#boy this ask was a mental workout haha

[svcredveins]

What are your favorite cardiophile thoughts?

Honestly sports car racing! It’s a major tie to the cardiophile world. You have to monitor your own vitals, well, really the team actually does that for you during your stint because if it’s too high, they tell you to slow your heart rate down (a team member during the real 12 hours of Sebring two years ago said that in the commentary box) and also this year too because it was so hot at COTA that if a driver was feeling unwell, they gotta check their vitals or something…something like that lol. But yeah, it’s all adrenaline based.

You know, closing your eyes, honing in on a deep breath to focus purely on one mission - to win. Then battling out on track with your heart pounding and breathing quickening at every corner you take.

What a thought man. The speed. The exhilaration, what better way to feel that type of buzz when going over 270 kmh in a Porsche 992 GT3 R? Ideally you can go for 285, depending what setup you’ve got on the rear wing or having positive toe (no not human toes, the toe is the angle you put the tires at, inward, or outward). Or even…going over 300kmh in a Porsche 963 LMDh (Le Mans Daytona hybrid)?? But man, I really dream of racing for Porsche as their factory driver. Lemme get in the car! Don’t even get me starting with the Nordschleife!!! 24 hours of Nürburgring in real life on the 25.3 km track? Yes please!

Those are always my cardiophile thoughts, but also another one is just a natural thought again, about the adrenaline of a driver whenever I’m watching IMSA (International Motorsport Association) or the WEC (World Endurance Championship). Like haha, every time, I can’t help but think whenever the onboard camera points towards them it’s: what’s his heart rate up to, what is he thinking currently, how is he feeling; he’s currently breathless after that stint, must’ve been working hard fending off other drivers or attacking one! Not only that though, it’s also just working the car too because it is a workout, a physical and mental one, also it can get pretty hot in there especially if it’s actually really hot outside!

Like it’s just fascinating to me and I just can’t not help but think about that especially watching the onboard POV of my favourite team Porsche Penske Motorsport and have my boy Matt Campbell onboard! It’s truly fascinating to be honest with what the human body goes through, how it reacts to such circumstances before, during, or after a battle with another car on track. It’s actually quite poetic if you ask me. There is beauty in motorsports, from the glorious cars on track and their engines roaring, to the teams working together, driver changes during pit stops, and down to the driver alone in tune with the car. What a symphony, it is an art!

So yeah, those are my cardiophile thoughts haha

[danganronpafan777]

Can you do Hajime,Shinji,Kakeru with a S/O who is taller and Muscular then them and for fluff could even carries them

No problem 👍

Hajime Makonouchi

He looked at you and mentally whistled to himself, and asked to be workout buddies before he even knew your name

You guys became close friends after that, and he probably didn’t realize he had feelings for you until you asked him out (He figured it out eventually, but he was mostly in denial because of his major trust and abandonment issues)

He would go red for a moment anytime you pick him up before laughing and soon try to pick you up

Picking him up is one of the very few ways to make him flustered

Worries about your health 24/7 even if you are muscular than him, sometimes you say that you should be the one telling him how to be healthier

He would actually tear up if you did, not being used to someone caring so much

“Really? Huh, I…didn’t know that. Thanks Y/n, I’m..really lucky to have you…lucky…”

“What was that last bit?”

“Haha…nothing, Y/n. I love you so much.”

Shinji Kasai

He is already hyped the second he sees you, and will almost immediately ask you to be workout buddies (albeit very red if you’re a girl)

For some reason, he doesn’t make you call him big bro, wonder why

Even after the two of you working out together and him blushing at the slightest of eye contact (even if you’re a guy), He's oblivious to his feelings for you

There's a chance that Yuki realizes his feelings for you before he does (Shinji would make him run 20 laps the second he suggests it)

When he does realize his feelings, he can't look you in the eye or be in a ten foot radius before becoming red

It's not until you confront him directly about it when he confesses to you,

"Y-Y/n, I...uh... Ireallylikeyoupleasegooutwithme.”

You were so happy that you picked him up bridal style and kissed him on the cheek

He was melting, the boy became literal putty in your arms

He basically covered his face with his hands when you put him down, but you tilted him chin up and gently moved his hands away from his face. The two of you made eye contact and couldn’t keep yourselves away, you literally just had to kiss him.

Anytime you’re mad at him, someone is flirting with him, or if you just want to embarrass him, you’ll just pick him up and either reenact your first kiss or drop him on the couch and cuddle him for the rest of the day

He’ll never admit it, but he loves that and getting forehead kisses from you

Kakeru Yamaguchi

He doesn't really mind your appearance, but he does admire your strength!

He is used to be judged for his looks, so he mainly treats you the same as he would treat anyone else

The two of you train with Akane, Ayame, Kiyoka, and Mitch, with Kizuna cheering you on every once in a while

It's then that the two of you get closer 

He is also quite oblivious to his feelings at first, until he finds himself wanting to spend more time with you outside of working out (and also finds himself admiring you for a little too long-)

He was a stuttering mess when confessing to you, and the fact that you were one of the few people he had to look up towards to make eye contact just made him more red-

“Y-Y/N…u-um, would you…like to go out with me??” 

You were so happy that you found yourself holding him bridal style and kissing him on the cheek

He nearly passed out from blushing so hard-

Your class jokes about you carrying him on your wedding day, much to both of your embarrassment (Then you would swiftly pick up your classmates and threaten to drop them)

[trashquisitor-shirozora]

For the alphabet ask: D, E, L, N, and Y!

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t.

Boba/Din. Listen, they looked so great fighting together in the TBOBF finale and Din being so ride or die is really something, but this pairing just will not click.

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom? If so, what?

I'm not one for humor but I have written some crack. Best one would be my two-part fic series that I call "TRON: Legacy/MCU barista AU": Sam Flynn is a barista at his dad's coffeeshop/arcade and Tron is a SHIELD agent. The, uh, absolutely nuts Star Trek/Captain Marvel/GOTG/Thor Ragnarok fic I wrote a few years ago is a close second when it comes to crack.

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

Uhhhhhhh, Dr. Strange was genuinely hilarious and relateable in Thor Ragnarok? He was also very relateable in Spider-Man: NWH and I appreciate his "oh ffs" attitude throughout. I never saw his origin movie (tbh I have no interest in doing so for a whole host of reasons) but his fave status may change when his second movie arrives.

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice).

Oh boy, here we go.

I want to see more stories/arts/headcanons where Din either does NOT become Mand'alor, or becomes Mand'alor for a very short period of time before giving up the title and mantle.

I want to see a lot more dinluke art where Din either keeps his helmet on or otherwise covers/shields most if not all of his face. Blindfoldeding Luke is very VERY good and all, but variety is the spice of life! Or so I've been told.

I would like to see more positive chatter about the dinluke fandom in general. I don't delve into the Tumblr tags for a reason, and what happened in this fandom with all the rampant abusive!dinluke not being tagged properly or at all is that reason. I think we should be more okay with fucking clowning on people who won't do the bare minimum to make fandom spaces more accessible. This isn't exactly the positive response the letter is asking for but I am very annoyed and fed up so I'm hanging this out in the yard for all to see.

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (i.e., fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)?

The one fandom in recent memory that I've been bombarded with that I went so far as to read fics for while refusing to watch a single episode or even attempt to engage actively would be Voltron. Boy was Voltron everywhere and boy was its downfall absolutely spectacular.

Play ask games, win ask prizes!

[semischarmed]

Temptation

-Wednesday- 

I love him so much. God I love him. And he’ll never know. Maybe it was a curse from a past life or something. To live like this, tantalizingly close to him but unable to act. I knew he didn’t see me that way, but that didn’t help any in my situation. 

Take today for instance, he just came back from the gym today soaked in the lingering smell of sweat. It was probably residual perspiration on the clothes he was carrying back or some other thing in his bag. Still. The smell. Goddamn. I could have died and gone to heaven on the spot. I tried to sneak a whiff of Connor, but all I could pick up was whatever soap and cologne he used. It was earthy, woodsy. Like cut cedar and fresh rain. It’s the Connor I always smelled, since he did always keep himself quite clean, and it’s a wonderful scent in its own right, forming the basis of my idea of Connor and the scent I associated with him. But damn. This paled in comparison to the hints of musk and workout sweat I could glean from his clothing. He reeked of pure man and it’s such a shame he covered that up. God I hope he doesn’t do laundry anytime soon.

He must have picked up on something, cause not a moment later I got a “Oh dude! I’m so sorry, this stuff probably reeks haha. I’ll get it washed up so it doesn’t stink up the place” he laughed politely. Fuck.

“Sure, you do you” I stated back, mentally cursing at his propensity for cleanliness.

You’d think the ROTC guys wouldn’t give two fucks about their smell but I guess Connor was an exception. Then again I don’t really know what they did, so maybe it was normal for them. In any case, he definitely did laundry tonight, and I definitely lost out on a good jack off.

-Friday-

So, weird thing happened last night. Connor looked tired as fuck, but he went out. The man must have been running on sheer willpower alone cause he had some kind of training day earlier today too. He collapsed in his room at like 8. Yet there he was an hour later- eyes bloodshot, hair tousled. Maybe he wanted to let loose or something? Still pretty weird. I mean, the guy was practically a saint. It’s odd enough that he went out for drinks, but even odder that he went out dressed like he did. Still I could definitely get used to a more experimental Connor. 

He was also a little looser when he came back. Gave me a pat on the shoulder and a wink. Something about “keeping the room safe” or something. I couldn’t concentrate enough to tell what he was actually rambling about. His breath was drenched in alcohol. I feel like I almost got drunk off the fumes alone when he spoke. No surprise when he had no recollection of any of it after he woke up from his nap. 

Total guilty pleasure, but the messy look was kind of hot on him. Never seen my friend so disheveled like this, he was always so prim and proper. It’s kind of nice to see him knocked down a few pegs. 

-Tuesday-

Connor let out a cute yawn before scratching his pits. He gave his scratching hand a quick sniff before settling into a satisfied smile. My dick jumped a little. I feigned ignorance when he regarded me, asking me if I saw that. “I… uh…no. Definitely not.” 

“Sure dude.” Now fully aware of my stare, Connor continued scratching at himself. “You’re seeing this now though, right?” He ran a hand over his stomach, gently feeling through his defined abs. I kept replaying the event in my head, drooling the delight I just witnessed and at a little daydream of me coming up to to feel this new side of Connor with him. In my daze, I barely noticed my roommate inching closer.

Plus, did he seem… bigger? Though I can’t say I’ve ever seen the guy without a shirt on so I guess I just never noticed. Regardless, this version of Connor was fucking hot. Looks like he’s got a tat too. Hot. 

“Baby if you’re gonna keep looking, you might as well have a taste.” He laughed warmly. I couldn’t believe what I just heard. In my stunned state, I couldn’t do anything beyond stare at him in disbelief as a vascular hand that seemed larger than it should be guided mine around his perky ass. God what a nice ass. I still recoiled out of the sheer absurdity in the situation. Try as I might, I couldn’t wrap my brain around the idea of this Connor. It’s like he was two different people. Well, I definitely liked this version of my friend more. I’m still drooling over what just happened.

“Another time, then,” he chuckled before walking to his room. 

Weird. Connor never really shut his door other than to sleep. Guess he was tired or something. 

-Thursday-

Well shit, I totally misread all of that. Today, I thought I saw that same glint of intrigue in his eyes and decided to risk it. Conner was just sitting in his boxers eating cereal and I was just standing there, a few feet behind. I couldn’t help it. My hand instinctively reached out and the cupped the outline of his ass. Perky. It was cute and compact and plump but definitely had a bit of muscle behind it. I regretted the action immediately. 

“…The fuck dude?” He gently whispered. It was more bewilderment than anything. Fuck. He was incredulous and I couldn’t blame him. Anger raged inside him, I could tell. But neither of us knew what to do in the situation. We stood there, staring at each other for what felt like hours before I relented.

In shame I could barely stammer out a shameful “s-sorry” before I slunk back to my room, bright red. 

I fucked up.

-Monday-

Okay. Scratch everything I just said. Connor is fucking with me. He’s got to be. He strode around the apartment half naked, humming a quiet tune to himself. Sure. Fine, I guess. Whatever. But as soon as he noticed me on the couch working on an essay, he walked over and gave me a hug from behind. Oh my god that hug. Connor was a lean dude, but I swear his muscles were fucking bulging, like they were barely contained in his skin. He wrapped those thick pythons over my shoulders and chest and I just about melted on the spot. I’m pretty sure I moaned a little too. Who wouldn’t? Wrapped in his warm embrace, surrounded by this man- I was his for that moment. I tensed up on the spot. I knew he didn’t swing that way, so I don’t know what he was trying but there was no way I would fall for what I could only assume was some kind of trap. 

He spoke in a tone laced in sex. It set me off in a way I didn’t expect. This was a side of Connor I’ve never seen, a tone of Connor I’ve never heard- an experience of Connor I’ve never had. It was a Connor I never knew I needed.

“I’ve seen the way you look at this body. You’re not very subtle.” In the faintest of whispers, he leaned in until his lips were barely touching my ear. My dick was already rock hard in anticipation- I was practically bursting at the seams and I’m sure he had a great view of it. “Just say the word and ‘Connor’ is yours”. 

With a control and a willpower I never had before, I refrained from kissing this boy- from putting myself all over him on the spot. I mentally cursed at my friend. ‘What the fuck are you playing at Connor?’ 

His hot, damp breath caressed my ear in its own embrace as I stood my ground, unmoving like stone. “Got to hand it to you, bro, you put up a really good fight. It’s okay. I love a good fight. Makes victory taste all the more sweeter.” The feel of Connor’s thick, defined fingers running through my hair and wet, slimy tongue across my cheek. He rolled his body forward, so the pulse through his abs would be felt across the back of my neck. From this spot, he was downright imposing. His guns went in for another caress- this time wrapping across my cheeks and around my chin.

“You know I love you bro… This body’s straight as an arrow. But it’s my body- I’ll go gay for you if you want”. What the fuck. Oh god I got a bit of his sweat on my cheek too. My eyes fluttered, body entrapped in a spell of my own hormones reacting to my friend’s advances.

Connor broke me. I shivered on the spot, leaned up to the man, moaned an “Oh fuck…Connor I-I need you. I-” before he cut me off. “Well bro, kind of looks like you still got some work today- you have fun with that.” He laughed coldly. He was fucking with me.

That whole exchange was really fucking weird, cause just a few hours later, it was back to pure awkward silence between us. Like a flip of a switch, the every energy he exuded around me could only be described as “uncomfortable”. I wanted to talk to him, to speak with him about earlier, to tell him I wanted him the same way. Something about those eyes read differently though. They read the same Connor I had been used to until recently. I decided to hold my tongue. Something about this situation wasn’t adding up.

Also I’m pretty sure this kid needs to see a doctor or something. I swear the guy doesn’t sleep- he’s out every night and then I see his tired ass drag himself to class every morning. Rushing a frat? Weird drugs? Could have been a host of things. 

-Tuesday-

Now 4 days since the incident last week. Thankfully he hasn’t brought it up- nor has he brought up whatever the fuck yesterday was. If it was even real. I sweat and stumble over my sentences in every conversation I make with him. I flash back to what he said to me. God, this was all too much. Every time I try to focus myself, focus on whatever he was talking to me about, I couldn’t help but think of the Connor that visited me yesterday night. 

Maybe, maybe it was just a hallucination. Maybe I dreamed it all up. I was working on an essay for hours. The whole encounter could have easily been a dream. He’s been going out every night too, so it’s not like he could have been speaking to me that coherently. Still. That didn’t make it any better. Whether or not he knew it, Connor was a demon in my life. 

I shamefully admit I totally jacked off to that little exchange from yesterday after he left. Grabbed some used Connor-scented garments off his hamper and exploded all over myself in a Connor-themed session. Nothing like the exquisite gym-soaked clothes from a week ago, but it was enough. It was still Connor. My eyes rolled up to the back of my head in pleasure as I took a breath, basking in the afterglow and the scent of forest and earth and faintest lingering musk of Connor in my nose. Connor was everything to me and, hallucination or not, I committed yesterday’s events to memory. 

-Still Tuesday-

Shitshitshit. Definitely not a dream. I caught the son of a bitch. In the dead of night, I caught him sneaking in from a dark corner of the room. Like a figure manifest from the shadows itself. He was holding some silver figurine in his hand, reciting some odd words, before he lunged at the sleeping Connor. He gave my roommate a quick sniff before scoffing. “Bro you have to stop cleaning all your nice smells away… With that the stranger pulled at the corners of Connor’s mouth. I watched as my roommate’s skin was forced to accommodate the man’s muscular calves. 

I watched as the stranger pulled Connor every further up himself. Damn, even in the dark I could tell the man was ripped. When his head finally slotted into where Connor’s skull would be, and Connor’s face was stretched being pulled, I saw the immediate change in my friend’s demeanor. This was the guy who’s been fucking with me recently. This was why Connor looked so buff lately. I couldn’t see the man who jumped inside my best friend, but I could never wipe that smug smile he wore through Connor’s face. 

The smell that originated from inside Connor, the same smell I experienced a week ago. God I loved that scent. It permeated throughout the room. Best friend concentrate. Like a humid, musky, grime that clung to the very air and decorated my nostrils. I never wanted his scent out of me again. I felt like I was inhaling Connor himself, regarding a newly discovered private part of my friend.

My stomach churned in a mix of anticipation and horror. Sweat beaded at my temples. Gotta admit, this was kind of hot. I had to figure out what I was gonna do about this. Self-preservation kicked in and I fled to my room, taking special attention to ensure I did not alert the man inside Connor. Not like he’d notice anyways- dude was feeling himself up almost immediately after he slipped inside. 

-Wednesday-

It’s like clockwork at this point. The “other” Connor came back early in the morning from a wild night out, before passing out on our couch as I was finally able to speak with my friend. Impossibly tired eyes looked back at me. He gave a weak grimace. “Must have passed out again….Uh.. can I help you man?” My heart sank. Could I really tell him this? My poor roommate. “No, uh.. do you want any breakfast?”.

I could tell he had meant to say yes. He motioned as much, before staring at my face and turning away. Fuck. He was definitely still put off by last week’s advance. I honestly don’t blame him. “N-no. I got it. Thanks.” 

I grimaced awkwardly before shrugging and walking to fix myself some breakfast. This would complicate things. And I couldn’t do that to Connor. I needed to find a way to fix this without him knowing. Evidently, his body being used and worn out like an evening jacket was taking its toll on him. Despite whatever we were going through, he was still my friend. And I couldn’t in good faith add more to that burden. 

“Hey, one of the guys from the gym’s coming over for dinner, that cool?” 

“Yeah man, I’ll just order some extra pizza,” I said back, sighing internally in relief at some semblance of normalcy.

-Still Wednesday -

I met Connor’s gym friend. To be honest, already forgot his name. He gave me a wink when he shook my hand and I couldn’t stop staring all dinner. I think even Connor picked up on it. He looked almost jealous with all the attention I usually gave him being directed at the stranger. The stranger asked to use the bathroom, and I wanted to let him know how to get to it, but he seemed to already know the path.

“Hey bro, is it cool if I stay the night?“ I nodded automatically, lost in deep thought.

There’s something peculiar about the Connor’s gym friend. And I didn’t notice it until I was already in bed. Then hit me like a brick. 

That fucking smirk. 

-End-

If anyone knows who this guy is, please let me know… for.. uh.. research purposes.

[iwaisuke]

i like you so much, you'll know it

ft. kageyama tobio, semi eita, iwaizumi hajime x fem!reader

genre: fluff (prompts are based off lines of the song)

masterlist

a/n: from the c-drama a love so beautiful :) i wrote this at like 4am so sorry if its crap haha. not proof read either. also, sorry in advance if they're too ooc lol im a mess rn.

» ˚⸙͎۪۫⋆

i like your eyes, you look away when you pretend not to care i like the dimples on the corners of the smile that you wear. i like you more the world may know but dont be scared cause im falling deeper baby be prepared.

» today was your first day at karasuno highschool. honestly, you were so scared. that was up until you found out kageyama was going too.

» the two of you had been childhood friends due to each others grandparents knowing the others. you had been with him through his ups and downs. his victories and defeats. almost everything kageyama did, you were there with him.

» actually, you didnt know kageyama was going to karasuno until you walked outside your door to find the raven haired boy in the same school uniform as you

» "tobi? you never told me you were going to karasuno?" giving him a side eyed grin. "i thought you were planning on going to aoba johsai like oikawa senpai and iwaizumi senpai"

» you viewed kageyama as someone who expected others to reach his level in order to be a good match for him. he had a strong head on his shoulders. naturally gifted in volleyball, like everything was given to him on a gold platter. of course, he wasnt perfect and thats where you come in and keep him level headed. helping him understand his faults and weaknesses as well. doing your best to encourage the setter

» he let out a sigh. a slight frown forming on his face. "i didnt get in.." he quietly said. "karasuno has a good volleyball team though and i can feel myself growing here" he stated bodly

» and boy was he right. something about kageyama did changd that day. he usually was so bitter and angry. a very pessimistic look on life if he and others weren't at the top. maybe it was the orange haired boy, hinata, that the setter and you became friends with. and maybe it was his great senpai's who were patient with him and gave him the opportunity to grow

» kageyama started smiling more often. his small unnoticeable dimples showing. he became kinder. softer. and more carefree. he was a growing boy both mentally and physically.

» what you didnt realize was that not only was kageyama changing, you as well, had something changing and growing in your heart.

» but kageyama noticed. oh boy did he really notice, the way you seemed to become happier and livelier by the day. how the stars sparkled in your eyes when you talked about something you enjoyed. the kind of perfume you would wear and how you would tie your hair differently each day. the weird trinkets you just seemed to love that decorated your bag. but most importantly, how much bigger your heart has become, loving everyone and their faults. always encouraging and motivating him and his team.

» was she always like this? he would constantly think to himself. all of a sudden being hyperaware about you... but he would NEVER let you know that, let alone his senpai's. it was just too embarrassing. just thinking about the never ending teasing he'd get from tanaka and noya senpai made him shiver.

» all of these things he felt about you hit kageyama like a truck the day everyone started to wear their winter uniforms.

» picking you up to walk to school together was a normal thing since the two of you lived close, but how was kageyama suppose to do this now when you're standing in front of him. thigh high socks to keep your legs warm, an oversized jacket that you had borrowed from him a while back you forgot to return. white mittens to cover your cold hands and the slight blush on your face from the wind chill.

» "does it look weird?" you shyly asked. kageyama was silent. "ah.. give me a second. I'll go back in and change real qui-"

» kageyama tugged on your hand. "its fine. lets just go to school or we'll be late." refusing to look you in the eyes. heat rising to your cheeks as tobio dragged you along with him.

» your feelings for the setter had blossomed over the past few months. falling deeper and deeper into him, and at this point you felt like you couldnt hide it anymore. you just had to tell him. tell him all the wonderful things he's done. the way he's grown and how much he means to you.

» "tobi..." your soft voice spilling out. eyes closed, the fog of your breath coming out as you exhaled. "i lik-"

» you felt something wrap around your neck. "wait y/n..." kageyama spoke, interrupting what you were about to say. not gonna lie, you felt like your heart was about to be shattered like ice eventhough kageyama continued to wrap his scarf around your neck.

» "dont say it..." he quietly said as he began to walk forward without you.

» ah... is this what rejection feels like? i didnt even get to say it properly... your hands felt colder now that kageyama wasnt holding them anymore.

» he took a quick glance back at you. blush on his cheeks. "be prepared because i want to be the one to tell you first."

i like the way you try so hard when you play ball with your friends. i like the way you hit the notes in every song you're shinnin' i love the little things like when you're unaware, i catch you steal a glance and smile so perfectly

» semi eita, your 3 year heart throb from the moment he first spoke to you.

» at first, you had suppressed these feelings, telling yourself he would never look at you the same way. but something about the blonde tsundere struck a chord in your heart that you just couldn't forget.

» the two of you ended up becoming friends. closer than you had actually imagined within these past 3 years. doing everyday life with you. waking up and saving you a spot at breakfast. helping you with your studies in exchange for being his workout buddy and motivator.

» semi kept his tabs on you. your likes and dislikes. the things that made you smile and the things that made you groan in disgust, but he would never let you know that.

» to semi, you were his breath of fresh air. the song he has on repeat everyday. the kind of person who would keep him on his toes. in a good way of course

» "oi what are you daydreaming of this time?" semi asked as you zoned out while drinking your carton of strawberry milk. "hm? oh nothin. just thinkin about whats in store for us today!" reaching your arms above your head letting out a stretch. "i just know for a fact. today is gonna be a good day." semi chuckled at your optimistic claim. "how do you know for sure?" "i dont know how. i just do" you replied with a smile on your face.

» today, shiratorizawa had a practice match with aoba johsai and today, eita was picked to be in the starting line up. the pure joy that radiated from his body. maybe today was a really good day just like how you had said.

» semi took a quick glance up into the stands, you gave him a thumbs up and wished him good luck. his smile was brighter than you had ever seen it and his eyes shined like stars. he always told you that whatever chance he got on the court, he would be sure to not let his team down no matter what. he was in his zone. playing his best and sure enough, they had won all 3 matches.

» after practice, semi and you would hang out at his dorm afterwards. he liked to show you all the new songs he was working on. whether it was a cover or a song or a song he was writing on his own.

» the two of you leaned against the wall as you sat on semi's bed. his sheet music all sprawled out before him on his bed sheets. guitar in his arms and you beside him.

» "what are you working on semi?" "a song" "well obviously dum dum" you laughed, reaching out for a paper in front.

» "so who's the special lady?" you teased him as you read the lyrics. deep down inside you could only wish these words were meant for you. a blush formed on eita's face. "just... shut up about it... its not ready yet"

» it was getting late and falling asleep at semi's place was a normal occurrence at this point. your eyes became heavy and your head started bobbing.

» "sleepy?" eita asked as he noticed your eyes drooping. "mhm. sing for me semi? please?" his voice was so soft like a mothers touch yet somehow had the power to pierce through your soul sometimes. although, it never failed to help you fall asleep when you needed it.

» hesitantly, semi started humming. softly speaking some lyrics here and there. you didnt know where the tune was from so you listened the best you could.

» "... till the last of snow dissapears ... till a rainy day, becomes clear. never knew a love like this, now i can't let go..."

» your eyes had closed. slumber taking over you as you fell onto semi's shoulder.

» "im in love with you... and now you know..."

» yeah. today was a good day. just like you said it was going to be.

in a world devoid of life, you bring color. in your eyes i see the light, my future. always and forever i know i cant let you go. im in love with you and now you know

» to iwaizumi, unlike volleyball, oikawa, maki, mattsun, school, anything life threw at him; you were the thing in his life that was constant yet at the same time a whirlwind of new beginnings. not in a bad way though.

» ever since you were kids, you showed iwaizumi the beauty in things he would have never guessed had. he was bold and tended to look over things without giving them much thought. his eyes straight ahead to the trials before him. you on the other hand, stopped him and slowed him down from rushing into them blindly.

» "every moment is precious. you should learn to cherish it because you never know when it's gonna be your last" you always said

» your views of the world were beautiful compared to how cruel it actually was. naivety maybe? or maybe it was just because you were blessed with a kind soul.

» iwaizumi always knew he had feelings for you. you had been with him through thick and thin. he could depend on you and you could depend on him. in his eyes, you were the most beautiful person on earth. deep down he had hoped the two of you could stay like that forever. nothing could ever change that.

» or so he thought...

» "iwa chan~ you owe me a meat bun" oikawa whined as the group of friends were walking to the gym for volleyball practice. "shut up crappykawa. i already bought you one last week" "oi isn't that y/n over there?" maki said, shaking iwaizumi's shoulder.

» sure enough it was you. apparently you had told iwaizumi to go ahead of you today because you had something to take care of in the afternoon. telling him you'd meet up with him after practice was over. not thinking much of it, he bid you a farewell and went on in his day.

» "oooou by the looks of it, this is the perfect confession scene" mattsun teased. "oi stop messing around" iwaizumi's voice hoarse. not gonna lie, iwaizumi felt his heart drop when mattsun said that

» the 4 boys crept closer to see what was going on.

» there you were, standing in the middle of a classroom with a black haired boy. "mhm. definitely a confession." oikawa stated. "shut up tooru we cant hear" maki retorted.

» you weren't considered popular in school but that didnt mean people didnt know who you were. iwaizumi knew you were gorgeous and on top of that, smart, kind and one of the sweetest girls, so it was only natural that people would be drawn to you.

» they watched as the boy got closer and closer to you. voices barely being audible to the 4 boys outside. iwaizumi's heart could bear to see this right before his eyes.

» without even thinking, his feet moving on his own, iwaizumi barged into the room. all eyes towards him.

» "iwa what are you-" without letting you finish, iwa dragged you out of the classroom. "iwa where are you taking me" asking him as he took you to who knows where, leading you up the stairs of the school.

» up on the roof, he finally let go. "sorry..." he mumbled.

» "sorry for what iwa?" "for ruining that confession... i just-"

» "you just...-?"

» "i just love you ok?!"

» your heart shook at the resonance of his voice. iwa liked you? he liked you back?! wait no- he loved you.

» you had loved iwaizumi from the moment you met him and as the two of you grew up, your love for him only grew deeper. he was the only one you'd ever look at. the only one who would ever cross your mind. you had hoped he felt the same about you but he was always so busy with other things you only felt like you would be able to support him on the sidelines as he faced the world head on like he always does.

» just being in iwaizumi's presence was enough for you. no need to be greedier, you thought. its good to be content with what you have, but just knowing that he shares the same feelings... its ok to be a little greedy right?

» your silence being louder than it should have been, iwaizumi took it the wrong way. "look I know this isn't the greatest confession. heck it's not even the way I wanted to confess to you, and get it if you like that other guy, you don't have to-"

» shuting him up with a kiss, you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him in closer. needless to say, he was shocked, but embraced you as well.

» "you're overthinking too much iwa. that's so unlike you" you chuckled. his face bright red at the previous actions.

» "i love you. I've loved you for a long time actually. every single second. every moment we've shared. i cant picture myself with anyone but you hajime."

» iwa let out a sigh of relief. a smile being brought back onto his face. "good because all I know is that i cant let you go. in the past, present and even in the future...."

» the blue sky slowly changing into shades of coral warmed your heart even more on top of his sweet words that you've always longed to hear.

» "im in love with you, and now you know"

-» ˚⸙͎۪۫⋆

enjoy your order! have a great day!

[soradragon]

Prank full of love

Dwalin here! Woooo!! changed my style a bit to fit with the type of genre this is, this is a comedy x reader fic. I’m very proud.

Also, thank you my sweet @deepestfirefun​ for helping me out! And Thank you my beta reader for helping me out! I love you!

Warnings: cursing, shirtless dwarf (wink wonk) and fluff with a sprinkle of angst

Dwalin x F! reader,  mentions of bagginshield

Check out my main masterlist if you liked what you read and wanna read more!

If you want to be tagged in the upcoming fics don’t be afraid to ask me! ^^

Please, if you liked the story leave a little comment to let me know you liked it!

