#but then a kid comes in that looks like he could be his little brother or son and suddenly all bets are off

[ruggiesbiologicalfather]

What The NRC Boys Wanted To Be When They Grow Up (circa 4 years old)

Heartslabyul:

Riddle - obviously when you ask, he's going to tell you he wants to be a doctor. every christmas and birthday, he gets a doctor kit. and he likes them! but... if you ask him on a warm afternoon during his free time between the thousand things on his tiny shoulders... he'll tell you he wants to be a painter

Ace - astronaut. hands down. he 100% had those little glow in the dark star stickers on his ceiling and he didn't take them down until high school. on his fourth birthday, his parents got him an astronaut helmet and it was practically welded to his head by the time he turned five. little man yearned for the stars

Deuce - race car driver. he was born with the need to go fast. he would beg his mom to let him watch races on tv and stare with an open mouth as the drivers went around and around and around. he was a big fan of taking big cardboard boxes and running around the yard with them like they were race cars

Trey - dentist. he was an anomaly when he was little: a kid who wasn't afraid of the dentist. he loved going. as a matter of fact, he would often make his friends (mainly chenya) play dentist with them and not understand why they wouldn't let him put his pretend tools in their mouth.

Cater - he desperately wanted to be hannah montana. not like a singer or a dancer, no... hannah montana SPECIFICALLY. the wig, the microphone, everything. he had three hannah montana themed birthday parties in a row

Savanaclaw:

Leona: he could never give an answer when someone asked him what he wanted to be. he knew from a very young age that he couldn't really be whatever he wanted. not in a way that means anything. he wanted to be the king like his daddy, but it was always made clear to him that he could only dream of that. so he just played games and looked at the stars and didn't think of what he wanted to be, just who he was right then. and right then, he was the chess champion of the kingscholar bloodline

Ruggie - cowboy! honestly, he still kind of wants to be a cowboy. he wanted a horse and some cows and a big pasture - the whole nine yards. he never actually got to ride a horse, they were far too expensive, but he would still beg his mom for a cowboy hat and a pair of boots. he got them both when he turned nine and was so excited, he slept with them on. he didn't care that the hat squished his ears and the boots were a little scuffed. he wore them until the soles became more hole than rubber. he still has the hat tucked away in his closet. just in case...

Jack - classic firefighter kid. one day in preschool, a fire truck came to visit in the parking lot, and he was so shocked that he couldn't say a word. the firefighter let the kids sit in the truck and his teacher literally had to pry him out of the seat when they were done, and he cried all the way back to the classroom. the firefighters still made sure he got one of those flimsy plastic hats and a golden sticker of a badge. he thought firefighters were heroes. he still does

Octavinelle:

Azul - scientist. any kind of scientist. he wanted to have a big lab of his own where he could mix up all kinds of chemicals and just... see what happens. obviously at that age, he had very little idea of what scientists actually do but he knew it was the place for him

Jade - he managed to sneak a peek at the original karate kid movie and his life radically changed. from that moment on, he knew he was going to grow up to be a ninja. unfortunately for everyone else involved, this meant he was going to spend years coming up with elaborate plans to sneak up on and attack his brother. his parents quickly became used to the sound of loud, crashing scraps from all corners of the house. but they weren't worried. floyd could handle his own

Floyd - if you try to ask this kid what he wants to be when he grows up and he'll look you dead in the face, say "bagel" and return to his toys. whatever kid

Scarabia:

Kalim - he didn't want to be anything when he grew up, but he wanted to do everything. he didn't want to have a job. in fact, he was never actually told he could do that. instead, he wanted to experience all the joys of life. he wanted to paint and dance and sing and write poems and raise sheep and sail in the ocean and grow figs and play drums and everything

Jamil - this boy practically came out of the womb dancing. he wanted to dance every moment of every day. when there was no one around to play music or kalim was too busy to sing, he would hum little tunes to himself just to have something to move to. he wanted to be one of those dancers who performed all over the world and were applauded with showers of flower petals. he quickly learned that his dream was far from reality. but he kept tapping his toes while he worked

Pomfiore:

Vil - princess. there's no way this boy did not dream of growing up to be a princess. he was obsessed with all things gaudy and sparkly and would try on every single costume available to him. he rarely went to preschool without some sort of mismatched getup on. but his dad didn't care. you can only be this young for so long. so what if his boy wore a crown to school? no one would dare say anything about it, lest the wrath of the schoenheits. vil wouldn't accept any comments that weren't compliments. snide remarks were met with an impressive eyeroll and a flick of his sparkly cape. after all, a princess didn't care what commoners thought

Rook - garbage truck driver. his rich-ass parents were FLOORED when he said this the first time. "honey, don't you want to do something... bigger? like you could run the whole garbage company and make a whole lot of money!" "no! i wanna ride on the back of the truck!" no one could persuade him to dream of anything else. he is immune to your classist ideologies. viva la garbage man!

Epel - he wants to be a vet but SPECIFICALLY a horse vet. like if you mention him wanting to be a vet, he will correct you. the horses around his hometown captivated him and he wanted to be around them all the time. when he was tiny, he would weave around their legs in the pastures and give his family heart attacks. he just loved them so much and they loved him too

Ignihyde:

Idia - he saw sonic the hedgehog once and decided he was going to be dr robotnik. his parents could not decipher why, and they quickly stopped trying to

Ortho - even when he was really little, he wanted to be a teacher. he would line up all his toys and tell them about everything he was learning in preschool. sometimes, the lessons were wrong and idia would pop in to correct him. but that made him mad. he was the teacher not idia! after all, what did idia know that he didn't?

Diasomnia:

Sebek - a swordsmith. not a blacksmith who makes all sorts of things, specifically a swordsmith. he wanted to swing a great big hammer around and make huge, fancy swords. he was often shooed away from the forges and told to stop bothering the craftsmen. but he wasn't trying to bother them, he just wanted to get as close as he could and maybe they would let him hold one when they were done

Silver - he didn't have many ambitions he would admit to. he was a shy kid and didn't like feeling interrogated. but he liked to watch his father play the lyre especially when it was dark and the fire was warm and he was feeling sleepy. lilia always said when he was big enough to hold the instrument, he would teach him to play. maybe it would be fun...

Lilia - he wanted to be a witch. [i hear you saying, "but Ruggie's Biological Father, they're mages so he's already a witch" and i say to you... Wrong]. he didn't just want to cast spells. he wanted a pointy hat and a giant robe and a frog for a friend. once, his mom walked into his room to discover he had her largest cooking pot filled to the brim with no less than nine mystery substances. and it was somehow smoking...

Malleus - being a precocious little boy, he always told people he was going to be a geologist. but he didn't really know what that meant, only that it had to do with rocks which he liked. his dream job was actually wandering around and stuffing his pockets full of rocks. it became a nightly occurrence before bathtime for malleus to stand in front of the bathtub with both arms out to the side and let lilia empty all of his pockets and sleeves and boots. he would laugh loudly as the pile of random stones became a mountain at his feet. lilia would always chuckle, plunk him in the tub, and say "there, now you won't drown"

[heartmix]

Kisses - CL16

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x fem!reader

Word Count: 1k+

Warning: charles being jealous of Leo, kissing

A/N: wrote this after irritating my dog with a bunch of kisses. He loves it

F1 Masterlist / Masterlist

Not one moment did Charles regret getting Leo. He was the best thing to happen to the both of you. The dog kept you both on your toes and gave a lot of love, balancing a mix between chaos and affection. He didn't know what life was before Leo. He couldn't have asked for a better dog. 

The only thing was, the dog was too damn spoiled. Sure he spoiled the dog just as much as you, buying him the best food, giving him any toy he wanted, and he had free reign around the house. But you gave Leo what he truly wanted, all your attention. From the moment you both got him, he was stuck to you like glue. He only wanted Charles if he was at the track or to take him to use the bathroom. It's like the dog knew how much of a hassle it was to clean up his mess so he left that for Charles to worry about. 

You took Leo everywhere you went and he enjoyed every second of it. You wanted to go to the cafe? Leo would love to go on a walk. You had to travel for work? Sure Leo always wanted to see Paris and chase the birds. You needed to use the bathroom? Who else was going to keep you company? He didn't see dad rush up to follow you so he had to be that person (dog) for you. 

In return, he was rewarded with a bunch of scratches and kisses. You couldn't help it. He was so dang cute and soft. Kissing his fur was like kissing clouds. Leo ate up those kisses every time. He stared at you each time waiting for you to press a kiss to his head. It didn't matter if you were wearing lip gloss he would happily stroll the house wearing the lip marks with pride. 

This irritated Charles, to say the least. He wasn't jealous of the dog for getting a million kisses in one sitting while he barely managed to get one. No, he wasn't jealous that your priority was to show attention to Leo first. No, he wasn't jealous that Leo could wake you up at any hour and be met with a smile, compared to if he did it, the action would be a pillow thrown at his head.  

"Why are you giving your dog a death glare?" The voice of Arthur broke Charles out of his thoughts. 

"I'm not glaring at Leo." He grumbled. 

"So you're glaring at your girl? That's new." There was a hint of teasing tone in Arthur's voice like he knew why his brother was being a grump. You were sat on the other side of hospitality with Leo in your arms. The dog was as hyper as ever while you laughed at his antics and gave him a kiss what seemed every minute to Charles. In reality, you gave him two kisses since you've sat down. 

"I'm not glaring at anyone." 

"Sure you aren't buddy." He patted his brother on the back before making his way over to you and Leo. Charles watched the interaction with a close eye. He knew his brother was up to something. Not a second later you looked over at Charles with a knowing smirk making the driver look anywhere but in your direction. 

What he didn't see was Arthur taking Leo for a walk while you made your way to sit on the arm of the chair Charles was sitting on. It was only when he felt you beside him he decided to look at you. That same smirk was still plastered on your face making him groan. 

"So, grumpy pants, you have me all to yourself till Arthur and Leo come back." You hummed reaching out to his hair to massage his scalp. His weakness. You were good. 

"I am not grumpy, I don't know what my idiot of a brother told you." It was taking everything in Charles not to confess right then and there. The way you were working your hands on his scalp, he wanted to give in any second. 

"You're not? Hmmh. I was going to kiss it better." The teasing tone in your voice didn't register with Charles. If he was truly paying attention he would know you were doing this to confess and it worked. 

"I am grumpy. Kiss it better." He smiled up at you like a little kid waiting for his reward, or more like Leo waiting for a kiss when he accompanied you to the bathroom to keep you company. 

"First you need to tell me why you're grumpy." 

Was he about to confess his jealousy for the dog he wanted and brought just for some kisses? If it was the only way to be smothered in kisses so be it. "You give more kisses to Leo than you do me." 

"Awee my baby, you're jealous!" 

"And so what! The dog gets a million kisses a day while I'm lucky to get two." He pouted at this which caused a hearty laugh to come out of you. If only his fans could see Charles now. 

"Have I been neglecting you?" 

"Big time." 

"Well, I'm sorry. Will this make it up?" You asked as you placed a kiss first on his forehead, each cheek, his nose, and neck. The feeling and attention made his cheeks heat up and no doubt he was blushing. He was waiting for the grand finale but it never came. 

"You missed a spot." He puckered his lips up to you making another laugh emerge from your throat as you leaned down to kiss it the passionate kiss you knew he was missing. Charles couldn't help but smile into the kiss as he held to back of your head to deepen it even further. 

"Better?" You asked after letting go to come up for air. One look at his blissed out expression you knew the answer. 

"Very much so." 

"Tell me next time when you're feeling jealous of your own dog. I'll kiss it better." 

"I'm still jealous." 

[nesepte]

Forbidden Fruit | Na Jaemin (18+)

Pairing: Brother's best friend Jaemin x fem! reader

Genre: sexual tension, angst, mind games, mutual pining, brother’s best friend, jaemin is also a tease, some more tension Warnings: smut (eventual), sexually explicit, unprotected sex, alcohol consumption, drunk sex, smoking, pet names (baby, darling), teasing Please don't read if uncomfortable xD Word Count: 2.1k words

Jaemin was handsome. Jaemin was so bloody handsome that it drove you insane. But he was also Mark’s best friend, and as much as you wanted him, he was your brother’s best friend.

Jaemin was also standing right in front of you, leaning against the door frame, his right hand holding the top for support and his left holding his jacket. His black shirt was unbuttoned till his torso, and his pants were crinkled. His hair was messy and his sighs were heady.

He was drunk. You could smell it.

‘Mark isn’t home,’ you said, hoping he wouldn’t go away.

He looked at you from top to bottom, his eyes stopping at your skirt before looking up.

‘I know,’ he groaned. ‘Can I come in?’

‘Why?’ You blocked his way. It was too risky. Behind her, on the table was the bottle of wine you had downed a few minutes ago and the flush that was creeping its way up to your face was enough to tell you that he shouldn’t be here, not when you were tipsy and alone.

He scoffed, tilting his head to the side. ‘Are you sure you don’t want me to come in?’ he mocked, stepping over the threshold.

You had met Jaemin three years ago when Mark had brought his friends home. You knew all of them except him. He was new. He was different. He did not pat your head like you were a kid, nor did he ever treat you like one of the boys. But different isn’t necessarily good and in this case, it was almost torturous.

Those accidental rub of the shoulders, those unintentional graze of your hands, the stolen glances and the lingering gazes. It was nothing, you told yourself, repeating those words over and over in your head every time Jaemin would visit, till you could think of nothing but him.

‘I can go back, if you’d like.’ His voice came out hoarse.

Without a thought, you took a step back, allowing him inside, and the moment he closed the door behind him without your protests, he smirked, spotting the empty wine bottle on the table.

‘Having a party… alone?’

‘Is there something you want?’ you asked, keeping the tremble out of your voice as best you could.

‘Hm…’ He met her eyes.

‘What?’

But he chose to keep quiet.

Stumbling, he made his way to the table and sat himself down, letting his head lean back. ‘Water…’ he groaned, throwing his jacket on the side and unbuttoning the remaining buttons on his shirt.

