed the gap, how tenderly his hands cupped Michael’s jaw, how the moment seemed to simultaneously stretch on forever and end before it started.

More than anything, Michael remembers how the kiss felt more like a promise than any verbal agreement ever could.

Michael traces their relationship through the basement, back up the stairs and around the game room and their bedroom.  Some of the notes make him giggle, a few make him blush, and one by their bedside table makes his mind turn to static for a few seconds.  There has to be well over one hundred notes throughout the house, but Michael can’t even wonder when Ashton possibly had time to do this while he’s reading such an enthralling account of their journey.

He finally finds the other end of the string taped to the wall by their patio door.

The third to last note reads: A few weeks ago you were helping me find an email and found the order confirmation for your engagement ring first.  I can’t begin to tell you what sorts of panicked thoughts raced through my mind, but all you did was continue your task, laugh with me, and promise not to look when I asked.  It made me want to marry you even more than I already did, which I thought was impossible.

The second to last note reads: I took you to the arcade tonight because I love watching you light up when you play games and how intently you focus on me when you’re helping.  I want to make you happy like that all the time.

The last note reads: In a few moments, once you come outside, I’m going to propose.

On autopilot, Michael opens the patio door and steps onto the deck.

Ashton is in the yard below, surrounded by strings of fairy lights.  He scrambles to standing once he spots Michael making his way slowly down the stairs to him.

There’s a ring box clutched tightly in his hand.  The ring box.  Michael almost stops short at the sight of it, but his feet are on autopilot, always headed towards Ashton.

“You’re crying,” Ashton says.  “I haven’t even said anything.”

Michael brings a hand to his face, and Ashton’s right.  His cheeks are damp, and he hadn’t even noticed.  He swipes at them, but it’s useless.  He’s so overwhelmed by nostalgia and love and Ashton, and now there’s a ring box and he’s resigned himself to becoming a blubbering mess by the end of this.

“You said quite a lot already,” Michael says thickly.  “Our home is covered in string and notecards.”

“And memories,” Ashton says.  “And I want to make more with you.  I want to keep making more until the day we die, and then maybe beyond that if there’s an afterlife.  Michael you’re--”

He pauses.  Swallows.  Michael wonders how long it took him to look at all of the notes while Ashton was out here alone, working himself up over this.

“I can’t properly put into words how much you mean to me.  I want to wake up next to you every morning and fall asleep next to you every night.  I want to be with you during the good days and hold you through the bad nights.  I want to hear every bad song you write and every good one and the mediocre ones in between.  I want to cook for you and argue about who’s turn it is to do the laundry.  I want to take care of you, and I want to let you take care of me.  Michael, I can’t love anyone else the way that I love you, and I don’t think anyone else can love me like you can, either.”

He sinks down to one knee, so sincere in what he’s saying, and Michael is already nodding before the ring box is even open.

“I haven’t asked the question yet,” Ashton says fondly.  “You have to let me ask the question.”

“Okay,” he laughs, the sound foggy with tears.  “Ask me, then.”

“Michael Gordon Clifford, will you marry me?”

“Yes!  Yes, of--”

He can’t say anything more because he’s bending down to kiss Ashton.  It’s a little gross, because he’s crying and Ashton’s tearing up too and the angle is so bad, but it’s their first kiss as fiances , and that means everything.  He pulls Ashton up and wraps his arms around his waist, tucking his face into his neck because he’s crying too hard to do anything else right now and needs a moment.  Ashton’s arms circle him, supporting him and keeping him safe and secure, and Michael thinks he could live in this moment for eternity if he didn’t want to have a million more moments with Ashton in the future.

When Michael has caught his breath, he pulls back enough to look at Ashton and chuckles at the tear tracks he sees.

“We’re a mess,” he says, reaching up to swipe at them with his thumbs.  “I can’t believe we’re engaged.”

“You haven’t even put on the ring yet,” he says, and Michael gasps.

“The ring!  I get to finally see it!  Can I--will you--”

“It’s right here,” Ashton says, holding up the box between them.  Michael looks at the band inside, silver metal with a golden outline.

“It’s platinum and rose gold,” Ashton says.  “It’s not quite a shiny diamond ring with your name on it, but if that’s a deal breaker I can get you another one.”

“It’s okay.  You showed up with the plane ticket a long time ago, so I think I can forgive the different ring.  Referencing the song fully would probably be too cheesy, even for us.”

“Yeah, probably,” Ashton says, taking Michael’s left hand gently and slipping the ring on.  It fits perfectly, and Michael stares at it for a moment, testing the new weight that he’s going to wear forever.