Anyway, enjoy^^

~~~~~~

"You..!"

A deep, threatening and rough voice bounced against the walls of the passages. 

Not much further ahead was a woman, pushing a man of what looked like a high status to the side. She was running like a madwoman, fleeing from what people would think; the devil. 

That woman is you. Yes you; surprising, isn't it? 

What did you do to get yourself ending up in this peculiar predicament, you probably wonder?

Well then, no need to look further nor to scroll down to nitpick every sentence in this story to make even the slightest sense of what's going on in this world of chaos. It shall all be explained right here and now! 

If you didn't care nor wonder what, how, and why this all happened, then too bad! You have no power over this story! Haha, take that!

Ahem, anyway...It all happened at a feast around midnight before all this chaos came to be.

*(*)*(*)*

Fili and Kili dragged you with them. The blonde prince led the way as the younger brother pulled you with them.

They had been spouting stuff about "the greatest idea ever." and "going in the history books for being the legendary mischief-makers." Or something like that. You didn't really listen, like at all, only perking up and paying a biiit more attention when they mentioned 'you' and 'food.'

Were you getting an all-you-can-eat-buffet?

Aww, such sweethearts! They shouldn't have.

Weelll, you did deserve it, after all. Going along on this journey and defeating a dragon is not an easy feat. They should make you an entire statue while they're at it! 

Yes, one right next to the entrance so all visitors and passers-by could see you and know of your magnificent and heroic deeds.

You mentally patted yourself on the back. The look on your face was a mix of smugness and pride.

But you were forgetting one small itty bitty detail (or two) in your only sliiightly intoxicated state:

You weren't the sole hero who slew the dragon. You already got your fair share of the reward: a high status in the kingdom - a place in the High Court of the company who went on that dragon-slaying quest - and a luxurious comfy home included. And not to forget the gold you were promised. Thorin also offered work in a high place in the kingdom like a royal scholar or something, but you gracefully declined. You liked working in the toy shop with Bofur and Bifur - so...no statue for you.

But you didn't remember that.

You snapped out of your daydreams when Fili softly helped you to sit down on your bed. 

How did you get here in the first place?

"Are you alright Y/N?"

Fili or Kili, you don't know which one as they looked the same to you at the moment, wiggling in front of you with their two clones.

When did they become a quadruplet?

"Y/N?"

Oh yeah, you still needed to answer them. 

"...'M fiiinee."

You managed to slur out with difficulty, sleepiness slowly taking over. The brain cells were already going to bed, leaving behind a heavily drunken brain to operate the whole system.

What could go wrong, am I right?

...A lot.

*(*)*(*)*

"Ugh, stupid hangover..."

You moaned, resting your chin on the edge of the bucket pathetically.

You felt like you died and came back to life again, moaning over a bucket you desperately tried not to look into, for you knew the meal you had yesterday would not be a pretty sight.

At least you could tell what was up and down...yay for you...

You didn’t forget that you had somehow convinced Fili and Kili you were really fine and totally not wasted. How was beyond you, and you were not in the mood to figure it out.

Maybe they were also drunk or just took advantage of your pickled state. Yeah, they would do that to guilt-trip you into going along with their prank. They knew you never break a promise, even if you made it in your totally half-sober state. They were too cunning for their own and others’ - mostly others’ - good.

Anyway, somehow (not surprisingly) without knowing what you were getting into, you had nodded along with everything they had said. 

You vaguely remember Kili or Fili tucking you in and saying goodnight. 

Note to self: Never try to win against Bofur - or any dwarf for that matter - in a drinking match ever again.

You chastised yourself while staggering towards your wardrobe.  How late would Fili or Kili pick you up to set his prank in motion? You didn’t even care which one it was - you hated them both at the moment...Okay, who are you kidding; you would do the same thing again in a heartbeat for either of them. And of course, they would give poor little you the hardest and most dangerous job to fulfil... Great. Just peachy.

Sigh.

Let's get this whole shenanigan over with, dammit. They’d better sing tales and praises about you once this is over. 

Not long after you put some clothes on, The two brothers barged into your chamber, loud and boisterous as ever. How they both could be so lively in the morning (with probably a hangover too) was beyond you.

"...Stupid dwarf genes..."

You mumbled to yourself as you let the two princes drag you to the training hall with their arms hooked around yours on either side. 

You felt dread pool inside your stomach as you got closer to the training hall. 

Now, normally you loved the training hall. After all, it was the front row seat to a heavenly sight of young warriors and their amazing muscles being put to use in a workout. Not to forget there was one dwarf in particular who you just loved to watch while he flexed his muscles by throwing other dwarves around.

But right now, you feared it with a burning passion, for that place was undoubtedly the place where you would meet your inevitable doom.

"Don't worry dear Y/N, it's gonna be fun!"

Kili spoke up happily, seeming to notice your unease Oh, how you would love to give him the big finger. But knowing Kili, he would drop you for the fun of it and make a whole drama show out of it, gasping and acting like a stereotypical blonde rich girl, one who just overheard the most scandalous gossip about herself. You cursed yourself for showing Kili how to be a true drama queen. (Prince, in his case, but you get the point.) The traitor uses all those tricks against you every chance he gets. You could just kick yourself for being so stupid to show him the ropes. What's worse is that if you would put Kili in a dress he would be the definition of a diva! How he does it? 

No one knows!

Why couldn't you just say no and walk away?

"Because you're too nice to leave your favourite dwarves hanging, Y/N. You promised you would help." Kili said. Technically, your autopilot did, not you. Unfortunately for you, Kili was right. You wouldn't leave him hanging. 

You glared at Kili and the stupid cheeky grin he gave you. You would have rolled your eyes at him if that wouldn't hurt as much as it did, so you decided to roll your eyes mentally instead.

Wait...did you just say that out loud?

"Yes, yes you did."

"Fu-"

*(*)*(*)*

After what seemed like ages Fili and Kili had finally managed to drag your miserable self to the big wooden doors of the training hall. You had given up the struggle after the longest ten minutes of your life, deciding to formulate a master escape plan before you would reach the training halls. Unfortunately for you, it was too late. You threw your carefully thought-out plan down the drain when Kili accidentally slammed the door against the wall too loud when he kicked it open with his boot.

Still having his arm looped around your's, mind you.

Everyone and everything quieted down for just a moment. Heads turned towards the entrance where they were all, no doubt about it, greeted with a comical sight. 

Fili and Kili, obnoxious as always and wicked smiles on their faces (and everyone who even remotely knew the young princes, grasped that the two were up to no good.) 

dragged a very anxious looking you with them. One would guess you were about to be sacrificed as a dragon's dinner.  Which you were, in your opinion.

"Come on Y/N,  time to teach you how to disarm opponents," Fili said, leading the way to a part of the area where a couple of young dwarves were thrown on the ground by one dwarf in particular, one you came to recognise as the hottest and grumpiest dwarf in all of Grump Town. And oh boy, you were not ready to get destroyed by him, and you showed it, too, pulling and protesting and cursing at everything that lived.

How you wished you could tell people that you managed to free yourself from the boy's grasp and run for the hills. 

Sadly, that wish didn't come true; God hated you or something, for Fili and Kili  - those little rascals - managed to push you right into Dwalin. 

You didn't know if Dwalin catching you was a blessing or a curse. What you did know, however, was that you most definitely were blushing, if your burning cheeks were anything to go off of.

Dwalin was shirtless... His strong, hairy arms encircled your waist delicately, and you were practically pressed against his chest...

Against his strong, warm and bushy dwarven chest.

The scent of sweat, smoke and a vague hint of cookie dough entered your nose, and it strangely made you feel at home.

You were a goner, yep completely gone, nobody's home. Come back later or leave a message after the beep for Y/N dot exe has stopped working and took a vacation to cloud nine.

Sadly, your cloud nine had been sucked away too quickly by the dwarf himself who put you there in the first place. 

Dwalin, being the grump that he is, grunted at you and pushed you back on your feet as if you had burned him! 

"Rude much," you grumbled once you managed to keep your balance, dusting yourself off.

Dwalin (the ass) only grunted in return. Him and his damn grunts. 

You ain't special enough for him to form a full sentence for you, now?

Fine, if he was gonna play it that way then, you were gonna give it to him back tenfold.

Screw consequences, the dick deserved this. You were gonna go all out. 

You turned around and stuck your tongue out like a real child woman.

Fili and Kili started to giggle behind you, getting quiet real quick when they saw Dwalin glaring daggers at them. 

You marched towards the two princes, whispering four words as you moved past them. 

"Let's do this shit." 

The boys definitely heard you, for their grins turned wicked. 

One glance and you knew what was about to come. If being the two princes’ guinea pig for pranks with poor Bilbo the entire journey taught you anything, it would be to recognize the twinkle in their eyes. 

It spoke in volumes louder than any dragon could roar; chaos was about to unfold, both in their brains (as they looked each other in the eye) and soon, in reality. You looked slightly over your shoulder. 

Yeah, they were scheming alright, communicating with that brotherly bond they share or something. 

Watch out Dwalin:

This. Is. War.

*(*)*(*)*

ShitshitshitshitSHIT!

Oh, how you came to regret tripping Dwalin up. In your defence, it wasn't your fault that he couldn't take his dark eyes off of you when you pulled your shirt off because the heat was getting too hot to handle. 

Wink wonk.

Hey, at least you wore a white undershirt. One which clung to your breasts tightly. Yeah, that'll give him something to look at.

Anyway! 

It wasn't your fault, either, when Dwalin marched towards you with purpose in his steps when you bent over to grab a dagger off the ground, showing him your assets in the process.

It was his fault, really! He should've noticed that Fili and Kili were waiting for him to stand on the grey X. And now you were running for your life with a very, very angry dwarf (who was covered in white glue and colourful feathers) on your heels. Thanks for everything, Kili. Thanks for shrieking out, "Y/N planned it!" The moment Dwalin glared at them...

The snitch.

You pushed dwarves to the side as you ran for your life, screaming sorry as you went, because you are a polite gentlelady. Dwarves watched you go with wide eyes, confused as heck as Dwalin stormed past them not long after.

Most of the time, you were glad they made the hallways mainly one straight line, but now? You cursed its existence and its creator.

There was unquestionably no doubt about it that Dwalin would catch up. Curse you and your hate of exercise.

You should have taken Gloin's offer of jogging with him when you had the chance, but Bombur's pastries were too tempting to pass up on at the time.

And now here you were, fleeing like the devil was behind you, with burning lungs and protesting legs. You were afraid to glance back; you could almost feel your pursuer’s breath go down your neck. You silently prayed to all the deities above and beneath you to help you out, and it seemed one took pity on your little mortal soul. For the moment you finished your prayer, you were rewarded with two things: two dwarves carrying barrels, and a small corridor you almost missed if it hadn't been for someone came out of said corridor. 

You took the opportunity without hesitation and slammed against the two unexpecting dwarves, who dropped the barrels in surprise. You managed to slip past them before the barrels hit the ground - like freaking Indiana Jones - skidding through the corridor with a sharp turn. 

Without a second wasted, you pressed yourself against the wall like a ninja on a mission and held your breath. This was the moment of truth. There were two possibilities: either Dwalin wasn't fooled by the stunt, or he runs right by you. You prayed for the latter.

Lo and behold, for your prayers have been answered again! The deities really loved you at this moment, or just had lots of pity for you.

Dwalin ran past the corridor.

You let out the biggest sigh of relief in your life Patting yourself on the back, you turned around with a smile... Only to come face to face with the king of the mountain. The smug-ass had a knowing smirk on his face.

Shitpopcicles...

"Why are you so out of breath Y/N? You look as if a warg was on your heels." the smirk faltered as Thorin rubbed at his chin as if he were thinking. 

The grin returned tenfold. "Is a certain dwarf chasing you, perhaps...?" His voice was teasing; he dang well knew why.

Oh, how you wished you could smack that smirk off his face, but sadly that was not a good idea. The bugger knows about your crush on Dwalin and teases you often. 

He found out about it during the journey and he had always put you and Dwalin on watch together. 

He shipped it, you just knew he did.

You pointed a threatening finger towards him. "Watch out, boy." You were close enough to Thorin to be the only one allowed to do something like this.

"Or this little lady won't hesitate to tell the whole damn mountain and a certain someone that you have a crush on a certain hobbit."

His face stayed the same - stoic and not moving - but you saw it at his softly reddening cheeks that your suspicions had been right. You grinned victoriously at Thorin, who stood there without uttering a word. Serves him right! Now you had blackmail. Internally, you were cackling evilly.

Your body froze while Thorin opened his mouth to speak. You felt as if Hell had just frozen over for that's when you heard it:

"You...!"

It sounded like thunder rumbling. Deep, rough and threatening. You would have totally been turned on if you weren't scared for your life. 

Dwarfzilla was coming...

Without noticing it, you pushed Thorin to the side and ran like a madwoman. This is how it all happened. Now you're all caught up, so let's continue.

Fili and Kili had better sing tales about you after this.

You turned many corners and hallways, zooming past Dwarves who flushed themselves against the narrow walls in haste as you ran past them.

Some of them called out to you, but you couldn't hear what they said; Being chased doesn't really give you the time to stop and listen to what they had to say, now does it?

At one point, you began to notice the path becoming disproportionate and rough. Stones stuck out of the floor and walls. You tripped over a couple of those, those little buggers. Soon, it was as if you weren't in a hallway anymore, but in a cave instead.

Dwalin had been calling out to you after a while of running through the cave-like hallway. But the thing was, he didn't sound angry anymore. 

He sounded worried, desperate even, which was very much out of character for Dwalin, to be honest...

Sadly, you hadn't had the time to realize why Dwalin acted the way he did before you dropped down a hole in the floor with a yelp. At least you found out why he was so concerned.

What a great day...

*(*)*(*)*

A short cry reverberated throughout the chamber, and a high pitched voice followed after.

"Could you be more gentle!?"

You glared at Dwalin, who like always, grunted his replies instead of talking like a normal Dwarf-being!

Though he did what you asked and rubbed the ointment on your bruises more gently, which felt like heaven on your sore skin...

You felt absolutely stupid, sitting on a wooden bench with Dwalin treating your bruises and wounds. (Oin was too busy to do it himself so he shoved ointment in Dwalin's hand. The other was holding you at that moment, for Dwalin wouldn't allow you to walk yourself. Oin said that Dwalin should do it before promptly leaving.) Dwalin had to pull you out of the hole, though he spoke more words than he had said to you this entire day. You counted that as a victory.

You still felt your heart flutter every time you thought about it: He had been extremely gentle, lifting you out of the hole with both his arms. Cradling you to his chest while muttering in dwarvish. Checking all over your body before caressing the back of your head and pressing it against his shoulder as he held you close. This time, you understood his mumbles: "Thank Mahal, yer safe," his voice was so quiet, wavering with raw emotion;

"never do anything like that ever again, ya hear me."

Dwalin was still shirtless and covered in glue and feathers during the entire ordeal.

Your heart had skipped multiple beats right then and there, cheeks flushed red. You had been trying to process those words the entire way to Oin. Still trying to figure out the meaning behind the words he uttered with such intensity.��               

You were brought out of your trance by Dwalin tapping on your shoulder, you looked over to see him staring at you, "Lift yer left foot."

You did as he asked, lifting your foot. Dwalin grasped it gently in one hand as he removed the boot delicately. If this was in a different situation, it would have been very intimate. No, wait, scratch that; it's intimate even now, which was not good for your heart, which was doing summersaults inside your chest. Yep, you were screwed...

So badly, and heavenly screwed. 

Yet you couldn't find it in yourself to really mind.

Once Dwalin removed the boot and sock, he started to massage your foot with ointment, muttering to himself. "Why did ya let yerself be dragged in the princes' pranks."

It wasn't a question, but you answered anyway, "Those princes made me promise to help them out when I was drunk- don't look at me like that Dwalin! You know I never break promises, even if I made them while I was drunk."

He averted his eyes, stilling his ministrations slightly. "Ya need to learn to say no."

His voice was almost too soft to hear, but you did.

You huffed in return, "I'm getting better at it though! I said no to Fleder-Fledder something when he tried to get me to marry him!"

Dwalin chuckled, "Aye ya did. Ya kicked him good in the nuts."

"Well, he deserved it, I didn't even know him and wouldn't take no for an answer, so I had to make it clear." 

You grinned at Dwalin as he shook his head, a smirk on his face.

Your eyes turned soft, remembering how Dwalin had positioned himself between the man and you when the man tried to grab you by the neck. Your hero had glared at the man fiercely, threatening to gut him with his axe if he didn't take the hint and shove off.

The man had pissed himself before he had sprinted off, too scared to utter a single word.

You had hugged Dwalin to thank him and since then, he only acknowledged you with grunts... That was the day before the feast.

Balin had said not to take it personally, that Dwalin needed time to sort himself out. But damn was it hard to not take it to heart.

"Why did you do it?"

The dam broke, spilling your most inner thoughts. Fumbling with your fingers, you stared at the ground, missing the confused look on Dwalin's face. "What?"

"Why did you ignore me after I hugged you?"

You were not gonna beat around the bush with this one. You made your bed, and now you need to lie in it.

"You didn't acknowledge me for three days. Balin said to give you space, so I did. But damnit Dwalin, you ignored me for three days! Why?"

You didn't mean for your voice to crack when you looked him in the eyes. You didn't mean for the tear to slip past. Dwalin's eyes widened in return. Very slightly, but you noticed. He averted his gaze to the ground for a second, placing your foot down gently and then looked up into your eyes. 

"I...I got confused," he began, eyes full with emotions, some you couldn't even place. "I got confused...Emotions which I thought I had buried deep down, long ago resurfaced..." you blinked. Were his eyes getting glassy? 

"They resurfaced tenfold. I didn't know what to do or think… I didn't think," he grabbed your hand in his delicately, tracing the skin with his thumb, never taking his eyes off you even once. "I threw up my walls in a panic, I shouldn't have, but I did..." he took in a deep breath. "Hurting those dear to me." Dwalin pressed his lips against your hand, it was gentle and soft. Butterflies fluttered inside your stomach.

"Y/N, lass, I truly regret putting ya through such pain. Could you forgive this fool of a dwarf?" He whispered, staring at you with pleading eyes.

You did what everyone would do in this situation.

You hit him on the head and yelled, "you idiot!!" and slapped against his chest multiple times. "I thought you hated me...!" Dwalin grabbed you by the waist and raised you into the air without much problem. He stared into your eyes with passion as he uttered one word.

"Never."

The two of you were only a small length apart. Without hesitating, you closed the distance, pressing your lips against his. He passionately returned the kiss, both of you closing your eyes as you relished the feeling of each other.

Yeah, you were on cloud nine alright. The touch of Dwalin's hands holding you so gently set your skin aflame. You could get used to this.

Parting to gasp for air, you glanced at Dwalin's face. Eyes lidded, and mouth slightly open. You smirked then, leaning in, you brushed your lips lightly against his.

He groaned in return. 

"Yer doing things to me, lass," he pressed his head against yours, his eyes soft as he looked at you. "Be mine?"

You only nodded, leaning in for another kiss to seal the promise.

Yeah, today was a great day...

~~~~~

Thank you for reading! And keep soaring high!^^

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@that-place-called-middle-earth​ @an-adventureland​

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Sora’s Rambles!

If you are on a tag list of a fandom or requested something you will get notified for Sora's rambles. When I'm working on that fandom or request, i will post little ramblings about the story I'm working on, a sort of teaser if you will. If you don't want to be notified on Sora's rambles please let me know^^

[jess-rewatches-prodigalson]

Alma Mater (S2, E3)

My time-stamped thoughts for this episode. As always I reference Malcolm’s mental health. A lot. So if that’s going to be a trigger for you, don’t keep reading. 

SPOILERS AHEAD:

0:20 - There’s no way Martin is actually going to escape Claremont until AT LEAST the season finale.

0:55 - Anyone else annoyed that Ainsley isn’t in Martin’s fantasy? I mean - it’s completely in character but it still pisses me off. 

1:49 - I’m sorry - what? How will pouring Malcolm a drink help this fictional situation?

2:00 - Malcolm ruining Martin’s fantasy dream is honestly such a mood. 

2:10 - “That little kill joy.” haha 

2:21 - Malcolm has a stationary bike. Of course he does. But why does he listen to the personal trainer lady (who I assume was a recording programmed on the bike)? Malcolm doesn’t seem like he needs praise or motivation to exercise. He probably does it the way I do - mindlessly as a habit. A habit built from the knowledge that if I skip a morning workout I will feel more unsettled and anxious than usual before lunch....and don’t even get me started on how quickly my depressive thoughts escalate. 

2:24 - ....I’m still convinced/hoping that this is a false memory Martin has planted in Malcolm. I’m all for Malcolm whump and Malcolm trauma...but the thought of Gil, the team, and Jessica finding out that Malcolm committed a crime terrifies me. I don’t want him to go to jail. I don’t want Gil and the team to turn their back on him. I don’t want Jessica to blame herself (more than usual).

2:39 - I love that the “Malcolm pretty much only feeds himself liquorice and lollipops” is still canon this season.

2:42 - OMG. That is not a helpful affirmation. Like maybe for anyone? If you’re traumatized/depressed/anxious “consider the past and you shall know the future” is not comforting or inspiring. It’s the opposite.

2:48 - I’m loving how confidently Malcolm has been shutting down Martin’s manipulation. #soproud

2:52 - Anyone else super upset that Martin is the person with whom Malcolm discusses his mental health the most honestly? 

3:12 - Check out the way Mr. David looks at Martin here. Does Mr. David already know about Endicott? Or is he just like, “Bitch, spit it out so I don’t have to keep guessing your current family drama.”?

3:17 - “Let’s have another session today.” .....Does Martin really think he’s Malcolm’s new therapist? DOES MALCOLM THINK THAT? IS THAT WHY HE ISN’T SEEING GABRIELLE? HAS MARTIN MANIPULATED HIM INTO THINKING THAT HE DOESN’T NEED GABRIELLE?!?

3:22 - hahahaha OMG. Mr.David is so done with Martin’s theatrics.

3:32 - Ok so two things:

Martin’s insight on Malcolm’s mental health/coping mechanisms is disturbingly on point. Almost like he’s an attentive, caring, father (which he isn’t). 

How long was Gil outside Malcolm’s door before he knocked? Do you think he overheard Malcolm’s side of the conversation? I kind of hope he did. But only if it means I get to see Gil asking Malcolm about it.

3:50 - “Put me on speaker.” I’m torn. Part of me is so proud of Malcolm for denying Martin’s need for attention....but part of me is living for a Martin/Gil showdown where they fight over Malcolm in front of Malcolm.

3:54 - Ok. So Gil was a jerk last episode but I forgive him. Gil just showed up at Malcolm’s apartment to tell him about a case instead of calling Malcolm. Gil knew Malcolm would be upset. Gil knew that Malcolm needed to hear this in person. <3 My heart is full. <3 

4:12 - Concerned!Gil is everything. Look at how much he cares about Malcolm and what this case will inevitably bring up for Malcolm. You can almost see how badly Gil doesn’t want Malcolm on this case. 

4:13 - “What if I said I need you?” Damn. Gil knows. He knows that Malcolm desperately doesn’t want to ever disappoint Gil. Gil is Malcolm’s hero and, when Malcolm is thinking straight, he’d do anything for Gil. 

4:17 - <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 Gil looks so sad when he notices Malcolm’s hand shaking. Can a heart simultaneously break and heal? 

4:23 - Oh yeah. Gil definitely wanted Brumback dead for what he did to Malcolm. He doesn’t even try giving Malcolm the “you’re being insensitive” look. 

4:42 - Wow. That school is nicer than my university. 

4:47 - Do you think Gil’s been to the school before? To visit and/or pick up Malcolm? ....I really want to believe he did. Gil looks like he’s leading Malcolm through campus. Gil looks like he’s familiar with the campus. Surely that means he visited Malcolm there. Right?

5:17 - So...was the “office under water” thing officially a prank? It’s brutal. Forget the murder, Brumback would’ve expelled kids for that prank. 

5:27 - I love how Dani looks at Gil for clarification here. She’s like, “Malcolm is upset, ranting, and making no sense. I’m not going to set him off further by asking more questions. But I need to know what the hell he’s going on about.”

5:40 - Soooo is JT texting Dani? Or is Tally? I really hope it’s Tally. I hope Dani’s texts are all reading something along the lines of “He won’t stop pacing and panicking. If he doesn’t calm down I’m going to slap him.”

5:43 - I love the look of disbelief that Gil shoots Dani when her phone goes off. haha

5:52 - hahaha Gil so heard Edrisa the first time. He was just giving her a chance to conform to professional social standards. 

6:03 - hahahaha OMG. Edrisa is a treasure.

6:56 - awww Malcolm, baby. :( This boy has so much trauma. I love it. 

7:07 - I’m assuming Malcolm’s ‘high school’ was grades 10-12 (not 8-12 which is common in the area of Canada where I grew up) so that means Tom Payne is currently being passed off as a 15-16 year old. It kinda works. But ngl - I spent most of this scene thinking “could they not hire a kid because of COVID?” 

7:12 - I’m not actually mad that Tom Payne was allowed to play high school Malcolm though. His performance in this scene is really moving. “Be someone new.” :( <3

7:45 - Sooooo Malcolm changed his name before he was legally an adult. If it’s his legal last name (we see “Bright” on pill bottles in S1 so it’s his legal name now at least) Jessica had to have signed the paperwork. Damn. I wish I was there to see that process regardless of when it became his legal last name.

7:49 - Baby Malcolm looks so comforted by Martin’s acceptance of his new name and new school. It breaks my heart. 

8:00 - Wait. There was a teacher who liked Malcolm at this school? The son a serial killer? AND the teacher recognizes Malcolm 15 years later?!? Nah. I don’t buy it. I love Malcolm but I feel like the teachers would’ve avoided developing any sort of relationship with Malcolm even if they didn’t have a problem with him. 

8:05 - Hold up. This school is so fancy. Are you telling me they don’t have outdoor security cameras? Surely those would’ve told you who the suspects for the desk thing were at least. 

8:15 - awwww poor Malcolm looks shattered here. :( 

8:31 - “Easy. Let’s keep an open mind.”  That is pure Dad!Gil energy and I’m here for it. 

8:39 - Of course. Of course Jessica is involved in the rich school. 

8:51 - I’m on Gil and Malcolm’s side here. Jessica is putting her reputation over Malcolm’s mental health. Shame on her. No no. I will not stand for this - and neither will Gil. Damn. Look at how pissed he is on Malcolm’s behalf. <3 So sweet. 

9:06 - “Pop-pop’s aquatic center”!?!? Soooo is Pop-pop Jessica’s grandfather or Malcolm’s? Either way give me more information about the extended family. Are they dead? Did they disown them after the Surgeon business? I WANT ANSWERS FEDAK. 

9:15 - I swear. Malcolm is the best son/brother ever. The sacrifices he makes for his Mom/sister are unreal. Also - how much do you want to bet that Malcolm was thinking about the Endicott murder coming out when Jessica said, “how soon until they connect that back to me?”. Malcolm looks so sad here. 

9:23 - Nah. I don’t like Delaney. Even on the first watch I was put off by him. Something about him just creeps me out. He’s showing a weird amount of affection for Malcolm 15 years after Malcolm finished school. IDK maybe I was just upset that someone was trying to mimic Gil’s relationship with Malcolm? 

9:27 - oooooooohhhhh Mom and Dad are fighting. hahaha Malcolm looks so uncomfortable. Gil looks livid. Is Gil pissed because Jessica dumped him or because she totally just neglected Malcolm’s well-being for her own? Probably both. Either way, it’s endlessly entertaining. 

9:53 - I’m on Gil’s side here. She dumped him (like a f**ing moron) because she “doesn’t want to hurt him” and because she’s “broken” and “cursed”. Yet - she manipulates her way into cases. Making her business Gil’s. Gil should be pissed - she broke his heart. Again. Like he’s literally been choosing to hang out with Malcolm, Jessica’s (let’s face it) broken son, for more than 20 years. Jessica’s crazy if she thinks that she’s going to get Gil killed or hurt just because she’s a Whitly. Malcolm’s technically a Whitly - Gil hasn’t died yet. 

10:15 - “Not usually.” Dang. That was icy.

10:50 - Yo this is one messed up bible study. Take it from someone who has attended many young adult/teenage bible studies. This is crazy. Usually it’s: read the bible for 5-10 minutes as a group, discuss how you interpreted it for 15-20 mins, pray as a group for 5 mins, then like an hour of tea/coffee, cookies, board games, and general chatting about normal stuff like romance, school, and personal drama. 

11:44 - “Poor Tally.” hahaha I’m willing to bet that Tally is texting Dani - not JT. I just can’t imagine a panicking, first-time father, texting his little sister with accurate medical details about his wife’s pre-labour experience. He’s probably way too panicked to remember the medical jargon that is “foley ballon”.

12:00 - I’ve watched this scene about 30 times. I’m in love with it. Tom Payne’s performance is haunting and I’m a sucker for emotional whump. I love how Dani is concerned about Malcolm but respectful enough to pry until he shuts down. I love Malcolm’s little speech about the hand tremor (even though it doesn’t make sense because baby Malcolm’s hand was shaking when Shannon interrogated him - but that’s a whole different can of worms I’m not going to rant about).

 12:39 - Does anyone else think it’s weird that there’s a bolt on the closet door? Why isn’t there a lock in the door handle like every other interior school door? I mean, I guess it’s because they can be unlocked from the inside and Nicky would’ve needed a key....but still. The things I forgive for the sake of plot. 

13:25 - Damn. Brumback was a real jerk. “I know what you really are.” Do you know how painful that would be for Malcolm to hear? Regardless of what he almost did to Nicky? Everywhere Malcolm goes people accuse him of being just like his father. Is it surprising that in a moment of weakness, with teenage hormones, Malcolm snapped and said, “Eff it. They think I’m a murderer anyways.”

13:26 - OMG. How bad were the kids at this school?!?! Brumback expelled so many kids. Holy hell. Also - Brumback is wearing a wedding ring. Did he get divorced before he died? Did his wife pass away before him? Why was his family not part of this investigation at all?

13:31 - Brumback writing “Malcolm Whitly” instead of Malcolm Bright is....ouch. I just. My heart breaks for Malcolm.

13:37 - OMG. Traumatized people going through PTSD flashbacks should not be unattended next to a pool of water. Honestly - I thought our boy was going to drown. Which the whumper in me would’ve loved but also I don’t think it was right for the plot on this one. 

14:38 - Martin is such a liar. He definitely thinks he’s God’s gift to the Earth. 

15:02 - Martin knows a lot about the security zones. Something tells me this isn’t the first time he’s contemplated escaping. 

15:04 - Oh shit. Daryl has an imaginary cell mate. I know that’s a serious mental illness and I shouldn’t laugh but OMG. The moment Martin realizes that Daryl is delusional is priceless. hahahaha

15:25 - How much to do want to bet Mr. David has a red key card? Martin’s grin confirms it. 

15:40 - Wow. The classrooms in this high school are really big. I would’ve thought this fancy private school would have smaller class sizes.

15:49 - YES. OMG. Malcolm walking into that classroom soaking wet is golden. *chef’s kiss* Look at Gil’s face - it’s a mixture of concern and disbelief. He’s soooo worried about Malcolm right now. <3 

16:07 - It’s a good thing Malcolm’s rich because that phone is never going to be useful again. 

16:20 - ahhahahaha OMG. WTF. Gil’s little twinkle-finger wave is hilarious. 

16:38 - This whole scene Gil is just staring at Malcolm with so much concern. It warms my cold, dead heart. <3

16:46 - Do you think Malcolm looked for his name in the book? Is it the same book? Do you think Brumback expelled enough kids that this is a new black book?

17:08 - Ok. So I immediately don’t like Louisa. That level of confidence and self-absorption is very unattractive. 

17:25 - Louisa volunteers in the library. That’s how she got access to the poison. 

17:35 - “Dude. You’re dripping.” “Yeah. Water does that.” Can Malcolm be this sassy every episode?!? I’m living for it. 

17:57 - “Boys right? Oof” haha I love Malcolm talking to teenagers. I want it in every episode. ALSO - the jock’s story about the two girls - I’m sorry, but I just don’t see how that an expulsion level offence unless the kid is leaving something out of the story. 

18:31 - Of course they talked about this before they came there. DELANEY WARNED THEM. But mostly to keep his little cheating ring hush hush. 

18:55 - And just like that we’ve been blessed with Malcolm in casual clothes. Wish I could’ve seen Gil question Malcolm’s swim though. 

19:26 - OMG. Edrisa is such a cute little nerd. <3 Protect her at all costs. 

20:00 - Gil and Jessica arguing is amazing. I’m loving it and hating it. Because I want them to live happily ever after in a fairytale world but I do enjoy the drama. 

20:06 - hahaha look at how Jessica just pushes Gil to the side and plows on to Malcolm. This woman is fierce.

20:11 - Yes. Yes Malcolm. Tell Mom she has unrealistic and insensitive expectations of you.

 20:18 - What kind of school is this?!? The board of trustee members are buddy buddy with the students?!? 

20:22 - “They’re all from impeccable families.” “So was I” Mic drop. Watch Malcolm drop the truth bombs. This is maybe the best line in this episode. 

20:30 - “And just like you - none of them is capable of murder.” .....well this sentence is going to come back and bite Jessica in the butt later this season. 

20:44 - The fact that these kids think Edrisa is a freshman is actually hilarious to me. 

20:50 - OMG. “Welcome to boarding school. Bitch.” I was ready for Louisa to die right here. She just punched Edrisa and then called her a bitch. No no no. Edrisa is a quirky treasure and we must protect her. 

21:00 - Damn. I wish we got to see the team’s reaction when they found out one of their teenage suspects assaulted their favourite M.E.

21:10 - Why is it soooo attractive when Malcolm wears casual shirts under a suit jacket? 

21:53 - “My vote is for Louisa. The girl’s got a heavy fist.” hahaha I love Edrisa. SO SO much. 

22:05 - Soooo is Jessica some sort of consultant now? They used her to interview cult extractors and now rich, teenage murder suspect. Is she the “rich person investigator” now?

22:11 - Does Louisa know that Malcolm is Jessica’s son?

23:04 - Louisa is a bad liar. 

24:15 - Delaney should be ashamed. He told Nicky who Malcolm’s dad was. He is the reason that Malcolm got locked in a closet for 3 days. He is the reason Malcolm is claustrophobic. This man should have his teaching license seized and be charged with child abuse. What he did was absolutely despicable. 

24:35 - “My mom’s sending a car.” It’s nice that Malcolm doesn’t always refer to Jessica as “mother”

25:00 - This is heartbreaking. I hope Nicky got expelled. If he didn’t - Malcolm experience a bigger injustice than we were lead to believe. Look at Nicky walking away from Malcolm. That kid has no remorse. I don’t blame Malcolm for seeking revenge. Malcolm keeps getting burned by people. Something had to give eventually.

25:30 - The biggest crime this episode committed is that we only saw Malcolm getting comfort from DELANEY. Honestly. Where was my papa Gil moment?!? Or a Dani+Malcolm moment?!?

25:51 - I doubt Delaney tried to stand up for Malcolm. He probably encouraged the expulsion. 

26:05 - “Please.” Yikes. This has been torturing Malcolm for years. Who sold him out? Who ruined his last chance at a happy childhood? Who allowed him to be traumatized further? Who gave him the hand tremor (assuming we’re ignoring the S1 canon). 

26:38 - What. A. Getaway. This school is full of crazy rich kids.

