#but also maybe being a little glad. perhaps. that he wasn't picked earlier when he's struggling with job and heroics because like what if h

[conundrumrespeculis]

YEAAAAH oh this is really fun. Canadian Guy Gardner is really fun <3 Also you gave him less of a rough time of life while also making it make sense he's still abraisive and stuff!! That's really cool this is a man with a large history of head trauma and going catatonic and stuff in the comics but you work out the shit they did to him to keep him from being a lantern proper until WAY later while keeping him himself (but perhaps nicer) really well!

My take on Green Lantern III (Guy Gardner):

Guy Gardner was born to parents Roland and Peggy Gardner in Baltimore. His family moved around a lot (his father was a labourer constantly on the lookout for work), and so Guy Gardner never really had a stable home life. In his first 20 years of life, his family moved from Baltimore to Detroit to Toronto to Vancouver. All over the United States and Canada did his family journey for work. But finally, when guy was around 13, his family settled down in Vancouver. And it's in Vancouver that he would remain.

And besides this constant travelling, guy just never caught a break with his family dynamics. His father was a alcoholic who had a temper and could end up often beating him (either accidentally or intentionally), while his mother was a judgemental hypocrite who hated her husband and often seemed to encourage his worse tendencies. The only member of guy's family that was actually nice to him was his older brother Mace. Both of them pretty much relied upon each other for support in that chaotic household.

Because of this childhood, guy was a very troubled kid. He acted up at school, was opposed to authority figures and generally struggled with the academic parts of school. What kept him going? Well, partially it was his brother's support and encouragement. Part of it was probably a desire to prove himself and make something of himself. But in any case, guy eventually straightened his image and became a good student. (Well, he never did fully lose his hard-headedness and his anger issues. But he did straighten up his image, for the most part).

In a first for his family, guy gets a college/university degree (something his dad, mom and brother never got). He gets a degree in education and psychology from the university of British Columbia. He was also a sports star, playing for the UBC Thunderbirds Hockey team until an injury made him unable to keep playing. The injury really got to him and preyed on his natural insecurity of being unable to make it in this world.

After graduating, guy eventually gets a job as an educational assistant for students with special needs. He finds his work fulfilling, getting to help people and make the world a better place. It makes him feel really happy, for one of the first times in his life.

Guy Gardner is many things: stubborn, kind hearted, bold and strong willed. It's this last trait that made him an ideal green lantern. When Abin Sur falls to earth, his ring located two ideal candidates to replace him on the west coast of North America: Hal Jordan in Southern California, and Guy Gardner in Vancouver. Since Abin Sur was actually in California, Hal Jordan was the lucky one who gets the ring.

After this near brush with greatness, Guy Gardner's life proceeds much as normal. He continues his work as an educational assistant, finally feeling a great personal sense of fulfillment. The ring passes him over once more, making John Stewart a lantern before him. Guy Gardner was always capable of being a hero, but he was always passed over in favour of other candidates. This might be why he sometimes seems a little bitter toward the first two green lanterns.

But eventually, Guy Gardner does get his ring. When an alien spaceship being hunted by the Green Lanterns crash lands in Vancouver, Guy Gardner ends up being recruited to stop it when the Green Lantern on the case dies in combat. And with the help of the Justice League Canada, Guy Gardner manages to send the alien scout ship fleeing for their homeworld. (I'll probably do something with this story. Maybe 40 issues later, the aliens return for a big story arc)?

After this, Guy Gardner has to learn to balance being an educational assistant with also being a Green Lantern and a member of the Justice League Canada. He manages to make it work, but it puts a significant strain on him. No wonder he acts so abrasive when he's a hero, it's taking time away from one of the few things in his life he enjoyed doing (working with those kids). He often chafes under the authority of the lanterns and the league, but he's still one of the bravest men you'll ever know.

[hanako-san]

Hello Are you okay? I've been following you for a while, and I really like your opinions and theories about Hanako-kun. I wanted to share some thoughts I have about the series.

These last few days I've been rereading and rewatching the anime, I was trying to understand Tsukasa's logic after his kiss with Nene (although my first impression was that he did it to trap Hanako) Aidairo has never been so predictable, but neither I believe he will prefer to indulge in the love triangle cliché.

Anyway, I'm not here to talk specifically about the Tsunene kiss, but one of the things that caught my attention when I rewatched the anime and the manga was that when Nene summons Hanako, he says that her desires have a price, ok, we know that, however, he tells her that he got 2 wishes. One of these wishes had the payment for Nene to become Hanako's assistant, but what about the payment for the first wish?

She longed for someone to love, specifically Teru, but when she couldn't, he offered her the "bond" along with the mermaid's curse. The curse happens to everyone who eats her scales, so I don't consider this to have been payment for Hanako, so much so that he doesn't allow the mermaid to come and get her. So I was wondering, what was the payment for Nene's first wish? I imagine Hanako caught her "love." That's because he says that this bond would be the same thing she wanted, someone's love. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought it was interesting that no one talked about this. Hanako seems to have decided that Yashiro would be his the moment they met, so much so that Hakoujoudai purposely gave her the mermaid's scales. What do you think about this?

I'm sorry if the question was a little long, I still have something to share besides that.

I saw in some places people saying that they are curious about what Hanako's boundary would be like, but she has already appeared in the manga and anime, see, when Nene is sucked into the mirror she ends up in a bathroom too, with water on the floor and many shadows of "hands" on the walls, like those that frequently appear near Tsukasa in the playroom. The air also feels thick and gloomy. When Mitsuba takes Yashiro out, we see the number 7 above the door, indicating that that was Hanako's boundary. I'm surprised that Hanako didn't think about the possibility of Nene being in her own boundary, perhaps because he didn't know exactly the objective of number 3, or that in fact it wasn't number 3's boundary that gave access to Hanako's, but rather Mistuba who had this ability to travel across boundaries.

What do you think?

Hey, I'm fine. Thanks for asking, and you? so I did an analysis about it once if you want to read it here If you want me to add something to this topic, let me know ^^ I'm really glad to hear that, you like my opinions and analyzes 😊

Honestly, I think that initially he wanted to use her power for a different purpose, but he fell in love and changed it. I say this because earlier he said that he was looking for the assistant, knowing that she would die, so he must have had a different purpose, but everything changed when he fell in love.

I don't understand why you say that Hanako would have decided at that moment that yashiro would be his when she forced items on him to get what she wants, which is the bond with teru. Hanako took out everything he had and threw it away, not caring what he threw away, and wanted to give Yashiro the Kokeshi doll. yashiro threw it out the window. Nene picked it

She swallowed the mermaid scale herself and it didn't matter that Haku pointed it out. She did it consciously and Hanako wanted to stop her, but she is so obsessed that she doesn't listen and considers herself wronged because Hanako lied to her, who had to take a price for love and wanted to avoid using more power because the greater the wish and power, the greater the price.

he didn't want to give her back she summoned him and he didn't fulfill her wish, as he told the mermaid to wait but she didn't want to, so he used force. Yashiro also didn't want to go with the mermaid, so he protected her too. This is his duty. Yashiro was his 'client' and the person he was supposed to take care of when she was threatened by the supernatural because yashiro is studnet as well. and he is supposed to protect the students. yashiro was now in danger because of her own stupidity. He only saved her.