“It’s so beautiful,” he whispers.

“Worth the patience?” Ashton asks.  Michael gives him an exasperated look.

“You could have tossed me a ring pop while eating microwaved leftovers and it would have been worth the patience.  You didn’t have to go all out, although I loved it, obviously.  How did you even get that all set up?”

“We have some pretty good friends.”

“Of course we do,” Michael smiles.  He’ll have to thank them later.  “Still, all those notes you wrote... You really outdid yourself this time.”

“I wanted you to experience how you make me feel all the time,” Ashton shrugs.

“Overwhelmed?”

“Loved.”

Michael looks down at the ring again, a promise that he’d known was coming for weeks but that still somehow feels poignant displayed on his finger.  Nothing’s really changed with their relationship, just their titles for each other, but Michael loves it, knew he would since the moment he saw that email that let him know this was coming.  They keep so much of their relationship to themselves, confined to tender moments or small glances that no one else gets to see, but this is a sign for the world.  There’s a ring on Michael’s finger, and it means that he’s loved by and loves someone enough to know he’s going to spend the rest of his life with him.

“Maybe I’ll get you the shiny diamond ring,” he says, looking back to Ashton’s face.  “Just so you have something as a reminder, too.”

“I’d like that,” Ashton says.  He takes Michael’s hand, and Michael squeezes.

“Come on,” he says.  “I’m exhausted now.  This is one of the best nights of my life and I need to lay down to process it.”

“I can start taking down the string,” Ashton says, stepping around the fairy lights and flipping the off switch on the power cord they’re plugged in to, plunging the yard further into darkness.

“Don’t you dare,” Michael says.  “You’re coming to bed with me, and tomorrow we’re going to go through everything again together, with my commentary.  I can’t believe you thought you could send me on that emotional journey alone.”

“I should have known better.”  Ashton shakes his head, but Michael can still make out his grin in the dark.

“Yeah, you should have.  That’s the type of thing you know about the person you’re going to marry.”

“My fiance ,” Ashton says, and the sound of it coming from his mouth sends electricity up and down Michael’s spine.  “My husband-to-be.”

Michael makes a happy noise, pulling Ashton closer as they head inside to go through their nightly routine.  When teeth have been brushed and all the lights turned off, Michael curls around Ashton in the dark, legs tangled and his left arm securely around his chest.  Ashton covers his hand with his own, running a finger across the ring that Michael hasn’t taken off.

“My future husband,” he says sleepily, and Michael thinks the words have a nice ring to them.

[thegizka]

Rumors

ShikaTema Week 2020 - Day 3 - Outfit Swap

The premise for this is kind of whack, but I had a lot of fun writing it!

Genre:  Fluff

Word Count:  2,069

Read it on Ao3.

“This is probably the dumbest plan I’ve ever been part of,” Shikamaru groaned.

“It’ll work, though,” Ino promised, lounging on her couch and flipping through a magazine while her teammate paced around her living room.

“There are a thousand ways this could go wrong.”

“Hey.”  She shot him a pointed look.  “Do you want to be able to walk around with your secret girlfriend in peace or not?”

He sighed.  He and Temari had started dating a few months ago, stealing moments alone during official visits and joint missions.  Their positions in their respective villages made things complicated, so they’d agreed to keep a low profile.  Unfortunately that was easier said than done.  There were already more rumors about them swirling around Konoha than Shikamaru was comfortable with.

“You could always be open about it,” Ino had suggested.  “People are going to know eventually.”

“People knowing will be troublesome,” Shikamaru grumbled.

“It just seems like you’re putting a lot of work into something that will be irrelevant in a few months anyway.  But if you’re set on pretending your relationship is some scandalous secret, I guess I’ll help you out.”

Shikamaru didn’t want to admit that part of his motive for keeping their romance on the down low was selfishness.  He was falling in love, and it was exhilarating.  Those stolen moments with Temari were theirs alone, and he wanted to keep them to himself for as long as possible.  Plus it gave them time to work out how they would navigate their two lives in two separate villages.

“You guys should leave soon or you’ll run out of time,” Ino said loud enough for her voice to carry down the hallway to the room where Temari was changing.

“You just want us out of your hair so Sai can sneak in here,” Shikamaru teased, though he had been thinking they ought to head out soon, too.

“Oh please.”  Ino rolled her eyes, but she also didn’t deny his suggestion.  Shikamaru wouldn’t be surprised if Sai was already hiding somewhere in her apartment just waiting for them to leave.  Secrecy came naturally to him, and though Ino didn’t make any significant effort to hide their relationship, they largely remained under the radar of the village gossips.  Shikamaru was a little envious.