This is bad. This is bad, you repeated in your mind, keeping your eyes away from his chest. Your hands were shivering and your face had grown hot. You could feel the heat rising inside you and was sure that you weren’t hiding it well.

‘Here.’ You offered him the glass of water and watched him gulp it down, slowly, the droplets dribbling down his bobbing throat to his chest, drenching his shirt where it still made contact with his skin.

‘Are you done gawking?’ he said, with his last gulp.

The question angered you. It was one thing to tease but you didn’t like the insinuation that you were the only one who was holding back. You had seen him watch too. Those lingering gazes weren’t one-sided.

‘I wasn’t,’ you said, defiantly.

‘Sure,’ he scoffed.

‘As if you have never.’

‘Never what?’

‘Gawked at me.’

He liked this. You could see it in his eyes. The little game that he had just set for the both of you and how you had become a player without ever consenting to it.

‘Maybe I have,’ he said, running his fingers through his dark hair that fell over his eyes and groaned, ‘Ah, but you’re his sister. I can’t. We can’t…’

‘Hey, you alright?’

‘Jaemin was barely holding on. This whisky he had had on his way over was finally taking hold. He shook his head and took out a cigarette from his pocket.

‘Mark won’t like it if you smoke here,’ you warned.

‘Mark won’t like a lot of things I have on my mind right now,’ he slurred and lit the cigarette between his lips. Taking painfully slow drags out of the stick, he blew out the smoke that smelled of whisky, letting the ash fall to the ground.

You waited, still. And when he was done, he let go of the cigarette butt and crushed it beneath his boot.

‘No,’ he answered your earlier question.

‘Hm?’

‘I don’t feel alright,’ he said.

‘Oh, do you want water?’ you asked, knowing already that this wasn’t what he wanted but you weren’t going to give him the satisfaction by folding first.

‘No,’ he replied, his eyes steady on you.

‘Want to lie down?’ you asked and he smirked hearing the hitch in your breath.

‘No,’ he whispered. He had to be patient. You were almost there.

‘What do you want then?’

‘Why don’t you guess?’

‘I am not going to play your games,’ you hissed.

‘Don’t act like you are not enjoying this.’

‘I don’t know what you mean.’

He waited, then sighed. ‘Can you rub my back for me?’ Sometimes, it’s better to take a step back to draw the other one out.

Your fingers twitched and your throat gulped dryly. It was obvious, so damn obvious and you hated how your body was reacting to his words.

‘Is there something wrong?’ Do you not trust yourself?’ he said, spreading his legs for you.

This was it. He had laid the perfect bait. Denying the challenge meant admitting to his accusation. Accepting it, meant torture.

Pressing your lips together, you took a step to him and without hesitation, ran your palm down his broad back.

There was no way you were going down without a fight.

You nudged forward between his legs as you slowly stroked his back. It was your turn to draw him out. There was no hurry, not anymore— you took your time, feeling every inch of his back under your fingers, making sure he knew who was in charge right now. Every brush, every stroke, every touch was intentional, pausing where his body reacted but lingering not more than a second. You were not going to give this to him so easily. The heat from your palms spread over his back like a drop of paint in water. He was leaning into it, sighing when he didn’t want to, groaning when he knew he shouldn’t. You pulled him, dragged him out with every rub, your own breath growing heavy seeing his gleaming eyes drooping, sensing his pulse quickening.

Fuck, what have you done.

His hands found your legs. ‘Hm…’ he mumbled against your stomach, pulling you in.

‘Jaemin,’ you breathed out as his palms found their way upwards. ‘We should stop.’

‘We should,’ he agreed with no intention of stopping.

‘This is wrong.’

‘It is.’

‘Stop it.’

‘You first.’

‘I can’t.’

‘Then don’t,’ he hissed and rose to his feet. This was enough.

He pushed you against the table, an arm holding your waist, the other bracing against the edge.

‘How much have you had to drink?’ he asked against your lips, his warm breath fanning over your face.

‘T-The bottle of wine,’ you whimpered.

‘Just that?’ His voice was desperate, his words strained.

‘Just that,’ you echoed and felt him tighten his grip around you.

‘Do you realize what I want to do?’ He pressed his forehead against you, his hands pulling the fabric of your top.

You nodded.

‘I am your brother’s best friend,’ he reminded you and waited.

‘You are my brother’s best friend,’ you replied, lip quivering against his.

‘Are you sure you want this?’ he asked.

You nodded again, your own desperation growing.

‘’No, say it. Do you want me to fuck you?’

‘I want it, Jaemin,’ you almost moaned out. ‘I want you to fuck me.’

‘He grinned against your jaw. ‘Aw, baby, look at you. You sound so pathetic, and I haven’t even started yet.’

This was when you realized how badly you had lost this round.

Shameless as it was, your gaze found his lips, and Jaemin didn’t waste a single second in useless chatter after that. He kissed you, hungry and full, his hand tangled in your hair. And oh, how you melted into him, letting his pull you closer to him.

It was just how you had imagined it countless times before— hot, messy, and desperate. He tasted of whisky and smelled of smoke. It was almost dizzying and you were sure that Jaemin was holding you up. But you inhaled him whole, not wanting to waste a single breath that didn’t pull you closer to him.

He sucked at your lips, nipped and bit when it wasn’t enough, his tongue hot in your mouth. It was almost pathetic how he bucked his hips against you, pressing his bulge, making you moan. He kissed your jaw, his lips trailing down to your neck where he marked you red.

‘Ugh, Jaemin,’ you moaned and he kissed her mouth again as if he had forgotten what it tasted like in the seconds that had passed. He had forgotten how to breathe, how to exist without you.

With a groan, he pulled back and for a moment you thought he was stopping. But when his eyes met yours, you both knew. This was it. But he had to be sure.

‘Baby…’ he whispered breathlessly.

‘Yes, fuck me,’ you cried out.

You couldn’t even make it to the bedroom. It was too far away and the walk was too long. Jaemin helped you up the table. Your hand knocked over the wine bottle and somewhere in the distance you heard it shattering to the floor, the remaining wine spilling out from between the shards behind you.

Unzipping his pants, he pulled your underwear down from beneath your skirt.

‘Oh baby, you are so wet for me,’ he panted against your lips, biting it once again as his fingers worked between your folds. ‘Such a good girl.’

‘Stop teasing,’ you whined as he rubbed his length along your warmth. It was all too much, too agonizing to bear. ‘Please…’

He pushed his way in, slowly, swallowing your moans into his mouth. Your eyes rolled back into your head as your legs wrapped themselves around his waist.

‘Mhngh…’

He waited but only for a single torturous moment before pulling out and thrusting in again, harder this time.

‘Y-Yes,’ you breathed.

His pants pooled around his ankles, his shirt drooping off his shoulders, he fucked into you again and again, your bodies falling into a rhythm of their own. The sound of your skins slapping against each other echoed in the hollow, your sinful moans marking each thrust as he plunged deeper into you.

‘Do you like me this much, huh?’ He increased his pace as you clutched onto him. ‘Have you been dreaming about me baby?’

You bit onto his shoulder, your nails digging on his sweaty back.

‘Did you picture this every time I came over?’ he teased, holding you by your jaw to make you look at him. ‘Huh baby? Did you imagine me fucking you every time you touched yourself?’

‘Jaemin…’ You weren’t even listening anymore. His arm around you, his chest against yours, his mouth sucking on your neck and his dick thrusting inside you. You were full— full of him, overwhelmed by his scent, consumed by his body. You felt small in front of his desire, yet to him, you looked the prettiest when falling apart in his arms like that.

‘I know,’ he soothed you, still fucking you into the table. ‘I know, darling. God, I have dreamed about fucking you too. You have no idea how many wretched nights I have spent touching myself thinking about you.’

‘Hm, right there, y-yes, don’t stop…’

‘Oh, don’t worry, baby. I won’t stop till I make you come.’

You threw your head back, the knot inside you threatening to unravel. You screamed his name as you clenched around him, making him groan and bite your shoulder. But he held onto you as you squirmed in his arms from your release.

‘Yes, baby, so beautiful,’ he grunted, his eyes glazed over from watching you come undone like that. He was still thrusting inside you, his own rhythm becoming sloppier and with a final clench, he pulled out, spilling his white onto your thigh.

You stayed still, foreheads pressed, panting into each other’s mouths, your hands refusing to let go of the other. There was a distant knock, probably a doorbell— you two couldn’t tell.

You looked up at him. He was already smiling, or was it a smirk. ‘Mark is going to kill you,’ you reminded him.

‘Small price to fuck you,’ he replied.

[0vergrowngraveyard]

It wasn’t a very long nightmare, but it was enough to make him jolt awake, chills running down his spine and panic filling his chest.

Sonic wasn’t a stranger to having bad dreams, but they didn’t happen very often. Dreaming in general just wasn’t a very common occurrence for him. He usually just closed his eyes and woke up hours later, there was nothing in between.

But there were times after an adventure, a particularly close call, or just having a rough day that his usually peaceful sleep would be interrupted by nightmares that would force him back into the waking world. Images of what could’ve happened if he hadn’t acted in a situation that more often than not ended in death, either his own or someone else’s.

That someone else was usually Tails, which was what he was dealing with now.

Their latest encounter with Eggman had gotten a little too dicey for Sonic’s liking. Not for Sonic himself — the more danger he was in, the better — but Tails had almost gotten hurt. Really hurt. A bot nearly self-destructed right next to him when he’d gotten caught on something and it was by sheer luck that Sonic spotted it when he did.

If he’d been too late, even by a second…

The next thing he knew, he found himself standing in Tails’ room, watching over the kit’s sleeping form. Sonic didn’t remember getting out of bed at all, but whatever. He was here now and he didn’t really want to leave, not yet at least.

Tails had gone to bed at a reasonable time tonight, but that was only because he’d been awake for almost forty-eight hours beforehand. Whenever Sonic was out on a run, Tails would forget to take care of himself. He’d barely eat, sleep, and he only drank water when he felt a headache coming on. It worried Sonic to no end, yet he’d get brushed off when he brought his concerns to light.

Sonic didn’t need to question where Tails got that from.

He sat down on the kit’s bed, the mattress sinking under his weight. He simply watched the kit, observing how his ears and muzzle twitched in his sleep. Unlike his big brother, Tails always seemed to have very vivid dreams. Sometimes, he’d tell Sonic all about the story that played out for him overnight in such excruciating detail, it was like he just watched a movie. It sometimes made Sonic a little jealous if he was being completely honest.

However, vivid dreams also meant vivid nightmares and Sonic had definitely heard about a fair share of those, so maybe he wasn’t that jealous.

A sigh broke through his defense as he turned to look down at his hands. It was times like this when Sonic began wondering how life would’ve been different if he’d gone through with his original plan when he first took the kit along with him. If he’d actually found a family to look after him and love him and keep him safe; a family that would keep him away from Eggman instead of letting the kit nearly get blown up by him.

Life would’ve been much lonelier for Sonic, sure, but at the very least Tails would’ve been able to have a normal childhood, whatever that meant for a kid like him. He would’ve had two parents to look up to, maybe other siblings to play around with. He would’ve gone to a regular school, probably skipped several grades because that's just how smart he is, made friends closer to his age and who shared his interests.

He could’ve had a normal and stable life.

But things didn’t end up going in that direction. Tails’s role model and only family was a guy who threw himself at danger whenever he could. He didn’t go to school and most of his friends were much older than him and struggled to follow along with his ramblings whenever he explained something he was passionate about. His life was always at risk, whether it was working with dangerous chemicals or helping Sonic save the world from whatever ancient deity Eggman awoke that month.

With Sonic, his life was anything but stable. Chaos, they’d been homeless for years. Living off the land and whatever people gave them to survive. Sometimes they wouldn’t eat for days at a time. Sometimes one of them got sick and there were no hospitals in the immediate area, leaving the other to play doctor. There’d even been times where Sonic lost him either in a town or he didn’t notice the kid falling behind until it was too late.

Even now that they had the Mystic Ruins workshop, Tails was left alone for days at a time. No big brother to monitor him and make sure he properly took care of himself. No one home to stop him from working himself to the point of exhaustion just so he could prove himself useful.

As if his presence alone wasn’t enough to fill Sonic with the confidence that they’d get through whatever was thrown their way.

There came a point where Sonic just couldn’t let the kid go, as selfish as the choice may have been. He just couldn’t. He’d fight to keep his little brother by his side, he did fight. He went to freaking court so he could get legal guardianship over the fox. And if, for whatever Gaia forsaken reason, the system ruled that he was unfit to be Tails’s guardian, he still wouldn’t let them take him away. He made the decision long ago that this kid was his, and there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it.

Sonic had gotten attached, but sometimes he wondered if that attachment had been a mistake. He hated thinking about it because this little fox kit truly was the light of his life, his best friend, and his little brother who he loved dearly, but he couldn’t help it. The thoughts would just creep their way into his mind from the dark crevices of his room at night.

What if Tails got hurt trying to protect him? What if Sonic failed one day? What if Sonic had failed yesterday? What if this was a dream and his nightmare was what really happened? What if—

“Sonic?”

His brain screeched to a halt immediately as he looked over his shoulder and caught two sleepy eyes looking up at him. “Wha’re y’doin’?”

The hedgehog just blinked at him for a stupid second as he tried to regain his composure. “Just checking on you, bud.” He eventually responded, his voice uncharacteristically quiet as he reached over to scritch behind his ear.

Tails leaned into the touch with a hum, “Y’need somethin’?”

Sonic shook his head, “Nah. Just go back to sleep.”

Tails gave him a confused look but ultimately let it go, snuggling further into his covers. He closed his eyes and Sonic was sure he’d fallen back to sleep. With a sigh, he stood up, taking in one last look over the kit’s face.

He looked peaceful.

Sonic frowned and turned away, making his way towards the door and being careful about avoiding any creaky floorboards. He didn’t need to keep the kid awake longer than he already had.

“You can stay if you want.” Sonic jumped, not expecting to hear Tails’s voice again. “If you had a nightmare or somethin’. I don’t mind.” The kit shifted over, making room on his pillow for his big brother. He looked at Sonic over his blankets almost expectantly.

