#big cry i need to sleep soon it's nearing 3am

[bbhyeoliskooks]

ꉂ ‵̤๑♡ 𝐂𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 ♡๑‵̤ꉂ 

➶  TXT’s Reaction to Realizing They’re Falling in Love

‵๑*’;.‵๑*’;. ‵๑*’. ‵๑*’.;‵๑*’;.‵๑*’;. ‵๑*’. 

Genre: 5 cuppies of fluffies and three sprinkles of angst~!

Warnings: Nothing, but it’s a bit suggestive(?) for jjuniebug~

Song: Can’t Help Falling in Love 

(Yeah... guess who’s a clown for coming back after like 15 days of break when she’d said she’d come back in march 🗿🗿 we’re just gonna pretend that never happened, and shift to where i’ll post in a while?? thank you for being patient with me tho 🥺)

‵๑*’;.‵๑*’;. ‵๑*’. ‵๑*’.;‵๑*’;.‵๑*’;. ‵๑*’.

ꉂ ‵̤  Yeonjun ꉂ ‵̤

<3 You and Yeonjun had um... a rough night of frustration so you decided that even though you were friends, you could have a few benefits only the two of you knew about

<3 It had been a while of resting with each other after cleaning up with blankets covering the two of you as you giggled, telling stories

<3 This time you were being clingy instead of him, snuggling up to him while he fawned over how cute you were even if your hair was messy

<3 He was in the middle of telling the story when he stopped to appreciate how you were paying full attention to him and only to him for that matter

<3 Seeing how your sparkling eyes widened in the moonlight once he told you about how he fed the ducks in the pond with bread, he couldn’t help his new desire anymore

<3 Without warning, Yeonjun leaned forward and pressed his lips against yours

<3 The kiss lasted for a while >.< both of your hearts pounding against your chests quickly despite the other person not knowing anything

<3 You both pulled away at the same time, panting because of the loss of air once he captured his lips with yours 

<3 “How can someone’s lips be so soft,” he delicately whispered before cupping your cheek tenderly with his hand (ahh my poor heart, why am i doing this to myself eeee >3<)

<3 Even like this, you were so gorgeous to him and you made him smile so much that goodness, he can’t help but fall in love with the beautiful you. 

‵๑*’;.‵๑*’;. ‵๑*’. ‵๑*’.;‵๑*’;.‵๑*’;. ‵๑*’.

ꉂ ‵̤  Soobin ꉂ ‵̤

<3 Awwe late night drives with Soobders, let’s go~!

<3 It just peeked two am, the wee hour of the morning in which you obviously knew the two of you weren’t supposed to be out this late since classes started tomorrow

<3 How had it all started? Because both of you were still awake at one am for some reason, you decided to do an activity with him to make both of you sleepier

<3 It had been an adventure of driving Soobin to Mcdonalds first to get his ice cream like he asked, but then soon evolved into driving just because it was soothing

<3 Soobin was softly singing along to Magic Island, looking out the window while you thought internally how pretty his voice sounded 

<3 All of a sudden, he spoke up after thinking for a while, “If we ever grow apart, will all our late adventures be over?”

<3 You were confused as to why he asked the question nonetheless, but you found his worries endearing... what made him think that in the first place?

<3 He looked to see you with a soft smile decorating your face when you hadn’t answered while you pulled over just to answer him

<3 “Don’t worry, my Soobders~ There’ll be much more to come, and I promise we can do this as long as you’re with me and I’m with you til the end of time. You promise, too?” You asked before sticking up your pinky finger. 

<3 His heart- aghh he knows he can’t take this fluttering feeling much longer !! 

‵๑*’;.‵๑*’;. ‵๑*’. ‵๑*’.;‵๑*’;.‵๑*’;. ‵๑*’.

ꉂ ‵̤  Beomgyu ꉂ ‵̤

<3 Beomgyu knew he had a fever and guess what he did that made you as red as a tomato due to anger !

<3 He wasn’t taking care of himself and you had enough of it :cc

<3 It was after you fed him (literally) with a ton of chicken noodle soup that you decided to reprimand him once and for all

<3 “You’re so stupid for not resting when you’re sick, idiot! I told you so many times to stay home, but you didn’t listen. What could’ve happened when-”

<3 Instead of answering, he tugged on your arm to make sure you’d fall into his chest, wrapping his arms around your waist in order to bring you closer

<3 “I know and I’m sorry, but could we please just stay like this? I wanna hold you, please. You know that your hugs give me strength the most.”

<3 Seeing how you didn’t object to his affection, he sighed against your embrace while sighing in relief~

<3 Although you were still a bit angry at him for not thinking of himself, with no hesitation you held him back while humming his favorite song quietly to yourself 

<3 “Beomgyu, you know that I love you a lot, right? So please do me a favor and take care of yourself 🥺,” you cooed while mustering up the best puppy eyes you could do

<3 Seriously if you keep this up, he doesn’t know what he’ll do with that pounding heart in his chest

‵๑*’;.‵๑*’;. ‵๑*’. ‵๑*’.;‵๑*’;.‵๑*’;. ‵๑*’.

ꉂ ‵̤  Taehyun ꉂ ‵̤

<3 are you happy to be in paris- oui (ifykyk hehe)

<3 N E WAY, the teacher paired you up during this school trip to France for an assignment with the one and only Taehyunnie !

<3 You both easily completed it after thirty minutes, so for the rest of the time you had left, decided to scout a few trinkets and souvenirs for home~

<3 Along the way though, you finally found the Eiffel Tower and Taehyun awed at how pretty it was, pulling on your hand to get a closer look

<3 As if everything was going in slow motion, you heard La Vie En Rose echo from the back !

<3 You giggled at how the butterflies in your stomach fluttered as soon as the lights shone softly onto his warm face

<3 Taehyun held out his hand as if to say “care for this dance?” and you really couldn’t say no to that charming boy

<3 for this was a place containing the language of love after all~~

<3 The two of you stayed like that for a moment, dancing through the night while staring into each other’s gentle eyes

<3 He soon realized while holding you that you were the person he wanted to experienced new feelings with- and seeing your blinding smile grow whenever you were with him... it’s cheesy, but you two are definitely made for each other

‵๑*’;.‵๑*’;. ‵๑*’. ‵๑*’.;‵๑*’;.‵๑*’;. ‵๑*’.

ꉂ ‵̤  Kai ꉂ ‵̤

<3 It was a rainy day today :(( a bad rainy day today...

<3 At first, it was actually quite calming as you heard the famous piece “Clair de Lune” play from the distance~!

<3 But to add to the pile of misfortunes that occurred today from running late to classes to embarrassing yourself in front of everybody by loudly dropping both you and your books at the library, this was the most frustrating part since you forgot your umbrella when you left the house :cc 

<3 Just your luck, huh? You were sure you looked like a pathetic fool in front of everyone there

<3 You just started piano lessons a few weeks ago so when you compared yourself to others, seeing how well they played, especially Kai...

<3 You couldn’t help but tear up since you kept thinking you weren’t going to be as good enough as them no matter how much you tried

<3 The tears welling up in your eyes gave you enough courage to step out into the rain, but before you could...

<3 You felt someone slip his hand into yours, holding an umbrella which covered the two of you as long as you stayed close to him

<3 When you burst into tears as soon as you glanced up at Kai, he felt the need to protect and make you feel better to the best of his abilities by engulfing you in a tight hug

<3 Really, what’s wrong with him? He said he’s too young for love, but what was this warm and bouncing feeling in his chest when he let you cry on his shoulder?

‵๑*’;.‵๑*’;. ‵๑*’. ‵๑*’.;‵๑*’;.‵๑*’;. ‵๑*’.

Posted: 1/15/21- 3:00am (yes ik im up so late but what can you expect after i’ve taken like a four hour nap earlier)

Tags:

[stray-kids-react]

Sleepy but clingy SKZ

Masterlist

...

Bang Chan

° Bang Chan doesn't get a lot of sleep, he's gone days without it and usually just stays up working while your cuddled into him dead asleep.

° So when he is tired, you force him to sleep. Because he will complain when you try to pull him away from his laptop. Even though he's fallen asleep sitting up 5 times now.

° Chan is very cute when he's sleepy and it isn't often that you get to see it, his lips are pouted and eyes are practically closed. He also tends to lean onto you when walking to bed.

° You take a couple photos while he's sleeping because he's so cute, cheeks squished against the pillow as he shifts his face closer into it. And very pouty lips.

° Makes soft groans when you aren't near him, pulling you towards his bare chest. When you are next to him, he'll place your hands on his back so you can hold him.

° Usually a big spoon, but when he is very tired and needs sleep. He is an adorable little spoon who wants nothing more than to sleep and have you holding him.

Lee Know

° When Minho is tired he usually will just fall asleep in bed or on the nearest furniture whether you are there or not. But when he's sleepy and clingy, he'll need you with him.

° He only gets tired and clingy when he's had a bad day, his eyes will resemble a sad puppy and his lips are naturally very pouty. Then he'll just curl up into your arms.

° Likes it when you play with his hair, it makes him fall asleep faster and distracts him from the minor headache he has. He'll literally melt when you do this.

° Do not mention his clingy state to any member, or he won't cuddle you for a week. The members will tease him non stop and it embarrasses the hell out of him.

° He's not mad at you, he just gets embarrassed and is cautious doing any affection when he is rethinking his life choices at the moment.

° Even though he is labelled the savage member, he can't be mad at you. He sees you as an angel and is glad he has someone to hold him when he needs to be held.

Changbin

° Shy when you first began to date, but now he is very very clingy. He'll randomly walk up to you and just peck you hundreds of times before walking away like it's nothing.

° Can get a bit whiny when he's tired, begging to go to bed and cuddle him. It gets to the point where he doesn't care who hears him begging for your attention.

° When you finally give in, he'll murmur the softest 'thank you' before cuddling into your chest. He'll sigh in content once he is comfortable before falling asleep.

° Knows when you aren't with him, and will wake up instantly. Understands if you need to use the washroom or grab a drink/snack, but will complain if you just leave to leave.

° Tracing his jaw line will soothe him tremendously, he'll fall asleep in seconds. Changbin enjoys the feeling of your fingers against his skin, it is comforting to him.

° Once talked in his sleep lightly, whispering about how much he loves you and even mentioned how he wants to marry you. Whispering a small 'I do'.

Hyunjin

(Our prince is coming back soon!! ❤️❤️❤️)

° Clingy is his middle name, the only member more affectionate than him is Felix. And it's only because Minho slightly intimidates him.

° Will walk into your shared bedroom and just flop next to you, or gradually lean all of his weight onto you. He always greets you once he's comfortable, making you laugh.

° Will talk about how tired he is from the day while you stroke through his hair. If he isn't feeling talkative then he'll just lay there, enjoying your warmth and presence.

° Will fall asleep accidently most times, not wanting to sleep because he missed you but ends up doing so anyways because he is so tired. You understand nonetheless.

° Once wrapped himself around you during movie night with Stray Kids, and ended up missing the whole movie because he fell asleep on your shoulder during the opening.

° Will tease you if you are being clingy, but it doesn't last long since you remind him of all the times he clung to you and whined for your attention. Making him embarrassed.

Han

° When tired he zones out alot, you usually just hold him while he slumps into you and thinks about the creation of life itself. You'll sometimes laugh at how serious he looks.

° You can't get over how cute his cheeks are when squished against you or a pillow. It pouts his lips out and makes him look like an adorable soft baby because of it.

° Will fiddle with your fingers to try and stay awake, but it ends up soothing him at one point and he falls asleep anyways. His head will fall back onto you once he falls asleep.

° Will randomly ask you questions he was thinking about. Like 'why is blue called blue?' 'if I punch myself and cry, am I too strong or too weak?' 'what if unicorns are invisible?'

° Some of them do stick with you, so your up at 3am wondering why blue was called blue. But you won't tell him that since it will only encourage him to ask more questions.

° Likes to be the little spoon in general, and he will become more curled up when he is tired. Burrowing into your body as you hold him, he usually will fall asleep in seconds.

Felix

° The only differences between sleepy Felix and regular Felix is that he is quiet and is wearing pajamas, and the pajamas aren't a guarantee depending where he is.

° Felix is a naturally affectionate person who is impossible to dislike, he's a literal angel that makes you wonder how you ended up with him. But you are grateful that you did.

° Half of the time he will come home for work and whine until he finally reaches your embrace. Immediately letting out a content sigh as he turns into putty in your arms.

° The other half of the time is he will be waiting on the couch in a onesie, waiting for you to come home. Once you do he'll giggle softly and open his arms wide for you.

° Rubs his cheek against yours like a cat, and can't stop his smile from beaming brightly at your presence. Felix also has a habit of of burrowing into the crook of your neck.

° He'll fall asleep on top of you, whispering one last 'I love you' in his deep but now groggy voice. Resting his head on your shoulder as you fall asleep seconds later.

Seungmin

° Is probably the member who is the shyest when it comes to affection, no matter how long you two have been together. He prefers soft and short affectionate touches.

° His favorite type of PDA is hand holding, and when in private he will embrace you gently in bed. Usually being the bigger spoon, but isn't opposed to being little spoon.

° Will become more clingy when he is tired, wanting to go to bed with you very badly after a long day. He'll look at you while resting on your shoulder, waiting for you.

° Doesn't want to force you into a cuddle session, but will hint that he wants one to happen. You catch onto these hints eventually, but it can take some time.

° The main hints that you know are, cuddling on your lap, looking at you with puppy eyes, kissing your neck, rubbing your tummy, and talking about dreams that he's had.

° When you finally go to bed, he'll scoop you into his arms. Usually placing soft kissing on the top of your head, and whispering how much he appreciates you.

Jeongin

° Your usually more of the clingy one in the relationship, but there is a rare occasion where the roles reverse. And this happens the week he returns from tour.

° Jeongin will be exhausted from going nonstop and reaching his limit multiple times, but he'll be so happy to be back home and have you right there beside him.

° His eyes will be very sparkly when looking at you, just so happy to be back home with you. And he notices your blush when you see his gaze but is too tired to tease you on it.

° Will chat with you in a hushed tone, asking about how you were when he was gone and what you thought of the the performances you saw online. Tiredly smiling throughout.

° Smiles when you kiss him softly, missing the way your lips felt against his. He'll cup your face before resting his chin on top of your head as you curl into him.

° Falls asleep with you as his last thought, and his dreams continue his thoughts by making him imagine how truly beautiful you would look walking down the aisle.

[lollypopsx]

I wonder how Harry reacted when Charleigh had to get her shots when she was a toddler or baby?

This is quite long for an answer to a question so I'm sorry!! This is the definition of a complete mix between a blurb and an answer!

He hated it so much! The first ones were the absolute worst, he was still so young, technically not even old enough to buy himself alcohol, but he was responsible for a human!

When she had her baby shots, she was crying her little lungs out, which made Harry cry and almost stop them doing it, but Anne had come to stay with them for the week so she helped to calm him down. Her first ones were 8 weeks old, then 12 weeks old then 16 weeks.

Harry had no idea what to expect, so when it was her first ever injections, he realised she had to have three and he was terrified. That night was the worst night he had ever had with Charleigh! She was extremely clingy to Harry, she had a fever (which he was told was totally normal after the injections), she wasn't taking milk as much as she usually did and she was extremely irritated.

Harry was exhausted, and when he couldn't get her to settle, he took her out for a stroll in her buggy at 3am to cool and calm her down. That seemed to do the trick for a couple of hours so he could get some sleep himself. She was like this for a couple of days, also being a bit more sicky than usual and crying when she was touched where her injections were.

Harry had to cancel all work for a couple of days because he couldn't leave Charleigh and he couldn't take her with him while she was like this.

When she had her toddler ones, Harry at least knew what to expect, but it was much harder for him to manage as they were on tour. Charleigh was very very clingy to Harry anyway, so when their family doctor had agreed to fly out to Dublin during the Where We Are Tour, it was very overwhelming for Charleigh.

She was terrified of the look of the needle and wouldn't stop crying, trying to run away from them all. Harry, Charleigh and the Doctor were all sat in the dressing room, Charleigh trying to struggle away, swinging her arms and legs around and screaming, so Harry had to call in some help.

Liam, Louis, Niall and Zayn came in the room , Charleigh was held tightly in Harry's arms while Harry kept kissing her head over and over again and wiping her tears, Zayn was playing with her hair calmly, while Niall, Liam and Louis were trying to do silly things to distract her. Niall had a big bag of her favourite Cadbury chocolate buttons, while Louis and Liam were play fighting, which always seemed to make her giggle.

As soon as the sweetest, teary eyed giggle left her mouth the doctor quickly gave her both the injections she needed, but it wasn't long until she realised and was crying hysterically again.

Harry hated to see her this way, and he really regretted having to do this on a day they were pushed to get ready for a show, because all he wanted to do was hold her.

She had to constantly be near Harry the whole evening, she had really warn herself out by crying so much, and she eventually fell asleep on Harry's lap ten minutes before they were due on stage!

And Harry was big time panicking because he didn't know where to put her, and he didn't want her to wake up feeling awful without him. So he put her on the sofa, which had a screen on so she can watch the show from there, Lou, Lux and Paul stayed with her, and Harry left his jumper for her to sleep on so she could smell him.

Thankfully she didn't wake up during the show, so Harry had quickly showered and changed after the show, absorbing all the time her had while she slept. As he picked her up to carry her to the car, he could feel she was very hot, and she woke up as soon as she had been moved, crying in discomfort.

That night, she clung to Harry the whole night, whining and teary, and very very restless. So they watched films all night, and neither of them got much sleep. Louis came in to their room around 4am to lay with Charleigh so that Harry could attempt to get some sleep. She was whinging to Louis that she was very hot, so Louis woke Niall up and they put on some joggers and a coat, and they both took Char out for a little 5am stroll to watch the sun rise and the cool her down outside.

Niall knew Dublin like the back of his hand so they walked her five minutes away to the promenade so she could watch the water and the boats. They sat for a good hour, just enjoying the peace and quiet and talking quietly amongst themselves. Charleigh was peaceful in the fresh air, and had fallen asleep in Niall's lap, with her head on his shoulder.

[imaginedcreaderinsert]

Jason’s Room — Jason Todd x Reader (+ Dick Grayson)

SUMMARY: “Yeah?”You hear music; it’s loud, deafening probably, but you don’t have to worry about waking up your partner.Dick is out patrolling, and the bed is now cold. You try and warm yourself up in the duvet. Still doesn’t help, but there’s a rush that slowly burning up your body.No one talks, but you’ve seen the caller ID; enough to make you worry after checking the time, see if it was an emergency. But Jason seems to be frozen.“Jay, I saw it was you. Everything alright?”

WORD COUNT: 2140.

TW: Angsty, toxic relationship implied. Some cheating can be read, but is not acted on. Jason Todd is not portrayed as a good person on this one.

A/N: I have no excuse for writing this, other than really wanting to, which I think it’s a good step, seeing as I’ve abandoned writing for my own pleasure completely. So yeah, just have this.

LYRICS COMPLETELY TAKEN FROM “Marvin’s Room”, by Drake.

Bitches in my old phone

I should call one and go home

I've been in this club too long

 He’s really so fucking drunk. He shouldn’t be allowed to go out on nights like that, but he still does.

(Maybe clinging to the idea that someone will call him up and say “hey, don’t go, I know you’re bad, let’s talk?”.

 He’s stupid, really stupid. Stupid enough to-)

 No, he’s already drinking up another shot, from that lined up column of alcohol in front of him. Jason’s pretty sure he’s at a new club, but he can’t say for sure: nothing is familiar and yet everything echoes in him for a reason: faces, blurred-out expressions of joy and a world going too fast around him; music beating too hard in his chest, making his heart almost leap out of it; laughter that he’s not sure that’s coming out of him really, even as he feels his smile growing, a charismatic and cocky attitude coming out of him.

He could have anyone he wanted; Jason knows he doesn’t have the suave attitude of the family, and yet “the bad boy” always attracts a certain crowd of girls he feels like he could go in for that night.

Jason knows he could, but doesn’t. His hand moves up and down this gorgeous girl at her side, a bronzed goddess, but his eyes move to check up his phone: no new messages or calls.

It’s obsessive really. It must have been the third time he’s done that since his last shot, but… It’s infuriating to know he’s not needed.

 (He is; there’s always that stupid booty call, the fucking vigilante stuff he feels less and less like going in for – it now means something different, something that wrecks him up inside – or the casual reaching out he’s not really interested in deepening.

Just not by that one person he hasn’t heard anything from in the last weeks.

And you said you’d call by now (“in a week or so”), and yet--)

  The woman that I would try

Is happy with a good guy

But I've been drinkin' so much

That I'ma call her anyway, and say

 “Yeah?”

You hear music; it’s loud, deafening probably, but you don’t have to worry about waking up your partner.

Dick is out patrolling, and the bed is now cold. You try and warm yourself up in the duvet. Still doesn’t help, but there’s a rush that slowly burning up your body.

No one talks, but you’ve seen the caller ID; enough to make you worry after checking the time,  see if it was an emergency... But Jason seems to be frozen.

“Jay, I saw it was you. Everything alright?”

“Fuck, I-Fuck, no, I’m-Agh, I’ave to get out of ‘ere… Excuse YOU!” He drags out the vocals; tone is sleazy, lazy, and you would recognize that anyone, of course.

“Are you drunk? Jason?”

You feel incredibly naked, even with your thick pajamas out; you’ve lived this out too many times, and you can almost see him climb your bed.

It’s been a long time since he’s done that, but it’s something you will always remember: the creaking of the wood, springs of the bed, rustling of sheets as he tossed sheets here and there all night.

(The stupid “I love you’s”, the lazy and very drunken make-outs, while groping each other).

“Jason, are you okay or not?”

I know you still think about the times we had

I say fuck that nigga that you think you found

And since you picked up, I know he's not around, oh oh

I'm just sayin' you could do better

 Cause even if those VERY BLURRY nights that you can’t almost remember were nice, there were also the others; those which kind of made you hold onto Dick tighter in bed, at dawn when he sneaked in, cold skin, occasionally bruised. He felt so precious and delicate under the first rays of sun, as his dreams started to die under his eyelids, barely any movement in his body save the soft breathing out of his mouth. Too precious, and too yours.