Why should this prove his decision, because he was ready to leave her twice so that she could live. If he had such a goal of from the beginning, he would let her die. He is fighting for her to live, which would mean their separation, and for him the most important thing is her life and that she lives, if he wanted it otherwise, he would do everything to make her die without caring about her life. He decided to leave her in a false world, he went against his own rules so that she could live. It was wrong what he did, I admit, I don't support it, with Aoi as well but he was willing to do it FOR HER, knowing what he wanted to do and knowing that she would forget about him but it shows that he is ready to do anything to save her life.

But let's say it's like you said. Of course, if he wanted to frame Yashiro because he needed her, he really didn't have to do anything. Yashiro is so stupid that she did it despite his warnings. Either way, she decided her own fate, it was she who connected herself with the supernatural world in order to have bond with teru that was equal to love for her.

Can you really look at it the other way too? Not everything Hanako does is his responsibility for her actions. yashiro also takes responsibility for her own actions that she has to face. Either way, he did it intentionally or not. He warned her and ran towards her to take her scale, but she just held it in her mouth and after his warning, she swallowed it. She would do anything to have a boyfriend, she might even be cursed. If he had any plans honestly, why would he play cat and mouse? He could have given the shell right away and she would have been cursed, but he wanted to avoid this, knowing that she would have to pay a higher price for his services, so he chose the safer option. She makes her own decisions and pays for her own mistakes, just like each of us. She is no exception.

And it may turn out that he did it on purpose. I don't care and I will blame her because he didn't force her to do anything, he wanted to stop her. She was the one who decided to do it. No one else but her. Despite his warnings. Sometimes you pay heavily for your stupidity and your own decisions, and that's what happened to her. It was his duty to protect her, he protected her where she didn't want to go.

Truly despite my feelings. I know when it's her fault and when it's not, so I'm not prejudiced by my feelings for her. I really don't have a problem with it.

-

Border. You could see it reflected in the mirrors and I don't think it's surprising, because the border no. 3 is located in toilet no. 7. The mirrors are territory no.3 so the borders are connected to each other.

You can reach border no. 3 through yako and it is also in the shape of a mirror, and they got there by using the mirrors. Mirrors are a passage, so it is not surprising that the border no.7 was visible in hell's mirrors, because it was the inversion of his border, but still, the entire border wasn't shown.

What I mean is that mirrors won't show the whole thing, we don't know what the border might look like only from the outside or the end/middle, it depends on its location. The mirror will only reflect the part in which it is placed, not the whole thing. This part could even be a transition to its deeper border on the side of the mirrors. I guess. School boundaries have passages through which you can reach other boundaries. But they may also have other connections, such as Yako and the Minamoto temple. I think that border no.7 works the same way as Yako and is related not only to the border of mirrors, but also maybe to the red house?

Maybe a bit off topic, but I believe that everything we've seen so far is related. Like when yashiro disappeared and was kidnapped by this strange thing, and under the red house there were ghosts of girls, so the house must have stood on the place where the minamoto family sacrificed girls and were also a gateway to the world of the supernatural

this is an interesting topic.

Tsukasa kiss is not romantic. know about it. He needs her to destroy the yorishiros, knowing that she wouldn't want it, so he made a deal with her that he knew that she would lose. He kissed her because he wanted to use her skills. I am aware of that, but I always leave myself two or more options so as not to be surprised, and with AidaIro I can expect anything

Thanks for the asking.

[curiousconch]

Chase You/Chase Me (Pt. 4)

Part 4: The truth will never lie to me

Catch up here: Series Masterlist

Chapter Summary: Trapped in a conference, Gabe and Alex bask in the afterglow of their interrupted moment by the lake. But before Alex can fully comprehend how she felt, she unravels a truth that may cease the chase altogether.

Book/Pairing: Choices - Laws of Attraction / Gabe Ricci x MC (Alex Keating)

Words: 1.8k+

Rating/Warnings: Mature (16+) / alcohol consumption, language, implied sexual content. Reader discretion advised.

Author's Notes: Surprise! Yep, it's an early release! I made revisions to fit the ongoing narrative and ended up breaking it down into two parts. Also, this series may span longer than I originally intended it to be, not wanting to rush things. It will probably extend until Part 7, depending on what happens at the finale. I do hope you'll still stick around. If not, I'll totally understand. 😉

Disclaimer: Most of the characters as well as some dialogue belong to Pixelberry. I am merely borrowing them.

Late night, Boston

Shoe laces, cool wind and the darkness of the forest enveloping them. His breath shuddering with how close her lips was. His throat running dry.

Wanting, longing.

Just a little taste to find out how intoxicatingly delicious those cherry lips would be in his mouth and to feel the heat of her body against his.

And then a splash.

Gabe blinked as he felt ice cold liquid pouring over his crisp white shirt. He wasn't sure if he was having déjà vu.

"Oh, sorry mate," a man standing nearby had bumped into him, making the glass of scotch he was drinking shake and spill into his impeccable suit. He forced down the tasteless curse words forming in his mouth, groaning in frustration at the dissipating sensations from what he had been imagining.

His mind was stuck in an endless loop, replaying the romantic encounter with Alex just the night before. But very much like after Beau's dive into the lake, his consciousness whipped achingly back to reality.

Gabe was leaning on the mobile bar, set in the middle of the conference reception. Did he just lose himself in a daydream like a fool? He wondered, murmuring through his madness.

The time alone with her provided him a glimpse of what could be between them. And oh how euphoric it had been to have her so near, to watch his body respond to her like no other.

It left him just craving for more.

He was lying to himself if he continued to deny that he has feelings for Alex, and how deep he was already in for her. But he knew it wasn't meant to be, at least until after he admits the truth. Until then, he had to pull away.

Easier said than done.

For now, he settled for a view of her, his eyes scoured the room for the subject of his fancy. When he found her, Gabe couldn't stop his smile and the fluttering of his heart, or the warmth growing between his legs.

There she was, in the far side of the room, shining brighter than any star that they had seen in the night sky. Her audience completely captivated as he was with her.

The sight of her in that blue dress swept Gabe back into his fantasies, and how infuriatingly near he was to giving into them. He had to clench his fist around his tumbler, suppressing any trace of his earlier wild thoughts.

Apparently sensing the weight of his gaze, Alex turned to him, their eyes meeting in silent conversation. He watched as she excused herself before making her way towards where he sat.

Half-smiling, Alex's confident expression as she approached him made him swallow hard.

Gabe summoned all his willpower to rein himself in as she got closer. He plastered his usual cocky smile, once again putting up a wall of professionalism. They were in a conference, he reasoned.

"Still watching your wards, old man?" Alex chuckled as she reached a seat beside him.

"Working the room like a pro like that? Very hard to ignore," Gabe interjected, shaking his head. "Had to say Alex, I'm impressed."

"Glad you noticed," she smiled, clearly enjoying the compliment.

"Frankly, you charming the top tier lawyers were hard to miss," he said, with lips quirking into a grin.

"Were you watching the whole time?" she asked.

"Difficult not to, seeing how you're the best-dressed lawyer in the room," he continued, savoring the easy conversation.

She scoffed before turning around, grabbing a napkin from a bartender. Alex offered it to him, pointing at the light stain on his clothes.

He finally muttered a curse, realizing he had been too distracted not to notice the result of the spillage from his own drink. This was one of my best suits.

Gabe almost jumped when Alex started to wipe the front of his suit.

His eyes narrowed, unable to process what was happening. On impulse, he reached out to her, encircling his palms around her wrist. Alex snapped her head up at the touch, the intensity of her gaze enchanting him.

It took all of his strength to break free from it. He cleared his throat and looked away, before grabbing the napkin from her grasp without warning.