26:55 - “This time”?!? Doesn’t Martin always root for the killer?

27:05 - I love everything about this interaction between Martin and Malcolm. I love how upset Malcolm is. I love how Malcolm calls out Martin for being a bad dad. I love that Martin just sits there and takes it. Martin even looks a little sad. It makes me wonder - did Martin know about Delaney’s cheating ring? Did Martin manipulate Delaney into thinking Malcolm was a threat and convince him to get Malcolm expelled? I can see Martin doing it. If for no other reason than to tarnish the “Milton legacy” at Remington. 

28:04 - UGH. I want to see how Malcolm got out of that closet SO BAD. Who found him? How close to death was he? PLEASE TELL ME IT WAS GIL. Why didn’t Jessica investigate when Malcolm didn’t show up at the Hamptons as planned? 

28:13 - “How you wish that were true.” Ouch. Martin is a real asshole. He knows just how to destabilize Malcolm’s confidence. 

28:56 - Even now, Martin is trying to manipulate Malcolm. Their relationship is so dysfunctional, beautiful, heartbreaking, and complex. I could watch them interact forever. 

29:31 - Look at that little head shake from Mr. David. Martin’s cell is not soundproof. Mr. David heard everything. Mr. David always hears everything. Mr. David knows about Endicott. Istg. 

30:12 - Delaney is a scumbag. He might not be a serial killer but he’s another male, adult asshole who gained Malcolm’s trust and then stabbed him in the back. 

30:37 - OK. So I know, I’ve been hypothesizing that Mr. David is an ally to Martin’s crazy schemes, or that he worked for Endicott, or that Martin is going to try to kill Mr. David. BUT YO. IF MR. DAVID DIES I WILL THROW HANDS. HE’S SUCH A GREAT CHARACTER. 

31:40 - This is a weirdly fancy room for video games. Also I miss JT. He should be here. I wish he was here. He would’ve been so good in this episode. Can you imagine his facial expressions and comments when he finds out little tidbits about Malcolm’s teenage past?! It would’ve been comedic GOLD. Couldn’t Tally give birth during a less interesting episode?!?! 

32:15 - I’m convinced that Malcolm isn’t actually upset that Delaney’s crime is running the cheating ring. I think Malcolm’s upset because he just realized the only positive male role model (aside from Gil) that he had as a teenager was a manipulative liar who betrayed him. Malcolm just realized that this dude never cared about him and he’s crushed.

32:27 - Wait. Does Delaney make the kids pay him for the answers? Because that actually makes sense. 

33:08 - This whole scene where Molly runs out of the back room and Dani says, “who are you running from?” is really cringey to me. 

33:19 - Oh great. Now the guy who betrayed Malcolm is touching the back of Malcolm’s neck. JUST LIKE GIL DOES. Well....something tells me that’s going to taint how comforting Malcolm find’s that gesture coming from Gil for a while. Malcolm just isn’t allowed to be happy. Even for a moment. It’s a shame. I also love it. 

33:40 - Awww...poor Malcolm is claustrophobic and he gets locked in the vault with a dying man. Look how desperate he is to get out of there - to save Delaney and to save himself more mental distress. 

33:53 - Look at Malcolm panicking here. He tries to hide his panic as concern for Delaney but he’s clearly freaking out about being trapped in a smallish space. 

34:25 - Yep. Malcolm didn’t think he could trust Daryl because Daryl is delusional. SO Martin threatens to murder Daryl and then metaphorically stabs the dude in the back. This is perfectly in character. 

35:25 - Damn. Louisa is seriously mentally ill. She has zero empathy. 

35:57 - Malcolm projecting his mental issues on the killer du jour is always simultaneously cringey and amazing to me. 

36:26 - I’m not going to lie. Daryl screaming “He’s a Judas” as he was dragged away was hilarious. 

37:04 - Holy shit. This took a turn. I’ll be honest - I don’t blame Malcolm for almost killing Nicky. But it does scare me. 

38:35 - That story must have been haunting Malcolm for 15 years. I bet you he’s never told anyone not even Gabrielle. He’s had nightmares about it. Because he knows he’s capable of murder. Just like Martin. That terrifies Malcolm more than anything in the world. 

39:12 - sooooo Delaney just heard that whole confession. Delaney lives. Something tells me this is going to be a problem for Malcolm when Endicott’s murder is investigated later in the season.

39:35 - “Are you insane?” “Maybe.” That’s it. That’s the show. 

40:00 - Two questions: 1) Where is Dani? 2) Why does Gil not know where Malcolm is right now?

40:22 - Look Fedak screwed us over. We didn’t get to see Gil find Malcolm half-dead on the floor of that library vault. BUT this scene almost makes up for it. 

40:24 - Malcolm wrapped in a blanket is so so cute. I just want to hug him. I want Gil to hug him. Ugh. <3 

40:28 - I love that you can tell that Malcolm and Gil have had this sort of discussion about Malcolm’s sense of self-preservation numerous times in the past. Gil looks sooooo pissed. And concerned. 

40:35 - Malcolm’s imitation of Gil makes me so so so so happy. I just. Ugh. It’s adorable. Look at how exasperated it makes Gil. Look at Dani’s reaction to it. This might be the greatest “found family”. scenes this show has given us to date. 

40:55 - “All in a day’s work.” Oh yeah. Gil is super concerned about Malcolm’s mental state. Gil is Worried. I want to see more of it. 

40:57 - I love that Dani just can’t wait anymore. She’s so precious. Look at how excited she is about JT’s baby. <3 I’m in love. She’s so soft here - it’s beautiful and rare for this show to let the audience see this side of Dani. 

41:00 - GIL’S REACTION. <3 OMG. I LOVE HIM. HE LOOKS SO HAPPY. I HOPE JT AND TALLY DUB HIM THE BABY’S UNOFFICIAL GRANDFATHER. 

41:02 - MALCOLM’S FACE. <3 <3 <3 IS THIS THE FIRST TIME HE’S EVER SEEN A BABY? HE’S SO ENAMORED WITH THIS CHILD ALREADY. LOOK AT HOW MUCH MALCOLM ALREADY LOVES JT’S KID. <3 <3 IT’S SO SOFT. I LOVE IT SO SO SO SO MUCH. 

41:22 - I can’t decide about this scene. On one hand - I think it’s really mature of Malcolm to apologize to Martin. It’s a courtesy that Martin doesn’t deserve. ON THE OTHER HAND - I wonder if Malcolm is only apologizing to throw Martin off balance. I wonder if this is Malcolm’s attempt to manipulate Martin for once. Either way - I love it. 

42:25 - Martin always gets the last word. He always worms his way into Malcolm’s brain and screws with Malcolm’s sense of self. I hate it. But I also find it so captivating. 

43:05 - Sooooo is Martin committing the murder next episode? Or is he just manipulating someone else to commit a murder? Either way - I’m excited. 

If you read this far - I’m flattered. I also think you’re a little crazy. But thanks for hanging out. 

[shinymooncolor]

Sweater weather chat #9

A little Friday tribute to @lumosinlove ‘s sweater weather. 

@siriuslyqueer and @wxlfstxrx thanks for helping me through a groundbreaking epiphany. <3 

Sweater weather chat #9

Celeste has plans. Logan mopes. And drives a minivan. Kuny hides in a library. Nado is a star. And the wives call him Jackie. We get some lady love. Cause hockey wives are awesome. The team dads get in trouble. What did happen in Prague? Does mild vodka exist? 

--- 

Thursday 3.42 pm 

Celeste: hi ladies! So, as you know the long dreaded school talent show is looming on the horizon. I don’t know with you -  but that’s a Saturday we will not get back…. Any ideas?? 

Anya: we send our husbands to the show. 😜 zhenya is helping my kids anyways. Not sure how that happened. But him and Jackie came to leech a free dinner and somehow ended up joining the talent show. 

Linnea: that sounds like something that needs to be recorded! I’m up for a spa weekend. God knows I need it. We’re headed for Sweden next month and I need to prepare mentally for my in-laws. 🙊

Celeste: so we agree to send the boys to the show? And get on with a lovely spa weekend ourselves 😍

Allison: I’m in. I love my boys but I’ve seen them dance and heard them sing. Brady has been successfully avoiding the past three events!!! But I’m intrigued about what the hell Kuny and Jackie can help with? 😂 

Anya: I don’t know and I don’t care. It’s sergei problem now. I’ve warned them to keep it kid friendly. Jackie is still a little scared of me, I think. 👻

Celeste: they are good boys but those two. I swear they’re worse than our lot. And that’s saying something. You remember Prague? 😠

Linnea: the one with the flags at worlds? What were they thinking.... 

Allison: oh sounds like there’s a story there! What did they get up to? 🙊

Linnea: let’s get back to that after three bottles of Chardonnay... 

——

Thursday 4.08 pm 

Celeste: you are going to the talent show. And take Logan with you. He’s been moping for a week. He’s such a teenager. 😂 and DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT DRINKING AGAIN. I will tell Logan about Prague. 😠

Dumo: but I have to train. And don’t tell anyone it’ll undermine our authority. 

Celeste: no you don’t have to, it’s optional. Don’t even start Pascal. You’re taking your ragtag team Dads and you’re all going to sit through 3 hours of recorders and botched Disney music. And you’re going to applaud your babies. And please film whatever the terrible two get up to. I’ve seen the outfits. 😂😍😂😍

Dumo: I love you but you’re mean. Enjoy your spa day. What do I get for being good?

Celeste: a wife who won’t make you sleep in the guest room. And if you’re really good we can talk about the white one again. 

Dumo: I’ll be good!!! 😇😇😇😇😇 

Celeste: 😉

——

Thursday 5.00 pm 

Dumo created a group chat. 

Dumo added Sunny, Sergei, Brady, Kuny, Nado and LoganT 

Dumo named the group chat talent show 

Dumo: gentlemen I believe you’ve all had your fates sealed. We’re now sentenced to suffer through the horror of our kids’ school talent show.

LoganT: what am I doing here? I don’t have kids leave me out 

Dumo: you left your disgusting workout clothes in MY basement. Without cleaning it up. You’re coming. Also Leo and Finn are both with their families. And Celeste made me take you cause apparently you’re sad and mopey. 🤓

LoganT: I’m not sad and mopey. I’m brooding and there’s a big difference. 😠

Sunny: you’re 22 and your boyfriends are out of town. Chin up buddy and enjoy a Saturday of off key singing and recorder hell. And you are moping 😆 brooding is for grown-ups… 

Nado: we’d offer to take you to some strip clubs and get you laid but. Well. We don’t really frequent gay bars so. 

Sergei: really? I once had to rescue u 2 from drag club 😂

Nado: it was one time and we didn’t realize until we were inside. Felt like a fucking Kingggg man they know how to party. Wanna go to a drag club baby Logan? Is fun times! 

Kuny: was fun. But we promise to do show with baby Russians he he 👻👻👻👻

Nado: well i didn’t understand what i said yes to. Thought she asked if I wanted to play Pokémon. 😳

Sergei: that’s why she asked. She’s too sneaky. Not like it. What you do for show? 

Nado: no idea. Your wife is making us an outfit and told us to just stand in the background 🙈

Dumo: oh I’m recording this. Anyways there’s never any parking. You’d think with the obscene fees we pay for that school they could at least organize proper parking. Let’s carpool. 😎

LoganT: why are you carpooling? You’ve got like a combined car catalogue of 25 cars....... 

Brady: this is clearly Logan’s first rodeo. Okay. Sergei always brings some Russian elixir of life. So. We need you to drive. 😘

LoganT: IM NOT DRIVING A MINI VAN! IVE GOT A REP 

Nado: there’s alcohol involved? I’m in!! 🥳🥳🥳🥳

Sunny: only way to get through this....😔

Dumo: you don’t have a rep. You have two boyfriends, an accent and a sweaty hat. You’re driving and I’m not going to argue. 😠 

—- 

Saturday 12.33 pm 

Dumodad: if anyone is wondering what the terrible two are up to this fine Saturday. They’re currently in the middle of a moving rendition of Into the Unknown. Yes they’re wearing blue sequins. 🤩

*kuny and nado dressed in blue glitter sequins onesies with a bunch of kids singing into the unknown* 

Prongstar: HHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA WHAT IS GOING ONNNN???? 

Blizzard: well. There’s a future in show biz for those two. 😂 kuznetsov and nadeau the movie. 

Bradygunz: this is giving me some fresh prince vibes little rays of sunshine!!!😂😂😂😂 @talkiewalkie 

Talkiewalkie: yesss!!! Hahahah 😎😎😎

 ——- 

Saturday 1.22 pm 

Sunny: I love my kids but. There’s a reason it’s not a good idea to always just tell kids they’re good at stuff.

Dumo: hahahah the one with the juggling was fun. 

LoganT: why are we still here? I won’t ever get my hearing back after that bag pipe thing. 😭

Sergei: that’s why we drink. I like the politic ones like a kid could ever know so many isms 

Sunny: quit hogging the flask. Gimme. 

Brady: I didn’t know so many isms existed. Pretty sure some of them were just random words. 😂

——

Saturday 2.01 pm

Logantremblayzzz: guess who’s pissed at a kids talent show. Guess who’s hit on every teacher and has suspiciously disappeared and guess who’s somehow ended up in a production of you’re welcome from Moana? 

Sirius: this is fun.... 1) the dads are pissed. I went to a school play with them once. Sergei brought his flask? 2) I wanna say Nado 3) Kuny? 

Blizzard: ohhh I’ve got 2/3 swapped - Kuny can’t sing in English... and nado’s got the tattoos 😂

Eliascookie: I wanna know more about the sequins? 🥳

Prongstar: tell us!!!  

Logantremblayzzz: 1) yes the dads. Sergei swears it’s only mild vodka. But they’re definitely not sober. 2) Kuny was missing but I found him. He is hiding in the library. 3) yes Nado has somehow ended up on stage again. He’s doing that pec thing it’s weird. I swear the moms here are swooning. He signed someone’s bra. ITS A SCHOOL. 

KrisVolley: you’re just cranky that you had to drive the mini van. Haha! 😂

CarbO’Hara: Logan! You drove a minivan? 🤪🤪🤪🤪 cuteeee 

Logantremblayzzz: it’s stupid and ugly. 🥴 

Dumodad: suits you then 🤪

Logantremblayzzz: I’m telling your wives. 

Sergei_81: no Logan. Don’t be mean. U can have my car 

Bradygunz: we don’t tell Celeste when you leo and Finn cause problems!!!! 

Dumodad: he’s bluffing! Remember who let you live FOR FREE in his basement! I do your laundry and feed you. 

Logantremblayzzz: celeste feeds me and does laundry. You’re just as much a leech. 

Dumodad: I pay for things. 😠

RussianGod: I don’t know where are. Books everywhere help I hide from moms so many everywhere 😳😳😳😳

Ollibear: someone please rescue Kuny before the soccer moms kidnap him 😂

Timmyforrealz: wow Kuny go get some cougar love 🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯 hehehehe 

RussianGod: I scared. Help. @dumodad @logantremblayzzz @sergei_81!!!!!! Help help 

Sunnysideup: DONT flirt with them then. You asked for it. I’ll come get you. Stay in the library. You’re missing nado singing. 

——

Saturday 2.12 pm 

Logan: hey Celeste. Show is ok. How’s the spa??? ❤️❤️❤️

Celeste: charmer... it’s fine thank you - how are the boys?

Logan: uh. Well. 

Celeste: one sec love. 

—-

Celeste added Logan to the group chat 

Celeste: hi Logan! Please tell us about the show. How did the terrible two do with their performance 

Logan: well Katya got scared and refused to go on stage so Kuny had to hold her hand. It was really cute. Loved the outfits. They’re definitely never forgetting that 😂 other than that your husbands are sneaking drinks from sergei’s flask and Nado has been in stage for the past three performances 

Anya: he did what? I will kill him. Thank you for telling us Logan. Tell zhenya to be careful. Soccer moms are hungry.

Logan: will do. Want me to kick your husbands? 

Anya: no love. We have our own ways to punish our idiots 😈

Linnea: thanks Logan! 

Celeste removed Logan from the group chat. 

Celeste: well. I knew we couldn’t leave them alone. But the plan worked well - they’ve now signed themselves up for the events for the rest of the school year! 😎

Allison: 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 

—-

Celeste: Logan texted me. Do you have any idea how much trouble you all are in? Also someone go rescue Kuny. He’s not ready for a soccer mom. 😈

Dumo: I’m gonna kill that kid. Also sorry. But. There was a BAGPIPE. You’re very pretty and beautiful and I love you. Sunny has gone to rescue Kuny. 

Celeste: hmm. How are you going to fix it? 

Dumo: I’ll show you 😜 on my knees 👅

Celeste: 😈

[guessmonsta]

YOUR BOKUTO + KUROO WINGMAN FIC WAS SO FUNNY!!!! I was literally laughing the whole way through. The way you write is so funny and wholesome I can't get enough of it. If it's possible, can you please please please do a part two to the Bokuto fic? I just wanna see him fall in love, that's all. Thank you so much!

If you read ANY of my college AU fics involving Bokuto, Kuroo, or Tendou, you know that I made them all friends. They need to be friends, I don’t even care what you say or what you believe. Tendou was cheated from being in the third gym, period. He’s stupid and lovely and has stupid crazy hair and would be best friends with Kuroo and Bokuto instantly. Also this is stupid long, and for what? And for what? I’ll probably end up doing part three too??? And that's being a slut for Bokuto. 

Also here’s part one 

Bokuto stared blankly at his phone screen, almost expecting something to happen without him putting the work in. 

Her contact stared back at him, reading, “__”, with a bunch of heart emojis after her name. He would never admit that he put the hearts there himself, though. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting to gain out of just staring at her phone number, his phone wasn’t going to text her itself. To be honest, Bokuto hadn’t created a mental plan past talking to her in the cafe that Saturday,and he sure as hell never expected her to give him her number. He wasn’t even sure how long he was supposed to wait before he texted her. It was Monday morning, had he waited too long? Did she forget about him all together? Does she even want him to text her? 

Bokuto shook his head and sighed, then set his phone face flat on the dining hall table. His friend, Satori, looked up at him, and cocked an eyebrow. 

“Somebody’s got his panties in a twist today.” Satori hummed, setting his own phone down in the same fashion. 

“You think I wear panties?” 

Satori stared at him dumbfounded, then scrunched his face. Choosing to ignore it, he took a jab at his fruit salad, then chuckled. 

“Is it that girl?” 

“Wait, how do you know?” 

“You say this as if Kuroo didn’t post a three minute long video to his snapchat story about spitting up iced coffee everywhere in public.” Satori laughed. 

“Drama queen.” Bokuto sighed. “I just really don’t know how to talk to girls.” 

“You?” Satori cocked his eyebrow again. “You don’t know how to talk to girls?”

“Nope.” 

“Damn.” Satori chuckled again. “See, I was under the notion that you were a popular Pretty Boy in high school. I mean, look at you,” Satori’s eyes scanned Bokuto up and down, then he winked. “You’re like the universal standard for male attractiveness.” 

“I mean, I guess, but,” Bokuto sighed. Getting dejected over nothing wasn’t his plan for this morning, but Satori knew how to handle it. “When I was in high school I never really put a lot of thought into dating girls. Like yeah, I had a couple girlfriends here and there, but, like, volleyball was my real girl, you know?” 

Satori shot Bokuto a stank face, then shook his head. 

“You mean to tell me in high school, in your prime, you could have gotten any girl you wanted and you were the asshole who turned girls down because volleyball came first? Wo-ow, what a problem you have.”

“I know! I know. Now that’s my problem. If I had paid more attention to my relationships in high school then maybe texting this girl wouldn’t be so hard.” Bokuto shrugged. Maybe Satori didn’t know how to handle it all that well, because all he could offer was a confused stank face. 

“Listen, you and I both know that you’re hot. If she gave you her number, then she’s obviously into you. Just shoot you shot.” 

“But I don’t play basketball, Satori!” Bokuto groaned. “And what am I even supposed to say? “Hey remember those two idiots who came in and spit up everywhere? Hi!” 

“Yes! Literally that’s exactly what you should say!” 

“But should I?” 

“God have mercy! You’re hopeless!” Satori sighed dramatically, then flinged a grape off of his plastic fork at Bokuto’s face. Bokuto winced, then ate the grape to spite him. “Oh, and you better get moving, your practice starts in ten minu-utes.” 

Bokuto looked back at his phone, and realized it was 9:50. If he had texted __ now, he would be thinking about her replying all throughout practice. If he had waited to text her until later, he would be thinking about what to say the entire time anyway. It was a lose lose situation for silly little Bokuto in love, he realized. He finished his waffles in a hurry, gave Satori a quick, harsh, and unexpected bro-hug, then jogged off to practice. 

By the time practice was over, Bokuto was sweaty, tired, and couldn’t stop thinking about __. He knew that Kuroo had been watching him all throughout practice, especially when he cackled when he missed a very direct hit on the cleanest set he had ever seen. Kuroo took a seat next to him on the bench, wiped his forehead with a rag, then snapped it against Bokuto’s arm. 

“Ow!” Bokuto jumped, grabbing the towel from Kuroo’s hands then wiping it against Kuroo’s ass as he attempted to jump up and run away. Kuroo cackled again, something he seemed to be doing a lot lately. Bokuto’s crush was a free ticket to Comedy Central for Kuroo. 

“Satori texted me and told me you were a pain in the ass at breakfast.” 

“Did he actually?” Bokuto whined. 

“No.” Kuroo chucked. “But he didn’t have to tell me you were having a crisis for me to know that you’re having a crisis.” 

“You know me that well, bro?” 

“Always, bro.” Kuroo held one hand over his heart, then pat Bokuto on the back. “But you gotta text her.” 

“O-okay, o-okay fi-ine.” Bokuto sighed. “What do I even say?” 

“Listen, just because I’m charming and handsome doesn’t mean that I can carry your entire relationship for you and that lovely little barista.” Kuroo shrugged. “Just be yourself. She obviously likes you.” 

Bokuto whipped his phone out of his pocket, and it automatically opened to __’s contact. Kuroo’s cheeks puffed up into a laugh, then he wheezed, again. Maybe Bokuto had to stop being so obvious. 

Bokuto clicked the message icon, and quickly, without even thinking, typed- 

Hey __! It’s Owlboy Sexyman from the cafe Saturday. How are you!

And he sent it. Without a second thought. He sighed, then set his phone down on the bench. 

Before Kuroo could even ask him what he sent, he heard his phone chime. Bokuto gasped, then Kuroo gasped, and Bokuto leaped for his phone. 

Hey Bokuto! 

I was starting to think you didn’t see my number on the cup lmao 

“She remembers my name!” Bokuto beamed. “She remembers my name, Kuroo! Oh my god!” 

Bokuto jumped up from the bench, and turned his screen to Kuroo. 

“Oh my god, dude, stop, stop, I can’t read the message, you’re jumping too much.” Kuroo laughed. “What did she say!” 

Bokuto tossed his phone at Kuroo, then clapped his hands together into a praying motion. 

Kuroo read the messages, then cocked an eyebrow. 

“Du-ude.”

“Du-ude!” Bokuto couldn’t stop beaming.

“Bokuto, where the hell was this energy during practice!” An older teammate shouted at him, then laughed. Bokuto ignored this statement completely. Once he got the ball moving, it was going to keep its momentum. 

Later at his dorm, Bokuto sat on his bed with his phone in his hands. He felt like he looked like his little sister. She used to spend all day in her room snapchatting boys and trying to find the perfect lighting to take pictures of herself. He never really understood it, but as he was sitting here waiting for a text back from __, he felt that same energy. 

He had never really liked a girl this much ever before in his life. He wasn’t even sure what it was. What went from a small admiration over how beautiful and sweet she looked behind the counter at the cafe turned into a full blown admiration after his minute long conversation with her. Everything about her was just so cool, so collected, she made him feel the same way volleyball made him feel, how he felt when he saw a cute dog when he was out on a jog. She was the first day of summer and waking up on Christmas morning. He could feel his excitement for her vibrate all the way to his fingertips. 

You remembered my name! 

Of course I do! You and your friend literally made my entire day on Saturday, haha. 

I went back to my dorm and told my roommates the whole story lmao

Do you go to Todai? 

Yeah! I’m in my first year. What about you? 

Me too! 

Sucks I’ve never seen you around. 

Todai is so big I feel like if you see somebody once you never see them again. 

I’ll keep a look out for you tho ;) 

Where do you dorm? 

I’m in Komaba on the 20th floor :( 

I love the view but some days the elevators are full so I have to take the stairs and it’s terrible 

I’m at Komaba too! 

But on the fourth floor haha 

I guess it’s a nice workout though 

I haven’t been doing much exercise since volleyball ended in high school 

Do you still play? 

Yeah, Kuroo and I are on the schools team 

Oh

Kuroo is the guy who spit everywhere 

Kuroo’s a legend

I thank him for his service 

And that's seriously super cool. I wasn’t good enough to play for college, haha. 

I miss it though

Well, if you were busy playing volleyball, you wouldn’t have anytime to be the cutest barista ever 

As soon as Bokuto sent the message, he regretted it. Was that really all he had to say to her?

Omg, awh, don’t flatter me

We should meet up! What are you up to right now? 

Bokuto felt his face flush a thousand degrees. He had no idea how to contain his excitement around her, let alone his obvious crush. A small giggle escaped him as he typed back. 

I’m honestly doing nothing but texting you in my dorm right now. 

Me too, haha

We should go get food or something together! 

My next class isn’t till 3

Before Bokuto could even ask her what her room number was, he found himself running up sixteen flights of stairs to meet her. Where this sudden adrenaline came from, he had no idea, and if any of the older guys on the team saw him, they would tease him more about not using this energy in practice. Once he reached the twentieth floor, he was breathless. The whole thing gave him flashbacks to running to meet Kuroo a couple days before. All he wanted right now was to see her. 

He looked down at his phone, then typed a quick, 

What's your dorm number? 

I’m in room 2016 :) 

Two seconds later, Bokuto found himself standing in front of the door, and knocking lightly. He heard something crash from the inside, and a small string of mumbled curses. When the door opened up in front of him, his heart skipped three beats when his eyes met hers. 

She was significantly shorter than him, by a foot, if he was guessing right. Her hair was down and cascaded over her shoulders, something he hadn’t seen before. Somehow, she was even prettier with her hair down than she was worth it pulled back for work. Pretty __ eyes blinked once, twice, and a small, confused smile parted into a laugh. 

“How the hell did you get up here this quick?” She chuckled, motioning for him to step inside the dorm. “Are you secretly superman and you’re not telling me?” 

“If I told you I ran up here before I asked for your room number, would that be weird?” He sighed. He was still a little bit breathless, but the last thing he wanted was to lose his composure. She took a seat on her desk chair, and spun herself around in a circle before stopping and shaking her head. 

“Nah, I’ll take it. I don’t like superman anyway. Now, if you had said Thor, that’s a different story.” She giggled. “You didn’t have to sprint up here you know. I could’ve met you in the dining hall.” 

Bokuto honestly hadn’t even realized that was an option, even though it was much more realistic. He hadn’t even realized he was standing in the prettiest girl in the world’s bedroom until his eyes met hers again. 

Oh god, and she was so pretty. He could hear Kuroo and Satori mocking him in the back of his head as he stared at her pushing herself into another circle in her desk chair. 

“I know I didn’t have to.” He said, his voice almost cracking. “But I figured you’d like it.” Smooth recovery. 

“Honestly?” She shrugged, “I can’t say somebody has ever ran up sixteen flights of stairs for me, so yeah. I take it as an honor” 

__ then stood up, then led Bokuto out of her dorm. 

“We can take the elevator down this time.” 

“Thank god.” Bokuto sighed. “No offense, but 32 flights of stairs isn’t worth it for anyone.” 

“Hey, I get it. Three flights of stairs isn’t worth it for me, so you’re already breaking a record.” 

At the dining hall, they just talked about little things. Where they went to high school, what they were majoring in, their favorite animal, which both happened to be dogs, and what type of dogs they liked. They shared funny stories from high school, like the time Kuroo accidentally swallowed a beetle at training camp, and she told a shocking story about the “accident” at her own school. He was so interested in talking to her that he forgot that he was supposed to be eating, and he never forgets about that. 

Their relationship was obviously flirtatious, but Bokuto couldn’t tell if she was flirting with him in the way Kuroo flirted with people, or in a way where she actually liked him. In bed that night, the last thing he thought about was her sitting across from him in the dining hall, and he had a feeling his mind would replay her face for a while.

[heckyeahitsnick]

Her Soul is Like Magnolia

Written By: @heckyeahitsnick​

Pairing: Harry Styles/OC

Word Count: 20,979

Warnings: Some explicit/foul language

Summary: 

Magnolia “Mags” Rahman believes in hard science, has a tendency to stick her foot in her mouth, and is a lover of all things horror and Halloween. Harry Styles likes to toe the line between fact and fiction, strangers and friends, and normal and paranormal.  

Harry Styles has a ghost problem.

Mags has a Harry Styles problem.

An au where seeing is believing and everyone is trying their best to treat each other with kindness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Day 1: October 24th, a week from Halloween

“You’re stepping on my foot.”

Mags broke herself out of her stupor, visibly shaking her head. She stared at the person the voice belonged to, trying to orient herself and gather her bearings, and saw that it was her coworker, Liam. “Oh,” she murmured apologetically, “Sorry.” She was so exhausted at work, counting down the minutes until her shift was over at the campus bookstore so she could go home and curl up with Pumpkin, the adorable black cat she adopted only a month ago when it was love at first sight. Grad school was a vicious beast that she had yet learned how to slay. She probably hadn’t slept in the last 48 hours, busy with school, work, and occasionally binging B-rated horror movies on Netflix with Pumpkin. In her drowsy state, she couldn’t be held responsible for her actions, like accidentally charging the last customer the wrong price, shelfing the Twilight series under the Biography section, and stepping on her coworker’s foot. She was just so tired.

“Okay? Thanks for apologizing? But you literally haven’t moved. You’re still stepping on my foot!” He pointed at her white sneakers atop his (knock-off) Timberlands.

She gave him a playful glare and replied, “You’re so high-maintenance,” before shifting away from him.

“Okay, well, I just came to tell you I’m headed home a little early,” he paused to eye her with vague concern, “Are you sure you’re okay to close up?”

She snorted, “Does my answer even matter? It’s not like you’re gonna offer to close up for me.”

He grinned good-naturedly, “Yeah you’re right. Makes me feel like less of a dick though.” Putting on his coat and gathering his backpack, he quickly headed for the door as if the devil was chasing him, ignoring the peace sign Mags threw at his retreating figure. Probably eager to go home and chug some beer, or like start a fire, or whatever it was that boys like to do. Mags wouldn’t know. She couldn’t possibly even attempt to understand the male psyche.

Like for example, Mags looked at the only customer in the bookstore, frantically pacing through the aisles and muttering incomprehensibly to himself. His curly hair was tussled and frayed, not in the intentional bedhead way that some people, like her ex-boyfriend, styled it in an attempt to look good but actually coming off as a douche, but in a way that indicated he’s probably been constantly running his hand through it. Probably exam stress, she mused, considering the boy’s current state. He was tall too, she observed, but that was overshadowed by his hunched shoulders, head facing down, and of course the frantic pacing.

“Dude. Are you okay?” Mags called out in a voice slightly louder than usual.

No answer, as if he didn’t even hear her. She realized she should probably be a bit more cautious. The customer honestly was acting very strange. He could probably be planning to rob the bookstore. She was the only employee left, her slight build and big brown eyes (which her friends called doe-eyed but Mags herself considered to look more like a fish) weren’t enough to intimidate anyone. She laughed softly to herself. Like anyone would rob this bookstore. College students never paid with cash and Mags probably had negative three dollars to her name and an even lower will to live. If someone held her at gunpoint asking her to hand over her wallet, she’d probably wouldn’t be able to stop herself from bursting into laughter. Besides, he looked like a college student himself. An English major, she guessed, considering his pretentious wool coat and heeled boots. She did a double take. Glittery, heeled boots apparently. She would know, she’s dated her fair share of them.

You’re being so foolish, Maggie-Girl, she scolded herself with the affectionate nickname she gave herself and that no one (read: especially Niall, her roommate’s, Marisol’s, boyfriend) was ever allowed to address her as.

The draft Liam let in earlier caused her to shudder. Wrapping her yellow cardigan tightly across her chest, she longingly gazed out the window. The weather was the perfect crispy fall weather, with orange leaves littering the sidewalks and she sighed, wistfully thinking about the brisk air sure to greet her as she biked home. If only the boy would leave, she could be on her way!

She glanced at her watch and decided, screw her self-preservation. She stepped out from behind the check-out counter and headed towards the boy. He barely noticed her, continuing to drag his fingers frantically through the spines of the books on the shelf. Mags just now realized they were standing under the horror section of the store. Weird.

“Hey, um, dude. Are you okay?” She asked with a voice that she hoped sounded professional and confident but probably came across as a mix of “wow-I-don’t-get-paid-enough for this” and “maybe I don’t wanna die?”

Her presence seems to finally break him out of whatever trance he was in. He looked up at her, taking Mags aback. He’s kind of cute, she thought, if she ignored the bluish-purple bags under his green eyes and his pink lips twisted into a frown. Potentially a robber, possibly a murderer who likes to creep out female employees in bookstore by having a near breakdown in the horror section, sure, but at least he was nice to look at.