Sonic considered the offer, a small smile tugged at his mouth as he put his hands on his hips, “Are you trying to comfort me or do you just want something to latch onto?”

Tails gave him a half lidded stare—or he was just barely keeping his eyes open—before he shrugged with one shoulder and laid back down, “It’s your choice. If you wanna go back to your room and deal with your nightmare alone instead, be my guest.”

A knot formed in Sonic’s stomach. It was the same knot that formed whenever Tails tried to comfort him. He appreciated it, he really did. Sonic was so lucky to have this kid in his life. A kid who cared so much about him and who’d do anything to make sure his big brother was happy, or at least not as sad. Tails was always successful. Just being near the fox seemed to always be enough to soothe whatever negative emotions were worming around in him at the moment.

If Sonic was upset, he needed his best friend and little brother around.

But that’s where the knot came in. Tails shouldn't have to worry about his emotions. Sure, he was the smartest and greatest kid Sonic had ever met, but that didn’t change the fact that he was, well, a kid. He already had so much on his plate, way more than he should. His big brother being upset shouldn’t be added to that.

Sonic sighed, turning towards the hallway and away from any kind of comfort. The air around him felt colder as he walked out of the kit’s room, it felt heavier. He stole one last glance at Tails snuggled up in his blankets before shutting the door and making his way back to his room.

He paused in his doorway. His room was much darker than Tails’s, much emptier too. Sonic wasn’t afraid of the dark by any means, nor of what was in it, but simply walking over to his bed and laying down felt like such a daunting task. Exhaustion weighed him down and he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and wake up the next morning like nothing had happened.

Sucking in a deep breath, he forced himself to move forward, just like he always did. One foot after the other. There was no need to stop until he reached his goal, no reason to look back.

Sonic flopped down onto his bed, the mattress bouncing under his weight. He rolled over onto his back, limbs sprawled out as he stared up at the ceiling. Unlike Tails’s ceiling which had little plastic glow in the dark stars attached to it, Sonic’s was blank. Just an empty void staring back at him.

The void began whispering to him the longer he looked so he closed his eyes, determined to fall back to sleep. He wasn’t about to let a stupid nightmare of all things keep him from getting his precious sleep, even one as terrifying as the one he’d had that night.

He was Sonic the Hedgehog, for crying out loud. And Sonic the Hedgehog didn't get caught up on dumb nightmares.

He could ignore the sheer terror that flowed throughout his body, the heart shattered scream that burned into itself his memory and the thick red liquid that shouldn’t have been there. He could ignore how broken his baby brother’s body looked, the wide eyed and lifeless stare pointing directly at him, and the all too familiar laugh reverberating around him, saying that it was all his fault. That it will be his fault.

When that time comes, it will be all his fault.

He could ignore the tears threatening to slip out of his eyes as the words sunk in, but he couldn’t ignore the sudden feeling of something—or someone—landing down on his stomach hard.

A winded oof escaped him as he quickly tried to sit up, only for his efforts to be in vain as the weight on him refused to move. His gaze turned unimpressed as his hand settled on the culprit’s back, “So. Did you forget how to knock or something?”

The only response Sonic got was muffled by his sheets, which managed to get an amused snort out of the hedgehog, “I can’t understand a thing you’re staying, lil bud.”

Tails lifted his head up with a huff. “I said your door was wide open.” His head promptly flopped back down onto the bed.

“My door was wide open.” Sonic repeated.

“Mhm.”

“So you took that as an invitation to jump on me and wake me up?”

“Mhm.” Tails lifted his head up again, “Also you weren’t asleep.”

“Oh yeah? And how did you know that?” Sonic asked, hand moving to scritch behind the kit’s ear.

“Just did.”

Sonic just hummed. That was probably the best answer he was gonna get, no use in questioning further. If there was anything else, he’d say it on his own. With a content sigh, he closed his eyes and focused on the fox kit laying across his stomach. Whatever darkness had crept into his mind slowly disappeared as Sonic continued to pet his little brother’s head.

He could hear the faint sound of Tails’s purring, its vibrations sending an almost calming sensation throughout his system. Eventually, the kid moved so he was snuggled up against Sonic’s side, his paw curled up into a fist as it rested on his tan chest. Sonic looped an arm around him, keeping him as close as possible.

They laid there in silence for a while, Sonic gently scratching the kit’s back as his own breathing began to settle. He could feel himself finally starting to drift off to sleep and assumed Tails already had. That is, until he felt the small fist on his chest tighten.

“You sounded sad when you were in my room,” Tails finally admitted, “And I know I said I didn’t care, but I didn’t really want you to be alone. And I knew you’d tell me to go back to my room if I told you that so I just jumped on you. That way you couldn’t send me away.”

Sonic’s eyes slowly opened as he stared at his ceiling once again. The darkness that looked back wasn’t as intense as it was before, but it was still there. Before he could respond, Tails added one last thing, “And before you say you wouldn’t have, last time I checked on you when you had a bad dream, you just told me to go back to bed. You tell me that every time.”

“I wouldn’t have this time.”

Tails scoffed, “That’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one.”

Sonic couldn’t bring himself to respond to that because, as much as he hated to admit it, Tails was right. He probably would’ve told him to go back to his room tonight too; would’ve sent him away for just trying to help.

“I just don’t want you to waste your time worrying about me, kiddo.” He said, “You’ve already got a lot going on, way more than someone your age ever should, and my dumb issues don’t need to be added to that list.”

“I can’t help worrying about your dumb issues, Sonic.” Tails huffed, “You’re my brother. Of course I’m gonna worry about you. ‘S what family’s for.”

“Bud—“

“No matter how many times you tell me not to worry, I always will and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

A fond smirk tugged at Sonic’s mouth, “Nothing?”

“Nothing.” Tails confirmed, “Now go to sleep. ‘M tired.”

Chaos, what was he going to do with this kid? “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Goodnight, little bro.”

“Mmm g’night…love ya”

Sonic simply hummed in response, but Tails got the message all the same. The hedgehog stayed awake as the kit’s breathing evened out almost immediately. The kid really was that tired, huh? Made sense considering he was woken up from what appeared to be a pretty deep sleep. His breaths had a little whistle to them, making it so that Sonic could hear every time Tails breathed in and out, in and out, in and out.

He’d also be able to tell if his breathing stopped.

His eyes closed tightly as the unwanted thought bounced around. Tails was fine. Sure, he’d been rudely woken up because Sonic wasn’t able to get a handle on his fears, but now he was right next to him. Sonic could keep him safe if anything happened. He would always keep him safe.

Whatever happened in his nightmare would never become a reality. Sonic wouldn’t let it.

He rolled over and curled around the little fox to the best of his ability, pressing his forehead against Tails’s. Sonic forced himself to copy the rise and fall of his chest as his quills raised instinctively, ready to protect them both from the non-existent threats in the dark as they slept.

Apparently they hadn’t stayed raised for too long considering he woke up to Tails holding onto him, arms wrapped around his middle with a grip that he wouldn’t be able to escape from without waking the kit up. Fondness squeezed his heart just as tightly as he chuckled softly, closed his eyes, and allowed himself to relax a little longer.

He could tease him about it later.

[orbweaverspidergirl]

The Four Times You meet Arkham Knight, and the One Time You meet Jason

summary: Your twin brother is dead, and he's not coming back. You know that, but when you see a man who acts just like Jason, you can't help but think of him.

tw: mentions of tranquilization (not on reader), guns, being knocked out, being threatened with a gun (not on reader), mentions of death, very brief mention of blood, reader feeling somewhat suicidal (not outwardly stated).

A/N: This is very angsty and I started crying towards the end of writing this. This is gender neutral! This is part 2 for the Jason Todd Twin Drabbles. Requests are open!

Tim Drake hurt you. He was a replacement for your brother, and yet, he didn’t mean to be. He was just a kid, just like you once were when starting out as Robin. He didn’t have good support, not from home, and especially not from Bruce. So, you became that for him, you took your grief and resentment, and you did your best to let it go. You would always love Jason, and you would always cry over him, but he’s dead, and you can’t change that. 

Once you started coming around for the kid, he was sweet. He rambled and was skittish, but you grew to love the boy called your brother. But he didn’t take the grief away from losing your twin. He never would. So sometimes, you would bring yourself out to a roof. His death would hit you the most after a patrol. Whenever you both finished the night, you would get something to eat. You would celebrate you both winning. You don’t celebrate anymore, so you would cry. You didn’t cry anywhere other than a roof, after a patrol. As a kid, no one saw you cry, only Jason. He was the only one allowed, and you kept it that way. Your mask was off, the green mantle you wore was in your hands, clinging on for dear life in the wind. 

That’s when you heard it over your loud sobs. Banging footsteps clashed on the roof’s surface, and you stood up. Your face drenched in tears and sweat from the fighting before. Before you was a man in a metal suit with the waist cinched in what looked like red camouflage. He wore heavy gear, and you looked up at him. He walked just like Jay did, and for a moment you imagine the random man as him. Tears flow from your eyes once more. 

“I’m, I’m so sorry.” You say, wiping the tears from your eyes. 

You feel him analyzing you, just like Tim does, and just like Bruce did all those years ago. “What for?” His voice is heavily modulated, you realize. It makes you suspicious, and you put your mask back on. 

“You just,” you take a heavy swallow, “You reminded me of my brother.” The words slip out of your mouth before you realize it. You shouldn’t have let that information be known, especially to a man that looks as dangerous as he sounds. 

“I’m sure your brother loves you.” You smile under the mask and let out a breathless laugh. 

“He did. He loved me very much.” You nod towards the man in respect. “Thank you?” You leave it in a question, waiting for his name.

“I’m no one. Not yet anyways.” Then, he’s gone, just like your brother. 

Eventually, you found out who “no one” was, and he was in fact, not a no one. “Arkham Knight” the new big bad of Gotham. Is Gotham the only place villains care to go too?? You sigh, as Batman flies to the bridge while you run, but Arkham Knight wasn’t your focus for right now, it was scarecrow. You see Gordon and his men in the distance, and you come to a stop.

While your father comes to a landing, you go up to the cop. He looks weary, and you could understand why. “Have you heard anything else, or is it still silent?” You ask the man, looking up at the building connected to the bridge. Batman walks behind you, listening on. 

“Nothing. We think there’s a skeleton crew in there, but they're not responding, and the facility is on lockdown.” You and the Bat share a look. 

“Green, I want you in there. Keep your guard up and be careful.” You nod towards your father, and your heart aches a little. He only started saying be careful when Jason died. He didn’t want to lose another kid, and even if you were mad at him for replacing your brother with Tim, you could never hate Bruce. You start a jog to the facility, and you bring out your tranquilizer gun, keeping a steady hold on it. You turn your head when you hear a loud “brr” sound in the distance. A helicopter flies in the air, and you furrow your eyebrows. 

“What the hell...” You mumble, and you turn your gaze to your father and Gordon. You then see the large rockets on the side of the helicopter. “Shit!” You start to run away from the door, but instead of being shot, the area between you and the others are. The helicopter drives up to Batman as he walks up to it. You can barely hear anything, the helicopter wings blocking everything out, but over your comms you gather that same modulated voice saying don’t shoot her. 

You have no time to think over it when the helicopter flies up, and the big doors behind you open. You hear your father yell out your hero's name as two cars with extended guns on the roof point at you. You run out of the way, but once again the guns don’t shoot at you, they only target Batman. You quickly realize the bias, putting two and two together. Whoever this is doesn't want you, they want Batman. You use this chance of distraction to run into the facility. You set out your grappling hook, and it carries you up onto the ‘ACE Chemicals’ sign. 

“Green, are you in?” You hear Bruce speak through the comms. 

“Yes. I’m on the sign. The men below noticed me flying in, but other than that, they can’t find me.” You grapple onto the actual building. You land softly onto the concrete and make your way onto the side. A large drop is there, and you get shivers down your spine. You kick in one of the windows and then jump through. You scan the area, bringing out your tranquilizer gun, but the room is empty. 

“I’m in a room now, there are desks and a large whiteboard with notes, but other than that, it’s nothing important.” 

“Good, I’m making my way in now.”

“Heard.” You open the door, and eye the hallway. You feel eerie, and you worry that it's a trap. You let out a breath and continue walking down the hallway. You make your way downstairs, and it’s still empty. 

“I’m in the building.” 

“I’m on the second to last hallway. It’s empty, no one in sight.” You hear nothing else on the other end, so you continue your descent. It’s like this for a while, until you hear a man struggling behind a door. 

“HELP...! HELPP, PLEASE!” You kick open the door, your gun pointed out in front. You see Arkham Knight pointing a gun towards a man tied up in rope. 

Arkham Knight looks at you, and you shudder. “It’s about time you showed up. I began to worry.” His tone is mocking, and you scowl, putting your finger on the trigger. 

“What the hell are you talking about?!” You yell; confusion clear in your voice. 

He lets out a sardonic laugh. “C’mon baby bird, you really don’t know?” You frown. No one called you that other than Dick or Jay, and for a moment you hope. You hope that this man is really your brother, your Jason. 

“Jay?” You mumble, and you wait. You wait for him to give you a sign that it is him. That this is your brother. He rips off the helmet, and you drop your gun. It’s your brother, your sweet big brother. Your twin. He’s alive. You run to him, disregarding the tied-up man, and you hear Bruce speak over the comms, trying to reach you. You don’t listen to his voice, you only hold Jason tight, crying on his shoulder. 

“Shhh, I know baby bird, I know.” He holds you tight, just like he did when you were kids, and you cry even more. 

“Green! Green, are you with me?” Batman yells over comms. 

“Batman, I think it’s time I take my twin off your hands. I’ll take care of them far better than you ever did anyways.” You lift your head up from his shoulders. 

“Jay, what-” He hits the back of your neck, and your vision goes spotty. The last thing you see is your brother picking you up. 

When you wake up, you’re lying on a bed. You have new clothes on, and your suit is nowhere to be found. When you try to get up, you realize your legs are chained to the bed. You struggle against the chains, feeling betrayed by your brother. Not only that, but you feel wronged. Why would he do this? Why would he try to kill Bruce? Why would he kill innocent people? What happened to your brother? Why is he acting this way?

