#anyways. i keep thinking about the it's the closest thing at the moment tweet sorry

[digitalcarcrash]

"go watch the passenger it's the closest thing at the moment" daughter or "i do think benson is probably fluid" son

[cherienymphe]

None Of Your Concern (Chris Evans x Reader)

WARNINGS: DUB-CON(NON-CON?), AGE GAP, CHEATING(?)

DNI IF ANY OF THIS OFFENDS YOU

➥ {page breaks done by @whimsicalrogers}

summary:  costars for a little over a year, Chris has always been protective of you in the cutthroat industry much like a father would be. However, when he learns that your boyfriend is even older than him, he realizes that his feelings might not be so familial after all

~

“Okay, so it’s sort of cool that a small chunk of the Avengers gang is reunited for this movie,” the interviewer said with a chuckle.

You all joined in, in agreement. She rested her blue eyes on you.

“I know that you were a huge fan of the franchise, Y/N. I mean, over the years there have been quite a few tweets from you about the movies, ranging from…‘Spider-Man’s on team Iron-Man so therefore I am on team Iron-Man’ to ‘Scott Lang deserves the world’,” she said, reading from her phone.

Tom got a huge kick out of that first one, and you rolled your eyes. The interviewer’s eyes flickered between you two, a small smile on her lips.

“I mean, am I wrong? Does Scott Lang not deserve the world?”

She nodded with a grin.

“No, you’re right, he definitely does! I just feel like being cast in this movie and having been on the set for a little over a year must have been something like a dream come true,” she pressed.

You thought about your answer for a moment, just like your publicist advised.

“Yeah, you could say that. It’s sort of surreal going from having been kind of a casual fan of someone to interacting with them almost every day for a year,” you honestly answered.

You didn’t know if you would ever get used to interviews, no matter how private they were. You were grateful you weren’t on Jimmy Fallon or something with a live audience watching your every move, but sitting next to Tom, Anthony, Sebastian, Chris, and Tessa in a room was almost just as bad in your eyes.

“…and you’ve gotten super close with your castmates, I’d say.”

You heard Tessa clear her throat, and when you caught her eye, she gave you a look, but you didn’t understand it.

“Yeah, definitely! I love them all and they’ve easily become some of my closest friends now,” you replied, eyes meeting the interviewer’s again.

She threw you a secretive smile.

“…but you and Tom seem to hang out together more than the rest of the cast. As thick as thieves some would say,” she pressed.

Your lips parted, caught off guard, and when you caught Tessa’s eye again, you recognized the sympathetic look she was giving you. A light bulb seemed to go off in your head as you realized what she was trying to warn you against earlier, the very thing you’d unknowingly walked into. Luckily, Tom jumped in before you did.

“Well,” he started, straightening in his seat, shoulder brushing your own. “Y/N and I are the youngest members of the main cast. We don’t really have much in common with the senior citizens to my left.”

He feigned a whisper during the last part, not so discreetly pointing to his left. It had the desired effect, and you were grateful that he was trying to draw the attention away from you.

“Um,” Tessa loudly began, straightening up in her seat just as Anthony, Chris, and Sebastian all spoke up at once.

“I think what he means to say is we don’t allow the children to eat at the adult’s table,” Anthony threw in.

“Yeah, its definitely more like we exclude them, and they have no choice but to hang out together,” Sebastian joked.

“Senior citizens,” Chris scoffed, cutting his eyes at Tom.

The interviewer laughed at the turn of events, but unfortunately, she was determined to expose whatever she thought was going on between you and Tom.

“So you two are rather close then? Being alienated and all,” she chuckled.

Tom laughed, albeit a bit uncomfortably as it became clear that she wasn’t going to give up. He nudged you, gesturing for you to take the stand, having already tried to steer her in another direction.

“Well…yes, but we’re all rather close, but yeah. I would say that Tom is kind of like my best friend,” you honestly told her.

She aw’d at that, tilting her head to the side. You cut your eyes to everyone else in the room, narrowing them as it became clear that they weren’t going to help the two of you get out of this. You just knew Anthony was enjoying this…

“Just friends then? Because you two have a lot of fans, and a lot of them seem to think there’s more to the friendship, or at least, they hope there is, and honestly? Who can blame them? You two are always spotted hanging out together, going for coffee, running to Target… You’re practically joined at the hip.”

As she came outright and said it, you both wasted no time in refuting it.

“Oh, God no,” you cried, shaking your head.

“No, no, absolutely not,” Tom laughed. “Y/N and I are simply good friends. She has much better taste than I do, hence why I have to drag her to Target. Besides, we don’t have Target back home, so whenever I’m in the states, I’m going shopping there every chance I get.”

“I don’t know, I think they answered that just a little too quickly for me,” Tessa suddenly wondered aloud.

You threw her a look of betrayal as Chris added on.

“Yeah, that…that wasn’t convincing, at all,” he said in between chuckles.

You gaped at him as Tom ran his hand through his hair.

“No, Y/N and I are just friends, and nothing more. She-she has a boyfriend, anyway,” he threw out, and you playfully hit his arm.

“Tom,” you warned.

You weren’t genuinely upset that he’d let that slip, especially since you didn’t exactly care if people knew. People knowing you had a boyfriend wasn’t the cause of your apprehension. It came from certain details about your boyfriend…

“Wait, you have a boyfriend?”

Four people said several variations of this at the same time, and you cringed. Tom at least looked a bit ashamed as the interviewer watch on in amusement.

“I didn’t say any names,” he defended, hands up.

You caught Anthony’s eye and he was looking at you like you’d just hid the world’s biggest secret. Tessa looked scandalized as well, and you didn’t dare look at Chris and Sebastian.

“Wait…wait a minute,” the interviewer said, sitting up in her own chair as she looked at you two.

There was a slow smirk forming on her lips.

“So…you have a boyfriend that nobody else seems to know about…except for Tom…”

You both froze, realizing how this looked. A few chuckles reached your ears, and you exhaled.

“Okay, I know how this looks…”

“It isn’t like that, at all,” Tom reiterated. “He’s a swell chap, no, really. He’s brilliant-.”

“You’ve met him then?”

“Well, yeah-.”

“Wait, wait, wait. So how come you’ve met this ‘boyfriend’ and none of us have?” Anthony wondered.

“Yeah, this sounds like a bit of a cover,” the interviewer added.

“Not a very convincing one,” Sebastian whispered.

“Okay, okay! I know that I’m not super talkative about it, but have we all forgotten that I have a girlfriend?”

That seemed to quiet everyone down.

“…besides, her boyfriend is like forty anyway, so its definitely not me,” he laughed, realizing too late what he’d said.

“Tom!” you cried.

Both of his hands were covering his mouth, eyes wide as all hell broke loose. You blinked several times, mouth agape in shock.

“I’m sorry, what?” Tessa yelled over the others.

“Forty?”

Sebastian, Chris, and Anthony were all talking over each other, all of their questions directed at you while you just stared at Tom who stared back, pleading. He slid his hands down, teeth bared as shame filled his features, cringing.

“I’m so, so, so sorry…”

His apology was overshadowed by Sebastian.

“Forty?” he repeated.

“Tom’s exaggerating, okay? He’s more like thirty,” you quickly said, trying to ease the tension and make light of the situation.

Tom’s eyes were wide as they met yours, and you quickly looked away.

“So, the boyfriend isn’t Tom…and he’s only thirty then?” the interviewer finally spoke up when the room was finally quiet once again.

You sighed, eyes meeting Tom’s again as he looked to see what you were going to do. You thought about what your publicist would advise. You’d been a part of stan twitter once. You knew how the internet could be. They’d dig until they found out the truth, and discovering his actual age, and identity by extension, would be pretty bad for both of you. Against your better judgement, you decided to be truthful since the cat was out of the bag, hoping it’d be enough to keep people’s curiosity at bay.

“No, he’s definitely 43,” you quietly admitted.

Once again, all hell broke loose.

As soon as the interview was over, you were the first one out of the room, Tom right behind you. You could hear your name being called, and Tom pushed you along.

“Go, go, go,” he urged.

You had just made it to your dressing room when a muscular arm slid between the door and the frame as you attempted to close it.

“Anthony, not now!”

“No, no, now.”

He pushed the door open, and you denied him entrance, two familiar faces behind him. Neither him, Sebastian, or Chris looked pleased with you, and you just knew that they weren’t going to let this go…not without a fight. Tessa passed by, and you sent her a pleading look.

She heaved a sigh, slowing down before reaching out to pull them all back.

“C’mon guys. Leave the poor girl alone,” she said.

“We just want to talk,” Sebastian said.

It was a lie.

“I’m not discussing this with you,” you told them, eyes meeting Chris’. “Any of you.”

You tried to ignore his frown as you closed and locked the door. With a sigh, you dug through your purse for your phone. You texted Alex, your boyfriend, warning him of what might make it into the article. You weren’t actually upset about the turn of events, you just hated the aftermath that would ensue.

You blamed the interviewer most of all. You knew that Tom was just trying to clear the air and make it known that there wasn’t anything going on between you two. You knew how flustered he could get sometimes when he started rambling, and you also texted him to let him know that everything was fine, and you weren’t mad.

Your main concern was the trio down the hall. Tessa felt like an older sister at times, and while you wish that it had been on your terms, you weren’t opposed to talking to her about this. You knew the conversation was going to happen eventually. Anthony, Sebastian, and Chris on the other hand were a completely different matter.

You stuck your head out, glancing around before leaving the room.

Your friendship with Seb was way more casual than with the other two. You cracked jokes and hung out with all of them often, but half the time it felt like Chris and Anthony were scolding you and telling you what you could or couldn’t do. Sebastian didn’t care, and you liked that. Hence why you didn’t verbally oppose when he suddenly came out of nowhere, easily falling into stride with you.

He didn’t say anything for a while, but you knew it was coming. You bit your lip, glancing at him out of the corner of your eye, noticing that he was doing the same. He abruptly stopped, and so did you.

“Forty-three?”

You avoided his piercing gaze, adjusting your bag on your shoulder as he faced you.

“Seb…please…”

“I mean, I’m not judging, I promise,” he said, hands raised.

“Except, you are though,” you sighed, looking at him. “You’re judging, just a little bit.”

His arms fell at his sides.

“Okay, so I’m judging just a little bit, but can you blame me? The guy’s older than Anthony,” he scoffed.

You chuckled.

“Yeah, he is, but I don’t care,” you told him.

“Clearly. I’m just saying, he’s old enough to be your father,” he said.

“Well, it’s a good thing he’s not, because then that would be weird,” you threw at him, rolling your eyes.

He heaved a heavy sigh, and somehow, you got the feeling that he’d drawn the short straw on who was going to come and talk sense into you. You briefly glanced down the hall, brows furrowed. He placed his hands on your shoulders, and you hated how he was looking at you. Like you were a child doing something bad. Your jaw clenched.

“I know you’re an adult…”

You let out a humorless chuckle.

“Do you know who you sound like, right now?”

He rolled his eyes towards the ceiling.

“At the risk of sounding like Chris…”

“You sound like Chris, that’s who you sound like.”

“…this industry can be…ruthless,” he continued.

“Don’t I know it?” you sarcastically replied.

“…and you’re still so fresh and new and there are plenty of people just looking to take advantage of someone like you and your talent and potential…”

“My boyfriend isn’t one of them, okay? He has plenty of talent on his own,” you informed him.

Sebastian tilted his head to the side, eyes narrowing.

“What his name, anyway?”

“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” you slowly sang.

“Well…what does he do?”

“Again, none of your business.”

“How did you meet? How long have you been seeing him? Something, anything! Anything at all?”

You pursed your lips before releasing a soft sigh.

“We’ve been seeing each other for about 7 months now,” you admitted.

His eyes almost bugged out of his head, lips parting.

“7 months?”

You pulled away from him, the day finally getting to you.

“Look, Seb, I have to go. I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you guys, but to be honest, this was the main reason why, so…”

You paused, facing him again.

“Please, tell Chris and Anthony not to worry, okay? I know they’re freaking the fuck out and probably sent you on their behalf. I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” you called over your shoulder as you exited the building.

When you got home, there was a slew of text messages awaiting you. Most were from Anthony, and you answered all of them as best as you could. He was just worried, and you definitely understood that, but he was freaking out more than your own mother had when you told her about Alex.

“It just…took me by surprise,” was the first thing he said when he picked up the phone.

“I know, I know,” you sighed, browsing your fridge for something to eat. “I was always going to tell you guys if it ever got more serious.”

“More serious?” he scoffed. “Seb said you guys have been dating for 7 months.”

You rolled your eyes.

“We clearly have different definitions of a serious relationship,” you mumbled.

“It’s just concerning, alright? If my kid was dating someone 20 years older than them, I’d be rightfully concerned,” he defended. “Especially considering I’ve never met this man and don’t know anything about him.”

“Look at the word you just used: kid. That is something I am not,” you said, slamming your fridge shut. “…and there’s no need to meet him.”

“I disagree.”

“That’s fine,” you tersely replied.

You heard him exhale on the other end, a tense silence falling between you two. You were being a little harsh, you knew that, especially considering Anthony always treated you like family, but you needed to make him, all of them, understand that you were an adult who could make her own decisions. They had no say in this.

“…you heard from Chris?” he eventually asked.

“No, actually, and that’s a little worrisome, I’m not going to lie,” you honestly added, running your eyes over your wine collection.

“Yeah, well, he’s not happy,” Anthony told you.

“If he’s going to pout about this like my personal dating choices offended him or something, then he can suck my ass.”

A laugh met you from the other end, a genuine laugh, and you cracked a smile.

“He’ll come around. You know how much you mean to him,” he finally said after he calmed down.

You did know. Chris was one of the first people to talk to you on set, trying to make you feel more comfortable. It was your first big movie, your first time starring with household names, with people that had way more experience than you. He got you to laugh on your first day and even dragged you over to meet everyone else. He’d taken you under his wing…

Your heart clenched as you thought about how he must feel. It was your business, sure, but you couldn’t pretend like you didn’t feel guilty. You felt even worse once you thought about the fact that you’d told Tom and not him, but Tom didn’t judge you. Tom didn’t treat you like some kid who didn’t know any better half the time.

“I’ll text him,” you told Anthony. “See if I can get him to accept my white flag…”

“You do that. See you tomorrow, kiddo.”

You texted Chris as soon as you hung up, and as the night wore on, your worry grew. You found yourself periodically checking your phone for any type of response, but you got nothing. Alex called though and talked with you until you fell asleep. He was overseas, filming in his home country at the moment, but he called you every day.

He wasn’t bothered at all by what might be in the article, only making sure that you were okay.

“Yeah…I’m okay,” you quietly replied.

“Are you sure? You don’t sound it,” he quietly replied, deep voice gruff.

You frowned before turning to look at your clock.

“Isn’t it like…3 in the morning over there?”

“You didn’t answer my question,” he lightly said, ignoring your own.

You sighed.

“I’m fine, really. It’s just…there was a reason I didn’t want to tell everyone, and some people are proving me right…”

“They’ll come around,” he assured.

“You know Seb isn’t the type to care too much, but even he was more judgmental than I expected. Anthony is slowly coming around, but Chris… He’s not answering any of my texts.”

He was quiet for a while before finally responding.

“Maybe that’s for the best.”

You frowned again, sitting up in bed.

“What do you mean?”

“He is a bit…overprotective of you, isn’t he? I know he just gets concerned, but sometimes he acts like he’s your father and…he’s not. He shouldn’t have any say in what you do,” he elaborated.

You rubbed your eyes.

“I know what you’re saying is true because I’ve thought it myself, but for some reason it sounds harsh coming from your lips,” you groaned.

He chuckled.

“I don’t mean for it to, I promise. I just mean that maybe this will force him to lighten up a bit and realize that there are boundaries and lines he shouldn’t cross…”

You blinked.

“Huh. You might be onto something,” you admitted. “I know he thinks I’m such a child sometimes. Maybe this will make him wake up.”

You didn’t stay on the phone for much longer, and your heart sank when you hung up only to see no new notifications. Was Chris ignoring you? With a huff, you plugged your phone up and settled into bed.

You sipped on the coffee Tom had gotten you on the way here, leaning against the wall as you watched Chris and Anthony talk to the interviewer. This one preferred to talk to a few of you at a time, and considering the disaster that happened a week ago, you quite liked that.

That pushy girl had indeed included the bit about your love life in the article. Fortunately, it was tastefully done, only mentioning it in passing, but she had included that the rest of the cast, sans Tom, had been none the wiser. You hadn’t checked to see what people were saying about it. It wasn’t their opinions that mattered to you.

Chris hadn’t talked to you since, ignoring every one of your messages. Eventually, you gave up, deciding that he’d talk to you whenever he was ready. At first you were angry once you realized what he was doing, but eventually you became more understanding. He was probably more hurt than anything that you hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him.

You perked up when you heard the mention of your name.

“So, word on the street is that Y/N does indeed have a beau and it’s not Tom Holland…” he started.

Chris and Anthony chuckled, but you could tell it was forced.

“Yeah, man, I don’t think anyone was more shocked about that one than their fans,” he laughed. “…but we all know they’re just good friends. It was a nice running joke for a while though.”

Chris didn’t say anything, and the interviewer continued.

“Speaking of shocked, is it true that the rest of you guys were completely in the dark about it? I read that the ball was actually dropped during the interview. I mean, how awkward that must’ve been…”

Chris exhaled.

“Yeah…it was definitely something. It made my day though.”

Your jaw ticked as you realized that he was putting on a front.

“…and is it true that he’s 43? I mean, I’ll definitely ask Y/N this later on-.”

“Then it’d probably be best if she answered that,” Anthony interrupted, and you mentally thanked him.

“Well…the secret’s out, right?” Chris laughed, and you frowned. “Yeah, she says he’s 43.”

Your frown deepened.

“That’d be like dating one of you guys, I’d imagine, but at least it’ll be easy for him to get on well with you guys. You all are rather close with Y/N, so that must be of some importance to her,” the interviewer replied.

“I don’t know about that one considering we found out with the rest of the world,” Chris joked, but you saw right through it. “I suppose it’s a good thing we didn’t know though because…”

He suddenly trailed off, letting out a low ‘whew’. He shook his head.

“No. I never would have allowed it.”

Your jaw dropped, staring at him like he’d grown a second head as the words registered within your mind. You didn’t even hear the rest of what was said as you backed up. You almost bumped into Tessa, and she steadied you.

“Woah,” she said. “You okay?”

“No, actually,” you slowly replied, turning to face her. “I’m not.”

You found that it was true. Your stomach churned and you felt like you were going to vomit any moment. The audacity of him!

“I…I have to go,” you told her.

You let your publicist know that you were feeling ill, and you waved bye to Tom on the way out, his brows furrowed in confusion as he hesitantly waved back. You fought tears the entire way to your apartment, shaking your head in disbelief. Never mind the fact that Chris has said that, but the fact that he’d confidently said it in front of other people.

“Never would have allowed it?” you mumbled to yourself.

You were gripping the wheel so hard you were sure it would break. As you furiously got out of your car, you thought to yourself that you didn’t even care if he texted you back or not. You weren’t in the mood to even look at his face, let alone talk to him.

After you showered and poured yourself a glass of wine, you curled up on your couch, staring at the tv…but not watching it. Chris’ words kept replaying, and you wondered how he could even fix his mouth to say such a thing. He wasn’t your father! There wasn’t a damn thing in the world he could forbid you to do.

And before you knew it, you had downed two more glasses and that was exactly what you were texting him. You were certain your thumbs would crack the screen with how furiously you were typing. When you were done, you turned your phone off, slamming it on the table as you returned your gaze to the tv.

It was hours later when you heard a knock on your door. You briefly wondered who it was, but you had suspicions that it was probably Tom. You’d left in such a hurry, and your phone was off, so he was probably coming to check on you. With a buzz coursing through your veins, you pulled the door open, only for your face to drop when your eyes connected with blue ones…not brown.

He didn’t exactly look thrilled to see you either, and you were certain that your face was no different. You pursed your lips, going through a pros and cons checklist of letting him in before scoffing. You swung the door open wider before turning your back on him. You heard him close it, his feet following yours into the kitchen.

You didn’t spare him a glance as you poured yourself another glass, taking up residence on the other side of the small island. Eventually, when he didn’t say anything, you looked up at him, a frown on your face.

“Are you actually going to say something? Or just stand there and stare at me?”

Chris heaved a sigh, resting one hand on the counter while the other found a home on his hip. He stared you down, jaw ticking beneath his beard.

“You’re upset with me…”

“I wonder what makes you think that?” you mumbled into your glass.

“…but I’m upset with you too.”

“Yeah, well, at least my anger is valid,” you spat.

“…and mine isn’t?” he threw back.

You huffed, glancing away from him.

“If you’re upset that I didn’t tell you, then I’m sorry. I mean that. I don’t want you to think I don’t trust you or anything, but you have to understand why I didn’t say anything. Look at how you’re reacting,” you said, gesturing to him.

His nostrils flared.

“What does a man like that have in common with someone like you anyway?”

You jutted out your hip, resting your hand on it as you stared him down.

“Someone could easily ask you the same thing. What, I can be friends with you, Anthony, and Sebastian despite the age difference, but I can’t date someone who’s the same age as you?”

“It’s a bit different. We are your friends, we look out for you, we are not trying to…”

He swallowed his words, seeming like he couldn’t even bear to say it. You smirked at him.

“So I can choose my friends, but I can’t choose who I fuck?”

He glared at you.

“I mean…that is what you’re saying, right?”

“You can choose someone who’s acceptable…”

“…and who are you to say he’s not acceptable?” you demanded, offended on Alex’s behalf. “You don’t even know him.”

He made himself at home, taking a seat as he stared at you, hands folded on the counter.

“So tell me about him then…”

You heaved a long sigh, leaning against the sink as you crossed your arms over your chest.

“He’s…sweet,” you started, pressing your hands to your eyes. “Oh my God, he’s so sweet, Chris. You’d get along great with him. He’s funny, he loves dogs, and he has the biggest and kindest family you’ll ever meet. He’s filming overseas, right now-.”

“So he’s an actor,” Chris interrupted, sounding displeased.

“Yes. He calls me every night…,” you trailed off, suddenly uncomfortable.

“You told Anthony that it wasn’t serious…”

You looked down.

“I really like him, okay? That’s why I don���t care what you guys think. I’m not breaking up with him just because you don’t approve,” you said, eyes meeting his again. “You’re not my father, and you can’t tell me what to do.”

“No, I’m not your father, and I’m sure as hell glad for that, but someone definitely needs to be…”

“Screw you, Chris,” you murmured.

He glared at you, and you fought back tears, surprised at how much this was hurting your feelings.

“I don’t understand why you’re so mad about this! Why are you treating me like I can’t make my own decisions?”

“Because I think you’re making bad ones,” he answered, rising and heading towards the door.

You balled your hands into fists as he made his way out.

You spun away from Tessa, a thin layer of sweat clinging to your skin. Today was the last day of filming, and the crew members were hosting a party. You’d almost let Chris’ sour attitude ruin it for you, but Tessa convinced you to come.

She’d arrived at your apartment early in the morning, fed up with your sulking. You told her about your argument with Chris, and she listened while you ranted about his behavior. You talked with her about Alex too, eager to tell her everything. Talking to Tom about him was nice and all, but it was different with Tessa.

She comprehended why you had never said anything about your relationship, far more understanding than Chris or even Anthony had been. She made you feel a lot better about the whole situation and assured you that Chris would get over it. He hadn’t spoken to you the entire time you’d been here, so you didn’t know about that.

It pained you to think that your friendship with him could end just like that over something so insignificant as to who you were dating, something that didn’t affect his life in the slightest. You stumbled away from Tessa, realizing that you’d had more to drink than you thought. You touched her arm.

“Hey, I’m gonna head inside. Try to rest my nerves for a bit…”

“Okay,” she said. “Hurry back when you feel better.”

“K.”

You trudged your way inside of the huge house, heading straight for the kitchen. You filled a glass with water from the sink, emptying it in no time. You were ready to go for another when movement from your left caught your eye.

You looked over your shoulder, pausing when your gaze connected with that of Chris’. He didn’t look like he was having fun, and your shoulders sagged.

“Can we talk for a minute?”

You eyed him, almost sadly, before swallowing. You nodded, forgetting the glass of water and opting to follow him instead. You stumbled a few times, alcohol coursing through your system, but thankfully Chris didn’t notice.

You followed him into a guest bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed as he turned on the light. He was dressed plainly in jeans and a dark tee, a darker cardigan hugging his arms and shoulders. He rested his hands on his hips in that Captain America way you often teased him about, and you fought a smile.