It had always been like this. At first, there was this fluidity, a natural attraction between them while they interacted. Then another goddamn minute passes and it all becomes downright complicated.

Gabe wasn't having it.

He briefly shut his eyes closed and released the breath he was holding. When he opened them, he focused his attention on wiping the stain from his jacket, avoiding Alex's questioning gaze. He decided to divert the conversation, robbing her of any opportunity to re-capture him in a trance.

"Don't worry, I don't judge potential partners solely on congeniality. Though I can't speak for Sadie." He then turned and discarded the cloth on the bar. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll have to speak to a friend who I'm sure will be thrilled to know I'm now a partner."

He finally dared to look at Alex with almost apologetic eyes, before swiftly walking away towards a sea of unfamiliar faces.

Alex was left gaping at his hasty departure, uncertain how it all went south so quickly. She wanted to grab his arm and pull him to her so badly, to pick things up from where they left off last night. From that moment when his lips was inches away from taking hers, before they were interrupted.

Her body ached to be near him. Then again, that's not how she usually operates, so she let him be.

She had never thought her idol was such a tease. Or perhaps, traditional? Alex snickered. Oh how I'll make you beg, Gabriel Ricci. She exhaled, the sultry thought of the man on his knees in front of her suddenly hiking up the temperature in the room. Alex had to fan herself to cool down.

Along with the idea of finally spending some alone time together, conjuring the image of waking up beside Gabe excited her. Well, if ever this chase between them actually culminates to something.

But why was she following this trail of thought? In all her conquests, she had never stayed for what came after. She had that with Julian, and look how that ended. For her, it was always just for the fun. So why does she suddenly liked the notion with Gabe? She shuddered. Ugh, weird.

Maybe it's because it's taking the long game with him? Alex didn't want to know.

Leaving that for now, she resorted to ordering another shot of patron to drown the remnants of her heated thoughts. On her third glass, Alex heard a familiar voice ordering a shot of bourbon. She swiveled towards it and caught sight of Lina Reyes, the opposing lawyer from the Willow case.

"Fancy meeting you here," Alex smiled lazily, remembering how temptingly attractive she was. She also recalled the offer of a hook-up, which she politely declined out of courtesy.

But now, seems like she's getting another chance. And with Gabe being annoyingly hard to get, Alex had to have fun somewhere else. It's not like she and Gabe was committed, right?

Lina scooted closer to her, smelling of a heady mix of alcohol. "Speaking of fancy, damn. You look more incredible than I can remember, Alex," she teased, provocatively arching her brows at her.

Alex quickly picked up Lina's attempt to flirt, stoking her bruised ego. "Gotta be dressed to impress, right?" she waved her fingers as if in curtsy. "Enjoying the conference?"

"At this point, things tend to devolve quickly. But I do plan to have a nightcap back in my room," Lina smirked, Alex feeling the heel of velvet pumps brushing along her bare leg. "Maybe you could join me?"

The woman wasn't exactly subtle, though Alex had to give props to her for her confidence. She liked that in anyone. So Alex returned the gesture, letting her fingers hover an inch over her arm while batting her eyelashes. Two can play that game.

"I think we should stay here."

Wait, what? Did she just say no? Subconsciously? Did hell just freeze over? Or did her brain left her head?

Both women blinked, unable to determine who's more mortified between them. They were both quiet, until Lina broke the awkwardness by a chuckle.

"Had to try, didn't expect I'd be turned down twice," she said consuming the rest of her drink in one gulp. "Worth it though." she shrugged, ordering another round for herself.

Alex struggled to compose herself, brows furrowed in confusion by how that went down.

"Oh don't be so bothered, you're not my first rodeo." Lina poked at her jokingly, clearing up the air. Alex thanked her, and the conversation went smoothly from there.

Several more drinks in, the two women chatted on, venturing into a variety of topics in law and in love. It didn't take long before Lina started to slur in her words, to which Alex found amusing.

"Looks like someone didn't pace herself," she observed as she sipped her cocktail.

"Ah don't mind me, had to cleanse my palate after all the boring sessions earlier," Lina toasted her glass on hers, wobbling as she shifted to face her. "We are a rare breed, us fighters," she leaned towards Alex, lowering her voice to a whisper. "We like-minded women should just stick together, you know?"

Alex was relieved she turned her down the second time. Barely listening to her, she started to drift off as Lina continued rambling on, turning around to face the crowds as her eyes tried to locate that handsome man. Alex smirked when she found Gabe's sexy outline.

"Lot of ungrateful dipshits being freed from prison, even after we work our asses off proving they deserved an earlier release. Khan, Kozlowski, those celebrities involved with the Ivy League admission scandal? Hell, even small town criminal Cornell was released in the last five years alone!"

And with that last statement, Alex froze. "Say that again?"

Confused, Lina stuttered as if she can't remember what she was saying. To Alex's annoyance, she went silent, apparent that more humiliation was on the way. Lina abruptly stood, covering her mouth with her hand as she sprinted to the bathroom. Alex let her pass.

Assured that she'll be fine with her colleagues flanking her, Alex started to obsess over Lina's last sentence.

Was that just the patron? Or am I getting too drunk and starting to hear things? She asked herself, bewildered at how randomly Lina mentioned a Cornell.

With an exasperated sigh, she decided it wouldn't hurt to check. She pulled out her phone from her purse and fired up a search engine, where she typed in the godforsaken name. Alex tapped enter.

As soon as the results loaded, she felt the world crumble beneath her.

No, no, no, no, no. This fucking didn't happen.

She clicked on one of the articles from a local news outlet. The picture beneath the headline shoving her nightmares front and center. There it was, the title written in bold stated loud and clear: Cornell Son Gets Early Release.

Alex bit her lip as she fought to gather herself together, speed reading through the article. This was definitely a surprise, but what really got her reeling was the figure of a man walking behind Maximilian. She'd pick up who that was from anywhere within a mile radius.

Alex tried to keep herself rational, but the shock rippled through her, enough to shake off the alcohol in her system. And why did her stomach churned like she was punched in the gut a hundred times over? Why did she felt fucking betrayed?

Unexpectedly, she knew it wasn't discovering Cornell was now walking freely in the streets.

Deep down, Alex was aware it was because Gabe Ricci was involved. Either way, it looks like her high and mighty boss has some explaining to do.

Her blood boiled, a myriad of questions went through her mind. Resolute, she wanted those damn questions answered. Tonight.

She downed her drink and slammed the empty glass on the bar, sending a text to draw Gabe's attention.

She looked over where he stood, watching the frown in his face as he read her message. She clicked her head, beckoning him outside.

Even he can't fathom the fire storm that was about to come his way.

Author's Notes 2: Thank you for your continued reading! 💖 How do you think things will go down next? Let me see your reactions on your comments and reblogs!

Tag list: @adiehardfan @pixelnutrookie @starryjieun @latinagiraffe @sarcastic01lily @spookycolorpeanut @ophrookie @suitfer @thegreentwin @mkatschoicesblog @made-of-roses @lillijill

@choicesficwriterscreations

[flameo-firelord-hotman]

Part 2

Pairing: Zuko x Fem!Reader

Genre: angst

Warnings: none

Words: 2.0k

Summary: to everyone she knew, [y/n] was a peasant, destined to be a servant just like her parents. To Zuko, however, she was his best friend. After losing his agni kai and being exiled, [y/n] was devastated. She thought she would never see him again. Three years later, she almost wished he never came back.