 “JASON!” You yell, anger clear in your voice. Immediately, the door swings open, and your twin brother walks in. He’s out of his suit, and you admire his new features even in your anger. He has a streak of white hair, and a J gouged in his cheek. He looks over at you, as he sits on the end of the bed. You scowl, “Jason, what the hell is this?” You lift up both your legs. 

He looks down at the chains, and smirks boyishly. It reminds you of when you were younger, and you turn your face away. This isn’t teenage boy Jay, this is Arkham Knight, and he certainly is not your brother. You feel stupid. You feel incredibly stupid for falling in his trap. He used your grief to make you weak, and it worked. You almost feel proud; he was always smarter than you. 

He reaches out to you, touching your face. “I missed you.” His voice is earnest, and that hurts you even more, because you know he means it. 

“Stop this, Jason. Please. Stop this.” You plead, you don’t know what for. Maybe you want him to stop trying to kill Bruce, maybe you want him to stop touching you, or maybe you want him to stop pretending. You don’t know, and that hurts you all the more. 

“No. I won’t stop. He let me die, Bruce fucking left me to die!” He yells, and you flinch back, crying. “Do you know how long I waited?! How long I wished for Batman to save me, to have my partner save me!” 

“We tried!” You scream back, tears flooding from your eyes. “We tried Jason. We searched for you for days, and we couldn’t find you.” You break down crying, and you hug yourself. “I never stopped. I didn’t believe anyone when they said you were dead, not until I saw what Joker sent, and even then. I never stopped.” He wraps his arms around you, holding you to his chest. 

“I’m sorry...” His voice cracks, “Please don’t cry. You know I hate it when you cry.” And he did. He hated when you cried, so he would hold you. He would hold you, just like this. “I promise, I’ll make it better.” He whispers, and then he kisses your forehead. You see him get off the bed and walk out of the room. 

You don’t react, but you can’t help but feel the same when he died. You couldn’t do anything now, and you couldn’t do anything then. 

It takes you a day to break off the chains. Your fingers feel numb and bloody from holding them tight, and kicking them against the bed frame, but it works, and they break. You get the bed frame and shove it against the door. You know there’s cameras in the room, but you pay it no mind. By the time his goons get here, you’ll already be gone. 

You walk over the only window in the room. It’s large enough to get through, but the only problem is you have no gear to jump off with. The drop is far too high to not get hurt in some way, and so you rip the sheets off the bed. You hear banging on the door, and you sigh. You got too cocky and didn’t think it through that you needed a fucking way out of the window. 

You look out the window once more, and you feel tired. You feel like giving up. If you jump out of this window now, there’s a chance you’ll survive, and a higher chance you won’t. They’ve busted open the door, and in the distance, you see Arkham Knight first and foremost behind his men. Your heart breaks as your brother yells out your name, your real name, but you jump.

And you live. 

The world is white, and you advert your eyes from the searing color. You feel pain all across your body, and that’s how you know you survived. You hear a machine, and you realize it’s a heart monitor. You're on a white bed, with a blue gown on, and you sit up. You smile when you see Tim and Barbara. They both have fallen asleep leaning on each other. Behind the glass window, connected to the hallway, you see your dad and Jason talking. 

They haven’t noticed you yet, and you wish to keep it that way. Tim’s eyes start to flutter, and once he realizes you're up, he jumps out of the chair. “You’re awake!” He yells, wrapping his arms around you. 

You laugh, and you hug him back. “Hey Timmy, how are you?” He rolls his eyes and sits on the bed with you. 

“How am I? How are you? You almost died! Do you know how worried we all were?” You feel guilty, so you squeeze his shoulder. 

“I know and I’m sorry. But I’m here now, and so are you.” You hear Barbara roll her chair towards the bed. 

“That you are. We were worried sick.” She says, and you almost want to cry again. 

“I know.” You hug her, and she hugs you back.

“We missed you. I missed you.” She whispers in your ear, and you press a kiss to her head. You glance out the window, looking at the two men. 

“What’s up with that?” You ask. Barbara just sighs, and Tim looks away nervously. 

“Jason is... Back. However, him and Bruce have been going at it for days. Maybe they’ll stop once they realize you’re awake but...” She shrugs. You look at Jason, and he finally notices you. He starts to walk in the room with Bruce following right behind him. 

“Where’s Dick?” You ask. 

“He’s on his way.” Bruce says, then he goes to hug you, covering your whole body. You hug him back, squeezing the man. 

“How you feeling, old man?” Your tone is teasing, and he sighs. 

“Tired of being berated by my own kids.” You smirk and pat his shoulders. Then, you look at Jason, and without hesitation, you jump into his arms. He catches you; he always does. 

“I missed you,” you whisper, holding him tight. 

“I know baby bird, I know. I’m back, and I won’t be going anywhere else.”

[damthosefandoms]

There's death at my door and I swear that it's following me

(ao3 link)

Summary:

“I’m going to finish it,” he says out loud to anyone who might be listening in his empty house. “I swear. I have to for school, anyway. I’m not handing in an unfinished paper.”

There is no response but the sound of Ponyboy’s own breathing.

“It’s not easy to write, Johnny!” he yells. “This is the part where I get you killed, you know!”

Nothing.

Figures he’d be quiet dead, too.

---

Neither of the greasers who died that cold, September night in 1967 had a funeral—Dally had nobody to set one up, except his friends who couldn’t afford it, and they never found out where the cops took him after they killed him anyway. But a month or so after everything ends, they find out Johnny’s mother had him cremated and that she and his father kept his ashes.

Ponyboy is particularly pissed off. Something about Johnny being trapped in that house his whole life, and even now, after death, being kept in a place he hated more than anything else…

“It ain’t right. I…we loved him more than they could ever dream of.”

As the remnants of the gang sit around the Curtises’ kitchen table, defeated, Two-Bit half-heartedly jokes they should steal his ashes. Darry rolls his eyes. Sodapop says that’s horrible. A heartbroken Ponyboy says, “Dally would’ve done it in a heartbeat.”

A week later Darry and Soda wake up to Pony making eggs for breakfast, with a new centerpiece on the table.

“Tell me that is not what I think it is,” Darry mutters, gesturing to the cheap urn.

Pony’s face goes red. “So, uh… this kid Mark at school taught me how to pick locks, and…”

“Ponyboy Michael Curtis!”

“C’mon, Darry, I had to! It was eating me alive. They don’t deserve him! I’ll bet they won’t even notice he’s gone!”

His brothers look at him like he’s finally lost it. Maybe he has, because Mark’s advice had gotten him nowhere, and Pony swears the Cades’ door unlocked on its own last night.

“All Johnny wanted was to get out of Tulsa. The happiest he ever was, was watchin’ the sunset back there on Jay Mountain. I needed to go get him so we could take him there.”

“Ponyboy…”

“I had to. I just had to. If not for Johnny, then for Dally, okay? ‘Cause god knows we couldn’t do anythin’ else for him.”

He’s got a lot of reasons to believe this is what Johnny wanted.

That weekend, the whole gang drives up to the remains of the church, so they all can say goodbye. Ponyboy pours Johnny’s ashes out over the cliffside where they watched the sunset, and if a little bit of dust gets on his hands, well. He stares for a minute before he goes to wash it off at the old water pump.

“You gotta go, Johnny,” he mumbles. “Don’t stick around me. Don’t do that to yourself. Move on.”

He’s always had a weird relationship with death. 

---

Ever since Ponyboy was little, he’d been told he had a strong imagination. His brothers call him a dreamer. His dad used to laugh and say he had his head in the clouds; his Mom said he was just the creative type. He learned pretty fast that no one else saw the things he could see, and he learned even faster not to talk about it. He thinks his brothers never believed him, but they also never forgot.

It’s one of those things where Ponyboy doesn’t see things unless he needs to. He got real good at tuning out the supernatural at a very young age, and it’s not something that comes up in his life very often anyway; death may follow him wherever he goes, it may show up at his door but he does not let it in. He doesn’t know why he’s like this. It’s like there is just something special about him, something he figures he won’t understand until he is much, much older. Or maybe he never will, and he’s just crazy.

The first time death comes to visit, Ponyboy is not feeling well. It’s been a month, it’s almost Halloween, and it is the first time since Johnny and Dally died that he’s sick again. Pony’s got just a low-grade fever, but Darry lets him stay home because that’s for the best. He promises to work on his English assignment.

Darry and Soda head out to work with promises to check up on him during their lunch breaks. He picks up his notebook and flips through it, but he is at the part where he runs into the church to save those kids and he can’t bring himself to pick up the pencil and admit that it was his cigarette. His fault.

His pencil rolls over the edge of the desk. It clatters to the floor and Ponyboy reaches down to get it. When he sits up, Johnny’s ghost is staring at him, pointing at the blank page. 

He blinks and he is alone again, but he can still feel the presence and knows deep down he isn’t. He sits back and groans. He can’t be normal for ten minutes?

“I’m going to finish it,” he says out loud to anyone who might be listening in his empty house. “I swear. I have to for school, anyway. I’m not handing in an unfinished paper.”

There is no response but the sound of Ponyboy’s own breathing. 

“It’s not easy to write, Johnny!” he yells. “This is the part where I get you killed, you know!”

Nothing. 

Figures he’d be quiet dead, too.

But writer’s block grabs him by the throat and doesn’t let go, so Ponyboy picks up his pencil again and begins to doodle on that blank page a picture of his current situation.

He falls asleep at his desk, and when his brothers come home, they find him there, snoring over a picture of himself at his desk, writing in his notebook while Johnny Cade stands watching over his shoulder like some kind of guardian angel.

---

Time passes and school starts up again, and around a year or so after the Windrixville nightmare, Ponyboy announces to his brothers that he’s going to some school dance with a couple of friends. He’s really non-committal about the whole thing, but Soda thinks it’s a good idea, and maybe Pony doesn’t really like the group of guys he’s going with but he knows he has to get out of his comfort zone and this is one way to do that. He promises to be back before curfew, so it’s not like he’ll have time to get into any trouble.

Apparently, his first mistake was one he’d made literal months ago, back in the spring—saying no to going out with Angela Shepard.

He knows it was shitty of him, the way he'd barely even acknowledged her presence after she waltzed up to him that day, but he also he knows it was never about him. It was her, expecting Pony to have her back whether or not he actually was interested in her, because that's just what Curtises and Shepards do.

But the day she approached him was—would've been—Johnny's seventeenth birthday. So, you know. There are a lot of reasons he'd turned her down. 

And now here they are, in October of 1968, at this stupid school dance. Mark’s brother Bryon brought a date and Bryon never liked Ponyboy anyway, so he and Mark walked off together to let those two hang out, and then Mark wanted to go out to Terry’s car because he brought alcohol or something—Pony was not interested in drinking the slightest, but he followed anyway—and then his second mistake must’ve been simply being at the dance or something, he doesn’t actually know. He doesn’t think he spoke to Angela the whole time.

(Later Ponyboy finds out she was trying to piss off Bryon, who he later finds out is her ex. She was mad he'd brought a date, or something like that. He still doesn't really get the whole thing, and probably never will. If you ask him, Angela should've known better than to have taken it all personally when she'd known exactly what she was doing.)

They’re sitting on the hood of Mark’s friend Terry’s car and some guy walks up that Ponyboy has never seen before. 

And the guy just swings at him! Of course he swung back!

Pony knows that he does not have a tough reputation, but he is one hell of a fighter—he may have gotten his ass kicked in the rumble but he also helped kick ass, and he’s been working out a bit with Darry so he can keep up with the track team, and he was briefly considered an accessory to murder, so clearly he can handle himself. Just ignore the fact he'd been drowning in the fountain for that whole thing. He figures Mark didn’t get the memo, because when the guy smashes a beer bottle to swing at Ponyboy’s head, his idiot friend decides to pick that moment to tell the other guy to relax.

Next thing Pony knows Mark’s on the ground bleeding and the school-sanctioned cop appointed to keep kids from killing each other at the dance grabs him to haul him away. Some job he’s doing.

He goes to get Mark’s brother, and he explains that the guy meant to hit him and not Mark, and Bryon says something about Angela Shepard but he doesn’t really explain. Pony decides he doesn't care. Mark groans and his eyes open, but it’s like he can’t see anything and Pony winces, because he knows all too well what is happening.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“Shock,” Ponyboy says, and he takes Dally’s old leather jacket off and throws it over the guy until the ambulance arrives and the EMTs take over. He’s careful not to let any blood get on it, though. It’s already been through enough.

Ponyboy thinks maybe he has, too.

The brothers get into the ambulance and Cathy Carlson, the girl that Bryon took to the dance, walks up to him and asks what happened, so he tells her. She mentions that Bryon borrowed a friend’s car to drive them there—Two-Bit drove Ponyboy to the dance and then ditched him for the first girl he saw at the party, and must be long gone by now—and she points it out to him in the parking lot. She heads off to see if she can get a ride to the hospital from someone. 

Ponyboy wants to thank Mark for stopping the fight, if he can. He’s not as bad as everyone thinks he is; Pony’s got no clue why Dally used to be so insistent he stay away from the kid. He also kind of figured Bryon would need a way home too, so…

He hotwires the car. He hopes he didn’t break anything in the process, and he makes sure to have Cathy drive, because she has a license and Darry won’t let anyone but himself teach Pony—and he won’t do it until Pony’s sixteen. Probably for the best considering Soda and Steve have a million speeding tickets each and Two-Bit is chronically under the influence.

When they leave, Ponyboy and Bryon have to help Mark walk out because he can’t on his own just yet. Pony’s in the middle of saying he gets it, “I had this killer concussion last year after some soc kicked me in the head during the big rumble, and I remember bein’ out of my mind loopy after, laughin’ at how I couldn’t run… straight…”

He trails off.

He realizes he recognizes this hallway. The door across from him is slightly open and it is the room Johnny died in.

Mark half-falls ‘cause Bryon kept walking and Pony didn’t, and it takes Cathy asking if he is okay to snap him out of it. He says yes but his chest is starting to feel tight and his eyes burn.

