#but it was still lovely to hear john talking so matter-of-factly about being a dad

[javelinbk]

Gay Byrne asks about families, and it turns very awkward very quickly. The Beatles' appearance with Gay Byrne and Ken Dodd, Granada Television Studios, 25th November 1963 - part 6 (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5) (x)

[bigtittybitch10]

Cuddles with Kie

REQUESTED ON WATTPAD

Y/N POV

Kie and I had been best friends for years. We were inseparable and did any and everything together. We spent every waking moment together and even when we were sleeping or couldn't be together physically we were on facetime. Most of our sleepovers consisted of us sneaking out late into the night to find random bugs or animals to put on my sleeping brother. Everyone knew about us and never dared to mess with either of us knowing a hell would be raised.

But all of that completely stopped about a year ago when Kie decided to go to dinner at the Cameron's house. Since that night I haven't seen her other than school where I barely even get a glance. Ya, I still had my brother, JJ, and Pope but all I wanted was my best friend back. She knew me and understood me more than anyone ever would. We went from hand holding, forehead kisses, and random outbursts of laughter at the worst time possible to barely even talking. The last time I talked to her was three months ago when she and I were paired together for a science project. Even then she refused to come to my house or even allow me into hers. We were limited to the classroom or the Library. It was almost like she was completely embarrassed to be seen with me because of my social status, which I don't get because for as long as I could remember Kie never gave a flying fucking about the Kook and Pogue bullshit.

But here I find myself sitting on my bed looking at the wall of pictures that hold memories of Kie and my father who I haven't seen in almost five months. Before he left he told me he would have to go away for a while so what happened next was a complete blindside.

"Hey Y/N we need to talk," John B comes into my room with a look on his face I couldn't read. I just nodded my head allowing him to continue.

"Um.. so I really don't know how to say this, but dad is being listed as a missing person officially and is most likely being presumed dead," John B says quietly while finally letting a few tears fall. At this moment the whole world stopped. Everything in the room was completely frozen, I could barely breathe and my sight was now blurred due to tears threatening to fall. I was completely in my own world that I didn't even see John B rushing over to me and pulling me into his arms. But the second I felt him I completely broke down. I found myself crying into his arms still not able to read. It took John B a few seconds to realize what was happening but the second he did he pulled himself away from me and just started telling me to breathe.

"Y/N you need to breathe," John B said while I attempted to follow his instructions of breathing in and out. At this point I see JJ and Pope rushing into my room and getting to my level.

"Y/N PLEASE BREATHE," JJ says yelling, allowing himself to go into pull blow panic mode. I see Pope quickly rush out of the room and back just as fast with a glass of water he shoved into my face demanding I drink some.

I tried to take a sip but the second I tried to swallow I choked and completely spit it out and coughing which then made it even harder to try and breathe.

"I need you to breathe," John B said while crying even harder. "Please," he added quietly.

I did my best to calm down and once I was somewhat calmer I took a drink of water allowing the cool liquid to calm my burning throat. I was still crying and completely frozen but now I was finally able to breathe.

"I need Kie," I said quietly. Which made JJ frown. Ever since Kie completely abandoned us JJ has done his best to fill her shoes. He knew he wasn't her and he tried to remind himself that but it was hard seeing Y/N ache for the girl who completely left them high and dry.

"Ill try and give her a call," Pope said while walking away quietly. I just laid down in my bed with John B joining me and pulling me into his arms. He was all I had left and I refused to let him disappear to so I just held onto him tightly.

"She's on her way," Pope came back into the room a few minutes later. Which made John B nod hid head and JJ let out a quiet scoff. Kie leaving the group the way she did hurt all of them not just Y/N.

A few minutes pass before I hear a light knock on the back door. She wasn't even comfortable coming in anymore. She was a stranger in the house she used to spend most nights.

KIE'S POV

When I got the call I instantly left Sarah's house ignoring all of her shady comments and her telling me that if I go over there I was never welcome back. I sent her a quick glare and a middle finger and ran my way out of Figure Eight and into the cut. When I got to Y/N house I didn't know if I should just walk in like normal or knock. I decided on knocking not knowing how everyone would react if I just barged my way into the house after a year.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here," JJ said to me with clear venom in his voice. I knew my actions were hurting Y/N but I never fully realized how much it truly affected everyone else.

"Hi stranger," I try to crack a joke giving them a smile.

"Kie, what the fuck happened this past year," John B asked while walking down the hall from Y/N room.

"Im sorry, I lost who I was for a minute," I tell them while looking down at my feet clearly guilty of my actions.

"Ya you lost who you were and completely broke the only person who mattered in your life, the only person who truly understood you, and last but not least the only person who loved you for YOU," John be said to me clearly getting angrier and angrier.

"Im sorry okay, how much can I tell you that Im so fucking sorry. If i could go back and do it again I would have left that stupid dinner and came right back over, I don't even know why I stayed or why I kept going back," I told them truthfully.

"Well you could have at least told her what happened," JJ said.

"I wanted to, but Sarah is a bitch, she is controlling, and to be completely honest I was scared of her. I was scared that if I left her she would hurt Y/N," I tell them while finally looking them in the eyes. John B had tears running down his face, JJ's eyes were bloodshot clearly from crying, and Pope was hard to read like normal.

What happened next surprised me. John B pulled me into a hug and gave me a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Go get your girl," John B said while pulling me away and pushing me towards the direction of Y/N. I had no idea what to expect when I walked in or how she was going to react but the second I opened her door and I saw her face light up I knew I had fucked up.

Y/N POV

The moment I heard my door open up and saw Kie I couldn't help but light up. I had been waiting for this moment for so long. She instantly came over to me and pulling me onto her chest. It felt like she hadnt even left.

"Im so fucking sorry, Im sorry for everything, for leaving, for ignoring you, for leaving you to question yourself, and for you dad," Kie told me quickly. Kie was never one to apologize so for her to instantly apologize and mean it meant everything to me. I just held her tighter in fear she might disappear again.

"I missed you," Is all I could choke out. Kie kissed my forehead and intertwined our fingers and holding me tighter.

"Im never leaving your side again," Kie tells me matter a factly.

"Promise?" I asked her. She let go of my hand and stuck out her pinky.

"Promise." She says while grabbing my pinky into hers and kissing her thumb while I do the same and then we touch thumbs. It was how we always pinky promised to each other.

She grabbed my hand again and we just sat in silence for a minute.

"You smell like the rich," I tell her which makes her bust out laughing with me following behind her.

"And you smell like..." she starts to say before bending down and smelling my hair before continuing , "strawberry shampoo and salt water," she finishes with a smile making me smile.

"But for real tomorrow we are taking you outside to touch some dirt," I tell her while laughing.

"How was the Kook life?" I ask her genuinely wanting to know what it was like even if it was from the eyes of someone else.

"Honestly boring, they are too concerned with their imagine that they forget to have fun and let loose a little," she tells me.

"sounds like a bunch of people with sticks up their ass," I saw while laughing to myself a little.

"Oh definitely!" Kie confirms. I could my tears and panic attack catching up with me making my eyes droop a little. Kie noticed I was getting sleeping which just made her pull me into her tighter and bring the blanket over our bodies making sure that the cold weather doesn't catch up to us.

"Ill be here in the morning, get some sleep babe," she tells me while looking down at me and kissing my nose. With that I got myself comfortable and allowed the sleep to over take me.

---------

WORD COUNT 1897

I hope you guys all enjoyed! Please let me know if you have a request of your own. I am currently working on a smut with Rafe so stay tuned for that!!

[thebestofoneshots]

About a Girl

Paring: Dean x reader

Prompt: Reader turns into a small kid after a witch puts a spell on her and the boys need to figure out a way to fix it before she grows down into nothing. While Sammy investigates, Dean has to take care of her.

Warnings: none

“Did you hear what she said?” You asked Sam as you walked out of the witch house “before Dean shot her?”

Sam thought about it for a second “I don’t think she said anything...”

“No... no... I’m sure she did! She said something... juvelin? Juven... juven-something... didn’t you hear Dean?” You asked turning towards him, he was rather distraught packing things up on the trunk of the impala.

“Maybe? But I don’t think is anything to worry about (Y/N).”

You were still unconvinced, but the brothers thought it was nothing, and they had more experience with witches than you did so you decided to ignore your uneasiness. “Maybe I’m just tired... We’re going home now, right?”

Dean nodded. You got on the back seat of the impala and the boys got in the front. You hung out with them for a while, sitting on the middle seat and jamming to Dean’s tunes. But sooner than later Dean played one of his soft rock music and even if you loved most of them, they knocked you out since you were a child, since your dad would listen to it while road tripping.

Dean smiled when he saw you soundly asleep as he reached out for a drink from the cooler. Sammy was awake still and the three of you arrived home around 7 pm. Once the impala was on the garage and the boys were about to leave the car Sam called you to wake “Hey (Y/N), we’re at the bunker!”

There was no answer, so he turned to wake you up. His eyes opened wildly when he saw what laid on the back seat. He quickly motioned Dean to turn too. Both of the boys stared for a bit, for where their friend was supposed to lay a little girl was instead.

Dean was about to speak up when the little girl started to open her eyes. She slowly sat and looked at the two boys confused. “Are you dad’s friends? Did he go on a hunting trip again?” She asked as she yawned.

“Yes?” Answered Sam.

The little girl sighed “nice to meet you then, I’m (Y/N). Who are you?”

Dean gave Sam a look. Was this little girl really you turned back in time? It certainly looked like so. “ I am Dean Winchester.”

She giggled “No, you’re not. I know Dean Winchester, he’s about this height,” she said placing her hand at eye height “he’s a year older but I’m taller. Daddy says it’s because I eat all my vegetables and he’s a picky eater, only likes pie.”

Sam snorted from the side and Dean gave him a look before turning back to you.

��All through,” you said standing up and getting close to him “you do look a little like my Dean,” you said after grabbing the sides of his face with your now small hands “especially the eyes,” you stared at his eyes, those definitely looked like Dean’s eyes, you would know, even at five years of age you knew those eyes were special, you quickly separated from him and stood back on the leather chair of the car “are you related to John?”

“Yes,” replied Sam, “he’s uh... our cousin.”

“So you’re Sam and Dean’s uncles. Nice to meet you,” she smiled.

Dean had already gotten out of the car and opened the door for you to come out. “What is your name?” You asked Sam before he came out.

“I’m... I’m Henry Winchester,” he replied. Dean gave him a look and he just shrugged, if he said he was Sam little (Y/N) would think they were messing with her.

“All right (Y/N) time to go in,”

“Where are we?” She asked as she followed the boys through the big concrete walls.

“This is the men of letters bunker. Where we live,”

“I wish I lived in a place like this,” you spoke as you looked in awe all around “maybe one day,” you said hopefully. A small knowing smile grew on Dean as he heard those words, they had invited you in when they bumped into you on a hunt a few years back, you’d been with them ever since, and you always called the bunker your home.

“So... Not-my-Dean-Winchester, what are we going to do?” You wondered “some of dad’s friends just leave me in the corner and tell me to behave, some others are really nice, Bobby once took me to the movies... You guys seem really nice, but also very tired. Did you just finish a hunt? You have that look in your eyes dad has when he finishes a hunt.

Yes, that’s how he remembered you, a very talkative little girl who used to play with him and Sam when you were together. And very clever too, you seemed to always know what the adults were about.

“We are actually getting home from a hunt,” Sam answered. You looked at him expectantly “A witch.”

“Oooo, dad’s never faced a witch before”, she said. “Are they very dangerous?”

“Some are, this one was just... weird, she put a spell on our friend,”

“I’m sorry, are they all right?” You asked with concern.

“She seems to be,” Sam replied “but we need to contact a friend that is a witch to help us. Dean, keep an eye on her while I contact Rowena,”

“But I don’t know how to take care of children,”

“Do what you’d wanted to have when someone took care of us,” Sam shrugged and turned on the corner opposite to where you and Dean did.

“Woah,” you exclaimed excitedly “this place is amazing! Look that table,” you said as you ran to stand on one of the chairs around the war room table “this whole bunker is amazing, you are very lucky to live here,” you told Dean as you admired the whole place. “Are you guys rich?”

“No... we ugh... sort of inherited it.”

“So... will you tell me to shut up and sit in the corner?” You wondered, it wasn’t uncommon and you were used to it “because I can, but I’d be happier if you allowed me to take a book at least, you have plenty of them. I promise I wouldn’t damage it. Just look at the pretty pictures. But if being quite in the corner is the order I’ll take it, sir.”

“Of course not!” He scoffed “I was going to ask you if you wanted to watch a movie,” he asked, “we would make popcorns and stuff.”

“I’d like that a lot,” you nodded excitedly.

Jack entered the room just a few seconds before that and tried to figure out what was happening “who is that?” He questioned.

“Jack, this is (Y/N),” he furrowed his brows, that was (Y/N), she looked just like (Y/N) but at least 25 years younger. “(Y/N), this is Jack... my son...”

“You don’t look old enough to have a son that old,” you said turning your head back and forth between the two of them. Dean had a little smirk drawn on his face, finally someone recognized he wasn’t old,

“I’m actually four,” stated Jack.

You frowned and turned to Dean.

“It’s a long story, magic.” he explained.

“WelI guess it makes sense,” you said as you shrugged “we will still watch a movie right?”

Dean nodded, by then you had already jumped over the table and walked towards Jack, you handed him your small hand “nice to meet you Jack.”

“How did this happen?” He asked Dean as he looked at you.

“Well my dad asked them to take care of me,” you replied.

“A witch,” Dean signed from behind.

“Oh...” acknowledged Jack “maybe I could try?”

“No, we don’t want Chuck noticing anything,”

“Who is Chuck?”

“God,” replied Jack matter of factly.

“What?” You asked confused.

“My granddad, not God, that would ridiculous,” replied Jack.

“It would,” you giggled.

“So, what do you want to watch? I’m sure they must have princess movies or something on Netflix,”

“Netflix?” You shrugged “I was thinking maybe we could watch “The adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad”

Dean licked his lip on that particular way of his “is that the headless horseman movie?”

You nodded energetically “I will hunt him down one day!”

“But the movie terrified you,”

“Before I knew I could take him down like dad does all the time with other monsters, he’s like a superhero.”

Dean smiled, he remembered, way back when, his dad was his superhero too.

“Jack, find the movie, I’ll go make some popcorns with (Y/N),” as the two of you walked in the kitchen Sam was sitting there FaceTiming Rowena.

“Hi, Henry!” You smiled “why are you talking to your computer?”

“That’s her? Wee little thing was adorable,” said the person from the computer.

“Is the computer talking to me?” You asked confused.

“It’s ugh, kinda like a phone call, but with video,” explained Dean.

“Like in Star Trek?” You asked.

“Yeah exactly,” replied Sam.

“Cool, didn’t know that excited. Maybe it’s because you guys are rich.”

Rowena chuckled from the other side of the screen. “I’m sorry darling, but I can’t do anything unless I know the spell they used.”

“On your friend?” You asked turning to Dean.

He nodded and started making the popcorns on the stovetop.

“Hey Henry,” you said to Sam “Do you want to come watch headless horseman with us?”

“He doesn’t like that movie,” Dean replied.

“Do you wanna change it?” You asked Sam, who you thought was called Henry.

“No, don’t worry (Y/N), I have a lot of research to do.”

You shrugged and walked beside Dean. You could barely see the stovetop but it was fun to hear the little kernels pop.

As the popcorns were ready the two of you walked towards the tv room, or Dean Cave as he liked to call it. Jack was already sitting on the sofa and the movie was just a click from starting.

“Your TV looks so weird,” you said trying to find the rest of it, but it seemed to only be a screen “looks like a cinema...”

“Yeah, it works like that,” answered Dean, how would he explain that this wasn’t the same world you remembered. Everything changed so much in a couple of decades it would be hard to explain a little kid such things.

As the darkest scene of the movie approached, right when the horseman followed Ichabot’s through the dark forest you were playing full attention. Taking in everything that happened in the movie and analyzing all the possible outcomes, even as a small 5-year-old your mind was blazing with “what ifs” and “whatnots”. You needed to know, “how could you save Ichabot?”.

“What would you do?” You asked turning to Dean.

“What?” He questioned, right after losing his focus on the film.

“How would you get out of it if you were Ichabot?”

“I’d look for the body, salt and burn.”

“But no one knows where it is, besides the head is somewhere else...”

“I’d do my homework prior, and I’d have Sam, Cas and (Y/N) to cover my back,”

“Me?” You questioned.

“No, a different (Y/N), she’s uh... much older than you,”

“And she would help you hunt down the headless horseman?”

“She’d probably figure out a solution for the problem before we realized we were in trouble.”

“She sounds like a cool person,” you smiled “I’d like to be like her when I grow older, there aren’t many girl hunters out there.”

“Oh, there will be, lot’s of them. You’d be among the best.”

“Well you don’t even know me but thank you Not-My-Dean-Winchester”

As Jack found another movie and clicked play, the three of you continued watching the TV attentively. But halfway through the film, your interest in it had faded and you started paying attention to everything around you. The strange-looking TV, the bright little boxes that Dean checked whenever they would beep, he’d said that it was his phone but it didn’t look like any phone you’d seen. As you kept taking in all the new things you started drifting asleep on the couch.

As the movie finished and Dean and Jack noticed, Dean motion the younger boy to be silent and he lift you up to bring you to your room. Your face was hiding on the crook of his neck and your small arms hugging his neck. Halfway asleep you mumbled, “you know, it’s funny Not-My-DeanWinchester, that you smell exactly like my Dean Winchester”.

He frowned, yes, you had always been close, even as children, but noticing the way someone smelled, you, your adult version had never mentioned anything similar. “I quite like that smell,” was the last thing you said before drifting so deep into sleep that not even when he laid you on the bed a little too abruptly did you notice.

He went back to his room. And did some research on his laptop before sleeping himself. Neither him, not Sam had found the spell yet.

The next morning, as the boys went to check out on you their hearts almost fell to the floor. Instead of a very talkative little 5-year-old, they had a way smaller kid in your room. A version of you that most have been 2 or 3.

“Where’s mom and dad?” You asked. They didn’t know how to respond. You’d grown down at least 2 years in a night, if this kept going you would be unborn in less than a week.

“Hey!” Sam approached you “they went to work, we’ll take care of you today, my name is Sam,” he said pointing at himself, when you were three your mom was still alive and you hadn’t met the Winchesters “that’s Dean,” he pointed at his bother.

You took a deep breath, even kids know when they're in danger, and you felt safe enough to trust these two unknown men “I’m hungry.”

“I’ll uh... let’s make some breakfast all right?” Smiled Dean and he motioned for you follow him. Once you got to the kitchen he sat you on the counter to be able to keep an eye on you while Sam called Rowena again.

“Samuel, you need to stop ringing me whenever you...” she stopped complying as he saw the smaller girl sitting on the counter dangling her feet “oh, don’t tell me that’s (Y/N).”

Sammy nodded.

“Yes I am, thas my name,” you said with a smile, “I’m twhree yeahrs old” you showed your hand, with 4 fingers up.

Dean got close and lowered one of the “three,” he said softly.

“Thank you, Dean.”

“We need to find a cure,”

As the day passed by, the boys got more and more desperate, Rowena had travelled to the bunker to see you in person and try to understand the spell.

“I think I have it!” Said Sam after hours sitting in the library, “(Y/N) said something about juvenile, I found a spell, juvenillis juvinale a puero usque ad senem,” it’s something like form old to young.

“Oh I know this spell,” smiled Rowena “I just need a few things and we’ll be able to fix (Y/N).

“Fix me, why?” You asked Dean as you munched on some cereal.

“A different (Y/N),” he replied absentmindedly.

After the three of them found all the stuff they would need Rowena started with her reversion spell. “a puero usque ad senem, a puero usque ad senem, redde id leve et quod suus 'non est verum” she said, and then threw some dust to a vase, a little explosion made a noise and green smoke came out from it but you were still toddler.

“It didn’t work!” Exclaimed Dean angrily.

“No, it takes time for her to grow up again, she should be back to normal in the morning,” stated Rowena “pleasure to see you boys, but I’ve got business to run, demons to keep in line, all that hell business, so goodbye”.