A/N: have a treat for getting through another week of 2021 :)

Part 1 <- Part 2 -> Part 3

Series | Masterlist

A couple weeks had passed since [y/n] saw Zuko. When her parents asked how their reunion went, she said it went well. What she didn’t say was that all her excitement plunged down the drain the moment Mai and Azula showed up.

Her mom quickly found out about Zuko and Mai’s relationship. It wasn’t surprising. All the girls in the city dreamed of dating Zuko. Such a rumor would spread like wildfire. When it was brought up, [y/n] pretended to be happy for them. She didn’t want her parents to know that she was heartbroken. She didn’t need them to know her secret.

As the days went on, [y/n] pushed her feelings away and did her best to move on. Once again, work kept her mind distracted. And soon things went back to normal...until a messenger hawk landed on the window sill.

“[Y/n]!” Her mom called from the kitchen, “you have a message from Zuko!”

[Y/n]’s heart began to race. Despite her sorrow, she still got excited to hear from him. It was a nostalgic, like when she was a child waiting for that invitation to have a playdate. She left her bedroom to retrieve the note from her mother.

Dear [y/n], I’m sorry I couldn’t take you up on your offer to spend the day together. I’ve had a lot going on now that I’m back. Today, my father told my sister and me to take a vacation. We’re going to Ember Island, and Mai and Ty Lee are coming too. You should join us! Please let me know if you can come. Your friend, Zuko

[Y/n] had mixed feelings about Zuko’s invitation. She could count on one hand how many times she went on a vacation. The thought of taking a break and getting away from the city seemed nice. Zuko would be there too. Although he didn’t like her back, they were still best friends. It could be fun. However, his sister and his girlfriend would be there as well. That could ruin the trip.

[Y/n] shook her head. She was overthinking it. Zuko dating Mai wasn't the end of the world, and he wanted her to be there, so she should go. It would make him happy, and she truly valued his happiness. Surely [y/n] was capable of repressing her crush and not letting Azula get to her. She would be fine.

That was probably an overstatement.

The trip was...okay. Zuko was glad that [y/n] accepted the invite. However, his sister wasn’t too thrilled (though that was to be expected). Also, as expected, Mai was practically attached to Zuko. [Y/n] watched them from afar at the beach. She had to admit that she was at least a little jealous...maybe a lot.

“Here, this is for you,” Zuko said to Mai, handing her a seashell. Mai glanced at it and gave Zuko a snooty look.

“Why would I want that?”

“I saw it, and I thought it was pretty. Don’t girls like stuff like this?”

Yes, of course, [y/n] thought. She would’ve been over the moon if Zuko gave her a seashell.

Mai scoffed. “Maybe stupid girls.”

[Y/n] frowned. Was she a stupid girl? She sure felt stupid for coming here.

“Hey, beach bums! We’re playing next!” Azula shouted to Zuko and Mai, pointing to the people playing kuai ball. “Ty Lee, get over here!”

[Y/n] and the others gathered around Azula.

“Uh-uh,” Azula put her hand out to stop [y/n]. “You’re not playing. Teams of four only, and, besides, you’ll hold us back.”

“Hey!” Zuko barked at his sister.

“It’s fine, Zuko," [y/n] said, putting her hands up to diffuse the situation. "I don’t know how to play, so she’s probably right...” She shrugged her shoulders.

“See? I’m right. Let’s go.” Azula said pompously. She turned on her heel and headed toward the kuai ball court. Everyone else followed.

Watching Zuko and the girls play from the sidelines was normal for [y/n]. As a child, Azula usually let everyone but [y/n] play games with her, then Zuko would get mad, and [y/n] would just deal with it. She didn't dare cause trouble with the princess. But she deeply appreciated Zuko for standing up for her.

As the team of four destroyed their opponents (almost literally), [y/n]'s mind wandered. If I was nobility, I bet I would be playing too...but would Zuko have chosen me instead? Or would he be with Mai anyway?

After spending most of the day at the beach, the group went to a house party. Initially, the party hosts, Chan and Ruon-Jian, invited only Mai and Ty Lee. But, Azula, cunning and determined as always, managed to persuade the hosts to include everyone…even [y/n] to her surprise.

[Y/n] had never been to a house party before. The place was loud and packed with strangers. It was overwhelming to say the least. If it weren't for Mai, [y/n] would've stuck to Zuko's side. But, alas, she watched the love birds sit together, his arm around her shoulder. They were probably having a good time just like everyone else in the room. No one was standing awkwardly alone like [y/n].

Although she could’ve tried to mingle and make friends, she was far too anxious. So [y/n] sought refuge at the snack table. Nibbling on food kept her looking busy, while she prayed to the spirits for the night to go by quickly.

And perhaps the spirits heard her cries for help. Out of the corner of her eye, [y/n] noticed Zuko heading in her direction. Such a simple thing instantly brought her joy.

“Hey!” [Y/n] grinned.

“Hey.” Zuko replied sternly. He barely looked at her. Strange.

“So, um, how are you enjoying the party?”

He sighed dramatically, as he picked out some food. “Oh, it’s great,” he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Something was wrong. Before [y/n] could open her mouth, Zuko turned and walked away. Then, someone bumped into him and all the food fell to the floor.

“Hey, watch it! That food was for my cranky girlfriend!” Zuko snapped. [Y/n] kneeled down to clean up the food (it must have been her housemaid instincts). When she stood up, she saw Zuko run over to Ruon-Jian, who was talking to Mai, and push him. The poor boy almost crashed into [y/n].

“Hey! What are you doing?” Asked a very stunned Ruon-Jian.

“Stop talking to my girlfriend!” Zuko demanded, pointing an accusatory finger to the host. His other hand was tightly balled into a fist. [Y/n] could practically see the smoke coming out of his hands.

“Relax, it’s just a party—”

Zuko forcefully shoved Ruon-Jian back into a tall vase, which shattered to pieces. Suddenly the room fell silent. People all around them stopped talking to stare.

Mai began yelling at Zuko, and Zuko yelled back. They fought and bickered until Mai finally said it, “it’s over, Zuko. We’re done.”

[Y/n] gawked at the commotion. It all happened so quickly and it seemed so out of the blue. As kids, there were times when Zuko had lost his temper, but this was different. She had never seen Zuko rage to the point of becoming physical before.

“Who broke my nana’s vase?!” Chan cried, running into the scene. Ruon-Jian simply pointed to Zuko. Chan turned to him and aggressively gestured to the door. “That’s it! You’re out of here!”

“I was just leaving,” Zuko growled. He stormed out the front door and slammed it.

I better talk to him, [y/n] thought. She quietly slipped through the crowd of partygoers and left the house. Zuko was angrily walking along the path away from the place, hands still in fists and shoulders tensely raised.

“Zuko!” She called to him. He ignored her.

“Zuko, wait!” [Y/n] jogged to catch up to him. Still, Zuko kept walking. “What happened?” She panted.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

"But--"

"You heard what I said!" He was still fuming and needed to cool down first.

“Okay, okay…" [Y/n] paused before quietly asking, "can I walk with you?”

Zuko hesitated for a moment before sighing heavily. “Yeah, sure.”

Together they walked down the path to the beach. Neither of them said a word. They just silently strolled along the shore side by side. Waves lapped at their feet, providing a nice, calming ambiance. Several minutes passed, then Zuko turned and started up another path. It led up a hill to a large beach house. The house appeared to be abandoned as the garden outside was severely overgrown.

“What is this? Where are we?” [Y/n] wondered.