“I’m sorry,” he eventually breathed.

You blinked at him, the alcohol making it hard to process what he said.

“You’re…sorry?”

Your voice was small and unsure, and his face crumbled as he moved to sit beside you.

“You’re right. I can’t tell you who you can or can’t date. I shouldn’t have said what I said in that interview,” he admitted.

You let out a soft chuckle.

“No…you shouldn’t have. I was so…embarrassed when you said that Chris,” you said, looking at him.

“I know,” he whispered. “I don’t want to make you feel that way. I thought I was upset because you hid it from me, but…”

You eyed him, waiting for him to continue. His gaze met yours.

“I don’t have any rights to your dating life, but…I want to,” he slowly replied.

You frowned at him, and he continued.

“I care about you…”

“I know. I care about you too,” you told him in the quiet room.

“I’m attracted to you, Y/N,” he confessed, making your eyes widen. “I always have been.”

Your lips parted, surprise and confusion filling you.

“I told myself from the beginning that my feelings were innocent, that I was just looking out for you. I convinced myself that my anger at your relationship came from a place of concern…but that isn’t true.”

“Chris…”

“Somewhere down the line, in the back of my mind, I had accepted that anything between us would be inappropriate. That you’d be repulsed…and then, come to find out, your boyfriend is even older than me.”

He chuckled, finding some warped humor in it all.

“I felt cheated. I felt like that could be me…like that should be me…”

You didn’t know what to say. You’d have to be blind to deny that Chris was handsome. He was one of the most sought-after men in America, but your feelings had been fleeting…shallow. You thought Anthony and Sebastian and Tom were handsome too, but in an appreciative sort of way. That was how you saw Chris too.

“I’m…with Alex. You know that…”

He took your hands, scooting closer.

“…but could that have been me? Tell me the truth,” he pleaded.

“I…I don’t know-.”

“I think you do. I think you thought like I thought and pushed any desires out of your mind.”

Your mind was fuzzy, too much alcohol in your system to fully process this conversation. You moved to stand, but he held you in place.

“Chris, I think I should go…”

You trailed off when his lips met yours, and you jerked back, eyes wide.

“I have a boyfriend, you know that…”

“You haven’t answered my question,” he told you.

“I…I don’t know! But it doesn’t matter because I am with someone!”

“…and that someone could have been me.”

“But it’s not, so-.”

He kissed you again, wrapping his arms around you. You reached in between your bodies, pressing the palms of your hands against his chest. He moved back, but he brought you with him. He rolled you over until you were beneath him, and you made a noise of protest deep in your throat.

“Chris,” you mumbled into his lips, pushing against him again.

He was smooth in reaching under your dress to take hold of your underwear, pulling them down your legs with ease. You opened your mouth to protest again, but all that came out was a gasp when his hand slid between your thighs.

You shook in his arms as he played between your legs, fingers ghosting over you and prodding you until he was able to slide them into your soaking lips. A choked moan climbed out of your throat, and he hummed as his lips trailed down your chin, peppering kisses along your neck.

Your body felt light, limbs numb as you heard him fooling around with his pants, the sound of his zipper deafening in the quiet room. You knew what was about to happen. Your brain was screaming at you, but you couldn’t move. You didn’t know if it was the alcohol or shock, but you were powerless to stop him.

You reached out to place your hands on his when he parted your legs, and you didn’t know if it was to pull his hands away…or not. You caught a glimpse of him as he settled between your legs, stomach sinking as you blinked at the sight of him…bare…for you.

“Chris,” you mumbled, unsure of what you were going to say.

It didn’t matter, anyway. His lips were covering yours as he pressed the head of his cock against your folds, prodding and prolonging the inevitable. You thought about Alex, and that sobered you up a bit, but it was too late.

You threw your head back against the mattress, nails digging into Chris’ hands as he thrust inside of you. The noise that escaped him was orgasmic, the deep sound causing you to clench around his length. He hissed at that before completely leaning over you, forearms pressed into the mattress beside your head as he started to move.

Shallow breaths left your lips as he pumped into you, the squelching sound of his retreat and entry reaching your ears. Your eyes were unfocused, hands coming up to rest on his sides as you started to moan. He joined you, bending his head to kiss you again and again.

There were odd brief moments at the start of filming where you idly wondered what it would be like to kiss Chris. You never imagined that you’d find out for sure. Then when you and Alex happened, you’d left those girlish and embarrassing fantasies behind. His lips were soft and sweet with the taste of whatever drink he’d had, and he moved them over yours with so much expertise it made your head spin.

“That feel good?” he breathlessly wondered, jerking his hips into yours.

You gave a shaky nod.

“U-uh-huh,” you gasped, clenching around him.

“God, you’re so beautiful… You know that?” he mumbled, kissing you again.

Your toes flexed, stomach clenching as well.

“I thought about you all last night,” he quietly professed. “I thought about your lips and these fucking thighs and how it’d feel to be in between them…”

“Chris,” you whined.

“You’re so tight,” he hissed in your ear. “Tighter than I’d imagined you’d be.”

One of your hands traveled to his back, bunching up his shirt and sweater.

“Chris,” you gasped, breath hitching. “Chris, I think…”

Your words died on your tongue as you moaned, wrapping your legs around him, pulling him closer. He groaned against your skin, lifting his head to look into your eyes.

“You gonna come for me?”

You gave a jerky nod, tightening your grip on him. He hissed when you clenched around him again, blue eyes boring into your own.

“Yeah? You’re fucking choking my cock. A greedy little thing,” he murmured, never taking his eyes off of yours. “Come on, baby. Show me what I do to you…”

You shook in his arms as your climax rushed over you, legs trembling and eyes rolling as you clenched around him again and again. He wasn’t done, fucking you through it until you were an incoherent mess beneath him.

You never did rejoin Tessa on the dance floor.

~

tags: @harryspet​ @coconutqueen21​ @readermia​ @nickyl316h​

[redxblueihateloveyou]

honestly you're one of the rare ones who didn't lie about reading the dmbj og books bc after seeing some ppls tweets there are way too much of 'its bc i've read the book i hate it' and then they proceed to describe the thing they hated that was in the book and i just start laughing. anyways same about the 'restart'. like hell i'd exchange what zu yilong and huang junjie did for what was happening in there and it all ending with wu xie rapidly aging and going bald no thank you

I just think that this is the kind of a rare fandom, where whether you are a fan of the books or not, it doesn't matter unless you're making sense and consistent with what you're saying, bc the novels are a hot mess tbh. Like even if you're a huge fan of the books for some reason, there had to be places where u were like "well that was... strange" lol

So like it weirds me out when ppl keep agressively yelling ooc and he'd never do that, if that's what he did in the novel. you mean like "ooc compared to what this character is in your head?" but thats not ooc lmao

For me it's just the overall feeling I guess, like if I'm watching and it feels right or it feels.. well, not. Chemistry plays a huge role too.

Like the only Qilings I love are Yuliang & Junjie, but whoever came up with the "Yuliang is the closest to the book Qiling version" is hella wrong and lying, you can check it yourself. But I can't consider the fact that they're so much softer and more gone on Wu Xie as a flaw, although some aparently do xD

Same as I personally can't accept the Wu Xie's "don't worry about him" line in the new one, but know for sure that there was tons of moments in the books like and I quote here Wu Xie literally going "knowing how skilled Xiao Ge was I wasn't worried about him at all, so I just watched him as he ran, distracting the creature". Like I'd rather have SOP version of Wu Xie being hella scared even when XiaoGe just jumps down stuff and running to check on him first out of everyone else after bomb explodes. But thats not whats happening in the novels, so it's technically ooc haha

Those who read also know that like "I'll notice if you disappear" 'I'm a man with no past and no future' scene in UN that was done so touchingly and romantically.. well, to say that it didn't carry as much emotion in the book is to say nothing lol. It just wasn't the vibe UN went with.

And why would I even want the Reboot book reunion going "why are u here?" of nothingness, if I can have what these idiots did with their heart eyes and "you're here, I'm okay now" and everything?

I mean, if you want the book version, fine by me, but like blaming people who wanted by novel #...12orsmth for them to pass some stages and get the warmth we got in UN and SOP is insane.

I mean, just the fact that in the Restart book Wu Xie had an internal thought that next time they see each other they might not even know how to behave with each other and that for him he's just a random person he passes by in his long life just almost made me close the damn thing lolz

yeah, about him basically dying at the end.. also no thanks. stupid me prefers them living together and Qiling hating Wu Xie being hungry birdy and going to buy him food xD

"going bald" lmaaaaaao it said it'll grow back its ok

I honestly considered myself an extra Xiao Ge fan, until I saw some ppl's reviews and opinions and thought "omg lmao some just go straight overboard with everything", esp considering canon.

I was straight up laughing at that one comment "all he does in this part is looking lovingly at Wu Xie and protects him". I was like damn, so many of my faves are cancelled like that... I mean, you're watching HOB anime and like "my god it's such a bad representation of the Hua Cheng character, all he does is stares at Xie Lian and protects him" lol (I'm sorry but this 11 episodes are NOT the part of the book that tells his story and who he is, but this in fact doesn't mean that they "reduced him to a tool" lmao). Meanwhile some DMBJ books Wu Xie goes "I knew he was hired by the 2nd uncle just to keep us safe". LMAO SO WHAT? this is not making him a tool, that's just what he does, it doesn't make his FULL CHARACTER, just bc he does that.

Like seriously, it sounds as insane as someone splitting MDZS in 3 parts, watching the last one, then the first one and saying like "you know in the last part all that LZ does is stares lovingly at WWX and protects him, he was much more complex and flawed in part 1". Like wth lol... ITS THE SAME FUCKING CHARACTER.

Also I saw one UN review that was positive, but just went that Xiao Ge in that part felt more like humane or smth, bc "at some point he even grew a scruff". I was just sitting there like... out of all the things in this series that made him humane, why mention the scruff? Like since when it's a thing...? I mean just bc Shen Wei or Lan Zhan look perfect all the time that somehow means they don't have feelings or less human beings? I do not get.

So all these tantrums of "ISTG IF THEY EVER SHOW QILING JUST PROTECTING THEM... I'M GONNA BLEW UP" and the same one saying that they're the book fans, I'm like "how didn't u blow up during several books already?" lolz

I like love reading so many different opinions, when it comes to this fandom, bc it's so fascinating, but some arguments just don't go together well haha

And I'm a huge fan of UN, but like.. some go a bit TOO extra about it and their arguments just don't stick sometimes, bc they're trying again with the "it's the less-est ooc from books", but it wasn't as much it, as the fact that it just had soul in it, which sometimes in my opinion actually completely lacked in the og novels.

Anyways, as an extra Qiling's fan myself, I can tell that some are going waaay overboard with stuff.

[certifiedlovergirlsstuff]

Drug Bust

My Jake Peralta imagines could either be read alone or you could think of them together with “Welcome to the 99!”

WC:3080

Thursday 10:15pm; A drug bust gone wrong

There was a blinding white hot pain going through your body. You don’t remember where the pain started and you didn’t care, all you knew was that you were bleeding in your abdominal area, laying on the ground trying to keep your tears at bay.

You just wanted Jake to be by your side at that moment, you knew you weren’t going to die because if you think you're going to die then you're going to lose hope and you didn’t want to lose hope, there was still so much you wanted to have happen in your life.

...

Days Leading Up to the Bust

Tuesday 10am; Briefing

“There is a new drug being spread around the streets of Brooklyn called-“

“Taxi!” You yelled out in the middle of Captain Holt’s sentence causing people to look at you.

You just slightly blushed from all the sudden attention and apologized to Holt for disrupting the meeting, you just dropped your head slightly toward the table to try and ignore the eyes on you.

“Yes Detective (L/n), it is called Taxi because it is the color yellow and also it is a new type of speed that has recently been brought to our attention. So we are going to need two detectives to go undercover on a drop.”

Without even looking behind you, you knew that Jake and Charles turned towards each other with their stupid little grins on their faces showing the pure excitement going through their mind of having the chance of coming up with some undercover identity’s for a drug bust, but-

“Diaz and (L/n) you too will be our dealers for this case.” Holt said erupting a gasp from Jake and Charles.

“Captain! Why would you choose Rosa and (Y/n) out of me and Charles!” Jake pouted out.

“Actually it’s Charles and I” You turned around to fix Jake’s grammar.

Jake just looked at you a little weird and you were just a little confused on why he was, so you just turned back around.

“What are you another Amy?” Jake said under his breath.

You tensed just a little and then relaxed choosing to just focus on the rest of the meeting as Captain Holt was giving off instructions for the drop that was going to happen on Thursday in a hotel.

“Everyone is dismissed now, go do your jobs and keep Brooklyn safe.” Holt said, closing the meeting.

Everyone got up from their seats going their separate ways. As you got up from your seat you turned around to try and talk with Jake about that passing comment about being another Amy. There was nothing wrong with Amy, she was a sweet, kind lady even though she’s barely in the bullpen where you are stationed because you took her spot and became Jake’s new partner, but that’s not the point. You just want to make sure that Jake isn’t angry with you in any way because you guys are partners for most cases so to have any type of bad blood towards each other whether it be a tiny thing or a big problem it’s always good to clear it as soon as possible. 

When you turned around, Jake wasn’t there so you guessed he was back at his desk working on some paperwork for one of his cases. As you were walking back to your desk that was Amy’s desk before you, you turned to look at the Captain’s office real quick and noticed that you saw Jake in there talking with Holt, throwing his arms about like he was trying to argue a point that didn’t seem like it was going to land anywhere, and with Holt sometimes they don’t land.

So you got a little curious and walked up to Gina’s desk where she was just texting on her phone, or was on twitter (sidenote: Gina’s tweets are so random, but they bring you some type of entertainment to your life).

“Hey Gina what’s happening?” You asked, stopping to the right of her desk, the side that was closest to Holt’s door which was currently closed.

“Oh yea I’m just having twitter beef with some random person from Florida arguing about the rights of endangered animals, you know those types of Florida people.” Gina replied mindlessly not looking up from her phone, just smiling to herself at this new development in her life.

You just cocked your head to the left out of questioning if you want to look into this twitter beef later and also because you're trying to see if that angle will allow for you to hear Jake and Captain Holt’s conversation. You weren’t able to really hear anything so you just decided to go back to your desk and do some work for the meantime.

After about 20 minutes of you doing desk work you finally see Jake walking over to his desk out of the corner of your eye. You looked up when you heard Jake sigh out as he sat down looking glum for some reason.

“Hey, Jake are you okay?” You asked him quietly not wanting to try and draw unwanted attention towards you both. 

Jake just looked up from his desk towards you. He looked sad and tired, you wonder if it has to do with the fact that he wasn’t chosen for the undercover cases, Jake always loved a chance to come up with a new identity.

“Are you a little upset about the case? Honestly I would be fine if you were on the case rather than me. I’m not the best on undercover drops, I get nervous.” You started to ramble out, stopping when you noticed that Jake obviously didn’t care what you had to say that the moment.

You just sighed to yourself and went back to doing your work; getting paperwork in order, getting evidence ready for a court case, talking with Rosa about the drop on Thursday.

As you were talking about the drop your eyes slightly looked towards Jake who was just doing paperwork at the moment and his face kinda just looked...blank?

“Hey Rosa, does Jake usually act like this when he isn’t assigned a certain case he hoped to work?” You whispered to Rosa.

Rosa looked up from the case information in your hands and looked towards Jake and then she took a quick glance at you.

“Eh, it’s Jake. He’s sometimes still childish with his work.” Rosa just said.

You just nodded slowly and decided it was none on your business anyway.

...

Wednesday 9:05am; Bullpen

“Hey Jake, hey Charles.” You greeted your partner and friend as you walked to your desk.

Jake looked like he was in less of a mood, so that’s all that kinda mattered in your books.

“Hey (Y/n) nervous for the drop tomorrow?” Charles asked you, turning around in the seat that was placed next to Jake’s desk.

“A little, but I’m also excited at the same time. The precinct that I last worked at wasn’t the best place and also I was always given crappy cases, so this is going to be good.” You exclaimed, smiling to yourself.

“Well we just know it’s going to go great, don’t we Jake.” Charles said trying to bring his friend into the conversation since he was being so quiet. 

Jake was just kinda looking at you, it looked like he zoned out or something his face was...blank. You kinda just looked at him back taking in his facial features. He always just had a kind smile whenever you saw it, it’s barely pointed towards you though so it always brightens your day when you get just a small glimpse of it. 

You wish it was pointed towards you everyday.

“-I mean Sarge is always going on about his yogurt.” You heard Charles’s voice causing you to snap out of your thoughts.

When you were brought back to Earth you saw that Jake was gone from his desk leaving you with Charles rambling about Sarge and his yogurt.

“Hey Charles where did Jake go too?”

…

Charles said Jake was in the evidence room so that’s where you went to go looking for him.

“Oh hey I was looking for you.” You stated as you saw Jake’s back.

No you weren’t stalking Jake, you just have been wanting to talk with him and every time you try and start a conversation something would randomly come up stopping you in the process.

“Oh hey (Y/n).” Was all Jake said to you when he turned around to see who came into the evidence room.

You just cocked your head a little to your right wondering why Jake was kinda just being weird around you.

When you came to the 99 Jake was acting completely civil and his normal goofy self, but lately he's kinda just been a little reserved you could say, but it was just around you which annoyed you to death.

“Hey Jake I was just wondering if I did something to bother you these past few weeks. If it's just my mere presence then I’m sorry about that, but I’m not just gonna leave the 99 because-”

“Woah, (Y/n). No it has nothing to do with your presence; I like having you around. You're one of my new friends here, it's just with this drug bust I’m scared something could happen to you.” Jake said quietly, but you were able to catch the very last bit causing a slight blushing on your cheeks.

You were looking at Jake as he was looking towards the ground finding his shoes very interesting, when you noticed his head was coming back to your level you glanced to the floor real fast.

‘What am I, a school girl confronting her crush?...Actually that could be what is happening.’ you thought to yourself as you were staring at the floor.

You brought your head back up to meet Jake’s eyes.

“Well thank you for your concern Jake, but this is our job and if something bad happens then at least I was just doing my job to try and clean the streets of Brooklyn.” You said timidly with a shaky smile on your face.

Jake was just staring at you, his eyes darting everywhere over your face almost like he was trying to take in certain details and remember your face in this moment. It looked like Jake was about to say because he looked slightly hesitant.

“Um (Y/n) I just want to say-” and then the door opens bringing in Charles.

Charles was looking between you and Jake with a weird look on his face, but then again Charles is just a different kind of guy so you don’t try and pay much mind to it. 

Since you finally got to talk with Jake you see that you should leave now and probably talk with Holt, going over the plan for tomorrow.

“Well thanks for the talk Jake, I’m gonna go and talk with Captain Holt about the bust tomorrow to make sure everything is all good, so I’ll see you later. Bye Charles.” You said as you walked past him waving both Jake and Charles good bye.

…

Thursday 8:40pm; getting into position

“So...what was going on with you and (Y/n) yesterday in the evidence room.” Charles singed, wiggling his eyebrows at Jake.

Jake just pulled a creeped out face, because this was something Charles does most of the time when he opens his mouth. Jake just stayed silent in the driver's seat of his car looking forward towards the building where the bust was going down. 

“So Charles, how's your life going.” Jake blurted out wanting to avoid talking about himself.

Obviously Charles didn’t notice so he just went on a rambling spree about random things going on in his life at the moment.

Jake just started to slowly zone out because he knew whatever Charles was saying he would rather not know about it.

…

10pm

“Man this is taking forever.” Jake sighed out.

It’s been probably almost two hours of just sitting in the car with Charles going on different tangents about something random. Jake was just hoping that nothing bad was happening, as long as there weren't any type of radio calls. 

It seemed like it was going fine until…

BANG

“All units go in! Now!” Captain Holt’s voice sounded through the coms yelling at everyone to rush towards the building where loud gunshots were heard.

Jake’s anxiety spiked, worried that something happened to either you or Rosa, two of his friends and one that was starting to be just a little more.

Jake and Charles ran towards the doors of the building, the same ones that you entered just a while ago doing your job.

Jake and Charles held their guns up, sweeping the perimeter for drug dealers with weapons. Jake told Charles to split up to sweep the building faster, so Jake went right and Charles went left.

As Jake got to one room he started to hear loud gasps, almost like someone was trying to catch their breath. As Jake walked further in, he saw that there was a body on the floor with crimson liquid spilling around them. 

Jake ran to the person, dropping to the floor on his knees and turning them over so he was able to see their face; and when he saw your face draining of color his heart dropped to his stomach.

“(Y/n)...hey (Y/n) come on, stay awake for me; You’re gonna be okay.” Jake whispered close to your face making sure your breathing was still there.

Your breaths were coming in shallow not wanting to waste what little energy you had left at the moment. You turned your head slightly, leaning into Jake’s body wanting to feel his body warmth since yours was dropping fast causing you to shutter. Blood was spilling from the corner of your mouth staining the path red.

“Jake...Jake please don’t leave me.” You whispered out with a glimpse of fear coming forward.

Jake just quietly shushed you telling you everything was going to be okay, just slowly petting your hair.

He cupped your face making you keep your focus on him and only him at this moment.

“(Y/n), look at me. Everything is going to okay, the ambulance is coming and they are going to take you to the hospital and fix you up. Nothing bad is going to happen.” Jake choked out.

You smiled at Jake, feeling the tears spill out of your eyes causing a choking feeling to get stuck in your throat.

“I’m really happy that you’re my partner Jake.” You whispered to him, feeling your eyes become heavy.

Jake must have noticed the way your eyes were dropping that he needed to keep you awake because he started to shake you and call out your name, but everything just started to sound like you were underwater.

…

Friday 8am; The Hospital

The beeping of machines slowly brought you out of your deep slumber. Your eyes felt like they weigh 100 pounds causing you to strain a bit just trying to pry them open. They also just felt gross, you probably had eye boogers and maybe tear stains on your face from when you were crying in Jake’s lap.

Slowly, but surely you were able to get your eyes to open up to the fluorescent lighting of your hospital room. You moved your head around to look around your small hospital room and when you looked toward the door you saw that someone was sitting in the one chair close to you. 

“Jake.” You called out, but your voice was basically gone, just a tiny squeak came from your throat. 

Jake was asleep in the chair, which probably wasn’t very comfortable especially with the weird position that he was in. You saw that he was close enough that you could probably poke him or something to grab his attention. You were moving your fingers very slowly so as to not bring any unwanted pain to your body.

As you slowly go, your fingers moving to grab onto just a bit of Jake’s shirt to tug it; you moved a bit too far or fast it didn’t matter to you all you knew was that a white hot pain shot through your body causing you to cry out in pain.

Jake probably heard your cry because you felt his hand on your shoulder asking what happened.

“I was trying to grab your attention, probably just moved too much.” You spoke out.

You looked up and saw that Jake was just staring at with a slight smirk to his mouth. His eyes looked like they had tiny stars in them with the way they twinkled across your facial features. You moved your left arm up slowly allowing for you to rest your hand on his cheek, moving your thumb back and forward over his smooth skin.

“Thank you...for saving me back there.” You croaked out of your dried throat.

Jake smiles down at you, moving his right hand to be placed on top of yours.

It’s finally pointed towards me for once.

“No need to thank me (Y/n); I’m your partner after all.” Jake stated without any hesitation.

Partner

That one word caused you to be brought back to reality; making you tense for a moment, but long enough for Jake to notice.

“Um...where is everyone else?”

“Oh, um they’re at the station right now. I came here first before stopping at work. I wanted to make sure that you were okay and awake, and since you are I should probably go to the Captain so that way everyone else can stop by.” Jake spoke, starting to back away, causing your hand to slip away and fall back on your bed.

“Okay well, I hope to see you again soon Jake...at the precinct.” You replied startled.

Jake grabbed his jacket from the chair putting it on and walked towards the door of your room until he stopped and turned around looking at you.

“Um...I’ll make sure to come by after work to see how you're feeling; if you're okay with that.” Jake asked you.

You smiled to yourself, having to resist a full blown grin splitting your face.

“Yea, that works for me!” You almost shouted.

[ericsonclan]

How to Trick a Ghost

Summary: Sophie and Minnie work to set up a surprise birthday party for Tenn but how do you hide a party from a ghost?

Word Count: 1819

Read on AO3:

Minnie looked at all the party supplies, her talons clicking impatiently against the floor. She wanted to start decorating already but Sophie told her to wait. With a small huff Minnie sat on the floor and started to build a nest out of some party streamers. It was actually pretty comfy. She burrowed into the copious amount of party streamers, happy chirps and tweets leaving her lips as she closed her eyes.