As Rowena left the bunker after packing her stuff the boys sat back in the library still worried. You were quietly sitting on the main table playing with Dean’s phone. Who would have thought angry birds would keep your three-year-old version entertained for hours.

As Dean took you to bed, you started to be wary of your surroundings, you wanted to see your mom and dad. “I don’t like it here,” you said as he sat you in the bed, “it’s scary I want to see my momma,” you cried shyly.

“I know,” replied Dean in the most understating way “I get it, but it’s all right, you’ll see her soon. The sooner you fall asleep the better.”

As he stood up and walked towards the light switch you stopped him “NO!”

“Lights on?”

“I don’t want to be alone, I never sleep alone, always with mom and dad.”

“But I’d be right next door,” he tried to reason but you only denied with your head.

“Won’t sleep, I will stay awake all night if I’m alone.” Dean drew a deep breath but sat beside you on the bed. “Can you tell me a story?”

“A story?” He questioned.

“Yes! A story before bed,”

“I don’t know any...” he said sadly.

“A song?”

“Can’t sing.”

“Plweeeease?”

“Hey Jude, don't be afraid” he started to mumble the so-known lyrics, “You were made to go out and get her, The minute you let her under your skin, Then you begin to make it better”.

Before either of you realized you were both half asleep. As you opened your eyes in the morning, you felt your bed being occupied by someone. And that someone was cuddling you. You hadn’t been cuddled in years. So naturally, you opened your eyes and jumped backwards when you realized how close Dean’s face was to yours, you even distinguished his small freckles. The bed was small, so that jump led you to the floor. Hitting yourself in the head with the side table in the process.

“Auch,” you complained once on the floor rubbing your head where it had collided with your side table.

Dean’s head popped from the side of the bed, half-sleep at first, but when he saw you, your regular aged self a giant smile grew on his face “You’re back!” He said with content “She’s back!” He screamed so the boys could hear.

“Back? From where?” You asked as you got up from the floor and crawled back inside the bed, yes Dean was there. But it was so cold you didn’t even care, you just wanted your covers on top of you.

“You turned 5, and then 3.”

“Five what?” You asked frowning.

“Years old.”

“I was a kid?”

“Oh, and a very adorable one. You made us watch frozen,”

“Bullshit! I would never! Didn’t even exist when I was a kid.”

He chuckled “Well I guess you do know yourself, we watched the headless horseman animated movie when you were 5, when you were three you basically played angry birds on my phone all day,”

“And why are you in my bed?” you asked after your brain started to process everything Dean was telling you.

“Well, your three-year-old version didn’t want to be alone, threatened to stay awake all night if I didn’t.”

If I’d know that was all it took I would have done it ages ago, you thought to yourself. “Well, then, that sounds like a fever dream, heck maybe I’m still dreaming,” you sad as you dragged Dean from his sitting position to lay back down, “whichever it is, you are now my personal heater”.

“I mean, I knew I was hot but—”

“—Shut up Winchester! I’m trying to sleep,” you mumbled as you cuddled into him. Yes, you were so sure you were dreaming because you only cuddled Dean Winchester in your dreams.

“Hey (Y/N)?” He questioned as he looked at the ceiling and drew small circles on your back.

“Mhm?”

“Why did 5 years old you knew that I smelled like, and I quote, ‘her Dean Winchester’?”

“I’d know it was you no matter my age Dean. I could have been 50 and still recognized you. Besides, you’ve always smelled so nice...” you replied half asleep.

A small smiled appeared on Dean’s face. You thought he smelled nice, and you were cuddling him, even if you were probably still being affected by the spell, he would cherish this moment for as long as it lasted.

Permanent Dean taglist: @akshi8278 @hobby27

Find more Dean fluff here

Feedback is always apreciated ✨

[overly-b]

I’m Not Listening - JJ Maybank

For my girl @midnightmagicmusings she had this amazing idea and I’m so glad that shes allowed me to bring it to life!

JJ x hard of hearing reader

Warnings: swearing, fluff fluff fluff, unedited

Word Count: 1.5k

Author's note: I only have a slight amount of hearing loss in one ear, so this may be a little in accurate in the sense of profound hearing loss, but I did my best to make it as accurate as possible. 

It had been an amazing day. You and your boyfriend JJ had been surfing from the moment the sun rose, and now it was setting, casting your beautiful boy in an orange glow. You were heading back to the van, your hearing aids were there, so the two of you walked in comfortable silence, holding hands and walking slowly, enjoying the sunset and the quiet company. 

Suddenly JJ’s hand was ripped from yours. Your eyes shot upwards finding Rafe Cameron speaking angrily to the two of you. You attempt to read his lips but it is clear that he has said something to piss JJ off. Your heart races as you struggle to figure out what is being said and to stop them both before punches can be thrown. 

You fail to defuse the situation as JJ lands a right hook on Rafes cheek and Rafe punches back.

You manage to pull JJ away before he obtains any real injuries. Rafe shouts one more insult at your boyfriend before walking away. You make sure that JJ is okay, and once you’re sure that he only has a couple bruises, you storm to the van, leaving him to grab his board and follow behind you. 

JJ straps your boards to the top of the van and throws himself into the driver's seat as you put your hearing aids back into your ears. He starts the van and begins the drive to the chateau. 

“Why does it always have to end in a fight?” You scold him. 

“It doesn’t Y/N.” 

“Obviously it does!” You exclaim. 

“He was insulting you!” JJ defends himself. 

“That doesn’t mean you have to hit him!” 

“What am I supposed to do Y/N?! Just let him be a dick and get away with it?” 

“You’re supposed to walk away! You know fighting leads to no good and you also know how much I hate it when you get hurt!” You reason. “”JJ I hate it when you get hurt and you keep doing it to yourself!” 

The van screeches to a halt as you reach John B’s place. You both knew deep down that you were mad for his own good, and he was only getting upset because you were. He rushes out of the van, with you hot on his trail. 

“JJ Maybank! Do not walk away from me!”

“Y/N I was defending you! I have to defend you! You’re my girl! If it means that shit ends in a fight then so be it!” 

“So be it?” You scoff. “JJ you can’t keep doing this!” 

“I can if it means I’m defending you!” 

“Oh my god I can’t with you JJ this is ridiculous, I can’t hear this” and with that, you popped your hearing aids out of your ears. “I'm not listening to your bullshit today Maybank.” You say without being able to hear yourself. 

JJ stands in front of you, absolutely dumbfounded at the move you just pulled. He wanted to laugh, but he stood his ground. You cross your arms, pursing your lips and shrugging one shoulder as if to say, check, meet mate. 

“You can still read my lips.” He says matter of factly. You cock your brow, pulling out your phone and staring at the screen, pondering over to the couch and plopping down there. You were being petty and you knew it, but you needed him to realize that all of the pointless fighting was doing both of you no good. 

“Y/N, Y/N stop.” He speaks to you, mentally face palming. She can’t hear you dumbass. He thinks to himself. After a moment of you mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, you feel JJ’s hand squeeze your cheeks, forcing you to look up at him. 

“Baby I’m trying to talk to you!” JJ smiles but in a frustrated fashion. He was so amused that you were doing this in order to avoid fighting with him. All he wanted to do was laugh with you and give you props, but he was still a little caught up in the argument you were having. He was glad that you were looking at him, until you came up with another idea. “Okay now that you have to read my lips-” 

You scrunch your face up, closing your eyes tightly shut. 

JJ scoffs again. 

“Fucking hell woman.” He lets go of your face, walking away from you. You were being petty, but he couldn’t help stifle a chuckle as he watched your face all crumbled up. He sits on the counter across for you, noticing that you slowly opened one eye, and once you found him watching you, you shut it quickly again. 

After what you guessed was a few minutes of sitting with your eyes closed, you opened them again to find JJ in the same sitting position. 

“Are you done?” He asks you. When you shrug, he takes that as a sign to keep talking. “Can we continue our conversation now?” 

“About you fighting for stupid reasons?” You ask him. 

“Y/N it’s not stupid when I’m defending you-” To this, you look away from him, not reading his lips any longer. 

“Goddammit” He groaned. His eyes catch sight of your hearing aids sitting on the table before him, and he gets an idea. 

As you stare at the picture of John B and his dad on the wall, you notice JJ stirring from your peripheral vision. Suddenly, his hands are on your face, and you feel the cold plastic of your heading aids against your ears. You smack his hands away, and cover your ears with your hands. 

“JJ put them down! You’re going to break them!” You watch as he holds them in one hand and tries to pry your hands away from you head with the other. 

“I swear to god get your hands away from your ears!” 

He gives up after a moment or two, he really didn’t want to break the little devices in his hand. He sets them down, huffing and sitting down next to you. You both settle down after a few minutes, but you still refuse to look at him, preferring to look straight ahead. 

You were unsure of how much time had passed, but you were shaken from your daze as JJ tapped your shoulder gently. You turned your head to face him, finding that his eyes were softer now, seemingly given up the mad front that he was previously conveying. 

You sigh, knowing that the games had to stop. 

You watch as he takes your hearing aids from the table. He tucks your hair back, slowly putting the devices back in place. He had watched you do this so many times that he knew how they sat, but he still moved slowly, not wanting them to break, and not wanting to hurt you. 

As he turns them back on, he takes a moment before he starts talking again. 

“I’m sorry.” He sighs. “I know that you only got mad because you don’t like me fighting.” 

“JJ I just don’t want you to keep getting hurt, even if you’re defending my honor or whatever.” You laugh. 

“But, I love defending your honor.” He pouts and you giggle. 

“I know baby.” You take his face in your hands. “But if it means constant fight, it’s really not worth it okay?” 

“I know.” He replies softly. “I’ll try to do better.” 

“Thank you.” 

“He was making fun of your hearing.” JJ admits. 

“JJ-” 

“Y/N I can handle him insulting me but him making fun of you for your hearing is just crossing a line. You’ve worked so hard to be confident and proud of who you are and your hearing loss and when he says stuff like that I just can’t stand it” 

“JJ, I know, and I appreciate it. But I couldn’t even hear it!” You joked, and he suppressed a chuckle. 

“That’s not the point.” He crosses his arms, a small smile tugging at his lips. 

“But it’s true.” You raise your brows, egging him on to let out the laugh you knew he was holding in. 

“I guess so. I’m sorry Y/N. I don’t like making you upset.” 

“It’s okay, I know your hearts in the right place.” 

“Just promise me something,” 

“Anything JJ” 

“Never ever take your hearing aids out on me again!” He exclaims, and you burst out laughing. 

“I couldn’t help it!” You gasp out through your laughs. “It was too perfect!” 

“It was petty!” He hollered, joining in with your giggles. 

“It got you to apologize didn’t it?” You claim. 

“Only cause I couldn’t stand not hearing your voice.” He mopes. 

“Well if it's any consolation,” You cuddle in next to him. “I don’t like not being able to hear your voice either. I won’t do that again as long as you don’t give me a reason.” 

“You’re crazy you know that?” 

“Yeah but you love me.” You grin in his face. 

“That I do.” He agrees with you, kissing your lips. “I still hate that you played that fucking card on me.” 

“JJ don’t you start!” You pull away from him, reaching for your ears again. 

“Don’t you dare!”

Tag list: @write-from-the-heart @thatsonobx @sarahroutledge @myrandom-fandomlife @midnightmagicmusings @midnightmagicmusingsmain

[jules-s-winchester]

Sammy

I think you’re adorable- Supernatural season one rewrite.

Word count- 2,586

Chapter warnings: Language 

At Sams college

"What the hell are you doing dean?" You sighed, looking up at Dean, who was now climbing the fire escape that led to Sam's room.

"What does it look like?" He said, continuing to climb, nearing the window to Sam's room. It was your fault, You had told him which room was Sam's  after all. You were surprised by Dean wanting to get Sam. They hadn't seen each other since the big fight.

"You coming?" Dean asked, looking down at you, thus snapping you out of your train of thought. He had reached Sam's window and was opening it.

you  sighed and started climbing. "Yeah."

:Readmore

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Easy Tiger" you heard Dean's voice say as you climbed in to the room through the window. The lights were turned off and you couldn't see very well. Your senses were heightened by your lack of vision and you were on edge. Part of being a hunter.

"Dean?" You heard Sam's voice say. You walked towards the noise. "You scared the crap out of me"

You could now see the shapes of Sam and Dean. Dean had Sam pinned. He certainly knew how to make an entrance.

Dean chuckled, "Thats cuz you're outta practice"

Sam flipped Dean over so  that he was pinning him down. You smiled to yourself.

Dean laughed, "Or not," he changed his expression, You could tell he didn't like being overpowered by his younger brother. "Get off of me." he said, scowling.

Sam stood up, helping Dean up with him. You walked a little more towards them so they could see you.

"Julia?" Sam asked confused for a moment before he smiled and came forward to give you a hug. "What the hell are you two doing here?" he asked, after he pulled back. .

"I was looking for a beer," Dean said laughing at patting Sam's shoulders. you rolled your eyes, about to explain when the light turned on.

"Sam?" a woman with blonde hair came out of a room. She was very pretty and had medium length blonde hair and a kind smile. She was the type of girl that you would notice at a bar. Dean obviously thought the same by the way he was eyeing her.

"Hey, Jess." Sam replied looking back and forth between Dean, Jess, and you. "This is Dean, and Julia," he said, gesturing to you and Dean.

"Dean your brother?" she asked looking at Dean. you didn't think she'd ever met or talked to Dean before now. You had talked to her on the phone a couple times, just saying hello and what not. "Also hi Julia, it's nice to finally meet you." she smiled kindly at me.

"Likewise" You responded, giving her a smile back.

"I love the smurfs" Dean spoke up, looking at Jess. You rolled your eyes and shared a glance with Sam. "You know I've got to tell you," he began walking towards Jess. "You are completely out of my brother's league."

"And yours" You snorted.

Sam chuckled and Dean looked back at you, glaring.

"Let me go put something on" she said rolling her eyes and giving a small smile.

"No, no, I wouldn't dream of it. Seriously." he said. You and Jess rolled our eyes at the same time. You loved Dean but he could be a an ass.

"Anyway, I gotta borrow your boyfriend here," he turned around and walked back to where Sam and you stood. "Talk about private family business, but nice meeting you," You folded my arms, Dean was making quite the impression. Jess gave a small smile and nodded.

"No," Sam said, walking across the room to Jess.

"Anything you want to say in front of me you can say in front of Jess," Sam added, wrapping an arm around Jess. You spoke up before Dean could say anything.

"Your dad hasn't been home in a few days" You said, making eye contact with Sam.

"So he's working overtime" Sam replied, clearly not understanding what you were trying to say. Dean spoke up before you could say anything else.

"Dads on a hunting trip and hasn't been home in a few days,"

Sam's eyes immediately darkened.

"Jess excuse us." he said, not breaking eye contact with Dean.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You can't just break in in the middle of the night and expect me to hit the road with you," Sam spoke as you all walked down the stairs.

"Hey, he did the same thing to me two hours earlier" You retaliated.

"Dads missing, I need help finding him Sammy," Dean said, looking back behind him at Sam and you.

"Remember the poltergeist in Amherst? Or the devil's gates in Clifton? He was missing then too, he's always missing and he's always fine," Sam said. You were nearing the end of the staircase.

"He has a point Dean," You said. "He does this quite frequently." Of course you were going to go with Dean, just in case there was something wrong, even if everything was most likely okay. Besides, he had a bad feeling about it and you trusted Dean. Not only that but you had missed him a lot. Him and Sam were your bestfriends.

Dean reached the end of the wooden staircase and turned to you and Sam before speaking, "Never for this long, now are you two gonna come with me or not?"

"Of course I will dummy," You said, sending a small smile and roll of your eyes towards Dean. You walked down so you were standing beside him. Both of you turned your gaze to Sam.

"I'm not," Sam said, not changing his stance. "I swore I was done with hunting for good,"

You understood, Sam had always wanted a normal life, Dean, well Dean didn't always understand. You, well you were a hunter. You always would be. That didn't mean you didn't wonder what it would be like to live normally, or that you didn't want to.

"Come on, it wasn't easy, but it wasn't always bad," Dean said before turning and walking ahead. Sam and you shared a look before walking. "

"Speak for yourself," You muttered under your breath so only Sam could hear.

"Oh yeah? When I told dad I was scared of the thing in my closet he gave me a .45," Sam said continuing to walk up to Dean, leaving you in the back. You were nearing a door that led out to the street.

"What was he supposed to do?" Dean said, turning to face Sam.

"I was nine, he was supposed to say don't be afraid of the dark," Sam replied looking back at Dean.

"Are you kidding me? You know what's out there, you should be afraid," Dean said in a defensive voice.

"Still, the way we grew up after mom was killed, and dad's obsession to find the thing that killed her, we still haven't found the damn thing! So we kill everything we can find,"

"We save a lot of people doing it though Sam," You spoke up, having both the brothers stare back at you.

"Exactly," Dean agreed, nodding his head, and looking back at Sam.

Sam scoffs and said, "you think mom would have wanted this for us? " Sam glared at Dean.

Dean rolled his eyes and walked out of the door with Sam and you following closely behind him.

"We were raised like warriors," Sam spoke up behind Dean, walking out on the dimly lit street.

"So what Sam? You wanna live the normal apple pie life? Is that it?" Dean said reaching the car and turning back to face Sam. You crossed your arms, shivering a bit with the cold. You pulled your jacket tighter around your body. You were getting tired of their bickering, both were too stubborn to see each other's views.

"Not normal, safe," Sam said, clenching his jaw.

"And that's why you ran away," Dean said matter of factly. You sighed audibly.

"I went to college. It was Dad who said if I was gonna go I should stay gone," Sam said. You noticed a pained expression on his face. You knew it wasn't easy for him. You talked on the phone frequently, letting each other know how everything was. You were close with both of them. You were twenty four years old so there was a two year difference between you and both of them.

"Dads, in real trouble, if he's not dead already," Dean replied back, looking Sam in the eye.

"That's enough Jesus Christ guys," You groaned, as both of the boys looked over at you.. "We've all seen and done shit normal people couldn't even dream of," You walked over to where Sam and Dean were standing by the trunk of the impala. "Dean, it's sam's choice whether or not he wants to come, just like it was his choice to go to college, not run away. Now stop arguing like idjits, you just saw each other for the first time in a while and you're already giving me a goddamn headache," You sighed and closed your eyes for a minute before opening them again. Both the boys stared back at me for a moment before Dean turned so he was looking at both Sam and you.

"I can't do this without you guys," he said, looking between the two of you.

"Yes you can." Sam said before you could respond, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Yeah well I don't want to." Dean said, not looking at either of you. You knew Dean was a lot more worried then he was showing.

"I already told you, I'm in." You said, now turning your gaze to Sam.

Sam sighed, "What was he hunting?"

You smiled.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where the hell did I put that thing?" Dean said rummaging through all the weapons in the trunk. You stood on one side of him and Sam on the other.

"When John left why didn't you go with him?" You asked, staring at Dean as he continued looking throughout the trunk.

"I was working my own gig, a voodoo thing in New Orleans,"

"Dad let you go on a hunting trip by yourself?" Sam asked with a surprised look on his face. You chuckled at his statement and at Deans reaction.

"I'm 26 dude." he said with an offended expression on his face.

You laughed again before focusing your attention to Dean pulling out papers from the trunk of the car.

"Dad was checking out a two lane black top just outside of Jericho, California." Dean said shuffling through the papers in his hand. "About a month ago, this guy, they found his car but he had vanished." He handed you papers and you started skimming through it.

"Maybe he was kidnapped?" You said, handing the papers to Sam.

"There was another one in april, '04, '03, '98, '92, ten of them over the past twenty years." Dean replied shuffling through the other papers, each with a man's face on them, before turning to look at you.

"All men," Sam said, handing the papers back to Dean.

"And all on the same 5- stretch mile of road." Dean replied. "They were happening more frequently, so dad went to dig around, that was three weeks ago," he looked at Sam and then at you. "I hadn't heard from him since, until yesterday," he said, pulling his phone from out of his pocket. He hit a button and you heard John's voice.