“My family’s beach house,” Zuko responded in a much more collected tone.

The two walked up the front steps. Zuko tried to open the door, but it was locked. He stepped back and forcefully kicked it open. [Y/n] reluctantly followed him inside.

“We haven’t been here in a long time,” Zuko explained, “we used to come every summer...when we were actually happy.”

A long time indeed. It was obvious that the house had been vacant for many years. Floorboards creaked with every step, a layer of dust coated every surface, and cobwebs hung every corner. A peculiar, stale smell made [y/n]’s nose crinkle.

Zuko extended his hand out and generated a flame. With the dim light, he walked up the large set of stairs in the foyer. [Y/n] followed.

On second floor was a large painting: a family portrait from a different time. Firelord Ozai and his (former) wife, Lady Ursa sat next to each other in chairs. Beneath them sat two children: Zuko and Azula. They looked to be very young, around the age when [y/n] had met them. Everyone was smiling.

Zuko gazed nostalgically. So much had changed in his life since this portrait was painted. It was no wonder his family no longer came here. If one were to pinpoint when it all went downhill, it would be Ursa’s disappearance.

[Y/n] placed a hand on his shoulder. “You miss her, don’t you?”

“Every day,” Zuko mumbled.

“I'm so sorry, Zuko…” she whispered.

“Yeah…” Zuko paused before speaking again. “I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. And I'm sorry you saw me get so angry at Mai and those other guys.”

[Y/n] nodded, accepting his apology.

“When I was exiled, all I felt was bitter anger and frustration. I thought restoring my honor and coming home would be the only way I could be happy again. Well, I’m home now and I have my honor back, so I should be happy, right? But I’m not, and I don’t know why. Now, I’m just confused.”

“I’m sorry, Zuko” [y/n] said. “I don’t know what I can do to help you.”

“It's okay. I don’t even know how to help myself.”

[Y/n] thought for moment. She had to say something to make him feel better.

“It's not very helpful, but I can tell you this. Everything will be okay. Maybe not now or tomorrow, or even the day after...but if you give yourself time, you’ll figure it out, and then, everything will be okay.”

Zuko turned to [y/n]. He stared at her for just a moment before hugging her. [Y/n] wrapped her arms around him, returning the embrace.

“Thank you, [y/n]. Even after all these years, you’re still here for me."

“Of course...I care about you.” She did, in more ways than Zuko would know.

Zuko pulled away, but kept his hands on her shoulders. He was so close to [y/n], she could almost feel his warm breath tickle her nose. It made her cheeks flush. [Y/n] watched his amber eyes wander all over her face. Everything felt so still and quiet all of a sudden. Even [y/n]’s mind went blank. His lips parted slightly, and she could’ve sworn she saw Zuko lean in a little...

“There you are. I thought I’d find you here—”

Zuko immediately let go of [y/n] and whipped his head around. Behind him at the top of the stairs stood Azula. She cocked her head and crossed her arms.

“Did I interrupt something?” She asked articulately.

“No.” Zuko answered quickly.

“Alright then…come down to the beach. This place is depressing.”

While the three of them returned to the shore, [y/n]’s mind rambled relentlessly.

What was that? Did he just...? No, no, I must be crazy. It didn’t happen. It was nothing. It was dark, my mind must've been playing tricks on me. I was just imagining things. Yeah...imagining it all. He wouldn’t...kiss me…would he?

Taglist (open!): @aangsupremacy @kaylove12

[amethystpath-writes]

Power Fatigue

Original Work

Power Fatigue

@badthingshappenbingo

Short Description: Hero abandoned Sidekick, but Villain saved them. They go to Hero to confront him.

******

There was heavy breathing on the other line of the phone call. Villain smiled. "Such wrath, Hero." The other end went silent. He almost laughed. Hero had muted herself.

Looking at his phone for a moment, he shrugged, clicking the 'hang up' button before pocketing the device. Then, he turned the handle in front of him, pushing the heavy back-entrance door open. "Herooo? You in here?"

Hero's base was an old school, one that had supposedly shut down because of mass amounts of mold, rats scurrying about, and bed bugs in clinic beds. This was far from the truth though. Sidekick told Villain as much. Hero bribed the school to sell to him, then bought the school. He podged up the outside, made the rumour look true, and decorated the inside to be a lovely base and home.

Villain beat a fist against a locker, continuing down the hall. "Hero, I don't feel like playing hide and seek today. We do it often enough with your always running away." There was no answer, and no movement.

Okay, screw it. If Hero wanted to pretend like he didn't hear, then Villain would make himself loud enough that he couldn't be ignored.

Walking to the still makeshift office, Villain picked up a phone at the front desk, pushing a button that simply said 'All'. A radio noise sounded before there was a click. "Did you ever watch the movie Singing in the Rain?" Perhaps a bit cheesily, Villain began singing into the intercom. He could vaguely hear his own voice in the speakers. "I'm singing in the schoolhouse! I'm singing in the schoolhouse!" He sighed. "You ought to put me out of my misery, Hero. I have a fear of singing in public."

"You shouldn't. I always thought you had a lovely voice."

Villain turned hearing Sidekick's voice. He smiled, but it quickly faltered. "You need to leave. You know how to get into my home. Go- before our little hero learns what you've done." His voice wasn't panicked, but it had a cautionary and strategic tone.

"I'm not afraid of him, Villain."

He shook his head. "I didn't say- nor ask if- you were. But you know what he's capable of, and I don't want you in the mix of it."

Sidekick was stubborn, saying, "I'm just as capable as either of you." She crossed her arms. "I can take him, especially if you're at my side. Let me stay with you." She came closer, taking Villain's hands in her own and rubbing her thumbs across his skin. "I've been fighting against you all this time. I want to fight with you now."

"And I'm telling you no." Villain stole his hands away. "Let me take care of this. I'll have him wrapped like a present when I come home, okay? I know you want to help, but it's not necessary. Hero's going to know you're working with me either way, and he's going to be pissed either way, but if he sees you here...Sidekick, I don't want you getting hurt. Please, please just go home."

Now it was Sidekick who shook her head and Villain knew not to argue anymore. There was no point because if Sidekick weren't so stubborn, they'd be dead. It was her stubbornness that saved her life before. Maybe it would keep her alive today.

A phone rang behind the desk and Villain eyed it with caution.

"It'll be Hero calling from another room."

"Do you guys seriously pay for all of these phones still? That's gotta cost a fortune."

Sidekick gave a small laugh. "It's more like an advanced walkie talkie system. We don't- I don't- he doesn't-" She took a deep breath. "No one pays for service."

Villain said, "You're nervous."

"I'm not. Pick up the phone or else I will. It'll ring three- two- more times."

He shook his head, but obliged, not wanting the reveal to happen a moment sooner than...well, Villain wasn't sure when Hero would put two and two together. Either way, the later he knew Sidekick betrayed him, the better.

Picking up the phone, Villain answered gloriously, as if he weren't terrified of something happening to Sidekick. "Villain speaking! Who is in due pleasure of speaking to me?"

"Room 202." The audio clicked then remained in a long fuzz. Villain dropped the phone into its spot.

Villain swallowed his fear. It was Hero's anger that he was afraid of, but Villain was capable of the same anger. On a normal day, he was stronger than Hero, which meant that if both he and Villain were fueled by anger today, then it would be like any other day. Nothing would happen to Sidekick. Villain wouldn't allow it.

Still, Villain asked, "You're sure you want to face him?"

Sidekick nodded.