He blinks a few times and shakes his head and mumbles a “sorry,” which just gets him an odd look, but no one really asks after that. They get Mark in the car and the only thing he says for the entire ride home are the directions to his house.

Except they don’t get all the way to his house, because they are driving down the street Dallas Winston died on and the pain in Pony’s chest gets worse and he looks out the window toward the street lamp and yells “STOP!” because he sees someone standing there and is convinced they are about to hit them.

Everyone stares at Ponyboy like he is insane but he does not care because Dally is crumpling to the ground just like he did that night, calling out Pony’s name and dropping dead. Then he is standing up, and the bullets are hitting him, and it repeats and repeats like some horrible loop. Pony feels like all his hair is standing on end. He can’t breathe.

Don’t think about how you heard Dally and Johnny’s last words, how they called for you, but you’ll never know Mom and Dad’s. If they screamed for help. If they held each other as they died. If they watched the train coming and knew they couldn't run.

“Uh, I forgot to tell y’all a turn, I… I’ll get out here. Thanks for the ride.”

He doesn’t wait for a response before he gets out of the car and shuts the door. Cathy’s got the window down and she asks if he’s okay and Pony is normally a good liar but he isn’t tonight.

“I’ll be fine. See you later.”

They drive off and Ponyboy sits down on the curb and stares at his hands. He’s never hanging out with any of them ever again.

He thinks about his dreams, the horrible ones that wake him up screaming and shaking, the ones he can’t ever remember, and he wonders why he had to be the one cursed with this stupid ability. To know something horrible is going to happen before it does. To see what happened to his friends after death. Why he has to be the one to know Dallas Winston will never move on. He has this feeling in his gut and he knows he needs to walk down this road to get home but he cannot bring himself to go anywhere near that street lamp. He already has Johnny’s spirit attached to him. He can’t deal with the idea of Dally being there too. He is too angry, and even from this distance, it’s starting to affect Pony, too.

He takes the long way home, because maybe he has a jacket tonight but he figures that if he’s going to get jumped tonight for walking home alone, what’s the worst that could happen after last time? He’s already lost two friends. He lost his parents. Who even cares anymore?

When Ponyboy gets back to his house it is well after curfew and he can see the light on inside and it is like deja vu. He has a black eye and his lip is cut, he knows it’s swelling up because he never put ice on it, and his chest feels tight and he knows he’s shed a few tears and he just. He can’t even bring himself to care as he walks inside.

“You’re late again,” Darry says. Soda is nowhere to be seen. 

“Yeah, whatever, Darrel,” Pony mutters.

“Where were you? I told you to be home by midnight. What happened to your face?”

“Some guy swung at me. Don’t worry about it.”

“You really think I won’t, Pony? We’ve talked about this.”

That is a lie. They didn’t talk. They just promised Soda not to fight anymore.

But Pony is tired and Dally and his heart hurts and he feels like he is going to explode, so he does.

“I was at the hospital, Darry, is that what you want? My friend got hurt trying to help me out because some guy I ain’t never seen in my life decided to swing at me at the dance even though I didn’t even do anything and I went to the hospital to check on Mark. And you know what? I had it all under control and then I hadda walk past that stupid room Johnny died in and now I know my brain is broken ‘cause I can’t stop thinking about it and about Dally and— and I don’t want to talk about it!” Ponyboy can’t even finish. He just storms past his brother and down the hall to his room.

He opens the door, grabs Sodapop out of the bed and shoves him out, and then slams the door shut behind him. The doorknob clicks locked and they hear a noise that sounds an awful lot like a heartbroken sob.

Soda looks at Darry.

“I told you waiting up for him would just piss him off.”

“Shut up.”

[neeksparksg]

I wish you were my father instead

The storm raged outside the dingy motel, the wind rattling the thin walls and windows with a ferocity that seemed almost alive. Sam sat cross-legged on one of the twin beds, his nose buried in a comic book Y/n had stolen from him earlier, while Dean lounged in a chair by the window, cleaning his hunting knife with a rag. The youngest Winchester occasionally glanced up at his sister, who was pacing back and forth like a caged animal.

“You’re going to wear a hole in the carpet,” Dean quipped, not bothering to look up.

“I don’t care,” Y/N shot back, arms crossed over her chest. “This is so stupid. Dad’s out there, alone, hunting a wendigo, and we’re stuck here like kids.”

“You’re thirteen,” Dean said flatly. “you are a kid. Dad can handle it on his own”

Y/N glared at him. “I can hunt, Dean. You know I can. I’ve been training just as hard as you. Probably harder.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Dean replied, setting his knife down. “Dad gave us an order. We’re supposed to stay here and look after Sam.”

Sam frowned. “I don’t need looking after,” he mumbled, earning a glare from both his siblings telling him to shut up.

Y/N’s didn’t care what her father had said. She wasn’t some little girl who needed protecting. She could handle herself, and she will prove it—to Dad, to Dean, to everyone who doubted her.

She waited until both of her brothers were asleep—Sam curled up under a pile of blankets, and Dean sprawled out. Quietly, Y/N grabbed her backpack, shoved in a flashlight, a knife, and the gun their dad leave to Dean, then slipped out the door into the cold, wet night.

---

The forest was dark and scary, the kind of place that whispered warnings in every creak of a branch and rustle of leaves. Y/N tightened her grip on the gun as she walked deeper into it . Her heart pounded in her chest, half from excitement, half from fear.

She wasn’t going to let Dad do this alone.

She was about an hour into the woods when she first heard the sound—a low, growl that sent a chill down her spine. Y/N froze, her breath hitching. Slowly, she turned, her flashlight beam cutting through the dense trees. She couldn’t see the creature but there was something in the woods she could feel it’s eyes on her

“Come on, you ugly son of a—”

Before she could finish, the creature lunged, and Y/N barely had time to throw herself out of the way. She hit the ground hard, the Gun slipping out of her hand. Scrambling to her feet, she reached for it, but the wendigo was faster. It knocked her down again, its claws raking across her arm.

Panic set in, but then, through the haze of fear, she heard a gunshot. The wendigo shrieked and stumbled back, and Y/N turned to see her father, rifle in hand, storming toward them.

“Stay down!” John barked, firing another shot.

Y/N’s relief was short-lived as the wendigo lunged again the bullets seemed to be nothing more than a bother to it, John Didn’t hesitate and threw the gun to the side, grabbing the lighter from his pocket and a bug spray can using them to set the creature in fire, the creature was quickly consumed into fire and as its body fell to the ground John used a flare gun to shot at it to secure the kill, the tension in the air was thick as Y/N climbed to her feet, cradling her injured arm.

“What the hell were you thinking?” John roared, turning on her. His face was full of fury, his voice echoing through the trees. “I told you to stay at the motel!”

“I was trying to help!” Y/N shot back, her voice shaking but defiant. “I’m not a kid anymore, Dad. I can hunt just as well as Dean can.”

“You almost got yourself killed,” John snapped. “You don’t disobey orders, Y/N. Ever.”

“I’m sick of your orders!” she yelled. “I’m not two. You let Dean hunt, why can’t you trust me!”

“Dean listens,” John retorted. “You don’t. That’s the difference.”

Y/N clenched her fists, hot tears of frustration brimming in her eyes. “You’re not fair. You never let me prove myself.”

“This isn’t about fair,” John said coldly. “It’s about staying alive.”

He grabbed her by the arm his grip firm and began marching her back toward the motel.

---

Back at the motel, the silence was tense. John didn’t say another word as he bandaged Y/N’s arm, though his movements were rougher than necessary. Dean and Sam pretended to be asleep, unwilling to get caught in the crossfire of their dad’s and sister's anger.

Y/N wasn’t done. As soon as the room was quiet, she slipped out of bed, grabbed her bag again, and climbed out the window. This time, she wasn’t going back into the woods. She had another destination in mind.

---

It was nearly dawn by the time Y/N reached Bobby Singer’s house. She was soaked to the bone and utterly exhausted, but the sight of the familiar junkyard brought some relief. She was glad they weren’t too far away from Bobby's house, She knocked on the door, and it swung open a moment later to reveal Bobby, in his usual trucker cap.

“Y/N?” he said, frowning. “What in the hell are you doing here?”

She burst into tears.

Bobby ushered her inside, sitting her down at his sofa with a blanket and a mug of hot cocoa. He didn’t press her for answers, just waited patiently until she started talking.

“I’m tired of Dad treating me like a baby,” she said finally, her voice shaky. “I’m old enough to hunt, Bobby. I know I am. But he doesn’t trust me. He never will.”

Bobby sighed, sitting down across from her. “Your dad’s a stubborn son of a gun, I’ll give you that. But he’s not wrong about one thing—you’re young, Y/N. Hunting ain’t just about knowing how to handle a weapon.”

“I just wanted to help,” she whispered.

“I know, kid,” Bobby said gently. “But proving yourself don’t mean running headfirst into danger. You’ve got time to grow, to learn. Don’t rush it. Besides you can’t prove anything if you are dead”

Y/N nodded, though she still carried the weight of her father’s disapproval. Bobby reached towards her, patting her head.

“You’re gonna be a damn good hunter someday,” he said firmly. “But for now, just let yourself be a kid. Even if it’s just for a little while longer.”

For the first time that night, Y/N smiled. “Thanks Bobby” she said as she closed her eyes ready to finally get some sleep “sometimes.. I wish you were my father instead”

[midnight-mourning]

Uhh...DCA December thingy request! Unsure if it's just DCA or TSAMS, but if it's tsams, Nonverbal Sun AU. If it's DCA...I'll go think of an AU.

Cookie Crisis

❄️❄️Midnight's DCA December Day 13❄️❄️

Okay! did my best with this, have never watched TSAMS so tried to learn a little bit about the lore and did my best here haha, hope you enjoy!

Prompt: See above

Word Count: 1153

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

It's a quiet morning in the Plex. Closed for the holidays, not even a human employee is around. Well, save for one. 

You stumble in from the cold, door shutting behind you with a quiet click. It's been snowing all morning, which made the drive a little more difficult than usual, but you managed. It's getting home that would be troublesome, as from what you understood it would be snowing from now until well after you leave again.

You feel yourself slowly start to warm up as you walk across the quiet atrium. There's a few lingering staffbots who don't pay you any mind as they go about their duties. It's honestly a nice change of pace after the hustle and bustle this place was filled with just yesterday. 

You weren't planning on coming in today, it just sort of happened, really. That, and Sun had messaged you asking for help. And who were you to turn down helping a friend?

Be it the stress from the holidays, or just their usual bickering being worse than usual, he and Sun had been at odds lately. And from what you understood, they weren't currently good terms. 

You remember when you left yesterday, how the two were sticking to opposite ends of the Daycare, not even sparing a passing glance at one another if they did change locations. It had worried you, of course. Besides it being the holidays, you know the brothers cared about each other, it was just difficult for them to express that sometimes. 

So, when Sun texted, expressing a desire to 'make up' with Moon, but not being entirely sure how to, you had just the idea. 

Despite being animatronics, the boys could eat, same as the rest of the bots. And Moon in particular especially enjoyed cookies, something about the sugary treat brought a light to his eyes and joy to his tone that would make you giggle. Anytime you made some, or brought them over from Chica's as a treat for the kids, several would be snatched up by the naptime attendant, instead. 

In fact, there would be times you'd bring him his own box exclusively just to try and salvage some for everyone else. Though, you think it only encouraged him further, rather than deter.

In order to make this work, however, you'd have to be sneaky. If Moon was aware of what you two were up to, it would firstly ruin the surprise, which would be no good. Secondly, he'd likely get flustered at the idea of you two making something for him, and may react negatively because of it. 

You wait until you're outside the Daycare doors before messaging the playtime attendant. 

'I'm here! Think you'll be able to get away?'

After a few seconds you're sent a response. 'Yup! He's busy with the supply closet right now :)'

'Perfect' You send back. 

Less than a minute later, Sun peeks out the door, sending you a wave. 

You wave back. "Hey! Ready to bake your heart out?"

Sun gives you a thumbs up, rays spinning rapidly. 

"Then let's go, I think we can commandeer the bakery's kitchen for a bit. May have to shoo away a staff bot or two though."

Sure enough, when you arrive there's a lone baking bot, hard at work on, something. You can't tell, all it's doing currently is sifting flour over and over again. 

Sun and yourself exchange a look, then he takes charge. 

With a few quick steps he strides over to the staff bot, takes it by the shoulders, and starts pushing leading it out of the kitchen. He waves it goodbye and shuts the door with a slam. Turning around, he claps his hands together, now waiting for you. 

You snort and shake your head. "Probably should have at least directed him to parts and services for maintenance."

Sun shrugs.

Baking is, more of a process than you had originally expected. Originally, you'd been under the impression that Sun had some background with it prior to today. You would have lost that bet, severely.

First, he dropped eggshells into the batter, not understanding that they're meant to be thrown away. After picking those out bit by bit, he added too much sugar, believing that sweeter was better always, something you had to explain would affect both the taste and the quality of the batter. And lastly, he set the oven to 475 F without your knowledge, meaning your first batch was burnt to a crisp. Honestly, you're lucky the fire alarm didn't go off. 

But, after a good bit of a learning curve, things got significantly better. And much more fun. 

At some point, you'd turn on the radio, and holiday music played in the air as you worked. The two of you danced and swayed a bit to the music as you cut out different shapes or spread icing and sprinkles across your goodies. 

You're mid-batch when a chuckle from near the doorway interrupts. 

"And just what are you two up to?"

You both startle, and looking over, see that Moon's leaning against the doorway. 

Sun stands frozen for a moment, and you tense as well. Considering this is probably the first interaction they've had in several days, you can't help but be worried for them. 

Then, the playtime attendant deflates, tossing the cookie he was decorating onto the counter, crossing his arms as he sulks. 

Moon tsks. "You should have done something with the chef bot, he was wandering around the atrium aimlessly for too long to not be suspicious."

"I told him we should have sent him downstairs!" You scowl, shaking your head. 

Moon steps forward, examining your handiwork. "You've been busy, but what's all this for? Are you having a holiday party and decided to enlist my brother for help?"