You loved him entirely and completely. He made you feel so happy you wanted to cry at times; there was nothing lacking, not the sex, not the affection.

 But Jason doesn’t think the same.

What about the rush, what about the times you’ve had?

“Why you pick up?” I know he’s not there, he implies, but doesn’t say. She knows too. “It’s late. Thought you were now reformed; no phone after 2AM or something like that, right?”

“Some of us have jobs. Unfortunately, I don’t have a fortune to fall back on”.

“Ouch.”

It’s very easy to just talk. They laugh, and she gets up on bed; Jason can picture her, duvet up to her chin, propping up her pillow (the best he’s had), to talk better, while still charging the phone. He hears the rustling on her side, meaning she’s staring at the side he used to sleep in. She always loved to sleep tucked into his chest.

“You still haven’t answered.”

“Right back at ya’. Are you okay?”

A really difficult question for a drunken and very honest man at 3AM in the morning.

If he was a better man, he would wish her a goodnight and hang up; no more talking, no more suggesting, no more playing with fire. If he was a better man, he probably wouldn’t be drunk-texting girls to “cheer him up” after this call, and he would just go home, sleep it off, and go at it again another night.

But he really is not, and it’s too late to go back now. That’s at least what he tells himself, what he tries to entitle himself into: he feels too much, he’s had it bad the last couple of weeks without you. So, he is owed that.

And that is his mistake, for no one is entitled to anything over anyone, no matter their own personal suffering.

“I guess.” Vague; but enough to let her get out, not dig in. Which is really a trap when he knows of your good nature, but he tells himself that it’s your choice (your fault!) for asking about it.

“That’s… Comforting, I guess. Friend calling at 3AM, probably lost and unaware of where he is right now, fucking drunk and in a completely safe neighborhood, I’m sure…”. There’s a sigh. He hates hearing you sigh; it’s always cause you’re so tired of him, he knows, he knows. And he hates himself for it, makes him feel so useless. “Just send me your location, I’ll guide you home.”

‘But aren’t you on Blüdhaven?’, he naïvely wants to ask, just to almost punch himself right after. She means the safe house or whatever place is near, that she might have still saved as her favorite or most usual locations at Gotham.

Tell me, have you heard that lately?

I'm just sayin' you could do better

And I'll start hatin' only if you make me

 “So, why you pick up?”, he asks again, just enough sober. His stomach is in knots from the alcohol (and not waiting for your answer, just hearing your voice and talking to you). He’s on a taxi, and the yellow lights on him are making him sleepy. “I answered.”

It’s 4.38AM. Sending a cab there was easy enough once you had his location and Jason swore he wasn’t moving anymore. Bless technology, you think to yourself now a bit irritated for wanting to sleep and not being able to. Your lids are heavy, and the sheets too soft.

“Obviously cause’ I’m an idiot who forgot to silence their phone.” It’s a half-joke. If you had done just like Dick had suggested, you would not be having that conversation. You change sides in your bed, now looking outside, to the window; Jason’s sigh is audible. You almost feel a heavy and ghostly arm bracing you from behind. “If the info is correct, you should be arriving home soon. Wanna hang up?”

“I miss you.”

A beat.

Breath knocked out of your lungs and silence only interrupted by your dramatic mouth breathing. You literally forgot to breathe; that’s how being with Jason used to make you feel.

As exciting and exhilarating every night out or in with him was, it was not good for you. The nights that were good, but the bad ones, really made your feel like shit. And if someone loves you, they will never hurt you. You know, you so know, how bad he’s had it: but that’s not an excuse for his shitty behavior, his stupid harmful jokes or the way he made you feel.

“Jason, it’s been a long week, I know.”

“No, I know, I know-I’m not-I’m not trying to-“. A sigh. His sighs always broke you: too tired, too broken. Jason always had a way with words, but you managed to sometimes kill that off too. “I don’t want to start out anything. I just want to say sorry. I wanted to, but I know-fuck, I really KNOW-“

“Don’t scream, please.” Firm. Cold.

He’s losing you.

“No, I’m sorry. I’m an ass.” He laughs; it’s self-deprecating and you hate it, but you really don’t have the energy right now. “I…”. Nothing comes out. There’s a long silence. Inhale, exhale (“Jason, just breathe, please”): “I love you. Probably more than I would ever admit to do, and you mean so much to me, but I fucked up big time. And I know, I know-” He emphasizes, without elevating his tone. “-I know you’re so happy with him, fuck! It’s disgusting. It’s fucking bizarre to see you two together.” Poison that he spits, that’s eating him out; acid destroying everything inside, every little nerve of sanity still inside. “And yet, I can’t stop-I really think I don’t want to stop thinking on whatever we had, on the kiss we shared-“

“Jay, that was not-“

“No, I know. I know, but we shared it, and it brought me memories, and you closed off! Fuck, I had you to myself, we were-fuck.”

He curses out for a bit. You let him vent, sighing and putting your hand over your eyes, as if to stop everything from happening. No more 3AM calls.

Had it been pretty shitty of you to get with his “brother”? Maybe, but it wasn’t on purpose or with a malicious intent. It really had been pure coincidence that you had hit if off on one of the galas where Jason stood you up, with a considerable hangover and too sick to move anywhere. That, with the argument you had been having more and more often… Jason wasn’t sure you were even going to show up, but there they had met, and he regrets it every day.

 (But sometimes…

 Sometimes they look so perfect that he thinks they might just have been destined to happen, one way or another. If it was not in a gala, maybe a rescue, maybe a touch on the street, a crush, a rude Gothamite exchange of words as you clashed onto each other.

 Whatever. It just happened and now you two were together.)

 “Jason, I was never… “Only yours” to have.”

“On that we can agree. We never really settled, and I didn’t ever treat you nice.”

Not like she wanted; he knew. They were just… Casual friends who fucked every two weeks, who occasionally kissed and got jealous over the other receiving attention from the opposite sex (sometimes same sex). Despite what everyone else thinks, he is quickly to see others social intentions; her whispers on his skin, the brightness on her eyes whenever they would do it with such intimacy, the cuddling… No, he knew, of course he did, that she wanted more.

Jason just wasn’t ready for it. He might never be, but it’s not your fault; never was, never will. And he might just have lost forever the one thing he wanted.

But that’s the thing: everyone wants the chocolate scoop. But what they might need for a change is something they’ve never tried before.

“I don’t know what you’re babbling on about ice cream, Jay. I really…”. She’s tired, he knows. From him, from Dick and his waiting (she never really liked him going on rounds); from just having to bear with all the weight of the world on her naked and frail shoulders. “It’s not the time for this conversation. Can we… Talk another time?”

A beat.

Inhale, exhale.

“Yeah.”. Tired, so tired. Lids closing off,. “I’m here anyways, so I’ll hang up…”. Silence; insufferable silence. He closes his eyes for a second. “Have a goodnight.”

“You too, Jason.”

He’s not there, but he will be soon. He hopes for that, at least; everything will be easier.

[charged-wanderlust]

naturally, there was only one bed.

requested by @lovestruck-arin, naturally

As you knock on the door of their apartment, you figure you’d have a lot of explaining to do as soon as Arin oopens the door.

What you didn’t expect, is Arin in nothing but boxer briefs and a binder answering the door with a tired, yet genuine smile and a tiny “Oh, hey. Come in.”

Your entire explanation for why you were there at 3AM in the morning flies right out the window along with your last braincell and shred of sanity you had left, crashing through the glass and landing with a huge splash in the pool outside.

Arin was already preparing tea, humming a cute little tune in a sleepy voice by the time you’d collected yourself and actually walked through the damn door; you only just manage to remind yourself to stop staring. Their bedhair is even worse than when you help them fix it up before classes sometimes - were they... were they fixing up their hair a little before coming to see you, or before you woke up to see them? Surely they wouldn’t bother.

“Right, sorry for the intrusion - did I wake you? You look a little, uhh...”

Their eyes meet yours, that golden sunset gaze, and you're rendered completely speechless. Those same eyes look at you almost every day now, yet they continued to be just as memsmerising each time - or even more so. They raise an eyebrow, asking the silent question to finish what you were saying. Oh.

“You don’t look like, bad, or anything, you look really cute actually-” That was casual, right? “-just a little. Conked? Was it another late night?”

They keep blinking at you in confusion, not saying a word, only breaking eye contact to rub the sleep out of their eyes.

Almost as confused as them, you tilt your head and prod, “Arin, the lights aren’t even on. Are you like, good? Is this a bad time?”

Some sort of recognition finally flashes on their face, bolting upright with a surprised cry of your name, almost dropping both your cups of tea.

“Waitwait- you’re here? In my house? And I’m...” They look down at themself, face heating up at the realisation, “...not wearing any clothes. Oh god, I’m so sorry. I was completely on automatic and-”

You’re already wiping tears of laughter from your eyes by the time they cut themself off, clutching at your stomach and struggling to breathe. Arin watches, stunned, but soon softens into a gentle smile you’re losing your shit too hard to see - but they catch themself, and carefully set the mugs down on the table.

“Hahahaha- oh my god Arin, your autopilot mode welcomes me in and makes tea? At ungodly hours in the morning? Without asking questions?”

You hobble over to the lights and switch them on, finally catching your breath, and you only then notice just how red Arin’s gotten. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. I guess I’m just used to you always being around.” They gesture to your cup, taking a sip from theirs. “Tea?”

“Sure.” You take it, more for politeness than actually needing caffiene at three, and so Arin feels less awkward hiding their flaring cheeks with their mug of steaming leaf water. “Sorry for barging in so late with no warning - my phone died right after my brother told me not to come home tonight cause he and Lucas were alone and... yeah. You’re the only place I thought to go.”

Arin nods along, taking a long sip before replying. You have no idea how their tongue doesn’t burn, but they don’t even flinch. “Fair enough. But uh, I don’t have like, a spare mattress or anything, and the couch is practically a rock... well, you’d have to take my bed.”

“No way am I taking your bed,” you protest, setting your cup back down. “You rarely get enough sleep as it is, I can sleep on a rock hard couch, that’s fine. A rock bed beats having to listen to what my brother and his boyfriend are up to late at night.”

Arin laughs, stalking over to their bedroom before pausing in the doorway, back facing you, and murmurs, “Or... we could share?”

“We could share?”

They pause. “The bed, I mean. It’s big enough, and... well, I’d feel bad getting you to sleep on what’s basically a park bench.” They turned to glance at you over their shoulder, adding quietly, “Please?”

Hey heart? Maybe stop that.

How can you say no? You were already nodding before your brain caught up, and Arin waved you inside as they set down their tea on the nightstand and flopped face first into the mattress with a groan.

You giggle, shedding your jacket and shoes next to the bed and slipping in next to them. “Aw, come on, it wasn’t that bad. At least you didn’t like, sleep walk right into the door.”

That got a lazy grin out of them. They rolled over, setting an arm under their head, and mused in a low voice, husky from sleep, “You laughed so hard you cried.”

You shrugged, snuggling in close enough to feel their breath on your face. “You always make me laugh. That’s not new.”

“Hmm... I’m glad. I like making you smile. You...” they break off with a yawn before continuing, “...you deserve it. Laughing, I mean. Ahh, what am I saying...”

They slap their hands over their face in embarrassment, covering everything except the smallest glimpse of a disbelieving grin - god they are adorable. If they keep saying shit like that, you’re gonna kiss them on the mouth, you swear.

They remove their hands tentatively, their sheepish expression not at all helping your overwhelming desire to kiss them - and then it hits you. It hits you like a steam train on steroids, barrelling you over and getting your heart pumping.

What if I did?

It’s not like you haven’t thought about it before. On the contrary, you’ve thought about kissing Arin an embarrassing amount of times by now, to the point you worry whenever you’re near them if they can peer into your mind and see your secret stash of Arin daydreams. But what about them? Do they think similar thoughts? Is that why they turn the most satisfying shade of scarlet whenever you tease them? When they give those heartfelt compliments that almost sound like they belong in a love letter?

You decide to test the waters.

Rolling out of bed, you fake a yawn, stretching. “Man, it’s too hot under the blankets with clothes on. Considering you’re already- yeah- mind if I...?”

Arin slowly and not-so-subtly pulls the blanket up and over their face. “Yeah, uh, sure, I’ll just... turn around.”

“You don’t have to.”

You said it so fast they didn’t even have time to shift in their bed, and just like that, they're rooted to the spot, unable to do anything, unable to move. Only able to just lie there and take in the sight in front of them, not moving that infuriating blanket so you can’t read their expression at all.

Still, you persist, taking off each article of your clothing with an excrutiatingly gradual pace, wanting to really see them squirm. They hold it together up until you slide back into bed next to them; they breathe out in relief the minute you were covered by the blanket, and you withhold a snicker upon realising they were holding their breath the whole time.

“You good? Or just like what you see?”

Arin sighs. “Must you always tease me like this?”

“Only when it illicits such good reactions.”

They groan, rolling over and burying themself in their blanket even more. “Of course, just cause I’m easy to tease, huh. Why don’t you tease Omar as much? Or Nora?”

You pause. “I just...” Now or never. “...I just like you the most.”

“You like me?”

They turn around to face you, taking a deep breath to ground themself. To stop floating in the clouds for once - to meet you head-on. They open their mouth to speak-

“I like you.”

-but you beat them to it, laying yourself bare. Nothing to hide behind, anymore, because Arin deserves to know - even if they don’t like you back, they deserve that much. They deserve the entire goddamn world and you want them to know that if they do so much as say the word, you’ll give it to them.

Arin is breathless. They blink at you for a few moments, but unlike in the kitchen, it isn’t out of disassociation or confusion. They look at you like they can’t believe you’re right in front of them, you’re perfectly within reach - hell, any closer and you might as well be pressed together - and now? You’re all theirs.

Then, they kiss you. Their kiss is soft, tentative; it’s only the slightest brush of lips, but you’re too stunned to move. You really should’ve expected it - but you were expecting words, not... not the softest lips you’ve ever touched. When they pull away, you stare at each other for a moment; then you laugh. Both of you, sharing faint, breathy giggles under the cover of filtered moonlight that catches their eyes just right. Eyes that reflect so much love, so much affection. Care. You’d gotten so used to looking at them, but they hit so different now - now that you know what hides behind the mysterious windows to their soul.

You cradle their face in your hands, pulling them in for more, and they’re happy to ablige. They lift themself up and place themself on top of you, supporting the back of your head as they meet you in the middle, letting out a low hum that had your brain turning to radio static. You nip their lower lip, pulling them closer, closer - anything to hear that sweet noise again.

This time, it’s a ghost of a whimper swallowed by your lips; you grin against their mouth, rolling them over so you’re straddling them instead, and their eyes go wide, completely blown out.

“We... we should’ve done this ages ago, huh.”

You just keep smiling, stroking your their cheek with your thumb, “We’re both gay messes. But right now, I wanna hear you being the mess, whimpering for me like that again.”

“Well. I can hardly complain about that.”

[apenapaperandadoofus]

college au (spicy)

Yoosung x MC? 👀

Oop I see you there nonny :0

MM college AU (Yoosung x MC) nsfw-ish wink wonk

Warnings: uhhh lote of fluff and also sum drinking so uh yeah (idk if I should put it as a warning but there ya go anyway, just in case!)

You bitterly congratulated yourself as you looked at the text message you just received from your classmate.

Basically you had overslept, playing games too late at night(or should we say morning? You went to sleep at 4am and your class was at 7!) You didn't hear your alarm and basically missed your first day of class!

To be fair, you had planned on going to sleep at 12, but all of a sudden this bastard stole your loot and you wanted v e n g e a n c e

Sadly you weren't able to find the guy and had to cool off by playing a few rounds of LOLOL and just massacring the enemy team. Still, you swore to get back that amazing item you had just received.

The thing was, the first day of class, your professor had actually given everyone a group project! Yes, he was one of those teachers -_-

Since you hadn't been there you weren't able to group with your friend, and you had gotten paired up with people you didn't really know. You weren't super good at making friends, so you were getting a bit nervous, and you also didn't want to loose the whole percentage of the work, since you did have to get good grades!

A few weeks later, the group (who had already made a group chat a few days after you missed class, there were a total of five people with you included) and you all decided to meet at the coffee shop near the campus to talk about the project. It was due in two days, and you already had most of your part of the work done thankfully! We stan being responsible (a/n says the procastination queen LMFAO SORRY)

When you made it to the coffee shop, you only saw a total of two people there. One of them was a plain looking dude, with brown hair wearing some purple glasses, and the other one was a blonde boy who immediately made you think of a golden retriever! The two guys looked up at you, with the blonde one immediately standing up and introducing himself.

"Hi! Uhm, my name is Yoosung! Yoosung Kim! Nice to meet you!"

Oh my goodness he's adorable... though where have I heard that name before...?

You introduced yourself and told him your name, replying that it was nice to meet him too!

As you sat down beside him, you couldn't help but sneak glances in his directions. He was very very cute, his purple eyes looking all happy and excited all the time. Yet sometimes you could see a hint of.... hopelessness. You wondered why.

It turned out, that the other group members had suddenly called in sick, or said they had a family emergency. Not only that, but the plain guy with glasses gave you both an usb and mumbled that he actually had to go somewhere else today, but that he had his part of the presentation done and was in the usb.

Of course that did not make any of you happy at all. Yoosung looked as if he was about to either cry or punch someone, maybe both, and you werw mad that your teammates were so useless. But you tried to stay positive, I mean hey, now you get to spend time with the cute guy alone!

The two of you seemed to be the only ones to have done any work, the glasses dude's presentation was....let's just say wrong information and a white background with a yellow sans font. No I'm not joking.

"AGHHH this is impossible! How are we going to get all this work done in two days!? This is three people's part of the project, and it's not exactly short! Were gonna be here all afternoon!" Yoosung sobbed, as he covered his face and laid his head on the table.

"H-hey it's alright! We can uh...we can do it! I'm sure it won't take that long!"

It did take that long.

In face, it was 3am when you finished and had to leave the place because it was closing, so you had to go to your room and finish it there.

As soon as you were done, you both let out a tired victory yell and you fell back on your bed.

"Oh,hey Y/N, could I borrow your computer for a second? I just gotta check something that can't really wait..."

"Sure!" You gave him a thumbs up and rolled on your side to face Yoosung who was probably checking his emails.

You were not prepared for the scream that he suddenly let out.

"YOOSUNG!? IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT!?"

He flinched when he heard your voice and slowly got up from the chair, pointing a finger shakily in your direction.

"Y-you....y-y-you a-are....TortillasRock320?"

You immediately sat up upon hearing the username you had made when you were 13 suddenly being said. Then you nodded. "How...how do you know me...?"

Yoosung's face became paler and you could see him start fidgeting a little before he pointed at himself.

"S-Supeman...Y-Yoosung...."

You immediately let out a gasp, shocking the poor boy and you stood up. "YOU!! YOU STOLE ALL MY LOOT IN LOLOL!"

"IMSOSORRYIDIDNTMEANTOITWASANACCIDENTITRIEDGIVINGITBACKBUTYOUATTACKEDMEANDTHENIJUSTPANICKEDANDLOGGEDOFF."

"I...ugh....dammit. it just had to be you didn't it?" You rubbed your temples and then Yoosung looked up from the ground.

"U-uhm...I could give it back...and uh...maybe get you some food?"

"Food isn't gonna cut it, as much as I love it."

"W-well how about we go and eat in a few days f-for now and then uh...we couldddd....think of something else!" He looked at you with a big smile and who could say no to that face?

So you exchanged phone numbers. It was just meant to try and see whenever the two of you could meet up for some food, but then it became into LOLOL discussions, and just talks about everything and anything. He talked a out his family, his friends, and his struggled with school, with you eventually telling him about your struggles as well. Before you knew it, the two fo you were speaking every single day, at any hour, and you had found out so much about each other. Not only that, but you had eventually become attracted to him.

Finally, vacations came! And the two of you decided to celebrate it by going to a bar with your friends! But then the two of you left because there was too many people, so you bought some beer and went to a nearby internet cafe to play....you guessed it! LOLOL

The two of you had such an AMAZING time, taking shots everyone one of you got killed, or destroyed a tower, or killed one of the dragons, or....well eventually it was just you two drinking and playing.

When you were done it was about 1am, and the cafe closed so you decided to go to Yoosung's place to maybe play there. But then, as the two of you drunkenly made it up the elevator, you suddenly remembered that Yoosung owed you from stealing your loot!

"Hic! Y-Yoosung...l-listen to me y-you brat. You oweeee me a wishhhh."

"Huh?.....oh wait...yeah I d-do right? Bec- hic! Becauzeee I stole your loot last t-time right??"

"I k-know what I want. L-lets just go to y-your apartment first....hic!" You smiled evilly as you thought about what you would do.

You grabbed Yoosung's hand, and he led you towards his place. After laughing and fumbling with his keys for a solid 2 minutes, Yoosung managed to open his door! He mockingly bowed and said "Y-you firstttt~" which made you courtesy and giggle replying "Wh-what a gentleman!"

You waited for Yoosung to close the door, and then he turned around to look at you with a big smile on his face.

"S-sooo Y/N! What...what do you want me t-to do?" He asked.

You made your way towards him and smirked. Then before Yoosung could reply he let out a help as you grabbed him by the hair and made him kneel in front of you, in all fours. "Yoosung. I want you to be my....servant for a day. I want you to do anything I ask you to."

Yoosung gulped and shyly looked up at you, his entire face red. "I...I should? Anything?"

You chuckled. "Yes. You owe me remember? That was a pretty rare item, the one you stole for me. So you should....pay...for what you've done, don't you think so?" He slowly nodded and you pet his head. "Good boy~ Now how about we start by....you taking your clothes off."

Yoosung's eyes widened, but you tightened your grip on his hair and he slowly started undoing his shirt buttons. Then he looked up at you again. "U-uhm...Wh-what else should I do...?"