"Dean, something is starting to happen. I think it's serious. I need to try and figure out what's going on." Static covered whatever John was saying. "Be careful Dean. We're all in danger."

You frowned, before Sam spoke up, "you know there's evp on that?"

"Not bad sam," you glanced up at him, giving him a smile. He smiled back at you.

"All right," Dean said, pressing a couple buttons on his phone. "I slowed the message down and ran it through a goldwave, took out the hiss and this is what I got,"

"I can never go home" A woman's voice whispered.

"Never go home," You repeated looking between the two boys.

Dean nodded and shut the trunk, looking over at Sam. "You know in two years I haven't asked you for anything, I haven't bothered you." Dean said leaning against the trunk. You stood nearby. You were t nervous about John. It wasn't like him. You owed him your life and he was practically family.

"Please Sam?" You asked, puckering your lip a little. You weren't as good at the puppy dog look as Sam was but it sometimes worked.

He sighed looking at both Dean and you. Dean and you looked back.

"Fine I'll go, but I have to be back Monday,"

You smiled at Sam,  and gave him a hug before he walked away, going off to pack and tell Jess.

"What's first thing monday?" Dean asked.

"His interview," You answered for Sam, smiling proudly, and looking at Dean as Sam turned around. Sam had told you about his interview over the phone a couple of weeks ago. You knew it was important to him, it determined his future and you were extremely proud.

Dean looked in between Sam and you. "A job interview? Skip it," You rolled your eyes at Dean's statement, as you seemed to be doing frequently today.

"It's a law school interview, it determines my future," Sam said exasperated.

"Law school?'' Dean clearly was not impressed.

"Do we have a Deal or not?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Law school?" Dean asked you. You were both leaning against the trunk of baby, Sam had gone inside to get his things.

"Yup, and I don't wanna hear you and him fighting over it," You replied.

"But why law-" Dean started before you interrupted.

"Not. A. Word." You replied giving Dean a fake flashy smile.

"Alright, alright" he responded, giving it up. "By the way were you working on a case when I showed up?"

"No actually, I had finished it the night before, it was a simple salt and burn but I decided to stay one more night," You said, You could see my breath in front of you.

"Why's that? " he asked looking at you.

"Just a feeling I guess," which was true, you planned on leaving the next morning but something made you feel like sticking around for a bit longer.

"Well I'm glad you stayed as long as you did, otherwise I wouldn't have known where you are and I would've had to go look for you,"

"Yup" you said, nodding in agreement.

"By the way, thank you."

"For what?" You were confused.

"For coming with me and helping me find me Dad,"

"Of course," You said smiling at Dean. You leaned your head against his shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"I'd do anything for you," ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dean and you were in the car listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd. Sam had just walked out the door, carrying a duffel bag. He opened the trunk, and put his bag in it, before getting in the back seat.

"By the way, I call shotgun," you said, sticking your tongue out in the rear view mirror.

He rolled his eyes before sending me a smile.

"Boy, don't you worry, you'll find yourself

Follow your heart and nothing else

And you can do this, oh baby, if you try

All that I want for you, my son, is to be satisfied"

Dean stepped on the gas once again.

"I missed you boys"

[soulfood-fics]

Oreo - Chapter 1

Heyy! This is my first fic, hopefully its not trash!

Pairing: John Boyega + Black!OC

Inspiration: John did an interview where he said a girl broke up with him after seeing him on a Star Wars billboard, this story is a variation of that but with my own little twist. 

I made it an original Character but I hope everyone can identify with it. 

Enjoy!

Waking up to the Living Single theme song and the brightness of her TV, Akida feels the covers around her trying to silence her phone. Squinting her eyes to focus on the screen she realizes it’s not her usual alarm but a facetime call from her older sister Bianca. After letting it ring, she decides to answer and point the camera towards the ceiling.

“Hey lil sis!” Bianca’s chipper voice made Akida groan.

“It’s too early for this B,” rolling over so that only her forehead and eyes were visible on screen “…what do you want?” she says, rolling to the other side of the bed and hiding her head under the pillow.

“Girl it is 10am on a Saturday, get up and open the door.”

Slightly confused, Akida brings the phone directly to her face, “You’re here?” The question was answered by a knock on the door.

She’d forgotten she was supposed to do her sisters hair this morning. Jumping out of bed, turning off her TV and scrambling to make her room look decent, Akida put clothes and papers anywhere they’d fit. Just as she stuffs the last pile of clothes in the closet, Bianca knocks again. Rushing out of her room she makes a mental note to thank her roommate for cleaning the kitchen before opening the door. “What took you so long? You know I’ve seen your room before.” Grabbing each other into a tight hug, “I missed you, B” Akida whispers into her sisters hair. “Oh sure you did. You don’t call, you don’t write. I’m tired of being treated like a bald headed stepchild.” 

Closing the door behind her sister, she’d forgotten how dramatic she was. “You live two freeway exits away. Relax.”

~Only being two years apart they hadn’t seen each other much growing up, having different mothers and estranged relationships with their father. They reconnected sometime in high school when Akida’s relationship with their father had gone rotten. Both had been daddy’s girls but at a young age they became aware that the family dynamic wasn’t normal. The visits with their father became shorter and less frequent and eventually stopped. After high school graduation, Akida went to college in the Bay Area to be close to Bianca who had started a family of her own. Her long-time boyfriend Donovan and their adorable three year old son Jacob were the perfect IG black family goals~

“Ready to get started?” Bianca asks as she turns on the living room TV and gets comfortable on the floor in front of the couch. Akida’s mother made her learn how to do hair, especially her own. She’d become her sisters designated braider since she was the only one who knew how to cornrow. Grabbing the rattail comb and other supplies, she sits behind her sister and begins to part her hair.

“Can you do a little design in the front and a second row of braids in the back? That way it’s versatile.” Bianca asks, making Akida raise her eyebrows in surprise.

“For someone who doesn’t know how to cornrow, you’re making a lot of requests.”

Turning around to face her sister, Bianca says “I am a proud member of the BGWCB club!” They both laughed “The what?” she asks.

“It’s the Black Girls Who Can’t Braid club, we are underrepresented and deserve to be acknowledged” Bianca says between chuckles.

Still laughing she goes back to parting the hair into rows and starts braiding. A brief silence falls over them before Bianca changes the subject. “Dad called”, she says as more of a statement than a conversation starter. “He asked about you.” She adds. Not wanting to entertain the topic Akida stays quiet focusing on making clean parts and even sections. Turning around again, Bianca continues “Kiddie he’s sick and it doesn’t look good for him. I think you two should talk.”

Not wanting to hear any more of it Akida snaps back “And if you want these plaits tight I think you should turn around.” Bianca decides to drop the subject and they sit in silence as Akida finishes her hair, sharing the occasional laugh at the Insecure rerun.

Once she finishes the last braid, Akida puts coconut oil on the parts between the braids and shea butter on the ends, “done” she mumbled and moves to get up from the couch headed to her room. Bianca catches up to her sister and hugs her from behind, “Thank you Kiddie!” she sings “And I’m sorry for bringing dad up, I know it’s still a sensitive topic for you.”

“It’s fine.”

“Ooo why don’t we go out for lunch? Donovan’s mom has the baby so I’m free.” Just the mention of food makes Akidas stomach growl, reminding her she hadn’t eaten. “Come on. It’s my treat” Bianca pleads.

“Fine, it’ll be my payment”

Clapping her hands together, Bianca heads back to the living room. Before Akida closes the bathroom door to get dressed she hears “Oh can we take your car? I don’t want to lose my parking space.”

“Sure.” She says rolling her eyes

They decided to go to Akidas favorite Filipino street food spot on Fruitvale. She ordered chicken lumpia and 24 count of their signature G-Fire wings.

“So how are things with you and uh… um.. What’s his name?” Bianca asks before taking a drink of water.

“His name is Elijah and you already know we broke up.” Bianca never approved of Elijah or his relationship with Akida. When they had broken up a few months ago Bianca wanted to throw a party.

“Oh yeah Elijah, so y’all don’t talk still?” Bianca was pressing for answers that she already knew. Akida could tell she was up to something.

“No we do not. Why?” she answered.

“Oh no reason... So would you mind if I gave that guy over there your number?” Bianca tilted her head towards the end of the line to order. Akida turned, moving her braids from her shoulder and saw him. He was cute. Cute in a ‘nice to look at but don’t touch or else he’ll ruin your life’ kind of way. Since she had just gotten her life together, Akida thought it best to leave him alone. “Im not interested.” She said and turned to dip her lumipa in the sweet and sour sauce.

All while they ate Akida had tried to sneak glances at him. Unfortunately, she wasn’t as slick as she thought and they locked eyes for one second too many. Bianca caught their brief interaction also, “Lier, do you want me to get him over here?” she asks and raises her hand to get his attention.

“EXCUSE ME! You with the Africa tattoo! Yeah, Hi can you come here plea- OW.” Her sentence was cut short by Akidas foot connecting with Bianca’s knee.

“Nope! Sorry, big mistake. Stay in your seat please, Sir.” Akida’s attempt for damage control fails as the man continues to get up from his seat and carry his food towards them. “Oh god no. What did you just do?” she whispers harshly towards Bianca who’s already switched seats to make room for the handsome stranger. “I’m getting you a man. Now shut up and be nice,” she whispers back.

Smiling through the pain in her knee, Bianca stretches a hand out to greet him, “Hi, I’m Bianca. Nice to meet you.” pointing towards Akida and the open seat next to here “ my sister and I noticed you eating alone and thought you might want some company. Please have a seat.”

Putting his plate of food down on the table he shakes Bianca's hand, “Nice to meet you. I’m John.”

Oh god, his accent Akida thought, I’d let him hold me.

She continued to imagine what his arms would feel like around her until her thoughts were interrupted, “And THIS is my sister Akida, she's a little shy.” she hadn't noticed the hand in front of her. Internally yelling at herself for missing the opportunity to touch him, Akida strains a smile. He mimics her smile back to her, “it’s alright love, I wouldn't talk to me either.” he says with a laugh and sat down, continuing the conversation with Bianca.

Akida waits for an opening to interject into the conversation.

“I love your accent, where are you from?” Bianca asks.

“London but I’m Nigerian ” he answered. There it was, her opening.

“Oh really that's cool.” dumbass, she thought, out of all the words you know that's what you put together.

He didn't seem to care though, he was just happy she was talking to him. “Yeah, it is pretty cool.”

The just sit and smile at each other for a few seconds.

Not wanting the conversation to go stale Bianca interjects, “Oh Kiddie, tell him about the Jollof Festival.”

“Yeah Kiddie, tell me about it.” John was teasing. He turned in his chair to face her.

It didn't matter how many clothes she had on, the way he looked at her made her feel exposed and completely bare.

“There’s a festival downtown where different vendors have jollof from different places. But it's mostly Ghanaian and Nigerian vendors there, they're a little competitive.” Akida explains.

“And Nigerian Jollof wins. Hands down.” John said matter-of-factly

“I wouldn't know, I’ve never had it before.”

“You have a Jollof festival but you’ve never had jollof ? That's the only way to have it.”

Akida shrugged, “My ex boyfriend was Ghanaian so he only took me to the Ghanaian vendors.”

“Well he’s an idiot,”

“I couldn’t agree with you more!'' Akida and John had both forgotten about Bianca. She was quiet which isn't normal for her. “Sorry to interrupt whatever's going on here,” gesturing to John and Akida, “but we’ve got to go.”

“Awe do we?” realizing what she’s said, Akida quickly corrects herself, “I mean yes we do, sorry John it was really nice meeting you.”

“Nice meeting you as well, both of you.” John stands letting Akida move from the table, “ Akida I’d like to see you again, if that's alright. Maybe take you out for some real jollof.”

Before she could answer Bianca hands John a napkin with her sister’s number on it, “Oh I thought you’d never ask,” pulling Akida towards the exit, “Bye John.”

As soon as they're out the door, Bianca starts to yell, “DOYOUKNOWWHOTHATWAS?,” stopping in front of Akida. “I didnt recognize him at first but then it hit me!”

“You know him?” 

“Yes! You dont?” 

“No. I’ve never seen him before.” Akida gets distracted by a text, 

Bye Kiddie, Let me know when you want that jollof.

Looking up from her phone, shes met by another screen. Bianca held up a picture, it was John holding a light saber. Her heart dropped “There’s no way.” 

@ghostfacekill-monger @honeychicana

[izzy-b-hands]

Phantom, Chapter Five

The boys are, as the saying goes, in the shit now. 

Namely, the shit of stopping a lot of terrible things, including the end of the world. 

But if anyone can do it, it’s our lads.

Right?

My love to all who read/like/reblog.

“It’s only people,” Freddie said, as much to himself as to his bandmates. “What’s left of them. That’s fine.” 

“I don’t know what we’ve stumbled upon,” Brian said. “But maybe this is the time to go and get someone to help us with it.” 

“We don’t even know how to get out of here,” Roger said, dropping Brian’s hand and walking carefully up to the lectern, as if the skeletons might jump up at him. “The time for help was...” 

None of them wanted to say it out loud, but they all knew what Roger was going to say. The time for help had been a good time ago now, when they’d first found the skull, or when they’d managed to rescue Freddie from the floating couch. 

Now, they were on their own, no matter what else might happen. 

“What are you doing?” Freddie asked Roger sharply, watching him as he set the book on the lectern. 

“What? It goes there,” Roger said matter-of-factly. “It needs to go there. I’d be in trouble if I didn’t put it there.” 

His face twisted into a worried, strange look. “With who though? It isn’t my book. He doesn’t know I took it.” 

“Who are you talking about?” Brian asked.

“I don’t know,” Roger replied, and dropped to the floor. 

Freddie set the board and ring on the floor of the room, and ran to Roger. 

“He’s breathing,” he murmured. “I don’t think he hit his head horribly hard. It didn’t sound like it.” 

“Even so,” Brian gulped. “We need to see if we can’t crawl back out of that tunnel. We are in over our heads.” 

The sound of the ring skating over the board echoed, and John grabbed it, carefully bringing it over to Freddie and Roger, who Freddie had pulled into his lap as he sat on the cold stone of the dais. 

Brian joined them, but his eyes returned to the darkness of the hallway they’d just come out of it. It was the only way out of the room, no other new hallways came off of it. 

John flicked his lighter on again, and they stared at the board. 

“R, E, A, D,” John read off the board. “No. We aren’t having Brian read that book. Whatever you need us to do, it can’t involve that.” 

“Maybe I could though,” Brian considered. His eyes had glazed over, and he was already moving to the lectern, past Freddie and Roger. 

“What are you doing?” Freddie spat. “Stop that! This isn’t the time for jokes; you get back here and help me with Roger.” 

“He’s going to be fine,” Brian said with a smile. “We all will be, after.” 

“After what?” John asked, just as his lighter flickered out. 

The couldn’t see in the dark, but the sound of chanting, painfully loud as it echoed around the room, let them know he had opened and was reading from the book. 

“Stop him,” Freddie instructed John. “I’ll keep Roger covered, if you can get that book away from him.” 

“But-” 

“Have you not always said that just once, you might like to give Brian a slap out of frustration with him?” 

“I have, but-” 

“This is the only time I will ever say that we should come to blows,” Freddie interrupted again. “Knock him out of whatever the fuck is happening to him, and get that book closed!” 

There was no way to avoid toppling Brian into the nearest skeletons, and John shuddered as he tackled him away from the lectern and heard the bones clattering around them. 

“Let me go,” the voice that came from Brian’s mouth wasn’t his. It was deeper, and angry. “You have no idea what you’re doing. My son didn’t either.” 

A light appeared at the opening of the hall, and John, Brian, and Freddie turned to look to it. 

A small boy, maybe six years old, smiled at them. He held a candle in his hand, which was enough light to see that he couldn’t possibly be alive. 

“Thank you for the help,” he said kindly. “We don’t need to use the board anymore. My daddy doesn’t like those anyway.” 

“I don’t,” the voice from Brian said, and it used Brian’s body to push John away. 

Brian, or rather, whatever was inhabiting him, stood and went to the boy, scooping him up in a hug. “You’ve done so much better this time. I’m sorry I had to punish you, for your first try.” 

“It’s okay,” the boy grinned, and were it not for the rest of the situation, it might have been heart-warming. “I needed to learn how to do better. And you told me-” 

“Death can teach us so much,” the voice coming from Brian and the boy said together. 

“You killed your son?” Freddie asked, disgusted. In his lap, Roger was trying to stir. 

“He had to!” the boy stressed. “I was supposed to bring him four people, and I found them, on the road. It was all cold, and they were scared, and I brought them here so they could be safe. We gave them food and they got cocoa and everything!” 

“But what happened after that?” the voice asked sternly, adjusting so the boy rested on his hip. 

“I made a mistake,” the boy said. “I had to get them down into the tunnel, and I didn’t know how to do that. So I told them I’d lost a toy down here, but they wouldn’t go!” 

The boy kicked a leg out in frustration. “So, I made them go. I got one of my daddy’s helpers to hit them all with a crowbar, but he hit them too hard. They wouldn’t wake up when we pushed them down here, and then we couldn’t use them any more.” 

The boy wiggled to get down, and walked over to Roger as soon as his feet touched the dirt. “That’s why it’s really good your friend is waking up. Hello! We need you to be awake for this, please!” 

“Who the fuck are you?” Roger asked feebly. 

“This is the child we thought we were helping,” Freddie said sharply. “But it was all a trick, wasn’t it?” 

The boy clapped his hands, the candle in his ghostly hands effected by nothing he did. “It was! I knew my daddy had hid bits of me all over, and people like to help and find things! And you all were so nice after I didn’t throw you against the wall with the couch like I wanted to, so I knew you would do anything I asked.” 

“What now?” Freddie scoffed, an arm around John as John crawled back over to him. 

“Now,” the little boy said, walking past them to the lectern. “We finish the book! And when we do that, everybody gets to start over!” 

“What does that mean?” Roger asked. 

“Means you guys, and everybody else in the whole wide world, get to learn like I did!” the boy crowed triumphantly. “Death taught me that I have to be careful, and smart, so I can help my daddy with things like this. He wants the whole world to learn from death, so we can do better and not hurt each other.” 

His little face fell a bit. “Like my brother Nigel, in the war. He didn’t get to come home, and we tried to ask him to come home, but he wouldn’t. But now we can make him! I’ll get to see him again, and we’ll play all day, and he won’t go anywhere, right Daddy?” 

The thing in Brian made him nod. “And maybe boys like these will learn you shouldn’t be so trusting.” 

“Maybe you shouldn’t kill your children for being roped into and mucking up cult shit,” Freddie spat. 

“Cult?” the thing in Brian made him frown. “We are not a cult. We’re truth; a new chance for everyone. When our first attempt failed, my friends saw the reality of it all. They chose to end their lives, knowing that their shared energy could bring me back. To my boy, my Linden. To make this right, and let the world burn, so that it can learn.” 

“I...” Freddie paused, then shook his head in frustration. “I’m just a singer. I’m supposed to be recording an album right now.” 

“You can still do that,” the voice said, and it hurt to hear something so taunting coming from Brian of all people. “After, when things are new again.” 

“No,” Freddie said, and stood slowly, helping John and Roger up with him. “I don’t want to do that. We’ve put hard work in already, and I’m not letting that go to waste. More importantly, we have friends and family out there-” 

“And you can’t fucking touch them,” Roger interrupted wearily. 

Freddie nodded. “Now, what we really need is our friend back, so you’ll need to go.” 

“You can’t make me go,” the voice laughed. 

But Linden, still at the lectern, looked hurt. “Maybe they could have him back. So they aren’t scared when they die.” 

“Dying isn’t scary,” the voice said. “We’ve been over this, how many times-” 

“It was scary for me!” Linden protested. “It really hurt! And it took you so long to make me stop breathing.” 

Tears appeared in Linden’s eyes. “You said it wouldn’t take that long. You said because you had big hands and I had a little neck, it would be fast. And you said I’d see Mummy again, and I didn’t, and I keep calling for her and she never shows up. And neither does Nigel. But the only people around here were all your helpers, and they kept asking what was taking me so long, and why hadn’t I found anyone else so you could finish what you’d started.” 