Suddenly the sound of fluttering wings appeared along with Sophie carrying a tower of party hats on her head and a mannequin with her talons. “Mission successful,” Sophie grinned as she dove down and did a clumsy landing. The harpy quickly redirected her course though and fell to the ground with a bit more grace.

“Tenn is distracted?” Minnie poked her head out of her nest, a blue streamer draped over her head.

“Yep! He sure does love my art box!” Sophie fluffed up her feathers with pride then glanced over at Minnie. “Uh, Minnie, those are supposed to be draped on the walls, not your face,”

“I know that!” Minnie gave an embarrassed chirp. “I was just trying to guard and hide them in case Tenn showed up. Y’know ghosts, they can just zoom through walls like it’s no big deal,”

“True, true. Well he’s gonna be busy for a while. As soon as I let him use my art box his eyes got all big and shiny,” Sophie smiled, picking up some streamers and flying up to place them with her talons. “He possessed a colored pencil right away and I swear I’ve never seen a pencil race that fast across a piece of paper,” Sophie gave a pleased tweet and a twitter at the recent memory when she paused, her head tilted slightly to the side. What was she forgetting?

After a moment her eyes grew large. “I forgot the tape! I’ll be right back!” Not waiting a second the harpy was off, zipping through the house like it was nothing. She searched all around the front living room, then the dining room table. Nope, not there. Sophie tapped her talon against the floor, unsure where to look when she recalled that there was some tape in her room. The harpy was off like a shot once more and it wasn’t until she had already opened the door that she remembered that Tenn was in there. The loud sound startled the ghost who slipped out of the pencil, his form turning a bit fuzzy due to being spooked.

“Oops, sorry,” Sophie gave a small series of apologetic chirps and walked forward. “Just gotta grab some tape to-” She paused, catching herself before spilling the beans on the surprise birthday party her and Minnie were throwing for Tenn. “Fix my backpack?”

“Your backpack?” Tenn quirked an eyebrow, unsure what his sister even meant.

“Yep! It’s a harpy thing!” Sophie snatched up the roll of tape. “Anyways, whatcha drawing?”

Her question was answered by Tenn possessing the piece of paper and moving away. After a moment he poked his form out of the object.

“Sorry, it's just...” The ghost couldn’t think of an excuse that wouldn’t give away what he was drawing.

“It’s okay, I don’t have to see it if you don’t want me to,”

“You can see it, just not yet,” Tenn fidgeted with his fingers, the edges of his ghostly form twirling in the air.

“Okay!” Sophie grinned then reached forward and tried to ruffle her brother’s hair but her hand phased through. “Damn it, keep forgetting. Alright, I’ll leave you to it then!” Sophie gave one more smile then flew out of the room. Tenn waited a few moments then quickly returned to possessing the colored pencils; immediately the red pencil went to work.

Minnie was in the middle of blowing up a balloon when her twin reappeared.

“I’m back!”

Sophie’s voice caused the harpy to inhale sharply, choking on air. Minnie made a weird face, little odd twitters and chirps leaving her lips as she tried to clear her throat. Sophie zoomed forward and whacked Minnie’s back with a hearty hit, helping her catch her breath. Minnie gave her sister an annoyed look and Sophie gave a nervous laugh.

“Oops, sorry about that. So, whatcha working on?” Sophie poked her head over her twin’s shoulder and noticed the ghost-shaped balloons.

“I thought Tenn would like it,” Minnie looked down shyly.

“He totally will! Alright, I got the tape so we can get started!” Sophie flew a few circles in the air to burn off some of her excitement then got to work putting up streamers. The twins worked hard on the decorations as they spoke about the party, both of them buzzing on the anticipation of their brother’s face when he saw the party. After a little while though Sophie paused. “Wait, what if he sees this early?”

Those words worried Minnie, her mind spiraling for a moment. “Salt!”

“Right! Genius move, salt repels ghosts,” Sophie disappeared and returned moments later, a happy, proud smile on her lips as she showed the container of salt. “Let's get this circle made!”

“Sophie?”

“Yes, Minnie?” Sophie smiled over at her twin.

“Why the hell did you make the circle so small?” Minnie gestured to the tiny circle that barely encircled her.

“We didn’t have enough salt for the room so I thought I’d focus on just us...”

“The salt doesn’t make us invisible though and Tenn would still see all the decorations,”

Minnie’s words made Sophie realize her mistake.

“Oh shit. Well, ummm,” Sophie shrugged. “Oh well, he definitely can’t reach you now. Anyways, can I get on your shoulders? My arms hurt but I still need to put up the banner,” Minnie sighed “Fine,”

Sophie beamed at those words. Soon the twins were back at it with decorating until the next question popped up in Sophie’s mind.

“Minnie, what did we buy for party food?”

“Ghost peppers,”

Sophie blinked at that answer. “Those are super hot. They’re gonna burn our mouths off.”

“Yeah, but I don't know, I thought maybe ghosts could eat them because, y’know, the name,”

Sophie stifled a laugh. The action made a frown appear on Minnie’s lips as her feathers ruffled in embarrassment.

“Maybe we should’ve made some boo-loney sandwiches too. Oh! Oh! Or maybe we can bake some boo-berry pie,” Sophie devolved into a fit of laughter and fell onto the floor, tears in her eyes as wheezy chirps left her lips.

Minnie’s frown remained; her feathers were extremely ruffled. “Whatever, I know you’re a dumbass too.”

Sophie kept laughing for another few seconds then got up to her feet. “Okay, okay, yes, I am a dumbass but at least it wasn’t about ghost peppers,” Sophie smiled and felt Minnie nudge her side. “Anyways, back to decorating,” Sophie strolled over to get the mannequin but soon paused. “But first, one more joke. What does a ghost order at an Italian restaurant?” “I don’t know, what?” Minnie asked but then immediately figured it out and answered at the same time her twin did.

“Spook-ghetti!”

The sisters smiled, sharing a quick laugh and in that moment all was forgiven and they worked to get the mannequin to look snazzy so that Tenn would look great at his party. Sophie threw on a feather boa and Minnie tossed on a pair of birthday sunglasses. After that was done the twins looked around at their great decorating skills then shared a fist bump. It was time to get Tenn.

“Just close your eyes and hover over this way,” Minnie guided her younger brother who was absolutely confused. He was currently floating about inside his artwork since he wanted to show it to his sisters. After a while though he slipped out of the item when Minnie said to open his eyes. Slowly opening them, his mouth went ajar as he took in the sight of the room. Streamers of blue and purple covered the walls and cute cartoon ghost balloons floated nearby. On a table there were ghost peppers, some bottles with flavored mist labeled ghost water and a cake with beautiful unicorns on it. Next to the cake was way too many presents for two harpies to afford or for a ghost to own. Beside the table was a mannequin with a pink feather boa and birthday sunglasses with a name tag that said: Hi, my name is Tenn, a 10/10 brother.

“So, like it?” Sophie leaned forward, her talons anxiously scratching on the floor. Minnie seemed just as nervous; her eyes had taken a more panicked anticipation.

“Like it?” Tenn managed, his voice soft. “I love it! This is amazing!” He gave one of the biggest smiles that the twins had ever seen. The two of them crowed with joy and fist bumped again as Tenn started to float up higher in the air without meaning to. He was always this way whenever his happiness was too much for his small ghost form to contain.

Tenn was so caught up in his happiness that he was halfway through the ceiling when he snapped out of it at the sound of Sophie’s curious chirping. Glancing down, he noticed that she had found the art. In an instant he flew through the air and hovered over it.

“I wanted to surprise you two with a drawing,” Tenn fidgeted with his fingers as his sister studied the art. It was all three of them standing in front of their house. Sophie had a paint brush and easel and was flying in the air while Minnie was busy playing a song on her guitar while Tenn hovered in the air above them with a smile.

Minnie and Sophie were silent for a few seconds.

“Holy shit, this is...” Minnie looked up at her brother with the happiest smile, “Fucking amazing!”

“Yeah! It's so cool and cute! I love it!” Sophie tried to tackle her brother with a hug but phased through. “Oh shit,” The harpy whispered as she realized her mistake too late before crashing on the floor.

“Soph, you okay?” Tenn’s ghost form flew over his sister.

“Yep!” Sophie gave a thumbs up.

Tenn gave a relieved smile at that. “Oh, I can possess the mannequin, then you get your hug,”

Sophie and Minnie both gave happy twitters at that and soon Tenn dove down, possessing the mannequin. The twins instantly flew forward and wrapped their arms around it, the closest form of Tenn they could touch.

“Happy birthday, Tenn,” Minnie gave a soft smile at her brother.

“Yeah! Happy birthday! You’re thirty three!”

Tenn gave a small sigh. Even if the fire happened around twenty years ago he felt closer to the age he had become as a ghost. “Thanks,” Tenn felt an overwhelming warmth take over his heart. He couldn’t wait to celebrate his first birthday as a ghost.

[abbacchiosbelt]

here, it’s 3 AM and i’m feeling wild so have a 10k word unfinished fic. key word is UNFINISHED, so don’t go in expecting a proofread work. some things will literally just say ‘ADD MORE’, lmao, but i thought i’d share this because i did put a lot of work into it, i just don’t think i’ll ever finish it...

it’s Goro Akechi / F!Reader. rated M for violence, some sexual content, and unhealthy relationships. i have not finished P5R and it wasn’t even out when i was playing this, so... yeah. with that in hand, enjoy i guess

Cancelled WIP [Goro Akechi x F! Reader ] 10k words, not proofed and not complete.

A familiar and delicious aroma filled the air as you entered Café Leblanc. Ren nodded at you from behind the counter as you walked in, hastily working to whip up several different blends of coffee. It was a lazy Sunday morning, and the ex-Phantom Thieves had decided to have a chill day, as Ryuji affectionately called it. An opportunity to spend time together was rare. Even if it just meant relaxing, being together would be worth it.

Ryuji and Futaba were already there. Futaba was tucked away in her usual corner, typing away at her laptop. She gave you a short wave from behind the screen. Evidently Ryuji had spent the night, still clad in a pair of pajamas while he flipped through a manga. He lifted his hand for a high-five as you took a seat next to him at the counter, which you gladly obliged. Morgana popped his head up from the seat next to you and stretched. You reached a hand over and gave him a chin scratch, eliciting a purr from him.

Between purrs, he spoke. “This still doesn’t mean I’m a cat.” “Yeah, yeah…” you replied, giving him one final pat. Morgana seemed satisfied and curled back up, keeping his head titled towards the door. “Morning.” Ren said, sliding a cup of coffee in front of you. You closed your eyes for a moment and leaned your head down, taking in the aroma. Perfection. You took a sip and grinned. “This is perfect. As always.” You took another sip of the perfectly iced coffee, which was sweet with a slight hint of bitterness. Just how you liked it. “You and Ryuji are the only ones who take it iced, so I’m glad I could perfect it.” Ren said. “Of course you could. Don’t tell anyone, but I think you make it better than Sojiro.” You winked in response and Akira chuckled. “Plus, you like us the best.” Ren laughed again before moving back down the counter to continue working on making coffee for the rest of your friends. Yusuke arrived next, a sketch book tucked neatly underneath his arm. He sat at the end of the counter and surveyed the scene for a moment.  

“Ryuji,” he stated, opening up his sketchbook. “Don’t move. You don’t move either.” Yusuke said, pointing at you. You pointed at yourself, looking confused.

“I’d like to get a sketch of all of you today.” Yusuke replied, eyes already flitting back and forth between the sketchbook and the scene in front of him. “Hm, looks like I’ll have Morgana too. Ren will have to be later…” His voice trailed off and you could tell he was already in his own world. There was nothing else to do, so you intended to stay still for Yusuke’s sake.

A moment later Haru and Makoto arrived, arms linked together. They looked happy. They were the first of the Phantom Thieves to pair off, though you had noticed their glances and subtle hints of affection before they would admit to it.  You had seen the same actions between Ryuji and Ren, though they were much more coy about it.

You were snapped out of your thoughts by Ann bursting through the door shortly after, arms stacked full of all sorts of sweet tweets.

“Can I get some help?” Ann cried out as a box of sweets wobbled on top of the stack. You jumped out of your seat to help, eliciting a loud groan from Yusuke and a snicker from Ren and Ryuji in the corner. You helped Ann set the sweets down and she gave you a quick hug before heading to the end of the counter to sit with Makoto and Haru.

“Sorry, Yusuke…” You mumbled, and he waved his hand in the air.

“No matter, I can start a new one. Would you care to sit there again?” He said, flipping to a new page. You nodded in response, ready to head back over before the door chimed again. You felt your heart jump. Akechi was invited today, of course, but he often showed up late. He looked nervous as he walked in the door. There was a noticeable silence before Ren finally broke it.

“Glad you’re here, Akechi.” Ren said, nodding towards him. The rest of the group greeted him as well, and you could see the tension drop from his shoulders. Akechi’s face lit up when he saw you, his stride quick as he made his way to greet you. Out of sight of the others, he lightly grazed your hand. You smiled at the affection.

“Sorry again Yusuke, but I think we’re going to sit in a booth for now.” You said sheepishly, feeling guilty about stopping his progress again.

“That’s quite all right. I think I’ve got a new idea anyways.” Yusuke replied, not taking his eyes of his sketchbook. You could tell he wasn’t angry, but you still felt bad. Akechi’s light touch on your hand again brought you out of your thought. You picked the booth closest to the stairs to sit together, Ren and Ryuji not far from the two of you. Ren gave you a curious look when he noticed Akechi was sitting on the same side of the booth as you, your face flushing. He had always known about the two of you. He was too observant sometimes.

You turned your focus away from Ren’s gaze and towards Akechi.

“I’m glad you decided to come today.” You said, smiling at him. He smiled in return, and you felt his hand lightly graze your thigh. Much to your surprise, he kept it there, fingers light against your leg. You were no stranger to affection from him, but he was usually reserved in the presence of others.

“I’m glad as well. I wanted to talk to you about something later…” Akechi said, his face turned towards you. It often seemed like he was in his own world. “Privately. But we can spend time here now, of course.”

“Sure.” You said, glancing over at Ren again. He had returned to making coffee for everyone, but you saw him give you a smirk. You stuck your tongue out at him and you saw him laugh as he turned away. You turned your attention back to Akechi, who hadn’t said anything more.

Akechi’s fingers began to tap out a rhythmic pattern on your leg under the table. Akechi was more nervous than usual today. You reached your hand beneath the table and wrapped your hand around his, giving it a light squeeze. He seemed to visibly relax next to you.

Sometimes you wished that he was more open with his affection. Before his change of heart, he had been possessive, desperate for your affection and attention. Akechi was careful now, treating you as if you were a precious treasure that could break any moment. Still, he made his affection known. A knowing glance. A whisper so quiet you could barely hear it. His fingers ghosting across your back. They were moments you cherished. Moments that you wanted, needed, more of. Stripped away from his charismatic persona was someone who was hesitant but wished so deeply to be loved. To be needed. The past few months with him had been wonderful, but things hadn’t always been easy.

[ It had been months since the Phantom Thieves had succeeded in their goal of saving the hearts of the public. To most, you were just a regular college student traveling the world. To those closest to you, you were an ex member of the Phantom Thieves. After stumbling your way (happily) into the group, your life had changed.

Goro Akechi was one of those changes. You had found something special with him – a bond so deep that you found it impossible to live without him. A bond so deep that even his betrayal against you and your friends hadn’t been able to split you apart. A bond so deep that he couldn’t swallow his betrayal, leaving him to break away from the bonds of his old life to return to you. And yet, the bond was frayed now, in desperate need of repair.

That’s how you ended up back at your apartment, Akechi standing nervously in your doorway after stopping you on your way back from class. It was a bit intimate, your bedroom and living room being the same area. It wasn’t new to you two – but it felt as if he was afraid to cross that boundary now. Your communication had been limited since the disbandment. You were afraid of being broken again, and he was terrified to lose you.  

Akechi eventually came in and settled at one of the seats on your kitchen island. You noticed he was tapping his fingers on the counter.

“I have a question for you.” Akechi finally stated. You plopped down on one of the chairs in your living room, giving him a pointed look. “A question?” You repeated. He nodded before continuing.

“Do you trust me?” Akechi said, eye contact unbreaking. He was intense, as always.

You didn’t want to lie. It’s not that you didn’t want to trust him… but he had attempted to betray all of you before his heart got the better of him. It wasn’t a simple thing to forgive. He carried sins on his back that he would spend his whole life atoning for. And yet, if Haru had managed to forgive him for ruining her father’s life, the rest of the thieves knew they should try too. Your feelings for him made it even harder. You knew better than anyone not to give it away yet.

“No.”

He let out a sigh in response, pushing his hand through his hair. “I suspected as much.”

It wasn’t easy to reject him like this. The moments you had shared, still tender in your mind. The way he smiled at you. The way he looked at you with such adoration. The way he had broken your heart. The moments you had shared together bonded you for life. Akechi’s reveal, and subsequent change of heart made you wary. You weren’t sure how to begin trusting him again. And yet, you still loved him so deeply that you couldn’t imagine life without him.

“But that doesn’t mean I’m incapable.” You said. Akechi looked surprised. “Of trusting you, I mean.”

He didn’t say anything in response, choosing to look down at his hands instead. His fingers were still tapping.

“Let’s start over.” You got up as you spoke and crossed the short distance, stepping in front of him. You put your hand out. “Nice to meet you, Goro Akechi.”

He looked startled. You watched him hesitate, unsure of whether he should touch you. He paused for another moment before reaching his hand out and grasping yours. You had missed his touch, and by the look on his face, he had missed yours as well.  

“Nice to meet you too.” He said quietly, letting go of your hand. You smiled.

It was a start. ]

“Goro,” You said softly, squeezing his hand again. “Are you okay?”

He paused before responding, his thumb brushing against your hand while he thought. “I am... I’m just troubled by my thoughts today.”

You squeezed his hand again. Akechi often had unwelcome thoughts, as you had quickly learned. He was conditioned to be that way – to automatically assume the worst. To assume that no one loved him or cared for him.

“I love you, Goro.” You said, leaning into him. He relaxed into your side and placed a chaste kiss on your head.

“Do you want to talk about it?” You asked.

“Ah, I’m okay. Besides,” Akechi said, giving you a small smile. “We’re here to enjoy ourselves, hm?”

“If you’re sure.” You replied, smiling back at him. It was hard to get him to open up. He was guarded – your questions always deflected easily with his signature smile. When you had learned the truth from the mouth of the cognitive Akechi, you understood why he hidden himself away. When the two of you had begun your relationship, officially this time, he finally let his walls down.  

[ The first time you went on a date with Akechi, you made a trip to Odaiba Seaside Park. It had been raining on and off, so you figured it’d be a quiet day. With the events of the past still fresh, you wanted to keep things simple.

Akechi had always seemed different with you. His voice was soft and sweet, free of anxieties. When he was with you, he took off the mask. It was a subtle change, but one you’d begun to pick up on. Before, he had hidden so much from you, his secrets and pain pulling him away from life. Now was a chance for both of you to start over, to experience each other as a whole.  

The day had started off pleasant – a peaceful walk down the boardwalk with plenty of conversation. You could tell he was feeling at ease, and you were too.

As the sun began to go down, you and Akechi had decided to grab a bite to eat. The only stand still open was serving ice cream, which delighted you. After grabbing your cones, you made your way back down the boardwalk, hoping to find somewhere to sit. Akechi had started another conversation while you walked.

“Are you enjoying it?” He said, smiling at you.

“It’s delicious!” You replied, grinning at him.

Before you could ask him the same, a loud voice interrupted you.

“Oi, aren’t you that shitty detective?”

You looked up to see a group of people, now leering in your and Akechi’s direction. You looked to Akechi, his face still unchanged, but hand gripping his ice cream cone harder.

“Yes. Can I help you with something?” Akechi replied, his voice sharp. It was a stark contrast from his voice with you.

“We’re just wondering why you think it’s okay to show your face around here.” One of the young women in the group said, stepping closer to the two of you. “You’re real fucked up!”

You reached out to grip Akechi’s hand, tugging it gently. He didn’t move.

One of the men piped up next. “Yeah, and now you’ve tricked this dumb little bitch too! She must be real stupid to be with you.”

“Don’t you dare talk about her.” Akechi said, breaking free of your hand and taking a step forward. His face was contorted, eyes angry.

The group laughed, and Akechi tensed. Another member of the group spoke up. “What are you gonna do, little boy detective? You don’t know how to do anything!”

You watched Akechi’s hand ball into a fist. You took another step towards him, and glared at the group.

“Just leave. Please.” You said, trying to be polite, though you wanted to scream at them. You had hoped it would make them go away faster.

One of the women laughed. “Oooh, can’t even defend himself, he’s got his little girlfriend to stand up for him instead!”

“Why don’t you come with us, baby? We’re a lot of fun!” One of the men said. You could feel Akechi shaking now, trying to control his anger. You didn’t know what to do.

“L-let’s just leave, Goro.” You said, tugging at his shirt. He hesitated before he turned back to you, his face still laced with anger. The group leered and chanted at you, but thankfully they didn’t follow as you walked further down the boardwalk.

Akechi was silent as you walked, and you weren’t sure quite what to say either. You found a more secluded area and led him to it, turning to face him.

“Goro? Are you okay?” You said.

Akechi’s hands were shaking. “You think I’m weak. A coward.”

He kept his eyes downcast, nor daring to look at you.

“That’s not true.”

“But I couldn’t even say anything.” He replied, still looking away from you. “I’ve ruined things. This whole day.”

“Goro, please. It’s okay. Talk to me.” You said. He was still looking away.

You took a step towards him and he looked up at you, his eyes watery. “I failed you. Again. And I’m going to keep failing you, and you’ll leave like all the rest, and I’ll be miserable just like I deserve.”

“Goro…” You said softly. “Can I hug you?”

He paused for a moment. In times like these, he was usually berated or screamed at, told that he was better off not being in this world. But you had changed things for him, responding to his bursts of emotion with kindness and care.

He nodded, and you stepped forward, wrapping your arms around him. He was taller than you, but you felt him crumple in your touch, his face buried in your neck. You felt him shaking in your touch, his hands gripping the back of your shirt tightly.

“Shh… It’s okay.” You said. You were glad no one seemed to be around. The intimacy of this moment was something to be cherished. “You have me, Goro. I’m not going anywhere.”

You heard a sob choke out of him, muffled by your shoulder. He was still shaking. You led him to bench behind you.

“Let’s sit down for a minute, okay?” You said quietly. He nodded, and the two of you made your way to the bench and sat down. Akechi had been hesitant to touch you, afraid to let himself feel comfort.

“We could… We could still be close to each other?” Akechi said, sounding very unsure. You weren’t even sure if he asked a question. “If that’s okay…”

“Of course.” You replied, scooting next to him. His body was still shaking. You felt him slowly put his arm out, hesitating to wrap it around you. You looked up to find him studying your face. His eyes were still puffy, but the tears had stopped. “Do you want to talk more?”

He wrapped his arm around you. His touch was still light, but it made you happy. “Not right now. It’s just… you just look very nice right now. You’re just calming to look at.”

It was your turn to blush. You laid your head on his shoulder and heard him take a sharp intake of breath.

“Ah, I’m sorry Goro, I did that without thinking.” You said, quickly lifting your head. He was still looking at you.

“No, please… It felt nice.” Akechi said. “It’s just… I’ve missed you. So much.”

You laid your head back down and felt him squeeze his arm around you tighter. He leaned his head down towards yours.

“I don’t want to lose you again.” He said, lips lightly brushing your forehead. “Let’s stay like this. Just for a bit.”

You stayed there for an hour, bodies comfortably pressed together, silent. You didn’t have to use words to know that the both of you were making up for lost time. ]

Since that day at the park, you had made an effort to always communicate with him. To really understand how he was feeling, and to help him as best as you could. You couldn’t fix a person. No, that wasn’t possible. But you were doing your best to help guide Akechi through life now, encouraging him to seek help and begin healing.

“Are you okay?” Akechi said, startling you. You had been lost in your own thoughts.

“Just thinking about you.” You replied, leaning over to whisper in his ear. “And how much I want to kiss you.”

Akechi’s cheeks turned pink. He still became flustered from praise and affection, having gone so long in his life without it. You delighted in making him happy.

You wanted to fluster him more, but an exclamation from Futaba interrupted you.

“It’s movie time!” She said, picking up her laptop triumphantly.

“Wait, we’re not watching it on that, are we?” Ann said. Futaba had a fancy gaming laptop, but the screen was too small for all ten of you.