"Alright. Room 202 we go. Feel free to lead the way."

She squinted. Shook her head. "Call 202's extension- there's a list in the top right drawer that will tell you what to punch in. Tell Hero you'll meet in the Gymnasium. If he tries to direct you back to Room 202, say you'll only meet in the gym, auditorium, or music room- which is Room 126."

Fear was still clutching onto Villain. He kept trying to convince himself that everything would be okay, and that he had this, but... Gee, he'd never been afraid of Hero, and he couldn't say that he was afraid of him now. There was just this growing pit in Villain's stomach that told him something would go wrong- that Sidekick would get hurt, or worse, be killed.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this."

Sidekick was taken back by surprise. "Are you serious?" He looked her dead in the eye, silent. "You are." She sighed and walked to him, taking his hands all over again. "We're fine, Villain. Nothing bad is going to happen. I promise."

Her hands were warm, meaning her blood was rushing, heart beating quickly. She was either excited or as equally scared as Villain was. He knew it was the latter. Sidekick had stuttered so much earlier and changed the subject when he mentioned the possibility of her being nervous. Her hot hands confirmed what he already knew.

"We should do this when we're both ready. Right now, neither of us are in the right frame of mind to fight," Villain explained.

"You'd rather wait for him to surprise attack us?"

"Well, no, but-"

"We have the advantage right now, Villain. I know the base inside and out. There's two of us and one of him. We know when we'll attack. He doesn't. We're fine, okay?" She raised her brows. "We have this."

Villain closed his eyes, focused on the hands holding his own. He nodded. "Okay." He nodded a second time, and with an exhale, said again, "Okay." Villain let his hands fall from Sidekick's before he picked up the phone and opened the drawer sidekick mentioned before.

He made his call, though he had to confide with Sidekick in quiet whispers and mouthing words in order to remember all of the numbers she'd mentioned. In the end, they agreed to meet in the music room.

Agreed was a polite term when you considered how they were meeting to beat one another.

Sidekick interrupted at one point to tell Villain not to use the Gymnasium because there was an upper level where there was a weight room. She also advised against the auditorium because of a catwalk above. The safest place, really, was the music room. Truly, the safest place was outside, in the open, but Sidekick made it clear that she wouldn't put others in danger.

***

While on their way to the designated room, Villain said, "Glad you thought of his vantage points."

"Yeah, I'm- uh- sorry I didn't realize sooner."

He grabbed her swaying hand as they walked. How odd they were. A hero and a villain, walking with hands held between them, about to fight another hero because he'd become a villain. The scenario was all kinds of whacked up and Villain couldn't quite remember how all of it had played out. Falling in love with Sidekick had been gradual, he knew, but he wished he remembered the exact moment he knew he loved her.

"You could have not said anything at all. It's not like you would have been betraying me- me being a villain and all." He nudged her shoulder lightly, and tilted his head to see the smirk he proudly painted on her face.

"You're not a villain," she said.

"I never thought I was one either."

She turned her head to look at him, eyes squinted. Before she could ask anything further, they came to the door of the music room. Room 126.

Villain asked quietly, "If the problem with the gym is that he can unexpectedly attack from above...why don't we open this door now, and then head to the gym. He'll have to look for us, and we'll have enough time to prepare ourselves."

Sidekick agreed, and so they opened the door to the music room, knowing Hero would be waiting for them to walk in. When they didn't, he'd be forced to look for them.

***

Sidekick stood at one door while Villain stood at the other. Same wall, but different sides of the room. Villain wanted to look at her, to just see her and feel that she was safe in her gaze, but he knew he needed to look forward, watch for Hero instead.

Villain needed to be prepared, but how could he when his heart was beating so thunderously against his chest? It even felt like it was beating in Sidekick's direction, trying to bring him closer to her.

"Remind me again why we're spread this far apart?"

Sidekick answered, "Larger range between targets. If we were glued at the hip like you want, he'd take us out easily."

Villain nodded, said no more, kept his eyes on the opening on either side of the opposite wall. He also watched the railing above them both- a weight room just like Sidekick said.

There were a few doors in the center. A set of double doors that apparently led to a storage room for things like basketballs, dodgeballs, and hula hoops. A door to the left which was a girl's locker room, but was now used to display trophies Sidekick had won in high school. The door to the right of the storage room was the boy's locker room and did the same for Hero that it did Sidekick. And there was one last door to the right of the boy's room, which used to serve as an office, but was now used as a computer room. Villain tried not to think of how much information was in that room, stored on various flash drives and SD cards.

"Sidekick?"

Villain's attention snapped to the left of the room, where Hero stood. The fear Villain felt before was replaced with a stone-hard fury. He wanted nothing more than to launch himself at the self-proclaimed hero and tackle him to the ground.

"Yeah. Yeah, it's me." Sidekick said, and Villain could tell that she was still frightened. He didn't dare look at her for fear that Hero might take it as an opportunity to strike at her.

"What are you-" Hero turned his head, peering at Villain. Almost immediately, Villain could tell he tensed up. "He's forcing you to be here, isn't he?" Hero's eyes darted to Sidekick, but mostly remained on Villain. "Has he used mind control?"

Villain huffed a laugh and smiled. "You're still trying to pull that lie?" He could feel Sidekick look over at him. She hadn't known who Hero was until he left her to die. She still didn't know him, it seemed.

Hero's eyes flickered between potential exits. There weren't so many that Villain or Sidekick couldn't reach in time to catch him. It turned out the gym had been the best place after all.

"Look," Villain began, and he took several steps forward, crossing his arms. Would it be easy to throw a punch in this position? No, it wouldn't be, but Hero was easily intimidated by crossed arms and confidence. Hero wouldn't attack as long as Villain didn't falter. "I promised Sidekick that I would avoid kicking your ass, but even she knows that it might be necessary."

"You make it sound like I can negotiate." Hero was still tensed, but he relaxed just a tad at the possibility of getting out of this unscathed.

Villain smiled. "Not exactly."

He watched Hero's eyes dart over to Sidekick again and again. He was still piecing it together. He knew Villain didn't have mind control; that was a lie he created so that the media would despise Villain, and therefore consider Hero a true hero. The only other consideration to make was that Sidekick betrayed him. How long until the idea was confirmed in his mind?

"I want you to turn yourself over to the local news coverage. Tell them who you are. And before you do that," Villain had the confidence now to look at Sidekick and hold a gesturing hand out to her. "I want you to tell your partner who you are. She knows your a deserter already, but she deserves to know the rest. You want to talk about mind control, how about you tell her how you've manipulated everyone in the nearby communities?"

Now it was Sidekick who spoke up. "Villain?" Her eyes switched between Hero and Villain both. "Hero?" Someone needed to speak up. What was both sides hiding?

"Hero, are you going to talk? Or do I need to take action like I said I would avoid?" He glanced at Sidekick. "I know this is different from the plan, but I believe this will be more beneficial." He returned a smirk to Hero.

"I don't think I'm the one who needs to explain myself," Hero said. "Sidekick, your with Villain. You want to tell me about that?"

Sidekick flustered, no doubt feeling a sort of guilt. This was exactly why Villain wanted Hero to tell her what all he'd done. So that when this conversation- about her betraying him- she wouldn't feel awfully.

"I fought for you to get out," Sidekick said after taking a deep breath. "I. Fought. For. You. And I nearly killed myself doing so. You made it out." She paused. "You made it out and you never came back to help me. You knew it took all of my power to get you out, to keep all of that debris above the ground so you could crawl out. I couldn't move, Hero. You knew I wouldn't make it out, and yet, even after you were safe, you never even tried to get help, to get me out. You left me to die."