The tears bubbled over, and Freddie resisted the urge to jump as Linden walked over to him, and wrapped his cold arms around his leg. “And all I wanted was you and Mummy and Nigel, or someone to play with me at least!” 

Linden looked up to Freddie, tears streaming down his face. “I’m sorry. You were nice to me, and I tricked you. I bet you would have played with me.” 

His heart broke, and from the sad sighs from Roger and John, their hearts did too. “We would have, Linden. Or we would have tried to help you find your mum, and your brother.” 

Linden hugged his leg tightly. “After, will you still play with me? Even though this was my fault?” 

“We will,” John replied softly. “Can’t let you hang around this arsehole for eternity.” 

Linden giggled at that, one hand clapped over his mouth. “You can’t say that!” 

“We can,” Roger chuckled. “We’re grown ups, so we get to say those nasty words, about nasty people, like your dad. He tricked you, did you know that?” 

Linden looked to his father, still inhabiting Brian, and nodded slowly. “But I didn’t before.” 

“And that’s okay,” Roger said. “You’re only little, so you wouldn’t know. Dads are supposed to help you, make sure those things don’t happen to you. And they aren’t supposed to hurt you, or make you do things like this for them.” 

Linden pressed his face against Freddie’s leg, and looked utterly despondent. 

“You already know that though, don’t you?” Freddie said gently. 

Linden nodded. 

“If you help us get our friend back, and stop your dad, then I think your mum and Nigel would be able to find you,” John said. 

Linden sniffled, and nodded again, confidently. 

“This is adorable,” the thing that was Linden’s father, or some version of him, smirked. “But useless. You intend to stop the necessary end of the world with a child? Instead of wasting your time, why don’t you use it well, and ask any final questions you might have for me, before I finally finish this world.” 

“Why Brian?” Roger asked. “Why not any of us, instead of him, to possess?” 

“As simple as a want,” the thing replied. “He found the book, but couldn’t read it. He was curious, and frustrated he couldn’t identify the language in it. He wanted to be able to read it. I latched onto that want, and then...” 

It grinned. “He could read it! Magical, isn’t it?” 

“You took advantage of him,” Freddie growled. “His being curious, wanting to learn, wasn’t consent for you to take over him.” 

“And yet, here I am,” the thing said happily. “Now, keep Linden quiet for me. He’s done very well, but I don’t need him for this bit.” 

They shuffled away from the dais to rest on the dirt floor, watching as the thing inside Brian moved him back to the lectern. 

“Now, where was I?” it said. “Yes, here-” 

Before it could speak again, John ran and tackled it down again, holding Brian down, even as the thing made him fight back. 

Roger raced over and grabbed the book, tossing it to Freddie, who knelt and handed it to Linden. 

“You know how to get out of here, and even if you didn’t, I think you can get out no matter what with that nifty ability to move between the walls,” Freddie said. “Take it and run.” 

Linden nodded, and stopped only once to look back at them before going off down the hall. His little feet made no sound in the dirt as he ran. 

“Your book is gone,” Freddie said, helping John away from Brian without taking anymore knocks to the face. “So now what? You can’t finish your stupid task, and we still need our friend back.” 

“Rational thing would be to give up, leave Brian, and go before the shame really sets in,” John said. 

Roger nodded. “God, I can feel the second-hand embarrassment already. You should just go.” 

The thing in Brian turned his head to the hall, then turned back, and pounced on Freddie. 

He kicked and fought, but Brian’s hands were tight around his throat. He thought of Linden in that moment. What a horrible death for such a young child, what terrible fear to have as one’s last moments. 

He could barely choke out any words. “Brian, you must be able to hear me.” 

Brian’s eyes were still rolled back into his head, teeth gritted, as he squeezed at Freddie’s neck. 

“You’ll have to sing everything on the next album if you keep this up,” he tried again, gasping for breath in between the words. “I know you don’t want to do that.” 

There was a flicker. Brian’s hands loosened just a touch. 

“I don’t blame you for this,” Freddie said. “Not even this, right now. You were tricked, we all were. Like Linden. All he wanted was to help his father. All you wanted was to try and read a book written in something you’d never seen before. There’s no need to punish helpfulness, or curiosity.” 

Brian’s eyes rolled back down, and his mouth softened. 

“I don’t know how else we can get you back except for you to fight your way back,” Freddie admitted. “Please come back. I won’t tour with some quasi-demonic previously human entity from beyond time, I have my limits.” 

Brian grinned, and laughed, and his hands dropped from Freddie’s throat. Then, pure terror replaced his joy, and he scrabbled away off of Freddie. 

The thing that had been in him was barely visible, a glimmering white ball of light, bumping around the room. 

“Don’t let him back in,” Freddie said, crawling over to Brian. “It’s okay, but you can’t let him back in.” 

“I was trying to kill you,” Brian whispered. “He wanted me to kill you.” 

“I know,” Freddie said. “But you didn’t, and it’s fine. I’m fine.” 

“It isn’t fine at all!” Brian sobbed, breaking down into tears. “Oh my god, Freddie-” 

He interrupted Brian with a fierce hug, and kept an eye as the light bounced around the room, occasionally veering towards one of them, making them duck away. 

“I got it!” Linden’s voice echoed down the hall. He had returned, without the book, but with a small urn in his hand. “I had to find it, I’m sorry it took so long!” 

“What are you doing?” Roger asked him. 

“Making Daddy go away,” Linden said simply, as if they were discussing the weather. “Just like he did with Mummy. I know that’s why I can’t find her.” 

Linden muttered a few phrases, in a language that didn’t come close to familiar to any they had heard before, then threw the urn to the ground. The ashes in it scattered, and as they did, the light scattered away too. 

Linden smiled nervously. “I never did that before. Only watched Daddy do it. But it feels like it did when he did it to Mummy. All empty.” 

He wasn’t wrong. The room felt empty, except for them, and Linden. The dark was still difficult to see in, but the sense of foreboding that had filled it previously was gone. 

“You’re sure he’s gone?” Brian asked softly, turning in Freddie’s arms to face Linden, wiping away his tears. 

Linden nodded happily. “He’s gone.” 

Linden looked past them, and shouted. “Mummy! You were right, she found me!” 

John smiled. “Told you. I bet she wants you to go with her, doesn’t she?” 

Linden nodded. “And Nigel’s there!” 

He started towards the other end of the room, then stopped. “But you all can’t stay in here. You’ve got to get out.” 

“Is there a way out other than the tunnel, Linden?” Freddie asked. 

“It’s lots of walking, but there is,” Linden replied. “I’ll be right back, Mummy! I’m going to let my new friends out.” 

Freddie helped Brian to his feet, and helped him so they could keep up with Linden as he led the four them back out down the hall, and then another, and then-

“Now, you have to do this in the right order,” Linden instructed seriously. “You hit this brick, then this one, then this one, and-” 

A new hallway appeared as what had previously been just a wall split open. “There’s a door at the end, and it’ll take you outside to a ladder you can climb up, but then you’ll still have to walk back to the house.” 

Linden sighed. “It’s only past the shed, but I’m sorry you have to go all that way.” 

“That’s okay,” Freddie said. “Thank you for the help, Linden. You’re a good little lad, and very smart and helpful.” 

“Thank you,” Linden said, and he looked absolutely tickled. “Are you okay going the rest of the way alone?” 

“We’ve got each other,” Roger said, and helped Freddie shoulder an exhausted, stumbling Brian. “We’ll be okay. You go see your mum, and give her our love, will you?” 

Linden nodded, and they turned to watch as he trotted back down the hall, disappearing bit by bit the further away he got, until he was gone completely. 

[pastelwitchling]

Malex one-shot Angst/Fluff Prompt List #9 (Prompt #10)

10. “What if something happens to you?”

***

               Three years. It had been three years since Alex had even heard from one of his brothers. It seemed befitting that the next time he’d see him, it would be at a military base after having disarmed him.

               “I was following orders,” John said from the doorway where he was watching Alex pack his bag, his arms crossed.

               Alex looked up, raising a brow, and his brother sighed. “I didn’t know it was you.”

               Sure you didn’t, he almost said, but settled for a scoff and resumed packing without a word.

               “So this is it?” John said. “Three years, and not even a, ‘Hello, John’, or, ‘I missed you, bro’?”

               “I didn’t,” Alex said matter-of-factly, though he didn’t lift his head. “Three years was not a long enough time, John.”

               “Alex,” John repeated, and Alex closed his eyes. “Stop acting like a child. I get it, okay? This suicide mission of yours, it’s to get back at me –”

               “Get back at you?”

               “You want to act like this is for your friends, or for dad, go ahead,” John said as he approached Alex, kneeling in front of him, “but if this is your idea of oneupping me or something –”

               “This isn’t for revenge, this sure as hell isn’t for dad, and I don’t have to prove a damn thing to you,” Alex said, and shut his bag roughly. He stood, ignoring the sting in his leg. “This mission needs someone to go into the Caulfield solitary floor, and retrieve whatever technology your computers are detecting, right? Get in, get out. It’s a simple enough job –”

               “That anyone else can do!” John said. “Why are you volunteering? That floor is on the brink of caving in, if you get stuck –”

               “I’ll be fine,” Alex said, hanging the bag on his shoulders. “Look, you can’t send in an entire team, not with the walls that thin, and I’m the only one that knows what to look for.”

               John looked to the door like he expected someone to be watching them. “How do you know what alien technology looks like?”

               Alex scoffed. “Your commander agreed that I be allowed to keep my sources to myself. I help you, you stay out of my business, and I walk away afterwards with no questions. I didn’t tell him, you think I’m going to tell you?”

               “I’m your brother,” John said.

               He narrowed his eyes, and stepped closer. “What do you want, John? Since when are you so worried about me?”

               John’s face hardened. “I’ve always been worried about you. You didn’t want to see it because you just love to be the victim, Alex, but I’ve always looked out for you.”

               “Oh, yeah,” Alex laughed without humor. “Join the force, or he’ll never stop! Looking out for me? Are you kidding?”

               His brother stepped back, pinching the bridge of his nose, and sighed, “What dad did, he only did to make you stronger. You still don’t get that.”

               Alex shook his head. His eyes burned, and a lump formed in his throat, but he pushed it down. He would not cry, not in front of him. He promised himself a long time ago that he would never cry in front of any of them.

               “Oh my G – he’s not here, John, why are you defending him?”

               “Because if he hadn’t done what he’d done, where do you think you’d be? Stuck in Roswell, some outcast because – why? Because you got confused when you were a teenager, a-and thought you were in love with a…” John turned away, a look of disgust on his face.

               When he looked back at Alex, his expression had cleared, replaced by something calmer, though no less condescending as he held his chin higher. “I’m not going to let you get yourself killed because of pride. You’re going to go back in there, apologize profusely, and tell them that your leg has spasmed, and that you can’t do this.”

               Alex clenched his jaw. “That’s not going to happen,” and he moved past his brother only to have his arm grabbed roughly. A decade ago, he would’ve flinched. Now, his brain automatically calculated exactly how hard he would have to turn his brother’s wrist so that he was writhing in pain on the floor.

               “Stop being stubborn, and do as you’re told, soldier.”

               Alex took a deep breath, and just before he moved to wrench his brother’s hand off him, someone said, “Alex, you okay?”

               It was Michael, his stance as he leaned against the doorframe cool and unbothered, but he was glaring at Alex’s brother, and the hand on his arm as if he was two seconds away from tearing it off with his powers.

               Alex used his brother’s momentary distraction to pull himself free, and he looked John directly in the eyes. “Yeah. John was just wishing me luck. Right, bro?”

               John stuck his tongue in his cheek, the way he always did when he was upset everyone wasn’t following his orders, and he looked from Alex to Michael angrily before he made his way to the door.

               Kyle came in as John was leaving, and the moment he saw him, he stopped, his expression turned hard.

               “Kyle,” John greeted curtly.

               Kyle nodded once in response, just as cold. The moment John stepped out, he sighed, shaking his head. “My God, he hasn’t changed at all.” He looked to Alex, his gaze softening. “Are you okay?”

               No, not really.

               “Yeah,” Alex said, and glanced at Michael who was watching Kyle with no less aggression. He supposed it didn’t make him feel great to know that Kyle had been his best friend once, and knew more about him than he could tell.

               “You sure you should be doing this?” Michael asked, clearly wanting to change the subject. “It’s safer for me to go.”

               “I second that,” Kyle said, and Michael glared at him. “Alex, it’s too dangerous. Let someone else go.”

               “I have to be the one to do it,” Alex said, then looked around the room. This was a changing room, so there shouldn’t have been any cameras, but he gestured for the both of them to get closer anyway, and lowered his voice. “If it really is another piece of alien technology, or another piece of the spaceship, we can’t let them have it. Jim Valenti obviously meant for us to find it, which means it’s somehow connected to whatever happened to him.”

               “But why not let me go?” Michael said, stepping closer. “I’m the one with the powers.”

               “The out-of-control powers?” Kyle raised a brow. “Gee, I wonder.”

               “Hey, Valenti, the grownups are talking now, okay? This is real, not your dad’s little math equations.”

               “Oh, good, for a second I was worried you’d matured, but thankfully, you’re still a raging dick.”

               Alex, suddenly too tired to get angry, did the only thing he could; he laughed. It was tired, and brief, but it was still a laugh, and it eased the weight in his chest. The two stopped arguing, and looked to him in surprise. “Even now, you guys still can’t shut it off. It’s kind of reassuring.”

               The two glanced at each other, then back at Alex, their expressions softening into something more like concern.

               He shook his head. “I will be okay, I promise. As soon as I find this tech, I’ll pour that yellow pollen that Noah used to dampen your powers, and it should keep it from being detected on the screens upstairs. Guerin, when the signal is gone, wait a few seconds, then use your powers to make the floor collapse.”

               “I already said,” Michael stepped closer, “I’m not bringing those rooms down with you still inside.”

               “I’m qualified enough to get myself out, don’t worry,” Alex said, and at his hesitance, he sighed. “Guerin, you have to. If you don’t, they’ll know I took it, but if the floor collapses before I’m in the clear –”

               “They’ll think it was an accident,” Kyle finished. “The room’s expected to break apart any day now. They know there’s a high chance of an accident.”

               “Which is why they’ve been so hesitant to send anybody down there,” Alex nodded. “But I’ve done this stuff before, worse, and I’ve gotten out.”

               “But your leg –”

               “As far as they’re concerned, it’s my choice, and my leg is just my problem. If anything happens to me, they’re freed of any liability – Guerin, I’m sorry, but that’s just how it is, okay?”

               Michael pursed his lips, and stepped close enough that he was all Alex could see. For a moment, Alex noticed his shields falling, and he caught note of how nervous Michael really was.

               “Alex,” he said, his voice low, “what if something happens to you?”

               And Alex could somehow hear the silent message; Yes, I get it, you’re brave, you can do this, but what if something happens?

               He smiled. “Then something happens,” he subtly stretched his fingers out so that they took hold of Michael’s, and right away, he let go and stepped back, looking to the both of them. “And I know you guys will be there to pull me out.”

               The two blinked, surprised, and with another glance at each other, they nodded once to Alex, promising him that they were behind him, no matter what. With another reassuring nod to Michael, Alex took a deep breath and walked out.

***

The prompt is courtesy of @hellsdemonictrinity.

Double-digits - woohoo! I would like to thank my obsession with both malex and writing, and my inability to stop daydreaming about this gorgeous couple. One more prompt to do today to catch up? Will I manage it? I have to read about Poseidon and Athena first, so who knows?

Obviously, I don’t know what the soldier’s name in the promo is, and he very well could not be Alex’s brother, but I feel like he is. I’m going to feel really stupid when the episode comes out and we find out his name was really Matt, or James, or Giuseppe...

Anyway, I keep thinking that the relationship between Alex and his brothers, whenever and if ever we get to see it, is a sour one, because he’s had three brothers, and never talks about them? Never mentions them as having helped him against Jesse? Something’s off there. If that soldier does turn out to be Alex’s brother, I hope we get more insight into Alex’s life, because we are very much deprived.

Hope you enjoyed reading, and love triangles suck! ❤️

[all-the-love-harold]

Chapter 11- A Family to Call Her Own

Ok, I know it’s been a long time since I posted chapter 10, but it’s better late than never right?! As always thanks to @lovesmelikebrandnewstarlight for being an angel and helping me out with this chapter and for being wonderful. 

Let me know what you think

Master List 

Chapter 10

It was the middle of summer in London, which admittedly, wasn’t that hot compared to what Poppy grew up with back home, but she’d lived here for four years now and by her  current standards, 25 degrees celsius, was hot, and being pregnant didn’t help. She was glad that she’d finally reached the end of the first trimester, her morning sickness had almost vanished and her energy had started to come back. The last two weeks had been hell, she was tired the second she woke up and she could barely eat anything without throwing it up. Making it through the work day had been rough, but she was grateful she had Ella and Grimmy to cover for her while she took a power nap in her lunch break. She was coming out of it now though and while she wasn’t out of the woods in terms of the high-risk pregnancy, she was glad that she was feeling better.

It was a Friday, and since Poppy had Friday’s off now, she’d spent the day running a few basic errands, stocking up on groceries and ducking into a few high street stores to buy some basic Maternity wear. She had the slightest bump now, still not enough for people to notice when she was wearing loose clothing, but her jeans were getting uncomfortable, and she could always find an excuse to go to TopShop. She still hadn’t told her family, and she was still nervous to admit it in case something happened, but 12 weeks was traditionally when people announced their pregnancies, so that’s why she was sitting on her bed at 9pm, laptop open, waiting for her mum to answer the skype call.

“Well hello there Miss Poppy, I wasn’t expecting a call from you this morning” her mum answered, pointing the camera up towards the ceiling so that Poppy couldn’t see her face, she could tell that it was a nice day from the lighting in the room and she suddenly found herself missing the cold June days spent at home by the fire, the smell of her mums soup filling the air.

“Hi Mum, I can’t see your face if you point the camera up like that” she said giggling, glad to be talking her

“Oh that’s ok, you don’t want to see my face anyway”

“I really do, I haven’t seen you since Christmas, I miss your face”

“Fine, but don’t complain about my chins” she aimed the camera back at her face “So, why have I been honoured with your call this fine Saturday morning?”

“Can’t I just call for a chat?” Poppy stalled, sudden butterflies filling her stomach.

“You can, but you don’t”

“You’re right, I have some news” she sighed “Is Dad there?”

“Yeah, he’s around here somewhere” she turned around looking for her dad “is it good news?”

Poppy smiled widely  “It’s great news Mum”

Her mum turned back around and looked straight at Poppy through the screen “Are you coming home?”

Poppy shook her head “No mum, I’m not coming home, London’s home now”

She let out a big sigh “This will always be your home Poppy”

“I know mum, but you know what I mean” she smiled “Now go find Dad, and Addie too if she’s around”

“She’s at that boys house again, you’ll have to call her later”

“Alright, I can do that, but get Dad now and I’ll tell you”

“Alright alright” she turned around again “John!” she called “Poppy’s on the computer thing, she’s got something to tell us” she turned back to the screen “He’s in his corner, he’s on his way though”

She heard her dad walk into the room where their computer sat “What’d you say love”

Her mum rolled her eyes “Poppy’s on the computer call, she’s got some news”

John’s torso appeared in the screen “Oh hello darling, how are you?”

“I’m great dad, how are you?”

“Oh I’m alright” he sighed “Still haven’t retired, but I’m getting by”

“What did you want to tell us Poppy?” her mum chimed in, obviously eager to hear the news

“Oh, Uh,” Poppy bit her lip, butterflies forming in the pit of her stomach again, her parents were very traditional, and they’d always told her that she needed to be married before she had a baby, and Poppy always thought she would be, but things don’t always go to plan, and she knew that they’d be happy for her eventually, but at first, she wasn’t sure how they’d react.

“Everything ok?” her  Mum asked

“Yeah Mum, everything’s great, I’m” she swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to hold back the tears “I’m pregnant”

“Oh my goodness” her mum brought her hands to her face, covering her mouth and her Dad, stood there in silence “how far along?”