"Mmm how about you take your pants off now? And do it quickly Yoosung, we don't have all day."

He nodded and took his pants off, kneeling in the ground only in his boxers, and then, in the heat of the moment (you don't exactly knew what took over you) you pressed your foot between his legs, making Yoosung let out a surprised gasp.

"Oho~ You like this don't you? You're hard." You chuckled and pressed harder between his legs, and Yoosung let out a moan.

"I'm...ngh! S-sorry, I d-don't really understand why it's...it's like that uhm.. I'm sorry."

You chuckled and knelt beside Yoosung, cupping his face in your hands. "Yoosung you don't need to apologize. It must feel hot down there...how about we make you feel good?"

Yoosung became even redder, but he looked to the side and covered his mouth with the back of his hand, shyly nodding at you to continue.

You smiled and took Yoosung's underwear off, his member already hard, and slowly, you started licking the tip making Yoosung moan.

"MNGHHH! Y-Y/N!!!"

"Mhmm? What ish it Yoosung? Mmph..." You replied, looking up at him while having his member in your mouth.

"Y-you're....s-sucking...it! Ah! I- I'm....if you do it with your tongue like that...I'm going to...-mmmgh!".

He's adorable, you thought, as you sucked harder and harder. Soon, Yoosung reached his climax, and you mischievously smirked. "I'm glad you enjoyed it...now how about we go to the main course? I deserve to feel good too, you know?" You said, as you took your jeans and underwear off.

"H-huh?! N-no, wait I just ca-AHHHHN~"

Yoosung gasped as you slowly took him in, straddling him. You tangled your fingers in his hair while Yoosung gripped your hips, his hands trembling.

"I'm....I'm moving now, ok Yoosung?"

Yoosung moaned as you started grinding your hips against him, your hips moving quickly up and down on their own. You laughed and leaned your head back, making Yoosung look confusedly up at you.

"You're just so adorable Yoosung!....I really like you, you know?"

Yoosung stared at you, and then he quickly grabbed your head and pulled you in for a rough kiss.

"I...mhm...I've liked you...too...mmm...for a very...very long time...Y/N." He whispered between kisses. "Agh! Y-you suddenly tightened up, down there....mhm it...it feels really good." He said as he looked at you, his eyes teary and full of lust.

Goddamn this man.

"Yoosung...I...I like you too!" You felt your face heat up a bit, and Yoosung quickly pulled away to look at you. Then, he tightened his grip on your hips and quickly started moving up and down

"Y-Yoosung!!!! Y-you're moving t-too fast! Mhm!!! I can't!! Too fast! Too fast!"

"Y/N...Y/N...." He whispered, burying his face in the crook of your neck, as his thrust became faster and harder.

"I'm going to...." You gasped.

"M-me too! Let's...let's do it...together!"

You pulled Yoosung in for a kiss and the two of you moaned as you both reached your climax.

The two of you held each other for a bit, until Yoosung got cold and he carried you to his bed. The two of you kissed each other for a bit, before falling asleep.

The next morning you found Yoosung on the corner of his room, his ears all red while he hugged his knees.

"Uhm....Yoosung! Mor...ning...?"

He flinched as he heard you and then he slowly looked up. Before you could ask him what in the diddly darn heck his ass was doing in there, he got up and bowed.

"I'm so sorry!!! I'm sorry about, about yesterday I was drunk, and then I just got really excited and kept going even after you said it was too fast, and I also said all that weird stuff and I'm just, I'm really really sorry!!"

You were taken aback for a minute before you smiled and made your way towards him, making him look up at you. "Yoosung...you don't have to apologize for anything. I know we....we were a bit uh...well we were really drunk but... I still stand by everything I said yesterday. I do like you. I...I like everything about you Yoosung."

His face became red, bue eventually Yoosung slowly and shyly smiled at you. "You...you really do?"

"Yessir."

"Heh....I'm...I'm so happy Y/N...I really like you too!"

He cupped your cheek and the two of you slowly got closer and closer until your lips were touching in a chaste kiss. When you finished Yoosung chuckled, still red in the face. "So uhmm...does that mean we're a...couple now?"

You smiled and poked his cheek. "Yup! And there's no going back after this, you hear me?"

"Y-yes! Of course I'd never think of it!"

"Good! Now how about we go back to bed...and have a little fun hmm?~"

Yoosung smiled and pulled you towards him, smiling. "That doesn't sound too bad...and we're on vacation right now, so I don't see any reason we shouldn't stay in bed and do...that all day."

You laughed and Yoosung picked you up bridal style, gently throwing you in his bed and pinning you down.

The two of you officially became a couple that day! Yayyy!

Also btw you got an A- in the assignment so good work fellas ;)

The end!

[manicpixiedreamguurl]

I got my period in the middle of the night and now I have a deep need for consistency and daddy Roman. Lemme project a lil

They have been together for a long time. Since they were teenagers. Neither of them knew the exact date but it didn’t matter. Over the years how they treated her period has changed a lot. In their teen years roman could barely handle himself, and she would let him do whatever he wanted. He would become feral clawing at her panties as soon as he smelled it on her, something at the time she loved. It had helped bond them in a weird way.

Now that he’s a ceo and her cramps have gotten worse by ten fold things are a lot calmer. Roman understands his blood lust and now that he has a nutrient from pryce and sometimes indulges on feeding on her neck her period blood (that’s like 80% water did you guys know that?? I didn’t know that and it freaked me out lmao) doesn’t string him out the way it used to. Now he’s much more concerned with how she’s feeling. He wants her to feel comfortable. Everything he does in life now has her in mind.

One night she was stirring in her sleep having a bad dream. She was in pain, and couldn’t find out why. She tried screaming but with her muscles in the rem stage she didn’t make a noise. Roman felt her stirring and opened one eye to make sure she was okay it was almost as soon as he saw her face that he smelled her bleeding. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand and saw it was around 3am. He would have to be awake for work soon in a few hours but he knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep through this much longer and he didn’t want her to anyway.

They had been expecting her period any day. She calculated it the best she could because she’s not one for surprises. A doctor at the tower, that is absolutely not pryce because he freaks her out, has her on a really awesome birth control making her as regular as she could be. The reason she went on it was to try and combat cramps but it didn’t workout quite the way they had hoped.

“Hey.” He whispered leaning forward to kiss her forehead. She didn’t wake so he cupped his hands around her checks and kissed in between her eyes a little harder then before.

“Hey.” He repeated.

Her eyes opened and she started gasping for breath. She recognized she was in pain but still half asleep she wasn’t sure if it was still part of the dream.

“You’re okay, baby.” Roman whispered pulling her into his chest. She snuggled into him and took a deep breath.

“I was having a nightmare.” She explained.

Roman sighed. “You started.”

“God fucking dammit.” She fussed. She felt the need to cry wash over her. Even though it shouldn’t be, it was embarrassing. You never really get used to bleeding all over your rich boyfriends bed. She pushed her palms against his chest to remove herself from him but he didn’t let go. She had thought for a second maybe he had fallen back asleep. “Rome.” She urged as she pushed again.

“It’s not a big deal.” He said to her.

She rolled her eyes and even in the darkness of the room Roman had felt her do it.

“Don’t get bratty. Go take care of it and I’ll be here.” He let her out of his arms and she scurried away as fast as she could. She stopped in the closet first grabbing some fresh pajamas and panties before rushing to the bathroom.

Roman waited until he heard the bathroom door shut and then got up. He turned a few lights on but dimmed down so he could see without blowing out his pupils. His girlfriend always gave him shit for the extra boujie things he had in his house. Lights with the perfect dimmers, heated tiles in the bathroom, he even had a small appliance specifically to warm towels for after a shower. She made fun of him for all of these things but was also the first one to use the heated tiles in the winter.

He made his way to the hallway near the bedroom and pulled out some clean sheets. There wasn’t any blood on the ones already on the bed but he knew it would make her feel better if they were clean anyway. He scanned around the cabinet and pulled out the heating pad tucked away in the back used only during one week in the month. It was old and ratty, probably from the early 80’s and definitley a fire hazard.

“But it still works.” She would fight when he offered a new one.

Tucking the sheets safely under his arm he made his way down into the kitchen for some water and something to help her with the pain. He lightly jogged up the stairs to make sure he would be back before she was.

When she returned from the bathroom Roman had just plugged in the heating pad into the outlet near the wall. She noticed the new sheets on the bed and felt a little guilty about him having to do all of this for her in the middle of the night.

“Thankyou.” She tried to sound extra grateful although she didn’t have to. Roman knew she appreciated everything he did for her. He wouldn’t do any of it otherwise.

“Anything for you babygirl. What else do you need?”

Her eyes fell to the nightstand where Roman had put a glass of water and a joint. Tylenol probably would have sufficed but this is still Roman we are talking about.

“I shouldn’t have that in here.” She pointed to the joint. “I can go into the garage at least.”

Roman rolled his eyes. “I don’t think one joint is going to ruin the entire bedroom. Besides Mother Nature fucked you hard tonight, I think you earned it.”

“But you have to be awake soon anyway I can just—“

“I’ll work from home today.” He grabbed the joint himself and lit it with a match from the drawer of the nightstand. After a slow inhale to get it going he held it out to her. “Come on, let me take care of you.”

She took a deep breath and nodded. He was right. She didn’t know why she was fighting it. Maybe because she was in pain and past the point of frustration well into self pity.

She crawled into bed with him and they passed the joint back and forth in silence until it was burned all the way down into Roman’s fingertips. She adjusted herself with the heating pad against her lower abdomen and sunk further into romans arms. Her cramps finally subsiding as Romans cool hands traced along the freckles on her arms.

“You don’t have to work from home. I’m a big girl.” She pouted.

Roman grinned and kissed the crook of her neck.

“That may be true. But you are MY babygirl.”

[alsanjxde]

Miche Zacharius - Right person Wrong time

Chapter 3

Y/N's POV

This chapter could contain some triggering content like s3lf harm and su!cidal thoughts. Please do not read if you are triggered by these!

The sounds of inaudible blabbers fill my ears, the ringing in my ears deafening them out, my migraine slowly getting worse. Where am I? Oh, that's right we're on out way home from our first mission. I sit up in the wagon and rub my eyes, exhaustion getting the better of me. When I sit up a familiar male voice questions me "So you've finally stopped crying?" I was crying? I look up realising that voice belonged to Levi. Why would I have cried? Looking around I try and find Isabel and Furlan, then it hits me. The scene of Isabel's head laying on the ground and Furlan's limp corpse in the titans mouth, being bit in half replaying in my mind. They're actually dead. I just nod in response not letting any more tears fall. My heart hurts, already missing them, however I will not let myself cry again. Looking at Levi I see his cold stare looking at me, but I also notice the sheer bit of hurt in them. Why them, why not me? I sigh as I see us nearing the walls we are held captive in like a pack of sheep in a barn. The gates slowly rising giving us entry into our home. The crowds and crowds of people surrounding us cheering us up until they see the despair that lies within our face expressions and the air. The little hopeful kids cheering us on as if we have just saved humanity. 'Not yet kids but will have done so soon'. Approaching the scout headquarters we start taking off our ODM gear.

[MAIN TRIGGER SECTION STARTS HERE]

Getting out the wagon I stumble upon the sudden pressure on my legs, the numbness in them residing. I walk over to the shed that keeps all the gear, keeping my gaze on the floor and my mouth sealed. Entering the shed everyone stares at me in empathetic silence. Subconsciously tears start flowing and I let them; putting away my gear I finally get to exit.

I walk over to the dorm awaiting the wave of insufferable loneliness that's to soon overwhelm me. I stand in front of the door; taking a deep breath I enter, the scent of Isabel still in the room. I close the door just to sit against it and sob. It hurts. Why did they have to die why not me. I hug my knees wanting to scream, shout or whatever but nothing coming out except quiet whimpers slipping out. I stand up heading to the bathroom my mind full of intentions to die. What's the point in living anymore, I've asked that question several times in my life but I finally know the answer. There is no point. I find the spare blades to my razor and pick them up, locking the bathroom door behind me. Would Furlan and Isabel want to see me do this? Of course they wouldn't, but they're dead so I might as well. One cut after another the blood slowly dripping onto the wooden floor. I let no tears fall, I'm not weak and I never will be. I look at my arms with deep regret but I shake it off. In attempt to hide the evidence I get the cleaning supplies and scrub, the smell of bleach driving out the smell of blood. I get unchanged and turn the shower on getting in letting the dirt and mud run off of me.

I get out the shower and look for the medical supplies needed to bandage up my arm. Knowing I will have to go out the room I put on a long sleeve shirt to cover up the masecare on my arms. I enter the nursing room and find the right equipment and gauzes. Taking my leave I notice the multiple dead corpses lying out side in the open. I see a small head shaped bump and a bump the size of half a body. It's them. I look away feeling broke and go back to my room. While leaving I over hear a conversation between Erwin and Miche."Where are we going to bury these, there's not enough space in the main graveyard." "We're not burying them they're getting cremated all together tonight." So they're not even going to get a grave are our lives that meaningless. As soon as I enter the room I replace my long sleeved shirt with a short one revealing the mess brought upon my arms. I get the healing ointment and put it on feeling the light sting that comes with the application. I open up the bandage package the scentence 'We don't mean anything to the scouts we're just tools for them to wipeout' repeating in my mind. I start wrapping my arms tight enough to stop the bleeding. Finishing off I hear a knock on the door. "Hold on. I'm not dressed" I shout out to them my voice cracking due to my throat being dry. I hide the remaining medical supplies and open the door to see Miche standing there. "It's time to go dispose of the corpses." He grumbles while looking down on me. I just nod in response and follow him feeling a wave of nausea rising over me once again.

Arriving at the disposal area I find Levi staring into a bright fire with nothing else but hurt on his face. I walk over to him and say "This is them huh?" He nods and looks at me noticing my bandaged up arms. "What happened to you?" He mumbles his words coldly but full of concern. I shake my head and he understands and pulls me into hug. "We'll avenge them properly, I promise." I feel him start to shake and embrace him back I let him cry out on my shoulder for the last time. When it's over I look into the sky remembering the conversation we had the day before 'Believe in us,' I believed and now you're dead, what did we get ourselves into. I leave Levi and head back to my dorm to sleep. Hours later and I'm ridden with in-escapable thoughts and the inability to sleep. I look outside to the moon and estimate that it has to be at least 3AM, I get up and get into my uniform ready; seating myself in the brown armchair sat in the room I think to myself. 'I wonder what it would be like if they were still here' 'It's my fault for leaving them' 'I deserve to join them up there.' Eventually I fall asleep.

I'm woken up by the scene of their deaths haunting me in my sleep as well. I know it hasn't been long since I fell asleep so I decide to do some drawing. A few hours later I finish the first drawing not noticing training had started a while ago. I take a few steps back looking at the drawing realising what I had drawn. It was Furlan, Isabel and Levi in the underground all hugging each other, I hang it on the wall and notice scouts flying about the entrance of the woods. 'Oh well what's the big deal if I miss just one training session.' I decide to unravel the bandages on my arms to let them breathe. I put the old bandages in the bin and apply some healing ointment again and roll my sleeves up and stare at my arm. Furlan. Isabel. I'm sorry I'm not able to join you yet but as soon as I kill the man who got you killed, Erwin Smith, I will join you. Shortly after my thoughts are disturbed by my door swinging open, revealing a not so happy squad leader. "Why aren't you partcipating in practice today?" He interorgated obviously wanting an answer. Not replying I just turn back to the window. "Answer me" "I just don't feel like it." "That's not an excuse Y/N L/N. And what did you do to your arm?" Hearing the hint of concern in his question I turn around and lash out. "What does it matter that I'm not at training? And why the fuck should it matter to you what I did to my arm?" He looks shocked, maybe even slightly hurt, at my reply but plays it off "Why wouldn't I care you're one of my squad members?" "Is that all we're known for here 'squad member' or 'captain'. Are we just known as part of the bullshit heirachy here?" "Insubordination has a punishment of death, you know that right?" "Of course I know but does it look like I really care? We're all going to die some day I could care less if I die right now I'd rather be up there with Furlan and Isabel than down here" I bellow back at him with tears threatening to fall, but I don't allow them as I'm not weak anymore. He looks dull as he sees my eyes. Why though? "You may not care but I sure do, not just because your a comrade or a squad member it's because I care about you. So please, stop harming yourself." With that he exits the room slamming the door without any other words to say. I stand up calling myself pathetic I grab my jacket and head to the training grounds to get my gear.

Flying up into the air following the rest, them not realising I'm there. I see a titan cut-out ahead and decide to brush past everyone and knock it down. "Hey! Look who finally decided to join us" Gelgar groaned in annoyance that I was late. I don't respond and I just carry on with the training route. Everyone gets confused as I am normally an upbeat person but today I'm more kept to myself. "Jesus what's up with her?" Gelgar mumbles. I just roll my eyes and continue training, however I notice Miche doesn't rejoin them at all. I don't even see him outside, that's strange. I continue on with training and end up finishing first. Still no sign of Miche though, oh well who cares. Taking off my gear I notice Nanaba walking towards me, I gather myself knowing she'll ask if I'm okay. "Hey are you okay, I've noticed you've been a bit out of it today?" She asks full of genuine concern. "I'm fine." I reply bluntly and just walked away. There's no point beating myself up over the inevitable, like I said to Miche we all die one day. After putting my gear away I see the squad Levi was placed in, it looks so much smaller without them. I walk over there wanting to speak to Levi and then Hange notices me waiting "Oh! Y/N there you are! I have a question. What do you think about joining my squad!" She questions while jumping on me. I shrug her off and just reply with an "I don't know." Levi walks up to me "Oi, what are you doing over here?" Levi asks crossing his arms. "I was going to speak to you but unless you don't want me to I'll go" "No you can speak just wait for me to get my gear off" He replies while getting his gear off and walking towards the shed. Hange just stands there watching us like 'what the hell is up with them two?' "Hey Y/N? What's your relationship with Levi?" Hange asks out the blue. "Oh, We're siblings why?" "Ohhhhh so that's why you two are so buddy buddy." "Yeah, I guess." Levi walks out pulling his pants up. He just walks away without a word but I follow him knowing he wants to speak to me now.

"Alright, what do you want to speak about?" Levi randomly stops and asks; me almost bumping into him. "Oh, I just wanted to speak about random things" I reply looking down knowing he'll ask about my arm again. "Tsk, I don't have time for this, I'm going but before I go.." Yep here is comes. "What happened to your arms, you weren't injured on the mission." "Oh, just it doesn't matter" Suddenly he grabs my left arm and lifts the sleeve up slightly, as soon as he sees the mess I made he drops my arm. "I'm sorry." I mumur out. "You know I was hoping it wouldn't be self harm, but I had a feeling it was. Just don't do it again. We lose people everyday we lost Mom, Kenny left and now Isabel and Furlan, there's no need to beat yourself up over it" He says bluntly making his point and then leaves me there. Great, I've been lectured by two men about my self harm. I leave the building we're in and go to the roof top and just stare up at the sky, not noticing someone's presence behind me.

I stand at the edge of the roof, it's rocky and I know I could easily slip off. "Isabel. Furlan. I wish i could join you right now but we all know that's not possible. I'll stay strong for you both. Like you once said Furlan 'Believe in us.' This time it's a believe in me. Rest well." I look up at the sky. "This is our last goodbye now. I will miss you but now I realise it's best to forget and move on for now. I'll start keeping myself to myself and let no one else in. I'm not getting hurt over someone else ever again. Goodbye Isabel. Goodbye Furlan. You were loved. You are missed but it's time for me to move on already." I finish off with a slight smile on my face and a tear running down my face. I hop down from the roofs edge and make my way to my room keeping my head up but maintaining a distant look on my face. Entering my room I get changed slowly taking my clothes off and putting clean ones on. I sit on Isabel's bed. I guess this really is a goodbye huh? I duck my head into her pillow and start crying. About 1 hour later I'm still crying and someone knocks on the door. Knowing my luck it's Miche. "What?" I say my voice still trembling. "I'm just here to say sorry for walking away earlier" And with that his presence was no longer at the door. I just opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out, so i pressed my head back into the pillow and cried until I fell asleep.

(A/N: Hey so I'm sort of in a writers block it's literally took me about 6 hours to write this and I'm not even sure if it's good but yeah. If it's a bit bad that's why. But enjoy I guess. I CANT ADD THE SNAZZY THINGS NOOOOO)

[junquisite]

Main Men - Pt 1

SUMMARY : What do you do when you’re in love with 4 people? And they all know it?It becomes a competition between them to win you over.

WORD COUNT : 2K

WARNING : explicit smut

PARTS :  Character introduction   preview  1  1.5  RP

NOTE : The next update would probably be after 10 or 14 april becuase i’ve got loads of college submissions.

The first time happened about 3 months after she moved in. It was Halloween and her and Seonghwa had gone to a party – all dressed up and everything. She was dressed as the sexy devil – which legit made no sense to her but Seonghwa had bought the costume with his money so since she hadn’t had to spend a penny on it, it was fine. The outfit was all complete with those headbands with horns, dark makeup, thigh high black stockings and heels and a small strappy red dress that just barely covered her ass. He was dressed as a vampire all with his black slicked back hair and contact lenses and even she agreed that a vampire like him can have anyone. She had managed to ignore all of the older ones insistence of her to change with the excuse that she was going with Seonghwa.

Excited for university life and with hopes of getting laid, she came back home highly intoxicated and equally disappointed towards the general male population.

When she staggered inside the apartment, she was greeted with a heavenly sight – a shirtless Park Junhee, fresh out of shower and drying his hair.

She stood just near the entrance and stared at him – at his toned but lean body and at the slight peak of his v-line through the low hanging sweats. He wasn’t built like Hongseok, but again, not everyone is built like him but Junhee was extremely attractive in his own charming ways.

He finally seemed to see her and smiled at her. “Serri, you’re home. How was the party?”

“Utter disappointment. Definitely could have been better. Boys are trash.”