There it is, Villain thought. There's her anger. He was proud of her- for stomping down the fear she felt. He knew how hard it was. He'd done it himself at least five times in the last three hours.

Before Hero could defend himself, Sidekick continued. "Villain saved me. Not you, not the man they praise on TV as being selfless and caring and generous. Villain saved me. And he has cared for me sense. When I was still exhausted from exerting myself, he carried me to his home. He bandaged me. He fed me. He gave me a bed to sleep on. And what were you doing?"

Now's the time.

"I- well..." Hero glanced nervously at Villain, whose arms were still crossed. "You told me to leave, Sidekick. You told me to get out of there, so I did. You can't be angry at me for that. You see, he has tampered with your mind."

Villain sighed. "Hero, you grasping onto that concept like it's your lifeline. It can't protect you forever." He rose a brow when the supposed hero didn't respond. "Still not going to talk? Alright." Villain looked to Sidekick. "He ever let you in that computer room you told me about?" He pointed to the door, not waiting for an answer before speaking because he already knew the answer.

"When Hero and I were friends in high school, he used to journal on his desktop about all the guilty things he'd done. Things like stealing cookies off of unaware kids' trays, getting that one solo instead of the only freshman in our choir, stuff like that." Villain chuckled. "He didn't used to step on people until it was time for college applications. He realized he was only good enough for the mediocre schools. Hero always aspired to be someone great, but he lost faith in himself. Guess I was the easiest person to make a target out of. Isn't that right, Hero?"

He hadn't spoken this whole time, only bit his tongue. Hero nodded now, lips pressed tight.

"Wait. What are you saying?" Sidekick asked, but the question was more directed at Hero than Villain.

"I became a villain when he pointed fingers, started making massive claims making me out to be a horrible person."

Despite having already nodded, Sidekick asked Hero, "Is he telling the truth?"

"This isn't- but he- Sidekick, how could you even consider being on his side? I know I left you, but it's because you told me to go."

Villain interjected, "Or he only cared to save himself."

"I didn't tell you to never come back for me! You were safe as soon as you got out. Meanwhile I was being crushed because I used every ounce of my abilities so that you didn't get crushed!" Sidekick breathed so heavily that Villain and Hero could both hear her. "Wait. Wait, wait, wait. What did you think happened to me when you didn't see me for so long after the accident?"

Hero shrugged. "I thought you died."

"And is that what you told the reporters?"

"More or less."

"What did you say to them?" Sidekick demanded.

Villain felt completely foolish for ever thinking Hero's anger would overcome them. He supposed he wasn't thinking from Hero's perspective at all, but his own. Because if he truly saw Hero as a villain and his partner suddenly revealed themselves to be said villain's new partner, he'd be furious. Villain would fight like hell to get to a partner that betrayed him like that. But, Villain acknowledged, Hero has known all along that I'm the good guy between us. Hero couldn't possibly be mad at Sidekick for a false scenario.

"I told them that you sacrificed your life for mine." Hero took subtle steps backward, but not settle enough. Villain was far enough away that he could see Hero's whole body, and therefore could see every move he made. Villain held his hand up threateningly, stopping Hero in his tracks.

"I want to see your desktop," Sidekick declared. She didn't wait to start sauntering toward the door she needed.

***

Villain stood in the doorway, watching to make sure Hero didn't do anything out of sorts. He didn't think his old friend would kill anyone to maintain his false identity, but he wasn't sure. The stuff that he pinned on Villain was worthy of death, so he might as well have killed him.

Something for Villain to be somewhat happy, and yet also severely disappointed, about was the number of pages written about him. Every moment Hero considered undermining Villain, every time he did undermine him, or pin him, blame him, accuse him. There were also various pages detailing how badly he'd deceived Sidekick.

Speaking of Sidekick, after about two hours of reading and asking questions, she slammed the mouse on the table before standing and walking briskly out of the room. "I'm ready to leave. Damn whatever happens to him. I don't want to see or hear of him ever again," she said on her way out- or rather yelled.

Villain followed her out of the room, but stopped halfway through the gymnasium. He said to Hero, "I don't have the patience to deal with you right now, but just know that if you don't come out about all of this yourself, I won't hesitate to actually become your villain. Understood?"

Hero swallowed with a nod, and Villain took his leave.

[rixxy8173571m3w1p3]

Winter Rain

I'd like to thank @xerxezra for the encouragement. I really needed it, and to the Enya song in which the title and fic is based on. I'm still working on the fic to go with a fanart of mine, but until then feel free to check out my other fics which can be found on my Fanfic Masterpost or Ao3 links which are in my description under my header.

In this fic the reader deals with a change in plans.

_______________

City streets were passing by, underneath stormy skies. No, there were no neon signs but there were cargo trains rolling by on the tracks parallel to the main road. Hmm, wasn't that an Enya song? Perhaps it was.

Funny that you were thinking of new age songs when none were playing on the radio, though you wouldn't have minded if any music was on; it would've made a difference. Enya's songs in themselves reminded you of that one teacher in elementary school who wore that cherry brooch you liked and drowned herself in a bottle of perfume. Your teacher, whatever her name, was halfway pleasant, but always wore a blouse which was a size too big and thus you always saw more of her then you cared to whenever she leaned over a desk to assist another student. Another Enya song, Only Time, reminded you of that one book you tried to read around that time with the questionable cover. Of course, neither of these things had anything to do with the drive home, but it was a passing nostalgia you couldn't pass up.

Wiry, naked trees were scattered along the way; none of them of much consequence except to the fragments of your imagination, where they were dancers in a wintery, mournful ballet. For his part, Rick was unaware of these random thoughts, for you had not mentioned them, but you did wonder about something else when you took a glance at the time and found you two were getting home a little faster than usual. “Rick, do you prefer driving? Or is flying in your spaceship easier?”

“I-I think each one is great in its own way,” he answered, keeping his eyes on the road. “but th-the fastest way to travel is by using my portal gun.”

“So it is. Hmm, makes me wonder what the Flash would have to say about that.” you commented as rain pitter-pattered against the passenger side window. “I bet he'd have a few things to say if you can catch him.”

“Gee, I don't know. I'll ugh - I'll have to ask him the next time I'm in his Earth dimension.”

Sometimes you didn't know if he was being serious or simply joking, though you tended to believe him, especially since it only added to your natural wonder. Your curiosity was a quality which tickled him immensely, but whether he could withstand it while driving was not something you were about to test. Outside, straight ahead, the roads looked all the same, although, to the discerning eye, one would notice the cracks here and there, and the splattered paint on the curb closest to city hall and the fire station. And while the roads were neither empty or full, you would say they were in want of life and perhaps a good shoveling, but with whatever technology hidden in the nooks and crannies of his station wagon, you two drove on the icy roads with ease. It was cold outside, but you weren't cold; Rick made sure of that by giving you the heated seat and a quilt to drape over yourself.

You were, however slightly bored because Zeta-7 hadn't been talking all that much this evening. He had been in a mood and you thought it could've had something to do with the phone call he received while you two were at the craft shop but he didn't say. It hadn't made him any less sweet, but he seemed distant in a familiar way that you were sure you had experienced some time ago. Perhaps he was fearful, he would have reason; contemplative as always; afraid, to an almost unhealthy degree, but risking a chance to placate him, you joked. “Are you trying something new? Is it a seduction tactic, cause I'm certainly intrigued.”