“12 weeks, today” Poppy smiled

Her Dad cleared his throat “Who’s the, uh, who’s the father?”

“Um” Poppy frowned “his name’s Danny, but he doesn’t want anything to do with it”

Both  parents frowned with her for a moment, her mum finally breaking the silence “Poppy, dear, I think you should think about moving back home, you can’t do this by yourself”

Poppy knew her mum would try and convince her to move home, she’d been doing it for the past four years, but she didn’t think she would straight out say she couldn’t do it on her own.

“I’m not really doing it on my own mum”

“What do you mean?” she asked, confused

“I’ve got Harry”

She laughed “And what happens when Harry goes away on tour? And finds a girl that doesn’t already have a baby?”

“Then I’ll still have Harry.” Poppy said bluntly, knowing that Harry was in this with her for the long hall, even if their relationship wasn’t romantic, she knew that he was going to be there for her and her son.

“Where is he now then?”

She didn’t want to admit that he wasn’t in London right now, but she didn’t really have a choice “He’s in L.A. promoting his movie, he’ll be back on Monday”

“So you’ve only got Harry when it’s convenient for Harry” her mum said bluntly, her mouth set in a hard line

“That’s not how it is Mum, there are times when he has to go away for work, but when he’s here, he’s here, he cancelled rehearsals when we thought I was having a miscarriage, he was there when I had to tell Danny, and he came with me to my first doctor’s appointment, he cooks me dinner every night he left meals in my freezer for while he’s away, he’s here mum and not just when it works for him”

She blinked at the screen “You thought you were having a miscarriage?”

“Yeah, two weeks ago, everything’s fine, he’s healthy in there”

“He?” her dad asked

“Yeah Dad, it’s a boy”

She could see the tears forming in her Mum’s eyes “I’m going to have a grandson?”

“Yeah, you are” she smiled, tears forming in her own eyes

“I’m sorry for saying that about Harry, I know he’s a good friend to you, but friendship only goes so far when there’s a baby in the mix”

“I know mum, and I worry about that all the time, but everything’s going to be ok, he’s not going to let me do this alone”

“Oh I know sweetie, you’re going to be a great mum, I just get worried about you being over there by yourself” the tears were rolling down her cheeks now “Oh I wish I could hug you right now”

Poppy giggled through her own tears “I’m not by myself Mum, I’ve got a lot of really great friends here”

“I know you do Poppy” her dad wiped the tears away from her mums face “When are you due?” she asked looking at her husband and thanking him.

“Technically, December 15th, but because of my uterus thing, I have two different C-section dates scheduled”

“Which are?” her dad asked

“November 10th, and December 1st”

“I guess we’re coming to London for Christmas then” her Mum smiled, rubbing her dad’s arm

“I guess you are” she laughed, pleased with how they reacted

“Alright sweetie, go and call your sister, and if you have any questions about anything, just ring me!”

“Thanks Mum, I’ll text you the photos I have from the scans”

“Oh that’ll be lovely” she smiled

“Bye darling” her dad called “we’re very happy for you, and we’re always here for you”

“Thanks dad, I’ll talk to you soon”

Poppy hung up the call and took a deep breath, relieved that they took the news well. Her mum was right in being sceptical about Harry’s role in all this, Poppy, herself were a little sceptical about how it was all going to work, but she knew that he was always going to be there, and that he would love this little prince just as much as she did, and that was enough for her. After giving herself a few minutes to allow her tears to dry, she went out to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea and call her sister. she sat at her counter and dialled the number, waiting for her to answer

“Poppy! Haven’t heard from you for a while, how’s London?” Addie answered.

“Very British” Poppy laughed

“Never would have guessed” she said sarcastically

“So, Mum tells me you’re at a boy’s house” Poppy questioned.

“It’s just Matt, he’s my Harry, but like, less famous”

Poppy smiled at the thought of her having someone as supportive as Harry “That’s great Ad, how’s school going?”

“It’s school, I can’t wait to be done with it” she said cheerfully “hey, isn’t it Friday night there, shouldn’t you be out doing fun things with your cool friends and not calling your little sister”

Poppy giggled “My friends aren’t that cool, they’re all at home alone too, I called because I have some news”

“Are you coming home?!”

“No, and you’ve been spending too much time with Mum”

“Yeah, I know” she sighed into the mouthpiece “Anyway, what’s your news”

“I’m having a baby Addie”

“Oh my god!” she screamed into the phone and Poppy held it away from her ear “is it Harry’s?”

“Ummm No” she said confused, thinking about what she just said about Matt “You know how babies happen right?”

“You gotta do the sex usually” she said matter-of-factly

“Yeah, I’ve literally never done that with Harry”

“Oh” she sounded taken aback “So you two aren’t friends with benefits?”

“Nooooo” she said, lowering the tone of her voice “does that mean that you and Matt are friends with benefits?”

“Yep” she was starting to sound a little awkward

“Ok, well like, use protection, don’t make the same mistake I did”

“So who is the Dad?”

“Some dude named Danny, apparently his sperm has more stamina than he does”

“Ok gross, I don’t need the details”

“Yeah ok sorry, you really don’t” Poppy cleared her throat “anyway, you’re going to be an aunt in a few months”

“When is it due?”

“He’s due in December,” she emphasized the ‘he’ as an easy way to tell her the sex, “but he’ll probably be early”

“it’s a he?”

“It’s a boy” Poppy smiled even though she knew that Addie couldn’t see her

“Oh my god, is Kiwi about you?” Poppy was surprised by the sudden change of topic “Is that why he posted that photo on Instagram?”

“Um no, that song was written like more than a year ago, I’m a little offended that you think it’s about me to be honest”

“Sorry, I had to ask” she laughed “Congratulations Poppy, this is the most adult thing you’ve ever done”

“I know, it’s terrifying”

***

July 4th 2017 – 12 weeks

Poppy was sitting at her desk, staring out her window at the beautiful blue that was blessing the London sky, wishing she was outside enjoying the pleasant weather, instead of being cooped up inside trying desperately to find a heart rate monitor for some ridiculous game Nick wanted to play with Harry next week. So far, she’d contacted three hospitals, and all of them flat out refused to rent out a heart rate monitor to a radio station, which Poppy thought was reasonable, but it was still her job to find someone that would.

Ella was working away happily at her desk, answering calls and taking messages for different members of staff when Poppy heard her say Harry’s name.

“Harry Styles is here?” she said, curiously into the phone, turning around to look at her. He arrived back from L.A. late last night and went straight back to his house, so he wouldn’t wake Poppy up, but that meant that it had almost been a week since she’d seen him. Poppy shrugged her shoulders at Ella, not knowing why he was here either.

“He’s not scheduled to be in until next week, but let him anyway, I’m sure he won’t cause too much trouble” Poppy’s stomach dropped at the thought of seeing him after having that conversation with her mum the other day. Ella winked at her and put the phone down “Did you know he was coming?”

“I had no idea, I haven’t spoken to him since he got home from L.A”

“Trouble in paradise?” she asked, a tone of menace in her voice

Poppy picked up the pad of post-it-notes that were sitting next to her laptop and playfully threw them at her “Shut up El, there’s nothing going on between us”

The elevator doors opened on the other side of the room and Harry walked out, wearing a hoodie and his paperboy hat, carrying what looked like a gift bag and a tray of coffee’s.

“Mr Styles” Ella said, very professionally

Harry furrowed his brow at her formal introduction, which was out of character for her, “Yeah hey Ella” he handed her a coffee from the tray “Mocha, right?”

“Oooh thank you” she said taking the cup off him “you should visit more often”

“I’ll think about it” he said as he made his way over to Poppy’s desk, placing the gift bag and another cup of coffee in front of her “Hey baby Mumma”

“Hiya” she said, looking at the cup in front of her, feeling the butterflies rise in her stomach as he smiled at her

“It’s tea” he said reassuringly

“Great” she took a sip “how was your flight home?”

“It was alright” he nodded, pushing the gift bag closer to her “Got you a little something in L.A” Poppy frowned at him, pulling the bag closer to her “Don’t give me that face love, it’s not really for you, it’s for the little man”

The frown disappeared from her face as she looked inside the bag to see a flat white box with a ‘Gucci’ logo embossed in the middle “Harry!” she exclaimed, pulling it out of the bag as he smirked, pulling a chair over from the reception area

“What?!” he asked innocently

“It’s Gucci” she untied the ribbon that held the box shut and pulled the lid off, revealing a navy blue baby grow, covered in yellow teddy bears

“D’you like it?”

“I love it H” she said, touching the fabric “It’s so soft”

“It’s 100% wool, and I figured since he’s a winter baby, that it will come in handy”

“It’s great, thank you H” she stood from her chair and opened her arms to hug him “Kid’s not even born yet and he already owns more designer clothes than I do”

“And who’s fault is that?”

Herr mouth twitched into a smirk “Mine”

“Hmm, exactly” he smiled “12 weeks, how does it feel?”

“I haven’t puked in 3 days, it’s wonderful” she laughed, pulling her shirt tight over her belly “Look, I’ve even got a bump”

His eyes widened, and he reached his arm out, stopping just before he touched her “may I?” Poppy nodded, grabbing his hand and placing it over the bump, enjoying the intimacy of the act.  

“That’s your God Son”

His smiled widened and his eyes sparkled with excitement “He’s really in there”

“Oh would you two get a room” Ella called from her desk, watching as Harry removed his hand from her belly and sat back down in the chair he’d taken over to her desk.

“Shut up Ella” Poppy laughed “Get some work done”

“I could say the same to you” she tutted

“Ooh, actually on that note” she pulled a calendar out from her desk draw, “H, when can you come in for your live lounge?”

“Uhhh” he pulled his phone out from his pocket and checked his calendar “Any time in the first three weeks of August”

“How about the 19th?” she said looking at the schedule

“I’m sure that’s fine, but leave it with me and I’ll let you know for sure in a few days”

“Great” she said taking a pencil out from her tin and wrote his name on the 19th with a question mark next to it “See Ella, we’re working” she rolled her eyes and turned back to her desk, opening her own laptop to get some work done.

Poppy noticed the last cup of coffee in the tray that Harry had brought in with him “who’s that for H?”

“Grimmer’s if he’s still in”

“He is” Poppy stood from her chair “let’s go find him, I need to talk to him anyway”

Harry followed her down the hallway to Grimmy’s studio, where he was busy doing some production work. She knocked on the door and opened it as nick took his head phones off and placed them on the desk

“Hiya” he said, a wide smile on his face “Ready for lunch, are we?”

“I could go for some lunch” Harry said, walking in behind her

“Styles!” Nick exclaimed, not expecting to see Harry today, “What are ya doing here?”

“He wants more radio play” she winked and Harry handed grimmy the cup of coffee “so you know that thing you wanted me to get for your interview with this guy next week?” Poppy pointed at Harry

“Yeah”

“I don’t know if it’s going to happen, but I haven’t given up yet”

“Don’t be going to any extra trouble for me, and don’t get yourself stressed”

“Yes H” she rolled her eyes, secretly enjoying how much he cared for her, “Now, Mumma’s hungry, let’s get some food”

Grimmy stood up from his chair, “Alright, let’s go then, before you kill us both”

“Let’s just get something delivered, I’ve got work to do”F

[historyforgot]

hhhhhh?   it’ s  jack’ s  aka  @fxmilyforgot​   /   @universalives​  bornday  today?   so  Of  Course  i  wrote  him  a  cute  thing  cause  he’ s  the  best  and  i  love  him.   so  happy  birthday,   for  the  third  time,   jack!   story  thing  is  both  under  the  cut  and  on  ao3  here!!

The one thing Frances and Philip probably didn't account for their little movie date at her home, was the possibility that Frances' parents would be home.

It was Martha who noticed the young couple cuddling and giggling on the couch. Upon walking into the threshold between the kitchen and living room, she stops. John walks in behind her, but he doesn't notice their daughter and her boyfriend. Martha holds up a hand to his chest to stop him, holds up a single finger to her lips when he gives her a confused look. She silently points toward the couch with raised eyebrows, and John's gaze slowly follows. He throws up his eyebrows a little bit and Martha smiles wide, fond. She grabs his hand, drags him further back into the kitchen so they can still see the youngsters, but they can talk without disturbing them.

"I don't like how close they are to each other," John says quietly, whips his head toward the living room when he hears Frances and Philip giggling again. "And I certainly don't like all the... all the giggling."

Martha laughs a little, lightly smacks John's shoulder. "You are such a hypocrite."

"Me? A hypocrite? What are you even talking about?" John asks, laughing a little himself.

"Are you kidding? Philip is exactly like how you were when we were their age," Martha responds, grinning.

"No way," John says, deadpan. "I was way less handsy than that kid. And speaking of, remind me to beat his ass for being so close to Fanny."

"Uh, no, you weren't. If my dad had caught half of the stuff you did, you'd be a dead man," Martha says very matter-of-factly, nudges John a little.

"Okay, maybe I was a little handsy. But at least I made sure your parents weren't around 'fore I was all over you," John amends, rubs the back of his neck a little.

"Once again, you're so wrong. I had to check to see if my parents were around. You were always trying to get 'straight to the point,'" Martha responds, using air quotes with a little giggle. "You and Philip are so alike, it's the cutest thing."

"Ugh, don't remind me," John groans. He's about to say something else when Frances laughs loudly from the other room.

"Oh, my God, shut up, loser!" Frances says between more giggles. "I'm trying to watch this movie, leave me alone!"

"Aw, c'mon, don't be lame," Philip responds, laughing a little himself.

"I'm gonna kill that kid," John says seriously.

Martha snorts, rolls her eyes, punches John's shoulder lightly. "You're so dramatic. Let them be young and dumb and in love. We were just like them once, honey."

John huffs a little, turns his head briefly toward the living room with a glare. "Alright, alright, fine. Doesn't mean I'm very happy about them being close like that."

"Y'know, there was a time when my parents weren't very happy with how close you always were to me," Martha responds, sidles up next to John to wrap an arm around his waist. "My mom still doesn't like how close you always are to me even though we're married."

"I still want your mom to like me, y'know," John responds, perhaps a bit wearily, rests his head against the top of Martha's head, turns his head briefly to press a kiss to Martha's temple.

"She does," Martha says shortly. John gives her a look and Martha laughs. "Sort of. She more respects you. To a degree. Though the amount of times she's told me over the phone that she really doesn't like you would say otherwise." John raises both eyebrows. "She likes you! I promise, she's just a tough nut to crack."

John shakes his head amusedly, wraps his arm around Martha's shoulders and squeezes his closer. "At least my dad likes you. And I know my mom would like you, too."

Martha turns her head toward John and smiles wide, nudges him with her elbow. "I know I'd like her, too," she says quietly. John smiles a bit.

They stay in that position for a while, comfortable in listening to nothing other than each other's breathing and the quiet whispers from Frances and Philip in the living room. With John gently rubbing his thumb on her bare back underneath her shirt, Martha could just about fall asleep right then and there. But she doesn't want to, would much rather not potentially miss anything from John. Even after all these years together, Martha's still oh so in love with him.

"We should go join them," Martha says quietly after a while, so quiet that she's afraid John might not hear her at first.

"What? Why?" John asks, brows furrowed.

"Why not? We can have, like, a... What's it called? A date with two couples there?" Martha trails off a little, looking up at John.

"A-- A double date?"

"Oh, yes, that's it. We can have a double date with Fanny and Philip. That'd be nice, wouldn't it?" Martha says fondly.

"Oh, yeah, that's my definition of a fantastic date -- a double date with our daughter and her boyfriend," John says with a roll of his eyes.

"I'm going to ignore your sarcasm and pretend you're being serious," Martha replies, grabbing John's hand, already leading him into the living room. "Hey, kids!" she exclaims when they're both in the living room.

Frances and Philip both go wide-eyed, immediately leaping out of each other's arms and rush to opposite ends of the couch. "Hey, mom, we weren't doing anything at all!" Frances exclaims nervously.

"Mr. Laurens! Mrs. Laurens! So, uh, so good to see you!" Philip says, face bright red.

"Come on, Philip, you know you can call us John and Martha, right?" Martha says with a little smile.

"I don't know, I would kinda prefer if he kept calling me Mr. Laurens," John says absently.

"You shut up," Martha grumbles, turning her head to briefly glare at John.

"I-- Uh, anyway, I thought you guys were going out tonight?" Frances interrupts, rubs the back of her neck. Martha briefly thinks about just how similar her and John look in this moment.

"And that's why you invited your boyfriend over? What else were we gonna catch?" John asks, eyes narrowed.

"You need to stop talking, John," Martha responds, elbows John a little. "We were going to go out tonight. But, a few friends cancelled last minute, so we rescheduled."

"Ah, the joys of the only friends you have being parents," John says.

"We'd love to join you two in watching this movie, though," Martha continues. "And you don't have to sit, like, twelve feet apart. Lord knows we sat as close as you were when we were your age."

"Jeez, my dream date is finally coming true -- a freaking double date with my parents," Frances grumbles. Philip snickers a little.

"You sound just like your father," Martha responds, rolling her eyes. "And like I did with him, I'm going to ignore your sarcasm and pretend that you're serious." Martha nudges Frances until she's closer to Philip and sits down in the space the girl previously occupied, John following soon after.

"But, for real, y'all won't get, like, mad at us if we sit close together?" Frances asks, nervousness written all over her face.

"I will, but only toward Philip," John says, interrupting Martha if she could speak. Philip audibly gulps.

"Don't listen to him, he's just upset that our plans were cancelled," Martha replies, swatting John's shoulders. "It's fine. Seriously."

Frances smiles wide, leans forward to press a quick kiss to Martha's cheek. "You're the best, mom. Dad? Not so much," she says with a cheeky grin, sits back and scoots closer to Philip. He easily wraps an arm around her shoulders.

"Ha ha, very funny. Love you, too, kiddo," John says with faux sarcasm, though his wide smile betrays his true feelings. Frances laughs a little behind her hand and shakes her head in amusement.

Eventually, both couples settle into a comfortable silence, focusing completely on the movie now. After a long while, Martha slowly turns her head toward John, watches him carefully. John notices after a bit, turns her head toward Martha with a raised eyebrow. She smiles, fond, leans forward to press a quick kiss to his lips. "We raised a good one, didn't we?" she asks quietly.

"Yeah. We did," he replies, gently petting Martha's hair.

"Maybe she'll raise a good one, too, someday," Martha says.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I... I wouldn't be entirely against that," John hesitantly says. Martha grins.

"See? You're warming up to those two rascals being together already," she responds with a chuckle, turning her attention toward the younger couple next to them.

John turns toward them, too, watches how tight Philip seems to be holding Frances, how her head is tucked under his chin. "Maybe, just maybe, I might think he's good for her," he whispers near Martha's ear.

"That's all I wanna hear," Martha mumbles, smiles, leans back into John.

[what-even-is-thiss]

Sanders Sides Avatar AU Part 6

This is part of a multi chapter fic in an AU where Thomas is the avatar in an atla type universe. Refer to the intro and chapter list post for more details.

Warning for anxiety and panic, 1,925 words.

Tip Jar

Intro and Chapter List

Patton was still quietly crying. He was aware that Roman had one arm around him, but it wasn’t enough. He thought he heard talking so he looked up.

“... It’s not easy you understand.” Logan was saying.

Everyone except Virgil kept stealing glances at Patton. He tried to look okay in response but there was no hiding anything. They all knew why he was crying. Joan willingly gave Patton a hug but then it was time to get down to business.

“What exactly happened?” Joan asked again.

Logan explained as best he could with the occasional dramatic introduction from the fire elemental. Virgil and Patton were both being uncharachteristically silent.

“So what do we do now?” Talyn asked.

“We go north.” Virgil said, his expression never changing.

“Why?” asked Logan

“He’s right.” Patton said. “The northern air temple.”

“But… we’re closer to the western air temple.” Talyn said.

“I know.” said Patton. “But it has to be the northern one.”

“Sorry.” added Virgil.

Joan and Talyn hadn’t said anything about it, but they had been taken away from their lives in quite a hurry to travel and help. Thomas knew this.

“If you guys wanna go back home…” Virgil started.