“No, no, Ren has a fancy surprise upstairs for us.” Futaba replied. Ren just hummed in agreement before taking his apron off, having finished making drinks for the group. Futaba rushed ahead of you, Morgana trailing right behind her. The rest of the group followed suit, leaving you and Akechi to follow behind. Akechi reluctantly let go of your hand and got up, but extended it again to help you up.

“Why thank you, my prince.” You said, giggling and taking his hand.

“Anything for my princess.” He replied, stifling his own laugh. It was silly, but you two had found pleasure in calling each other pet names.

When you reached Ren’s room you were surprised to see the changes – twinkle lights adorned all the rafters, and what used to be an old CRT had been replaced by a large flat screen TV. There was some sort of blanket pile set up in the middle, most of your friends already sprawled out. A salt rock was letting off a gentle glow in the corner.

“Wow, Ren, this looks nice!” You said. Ren shrugged, but you saw him smile.

“He wanted to make it fancy n’ all for you guys. Both of us pitched in to buy this awesome TV!” Ryuji said, giving Ren a slap on the back. Ren just rolled his eyes, but you could tell he liked the attention. Both of them sat back down together, Ryuji’s arm slinging around Ren’s shoulder. Not so subtle anymore, you thought.

Akechi sat down near the back of the room, patting for you to sit down next to him. You had other ideas as you plopped yourself in-between his legs, resting your back on his chest. You heard him inhale sharply. He leaned his head towards you, lips brushing the top of your ear.

“In front of the others?” He said, resting his lips on your ear.

“Mm. It’s fine with me. Are you okay with it?” You said.

“Y-yes. Very much so.” He replied. You twisted around to look at him and gave him a soft smile.

“It makes me feel safe.” You said. He hummed in satisfaction, snaking his arms around your waist.

Futaba stood at the front of the room and clapped her hands. You were happy that she felt so confident now.

“Alright, it’s time for our feature film. For today’s pick, we’ll be watching ZAW 2!” Futaba said, hitting play on her laptop and scrambling to sit down.

Oh no. You weren’t exactly a fan of horror movies, especially ones with lots of blood and guts. You shifted uncomfortably, already nervous. Akechi gave you a gentle squeeze. He didn’t know about your dislike of horror movies, and now wasn’t the best time to let him know.

The beginning of the movie wasn’t even safe – the screen was immediately filled by the image of a mutilated body and the sound of a loud scream. Why the hell had Futaba picked this movie? You looked around the room, finding some eyes glued to the TV and some joining you in averting their eyes. Makoto was stress-eating some of the chocolate Ann had brought with her. You glanced up and saw Akechi was watching. You didn’t want to ruin the movie for him.

The next scenes were even worse, somehow increasingly violent. You were staring at the floor now, your heart racing. You could have tried to tolerate it if there was a plot, but it just seemed like a cheap movie for shock value. You shifted your body so you could rest some of your face on Akechi’s chest, curling as close to him as possible.

He lifted an arm from your body to reach your head, his hand gently stroking your hair.

“Not a fan?” He whispered. You shook your head. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

It was just a movie, but you felt reassured. He was always so gentle with you, his words never hiding malice behind them. He had always been gentle with you.

[ The first time you realized you and Akechi loved each other involved a grievous injury.

The Phantom Thieves had been in Mementos for most of the day, training and trying out different combinations of party members. Ren and Makoto had come up with an exhaustive list of combinations to try against different enemies, ranking them as they went.

You and Akechi had been in the party together multiple times today, both of you working together quite well. Though you tended to work well with everyone, something just clicked with him. Though the circumstances of his membership to the Phantom Thieves weren’t what you would call ideal, you and Akechi had made fast friends. He was always there to help you out, and you were always there to encourage him, inside and outside of battle.

And though you kept it hidden away from the others, you would often find yourself messaging Akechi late into the night, both of you unable to sleep. On hard days, you’d find him waiting for you after classes with your favorite drink, a dazzling smile on his face. Sometimes you’d even meet up and stroll through the darkness together, talking about whatever came to mind. You wondered if perhaps your bonding outside of battle is what made you two work so well together.

Ren had finally called for the last fight of the day, calling forth the two of you along with Ann. You were exhausted, but you knew everyone else was too. A few minutes later your party encountered a particularly tough group of enemies, Ren immediately calling out orders.

You had been hit a couple times, but not hard enough that you thought you needed healing. Akechi had insisted you heal yourself, but you reminded him of the limited rations the group had left. He reluctantly left the subject alone. The first two enemies went down thanks to Ann and Akechi. The last enemy left was enraged, its attacks suddenly hitting much harder.

“Just a little more!” Ren yelled. You watched as Akechi readied his Persona for a final attack and felt your heart jump when you saw the enemy suddenly rushing him, eyes ablaze.

“CROW!” You screamed, jumping in front of him without a second thought. You felt your body fly back, back slamming into the ground with enough force to crack it. The pain was immediate, searing and all-consuming.

Your vision was hazy, eyes heavy. You tried to move, to raise your hand, but nothing happened. You couldn’t even speak, a low groan leaving your throat instead. Pain bloomed from your chest, warm blood starting to seep from your injury. You tried to move again and your body burned, blood suddenly bursting from your mouth as you coughed.  

You heard screaming, both your teammate’s and the scream of the shadow who had been destroyed. It was getting harder to see. Someone had come to your side, hands fluttering over your body.

“Hurry! HURRY!” You recognized Akechi’s voice, now strained and desperate. Someone else was beside you now, using whatever SP they had left to cast Recarm. You felt arms under you now, lifting you from the destroyed ground and cradling you to their chest.

“Oh god, please hold on. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Akechi said from above you, voice quiet and shaky. You felt something warm hit your face and realized he was crying. Ren quickly set a plan in motion to get you to the team’s doctor quickly, your body needing extra healing after how much damage you had taken. You wanted to reach up, to assure him you’d be okay, but you were weak. You felt your body start to go limp, Akechi’s voice above you again.

“Please, please stay with us—" He was saying more, but all you felt was endless darkness.

-

You woke up, body still aching. You wondered where you were, unfamiliar sounds and smells overwhelming you. It smelled… sterile. Your eyes were still heavy, fluttering as you tried to open them. You blinked, looking down at your body covered in bandages and hooked up to an IV. You remembered the screaming, the crack of your back as you had hit the ground and the feeling of the warm blood that covered your body.

It must have been bad, you thought. None of you had ended up in the hospital yet. Your thoughts were broken by a sudden voice.

“She’s awake!” You recognized Futaba’s voice, looking over to see her and Ren sitting next to your bed.

You tried to sit up, wincing as your body rejected the movement.

“Ah, don’t hurt yourself more! We were so worried.” Futaba said, she and Ren standing from their seats to move closer to you. You heard her sniff, watching as tears ran down her face.

“We thought we lost you.” Ren said, placing his hand over yours gently. You smiled at both of them, grateful they were here.

“I’m going to let everyone know.” Futaba said, digging her phone out of her pocket. Ren was running his thumb over your hand, his eyes downcast. You didn’t have any concerns about the gesture – his feelings for Ryuji were obvious. Instead, he seemed troubled.

“I’m sorry.” Ren said, looking back up at you. “I pushed us too hard.”

You simply looked at him, too tired to speak. You didn’t blame him. You squeezed his hand in response, trying to communicate your feelings. You sighed, your body urging you to go back to sleep.  

“Rest, we’ll be here when you wake up.” His voice was reassuring, his hand still gently touching yours as you closed your eyes and drifted back off to sleep.

You were awoken this time by the sound of bickering.

“Shut up, Ryuji! You’re going to wake her up!”

“You’re going to wake her up with your loud mouth!”

“The both of you, quiet down.”

Ryuji and Ann, you thought. Morgana too. A quiet giggle left your mouth, followed by sudden silence.

You opened your eyes to find all your friends staring at you, eyes wide.

Haru spoke first, rushing to your side and grabbing your hand. “Oh my goodness, it’s so good to see you!”

You smiled at her and gently squeezed her hand back. Makoto joined her, placing her hand on your shoulder.

“We’re so glad you’re okay.” Her voice was soft, not as confident as usual.

“You idiots, you woke her up!” Morgana said, hopping up on the end of your bed. You could hear him purring. “Sorry about those two.”

Ryuji and Ann ignored him, walking over to greet you. Ann reached down to hug you gently and you leaned into her embrace as best you could, happy to see them.

Ryuji looked more awkward, his hand behind his head. “Thought you bit the dust for a minute.”

“Ryuji!” Ann said, standing and smacking him on the back of the head. “Not the time.”

Ryuji grumbled, pushing Ann over to wrap you in a hug. “Oi, she knows I’m joking.”

You weakly laughed and winced slightly under Ryuji’s hug, slightly too tight. Ryuji let go and you saw Yusuke hovering at the end of your bed.

“It’s good to see you’re okay.” He rummaged through a bag for a second, pulling out a small sketchbook. “I’ve worked on some things for you to look at while you recover. I know you’ll enjoy them.”

You smiled at Yusuke’s show of affection. Ren and Futaba were still there too, both of them coming to greet you once more. You heard a soft knock at the door, everyone’s head turning at the noise. Akechi stepped into the frame, his hands clenched tightly. You thought you saw a hint of anger on some of their faces. For what, you weren’t sure.

“Could I… come in?” Akechi said, his voice hesitant.

“Of course.” You replied, your voice hoarse. It was the first time you had spoken since you had woken up. Akechi stepped in, clearing his throat before he spoke again.

“May I have a moment with her? Alone?” He said. You saw Ryuji shoot Ren a look. Ren seemed hesitant, but finally grumbled a noise of approval.

Haru and Makoto reluctantly left your bedside, Haru squeezing your hand one more time. Everyone left the room save for Ren. He turned to look at you, placing his hand on yours again.

“Are you okay with this?” He said, looking intently at you. It felt strange. Why were they acting like this?

You nodded at him and he let go. He went to leave, pausing to look at Akechi. You couldn’t see Ren’s gaze, but the look on Akechi’s face told you it wasn’t friendly. Ren looked back at you one more time before leaving, gently sliding the door shut behind him.

Akechi stared at you for a moment before walking towards the side of your bed, eyes downcast. You eyed him curiously. All of this was so strange.

“Hi.” You said, smiling. He looked up at you, the hint of a smile on his face.

“Hello.” He replied. His hand hovered over yours, unsure. You moved your hand to touch his gloved fingertips, watching as his body relaxed. He laid his hand on the bed, fingertips still carefully pressed against yours.

Akechi was staring at you now.

“Do I have something on my face?” You said, weakly laughing. He didn’t laugh.

“You… I’m… I’m so sorry.” Akechi said quietly. You looked at him and watched as a tear slid down his face.

You were confused. You had no idea what had happened, other than the memory of the pain. “Sorry? What for?”

He looked startled at your response, body stiffening, his fingertips pulling away from yours. You missed the touch already.

“You don’t… remember?” He said, giving you an incredulous look.

“Not at all.” You replied. You heard him sigh. His hand was gripping your bedsheet tightly. “What happened?”

Akechi was silent, looking into your eyes again. He looked pained. “You took a fatal hit for me.”

Oh. You remembered it vaguely now, the fear in your heart when you saw Akechi was about to be hit. You suddenly understood why your teammates had looked angry – they weren’t exactly warming up to Akechi the way you were.

“I’m sorry. I should have been doing better, it’s my fault that you’re like this—”

“Akechi.” You said, interrupting him. You pushed your hand forward, fingertips touching his again. He didn’t pull away.

“It was my choice. I made a vow to protect my teammates. My friends.” You said. You were starting to get tired again. He opened and closed his mouth, unable to form a response. He just looked at you.

“I… I should have protected you, though.” He said, another tear rolling down his face. “You are the most precious thing in this world to me.”

His face suddenly turned pink at the realization of what he had said. You felt your heart flutter.

“Akechi… You’re important to me too.” You said, smiling at him. He smiled back this time, small and unsure. “You do owe me one though.”

Akechi chuckled. You felt warmth blooming in your chest, ebbing just a bit of the pain.

“Will you stay with me while I sleep?” You said. He nodded and reached to brush a piece of your hair back. The gesture was intimate, his touch light. You closed your eyes, letting your body relax as you tried to go back to sleep.

You felt Akechi slip his hand under yours, fingers gently sliding in-between your own. His skin was warm against yours. You realized he had taken his glove off.

You felt the warmth in your chest again before falling back asleep. ]

Another chorus of screams came from the TV and you curled even tighter into him. The movie was silent for a moment before a loud gunshot came from the screen, causing both of you to jump. You felt your skin begin to prickle, the familiar feeling of anxiety rushing over your skin. It was too much. You had to get out of here. You crawled out of Akechi’s lap and quickly went down the stairs, relief washing over you when the sounds of the TV were no longer loud. You sat in the furthest booth to drown out the sounds completely.

You had never liked guns. You didn’t find them appealing the way a lot of people did, and you had winced upon seeing your teammate’s during your first excursion to the Metaverse. What had sealed the deal for your feel was coming face to face with Akechi’s shadow, and the feeling of his gun pressed harshly against your cheek.

[ You wondered if your friends were going to have to drag your broken and bloody body out of the palace. You wondered if he would be able to handle it, watching himself splatter your brains against the floor. Maybe your thoughts should have been more urgent with the barrel of a gun pressed into your cheek, but hey, no one said looking death in the face had to be rational.

It could have been worse. Akechi could have ambushed you instead of joining you. Akechi’s help had given you the heads up on the majority of Shido’s palace. You didn’t blame him for not expecting to see himself there, twisted and full of malice. Even more, you didn’t blame him for not knowing how cognizant his shadow self would be – all the love he felt for you had seemed to turn to vile hatred in the mind of the other Akechi.

You hadn’t forgiven him, of course. But when he had texted you days after the betrayal in the Casino Palace, you couldn’t ignore the fact that he could help Ren. You couldn’t ignore the sobbing on the phone when you finally picked up, his voice panicky and desperate. And so, with Akechi’s intel and willingness, the plan the Phantom Thieves had set-up went into motion with one exception – the supposed suicide of Ren was not carried out violently by Akechi. Careful planning let the idea spread in the news.

Akechi had groveled at your feet when he finally saw you in person again. It wasn’t easy to accept his help – you would have refused if Ren had rejected him. Akechi had been eager to give every detail he knew, telling the Phantom Thieves the truth about Shido and his manipulation. Thus, the infiltration of the palace had gone smoothly, until you had reached the engine room.

All of you had split up to look around for clues. Everything was normal, until you found yourself on the floor, someone’s shoe digging into your back.

“Ah, the pet.” You recognized the voice – it was Akechi’s. But it wasn’t normal, no, this voice was laced with venom. Your struggling against the floor alerted the rest of the group, horrified gasps resounding throughout the room, something close to a growl leaving Ren’s throat. A moment later you were dragged up by your hair, a hard and cold object suddenly digging into your cheek.

“I thought you would have given up this vice by now.” Cognitive Akechi said, clicking his tongue. You felt the gun dig further into your cheek.

“The fuck is this, Crow?” Ryuji yelled. You saw him take step towards Akechi, who looked horrified.

“I don’t, god, I didn’t know this would happen.” Akechi stuttered out, panic laced in his words.

The cognitive Akechi tugged on your hair harshly, hot pain flaring in your scalp. A sick laugh bubbled out of his throat, and you saw your Akechi tense.

“You know, you were just a tool for him.” The cognitive Akechi said, pulling your face up to look at his. An awful grin was plastered on his face, eyes shining bright red. “Until he got too attached.”

“That’s not true—” You heard Akechi say, the cognitive Akechi interrupting him.

“What a fool you were.” His voice was practically a hiss now as he spoke. “You did all those awful things, and for what? To give it up for this?”

He kicked you in the side, and you cried out in pain. Akechi made a loud noise of protest, and you felt the gun press into your cheek harder.

“Shido was going to get rid of this, anyways.” He said, his faced distorted in a smirk. “And you, too. You meant nothing to him.”

“That’s enough.” Ren said, his voice low and dangerous. “Let her go.”

The cognitive Akechi laughed again, pressing the gun into your cheek again. “One move, and I shoot.”

You could feel your heartbeat pounding in your chest, chest heaving from panic. You were going to die, and there was nothing you could do about it.

“Oh dear, are you frightened?” He said, sneering at you. “I know. Let’s make it personal.”

The cognitive Akechi shot a devilish smile at your Akechi. “Come, then. Do it yourself.”

Akechi looked at you, eyes wide with fear. And then you looked up at your friends, some of their faces stained with tears. Makoto, though, had a look you recognized – determination. You were going to take your chance.

“Please.” You rasped out. You saw Akechi clench his hands into fists. “Please, Goro.”

“I can’t.” He said, his voice shaky. You met his eyes and gave him a hard look, glancing to Makoto next to him. You saw as he bit his lip – he understood.

“Hm, then perhaps I’ll make this drawn out?” You heard the Cognitive Akechi laugh and saw how Akechi tensed again. Akechi met your eyes, fear evident on his face. He took a slow step forward, and again, until he was within shooting range. He summoned his gun, identical to the one in the cognitive Akechi’s, and shakily lifted it, eyes meeting yours again.

The cognitive Akechi made a hum of satisfaction, lowering his gun from your face. A loud shot rang out and you saw the cognitive Akechi stumble backwards, groaning angrily. Makoto’s gun was in the air, smoke flowing from the end of it. The gamble had worked – the cognitive Akechi had been too self-assured, a trait he shared with your Akechi.

You scrambled away as fast as you could and heard another shot ring out, another horrible groan emerging from the cognitive Akechi. You turned back, looking between the two. Your Akechi’s gun was smoking, his hands shaking. The cognitive Akechi was on the floor, eyes wide and staring at you as he died.

It made you feel sick, stomach twisting in disgust as you watched the cognitive Akechi fade into black smoke, your Akechi collapsing to his knees. Your friends rushed over to you, smothering you in hugs and “Are you okays”, each of them talking over the other.

But it was Akechi you were concerned about. You silently got up and kneeled in front of him. A moment later you wrapped around him. He was sobbing, telling you again how sorry he was, how he didn’t want to be like this.

You knew he was carrying around years of pain and hurt, the sting of rejection from everyone in his life that was supposed to love him. He swallowed that bitter pill for years, poison seeping through his veins. He had to account for his own choices – you knew that. But you also knew that despite everything, he was worthy of more.

There was so much you wanted to say. Your heart was still broken – you knew this well. But in this moment, there was only one thing you could say to him.

“I love you.” ]

That day played in your head often, the memory of the cold metal against your cheek vivid and unsettling. It was only a few seconds later that you heard someone descending the steps, then a familiar voice softly calling your name. Akechi came to sit next to you in the booth, his arm wrapping around you.

“I don’t think I was enjoying that movie either.” He murmured, gently rubbing your shoulder. “Do you want to leave?”

Leaving would make you sad – but you had been unaware that today’s movie choice would bother you so much. Besides, on a lucky break, your group would be able to hang out next weekend as well. Time alone with Akechi sounded more appealing.

“Yeah. Let me just text Ren.” You replied. You sent a text saying you weren’t feeling well, but to tell the group you loved them and would see them next weekend. You heard Akechi groan when he saw Ren’s reply, which was simply a winky face emoji.

“Do you want to go on a walk before we go home?” Akechi asked, squeezing your shoulder. You nodded, and Akechi got up and repeated his actions from earlier. You exited the shop, locking the door behind you on your way out.

Akechi’s hand slipped into yours like it had a hundred times before.

Before, when you and Akechi had danced around the nature of your relationship, the idea of no one knowing what the two of you had troubled him deeply. Things were better now, as Akechi had taken the initiative to work on his unhealthy behaviors. Sometimes you’d still notice the way his jaw would clench when a stranger acted a little too friendly, or how his arm would wrap around you just a bit too tight.

[ It didn’t take you long to realize that Akechi was a little bit… possessive. You had been friends with Akechi for a couple months now – your late-night conversations now a norm, his presence besides you during fights a given. He was always checking if you were okay, and always wanted to be around you. You’d seen the slight grimace on his face when you talked to one of the boys in the group, especially if it was Ren.

You didn’t miss the way how sometimes he would say “my” before sweetly calling your name, or how he’d always take you to uncrowded areas to spend time together.  

Still, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t you enjoyed his company. You saw through him the second you met – his artificial happiness was hiding a deeply lonely person. So, for the time being, you’d brushed it off as Akechi being insecure.  

Once, Yusuke had asked you to model for an outfit he had seen in front of Akechi. By the look on his face, you’d of thought Yusuke had asked you to come over and fuck him. There was no romantic intent in Yusuke’s question – but Akechi was jealous. You accepted Yusuke’s request; you had no reason not to.

It had been a perfectly normal day with Yusuke. The outfit was an elegant, flowing white gown. Yusuke had you pull one sleeve down, exposing your shoulder. The dress hugged your hips and showed the curve of your chest, but in a way that you found sensual. It wasn’t anything you were uncomfortable with. In fact, you had felt beautiful, Yusuke’s small hums while he worked confirming that he was pleased.

During a break, you had sent a silly picture of you making a face in your group chat. Everyone had responded by saying how cute you looked, even with the silly expression. Akechi, however, had responded with something that slightly embarrassed you, a sweeping text of how you were the definition of beauty. The attention did make you feel good, even if his message had been cheesy.

You bit your lip, considering a risky move. Maybe you could send him a personal picture. Nothing too crazy – just a little more… personalized. The next picture you sent was just for him, a selfie of yourself in Yusuke’s pose. Your lips were parted, your hair wrapped delicately around your shoulders, bare skin peeking through. The picture cut off so you could see just the hint of your chest. It didn’t take long for a response.

Akechi: You look ravishing.

Akechi: But I am at work, you know. I can’t be looking at things like this, what would they think?

Akechi: Let me know when you’ll be done. I’ll pick you up. Be safe.

You smiled to yourself, knowing that you had riled him up a little. A moment later Yusuke came back, and you resumed the painting, having to fight to keep the smile off your face.  

A few hours later you messaged Akechi to let him know you finished. You and Yusuke exchanged pleasantries before you went to wait outside, still dressed in the gown. The night air felt refreshing on your skin, the beautiful stars above you making it even better.

Akechi’s familiar black car rolled up a few minutes later. Akechi came out to greet you before you even reached the door. You noticed how his eyes had hovered at your chest before meeting your eyes. He opened the car door for you like he always did, and then climbed back in himself.

“Thank you so much.” You said, turning to give him a smile.

“Always. Someone as beautiful as you can’t be walking alone at night.” He said, smiling back at you. You just rolled your eyes, blush creeping over your face. A few minutes passed in silence as he drove, your eyes almost drifting shut to the soft music playing over the radio.

“Are you okay? He didn’t do anything weird, did he?” Akechi said, making you jump. His voice sounded a little off.

“Oh no, I’m fine. Just tired.” You replied. “Yusuke was the same as always.”

Akechi nodded at your response, turning his attention back to the road. A few minutes later you pulled up to your apartment, Akechi seeming reluctant to leave. Well… maybe you could invite him in.

“Do you want to come in and have a drink?” You asked. His face brightened immediately. Once you made it inside, you turned to find Akechi giving you a strange look.

“Is something wrong?” You asked. Before you could say anything else, Akechi had gently pushed you back into the door and captured your mouth in a kiss. When you didn’t pull away, he deepened the kiss, his tongue running along your lower lip. A small moan left your mouth, and you felt Akechi press further into you.

His hand had found its way into your hair, pulling you closer to him. He broke off the kiss for a moment, meeting your eyes. “You don’t know what you do to me.” He said. You recognized the lust in his, face flushed pink. His lips met your again in another fevered kiss, tongues exploring each other’s mouths. He pulled away again and you let out a whine of frustration, low chuckle coming from his throat.

“I can’t believe Yusuke had you all to himself today.” He rasped, voice low. He placed a soft kiss on your lips before continuing.

He trailed his tongue down your jawline until he reached your neck and started placing gentle kisses on it. You wrapped yours arms around him now, pushing his hips flush to yours. He pulled away again. “No one should see you like this. You’re too beautiful.” He whispered before returning to your neck. You could feel the noticeable bulge in his work pants, and you shifted yourself even closer to him. His lips pulled off for you a moment as he let out a strained moan before returning to his ministrations, lips now sucking and nipping at your skin.

He deepened his efforts, his bites making you shudder now. You knew you would have marks tomorrow. Really, you didn’t even know Akechi had it in him to do things like this.

“Goro,” You whined, and you felt his mouth leave your neck. “You’ll cover me in marks.”

He stood up and looked you into eyes, his free hand coming to rest under your chin.