“Wh-what?” he blushed, as he turned the corner to head towards your street.

“Aren't you trying the broodish thing all cool guys do in those cheap romance novels? You know, the kind they sell at the drugstore?” you giggled, turning up the heat in the car to fit your preference.

“Gosh, n-n-no. I ugh - I-I don't think I'm cool enough t-t-to do that.”

“Really? Well, I think if you wanted to you could, though I doubt you'd try it unless convinced it would work. Not sure how effective it would be on me, but this isn't about me. What's going on with you,” you questioned with a serious, but gentle candor. “you haven't said much tonight.”

“I ugh - I have a few things on my mind is all, but it's going t-to be okay. I'm sorry if I alarmed you.”

“Not too much, I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Are you?”

Stopping in front of your home, he admitted with a sudden disheartenment. “I don't know. Sometimes it's - it's hard to know especially if you hear bad news but I th-think I will be. Eventually.”

One of his watches was flashing, and it made you wonder if it meant what you thought it meant. While you couldn't read the line of code which passed over its digital face, you thought you'd seen a similar line of code before. “Are you going to have to go? Is that what's bothering you? I know you promised that we'd paint together tonight, but you won't be able to will you?”

“No, I'm - I'm sorry. I had asked for the whole week off, but this - it's from my supervisor. I can't ignore it. I have to go in. I-I really wish I didn't have to.”

“Oh Rick, if you had to go, why didn't you tell me earlier? I would've understood.”

“You were having such a-a great time picking out supplies that I didn't - I couldn't bring myself to crush your excitement. Now th-that I think about it, I don't know if this was any better, but I-I asked that I'd be able to bring you home first so that I wouldn't have to worry about leaving you there without a-a word.”

Zeta-7 hated to break his promises, and you hated the feeling of a broken promise, but as he switched the car off, and you two walked towards your porch, you admitted. “I would've figured it out and got home somehow. I mean there's enough Uber drivers in this town, and one of them would've driven me home, but I'm glad that at least I had this time with you. Please be careful and visit me whenever. You know you can.”

Instead of comforting him as your easy resignation usually would, he balled his fists and hit them against the railing; hateful of his own inadequacies. You had to admit that when he got upset, it caught you off guard, but it also reminded you that he still was very much a Rick, albeit a softer one. “Th-this wasn't supposed to happen. I-I don't understand why it always comes to this. We were - I had so many things planned out for us and th-”

You hugged him from behind, interrupting what he was going to say. “There will always be next time. Calm down,” you cooed, “it's all going to be okay. It's not the end of the world and I'm not upset by it.”

“But I don't - I don't want t-to keep doing this to you. I promised.”

“I know, but it's not like you do this on purpose. You see, this is what happens when a girl like me dates a guy like you. Expect the unexpected, and maybe a few space worms every once in a while if I eat a sandwich from a gas station on a comet somewhere. These things happen.”

“I wish it - it didn't. Lately,” he confessed, his voice taking on its softer quality. “I've been thinking a-about when I'd like to retire. Maybe I finally should.”

“Whatever you want to do, I'm okay with it. As long as it makes you happy, but only if you do it without regret. You would know best of course.”

“I-I certainly hope so.”

You two stood there in silence for a moment, but you heard a beeping noise emanate from under his sleeve. “I d-don't want to say goodbye, but I'll miss you m-mi corazón.”

When he wasn't around, your home felt emptier,

though you refrained from saying so, and because you didn't want to add to his guilt you simply said. “I'll miss you too.”

“Th-there's a chance I won't see you in a few days. At least it will feel th-that way for me.”

“You can always call me, and if you can't then I'll see you when I see you. You know where I'll be.”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “somewhere I-I'm not.”

“Don't say that. You're always on my mind, and I'd like to think you're always with me, in one way or another. There's no way I couldn't think of you.”

He turned around to face you, his eyes appearing twice as expressive through his glasses. Zeta-7 studied you and brushed his thumb across the back of your hand. “Siempre estás c-conmigo, and because of - of that, I'm never truly l-lonely.”

“Oh Rick, I love you.”

As easily as it was to adore him with your entire being, so it was to break his heart. Whether it had been a lack of love or an abundance of heartache in his life thus far which shook him to his bones, a replenishing of spirit was always in order. You weren't tall, you never had been, but stepping on the tips of your toes, you pressed a kiss on his cheek that never failed to floor him, and marvel as though it were from a fairy queen; one comprised of stardust and moonbeams. “This means you belong to me. Got it cutie? No one else has dibs except for me, so don't look so surprised. You're mine.”

Like a tease, the weather picked up and the strong gust which followed made you shiver, which alarmed him and prevented his reply. You were trying to tough it out because he could be gone at any moment. And must've sensed this, for against your control you shivered once more, but he pulled off his own scarf to wrap around your neck. “It's going t-t-to get colder,” he said protectively. “so please don't forget to wrap yourself up tonight. I um - I placed a-a few thick blankets in your closet just in case. Why d-don't you go inside?”

“Because I can bear it for a little bit longer. Thank you,” you smiled sweetly up at him, despite losing feeling in your cheeks. “but I doubt I'll try to leave my house for the next few days. I'll look after this for you. Hopefully, it's going to be warmer where you're going.”

“I-I can't say, it's…”

“Classified information.” you finished.

“Gosh, I-I-I guess you know th-the drill by now. Smart girl.”

“Maybe. I don't know much, but I know you, and that you can't tell me certain things because you don't want whichever information to be held against me. At least I'm learning. Either way,” you softened, buttoning the top button on his jacket. “please be careful.”

“I-I will. Can I um - can I-I give you a kiss?”

“Do you even have to ask?”

Though of course, he would ask as though your disappointment would disqualify his validity to partake of your affection. He bent down to try to kiss you goodbye, his glasses fogging up at the closeness between you two, but a portal opened right behind him and the guard Rick's on the other side pulled him through. And like that, he was gone again; without a choice; without a goodbye. Your arms which had been around his waist a moment ago, you brought down to rest at your sides, and you too clenched your fists in quick frustration but found yourself halfway exhausted by the cold temperatures and suddenness of it all.

His scarf felt warm and soft about your neck and smelled like him; of vanilla, and of whatever his house smelled like. You thought of the painting that you two would not do tonight, and how you were once again alone. That seemed to magnify it all, intensify the fact that you might've always been alone and destined to remain as such. It used to make you cry when you realized that he could be taken from you at any moment, but you had gotten used to it, or at least you thought you did. Only a few hours ago, you two were at a café, discussing painting techniques and how with a little practice you too could paint that little tree you liked that was growing in the corner of your yard; his enthusiasm was contagious, and you were pumped because you really wanted to show him you had been practicing.

If once again someone cried, then it was you because he couldn't cry where he was going; he wouldn't dare to and repress it for as long as he could help it; if only you were as strong.

Oh, winter rain, how could it relate? It knew little except its natural way; of falling upon the earth; of life; of beginnings; of letting go; of uncertainty. Yet, it wasn't the rains fault; it does not know and could not know; if only. It was cold, and you were cold, with the only part of you that was really warm being where his scarf was.

Thinking of what lied in store for him made you want him back all the more so that you could hold him, and make him feel safe. You wanted him back now because it seemed so unfair that they'd take him when he didn't want to go, but you couldn't bring him back; not even for his sake; being against your power just like the rain. For now, all you could do was only open the front door to your home and step in as the last train passed by; not knowing when the next will come.

Fin