The sound of a door opening interrupted his thoughts.  A moment later, Temari stepped into the living room.  Shikamaru blinked, his eyebrows pulling together of their own accord because this was just...strange.  He knew Temari was standing in front of him.  The suspicious look she was giving him was certifiably her.  But he also had to remind part of his brain that she wasn’t Ino.

“What?” she demanded, troubled by his confused expression.  “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he responded.  He made a conscious effort to relax his features while his mind untangled itself.

“He’s just tongue-tied because you look amazing!”  Ino set aside her magazine to get up and circle the other woman, inspecting her work.  “How does it feel?”

“It’s a little tight in some places.”  Temari pulled the crop top and rolled her shoulders.  Shikamaru tried not to inspect the places where it hugged her body too closely.  “This skirt is super comfortable, though.”

“I know, right?  I love it.”  Ino adjusted a few strands of Temari’s hair.  “What do you think of the wig?”

“It’s a lot of hair, but I can work with it for a few hours.  Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“Oh yeah,” she laughed.  “Half of the village thinks Shikamaru and I ought to be dating already.  It’ll take some scrutiny off of you and Sai, which works for me.”

“You’ve always been an attention hog,” Shikamaru sighed.  She just stuck out her tongue at him and returned to the couch.

“Go on,” she said.  “You kids have fun.  Be responsible.  I’ll come pick up my clothes sometime tomorrow.”

“You have fun, too,” Temari called as they left.  “She was definitely telling us not to come back here tonight.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to see what she and Sai get up to.”

“You have no real idea of what they do together,” Temari declared with such confidence that he wondered how she could see straight through him.  “Otherwise you wouldn’t be so scared of finding out.”

“I’m sorry, would you want to walk in on one of your brothers passionately making out with someone--or worse?”

“No, but they wouldn’t allow themselves to get caught in such a situation in the first place.”

“Ino and Sai are skilled enough not to get caught, but I know Ino has less shame than you think.  I mean, she walks around in that outfit almost every day.”

“What’s wrong with this outfit?” Temari demanded, hands on her hips in a challenge.  It brought his attention to the smooth skin of her exposed abs.  Funny how it captured his attention now while it had never interested him when Ino wore that crop top.

“Nothing,” he gulped, forcing himself to look away.  “Come on.”

“You’re terrible,” she sighed, but she followed after him, slipping her hand into his.

“Hey-”

“What?” she challenged.  “The purpose of this getup is to be able to go around more freely, right?”  Temari leaned towards him to whisper in his ear.  “Let’s start a few rumors.”

“I’m the one who will have to live with these rumors,” he grumbled.  He was starting to think she was enjoying this a little too much.

“That’s the price you pay,” she grinned.  “Come on, let’s see how this goes.  It’d be a shame to let all of this effort go to waste.”

“What a drag,” Shikamaru muttered, but he didn’t pull away.

The success of this date depended on how precisely they could walk the line of being seen but not letting anyone get too close.  He had carefully planned a date that would let them make a few appearances at some public but less frequented locations.  Assuming they weren’t unlucky, they’d have just enough privacy to enjoy their time together without totally hiding.

They opted to grab dinner at a little food cart tucked just off of the main street.  Neither Ino nor Shikamaru frequented it, so they were unlikely to be particularly memorable.  The plan was to grab food and eat on a previously scouted rooftop so they could enjoy the sunset.  After the sun went down, they could wander the village or return to the Nara estate for the rest of the evening.

“Got everything?” Shikamaru asked, balancing a sandwich and both of their drinks.

“Yes, thank you.”  Temari grabbed a few extra napkins and then took her drink from him.  “Where to?”

“The school.”

“The school?  How romantic.”

“You’ll think so once you see the view.”

“Believe it or not, I have been on the Academy roof before.”

“But were you with such charming company?”

“We were planning the chunin exam, so-”

“Shikamaru!”

They had just enough time to exchange a surprised glance before turning to greet an enthusiastic Naruto with his wife just a step behind him.

“Hello Shikamaru.  Hi I-Ino?”  Hinata’s voice rose in surprise.  She looked between them, confused, but neither had time to explain before Naruto spoke.

“What are you two up to?”

“Just grabbing dinner,” Shikamaru said carefully.  He could tell Hinata had seen through them, but he wasn’t sure whether Naruto had caught on.