“That’s the point, my dear.” He said, giving you one of those dazzling smiles. “Everyone will know that you’re mine.”

He pulled away, leaving you dazed. His words should have bothered you, but you were still in a state of bliss.

“Now,” he said, gently grabbing your hand. “I’ll get us those drinks. I’m sure you must be tired.” ]

But now, when you would remind him that you loved him and that you weren’t going to leave him, he’d apologize. You had helped him reroute his unhealthy behaviors to other outlets, reminding him that he needed to take care of himself too.

When his hand met yours now, it was a gesture of love.

ADD MORE

[ The first time you felt your heart break, it was because of him.

You didn’t want to believe it. No. NO. They were wrong. You pleaded with them, begged them. He would never do this to them. To you. Ren had put his hand on your shoulder, and told you that he was sorry, so sorry, but this is how things were. How things would have to be for the greater good. How the Phantom Thieves were going to be betrayed. You wanted to scream. But still, you held on, waiting with hope that they were wrong.

You held yourself together when you met up before the Casino infiltration. Your heart pounded when you looked at Akechi. He was acting normal, so normal that you wanted to shake him and ask him what he was doing. Was he really going to do this? Why? You jumped when you felt his hand graze your back, his voice soft.

“Don’t worry.”

You couldn’t even look at him, and he didn’t press you further. Did he know what you knew? No, of course not. He had been outsmarted, and he didn’t even know it.

Akechi had insisted on being on the team, and Ren conceded. You volunteered as well, much to Ren’s concern. Makoto had joined as well. He was right to be concerned – your fighting was off, your mind frazzled. He took you to the side and asked if you wanted to sit out for a bit, but you refused. Your nails dug into your skin as you spoke in hushed tones with Ren, pleading. Akechi gave you two a curious look.

If Akechi had wanted to say something, he didn’t. Instead, you watched as he took hit after hit for you during battle. You felt his gaze on you as you explored the palace, his hand occasionally brushing yours. Every touch felt like another dagger in your heart. How could he do this?

It didn’t take long to complete the palace. The calling card was sent as planned, and the dread in your heart felt even heavier.

The battle was tough, Akechi still taking hits for you, fighting as if it were his sworn duty to protect you. You wanted to cry.

When the treasure emerged, you allowed yourself a smidgen of hope, that maybe it wasn’t true. The group had to split, Ren giving you a knowing look as you insisted on going with Akechi. A look that told you it was true, that this was hopeless. You just grit your teeth and followed Akechi, his emotions still not betraying him.

He stopped, turning to face you. He looked sad.

“It’s true, then.” You said flatly, looking at him. His expression didn’t change.

“I’m sorry.” Akechi said, stepping close to you and wrapping his arms around you. You felt his heartbeat, quick and erratic. You wanted to scream, to hit him, but you couldn’t. You just stepped away, wrapping your arms around yourself.

“Why?” Your voice was hoarse, your eyes now on the verge of tears.

He was silent for a moment. “I can’t tell you that.”

“Of course.” Your heart was pounding now, every muscle in your body telling you to run.

“If you come with me, I can still protect you.” He said, his voice sounding weak now.

“Never.” You replied. You looked at him, fire burning in your eyes. You loved him, you hated him. “You lied to us. To me.”

“I—” He started, but you interrupted him.

“No. No.” You were crying now, starting to fall apart. “Fuck. Was everything a lie?”

He tried to step towards you again, but you pushed back against him. He winced at your rejection.

He opened his mouth to speak again, but you couldn’t bear to hear it.

“Just stop. STOP.” You cried out. You turned to leave and felt his hand grab your wrist, his grip tight.

“Please.” He said, his voice cracking. “Don’t leave.”

You turned to look at him, his hand still tight on your wrist. You looked at him, anger coursing through your veins. You loved him. You hated him. You couldn’t say anything.

“I need you.” He pleaded, trying to pull you closer. You dug your heels in, refusing to give him the satisfaction. “Only I can protect you.”

“You already failed, Goro.” You hissed at him, his hand finally releasing your wrist. You looked at him one last time before turning and running, his desperate shouts echoing behind you.

It didn’t matter anymore. ]

ADD A LOT MORE OOPS SKIPPING A BUNCH BUT I HAD AN IDEA FOR THE LAST PART

“Is this okay?” He murmured, fingers playing with the hem of your shirt. His lips were close to your ear, breath tickling your ear lobe. You nodded, but Akechi didn’t move yet. “Please, tell me what you want.”

You could feel his lips curl into a smirk against your ear. Devious bastard.

“Goro, please… t-touch me.” You said, voice wavering. He made a hum of satisfaction in response, his fingers dipping under your shirt now and hand running gently over your chest. Your breath hitched in your throat as he maneuvered his other hand under, his soft hands running freely over you now. His fingertips played with the edge of your bra.

“Do you want me to keep going?” He said. You nodded again. He didn’t press you for an answer this time as his hands slid underneath your bra, giving you an experimental squeeze. His fingers brushed across your nipples, thumb lingering over them. You felt him shift underneath you.

“Could I take this off?” He said, lips against your neck now. You felt safe like this, his body surrounding you.

“Yes.” You replied. His hands left your bra and moved to take off your shirt, gently pulling it over your head and placing it neatly to the side. He brushed your hair to one side, placing a kiss on the back of your neck.

“Ah, you’re wearing my favorite.” He said, pressing another kiss to your neck. “It’s almost a shame to take it off.”

“add more” You replied, twisting in his lap to face him. He was watching you with rapt attention as you moved your hands behind your back, unhooking your bra. You slowly slid it off, placing it on top of your shirt. He was speechless for a moment, taking time to watch your chest rise and fall.

“add more” You said, smirking at him. You turned back around, pressing your back against him again. He was warm against your back.

“You’re stunning.” He said, hands wandering back up your exposed body to caress you. There was no pretense with him in private. He said what he meant. For this, you appreciated him. He gently grabbed both your breasts again, fingers taking the time to play with your nipples. A squeak came out of you as he rolled your right nipple between his fingers, testing. You pressed your back into him, his hardness even more evident now.

“Do you like this?” He said, voice low. His other hand began to play with your left nipple, shiver jumping through your spine. You moaned quietly in response, and you felt his chest rumble as he chuckled. “I’ll take that as a yes, hm?”

[hikari-writes]

Behind The Scene of Love At First Legend

A/N: I thought I need to tell you guys how exactly was Lafl made and i need to rant this out so uh....here we go! Contain SPOILER obviously so i don't recommend you reading this before you finish reading Lafl. But with that outta the way, here we go!

Before the making of it

Truthfully speaking, I didn't actually plan it out to be a shiggy x reader. So here's the thing, i wanted to do a smau and I only had thought of the title and the acronym and what it's about (aka shoto is a ghost enthusiast and wanted to share his knowledge of legend with y/n) I was literally STUCK on who to make this smau for. The main trio is obviously not a choice since they're friends of Y/N. At first i thought, well, maybe Kirishima? I even already MADE banners using him 😭😭😭 but then my smartass brain thought, hey, why don't we make it to have angst where the guy accidentally lashed out at her because he's afraid of her knowing about his feelings and then the trio (mainly katsuki) comforted her and told her that it was because of her that their friendship is still going (as shown in part 17)

But then i was like, NO! If we're using Kirishima, we can't use that idea! He's a precious sweetheart and he's not the type to lash out to someone he likes in order to hide his feelings! So i was like, okay, fine. Then who should we do for? My other suggestions included Tokoyami (rejected because i can't write him in a smau. He's gonna say many edgy things and i can't take him srsly if he did) and Kaminari (the same reasoning as kirishima, he's a precious babey qwq). And then i was like, okay, how about Monoma. But then i was like, ..no thanks...🙄🙄

And then, i suggested another;

Me: how about Shinso---

Also me: NO!!! There's already A BUNCH of shinsou smau and i don't really wanna feel like making him since myherowritings has done like 2 smaus of him. I'm afraid i might even feel like I'm plagiarising stuff.

This goes on for longer than I'd like to admit honestly. I was pretty adamant on keeping the "y/n get cheered up by her friends" thing so i really need to have someone who's a jerk to be the partner.

I wasn't too keen on making for any of the LoV members tbh. Mainly because, while this is a quirkless au, making the trio talk about LoV is abit....and mostly all the guys in LoV has quite big age gap with the trio so.... yeah it's a bit awkward. The closest to their age was shiggy and i was still pretty reluctant to use him. In the end, i managed to gave up and used him anyways.

During the making

I STRUGGLED A LOT, if you can't tell. I'm really not a person who plans ahead of things so thinking up ideas AS I'm writing it was hell. The only thing that i have thought ahead of time was the "shoto sharing his knowledge of legend to y/n". That was it. The legend of the rock at the shrine that can grant wishes about love was completely made on the spot as I'm writing it. 🤭🤭🤭

Things really got a lot messier than i thought and I struggled as I'm writing it. I had thought of creating more drama and making the "lashing out because i don't want you to know my feelings" part BUT as you already know, i didn't 😫😫

I also thought up y/n's past trauma and the reason for her social anxiety ON THE SPOT and after making shiggy comfort her, i realized, i couldn't make the "lashing out because i don't want you to know my feelings" part after all qwq. But i managed to insert the "bakugou telling y/n it's because of her that their friendship is still going on" so it's all good 😌😌

Dramas and Shiggy OOCness

I intended to insert MUCH more drama and angst but after writing her past, i realized that that's not possible 😔😔😔 and considering how much of an impatient and bratty he is in canon, it was actually perfect to insert more dramas

BUT THEN I REALIZED THAT THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SHIGGY/N MOMENTS TO MAKE THEIR FEELINGS FOR EACH OTHER STRONGER , and yet again, i panicked. So i made shiggy to be this super caring and understanding guy and helped y/n get over her past.

In the end, that's how he came to be so ooc and the only time he actually FELT like shiggy was when he was interacting with the LoV members and THAT WAS IT. I freaked out but after the part where shiggy comforted y/n, i was like, "idc anymore, since I've already made him ooc in this part, might as well continue making him like that"

A dick move i know 😔😔😔😔😢😢😢😢😢 so I'm super sorry that i made him so ooc and cringeeeeeeeeeee 😳😳😳😫😫😫😫

Shiggy as a whole

Shiggy wasn't my favourite character in the canon but after knowing his past from some spoilers on youtube vids that i watched, i really felt like i want to protect him so he falls more to the category of "babies that i want to protect" as a character. I'm still progressing through the manga so i believe that that feelings will change soon enough. (Like it did with *cough* bakugou *cough* 😳😳😳😳 because i at first put him in that category too but now I'm simping over him 😔😔😔👊👊👊👊💕💕💕)

That being said though, while writing this smau and all those cheesy parts came, i can honestly say that my love meter for him had increased 😳😳😳💕💕💕 i mean this smau isn't canon or anything but i can't help but to feel more attracted to him (send helpp qwq) so writing this smau has actually opened my eyes to the feelings i never thought i have for this guy 😳😳🤫🤫🤫💕💕

Things that didn't make it to the final cut

There were many things, and one of them is, as i stated above, the dramas which includes shiggy's impatience and childish personality.

Some others are;

-interaction between jiro and y/n (i really want to do this too smh 😢😢😢)

-a bit more insight on the model magazine shoto works for. As mentioned, he works for Hanrei Mag and if you saw Dabi's tweets on his profile during the shiggy crew introduction, you can see that Dabi said "Todoroki shoto refused to become the successor of Hannen Corp and became a model at Hanrei Mag instead."

If you don't know, shoto's quirk, half cold half hot, in japanese is called hanrei hannen. ("Han" meaning half and "rei" and "nen" meaning cold and hot respectively). I actually named the model mag shoto worked for Hanrei Mag to show how much he despises his father and refused to become the next CEO of the Hanrei Corp which is his father's company and became a model for Hanrei Mag instead. Just like in the canon where Shoto refused to use his father's flame side during the sports festival.

But in the end i didn't get to explain that part 😔😔😔😢😢😢

-i wanted to insert some moments where Y/N talks about how she ship Jiro with Kaminari. I even had a screenshot prepared for it 😫😫😫😫 but again, this didn't make it to the final cut 😭😭😭

-more memes and cracks

Trust me, I DO WANT TO INSERT MORE OF THIS ELEMENT!!!!! BUT...! But...! ....but...... 😢😢😢😢😭😭😭😭😭😭 I SUCK AT MAKING JOKES AND WRITING CRACK STUFF! I really respect those people that can make them so easily, i could never 😫😫😫 as you can see, I'm bad at making cracks and jokes and i only insert lil bits of memes. Crack and humour is just isn't my forte. 🤡🤡🤡🤡 can someone teach me how to be funnier??? The only joke that i was pretty proud of was the one where y/n thought shiggy said "How do you do?" When he said "what do you do?" At their first unofficial date. And even that, looking back on it, wasn't that good 😭😭😭

To sum it up, Love At First Legend (LAFL) wasn't intentionally made for Shigaraki at first but when I finished writing it, I realized that I actually enjoyed writing for him. Anyways, thank y'all so much for staying with me till the end! Love y'all and keep being awesome!!!!

[mahalkitajohnnysuh]

Conflicted

So, I never thought that it would come to this. I do not tolerate this action due to family history, but I don’t know what came over me. Maybe I was overpowered by this guy’s charms that I just had to write something like this. 

To know more what I’m talking about, read on. I won’t even give a summary because I want you guys to know what’s up with this. 

And here’s the devil, erm, Jeong Jaehyun looking like a full-course meal even if he’s just serving face to hype you up. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

POV: 2nd person still. 

Word count: 1,900 + words 

Genre: Romance, with a dash of fluff and a bit of angst. A well-balanced meal, if I should say so myself. 

Warning: Read until the bottom of this page, and you’ll get what you’re going to read, maybe next post or some other time. 

–––

You felt conflicted whenever Jaehyun was near you.

Although he was your boyfriend’s ex-roommate, there were times that he would hang out at your apartment to catch up with him.

After all, they used to work together as radio DJs. They had a nightly program that you always tuned to before. You and Johnny were still best friends then, and you know you would be frustrated if he still had his program now that you’re together. You two won’t have the time to cuddle, because he would be working and you would wake up with him asleep on the couch.

As you watched Johnny and Jaehyun converse at the dining table, you couldn’t help but observe the younger guy. He was a Disney prince in real life – creamy white skin, immaculately dressed, and with great hair to boot. He also had a beautiful voice that everyone, regardless of age and gender, would fall for.

Those reasons made you feel weird because you’re already in a relationship with one of the most handsome men you know, but at the same time, you couldn’t keep your eyes off him sometimes.

Why am I even thinking of this? You thought as you tied your hair up in a bun to focus on your sideline. It has been a hot minute since you edited textbooks, and sometimes they amused you because some manuscripts contained hilarious content from idiotic authors.

You were already halfway editing the textbook when you felt someone tap your shoulder. You turned around to see Jaehyun, smiling with his adorable dimples on display.

“Hi Essie, it’s time to eat,” he said gently before he went back to the dining table. You followed suit since you didn’t say no to an invitation to eat. You saw that the guys prepared Korean barbecue, which you have been craving as of late.

“Wow, samgyupsal! I missed this!” You cooed, eyeing all the side dishes that you haven’t eaten in months. “I know you’ve been craving for this, baby. I hear you looking for samgyupsal in your sleep,” Johnny said, eliciting a chuckle from Jaehyun.

You glared at your boyfriend who just gave you a heart sign and winked when you raised your fist at him. Your guest was laughing at your interaction, entertained how one of his best friends bantered with his girlfriend.

As the three of you dug in, you talked about everything – from the weather, your music playlists (to be honest, you liked Jaehyun’s taste more than Johnny’s), your upcoming plans, and even your relationships.

“Uh, can someone please pass me the kimchi?” You asked, your hand trying to reach the bowl of said food across the table. It was Jaehyun who handed you the bowl, and you almost dropped it when your fingers touched.

“Sorry,” you both muttered, giving timid looks at each other. Johnny noticed your interaction and raised his eyebrows.

“Babe, what’s this? You’re shy of Jeong Jaehyun?” He asked, even stamping his feet for effect. You could tell that he was both curious and annoyed – curious that you felt that way and annoyed that maybe your feelings for him weren’t that strong as he thought.  

“B-but…” you started, your eyes meeting Jaehyun’s for a moment before you turned to your boyfriend. “He’s too handsome, just like you…” Your voice was so soft that you felt you were the only one who heard it.

There was a moment of silence before Jaehyun cleared his throat. You and Johnny looked at him, which made him flustered. His ears were practically red now.  

“Baby, I know he’s too handsome for this world, but I hope you’re not falling for him,” Johnny said monotonously, trying his best not to sound jealous.

On your part, you appreciated his honesty. That was one of the things you loved about him – his brutally frank comments helped you with your problems most of the time.

However, you also enjoyed how he seemed jealous of your budding crush on his friend, who now covered his face with his hands. “Please stop looking at me,” Jaehyun mumbled while peeking from the small spaces in between his fingers.

“Of course not, darling! You’re still my number one,” your attention was directed to Johnny this time, “but I have to be honest that Jaehyun is such a stunner that I can’t help but look at him sometimes,” you ended by taking a glance at the guy on your right.

The nerve of this guy to wink at you at this moment! You felt your body heat up at this, and you clenched your utensils tightly to fight it off.

“Jaaaaay! Don’t make her fall in love with you! She should be in love with me, and only me!” Johnny was whining like a baby, and the tension that enveloped the table earlier vanished.

You and Jaehyun laughed at how the 6-footer was acting. “Don’t worry, she won’t. Right, Essie? You’ll try your best not to fall in love with me?” The prince-like guy gave you another wink again and blew you a brief kiss.

You laughed in return, flushing red at the attention you were getting. “Hey, you’re totally trying to steal her from me!” Johnny quipped, whose long arm grabbed your wrist so you can focus your attention on him.

“I’m the only one you love, right?” He changed his voice to a sultry one and he gave you The Look. You felt your heart flutter and your insides became warmer. Ah, he still got you every time he did that.

“Yes, honey,” you murmured, shyly looking at his face. “You’re the one that I love.”

Jaehyun began to sing Shania Twain’s ‘You’re Still The One’, and Johnny followed suit. Then all of you sang the song until the end and burst into laughter at how funny (and flirty) you felt for the past few minutes.

After eating, Johnny had to take care of some errands, leaving you and Jaehyun alone in the apartment. “Don’t you even dare, Jeong Yoon-oh,” your boyfriend threatened, which you and your companion did not take seriously. “Don’t try to do anything to my girl,” were his last words before he left the house.

\\\

If there was one word to describe your situation after Johnny left, it was awkward.

You were seated on the end of the couch with a pillow on your stomach as you busily scrolled through your social media feed. On the opposite end was Jaehyun, who was also doing the same.

You could hear the videos he was playing, and you bet he could hear you mutter something under your breath. That was one quirk of yours whenever you scrolled through your Twitter feed – you had to comment on people’s tweets audibly first before responding to them on the app.

“You’re such a hoe, bitch,” you mumbled as you also typed it as your response. You were commenting on Ten’s latest post, which was an outtake on one of his shoots. He looked like a Renaissance painting that came to life with his velvet suit, silk ruffled shirt, and jeweled shoes.

“Who’s a hoe, Essie?” Jaehyun asked, melting you with his stare.

“It’s definitely not you!” You responded, cheeks red from embarrassment. You didn’t mean for him to hear your comment – you made a mental note to correct your quirk, so people don’t question you.

He laughed at your reaction and moved closer to where you were seated. “Then who are you calling a hoe then?”

You leaned back against the couch, hoping that there will be more space you could back out into. “It’s only Ten that I call as such, and it’s our thing,” you said, raising your phone to your face to cover how flushed it was.

“Really? You and Ten have a thing? Does Johnny know of this?” With every word he spoke, he moved closer to you.

“Not like that, dude! Ten’s one of my closest friends now. And you know he won't do something that will make Johnny angry, right?”

This stopped Jaehyun from approaching you, and it was his time to lean back on the sofa. “Oh, is that so?” he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

When you thought that he was done from crawling toward you, he surprised you when he wrapped his arms around your waist.

You squealed as he tickled you on the sides, on your knee, and his hands crept up on your neck.

“Jaaaaaay! Stop that!” You said in between panting, getting tired from laughing. You were pushing him away, but he easily overpowered you with his strength.

“No, Essie, I don’t want to! Say the magic word,” he said while staring at you with all his might.

Time slowed, and you took in how intent he was on making you say the magic word – what was it, anyway?

“Please?” You breathed, returning the stare he gave you. “Please, darling,” you tried again, your voice breathier than usual.

He loosened his hold on you, but he didn’t let go. “Do I need to repeat myself?” You asked, your hands ready to untangle yourself from him.

“Darling, you make me feel conflicted,” he said with the most painful expression on his face. It was a mixture of sadness and struggle, a combination that was indeed painful to see on anyone.

“Are you for real, Jaehyun?” You raised an eyebrow, hoping it masked how shocked you were with his words. You hoped you sounded scandalized to make him stop what he was doing.

“Essie, I like you. A lot. It pains me that I was never able to make a move on you first,” he said, tilting his body toward yours. He now had a loving expression on his face, making your heart melt.

“But why now?” You could feel the tears pooling at the corner of your eyes.

Come to think of it, Jaehyun was always nice when you hung out with Johnny before. He never teased you – he was actually very sweet and was always on your side. There were times he held your hand, and you let him since you two were good friends.

And how could you forget that he used to kiss your cheek every time you said your farewell? It was not just your cheeks touching – he really pressed his lips lightly on your cheek.

But best friends trump good friends, and eventually, you weren’t able to maintain your closeness once you spent more time with Johnny instead.

“I’m sorry, Essie. I don’t know what to do,” he slowly unhooked his arms on you, “I’m such a fool for coming here. Now I’m confused,” he ran his hands through his hair and looked distressed.

“I’m sorry too, Jay. But if you must know, I like you a lot too,” you said while fiddling with your thumbs.

“Essie, you’re making me more confused,” He sounded annoyed now. “I don’t want to ruin your relationship with John, I know how much he loves you.”

“But does he know that you…like me too?” As much as it made you cringe, you just had to ask him that.

His answer surprised you. “He doesn’t, and I intend to keep it that way.”

This was a plot twist that made your love life more complicated – even though you already have Johnny, you had Mark trying his best to woo you, and now Jaehyun has joined ‘the group chat’, as the kids would say.

“So, what do you plan to do then?” The question came out of your mouth without any thinking, which you now regret.

“Do you want to sin with me?” The way he delivered it sent shivers down your spine. It felt as if you were talking to the devil, only he was clad in a sweater and black jeans.

From that day until the following week, you and Jaehyun had your trysts.

–––

FIN

[kfawkes]

Flying - [Hartwin]

[OKAY GUYS! So… NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS BUT HERE YOU GO ANYWAY. This is based off of this tweet by Mark Millar, annnnnnddd I just had to make it more fluffy and cute. Also wanna note this is post TGC, but we’re pretending that Poppy didn’t blow up Eggsy/Harry’s house okay? ALSO EVERYONE IS OKAY AND ALIVE. OKAY? OKAY.

Pairing: Hartwin 

Words: 1.4 it’s a shortie lol

Warnings: I don’t think I curse in this, but I’m putting it here anyway. Also some light cheating on Tilde. (sorry not sorry)

—Read on Ao3!]

Harry was nervous– beyond nervous, which was more than a little silly considering the things he’d seen and done. But nothing he’d been faced with before was like this and he didn’t even know where to begin.

Harry Hart lived a solitary life, and he liked it even. Was perfectly content with the idea of dying for Kingsman– and he even did on V-Day. Except when that trigger was seconds from being pulled, content was the last thing he felt. 

No one wants to be murdered, so aside from the obvious displeasure of the whole ordeal; Harry felt a much thicker unease. 

Something itching, and churning low in his stomach… A deep pit that seemed to suck everything inside him down into a black hole of tar, and that pit haunted him.

You see, when Harry got his memory back a few months ago he’d told Eggsy something that wasn’t exactly true. Harry’d told him that when he died, he saw nothing at all when the truth was he saw one thing and one thing only: him.

Eggsy Unwin; his young, handsome protege just walking by outside of the police station cocky as ever… That cheeky smile Eggsy always wore flashed by a mile a minute, and in those brief seconds between when that gun raised to when that trigger pulled… all Harry felt was regret. 

Regret that he’d never told Eggsy how he felt when he had the chance… That he’d been too much of a coward to be in love… But now that he was alive again, he had another chance didn’t he? 

This time he wasn’t going to sit back and watch… this time he was going to tell Eggsy exactly how he felt. 