His eyebrows scrunched up in an adorable manner that meant he was perplexed.

“Did anyone do something to you?” he asked her, walking closer to her.

“Not really. But some definitely tried.” She said and he patted her on the shoulder. “Nothing major right? You wanna sue someone?” he asked and she laughed which he joined. Her drunken mind found his laughter extremely attractive and she realized she would like to hear more noises from him.

“No. but thanks Junhee!”She said and he smiled, turning around. Probably to put on a shirt.

“Hey Junhee” she called him again.

“Yeah?” he said, turning around.      

“Would you fuck me if I asked you?”

The way his face turned red and he sputtered to make a coherent response, she figured out his answer. She had seen how he looked at her, how his eyes stayed a little too long at her face or her figure. Not only him but the other three too. She figured it was time to get what she needs now and what’s best if not getting what you desire at your own house?

She walked closer to him and raising up on her toes slightly to kiss him, her one hand grabbing his to put around her waist, the other one sneaking inside the waistband of his track pants and boxers, grabbing his cock.

“S-Serri no!” he said, hands awkwardly moving around as if he did not knew where to kept them.

“Why not?” she asked, looking up at him, taking her hand out and dropping on her knees in front of him, hands tugging at his sweat.

“I have wanted this to happen for a long time now.” She said and she licked her lips and Junhee groaned, hands covering his eyes.

Then his hands were on her shoulders and pulling her up, “at least not her. My room, let’s go.” He said and she smiled, taking his hand and rushing him. If after entering the room and turning around she saw his eyes down at her, probably staring at her ass, she didn’t objected to it.

He closed the room and turned around and suddenly she was on him, kissing him, grabbing him and putting his hands on her, kissing his neck and chest and slowly going down, the sound of him moaning every now and then almost music to her ears.

“Stop stop Serri!” he said, trying to stop her from leaving hickeys on him.

“Don’t want to” she mumbled in his neck.

“You should. I have office, I can’t have marks.” He said and she pulled back, giving him a kiss.

“Too late.” She said while looking at his neck and she chuckled, him joining in and bending down to kiss her too.

Soon again she was on her knees and this time he let her pull his sweats down, hands slightly covering his face to hide how quick his face turned red. She would have cooed at that had she not gotten distracted by the bulge in his briefs. She pulled those briefs down and heard him sharply inhale and smiled up at him. She pumped his cock a few times and then kissed the tip when she heard him mumbling “get on with it already” and she chuckled.

In one stroke she took as much of him as she can in her mouth and he cursed loudly. She started sucking lazily, pumping the rest with her hands until his hands came to her head, keeping a pace he felt suitable for himself but too soon for her, he pulled her off.

“As much as I like this, I would really like to be inside you right now.” He said.

He pulled her up and turned her around and unzipped the dress and pulled it down and then pushed her towards the bed. She climbed on the bed with her front towards him and he sat on the edge and started crawling towards her, and sat between her legs. Bending down she tried to pull him in where she wanted his attention but he simply kissed along her inner thighs, until he reached those thigh high stockings, he kissed along the ends and then bit her just above it. When he heard her moaning his name, he pulled the stockings with his mouth a bit down and heard her gasp. He continued to pull the stockings down her legs and when he was done, looked up to see her red face making him want to hurry up and pulled the other one by hands.

He got off the bed, rummaging in his side table for a condom while she took off her bra and panties. He pulled on the condom and climbed up and went up to her face, whispering a soft “beautiful” and pushed one finger inside. Preparing her enough with three fingers, he pushed himself inside and she moaned loudly. He started thrusting slowly until she hit him and cried to go faster. Laughing slightly at her, he started thrusting faster and kissed her when she moaned a bit too loud. He bent down on her and hissed when he felt her nails raking on his back. Soon she was mumbling about having to cum and he sneaked his hand down to play with her clit and soon she was Cumming while crying his name. He decided it was his favourite song. He thrusted a few more times too and then came and laid down beside her.

After a few minutes when he was sure it won’t hurt her, he pulled out and tried to keep her awake against how much she wanted to sleep. He got up but she kept trying to pull him to bed and only the thought of cleaning both of them made him deny her. He pulled her up from bed too, took her to the bathroom and they took a quick shower where he had to keep her from falling asleep with how tired she was. He them wrapped her in a big towel and then he wanted to take a picture of how adorable she looked in that too big towel for her, but he changed the sheets before she fell asleep in the chair he made her sit on.

Giving her a too long for her t-shirt of his and sneaking to her room to grab her a pair of underwear, he finally went into bed and fell asleep with a cuddled Serri to his chest.

~

Serri woke up in the morning and looked around for a second to realise that it wasn’t her room but Junhee’s. She was about to leave when she saw him coming out of the bathroom, probably after a shower, towel low on his hips.

“Am I dead? Is this heaven?” she mumbled and he looked at her and gave him his signature cat teeth smile and said, “No” and laughed.

“It has to be. I’m being too blessed.” She said and sat up in his bed, hair dishevelled and eyes still half asleep and he just shook his head at her.

“Why do you go around shirtless?” she said and got up from the bed. She went to him and hugged him, practically clinging to him and he just muttered, “you’ll get wet.”

She looked up at him and whispered, “How am I supposed to control myself when you’re walking around like this?” she said, sliding her hands down on his abdomen.

He groaned and held her hand before it can go down.”I can’t. I have to go to office.” And she pulls away with a pout.

He sighs and turns around, picking up a shirt of his and handling it to her and pecks her pouting face. She takes the shirt and leaves for her own room.

~

The next morning of Halloween, Hongseok was busy making breakfast when a tired Seonghwa walked in.

“Good morning, when did you came in?” Hongseok asked, handing him a pair of Advil and a glass of water.

Seonghwa took the pills and sat down, saying,” around 3am.”

“And Serri?”

Seonghwa shrugged, “midnight I suppose.”

Hongseok turned around, serving him eggs and toast, “Why didn’t you come with her?”

“She apparently messaged me but I saw it hours later.” Seonghwa said and Hongseok nodded.

Jimin walks in and sat down for breakfast when Serri walked in, clearly half in dreamland in a shirt obviously too big for her.

Hongseok turned around to greet them and serve Jimin when he saw it.

“Whose shirt did you steal this time? Is it mine?” he asked looking at the pale blue colour of it.

She mumbled a small, “No, junhee’s” and Hongseok nodded, turning around.

“Did you brushed?” he asked again and she mumbled a yes.

“Then why are you still half asleep?” Hongseok asked, turning around with her plate and she groaned, “Just give me food please.” And Hongseok rolled his eyes at her and passed her the plate.

At that moment, Junhee walked in and said good morning to everyone. On the way to his chair, he bends down and kisses the top of serri’s head and she looked up at him, giving him a closed eyes smile. Ruffling her hair, he sat beside her and took the plate from Hongseok as he settled too.

They were peacefully eating until Jimin gasped and everyone looked up at him.

“Young lady, did you got laid yesterday?” he said dramatically and all eyes went to her, well except for Junhee who was busy staring at his eggs.

“Uhh..” she stuttered avoiding eyes of all and Hongseok just laughed and Jimin joined while Seonghwa just started at her wide eyed.

The teasing died down when she didn't respond to them and the breakfast was over. Almost.

Until Hongseok stopped a Junhee who was about to get up.

“Hyung, are those hickeys?” Hongseok asked and Junhee looked at him wide-eyed and then at Serri who looked like a deer caught in headlight.

Junhee sits down and coughed slightly.

“Don’t tell me!” Hongseok whispered and Jimin and Hongseok stared at both of the persons in question.

Serri was looking down at her plate and so was Seonghwa. Junhee was the first one to clear his throat and get out of seat, muttering about being late for office and leaving. The silence at the table continued and after a few minutes they heard the front door shutting behind Junhee leaving.

[heyyyharry]

Chapter 2: Castles In The Air

(from the My Girl Trilogy: Be My Only)

…in which Y/N can’t stop worrying about Harry, but she isn’t the only one.

AU: actor!Harry, older!Harry, younger!Y/N, (4-year age gap).

Word count: 5k

Wattpad link

Chapter 1: Fire And Rain - Harry and Y/N go back to where it ended.

A/N: Welcome back to emotional hell. Listen to What If I Never Get Over Your? by Lady Antebellum for full experience. - Allie.

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Isaac thought he had done a great job. Y/N had trusted him enough to reveal why she'd gone back to Holmes Chapel last year, not because of her father's wedding, but because of Harry. He knew everything, from how they'd got together to how they'd ended. Though the truth was evidently unpleasant, it also made him sigh in relief, for he was sure she had officially moved on.

But last night he'd seen for himself, how she had freaked out at the party and later broken down in the hospital. He'd seen the way she'd held Harry, how she'd cried, thinking something bad had happened to him. She was usually talkative when they were alone, but had been awfully quiet on the drive back to her place. It didn't take a mind-reader to figure out what was bothering her. It was that hug they had shared, what he had whispered into her ear that nobody else would ever know. And in that moment Isaac realized, there was a place in her heart that he could never reach.

It'd been a rough night, and his loud thoughts had kept him awake until 3AM, with fear that the girl in his arms could leave him any minute. But when the morning came, everything seemed to have fallen back into place. Stepping into the kitchen with sleep in his eyes, he was greeted by his girlfriend's gleeful "good morning!" and the delicious smell of sizzling bacon and eggs. Maybe he had over-exaggerated the situation yesterday, because Y/N was still here, and she was...making breakfast?

"Y/N! The eggs!"

"Shit!" The girl nearly knocked everything off the table as she fled across the room to turn off the stove. Clouds of dark smoke erupted from the frying pan, causing the couple to start coughing uncontrollably.

"My eggs..." She mumbled with a frown when he stroked her head and burst out laughing.

"I thought my girl was possessed, but I'm glad she's still herself." His joke made her snort as she tossed the burnt egg into the bin and told him she would try again. But after what he had just witnessed, he thought he should do all the cooking from now on, for their own safety.

"Step aside. I'll manage," he said with a smirk, nudging her with his hip to steal her spot as they both giggled together.

"Okay, so you take care of our breakfast. I'm gonna finish this."

Curious, Isaac stole a glance at his girlfriend, and saw her put the tuna salad she'd made into a lunch box. It wasn't like her to wake up early, make breakfast and lunch for herself. She hated cooking more than she hated children crying on the bus, and she'd rather starve than turn on her stove.

"Hey," she spoke before he could ask. "Can you bring this to Harry later?"

"Did he ask you to cook for him?"

"No." Y/N shook her head. "Niall said he wasn't allowed to go anywhere, so I decided to make him food."

Her naive response made Isaac cackle. He told her not to worry, that Harry's team would make sure he had the healthiest, and most expensive meals, while laying in bed. But that didn't ease the wrinkles between her brows.

"These foods will help his wounds heal faster." She met his thoughtful stare. "Besides, you two have to talk to each other at one point. This is your chance to make up."

"We're fine."

"How 'fine' exactly?" She arched an eyebrow at him. "I know everything is my fault, and I'm trying to—"

Isaac didn't let her finish. He grabbed her chin, kissing her full on the mouth, and slightly pushing her backward until her back bumped into the desk. His kiss became more urgent as his hands moved to hold her cheeks. She kissed him back, fingertips resting on his face. Neither of them knew what had gotten into him, yet both went with it because, what else would they do?

Reassurance. He needed reassurance.

But this kiss wasn't it.

Slowly, he pulled away, tucking a loose strand behind her ear as his heart started racing faster. With a smile to cover up the fact that he was on tenterhooks, he said in hushed tones, "why don't you ask Niall to bring him the food? They live very near each other."

The truth dawned on Y/N as her eyes shifted away from his. She thought for a couple seconds before nodding her head, and Isaac hoped she didn't think he hated Harry. How could he? He loved Harry like his own brother, and had sacrificed a lot for him since they became friends; like his top bunk in the dorm because Harry wanted it, his 20th birthday party because Harry had failed a movie audition that same day, his first magazine cover deal because Harry's hateful ex was the model, and many other times he couldn't recall. He'd done everything, no questions asked, because he believed Harry would do the same for him.

But Y/N wasn't something they could take and give whenever they wanted. She was a person, someone Isaac truly cared about. And he'd known from the start once he'd fallen for her he could never step back, which was why he'd asked Harry if he'd had feelings for her too. If only the answer had been 'yes' since the beginning, he would've walked away for them to be together. Would Harry have done the same? Would Harry have respected Isaac's feelings for Y/N and stepped aside, instead of going after her while Isaac was in Rome? No. Harry had done the opposite. And even so, even now, Isaac would still walk away. But things weren't as simple as it used to be. He was in too deep to undo how he felt about her for someone who'd broken her heart again and again.

There were certain things in his life that he was always in control of. Feelings, just weren't one of them.

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"What do you mean you're in LA?!"

"I got on the plane as soon as I dropped Harry off last night." Niall sounded so casual, as if it wasn't a big deal to fly to a different country every time he was bored. A normal person like Y/N could never relate to it, though she guessed nothing could be too much for someone with excessive fame and fortune like Niall Horan.

As Niall rambled on about his second birthday party in LA, Y/N had missed most of it while busy sorting the books on the shelves. She would get in so much trouble if her manager caught her on the phone while at work again.

"That sounds super cool, Niall. But I really gotta go," she told him, holding the phone between her ear and shoulder. "Have fun at your party."

"Thanks! Have a nice day, Y/N!"

I wish, Y/N thought, as she hung up and headed back to the reception counter. There hadn't been a single customer that morning, so her friend and co-worker Alice was sitting behind the counter, filing her nails instead of doing whatever she was supposed to do. Sometimes Y/N truly felt bad for their boss. He had only two employees, but neither one was hardworking or at least responsible.

Alice actually got fired from her job in their university library for never showing up on time, and Y/N couldn't stay there either. Without Alice, no one would make sure she got to read as much as she wanted without getting caught. So the girls ended up finding this new job, and apparently hadn't learnt any lesson from their previous one.

"Al, I need back up," said Y/N as she threw on her jacket and grabbed her bag and lunchbox. "If Eddie comes back before me, tell him I've got some 'lady issues' and had to leave, yeah?"

"Lady issues? Wow, we've really run out of excuses, haven't we?" Alice seemed quite amused.

"He'll believe anything." Y/N rolled her eyes as she scoffed. "Once I told him my cat was sick, and he gave me a weekend off."

"You have a cat?"

"No, but he has three."

Alice giggled as she gave the older girl a high-five. They could only be mean to Eddie when he wasn't around. After all, he was the one who paid them, so the least they could do was treat him with respect...when he was around.

"You're meeting up with Isaac?" Alice asked with a massive grin, but Y/N only shook her head and said, "a friend."

Waving Alice goodbye, she left the store and walked to her car which she'd recently bought from a man living in the same building. Though it ran out of fuel pretty fast, and once left her stuck on an empty highway in the middle of the night, it was still good for a used Vauxhall. To be honest, she'd made a lot of questionable buying decisions ever since she moved to London, but that car wasn't one of them.

As Y/N buckled up her seat belt and started the engine, she only had one thing on her mind. Maybe she should leave the lunchbox at his door, ring the bells, and run away before he saw her. That way she wouldn't have to talk to him and still make sure he got her food. But on second thought, wouldn't it make her a coward? If she was so sure that she was completely over him, she should act like an adult and face him at some point. Besides, she'd said it herself, Harry was mentally and physically unwell. What he needed most at this point was someone to look after him. If not Niall or Isaac, that someone had to be her.

.

.

.

When the doorbell rang, Harry didn't expect it to be Y/N.

He had too many 'friends' here in London. But ever since his accident made the news, the only person who'd come to visit him was his manager Jeff, which said a lot about working in this industry. The cameras might stop rolling but the people never stopped acting. His Bambi, however, was different from all the others. She showed up here because she genuinely cared about him, and even though he didn't deserve that kindness, he was very thankful she'd decided to come.

"I brought you lunch." Y/N showed Harry the pink lunchbox and a wide grin that made his heart leap in content. 

As she walked in and politely asked to use the bathroom, he played along, saying "you're welcome" in response to her humble "thank you". They thought it would be less awkward if they pretended that she was a stranger to this place. Pretending was easy, forgetting was hard. The memories of their last night together were still vivid as if it was yesterday. She had stood right there in the middle of his living room, in his shirt, with tears running down her red cheeks. The look she'd given him was utterly heartbreaking. And if he could go back in time, he would tell her those three words again and again until she agreed to stay.

"I guess I'm leaving now."

But he couldn't go back in time. And this was reality. He watched the smile fade from her lips as she walked right past him, straight towards the door. On spur of the moment, he said aloud what he should've said a year ago.

"Stay."

She stopped dead in her track, turning to look at him like he'd committed a crime. The last thing he wanted was to make her feel uncomfortable, so he plastered a smile on his face. "Stay for a cup of tea?"

"I have to get back to work," she replied with a sense of reluctance.

"Since when do you care about work?"

"Excuse me! I'm very responsible, alright?" She pointed to herself as they both cracked up in unison.

Harry guessed he must've looked like a fool for smiling this much, still he couldn't help it. Her presence made him feel alive. He shouldn't have spent a fortune on a therapist while he could've just gone to her instead.

"It won't take long," he insisted, this time giving her a pout. Y/N tossed her head back as she rolled her eyes, knowing for sure there was no way to deny him when he looked at her like that. So she shrugged off her jacket and hung it up by the door, making him sigh in relief.

"Only for a cup of tea," she emphasized the word, more like a reminder for herself than for him. But even so, once they had finished their tea and the discussion about how those doctors had stitched up Harry's wounds, they switched on Netflix. And that was how hours had gone to waste, only for a cup of tea. Well, it wasn't actually a waste, at least for Harry, who needed an excuse to spend as much time with his Bambi as possible. He was like a teenager on his first date, stealing glances at the girl he fancied, hoping she wouldn't notice, though he wouldn't mind if she did.

Judging by her many different facial expressions, Harry believed he might've missed a whole lot of what was happening on the screen. But he was too far gone to keep on watching while she was right here. When the last episode ended, they sat in silence, staring at the rolling credits. He was waiting for her to suggest watching something else so they didn't have to talk. But apparently, she also felt like a conversation was necessary. She turned to him, both of them parted their lips and quickly looked away at the same time. He caught a glimpse of her hands rubbing onto her thighs. She was nervous. And he was too.

"You've...changed your wallpapers." Her little discovery made him laugh a little bit. As it turned out, he wasn't the only who sucked at starting a conversation.

"I did. Thank you for noticing."

She met his eyes and they were beaming at one another. Now that the unwelcoming awkwardness had passed, Harry thought he should say something. Tell a joke, maybe. No, that poor attempt would be suicide. But what should he say? Everything that he wanted to say was all wrong. He couldn't tell her that he'd been thinking about kissing her since she walked in. That he missed her so much his body ached. That he could still feel her in his arms after last night, and now he began to wonder if she could feel it as well. Most of all, he couldn't tell her he loved her. He thought he might've missed the only chance to say it, and now his life sentence was to live with it as a secret until the day he died.

As he kept on fidgeting, Y/N's eyes wandered around the room, and spotted his new movie script lying on the desk opposite from them. "Castles In The Air," she read the title aloud, catching his full attention.

"That's not for you! It's confidential," he said quickly as she attempted to go get it.

Y/N breathed out a laugh, rolling her eyes. "What's the point of having an actor as a friend, if you still have to wait for the movie to come out like everyone else?"

Harry didn't know why he started beaming at the word 'friend'. Just yesterday they were nothing, and now she called him a friend, which meant he was gradually gaining back her trust. And that was enough to keep him happy for the rest of the day.

"You know," she began, resting her chin on her palm. "When I was little I used to think that 'castles in the air' were actual castles floating in the air. I got so fed up when I learnt the real meaning of it. Desires, ideas, or plans that are unlikely to be realized. How disappointing is that?"

He nodded to agree. "It sucks to grow up and find out not everything is possible."

His remark made her chuckle. Her eyebrows knitted together as she told him, "our 'castles in the air' are all built out of fear. They're like...our coping mechanism."

"How so?" He asked, smiling while studying her expression. He loved the way her eyes twinkled when she came up with something smart, which was almost everything that she said. The way she observed the world was different from everyone else, and he adored her for that, he could listen to her talk forever.

She began with a little smile. "We create these unrealistic ideas and believe in them to distract ourselves from our disappointing reality. For example, we talk about inhabiting on Mars, so we don't have to worry about our planet dying. We tell ourselves that something big is gonna happen to us tomorrow, because we don't wanna roll out of bed and repeat the same boring day. We believe the person we love will also love us back, because we can't stand the fear of rejection."

Harry knew she didn't include the last example on purpose, and only realized how ironic it sounded until after. As she paused to make sure he wasn't upset, he gave her a reassuring smile. "So...tell me yours?"

Y/N held his eye contact as she spent some time thinking before answering his question. "Don't have one. I already have everything I need."

Even herself didn't fully believe in those words. How could he? But he wasn't going to force her to give him the truth. He accepted that answer, and let it go, allowing the silence to sink back in. This time it only lasted for about five seconds.

"Give me your motorcycle key," Y/N said as she opened her right hand, looking dead serious at him.

"Why?" He lifted one eyebrow in confusion, at the same time, slightly amused.

"Because I don't trust you with it after last night. Come on, hand it over."

Sighing, Harry grabbed his coat on the backrest of the couch. He pulled out the key from the pocket then put it in her hand. She gave him a questioning look, chuckling nervously.

"I was only kidding."

"I wasn't," he answered to her surprise. "I already told you, I don't want you to worry again. So you can have the key."

She stared at him as if he'd said something wrong. He watched her lips tremble, not knowing what to expect while the look in her eyes was eating away at him.

"At the hospital..." His entire body stiffened once he heard those words. "You said something about...the fireplace. What did you mean by that?"

"You know what I meant..." Harry said under his breath.

"I don't. That's why I'm asking." Her voice was soft, yet stern and direct, letting him know she wasn't going to let him off that easily.