“We just got done at Ichiraku.  I’m stuffed.”  He laughed, and Hinata glanced at him with an amused smile.  They had only been married a few months, but there was a new brightness to them when they were together.  Nothing significant had changed between them, but there was a palpable difference.  It made Shikamaru wonder if he and Temari would get to experience that part of their relationship.

“Hey, where’s Chouji?” Naruto asked, glancing around.  “You three are always together.”

“He’s on a mission to Kumo for a few days.”  He’d been taking a lot of missions to Kumo recently.

“So it’s just you two.  That must be kind of weird.”

“It’s fine, actually.”

“Are you sure?”  Naruto turned to Temari with a significant look.  “Ino, you’re being awfully quiet.”

“I’m just hungry.”  Her voice was elevated from nerves or an attempt to mimic Ino, but she sounded strained.  Naruto frowned.

“Naruto,” Hinata said gently before he could comment further, “we should let them eat.  Besides, you wanted to look for some dessert, right?”

“Oh yeah.  Sorry Hinata, I forgot.  See you guys later!”

Shikamaru mouthed a “thank you” to Hinata as she and her husband turned to leave.  She just smiled before walking away with a final confused glance.

“Come on,” he sighed, heading towards the school again.  Temari giggled behind him.

“Naruto can be really dense, can’t he?”

“Lucky for us.”

“We’ll have to explain everything to Hinata, though.  I can only imagine what she thinks we’re up to.”

“Let’s just hope we don’t run into anyone else.  That was a bit too close for comfort.”

“I bet it’ll get a few rumors started, though,” she grinned as they climbed up onto the school’s roof.

“Only if Hinata doesn’t run interference.”  Shikamaru picked a spot near the western edge of the roof and sat.  Temari settled beside him, and they delved into their food.  A few moments of silence stretched between them while the sky was painted in gold and lavender.  A few clouds blushed in the setting sun.  They watched a pair of birds diving through the air in the distance.

“This is nice,” Temari sighed, leaning against him while she sipped her drink.

“Yeah.”  He wrapped his arm around her but flinched when his hand met the bare skin of her waist.  She just laughed.

“You’re so jumpy,” she teased, grabbing his hand and holding it in her own.  “Relax.  Enjoy the view.  Cuddle your girlfriend.  Take it easy like you always say you want to.”

He hummed and tried to just enjoy the moment.  That was the purpose of this whole charade, right?  Temari seemed to have no problem with it.  But every time he glanced at her, he had to look away.  It was just too uncomfortable.

“Is it really that bad?” she asked, jostling him with her shoulder.

“I can’t even look at you.  You don’t look bad,” he added hurriedly.  He had seen her covered in dirt and sweat and blood, and she still looked beautiful.  She always looked beautiful.  “I just get a headache because you’re not actually Ino and the dumb part of my brain thinks you are.”

“Oh my gosh, are you attracted to Ino?”

“No!  Definitely not.  But I am attracted to you, and right now you look a lot like her.”

“So you are attracted to her.”

“I’m not!”

“I’m just teasing you,” she smirked.  “To be honest, this is all a bit too strange.  It was funny to see Naruto’s reaction, but it’s not worth it if you’re not comfortable.”

“It’s not all bad,” he admitted, kissing her exposed shoulder, the closest he could bring himself to admitting that he liked the way the crop top fit her.  She cocked her eyebrow at him.

“Do you want to expand on that?”

“Maybe at home.”

“Alright then.”  Temari stood and stretched, giving Shikamaru a moment to admire the way the late evening sunlight struck the skin of her exposed stomach.  “Can we grab some dango on the way?”

“You don’t want to watch the rest of the sunset?”

“I’ve seen better.”

“So much for trying to be romantic,” he grumbled, gathering their food wrappers.  She turned and surprised him with a kiss on his cheek.

“It was a good date,” she said with a charming smile.  “Now come on, let’s see if we can start another rumor or two before it’s over.”

-----

“I can’t believe you two!” Chouji cried.  “I’m gone for five days and you break up with Temari and Sai and start dating each other?”

“You were dating Temari?”  Naruto blinked.

“Uh,” Shikamaru stuttered, and Ino burst out laughing.

“I don’t think you should laugh about this,” their teammate frowned.  “You should be ashamed for moving on so quickly after breaking their hearts.  And not telling me about it yourselves!  I had to hear it all from Naruto.”

“Sorry Chouji,” Ino giggled.  She shot Shikamaru a triumphant look.  “I’m just happy everything worked like it was supposed to.”

Shikamaru sighed.  “What a drag.”