More accurately he was going to confess, then ask Eggsy to leave Tilde for him… Which was a little childish and do trust that Harry knew that. But he just couldn’t go another day like this, and when you died and came back– let’s just say you looked at life differently. 

Harry sure did, and he knew that if he waited any longer, Eggsy would be married off to the Swedish Princess… He would be–

“Harry… everythin’ alright?” Eggsy questioned with concern lining his voice as he opened the door to his flat from the inside. 

He was surprised to see Harry standing there, but not bothered at all. In fact, he was pretty pleased to see him… more pleased than one should be even.

“Yes, of course– don’t worry yourself. But, there is something I’d like to speak with you about if I may…” when Harry spoke those nerves he felt were loud and rang clear to his undertones like a bell. 

The strangeness of it all wasn’t lost to Eggsy, but he played it as cool as he could manage. They may have spent the greater part of a year apart with Harry being– well, dead and all, but their bond was stronger than ever since he came back. And if Eggsy was being perfectly honest he had more intense feelings for Harry than he did for his bride to be… which was total shit, but it was complicated. Complicated and never going to happen…

“Sure… yeah, come in.” Eggsy swallowed with a forced nod as he clenched his jaw tightly. He was running late for dinner with said fiancé, and she wasn’t a fan of tardiness… But this was Harry and clearly it was important so Tilde would have wait. “Feels a bit off inviting you in t’your own home, don’t it?”

“Indeed it does, Eggsy… But this is your home now, not mine.” Harry stepped forward with a small unbelievable smile, clenching his umbrella so tightly his knuckles were turning white. He didn’t mean anything by the face he wore of course, but there was something about walking into a place that was no longer yours– that just… hurt. 

It doesn’t hurt because the man you’re in love with has moved in with his fiancé… or maybe it does. 

What did he really know? It was pain however that stopped him from ever visiting Eggsy there thus far, and now as he stand awkwardly in the doorway he felt it heavier than before. 

He wondered if this was all just a really a bad idea for a moment, but then something stopped him. Rather, everything did.. he looked around the walls, and glance up the staircase realizing that nearly everything was exactly how he’d left it. 

Harry stepped forward, eyes glazed as he walk to the base of the stairs viewing his memories again as if for the first time; an overwhelming sensation spreading with each step.

Eggsy just held his breath and watched… It was a bit embarrassing for Harry to see his literal shrine to him, but that box had been opened. He followed closely behind as Harry turned the knob, entering the bathroom to view Mr. Pickle just where he left him. 

Harry stood there a moment in awe, looking at his butterflies and insects alike as he smile at his closest companion, being nearly brought to tears. It was beautiful, so incredibly beautiful. 

“You kept them…” he paused a moment still staring at Mr. Pickle, feeling more overwhelmed than a seasoned spy should. “Why did you keep everything, Eggsy?”

He didn’t know what to say to that at first. It wasn’t like he could just blurt out the truth, cause the truth sounded bloody mental. The truth being how in love with him he was of course. The truth being that having Harry’s things around, just made him feel better… more whole. 

So instead of that, he shifted his weight stuffing his hands in his sweater pockets, taking a step forward; still not knowing what he should say. “Couldn’t bring myself t’take em down…” 

Eggsy paused taking another long breath in as he stare at the back of Harry’s head. His brows were turned up pensively with eyes almost pleading as he pulled his lips between his teeth. “Jus felt better havin’ em I s’pose. Sorta like you was still here…”

Harry turned to face him then, quicker than he meant with eye wide and lips slightly parted; wondering and honestly begging Eggsy meant what he thought he did.

“Harry, look–” 

But before he could speak, Harry interrupted him; his voice loud but unthreatening. “Eggsy, I’m in love with you.”

Eggsy’s jaw dropped slightly open as his eyes widened to match. “You what?” 

When Harry replied this time his voice was light and soft; as if he’d just dropped a heavy weight and finally was free from its constraints. 

“I’m in love with you. I came here tonight to tell you that actually… I planned on asking you to leave Tilde too, as selfish as that sounds.” he paused for a moment, removing his glasses and cleaning both lenses–more out of habit than actual necessity– before setting them back to place with a smile, gaze locking to the awe struck boy across him. “I don’t quite know what I was expecting to hear in return either to be frank with you. But I felt I owed it to the both of us to at least… tell you I suppose.”

“Yeah… alright.” Eggsy nodded sharply, swallowing deeply as he stepped in closer. “Why not?”

Harry tilted his head, almost confused. “I’m… not sure I understand.” 

Eggsy smiled taking a step closer, one brow raised the other crinkled softly as he fix his stare on Harry. “Don’cha get it? I been in love with ya for ages, Harry. Why I got all you stuff up, innit? Bit obvious if you ask me.” he ended grinning nearly ear to ear with admiration flickering in his eyes.

“Oh, Eggsy…” Harry leaned forward, placing his hand to the back of Eggsy’s neck as their foreheads met.

Their eyes were closed tightly, lips only inches apart as Eggsy’s hand held softly onto Harry’s wrist, but neither of them moved forward… They just stood there a moment, breath becoming one getting lost in the moment and its incandescent perfection.

Harry ran his thumb lightly to the side of Eggsy’s neck pulling his gaze forward once more. “You were right about one thing…”

“An what’s that?” Eggsy asked with suspicion lining his voice, as a sweet smile spread, admiration slipping off his voice like a scent.

“I’ll never find a butterfly quite like you, Eggsy.”

“I told ya, didn’t I? Rather you didn’t put me up with these ones tho…”

“Never, dear.” Harry slid his hand to Eggsy’s chin running his thumb over his bottom lip lightly. “I’ll keep you right here.”

“Good.” and even though they knew they shouldn’t, they kissed… and even though they knew it had to be wrong, somehow they knew it was right.

[jugxbets]

Archie's Little Sister: Chapter Seven

A/N: I don’t feel like much happened in this chapter, but i still hope you all enjoy.

Warnings:cursing??? i think that’s it, maybe a little bit of angst.

No Summary.

Tags: @zook7430 @myboyjarpad

(Let me know if you want to be tagged.)

——————————————————————————

“In a Lonely Place”

Alex was sleeping like a baby when Archie woke her up at 5 am.

Classes didn’t start until 8.

“Wake up!” He barged into her room.

He was wearing his athletic attire.

Alex groaned at the sound of his voice.

“What gives? It’s 5 in the morning.” She croaked.

Archie chuckled. “Why, it’s best time to exercise.”

Alex groaned once more. “I’m tired, Archie.”

He walked over to her bed and pulled the sheets off.

She rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Don’t you want to stay in shape?” Archie asked as he pushed the sheets to the side.

“No! Now let me sleep.” She pulled the covers over her body again and turned around so her back was facing him.

He sighed and took the sheets off again.

“Come on, lets jog to school.” Archie insisted.

“Archie!” She scolded.

“I’m not gonna leave you alone ‘till you say yes.” He sat in the bed.

She groaned for what felt like the hundredth time.

She huffed. “I hate you.”

She sat up. Archie cheered.

“Whoo! Alright, i’ll let you get ready. I’m gonna go make my protein shake.” He said, as he got up and walked out.

She scoffed. She laid back down and stretched. She felt like falling asleep again, but she knew Archie would go back in to torture her.

She finally stood up.

She put on some shorts and a tank.

She put her hair in a pony and took her makeup in bag and extra clothes so she could get ready after she took a shower at school.

She put on her sneakers and went downstairs.

Archie was in the kitchen, drinking his shake.

Alex rolled her eyes and approached him.

“I honestly do hate you.” She said as she rubbed her eyes.

“I know. Come on.”

He took one last sip and headed out. She followed.

They jogged around the block a couple of times since they had time to kill.

A lot of time to kill.

They were both sweating like pigs.

They finally stopped when they both got tired.

“Okay, I didn’t miss this at all.” Alex said between gasps.

She bent down to try and catch her breath.

Archie stretched as he tried to do the same

“Oh, come on. Feel the burn.” He grinned.

She glared at him.

“Let’s just get to school, idiot.” She scoffed.

They took a couple of more breathers before actually running to school.

It turned to more of a race when they started.

Alex kept pushing Archie to throw him off.

It worked and she got ahead.

“Cheater!” Archie called out.

She laughed.

There were times when Archie would almost catch up, but Alex would speed up, making it impossible to keep up.

Nonetheless, Alex won.

They stopped when they got inside the school, both of them gasping, trying to catch their breath.

“Holy.. Shit.. I… Think.. I… Might… Die…” Alex gasped.

Archie laughed.

“You’re such a fucking cheater.” Archie said, trying to cool down.

She shrugged.

Once they both calmed down, they walked over to the water fountain and drank an enormous amount of water.

“I can’t believe we forgot to bring water bottles.” Alex said as she wiped her lip.

Archie chuckled. “Me neither.”

Alex sighed. “Well, i’m gonna go shower.”

Archie nodded as she walked away.

She still had a shit load of time to kill, so she took her time.

The showers were empty, of course, leading her to play music as loud as she wanted.

When she was done, she wrapped a towel around her body and used another to dry her hair.

She tossed the towel to the side and got started on her makeup.

She did it quick, since she didn’t bring a lot of stuff.

She dried herself down and slipped some clothes on.

She didn’t do much to her hair but dry it and brush it.

She put all of her stuff together and shoved it in a locker.

When she was done, she walked out of the girl’s locker-room.

The halls were still empty, but classes were going to start soon.

She walked around to look for Archie.

People started showing up.

She couldn’t find him. She shrugged and went to her locker to put her book bag in there.

She walked to the Student’s Lounge where she saw everyone.

She greeted all of them as she sat down on the arm rest of Kevin’s chair.

“What are we talking about?” Alex said as she leaned on Kevin to purposely annoy him.

He chuckled.

“Well, actually, we were just talking about—” Kevin was about to fill her in when Betty interrupted.

“Where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to call you.” Betty asked.

She looked upset.

Alex tensed.

“Shit, i forgot to call you back, Betty.” Alex sighed. “I’m sorry. Did you guys find anything?”

Betty and Jughead looked at each other.

“Polly told me about a car she and Jason hid so they could run away together. Jughead and I went to go look for it. We found it, and it was full of evidence. It had drugs, suitcases, and Jason’s letterman jacket. All the evidence we needed to confirm Polly’s story. But by the time we told Sheriff Keller, someone burned it.” Betty explained.

“Wait, back up- Drugs?” Alex asked, making sure she heard correctly.

Jughead nodded. “They needed money.”

Alex scoffed. “Do you guys know who burned it?”

They both shook their head.

Alex was in shock.

Jason dealing? Him running away with Polly? But why? Because of her baby?

“And that’s not all.” Jughead added.

“What?” Alex asked.

There’s more?

“Betty and I went to the Sister’s again to get Polly out of there but when we got there..” Jughead trailed off.

“She ran away.” Betty’s voice broke.

“What?! None of this is making sense.” Alex scoffed. “Why don’t you get Kevin’s dad on this?”

Betty shrugged. “My mom and dad don’t want to get the police involved. They don’t want anyone to know that she ran away or about her 'shameful condition.’”

Alex scoffed. She didn’t like Polly, but man, were her parents selfish.

“Please.” Veronica began. “What decade is this?”

“Also, since she knew where Jason’s getaway car was, they’re afraid people might think she ruined it and that if she did…” She trailed off.

“She could be the murderer, trying to cover her tracks.” Jughead continued for her.

Oh, shit. Alex didn’t even think about that. Maybe she’s Jason’s killer. If she ran away the night of the Variety Show, there’s a chance she could’ve ran away before that. Maybe on July 11th, when Jason was murdered.

“Who could’ve possibly burned the car?” Archie asked.

“Sheriff Keller said it’s possible someone was following us.” Betty responded.

Alex scoffed. “What the actual fuck is wrong with our town?”

“Oh, my god. Honestly, guys, we should just move.” Veronica said.

Betty sighed. “Guys, what if Polly’s really hurt? What if whoever killed Jason is coming after her next?”

She was getting all worked up. She calmed down as soon as Jughead put his arm around her, getting questioning looks from everyone.

Alex knew he had a thing for her, but seeing it hurt her.

She knew she had to suck it up and let it go.

“Betty, even though your parents don’t want to, maybe you should go to the police.” Archie suggested.

“Second it.” Kevin joined. “We can talk to my dad together about how has to be discreet.”

Jughead rolled his eyes.

“No offense, Kev, but your dad answers to a higher authority than God: the Blossom.” Jughead said.

“He’s right.” Alex nodded. “They’re the first people he would tell.”

“And if there’s anyone to keep this a secret from, it’s the Blossoms.” Betty added. “They’d twist it around and go after Polly out of spite.”

“How can we help?” Veronica asked. “Tell us, B, and we’ll do it.”

Betty sighed and thought about it.

“Can you guys help my parents and i look for her in the forest she ran off to?” Betty finally said.

Everyone nodded. Even Alex. Betty seemed really worried. She just wanted to be there for her.

“Of course.” Archie didn’t hesitate to respond.

The bell rang and everyone went their separate ways.

Betty, Alex, and Veronica had the same class next period, so they walked together.

“Did i just notice Riverdale High’s very own Holden Caulfield put his arm around you?” Veronica was dying to ask.

Alex rolled her eyes, not wanting to to talk about it.

“Okay, so these past couple of days, i haven’t been in a great place, emotionally.” Betty explained. “And Jughead was really there for me..”

Veronica nodded.

“Oh, my god. Swoon!” Veronica laughed.

She glanced towards Alex. She saw her acting weird.

Then she remembered that Alex and Jughead also had a moment.

She was going to say something when Alex noticed that she remember. She shook her head and Veronica didn’t say anything. Not about their moment anyway.

“Uh, in that case, if he helped my girl navigate some turbulent waters, well then Veronica Lodge approves.” She dramatically said.

Betty laughed. Alex rolled her eyes once again.

“Hey, are you okay?” Betty asked Alex.

She didn’t think Betty noticed her acting weird. Veronica looked at her, waiting to say something.

She sighed. “Yeah.”

Veronica also sighed when she didn’t say anything about Jughead.

Betty nodded.

“Come on,” Alex gripped her forearm softly. “Let’s go find Polly.”

They continued to walk when Kevin stopped them.

“You guys, oh, my god.” Kevin ran towards them.

“What?” Veronica asked.

“Cheryl just tweeted #PollyCooperKilledMyBrother, #NowhereToHide, #SharpenYourPitchforks.” Kevin showed them his phone.

All of their jaws dropped.

“Oh, no.” Betty said as she looked at the tweet. “We need to find Polly before the Blossoms do.”

They all nodded.

They decided to recruit some other people from school to help them look for her.

They asked everyone they knew to help them out.

Most of them agreed, some of them didn’t.

Everyone agreed to meeting at the forest after school to begin the search party.

——————————————————————————

Everyone met up in the forest. There was a bunch of people there to help, which made Betty and her parents happy.

“Okay, the Sisters of Quiet Mercy are due north,” Betty began. “The getaway car was west, on the Old Route 40.”

“The closest bus station is east, headed towards Sweetwater.” Jughead added. “If Polly wanted to leave Riverdale without anyone seeing her, she probably would’ve left through—”

“Right here.” Betty finished for him. “Eversgreen Forest.”

When they were done, they led the group through the forest.

Everyone was calling out for Polly.

It was freezing, but many of them didn’t care.

Eventually, the group split up into smaller groups, but they stayed close.

Alex was with Archie, Betty, Val, Jughead, Josie, and Melody.

Everything was going smoothly until they spotted the Blossoms with a group of their own, searching for Polly.

They had dogs with them.

God, they were so extreme.

The Cooper’s group approached theirs.

“Alice Cooper, where is she? Where’s Polly?” Penelope asked, full of rage.

“You think if i knew that, i’d be out here with the mosquitoes?” Alice hissed.

“Face facts, Mommy Dearest. Polly killed Jason.” Cheryl accused.

“She escaped from the asylum once, who’s to say she didn’t before, say the day Jason got murdered?” Cliff joined in.

That’s exactly what I was thinking earlier.

“The noose is tightening around your murdering daughter’s neck.” Penelope got close to Alice’s face. “I know it, Sheriff Keller knows it.”

“Hold on now.” Sheriff Keller chimed in.

“And i promise you, when we find her, and we will find her, the entire town of Riverdale will know, too.” She continued.

Then they walked away, to continue to look for Polly.

Alice was worried.

She decided to call the local news and announce to them that Polly was pregnant. It was for Polly’s safety.

They all walked back to a church, while most of the people who helped search for Polly, headed home.

Everyone else waited outside for the Coopers to make their statement.

They finally came out and Alice began talking.

There were reporters and news people outside, waiting for them. Along with a local crowd.

“There’s been a swirl of rumors today about our daughter, Polly. And we’re standing here to tell you that they’re all false. Yes, Polly was seeking treatment in a private care facility, and she was under strict observation, even at the time of Jason Blossom’s death.”

Archie, Alex, and Jughead looked at Betty. She didn’t seem into it at all.

Sometimes, Alex hated Alice for the way she treated Betty.

“When she found out about the murder, she was beside herself with grief. You see, my daughter, Polly, is pregnant with Jason Blossom’s baby.”

The crowd gasped and muttered.

“Polly wouldn’t hurt a fly, let alone the father of her unborn child.” Alice continued

She looked straight into the camera and gave out a message.

“Polly, darling, if you’re watching this, please come home.”

Once she was finished, she and Hal went home.

Reporters tried following them to ask questions but the Coopers weren’t having it.

Everyone else went home too.

Alex walked with Archie, Jughead and Betty.

Once they reached their house, Jughead and Betty started walking alone.

As soon as Alex entered their house, she ran upstairs and went to her bedroom.

She buried her face in her pillows and screamed.

Archie knocked at her door.

She sighed and got up to open the door.

“Can i help you?” She asked as she went back to her bed to sit on it with Archie following.

“I just want to make sure you’re okay with all this Jason stuff… And Jughead.” Archie said as he put an arm around her to pull her into a side hug.

In the position they were sitting, it was the best he could do.

She groaned softly. “It just sucks man. Jason was such a liar. And i lost my chance with Jughead. I don’t even think we’re friends anymore.”

“No, if i know Jughead at all, he doesn’t give up on friendships. Not right away anyway.” Archie assured her.

She sighed.

“I just fucked up. And i keep fucking up. Why are we like this, Archie?” She whined.

Archie sighed. “Honestly, i don’t know. But you better fix your attitude if Jughead’s going to start living with us.”

Alex paused. She stood up, leaving Archie’s arm hanging.

“Living with us? Why?” She asked.

“He’s been living at school. Ever since the night of the last drive-in. He doesn’t want to go home because his dad fell off the wagon. I offered and dad doesn’t mind. Just be cool, okay?” Archie explained.

Alex scoffed. “Well, he probably won’t even accept because he said he couldn’t be around me. Fuck!”

Archie rolled his eyes. “Maybe it’s good you guys aren’t dating. You guys wouldn’t be sneaking around in here.”

Alex whined.

“Did something happen between you two?” Archie finally asked.

She hesitated to tell him.

“We kissed.” She shrugged. “But it was before he started dating Betty, or are they even dating? I don’t know. And I told him i needed a break, and now i regret it. I just wish the kiss didn’t happen so he could feel comfortable about living here. I just- UGH!”

She tried to explain how she felt the best she could but she wasn’t making any sense so she gave up.

She threw herself on the bed.

Archie chuckled. “Seems like you’re under a lot of stress.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “You have no idea.”

“Well, i’m sorry that happened. But trust me, your friendship is not over. I think he’s actually considering living here. And if he does, you will behave. Nothing bad could happen if you behave.” Archie said.

She scoffed. “He kissed me. I’m not the one that needs to behave.”

“So not what i meant. What i meant was: Don’t act like a bitch to him because he’s dating Betty. You’ve got to support his choice.” Archie elaborated.

She sighed. “Life stinks.”

Archie chuckled. “Sure does. Just go to sleep. You’ll feel better tomorrow.”

Alex scoffed. “Tomorrow the problems continue. I’m not just stressed about Jughead.”

Archie nodded. “I know. But for now, you need sleep. I’m gonna go. Goodnight.”

He got up and left.

Alex stood up and got ready for bed.

——————————————————————————

They had school the next day.

It went smooth for most part.

Alex didn’t spend so much time with Betty and Veronica anymore since all they did was talk about Jason and Polly. She was sick of it. Whenever she did hang out with them, she did what she did best. Tuned them out.

After school, Archie, Alex, and Jughead decided to walk to the construction site.

Mostly for Jughead to check in on his father.

The walk was awkward, but they got by.

They were all in Fred’s office trailer, waiting for them to come back

Archie and Alex were bouncing a tennis ball back and forth between them.

Fred and FP finally walked in. Hardhats and everything. All Alex could think about was never again.

“FP!” Alex greeted him with a hug.

“Hey, kiddo! How are you?” He returned the hug.

He smelled like a bar and fresh cement.

“I’m good.” She nodded.

He left his arm around her while they walked towards the boys.

“How was your first day back?” Jughead asked.

“Oh, it was great.” Fred responded. “Your dad is the hardest-working guy on the crew, as always.”

He tossed his hardhat to Jughead.

FP chuckled.

“Oh, in that case, why don’t we celebrate to mark the occasion?” Jughead suggested as he put the hardhat over is beanie.

“Yeah, we were all thinking we could all have dinner or something.” Archie added on.

Fred was hesitant. “Uh, tonight? I don’t know..”

“Oh, come on. it’ll be fun!” Alex tried to convince him.

“Hey, why aren’t you hanging out with the girls? Aren’t they, uh, doing something tonight?” Fred asked.

Alex rolled her eyes. “Betty is busy with Polly and the Blossoms. Veronica is clubbing. So, would you like me to go to Betty’s and catfight with Polly and her unborn child or go underage drinking with Veronica? 'Cause both can be arranged.”

FP chuckled while Fred sighed.

“Fair enough.” Fred said.

“Still got that smart mouth, huh?” FP nudged Alex.

She laughed.

“Anyway, I’m game if you are.” FP looked at Fred.

Fred was still thinking about it.

“On me.” FP insisted.

He sighed. Archie bounced the tennis ball to him to catch. And he did.

He finally gave in and they ended up at Pop’s.

They sat at a table instead of a booth.

Alex was between Archie and Jughead while they sat across their dads.

The whole time, they were reminiscing. It was great, they were all laughing together.

“We spent the whole summer fixing up that old VW bus.” FP laughed.

“Yeah,” Fred nodded.

“Remember what we called it, Fred?” FP asked, expecting him to remember.

“The Shaggin’ Wagon.” They both said in unison.

They both laughed as they thought about it and repeated it.

Alex’s face twisted in confusion.

“Isn’t shagging the same as—” Alex began.

Fred cut her off. “Uh, no.”

She shrugged. FP laughed because he knew what she was going to say and the answer was yes.

“Anyway,” FP continued. “This was before your dad had game.”

Alex bursted out laughing. “As if he ever did.”

Archie joined her and started laughing too.

“No, he did, i gotta give it to him.” FP insisted. “Senior Year, he started a band, and then the girls were all over him.”

Archie and Alex were slightly taken back.

“A band?” She asked to make sure she heard correctly.

FP laughed as he nodded.

“We were awful.” Fred mentioned.

“Yeah, yeah, we were.” FP chuckled.

“Ooh.” Fred grimaced at the thought of it.

“But it was great. Best time of my life.” FP admitted.

“You know, your dad was what is commonly known as a BMOC, Jughead.” Fred said.

“Come on. The hell i was.” FP defended.

“In what way?” Jughead asked before shoving a french fry into his mouth.

“Football, for one.” Fred responded. “He single-handedly defeated our arch-rivals, the Baxter High Ravens.”

Jughead seemed impressed.

“He doesn’t care about that stuff, Fred. Football, sports.” FP interrupted. “Takes after his mom in that respect, and i mean that as a compliment.”

Jughead’s mood changed.

“I’d rather see you spending your time writing, thinking up stories, you still do that?” FP asked. “Nose in a book? Typing away?”

“Yeah, yeah, Jughead works on the school paper with Betty.” Archie responded for hints

Alex nudged him.

“Betty?” FP perked up. “Ooh. Who is Betty? Is that your girlfriend?”

He got weird. Everyone noticed.

Alex’s jealousy got the best of her and let it wipe out her good mood.

“She’s..” Archie tried to explain.

“I.. Wanna know more about.. bands.” Jughead changed the subject. “What was the name of the band?”

FP laughed.

“Ah, yeah. It was called The Fred Heads.” Fred answered.

Everyone started laughing.

“Wait, the what now?” Archie asked through a laugh.