“What?”

Mags gave him an ironic smile in return. “Ah, you speak! Thank god. I was beginning to think your only talents were to burn a hole through the carpet.”

His brows furrowed in confusion, “What?” he repeated in frustration.

Maybe I gave him more credit than he deserved she thought to herself. Out loud, she said, “Look. Technically, we’re closing in 5 minutes. You looked like you needed help. What’re you looking for? Maybe then we can both get out of here.”

His eyes darted nervously to the side. “A book,” is his brilliant reply.

“Yeah? I figured?” She said, stretching out her word because at this point, who cared if the boy could tell she thought he was ridiculous. This was definitely a strange scenario and she wondered if her own sleep-deprivation caused her to dream up this handsome boy with vague answers and possibly three functioning braincells. She briefly had a thought that this was like a reverse You situation, where he was the Joe to her Beck, but she quickly stopped her overactive imagination “Any book in particular?”

“Yeah, um,” the boy quickly straightened up and looked her in the eyes, as if he finally came to the realization that he was coming off a little odd, “I’m looking for a horror book. Obviously. But like, something non-fiction? Like about, y’know. Ghosts.“

“Ghosts?” She cautiously prodded, “but non-fiction? Like…paranormal accounts?”

“Yes! Like, I dunno, spooky shit. Stuff, sorry. Paranormal stuff about like haunted houses,” His eyes brightened, and his word tumbled out faster with a tinge of hope. “Hey! You wouldn’t happen to have a How-To book about how to cleanse a house that’s haunted?”

Mags tried. She really did try. Not the fake trying like when she tries to make it to her 8 am class every Tuesday morning and ‘accidentally’ snoozes her alarm. Not even the fake trying she does when Marisol makes her do sit-ups at the gym for their weekly (read: monthly) workout and she taps out after 5. But even trying her hardest meant she could not stop the laughter that escaped her mouth.

“Haha, I’m sorry, what?” She laughed, her face in disbelief and amusement, clutching her stomach, “You want what? What is this? Did you end up watching too many episodes of Buzzfeed Unsolved ‘cuz honestly, I’m not sure you got the right bone structure to be Shane. You’re funny though, I’ll give you that!”

The laughter and words began to trail off because the boy, his face completely changed. The hopeful, pleading gleam that was in his eyes suddenly hardened in anger. Mags quickly tried to reign herself in, registering that he was not amused, and she’d accidentally offended him.

“I –“ She began, ready to start apologizing because she realized she completely read the room wrong.  “Forget it!” He cut her off, quickly stuffing the book he had in his hands back into the bookshelf.

“Whatever.” He peered at her nametag disdainfully, “Don’t offer to help if you don’t intend to, Magnolia,” spewing her name out like it was poison in his mouth.

“Wait! I’m sor – “

“Forget it. Sorry I asked!” He exclaimed, abruptly walking past her, his shoulders jostling hers and she whipped around to try and apologize once more.

But he left just as quickly as Liam did. Like the devil was chasing him.

Mags turned around and pulled out the book he had in his hands (and totally shelfed in the wrong place), trailing her fingers across the blue leather bound and golden imprinted letters. “Exorcism: Encounters with the Paranormal and Occult,” she muttered to herself, and then looked up at the door that the boy had exited from. “Nonfiction.”

She slumped against the bookshelf, mentally kicking herself. Why don’t you ever think before you speak?! She berated herself morosely. Had she taken a second to assess the situation, she would’ve registered his worried eyes and another emotion that she couldn’t quite place. Could it have been…fear? She eyed the book in her hand. What could that boy possibly be afraid of?

Her phone dinged with a text message. She pulled it out of her pocket and immediately groaned reading the message from Marisol.

Pumpkin just shat (shitted? shatted?) on the living room carpet J  Can’t wait ‘till ur home.

If Mags was an English major, she’d probably see an irony in this. Or like a metaphor, because she shat all over that boy’s concerns and like the shit was representative of like…. being a dick? But she wasn’t an English major. Obviously.

The only thing her soon-to-be-chemist brain could come up with was: well, fuck, isn’t karma a bitch.

_______________________________________________________________________

Day 3: October 26th - 5 days until Halloween

“Be honest with me. Am I gonna die?”

“Oh, for God’s sake, Niall!” Mags exclaimed, shifting her backpack onto her other shoulder, “For the last time! I. Don’t. Know.”

“But look closely!” He pestered, shoving his arm into her face, whining. “Tell me this rash doesn’t look bad. It’s red! And like, rashy! And it itches, Mags, it itches so bad! I think it’s infected!”

She backed away from him and shoved the offending arm away, quickly muttering an apology to the guy in a suit and tie behind her, before facing Niall again with widened eyes (well, wider than usually because Fish Eyes, remember?). “Seriously, Niall, I really can’t deal with you before I’ve had my morning tea.”

“But I – “

She cut him off. “And rashes can’t be infected! Now can we puh-lease talk about something else? Anything else. I’ll literally discuss your sex life with Marisol right now if it means we can stop talking about your nasty-ass rash!” This time, she ignored the glare from the man in the business suit; she can’t be blamed for his eavesdropping.

While Niall, in typical Niall fashion (taking everything literally), began to recount a tale about his midnight rendezvous with Marisol, Mags let her mind wander. She impatiently tapped her foot against the floor, sparing another glance at her watch, while also giving her own mental nod of approval at the store’s festive decorations (fake spider webs and caution tapes that adorned the doors and counter). For a chain that had a slew of ridiculous redundant names for their drinks (she will always bemoan the fact that people don’t realize that a chai tea is literally translated to tea tea), they sure knew how to get into the Halloween spirit. The line at Starbucks was long she noted, and with four people ahead of them, she and Niall would be late for their lecture if things didn’t speed up. Mags just knew she should’ve made her own cup of chai this morning, but it never tasted the same as when her mom made it, and all it would do is make her more homesick.

Niall briefly interrupted her train of thought with a quick interjection, “Yo, Maggie are you listening to me,” to which she responded with a quick lie, “Yes!” followed by a “And don’t call me that!” with a soft jab to his ribs.

The gears in her mind shifted, wandering to the boy from the bookstore last night. She couldn’t stop thinking about him last night on her bike ride home, during her stern lecture with Pumpkin about the importance of using the litter box, all the way until she finally went to bed. What was he so scared of? She pondered while also still scolding herself for handling the situation absolutely in the worst way. Though she didn’t mean to, she doesn’t ever intend to come across as so rude and aggressive. She just had a knack for blurting out the wrong thing that made it hard for people to see that she actually had a heart of gold.

Well, maybe not gold, she thought. That was giving herself too much credit. To be sure, she interrupted Niall’s ramblings with a quick interjection, “Hey quick question. Would you say I have a heart of gold or like…a heart of bronze?”

He was used to her antics; his blue eyes didn’t even hesitate before meeting hers. “Are we using an Olympic scale? Like gold would be first place and like the kindest person ever?” Acknowledging her nod, he held his fingers to his chin, making the universal thinking face as he mulled over her question.

She barely heard his answer (“Maybe a happy medium, like a silver heart? You suck at first impressions but once ya get to know ya, you’re super sweet,” the blonde mused in the background) because something, or more like someone, caught her eye. She watched him walk past her, exiting the Starbucks. Her eyes locked in on a pair of glittery boots and trailed up a pair of black jeans, a burgundy hoodie, and finally, green eyes that looked even more sleep-deprived than last night if that was possible, until she stopped at the black beanie that did little to contain the escaping brown curls.

It was the boy! The boy from last night!

“It’s him!” She shouted to Niall, dragging him by the arm so she could catch the boy before he left, ignoring Niall’s cries (“Wait, we were next in line!”)

“Hey!” Mags shouted, ignoring the grimace of the man in the suit, as she chased after the boy with a disgruntled Niall slowly trailing behind. She followed the boy outside, desperate to get his attention. “Ghost boy!” she shouted, somewhat hysterically, “Wait!”

Finally, he turned around, just registering that the crazy girl running on the sidewalk was trying to get his attention. His eyes widened in surprised and then narrowed with recognition, as he frowned.

“I - What did you just call me?” He said, his voice huskier than Mags recalled.

“Um, I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name last night. I needed to get your attention! I needed to apologize.” Her eyes took in his appearance. He looked even more haggard than yesterday. His face seemed sunken in and his skin dull. He was still really handsome, if her heartrate was any indicator, but he looked worse for wear.

“Look,” she continued, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to like, laugh at you or anything. Let me make it up to you! I can probably help you find the book you’re looking for! My conscious is like, really annoying, and I couldn’t sleep last night ‘cuz I felt so bad and I looked up a shit ton of books about hauntings. Nonfiction ones! For whatever mysterious reason you need them for.”

His brows furrowed and his frown deepened, “What?” He shook his head from side to side, as if to shake away his confusion, “Look s’all good. It’s fine. I’ll figure it out on my own,” He turned as if to walk away before adding as an afterthought, “You curse a lot, y’know?”

Before she could even respond, she was interrupted again (which was probably a good thing because her knee-jerk response was to say “No shit sherlock”) by Niall coming to a stop beside her.

“Mags, what the actual fuck? We were next in line!” He bent over slightly, resting his hands against his knees as he paused to catch his breath from the strenuous five steps he took from the Starbucks door to where she and the boy were standing. He looked up and nodded, “What’s up, Harry?”

“Hey Niall,” the boy, Harry, said as he eyed the pair of them cautiously, like he didn’t want anyone to think he could be associated with them. “I’ll catch you later.”

“Wait, Harry!” Magnolia cried out, making immediate use of his name, “Seriously, tell me what’s wrong! I can help!” But her cries fell to deaf ears as she watched Harry walk off, his shoulders in his seemingly perpetual slump, one hand jammed into his pocket and the other holding his coffee cup as he crossed the street.

“So,” Niall began, “Couple of things to unpack here. We don’t have coffee, I’m a little more out of shape that I thought I was, and we’re definitely late for class so I suggest we should just skip it and grab some food.” He finally straightened up and looked at Mags, as if was an afterthought, “Wait. How d’you know Harry? Did you sleep with him?”

_______________________________________________________________________

Day 4: October 27th, 4 days until Halloween

On days like this, Mags truly does take a second to appreciate the finer things in life. The fall foliage that lined the paved pebble pathways on the university’s campus only contributed to the magical spell of October. As maple leaves fluttered downwind and the cool wind blew against her skin, she embraced the enchanting atmosphere of the autumnal weather, taking in the beauty as college students hurried past her, a colorful, warm blend of red scarves, brown coats, olive sweaters, and all. The breeze that blew through her dark hair didn’t even bother her, when usually she’d be grumpy considering how long it takes her to tame the thick, wavy locks into an acceptable amount of frizz. Despite having an o-chem midterm waiting for her, she slowed her pace to truly enjoy the bliss she was in. Mags paused on the cobblestone to close her eyes and breathe in the cold air, a small smile slowly forming on her face. Nothing could ruin the feeling of contentment that she was feeling right now and –

“What’re you doin’?”

A deep baritone disrupted her. She stands corrected. Maybe she could be bothered. She took a longer second to herself, keeping her eyes closed and steadying her breathing before planning to huffily face whomever (whoever? Whomstever? Times like this really made Mags rejoice at the fact she wasn’t an English major) decided to ruin her moment of peace.

The same voice let out a chuckle. “Hey, are you planning to open your eyes anytime soon?”

It took her a second, but Mags recognized that voice. Ghost Boy! Harry! She whipped around towards the voice, her hair following along and sharply striking her face and shoulders as she settled her brown eyes on Harry. She was so happy to see him, even if he did ruin the coming-of-age, dramatic introspective Bollywood moment she was having to herself. Magnolia gazed at him, taking the surprisingly peaceful silence between them to truly assess him. His green eyes peered back at her, glistening from the cold breeze, pronounced by the dark purple bags that seemed to have worsened overnight. His cheekbones jutted out just below, and lower, his pink lips settled in an expression she couldn’t quite decipher, but she’d guess wistful if she had to. He seemed to be in better spirits, dressed in a chunky caramel cable-knit sweater. Maybe it was how cozily he was dressed or perhaps it was the softness enhanced by his sleepy demeanor, but Mags was hit by a sudden wave of endearment for him. For a boy she hardly knew! She shook off the weird feelings that washed over her and broke the silence.

“Harry!” She quickly recalled all their past encounters and decided to approach this conversation with a little less well-meaning aggression and exuberance. “Harry,” she calmly tried again, “I’m so glad you’re here. I really, really need you to listen to me. I am really and truly sorry I laughed at you the other day.” He opened his mouth to respond, but Mags bulldozed on, not wanting to lose her chance. “I – look, I have knack for saying the wrong thing but I promise that I really want to help you with –“ She paused as she realized she never knew what exactly seemed to be plaguing him, but persevered nevertheless, “with whatever it is that’s bugging you. I pinky promise I can help - somehow!”

He broke into an amused smile, one that Mags couldn’t help notice was a very nice smile at that. “Pinky promise, huh?” He prodded, “That’s pretty serious for someone who quite literally just met me and doesn’t even know what my problem is.”

“Well, whatever it is, just tell me! I won’t laugh!” Mags pleaded.

“Do you promise not to laugh?”

“I promise!” She said solemnly, her face somber, nodding with earnestness.

“Do you,” he paused, inhaling a deep breath, as Mags leaned in closer to listen, breath baited, eyes unwavering, “do you pinky promise?”

“Oh!” She swatted at him with a free hand as she realized he was teasing her, as he stepped away laughing.

“Sorry,” he smiled, not looking the least bit apologetic, “Couldn’t help m’self.”

They shared a small moment, each looking at the other with their own, soft smiles before

Harry suddenly straightened up, his smile vanishing just as Mags began to welcome the sight. His tone sobered, “I did wanna say m’sorry for being kinda a dick to you. I’m dealing with…something right now and I really didn’t mean to take it out on you, Magnolia.”

“Mags,” she instinctively corrected, “Magnolia is reserved for customers that I don’t insult.”

“Mags,” he repeated wryly, “I like that. Well anyways, just happen to pass you and wanted to say that.” He gestured to the papers she had forgotten were clutched in her hands, “Anyways, looks like you’ve got a test on…” He trailed off, squinting at her neat penmanship of carefully copied formulas and calculations, “rocket science or quantum physics or whatever those horrible numbers mean. Just looking at it is giving me a headache. I’m sure you’ll do well though.  G’luck!” He said, turning to leave.

“No wait!” She was not going to lose another chance. Truly, she did feel awful about how she treated Harry, but also, she didn’t want him to go for reasons she couldn’t quite explain. She liked his presence and didn’t want the conversation to end just yet. “Will you seriously tell me what’s wrong? Please?”

He considered her, his guarded eyes boring into hers for what felt like eternity, not even breaking contact when a boy with rounded hipster coke-bottle glasses and a plaid coat bumped against her shoulder without so much as an apology (friggin’ English majors she briefly lamented).

“Yeah, okay,” he conceded, running his hands roughly through his brown curls, “You think I’m crazy anyways and it’s not like my life can get any weirder.” He pursed his lips as he formulated his thoughts. Mags tried to be patient, resisting the urge to check her watch because she did actually care about her grades and she did have a midterm to get to after all and Niall was such a push-over he wouldn’t be able to save her a seat for much longer, but she had to hear what he had to say. Just as she was going to (gently, she swears) prompt Harry, he broke his contemplative silence.

“Um. Okay so basically,” he stalled, scratching at his hairline before spewing out in anxious, bullet-fast speech, “I um, pretty-sure-I-accidentally-summoned-like-a-demon-or-ghost-or-some-evil-otherwordly-spirit-in-my-house-and-now-I’m-being-haunted.

Brown eyes blinked in his directions. To her credit, Mags remained composed despite her thoughts that ranged from what the actual fuck, this boy is psychotic to my minority ass is not equipped for this situation to aww he looks kinda cute when he’s nervous.

“Yes,” in reality is how she responded, trying to maintain neutral as she organized her thoughts, her voice robotic, “I understand.”

“Yeah, see, I knew this was a mistake. I didn’t really expect you to believe me,” his hopeful expression fading to disappointment, belying his words.

“No! Okay, yeah I don’t believe you,” she confessed, “but,” brandishing her speech with wild gestures, “I can help you prove that your house isn’t haunted! That’ll like give both you and I peace of mind! Not right now, because I really do have to go kick some o-chem ass but like, later tonight? Take my number, text me your address, and we can like ghostbust the fuck out of your non-haunted home!”

There was a brief moment of hesitation before Harry nodded in agreement, albeit reluctantly but hey, she’d take it, Mags quickly gushed out her cellphone number as Harry’s thumb clumsily attempting to enter each digit and keep up.

Mags raced away, peeking at her watch and sparing a parting glance at Harry and calling out, “I’m serious Harry, if I don’t get a text, I will haunt you myself! And I am way more annoying than a ghost!” He smiled fondly in response, “I don’t doubt that. I swear I’ll text you,”

“Promise?” she shouted, as she retreated further away from him to her awaiting exam.

“Pinky promise.”

_______________________________________________________________________

Same day, later that evening

Mags leans against the bay window in the living room, watching the rain drops splatter against the window. A cup of chai in one hand, a worn murder-mystery novel in the other, with Pumpkin curled up against her feet hidden under thick socks, she truly felt content. Marisol had thrown a quilt over Mags legs earlier as the former left for work. Mags was so immersed in the book’s plot she barely gave the other girl an appreciative smile but she was sure Marisol knew.

She was pretty sure she aced her midterm exam earlier that day (and Niall was fairly confident that he didn’t fail so it was a win-win for all) and she was able to make some progress with Harry. The curly haired boy, whom she met for the first time a mere three days ago, seemed to consume a lot of her free time and thoughts.

He was just so curious, and skittish, and he genuinely did seem scared of something. Mags was a firm believer in science, statistics, hard, factual data. Give her an equation to solve or a statistical analysis to decipher over an essay any day. Even if she wasn’t a believer, she knew better than to laugh at others, even if her actions didn’t always reflect that. She had never believed in Santa Claus, being Muslim and all, but she’d been the one to comfort Kevin Vo in the first grade when the classroom bully had tried to convince others that Santa was fictitious. Likewise, even though she didn’t truly know Harry, she did believe that something was scaring him, and she was determined to figure out what it was. But one thing was sure, she positively knew it was not a ghost.

Her phone rang out with a small chime, alerting her of a text message.

Hey, It’s Harry. Harry Styles.

Before she could respond, her phone dinged again.

Or as you like to call me, Ghost Boy.

harry!! im so glad u txted!!!

I keep my promises. Are you sure you want to come to my house that is DEFINITELY haunted?

yes i do wanna come to ur house that is definitely NOTT(!!) haunted. send me ur addy.

Once receiving his address, Mags began to root through her closet for a warmer coat and umbrella. She grabbed her keys, gave Pumpkin an affectionate kiss on her furry little forehead, and gave herself one last look at the mirror. She almost found herself reapplying her mascara and running a brush through her hair, but she fought the urge. This is what she always looks like, and she wasn’t sure why she cared so much about her appearance for this friendly little demonic (but not really) excursion she was about to partake in. Certainly, she’s looked worse before. Liam has seem her adorned in her older brother’s shapeless, oversized sweaters as she hastily arrived seconds before her shift and Niall had seen her when she hadn’t showered in days, bra forgotten, her clothes stained, and remnants of last night’s dinner on her face (although, granted it had been Finals week).

As her blonde companion came to mind, as an afterthought, she shot one more text to Harry; just as a precaution because as attractive as he was, she didn’t know him that well yet. Though she doubted his heart was anything but sincere and good, she had to be safe.

also im bringin niall. the more the merrier rite?? (((:

Niall and Mags stood side by side on the property, their sneakers and boots respectively crunching the orange leaves that littered the lawn, as they gazed up. The house was huge, intricate, a stark contrast against the cloudy gray sky, and beautiful. Hauntingly so. If she believed in ghosts, Mags could envision how one would think this particular house was haunted. The brown and orange wood that made the exterior seemed to indicate that this house could creak when it wasn’t supposed to, the broken shutters revealing that the house holds secrets from its past, the surrounding black iron gates emitting a foreboding sense of doom.

But, she knew how to deal with facts. And the facts were that this house was old as shit and old houses liked to creak. She was sure that Harry probably just had an overactive imagination, which she was here to quell.

“Holy hell, you’re tellin’ me that Harry lives here? In this friggin’ place?” Niall let out a low appreciative whistle, “I’m definitely gonna have to convince him to host a house party here.”

She snorted in response, “Right? He couldn’t have lived in shitty student housing like the rest of us?”

They made their way to the porch, carefully side-stepping planks of rotting wood and loose nails. As Niall knocked, Mags sent a quick text to Harry alerting him of their presence. She’d filled Niall in when she picked him up for this adventure, letting him know that Harry was scared that this house was haunted and that they, soon to be scientists, were going to prove that it was all just hodgepodge. Blasphemous.  A figment of his imagination. And of course, Niall was game, as he always was, his laidback and flexible personality among the many traits that Mags loved about the Irishman. The door creaked open, groaning under the movement of shifting wood, as Harry greeted them with an appreciative smile.

“Hey. Come in. Thanks for doing this, honestly,” he ushered them inside, into the house, “though I’m not sure how smart this idea is, or why you’d be more equipped to tell if this house is haunted more than me, considering one of ya have literally drank yourself into a drunken stupor and became convinced that Big Bird was a part of a larger conspiracy theory.”

“Falsifications!” Niall boasted, while Mags yelled in her defense, “Hey that was literally ONE time!”

Both Harry and Niall shot her a concerned look. “Right,” she realized, “You were referring to Niall because we just met and how could you possibly know that about me? Haha. Moooving on.”

Niall and Harry amicably bickered in the background and Mags wandered off to take in her surroundings. She had every intention of taking off her heavy coat as she surveyed the house, taking in the wood floors, antique furniture, mosaic windows, and high ceilings, but there was a chill in the air, despite the burning fire crackling in fireplace. She turned to question Harry about the temperature, and his eyes were already on her, watching her take everything in with an unidentifiable emotion. Recovering from his unexpected gaze, she questioned, “Why’s it so cold in here? Trying to save money on bills?”

Harry seemed validated by her question, “See! So you notice that too! No matter how much I crank the thermostat or feed wood to the fireplace, it is always chilly in here.”

Niall nodded sagely, “Ah yes. A very common indicator that a house is haunted,” which caused Harry to nod enthusiastically in agreement in having found his kindred spirit and Mags to shoot Niall a look of annoyance.

“Or,” she interjected, “It could mean literally anything else. Climate change can be linked to more severe, harsher winters and this has certainly been a record-breaking cold October.” This, in turn, prompted Niall and Harry to shoot each other a look, as if to fondly say they found her adorable. Huffing slightly, she continued, “Okay, Harry, let’s get down to business. What else is making you think you’re haunted? Tell me everything.”

Harry nodded, “It’s a long story. Let’s get settled on the couch, I’ll grab us some drinks. This is going to be an interesting evening.”

Wine in hand (and a beer for Niall), bodies settled, and fire crackling, the trio sat on the rug and couch, eyes on Harry. He cleared his throat, an odd hush falling over them as he began his tale, “Well, let’s start from the beginning. The reason I even can afford to live in this house is because Bertha, the old widow who owns the place. She used to live here and took a liking to me, so she charges me cheap rent after her granddaughter took her to another state to live with her.”

“Gilf,” Niall responded nodding, as Mags inquired, “Wait, how did you even know Bertha?”

“We played Bingo together,” Harry clarified, which raised more questions, but he didn’t elaborate, “Anyways, I lived here for about a month, no problems other than the usually leaky faucets and the sorts. But one evening,” he broke off, lowering his head to focus on the arms of his sweater stretched over his palm, his fingers twiddling anxiously.

He looks so sad and worried. Mags instinctively reached out and placed a comforting hand on his knee, the warmth of his skin felt through his jeans, causing Harry to look up as she smiled in reassurance.

“Right,” he persisted, “Well, one evening, about a week ago, my friend Louis and I were having drinks and watching horror movies, as a little farewell celebration because he was going to study abroad the next day. Getting into the Halloween spirit y’know? We were drunk and shootin’ the piss, and Louis suggested we hold a séance as he had a Ouija board in his car.”

“He just happened to have a Ouija board in his car?” Mags questioned in disbelief.

“He’s odd like that,” Harry explained, coinciding with Niall’s comment “Yeah, that checks out. Sounds like Louis!” Once again, reminding Mags that Niall was such a social person, and of course he somehow knew this Louis character.

“So we were just being stupid, lighting candles and asking the Ouija board silly questions and really just goofing off,” the sound of the rain grew louder, the droplets slapping against the wooden house and glass windows, prompting Harry to raise his voice to be heard, “And off Louis went to Brazil the next day to study abroad. And over the next few days, things kept happening.”

“Things?” Mags encouraged.

“Things like…I would hear sounds in the night. The wood creaks like someone is walking through the house and I hear strange sounds like scratching on the walls. The lights randomly flicker,” He takes in a shuddering breath, his hands absentmindedly pulling at a loose thread form his sweater in apprehension, “and I dunno, a painting literally fell off the wall in the dead of the night. That is not normal! Sometimes, there’s a weird smell in here, like rotten eggs, and it doesn’t go away no matter how hard I clean or how much air freshener I buy. It is always so cold in here and I haven’t been able to sleep in days, because I feel like something is just…watching me. If I can sleep, it’s only for a little because I’ll have nightmares, or I find myself waking up in the middle of the night.” Harry’s voice gets louder and louder, becoming more agitated and fearful as he recounts, “I can’t take it anymore, but I’m stuck here until the next semester but I’m not sure how much longer I can last.”

A quietness overtakes them, as everyone processes the story. Once again, Harry breaks the silence, “I dunno what we did that night, but I think. I think we definitely woke something.”

Mags stared at him, her heart feeling for him and she so desperately wished she could just give him the answers. Her brain was in overdrive, considering what could be source causing all the strangeness. Sleep deprivation can cause a lot of symptoms, her mind raced, delirium, hallucinations, your cognitive functions skewed because of being loopy. Because she believed, that while he may believe everything he said to be genuine, there were other plausible explanations. Ones that didn’t include the paranormal.

“Well, we’re here for ya mate,” Niall promised as Mags murmured in agreement. “We ain’t leaving ya alone tonight and we’ll be here to hear anything strange.”

Harry exhaled in obvious relief, releasing a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. “Thanks mate,” he said, as Niall cheered and went off to grab himself another beer, leaving the pair alone, “And thank you, Mags. I just, can’t explain it, but I feel better just having you here.” Mags looked at him, the fire dancing in the reflection of his eyes. His words were sincere and made her feel warm despite the chill, alighting her nerves. “Of course,” was all she could muster in response, her voice thick with emotion.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Day 5: October 28th, 3 days until Halloween

The rest of last night had passed in a similar fashion. They watched a B-rated cult classic on the Sy-Fy channel, played a rousing game of scrabble in which Niall of all people emerged victorious (the winning word with triple points: craic), and just swapping stories about their lives. It was fun, and Harry had looked the most relaxed that she had ever seen him. But when they woke in the morning, the mood was somber. Niall and Mags hadn’t heard a single peep the entire night, sleeping peacefully until morning, leaving Harry to fret over two options: the fear that he had gone crazy or that they wouldn’t believe him.

Mags was quick to dissipate both fears, assuring him that she would go home, shower, pack herself a bag, and come back again after work. If anything, she knew just having someone there with him helped Harry sleep better than he had in days, and although Niall wouldn’t be able to make it as he had a date night planned with Marisol, Mags wanted to be there for Harry. Harry was kind, Mags discerned, the way he had draped a blanket over her snoring figure last night and had given Niall his extra pillow. And the way she felt when he looked at her? She couldn’t describe. It was unlike any feeling that not even her past boyfriends made her feel, and it was simply small touches and gazes. She felt like a Victorian woman in the early ages, having to fan herself at the slightest contact, becoming undone and exhilarated when Harry had reached to embrace her in a hug earlier that day, his sweater rising to revealing his tanned, taut stomach and a peek of tattoos.

She drifted through work in a haze. She barely could recall any of the customers and she wouldn’t be able to you what she and Liam chatted about throughout her shift. She would get off in the evening, since she was closing again, and Harry insisted on coming to pick her up so they could walk back together to his home. Pumpkin lazily stalked through the aisles of the store, darting between the shelves and under tables as Mags watched in amusement. Mags wanted to bring Pumpkin along for their sleepover, and Harry thought it was a great idea because in his words, “A black cat would totally be able to sense if something was off.” Her bosses were never in the store and she knew Liam didn’t mind Pumpkin’s presence, if the fact that he had spent the latter half of the day cooing at her pink nose and soft paws, giving her belly rubs and half his lunch to share was any indicator.

Though she knew she was being silly, she mused as she kneeled on the worn carpet and shelved a stack of books, she couldn’t help feeling the anticipation and nervousness that usually precedes a date. But it wasn’t a date. She was just feeling this way because Niall wouldn’t be there and it would be just her and Harry in that big old house, alone together. If she was being honest, she would admit that she did wish it was a date. She found herself drawn to Harry, his caring personality and really taken by his dimples and all. His husky, low voice stirred something deep in her stomach, and when she heard the baritone in his throaty voice, coated with sleepiness earlier in the morning? She felt flush and wonderstruck, all at once.

But it wasn’t a date. Facing facts is what she did best. It was just two people on their way to becoming friends, working to prove that his house was not being inhabited by any spirits, that’s all. Completely platonic, normal stuff.

When it was 8 minutes to closing, Mags began to make sure that everything was put away so she could leave on time considering there probably wouldn’t be any last-minute customers, noting that Pumpkin was now currently snoozing near the cash register. She was deep in thought, dusting a particularly dusty shelf, secretly becoming more and more excited at the thought of spending more time with Harry.

“Boo!”

“Holy shit!” Mags’ heart jumped out of her chest, as she whirled around in fear, only to be met with a laughing Harry, one hand outstretched and grasping the bookshelf, the other across his stomach as he doubled over in laughter.

“You’re an idiot!” She declared, without malice, shoving her shoulders against his. “Absolutely awful.”

“Y’know, for a girl who says she isn’t afraid of ghosts, you sure are quite jumpy.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m a girl, Harry. I have real things to fear. Like creepy men that come in here to harass me!”

His eyes flashed with amusement as he leaned against the shelf. “If you want me to leave, just say the word.”

Mags just smiled to herself in response, choosing to ignore his comment. “I’m almost finished up here and then I’ll be ready to go.”

“Y’know,” said Harry, his tone become dramatic and teasing, “This is where we first met. When you first accosted me here, in this very aisle – “

“I did NOT accost you! You have to admit you were acting so suspicious!” Mags exclaimed indignantly. She straightened out one of the books and wondered aloud, “But it’s a bit crazy innit? That we just came into each other’s lives a mere four days ago?”

“Crazy,” Harry agreed, his sudden low and husky tone causing Mags to look up at him. “Feels like I’ve known you forever.” His eyes caught her with an unrecognizable expression, and Mags stared back, unable to look away. It’s like she was in a trance. Harry takes a step towards her, closing the small gap between them, standing so close that she could feel the warmth exuding from his chest, could see the freckles that dotted his green eyes, could practically hear his heart beating in his chest. Now was it just her or was his heart beating very, very fast?

Another second passes between them and Harry brings up his hand, placing it affectionally against her cheek, as Mags impulsively nuzzles against his palm. He leans in, closing the virtually non-existence gap between, his eyes focused on her lips, and all she could think was Is he going to – Is this really happening?

“Please tell me you guys are still open!” An unfamiliar voice shouts, as a male college student races in, eyes frantic and voice desperate.

Harry and Mags spring apart, their bodies separating as they turned to face the newcomer.

“I’ve got a paper due tonight on a book that I haven’t read. Please tell me you’re open and that you have Shakespeare!”

“Y-yes,” Mags answered, her voice a little shaky as she avoids looking at Harry, “Technically, we’re still open for another 2 minutes. You said Shakespeare? Which one?”

The boy looks around, scanning the books in the aisle before answering, “William, I think.”

She lets out a huge sigh before finally looking at Harry. “I’m just gonna help this last customer and then we can lock up and head out.” “I’ll be waiting.”

She guides the customer to the classic literature section; On the outside, she was explaining how prolific of an author Shakespeare was but internally, she was still thinking about her interaction with Harry. They were already becoming so close. When people get close, Mags discovered from her 23 years on Earth, they find the things they like and appreciate about you. But it’s a double-edge sword. That kind of intimacy also reveals the unpleasant things, it gives the other an opportunity to see the all the little things that makes a person real. Real was messy and not always pleasant. What if Harry saw all the little things that made Mags real – her tendency to ramble, her need to always have opinions about everything that she often loudly expressed, her struggle to be emotionally vulnerable with others – and decided that she’s easier to admire from afar. It was always a fear of hers, one of those doubts deep within her heart that she’d never expressed, never spoken into existence, but that still dwelled profoundly within; the fear that the more you got to know her, the harder she’d become to love.

In the middle of asking the customer probing questions, and finally being able to deduce he was looking for Othello, she turned to look at Harry who was across the shop. Just like countless times before, she found that his eyes were already on her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Okay,” Mags twisted the key into the lock and pulled the door of the bookstore before turning to face Harry, “We are good to go.”