“No.” said Joan decisively. “You’re not getting rid of us that easily.”

“This is what you want, right?” Talyn asked.

They all looked at each other and then nodded in agreement.

“Then you can’t get rid of me either. You can retake college courses or find another job, but it’s hard to find another Thomas.” They said.

“Awww.” Patton said, new tears forming in his eyes.

“Oh no.” grumbled Logan.

“I just… I…” said Patton.”

“Yes, you love them. We know.” Roman said, awkwardly patting him on the back.

“I got a Patton the back.” Patton whispered.

Joan was repressing laughter as they got into the driver’s seat and Logan was pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Okay.” said Joan, still trying not to laugh. “The northern air temple!”

They all drove in shifts again, only stopping at gas stations to get gas and food and maybe something entertaining.

Logan was reading a book as Talyn played a board game with Joan and Roman. Virgil was sleeping for once and Patton was driving.

“So I was wondering,” Talyn said, “Can you even get into the avatar state when you’re like that?”

“Thomas has never been in the avatar state.” said Logan, never looking up from his book.

“Logan!” said Patton from the driver’s seat. “You weren’t supposed to say that!”

“Logan I swear…” Roman said, ready to fight.

“I will turn this car around!” Patton said n a fit of emotion.

“What?” asked Joan.

“Uh, nothing, buddy. Force of habit.” Patton said.

“What?” asked Joan again.

“Hmmm?” asked Virgil sleepily.

“Go back to sleep.” Logan told him.

“Hmmm.”

He did.

“He thinks it’s his fault.” Logan explained.

“It kind of is.” Roman scoffed, moving another piece on the board.

“What do you mean?” asked Joan.

“In case you hadn’t noticed, we don’t exactly act like Thomas.” Logan said, closing his book. “We are only parts of him. And there are certain thought processes and mental blocks that Virgil represents that could… be slowing down some things.”

“Fear.” Roman said in disgust.

Joan remembered Thomas’ anxiety issues and suddenly Virgil looked a bit different somehow. Slightly more sinister, or pitiful. Even as he slept the dark circles under his eyes were much darker than anyone else’s. It was easy to tell the four apart by the way they acted and held themselves but he was the easiest to pick out because he always looked hunched over and angry.

Fear somehow didn’t seem to fit with water, and yet somehow it did. Virgil thought about that. He pretended to be asleep for a little while longer.

After a couple of days of driving, the air was getting colder, and they were driving through mountains. Talyn was starting to get carsick and they were all generally tired of being in the truck, so they decided to risk it and stay at an inn.

They found a good sized tourist town in the mountains. They parked the truck and Talyn took Logan to the hotel to book a room. He had decided to call himself John in an attempt to avoid suspicion. Joan had a feeling that wouldn’t work, but they didn’t say anything about it.

Virgil leaned against the door, playing with a water bottle to keep his mind occupied while Joan tried to have some semblance of an intelligent conversation with Patton and Roman. It looked like they were taking notes. Possibly for character ideas for a story they were working on. Patton and Roman didn’t seem to take notice.

Virgil froze the water bottle again and didn’t hear a click that opened the door he was leaning on. The door opened and he stumbled out into the street.

Joan cursed loudly and then ran out to try and deal with the situation, closing the door behind them. All they saw of Virgil was a woman talking frantically to him. Then she pulled him away like she expected him to do something.

Joan ran after them, but the crowds of tourists buying wood carvings and taking pictures of trees were too thick, and they lost Virgil in the crowd.

“Oh, crap. Oh crap. Holy frick.” Joan said. “No no no no no no no.”

“Hey buddy, you lost?” someone asked them.

“No. Uh, just… I’m fine!” they said a little too loudly before running off.

Joan searched the crowd for at least an hour before returning to the truck. When they got back, Logan and Talyn were waiting outside.

“Roman told us what happened. Where did he go?” asked Talyn.

“I have no fu-”

“Language!” came Patton’s voice from the other side of the truck doors.

“I have no clue.” Joan said as calmly as they could.

“Well where could she have taken him?” Logan asked. “Do you think he would just come back when he’s done?”

“I don’t care.” Roman said from the inside.

“Oh, it’s starting.” Logan sighed.

“What’s starting?” Joan asked.

“If we don’t find him soon then you’ll know. Get in. I have a suspicion. I’ll drive.” Logan said, putting the reading glasses in his pocket and making for the driver’s seat.

Joan and Talyn shared a look and then jumped into the back. They held hands sitting on the bench seat as Logan drove just a little too carelessly. The lack of worried expressions on the other three’s faces made them worry even more.

“There are supposed to be spirits in the forest here, right?” Talyn asked nervously.

“Yes, so that’s where we’re going.” Logan said.

Joan almost involuntarily found themself checking the knives strapped to their belt. They were still there. They removed the pen behind their ear as Logan parked next to a private road where the trees were thick. The amount of casualness that Logan, Roman, and Patton seemed to be going about the whole situation with was truly disturbing.

They all got out of the truck and immediately started looking. They looked for hours.

“You’re sure he’s out here?” Talyn asked eventually, holding onto Joan’s arm nervously.

“Yup.” Patton said matter-of-factly.

There was that casual tone again.

“This is terrifying. What is wrong with you?” Joan asked in a slightly high pitched voice.

“I’m not kissing you right now?” Patton asked, confused.

“This is not the time for inside jokes, Patton.” Logan said calmly.

“Can we go back now?” Roman groaned. “Why do we care about this anyways?”

Patton smacked Roman a little bit but for the most part didn’t seem concerned.

“Seriously?” Talyn whispered. “I like dark and dangerous and this place creeps me out.”

The forest seemed to be radiating fear. There was a reason most people didn’t go this far in. Even hog monkeys moving around the trees was creepy. There was no explanation as to why it was so frightening, but it was. Joan has a knife drawn the whole time. It was worrying how little the three were afraid without Virgil there. Because that much seemed obvious by now. It was Virgil missing that had done it.

After a few hours Talyn was counting the length of their breaths. Everyone decided to turn back for the night.

The next day they tried a different part of the forest to a similar effect. The next day was similar. Every time they went in Joan and Talyn became more paranoid and talked less. Logan and Patton began to take notice while Roman seemed to focus more on himself.

After five days of searching Joan and Talyn were intensely paranoid and jumping like scared cats at the smallest noise.

“Hey Joan!” Patton said when they were getting ready to leave.

“Ah!” Joan exclaimed. “Oh. H-hey Patton. Buddy. Heh. Just, it’s just the airhead. Not that you’re an airhead you’re just… what am I saying? I don’t know. Does anybody know? No! Probably not. Anyways, ready to go?”

“Okay, you and Talyn are not going back in that forest today.” Patton said.

Joan cringed. There was the voice. The dad voice as they called it behind Thomas’ back.

“N-no. No way. We said we’d help and we’re, we’re gonna h-help.” Joan insisted.

“Joan, you’re spilling tea all over yourself.” Logan noted as he came into the room.

Joan hadn’t even remembered they were drinking tea. They quickly put it down and then moved to change their shirt. Talyn came in looking like they hadn’t slept all night. Their hair was freshly dyed green and their makeup was well done though so they weren’t as jittery as Joan was. Roman came in looking as fresh as he ever did. Joan had no idea how that worked.

“Are we ready to get on the road again?” He asked.

“We are looking for Virgil.” Logan said firmly.

“Oh, I was hoping you’d forget.” Roman said, shouldering his bag. “Alright. Let’s get in the hole.”

Logan opened a hole in the floor of their room (they had made sure to get one on the ground floor) and he and Roman jumped in. Patton put on his glasses (apparently he had appeared with some too) and went out the front door with Joan and Talyn, who were clearly not ready to face that forest again.

This time they all wore backpacks they had bought at the giftshop, full of food and water and dry instant seaweed noodles that Patton and Talyn liked to eat uncooked while the rest of them looked on in horror.

They had searched all of the relatively flat areas in the past few days. Now it was time to start climbing up the mountain. The three that were left kept insisting that Virgil was in the forest, but they did so with no urgency.

At one point during the day, Joan started swiping at the air with their knives. They mentioned something about spiders.

“I’m afraid of spiders.” Patton noted without any particular concern.

That only made Joan start seeing more spiders.

“They’re here, I swear!” Joan insisted.

Talyn gripped Joan’s arm tight.

“Please, stop that.” that said, a hint of desperation in their voice. “Stop!”

Talyn broke down crying like they’d been holding it back for days. Joan held them, obviously still suspiciously eyeing the spiders nobody else could see while doing so.

“Wait a minute.” said Logan. “This concerns me.”

“Wow, way to show sympathy, nerd!” Roman said. “Wait. I’m concerned too.”

“Virgil!?” Patton yelled hysterically.

Previous chapter  Next chapter

[bradygabrielle-blog]

Happy Mother's Day

"Dean, hurry up! We're gonna be late!" You loved that man but you didn't understand why it took him 45 minutes to do his hair. It was literally 2 inches long. As you looked around the living room making sure you had everything you needed to spend the day over at Mary and John's you spotted the gift bag that had 'Happy Mother's Day' written on it. Knowing Dean would probably walk right out the front door and forget it you sat it beside your bag. "Don't get your panties in a twist. I'm ready." Dean said as he was walking down the stairs rolling up the sleeves on his red flannel. "Finally. I put your mothers gift by my bag so we wouldn't forget to grab it. I think we have everything else we need already in the car." "Alrighty then. Let's get this show on road!" Rolling your eyes at him you grabbed your bag and Mary's present as you walked out the door. Thirty minutes later you were pulling up to their house. As you were walking up the sidewalk you seen Sam and Jess's car parked in the driveway. "I'm glad someone was here on time." You say hoping that Dean was close enough to hear you. "Maybe Sam wasn't as lucky as I was last night." Winking at you as he walked past you to open the door. "This is true" you say matter-of-factly. "We're here" Dean announced just as Mary came around the corner. "Happy Mother's Day mom" Dean told his mother as he gave her a hug and quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you sweetie." She said as she moved from Dean to you. "Hi Y/N, How are you sweetheart?" "I'm fine Mrs. Winchester-" "How many times have I got to tell you it's Mary. Come on in." Following Mary through the house she leads you to the dining room where you see Sam and John sitting down at the table. "Hey Dad. Hey Sam." Dean said walking past them and to the fridge to grab a beer. "Hey guys!" You say as Sam pulls you into a hug. "Hey Y/N, Did you guys get lost?" Sam says jokingly. "Ha, Why don't you ask Dean why we were late?" Just as you had hoped everyone looked right over at Dean. "Sam wants to know why were late. Do you want to tell 'em or should I?" "There's nothing to tell." He says nonchalantly before taking a long drink of his beer. "Oh so you spending 45 minutes on your hair is just normal?" "Wait so that's why you were late?!" Sam said shock and laughter lacing his words. "Now thay my work here is done I'm going to go see if your mom needs help in the kitchen." "Hey Mary I was wondering if you needed any help getting lunch ready?" "Oh well John's going to start the burgers soon and I think everything else has already been fixed and put in the fridge until it's time to eat. So I think it's all been taken care of." "Well in that case I have something I want to give to you. It's a little mothers day present from me." Reaching down in your purse you pulled out a small box with ribbon around it. "Honey you didn't have to get me anything." She says while she took the ribbon off and opened the box. "Oh my god!" She said once she seen what was inside. "Are you pregnant?!" "Yes! But Dean doesn't know yet. I thought you'd like to be the one who tells him." "I'd love to tell him, but are you sure uou don't want to?" "I just want to there when you tell him." Just then Jess came into th kitchen. "What is going on in here? I heard Mary holler and " "Y/N's pregnant! But no one else knows so we gotts keep it hush hush for a little bit." "Oh my gosh Y/N congratulations!" Jess says while hugging you. "Thanks. I'm so excited for Mary to tell Dean. He's going to be so happy." A few minutes later you, Jess and Mary joined the guys outside. "Ah there they are." John chuckled from behind the grill. "You just missed an awesome story." John chuckled from behind the grill. "I don't think I wanna know." Mary said while walking over to check her husbands cooking. "That's probably for the best." Dean said as you sat down beside him at the picnic table. "Everything is ready except fir the burgers. So when those get done we can eat." Mary mentioned as she sat down across from you. Looking uo you seen Mary mouth the words "I'm going to do it soon" and you instantly gor nervous. You knew Dean wanted to be a dad even if he hadn't said so. You seen the way he would look at little kids when you would pass by them in the supermarket or when you would see them playing with their food at a restaurant. The thought of that being one of your and Dean's kids brought a smile to your face. "So mom what's it like having an entire day dedicated to you?" Sam asked "Well it's not just dedicated to me, but to every mother. Whether she is expecting, already has children, or has passed on." She answered Sam, looking casually at you when she said 'expecting'. You hoped no one else noticed and if they did you hoped that they wouldn't think anything of it. "Which reminds me, someone here has a very important announcement to make. But being the amazing daughter-in-law she is, decided to let me do the honours as a wonderful mother's day present to me." She paused long enough to look around at everyone and then finally said, "John, were gonna be grandparents. Dean and Y/N are having a baby!" She practically jumped off the bench with excitement. Dean looked over at you with a shocked expression on his face." You're pregnant?!" You were a little taken aback by his reaction. You thought he would be happy about this."Y-yeah, I found out about two weeks ago and thought that it would make a nice mothers day present for your mom." While you were talking you noticed the expression on Dean's face never changed. Soon he began running his fingers through his hair and you knew exactly what he was thinking. "Hey do you wanna go talk inside?" Without even taking a second thought he said yes and was halfway to the house before you had even gotten up. "Dean you know you're going to be an amazing dad, right?" "How can you be so sure? You say all the time how I'm a silly man child." "Yes you can be a silly man child, but when you aren't being adorably goofy you are the sweetest, most caring, selfless person I know and I'm so glad you are the father of my child." "I am pretty adorable." He says with a cute smirk on his face. "I can't believe I'm gonna be a dad." "How do you think I felt when I found out? I took maybe four at home pregnancy tests and went to two different doctors. I still had a hard time believeing it!" "You know as soon as we walk out there we are going be attacked with hugs right?" Dean said tilting his chin towards the backyard. "Yeah, but were having a baby." Wrapping your arms around his neck and pulled your self close to him. "We sure are." He replied before wrapping his arms around your waist and kissing you. @torn-and-frayed @nichelle-my-belle @supernatural-jackles @impala-dreamer @jensen-jarpad @bringmesomepie56 @ravengirl94 @dancingalone21 @deansdirtylittlesecretsblog @teamfreewill-imagine @miatortilla246 @ellen-reincarnated1967 @abbessolute @fandomsneverdie14 @mega-mrs-dean-winchester @superromijn @souleaterforevermine @winchester-writes @blacktithe7 @waytooinlovewithdeanwinchester @pearlparty @melissaj616 @jensenimagines @mysteriouslyme81 @waywardmoeyy @skywalhker @just-a-supernatural-smut-blog @chaos-and-the-calm67 @katymacsupernatural @ilostmyshoe-79 @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @impalaimagining @not-moose-one-shots @straitsupernaturalmalefan @keepcalmandcarryondean @invisibleassbutt @sleepywinchester @not-moose-squad @straightasdeanwinchester @evansrogerskitten @petrovadixon @imagining-supernatural @imagineteamfreewill @daydreamingintheimpala @mysaintsasinner

[one-of-many-fandoms-blog]

I Like You A Lot

It all started when John Laurens was five years old.

It was a Monday, he thinks. Then again, the memory was pretty fuzzy, having had happened years ago, but it had to have been on either a Monday, Wednesday, or a Friday because that was when his school was. He had just arrived in his usual kindergarten class when he saw a new face. Knowing everyone in his class extremely well, he immediately singled out the new kid, who was sitting at a desk in the corner with a book open in front of him. Everyone was playing around him, not even seeming to notice he was there. John frowned. Why wasn't he playing too? He was about to go over and maybe invite him to play cars with him, or maybe show him the class's turtle, but before he could reach him, his teacher called out that class was starting and John reluctantly returned to his seat.

Soon enough, it was free time, and John immediately set out for the coloring table. He sat down with one of his friends, and they chattered happily as they used their crayons and markers to, in her case, draw flowers, houses, her family, and in John's case, turtles. Lots of turtles. The class pet fascinated him, and he would have spent hours with his nose pressed against the glass to stare at the turtle in the aquarium if he could have. They were laughing over something she had said as John reached for another paper, and then stopped as John's little hand grabbed nothing. "Paper?" he said, confused. But all of the paper had been used up by the two.

The kindergartener looked at his scuffed up shoes and felt his eyes prickle with tears. Free time had always been spent drawing, and now, he couldn't draw! As he was only a child, the small problem immediately crushed his world, and tears began to slip down his cheeks, "Hey, what's wrong?" a small voice asked. John looked up to see the new kid standing in front of him.

John sniffed and wiped at his nose. "There's no more paper... and I wanna draw more..."

The kid stayed quiet for a moment, then reached out to grab the papers that John had already drawn on. His eyes widened. "Wow! These are good!"

"Y-you like...?"

The kid nodded vigorously. "Could you draw me a tur-tle?" he asked, enunciating each syllable of 'turtle' as he attempted to pronounce the word right.

John's face lit up, and then he frowned again. "No more paper," he repeated sadly.

"You can draw on..." the boy trailed off as he looked around the room for something to draw on. "On... on me!" the boy finished up triumphantly. He rolled up his sleeves as far as they would go and held out his arm to John.

John cocked his head to the side. He had never tried drawing on a person before. Picking up a green marker, he lightly pressed it against the boy's arm, then grinned at the marker slid smoothly across the skin. Soon, the boy's entire arm was covered in turtles.

"John, I like you a lot," the boy had said happily as John continued to scrawl little turtles on his arms and legs with his green marker.

At the end of the day, both of the young boys were sad to leave but brightened at the prospect of seeing each other tomorrow. Before John could turn to leave the classroom and go find his mom, the boy had quickly kissed him on the cheek. "See you tomorrow!" he had said brightly. John had felt his cheeks burn and something happen in his stomach. It was a weird, warm, fluttery feeling like he was sick but... a good sick. So good that nothing could take the smile off of his face on the car drive home.

"What's made you so happy, John?" his mom had asked with a smile as they began to drive home.

"There was a new kid, he let me draw on him when there was no paper! He was really nice!"

"Oh, you were drawing on each other, were you?" Eleanor said with a small shake of her head, but she still was smiling. "I guess that means that it's bath time for you!" she continued, teasingly.

John gasped. "No! He didn't draw on me, so I don't have to take a bath! Right?" he said hopefully.

"Honey, you can't hide from me! The proof is literally on your arms! Bath time it is." John looks at his arm in confusion, finally noticing the small turtles littering his skin. How had they gotten there? Figuring that the boy must have drawn them on his when he wasn't looking, he shrugged it off and forgot about it. "This boy sounds very nice. Maybe we could have him over some time, on a playdate?" his mother suggested as they pulled into the driveway of their house.

"Maybe. He said he was only vis-i-ting," John says importantly, the long word making him feel more grown up. "He said he was from... Ne..." he sighed, then shook his head. He couldn't remember. "But he was really nice! He sat by me when out teacher taught us about sown-mates and..." he trailed off. "Do you have a sown-mate?" he asked curiously.

Eleanor had laughed. "Soulmate, dear. And yes, of course I do! Your daddy is my soulmate!"

"Because you love him a lot?"

"Yes, but it goes deeper than that. You and your soulmate are connected, well, by your soul! You share a deep bond with each other since the moment you are born. So deep that you can sense what the other is feeling, and you can-"

"Can you do the thing my teacher did? He drew a star on himself, and then a star appeared on his wife in the same spot! It was really cool!" John said excitedly.

His mother laughed. "Yes, honey, I can. Whatever happens to your soulmate's skin, it also happens to yours. All those ink spots that appeared on your hand one day, all of those strange bruises that appear out of nowhere, that was your soulmate! Drawings, small notes, even cuts and bruises, appear on both of you! Although, any harm that either one receives only hurts the person who originally got them, for some reason." She shrugged. "I guess it's for the better. I wouldn't want your father to get a broken arm if I ever slipped down the stairs or anything. The universe works in strange ways. Some people have soulmates that others consider 'mistakes,' but I think that every love is beautiful and planned in its own way. Didn't your teacher tell you all of this?"