“That’s so bad!” Alex laughed.

“Yeah, that’s why it doesn’t come up very often.” Fred admitted.

Pop came over to their table to give them their check.

“Oh, thanks, Pop.” Fred said as he took out his wallet and gave him some money.

“Oh, come on, Fred. This was supposed to be my treat.” FP reminded him.

“Hey. You get it next time.” Fred insisted.

“Hey. Excuse me, Pop?” FP called out before Pop left.

“We invited you guys out. Let me pay.” Jughead took his wallet out and started taking out some bills.

“Put your damn money away.” FP demanded.

“FP, take it easy.” Fred whispered.

FP started taking money out to pay for the check.

“You owe me this.” Fred said.

Archie, Alex, and Jughead shared a look.

“Yeah, sure.” Fred gave in. “Go ahead. You get this one.”

Fred took his wallet out and started putting his money back in.

“You know, if i’d have known, I would have gotten another milkshake.” Fred joked.

Once FP paid, they went back to Fred’s. FP insisted on jamming with Archie.

They all went to the garage, where they could be as loud as they wanted.

Alex joined by playing the drums.

Jughead was there, just watching and head banging.

“Damn, you guys are good.” FP admitted. “Way better than your dad.”

Both Archie and Alex chuckled.

“Hey, does Fred keep any beer in there?” FP pointed at the fridge.

“Uh…” Archie began.

“I think so.” Alex responded absentmindedly.

Archie glared at her. She shrugged.

“Dad, don’t you think it’s a little late? Kinda..” Jughead trailed off.

“Oh, yeah, yeah. No, it’s all right.” FP nodded in agreement. “You know, I got a big day tomorrow anyway.”

FP walked over to the small couch to get his flannel. He and Jughead were about to leave.

“Hey, Mr. Jones, before you go, can i ask you a question?” Archie put the guitar to the side and stood up.

Alex looked at him and raised a brow.

“Yeah.” FP responded.

“Earlier tonight, you said our dad owed you.” Archie began. “What did you mean by that?”

Alex looked at FP to see what he was going to say.

He was hesitant to answer.

Jughead walked up to Archie and whispered to to him. Alex couldn’t make out what he said.

“I mean.. It’s just a question.” Archie defended. “Did something happen between you two?”

“It’s ancient history, but your dad and me, we.. we started Andrews Construction together.”

Archie and Alex were taken back.

“What?” Alex said, shocked.

Jughead turned around, trying to control his facial expressions.

Alex noticed but didn’t say anything.

“You and my dad were partners?!” Archie asked.

FP chuckled. “He wouldn’t call us that.”

Archie crossed his arms across his chest.

“Anyway, we, uh.. We struggled at first.” FP admitted. “Fred, he just had you guys to worry about, provide for. I had Jughead, and Jellybean, and their mom, and hospital bills.”

Archie and Alex nodded.

“So i took some odd jobs that weren’t exactly on the level.” FP continued. “And sure enough, one of them landed me in some hot water, and your dad was good enough to bail me out.”

Archie smiled.

“Then he said we should part ways. That I was a liability. Made me sign a paper saying the bail money was him buying me out of the company. Never mind that share of the business was worth 10 times that, easy.”

Archie and Alex shared a look.

Their dad was always a good man. He didn’t do something that didn’t need to be done unless it did.

“So that was that.” FP finished.

“He went his way, and I went mine.” He walked over to his jacket to take out a flask.

Jughead turned around.

“You know, I think i need something a little harder than beer.” FP said before Jughead could say anything.

Jughead’s reaction broke Alex’s heart. She wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be okay. But she couldn’t.

FP went to the bathroom and to say goodbye to Fred before he and Jughead headed home.

Alex stood up from the drumset and threw herself in the couch.

Archie put his guitar away.

“Jughead, what your dad told us.. I had no idea.” Archie said.

“Me neither.” Jughead confessed. “Illuminating, isn’t it?”

“There’s always two sides to a story.” Alex said.

“Yeah,” Archie sighed. “My dad must’ve had a good reason.”

“For screwing over my dad?” Jughead asked.

“Ready to roll, Jugs?” FP slurred from outside.

Jughead hopped off the stool and took FP’s flask to hide it in the couch.

Jughead sighed. “See you guys tomorrow.”

He put his dad’s arm around his neck and helped him to their truck.

“We need to help him, Arch.” Alex said as she sat up.

Archie sighed. “I know. I’m gonna ask dad about the whole FP thing later.”

Alex nodded.

——————————————————————————

It was the next day.

Archie told Alex that she asked their dad about forcing FP out of the company he helped founded.

Fred told him that FP was a mess. He didn’t have his act together and Fred couldn’t have that. He had his own family to worry about.

Alex was understanding but still felt bad about Jughead.

She was walking down the hall when she saw him by himself.

“Jughead!” She called out.

He turned around.

“Hey.” She said.

He smiled. “Hey.”

“You going to the Blue and Gold office?” She asked.

He sighed as he nodded. “Gotta figure the Jason and Polly stuff out. The sooner the better.”

“Could you use some company?” She offered.

He nodded.

They walked in the room, where they saw Sheriff Keller and Principal Weatherbee taking a look at their murder board. They paused.

“Hey.” Jughead greeted.

“Hey.” Keller responded.

They didn’t seem to happy. Alex froze. Her picture was up there. She was sure they knew about her and Jason.

“Uh, what’s up?” Jughead asked.

“I’m going to need you to come down to the station with me.” Keller simply said.

Alex scoffed. “Can you do that? He’s a minor, call his dad. Or his lawyer.”

They ignored her and walked away with Jughead.

Jughead was in shock.

Alex followed behind them. She tried calling FP but he wasn’t picking up.

She saw Archie and Betty talking by their lockers.

They saw him being taken away.

“Call my dad.” Jughead said before disappearing into the distance.

“Yeah, we will.” Archie responded.

“Of course.” Betty said.

Alex went up to them.

“Archie, i think we need to call dad. FP isn’t picking up.” Alex said.

Archie nodded. They walked off with Betty following.

——————————————————————————

They all ended up at the station.

Archie and Alex wanted to go in and see him but they only let Betty.

That pissed Alex off more than she already was.

Their dad arrived and started talking to Sheriff Keller.

“Jughead’s not helping himself. I asked him for an alibi and he just gave me lip.” Keller said.

Alex scoffed.

“This is ridiculous. You have no real evidence.” Alex raised her voice.

“Alex, please.” Fred tried to calm her.

She took a deep breath.

“He was working with me.” Fred responded.

Archie and Alex were taken back.

“Yeah, the week of July 11th, was it?” Fred asked his kids.

Alex nodded when Archie didn’t.

“Yeah, I had him tear down some drywall for me.” Fred continued.

“You can provide me with documentation to support that?” Keller asked, unconvinced.

“I have to check my time cards.” Fred told him.

Keller looked at Archie and Alex. They both nodded slowly.

They released Jughead. They walked out of the station.

FP was just arriving.

“Jughead!” He called out. “Im sorry. I came as soon as I got your messages. My phone, the friggin’ battery. I forgot to plug it in last night.”

FP saw the look in their faces. They were upset. Especially Jughead.

“What the hell happened?” FP asked.

“Nothing. It’s fine now.” Jughead snarled. “Mr. Andrews took care of it.”

FP got pissed.

“What jacked-up crap did they accuse you of in there, huh?” FP demanded to know. “Those bastards trying to throw you in jail like they did your old man? Well, screw that.” He raised his voice.

“i will rip Keller a new one for trying to pull that..” He tried marching in there but Fred held him back.

“FP, settle down..” Fred stopped him.

FP took Fred’s hands off of him.

“Hey! Hey!” He shoved Fred. “This is my son, he is my son, Fred!”

“You’d do the same for your boy.” FP shouted.

He attempted to go in again, but this time, Jughead held him back.

“Dad.” He said sternly. “Don’t make things worse.”

“Please.” He whispered.

FP looked back at him. He calmed down and nodded.

“Yeah, all right then.” He agreed.

“You, uh, coming home with me?” FP started walking the opposite direction.

“He can stay with us, Mr. Jones.” Archie offered.

FP looked back at him and Alex.

“We already offered.” Archie mentioned.

“Is that what you want?” FP asked Jughead.

Jughead didn’t say anything. He just sniffled. FP took that as a yes.

“Maybe that’s for the best. If you don’t mind, Fred.” FP said.

“Whatever you want, FP.” Fred sighed. “It’s between the two of you.”

“I’ll go with you, dad.” Jughead’s voice broke as he walked towards him.

Alex felt so bad. She knew he wanted to stay with them but he didn’t want to make his dad feel bad.

FP stopped him.

“Son, listen to me.” He sighed. “I’m gonna do what you want, get my act together. I’m gonna get your mom and Jellybean home so we’re all under the same roof. I promise. But I… I just need a little time to do that. Not a lot, not long. A month, two at the most.”

Jughead wasn’t convinced. He had broken his promises to him so many time. He looked away.

“Hey,” FP cupped his face so Jughead was looking at him. “And then we’ll be back on track, alright?”

Jughead didn’t say anything. He just glared at him.

“You.. You believe that, don’t you?” FP asked.

“Yeah, I believe you, dad.” Jughead whispered.

They hugged. Then FP walked away.

Jughead was in tears. Betty walked up to him and caressed his cheek.

All Alex could think about was how that could have been her.

They walked off, with Alex and Archie watching them longingly.

“Am I sensing envy from both of you?” Fred asked.

Alex scoffed. “Let’s just go.”

And they did just that.

They went back to Fred’s office.

Fred made Jughead a time card that said he was with them on July 11th.

“Looks like you’ve done with before.” Archie pointed out.

“Yeah, well, FP’s got his tricks, i got mine.” Fred said, taking a good look at the card. “Maybe i should have given him another chance back then. Either way, Jughead doesn’t deserve what’s happening to him.”

The corner of Alex’s mouth twisted.

“Hey, at least he has us though, right?” She shrugged.

Fred and Archie looked at her. They nodded.

Archie sighed.

“Well, if you don’t mind, Alex and I have somewhere we need to be.” Archie walked towards the door, taking Alex with him.

“Yeah, sure, son. You guys have fun.” Fred said.

With that, they walked out.

Alex’s face twisted in confusion.

“Where do we need to be?” She asked.

“At Pop’s.” Archie simply said.

Alex’s brows furrowed. “Why?”

“Because everyone is there.” He shrugged.

“Why are you being so vague?” She scoffed.

“We should all be there for Betty, Alex.” Archie explained.

Alex was still confused. “We always are. It’s never been an issue.”

“With you, it has lately. Because of Polly.” Archie said.

Alex scoffed. “Polly’s there?”

“Look, you have to face her one way or another. Why not do it now, with me by your side?” Archie pulled her close to him by wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

She took a deep breath and nodded.

They got there. Polly looked at her but didn’t say anything.

They were sitting at a one sided booth.

They were all waiting for the Blossoms.

“The Blossoms should be here soon.” Betty assured Polly. “Once we’ve talked things through with them, we’ll call mom and dad.”

Polly nodded.

“Are you nervous?” Betty asked.

“I’m thankful.” She smiled.

Alex rolled her eyes.

“At the home, the Sisters said each of us had a guardian angel.” Polly continued. “You’re mine, Betty.”

Why do they insist on being so cheesy all the time?

Pop’s door bell chimed as Cheryl walked in.

She didn’t look so happy.

“Cheryl…” Polly stood up.

She caressed Polly’s baby bump.

“I’m so sorry about Jason,” Polly began. “I know how much you loved him.”

She reached for her arm.

“And he always talked about how much he loved you.” Polly continued.

Betty looked around.

“Cheryl, where are your mom and dad?” Betty finally asked.

“You have to leave. Now.” Cheryl finally spoke.

Polly was taken back.

“My parents, I don’t think they want to help you.” Cheryl explained.

“What are you talking about?” Betty asked.

“They want you out of the picture, Polly. It’s not safe for you with them. It’s not safe for JayJay’s baby.” Cheryl continued.

Polly was freaking out.

“Where am i suppose to go? I can’t go back to the attic.” Polly’s voice broke.

“No. You don’t have to, Polly.” Veronica said. “And don’t worry about my mom, Betty. She’ll want to help.”

Betty nodded. They got up and left.

Alex, Jughead and Archie walked home.

“Well, that was train wreck.” Alex scoffed.

“At least Ronnie came to the rescue.” Archie shrugged.

“I guess.”

Jughead was quiet. He was still upset about what happened earlier that day.

They arrived at home.

Archie and Jughead went to his room to help make Jughead feel at home.

Alex didn’t bother to follow. She went to her own room and fell asleep.

[racingtoaredlight]

RTARL’s NFL Week 4 Extravapalooza

Another Sunday full of professional gridiron action is upon us. Each of the previous three Sundays (and Mondays and Thursdays) have revealed juuuust a little bit more of the 2019 NFL picture, and by the end of play this week, we should have a pretty firm grasp of where things are headed. LOL, just kidding, football is a perpetual exercise in random chaos, and even the most foul, waterlogged corpse of a team can heroically rise up as one to defeat a two-touchdown spread on a given day. That’s why it’s fun! Well, unless you lose a whole bunch of money when that happens. Then it’s probably not that fun at all. 

As always, my godawful picks are in BOLD, and the lines are courtesy of Vegas Insider.

Off we go!

Early Games

Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans (-4)

Cam Newton revealed in a vlog post earlier this week that he realized during pregame warm-ups for the Panthers’ season opener that he was unable to run due to a foot injury. That seems bad! It certainly explains his horrible performances to start the year, and I wish Cam a speedy and full recovery because the NFL is more fun when he’s trucking defenders and throwing bombs. In last week’s post, I mocked Cam’s replacement Kyle Allen, and he proceeded to have a great game, making me look like a dumb dick in the process. Well, I am DOUBLING DOWN, KYLE. YOU SUCK AND I’M NOT GIVING YOU ANY CREDIT FOR TORCHING THE SORRY ASS ARIZONA CARDINALS. 

DeAndre Hopkins has a tough matchup with Panthers DB James Bradberry, so look for Will Fuller to have himself a ballgame.

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (-7)

I originally had the Browns as my pick here, but I just read that they’re going to be without their two starting cornerbacks for this one and changed it. Granted, if last week’s version of Lamar Jackson shows up, a depleted secondary won’t be a huge issue since his passes will be way off target, anyway. Was last week’s performance simply Lamar regressing to the mean as a passer, or was it the result of Kansas City being all up in his business for most of the afternoon? I think it was more the latter, and Myles Garrett and company are going to have to bring the heat if the Browns want to pick up a badly-needed W here.

Washington Football Team at New York Giants (-3)

I thought Daniel Jones looked good last week. If you listened to virtually any NFL talking head talk about his debut, you’d have thought he was basically peak Steve Young. Let’s everyone just chill the fuck out on ol’ Danny Dimes for a bit. I think a ghastly, division-game bed-shitting by him is in the cards here just to restore some kind of order to the universe. 

I keep imagining a scenario where Eli Manning is the Emperor Palpatine to Saquon Barkley’s Darth Vader, constantly in his ear trying to turn him to the dark side by pointing out how ridiculous it is that Daniel Jones gets all the slobbering when Saquon is the true star of the team. You can’t spell “Machiavellian” without “Eli!”

It goes without saying that this game will be hideous and you shouldn’t subject yourself to a single snap of it.

Los Angeles Chargers (-14.5) at Miami Dolphins

Another week, another game in which the Dolphins are massive underdogs. I think this is their best shot to cover so far, as the Chargers find themselves in the classic “West Coast team playing at 1:00 EST” scenario. Plus, if somebody asked you “Which supposedly good NFL team is most likely to outright lose a game in which they’re favored by two TDs?” odds are good that the Bolts would be the first team to spring to mind.

Oakland Raiders at Indianapolis Colts (-7)

I’m very much enjoying Jacoby Brissett’s success, as he was by all accounts an awesome guy during his time with New England, and he showed flashes of ability when he had the chance here. In the Battle for Best Brady Backup, he’s clearly ahead of Handsome Jimmy at the moment.

I’m disappointed in the Raiders in terms of their entertainment value so far. I was really hoping for more craziness. As far as I know, Jon Gruden hasn’t even hinted at sitting Derek Carr for Mike Glennon yet. LAME.

Kansas City Chiefs (-7) at Detroit Lions

Matthew Stafford is hurt and according to this Schefter tweet  he’s “the closest he’s probably been to not playing,” which seems bad, but that sentence is so poorly constructed that I can’t be sure. Stafford’s most admirable quality is his toughness, so if he’s thinking about sitting he’s probably quite fucked up. This is going to be such a ruthless Lion slaughtering that even Scar is gonna have a hard time watching.

New England Patriots (-7) at Buffalo Bills

I am all in on the notion of the Bills being a team on the rise, and on Josh Allen in particular, but this game has “41-10 Patriots win” written all over it. This feeling is based on a proprietary blend of rank homerism from me, perpetual fatalism from my Bills fan best friend, and a sausage breakfast sandwich. 

Tennessee Titans at Atlanta Falcons (-3.5)

This game inspires no emotion from me whatsoever. No excitement, no revulsion. No whimsical laughter or erotically-charged anger. It only conjures a sense of pure, absolute emptiness. It exists in the void between our reality and another, and ye shan’t glance upon it lest ye go mad. 

Late Games

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams (-9.5)

I went back and forth on this pick, because 9.5 is a lot of points to give a team that can theoretically put up points the way the Bucs can. In the end, I went with L.A. because they’re a much better team at home where Jared Goff can clearly hear it when Sean McVay calls the plays, identifies what the defense is, and tells him exactly where to throw the ball and when. 

The Rams also have a pretty good defensive secondary, and Tampa Bay’s breakout WR Chris Godwin is dealing with a hip issue and could be limited. Might be a multi-INT day for ol’ Jameis Winston. I mean, that’s every day, but it could be particularly damaging today.

Seattle Seahawks (-5.5) at Arizona Cardinals

On one hand, we have a team with an unproven rookie QB whose head coach wants him to throw the ball as many times as possible. On the other, we have a team with one of the best QBs in football, whose head coach seemingly wants to minimize him by having him hand the ball off 50 times a game. Football really makes no sense sometimes. 

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears (-1.5)

This is probably going to be the kind of low-scoring derpfest that gets a certain brand of “football purist” absolutely rock hard. Each team has a very good defense and a QB with a propensity to make truly baffling decisions. I can already hear Mike Wilbon frothing at the mouth describing this game as the way football USED to be played before all these whippersnappers ruined it with their spread formations and head coaches that can read. God, he’s such a twat.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos (-3)

Sunday Night Game: Dallas Cowboys (-2.5) at New Orleans Saints

As loathe as I am to admit it, the Cowboys are very good. While I think Teddy Bridgewater is a perfectly cromulent backup QB who can keep the Saints’ season alive until Brees returns, I don’t this isn’t the kind of game he’s gonna win.

Monday Night Game: Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5)

Last Week’s Record: 4-11 (LOL)

Season Record: 20-24-1

[missblanchette]

Look, Papa, No Hands [1/1]

Series: Joker Game

Characters: Hatano, Amari, Emma, Tazaki; Some minor Amari/Tazaki, but it’s not a huge focus

Rating: PG (for Hatano’s language lol)

Summary: What better revenge is there than to teach another man's child how to ride a bike? (or: Hatano teaches Emma how to ride a bike. Amari is not happy.)

Words: 2517

Notes: Part of my Modern AU (btw this is @dollofdeath‘s new writing blog, hello~); Inspired by this tweet; Misleading title is misleading bc there’s no actual bike riding lmao but anyways, this is just a dumb thing I wrote for fun haha some things to note (which will make sense in a few lol), I hc Hatano as a gamer, Nintendo Switches are hard to find and expensive since there’s not so much produced:’) and ah, if you’ve read my previous modern AUs, you’ll have noticed that AmaTaza aren’t established yet but in this fic, they are -- I’m just jumping around in the timeline a bit hehe

You can read this on AO3! Thank you guys for reading and I hope you enjoy~! (ˊᗜˋ)

Hatano wouldn't usually call himself as "a dick." Sure, there are times where he's an asshole, but it's because the other person deserves it. Like whenever Jitsui's sadism becomes too overwhelming or Miyoshi's ego gets to his head or the fact that Kaminaga exists in general. He's not a dick for no reason -- it's just to put others in their place.

And today he feels like being a dick.

He clearly remembers how Amari did him wrong last week -- not that Amari's aware of the severity of the situation. After spending the entire afternoon in Akihabara trying to find a freaking Nintendo Switch (which he did, all at the cost of a whooping 45,500 yen and his will to live), Hatano ran into Amari who'd invited him to dinner and who was he to deny free food? But being the dumbass that he was, he'd forgotten the Switch at Amari's place and didn't notice until well after he got home..

"Oh, that...?" Amari said, the moment Hatano called and asked him about it. With just those two, simple words, Hatano knew it wasn't gonna end well. "I didn't realize it was yours and let Emma play with it."

So far, so good. Hatano even felt a little proud that Emma had taken an interest in gaming. But Amari just had to continue speaking.

"Then, uh, Frate ate it --" Oh shit. "-- and it broke."

Right there and then, Hatano's soul left his body. He'd been saving up for weeks to buy a Switch, even refusing Jitsui's offer to split the cost because he wanted to buy everything with his own money. That was 45,500 yen down the drain. Not to mention that dipshit Odagiri's probably gonna show off his Switch next time they hang out. Fuckin'. God dammit.

"I'm really sorry!" Amari said but Hatano had already grown numb. "I'll pay you back!"

Oh, he'll pay all right.

Amari's a nice guy, don't get him wrong; he's always been there for him and has helped him through tough times. In fact, if he's drunk enough, he may even admit to seeing him as an older brother. But that doesn't change the fact that he can be an airhead and Hatano is petty as hell.

So when Amari asks him to watch Emma, he doesn't hesitate. It takes some convincing to Jitsui to let her stay on such short notice, but Jitsui's happy to comply once he lets him on in the plan. After Emma's dropped off, Hatano waits fifteen minutes to make sure Amari's gone. Then, he turns to her.

"Hey, Emma."

"Yes, Uncle Hatano?"

"Ya wanna learn how to ride a bike?"

The sparkle in her big, blue eyes is all the answer he needs.

After what happened last week, Amari's had some hesitations leaving Emma with Hatano for the day. He thought for sure Hatano would just shoot him down, but surprisingly, Hatano accepts without any complaints. Though, Amari's not really in a position to question it since he's pressed for time. Not that he doubts Hatano (though, Jitsui's another story), but he's glad to see Emma all in one piece when he comes to pick her up. Hatano even sends them off with a smile, a sight he doesn't see too often.

"Papa, Papa! Guess what?" Emma asks as they take the elevator down. She bounces excitedly in his arms and despite how tired he feels, Amari can't help but share her enthusiasm.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"Guess!"

"Hm, okay. You went to the aquarium and saw the dolphins today."

"Nope~ Guess again."

"No? Then did Uncle Jitsui let you help with his manga?"

"Nuh-uh. One more try."

"Okay then... you and Uncle Hatano made flour bombs!"

"No~" Emma giggles. "It's none of that!"

"Well, don't leave me hanging," Amari teases.

"Uncle Hatano taught me how to ride a bike!"

Amari chokes, nearly dropping Emma in the process.

"Are you okay, Papa?"

"J-Just fine, darling." It takes all his strength not to cry right there and then. "I-Is that so? How did it go?"

Emma wastes no time explaining the bike riding lesson and chatters on about how fun it was and how fast she went and how cool it was to finally be on a big girl bike, but it all goes into one ear and out the other as they make their way back to the car.

For some time now, Emma's been wanting to ride a bike, claiming that she's gotten too old for her tricycle. It's taken a while, but Amari finally ordered the perfect bike for her -- a bright pink one with those colorful tassels on the handles and a cute, little basket in the front. There's even a bell on it, because she says she likes the way they sound.

It was supposed to be a surprise when it comes in later in the week, but... he figures it doesn't mean much now.

Tazaki reserves his mornings for his birdies-and-me time and no one -- not even those closest to him -- is allowed to interrupt it. So when his phone rings, he's already going through possible forms of punishment to whoever's calling. Not even a hint of mercy crosses his mind when he sees "Amari 🐳💞" on the screen.

He answers, ready to reprimand Amari for disturbing him, but a shrill cry cuts him short.

"Uncle Tazakiii!!"

"Emma, dove," he says as calmly as possible. As he hears her hiccuping on the other end, he decides that maybe he'll make one exception. "What's wrong?"

"Papa, h-he won't get up...!"

Grip tightening on his phone, Tazaki's heart drops and his blood runs cold.