But he didn't believe her. Y/N would never forget her mother's words. She must've had figured out what he meant right when he said it. Thus there was only one good explanation.

Fear.

She was fearful of hearing those three words now that she'd moved on. So she hoped he had misunderstood the metaphor, or at least remembered it differently. It'd be easier for her if he didn't love her. Then they could pretend like nothing had ever happened. And she wouldn't have to feel guilty for being with Isaac. Harry wouldn't know for sure, but it didn't matter. Right now, he must make up his mind. He could either tell her what she wanted to hear, which would make him a liar; or tell her what he wanted her to hear, and never spoke to her again. Either way he would lose.

The sound of doorbell shot Harry right out of his seat as he took it as the universe throwing him a lifeline. Despite his injured knee, he dashed towards the front door, praying it was Niall, or Jeff, Gemma or even Isaac. Nevertheless, he was out of luck.

"Rubes..."

His gruff voice immediately washed off the beam on the woman's face. She released a faint gasp, cupping his cheeks and observing the scratches from the accident.

"I wish you'd called me," she uttered before pulling him in.

Harry didn't expect that hug. His first instinct was to push her away and turn to his Bambi, whose eyes widened in shock as she rose up from the couch. The way Ruby looked at her was far from courteous, so Harry guessed she had assumed only the worst about them. There was no possible way this encounter could end with smiles and handshakes.

"This is Ruby," he spoke, unable to look into those eyes when he was introducing her to the cause of their last goodbye. "Ruby, this is—"

"Y/N, Harry and I were neighbors in Holmes Chapel," she said, stepping forward to shake the woman's hand. 

"How long are you gonna be in London?" Ruby asked, throwing on a grin. It was scary for most people how fast she could switch from one emotion to another, but Harry had grown used to it. It was only with him that she showed how she really felt.

"Actually...I live here in London. Harry and I knew each other when we were kids, then we separated for a long time," Y/N said, still Ruby wouldn't leave her alone.

"And how did you meet again? He's never mentioned you, not even once."

"Rubes," Harry cautiously lowered his voice as a warning, but neither of the girls paid attention to him.

"It's a long story, Harry can tell you later," Y/N calmly said before picking up her handbag and placing Harry's key on the glass table. He thought she would just head out of the door without turning back, but instead she stopped right in front of him. She was expecting something, and he knew exactly what it was.

He ignored the look Ruby was giving them and pulled Y/N into his arms like he'd done the previous night. He made sure no space was left between them, and that she would have something to remember when she walked out of here. But Y/N knew Ruby was watching, so she just put her hands on his back, barely touching him though it was all she wanted to do.

"Text me when you get home safe, alright?" He whispered.

Without another word, she gave him a nod before pulling away. Then she was gone, leaving so fast he could barely finished the word "goodbye". And now he was scared to guess what she might think of him after today. The man who kept running back to the ex he said he didn't love anymore, the same man who'd broken her heart and let her run out in the pouring rain, not the man who had changed and deserved a second chance to make her happy. So much for closure and sincerity, he thought.

With a heavy heart, he shut the door and turned back to Ruby, who was waiting for him, lips slightly parted.

"Have you been sleeping with her?" She asked immediately.

"No," was his answer as he walked back to the couch. Her big cat eyes observed his every move, like she was the predator and he was her prey. In silence, she came to sit by his side and watched him open Y/N's lunchbox while acting like she didn't exist. Now she couldn't take it anymore. She pulled the lunchbox away from Harry, leaving him flabbergasted. If only he would snarl at her, or at least show any kind of emotion to prove that he cared, but all that she got in return was silence. And Ruby hated meaningless silence more than anything in the world.

"She wasn't just a friend, was she?" That wasn't a question, this was, "are you in love with her?"

"She's got a boyfriend. Are you happy to hear that?"

"No." She bit her bottom lip. "If you don't look happy to say it."

"Fuck, Rubes." Harry exhaled, causing the older woman to flinch in surprise. "What else do you want me to say? She's dating Isaac. My best friend. Can you just give me a break?"

Not a single part of that answer stated that he wasn't in love with Y/N, but that was the last thing Ruby cared about at this point. She was so hopeless that she would accept any answer showing a possibility for her to win him back. Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile, forgetting he could always tell when her happiness was fake.

"I'm sorry...I overreacted." She said quietly. He hoped she would stop there, but he knew her well enough to be sure that she wouldn't.

"I have every right to worry though," she began as expected. "You promised to give me a chance, but stopped talking to me since you came back from Holmes Chapel. Then this girl was in your house, and you started acting weird towards me. How am I supposed to feel?"

"I'm sorry...I've had a terrible week." He sighed, turning back to her. There was no reason for him to be sorry, but if it could stop Ruby from giving him a hard time, he didn't mind saying it.

"I forgive you," she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder. Harry swallowed hard when he felt her lips at his ear and soon on his neck. They used their mouths a lot when they were together alone, just never for talking. This was the only way for her to get close to him, and Harry knew exactly how this would end. The only thing on his mind when he kissed her lips, was the look of disappointment Y/N had given him before she walked out. He was also disappointed in himself, yet did nothing to stop Ruby from getting down on her knees and undoing his pants. His head tossed back, and his eyes fell shut. He just wanted to feel something other than a heartache, anything.

.

.

.

The tension in the room had escalated to the point of no return. Something had gone wrong, and Y/N could only wish she knew what it was.

It was probably a bad idea to tell Isaac about her going to Harry's place, but from her own experience, every failed relationship began with a secret, no matter how small. And they were doing so well, she didn't want to mess this up by keeping a secret from him. However, his reaction left her confused. His smile dimmed slowly before fading out, and the blue in his eyes turned ice cold.

"I thought Niall was gonna bring him the food?" He mumbled, not looking at her, even though she was sitting right by his side on the bed.

"Niall was in LA. I called him," she tried to explain, tugging harder at his sleeve to gain back his attention. "But does it matter? I was trying to tell you about—"

"Ruby. I get it." He breathed.

No, he doesn't get it, not at all. "Harry is in a bad place right now, and the last thing he needs is going back to her. I'm worried about him."

"Aren't you always?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked, withdrawing her hands at once.

Isaac rose up and started pacing back and forth, until he was calm enough to stop and point a finger at her. "You're worried about him and Ruby, not because Ruby is toxic for him. But because you cannot accept that he's still the same person who hurt you before."

"No—"

"Don't." He took a step back when she got up and reached for him. Her heart was pounding, and her eyes watered in a second.

"You still love him, right?" Isaac's breathy voice was mixed with a tired laugh that made his body shake slightly.

Without a second thought, she surged forward to seize his arm. "I don't. I'm with you now," she whispered, sounding so desperate, but it wasn't enough to convince him to stay. He took her hands and pinned them to her chest. In that instant, her heart wrenched as the lump in her throat grew bigger.

"Lie to yourself all you want, but don't lie to me." His voice was dangerously low, as if even himself couldn't believe he was saying those words. "You cannot love me, or anyone else for that matter, at least not as much as you love him. But wake up, Y/N. He loves Ruby. He's always gonna love Ruby, he's not gonna change for you. I wish you could just see that...Why can't you see that?" Isaac voice went weaker towards the end, until he had nothing left to say to her, so he reached for the door handle. He told her they could continue their talk in the morning, when they were in their right mind to think this through. However, Y/N had a feeling that nothing was going to change.

Once he had left, she sat alone on her bedroom floor, contemplating his last words over and over again until her mind became numb and she couldn't continue. That was when a text lit up her phone.

⌲ H: Are you home yet?

She almost ignored him. Almost.

⌲ I am. Sorry, forgot to let you know.

⌲ H: It's okay :)

Three dots popped up to show that he was typing, only to disappear right afterwards, leaving Y/N heartbroken. She wasn't thinking straight when she wrote 'Had a fight with Isaac. I don't know what to do.' But right before pressing send, it occurred to her that having him involved might be a bad idea, so she deleted it all and put her phone on airplane mode.

At that same moment, Harry was sitting fully-naked on his bed, patiently waiting for those three dots to reappear. One minute. Two minutes. Now it'd been five, and his heart slowed down for he knew it was not going to happen. He put his device back on the nightstand, just as Ruby pulled him back under the covers. He let her snuggle into his bare chest, while all he wanted was to get out of this room because it didn't feel right. In the darkness, he imagined the girl he loved lying in the arms of his best friend, and his heart wilted to the unpleasant thought.

Little did he knew, Y/N was on her own, trying to fall asleep so she would wake up to a message from Isaac that said everything was fine. But was it really? Or was it just another one of those unrealistic fantasies she'd created for herself — her coping mechanism? Building castles in the air was easier than accepting reality. Having a perfect relationship, a perfect boyfriend, a perfect life, were certainly better than facing the same ending twice.

[innaminitus]

Italian nights #2

Pairing: Loki x Reader

Request: I had this idea for a fic with Loki based on Blank Space by Taylor Swift where reader like the song in front of other people because she’s crazy and manipulative and seductive and goes through a ton if men but Loki learns she’s super anxious and sensitive in private??? Idk if that works, and it’s up to you if you wanna add smut (from @psycho-on-thephone)

Warnings: part 2/2, language, smut

Word count: 2799

A/N: I decided to stay with Taylor Swift for this fic. Was thinking about getaway car but that would’ve been too savage. Anyways, it’s 3am and I’m posting instead of sleeping 

Gorgeous

Loki was watching you sway your hips to the music. You tried to sing along, but didn’t know the words and kept laughing at yourself, peaking at him from time to time to make sure his eyes were still on you.

Whiskey in his glass warmed him enough to care a little less about the worries of the world, your bare legs did the rest. You were not wearing any shoes, your feet moved on the sand as if it was the softest carpet when you joined other people’s dances.

You accidentally found a beach party organized by a hotel or a club and decided to join.

Your little agreement seemed to work. You’ve spent majority of the time together, he managed to be your distraction from whatever demons you needed to hide from. He enjoyed your company more than he would admit. There was something… mesmerizing about you. About how different you acted when you were among other people and when you were just with him. You were like two sides of the coin, and yet he somehow adored both of your faces. The crazy one, daring, the one that liked to drink and kiss was fun to spend time with, but it was your calm side, the one that wasn’t afraid to show vulnerability and calmness was the side he enjoyed most. He didn’t know why you decided to trust him with your feelings, but he was happy you did.

He could show claws thanks to you as well.

“I would gladly spank that ass of hers,” said a man on the barstool next to Loki, who turned to face him. He was watching you as well. “Bet she would enjoy every minute of it.”

Blood boiled in Loki, but he managed to not kill the man on the spot.

“You think?” The god raised his brow and his eyes were back on your body. You were smiling at some man, then at another, but not giving them much attention.

“One look at a girl and I know what she needs, believe me, dude. And this one here needs some good spanking…” He took a big gulp of beer and continued to follow you lustfully with his sight.

Loki forced himself to keep calm. No need to start a fight because of it. Yet.

“Why don’t you go and try your luck, then?”

The man laughed and shook his head.

“Maybe I should!”

You caught Loki’s sight, discretely asking you to come to him. You excused a girl you were dancing with and with a smile that made his insides twirl slowly walked to him.

He greeted you with a smirk, and ignoring the man next to him guided you to straddle his lap.

“My queen,” he murmured in your neck.

It took you just a mere second to pick up his game and your smile widened.

“My king…” You kissed his lips gently.

“Fuck, I am-“ The man next to you stuttered and Loki broke the kiss.

“What were you saying about my girl? Ah, yes. That she needs a good spanking,” he said as calmly as he could and you raised your eyebrow before turning to the man.

“Kinky,” your voice was almost erotic and Loki shivered at the sound of it. “You want to do it to me?” You reached and with your finger traced the hem of the collar of the man’s polo shirt. His eyes were slightly widened, he was drunk enough to think you were serious and was now thinking either about escaping this situation without a black eye or about you in his bed. Loki didn’t want to know if it was the latter. “You want to spank me, solider? Till my ass is nice and red for you?”

He couldn’t bare it. He didn’t want you to talk like that to any man that wasn’t him.

“Like hell I do,” the man said eagerly, completely ignoring the fact that you were on Loki’s lap.

It wasn’t even a second when you reached under your dress, to the thigh holster and pulled out freshly polished Colt King Cobra, aiming it at the man’s head.

His eyes widened in terror, he suddenly got as pale as a dead man. Somehow no one noticed that you were holding a revolver yet. Loki couldn’t hold a laugh at your mad action.

“Have some respect for woman around you, pervert. You never know if they aren’t able to kill you.” You smiled at him sweetly and reloaded.

“I think the lady wants you to apologize.” Loki smiled as well, although his smile wasn’t as pleasant as yours.

“I’m- I’m sorry!” The man cried, looking around for any help. Loki knew you didn’t have much more time to play anymore.

“Do you promise you won’t do it again?” Your voice sounded as if you were talking to a child.

“Yes! I promise!”

A single gasp somewhere near made you blow a kiss at the man, hide your colt and get off Loki.

“I’m bored of this party. Let’s go somewhere else.” You took his hand and dragged him with you.

You should think about the consequence

Of your magnetic field being a little too strong

You still held his hand even when no one could see you. You needed to feel that something was keeping you on the ground.

For a second you really thought you were going to pull the trigger. You’ve done it so many times before, it was as natural for you as breathing. Shooting unpleasant guys in unpleasant situations.

You needed cold shower.  

You weren’t sure what made you mad more; the man’s comment or reaction of your body when Loki called you his queen. Your stomach jumped, every inch of you wanted to hold him and kiss him. It wasn’t what you’ve signed for. You wanted distraction, someone who would keep your mind busy for more than just a few hours or one night, maybe friendship. Not this sick affection you felt. Not the need to touch him, to have him for yourself. You were scared about coming back to the States, to a normal life he wasn’t a part of.

You walked in silence along the beach, soon finding yourselves completely alone, far from loud music and laughs.

“I want to swim,” you said suddenly, stopping and locking your eyes on the sea. “With you.”

A day. You only had a day more with him.

You didn’t look at him when he walked behind you and with gentleness untied the strings holding your light, black dress. You pretended you didn’t shiver at his touch when he slid the straps down your shoulders and moved his hands along your body, releasing you from the dress. His fingers undid the belts of your holster and it was soon on the ground as well, leaving you only in your swimming suit.

You wanted it gone, too. You wanted him to take it off with his teeth, kissing his way along your body. But when you turned to him, he wasn’t looking at you. He was watching the calm waves.  

And I'm so furious

At you for making me feel this way

He couldn’t look at you, not when you were almost naked, bare to his sight and no one else’s. He wasn’t sure he would be able to control himself.

You gently tugged on his shirt, forcing him to look at you. Your gorgeous eyes were locked on him, your fingers wrapped around the fabric.

“Are you going to swim in your clothes?” You asked, your voice sounded somehow insecure.

It amazed him how quickly you could change from psycho with a gun at a man’s head to an anxious girl, uncertain about her own being. He didn’t mind it. Not when he knew who you really were.

With two moves Loki’s shirt and trousers were on the sand.

“Come, then,” he said silently, not being able to take his eyes off of you once he laid them on your body.

You smiled slightly and nodded, turning around to take a few steps and walk into the water. He let himself enjoy the view of your almost naked body in movement before following you with a sigh. The water was warm, even though it was the middle of the night. You walked until the water was reaching your elbows and suddenly stopped, your fingers created elaborate patterns on the calm surface of the sea. Ha came closer, to see your face. Your jollity disappeared, evaporated into thin air.

Was it because of the man? Or did he do something wrong?

“Y/N?” His voice wasn’t any louder than a whisper.

You only snuffled as if you were about to cry. He’s never seen you cry, not from the confusing emotions boiling inside of you.

Loki took a deep breath and stepped in front of you and insecurely took your face in his hands, making you look at him.

“What’s wrong?”

And you should think about the consequence

Of you touching my hand in a darkened room

Easier question would’ve been what’s not wrong. His stupid, ridiculously beautiful face was right there before you, and you weren’t sure whether you wanted to kiss him or slap for making you want him.

You felt hot, shameless lust whenever he was so close to you. Your heart ached unbelievably every time you pretended to be his, because you wanted, no, you needed to be real or else you would rip yourself in two. But you were sure it was just the agreement for him. A handshake. You wished you never approached him, never interrupted that girl who was flirting with him. Maybe it would’ve been her problem now. The pain in chest.

You never thought of yourself as of somebody actually able to love anyone, not in a healthy way. You were possessive and manipulative. No one deserved that. You didn’t deserve anyone.

That’s why you just shook your head and smiled at him.

“Everything’s perfect,” you lied.

He raised his eyebrow at you.

“No, it’s not.” He stepped closer. “Tell me what’s wrong?”

You shut your eyes. Opened your eyes. Clenched your jaw. Relaxed your jaw.

No words were able to form sensible sentence.

You released yourself from his hands, placed yours on his shoulders and pulled him closer. Your lips fell on his, tongue forced its way into his mouth. It wasn’t a good kiss, your teeth hit his, but after a second you pulled away.

“That’s what’s wrong,” you gasped, shocked at your own actions. Psycho. “I can’t stay away from you. I want you.”

His breathing was heavy when he watched your face with disbelief painted on his face. He didn’t want you back.

“Y/N-“

“No, don’t say anything.” You shook your head. “This can never work. Not with my sick personality, and-“

“Oh, shut up.”

You couldn’t stop him and, to be honest, you didn’t want to. He kissed you, gentler than you kissed him, more passionate. You almost melted under his touch when he lifted you up without breaking the kiss and walked out of the water, his tongue dancing along with yours as he did so.

He muttered odd words that sounded like Norse and suddenly you were surrounded by a green light, at what you clung onto his wet body harder.

When the light disappeared, the sound of waves was also gone. You pulled away and looked around. You were in your hotel room.

“How did you…?” You didn’t manage to say anything more, because he pushed you on the bed and shut your mouth with his lips.

“Just an old trick.” He smiled and continued to leave a trace of wet kisses along your neck and collarbone.

He slowly slid both straps of your bikini bra before undoing it on your back.

“Loki…?” You panted silently when your nipple ended up in between his lips, tongue caressing the sensitive bud.

He lifted himself a little to look at your face, concerned.

“Do you want me to stop?”

Ocean blue eyes looking in mine

I feel like I might sink and drown and die

His eyes were locked on yours and you were close to the edge of a breakdown. How could he want you?

“Skip the foreplay,” you asked quietly. “I need to feel you.”

You wanted him so badly, even if it was just for a night. Quickly, before he changes his mind and realizes how broken you are.

He rested his forearms on the sides of your head and kissed you sweetly. Why did it felt so real when it certainly was a dream?

“I don’t want to just fuck you like the other men, Y/N,” he said and pressed his lips onto yours again. “I want to make love to you. Let me…”

You shook your head, a tear you weren’t able to hold back anymore rolled down your cheek.

“You can’t want me,” you sobbed. “You can’t.”

“Stop telling me what I can. I want you. The real you, not the girl you pose to be.” He kissed the tear away. “Let me put the broken pieces together.”

You couldn’t say anything, you just wrapped your arms around him and pulled him to kiss. His lips fitted on yours perfectly, his hot kisses warmed your body.

“Please,” you sighed again. “Please, just fill me whole.”

He kissed your neck and with a flick of his fingers the rest of your clothes were gone. Nothing was separating you anymore, your burning skin touched his and when he parted your legs to line himself with your entrance you were already lost for him.

You didn’t want these feelings. You wanted them gone, to rip your heart and throw it into the sea.

He pushed himself inside you and you moaned loudly, completing his sigh.

And you are so gorgeous it makes me so mad

You make me so happy it turns back to sad

You clenched around him so perfectly he shivered and almost lost control over his arms, nearly falling onto you. Delicious sounds of your pleasure filled his ears when he slowly pulled out only to equally slowly push himself deep in. He didn’t want to take you fast, not this time at last. He wanted to take his time with you, to cherish every inch of your gorgeous body, but you didn’t want him to.

Did you felt the same way he felt about you?

Your hips gritted against him, hurrying him. He did as you asked, quickened the pace and moaned into your lips at the feeling of your wet, warm pussy clenching around him. Your fingernails left red marks on his back as he slid his hand in between your bodies and began to rub circles on your clit.

You squirmed under him, the sound only turning him on even more.

But you didn’t want him. You made it clear. You only wanted sex, after he so thoughtfully helped you avoid strangers in bed.

There's nothing I hate more than what I can't have

And you are so gorgeous it makes me so mad

The pleasure was overwhelming, Loki’s lips on yours swallowed every sound you made. His thrusts reached deep inside of you and your ecstasy was close, closer than you could imagine.

This isn’t love, you kept saying to yourself. This is just pure lust.

Another pretty lies.

You couldn’t bare it anymore; the pleasure surrounded you like the water you were just in, floated violently into you, making you cry.

Loki was just behind you, groaned onto your neck and, shaking, spilled himself inside of you, warmth of his cum helping you ride down your orgasm.

He was heavy breathing when he pulled out and collapsed next to you.

You didn’t know what to say.

He did.

“I love you,” he spat out as if it was an insult. “I love you, but I can’t be with you if you only want sex.” He turned to you and grabbed your face, forcing you to look at him. “Let me take care of you.”

He loved you.

“I am-“

“If you are going to say you are too broken for a relationship, cut the crap. I keep saying to you that I love you. Not the mask you put on every day. You.”

Tears rolled down your cheeks. If he was being sincere, this could actually work…

“Can you fix me?” You asked silently, his hands now gently cupped your face as he placed a loving kiss on your lips.

“There is nothing to fix.” He shook his head. “You have to let yourself love somebody again. Love me.”

You nodded, somehow believing every word he said.

“I love you.”

But what can I say?