You shake your head. "Not quite. He actually asked for my help."

Moon pauses at this, looking over to Sun. He pauses his sulking, rays flicking nervously for a moment. Then, he picks up one of your finished cookie boxes, walking over and holding it out to the naptime attendant. 

"I, for me? Really?"

Sun nods, pressing the box into his brother's hands. 

Moon takes them finally, tone soft. "You... didn't have to do that."

Sun shakes his head then, putting both hands on the other bot's shoulders, hugs him. Moon takes a second, then using his free hand, wraps his arm around his brother, hugging back. 

When they pull apart again, they share a laugh. 

 "Thank you, I mean it." Moon turns to you, nodding. "And thank you too."

You smile. "Of course, and hey, now that he knows how to bake, you don't have to rely on just me anymore."

"Believe me, I'll be using that to my full advantage."

Sun's shoulders sag, causing both you and Moon to laugh. 

Who knew baking cookies could lead to such a sweet resolve?

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Thank you for the request! Apologies for the inaccuracies but I hope you enjoyed regardless ^-^

Masterpost link

Tag list (if you would like added, see this post for more info):

@scarletcowboy @beemyhuneybee @fishm0ther @deviouscrackers @elsajoyagent8

@luckyyyduckyyy @zenkaiankoku @jogimote @local-shrub @amarynthian-chronicles

@robinette-green @everlightreader @sinister-sincerely @starredeclipse @dangerva

@juukai @crystalmagpie447 @mothgutz236 @lizyxml

[supercap2319]

"There's a drug killing supernatural creatures. We need to find out who or what is supplying it." Y/N said, taking a seat in Briggs household, surrounded by his pack. Well, it's more like a pack of werewolves and a hybrid witch-vampire.

It had been a few months since the wildfire, and a few things had changed. Ramsey was revealed to be Harlan and Luna's mother, a shocking revelation for all of them. Baron was Harlan and Luna's brother. And now their world of the Supernatural was growing beyond just vampires, witches, or werewolves. Something was coming to town, and this poisonous was just the beginning.

"And this concerns us how?" Harlan asked.

"You're a supernatural creature, dumbass. This could kill you. Next time you go to a club or raving, the aphrodisiac pill you take while Cyrus Nix is sucking your dick could be your last." Y/N said.

Harlan growled. Literally. He stood up to say something, but Luna stopped him. "Do we have a lead or something? Someone who knows where it's coming from? Or what it even looks like?"

Y/N shook his head. Honestly, Ramsey had only given him a few details on the drug itself, but she never told him any specific details that stood out to Y/N. Only that it was killing supernatural creatures, which was probably the only detail needed to get them going. "I don't."

"Fucking fantastic." Harlan was sarcastic.

"How are we going to find it?" Everett asked.

"Find a drug dealer?" Blake asked. She moved her hair over her shoulders. It wasn't a bad idea. Hell, why didn't Y/N think of it himself? His eyes shined with excitement. "Blake, that's genius. All we have to do is ask a drug dealer. And I know just the guy. Cody Malcolm."

"That guy from the party a few months back?" Baron asked, his voice was low and soft.

Baron had joined their little dysfunctional pack after Ramsey revealed to be Harlan and Luna's mom. She insisted that she and Garrett together could raise three teenage werewolves together. The irony of it all. A family of werewolves and their human adoptive father? Sounded like a bad Netflix show.

"Exactly. We talk to Cody and see if he's been dealing with any new drugs. If I can get my hands on some, I can cast a spell on where they come from. And hopefully, find the maker." Y/N said.

"So, our lives depend on you talking to your boyfriend? We're all fucked, and not in the fun way." Harlan said. Harlan knew of Y/N's crush on Cody at the kickback, but what he doesn't know is that Y/N had been crushing on Cody since the 5th grade. But it's not like he could admit that to him. Or to anyone in the pack, for that matter.

"Shut up, Harlan. He is not my boyfriend. He's just our only source of information." Y/N said.

Y/N hit the gym with Harlan. If Cody had any useful information on the new drugs, he'd probably be dealing here at the gym. All they had to do was ask. While Harlan pretended to lift weights, giving Y/N a knowing look, Y/N goes to reach for a weight at the weight rack when he accidentally locks hands with another guy. He looks up and sees it's Cody Malcolm wearing a yellow tank top with a silver chain hanging from his neck. "Sorry, dude, were you going for this one?"

"No. All yours." Y/N said.

Cody smirks. "You sure?" He flexes his biceps slightly, showing off his muscular arm. He then takes the weight and starts doing bicep curls, glancing at Y/N out of the corner of his eye. "You always lift alone?"

"Nah. I'm here with a friend." He gestures towards Harlan, who gave a little nod. Cody's eyes scan Harlan up and down before focusing back on Y/N. He sets the weight down and leans against the nearby bench, his arms crossed over his chest. "Cool, cool. I'm Cody, by the way."

"I know. I mean, we have like five classes together." Y/N said. Then blushed at how lame that sounded it.

"Yeah, I guess I should've recognized you. You're the quiet kid who always sits in the back, right?" Cody's voice is low and playful.

"Well, that's one way to describe me." Y/N jokes.

Cody's hazel eyes sparkle with interest, appreciating Y/N's sudden show of personality. "You know, you're a lot more interesting when you aren't blended into the classroom walls."

"You too. More to you than the guy girls swoon over as you walk by in the hallway." Y/N said. Across the room, Harlan smacked his forehead with his hand. "Dumbass." He whispered to himself.

"You're the first person to say that without sounding like they're trying to get into my pants." He laughs, finding it refreshing. Cody uncrosses his arms, sitting up straighter.

"Right. Cody, listen. My friends and I were wondering if you had anything new for sale? You know, something that just came out of the blue?" Y/N asked.

Cody's expression changes, his smile fading into a more serious look. He glances around the gym casually before focusing back on Y/N, his voice lowering. "You guys looking for something specific? Because I might have something that just hit the market."

"Not sure how to explain it, but apparently there's this new thing going around, and everyone says it's a hit. We were wondering if you had something like that?" Cody's eyes narrow slightly, curious and intrigued. "New thing, huh? Mind giving me more details? I've got my ear to the ground with all my... connections." He winks playfully. "Though I gotta admit, it's rare someone doesn't tell me exactly what they're after."

Y/N bit his lower lip. It was kind of hard to tell your crush that you were looking for a specific drug that could kill supernatural creatures, which Y/N was.

"Honestly? I'm not sure what it is. I was hoping you could tell me. Since you are the town’s resident drug dealer." Y/N smiled.

Cody chuckles, shaking his head in amusement. He pushes himself off the bench and walks over to Y/N, leaning against the wall beside him. "Resident drug dealer, huh? I like the way you say it. Alright, let me ask you this - have you heard of anything called 'Starlight'?"

"No, but it sounds promising."

"Starlight is the new buzzword going around. Supposedly, it's a new drug that gives you a high like nothing else. My sources say it's highly addictive and expensive, but everyone wants a hit." Cody looks at Y/N, gauging his reaction.

"That's great. I'll take it. I mean, sold. I-I-I-I mean."

"Easy there, tiger. First time buying?" Cody reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small, discrete package. "50 bucks. And listen."

Y/N nods, leaning forward. "Starlight is serious shit. I'm talking mind-blowing, reality-warping high. But it's also dangerous. It can mess with your head, make you do crazy things. So, be careful, alright? Don't go overboard."

"I promise I won't. Thanks, man." Y/N gives Cody fifty bucks before giving him an awkward bro hug before walking out of the gym in embarrassment as Harlan followed. They did it.

Cody watched them go with a smirk on his face.

[pixiecaps]

Jorel: I wasn’t meant to spend Christmas alone.

Shanyqua: What?

Nathalia: Yeah? What do you mean, you’re with us? You’re with me?

Shanyqua: Dude, what is happening?

Jorel: I had other plans.

Shanyqua and Nathlia: What was the other plan?

Lila: Who were you going to spend Christmas with before us?

(Matt: I turn the little note like this.)

Jorel: My brother.

Lila: Your brother?

(Matt: I show the note.)

Lila: What does the paper have to do with your brother?

Shanyqua: I’m not understanding.

Jorel: I never rented out this campsite.

Shanyqua: WHAT?

Nathalia: Jorel..?

-

Lila: And where’s your brother?

Jorel: Remember.. that I told you my brother had gone out with-

Nathalia: Yeah.

Jorel: -He had ditched me.

Nathalia: Yeah.

Jorel: Well, he really didn’t come spend Christmas with me. However, he hasn't shown any signs of life since. He disappeared. And messing around on the computer I managed to trace his cellphone. And it showed him here.

Shanyqua: Ohhh, I cannot believe you’ve done this. Dude, I can’t believe that I’ve known you from a movie. Just look at that, your face is familiar. Fucking hell. I can’t believe it. I’m in this SHIT because of YOUR DOING!

Jorel: Yeah.

Nathalia: Jorel.. Jorel.

Shanyqua: Unbelievable. My god, how could I be so stupid?

Jorel: (To Shanyqua) You- Do you have someone that you love a lot?

Shanyqua: I do-

Jorel: Would you do anything for them?

Shanyqua: -But I don’t have anything to do with your life.

Jorel: (Repeating) Would you do anything for them?

Shanyqua: I would.

Jorel: Well.

Lila: But why didn’t you tell us this before?

Shanyqua: Why did you have to involve all of us in this?

Nathalia: Why didn’t you tell me?

Jorel: Because you guys would never- you guys would never come here.

Lila: But we could’ve asked for help before this.

Shanyqua: Exactly, do this the right way.

Nathalia: Did you try to get help from the authorities?

Jorel: I tried. They didn’t give a shit. They said my brother was just enjoying life with his girlfriend and not responding to me.

Nathalia: How long ago?

(Matt: How long?)

(Cellbit: It’s been three days.)

Jorel: Three days. I had very little time to think about what to do. That’s why I was desperate and this was the only plan. And I planned this “Christmas”. (Laughs with irony) For us.

Lila: So that guy you said you spoke to on Whatsapp was all a lie?

Jorel: Yes.

Shanyqua: I can't believe that I'm in this because of... all this... Cause of the delusions of one small rich guy! I know that- Okay, alright, you love your brother very much and blah blah blah. BUT DO YOU NOT THINK ABOUT US?! Fuck. Look at this SHIT! Look what you fucking got us into!

Lila: Shany- Calm down. Right now there's no point in stressing about it either. We’re already in this together-

Shanyqua: There’s no point in stressing-

Lila: We’re already in this together.

Shanyqua: Look at what this kid did!

Lila: No-

Jorel: (Interrupting the bickering) Now we have two options.

Lila: Which?

Jorel: Or you guys stay hating me and throw me out the first opportunity you have to kill me and you’ll go back, if you survive, remembering that you guys were the ones that finished me off. Or you keep this a secret. For the time being. And if we make it out alive... you'll never need money again in your life- Never need to worry about money in your life and you'll never need to look me in the face again.

Shanyqua: I don't care about your money.

[fujoshirat]

𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅Tiny Dancer

𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅Child Spotlight: Yuuri Todoroki! 𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅

“Mama?”

“Yes, Yuuri-kun?”

“I want to do ballet.”

You were initially terrified of letting your son join ballet. Of course, you wanted to let Yuuri pursue his interests. It wasn’t often that the quiet little boy asked you something directly (every time he wanted something, he would shyly follow you around until you read his mind). Yuuri was the complete opposite of his twin sister, Yueru. Yueru was loud and made her feelings known. She loved to talk and get everyone’s attention. Yuuri on the other hand took after his older brothers, Aki and Haru. The three of them had their father’s calm and quiet personality. They were listeners in the background. Yuuri was extremely quiet, and sometimes it worried you. That’s why, when the little boy expressed his interest something directly to you, you were ecstatic.

However, as a mother, you were scared of him getting hurt. Though the times were changing, there were still people in society that did not see ballet as something that males could do. Just the thought of someone teasing him or breaking his little heart kept you up at night. Would he be the only boy in his class? Would the other kids accept him? How would the teachers treat him when they recognize his last name?

But you saw the way his eyes sparkled, glued to the TV screen as he mimicked the female representative from America performing at the Olympics. He turned back to face you with a determined look for a five-year-old. “I want to try ballet, mama.” He really wanted this, and you knew it.

𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅

When Shouto got home, he knew that something was off immediately. Coming back from patrol, he’d open the door and called out, “I’m home!” As per usual, all five kids pounced on him, a chorus of “Dad!”s and “Papa!”s tumbling out of their mouths.

But you didn’t greet him. He brushed it off at first, taking off his boots and walks to the kitchen. You were probably busy making dinner! Walking under the archway, he smiles when he spots you, dutifully stirring a pot of what he thinks is curry.

“My love, I’m home.”

He watches you flinch, a frown forming on his face. Gently, he slips an arm around your waist and kisses the top of your hair. He sees you look up at him, trying to smile, but it’s obvious to him. You’re absentmindedly stirring the pot, eyebrows slightly furrowed, as you greet him.

“Ah, welcome home, Shou.” The subtle change in your usual facial expression was hard for others to catch on, but Shouto wasn’t others. He was your husband, your love, and he knew better. That face was the face you made when something was bugging you.

Something was scaring you, but you didn’t want to let it show. With a soft voice, he gently rubs your hip. “Love, what’s wrong?” Shouto smiles when you lean into his embrace, turning off the stove. “It’s Yuuri,” you admit, words quiet like a confession. “He told me that he wants to take ballet classes.” Shouto quirks a brow, not expecting his quietest son to express interest in ballet. He didn’t see anything wrong with it, but he wanted to know why it was bugging you.

“I’m happy that he’s showing interest, relieved that he’s found something he’s interested in,” you continue, voice still soft. “But… I’m scared, Shouto. What if he gets teased? What if he’s the only boy in the class? What if he doesn’t feel like he belongs?”

That was what’s bugging you. Shouto hated to see his darling so stressed. He wraps the other arm around your waist to hug you from behind properly, resting his chin on your shoulder. “Yuuri is a strong kid,” Shouto said, voice full of reassurance. “He gets that from you.” The taller man presses a feathery kiss to your temple, watching you melt in his embrace. “I understand where you’re coming from, so lets figure this out together.”