It took Mags seemingly forever to get the last customer checked out and out of the store. She and Harry seemed to have an unspoken agreement to not speak of whatever it was that almost happened between them.

Harry lifted the cat carrier up into his arms as Pumpkin let out an adorable little mewl, begging for attention. Harry stuck his finger between the bars, laughing as Pumpkin’s pink tongue darted out to lick his finger. “Well, how about this? We go drop Pumpkin off at my house and let her get settled. And then how about you and I go grab some dinner. There’s a diner nearby and I’m sure you’re famished,” Harry suggested, all the while playing with Pumpkin and not meeting her eye.

On the outside, Mags was cool, calm, and collected and she offhandedly remarked, “Sure” in agreement. But on the inside, she was a whirlwind of emotions. Dinner? Like a date? I’m not ready for this. I mean, I know I was just wishing this was a date but maybe I should have wished that I’d have the foresight to have changed into a top that didn’t have a coffee stain on it or to have applied some gloss before coming to work today. She felt so unprepared.

But then Harry’s looked at her when she responded affirmatively, his eyes shining happily and a broad grin overtook his face, and suddenly, she didn’t quite feel so panicked. It was as if he was nervous that she’d shoot his idea down. Anew with confidence, she stated, “Lead the way.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The diner that Harry had chosen was very kitschy, decorated in a way that heavy handedly embraced the retro 80’s vibe, with neon signs and polyester covers on the booths. The diner even got into the Halloween spirit, as evident by the fake bats that were hung all around the place, and the jack-o-lantern tablecloths covering each tabletop. Harry and Mags were seated across from each other, staring at the menu, as a male artist’s voice crooned from the juke box, singing about holding hands.

“So,” Mags began as she finished assessing the menu, “My options are either a hamburger or a cheeseburger. How ever will I decide?”

Harry laughed at her reaction to the limited food options. “What can I say? Don’t need really need too many options when everything tastes amazing.” Ordering a cheeseburger and coke for herself, Harry followed suit, and Mags inquired, “You come here often?” “Yeah,” Harry admitted, his fingers interlocked and resting atop the table, “I just really like the vibes. It’s also a 24-hour diner and I’ve been coming here more often within the past week, since I’ve been having trouble sleeping.”

Right. Harry’s haunting problem. She’d almost completely forgotten, but she wasn’t really to blame. Was she really supposed to stay focused when she and Harry had walked to the diner, their arms intertwined, chatting about anything and everything? When he sat only a few feet across from her, trying to catch her eye but also nervously looking away?

“Hopefully, you can finally start getting some rest soon enough. Maybe we’ll finally be able to put this whole ghost business to rest tonight,” she suggested optimistically.

He gave her a sad smile in return. “Hopefully,” he said, his voice betraying the fact that he didn’t really believe that to be true.  

Her heart ached for him once more, so she decided to change the subject. “What song is this anyway? I kinda like it. It’s cute and – what?”

Harry regarded her strangely. “What’d ya mean who is this? It’s the Beatles.”

“Like the bug?” she joked, before quickly admitting, “I’m kidding, I know of the Beatles. I just don’t usually listen to this kind of music, now don’t go and have a heart attack,” she explained as Harry eyes had initially widened at her statement.

“So, what kind of music do you usually listen to?”

“I’m definitely a top 40’s kind of girl,” Mags responded, shifting in her seat. She thanked the waitress, who adorned a festive witch’s hat, as she set down their cokes and began to work on unwrapping her straw, planning to blow the wrapper at an unsuspecting Harry’s face.

“Top 40’s? What’s that?”

“Y’know,” she responded, “Like, the top 40 songs that are most popular on the charts. The songs that are always playing on the radio.” Harry held his hand against his chest, as if he couldn’t fathom anything worse. “You are so pretentious!” She laughed, “Those songs are popular for a reason!”

Harry laughed too, making sure to let Mags know that he was really just teasing her, no malice behind his mockery. “And just when I thought there was absolutely nothing wrong with you, you go ahead and admit to that.”

Mags couldn’t help her own smile from creeping across her face. “I’m far from perfect Harry.”

There’s a look of affection that seems to flash in Harry’s eyes and Mags flushes, not really sure how to deal with it. “Yeah?” he responds, looking down to swirl the condensation pooling at the bottom of his glass of coke, “Could’ve fooled me.”

The rest of their dinner passed by in a similar fashion. Comfortable jokes, casual conversations, and longing looks passing between them. It was the first time that Mags had ever seen Harry look truly happy. She decided it was a good look on him, and right then and there, she made a silent vow to herself that she would do everything in her power to keep that happiness. Even if it meant she’d have to face the devil himself.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Although Harry’s house was cold, it was still much warmer than the bitter icy wind howling outside. Entering his home, Mags immediately took off her shoes and coat, with Harry following suit. She looked to him to see where she should place her coat, and when he removed his dark peacoat and tossed it over an armchair, so did she. He was wearing a cranberry colored crew neck sweater, and he wore it well, leading Mags to ponder if his closets were just an endless supply of comfy clothes, each cozier than the last. Not wanting to be caught eyeing him, she shuffled into the living room, pausing to scratch Pumpkin under her chin, just like she liked it, and to drop her duffle bag onto the floor.

“There a bathroom just down the hall, if you’d like to change into your pajamas there,” Harry offered. He scratched the back of his neck, “I’m just gonna, um, go in my room and change into mine to give you some privacy. I’ll meet you back out here and maybe we can watch a movie or something?”

“Sure,” she replied, somewhat amused. In the bathroom, she changed into her pajamas, which consisted of an old Maroon 5 shirt she had from years ago and a pair of soft fleece pajamas. When packing earlier that day, she had briefly considered wearing something a bit more flattering, but she realized it was futile because she liked to be comfortable when she slept, let alone the fact she didn’t actually own any proper sleepover, her pajama wardrobe made of oversized promotional t-shirts unsuitable for public wear. She washed her face and turned to face her reflection in the mirror. She gazed at her big, brown eyes, droplets of water tinting the tips of her lashes. Her warm tawny brown skin seemed dull and washed out under the harsh fluorescent bathroom lighting. Her dark hair was due for a haircut, and in its windswept state, wasn’t doing her any favors. She swept back her hair into a high ponytail, the stubborn baby hairs quickly reclaiming their rightful spot by framing her face.

Mags was never one of those girls that couldn’t acknowledge that she was pretty (not that girls who struggled with their beauty were less than, everyone had their own struggles. Mags was a large supporter of girls and wouldn’t speak ill of her sisters). She found that she did quite well with the male population, garnering attention when she so desired, and sometimes unwanted attention as well (looking at you, creepy Walmart man that had the audacity to comment on her big boobs just because she wasn’t wearing a bra). But then men she usually gave the time of day weren’t men of substance. Usually, she sought them out for something physical sans the intimacy. But something about Harry had her feeling self-conscious, unnerved. Raw. It was like he was appreciating her outer beauty but also truly seeing her, erratic enthusiasm and all. And even more baffling? He seemed to like what he saw.

Mags broke out of her reverie and found Harry lounging on the couch, remoted aimed at the tv as he flipped through channels. He looked up and automatically offered her one of his signature smiles, “You look lovely,” he commented nonchalantly.

“Thanks,” she responded reservedly. She joined him, careful to sit on the other end of the couch and looked around. “Where’s Pumpkin?”

“I put her on my bed,” Harry confessed, “Figured it’d be more comfortable than the hardwood floor.” “You’re gonna spoil her,” Mags snickered, “She’s used to sleeping atop the rusty radiator in my apartment.”

Harry and Mags quickly decided they should watch a movie, both wanting to stay in each other’s presence for a little while longer but struggling to find the words to express as such. Picking a movie, however, was a more difficult challenge as Harry felt that he’d had enough horror in his life to last a lifetime and couldn’t bear to suffer through another horror film, prompting Mags to put on “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” partially because she wanted to annoy Harry and partially because she just thought the move was really cute, okay? The joke was on her, because apparently Harry loved romance films and was really into the movie.

As entertaining as the movie was, both found their eyes wandering from the screen, looking at each other and quickly glancing away. Mags was very hyperaware of Harry’s presence on the couch, aware of his every movement. It was like her body was in tune with his. Meanwhile, Harry couldn’t help himself. He automatically gravitated to her, like he was seeking out warmth that only she could give. Mid-movie, they found themselves to be sitting side by side, practically no space between them. If Harry wanted to, he could reach out and enclose her hand with his.

And he wants to. And so he does.

And she doesn’t pull away.

They don’t speak, just hold hands, the only source of light illuminating from the television. Neither saying a word in fear of breaking the moment. Harry finds that for the first time in a while, he feels safe. Safe and happy. He hopes she feels the same way. 

Needing to hear her voice, to get some reassurance, Harry breaks the silence once again, his eyes never leaving the scene playing out on the television. “I don’t get this part. Why is Lara Jean so scared to be with Peter? She’s so hesitant when he obviously cares for her and she does too.”

“I think it makes sense. It’s pretty accurate,” Mags responds, shrugging slightly. “Yeah? Why’s that?” “Because,” Mags bites her cheek in contemplation, “Love is scary, y’know? And letting yourself fall for someone? That’s…well, it’s terrifying.” “Not if it’s the right person,” Harry said with all the sincerity of an honest man, before quickly adding as an afterthought, “And obviously, Peter is the right person for Lara-Jean.” “Right, for Lara-Jean,” Mags agreed a little too quickly, “But it’s still scary nonetheless. Some guys aren’t all that great. It’s hard. To trust someone else, to trust them with your vulnerability, to let them know every part of you, and trust them not to hurt you.”

Harry broke the spell. He no longer referred to the characters and implicated himself. “Y’know I would never intentionally do anything to hurt you, right? I…I care about you. You do know that, don’t you?”

As she peers up at him through her lashes and meets his widened eyes, she becomes mindful of how close they had leaned towards each other. She fidgets under his intense gaze, his green eyes piercing through her own. She feels the warmth of his hand on her thigh as he inches closer until his forehead rests against her. A loose stray curl tickles her cheek and his lips just barely brush against hers. She hesitates for only a moment before deepening the kiss, pressing her lips against his forcefully. He pulls away, his pupils blown and the smallest of smiles playing on his lips, and his eyes scan her face for reassurance. Whatever he’s looking for, he must find because he rushes to close the gap and his soft lips captures hers again. She responds eagerly and her hand cups the nape of his neck. His tongue lightly sweeps across her bottom lips before slipping into her mouth, making her hum in approval.

He gently pushes her back until she’s lying on the couch. He breaks the kiss for only a moment to pull off his t-shirt and toss it carelessly across the room before swinging his legs over her until he’s practically straddling her. One hand flies to his head, pulling at his curls as the other rakes it’s fingernails into his shoulder. She angles her head back and lets out a sharp intake of breath as he leaves a trail of wet kisses down her neck. She feels the hand resting on her lower back slide up and swiftly unclasp her bra. His hands explore her body until he’s palming her breast, grazing her nipple and rolling it between his fingers, making her gasp. Harry always thought of himself as an ass man, but now, in this moment, he has a newfound appreciation for breasts. Her tongue darts between his lips hungrily and he pulls his body closer to hers, grinding steadily. She can feel her whole body on fire, the tingling sensation spreading to the pit of her stomach. Her hands immediately go for the band of his pants, but she breaks away suddenly, and he outwardly moans at the loss of contact.

“What – What is it? Are we moving too fast?” Harry questions, panting rapidly.

Mags places a hand against his chest, as Harry allows her to push him upright and she follows suit, both now sitting up.

He would never forgive himself if he had pushed her and scared her away. “We can slow down. I didn’t mean to –“ “No, shhhhh,” Mags harshly shushed him. “Don’t you hear that?” And suddenly, they’re still, unmoving like stone. The house just as quiet as the two, the only sound filling the air is their own ragged breathing stabilizing. In the silence, just as suddenly, another loud creaking resounded against the wooden interior.

“Okay,” Harry said anxiously, his eyes wandering upwards from where the sound was seemingly coming from, “I heard that.” “Do you think it’s Pumpkin?”

“I’m gonna go with no, considering Pumpkin’s right there by the fireplace.” And sure enough, Mags turned to see her kitten had at some point, bounded into the room and found comfort beside the warm flames.

Then an even more frightening sound could be heard. Mags would describe it as heavy, a hefty thumping sound that was very different from something that could be explained away, like the light scurrying of a rat.

Harry would describe it as footsteps.

It was irrational. Mags couldn’t explain it. She didn’t know what making that sound, but she did know that the sound was frightening her. She couldn’t rationally chalk it up to the characteristic creaking of an old house or wood settling, the thumps were too loud, too sporadic. Logically, she knew she should use the flashlight on her phone and go straight to the sound source. But the fact of the matter is, she’s scared. 

Just when she began to steady her racing heart rate and begin to think she could work up the nerve to go investigate the sound, a sudden crash came from the other side of the room, causing her to yelp in surprise and clutch Harry’s arm in fear. One of the picture frames that Harry had hung on the wall fell on to the ground, the glass shattered from the impact. It just fell. Nothing to cause it, as if the material had literally leaped from the wall to its untimely death. “Fat load of good you are,” Mags glared at Pumpkin who, unbeknownst to the danger, was playing with a discarded bottle cap.

Harry put in quick work to shrug his sweater over his shoulders, and then taking care to ensure that Mags wasn’t too frightened. “Well, at least now you believe me?”

“Believe you?” Mags asked in disbelief, facing him “I more than believe you. I think, I think we should get outta here. Let’s just go stay at my place.” She frantically stood up, brushing her stray hairs from her face, trying to clear her mind so she could form rational thoughts. Harry stood up just as suddenly, standing next to her, holding her elbow and shoulder, pulling her towards him in a comforting hug. 

“We need to come up with a game plan,” she said, her breath slightly muffled as she nuzzles her face against his sweater clad chest. “I think it’s best if we just spend the night at my apartment. And tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” Harry questioned encouragingly. 

“We’re going to do whatever it takes. A cleansing. Research. Anything to un-haunt this house, because this shit? It’s scary.”

They both spared one last glance upwards, to where the sound was coming from, an array of emotions filling the room; frightened (Mags, because ghosts can’t exist, they just can’t. It transcends the rules of physical science!), agitated (Harry because how could he be so dense as to put Mags in danger, though he figures that once she sets her mind to something, there’s no stopping her), and confused (Pumpkin, wondering why the humans were looking up when she was right here, as she softly mewls from the lack of attention).

_______________________________________________________________________

Day 6, October 29th, 1 day until Halloween.

The sun filtered in through the linen curtains, illuminating the white sheets beside her, warming her skin and giving her a bronze glow. Mags slowly peeled her eyes open, immediately noticing Harry’s absence. His side of the bed was empty, and Mags wasn’t sure how to feel. Was it really just a few hours ago that her world was shook by the presence of ghosts? If science wasn’t solid, then what else was there to rely on?

Once they got to her place, they were both too strung-out and tired to do anything. They shuffled under the covers and slept in her small bed, sleeping together in the most innocent way possible. The only touching was the hand holding that occurred under the bed, which although much less risqué than what happened last night had it not been for the potential ghost encounter, the thought of which still made Mags warm and blush. Stretching out her limbs and gathering her relentless hair into a manageable bun, she created an itinerary for herself. Bathroom first. Find Harry, second. Figure out what happened last night, third. Although she wasn’t so sure about the last one. Did she want to figure out the ominous sound they heard or figure out exactly what happened between her and Harry last night? All she knew was, it was way too early for this.

Once emerging from the bathroom, she tuned into the sounds of pots and pans clanging in the kitchen, immediately deducing Harry’s whereabouts. She knew it couldn’t possibly be Marisol, because she’d never be up this early, and she knew she had spent the night at Niall’s place.

His back was facing her, his shoulders moving as he poured batter into a frying pan, Pumpkin nuzzling against his ankles. Mags didn’t even know they owned a frying pan. Marisol and Mags mainly lived off of frozen dinners, take-outs, and Niall’s generous discounts at the café where he occasionally moonlights as a waiter.

“G’morning,” she croaked, alerting Harry to her presence. She cleared her throat and tried again, “Mornin’, Harry. What’s all this?” “I’m making pancakes,” He turned, greeting her drowsy appearance, his voice thickened with lack of use, guttural and raw. “Ran out to the convenience store this morning and grabbed some ingredients. Figured we could both use a hearty breakfast.”

Mags hummed in appreciation, rubbing a sweater-clad fist over her dreary eyes, sleepily offering help which Harry firmly denied and directed her to sit at the small kitchen table. “Are the pancakes chocolate chip?” “Is there any other way?” Harry responds, smiling warmly at her sleepy antics. He sets a plate of scrambled eggs and chocolate chip pancakes in front of her, placing a bottle of syrup within her reach without her having to ask.

Mags suddenly felt out her element. She wasn’t used to this kind of treatment with any guy she had ever been with, and she technically hadn’t even been with Harry. Was she meant to kiss him in appreciation? He was so tender in everything he did, always putting her needs and comfort first. The situation was foreign to her, so domestic and comfortable that it made her feel uncomfortable. “Um, thank you – It all looks delicious,” she finally managed to stammer out.

Harry carried his own plate of food in one hand, his other opening the fridge to grab a carton of orange juice. Witnessing how comfortable he seemed to be in her small apartment made her unnerved, but it was also exciting. Thrilling.

As he sat across from her, their eyes met once again. “I figure,” Harry began, “I mean, I think that we should probably talk about what happened last night. Don’t you?”

“Yes,” Mags agreed, nervously wringing her fingers, “Good idea. It…scared me. Um, I didn’t like it.”

Harry’s face blanched for a moment before he smoothed his features into an expressionless façade. “You didn’t?”

“Of course, I didn’t, it was just so…I don’t know how to put it. It all happened so fast, one thing after the other. It’s a lot to process.

Harry nodded slowly, gently, as if Mags was fragile and he was handling the situation delicately, although she couldn’t figure why. “It is a lot. And it was a bit fast. Maybe we need to just slow down and figure out what it meant?” He suggested nervously.

Mags eyed him in confusion, his apprehensive demeanor puzzling her, as she continued speaking. “It was just so unexpected. I didn’t think that was going to happen when I went to your place last night. It was so awful.” Harry’s brows furrowed together, looking wounded, as he murmured, “I mean, well me neither but I don’t think it was necessarily a bad th-“ “What do you mean you weren’t expecting it?” Mags probed, pausing to chew her scrambled eggs, “it certainly seems like you were positive that it would happen.”

Harry’s face, despite his efforts, flashed with hurt. “Well, I mean, I hoped it would happen but of course I wasn’t expecting anything. I just –” Abandoning his food, he rubbed his hands over his curls, then dropped them to rest against his knees, palms up as if pleading, “Look, I really, really like you and obviously it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way but I really thought - ”

“Who says I don’t feel the same way?” Mags questioned in confusion, wondering if perhaps Harry, as cute as he was, might’ve been a few screws short. Guess people truly can’t have it all.  

Meanwhile, Harry’s own face contorted in confusion, his voice borderline hysterical. “What do you mean who says, you says! I mean, you just said that you didn’t like what happened last night.”

“Right,” Mags nodded empathetically, “The noise we heard really scared me and I think it’s quite normal to not like the fact you have an actual fucking ghost in your house.”

A beat passed. Then another.

“Did you think I was talking about, whatever happened between us?” Mags clarified, gesturing at their bodies. When Harry offered a sheepish look in response, Mags smiled with fondness, putting her fork down on her plate. “You’re silly. Let me be clear. Ghosts? Bad. Harry and Mags? Good. I’m not sure exactly what happened between us last night, but I like you. I think it should happen again, minus the paranormal encounter. Not just the, erm, the touching part. The diner part. The talking part too. We can table that for now and come back to it when we aren’t in fear of lurking ghosts. We can figure that part out together.” The relief that washed over Harry couldn’t have been more evident. “Oh thank god, I’m so happy to hear you say that,” and when Harry was happy, Mags couldn’t help but think that the sun was trapped within him, warmth, comfort, and blinding brightness and all. “And um, what about the other thing? The ghost thing?” Mags beamed at him, at the 6-foot boy that towers in her small apartment but looks over at all five feet of her with concern and care, before replying, “We can figure that part out together too. I have a game plan.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After the tenderness and confusion of their morning breakfast, Harry and Mags got dressed for the day, each renewed with a determination to solve this ghost problem of theirs once and for all. It wasn’t just Harry’s problem anymore. Harry’s safety and happiness were now Mags’ priority as well. Cleaning up and getting dressed took a little longer than usual, as they spared moments to steal glances and accidental touches. By the time they made it out of her apartment, the sun was brilliantly shining in the sky, for once the skies clear of any clouds, and it was noon.

Mags truly did have an anti-ghost plan. And she intended to put it to use before tomorrow. It was as she explained to Harry, that tomorrow was Halloween, and everyone knows that on All Hallows Eve, the world between the paranormal and normal collided. Her extensive repertoire of horror movies led her to confidently assert that the if the dead were to roam the earth, then Halloween would be the best night to so do. She figured that now since science and everything she’s ever known has changed; she might as well rely on literature to guide them through this ordeal.

“So, first on our agenda is to seek out a priest,” Harry commented, eyes squinting at the sun, hand firmly holding hers. “Which church should we go to?” “Askin’ the wrong person here,” Mags chuckled while gesturing to herself, “Nearest mosque, I could help ya with. But church?” “Right,” he said, blushing despite her obvious joking tone, “Well, I guess we’ll have to trust google?”

Finding the church was easy enough. Getting the minister to believe that they weren’t pulling a prank was a little trickier. After much clarification and pleading, they left the church armed with some information.

“I dunno about you, but this bottle of holy water has me feeling a bit indestructible,” Harry joked, wagging the holy water tauntingly. Mags owns hands clutched the pewter candlestick holders and candles the church had generously donated to them. Though they had initially hoped for the church to interfere with their dilemma, the resources and tips they provided would just have to do. “Although,” Harry said, raising his eyebrows, “I must say, I’m surprised.” “Why? ‘Cuz I thought of such a brilliant plan?” “No. I’m shocked that you were able to last that entire trip to the church without swearing even once.” Mags opened her mouth, feigning offence, before shoving him. “So, what’s next?” Harry questions, after composing his laughter, “A psychic?”

“A medium,” Mags corrected.

“Oh, I didn’t know there was a difference,” Harry admitted good-naturedly.

“Me neither,” Mags confessed, but google sure did.

As they followed the GPS directions to the location of where the medium was located, Harry had another question. “How’d you pick this medium? Does she specialize in ghosts and exorcisms?” “Hmm?” She said, looking up, “Oh no, she just had the best Yelp rating.” She scrolls through her phone, thumbing through the device before presenting it to Harry. “And, she’s got a Halloween special going on right now. 50% off for her services. Pretty crafty of me, huh?”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The medium, a woman named Clair LeMadeline, had looked relatively normal. Her red hair curled into define ringlets and her eyes were a piercing blue. She was wearing a simple pea blouse and black slacks. The only thing that was even considerably odd about her appearance was her green eyeshadow, bold and unnaturally glittery. She was a stark contrast from what Mags was expecting, which was a woman, possibly raven haired, with a crystal ball in a dark room with thick purple drapes.

Even more so, she had hoped the woman would be able to help them out a bit more. For someone who claimed to have a unique ability to hover between two worlds and a connection with spirits without a physical body, she wasn’t really helpful.

Mags recalled the only bit of information that was slightly useful. Clair had taken Harry’s hands into her own, hoping to get a ‘read’ on his aura.

“Ah yes,” she had said, her sharp nails outlining the lines on Harry’s palm, “I’m sensing something here. I see that recently in your life, you’ve come upon some suffering.”

“Yes!” Harry fervently nodded, with Mags reservedly watching from his side.

“Your future,” Clair continued melodramatically, her eyes tightly shut as she focused, “it’s blurry. Unclear. I see, red liquid. Lots and lots of red. It’s staining your shirt, dripping onto your shoes, there’s so much red.”

Harry’s face pales, dread overcoming him, as he frantically tightens his hold on the medium’s own hands. “Is it blood?”

“Hard to say, but my best guess is that it is indeed blood. Yes, I can see that. And, you’ve suffered a great loss. I also see here that you’re a widower.”

“Erm, no,” Harry confessed, pulling his hands back slightly, “I’ve never even been married. Way off base.”

The medium had looked slightly put out with that comment, “Well, I never. Surely you must’ve been married. With those dimples and a body like that, you’ve probably had your fair share of wives. You don’t have to lie to impress your little girly over here,” she harrumphed, gesturing towards Mags.

“Okaaay,” Mags announced, offering the medium a tight polite smile, “I think we’re done here.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“That was a waste of time,” Harry groaned. “She was obviously a scam artist. Also, I’m pretty sure she was hitting on me.” He glanced at his watch and groaned even more audibly, “And we’re running out of daylight. Halloween is tomorrow. What are we gonna do?”

“That woman certainly was…a lot of things,” Mags said, carefully choosing her words, “But she was surprisingly helpful.” Harry brows furrowed, his face distorting in disbelief. “Think about what she called you,” Mags explained, answering his unasked question. “She said that you were a widower.” “And you believed her?” He explained, “Mags, I’ve never – “ Huffing slightly, she interrupted his speech, “Okay, no. Obviously, I’m not an idiot. But that just got me thinking. Didn’t you say Bertha was a widow? Do you know anything about her husband? Maybe we can look into his death. Maybe his spirit was awoken by the Ouija board and it’s restless for some reason and unless we help him with his unfinished business, he can’t pass over to the other side.” “You’re a genius,” Harry commented, which prompted Mags to thank him and inform him with sincerity that it was all because she watched a lot of Buzzfeed Unsolved. “I don’t know much about her husband, but I know how we can find out more.”

And that’s how Harry and Mags found themselves standing on the steps outside the town’s public library. Harry’s idea was brilliant, Mags had to admit. The town newspaper always printed the obituaries for residents that passed. Older editions of the newspaper could be accessed using the microfiche. Even more promising was that if Bertha’s late husband had passed under unusual circumstances, the paper was sure to have done a story over it. But even with a great idea put into action, and their hopes and spirits renewed, Mags couldn’t help the nauseous pit growing in her stomach.

As they embarked up the steps, Harry looked over at Mags in concern. “You okay there? You look a little green.”

“Hmm?” She feigned ignorance, “No, I’m fine.” Harry opened the door, ushering her inside before stepping into the heated building. “Must’ve been something I ate.” “My pancakes have you feeling nauseous?” Harry exclaimed in concern.

Oops. Right, Mags had forgotten that the only thing she’d eaten today was Harry’s cooking. This was why she hated lying – she was bad at it.

“Hush, Harry,” is the route she decided to go with, “We’re in a library. We don’t wanna disturb the other patrons.” She gestured to the room, mentally groaning when she saw that the library was jam-packed with three other people, a young girl and her mother were fiddling on the computers, and an old man that was sleeping on one of the armchairs. Or, at least Mags hoped he was sleeping. One would think the library would be more popular on a Friday night.

Harry shot her another concerning look but chose to drop the matter, for now. In fear of being shushed again, he gestured to the circulation help desk, indicating that they should ask one of the library assistants where they could find the catalogued newspapers. As they approached the desk, Mags legs felt like they were heavy lead as she dragged them across the carpeted floor. She just needed an excuse to slip away for five minutes and then this upcoming crisis could be averted.

She stopped in her tracks, spinning around to face Harry. “I, um, need to go to the bathroom. It’s an emergency. Not that you asked,” She nervously chuckled. “Anyways,” she pushed Harry’s back towards the help desk, “Why don’t you ask where we can find the newspapers while I’m gone and I’ll just meet you there and – ” “Magnolia?” The voice came from behind her, just as smoky and honeyed as she remembered.

She froze in her tracks. This cannot be happening. I’m a good person she thought, I fast during Ramadan. I try to be nice to others. I’m fairly sure that I pay all my taxes. Why is this happening to me? Would it be too late for her to make a run for it? She could just tell Harry it was an emergency and then meet him back at his house once he acquired the information.

Just as she began to inch towards the exit, the voice called out again. “Magnolia, that is you! I thought it was. I’d recognize you anywhere. ” Ignoring Harry’s look of confusion, she turned around reluctantly. She looked at the other boy, his dark hair perfectly styled atop his head, not a strand out of place. His cheekbones sharp and proudly protruding, his lips slightly turned into a familiar smile. Unlike her, his brown skin didn’t seem to have a problem with dulling under florescent lights, as he was golden and glowing. One tatted arm reached out to embrace her in a hug, pulling her softly against his chest, before pulling back to get a look at her. “You look good,” he professed, looking at her intently form head to toe, “Beautiful like always.” From her peripheral, she could see that Harry certainly didn’t like that, if his body language was any indicator as he crossed his arms and shifted his stance to stand closers to Mags.

“Zayn,” she greeted, trying to modulate her voice and stifle her feelings of panic. “Didn’t expect to see you here.” “At the library?” Zayn questioned, “Where I work?”

“Must’ve slipped my mind,” She nervously answered. Just as she was going to grab Harry’s arm and steer them away from the upcoming train wreck, Harry himself piped up. “I’m sorry. Mags hasn’t introduced us. Who are you?”

Zayn looked at Harry, as if he just registered that Mags wasn’t alone. “This is Zayn,” Mags answered quickly, “He’s my –”

“I’m Magnolia’s ex-boyfriend,” Zayn interrupted, reaching over to shake Harry’s hand, muscles tightening, jaw clenched, “She and I used to date.”

“He knows what ex means,” Mags hissed.

“Oh really?” Harry responded, his face unreadable, “Funny. Mags actually hasn’t even mentioned you.” His emphasis on her preferred nickname was evident to both Zayn and Mags, because Harry was as subtle as horse. “I’m Harry.”

Mags, despite the train wreck happening before her very eyes, was relieved that Harry introduced himself. She didn’t know what title she would’ve given him. She didn’t even know what they were. They were in some weird limbo until this ghost mess was past them. What would she have said? Harry piping up saved her from the verbal onslaught that would’ve been sure to follow. Hi, yes Zayn, my ex-boyfriend who broke my heart, this is Harry, a boy that I almost slept with and really want to sleep with but haven’t yet because I was cock-blocked by a ghost. Anyways, can you point us to the non-fiction section?

“Um,” Mags spoke, breaking the palpable tension, “While we have you here Zayn, we could actually use your help with some questions.”

Ignoring Harry’s disgruntled expression and Zayn’s self-satisfied smirk, she continued on. “Aren’t you doing your senior thesis on like witchcraft or something of that nature?”

“It’s on magical realism and occult fiction,” He clarified, before giving her a sly smile, warmer and more comfortable than his smirk, looking more like the Zayn she knew. “Y’know, all that haram and Jinn stories that used to bother the hell out of ya.”

Despite not wanting to, she couldn’t help but smile in return. “Right,” she warmed at the mention of their insider, “Well, we could use your help. For your research, did you come across anything about how to perform an exorcism on a house that’s possessed by a ghost?”

Zayn, to his credit, didn’t bat an eye at her odd question. He was used to Mags’ antics. “Yeah, from what I’ve read, the best bet is to light some sage. Ask the ghosts what they want and try to get them what they need, and they’ll leave.” He paused as if he truly registered what he just asked her, and then eyed Harry suspiciously. “But I know you. You don’t believe in that kinda stuff.”

“It’s nothing,” Mags lied, wanting to end this conversation, like, five minutes ago. “Can you tell us where the newspaper archives are? Ones from like 10 years ago?”

Heading towards the corner of the library that Zayn pointed them to, Harry and Mags walked in silence. Unable to take it anymore, Mags spoke up. “So, that was Zayn. My ex-boyfriend. But you already know that.”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me,” Harry assured her. And it seemed like he truly meant that sentiment, his voice unwavering and genuine He didn’t seem the slightest bit accusatory, no hint of sarcasm lining his tone, which was so unlike what she was used to when she was dating Zayn. Not that she was dating Harry, but she and Zayn had a knack for being able to get under each other’s skin. Had the roles been reversed, Zayn wouldn’t have let that interaction go, hounding Mags for more answers to impossible questions until they’d inevitably get into another one of their infamous fights. Zayn was an English major, through and through, envious and passionate. He felt deeply as an artist and fought just as dramatically too.

It was the fact that Harry was nothing like Zayn that encouraged her to share. “No, I want to explain,” She insisted, as they carried a stack of newspapers to a table, ready to dive into their town’s obituaries. “Zayn and I, well, he and I dated for a good while. It was one of those things where, when it was good, it was really good, y’know? But when it was bad? It was awful.”

Harry encouragingly nodded, his green eyes looking to her in sincerity, letting her tell the story at her own pace. “Well,” Mags exhaled, “It was serious. One of the most serious relationships I’ve ever had. But it didn’t work out. Obviously. We were just too different. We both retreated when we were hurt and angry instead of talking things out. And it wasn’t just his fault, it was both of ours. It wasn’t anything dramatic or serious. We just broke up because we never really tried our best, never gave our best effort to fix our problems.” She recalled the months after the end of their relationship, Mags tried her best to hold it together, but it really did wound her. “The break-up still sucked though,” she admitted. She may act collected and composed, but when she does let someone into her heart, it’s different. If it wasn’t for Niall and Marisol, she wasn’t sure if she’d have gotten through it.

Harry placed his hand atop of hers, taking care to look into her eyes. “He’s the guy that broke your heart, isn’t he? The reason that you’re scared to be vulnerable with someone.”