You're gorgeous

[jzixuans]

Hey, I've been feeling down recently and was wondering if you had any Logince headcannons. Platonic or romantic work, whichever you feel more comfortable with. Sorry if I'm bothering you.

aw lad don’t worry about bothering me i’m glad to share some headcanons ! i hope you feel better soon!

now, might i interest you in some childhood friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers logince? [PREPARE FOR A LONG ASS BULLET FIC I’M SO SORRY (google docs says it’s 4.2k words oh my god)]

they’ve known each other since the first grade because oh my god they were neighbours

they were the kind of childhood friends that were aware of each other’s presence and they hung out a little on the playground and worked on group projects but they didn’t really click

there WERE occasions tho where their parents would sit them down together for play dates bc one or more of said parents were Occupied with Important Adult Stuff

and since this was way back when they were wee lil smols, they were hyperactive lil children

so they played lots of adventure games, lots of role-playing, play fighting, that kind of stuff (twas often the dashing daring prince accompanied by his wise magickal advisor)

okay, so maybe they did click, but only a little (so they say)

they liked most of the same stuff, reading, learning, doing stuff with all that knowledge in those big brains of theirs, and that was pretty much the base of their close-but-not-that-close-friendship

and then they got older, and as all kids do, they started prioritizing different things

logan still loved learning and applying that knowledge, but it was more of a ‘learn and apply what knowledge can make you really successful’ and that was how he found his love of science

for roman, it was more of a ‘take what you’ve learned and use it to create your own path to success’ because he planned to go into music and theatre

as a result of this, both boys were exceptional students, except logan cared maybe a little too much about the academics and roman not enough

as the years went by, logan threw himself into studying, making schedules and routines so that he could make sure he knows what he needs to know and maybe a little bit more on the side, who cares if he lost an hour of two of sleep?

roman just learned to go with the flow, so he took everything in stride, took in what he needed, left the rest, and focused on his art instead, even if he’s started to grow an unhealthy apathy to school

and maybe logan falls just short of perfect on his tests, and he looks over and roman has glowing one hundreds in red ink on his

logan looks back down at his and the teacher has written ‘Think outside the box!’

meanwhile logan answers every question in class with scary accuracy, beaming with pride whenever the teacher praises him, and after school that same day roman gets pulled aside with an ‘I know you’re smart, so why don’t you want to put in the work?’

of course logan’s parents wonder why his grades don’t match his progress work, and roman’s parents wonder how he can spend all his time singing and dancing and still come out with high nineties (“is he cheating?”)

and the two have been drifting apart enough as it was, but now they kind of hate each other because ‘why can’t i just be more like him?’

logan starts hating roman because ‘he doesn’t even CARE, how is he doing better than me?’ (part of him misses the days when roman cared so much about anything and everything)

roman starts hating logan because ‘he’s so stiff and condescending, why can’t he just be happy for me?’ (and part of him misses when logan would so willingly stand by his side as his faithful warlock advisor)

so naturally, competition just kind of,,,, grows between them, until they’re constantly at each other’s throats and everyone else watching the shitshow go down has absolutely no idea where the hell all this animosity came from

at this point logan has a new friend in virgil fray and roman has befriended patton hart (virgil and patton know not to bring up the boys’ ‘rivalry’)

of course, being neighbours, they can’t exactly escape each other, and their rooms are adjacent to each other’s (they used to just lean out their windows and talk side by side, but they haven’t in yEARS)

so it’s nearing summer, and it’s hot out so roman’s working on his homework with the window open when he hears this cry of frustration, the angry pushing back of a chair, and the throwing open of the door

his first thought is one of smug satisfaction knowing that logan is dealing with school worse than he is, but then a flash of black catches his eye underneath his window

he makes it to the window just in time to see logan hop the fence in his backyard, and that only means one thing: he’s going to the old park behind their houses

neither of them have touched that park in ages

roman is Intrigued™, so he caps his pen, turns off his lamp and tells his parents he’s going for a walk before dashing out the back door

when he gets to the park, logan’s somehow managed to climb on top of the roof of the play structure

and roman ain’t slick so he just stands at the bottom and yells up to him

and logan is Lost In Thought so he nearly falls off (lbr roman thought it was funny)

“what are you doing here?”

“well excuse me, suck-rates, i happened to notice that you weren’t doing too hot and wanted to see if you were okay.”

“like you’ve ever cared.”

“woah there, is blink 180-ew rubbing off on you?” 

“lay off of him.”

“alright, alright, fine. forgive me for checking in on you.”

“you have a horrible way of showing people that you care, then.”

“well you have a horrible way of being a good friend.”

it just kind of,,,, slipped out, and now both boys are Oh Shit

but both boys are also not the type to back down from their feelings so they kind of have the Silent Stare-Off of Stubborness

roman decides to be the bigger person (bc any chance to one-up logan) and cave first 

“so uh, what’s been bothering you?” (psh you thought he was gonna apologize first? not yet fam)

logan rolls his eyes bc this asshole amirite, but he wants to vent and this is probably his best opportunity to tell roman what’s really been bugging him

“i don’t know how you manage to do it.” 

“do what?”

“do so well in school! you don’t even try!” and damn dude that one stings because he sounds exactly like his parents and every other teacher

“so you’re angry because you’re jealous that i’m better than you at everything.”

“that’s not what i meant and you know it.”

“i’ll have you know that i do try.”

“but you don’t care.”

“about school.”

“what?”

“i mean yeah, sure, i don’t care about school that much because i don’t really need it to go into music or theatre, but i still do my work.”

“but―”

“don’t you dare say anything about my grades because you know damn well that you’re smarter than me.”

“am not―”

“besides, weren’t you the one that told me in the fifth grade that ‘grades don’t mean shit’? my my, what a foul mouth for ten-year-old logan crane.”

“shut up.”

“nah.”

and by now logan’s decided that roman’s probably not going to rip his head off so he climbs down to stand beside him

and maybe the sun is setting bc i’m a classy romantic

and they’re having a Soft Quiet Moment

“…please don’t tell me that school was the only reason why u hated me.”

“… why did you hate me?” smh lo you’ve got to stop deflecting

“…”

“are you kidding me.”

“YOU STARTED IT”

“what no you did shut up”

and wOw now it’s awkward so 

“oh would you look at that, it’s getting late, my parents are gonna think that i’m slacking again, better go. good talk let’s do this again sometime okay byee” and whoop roman just zooms off

and logan realizes that maybe roman’s life isn’t as perfect as he makes it out to be

but too late roman’s gone and he doesn’t want to look like he’s following him so he waits a good half hour before trekking back home

logan doesn’t finish his homework that night because he’s too busy rethinking the past many many years

the next day, he’s frantically trying to cram his work in during his lunch period

virgil takes one look at him and he says “dude, are you okay?”

“no”

“cool, let me know if i can do anything to help.” and maybe it’s a cold answer but logan and virgil are cold edgy people so that’s just how they do

after like twenty minutes virgil takes out his earbuds like “you haven’t complained or sent one angry glare in roman’s direction what the fuck is up kyle”

“i’m just…. stressed.”

virgil, externally: “yeah of course i feel u dude.”

virgil, internally: “i’ve seen you start a project at 3am the morning it was due without breaking a sweat but go off i guess.”

skip to later that night, logan finished his shit (he needed a distraction from the Roman Crisis) so he leans out his window for some Fresh Summer Night Air

and oho would you look at that roman had that sa m e  i d ea

but it’s one of those clear nights where you can actually see the stars and logan just got roman off his mind so he’s a lil distracted

but of course roman notices and now that they’ve gotten some of their ‘rivalry’ out of the way, he remembers how much logan loved to drag him out to the park as late as they were allowed to stay up to watch the stars, and logan looks so at peace here (he’s only really seen logan’s angry face recently)

roman wants to say something, because part of him really wants to make up with logan

but before he can work up the courage he’s interrupted by his mom calling him

“roman! are you done all your work?”

“yeah, mom! almost!”

“you better be going to sleep early tonight!”

and roman is about to duck back inside before he gets yelled at even more but oh no too late logan’s already noticed and now he’s staring at him

“uh, hey.”

“hi.”

“are you, uh, are you feeling better?”

“for the most part, yes.”

“that’s good. look, uh, i gotta go, but i’ll see you at school?”

“oh, right, yes. good night, roman.”

“night, lo.”

roman falls back into his room with a crash because ‘oh my god why was that more nerve-wracking than any performance i’ve ever done?”

logan sinks back against his wall with a sigh because ‘is roman avoiding me now?’

the next day at school the two actually say hi to each other in the hallway and it’s like the entire world stops moving. students are staring and whispering, virgil and patton exchange looks, and logan and roman only just now realize how big their rivalry had gotten

the two lock eyes and burst into laughter because something as simple as a passing greeting in the hallway has turned the school on its head

and the rest of the school has absolutely no idea what just happened when the two part ways, virgil and patton trailing behind them, dumbfounded

they catch each other on the way home, though they walk in silence

that night, they’re back at their windows, side by side once more, and they exchange small talk

a couple weeks later, exams are coming up around the corner and both boys are stressed out of their minds

logan’s still working well past midnight when he hears the old creak of roman’s window opening

“i see your lamp. are you still up?” he hears roman whisper, and maybe it’s the late hour, but his voice is hoarse and wobbly, and logan is most certainly not used to hearing that

“that’s a ridiculous question, of course i’m still up,” logan replies, still not looking up from his computer because his history final project is due in two days

except roman doesn’t reply, and all he can hear from his direction is shaky laughter, and then a wet sniff

“of course i’m ridiculous. it’s not like i’m smart or anything.”

“what?”

“if i were smart i wouldn’t’ve procrastinated this english paper and i could probably be getting some sleep right now,” roman continues like he forgot that logan was there

“roman―“

“and sure, i can do other stuff, but it’s not like it matters or anything, not to my mom, or mr. schmitt, or you―”

“roman!”

roman’s babbling stops and logan worries that he’s scared him off until he looks up and sees roman leaning halfway out his window and now logan’s worried that roman’s going to fall out and break his neck on his patio

roman’s eyes are red and his nose is rubbed raw from crying. his usually-perfectly-coiffed hair is messy and greasy from running his hands through it, his clothes are rumpled, and his grip on the windowsill is trembling

yet he’s still half out the window, eyes comically wide, and logan can’t help but shake his head at how big a dork he is

“i’m sorry.”

roman’s so startled that his elbows buckle and he barely manages to land back in his room so he doesn’t fall (didn’t expect logan to apologize first, didya?)

he’s barely back out the window when logan starts talking again

“i shouldn’t have dismissed you so quickly. you are intelligent and you are capable and you absolutely didn’t deserve any of my anger or bitterness or hatred. for that, i’m sorry.”

roman is, SHOCKED, to say the least. when they were kids, usually it was roman who apologized first, if at all, logan only after being prompted to by parents or teachers (which might’ve contributed to their drifting apart)

“i’m― thank you.” 

there’s a pause because it’s late and logan is really really bad at this

“i’m sorry, too. i only really hated you because everyone kept comparing us. that wasn’t really fair of me.”

“i guess not.”

“so i guess we both agree that we’re both assholes.”

“essentially.”

“cool.”

“what were you going to talk to me about?” and roman has an ‘oh yeah’ because he completely forgot what he came out here for

“i guess i just missed doing this.”

“i did too.”

and they’re not completely in the clear, because they have years of hurt to clean up, but in that moment, they just sit and talk, and maybe missing one assignment amongst a whole year of perfect grades won’t hurt

they’re butts tired in the morning but neither of them regret it, regardless of virgil and patton’s comments of ‘how much sleep did you get last night? you look like you’re about to pass out.’

that weekend, their finals are all handed in, exams don’t start until the next week, and they’re both sick and tired of studying so logan invites roman over and they lounge in his star-speckled room, talking about everything and nothing

roman’s busy going through logan’s stuff (“what? i haven’t been in here since the summer before the seventh grade”) so logan has a free minute to just,, watch him, and he just now realizes how much he missed having this ball of energy in his life (in a positive way)

after that day, the tension between them is almost gone and conversations are so much easier (virgil and patton get to sigh in relief because ‘thank god, i love them, but they needed to get their shit together’)

but alas, exams approach and roman calls logan late one night, in tears and stressed beyond relief, begging him to meet him at the park (he would’ve called patton, but patton’s never really been under forced academic pressure, and logan’s just a smidge more familiar for him)

logan’s out of the house without another thought, and he sees roman sitting up on the monkey bars with his knees tucked up to his chest (‘oh my god roman don’t you dare fucking fall’)

“i’m sorry, you were probably sleeping, but i just needed to get out of the house and―”

“please don’t apologize for reaching out. what― what’s wrong?”

“i just can’t! my mom’s been threatening to pull me out of music if i don’t do well on this exam because ‘math is more important than music’ but i don’t know anything! i’ve been scraping by pretty well on tests but i can’t fucking study and none of the information is sticking and―”

“roman, you’re hyperventilating. you need to breathe―”

“don’t tell me what to do!” roman regrets this Immediately because logan recoils his hand like he’s been burned. great, just another thing to feel Bad about. “i-i’m sorry, i shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

if this was a month or two ago, logan would’ve had a scathing remark about roman’s inability to control himself but now he just places his hand back on roman’s shoulder and taps gently with his finger

“you remember that school assembly from grade nine? the one about mental health?”

“yeah?”

“can you do that breathing exercise?”

“probably”

ten minutes later, roman’s cried himself out and he’s stopped hyperventilating but he can’t seem to stop his hands from shaking

logan has absolutely no idea what to do but he’s seen patton do it before with some of the younger kids so he holds his arms out (v awkwardly) and goes, “would you― would it be― would a hug help?”

this gets a lil laugh out of roman because he’s trying and that’s adorable so now he’s cry-laughing into logan’s shoulder

“your mother sounds an awful lot like your horrendous dragon witch. i suppose we must simply team up to defeat her.”

roman draws away so fast he bumps into logan’s chin

“OH MY GOD YOU REMEMBER THAT”

“like i could forget it”

“oh my god”

“i mean, i wanted to, but those were… fun times.”

“hell yeah they were.”

“when’s your exam? i can help you study, if you want.”

“in about seven hours.”

“…change of plans, you’re coming back with me, you’re going to sleep for six, wake up, get a cup of tea, and we’re going to do a brief review before school.”

“…okay.”

so they walk back to logan’s house (roman makes sure to tack a note to his bedroom door for his parents, he’ll face the consequences later), and they just, collapse into a pile of leggy boi on logan’s bed (they were too tired to argue about formalities)

logan wakes up with roman clinging to his chest and he very sorely misses that warm cuddly heat but Nope he is Determined™ to help roman get that bread

so he wakes roman up, plops his notes down in front of him and tells him to flip through it while he goes to make breakfast

roman is a jittery Mess all the way up to the exam, but logan promises that he’d be waiting in the cafeteria for him (it was his lunch period’s exam day so he a Free Boi) and he leaves roman with a “you are more capable than you know. you already have everything you need to succeed. and no matter what, you are valid.”

two hours later, roman comes out and he has Zero Confidence in his results, but logan greets him with a clap on the shoulder and the reassurance that “at least you’re done with this.”

they meet up with virgil and patton and go for lunch, and oho, perhaps this is the beginning of a New Squad

at the end of the week, on exam review day logan’s waiting out in the hallway to go to his next class to see his results when he sees roman sprinting down the hall with the biggest grin on his face

“i got an 84!!! thank you, you beautiful blessed nerd!!” because honestly? roman expected nothing more than a 52 so this was a very pleasant surprise, and now roman’s hugging logan so tight that logan swears he heard his elbow pop

the other students of the school are still processing because it was literally only been a little over a month since they started talking to each other again, and anyone out of the loop just got hella whiplash

(and if this burst of happiness and gratitude left a weird, bubbly feeling in logan’s stomach, well, he’ll just keep that to himself)

the next few summer days are spent hanging out, in their rooms, at their windows, at the park, and sometimes, virgil and patton join them

sometimes they’re in roman’s room, roman typing away on his computer with a dozen open notebooks scattered around him while logan lays on his bed, and the two bounce ideas back and forth for the next adventures of the daring prince c and his faithful advisor logos

and then they’re two weeks into the summer break, virgil’s off visiting family in china for the next few weeks and patton’s in the caribbean, so they’re just aimlessly tossing a ball back and forth in roman’s room while they talk about their futures and stuff because “oh my god they’re gonna be high school  s e n i o r s  in the fall“ ((‘gee, blink, don’t u think that’s a lot of drama for 16 y/os?’ yes absolutely, shut up))

roman chucks the ball at logan, who catches it in one hand and he’s smirking and roman has to take a moment to catch his breath because ‘why was that so hot omg’

over the next couple weeks the two are basically joined at the hip, and when they’re not hanging out, they’re texting or calling each other and it finally feels like they’re really making up for lost time

at the same time, they may or may not be falling for each other and they have no idea what to do with these Feelings™ 

logan doesn’t know how to what to do because virgil is v aro and the only other person he can talk to is roman, whOM HE HAS A CRUSH ON

meanwhile roman is v frantically texting patton like bro pls call me as soon as u get back there’s a cute boy hELP

it’s nearing the beginning of august when the two go into town to get food and ice cream and they’re laughing and joking and waving melted strawberry ice cream in each other’s faces and they’re sitting on a bench when they lean in real close mid laugh and ‘oh no his face is rIGHT THERE’

they draw away real quick but both of them realize that ‘that wasn’t horrible?’ and they slowly look back at each other and ‘oh.’

“is this―”

“um―”

“is this― i mean if you want it to be ―  is this a date?” and roman holds his breath because ‘dear god, please say yes’

“i’d like it to be, yes.” logan is terrified because he does  n o t  want to fuck this up

except now roman has the biggest grin and he absolutely does not care that he’s got ice cream dripping onto his leg

roman tackles logan into a hug because ‘he’s on a date with logan fucking crane’

logan is thrilled because now he gets to keep this excitable ball of energy who’s made him smile and laugh more in the past couple months than he has in years

(no diss against virgil and patton, but they can’t relate to logan and roman as well as, well, logan and roman)

they both have ice cream on themselves but neither can be bothered to care at this moment because they’re so damn happy

even after they go home that night, they stay up real late at their windows, side by side, just appreciating the company

it’s the next day, and they’re at the park, the sun is setting ((listen,,,, it’s an aesthetic)) and they’re sitting on the swings, holding hands ((they’re in love, babey!!))

“are we… does this make us boyfriends now?” logan is a v technical, official terminology person, of course he’d be the one to ask

“if you want to be boyfriends.”

“i don’t think i’d be asking if i didn’t.”

“then yeah, yeah we’re boyfriends.”

logan walks back into his house with a giant smile, and he plays that event over and over and over again in his mind as he lies awake in bed that night

roman calls patton immediately

and they may or may not scream about it together

logan sends virgil a short text that goes along the lines of ‘roman and i are dating now’ but in real life he’s so giddy that his fingers shake as he types it out

they have their first kiss in roman’s bedroom a couple days later

when school rolls back around in the fall, they walk through the doors hand in hand

and now their rivalry is nothing but a legend that the seniors tell the freshmen whenever someone complains about ‘that one couple that keeps making out in the math wing stairwell, excuse me, i just want to get to class’

[01010010-posts]

— my white sighs quietly melted with the stars above.