After eating dinner and tucking all the children in for bed, your husband leads you to the couch and has you sit down on his lap. His mismatched eyes hold silent determination as he types away on his laptop, researching coed ballet studios in Hosu City and pulling up articles on male ballerinas. God, you made the right decision marrying this man, and he proves it to you every day. You lean into his chest, watching him research and playing with the edge of the blanket. After about ten minutes, Shouto gently strokes your hair.

“Here, love. Come and see.” You watch him click on various tabs open. “Ballet is good for boys, and there are so many male ballet dancers thriving.” Shouto shows you a video of a male Japanese ballet dancer being interviewed at an international competition in Seoul. He talks about his journey from when he was a little boy first starting. Once the video ends, Shouto moves to another tab and points to the screen

“This studio looks promising. It says that they welcome all students of all backgrounds and experience levels—even beginners interested.” You can’t help but smile, heart swelling in gratitude.

“Oh love,” you whispered, “thank you. I just want Yuuri to be happy.” Shouto smiles, brushing a stray strand of hair from your beautiful eyes that he’ll stare at all day if he could. “He already is happy because he has you as his mother. We’ll make sure that he’ll be taken care of together.”

𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅

On Wednesday afternoon at 3:45pm, Shouto takes off early and leaves the agency. He walks past your favorite supermarket and stops across the entrance to the station. There, he sees you and his five children waiting by the entrance of the ballet studio. Yueru is the first one to notice him and runs up to her father. “Papa!” She grins, changed out of her school uniform into leggings and a simple shirt. Shouto chuckles and carries her.

“Yueru, my princess, how was school?”

“It was fun! We practiced our writing!”

“That sounds fun, are you going to try ballet?”

“Mhm!” Shouto smiles at her enthusiasm, heart fuzzy with love for his energetic little girl. He walks over to his family and kisses your forehead. “You good, baby?” You nod, lips curving into a gentle smile as you look up at your husband. “Yueru wanted to try the trial class too, so I had her change into extra clothes.” Shouto chuckles at the explanation and looks at his seven-year-old twin boys in their school uniforms. “Aki, Haru, did you boys have a good day at school?” They nod in perfect unison, something eerie at first glance but a cute trait that their parents have gotten used to. The red-haired twin Aki speaks up first. “We had our spelling test today.” “Oh really? How do you think you both did?” Haru speaks up next. “Good!” Their father ruffles their hair with an amused laugh before turning to find Yuuri. His gaze softens when he spots the young boy looking in the window of the studio. Shouto walks closer and crouches down to his son’s level as he watches him quietly observe what seemed to be the intermediate class of dancers finishing up their practice.

“Yuuri,” Shouto calls out softly. Yuuri looks at him with a shy smile.

“Papa…”

Standing back up, Shouto reaches his hand out to the five-year-old.

“Are you ready?”

Yuuri takes his father’s hand and looks down nervously. Shouto gently squeezes his hand and walks his back to the rest of the family. “It’s okay to feel nervous, but I know that you’re a strong boy Yuu-kun.” The man glances up at his four other beautiful children and his angelic wife before continuing.

“And you’ve got your family all here for you, so you’re not alone, okay?” His inspirational words seem to brighten his son’s mood because he watches Yuuri’s shoulders relax.

“Okay, papa, I’m ready.”

𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅2 years later𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅

“Crap! We’re going to be late!”

At only 8:21 am in the morning, the Todoroki household was already buzzing with excitement, the family scrambling to get out the door.

“Where’s my shoes?!?” Yuuri called out, racing down the stairs. Weaving through the rooms, he digs through the piles of shoes by the door.

Hana, as usual, was more focused on clutching her stuffed rabbit than putting on her coat. She fusses and pouts, wrestling against Shouto’s grip as he struggles to put the little girl’s coat on. “Hana-chan, let’s put on the coat, yeah?” “Noo!”

“Found them!” In the kitchen, Aki emerges triumphant. He holds the black ballet shoes up in his right hand. To his right, his white-haired twin Haru pouts.

“I got it first! You took it from me!”

“No, I got it first!”

“Liar!”

“No, you’re a liar!”

Suddenly, cold hands grab both of their necks, causing them to yelp. Yueru giggles cheekily and grabs the ballet slippers before handing them to her own twin. Now that their fifth birthdays had past and their quirks manifested, the mischievous girl had full intent on utilizing her gift.

“Here, Yuu-kun!”

“Thank you, Yue-nee.”

“Thank you, Yue-chan,” you say cheerfully while packing your tote bag. ‘Juice, biscuits, napkins… water! Everything is here!’ “Okay, everyone put their shoes and coats on, and let’s go!” As you usher both sets of twins through the foyer and to the entrance area—’Oh shoot!’—you quickly grab Yueru’s recital bag.

Slipping your winter boots on, you notice your youngest still giving Shouto a difficult time. Though she has her coat on, she is squirming in her father’s arms, fussing and whining.

“Daddy,” Hana whined, clutching her rabbit tighter, “Sa-kun doesn’t want to go!!” Shouto sighs and maneuvers putting his own boots on while carrying the little girl. “Sa-kun can stay in the car while you watch your brother, okay? He’ll keep your seat warm.” Hana doesn’t stop fussing until you clear your throat. “Hana-chan, don’t be giving daddy a hard time.” Hearing your warning, she stops and pouts. “Sorry mama.”

With everyone finally ready, the family of seven finally makes it out the door. Shouto holds the door open as you herd the children toward the family van, the frosty morning air nipping at your cheeks. Hana shivers dramatically, burying her face into Shouto’s shoulder as he secures her in her car seat.

Click! Click! Click! Click! Click!

Your husband starts the car, and you turn around to check on all five kids.

“Everyone buckled up?”

“Yes mama!”

“Yes!” the elder twins say in sync, though Aki and Haru are glaring at each other in silent competition. Shouto doesn’t miss this and gives them a quick glance in the rearview mirror. “No fighting, or neither of you are getting hot chocolate after the recital.”

That earns a synchronized gasp, and they immediately sit straighter, lips sealed.

Hana, meanwhile, has her rabbit tucked under her arm, murmuring softly, “Sa-kun wants hot chocolate too.”

“I’ll make sure Sa-kun gets some,” you assure her with a wink. She grins, seemingly satisfied. “Hear that, Sa-kun? Mama said that you can have hot chocolate too!” You giggle to yourself as you watch your youngest play with her rabbit doll, then look at Yuuri.

“Yuuri?”

“Yes, mama?”

“Are you ready?” The seven-year-old bites his lip nervously. “I’m nervous, mama. What if I mess up?” Reaching over, you gently squeeze his hand as Shouto pulls out of the driveway.

“Don’t worry, Yuu-kun. You won’t—even if you, it’s okay.” “Your mother’s right,” Shouto adds, eyes still on the road. “No one expects you to be perfect the first time.” Suddenly, the other seven-year-old chimes in.

“We’ll all be cheering for you, Yuu-kun! I promise that I’ll cheer the loudest!” Yuuri lets go of your hand and smiles softly, intertwining his free hand with Yueru’s.

“Okay, I’ll do my best.”

The car is soon filled with chatter and humming. Outside, the snow starts to let up, allowing the sun to shine on the chaotic yet happy family. Elton John and Ed Sheeran sing about Christmas on the radio as you hum along. In her car seat, Hana is in her own little world, telling her stuffed animal all about hot chocolate and how to keep her seat warm. “Mm… maybe you should come with me, Sa-kun. But you’ll have to be good,” she says, petting the rabbit’s ears. “Mama said.” As the van passes the local mall, Aki and Haru dig through their mother’s tote bag to find the chocolate biscuits.

And Yuuri and Yueru? The female twin rests her head on Yuuri’s shoulder, taking a nap. Their fingers still intertwined, Yuuri absentmindedly looks out the window, gaze curious and filled with childlike wonder.

As all this is happening, Shouto glances every now and then at his family, the family he’d do anything for: The twins’ playful mischief, Hana’s imaginative chatter, Yuuri’s quiet resolve, Yueru’s gentle support—and you, the glue holding them all together.

You meet eyes with the man, and flash him a warm smile that makes his chest tighten. It makes it tighten like when he first met you, like when he proposed to you, like when he married you. Even amidst the chaos of the household (he has no clue how you always have everything under control and he’s forever grateful for that), you’re always smiling and dealing with problems head on.

“You’re humming,” he teases lightly, voice soft enough so that only you can hear. You laugh, shrugging. “It’s a cute song, perfect reminder of the holiday a few days ago.” Just as the song ends, Shouto pulls into the local community center. “We’re here!” Aki announces as if no one has already noticed. The van is once again buzzing in excitement and chatter as Shouto parks the car.

“Alright everyone, let’s go!” Unbuckling your seatbelt, you reach for Yuuri’s recital bag. Shouto steps out first and opens the sliding door to let the kids tumble out in varying states of readiness. He goes around the care and helps Hana out of her seat, the little girl clutching her doll tightly. “It’s cold!” she whines (ever the drama queen), burying her face in her father’s scarf. “Let’s go inside quickly, then,” Shouto speaks softly, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Aki lets Haru out, giving him an exaggerated bow amidst his thick coat. “You’re welcome, your highness,” the red-haired twin mocks, earning a kick to the shin by his twin. “Boys,” you warn, tone clearly not in the mood for their bickering. They shut up (knowing better than to make you angry) and quietly stand with Shouto while you help the sleepy Yueru out of her seat. Yuuri follows along after her.

Inside, the community center is warm and cozy. You enter the theater room and scan the dark space for enough seats.

“Love, can you take Yuuri to his teacher backstage? I’ll get everyone situated.”

“Of course, darling.” You and your husband trade what you’re carrying: He slips your youngest into your arms while you hand him Yuuri’s recital bag. “Yuu-kun,” you say, smile on your face. “Papa’s going to take you backstage, okay?” The little boy nods. “Okay mama.” You bend down to kiss his forehead. “Good luck, my little star. Have fun!” He smiles bashfully, his cheeks flushing even redder when all of his siblings cheer for him.

“Good luck, Yuu-kun!”

𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅

Once Shouto is confident that Yuuri is situated with his group, he walks back to where the rest of his family is situated. He sits down next to you and smiles, gently squeezing your hand. Hana, oblivious to this, proceeds to climb onto Shouto’s lap from yours. “Daddy, is Yuu-nii gonna be on stage soon?” she whispers, doe eyes filled with curiosity. “Very soon, Hana-chan,” Shouto answers, brushing a stray strand of hair from his little princess’ face. He turns to his right and notices Yueru swinging her legs slightly.

“Yue-chan, are you excited to see your brother perform?” She nods enthusiastically but tries to keep an inside voice. “Mhm! I promised him that I’d cheer the loudest!” The man chuckles and gently pats her hair.

The house lights dim even further, causing the room to fall quiet. The stage lights flicker on and illuminate the red curtains. When the opening music starts, the drapes begin to part.

There, standing in his little rat costume amongst a group of rats, is a familiar mop of red and white hair. His posture is poised, little hands held in perform form like the rest of the ballet dancers. His face holds an unwavering look of determination and nervousness.

But most importantly, the bright smile on his face is all you need to tell that he’s doing what he likes, and that’s most important thing for both you and Shouto.

𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅

A/N: (Belated) Merry Christmas everyone!! Thank you very much for reading this Todoroki family child spotlight fic and I hope that you enjoyed it <3 Once the new year rolls in, I'll be doing more child spotlight fics because doing this one was so fun!!! I hope that it wasn't too hard to follow, the headcanons and ideas in my head are all one jumbled mixed pot of spam goulash yum (๑-﹏-๑) Yuuri is absolutely adorable in my head, and i'll get the proper family description out next year (lol)! Just imagine a mini version of Shouto: calm cool and collected (hahahahaha im sorry that wasn't funny)

Anyways!! Thank you thank you thank you so much again for all of your love and support! Every comment, every like, and every reblog motivates me to continue (being delusional) dreaming and creating! Thank you for being a part of this journey and for keeping the magic of my stories alive.

With love (happy new year!!), FujoshiRat

[majoryeager104]

Villains

Summary: You never thought you’d run into a villain, and yet here you were realizing you were about to go on a date with one.

Dabi/Touya x gn!reader

Warnings: language

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Eggs in a pan, sizzling quietly as the sound of the news on tv blared from the living room. You didn’t pay it any attention, busy making breakfast for your siblings, who were staying with you at your apartment for the holidays. Villain attacks was all you heard, and it wasn’t something that surprised you all that much. In a hero society, there was bound to be some villains.

so you didn’t really mind. After all you had much more on your mind. Taking care of your siblings till your parents come pick them up, having that little hangout at your friends place, and lastly heading out for that dinner date with the guy you’d really hit it off with while Christmas shopping. The two of you actually spent a while hanging out and going store to store before he asked for your number, and since then you’d planned a nice date.

You didn’t mind, until you turned the corner and saw said villains on the television while your kid brothers watched.

till you saw video of the villain that was throwing large bursts of flames at authorities and heroes

till you saw the familiar face of the man you were set to go on a date on tonight.

holy shit.

he’s a villain.

you almost dropped the plates, but you quickly set them at the table and called your brothers over, and while they happily ate your eyes went straight to your phone on the counter.

you walked into the kitchen and grabbed it, going over his contact info, the texts between you, everything. How could you not have known? The news was saying he was a prominent and dangerous person, but you’d never seen him on the news before. Maybe you should have been paying attention. Maybe you should block him. Call him and ask? Fuck no, he could very well kill you. What if he realized you didn’t know and was messing with you? Toying with your emotions or preying on innocence? He didn’t seem like that kind of person when you met…

you sighed, rubbing your forehead in frustration. There was no getting out of this. If you didn’t show up for the date, he might assume you realized who he was, and from there who knows what could happen. The only thing you could think of doing was showing up and acting like you had no idea about what you saw of him this morning. But for now, you were going to focus your energy on getting your siblings home and meeting up with your friend.