"Did something happen?"

"I-I don't know..." She sniffles. "I t-tried waking him up but he won't get outta bed."

By the time she's finished speaking, Tazaki's already put on his shoes and grabbed his keys.

"Don't worry, dove, I'll be right there," he says and wasting not a second, he scrambles out of his apartment. It's times like these that he wishes he had a car, but he's able to make it to Amari's place quickly nonetheless.

As soon as he gets there, Emma clings onto him for dear life. He takes a moment to help her calm down and reassures her that no, Papa isn't dead and yes, Papa will be all right (probably, he thinks, but he doesn't want to start freaking out either). Once she's settled down with Frate to keep her busy, Tazaki steels himself and enters Amari's room.

He finds a giant lump lying on the bed that he can only assume is Amari, but it's still and silent and Tazaki has to remember to take a breath in and a breath out and a breath in and a breath out and -- screw it, he can't possibly concentrate on his breathing exercises right now. With Emma out in the living room, he's allowed to freak out as much as he wants.

"A-Amari!" He rushes to his side and practically throws the covers off, and there's Amari laying face down without any hints of life. Kneeling down next to him, Tazaki takes one of his hands in his and starts shaking him. "Are you okay?"

The seconds tick by with no response from Amari and oh God, Tazaki thinks, how's he going to break this to Emma? She's already lost her birth parents, now she's lost another one and wait, being Amari's boyfriend means the responsibility of taking care of her goes to him. But he's not ready to raise a child by himself and oh no, his boyfriend's dead, how's he supposed to deal with this? He's never had a dead boyfriend before --

"Tazaki...?" Ever so slowly, Amari tilts his head towards him.

"Oh thank God," Tazaki says, cradling Amari's face in his hands. Taking a closer look at him, Amari's eyes are tired and dull and it's so strange seeing him without his usual cheer. "Emma said you wouldn't get out of bed so I thought something bad happened like you were paralyzed or you slipped into a coma or -- o-or --" Tazaki pauses to collect his thoughts. "I just... what happened?"

"Sorry for worrying you," Amari says, giving him a weak smile. "It's just that Hatano..."

He trails off, voice cracking. Tazaki leans in.

"W-What about Hatano?" Oh God, did something happen to Hatano that he's not aware of? He's a reckless guy, so it's not unlikely that he'd get himself into some sort of accident or get involved with the wrong people or --

"He... taught Emma how to ride a bike."

"Oh my God! I can't believe -- wait." Tazaki blinks once. Twice. Three times. Then it really sinks in. "What."

In his head, Tazaki replays the words over again and stares at Amari's sorry state. He opens his mouth to speak, but finds that he can't properly express himself with words. So instead he lets go of Amari, grabs the pillow from underneath his head, and smacks him.

"Ow! Why --"

"That's it?" He hits him again. "Emma was so worried about you and it was all because Hatano taught her how to ride a bike?" And once more for good measure. "What's wrong with you!?"

All the while, Amari sits up, arms raised in a vain attempt to defend himself from Tazaki's onslaught.

"You don't understand!"

"Oh." Tazaki raises an eyebrow. "Really?"

"A child only learns how to ride a bike once; it's an important bonding moment between a father and his child." Amari sniffles. "Hatano took that away from me."

Tazaki grips the pillow, having half the mind to hit him again. Maybe it's because he's not a father himself, but he finds Amari's reaction a little, well, ridiculous. Then again, he's used to ridiculous when it comes to Amari. Regardless, it must mean a lot to him if he's acting like this and that's enough for Tazaki to stop and consider the situation.

"That doesn't mean you can just mope around." He sits down next to him and lightly, hits him with the pillow.  "I know it hurts, but Emma still has a lot of firsts to go through and you'll be there for it."

Amari doesn't respond immediately, but he leans onto Tazaki's side.

"You have a point..."

"And you'll get the opportunity again, won't you?" He coughs, realizing the implication and quickly adds, "Theoretically. Hypothetically. Possibly. You might have more kids."

"But it won't be the same." Amari pouts. "Emma is Emma and those children are those children. It's a different experience."

"Is it really?"

"Of course!" Amari says. "Because each child is unique, so each experience won't be the same. And the chance I had with Emma --" Sniffling, he rubs his eyes. "-- was stolen, and I'll never get it back!"

As Amari plops his head on his lap, Tazaki sighs and runs his hands through Amari's hair. He's definitely gonna have to call Hatano about this.

Tazaki says he's gonna treat Hatano for the day but what Hatano gets instead is a one-on-one with Amari, courtesy of Tazaki himself.

"Emma and I are going out," Tazaki tells them. "You two aren't allowed to leave until you work things out. And don't either of you dare think about leaving because I will know," he says, looking directly at Hatano and Hatano doesn't quite get how Tazaki's able to rework Amari's lock so quickly so that it only opens from the outside, but it's whatever he supposes.  

"We'll be back by evening. You have until then to make up."

And with that, Hatano and Amari are left alone, seated across one another at the table.

Both of them refuse to look at each other -- or more like, Hatano refuses to look at Amari and Amari awkwardly tries to make eye contact -- but Hatano tries not to let the atmosphere get to him, and kicks back in his seat with his hands resting behind his head.

"So," Amari says, breaking the silence.

"So," Hatano repeats.

A beat.

"You taught Emma how to ride a bike."

"I sure as hell did." Hatano smirks as Amari winces. "The kid's a natural."

"I'm sure she is," Amari says. Hatano hears the cracks in his voice. "She's very quick to catch on."

"Unlike a certain someone," Hatano mumbles.

"Look at me, Hatano" The seriousness in Amari's voice catches him off guard and he does just so. He's not used to that disappointed look Amari gives him nor that serious tone he's using -- it's almost like when his own dad's yelling at him, but Hatano reminds himself Amari's not the same guy as his father. "Can you tell me why you did that?"

His words aren't harsh or demanding, but soft and coaxing and it's enough to make Hatano shift in his seat. Okay, maybe he's starting to feel a little bad.

"Because you ruined something of mine."

He could practically hear the ticking of the clock as he waits for Amari to reply. Amari's brows furrow and he tilts his head in that way he does when he's thinking about something.

"Is it about that game thing --"

"Switch."

"-- Switch thing?"

Hatano chews the inside of his cheek.

"Yeah."

"I said I'd pay you back."

"It's not enough!" Hatano slams his hands on the table. "I spent weeks saving up for that, y'know? It took me a while to find one in store too. And I didn't even get to open the box."

Amari holds his gaze for a moment before taking his hands in his. Despite how annoyed he is, Hatano lets him.

"I'm really sorry," he says, not breaking eye contact. "I didn't consider your feelings and I hurt you. I'll do anything to make up for it, I promise."

He heaves a sigh.

"But, you know," Amari continues. "You hurt me too. You also ruined something for me."

Here, Hatano looks away.

"You only have one chance to teach your child how to ride a bike." Amari swallows hard. "And now my chance with Emma is gone."

With that said, silence falls over and Hatano isn't quite sure if the quiet is any better. Hesitantly, he takes a peek at Amari and God, there's that kicked puppy look on his face. How the hell is he supposed to stay mad at that? Sighing, Hatano removes his hands from Amari's and crosses his arms.

"I guess," he starts, "it was a little bit harsh."

"A little bit?"

"Shut up while I'm apologizing."

Amari makes a zipping motion across his lips.

"Maybe I overreacted, but it was really unfair to you." He inhales deeply. "I'm sorry. Like really sorry and..." His mind is a tizzy, trying to think of some way to make up for what he's done. "You can teach my kids to ride a bike."

Slowly, Amari nods.

"All right. That's fair," he says, but then his nose crinkles. "Wait. I thought you didn’t want kids."

A pause.

"You can teach Yoru."

Another pause.

"Okay."

Later that week, Emma hit the town in her swanky, pink bicycle with Yoru at her side. They became internet sensations.

[bdbdb]

Catch up on previous weeks here

Week 9 – Shit Just Got Real

Before we start talking about this week’s class I want to talk about something that happened a few days after last week’s class. I witnessed a violent and bloody assault. If you want details ask me in person, but I mention it here because the lessons I’ve learned in the Santa Monica Community Police Academy changed the way I reacted to what happened and I hope helped the officers who were dealing with it. I wasn’t the closest witness so I wasn’t the first one they spoke to, but I could hear the other witness being interviewed. He was telling the officers what he saw, but it was a lot of ‘he looked like he was going to…’ and ‘and then he yelled such and such…’ statements. Important information, sure, but not the priority at that moment. I interrupted and said “the suspect left on train car number so-and-so.” One of the officers was immediately on his radio while he and another officer jumped into their patrol car and took off. I don’t know what eventually happened, but I hope that they were able to nab the attacker before he got off the train and disappeared. So thank you SMPD for teaching me how to ‘speak cop.’ ;)

[1st day as cop] captain: “why did you call for back up” me: “there was a fly in my car” swat team leader: “what exactly do you think we do”

— k e e t 🐤🥔 (@KeetPotato) September 30, 2016

(I have been waiting to post this since I started the Community Academy)

As you may have guessed from the tweet above, we started this week’s class with some SWAT team members who were happy to answer our questions and let us play with their cool gear.

SWAT officers have regular duty and patrol with SWAT training on top of it. If they’re needed it doesn’t matter if they’re ‘bright eyed and bushy tailed,’ at the end of a long shift, or asleep in bed, they go.

SWAT officers have to be prepared for anything. A chase, a gunfight, waiting out a suspect, anything.

SWAT members carry so much gear on them for the above reason. As a situation develops it often changes.

The bullet proof vests are about 20 pounds. There is a ceramic insert in the front to stop rifle rounds.

I needed a nap after listening to them describe their training routine, it’s intense.

My notes on this part of class are really bad, I’m sorry.

We were outside, gathered around the equipment while we listened to members of the SWAT team. There was plenty of room, I could have gone anywhere, but I sat right in front of the big gun. Like staring down the barrel of it. (No really, I had to move to the side to take the above photo.) With the kind of glee that can only be experienced by the extremely young or the profoundly stupid I thought about every gun safety meeting I’ve been to and gun safety memo I’ve distributed in my career and giggled. In my defense, if you’re ever going to disregard basic gun safety doing it around a couple of guys from the SWAT team during a show-and-tell is probably the safest you’re ever gonna get. (Anyone who knows the difference between impossible and improbable know what a load of bologna the last sentence was.) Anyway, I’m an idiot is the point, but I amuse myself.

Even as we talked about guns (both were snipers) and other cool stuff, somehow the answers always came back around to diffusing a situation safely or minimizing the loss of life. It was really nice to see/hear that.

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Terrifying...

These SWAT officers have another whole level of dedication above and beyond the dedication you have to have just being a cop in the first place. I’m sure everyone on the SWAT team has their own personal reasons for wanting to be there but every one of them has to want it BAD.

I volunteer to be on the SWAT team on an ‘as needed’ basis. Call me when you need me, okay guys?

Now that we have some time to kill, anyone get ripped off by their drug dealer and wanna report them?

— Lawrence Police (@LawrenceKS_PD) January 22, 2017

Sadly, I wouldn’t be surprised if that worked.

The second part of class was devoted to Vice & Narcotics. Technically they are two different things but they are often closely intertwined so one presentation covered both of them.

Narcotics is the most rewarding job in the department because so much crime is driven by drugs. (According to them.)

Narcotics is the root of all evil. (Also according to them.)

Because vice/narco has to operate with a lot of autonomy and confidentiality everything is on a ‘need to know’ basis and they report directly to the Chief of Police.

Crimes of moral turpitude (I didn’t know this phrase was used outside of old movies!) include gambling, prostitution, alcohol crimes, illegal tobacco sales, and illegal marijuana sales.

Criminals don’t respect police jurisdictions so vice/narco can work anywhere from Bakersfield to San Diego, all the way to the AZ border.

ABC = Alcohol & Beverage Control. Grant to monitor all 374 alcohol permits in Santa Monica. (Targets over serving and underage drinking.)

SMAART training = Santa Monica Alcohol Awareness Retail Training. Training offered to bartenders, etc.

“Trap door operation” is when an officer poses as the doorperson at a bar/club to look for fake IDs. FLAG = Feel, look, ask, give back.

“Minor decoy operation” is when a minor is used to attempt to buy alcohol. The minor must look their real age and use their real ID.

“Shoulder tap operation” is when the minor stands outside and asks patrons to buy alcohol for them.

The new CA IDs for anyone under 21 are vertical not horizontal. (How long until someone gets busted making vertical fake IDs? I mean criminals at this level generally aren’t the smartest group, you know someone is going to assume this is an ‘across the board’ change and run with it.) ;)

When city permits issued to businesses are involved they generally can search where they want without a warrant.

A “conditional use permit” means you can’t turn a restaurant into a club after hours. (An attempt to keep the noise level down among other things.)

Typically they will try to educate business owners before resorting to enforcement. (Fake IDs, over serving etc.)

Underage drinkers don’t have the life experience to know what they’re doing. (Duh.)

“The presence of condoms is a good sign that some type of sexual activity is going on.” (This was spoken in the context of prostitution operating under all of our noses, massage parlors etc. so it’s not as ridiculous a sentence as it first seems. But it still amused me enough to write it in my notes.)

Prostitution cases often end up being human trafficking cases. Investigations are very sensitive and can take months.

Vice & Narco gets information in a variety of ways. (From other officers, from their own observations, citizen tips, criminals getting revenge on each other etc.)

The We Tip hotline allows you to report a tip anonymously.

Santa Monica has a criminal investigations tip line, a gang activity tip line, a narcotics tip line, etc. They are all listed on this page. Only one of them uses the word ‘anonymous’ but I’m guessing they probably all are because that’s how tip lines generally work.)

Informants can be ‘working off’ cases, getting paid, or (my favorite) doing it for revenge.

“Drug dealers are never on time.” (LOL)

Money the police seize from criminals doesn’t automatically go to them, it’s the city council that decides how it is spent.

Officers are trained in counter surveillance.

Officers change their appearance regularly. (Does this mean they get to expense new clothes all the time? What about visits to a hair salon?) (You can see where my priorities are!)

Columbia produces about 90% of cocaine in the U.S.

Black tar heroin smells like vinegar.

You don’t solve cases behind a desk –> “boots to the ground.”

The presentation included a photo from Miami Vice. There’s nothing specific to be learned from that, it’s just awesome.

I think I took more notes on this part of class than any other, but you probably don’t believe me based on the bullet points above. I’m not comfortable putting a lot of my notes online because they either read like a guide on how to fly under the police radar, (no pun intended) or an advertisement for how much you can make committing some of these crimes. (No really, at one point the presentation sounded a little like a Mary Kay rep trying to sign you up. “You can make this much on [drug name]. Even if [police activity] happens you still can make [amount].”) I really doubt anyone is reading this post while contemplating trading in a law abiding existence for a life of crime, but you never know.

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Why are drug names so silly anyway? I mean, from a marketing perspective do you really want people’s first reaction to your product to be giggling? I’m probably way overthinking this.

In my early 20s I had a doctor prescribe what was basically Meth. I had to go to a special pharmacy to get it and there were all kinds of rules about picking it up etc. Later I found out that the formula I was on caused so many overdoses and deaths that they stopped manufacturing it. But for a while there I had an abundance of energy and could eat anything I wanted without gaining weight!

I missed photographing the slide about prescription pills because I was too busy laughing at how many of them I had in my purse.

There were many awesome quotes from class this week, but my favorite has to be this exchange: Question from the class: “What if someone offers you drugs?” Narcotics officer: “Well… obviously we wouldn’t use them.” Maybe you had to be there, but it was just the funniest thing to me. The pause, the word choice, the underlying meaning, it’s all hysterical. (I’m an idiot.)

{Me as Cop} *Kneels over body* We’re looking for someone briefly introduced even though they don’t seem relevant to the overall plot line.

— MehGyver (@AndrewNadeau0) April 20, 2017

This week I asked my ‘entertainment media’ question twice. The first time there was no answer other than a consensus that TV & movies don’t get it right. The second time I asked the answer was The Wire, a response I’ve heard a lot. I really need to watch it!

Police Palm Trees!

Have I mentioned that I’m an idiot?

Week 9 - @SantaMonicaPD Community Academy Catch up on previous weeks here Week 9 - Shit Just Got Real Before we start talking about this week's class I want to talk about something that happened a few days after last week's class.

[zetsubo-tekina-kibo-blog]

"Blame - My Reason for Leaving Budots"

I have somewhat left my old friends. Well, to be honest, my only true friends within the "budots" were my cousin Hana, Aby, Lee and Dave. They were the ones who joke around and listen to me and actually hang out with me.

A little background with the budots and my friends in general. From my perspective, the friendships between Aby, Hana, Lee and Dave were from generally hanging out in school but also hanging out after school. We would play Table Tennis at my grandfather's garage and hang out there. We talk a lot and joke around, we play games and we basically just talk and open our minds to each other. Telling problems and sharing life views while having fun times with playing games and all. Then, when my other friends heard of this "after school hangout", specifically 'The Italians' (members are: Noriel, Paul, Allyn, Rafael and Wrensi), they started to attend too. The Italians were the source of reckless and stupid antics that we enjoyed, but the serious talks lessened to a degree. Generally, the Italians usually join in on the conversation but sometimes they just want to goof around, which was fine at first. Aby and Hana though, invited their other friends. These girls are part of the main budots. Their names are Noralin, Cariza and Aljenn. They often talk to Hana and Aby about their usual girl-talk. Us boys don't participate in it so we just play games and pranks with each other during their girl-talks. After that, our usual talks about teenage problems and life views diminished quickly. For me, that was the center of what I am to them, the only time I could be talkative and be myself, the only time I get to shine. So, this large group of friends kept on hanging out. After school, weekends, during lunch and break time, it was very fun. During the course of these though, two more people were added into the main budots: Pau and Ella. They were great people and one of them, Pau, became my best friend. So before we were called budots, we went to a mall to watch a movie and Pau decided to call the group as 'Budots'. The name struck us so we just started calling our group that. The talks I had with Hana, Aby, Dave and Lee have lessened. I usually just talk to them personally or when I'm goofing around but I lost that good feeling when I became overshadowed. My topics were boring to be honest, and the others don't want my gloomy and dramatic topics. Basically, the others just joke around or become quiet and listen but get bored and joke around anyway. So this was my standing with the Budots before and I didn't mind it.

Now, for the problems.

Usually, since we're teenagers, we have personal problems. Being a big group, we talk about those a lot and those were the times I felt useful or thought to myself that it was my time to shine and help my friends. A lot of problems happened. Between the friendships among the girls, the feelings of the girls towards certain individuals, and a lot more than I can remember. I recall at least three falling-outs, 'plastikan', and just all those problems. These problems were only experienced by the girls and we boys wanted to help them because, well, we are one big group after all. We wanted them to make up and understand each other and just generally help them. It kept on happening and then one day, after holding several of those after school hangouts and some open forums, the Italians slowly broke off of the group. They started hanging out on their own and we generally hang out with them but not as frequent until a big problem came and they generally became 'them' and us 'us'. The budots became the main budots, with me, Lee, Dave, Hana, Aby, Noralin, Cariza, Aljenn, Pau and Ella. This group also had the regular teenage drama problems about friendship and 'boys' while me, Dave and Lee look out for them and become their support in times of need. For my part, I felt distanced from them. First, I felt distanced from the Italians because their preferences aren't in line with mine, second I felt distanced from the main budots because their problems and preferences are also not in line with mine. Only Dave and Lee were my closest friends for the boys and Aby and Hana for the girls. Only these four can talk about life, anime and other things with me, the only one who could joke around with me. I admit it was fun with the big group before but it was also toxic.

Now, for the most problematic thing that happened to me...

I have this best friend from the budots. Her name is Pau. She was kind and fun to be with. She knows how to listen and is just basically a good person. We would share stories and laugh and all those things. Suddenly, things seemed fine at first, but there was definitely something wrong. The atmosphere is different. Everyone's eyes are fixated with me and Pau. I felt like something is wrong. Sometimes, we were left alone to talk. I felt like people were hiding something from me, like they're keeping secrets. One day, they were teasing me with Pau and they're saying that we could be a couple and stuff like that. Then it occurred to me... I was basically hesitating and containing myself for about two weeks. Pau gave me a picture to keep in my wallet and jokingly threatened me to keep that promise and then we have this practice for the JS Ball in which we were partners and all these kind-of intimate moments with each other. Of course I was hesistant. Of course I was careful. I don't want to think about it because she's my best friend. Nothing more, nothing less. Then, I tried testing my theory. I can't remember exactly what I did to test it though. I think I asked around and opened up about my suspicions. Then, my theory was right... Pau had a crush on me. Of course I was in denial. Things got awkward. Things got messy. I wanted to confirm it and rush it. I wanted the awkwardness and the feeling of isolation to end. I felt as if everyone was just telling me to be with Pau. I felt forced. I felt like I was cornered or I did something wrong. I tried talking to her and all those other stuff and in the end it didn't work out. I couldn't return her feelings... I rejected her. Things got quiet for a while and I lost one of my best friends. After that incident, I feel permanently distance from the budots. I feel as if they sided with Pau and I was just left alone. Fortunately, Hana and Aby went and tried to smack me with some reality. I knew that Hana and Aby were true friends when that happened. The others? Noralin, Cariza, Aljenn and Ella? Oh they acted as if nothing happened. They kept on talking. They didn't even ask how I felt. I talk to Hana and Aby whenever I feel like it but sometimes, they're with the other four and it gets harder to approach them. I couldn't explain it before...

But here's my conclusion. I thank the Italians for this. I thank my closest friends for this. Only now did I know why I felt so isolated and awkward within my own group of friends...

I was just a friend of a friend. I was just forcing myself on the friends of my friends. I even lost my own friends because I was fixated on the friend of my friends! I lost the Italians because I prioritized the problems of the girls and bored them with my topics... So there's my side of the story. I left the budots because I never felt like a true friend, I just felt like some kind of advisor that observes his class. I tried to open up by having open forums, I tried helping by giving out advices and just tried to help. I tried to be who I was by giving up my own self for them, opening up myself and letting others know that I'm reliable and a good person. It was too draining. I never expected to have it returned to me but, maybe making me feel like a friend would be enough? The key is simple to making me feel like friend... just talk to me. Ask me. Know I'm there. All I ever did was observe and when something is wrong, I go and approach you instead. The only ones who approached me and talked to me were Hana, Aby, Lee and Dave. To some extent, even the Italians initiated conversations with me! But the main budots? Noralin, Cariza, Aljenn, Ella and Pau? I didn't experience that. I only experience convenience, rejection, ignorance and emotional dependency from you. I don't want to explain it but that's what I felt. You ask me about a problem, you never look into my eyes, you don't talk to me, and you just used me as an excuse to fulfill your lust and emotional stability. I don't like people who are not direct and just hide from me. I'm a mirror, I only give back what I received. You may argue that "may pinagsamahan naman kahit papaano" but that experience was not a satisfying one. It was an experience of me realizing my own stupidity. Sorry, but I can't call you my friends. I just feel sorry for my past self for trying to get through you guys...

Oh, and if I misunderstood? If I don't know the whole story? If I know nothing? Then if you're a real friend, you would correct me. You would confront me. You would tell me that I'm wrong, face to face. You might bite back and tell me that I was too mean with my tweets, but please remember, I was one chat or dm away to resolve the misunderstandings. I even tweeted that! You see, I was just testing if you would try to correct me and my misunderstandings. I was trying to tell you people the truth. You know, I really hated the way that you guys have treated Hana. She was always sacrificing herself for you guys and what, you openly admit your faults without saying sorry? I was really pissed because your FRIEND opened up to YOU and all you did was JUDGE her and even told her that she's the one who left you guys for other people! I hated it! When I heard from Hana that she felt destroyed after that, I could not contain my anger because I expected better from you people! Noralin, why did you do that? Pau, why did you do that? Cariza and Aljenn, why did you hide from that?

Then what? I get REMOVED from the group chat? I was contemplating about leaving but it just felt painful that I was REMOVED! Like, I was never worth your time. Not even worth it to talk to. You guys never made an effort to talk to me! JUST TALK TO ME! Im the end you guys were never true friends. I never got to hear your real voices. It hurt me so much when I got removed because to me, it was a symbol and a sign that I was a disposable human being. Besides, you have a lot of friends. It doesn't surprise me that I'm just disposable trash.

I might be misunderstanding, but remember this til you die,

"Misunderstandings become misunderstandings because you let them become misunderstandings."

All you needed to do was talk. Lower your pride and talk. It would have been better if it was personal too.

But it's too late.

I'm done.