it all started with a simple ‘you’re a slowpoke??’ text and it should have ended there, really, but you got a reply immediately after. ‘I’m sorry, I think you have the wrong person’. absolutely no, you scoffed, as if you were going to be tricked again ‘bitch don’t play the wrong number card because you didn’t catch the bus’. he was amused by your obstinacy and lightly worried about the supposed receiver, who, it appeared, was very clumsy; ‘please, control the number you texted, I’m Connor.’ boy he sure was. not your pal, not someone else in your contact list, just.... Connor. ‘god, i apologize!! thank you for telling me! ps. didn’t mean to call you a bitch, connor’ and it should have ended there, really, but you got a reply. connor: shouldn’t you be in bed by now? you: but,,,, i wanted to chat with u a little more connor: as an android sleep is not required but you, as a human, need to rest. we can always continue talking tomorrow. you: :( what if you have a long case tomorrow?? mh?? what if?? what you’re gonna say in your defense then?? connor: don’t worry :) I’ll find time for you. you: ok you win goodnight ☆ connor: sweet dreams. goodnight, [name]. it’s been three months since you’ve first spoken with him. intimacy there but low, how obvious it is that the two of you are proceeding with caution. yet you can’t help but write to him every day, staying up late while waiting for an answer of his, often checking your mobile and getting unsettled when there’s no signal. it’s strange, your colleagues whisper, how can you be so attached to someone if you’ve never even seen him? of course, you know it. you don’t wish for a pretty face, you only wish for a pretty personality. with a heavy sigh and a loud poof you pull the white duvet up to your head, finding comfort by completely hiding inside the warm embrace. you tightly hug a pillow, pretending that it’s him, returning your affection and cuddling, maybe caressing you too inasmuch, as he said, ‘androids don’t need to sleep’. but is it bad to fantasise? you: I’m deeply sorry.... sweetheart: >:( you: [name], it’s the seventh text-made emoji you’ve sent me.... they expressed some sort of anger so I’d prefer if we discussed about whatever is bothering you. sweetheart: >:(( you: I’m begging you.... sweetheart: you’re grounded and your punishment is enduring the wrath of weird angery text-based emoji :< you: what did I do to deserve this? :’( sweetheart: i sent you a heart & you didn’t send it back to me you: gosh! how clumsy of me! could you ever forgive this fool? sweetheart: mhhh it depends. what are you willing to do to be pardoned? you: I’ll send you whatever heart I possess! 💕💖💗💖 sweetheart: THIS IS UNFAIR!!! he’s silently giggling all by himself, in the cold room lit by his blue led circling at a steady rhythm– no, it’s not the temperature, rather it’s the atmosphere; ‘cold’. he’s still grappling with emotions and developing tastes is– well, to put it simply, complicated. he’s heartened with the fact that you once said, at the sight of a photo of his bed and the corner within, that being minimalistic is a style too. though, possibly, his true self is one of a clutterer of knick-knacks. of course, he’d like you to help him pick what ornaments would suit him the best. you: wtf i dont believe it connor♡ : but it does! you: prove it MIKU HATSUNE connor♡ : listen here human it’s not my fault you haven’t got the chance to witness an android external fluid deactivating you: !!!!! are you bragging?? connor♡ : ahahaha I’m joking it’s sending a video right now you watch ecstatically as soon as the app downloads the file, your chest throbbing with pleasurable anxiety. how can it be? he’s kind, precious AND fucking handsome, skin or no skin. you bet bad things will happen to you today to balance this sheer luck. think it thoroughly, it’s actually the first time you see his face. you: u’r cute also how does your hair work man connor♡ : thank you :) it’s connected to my head so.... you: i get it cybernetic magic your secrets are safe with me connor♡ : ahahaha and I was concerning myself about disgusting you you: WHAT fuck no you’re done that way, ok, it’s cool ok? kept it in mind are you allowed to insert ♡ near his name and not tell him? you: I’m waiting!! :/ sweetheart: so needy you: come on, [name]! sweetheart: tru tho you: >audio file cooome ooooonn sweetheart: !!! im ready pick up idiot the monitor lits and here you are, gorgeous. he’s certain that his heart melted on the spot. such is the sensation you give him every time you send him a photo, his thirium pump skipping a beat and making him inevitably somewhat gasping for air, mouth barely closed. he’s not accustomed to all the new features deviancy brought but in this he’s confident, he’s head over heels in love with you. you: what?? you’ve already seen the movie?? love♡ : yeah! I went with Hank! it was very nice, you should see it too you: WELL id kill to (please don’t arrest me detective) but nobody wants,,,, love♡ : why is that? (I won’t arrest you if you behave) you: something along the lines of not their genre or some shit uff (seems sketchy) love♡ : what about going alone? (it isn’t!!) you: it would be too sad :’(  love♡ : I’m sorry to hear that, if I could be there I’d accompany you and wouldn’t mind seeing it a second time. you: yes i know.... what is it? six months? more? you hardly remember, having so many messages in here, it would be too difficult to keep track, though you’re positive, that if you asked him he’d tell you in an instant, since he’s so attentive with that little brain-computer of his. you close your lids, tapping your fingers on the desk, it’s wearing, you must admit. you like him, a lot at this point, but being so far and out of reach.... what can come out of this? friends don’t support you either, ignoring this blatant crush, trying to make you hook-up with people met at a bar, getting annoyed at you constantly texting, preaching that a long distance relationship is not worth your time and your effort, and it’s not even a relationship, isn’t it? you’re not on that level. you’re just weirdos keeping themselves company. bummed out a bit, you decide that maybe avoiding him for a couple of days might be a proper solution. will he feel your absence? will he miss you? you: is everything all right? sweetheart: yes. you: are you sure? sweetheart: yep im,,,, swamped with work, the drill you: that I understand but perhaps I did something wrong? sweetheart: ?? you: you’ve been acting kinda cold lately, and if I’m the cause of that I’m sorry. being a deviant is good sometimes, and sometimes is not. it was great until a while ago so why now.... now....? he feels so lost. it’s understandable to have a job and a life outside this bond but– but is it really? is it okay for you to be without him? you’d manage fine. mhh no– the real question is: is it okay for him to be without you? can he be without sending you a text at least once a day? can he be without hearing your voice at least once a week? can he be without your usual video calls at least twice a month? can he be without seeing you, over a screen, cooking your dinner and singing? can he be? can he exist without you? he’s.... starting to doubt that. sweetheart: no i’m i’m the one whos sorry, okay? we can call tomorrow you: I don’t want to press you into anything you don’t want to sweetheart: you’re not! i’ll make up for not having been so present! you sigh, suffocating yourself on the pillow, how can you be this dense? this stupid? this utter moronic?? unequivocally he was going to worry. you made him worry. fuck. you’re going to trust your guts, no dumb jokes, it’s obvious that you both care about the other and can’t stay apart for too long. you: i know it’s 3AM and you told me to not be awake but i cant i cant okay? im thinking of you and me and you and it began because im a mess so it shouldnt be a surprise i havent gotten better this past year has been.... the best. yeah i fucked up and tried to be distant, to see if sth would change but it didnt i love waking up and finding a text from you, i love the sound of your voice trying to lull me goodnight when im being a spoiled child, i love how you’re so gentle & how you always forgive me and mostly i love you not as a friend, definitely as more, definitely like a lover and i know that you’re so caring that you’ll probably still want to talk with me even if the affection’s not mutual you lock your phone’s screen and place it on the nightstand. the orange light from the streets seeping through the curtains and soaking your covers, and now that your eyes are free to roam, it’s easier to notice the soft feathers’ filling making tiny shadows on your face. poor poor geese. your fingertips slightly touch the stitches, your heartbeat pacing furiously from the strong emotions, both trepidation and fear running your veins. what if he doesn’t feel the same? what if he’s been polite this whole time and you overstepped his boundaries? what if? love♡ is typing.... ping! love♡ : I love you too, honey. but please, don’t scare me again, I think I lost four biocomponents when you suddenly stopped replying to me. also you should sleep. you: im pouring my heart out ugly crying and!!!! you’re too casual nooo it’s no big deal baby we just fucking love each other it’s totally ok incoming call from love ♡ “hey....” his tone slow and almost drowsy “i thought it was clear enough.” words rolling off his tongue, the same that he’d tenderly run across you, kissing, tasting, worshipping your body “i hate you.” you sniffle and there’s a chuckle on the different end “i love you.” you smile, wiping off the tears wetting your cheeks with the back of your right hand “i love you too.”

[challaudaku]

sunrise and solace

the sun's coming up, and tony helps peter out

read on: fanfiction.net characters: peter parker, tony stark words: 1122, by google docs notes: trigger warning for anxiety/panic attacks

Peter loves staying at the Avengers Facility. It’s great — he gets to work on edits to his suit with Mr. Stark, he gets to train with Captain America, his childhood crush, and it’s just nice to be in an environment where there’s other superheros — other people that understand him.

Except Peter can’t sleep there.

It’s a stupid thing, really. He can sleep fine in his apartment with May. He feels safe there. Something about being in the same apartment as her… It’s just calming.

Being in the Avengers Facility just reminds Peter about what he does everyday — fighting crime, knowing that each patrol could be his last.

It’s stupid that he feels less safe surrounded by Avengers — Earth’s mightiest heroes — but when he goes to bed, his anxiety starts to crawl up his stomach and keep him awake. He can’t stop thinking about everything he’s been through as Spider-man. Fighting against the Vulture, against Thanos, against the other Avengers. He keeps on thinking of endless scenarios where he doesn’t come on top. He keeps on thinking about how, one day, he won’t be able to save the people he’ll love. He’ll fail.

Tonight, he’s sitting on the roof of the building, his feet dangling off of the edge.

He doesn’t know what time it is — he stopped checking at around 3AM, but he can see the sun slowly begin to rise. Peter knows that if he doesn’t at least try to sleep, he’s going to be a wreck for the rest of the weekend.

Still, he knows that it’s not going to happen anytime soon, so he just stares at the sky, letting his anxieties consume him, for once.

He’s feeling especially panicky from a patrol he had the other day — it had been a simple robbery and it was easy enough to stop, but the robber had a gun and he had pointed it right at Peter and if Peter hadn’t dove away he would be dead and what if that happened with someone else? What if the gun was pointed at someone else? Could Peter have saved them? Is he going to be able to save anyone? Is he ever going to be a good enough superhero?

Peter can feel his heartbeat quickening and he can feel the panic rising in his throat and he doesn't know what to do he just wants it to stop stop stop stop everything just stop can it stop can his brain stop can the world just stop just stop stop —

“Kid?”

Peter whips around so fast, startled by the noise, he almost falls off of the roof. Catching himself and straightening up, he can see Mr. Stark standing by the door, his expression a mix of concern and confusion.

“Oh, hey, Mr. Stark,” Peter says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Beautiful sunrise, right?”

His voice cracks.

He can feel tears prickling at the corner of his eyes and he will not cry. He has no reason to cry and Peter will be damned if Mr. Stark deems him too unstable to continue staying at the Avengers Facility.

“Did you go to sleep at all, Pete?” Mr. Stark asks, looking deep into Peter’s face. Peter stares right on back, and he just can’t lie to him.

“No,” he admits, stepping a little bit away from the roof.

“What’s up?” Mr. Stark asks, his voice soft.

Peter blinks. There are still tears threatening to spill out of his eyes.

“I just couldn't sleep,” Peter says. God, he's so close to just panicking. Every part of his body just wants to stop. Maybe it would be better if he couldn't come back. Then he could with May and he could be safe and fine and he could actually sleep and not feel like he's about to panic.

“Pete,” Mr. Stark says, a small frown on his face, “only I'm allowed to stay up unhealthily late.”

Peter lets out a little tiny laugh — he did think it was a little funny — but his mind’s suddenly having trouble focusing on anything but panic.

Peter takes a few more steps forward and Mr. Stark must meet him in the middle, because before he knows it, Peter is leaning into Mr. Stark and a few tears are leaking out.

“I just feel so anxious, all the time,” Peter whispers.

Mr. Stark is stiff at first, like he doesn't know what to do, but then his arms are wrapped around Peter and he’s hugging him back.

“Hey, Peter,” Mr. Stark says, his voice still low, “let's just sit down.”

Pulling away from Peter, Mr. Stark sits down on the ground, cross-legged, and yanks on Peter’s hand. Peter sits down as well.

“You remember when those aliens attacked New York?” Mr. Stark asks, look forward to the sunrise.

“Yeah,” Peter says with a little chuckle, trying to take deep breaths. How could he forget it? He thought it was the coolest thing at the time, while May and Ben were getting increasingly stressed at the battle raging right near them. Peter, even from the next borough over, even on the fourth floor of their apartment, could still feel the ground shake at the battle raged on.

“After the whole thing was over,” Mr. Stark says, sounding almost nostalgic, “I got really bad panic attacks all the time.”

Peter looks over at Mr. Stark, because…

Well, because he's Mr. Stark. He's Iron Man. He doesn't deal with something as stupid as panic attacks. Peter panicking is him being stupid, he knows it. Still, he doesn't voice this thought.

Instead, Peter asks, “And?”

“And then I realized that I wasn't alone and they got better,” Mr. Stark says with a tiny glance to Peter.

Peter has to stop himself from snorting, because he knows he's not alone. He has May, and Mr. Stark, and every Avenger ever. It's not that he doesn't have the people, it's that his problems aren't theirs to deal with.

“Well, I let myself realize that they have big enough shoulders to carry some of my problems as well,” Mr. Stark continues, as if reading Peter’s mind.

Peter doesn't know what to say.

“Pete,” Mr. Stark says, sounding urgent. “I'm always here for you. It's okay to need someone. I've been through this. It gets better.”

Peter lets out a little sharp laugh, because he's not sure he believes that.  

“And if it doesn't?” he asks, swallowing hard.

“You're strong enough to deal with it,” Mr. Stark says, looking over at Peter.

His eyes show that he really, one hundred percent, believes that.

Peter looks back at the sunrise, swallowing again.

Maybe he should try and believe that, too.

[monstermusume-imagines]

Big fan of monmusu here! Ever thought about headcanon infos of children between Kimihito&each monster girls(Kurusu household)?

I love kids. Good ones at least.

Miia - Having a baby snake run around your house will be an interesting experience. She’ll be a total daddy’s girl. She’ll give Miia herself a run for her money in terms of loving you to death. She’ll sleep in your bed, in between you two. You’ll be immobile for a few hours, with one tail around your arm and the the other around your body. When you hold her, she’ll wrap her tail around both your arms and make it near impossible to put her down.

Cerea - The new baby won’t be anything like a human baby. She’s able to walk as soon as she’s born. It’s something out of a nightmare having a tiny centaur trot around your room at 3am crying for a bottle. When she grows up, she’ll be a little athletic. Now matter old she gets, she’ll always love being held by mommy.

Papi - Sooner or later, Papi’s gonna lay an egg, and it’s gonna be moving. You knocked the bird up. That little birdy is going to be your best friend and your worst nightmare. She’s going to grow quickly, being the same size as Papi herself within 2 or 3 years. Then she’ll suddenly stop. When you go out with them, Papi and her daughter will be mistaken for sisters a lot. You’re gonna have to teach the new birdy from the ground up.

Rachnera - Rachnee doesn’t want kids. She really dislikes them. Like, a lot. If she somehow gets pregnant, she’ll want an abortion. Of course she’ll be willing to talk it out with you, but at the end of the day it’s her choice. Child hatred aside, she might eventually deside to give birth. She’ll be distraught at for a while. She doesn’t want anyone to go through the public shunning that she has, especially her own child. The kid will be like Rachnee’s mini me, maybe with your hair color. She needs to be raised with lots of care. She’ll come home sometimes crying from the stares. Nothing a good old fashioned coddling from you and her mom couldn’t solve.

Mero - One day you’ll find a single egg at the bottom of her pool. She’ll of course start dreaming about all the awful things that could happen. Divorce because you didn’t want the kid? Miscarriage? Will her child hate her for her monstrosity? The answer to all of these is of course, no. The new mermaid will be just like her mother, except the obsession with tragedy. She’ll be a perfect swimming partner for you and Mero. It’s difficult to wheel around two people, so for a while, it’ll be her riding around on Mero’s lap. It’s really adorable.

Suu - Suu can’t really have kids. She doesn’t have anything remotely resembling the female anatomy. Instead, you’ll wake to weird gurgling and boom, a new, smaller Suu. Suu 2, if you will. The new slime won’t be very cohesive, just a small ball with the signature antenna. The ball with roll around, following Suu, who’s following you. Suu will be slightly smaller at this time until she gets back to her standard size. Suu 2 on the other hand, will grow slowly but steadily. You’ll need a new raincoat and rainboots.

Lala - Given her immortal, spiritual nature, Lala can’t have kids. She’s known this for quite sometime and is really nonchalant about it. She might want to adopt one day, preferably someone like her, a monster, I mean. Her chunni tsundere attitude will rub off on any kid that finds its way into the household.

[ladyseaheart1668]

Endless Summer Book 4: Daughter of Vaanu (Chapter 28)

Description: Lila seeks shelter with the Catalysts. Estela and Aleister confront their father. Meanwhile, Tahira gets an unexpected visitor.

Tagging: @xo-endlessmayhem-xo @princesstopgun @mysteli @endlesshero1122

Notes: I already announced this on AO3, but I tend to forget to make these announcements on Tumblr, too. I will be writing a Book 5. There is just too much story left for me to sum it up in Book 4. There’s still a good bit left of Book 4, though.

Chapter 28: Mimicry

Tahira

Why, oh why did I agree to do this press conference so early in the morning? I barely slept last night, and a cup of extra strong coffee isn't really cutting through the haze. But I've got Grayson on one side of me and Meiko Katsaros on the other, offering support. One of these two people knows who I am under the mask and supersuit I'm wearing. Both are necessary allies at this conference. I clear my throat, shifting slightly at the podium.

“I know the first question on everyone's minds has to be regarding my whereabouts for the last ten weeks. To be honest, the exact location is still something of a mystery. It appears that the experimental reactivation of the Prism Gate within the Prescott Industries lab is what allowed me to return with Silas Prescott, and several of the scientists who were involved in the project are working with me to get some answers, but as of right now, I don't have anything more to say on that matter. As to whether or not Silas Prescott may still present a threat, I can assure you that DA Katsaros and the Northbridge Police Department are keeping him under surveillance while he recovers. And once he does, it will be up to the justice system to decide what will become of him then. I will be advising them as far as I am allowed, advocating for a course of action that keeps the public safe. And I will now open the floor to questions...”

Michelle

Tahira's press conference flickers on the television set mounted near the ceiling in the corner of the hospital cafeteria. It's on the edge of my vision, but I only let it hold my attention for an instant before my eyes drop back to Lila, sitting across from me with her knees drawn to her chest. Her coffee is going cold on the table in front of her. She is still wearing scrubs, and the nametag of a nurse I actually know fairly well. If I hadn’t been told by the Endless that Lila was alive, I would have taken this woman across from me for one of nature’s doppelgangers. A trick of genetics and chance that happened to create a person nearly identical to Lila in appearance. This woman acts nothing like the Lila I knew on the island. That Lila was as irritatingly bubbly as she was ruthless, and neither side of her personality was a lie. That image of her doesn’t quite gel with the woman sitting across from me now, showing a dozen red flags.

“Lila, why don’t you take that nametag off?” I coax gently.

“I’m not Lila anymore,” she mutters. But she complies, removing the badge and placing it facedown on the table in front of her.

“Is there another name you go by now?”

“…Most of the time. But…” She trails off and stays silent, giving no indication that she intends to continue that thought.

“…Do you want to tell me what it is?”

She shakes her head. “No. Just call me Lila.” She looks up at me. “You don’t seem surprised to see me.”

“…Actually, I am.” It’s not really a lie. I wasn’t expecting to see her here. “At least a little.”

“I suppose with Alodia turning up again, it can’t be that big of a shock to find out that I’m alive, too.”

“Clearly you haven’t completely neglected to watch the news. But in point of fact, we learned that Mike was alive well before Alodia came back.”

“…Mike…which one was Mike?”

Oh, right. She was already dead by the time Mouse’s identity was revealed.

“Jake’s navy buddy. The one who was killed by his commander. Or…so he thought. Mike actually survived, and he became Mouse. We rescued him from Lundgren, but then he was killed helping us in the final battle. And then we got off the island and discovered him alive.”

“…Oh. Of course. I remember Commander Lundgren’s trial…”

“Now. Why don’t you tell me what you were doing in Silas Prescott’s hospital room?” Lila averts her eyes, hugging her knees more tightly to her chest. When she doesn't answer after a moment, I continue, lowering my voice. “I don't want to get you in trouble, Lila. If you can convince me that you don't mean him any harm, I am entirely willing to overlook the fact that you're illegally impersonating a nurse.”

Lila looks up sharply, fear and hurt in her eyes. “I wasn't going to hurt him...” she whispers faintly. “I...was just a messenger...”

I hold her gaze, and will her not to look away. “...Who's message were you delivering?” I ask like a mother who already knows the answer. I fear that I do.

Tears are pooling in Lila's eyes now. Her lips start to quiver as her face reddens. I'm not entirely expecting what she says next...although perhaps I should have been.

“...Help me, Michelle. Please...I think he's going to make me hurt someone.”

I take a moment to collect myself, the way I do when a patient starts coding. “...By 'he', I assume you mean...?”

She nods. “...Mr. Rourke,” she whispers.

“Rourke is in prison, Lila. He's in prison for life. He can't make you hurt anyone.”

“Yes, he can!” she growls under her breath. “You know he can! You know he has that power!”

“You resisted him once before,” I remind her. “When he wanted you to hurt us. You fought back. Protected us.”

She is quiet for a moment, apparently considering this. Then she sighs, shaking her head.

“I think I was stronger then.”

I frown, lowering my voice. At this hour, the cafeteria is pretty quiet, but I'm not taking chances here. “Lila, how long have you been...alive?”

“...I...think it's been about five years...”

“And...how long have you been in contact with Rourke?”

“...About since he went to prison. A few months after.”

“What?! Oh, Lila...!” I'm caught between frustration and pity. I know from Alodia that Lila didn't have any family on the outside. She dedicated her life to Rourke because she believed he could erase her troubled childhood. “Why didn't you seek one of us out? You must have realized we all made it off the island, and you were our friend at the end. We could have helped you.”

She shrugs miserably. “...Maybe I wanted you to remember me as I was.”

“...But you went back to Rourke?”

“I don't know, Michelle. I felt sorry for him. I wasn't intending to show him anything except sympathy...”

“Except that Rourke is a master manipulator. He's a psychologically abusive asshole, and losing everything hasn't changed that.”

Lila shakes her head hard. Then, quick as a striking snake, she reaches out to grasp my wrist. “It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how it happened. You have to help me now. He knows Alodia is alive. He knows she's pregnant. And he's planning something.”

Alodia

I'm dreaming. I know I am. I'm clinging to the mast of The Dorado while Cetus' storm has the sea roiling and crashing against the hull. I've lived through this moment. And now I'm living it again. And I know what happens this time.

I won't...I won't watch him die...

Craig is going to die this time. The dream me, the one who doesn't know what's going to happen, doesn't understand why she's suddenly looking around for Craig. Why she's suddenly so sure he's in trouble. But it won't be until Cetus' tail comes down and splits the deck in half that he'll be lost.

Wake up! Wake up! There is no point in reliving this!

Isn't there...? Isn't knowledge your greatest weapon? To protect them? To protect yourself? To protect your child?

...But what can I learn from this? What can I learn from watching this again?

What makes you think I can tell you? I'm only your subconscious. Or perhaps I am the Endless. Or even your father.

Cetus' tail lands the blow that shatters the deck and throws me into the sea. I can feel the electrical current that rushes through his body as if through my own. It leaves me stunned, too stunned to think of swimming. It's Craig who first finds me in the water, holding my head above the surface, while he is battered by the raging waves...

No! No, I won't! Let me go!

I'm not holding you captive, Alodia. Go back to your husband...

… I come awake with a soft gasp. The child in my womb stirs in response, as does their father beside me. His hand gropes for mine.

“You okay, 'Lodia...?” he mumbles, his voice languid with sleep.

I blink, getting my bearings. The digital clock on the bedside table reads 2:41am. “I'm fine. River just decided that this was the perfect time to practice kickboxing.”

Jake shifts onto his side, stroking my belly with his free hand. “Go back to sleep, kiddo. Your mama needs her rest.”

“So does your papa,” I remark. “You'll be waking both of us up at all hours with crying soon enough. He should sleep while he can. Unfortunately, he's kind of a worrywart, and he wakes up whenever I do.”

“Someday, kiddo, you'll hear a story that explains exactly why that is.”

“...But not for a very long time, I hope.”

“Well, I'm not suggesting it would ever be a bedtime story. I'm guessing our kid will have the sex talk years before they have the 'Mama's half-alien' talk. Hell, I'd suggest we give 'em the 'Papa spent three years on the run from the military' talk before we try to explain everything that happened on that island and why they have so many aunties and uncles who aren't related to us.”