"I was talking to the new kid," John admitted. "But I listened to a bit!" he said hurriedly.

Eleanor laughed. "Well, you were certainly attached at the hip with this new kid today!"

"We played together all day! And he said that he liked me a lot and we shared a mat at nap time and he kissed me on the cheek!"

The car stopped in the garage, and John moved to unbuckle his seatbelt, but his mom turned around and held out a hand to stop him. "John, sweetie," she began, her smile remaining on her face, but being a bit forced. "Maybe we shouldn't tell daddy about that last part, okay? I bet he would love the hear the first part in greater detail!"

John cocked his head to the side. "Why not the last part?"

"He might take it the wrong way," she said quietly, absentminded fixing the rearview mirror. "He's always quick to jump on little things like that. He doesn't see that you are only a kid, and I'm sure he'd get mad if he heard another boy kissed you."

"But... daddy kisses you all of the time?" John said curiously. "Why would he get mad?" His mom unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car, and John followed. He grabbed her hand, and before they reach the door to the house, she stopped and knelt down to look at her son at eye level.

"Kissing isn't bad, John. But... some people get mad when boys kiss boys and girls kiss girls. Your daddy's a good man, but he likes everything to be perfect. And if he thought you liked boys, he wouldn't take that well. I mean, I can see that it was only an innocent kindergarten kiss, but he won't see it that way. He wants you to follow in his footsteps, and he doesn't want anything to get in the way of that."

John cut her off, completely missing most of what she said because he was focused on one thing. "Boys can like boys?"

She sighed, then nodded with a small smile. "Yes, boys can like boys. I know a good friend that has found that their soulmate is their same gender, and I've never seen a happier couple."

"But.. daddy doesn't like that?" She nodded. "Would you... hate me if I did?" John's lower lip begins to tremble at the thought of his parents hating him for any reason, his eyes burning like they did in class, and he felt a tear roll down one cheek.

She shook her head and picked up, holding him tight to her chest. "I could never hate you, John. I love you far too much. And if you decide that you like boys, I will still love you. Always remember that. Love is love, and I think it would be silly to stand in the way of that."

John hugged his mother back tightly, then pulled away and thought. "I think I love that boy," he said matter-of-factly, then wiggled out of his mother's grip and dashed off towards the door.

"John, wait!" his mother called out, and he slowly came to a halt. "Just... don't tell daddy, okay? This can be our little secret. You can keep secrets, right?" He had grinned and nodded.

John remembers that throughout that night, whenever his school was brought up in any way, his mom always seemed to direct the conversation away from instances in where John might talk about the boy. But when it was time for his father to tuck him in, his mother wasn't there. John was still jabbering on about 'sown-mates' and asking questions when the boy finally slipped out.

"Daddy, do you have to love your sown-mate?" John asked as he hopped up and down on his bed. "What if you like someone else?"

His dad chuckled and messed up his hair. "Well, no, you don't, actually, although your mother may say differently. People are coming more to terms with marrying outside of soulmates ever since they legalized it in most of the United States. Why do you ask, sport?"

"There was a new kid in class today. They were nice and let me draw turtles on them! I love them," John stated matter-of-factly.

His dad chuckled again. "Is she pretty?" he asked teasingly.

"It wasn't a she," John had said.

John didn't understand why he wasn't allowed to go back to the kindergarten class the next day, or the next week, or the next couple of months. But he didn't want his dad to get mad again and slap him like he had after he said that it wasn't a girl, so he didn't talk about it. And, a day later, when his dad got a phone call from someone and told him afterward that he wasn't allowed to contact his soulmate until later, John didn't put up a fight about that, either.

He hadn't known the real reason until later, that a certain Mr. Schuyler was already looking for important people to pawn his 7 year old daughter off to when she was of age, disregarding the entire idea of soulmates completely.

Even though John respected his father's wishes and didn't communicate with his soulmate, he still enjoyed the tingly feeling on his skin as little notes appeared on his inner arms and he eagerly looked forward to hearing from them. When the first one had appeared when he was 6, a messily scrawled "Hello," on his palm, he had almost screamed for joy. Every day, he would watch giddily as little hearts appeared around little 'I wish I could meet you's and 'I love you's. And the funny thing was, it looked like his soulmate talked to themselves a lot. John would giggle as the handwriting would switch from a perfect cursive written in light blue ink to a quickly scrawled response in dark blue ink. He wasn't sure why both the names 'Eliza' and 'Alexander' were used, but he didn't put much thought into it. If his soulmate was weird, so be it. He would love them no matter what. He built up a fantasy that his soulmate was so lonely without John, so they imagined that they were writing to him. And they when they met, John would make sure they were never lonely, and he would finally have a place in this world and be able to be a part of that love that his mom and his dad shared. "No, it's going to be better than mom and dad," he decided, then flopped back onto his bed and daydreamed about what their meeting would be like.

It was only when he turned 8 that he realized what the different handwriting signified. When he realized that something wasn't right.

When he realized that there was a mistake.

That he was a mistake.

Haha I can’t write, but I’m bored and just going through some old trash. Has this already been done? 

Edit: Um... like wow, this got some notes??? Idk why you guys read this, but thank you? I mean, umm, I got a another part if any of you guys want me to post it? In case you guys wanted more? But, like, oh gosh this got reblogged and people liked some of it and it makes me so happy??? *is an awkward mess because sOMEONE LIKED WHAT I WROTE???*

[oh-my-spn-one-shots]

What Destiny Has Chosen - Waiting

Words: 2.662

Pairing: Sabriel (Sam x Gabriel)

Warnings: Bad injuries, descriptions of injuries

Summary: Gabriel waits impatiently on news of his soulmate’s wellbeing, he meets Sam’s older brother for the first time and the doctor explains everything to them.

A/N: I’m sorry I totally forgot to update this series on tumblr while I did on AO3, so I posted chapter 3 and 4 both now. I hope you enjoy it, leave some kind of feedback if you want. Love ya all and especially my amazing beta/editor @godisalwayswright who helps me with all this and luckily has a grasp on all that hospital stuff that I’m rather bad at. Thank you! It’s a rather dark chapter but I hope you guys enjoy it anyway.

What Destiny Has Chosen series:

Chapter 1   Chapter 2   Chapter 3   Chapter 5

Prequel Gabriel

Part One  Part Two

A nurse comes rushing into the waiting room. "George Smith?" She calls and looks around.

Gabriel nods and steps toward her, looking at her name tag, Gabe nods at the pretty blonde. "That'd be me. How is he?" Gabe asks with a face full of worry and his stomach still clenched tightly.

"I am not allowed to tell you. I'm sorry." Jessica sighs and rubs her face. "The thing is, we are trying to contact his father but he has turned off his phone and isn't calling back either."

That makes Gabriel frown and look at the clock above the door. He's been here for nearly three hours and they still couldn't get a hold on Tom's- no. Sam's father?

"I see." He gulps. "So how can I help?"

Jessica smiles a little at his question. "Our paramedic said you mentioned a brother of his. But he didn't write down the name. Is that brother older than Tom?"

With a nod Gabriel tells her what he knows. That Jake is four years older and that the brothers were close and that 'Tom' mentioned he works at a garage.

"Thank you so much. We'll try to contact him and see what happens." With a friendly smile she leaves and Gabriel goes back to pacing. Jessica had looked worried when she thought Gabe wasn't looking. But she hid it behind a smile when they talked.

Right now the short boy just wants to get to Sam, his soulmate, and comfort him, make him feel better. All his instincts are yelling at him to not just stand here and be so useless but to help instead.

Of course his mind knows that it's better to let the doctors do their work and that he couldn't help right now anyway.

---Dean---

Dean is cooking in the kitchen, humming a Bon Jovie song to himself as he stirs the sauce for his spaghetti. Yeah sure he still had some leftover pizza but he didn't feel like it.

He has just come back from the pharmacy again but for the first time in a week, the blue eyed boy hadn't been there. A sting of disappointment settled in his chest but he was able to distract himself.

Or maybe he wasn't. The questions kept coming back. Why had the other boy not been there? Had something happened to him or was he just well again and didn't care a flying shit about Dean? And why the heck did he even care, it's not like he knew the guy.

Well at least Sammy was having a good time, he thought. His little brother had left him a note saying he was meeting with the guy from school that he just wouldn't shut up about.

Dean was happy that Sam had finally found a friend. And he hoped they'd be able to stay here for longer.

The sudden ring of his mobile phone pulled him out of his thoughts and he answered with a small smile at seeing it was Rufus, his boss. The guy was like a grumpy grandpa most of the time but he always means well.

"Heya Rufus!" He calls, sticking the phone between his shoulder and ear while cutting up some tomatoes for the sauce. "What's up?"

"Baker." Oh no, this was the older man's serious, down to business voice and Dean turned off the stove and frowned, wanting to be able to fully concentrate on what he was about to say next.

He probably missed something wrong with a car or something like that.

"Just wanted to give you the heads up. A hospital just called, asking for your number. I guess they'll call you in a minute but I just thought you should know." Dean's stomach clenched into a tight knot at the words coming through his phone.

"Did they say what they wanted?" He clears his throat. As he receives a negative answer, Dean thanks his boss and hangs up.

Something must have happened to his father. His thoughts are going a hundred miles a second and he tries to think of what could have happened. Maybe these assholes from the Mafia found out his real identity?

Dean gulps, his heart racing with worry. Then his phone rings again with the call he was expected. Clearing his throat he answers.

"Jake Baker?" He tries to sound as clueless as possible.

"Hello Mr. Baker. My name is Amy, I'm the emergency room ward clerk from Mercy Hospital." A calm voice says, coming through the speaker.

"How's my dad? What happened?" Dean asks without leaving time for Amy to explain, he's already getting his jacket and grabbing his car keys.

He had always known that someday things with his dad wouldn't work out, as obsessed as he was with their mom's killer, or what John calls him, the demon.

His thoughts have him barely listening till they come to a screeching halt at the word Tom being spoken on the other end of the line.

Dean stops dead in his tracks. Tom is his little brother's fake identity, not his dad's. He gulps and pales before talking again.

"W-what happened? Will my baby brother be okay?" He worries his lips as he waits for an answer.

"Your brother has been hit by a car. Please come by so we can discuss the details of his wellbeing, Sir." Dean nods till he remembers that the other can't see that.

"Yeah I'm on my way." With that he hangs up and rushes out to his beloved car, glad that his father didn't take it when he disappeared.

His father... Damn it, John would be mad at Dean. Watch out for Sammy. Dean can hear the words clearly in his head and shivers, feeling like he had failed.

He jumps in his car and starts the engine but for the first time in years he turns off the music before it can really start.

Dean Winchester is not in the mood for classic rock right now.

Dean floors his accelerator, speeding to the hospital, arriving there within mere minutes and rushes into the building after locking his car.

"I'm Jake Baker. Can you please tell me where my brother is? Tom Baker?" Dean is completely out of breath but he tries to stay calm as he addresses the ward clerk behind the counter who's typing away on her keyboard.

"Mr. Baker, I'm Amy, we spoke on the phone just a few minutes ago. Please go sit in the waiting area. The doctor will be out to talk to you soon. And I believe your brother's soulmate is still waiting as well." She says without really looking up.

Dean frowns in confusion but decides not to ask further. He walks to the room marked as waiting room and goes inside. His eyes look around for the 'soulmate' the ward clerk had mentioned.

He knows that his brother wouldn't have kept it from him if he had found his soulmate. Now the question was who's running around as Sammy's soulmate.

Dean's eyes land on George, he had never actually met the guy, except for briefly getting a look at him in the school's parking lot, but Sam had told him so much already that he recognised him.

"You must be George." Dean states matter of factly.

---Gabriel---

Gabriel turns to look at Jake properly, having not focused on anything in particular for the past three hours. He nods and holds out his hand. "Nice to meet you." His voice is filled with concern on Sam's behalf and for whether Jake would like him or not. But right now wasn't the time to think about that.

Jake shakes his hand. "Jake, Tommy's older brother, but you know that already, huh?" He waits for confirmation before sitting down.

"So what happened and why did you tell everybody you were soulmates?" He sounds worried and tired but also a tad curious.

Gabriel visibly gulps. "Tom was on his way to me with pizza when it happened. I heard the noise of the paramedics horn and ran out to see what had happened." The lie comes rather easy to him, it's sad in a way but with his fake life he's used to lying.

"The paramedic wouldn't have let me see him or come to the hospital with them if I hadn't said the soulmate thing." At least that wasn't a total lie.

Jake rubs his face. "I see. I'm sorry if I'm not good company right now, I just want my baby brother to be okay." The older Winchester brother sighs.

The smaller man nods and they sit in silence for a while, Gabriel barely being able to hold still, fidgeting in his seat.

"When the doctor comes to talk to you, may I listen too, please? Tom's my best friend, I'm worried about him." Just as Jake opens his mouth to reply a man in a long white coat comes walking in and looks at the only two young men in the waiting area.

"Which of you is related to Tom Baker?" He asks in a voice that means business. Immediately Jake raises to his feet and approaches the doctor.

"That'd be me. I'm his older brother Jake. But he's his soulmate so you may speak freely." He motions towards Gabriel who sighs in relief and gets up as well.

The doctor nods at them. "Alright. Please sit." He waits till they comply and continues. "I'm doctor Miller, I just performed a rather complicated surgery on Tom." He finally sits down as well, looking tired.

"Your brother will live, Mr Baker." The corners of Jake's lips curl up in a relived smile but the worry still has the upper hand.

"He's got a concussion, 4 broken ribs, his right hip is fractured and the left wrist is broken. Tom does have some internal bruising on his right lung and his liver but it isn't severe. He got lucky though, most of his inner organs haven't had any damage done to them."

Seeing the shocked look on Jake's face and the considerable paling of Gabriel he hurries up to continue and explain.

"My team and I stopped the bleeding that was caused from a split in his skin along his left temple and did what we could for his hip. We put his femur back in place with some pins and we have fixated his wrist and a cast has been put on. He's stable and sleeping now under the influence of heavy pain medication. But we're positive he'll wake up within the next 5 hours."

The doctor can see that both men in front of him are about to jump up to get to Tom's side but he holds up a hand to stop them.

"He has to stay here for at least a week and even after that he's on bed rest. Tom won't be able to walk for about three weeks. He is restricted to a wheelchair and later with crutches, he'll need to rest a lot. And come back here once a week for a month. He's not to miss those check-ups. Oh and no alcohol while his liver is recovering from the bruising. He's underage anyway but still. If there's any change about his health you need to bring him here immediately."

During all of this, the doctor looks Into Jake's eyes, he gets an honest nod in response.

"I'll make sure to remember. Can I go see him now, please?" Jake is almost begging him before looking over at Gabriel. "I mean can we see him?"

Slowly doctor Miller nods with a tiny smile. "Yeah, go see him, just be prepared for how he looks. Tom's wrapped in bandages and has a face mask to help assist his breathing. He's also attached to a monitor that is constantly recording his vitals in case they suddenly become unstable. When he wakes up, he'll be in pain so just press the call button and a nurse will come and give him some pain medication."

As the doctor notices them twitching he gets up and motions to them to follow. "Come with me, he's in room 072 of our intensive care unit."

With that he walks ahead as the others follow him and enter the room silently. The doctor excuses himself and leaves them alone.

Jake rushes to his brother's side and grabs his hand as he sits down on a chair beside the bed.

"Sammy." He mumbles so quietly Gabriel isn't sure he heard right as he approaches the bed. Still, even the thought that it is real makes his heart jump.

But then his eyes scan Sam's face and body and Gabe's happily jumping heart crumbles with worry and fears for his soulmate. Gabriel slumps down on a seat next to Jake.

"You'll be just fine. You can't miss out on school, you little nerd. There's gonna be so much you'll have to catch up on, can't have that S- Tommy, can you?" Jake adds softly, tears of concern in his eyes.

"I'll help you. Promise." Gabriel sighs and takes Sam's hand, laying his forehead on the bed beside Sam, feeling all the energy drain from him after this very long day.

Jake sighs and pulls out his phone, dialling his father's number but only reaching voice mail. He tries three more times before finally leaving a message. "Damn it Dad! Tom's been hit by a car. He's in the hospital, injured badly. Please at least call back. We need you here."

Jake hangs up and presses the heels of his hands in his eyes to refrain from breaking down right there and then.

---Sam---

Six hours later Sam wakes up from his comatose like sleep with pain soaring through every fibre of his being. He starts to hyperventilate, unsure of where he is.

Dean and George had fallen asleep a couple hours ago, being allowed to stay the night because Sam's still a minor. Now they both startled awake, George immediately reaching out and pressing the call button.

Dean meanwhile holds his brother carefully. "Calm down! Don't move, you're severely injured. Please just calm down." He pleads his younger brother as a nurse comes rushing in and takes the mask off Sam.

A coughing fit rips through Sam afterwards as he tries to breathe on his own now. His whole chest explodes with pain as his lungs expand and contract at that, pressing against his rib cage.

As the coughing stops he winces in agony and reaches out his hand, somehow the pain eases as it's gripped by another.

Everybody can see when the nurse ups the pain medication since Sam's relaxing partially, still breathing heavily.

"What happened?" His voice is barely audible and he can see the worry in his brother's and friend's eyes.

Dean clears his throat and starts explaining it all, including what the doctor had told them earlier.

Sam groans as he understands. "I'm sorry for making you worry." He then looks around and frowns. "Where's dad?" He levels a questioning gaze at his older brother who just shakes his head.

That answer is enough for the younger Winchester and he closes his eyes as he let his head sink deeper into the pillow, suddenly all tired. His brain feels numb from the medications running through his veins.

"Sleep Tommy." George says softly as he strokes his arm. "We'll be here when you wake up again."

Dean watches the scene with a brow raised. Forcing his eyes open once more, Sam looks at his friend. "Promise?" He mumbles, his eyes already about to close again but they can see him fighting it.

"Promise." George and Dean say at the same time, the word bringing a soft smile to Sam's face as he drifts off. He can feel the prickling, warm and for a change completely painless sensation of George's hand running up and down his arm. The feeling finally lulls him to sleep.

[stress-bob]

HERE WE GO

Ok. Worked out, cleaned my room, paid credit card payment, paid rent, posted my probably-wont-make-progress-but-maybe progress picture, and smoked a bowl. My body is ready.

So I was talking about what happened around the time Dea and I broke up recently with a friend, and made me think that it’s been awhile since i’ve sorted through it. Figured why not put as much as I can remember down ~a year and a half later.

Buckle up buttercup,This gonna be looooooooong.

My order of things might be a little muddled, there was a lot going on at the same time.

So let’s back up to before we actually broke up!

For about a year prior I was getting real stressed out about my job. I was in a customer service position working for her Dad actually. He owned a Diesel shop, and had a Company owner in Italy who he was buddies with. Marco (italy guy), asked him to set up a place in the US to service his customer base.

I was going to college at the time, and decided I didn’t want to pass up a really interesting opportunity. I’m mostly glad I did. Anyway, I dropped out to work full time here and ended up making some good money. Most of what I did was answer phone calls and help people solve issues (99.9% of the time they caused) . At some point we started going to trade shows, and that was super super fun. I would fly out, set up a pop up tent and the whole shebang.

I was also sent to Mexico two different times for something similar. Except this one, it was with our distributor who was huge. They took their top 100 dealers on a “land cruise” (used to be an actual one, but they do resorts now), and about 25 manufacturers would pay ~20k to fund and attend this. During 3 of the 6 days, the 100 dealers would be set up at tables or 5. Basically think of speed dating. We’d each go around and give a 30 minute pitch about our product to these guys, answer questions, etc. I believe it was 4-5 hours each of the 3 days. You’d think an introvert like me would have a hard time with that, but it was actually a BLAST.

So what was the issue with the job?