Mags kept her gaze on the stack of newspaper, unable to meet his eyes, wordlessly nodding in affirmation.

“Well, thank you for sharing that with me,” Harry said earnestly, reaching over to put a finger under Mags chin, turning her face so they were looking at each other. “Thanks for being vulnerable with me.” Mags raised her gaze, smiling at the kindness of the boy who sat across from her, unsure how to respond.

She needn’t worry though because she didn’t have to reply. “Anyways,” he continued, “We have a ghost to get rid of. Let’s get to looking through this decade’s worth of obituaries.”

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As they started to head back to the house, Mags was a ball of nerves, filled with anticipation. The trip to the library had been a success. Mags was able to find Bertha’s late husband, Tom’s, obituary. It simply stated that he passed due to a head contusion, with no information on how it occurred. News must’ve been slow that week because Harry then found the real treasure: an investigative article that revealed more information about Tom’s death. They discovered that Tom and Bertha had gotten into an argument, over something silly as she had to remind him multiple times to check the circuit breaker in the basement. Tom had begrudgingly gone to do so when one the wires in the breakers shocked him with a small current of electricity. The electrical shock didn’t kill him, but it did surprise him enough so that he stepped back, falling over and hitting his head on the edge of his workbench. The death was quick and painless, the article assured readers, but Mags still felt awful while reading it. Poor Tom, she thought, and poor Bertha. Even more so, it was a bit unsettling to Harry that a death had occurred in the house in which he was currently living.

As they had prepared to leave the library earlier, armed with knowledge and a secure plan to conduct their exorcism, Zayn had caught up with them, giving Mags a bottle of sage that he had lying around in his office that he acquired during his thesis research.

Now, she and Harry trekked back to the house, loaded with goodies that would hopefully guarantee an end to the paranormal activities; bottle of holy water, pewter candlesticks, and a bottle of sage, not to mention everything that they learned throughout the day. As she mentally recounted the day’s hectic and odd events, she voiced her thoughts. “Wasn’t that medium funny? The things she so-called predicted about you were so wild.” Mags laughed, brandishing her speech with air quotes.

“Heh, yeah,” Harry said, uncharacteristically without elaboration. There was a small pause, and then, “Actually, she wasn’t all wrong.” “How’s that?” Mags inquired, wondering how much longer their walk would take. She was so ready to deal with the ghost. Especially now since she knew it was Tom and he probably didn’t mean them any harm.

“I actually, uh, well you know how she said I suffered a great loss?” Harry reached over to rub the back of his neck before continuing, “Well. She wasn’t wrong about that. My uh, my dad passed away. Not too long ago really.” “Harry,” Mags said, concern and sympathy and sadness all intertwined in her voice, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. We don’t have to talk about it.”

“We don’t,” Harry agreed, but then he looked at her. And if Mags had to guess, the look in his eyes showed that he felt comfortable with her. Safe. “But I want to. My dad was an okay guy, not the best husband but a good father. He passed quickly – cancer, but not painlessly. It was tough for my sister and mom. Tough for me too.” He cleared his throat, sneaking a peek at Mags before looking down at his feet. “I just, I wanted you to know that about me. I like sharing things with you. You’re easy to talk to.”

Usually, Mags was quick to stick her foot in her mouth. Her special talent of saying the wrong thing reared its ugly head when it was most unwanted and in the most awkward situations. But surprisingly, that didn’t happen this time. Mags took one look at how exposed and open Harry was, how he shared his sorrow and confided in her, and she knew exactly what she wanted to say. “He must’ve been a great father,” Mags noted, “To have helped raise someone as wonderful like you.”

They shared a smile. A small one that meant that whatever this was, whatever was happening between them, it was going to be big. The shared smile revealed that there were wonders and adventures yet to come between them. But it would all have to wait until after tonight, when they would finally leave Harry with a ghost-free home.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Harry unlocked the door to his house, they didn’t waste time in removing their shoes or coats and got straight to work. Harry began to burn the sage and Mags set the candle around the room, lighting the wicks and igniting flames. They worked in silence, the magnitude of what’s to come weighing heavily on their shoulders. When finished with their respective duties, they met back at the center.

Harry’s grip on the bottle of holy water tightened. “You don’t have to do this, y’know? I won’t hold it against you.” He was offering her an out, not wanting to put her in any unnecessary danger.

Mags rolled her eyes, before reaching over to grasp his free hand. “I’m not that easy to get rid of. I’m not going anywhere.”

Just then, the awful thudding and heavy footsteps could be heard from above. It was loud, the steps so heavy that it caused bits of wood shavings to fall from the ceiling. It was now or never.

“Hello?” Mags called out, her voice trembling at the unknown. “Is that you Tom? I mean Mr – “ “Bleakman,” Harry helpfully supplied.

Mags gulped, “Mr. Bleakman. If that’s you, can you give us a sign?”

Was it her imagination, or had the room suddenly gotten colder? The inside of the house seemed to be even more freezing that the harsh winds outside. It was chilling. Goosebumps began to dot her arms and an uneasy feeling settling around her.  She held her coat closer to her exposed neck, her grip tightening in Harry’s intertwined hand.

“Mr. Bleakman?” Now it was Harry giving it a go. “If you can hear me, I just want you to know. I’m Harry. Your wife, Bertha, rented this house to me. She’s a real sweet woman.” “They play Bingo together,” Mags offered.

“We did. We played a lot of Bingo together and – “ “Which isn’t a euphemism by the way!” Mags exclaimed, before mouthing an apology to Harry when he shot her an exasperated look.

“Right. Well, Mr. Bleakman. Tom. I was hoping that you could stop haunting this house. The thing with the Ouija board the other day? It wasn’t very cool of me and I won’t do it again.” The thudding didn’t stop. The cold air didn’t seem to warm. In fact, things began to worsen. Mags and Harry looked around just as the lights began to flicker, casting an ominous lighting around the room. Just as suddenly, the lights went out all together and everything was dead silent. In the dim lighting, with the candles their only source of light, Mags eyes struggled to adjust. A chill ran down her spine, causing her to tremble. She clumsily reached out for Harry, having let go of his hand earlier, and then let out an audible sigh of relief when his hand found hers instead, squeezing it once as reassurance.

The thumping sound stopped. The only sound that could be heard was their shallow breathing that seemed deafening in an otherwise silent room. They waited, breath baited, for something to happen. It couldn’t be that easy Mags thought. There’s no way.

And though she didn’t want to be, she was right. No sooner has she mentally expressed that sentiment that there was a loud smashing sound that came from the right of her, followed by a loud bang of something crashing to the ground. She screamed, backing up into Harry, who immediately pulled her behind him, trying to shield her from whatever danger that lurked. Before they could even question what caused that smashing sound, a sudden gust of cold air could be felt, causing Mags to shudder and simultaneously, and all the flames in the candles went out. They were trapped in pitch darkness.

The front door slammed open, and the pair whirled around to look at the entrance. A hooded figure could be seen, face hidden, a blunt object in his hand.

This time, both Mags and Harry screamed bloody murder.

The figure screamed back.

A voice thick with an Irish accent resounded in the room. “Why’re ya screaming?! It’s just me!”

“Niall?” Mags questioned desperately, while Harry shouted, “What’s wrong with you? You don’t just bust into someone’s home like that!” The latter’s voice sounding suspiciously scared in a falsetto.

As if this was a playwright and not reality, the lights flickered back on, almost on cue. The lights revealed that it was indeed Niall, as he pulled down the hood from his jacket and stepped into the room. The large object in his hand was just a scroll of paper, rolled up into a tight cylindrical shape.

Mags took long strides to cross the room and stand before Niall before not so lightly pounding him on the arm repeatedly. “What is the matter with you?” “Ouch!” The Irishman exclaimed, wincing and rubbing him tender arm. “I’m here because I’ve found the answer to Harry’s problem.” He was met with unimpressed stares. “Yikes, tough crowd. Look, why don’t you guys take a seat?”

Mags and Harry shared a look, and then walked over to the couch, sitting close to each other, practically on the same cushion, not wanting to be apart after what they’d just witnessed. Once settled, all eyes were on Niall, who physically claimed the center of the room.

“I have found the solution to this haunting,” Niall began. Mags noticed that he was using the same rambunctious, haughty voice he employed when he had to present a subject in class over something that he hadn’t done the reading on, but she ignored calling him out as he actually had piqued her interest. Could he truly have the answer to stop all this madness?

Harry hunched over and ran his palms across his face, and Mags instinctively reached out to rub his shoulders comfortingly. “Oooh! When’d this happen?” Niall asked excitedly, pointing at them.

Mags eyes just flashed in irritation.

“Right!” Niall exclaimed, as if he suddenly remembered he was in the middle of something important. “The solution.”

He began to pace the length of the living room rug, his hands tied behind his back, the rain droplets from his jacket dripping onto the floor. “I’ve been thinking long and hard about everything that Harry had said about this house. All the things that spooked him. I didn’t know what to make of it, so I did some digging of my own.”

He bent over and unfolded the roll of paper, and Mags and Harry reached out to hold opposite edges to keep it straightened.

“Erm, what exactly are we looking at here?” Harry questioned, his head cocked to the side trying to make sense of the white lines and measurements adorning the navy-blue page.

“I went to the town hall and asked for a copy of this house’s floorplan. You mentioned it was old, Harry, something in Bertha’s family for a while so I figured they would have it. If you look closely, right about here,” he pointed to a section on the paper of what Mags deduced was the living room that they were currently in, “that’s the room we are in right now. And if you follow the measurements of the floorboards, you’ll see that they don’t quite align.”

From Harry’s squinted eyes, it was clear he hadn’t caught on yet. But Mags had. The paper showed the square footage, measurements, and scales; Numbers! She was back in familiar territory! She excitedly traced the area that Niall pointed out. “Oh my gosh,” she whispered, “This bitch is built crooked.”

“What?” Harry exclaimed, exasperated at being out of the loop. “What is this even showing me?” Niall seemed gleeful at Mag’s realization, validating his findings. “The house, while structurally sound, was built crooked. The plot of land it’s on is uneven. The left dipping lower than the right. Which is why sometimes,” Niall threw his arm out to point at the right wall, splattering Mags and Harry’s faces with more water droplets that flew off his sleeve, “the painting from that wall falls off periodically.” They all looked to where he pointed. The sound Mags and Harry had heard moments ago, the loud banging in the darkness, had been a picture frame that fell off the wall. That’s all it was. Mags felt just the tiniest bit of air fill back into her lungs in relief.

“B-but,” Harry nodded his head side to side in apparent puzzlement, “But how does that explain the lights? We – “He nodded his head at Mags, “We found out that Tom, Bertha’s husband, had died while messing with the breaker in the basement. The flickering lights has to be his ghost.” Niall only patted Harry’s head in response. “Oh, you silly lad! If only that were true. In actuality, Bertha forgot to tell you that in the winter months, the house needs a scheduled appointment with the town’s electrician. The house is old, the wiring is faulty, and it needs a nice tweak now and then in the cold weather.”

Niall stood up once again with a flourish, one finger raised and poised in the air, “And how would I know that? Fret not Harry,” to which Harry deeply exhaled in frustration. “I looked up Bertha, found her granddaughter on Instagram. She’s a fittie by the way, has a boyfriend though. Real shame.” A swift kick to his shins from Mags got him to stop his harmless flirting and get back on track. “Right, so I reached out to her. She relayed that information to me. She also pointed out something else that she thought we’d ought to know.”

He treads to the other side of the room, to the wall that has four large windowpanes covered by thick, velvet drapes. Grabbing the curtain from one corner, he peels it back, loudly exclaiming “Ta-daa!”, his hands outstretched as if he was presenting something fascinating to them, a magician in front of an audience.

Eyes blinked back at him. “There’s nothing even there!” Harry exasperatedly noted.

“What?” Niall did a double take, and then chuckled to himself. “Oops, wrong window.” He repeated his same dramatic motions, this time uncovering a window with a large, crack on it. On the corner, was a missing shard of glass. “Bertha had been meaning to get this fixed. The neighbor’s kid accidentally threw a baseball through the window. She got really forgetful towards the end, according to her granddaughter, which is why she whisked her away.”

Mags nodded excitedly, “That’s what’s been causing the drafts.” She turned to Harry, eyes glowing with relief, “That’s why it always so damn cold in here. Your thermostat can’t compete with that.”

“Hopefully the flickering lights will offset how high your electivity bill is going to be,” Niall joked.

Harry seemed unconvinced. “What about that smell then, huh? It smells something dreadful in the kitchen and I’ve cleaned the place spic and span.”

Mags turned to Niall in wonder, looking at him in a whole new light, as if he was an all knowing being that held all the answers.

“Follow me,” Niall said, leading the trio into the kitchen while continuing his monologue. “I called up our dear friend Louis. Hard guy to keep track of, that lad, with the time zones and all. I told him about the smell, and wouldn’t you know it? Our friend remembered the fact that when he was here, he had drunkenly tried to make himself scrambled eggs for breakfast when you,” he pointed accusingly at Harry, “were passed out on the couch. What he actually did was drop an egg on the ground. In his drunken state, he simply just kicked the egg yolk under the fridge, like ice, and promised to clean it later.”

Niall leaned against the fridge, arms crossed dramatically. “As we know, no follow-through that one. He forgot to clean his mess. So that smell you smelt? The scent of rotten eggs? It actually was a rotten egg. Disgusting but true.”

“I –” Harry couldn’t believe it. Gently pushing Niall away from the fridge, he knelt down on one knee, sinking onto the cool tile. Sliding his phone out of his front pocket, he turned on his flashlight app and shined in under the fridge. Niall and Mags also leaned in to get a closer look. Audible gasps could be heard from all three of them. There, under the dusty and sticky tile bottom of the fridge, wedged between a dust ball and an expired coupon, was a broken, rotten egg.

Mags pinched her nose, unable to take the scent anymore. “Niall, you’re an absolute genius,” she complimented nasally.

Before Niall could bask in his glory for long, Harry interrupted once again. “You’ve explained the lights. The painting falling off. The cold. The smell. But,” his eyes bleary and red, his arms flailing in frustration “what about the sounds coming from the ceiling? The footsteps?”

He turned around and looked at Mags frantically for support. “Mags heard it too! The night that she stayed over and we – um, she just heard it too!” while Mags nodded feverishly in the background.

Niall looked away, breaking eye contact. “That’s the only part I can’t explain,” the blonde confessed, scratching his scalp. “But the blueprints show this house has an attic. Let’s all go search up there together.”

Emboldened by Niall’s other explanations, everyone geared up for their excursion, which really meant that everyone had their phones in hand, flashlights shining. Once again, Niall lead the way, stopping in the middle of the hallway. It was no wonder Harry had never noticed it before. There, on the ceiling, was a subtle outline of an attic door and a very small chain dangling. It was so high up that Niall and Harry took turns hopping and trying to reach the latch, while Mags didn’t even try, watching the boys struggle because she know her attempts would be futile. Eventually Harry was able to grab ahold of the chain and pull the attic door open, as the wooden steps fell along with it. Harry looked back at Mags, feeling a surge of affection for this girl that was willing to risk everything for him, and then looked at Niall, the friend who jumped through hoops to help a friend. Inspired by the love and support around him, Harry took the lead, climbing up the steps as Niall and Mags respectively followed.

“Please don’t be a creepy man that’s been hoarding and hiding in Harry’s attic for shelter,” Mags whispered, climbing the last steps “Because I WILL die of shock, and that’s a promise.”

Niall and Harry helped her up, and she stood upright. They each flashed their lights at different corners of the attic, trying to find something amiss among the dusty boxes of forgotten belongings and storage.

“Wait,” Harry whispered, pointing in the opposite corner. “Look over there. Something’s glowing.”

And sure enough, Mags saw it too. Something was glowing and moving. Two little round balls of light.

“I think,” Harry began, taking a step closer to the source when all Mags wanted to do was drag him back to safety, “Oh wow, it is.” “Is what?” Niall exclaimed, unable to handle the suspense.

“It’s a family of possums!” Harry cried in relief, “It’s just a mama possum and her babies. It’s not a ghost!”

“Awww,” Niall cooed.

The release that everyone felt was almost palpable, the relief tangible. There was no ghost after all! No otherworldly being! All of this was caused by a forgetful old woman, a drunk friend, and a family of critters.

Mags could almost cry tears of joy. Science was valid. Her whole wasn’t flipped upside down. Numbers were important, her beliefs restored. Rationale could explain everything unusual that had occurred within the confines of this house. Without being too dramatic, she could firmly declare that once again, her life had meaning.

She took a few minutes to herself to truly appreciate that there was no haunting before finally speaking up. “I hate to ruin the moment,” Mags said as Harry and Niall admired the critters, “but mama possums are very territorial and will attack if she feels threatened.” When neither Harry nor Niall made any intentions to move, she added, “And possums are at high risk to carry strains of rabies.”

“And that’s our cue!” Harry quipped, as Niall vehemently added, “Yup!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Day 7: October 31st, Halloween!!!

Mags beamed with content, relaxing every muscle in her body as she laid on the bookshop’s couch, her head resting on Harry’s warm thigh, his face partially obscured by a book, reading snippets from the murder-mystery novel she had started but never got to finish given how hectic the past few days had been. His other free hand was draped across her shoulder and chest, and Mags divided her attention, taking turns to hold his hand and running her fingers across his forearm, despite Harry’s constant claim that it tickled.

It was Halloween, the day that she had first anticipated because she loved all things horror and it was her favorite holiday, and then the day that she had started to dread when she believed that Harry’s house was being haunted by a ghost. Now, she was back to loving her favorite holiday again, the world was ruled by science, and everything felt right. And it truly did. Ever since last night, when Niall was able to demystify all of the strange occurrences, Mags felt lighter than she had ever before. She let out an exhale as she relaxed into her position, nuzzling closer to Harry as his low voice rumbled, reading aloud to her, and embraced the pleasant sound.

She was so comfortable, so relaxed, she felt could fall asleep right here and now. A little nap was well-deserved at this point, she decided as she closed her eyes contently, considering the hell she’d been through this past week.

“Do not fall asleep,” a voice demanded.

She inhaled deeply in frustration, peeling one eye open to see Liam passing by. He eyed her, irritated, though Mags knew he wasn’t truly annoyed. “You’re still on the clock, y’know?” Liam said, “Just checking in to make sure you’re all set to close up.” He paused to nod at Harry in greeting, because apparently it was really a small world and Mags had found out that Liam and Harry actually knew each from freshman year history class.

Mags sat up, running her fingers through her hair in a futile attempt to tame it. “I don’t understand why you always ask me that when you never offer to actually help close up.”

Liam laughed in response. “I’m nothing if not consistent.” He reached over to give Harry one of those boy handshakes that would always elude Mags. Why couldn’t boys just say goodbye normally? “Anyways, I’ll see you at Harry’s place tonight. I’ve got a wicked costume planned,” he concluded as a farewell.

It wasn’t hard for Niall to convince Harry that he should host a Halloween party at his house, to celebrate the fact that he wasn’t haunted, but also because it was a great excuse to bring everyone together and get drunk. Mags, always eager to wear costumes, agreed with his sentiments and thus, they were hosting a last-minute Halloween party with no invitations spared.

Mags twisted her body to face Harry, his eyes already on her. “I probably should get up and start to close up.” She straightens herself up, ready to check inventory and cash out the register. “Before another student comes rushing in last minute again. Or God forbid, an English major,” she jokes.

“Um,” Harry treaded cautiously, “You know I’m an English major, right?” “You’re a what?” Mags eyes widen in shock. “Nope. No way.” She shakes her head vigorously. “Absolutely not.”

Harry smirks in amusement. “Unfortunately, yes. Sorry to break it to you, hon.”

Mags froze, flabbergasted. She guessed she really did have a type. Karma really was a bitch. “I’m so glad you decided to reveal your major after the fact,” she joked, “Or else it might’ve been a deal breaker.”

“Oh!” She exclaimed, changing the subject, “Don’t forget! I’ll need to rush home and put on my costume before meeting you at the house.” “Ooh,” Harry resounded in excitement, “Can you pretty please bring Pumpkin with you? I haven’t seen her all day.” She rolled her eyes in response. “I’m beginning to think you’re only dating me for my cat,” she joked amicably.

And that is what they were doing. Dating. As soon as all the ghost nonsense was put to rest, she and Harry finally had the opportunity to address everything that happened between them. Though their coming together was unconventional, the feelings were real and strong, and they decided to give their relationship a try. Mags felt good about it. They way Harry made her feel made her think they were in it for the long haul and she was excited about their future holds.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Adjusting her halo that fell askew when she threw her head back to take a shot, Mags looked around the kitchen in happiness, the kind that fills your heart when you’re in a party, surrounded by close friends and loved ones, loud music thumping from a distance and filled with good vibes. Alcohol definitely plays a part too.

Suddenly, two tattooed arms reached out to envelop her, careful to avoid smushing her wings. She leaned her weight against Harry’s chest, allowing him to support her, as she turned her face slightly towards him. He lowered his head to her ears, his breath tickling her skin and making her blood rush. “You look so good,” Harry murmured, “I’ve got half a mind to call the cops on my own party so they can kick everyone out. Want you all to myself.”

Despite rolling her eyes, Mags couldn’t help the pleased smile that snaked across her face. “Easy there, I’m spending the night anyway.” She turned around so that her wings were no longer a barrier between them, wrapping her arms around Harry from the front, her face against his chest, as he placed his head affectionally atop hers, the wisps on her Halo tickling his cheeks.

Mags had chosen an angel as her last-minute Halloween costume, mainly because it was an easy outfit, but also because the white contrasted well with her golden-brown skin and this particular outfit did wonders for her boobs. A fact that didn’t go unnoticed by Harry, if the look he gave her when she first made her entrance was any indication. On the other hand, Harry had chosen to dress as a devil. Or at least, a very lackluster devil. He had a red sweater on earlier, but the warmth from the house crowded with bodies caused him to abandon that hours ago, and he was left with a white t-shirt, dark jeans, and a pair of devil horns hastily placed atop his mass of curly hair. It was mysterious the way the world worked. Just a week ago, she imagined that on Halloween she would be at home, watching the Scream movie series with Niall, Marisol, and Pumpkin, with a bag of Halloween candy to pass out to trick or treaters. And now, she was celebrating her favorite holiday with her friends and her boyfriend with a fun party.

As the Monster Mash played deafeningly in the background, and they were jostled from people entering and exiting the kitchen to get punch, they swayed to their own silent music, content to be lost in their world for just a moment.

A moment that was interrupted by Niall. “Seriously Harry? You were supposed to grab Mags so we could play charades!” To which Harry muttered an insincere apology. Niall turned to Mags, “It’s a Halloween version of charades. I know how competitive you get. You and Harry can be on the same team. It’ll be a true test of your love!” He declared, his speech slow and slurred.

Mags was game. “Oh, we are so gonna win!” She declared, already leaning into her competitive streak.

“Great!” Niall declared enthusiastically, his arms sloppily flailing in excitement. Unfortunately for him, and for Harry, Niall had forgotten about the cup he was holding and just emptied its entire content onto Harry. His white shirt was completely stained with red punch.

Niall avoided Harry’s harsh glare as Mags slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. “Oops! I’ll just let ya take care of that before our game,” he announced, adjusting his fake leprechaun beard before hurriedly making his exit.

“Great,” Harry groaned, dabbing his shirt with a paper towel in vain, “I have to go change my shirt.” Unexpectedly, Mags was hit with a sudden realization. “Oh my gosh!” She exclaimed in a tone of wonder. “You’re completely covered in red liquid.”

It took Harry a moment, but then his eyes flashed with recognition. “That crazy old psychic was right!”

Mags laughed at the absurdity of it all. “I wonder,” she began, rubbing her chin thoughtfully, “If she was right about two things so far, I’m starting to suspect that she was right to warn me. I’ll bet you are a widower! How do I know I’m not dating a married man?” She teased.

Harry just looked at her fondly in response, at the crazy girl that he called his girlfriend.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buzz! The electronic buzzer resounded, indicating that Mags and Harry’s turn was over. She threw her arm up in frustration. “Seriously Harry? The word was Leatherface! It’s the killer in Texas Chainsaw Massacre!” “How was I supposed to get that?” He howled with laughter.

“I was pointing at Zayn’s leather jacket!” She explained, pointing at the boy dressed as a Greaser, “And I was miming a chainsaw!”

“A chainsaw?” Harry questioned, as Niall guffawed, “I thought you were chopping vegetables!”

Mags sat back next to Harry, arms crossed, and lips pouted in pretending to sulk. “It’s okay baby,” he comforted her, “We’ll get them next round.”

“You promise?” She teased.

His pinky reached out to capture hers. “Pinky promise.”

Mags had chosen a seat next to Marisol and Niall, her main competition in this game. She had squeezed Liam’s shoulder as she passed to get to her seat and shot Zayn a smile in greeting, noticing other familiar faces in the room. It seems that the people that she was the closest with had chosen to join the game.

Niall observed Mags and Harry tangled within one another, as she sat close to Harry, her back to his chest, his arm slung around her shoulders as they waited for their next turn. “You guys are so cute. We should go on a double-date!” He exclaimed, the alcohol causing his enthusiasm to increase ten-fold, “Marisol,” he called, turning to his girlfriend, “Let’s all get brunch tomorrow morning!” Marisol shared a knowing look with Mags, to say Gosh my boyfriend is so cute but such an adorable handful when he’s drunk. “Sweetie,” she began understandingly, as if she was speaking to a toddler, “Y’know I have church in the morning. The church on 3rd street holds their sermons really early on Sunday mornings.”

“Oh, the one with Pastor Mike?” Mags questioned, “He’s super nice!” Marisol looked over at her roommate in concern. “Why do you know that?” She questioned in exasperated confusion, the synthetic hair from her blue Coraline wig slipping over her eyes as she narrowed them at Harry suspiciously, who was busy playing with the ends of Mags hair, the long strands skirting against the small of her back. Marisol lowering her voice in a drunken whisper that wasn’t actually that quiet, “Is he trying to convert you?”

Harry looked offended at the accusation and Mags bubbled over in laughter, unable to explain to Marisol. She didn’t even know what’d she say. Yes, I know Pastor Mike is really kind because he helped Harry and I with an exorcism.

As Marisol and Niall got distracted because it was their turn, Mags turned to admire the mantle above the fireplace. When rooting through the basement for Halloween decorations, she and Harry had found a beautiful picture of Bertha and Tom. They felt it was appropriate to have it up, as a reminder of the love that once filled this house, instead of the horror they previously feared. “I guess I’ll have to go out and buy another frame,” Harry commented, following Mags eyes to see what got her attention. “Why’s that?” Mags asked curiously.

“For a picture of us, of course!” Mags shoved his arm playfully. “Harry, we’ve literally been officially dating for one day, why are you like this?” In turn, he dropped all pretenses of joking, carefully looking into her eyes. “When you know, you know,” he explained, his words firm and laced with adoration. He reached out to tuck a strand of her dark hair behind her ears, his actions tender and careful, his gaze unwavering. This time, Mags didn’t have to guess what expression was on his face, wasn’t confused about the look in his eye. As he ducked forward, dipping down to touch his nose against hers, she recognizes the emotion that all the signs point to: love.

Just as Harry’s lips are about to make contact with hers, Liam speaks up boisterously, gathering the attention of everyone in the room. “After this,” he boldly proclaims, his once carefully applied zombie makeup now smudged and his speech imprecise due to the effects of the punch, “we should all get into the true Halloween spirit by playing the ultimate spooky game.”

His proclamation is meet with cheerful jeers of encouragement and questions about what the game was.

“Great!” He all but shouts in enthusiasm, “I’ll just go and find us a Ouijia board.”

Time stood still. Everything seemed to move in slow-motion.

Completely in sync, their motions fluid and graceful, contradicting the amount of alcohol consumed between the three of them, Niall, Harry, and Mags jumped up from the couch in harmony, bellowing a resounding chorus of “NO!”

The End. (or isss iiiiiit?)

(Just kidding, it is.)

[satsuki2406]

Dear Aomi Bakugou Katsuki x Reader

"I've seen you in a dream before, you are the warm and bright presence that embraced me on Cape Kamui a long time ago on a June afternoon."

Shinohara (Y/N) is a normal girl who had everything she could ask for, a loving family, a beautiful home, friends, and a fluffy cat. For a long time, she gave her life and happiness for granted, never imagining that she'll face one of the worst and crueler facades of society so closely, destroying what once was a happy, harmonious and normal family. One day, in hopes to recover what they lost, the Shinohara family took one of the more difficult decisions of their lives; leave behind their home back in Hokkaido and travel hundreds of miles south until Musutafu, the place that could grant them a solution and help close the yet fresh wound and scare away the ghosts of the past. Hardheaded, passionate, and ambitious (Y/N) is forced to confront the incarnated face of the superhuman society that she hated the most; Bakugou Katsuki.

PAIRING: (Bakugou Katsuki x Reader)

GENRE/WARNINGS: Romance, Fluff, Angst, Dark Themes, My poor attempt of humor, Strong language (Courtesy of Lord Explosion Murder 💥), Manga Spoilers, LONG ass chapter.

STATUS: On going

Chapter 1: School is a Great Place to Make Enemies

2-My Stupid Classmate, the Angry Dandelion

Running steps along tired panting could be heard through the empty streets. Both teens were now a good distance from school but adrenaline pushed them to keep going a little more. But once the necessity of breathing started to kick in, both decided that a break would be more than appreciated. They came to a halt at the entrance of a tunnel and concentrated now on catching their breath, once he was recovered enough to talk, Midoriya, timidly made the first comment. “Shi-Shi-Shinohara-san…!” (Y/N), getting one last intake through her nose, landed her eyes on Midoriya who whimpered nervously hardly believing that now he had officially talked to a girl who wasn’t his mom. “Huh? What is it?”

The poor boy, unsure of what to do and terribly flustered, tried to rearrange his thoughts while covering his reddened face with his arms.

“W-Why you di-did that?”

“What do you mean?”

“Confront Kacchan, de-defend me I mean” Midoriya almost whispered.

“And why shouldn’t I? You were being a victim of injustice so I stepped in, that’s how it works, if you see someone in trouble, you help them, that’s the correct thing to do isn’t it?”

Midoriya watched amazed at (Y/N) while she sweetly smiled at him, touched by her words.

“W-Well I guess b-but... you-you don’t think I’m a loser cause I’m quirkless?! A-Aren’t you going to avoid me like everybody else does? Make fun of me like the rest of the class?!”

“To be honest Midoriya, ‘til this moment you haven’t give me a single reason to do any of that, actually, you look like a nice guy.” Midoriya’s blood pressure was sky high at this point, a pretty girl faced no other than Bakugou fucking Katsuki for his sake twice in the timespan of eight hours, talked to him kindly and also complimented him? All in the same day?!

‘This is so crazy!’

“Midoriya?” (Y/N)’s voice interrupted his accelerated thoughts. “Y-Yes?!”

“Are you ok? I mean, Bakugou blasted your desk at the beginning of the class- oh by the way! What was that notebook you had earlier? ‘Hero notes for the future’ was it? I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him from burning it, but at least it didn’t end at a koi pond or something.” (Y/N) said with a closed-eye smile.

“I-It’s ‘He-Hero Analysis for the Fu-Fu-Future’ actually, b-but you g-got it close! H-Hero notes is ok! I-I mean if you want to call it that way! But you can call it whatever you like! If you want to put it a specific name it is, if not, it is ok! Oh my God...! This is kind of overwhelming, we just jumped from a third floor but we are safe and sound! I can’t believe you actually confronted Kacchan, b-but what if now he starts targeting you?! It would be all my fault! I’M SO SORRY SHINOHARA-SAN!! But unlike me, you could rely on your quirk to defend yourself, but after what happened today, he will try to take revenge for sure…! And my situation with him could get even worst, especially after what happened today! But even though…*mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter mutter…*”

Midoriya kept blabbering and blabbering endlessly and (Y/N) just could sweat drop and observe him with eyes wide as saucers. ‘He definitely has no friends, huh? Even if it sounds mean, it was expected.’ (Y/N) took a deep breath and smiling at the awkward greenettte she decided to stop Midoriya’s creepy monologue before it got even longer.

“Midoriya…” She rose her hand and softly karate chopped the top of his fluffy head. “…snap out of it!” (Y/N) said while smiling at the now deeply flushed boy.

“I-I’m so sorry!” The poor boy said while aggressively bowing his head at a inhuman speed.

“Haha! No problem! You really are funny Midoriya! But please stop that you’ll damage your neck.”

“F-Funny?! M-Me?!”

“Yup! By the way, who’s Kacchan?”

“O-Oh, w-well Kacchan is actually Bakugou’s nickname, everybody used to call him like that when we were kids, I guess it just got stuck with me. His actual full name is Bakugou Katsuki.”

“Oh my God! You actually call him that all the time?! Hahaha! That’s sooo cute! I’ll tease him tomorrow with that for sure!”

“W-What?! No! Please Shinohara-san you’re already on Kacchan’s bad side! Don’t get in more trouble because of me!”