“...But you think we should tell them eventually?”

“I think it's not unlikely they'll need to know. And I want them to know some day that their mama saved the world.”

I snort a little. “Well...there's time enough to figure out when and how we'd explain everything. Nearly 3am isn't exactly the time to be making decisions like that.”

“Fair enough.” Jake draws me gently into his arms. “Let's get some sleep instead.”

I close my eyes and nestle my head on his chest. My head rises and falls as he lets out a contented sigh and presses a kiss to the top of my head. I tighten my grip, trying to ignore the growing dread behind my heart. In the back of my mind, I can hear it calling me, the image of the chained woman hidden in the poolhouse, carved from the amber of Elyys'tel.

Sean

“We need to warn Alodia and Jake,” I insist.

“Warn them of what?” Michelle snaps, exasperated. “That a man who is currently languishing in a criminal asylum on the opposite side of the country thinks he might be able to use her or her baby to activate a doomsday machine?”

“You make him sound so harmless,” I snap back. “You know he isn't. He's a dangerous egomaniac with an indomitable will who actually built a functional doomsday machine that he could have used her in...”

Michelle sighs, rubbing her hands over her face. “You're right,” she concedes. “He's not harmless. But right now, he's contained. The Omega Mech doesn't exist anymore. Neither does the Island's Heart. I don't doubt he has the will, but right now, he's severely lacking in resources. There's no good reason to stress them out right now. Especially while Alodia's pregnant.”

“Michelle,” Quinn says gently, “think about that for more than a moment, you'll realize keeping it from them is a really bad idea. If you thought a patient of yours might have cancer, you wouldn't hide it from them just because you also thought it was a long shot and you didn't want to stress them out.”

Michelle looks down at her hands, gripping fistfuls of her scrub pants in her lap. I reach over to cover her hand with mine, stroking her knuckles with my thumb.

“...Alodia and Jake aren't patients,” she says flatly.

“No,” I agree. “They're our friends.”

“...And they won't thank us if we hide this from them,” Quinn adds. “They have a right to know.”

Michelle closes her eyes with a sigh. Finally, she nods. “Okay. You're right. We'll call a Catalyst meeting. But...I think first, we should decide what to do with Lila.”

I glance over at Lila, curled up on the armchair in the corner of Michelle and Quinn's apartment, gazing back at us with dull, exhausted eyes. It doesn't feel quite right, discussing her as if she isn't in the room, but I honestly don't know if she'd talk back if we did try to bring her into the conversation.

“I don't think we should keep her here,” I murmur. “For a few reasons. One of which is named Montoya.” I don't mention a first name on purpose. I don't think Lila has been made aware that Olivia is alive, and I don't want her to find out like this.

“That is a good point. The closer to us Lila stays, the more likely it is she's going to encounter her. And...that could get messy. Frankly, I don't think either of them need that right now.”

“But where else could she go that would be safe?” Quinn asks worriedly. “Ultimately, isn't Lila safest with the Catalysts? What if Aleister and Grace were to look after her?”

“And what if Rourke has some way of tracking her?” I ask. “If he gets his claws in her again, she'll then have access to basically all the resources of Rourke International.”

“I'd suggest sending her to be looked after on the west coast,” Quinn sighs, “but if she is being tracked...that would be even more dangerous, since she'd basically have total access to Alodia and the baby.”

“And that is not an option,” Michelle declares fiercely. Her mouth twists a little. “I...suppose we could take her to a women's shelter...”

I feel something cold grip my gut. My grasp on Michelle's hand tightens involuntarily. She frowns, her free hand coming up to cup my cheek, and gently turn my face toward her.

“...Sweetie, are you okay?”

I swallow against the sudden dryness in my mouth. “Y-yeah. But...I don't know if a women's shelter is going to be the best place for her...”

“Why not? They're better equipped to counsel and protect abused women than any pocket of Catalysts on our own would be.”

“None of them know Rourke, though. And...” I trail off, hesitating for a moment. While I feel plenty safe revealing details of my troubled childhood to Michelle and Quinn and indeed any of the Catalysts, having Lila in the room makes it more difficult. But I draw in a breath, and lower my voice. “When I was about twelve, Dad went through a particularly bad phase. Like...bad even for him. Momma actually feared for our lives. It was the one time she tried to get away. Packed me up and drove to a women's shelter while he was out of the house. It wasn't like it was a bad place, but it also wasn't the most secure, and...”

“...He found you,” Michelle finishes grimly. I nod.

“Didn't do any physical or property damage, just came in and yelled a lot, scared the crap out of all the residents and their kids. ...My dad was unhinged and brain damaged. Rourke...isn't. Well, unhinged, maybe, but he's sharp. He's deadly smart.”

“...And in prison,” Michelle reminds me.

I shake my head. “No prison is escape-proof. You know that. We were warned. You heard it from her own lips.”

“Guys?” Quinn pipes up. “...I think I may have a solution.”

Raj

“Absolutely. Don't even worry about it.”

“Are you sure?” Sean asks. “Are Craig and Zahra gonna be okay with it?”

“I'm not going to be here much longer. I have to be in Rome in a few days. It will be nice to have company. If you're okay with putting her up another day or two, then I can take over after that no problem.”

“Wow, buddy, that would be amazing of you. It's just that it doesn't feel like she'd be safe leaving her at a women's shelter, but we don't want to keep her in the same city as the Montoyas longer than we have to--”

“Hey, man, you don't need to explain. Lila's our friend, even if there is still some leftover awkwardness. I want to help her.” I hesitate a moment. “But...regarding what she told you...about Rourke's plans. ...How much danger do you think there actually is?”

“That's kinda hard to predict. Michelle managed to get it out of Lila that he's been contacting her via a cellphone disguised as a hairbrush. We blocked his number, and we can probably get that brush confiscated from him. But...I don't know. I don't think I can ever be completely confident that Rourke isn't a threat anymore. Not since Alodia came back.”

I sigh. “...Yeah...I get that. God, it's so crappy that she still has to worry about him at a time like this.”

“It's crappy that she has to worry about him at all. I feel shitty saying this, but I wish he would just die already. He's not doing anyone any good hanging around, why can't he just give up the damn ghost and leave us all alone?”

I sigh. “Honestly, man...I bet even Aleister would agree with you there.”

Aleister

“This feels like a foolish idea.”

From the driver's seat, Estela glances at me just briefly before turning her attention back on the road.

“I need to know what he knows. I need to know what he's planning.”

“He's not going to give himself away. You know that.”

I watch her grip tighten on the steering wheel, watch her masseter bludge against the skin of her jaw as her molars grind into each other.

“I have to look him in the eye.”

“...I worry that we'll give away more secrets than we gain from him,” I sigh.

“How long have you known me that you think I can't keep secrets?” she asks peevishly. “Do you think I could have been a San Trobidian revolutionary if I were that prone to cracking under pressure?”

I can't hold back a wry smile. “Dear sister, when it comes to secrets, you are a locked safe. You will not yeild but for the right combination. But let us be realistic, you are not subtle. Everyone knows a locked safe conceals valuables, even if they can't access them.”

Perhaps in spite of herself, she snorts, and I see a smile playing around her mouth. “And what does that make you, brother? Are you a locked safe concealed behind a hidden panel?”

“Absolutely not. I was a complete disappointment to the man, remember? At best, I am a Batesian mimic.”

“...A what?”

“A harmless prey species that evolves to resemble one that is harmful to its predator. Such as the viceroy butterfly whose colors mimic those of the toxic monarch butterfly. ...Or, perhaps to use a more apt example, the harmless king snake, whose coloring resembles that of the venomous coral snake.”

“...Of course. Much more fitting to compare our dear...sperm donor to a venomous snake than a butterfly.” She is quiet for another moment. “...I want to make sure we get ahold of that hairbrush-phone. I don't fully trust the guards at that place. I'm sure they're doing their best, but...”

“But Father is a dangerous megalomaniac, a master manipulator, et cetera.”

“Precisely.”

I sigh, leaning back in the passenger seat and letting my head drop against the headrest. “Well...I'm still worried about this whole idea. But I suppose we can't just let it lie when Lila was sent to deliver a note to Silas Prescott. ...That suggests he isn't resting on his laurels.”

“Or the memories of his laurels. Clearly he wants to taste glory again, and the means may exist to him now.”

I feel my fingers curl tightly against my palms. “We won't let him get to her.”

* * *

As usual, Estela and I are searched at the door for any dangerous items that we may otherwise smuggle into our detained father before we are finally led to the visitation room. We are made to sit in chairs spaced a safe distance apart so that we could not touch each other, and guards remain beside us, watching for any suspicious movement. Twenty minutes later, our father is led into the room. We are each permitted one embrace at the beginning of our visit, and one at the end. To keep up appearances, we each stand in turn, gingerly taking his hands while he stiffly kisses our cheeks. I'm sure the guards never miss the way we flinch at his touch, but if they have opinions on it, they have never shared them with me.

It would be impossible to miss the rather large bandage wrapped around his right hand, even if he didn't physically touch me. I let my eyes linger on it as he seats himself across from us, folding his hands delicately in his lap.

“What a pleasant surprise,” he remarks, his voice honeyed and cloying. “It has been quite some time since my children visited me.”

“Perhaps now you have some idea of what it was like to have you for a father,” I snap back. “...What happened to your hand?”

“Ahh, this? A little...incident in art therapy. One of the new inmates doesn't seem to be very fond of me because he stabbed my hand with a pencil when I reached across the table for the glue. He wasn't supposed to have a pencil. Heaven knows how he got ahold of one.” He smiles placidly, pointing to a spot on the palm of his hand. “Right about there. Most of the graphite was removed, but it does seem that some has been left behind. I am likely to have a small gray tattoo for the rest of my life.”

“Fascinating,” Estela deadpans. “Have they taken away your hairbrush yet?”

Father rolls his eyes. “Yes, my dear. Since you managed to find out about that, all my personal effects have been confiscated. I may only use what toiletries they provide me with now.”

“You should have realized it would only be a matter of time before we figured out it had gone missing. And considering it has a tracking device...”

It does not actually have a tracking device. And the project is so old that no one at Rourke International has paid attention to it in at least fifteen years. And of course, Father knows that. I am sure he has guessed by now how we knew of the hairbrush-phone. But I take a chance on the belief that he does not wish to get Lila into legal trouble for smuggling a phone into a prison.

“I will concede I did not expect it to last. But I was so unbearably bored.” He pauses, tipping his head slightly. “But enough about me. How are you, my dear children? How are all your friends?”

“They are fine,” Estela growls. “All very well. No thanks to you.”

He smiles, a knowing, unsettling smirk, and his eyes shift from Estela to me and back again. He pins his gaze on my sister. She sets her jaw, glaring back at him with the cold defiance of a warrior facing interrogation by a sadistic enemy. I shiver slightly, knowing that with her past it is all too likely she lived that exact scenario before. I realize that I've gone rigid in my seat. There is a contest of wills about to take place here. The fencer in me can practically see them taking up their guard positions, my father in posta di fenestra, my sister in posta di donna.

“I see that you found my...present.” He leans forward slightly. “...How is our dear Ms. Chandler?”

Estela's expression wavers just for an instant, and I suppress a grimace. This is what I was afraid of. He means to trick her into giving away something, just as she means to do to him. Honestly, I am not sure who will win here. I don't feel perfectly safe betting for or against either of them. A hydra against a dragon. One a megalomaniacal master of manipulation, the other a warrior with a will of iron.

“She is home,” Estela answers coldly. “With her family.”

“How lovely. A family. Mother, father...perhaps brothers and sisters, too. No...that's not right, is it.” He sighs mockingly. “Poor little orphan girl. Well...maybe not poor...”

Estela narrows her eyes. “And what do you know of it? You took her from her family for five years. We thought she was dead. We mourned her.”

“No, you didn't. You thought she was gone. You knew she wasn't dead.”

“We assumed you had killed her,” I counter.

“Kill a specimen as unique as she? Of course not!”

“You don't know the first thing about her!” Estela snarls.

“I know what she is.”

“You don't know her any more than you know your own children. Not even the one you crafted so carefully. When are you going to wake up and realize where you are, Rourke? You're rotting in a criminal asylum while the son you rejected is running your empire alongside the daughter you never knew you had! He has your throne, your kingdom...he even has a loving partner.” Estela's eyes narrow. “...You couldn't even keep my mother in love with you.”

I feel my eyes widen as Estela's blow visibly lands. Genuine hurt flashes across my father's face before anger rushes in to take its place.

“...Olivia came back to me,” he growls.

“To support me. Your daughter. ...She never even told you about me, did she. You didn't figure it out until after I was already there. Even after your wife was gone, my mother didn't want you in my life.”

I turn away, covering a smile with my hand. Estela may be hitting below the belt, but I can't help but enjoy it. I should not have underestimated her. Given the color of my father's face right now, she may actually be winning. But then he shakes his head, and a placid smile settles back onto his face. He turns his gaze onto me.

“...Aleister, my boy. ...How is my grandson?”

I stiffen, feeling the breath rush from my body. “He is...well.”

“It is quite a legacy he was born into. ...The heir to two international industrial empires. One of the few things you did right in your life, wedding and bedding Grace Hall. In the old days of kings and queens, treaties would be built on a union like yours.”

“I love her!”

“An added bonus for you, of course. You're like Victoria and Albert. But without the incest. Tell me, does the boy ever get to see his maternal grandmother?”

“That's hardly any business of yours, Father.”

“I think we've overstayed our welcome,” Estela says flatly. “I'm ready to go. How about you, Aleister?”

“...Yes. Yes, I quite agree.”

We go through the motions of a goodbye, and make sure we collect his hairbrush-phone from the warden. We're silent on the way to the car. It's not until we're on the road that Estela breaks the silence.

“So. What did we actually learn?”

I am quiet for a moment, considering. “...One thing is for certain, he doesn't think everything is lost.”

She nods. “You're right. We've seen him despairing. He still thinks he can succeed in his goal. Whatever that goal really is.”

I sigh, rubbing my chin absently. “...What if Lila wasn't his only contact on the outside?”

She frowns. “Who else do you think he could control like he controls her?”

“...I don't know. It's just...I have a very bad feeling that he still has more influence than we know.”

Tahira

Grayson never believed I was dead. He never let anyone at Prescott Industries believe I was, either. In the aftermath of the battle, he was vocal in his belief that I was among the missing, but I was surely alive. There were quite a few people unaccounted for, but all the bodies they found were identified fairly quickly, so it seemed plausible. Once he learned for sure that I was alive, the official story around Prescott Industries was that I had been severely injured, and I was taking an extended leave of absence to recover. He builds up my return for a few days, and I practice limping around Mom's apartment with the aid of a cane until I've perfected the just-barely-limping limp. When I get back to work, I'm greeted with warm welcomes, a few questions about how I'm feeling, but no one seems suspicious. Mostly, they're just relieved that I'm okay. Even Marjorie gives me an awkward hug and then pretends it never happened. And I pretend the gesture didn't make me teary-eyed.

I'm only back at work for a few days before Halloween weekend is upon us. I volunteered to help serve drinks at The Grand all weekend. Without any time to put a real costume together, I decide to go with the wench costume I wore to the Rennaissance Faire a couple years ago. It's about as authentic as such a costume can be. I tuck the linen shirt into the green brocade skirt, and pull on the brown overskirt. My mother is helping me lace up the corset when my phone buzzes with a text from Grayson, letting me know he's downstairs. Mom grins when she sees the text over my shoulder.

“You be careful with that boy, sweetie,” she teases. “It's always a risk to date your boss.”

I snort. “Come on, Mom. I've known Grayson since college. He was my friend before he was my boss.”

She kisses my cheek. “I trust you, baby. Have fun tonight. I know you're supposed to be working, but have fun, too.”

“I will. You gonna be okay alone for the evening?”

“Of course. I'll be passing out candy to all the tiny monsters in this building. And if one of them attacks me, my daughter's Dragonness, and I know how to reach her.” She hands me my backpack. “Supersuit's in here, keep your phone in there, too, and keep it near you all night. Understand?”

I grin. “Yes, Mom. Thank you.” I kiss her cheek. “Love you.”

“Love you, too, baby girl.”

* * *

I have to laugh when I get downstairs and find Grayson standing outside the limo. He's dressed in an elegant pirate captain costume, complete with a velvet coat, tricorn hat, and a plastic cutlass. He grins when he sees me.

“Your mom told me what you were going as. I thought I'd make an effort to match.”

“Right. So, tonight I'm the plucky barmaid, and you're the handsome pirate who strolls into my seaside tavern looking for a tankard of ale.”

He laughs. “Roleplay. I like it. But alas, work awaits us. Shall we?”

He opens the door for me, and we slip into the car. As the partition rises between us and the driver, the limo glides away from the curb.

“Hey...how's your dad?”

His expression falls. “Mostly recovered. He'll be discharged soon. And then he goes under house arrest...”

I see his hand curl into a fist on his thigh. I reach over to cover his hand with mine.

“I'm sorry...I shouldn't have brought it up.”

“No, it's okay. You have a right to know.” He sighs. “Especially in light of everything Aleister and Estela told us about Rourke trying to contact him.”

I frown. “Has he...mentioned anything about that?”

“Nothing. And I can't get it out of him, either. I...honestly can't get very much out of him on any subject.”

“...I'm sorry, Grayson.”

He sighs, shaking his head. “It isn't your fault. I just...want to enjoy myself this evening, spending time with the woman I love, basking in one of my greatest achievements.”

“So far.”

“What?”

I smile, slipping my arm through his. “One of your greatest achievements so far. With many more to come, I'm sure.”

* * *

The Grand is already getting busy by the time we arrive. Costumed patrons form a less-than-orderly line outside the door, where Kenji checks ID's, dressed as Indiana Jones.

“Are you acting bouncer this evening?” I call as Grayson and I head toward the staff entrance. “I thought Craig Hsiao was going to lend a hand?”

“Yeah, but he's coming with Zahra, and they won't be here for a couple hours. You two go on in, though. I got this covered.”

“I'll come lend a hand as soon as Tahira's set up behind the bar,” Grayson promises.

True to his word, Grayson makes sure I'm settled behind the bar before stepping out to help Kenji check ID's. I tuck the backpack with my phone and supersuit under the bar and pull on an apron. I've got help this evening, thankfully. Skyler, the guy Poppy dated for all of five minutes, is serving with me tonight. There's also a muscular blonde woman who looks to be in her late forties named Jenny, dressed in skinny jeans and a black tank top that shows off the exquisite sleeve tattoos that cover her shapely arms. For the next few hours, I get swept up in my work, taking orders, serving drinks, collecting tips. Zahra's band arrives and starts setting up, which seems to take awhile. It's while this is going on that I notice the patron in the Guy Fawkes mask at the end of the bar. The mask seems to be a half-hearted attempt at coming in costume, since besides that, he's dressed in ripped jeans and a gray sweatshirt with the hood pulled up over his head. Something in his manner sets off alarm bells. I check that my bag is in my line of sight and sidle down the bar toward him.

“Can I get you something, Fawkes?” I ask. “You got a week before you're supposed to blow up Parliment, want a drink in the meantime?”

“I'm also on the wrong continent,” Fawkes replies. “I'll take a beer, though. Whatever's on tap.”

His voice sets off a shiver of recognition, but I can't quite place it yet. I list his options, and he makes his choice. I fill a frosted mug and set it in front of him.

“That's six dollars.” He pulls a small wad of cash from the pocket of his hoodie and peels off a five and three ones.

“Keep the change for yourself, hero.” He wraps his fingers around the handle of the mug and pulls it toward him. “For the record, I wouldn't need gunpowder to take down a government.”

Even before he lifts his mask to take a gulp of his beer, I realize who I'm talking to. I lower my voice to a whisper.

“Caleb?! What the hell are you doing here?! I thought you'd left the city?”

“I did. And I'm not back in town for long. I'm just here to warn you.”

“Warn me of what?”

The guitarist on stage strums a loud chord that blasts out from the speakers and reverberates through the club, making me jump. Caleb glances at the stage, then jerks his head toward the door.

“Sounds like they're about to start, and I don't want to shout. You got a minute?”

I hesitate just a moment before grabbing my backpack and slipping out from behind the bar. Caleb gulps the rest of his beer and pulls down his mask, sliding off the stool. Outside, in the shadow of an alley beside the club, he lifts it up again. I look sidelong at him.

“You know, I'm not sure whether I should be surprised at your attire or not. On the one hand, a Guy Fawkes mask is...frankly predictable. On the other hand, that you would wear a costume on Halloween at all is honestly surprising.”

He scowls a little. “It's not a costume, it's just a mask. And I'm not really looking to be recognized.”

“So...what do I need to be warned about?”

“...Talos or Minuet mention to you where I've been since you vanished?”

“Vaguely. They said you were out in the sticks, running with some squatter gang.”

He snorts. “They're more than that. Started out as a bunch of strays and runaways, sure. Then Gigi got ahold of them.”

“And who's Gigi?”

“That's the question for the ages. What I know is she's a sadistic psychobitch who knows how to keep her gang scared and loyal. Some people got the natural talent for that. I didn't question it until I realized that something about her reminded me of Stonewall.”

“...Is she a superhuman, too?”

“Not as far as I know. She might be, though. She's never been exposed to the crystal, that much I know for sure, because she's said as much. What I was realizing lately is that she moves and thinks and acts like someone who's got...training. Kinda training Stonewall had.”

I almost ask what he means, but then I go quiet as a memory creeps into my brain. The morning of the gala that changed my life forever, I came into work and spoke to Santiago about the recent string of burglaries. The thieves, he said, probably had military training.

“...Military?”

He nods. “She's been talking a lot about the Prism Crystal lately. She always knew I'd been exposed and I'd gotten power from it, but it's only in the last couple weeks that she's really been interested in asking questions and getting answers. ...She let slip that she'd seen something like the Prism Crystal before.”

My blood sizzles a warning that I can't place yet. “Yeah...? Where?”

“In the Caribbean, five or six years ago. ...Talked about a jewel there called the Island's Heart.”