Two big things. Dea’s dad (Rip), and a co worker of mine. I worked with a buddy of mine Adam, and he was fantastic. But we had this other co worker who was an old hick from Idaho (buddy of Rip’s) who was to handle our forum and some online stuff. For most of the time I worked with him it was fine. At some point he got really nasty. We had our own forum going on, and a buddy of his helped set it up for us. There were a lot of stupid things that happened surrounding that.

So eventually he’s outright hurling insults at me basically daily on the private side of this form (for a WHILE), and Rip wouldn’t do shit about it. On top of that, Rip had his own shitshow of a shop to run on top of it, and he’s old and tired. But he wouldn’t really give us the autonomy we needed so we could prioritize and get things done with what we had. We can’t be expected to try to learn fucking SEO while answering calls, updating the website, doing sales etc etc infinity fucking etc. Too much do be done with two people, and it was all expected to be done.

Eventually I was donezos, sent him a longwinded 2000 word email about exactly what I had problems with and why i was leaving (prob still have it).

So during the culmination of my work bullshit, that’s when Dea and I’s problems are starting to come to a crossroad. To be completely fair with myself, this was a long time coming. Tbh not sure exactly how long, but it probably should have been over before this went down.

We’ve always had communication problems. I think fundamentally we just don’t understand each-other well. Sure we both could have pointed out a lot of habits and what each would have done in certain situations, things we liked. But that’s not really the type of understanding i’m talking about.

The first time I realized something might happen is when she asked me about how I felt about polyamory. It’s something I had thought about before, because other women are definitely attractive. But with how long we’d been together, I knew it would bring up a lot of really jealous feelings that wouldn’t be pretty. So when she asked, I answered pretty matter-of-factly that it wasn’t going to work for me.

Looking back she was watching a lot of shows about poly life around this time, fun tidbit.

I wouldn’t say this answer upset her necessarily....but she was clearly idk, put off? Maybe disappointed.

IIRC she eventually asked again, and my answer remained the same. I think this was what spurred the discussion of “I don’t know if this what I want”. I did know what I wanted. She didn’t. What else can I do but wait until she does figure it out? I’m not that type of person that’s going to try and influence her. I could have tried to convince her she would be happy if she stayed or some bullshit. I loved her, and if not being with me is the way it needs to be? Them’s the breaks. I was also so SO tired emotionally. I had nothing left to give at that point.

So she breaks up with me. I think I left to walk to 7-11 at this point, because I needed a break. I don’t actually remember that well. I wasn’t around her right then, regardless. Maybe we were in our room when we broke up. Anyway Not that long after she breaks up with me(5 mins, half hour?), she’s crying and didn’t want to break up.

And of course I didn’t either. That lasted about a month, and she does it for real. Now here’s where the fun stuff started!

Sometime before or shortly after this I found out my Mom has an autoimmune disease that will kill her sooner or later. It’s very possible this is what her contributed to her mom dying when I was 8. So scary stuff yeah?

I quit my job, because FUCK that noise. It was too much.

I stayed living in the same house, but different room. Big mistake. I trusted her ability to communicate too much. Not that mine was stellar (we’ll get into this).

My parents divorce. Which hey, go be happy Mom! Again, sorry Dad, them’s the breaks. Happened to me to not even a month prior. But no, they both decided to be giant shitters. I think my Mom definitely did worse things to him, and to the family. He definitely said some nasty shit too though.

My mom decides to encourage my dad to go visit some family in Ohio (maybe he was thinking about it already? he reconnected with them recently at this point). By the time he comes back, she has a “friend” staying in the house. I feel like she said he was just staying for a while. Well my dad aint dumb, and this is the guy that has been in love with my mom forever, apparently.

She lied to the family a bunch, introduced my sisters kid to Frank even though she SPECIFICALLY told her not to. Her fucking kid’s grandparents split up. Shes like 7 for fucks sake. My sister was LIVID. Like didn’t let my mom see her granddaughter for many months livid. It’s hard to get that trust back. On top of lying to my sister plenty etc etc.  I don’t even want to get into frank right now.

I also had about 9 grand saved up at this point, and decided to not work for awhile and take care of my mental state. I literally could not work anymore after the breakup, and my parents bullshit. Another side note, but a root canal decided to cost me $1500 out of pocket a few months in. Probably like $2k total with the other stuff. Great timing, life. I think I was doing a “staycation” for like, 8 months? ish?

So here I was, jobless (had $$ tho tbf), freshly broken up with, super fucking depressed, stuck in the middle of my parents bullshit when i don’t even have enough for myself (and i’m a grown ass fucking adult too)[[, and just generally lost. Really really lost.

I just remembered. Something that made me pretty angry at the time (guess what leads to resentment?). Very shortly after we broke up, Jordan (the good friend he is), decides to try and set up a guys night for me at john’s house (jordan lived with karis at this point). Of course the bros say “hell yeah!” as they are wonderful. We invite Dex too, because why not?

The time rolls around, Jordan can’t go. Dex does show up at some point. Here’s what happened: Dea was really hurt because people were all getting together to make me feel better, i guess? I don’t remember the wording but....i think she felt like nobody was being her friend in that moment I guess? It was her home alone. And for context we got together every saturday for years pretty much, so I do kinda get it. She was also actually pretty mad at Dex because he showed up. She didn’t invite ANYBODY to do anything. So Jordan had to stay with Karis to comfort her, basically.

Like dude. YOU broke up with me. I get it was also really hard for you too, but put the shoe on the other foot for a goddamned second and consider how I felt in all this. Also consider I didn’t set any of this up. Also consider that you didn’t tell anybody that you needed a friend. I did. Don’t get mad at us for this, fuck.

Here’s where the “this-is-why-i-shoulda-moved-out” happens.

Let me say this up front. I expected Dea to bring back dates. This was definitely part of the deal of still living there. I get it. And I did figure she will be comfortable finding someone sooner, given the poly thing.

She brought someone over about 2 months after we broke up, and had mentioned nothing about this.

Now how this played out, was the night before she says “Hey i’m gonna have a friend over tomorrow”. I just say ok. Didn’t really matter because I didn’t have anywhere I could just go on moments notice like that. Coupla days to figure it out woulda been nice, thanks.

Turns out, it’s a dude that been over before. He was Taylors husband (they were poly before they split) who was at our holloween party like half a year before. To top it off, I got to hear the wonderful sounds of them having sex down the hall. Fucking thanks for that. Happened twice too.

You just shut down yeah? Or maybe that’s just me. How am I supposed to feel 2 months after breaking up a 9 year, third of my fucking life relationship, and within 2 months you’re banging a dude while i’m like 2 rooms over AND CAN HEAR YOU. And a dude that’s been over before for the cherry. FUCK man. I still get a little animated about that one.

Those were the big things. A great way to wrap up the whole burrito though? Dex and I were both given 1 months notice to leave from Rip. MY understanding of the local law was that 2 months is required if you’ve been month to month for more than 1 year (6 years...). He didn’t care, or knew I wouldn’t lawyer up. Whatever. The last and final fuck you was the day I went to get the rest of my shit. BEFORE the time on the notice, the locks were changed. Here I am, at 8 in the morning with a U haul we rented, and we can’t get in the house to get my stuff. What. The. Flying. Fuck.

I sure as shit wasn’t going to talk to Dea at ALL at this point, so I called him and he came down. And he sat there the entire time waiting for us and doing bills. Jesus fuck dude. Like, you think i’m gonna murder your daughter or something ffs?

I think I got most of it. I’ve got some stuff with my current living situation, but it’s really peanuts compared to everything else. I‘m also like, idk fairly happy right now too in general so. I’ve grown a lot, and that gives me some comfort.

[the90dayfianceblog-blog]

season 7, episode 2

The episode begins with Tania continuing to panic in the taxi, with her entourage. “THERE’S TRAFFIC!,” she says about New York City. We are not from NYC and yet, even we know you should probably leave 5 minutes earlier than you think. Because city traffic.  The three friends finally arrive at the airport, where they proceed to drop rose petals all over the floor. Of the airport. A janitor comes behind them to sweep up the obvious slip hazard they have created, and they proceed to yell at him. Tania continues to describe her mild stress in wildly dramatic ways. “I’m having a panic attack,” she says. (She isn’t.) Finally, the man of the hour arrives. The three women erupt into…maniacal laughter? Really, though – Tania cannot stop laughing. “Yo yo yo,” Syngin decides is a good greeting. They embrace, and it’s briefly cute until she opens her mouth to hyena-laugh again. Syngin admits to the camera he thought they’d be a one-night stand. One point given for honesty. We have 90 days to figure out if our future is a lie, he continues. He is maybe ¼ joking. Finally, he addresses her friends. “It’s nice to meet everybody,” he says, laughing nervously. Tania sort of introduces them. They do not shake hands but awkwardly wave at each other instead.

They all (yes, all) head back to the hotel, and he is touched by Tania’s effort with the rose petals and sex toys. She instructs her friends to come back in exactly two hours so that they can have some alone time. He is confused, as are we all, about the friends being there, as he just wants a shower and some sex. He mentions to Tania that her friends being there is weird, and he asks if this is something he should expect going forward. Conveniently, the two hours elapse right at that moment, marked by the return of her friends. “LET’S TAKE SOME SHOTS!” Tania says, rather than answering his question. They proceed to take shots of gin with a Red Bull chaser, because evidently they are drinking for the very first time. At least it is decent gin. Syngin is up for it, which seems to be his nature, and then out they go into the “concrete jungle.” He is mesmerized by it all. Golly gee I’m just a guy from the bush, he says about the very large, modern city of Cape Town. They put a blindfold on him – again, he is shockingly compliant – and drag him out into some public square to reveal a banner (this couldn’t have occurred at the airport?) that says “thanks for moving around the world for me, love, your suger.” No one notices or cares that a 29-year-old spelled sugar wrong, and I briefly wonder about the butchered contents of her democracy protest signs. Tania has since said she knows it was spelled wrong and that is how Syngin spells it. This may be a viewpoint on their relationship. We end their segment with more of the same concern from Syngin that perhaps 90 days is not enough time. “There’s some nitty gritty niggles to sort out,” he says, and shame on TLC for not using this as the name of the episode.

Alyssa predicts: I still don't think they end up married. I actually kind of like Syngin because he wants to make Tania happy right now, even if he is a bit uncomfortable. Tania is presently insufferable.

Laura predicts: Agreed - I still think they won’t get married. They’ve got way more than nitty-gritty niggles to sort out (recall the “kids freak him out” issue), and I don’t see her as the master of compromise or conflict resolution.

Michael and Juliana

These two get the most airtime this week, because the BIG VISA INTERVIEW is upon us. Michael is preparing to go to Brazil. But not without first taking a trip to the jewelry store to buy a $4,000 custom necklace that is red, white, blue, green, and gold, to represent America and Brazil, because all of those colors definitely go together. We hear him continue to defend his relationship to no one in particular, including a discussion how modest Juliana is, layered over a gratuitous shot of Juliana in a string bikini. (I see you, TLC.) Juliana calls him while he is at the jewelry store. There’s an issue with a credit card. “You probably maxed out the card,” we hear him say. “Oh, shit,” says the jewelry store clerk, all judgment. Ah yes, the money. We begin to learn the extent of it. He won’t say how much he’s spent on her, or whether it’s more than $150,000. She bought a car with the credit card, despite her apparent plans to move to the US in a few weeks. “I want her to respect the value of things,” he says about his teenage daughter adult girlfriend.

He arrives in Rio, visibly stressed. He arrives at a hotel, where Juliana is waiting. They both seem genuinely happy to see the other, which is a surprise on her end. She is beautiful, but I would believe she was 16. You look skinny, he tells her, and he chalks it up to their lack of recent extravagant vacations. Somehow the next words out of his mouth are “You’re a poor Brazilian when I’m not here and a rich American when I am.” This appalling statement has no effect on her, but I imagine she’s heard worse. She’s nervous about the interview but is determined to go to America to work…oh yeah, and live with Michael. Work consistently comes first in her stated “why America” priorities. She’s using him, clearly, but he is a negging paternalistic asshole, so I support her choice.

They’re on their way to the interview. She’s in a sexy outfit; he’s in an ill-fitting suit. For someone who is "rich," you think he could find a decent tailor. “Ready to rock and roll?” he asks, as every dad asks his daughter before taking her to school, err, to her visa interview. We meet them on the other side of said interview. It was “very bad,” she says. They wanted to know whether she’d been working as a prostitute, as we already know from the promo that has aired 900 times. Plenty of girls in my position do it, she says, but not me. She says this very matter-of-factly, almost rehearsed. Maybe it’s just her nature, but she doesn’t seem particularly bothered. Michael is more visibly affronted: “WHAT DOES THAT MAKE ME? A PIMP? A JOHN?” He’s quick to let us know he’s never had to pay for sex, as though this were somehow about him. It’s increasingly clear that he is obsessed with his own status and others’ perception of him. They need to produce a police report on Juliana for the consulate’s consideration, so something – maybe not capital P prostitution, but something – definitely happened. Now he has doubts. I’ve been naïve with women my whole life, he says, and I wonder who that’s about…probably not Sarah, the stable mother of his children. He is afraid of what they’ll find on that police report, and he decides there’s about a 50% chance that Juliana will get the visa. She suggests they move to London instead, but oh that’s right, you have kids. She admits to the camera that she’s worried he will give up on her and doesn’t know if she’s important enough to him. She starts to cry about this. This, but not the prostitute accusation. Again, let is remind everyone that Michael claims he and his ex-wife married too young, but his relationship with a 23 year old is different. Anyway, they’re still a better couple than Big Ang and Mai-kuhl. It bears mentioning we’re so glad they haven’t shown up yet.

Alyssa predicts: they end up married, but Michael continues to be patronizing and Juilana uses the show as a stepping stone to a model career. They do not stay married.

Laura predicts: they end up married. She’s in it for money, he’s in it for arm candy, and they’re both getting what they want. Seems like he has enough money to throw at the visa problem.

Emily and Sasha

The happy couple heads off to dinner with Masha, Sasha’s first ex-wife. (The rhyming names would be cute if she didn’t so clearly resent him and his life choices.) She looks quite a bit like Emily – blonde, fair, and waifish. The purpose of the dinner is to convince Masha to let Daniel visit them in the US. In all honesty, it may also be a way for Emily to convince herself that Sasha is the "good guy" and the other wives were "mistakes."  But first, we recount Sasha’s history: he married Masha at 22 and left her for his second wife a few years later. The second wife and second kid remain anonymous, and good on them for staying away from this dumpster fire. Sasha says that he became more muscular and his second wife didn’t like it, because that’s definitely how marriages end. Emily loudly mentions how much she, in contrast, appreciates his physique, and much more quietly mentions that she and Sasha were “talking as friends” while he was married to his second wife. Sure you were. Anyway, the dinner. No one’s particularly thrilled to be there. Emily says beforehand that she’s going to fake being nice to Masha, but she doesn’t fake it well. They don’t even communicate directly or even look at each other. They rely on Sasha to translate, and he takes some liberties. I’m tired, says Emily eventually. “She’s tired of this situation,” Sasha (correctly) translates. Masha, it turns out, doesn’t have a strong opinion on the Daniel question. Daniel can choose whether he’d like to visit or not. File this dinner under “could have been accomplished in a text message.” Emily insists once again that she isn’t feeling well and promptly leaves. Masha then gets a bit more friendly with Sasha, reaching over and touching his arm and telling him she doesn’t want to leave. Her post-dinner thoughts are more critical, however. “Where the wind blows, there a man flies,” she says of Sasha, and I am definitely saving that phrase for a rainy day. Masha puts herself and the second wife in the same category – “good, kind, calm” – and sees Emily as nothing more than an excuse for Sasha to get to America. At this point, doesn’t seem like an unfair assessment. I would prefer more of Masha and less of Emily at this point.

Alyssa predicts: they get married, and Sasha finds wife number 4 at a crossfit class. He seems like he'd get into crossfit here.

Laura predicts: they won’t get married and agrees with Masha that Emily is Sasha’s easy ticket to the US. We know that kids aren’t a compelling enough reason for him to stay with her.

Robert and Anny

Robert goes for a beer with his friend Juan, who is Dominican. I know Dominican girls, says Juan, and they’re all just out for your money. Robert makes a valid point that this is an awfully sweeping generalization about an entire country, but he does not really have the high ground considering the circumstances of his own relationship. They end up having a very adult conversation about it; Robert says he respects Juan’s opinion, and Juan says he’ll feel stupid if he ends up being wrong about Anny.

Later, it’s airport time. Bryson is very excited. It’s clear that Robert really wants a mother figure in this kid’s life, which is a veritable crapload of pressure for an eight-hour relationship. Bryson is similarly invested. “I love Anny,” he says. They wait at the airport long enough for Bryson to get cranky, and then here she comes, somehow pulling off a denim jumpsuit. Bryson sprints towards her, and she’s genuinely happy to see him. She’s very put-together (which is always impressive post-airplane) and family-oriented. “Bryson is my new kid,” she says. She wants a big family with Robert. She loves how funny and hardworking he is, and how much he loves his son. I didn’t expect this affection from Miss Angry Emojis. She admits she has a temper, but we don’t see it this week. There is a moment in the car where Anny looks at Robert and seems to be a genuine look of love.

They head back home. Their rapport is shockingly natural for only having spent 8 hours together. Things sour a bit when we learn the house contains only one bed that they’ll all be sharing. Where exactly was that lingerie meant to be used? Robert admits he didn’t get around to getting a bed for Bryson, and Anny is understandably displeased. Robert tries to put Bryson to bed, to no avail. Bryson really wants to show off for Anny in the form of climbing all over her. She is increasingly less thrilled. She’s sexually frustrated, which she tells us in so many words. There’s some metaphor about a lion. Do lions have a lot of sex?

Alyssa predicts: I have more hope for them this episode. I think they'll get married. I also hope Juan shows up more, because he seems sensible.

Laura predicts: they will get married. This is not a well-thought-out relationship, but they’re both clearly motivated to build some kind of family unit.

Mursel and Anna

Mursel and Anna head off to Anna’s house from the hotel. They had sex, which I find hard to imagine. Mursel, like anyone who has ever driven through Nebraska, is unpleasantly surprised at the lack of mountains and the surplus of corn. He decides, rather quickly, that he is no longer excited and misses Turkey. He starts playing some Turkish music and his mood turns back around just as quickly – he begins dancing as passionately as one can dance in a car. There's something...endearing about this. Anna is uncomfortable with the dancing and says she’ll just have to learn to live with it. (Again, back to the disbelief at the sex.) They’re both nervous about meeting her sons. Mursel decides he wants to be a brother to the older two and a father to the youngest one, which is some interesting line-drawing. The meeting of the kids is a bundle of awkward. They try to ask about his trip and ask if he likes pizza (the answers are “good” and “yes,” respectively). The pizza that arrives is inferior to Turkish pizza, Mursel decides, and won’t eat it. I’m not sure if he’s jet-lagged, culture-shocked, or just naïve, or maybe all of it, but in any case his behavior is strange and borderline rude. Her kids are offended that he doesn’t like the pizza or their house. “It was really awkward,” Anna summarizes. Yeah, no shit.

Mursel, Anna, and Gino (the middle kid) head out to dinner with Anna’s mom. It’s suggested that the mom might have some negative views of Turkish people. In reality, she is an absolute racist nightmare. She asks her actual grandchild to type “Don’t stone Anna” into the translator app. Seriously, if there isn’t a GoFundMe for these kids’ extensive therapy, now is the time. Mursel is confused and offended, which is appropriate. He says to the camera that he wants to protect Anna, not hurt her. The dinner goes on, though, and Mursel doesn’t want Anna to have a beer, but she needs one. We all need one from watching this go down.  Anna should have been far more nervous about this encounter than the meeting with her kids. Mursel reveals to everyone that his family doesn’t know about Anna’s kids, he doesn’t plan to tell them, and if they find out, he might go back to Turkey. It’s a blow to everyone. Anna starts crying. Gino now has even more doubts. It is not a pleasant outing.

Alyssa predicts: they do not get married. Mursel returns to Turkey and Anna is devastated.

Laura predicts: they will get married and said marriage will swiftly end in divorce. This divorce will almost certainly include some Mursel family drama. Seriously, what is the long-term strategy there?