“I’m not afraid of Bakugou, Midoriya. As you said I can rely on my quirk for self-defense, and besides, if that asshole is that dead serious about getting into U.A he’ll try to keep his record as clean as possible. He’s nothing more than a bully who was lucky enough to get a strong quirk.” A serious and confident look was settled on (Y/N)’s eyes, Midoriya, despite being surprised by her courage, remained a bit doubtful. After suffering years and years of mental and physical abuse by Bakugou, he was unsure if it was a good idea for Shinohara to keep on irking the already irritable blond. But at the end, she had something he never will, a power of her own and self-confidence. Maybe he could try to rub on a bit of the last one.

“Oh, damn it! Our shoes still at school! I guess my plan wasn’t bulletproof after all…” Midoriya lowered his view to his shoes finding out that indeed, (Y/N) was right, a pair of white uwabaki* were covering his feet instead of his signature red shoes.

“Oh no! I forgot my bike too! My parents are going to kill me!” (Y/N) said desperately pulling her (Y/N) locks. “Crap I need to go back to school!” (Y/N) tried to put her head together with a plan to sneak into school and avoid bumping into Bakugou to avoid more trouble. ‘He probably left already, but I can’t take the risk anyway.’

“I-I’m sorry that you are having to get in all this trouble because of me, I’m sorry Shinohara-san” (Y/N) saw Midoriya’s sad expression, and a little pang of guilt passed through her. ‘I guess I have to be careful of what I say in front of him, he seems kind of sensitive and self-conscious, I’ll have it on account the next time.’

“Come on Midoriya! You take everything too seriously! And don’t forget that I was the one who decided to step up and give you a helping hand, so don’t overwhelm yourself with the simplest things! It was my mistake so I’ll solve it! As simple as that! (Y/N) said while she padded Midoriya’s back animatedly.

“Well! I guess this is when we part ways Midoriya! See yaaa!~” Just like that the lively (H/C)-ette ran her way to Aldera meanwhile Midoriya contemplated her get lost on the horizon. ‘That was so insane…! I don’t think this day could get more nuts…!’

 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️💨

“Goddamnit! My-my lungs are on fire! If it wasn’t for my regular workout routine, I would have passed out ages ago!” After a couple of minutes, the school came into view again, wheezing and with a tremendous thirst. (Y/N) finally arrived at her destiny. Once she recovered her breath, she started looking for some trace of Gru, Kevin and Bob at the school entrance. Once she verified that the coast was clear, (Y/N) proceeded to jog at the main entrance, where the shoe lockers were located. Thankfully nobody was there at the moment, the only remaining students at the school were the members of the clubs. After finding her locker, she quickly changed her shoes. ‘Perfect! Now to the bike parking we go! If I’m not wrong is at the back of the school’

Stealthy and cautiously, (Y/N) made her way to the bike parking only bumping twice with other students that fortunately weren’t the explosive blonde. Just a few minutes later she could already devise her goal at just a couple of feet away from her, fortunately they weren’t a lot of bikes there like in the morning so find it was easier than expected.

“If I’m not wrong, I put it in the third row to the left, so, in theory it should be right-AHA! There you are!” Right in front of her eyes, was a brand new, vintage style (F/C) bike. It was a gift that (Y/N) received from her parents after they moved to Musutafu, she has been dying to have one of those since the last summer, so it wasn’t an overstatement to say that she almost had a heart attack when she saw it parked with a big (F/C) bow on it at her new house’s driveway after they arrived.

Without wasting more time, she placed her bag on the front basket, unlocked the cable lock and got on the bike. Watching her surroundings one last time to make sure it was safe to go, she pedaled the bike with all her might until she was a fair distance from the school, again.

“That was a close one! I’m glad I didn’t bump into that stupid dandelion!” ‘Although I was honest when I said to Midoriya I wasn’t afraid of him, it doesn’t mean I want to start another argument with him, it would be the third of the day, been his classmate is exhausting enough.’ Thanks to the hectic events occurred no even an hour ago (Y/N) could appreciate better the beautiful view surrounding her, the soft spring breeze swayed the cherry blossoms making them rain over the sidewalk and the heads of the distracted passerby that walked under them. This was a really crazy day full of surprises, some more pleasant than others but having such a calming landscape was really comforting. ‘Maybe this city is not so bad after all’

(Y/N) train of though was abruptly disturbed by a strong explosion that resonated in the distance. “A villain attack? It looks like it is happening in the center-” “Indeed-nya, young lady, in the Commercial District to be more specific-nya” (Y/N) turned her head to find the origin of the voice that answered her inquiry to be found with an elderly woman with cat ears and tail accompanied by who seem to be her daughter. “How do you know it?” (Y/N) asked intrigued. “We just were evacuated from there by the heroes-nya” the younger woman said. “We happened to be shopping there when a villain took a middle schooler hostage-nya and stared to cause havoc in the place, explosions, stores on fire, people running everywhere, it was crazy-nya! We were fortunate enough to escape as soon as it started-nya!”

“Oh God!  A middle schooler?! That sounds awful! I hope the heroes can stop it soon, you really were lucky.” After share a couple more words they went on their separate ways. “Oh man! I was supposed to pass there to buy some stuff for dinner, I guess I’ll have to go to a konbini, I know mom will understand. Now the actual question is how I’m supposed to go home without going through the city centre that must be closed right now?” (Y/N) sighed resigned now that she had no choice. “The long way it is then I guess.”

 🚲🚲🚲

One hour. That was what took (Y/N) to reach her neighborhood, and she still need to go to the konbini before going home. “Thanks God I have the bike, otherwise I don’t want to imagine how long it would have taken to get here with the train station closed right now. I really need a bath~ I want to get into the ofuro* and never get out…” ‘Now that I think about it the konbini should be on this street- Oh! There it is!’ Just In cue with her thoughts the lights of the store made their appearance on the way, lighting the sidewalk in front of it. Quickly, (Y/N) rode her bike to the main entrance and locked it on the little bike parking close to the automated door. After entering, (Y/N) took a shopping basket and was welcomed by the attendant at the cash register. ‘This place is quite large, maybe I can find all I need, ok, so the list say I need carrots, chicken breast, milk, pork cutlet and eggs, it’s not too much’ “Alright let’s get over with this so I can go home!” (Y/N) nimbly navigated through the store to get everything she needed to, along with some snacks and a bottle of Ramune soda to drink during the way home. After she got everything she needed (Y/N) made a beeline to the cash register to pay and leave. She gave her basket to the cashier who proceeded to scan the products, meanwhile (Y/N) busied herself looking other costumers entering and leaving on the convex mirror close to the door; an elderly man, two girls around the same age as her, a kid, Bakugou, another kid…wait-

‘Bakugou?!’

“Danm old hag running out of soy sauce at this fucking hour…” (Y/N) could hear him grumbling as he entered the store, sweating bullets at this point she mentally implore the cashier to hurry the hell up so she could leave before he noticed her presence. ‘Why did I have to grab so many snacks?!’

Unfortunately, the luck that seemed to stick to her the whole day decided to run away before she could do it first, because just in that moment Bakugou decided to take a detour to the manga display section that happened to be right at the side of the cash register. To put the cherry on the top, the Ramune bottle decided to rebel at that moment and refused to be scanned after the third failed try. “Oh, the code seems to be a bit blurred, let me bring another one to scan it” said the cashier. Before (Y/N) could oppose and just leave without the drink, the cashier girl disappeared at the back of the store where the cold drinks were.

‘Please, don’t notice me don’t notice me don’t notice me don’t notice me don’t notice me don’t-’

“The fuck are you doing here thief bitch?” Bakugou sneered

‘Goddamnit!’

“Oh, I don’t know, if we look at the evidence presented here, I’m standing at a convenience store’s cash register with a basket full of products that I’m about to pay for, so what do you think I’m doing here genius?”

“Don’t you smart mouth me idiot” Bakugou sneered.

“Don’t ask stupid questions then”

“You! -”

“I’m back! Sorry for the delay. So, your total would be ¥2738” (Y/N) slammed 3 bills of ¥1000 over the counter, took her bags and told the girl to keep the change before exiting the store.

“Oi thief bitch! Come back here! I’m not done with you!” Bakugou left the Shonen Jump magazine he was holding and went behind (Y/N).

“Oi! I’m talking to you bitc!-”

“Can you just shut up?! I have nothing to talk with you! And stop calling me ‘thief bitch’! I have a name you tared!” Bakugou stopped on his tracks a bit shocked by her reaction, and looked at her load the bike basket with her shopping bags and angrily unlocking the cable to hop on it.  Hunching his posture and shoving his hands in his pockets he addressed her once more, this time more calmly.

 “What’s your problem with me?”

 (Y/N) stopped the bike making the rubbers screech against the ground before turning around to see Bakugou glaring at her. “I beg your pardon?”

“You heard me”

“If you mean that I completely dislike you and find you absolutely intolerable then yes, that’s my problem, well done Sherlock, can I go now?” (Y/N) turned her back to him with the intention of leave once and for all, but Bakugou had other plans. “What I said on class, what I said to Deku today, I mean it, Every. Single. Word. I’ll surpass All Might and become the strongest, richest and most powerful hero of all time, I don’t care what Deku or you do or think, I’ll crush you both.”

‘The nerve of this guy!’

A long pause took place after Bakugou’s statement, pleased with her silence the young male turned back to the konbini to buy the damn soy sauce his mother was nagging for and go home as well.

“You really are blind, aren’t you?”

“Hah?”

“You, like everybody else thinks that being a hero is all about recognition, fame, money, influence, power, right? Just because you have a powerful quirk you think you have what it takes to be a hero? You talk about surpass All Might yada yada all that crap. How are you supposed to be a hero and even more, exceed The Symbol of Peace himself when all you are is a bully? When you do nothing more than hurt and discourage, treating everybody like trash because you think you must be worshiped like a God who the Universe itself owns its very existence? Tell me Bakugou, you think that with how you are right now, one day when you try to rescue someone, can you guarantee that someone would take your hand? Trust in you blindly? Become a Symbol? You haven’t understood why All Might is the Number One Hero in the first place, it’s not all about fighting and kick everybody’s ass to oblivion. You may have been looking up to him all your life, and you still don’t understand.”

Bakugou looked at her astonished, how dare she to look down on him?!  Of course he had all that it takes to be a hero and more! He is the Bakugou Katsuki! The next Number One Hero! Who wouldn’t want to be saved by him?! He is the best! He is a winn-

“If all you ever do is look down on people, you won’t be able to recognize your own weaknesses.”

“Weaknesses?! What fucking weakne?!-”

“Didn’t you mommy sent you to buy soy sauce? I bet she must be waiting.”

“Don’t change the damn subject!- Oi! get your ass back here!”

“You already made me waste a lifetime, and like I said, I have nothing to talk with you”

As (Y/N) got farther and farther she could hear Bakugou’s shouting being muffled by the distance.

  “Ha, serves you right, asshole.”

  ✒A/N:

Did I invested 45 minutes of my life investigating the real prices in Japan of all the products in (Y/N)’s list to make the total amount as accurate as possible? Yes, yes I did. *cough*OCD*cough*  ¥2738 are approximately $25.61.

*Uwabaki: They are a type of Japanese shoes worn indoors, at home, school or certain companies and public buildings where street shoes are prohibited. 

*Ramune: Is a type of carbonated soft drink originally created and sold in Japan. It’s original taste is lime-lemon, very similar to a Sprite but sweeter and softer, it comes in a wide variety of yummy and weird flavors like bubble gum, melon, cola, curry or teriyaki. If you have the chance to find it give it a try, the original flavor is really good and open the bottle is really fun!

[ttooccaa]

The impeccable timing of Everything - Chapter 2

2/5

First off, I fixed a small mistake in the first chapter, I had absolutely forgot that Intergang actually makes an appearance in YJ, so yeah, sorry. All I did was change a small portion of dialogue. Re-reading is not needed, again sorry for absolutely forgeting about them...

Now that that's out of the way, this chapter turned out way longer and much more detailed than I excpected.

Rating: Teen 

Ao3 link

Chapter 2: Casual Sabotage

Taos

November 23, 12:01 MST

Ed was running only on a few hours of sleep and was currently nursing his second cup of coffee. He didn’t like it at first, but he quickly developed a taste for the bitter drink after the opening of the Meta-Human Youth center. He tucked his white T-shirt into his jeans and tried smoothing down his light yellow flannel.

Ed hadn’t managed to really talk with the three newly arrived metas, as soon as they had answered all the basic questions and had gone through a quick medical check-up all three of them had fallen asleep. Nathaniel had just informed him that all three were awake and wanted to talk. Ed decided that it was best that he teleported in the beginning of the hallway leading to the medical wing. That way his sudden appearance in the room wouldn’t cast the newly arrived teens any unwanted stress.

Ed drank the last of his coffee and threw the disposable cup in the trashcan. He gingerly opened one of the two large, white doors and entered the medical room. It was a large room with a lot of medical equipment in it, all of the beds could be separated with so called privacy curtains. There were separate rooms as well, though only a few. He leaned against the door when he closed it and started thinking of what to say and how to best help Wayne, Kate and Kole, but quickly his thoughts started to go astray. Stray thoughts of Bart began filling up his head. He definitely liked Bart, there wasn’t any question when it came to that, but damn it if feelings weren’t complicated. Voicing them, even more so. The fear of rejection never goes away even when you’re almost sure the other person will reciprocate your feelings.

Closest to the door he noticed Leslie also known as Livewire and Andy or Mist, Leslie was sitting on one of the beds while Andy was putting a bandaid on her finger.

“Don’cha think that’s a little much?” Livewire asked while looking at the neon pink bandaid with a unicorn on it.

“I think it’s quite cute.” Andy chuckled, then placed a chaste kiss on her girlfriend’s forehead.

Leslie blushed, but quickly recovered and noticed their peer counselor’s daydreaming form leaning against the door “You gonna stay there all day, sunshine?”

This quickly snapped him out of his thoughts and he turned towards the couple. Ed walked over to them. “Really? Sunshine?” He asked dryly.

Leslie grinned, then shrugged “Well, “golden boy”‘s a bit too obvious.”

“And as we all know you are a master at subtlety.” The Argentinian said rolling his eyes.

Andy smiled “I’m guessing that what’s bringing you over to the med wing are those three over there behind the curtain.” She pointed at the back of the room, without turning around.

“Yeah. New additions… hopefully.”

“I’m sure they’ll stay.” Andy said, reassuring him.

“I mean, we did and we weren’t exactly easy to deal with.” Leaslie shrugged, then put her arm around her girlfriend’s waist.

Ed smiled “Dully noted, now if you’ll excuse me, duty calls.”

Both Leslie and Andy rolled their eyes.

Ed continued his short walk over to the other side of the room. He slowly pulled the curtain separating the three teens from the other side of the room.

“Hey!” He greeted.

Neut was with them already and Wayne, Kole and Kate were talking. Nathaniel excused himself, than pushed Ed outside the curtain.

“What’s up, man?” Ed asked.

“They’re a bit on edge.” Neut gave Ed a half dissolved piece of plastic.

He looked at it, confused.

“That used to be a fork.”

“Geez. Which one of them…?” He waved the white plastic around trying to illustrate his question.

“Kate.”

“Okay.” He took a big breath “We can do this.”

Neut nodded and they both pushed the curtain open once again.

The teens turned towards them. They were dressed in clothes issued from the Meta-Human center, while their original clothes and belongings were on the cupboards next to the beds.

There was a beat of silence then Kate spoke “Thank you for saving us.” She was playing with the split ends of her long, blonde hair. “I really don’t know what would’ve happened to us if you and rest of the Outsiders hadn’t come.”

Ed nodded, then took a breath “How are you all feeling?”

Wayne shrugged “Peachy.” His midwestern accent clear even from a single word.

Ed looked at Neut, hoping for some help. He gave him a reassuring smile.

The Argentinian sighed “Okay, I’m sure Neut already told you everything you need to know, but let me at least formerly introduce myself, my name is Eduardo Dorado Jr. and I’m a peer counselor at this center, known as the Meta-Human Youth Center.”

He continued “You already know what we do or?”

Kole answered “Yeah, Nati over here told us everything!” She was smiling brightly.

Ed smiled and raised an eyebrows at the nickname, he turned towards Nathaniel who was rubbing the back of his neck.

“I’m happy to hear that, I know I will probably be repeating Nati’s words, but you are free to go whenever you feel like it, though I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Wayne narrowed his eyes at that “And why is that?”

Kate rolled her eyes in restoration “I don’t know Wayne, maybe because we were almost human trafficked.”

“Bitch.”

“Twat.”

Ed took a calming breath. “I know you’re probably all scared-“ Wayne’s narrowed eyes turned towards him. “Even if you don’t feel like admitting it, but right now here is probably the safest place for all of you. I looked through your results and you’re meta-gene has been awakened, which means -.”

“That now I’m even more of a freak than I used to be.” Kate muttered.

“Hey, you’re not a freak, none of you or us for that matter are, okay?” Es put his hand on her shoulder, doing his best to reassure her.

He put his hand back at his side, then leaned against a heavy machine “In the beginning I wanted my powers gone more than anything, but I started to accept them. Yeah, it was hard, but it was worth it. What I’m trying to say is that if you decide to stay you can get help with everything, not only from me or Neut, but also everybody in here and medical professionals such as doctors, psychologists-“

“I don’t need no shrink.” Wayne’s midwestern accent cut through his words.

Ed sighed “Again, it’s completely up to you.”

“I’d like to stay.” Kole said, her expression determined

Kate nodded “Me too.”

All eyes turned towards Wayne.

He sighed “Not like there’s any better options out there.”

Both Ed and Nathaniel smiled wide.

“You won’t regret it.” Neut said.

Now came the hard part, Ed turned his attention once again to the three teens “I’m sorry that I have to ask this, but can you please tell us everything you can about how you ended up being trafficked, anything at all will hopefully save everybody else who were in your situation.”

All three of them tensed.

Ed continued talking, while running a hand through his unruly curls “We will talk one on one if you wish and anything you tell me, stays between us and the Outsiders so that we can stop this organisation. Please think about all the people you can help.”

Kate smiled “That’s some hardcore guilt tripping, Ed.”

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” He was stumbling over his words, blushing hard.

Kate chuckled “Haha, so you are human after all.”

Ed looked puzzled for a second, then Kate continued talking “I’ll do it. Where are we going to talk?”

“It doesn’t have to be right away-“

“I’m a big girl Ed, I can handle it. Better to do it sooner rather than later, that way the info is as fresh as possible.” She got up from the bed and just now did Ed notice that she was half a head taller than him. “Let’s go, yes?” She pushed open the curtains.

Central City

November 23, 13:38 PST

Bart had just finished a quick workout, trying to get his head straight… well that wasn’t exactly possible. Anyways he went into the living room where Jay was sitting on the couch watching Tv. Bart was glad to be back home. He had missed it.

He leaned on the back of the couch next to Jay “What are you watching?”

“Just that prick G. Gordon Godfrey cause panic for no apparent reason.”

Bart turned his attention over to the Tv “The League and the Outsiders were silent during the months when poor meta-human were disappearing, but now! All of a sudden it they are taking down a ring and not only that they have “saved” three meta-humans! Really makes you think what is truly going on.” The tv host gave the camera his signature sleazy grin, then continued to speak, but Bart had already tuned him out.

“He’s insufferable.” The younger speedster muttered under his breath.

Jay grunted in agreement. He turned the volume down and looked at Bart “So how are you doing, kid? Anything new.”

Bart shrugged “Same old, same old.”

“You know, Bart, between you and me, Joan was always the more perceptive of the two of us, but even now I can tell something is bothering you.” The first Flash had a warm smile on his face.

Bart took a big breath, then sat down on the couch next to Jay “It’s just, a lot.”

Jay laughed “Ah, you’re spending too much time with Batman and his wards, you’re becoming vague like them.”

Kid Flash chuckled, then relaxed into the couch. So many conflicting thoughts were going through his head, he loved Jay, he was family, but still this time, it’s way of thinking, people’s mentality, everything was so different, he should be used to it by now, but sometimes he was still amazed at how different everything was.

Jay tapped him on the shoulder “You’re thinking too hard, son. Whatever it is, it doesn’t have to be now or ever for that matter, but if you ever want to share, I’ll be here, ready to listen.” He was smiling, his eyes were gentle and trusting.

Bart slowly placed his hand on top of Jay’s which was resting on his shoulder and smiled “There is this, teeny weeny thing.” He was squinting behind his index finger and his thumb illustrating how small the thing was.

The first Flash brought his hands to rest on his thighs and chuckled “Well if it’s that insignificant you shouldn’t have a problem with getting it out.”

Bart laughed nervously “Yeah...” A thought went through his head ‘Here goes nothing. I guess.’ He then looked at the ground then back at Jay “I kinda have a crush.”

Jay blinked at him “That was it?”

Bart made an unsure expression “Ehhh, not quite.”

The other Flash just continued to look at his ward.

“It’s on a guy.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Jay looked at the ground for a second, then nodded and turned his attention back to Bart, smiling once again “So wanna tell me who it is?”

Bart blinked a couple of times, but then recovered “It’s uh Ed.”

“Never heard of an Uh Ed.”

“Not funny.”

Jay’s smile brightened at Bart’s slight annoyance.

“So Dorado’s kid?”

“The one and only.” His lingering unease was showing.

Jay nodded once again “He is a fine young man.”

Kid Flash chuckled at that “Be careful, your age is showing.”

Jay just smiled and ruffled Bart’s hair “Listen, kid, I’ll love you no matter the gender of your partner. As long as you love them and they love you that’s all that matters.”

Bart smiled, but couldn’t help himself “Even if it’s a villain?”

“Okay, now you’re pushing it a little.”

They both laughed and Jay pulled Bart into a tight hug “I meant what I said, I love you, Bart and I’m glad you told me. Does anybody else know?”

They pulled apart “Well Jaime and Cassie, but I haven’t explicitly told anybody else.”

Jay nodded “That’s fine too, now go take a shower, no matter the gender, nobody wants a boyfriend that stinks of sweat.”

Bart got up from the couch “Geez, thanks, Jay.”

Jay shrugged and turned towards the Tv.

Just as Bart was at the door he turned back to his legal guardian “Thank you.”

“I’m always here for you, son.”

Bart nodded and with a soft smile made his way towards the bathroom.

Taos

November 23, 13:00 MST

“Wait, so this isn’t your office?” Kate was sitting on the leather chair opposite to Ed.

He rested his hands on the desk “Technically, it’s my dad’s but me and Neut use it more than him.”

“Cool.”

“First off, any family that you want to contact or that has been looking for you?” Ed already knew the answer to that one, but he had to ask anyways.

Kate had a humourless smile on her face “They kicked me out on their own, so I would say no.”

“I’m sorry…  you were saying before, that you were in Midway City, when you were kidnapped.” Ed marked the city located in Michigan on a card, displayed on a tablet.

Kate nodded “Yeah, I was living on the streets, the prostitutes there were nice enough to help me.”

“Can you tell me exactly what happened when they took you?”

“I remember that a couple of punks stormed under the bridge with guns and took me and a few others. They knocked us out, next time I woke up, I was tied up and in the trunk of a car. I came to a couple of times, but I don’t recall anything specific.” Kate’s expression was pained.

Ed’s eyes softened “I know it’s hard, but this could really save a lot of people. Was there anything weird that happened in the days leading to your kidnapping?”

Kate shrugged “Not really… actually, yeah, there did, there is this truck that comes every other Friday night okay? It brings condoms, HIV tests, all of that. I usually didn’t go, because there wasn’t a reason, but last time it came, they had this new test, if they test you, you get 20 bucks. Sounded like a steal back then.”

“That was a meta-human gene test.” Ed said, his voice hollow.

“Seems like it. They took a little blood, some hair and ran a cotton swap on the inside of my cheek.” Kate looked really deep in thought “I also remember one time I woke up, they injected this thing into my neck, it hurt so much.”

Es nodded “That must have been what awakened your meta-gene.”

“Most likely.” Kate sighed “Is that all you need, I’m tired.”

The Argentinian said “Yes, thank you so much, Kate.” His eyes were sincere and full of gratitude “I promise it’s only going to get better from here on out.”

The blonde smiled “I sure hope so.”

They both got up. As they were heading for the door Ed said “Let’s pray I will manage to convince somebody else to also share their experience.”

Just as Ed opened the door, the figure of Wayne was waiting on the other side. Ed couldn’t help the small sound of surprise that escaped him.

Kate smiled at the shorter boy, then ruffled his mohawk “You’ll do great.”

The pale boy pushed her hand away, embarrassed “Yeah, yeah the greater good and all that.” He turned towards Ed “Let’s get started?”

The superhero nodded and bid Kate goodbye, as he closed the door he motioned for Wayne to sit in the chair that just a moment ago was occupied by Kate.

The black haired boy sprawled himself on top of it and turned his icy blue eyes towards Ed.

Ed smiled warmly and Wayne squinted as if he was being blinded by the sun.

“Just ask me straight away, don’t sugar coat it.”

The Argentinian nodded “Okay then, any family I should be concerned about?”

Wayne shrugged, playing with a loose string on his white meta-human youth center issued T-shirt “I lived with my uncle, he was my legal guardian, but considering he hasn’t looked for me this long, I doubt he cares.”

Ed furrowed his brows “Okay, but we still have to inform him about your current whereabouts?”

The pale teen shrugged, though looking more uncomfortable than before.

Ed decided to let that be at least for now “Where were you when you were kidnapped?”

Wayne cringed “Kansas City Juvenile Detention.”

Ed was quite surprised and looked up from his tablet “You were in juvie?”

“Aye, aye, captain.”

Ed bit his tongue just as he was about to ask why and settled on a different question “How did they get you, I guess?”

Wayne was rotating his lip piercing with his thumb and pointer finger while answering “One of the guards told me that the doctor wanted to see me, so he took me to his room, next thing I know I’m blacking out.” He made a sound with his lips then continued talking “I wasn’t even that long there, about a month.”

Ed nodded “Did anything weird happen while you were there, like tests?”

Wayne shrugged “I don’t know, man. There were a lot of rumours though, about people disappearing, didn’t think they were true… but yeah. Also they check you up before they throw ya in there. They took blood and all that good stuff.”

“They probably used those tests to test you for the meta-gene.”

“Guess so.”

Ed looked thoughtful ‘Dios mío, just how deep does this whole thing go?’

The other teen tapped his hands on the desk impatiently “We done here?”

Ed snapped out of his spiralling thoughts “Yeah, at least for now, thank you, Wayne.”

Wayne looked a little flustered under Ed’s sincere gaze, but shrugged nonetheless “Yeah, whatever. I’m pretty sure Kole is waiting outside.”

And she really was, when Ed opened the door. He was greeted by Kole and Neut talking, while Kole was trying to braid Kate’s hair.

Kate’s blue eyes shone mischievously “Was it that hard?”

Wayne rolled his eyes at hair “Oh, shut up. C’mon it’s your turn with Dr. Dorado over there.” He sat on one of the white chairs attached to the wall.

Ed looked at him as if he’d heard that joke a million times already “That’s literally my father.”

Wayne shrugged, not an once of regret in his posture.

The young superhero turned his attention towards Kole “Only if you want to, of course.”

The ginger nodded and got up from the chair, carefully manoeuvring around Kate who was sitting on the ground.

She marched past Ed and sat on the chair, Ed looked at Neut who smiled reassuringly. The golden one closed the door and moved to sit opposite to Kole.

He started talking “So, Kole, I’m gonna ask you some questions, but don’t feel pressured to answer them.”

Kole nodded.

He had already learned that Kole was an orphan, so he skipped that question and moved no to the next one “Okay, where were you when you were kidnapped?”

“The Rising Sun Foster home in New York.” Came Kole’s immediate reply.

‘First, the streets, then juvie, now a foster home, things are truly escalating.’ Ed wrote the name down and continued asking “Okay, for how long where you there before you were kidnapped?”

Kole looked thoughtful for a second “Not that long really, perhaps two months or so, I was moved there from another foster home in which I spent three years.”

“Did anything different than usual happen there?”

“Yup, upon arrival they did a couple tests on me and the others.”

“Such as?”

“Hair, spit, blood, the usual. I remember going to bed as usual, then panic and then I was in a truck. I woke up once and saw a couple more of the kids from the foster home with me. I haven’t seen them since, I hope they are well.” She looked extremely sad.

Ed reached out and put his hand on her shoulder “Maybe right now, they aren’t, but thanks to you we can help them.”

She smiled brightly at him.

She left the office and Ed laid his head on top the desk, utterly exhausted. He closed his eyes for a second and thoughts of Bart came flooding through. It seemed that all the time he didn’t spend working, he spend thinking about Bart. He was so conflicted on one hand, he wanted to be with him, on the other his doubts and insecurities couldn’t stop eating away at him.

After a few more seconds spent in self pity, he summarised all the information on his tablet and texted Oracle and Garfield everything, informing them that it would be good if they had a meeting. He got a response soon after, apparently Barbara also had found some very intriguing things regarding Intergang’s weapons. Garfield called everyone to an immediate meeting at the Outsiders’ HQ soon after.

The peer counselor left his father’s office and teleported to the cafeteria, hoping Neut was there. Just his luck, he teleported right next to the table being occupied by the three new meta-humans and Neut, though Wendy was also there talking excitedly with Kate. Ed’s sudden appearance made Wayne, Kate and Kole jump. He smiled sheepishly.

Wendy rolled her eyes then turned her attention back to the trio “You’ll get used to it.”

Wayne looked embarrassed, bordering on angry, while Kate looked amused. Kole was looking at him with wide eyes, as if she hadn’t seen him teleport already.

“Good to see you too, Wendy. Anyways, I’m here to tell you I’ll be leaving, I’m sure it won’t be for long, but-“ Ed started explaining.

Neut cut in “Don’t worry, man, we’ll make sure the place doesn’t burn down while you’re away.” He looked amused.

Ed rolled his eyes “I sure hope so.” A second later bright, golden light engulfed him.

Hollywood

November 23, 12:48 PDT

The Argentinian arrived and noticed that the Outsiders had almost all gathered, he quickly noticed Bart sitting on the couch energetically talking with Jaime and Cassie. He smiled at the sight.

“God, you’re whipped.” Virgil’s amused tone cut through his little daydream.

He blushed brightly and narrowed his eyes at Virgil “I have no idea what you’re on about.”

“Yeaaahh, right. Are you ever going to do anything about it?”

Ed sighed deeply focusing his attention on his forest green converse “It feels like every time something is about to happen, we get interrupted or there’s something more important going on. At this point, I have no idea if everything is all just in my head.”

“Believe me, it’s not.” Static’s voice sounded as if he’d had to say that a million times already.

Ed looked at him pouting. Just as he was about to say something Beast boy caught everybody’s attention and all conversation died down.

He started talking “As I said already in the text I sent you, we have developments regarding Intergang.” As he finished Barbara appeared on the large screen “Hi, guys!”

Beast boy waved at her and continued “Ed will be first, then Barbara, okay?”

All nodded.

“Perfect, okay Ed, the floor is yours.” Garfield bowed theatrically and winked at Ed. The Argentinian scoffed, but took the green skinned teen’s place anyways.

Ed quickly summarised everything Wayne, Kate and Kole have told him and moved to the conclusion “Those are the three places where they were kidnapped.” Pictures of the detention center, the foster home and the bridge under which Kate lived appeared on the screen. He continued “I think it’s pretty obvious that Intergang is targeting people nobody would look for – orphans, hookers, prisoners and so on. Unlike Granny Goodness and her goons who didn’t exactly pick out their victims so carefully, because they knew they could cover their tracks better.”

Cyborg’s expression looked grim “That’s truly low, taking those people, thinking nobody would miss them.” A flicker of anger was seen in his eye.

Ed agreed, sadness washing over him. He moved to a spot near Bart, suddenly he felt a warmth on his lower back and realised it was Bart’s hand. He looked at the shorter teen and smiled, his mood truly improving even if by a little. The speedster always had that effect on him. Bart’s eyes were warm and welcoming as they met his.

Garfield looked thoughtful “Sadly, that just makes our mission even harder, Oracle, what did you find?”

Barbara started typing “First of - their weapons, I am certain that they are alien technology. I think even the same one as the Orphanage.”

“So Granny Goodnes has something to do with all of this?” Garfield asked, memories of the evil lady coming back to haunt him.

Barbara shook her head from side to side “It’s not out of the question, but keep in mind, that Intergang has always worked with alien technology, they could’ve easily gotten it another way…”

“Anything come out of that tracker on Ugly’s car?” Superboy had his arms crossed over his muscular chest.

Oracle sighed her round glasses sliding down her nose “Not really, left in a garage, hasn’t been used since.”

Jaime looked at Barbara “Please, tell me we have some good news.”

“Well, not really, but in the grand scheme of things, it is good news. The information on the computers were catalogues and a few bases.”

Ed blinked “Catalogues?”

Barbara continued “Here’s one an example.” A picture of Kole appeared with information around here. Oracle started explaining “Her age, sex, weight, but most importantly her superpower, it says it all right here.”

“Crystallisation?” Jaime questioned, more to himself rather than anybody else.

As if she hadn’t heard him Oracle continued explaining “Down here it says to whom they were sold, my best guess is that they give such “catalogues” to buyers so that they can better decide what they need.” Her expression was disgusted.

Ed swallowed hard and looked at Bart for comfort, who was also wearing a grim expression on his face.

Bart piped up “That’s quite the interesting name.” He was looking at the buyer.

“Kanjar Ro? It sounds familiar.” Jaime was squinting at it, as if that will help him remember it.