——

a few hours later, after some nail biting and checking your messages to see if he texted, you dropped of your siblings and headed to your friends place. She was smiling at you from the door, something that in your mood, you could not reciprocate.

before you even realized it, you’d managed to tell her everything you’d learned about him. Needless to say she was shocked, stirring her tea with a deep frown.

“wow…this is bad.”

“really? I didn’t notice”

she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “You know what I mean, y/n! You really have no options but to go out with a villain…or you could lie, but-” “that could still lead him to believe that I know! I can’t risk him doing something to my family”

there was awkward silence for a moment before she finally spoke up again.

“what if the guy was just really lonely?”

“…what?”

She stood up, walking closer and sitting next to you

“you know, he could just genuinely want to go on a date with you. If that’s the case you might be able to get through the night and still turn him down. If he doesn’t know you know, but you turn him down for other reasons…”

she shrugged, but you got the picture, looking up at her “you’re right! If I go but turn him down afterwards, he won’t suspect anything. I showed up didn’t I? He’d have no reason to believe I was aware of his…criminal activity.” “Yeah, I’m sure he thinks you’re too normal to go on a date with a villain” “hey!” “It’s true! You’re decently average. Your very personality would make your unawareness make sense. You’re too sweet to date a ‘bad guy’”

you scoffed, rolling your eyes as you set down your tea

“alright i get the picture…guess i gotta get ready”

——

with your friends help, you got ready for the dinner date, and showed up right on place where you planned to meet. The two of you would walk to dinner, and then-

then you weren’t sure. And to make matters worse, it was quite the remote area in the city. The streets were scarily quiet, and he hadn’t shown up yet. You looked around worriedly, checking your phone.

“you lookin for me?”

That familiar gruff that you initially found so attractive now sent a shiver up your spine. You couldn’t help but yelp in surprise, turning around to look at him. He laughed, his scarred eyes crinkling at the corners. A look you found so interesting was now terrifying knowing what he was capable of. A villain. A killer. Your date for the evening.

Hands in his pockets, he walked closer to you, his narrow blue eyes scanning you with a smirk. “You scared me, Dabi!” You smiled awkwardly, trying to act a fool. It seemingly worked, because his smirk grew a bit wider as he tilted his head. “Yeah, this part of town is a bit shady…lots of weirdos around here” he glanced back at you, holding up an arm. You reluctantly took it, the two of you walking together as he continued to speak. “Sorry about that. We’re goin to one of my favorite spots, and it’s close by. Didn’t mean to worry you. I think you’ll like it though, it’s nice there.”

You nodded as you walked along with him, your eyes nervously darting between him and the sidewalk every so often. He didn’t seem to notice this though. In fact it seemed like he was too busy trying to impress you to notice how tense you were. Maybe your friend was right. Maybe he really was just lonely.

you shook the thought from your mind. He was still a criminal, no amount of sympathy could make his actions better, right?

The two of you made it to the restaurant. It was a small shop off the street. It seemed very traditional, run by a small family. You both ordered the same thing- cold soba. You rather liked it, and he seemed rather cheery to know that.

He was smiling and talking with you the whole time, just like the last time you two met. With how happy he seemed, you’d never know otherwise what he’d done.

“need me to walk you home? You got a ride?”

he asked you the question so quietly as you two walked out of the restaurant. You blinked up at him, reluctant to answer. “I- uh…I’ll be fine walking back” “you sure? This part of the city is dangerous at night”

his brow was furrowed so deeply he seemed genuinely worried. What the fuck was going on.

“no really, I’ll be okay” you smiled, backing away a bit. He watched you for a moment before sighing, rubbing the back of his neck before finally speaking, his words making you freeze.

“you saw me on the news this morning.”

Such a simple question phrased like a statement, because he just knew something was up. He did notice how tense you were all night, he was just hoping that your nerves were because you liked him back.

You didn’t say anything, frozen in place as you stared at him, wide eyed. He nodded, looking at the ground as he walked closer, the thud of his boots making you twitch.

“you know…I really didn’t want to scare you…but you can block me if you want, I don’t care. Do whatever…whatever makes you happy.”

He was so awkward when he spoke, barely making eye contact with you anymore. His shoulders were slumped, his gruff voice sounded defeated. He glanced back up at you as you still stayed silent, his brow raised.

“what? Ya think I’m gonna hurt ya? I’m not that crazy.”

you sighed in relief, but stayed quiet, still unsure. You watched him, how awkward he seemed now, the almost sad look on his face. You finally spoke, your voice hushed as you blinked up at him

“why…did you want to go on a date with me? I’m normal, and you’re…”

he laughed at this, a deep, hearty laugh, as he smiled down at you.

“that’s exactly why I like ya. Anyways, I gotta head out… you know, villain stuff” he winked, walking past you to leave.

“By all means, if you want to, block me. Or don’t. Your choice”

and with that, he was gone, leaving you confused, nervous, and blushing.

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

[pixiedustandfairypowers]

“Luigi…” Toad whispered. “Do you really think that Mario’s going to abandon you? I didn’t realize that the two of you had issues like that, I was under the impression that you two were inseparable.”

 Luigi shook his head. “No, that’s not it. It's not that he would forget me, but…” He looked off into the distance, reminiscing on the past. 

He sighed and took a deep breath. “Mario and I aren’t just brothers. He’s my twin, and we’ve spent our entire lives together. We were each other’s best friends and playmates as kids, we’ve always shared a bedroom together, when we went to school Mario would protect me from bullies, and I would help him with his homework. We were there for each other during all of our greatest wins and during our times of failure. I’d be his player 2 in video games and Mario would listen to me talk about books, mechanics, and all my other weird interests that I struggled to share with people.”

“I’m still confused.” Toad problems Luigi further. “If you really want through all that together, what are you afraid of losing. You’d be gaining a sister, not losing a brother.”

“But will we even be as close as we once were? All through our lives Mario and I have been each other’s closest companions.”

“Everything will change after the wedding. He’ll wake up to Peach every morning and bid goodbye whenever he goes off to work. Would he even want to continue running the plumbing business with me as a prince consort? And whenever he comes home he’ll have a nice sit down meal with her, and they’ll share every detail of their lives with each other, their joys, sorrows, little annoyances and little blessings. Mario’s gonna go to bed every night feeling so happy that he’ll have his lovely wife there beside him, while I’ll just be coming back to an empty house, looking at where Mario’s bed used to be in our bedroom, and I’ll just be… alone…”

Toad set down his teacup, having finished. He wasn’t sure what words could lift Luigi’s spirits at the moment, so he silently got up from his chair and patted him on the arm. 

A few moments later, there was a soft knock on the door. “Luigi?” asked a voice coming from the other side. It was unmistakably Mario’s.

Toad went to answer it, but then stopped. “Look, I’d better take my leave and give the two of you some privacy. This seems like something you need to work out with him. But if you need me, you know where to find me.”

Toad left Mario in, uttered a quick, polite hello and goodbye to him and Luigi, and swiftly took off. It was now just the two brothers standing around in the kitchen.

“Hey, sorry I’m late,” said Mario. “I see Toad was able to keep you company.”

Mario furrowed his brows. Luigi seemed mostly unresponsive and pensive. Something wasn’t quite right.

“Lu, what’s going on? I know that look in your eyes, there’s more going on than just drowsiness.”

“Yeah, you got me bro,” admitted Luigi. “Let’s just… get ready for bed, and then we’ll talk.”

A Different Kind of Loss

It was a mildly pleasant evening as the sun steadily dipped through the trees and giant mushrooms of the kingdom’s valleys. The day was winding down, and Luigi decided to retire to his room for the evening. He should be feeling excited, and yet here he was with a somber expression on his face.

Luigi sat down at his bed and picked up a picture frame of him and Mario. It was the day they had graduated high school, their faces grinning, holding up their diplomas and holding onto each other. He set that one down and picked up another. This one was their first day at Spike’s Wrecking Crew. Luigi continued looking through the other pictures he had on his phone, in his photo albums, and so on, until he got to one of the more recent ones.

This one was different. Instead of just him and Mario, Princess Peach was in the photograph too, her smile ever so slightly different than the grins of the brothers. She was wearing a pink and gold ring on her finger, having just accepted Mario’s proposal. Luigi felt upset at himself for feeling down.

He had helped Mario come up with the plan to propose to her, just like they had done everything together. He had grown quite close to Peach, to Luigi she was already a sister to him. He should feel nothing but joy at the fact that his bro was finally getting married in two days’ time to a woman that he dearly loved and who loved him dearly in return. Luigi was going to be the best man at the wedding for goodness sake! He shouldn’t have any right to feel sad.

Looking away from the photos, Luigi started up at the ceiling, and then at the walls of his bedroom. Almost everything of Mario’s was gone, and what was remaining were just a few pieces of furniture that were going to be removed while Mario and Peach left for their honeymoon. Luigi, of course, had volunteered to do it, but Peach had also asked Toad and Toadette to help him.

Speaking of which, Luigi heard a knock on his door. He answered it, and there he was, the little mushroom man who was Mario’s self-proclaimed best friend.

“Heya!” said Toad.

“Oh. Hi, sorry, I wasn’t expecting company, well aside from Mario,” admitted Luigi. “Uh, come in, I’ll make you some tea!”

Toad happily sat down at the table. The house wasn’t very large so there wasn’t much room for extraneous furniture. Still, it was cozy enough for Mario and Luigi to sit down for meals together as well as have the occasional guest.

As Luigi heated up the water, he asked, “Hey, have you seen my brother lately?” Mario was usually home right around now, and while they had split up to run some last minute errands separately, Luigi had been under the impression that his brother wouldn’t be too long.

“Actually, yes,” said Toad. “Mario actually sent me over to let you know that he was not going to get back until late this evening. Seems like it was a last minute date night with the princess.”

“Oh.” Luigi’s expression changed to be less politely hesitant and a bit more wistful. He quietly poured two cups of tea, handed one to Toad, and then put both his hands around his mug. Instead of drinking it, Luigi just stared into it.

“But hey, I’m totally down to hang out!” Toad suggested, hoping it would improve his friend’s mood.

Luigi continued to stare at his tea, barely acknowledging Toad but still trying his best to be polite. “Oh. Yeah, yeah you can stay…” he trailed off.

“Can’t believe the wedding’s the day after to tommorow already,” grinned Toad. “Princess Peach is so lucky to have your brother, and I’m so relieved to be part of a wedding that isn’t some coercive sham. Time flies so fast! Seems like only yesterday that we dodged THAT Bullet Bill, quite literally, eh Luigi?”

Luigi shuddered. Perhaps enough time had passed that Toad felt comfortable joking about it, but a lot of things from his experience were things he tried to block out of his memory. He refused to do so completely, as he’d made good ones too, like the sheer relief at Mario saving his life, finally getting the chance to give Bowser the pummeling that he deserved, and being recognized as a hero. But he could never quite move past the fact that he had been mere inches away from death on several occasions.

“I’m so sorry,” said Toad, regretting that he had brought the subject up. “I only wish that you and Mario had arrived here under better circumstances… To be honest, I was shocked when the two of you had decided to move to the Mushroom Kingdom. After all that happened, I’d figured that you probably didn’t want to have anything to do with us…”

“It’s not your fault and never was,” Luigi reassured him. “In fact I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for you and Peach, and for that I’m eternally grateful.” He finally took a sip of his tea. “Besides, while living here has taken some getting used to, the Mushroom Kingdom is quite beautiful and the neighbors are lovely. Even if we have had to deal with Bowser’s shenanigans on more than one occasion.”

Toad decided to change the subject. “So, do we have any last minute wedding prep that needs to happen? I just can’t shake the feeling that we’re forgetting something. I thought about helping you move the rest of Mario’s furniture but when I checked in with him he just said to leave it until after the wedding.”

“No, I don’t think so. The rehearsal went fairly well yesterday,” said Luigi. “I suppose I could workshop my best man’s speech a little bit more though… It can be hard to know the right thing to say when your bro…”

“That’s right!” exclaimed Toad. “Oh Luigi, you are so lucky to be the best man at the royal wedding! Do you want me to look it over for you?”

Luigi started to feel a lump in his throat. Tears were already welling up in his eyes. “Toad, I- I’m-“ he started, but not knowing how to get it out. He gulped down another sip of his tea, then blurted out “I’m scared! I feel so horrible for saying this, but there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to do this!”

Toad’s eyes widened in alarm. “WHAT!? Why? I thought you looking forward to this!”

Luigi rubbed his head with his hand. “I know, and I love and support my brother one hundred percent! I love Peach like a sister already, and I can’t think of a better woman for him to marry! I should feel so good about this, have nothing but pride and joy, but I’m scared that- that-“

“That what?”

“That I’m losing him!”

[moeblob]

So I haven't done much in terms of actual plot BUT I pulled a boy therefore I had to celebrate so I drew him and I know almost nothing about him BUT he gives off gremlin vibes at the end of his ultimate + a lot of official art.

If I'm wrong, oops my bad! I just got hyped over a guy unit.

[sieglinde-freud]

missing the maribelle/tharja family unit today. i think maribelle would be elated to have a daughter. she meets noire for the first time and she goes “do you play chess? violin? ride? drink tea?” and noire goes “no but im really good at throwing up in a bucket” and maribelles like “oh!!!! okay!!!!” i think she finds noire’s talisman persona charming. chrom is like “um maribelle can you please go get your daughter… she’s terrorizing the camp” and she goes “shes harmless! why do you hate women?” and he never speaks on it again. i think tharja needs a kid that will beef with her and i think brady is 100% the guy to do it. i think she looks at him and goes “what is your problem” and he flips her off. she tries to curse him but he spins his staff ninja style deflecting them back at her. he serves tea to his moms but he spits in tharjas and she knows it. and then she drinks it because it pisses him off. brady could come to love her at some point but it will not be easy and it will not come without a lot of work and a lot of arguing and i think i need some more parent/child conflict in this game. awakening gets one f bomb and its hidden in the random tharja brady PC support where he just goes “FUCK YOU” Tharja and Brady attained support level B.

[dirt-str1der]

Knives when he sees vash