Barbara nodded “As it should, we’ve seen him before marked as one of Intergang’s clients.”

‘Intergang deals with aliens… does that mean?!’ Ed looked up at Barbara with wide eyes “They are selling the metas to aliens.”

Oracle swallowed, but then nodded “It would seem that way.”

The realisation of just how complicated this mission suddenly got dawned on all of them, settling around them in a heavy silence.

“At least we know Granny isn’t involved, she wanted all the metas for a giant army, not to just make a quick buck out of them.” Beast boy concluded.

“Exactly.” The redhead agreed.

Static sighed, then asked “You said there were bases?”

Barbara opened up a map for them then started marking places “First off, we have a base in Star City, then Detroit and last, but not least Blüdhaven. From the info I gathered they are much like the one in Happy Harbour, only operating when they need to make a … uh…for lack of better words “delivery.””

Ed’s accent flowed after Oracle was done talking “But there must be a main one? One in which they keep all the metas?”

Barbara pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose “Yes, it would only be logical after all.”

“And we don’t know where it is?” Bart asked, already predicting the answer.

“Nope.” Barbara was kind enough to affirm.

Jaime leaned against the couch “What’s the plan?”

Barbara smirked and turned towards Garfield, which made everybody else also turn towards him.

The green teen blinked once, then quickly walked over to the big screen and started formulating a plan of attack “Our best chance is to act as soon as possible, they already know we’re after them. We have to check out the three bases, Star City has Green Arrow, while Nightwing’s in Blüdhaven, if they can they will join us. The attacks will be at the same time, that way they won’t be able to warn each other.”

Garfield turned towards Ed “Will you be joining us?”

Ed shook his head from side to side “No, amigo, I have to look after our new trio and help them with their powers.”

A sudden wave of sadness washed over Bart.

Beast boy nodded “So, we’re one man down, we will attack tomorrow, Star City is alpha, Detroit is beta and Blüdhaven’s omega. Alpha will be Terra, Forager and me. Beta will be Kid Flash, Superboy and Cyborg and Alpha will consist of Blue Beetle, Static and Wonder girl. This will be further discussed with the League to see if any of them can join.”

Barbara smiled, proud, then Beast boy continued to talk “That will be all for today, I will go to the Watchtower to inform Black Lightning and the rest of the League of our plan. If any changes are made, I’ll text you.”

After saying goodbye to Barbara, most either went to their rooms or home, Ed turned to Bart whose hand had been unconsciously rubbing soothing circles on his lower back. Bart quickly snapped back to awareness and in a flash moved his hand away, blushing brightly. Ed smiled, colour also blooming on his cheeks. He cleared his throat “Want to join me on the balcony? I need a breather after all of this.”

Bart grinned “Sure thing, amigo.”

Ed caught Virgil winking at him from the corner of his eye and promptly, but so Bart wouldn’t see showed him the finger. Virgil’s muffled laugh was heard even as they stepped outside in the warm November weather.

“My wardrobe just can’t keep up with the weather around me. November in Hollywood has nothing to do with November in Central City.” Bart grumbled, while shrugging of his red bomber jacket, leaving him in only jeans and a french tucked T-shirt whit three white stripes – orange, green and yellow going in the middle.

Ed stole a peak at Bart’s lean, but toned arms, then casually looked the other way.

Bart smirked and looked at Ed “Although, the weather ain’t the only hot thing around here.” He winked and fingerguned at the end.

The Argentinian blushed, before quickly erupting into giggles “Real smooth there, amigo.”

“The language is my canvas and words are my paint.” Bart had that overly dramatic starved artist look in his eyes.

“Make sure nobody else hears that, Shakespeare, or you’ll be drowning in dates.” Ed rolled his eyes leaning on his elbows against the railing.

‘I only want to date one person though.’ Bart thought while looking at Ed’s profile.

He quickly changed the subject “How’s it going with the magnificent trio?”

“Eh, they’re all still pretty shaken up, even if some pretend like they aren’t… I still have to contact their relatives.  Tell ‘em where they are.” Ed had a pained expression on his face, looking exhausted all of a sudden “Anyways, what about you? You seem in good spirits, hermano.”

“Well let’s just say that Jay’s pretty incredible.”

“The original Flash? I bet.”

Bart smiled, but then turned towards Ed “You on the other hand – not that you ever could – look terrible.”

Ed tsked “Thanks, man.” Bart opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off “Yeah, yeah, I know, you didn’t mean it that way.” He had a playful smile on his face. “I only talked to Kate, Kole and Wayne, but I feel exhausted, as if I’ve gotten my ass handed to me by Canary one too many times in a row.”

“Sometimes conversations can be more mentally exhausting than actual manual labour.” Bart mused.

Ed rolled his eyes good naturally “You’re so profound. I know I shouldn’t be taking everything to heart, but I just can’t help it.”

Bart placed his hand atop of Ed’s “I don’t think you should stop, your compassion is what makes you so strong.”

The other teen blinked then grinned, turning his hand over so he could hold Bart’s “For a natural airhead, you’re pretty smart.”

Bart grinned “I’ll have you know I come from a family of scientists!”

“Me too, but those genes definitely missed me.”

Bart busted out laughing.

“What?”

“I just imagined you as a smaller version of your dad, running around in your white lab coat, always serious.” Bart was still grinning, his hand feeling hot from where he was holding Ed’s.

Ed had a look of horror on his face “Phew, I’m glad that didn’t happen.” He then smiled, his eyes catching Bart’s.

None of them said anything, they just looked at each other.

Until Ed broke the moment “Hey, Bart, I-“ he was cut short by his own telephone ringing. ‘What? For real?!’ He grabbed the phone and less then gently picked up “Is something wrong, Neut?” Concern already dripping from his voice. “Okay, I got it.” He turned his attention back to Bart “I have to get going, things are getting fun at the center.”

Bart tried to keep his expression cheery as he asked “Is everything on fire?”

“Not yet, but Wayne apparently made Kate trip over herself and melt off part of the floor.” Ed was already thinking about the Center’s budget and how that would affect it.

“Made somebody trip over themselves, eh? I think I already know who he’ll get along with.”

Realisation hit Ed hard, but then he grinned “Those two together would be a complete disaster.”

Bart chuckled.

Just as Ed opening his mouth to once again say something, his phone started ringing “Jesus, okay, I have to go.”

“Yeah, I got that.” He tried not to sound too disappointed.

Just before disappearing in a flash of gold, Ed quickly put his arms around Bart’s neck and hugged him “Thanks for always making me feel better.”

Before Bart could react Ed was gone and the speedster was left standing flushed, but grinning. ‘I think I’ll consider this a win.’ He thought as he sprinted towards Central City, trying to get his beating heart under control.

[cagestark]

If you're still looking for asks for WinterIronSpider ... Tony survived End Game and is reunited with his precious boyfriend Peter - selfish Steve still abandons Bucky to return to the past. Our precious boys are horrified by Steve's actions and make it their aim to shower Bucky with love and affection to show him he is definitely worth staying around for. Hope it sparks your interest. 😍 Hugs, BAMF anon

BAMF anon: here you go cage, write a DRABBLE based on this EPIC-FIC-WORTHY prompt haha

(this is more pre-winterironspider btw, mostly just established starker. It was tough to pack all this isn’t approx. 500 words so I chose just a tiny lil moment that meant a lot to Bucky <3)

-

They are all piling into two black SUVs when Tony does a headcount and sees that someone is missing. He runs through the current Avengers roster mentally, checking boxes as people claim their seats: Nat, Clint, Rhodey and Carol, Thor (struggling with his seatbelt), Bruce, Sam, Peter beside Tony. So who is missing, Tony wonders. He frowns. Who besides the obvious, of course—Steve’s absence is felt by all of them keenly these days, the lovesick fool—then it hits him.

“Where’s Spearmint?” Tony asks. “He confirmed that he would be free for dinner tonight—”

“Bucky was running late,” Natasha says, her eyes meeting Tony’s through the rearview mirror. “He said that he’d meet us at the restaurant.”

If it were anyone else, that would be that. But this is Bucky. His relationship with the other tenants in the Tower has been cordial though a little distant. More than once, Tony has been enjoying himself with the group (Peter a warm, chatty presence at his side) only to glance off and see Bucky on the outskirts, his head down, looking more than a little left out. One night, Peter came to bed saying that he’d caught Bucky asleep on the communal couch with an old documentary about Captain America on. When Tony reached out (because Tony can’t ever leave anything alone, especially handsome ex-assassins who are more melancholy than they should be), trying to talk to Bucky about the Steve-shaped hole in all of their lives, Bucky had just hunched his shoulders. I saw it comin’ from a mile away, he’d said. He didn’t have nothing to stay for.

Tony hadn’t known how to put his hurt into words—how to express that Bucky was worth staying for.

“Tony?” Peter asks, unbuckling his belt when Tony lingers, his hand on the car door. “Are we waiting?”

We. Tony can’t help but smile. Their relationship is new; it’d taken Tony time to come to terms with how many years had passed for Peter and the others while they were ‘dusted’. While the young man had matured in many ways, his kindness and compassion had never changed.

“Yeah, sunbeam.” Then to the rest of the SUV: “You guys go on ahead. We’re going to wait for Bucky. We’ll catch up.”

Up on the communal floor of Tower, FRIDAY informs them that Bucky is still in the shower after his workout. They wait together, lounging on the couch, talking about what they’re planning to order for dinner, whether they should text the group and have them order for them to make up for time, and all the time Peter is asking Why couldn’t we have just ordered in and had Chinese? We’d save so much money.

Bucky comes out of his room with his hair wet and dripping. The t-shirt he’s wearing sticks to him. Someone needs to give the man a lesson about properly drying off in the shower. He looks startled to see Tony and Peter sitting on the couch together, his pale eyes wide. “What are you two doing here?” he asks. Confusion coaxes his dark brows together. “Was dinner canceled?”

“No, not canceled,” Tony says, smiling. “We just wanted to wait for you.”

“No man left behind,” Peter adds.

Bucky flushes. He can’t meet their eyes. “You didn’t have to do that for me. I—I woulda been fine.”

“Didn’t have to,” says Tony. “Just made a choice. Come on—the cars have left which means we get to take one of our own. Personally, I’m craving the touch and handling of the Bugatti, but I’m open to suggestions—anybody? No? Tough crowd, Jesus, okay.”

[donzysguidetofreedom]

A little introduction

So, I’ve gained a ton of followers in 2018 and wanted to chat for a minute with you all.

First of all, thank you for following me. Checking in and seeing all your new posts and stuff is amazing and makes my day.

So, I’m Donna and I’m 28 years old.

Growing up I was very active in karate, training 5+ days a week. I could run 3 miles in 22 minutes flat after a cardio workout. I was at my peak at 12 years old (haha just kidding). Don’t get me wrong though, I was always a chunky kid.  Just athletic too. At 14 I got severe pancreatitis and was hospitalized for 3 weeks. They found a huge cyst on my ovary during this time as well and removed it. I spent months recovering (over the holidays no less). Afterward, I went back to karate but definitely was not working as hard.

Over the next 8 years my weight shot up to 291 pounds. I went through phases of working out and eating healthy-ish, but my relationship with food was (is?) atrocious. I binged regularly. I ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. I tried crash diets that just forced me to binge even harder when I failed. During this time I went to college, dropped out of college, moved to Florida for an internship at Walt Disney World, and ended up staying (and screwing my finances in the process).

In 2013 I moved back to New York to get my shit together. I started going to the doctor regularly again. I didn’t have insurance that covered much in Florida so I just avoided it. I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes.

I jumped on a meal replacement diet through Ideal Protein and dropped 40 pounds the summer of 2014. I was doing GREAT. Didn’t hurt that I was living with my grandparents and my grammy cooked and packed my meals for me. Boy, what a simpler time.

During this weight loss, I started getting sick. My stomach was off constantly, and I didn’t know what was wrong. I went to the doctor and they ran some tests and initially blamed the diabetes. Blamed my sugar levels, that I was eating wrong/medicating wrong and it was causing this severe pain and many bowel movements daily (TMI sorry <3). They gave me so many antibiotics and other meds, and finally referred me to a GI doc. At my first appt he recommended a probiotic, and I was feeling mostly better. Because I’m slightly irresponsible, I didn’t go back for follow ups and everything seemed fine! However, I didn’t get back on the Ideal Protein diet and gained some weight back.

I started a new job and moved into my own apartment. I met the man of my dreams (spoiler alert, he’s the one I’m marrying in April). We started a life together and it was lovely.

May 2015 my brother died in a motorcycle accident a block away from his home two weeks before his 21st birthday. It understandably crushed me, and I went numb for a very long time. I kept busy. My fiancee and I took over his house and two pitbulls. I thought I was ok. I was really just avoiding my feelings.

Then I got sick again. I went to my primary care physician and was told it was my diabetes again. I did their tests, and was put on more antibiotics. I got sicker and sicker. I went to the ER twice because my fiancee was so worried about me. Both times I was told I had colitis, and needed to follow up with my primary care doctor. For six months I ate maybe one meal a day, and other than that had ginger ale, ritz crackers, and powerade. I was nauseous and exhausted 24/7. I finally called the GI they had sent me to years before and asked for an appointment. They got me in the same day when I explained my symptoms. I was so tired at this point that I took a nap in the exam room while waiting for the Nurse Practitioner to see me. It wasn’t an extended wait or anything. She wanted a colonoscopy and said we’d get it scheduled. She brought me to the nurse that handles the scheduling. That nurse scheduled me in for three weeks from then. I was devastated but it was their soonest appointment. Halfway home I received a call from the doctor saying he needed me in sooner than that and had me go in three days later for the procedure.

My boss during all of this was not pleased. She was not supportive. Basically, I was screwing her. It didn’t matter that I constantly was light headed. I was nauseous and in the bathroom all day at work anyways. She expected me to work to what she thought appropriate levels. She didn’t care at all. Just like she didn’t care when my brother died, but that’s a whole different story.

When I woke up from the colonoscopy heavily medicated I was told they needed to send me to the hospital. That I had Ulcerative colitis and it was severely flamed up. I spent the next week in the hospital on a liquid diet and was told to relax. I met a ton of doctors and learned a lot in that time.

They got me on some meds, and over the next six months I had to change up my meds until we found a good fit. I was finally feeling better.

I started a new job. I joined Crossfit. I quit Crossfit because I would push too hard and throw myself into a flare up after two weeks or so and be out of commission for a month. I joined the YMCA and gained a love for Zumba. I swam, a lot.

I went to Disney on the trip my brother and I had been planning. I got engaged on this trip to the love of my life.

I grew, I jumped on and off the diet bandwagon. I remained a pretty consistent weight of 260 pounds.

We planned a wedding for Summer 2018. I started therapy for my feelings around my brothers passing. I realized how severe my anxiety had become in the past two years. I’m still working on this. For the sake of my mental health and our wallets we cancelled our wedding plans and planned a weekend in Vegas with some family instead for April. Best decision I’ve made since saying yes to @sidekicksrstars2.

In 2017 I found so many wonderful fitblrs. I started posting regularly (on fatgirlsguidetofreedom). I eventually made this blog and started joining challenges (I even hosted one but it fell apart, I’ll do another one at some point). I made so many friends. I disappeared sometimes but thats ok. I always come back folks.

Which all leads me to here. This is my story. And its continuing at 100 miles per hour. These days I’m not on a strict diet, but I try and make more healthy choices than unhealthy. I try to start my mornings with a mix of coffee and muscle milk. I try and have a salad every day. I try and avoid fast food (ok the first Chick Fil A came to my town a month ago so thats not going very well). My weight has been sticking around 250 pounds. I won my first DietBet last month (woooohoo!) and I’m currently in two so gotta lose 10 pounds. I’m also in a StepBet with my wonderful cousin and best friend and it’s motivated me to move so much more than I was. There’s no cheating with it, you get your steps or you don’t. Thats it.

I am happy.  I am in love. I am getting married next month.

I have a long way to go but I’m proud of where I came from.

@fatmaninalittlesuit you inspired me to make this long post, so I definitely want to tag you but won’t blame you if you don’t read the whole thing, haha.

Thank you to the following people who I’ve interacted with and have really made the past year in the fitnerd community amazing. Even if we don’t chat, know that I love your posts and they make me so happy! If I forgot anyone, please don’t be offended, it’s not intentional!

@apologizetothetree

@evolutionofacosfitter

@im-healthyish

@time2shapeup

@nibsthefitmermaid

@janetlouise93

@mr-rubberlegz

@chocolate-and-peanutbutter

@wanderingbrave

@lizzieslifestyle

@liberatingdreamvoid

@legsgofasterplease

@msbeautifulketo

@fitchris25

@thebarefootemma

@plussizeadventure

I love you all, and I love all of my followers so much. If you read this whole thing, BLESS  YOU. Also, drop me a line sometime. I’m always game for new friends.

[ijustfeelokay]

Entry August 4 2021

I don’t even know where to start with this one. I’m listening to a song that puts me back into a time two years ago during the winter exam season when my parents went on vacation and my lab PI was expecting the absolute most out of me. And yet I still had a multitude of other club responsibilities in addition to classes. At the time I knew I had to practically give up any sense and reason of social or rec activities and just work. I remember it was such a dark time because I had no weay of getting out except to keep working just to barely get by. I’m actually going through my “gratitude” notebook that I barely even used. I made a couple of pages but it really did help. The goal with it was to write something that I was grateful for at least once or twice a week. I had read in various places on the internet that one of the biggest correlations in prediction happiness was simply one’s gratitude, so I gave it a shot. I feel like it helped at the time but only because it forced me to step away from all the work and to give time to myself and to think about anything I wanted to. Thankfully it was only positive thoughts as well.

Five days ago I asked HK out through the most convoluted plan possible. I was at a barbecue with friends from highschool the week prior on June 24, which lasted the entire day and night. I was really happy to see MC doing well, since he had a very rough patch at the beginning of uni. And then I lost touch with him for most of uni after second year. I don’t remember how the topic came up but the boys found out that I couldn’t exactly talk to any new girls since I was already talking to someone, and they just had to know the details. I really tried to reveal as little as possible, but one of my closest high school best friends that I kept in touch with throughout all of uni, SH, punched me on the shoulder and told me that I needed to ask her out. I was trying to explain that I was GONNA DO IT EVENTUALLY ANYWAY but I was getting extremely pressured to do it literally the next time I see K. …So I sort of did, except the Monday afterwards was only a short visit in Brampton. I looked at which day had the best weather, which was conveniently the Friday, which I also had nothing to do the whole day except workout in the morning with T at his condo. After the barbecue on Saturday, I woke up on Sunday already trying to figure out plans. I was talking to K and I originally planned to ask her out at High Park, since I guess it would be cool if High Park is where we first met (in person) then it would be cute if that’s also where I asked her out. The day prior to the highschool friends barbecue, I was visiting friends of my VSA on June 23, and we were playing a card game “The And”. It consists of prompts on each card that are designed to help the players get to know each other better. Considering that VSA members are always required to be able to discuss heavy topics due to our focus on inclusion, mental health, and generational obstacles faced as second generation Vietnamese Canadians, it was really fun for all of us. I enjoyed it. Answering these questions also came so naturally to me. I still remember MY perspective of playing whatever that whiteboard game is called with K while I was on edibles and I feel like half the game was just me looking like a doofus and neither of us were saying anything. K would obviously describe her perspective of that night differently haha. But since The And was so fun I figured it would be such a great way for me to actually help K get to know me better since I realized these questions came to me really naturally to answer.

…So that was Friday night, when I decided to borrow the card game.

And then it was on Saturday, that I was pressured into and deciding to ask K out.

Then it was on Sunday when my doltish plan simply clicked into place. Since I know that I can cram up, my plan was to ask her out by surprise while playing The And. I realized that the game had (only a few) wild cards, where you could ask any question you want. I thought this was amazing. My picture was us sitting on a hill at highpark with K’s trusty picnic blanket from Indigo, and we’d be playing the game after Chako. And then when she least expects it, when the game is almost over and I have the last wild card, instead of asking something not-deep like the previous wild cards (that would have/should have been played) I would just be like “do you wanna go out as my girlfriend” and that would be that. HOWEVER. The plan quickly evolved into something even better, and the night turned out even more amazing that I could have even thought.

I was on Instagram and I scrolled past an ad for Terra Lumina which I direly wanted to go to three years ago, but since I didn’t have anyone to go with or didn’t know who I’d ask to go on something like that with me I never ended up seeing it. I mentioned it to K and she said that she’s interested in seeing it too. That made me really happy inside. I asked if she would want to go on Friday as well, in addition to our other plans and we agreed to it. To make the travel easier for us we moved our plans from High Park to Scarborough Bluffs, which is also amazing because we’ve been meaning to go the Bluffs for a while now as well. I kept going through the itinerary because I wanted to make sure everything would go to plan, and that we’d have enough time for everything before Terra Lumina. We agreed together to arrive to the Bluffs and bike/hike around the trails in the morning, and then eat a packed lunch and snacks. I brought condensed milk and hot water in a thermos because I was surprised to hear that she’s never mixed the two and drank it before. I’ve always done it as a kid so I thought it was normal. I asked some friends later about it and they said they’ve seen or heard about it too. She thought it was good, but not that good I guess because we were drinking it with cottage cheese, salsa, and chips. Since she was used to soy milk it was a bit underwhelming in terms of taste and it was mostly just sweet-tasting. Which, really that’s all it is haha and that’s why I like it. Anyway, the plan after the hiking and biking was for us to take a nap and in my head the nap would have been somewhere under a tree or in the car but we ended up trying to have my nap at the beach. It ended up not going so great because the sun was directly above us, and we didn’t have much to cover us from the sun. The umbrella wasn’t able to block the sun and sand for some reason kept blowing onto us. I guess it was a windy day. Either way, let’s just say the nap was a bit of a failure and I ended up just laying there while I got sand everywhere.

After the attempted nap we went back to the car to get our swimming gear and headed back to the beach, with pool noodles! She brought four of them because they were supplies for her mirror frame. Since I couldn’t float, she placed noodles under my leg, back, and neck, and floated me around in the water. It was pretty fun, although the water getting in my ears and occasionally my mouth would momentarily break up my zen moments. We dropped off the noodles with our beach stuff and walked around in the water. The water started feeling cold to us so we couldn’t really swim around as much. I must say though, the water at scarborough bluffs is really clean for a beach. I also gave her a piggyback for a little bit to zero-gravity K. When we went back to our stuff we noticed all our pool noodles flew away, and we could only find three of the four. We walked around to see if it was nearby but we eventually gave up looking for it. We brought all our stuff back to the car and I guess once we left the water another wave of sleepiness was hitting me and I was ready to nap on the ground, so we ended up going to the park area at one of the peninsulas. K brought her surface and my USB stick and watched some episodes of Demon Slayer while I napped. The most vivid memory of my napping is some weird honking noise, since it kept playing while I was dreaming as well. Though, I don’t even remember what I was dreaming about. They were short naps. I basically slept during the episodes that K watched. I think she only watched two episodes.

When I woke up after the second nap I realized we were a bit late from our plan to get to Chako by 5, since I think it was already 5:30, so we’d get to Chako by about 6. When we arrived, I was a little concerned and shocked to find out that there would be an hour wait until we could get a table inside. There would have been little time for us to play after Chako’s so K suggested we play while we wait. We also walked into the Home Depot Gardening section and I found out K likes “different looking plants”. Still not sure what her criteria are that would make her like a plant or not though lol. We played The And, and when I first opened the box I was frantically going through the cards to make sure we wouldn’t go through the wild cards because I reallyyy wasn’t trying to waste them in the parking lot. After about twenty minutes of playing we received a call from Chako’s, finding out that there was a table available. They asked if sitting outside was okay and immediately I know that was A SCAM and I suggested K to ask if there were inside seats, and they said that there would be one available if we waited an extra five minutes. Eventually when we were seated inside. I started to get desparate though because if I couldn’t ask her out before Chako’s, when am I going to do it? Right after we finish eating we’re going to have to head to Terra Lumina. I was thinking maybe we play in the car after we eat. I even suggested we bring the cards with us into Chako’s in case we’d somehow get the opportunity to play while we eat. ..And that definitely didn’t happen because cooking and eating took up all our time. I was very full. Also the bill was so expensive. Chako’s used to be much more affordable I’m pretty sure… we basically paid premium Gyubee prices so that was a bit regretful. I’m glad I was able to have Kelen experience the AYCE Korean Barbacue experience though, even though I wouldn’t recommend it again for those prices haha. I practically grew up in highschool with my close friends going to Chako’s so it was such a nice feeling to share this experience with K. I was really excited for that.

After we ate, we headed back to the car and headed straight to the Toronto Zoo. It was dark by then, and we were met with winding roads at night. There were parts of the drive where the bridge was only wide enough for one lane of cars, and there were stop lights on both sides. When we arrived, we accidentally took the wrong right turn at zoo Rd. which we later realized was the exit of Zoo Rd. When we eventually found the correct ramp to get onto Zoo Rd., which was also a right turn…. K suggested we bring The And with us, in case we found time to play. I quite literally have no clue how I was going to ask K out if she didn’t bring those cards with us. Throughout the exhibit, we would bring the cards to the light and ask each other questions as we enjoyed the exhibits. I noticed her hands were a little cold. She brought a hoodie but was still in shorts. I hope she wasn’t feeling cold.

The entire exhibit, I was a) trying to figure out how many wild cards could be in the deck and how much time we had, and b) rehearsing the same damn question over and over again. K took a small deck of cards earlier and when she finished them I asked if I could take the box so I could take a pile, since I knew where the discard cards were. That was a lie because we ended up playing a bunch of cards we already played earlier in the parking lot haha. But I got ahold of the box so I could strategically place four wild cards into a large stack of cards that we could go through, and leave the rest in the box, in her purse. The plan again was to prime K into recognizing the wild cards and getting used to me asking questions on the wild cards. But every time a wild card came up, I would watch her immediately skip it without even a second thought. And worst part is that it was always her turn with the wild cards!!!! At the back of my mind I was severely starting to feel the sweat and massive desperation. Meanwhile, there were parts of Terra Lumina that I felt were just absolutely beautiful. Many of the light exhibits were incorporated into the actual Zoo exhibits. The way they incorporated lights into the trees and paths was also just stunning, with the music as well. I felt walking doing many of the paths was a little romantic with K as well. Not that romantic though because I was mostly freaking out of my mind that my plan is literally about to fail. I figured the exhibit was almost over so I had to make some sort of move soon.

On the next wild card she pulled, it was actually my turn. AND YET SHE HAD THE AUDACITY TO NEARLY SKIP IT AGAIN. I went straight for the card, grabbed it, and said that I’ll think of a question. I just held on to it though. The moment I had my hands on the card, I realized in that moment that the time that I was waiting all week for, had finally come. The moment that I was frantically trying to get to during all of Terra Lumina. I couldn’t say it. Do I say it while we’re walking? Are people going to hear us? Is this the right time? I really couldn’t. We ended up finishing the exhibit and we went to the washroom. At that point I was again feeling frantic, but for a completely different reason. I was still cramming up. I have this habit of pacing when I need to think, and we quite literally walked back and forth at least twice in the lobby of the Toronto zoo, until I decided that walking was the complete opposite of what I needed to do. So I suggested we sit down at a bench.

We sat a bench far from the main entrance and traffic of people exiting the zoo. Kelen went on top of my lap, and I held her close as I tried as hard as I could to just clear my head. At this point, she knew exactly what was coming. I asked her if she knew how I felt when we first matched on Tinder. I mentioned that I thought it was so odd how all of this started, after a 6AM morning conversation. I saved the sappy talk though and kept it to a minimum, and then eventually I just took a deep breath

I forget the exact words I used.

I asked her out, and she said yes. She gave a small forehead kiss, and I would have turned towards her but we both still had our masks on so I felt that would’ve been a little unproductive. I was holding her tight as we sat there a little longer until we saw a skunk run by and realized that sitting there was the exact opposite we needed to do, so we left and went back to the car. We drove home afterwards. All the tension was gone as well, after.

That god damn wild card.

[salviaplarth]

Heya

I know, I know. It’s been about eight months since I’ve last posted an update. About time I post another one right?

I finally graduated from CSUF and received my degree in History. Am I making use of that degree? No, not at the moment. While I did apply to some jobs that were in relation to my degree, I didn’t hear back from any of them which was a bummer, but I wasn’t too upset about it.

I left my job at the restaurant, Sup Noodle Bar, because I was feeling unhappy working there due to how management treated me. It’s not that they treated me like shit, it was more like I was just nonexistent. Like they forgot that I’ve been there since day one. While I didn’t think I’d stay in contact with my coworkers, I actually have and we’ve all hung out with together every now and then. It’s great. 

I currently work full time inside of Disney California Adventure, specifically for Ghirardelli. So in actuality, I’m working for Ghirardelli, not Disney. Before you ask if I can sign you in, no I cannot due to being Disney affiliated. I personally love working there, the management and my coworkers are great. The job itself is simple, easy, and fairly stress free for the most part. Of course, it’s not a long term deal because I eventually do want to do something with my degree, but at the moment, working here temporarily is totally fine. I applied to be a supervisor and who would have thought, I actually got it. However, when I applied, I had barely been working there for four months and didn’t cross train into other areas within the store so was informed I’ll be promoted to supervisor come June after I’ve become more proficient in the other areas. It was a huge self esteem booster, especially since I applied for the lulz knowing damn well I wouldn’t get it because I was too new, but boy was I wrong. 

Speaking of that, one of my coworkers there is has basically become one of my best friends. His name is Omar. He’s four years younger than me, but pretty mature and thinks very logically. It’s a contrast to me who thinks more on feeling. He’s also hilarious and a mega weeaboo. Again, before you say anything, he’s just my friend. In fact, he’s gay so we’ve just got a strong platonic friendship going on, it’s really nice. It’s because of him and my other coworker, Perry, that my interest in anime returned. We’re actually attending a convention next Saturday, May 5th, and were all cosplaying characters from Bungou Stray Dog. I’m actually super excited about that!

Continuing off the coworker thing, I got a gym pass and Omar is my workout buddy. I’ve only gone once so far, but we plan to go pretty actively every week. Honestly, its another thing I’m excited about. It was actually fun working out, especially knowing that the result will be rewarding. I’m feeling the soreness and it’s great. 

I was dating someone for eight months and was broken up with in January so I’ve been flying solo. It’s been not too bad. Work really keeps me occupied because I work full time and they’re eight hour shifts. And when I’m not at work, I’m more than likely hanging out with my coworkers or my friends. While dating is cool, I do think it’d be hard to date someone at this time because of my work schedule. I usually work nights and reserve my mornings for sleeping. BUT, I do have this huge crush on a “coworker.” I use quotation marks because he doesn’t work for Ghirardelli, he works for Disney. I affectionately call him Boudin Boy because sometimes I’ll see him across the Ghirardelli store on the Boudin side, sweeping and all that. In actuality, he doesn’t work for Boudin, he works for Pacific Wharf, which is the name of the land all the restaurants are located in, including Ghirardelli. So he’ll be in different parts of that area. I initiated a conversation for the first time last week, but I was basically asking him if another guy name Earl was working that day. Earl is this older guy that I like to say hi to sometimes or we’ll talk about Vietnamese stuff because his fiancee is Viet. Boudin Boy told me he’ll keep an eye out and let me know. Well, when I went on my lunch with my coworker, Boudin Boy just so happened to be on his lunch too. He cut us off and walked in front of us to the cafeteria. I got my food first and sat down at a table and he ended up sitting at a table behind us. After our lunch ended, he walked back first, but I guess he went to the bathroom because as my coworker and I turned, we ended up crossing paths with him. I waved at him since we made eye contact and then he initiated a conversation with me and even introduced himself. Since then, I’ve been trying to interact with him as much as possible, but obviously its hard because we don’t actually work together so I don’t know his schedule and I don’t want to make it obvious that I have a crush on him haha.

Despite saying I’m it’d be hard to date at the moment, I did cave in for like three days and tried the whole Tinder/Okcupid thing again. It’s been awhile since I’ve used them, but I found it boring and quickly deleted the apps. However, as my luck would have it, on OKC, I matched with a guy who actually listened to my radio show during the spring of 2017. Turns out he’s friends with one of the people at the radio station. Also turns out, he had been following me on instagram for awhile now. I remember seeing him follow me and that we had a mutual friend, but when I looked at his instagram, he mainly just had memes. Well, now we’re talking. But we’re not actively talking. Like I don’t think we’re actually pursuing each other, we’re just talking just to talk and entertain one another. At least, thats how I see it. But my friend from the station who knows the guy did tell me that this guy is pretty shy. I thought that was cute to be honest.

In regards to my car, it was in a hit and run accident shortly after I started working for Ghirardelli. Unluckily, my car was parked while I was working my shift when it got hit. Luckily though, I was able to get a hold of the person’s insurance and everything worked out. I currently only have 1.5k left to finish paying off the car.

As soon as the car is paid off, I’ll be saving my money to move out. I’m planning on either renting a room, renting a studio, or if my friend stays true to her word, find a place with her. I’m not sure yet, it’s still a long ways away. But I know it’ll be for the better if I move out and live on my own, away from my family for a bit. I’m hoping to have my own place sometime during the summer.

My mental health has been not so bad. I think it’s thanks to work distracting me. This update ended up being really long and I feel there’s more I want to say but I don’t want to drag it on any further. 

Til next time.