#but today it felt like they were doing it so APATHETICALLY and PURPOSEFULLY that I stopped rehearsal

[blurglesmurfklaine]

(*.*)

[yandere-daydreams]

Just a little something for my favorite two characters, as of the past few weeks. Everyone in Haikyuu is a sweetheart, but I never could resist the dynamic between an apathetic introvert and his determined friend.

TW: Toxic Relationships, Physical Intimidation, Delusional Mindsets and Slight Dehumanization. 

~

It was for the good of the team.

You didn’t have to do anything you didn’t want to.

Kuroo would be there to help, every step of the way.

You tried to repeat your mantra, to bite your cheek and remember how sweetly he’d said it, how shy Kenma had looked, how reassuring Kuroo’s presence had been, at first. It was cute, like a plot out of some teenage girl’s daydreams, Nekoma’s star-athlete too distracted by his first crush to play at his best but hindered by his own tortuously introverted nature. You laughed when Kuroo approached you on his friend’s behalf, and you’d been the one to hold Kenma’s hand and kiss his cheek during your first date, and the second, and the tenth. It was all he could do to reciprocate, back then.

Now, though, that fantasy seemed more like a nightmare.

“I just think there’s something wrong.” Kenma didn’t stutter, anymore, nor did his eyes ever seem to leave yours. He was calculated, cold, watching you like a predator ready to corner its bleeding, thrashing prey. You could usually write it off, turn and move out of his prying gaze, but the slightest movement would only press you further into Kuroo’s chest, cause his arms to wrap tighter around your waist, bring you closer to the man who’d gotten you into this mess in the first place. Even after all his promises of comfort and patience, Kuroo hadn’t been gentle when he grabbed you, barely waiting for the final bell to ring before dragging to a less populated stairwell and never stopping to explain himself. If how rough he’d been upset Kenma, you couldn’t tell, your boyfriend simply standing in front of you passively. Whether he was unbothered or just uncaring, you couldn’t tell. “(Y/n) looks scared of me, Tetsuro. Nothing I say seems to help.”

You could help but grit your teeth, more out of frustration than anger. “I told you, I just need some time--”

“It’s ‘cause you’re creepy,” Kuroo interrupted, purposefully, speaking over you. His right arm dug into your diaphragm, making it hard for you to breathe, the slight pressure secondary to just how suffocating the change felt. He’d always been like that, looming over the two of you, making it hard to ever feel like you were alone with Kenma. Just the mention of his name was enough to put you on edge, these days. “The poor thing probably thinks you care about a digital farm more than you care about them,” He continued, pulling you out of your thoughts with a dismissive tone. You frowned, squaring your shoulders and planting your heel firmly in his foot, but Kuroo only rolled his eyes, starting to chuckle when Kenma didn’t deny it. “Communication is key. What makes you think they’re so terrified?”

“It’s… it’s not one thing.” There was a hint of emotion, this time, if only in the way he suddenly seemed so focused on the floor. The movement was slow, hesitant, but his arms were draped over your shoulders soon enough, Kenma resting his head gingerly against your shoulder. “Relationships are just hard. I want to spend more time together, but I’ve always got practices and tournaments, and (Y/n) has these… friends, they’re all too loud, and they’re all busy. We get into a fight whenever I do the smart thing and send them away.” He sighed, shaking his head, and you grimaced at the memory. “I don’t want to have to share so often.”

You didn’t notice when one of Kuroo’s hands left your side, coming up to pry open your lips without a hint of reluctance. Two thin fingers forced themselves into the corner of your mouth, distorting your dread into some fucked-up smile, the expression too wide and too tight and too sudden to be anything but unpleasant. You flinched when he started to speak, but you didn’t dare try to bite him. It’d only resulted in a new bruise and a lecture, last time. “And you don’t need to! We’ll tell off those bitches together, it’ll be fun!” There was another tug, this one bordering on painful, tears forming in your eyes before you could blink them away. “And your sweetheart will have lots of time for you, afterward. It’ll be one of my greatest plans yet!”

Kuroo pulled away, and you took the opportunity to struggle, attempting to drive your elbow into his ribs or kick at his legs or do something that would loosen his grip. “No, no,” You sputtered uselessly, the panic setting in as quickly as the fear did, your upcoming isolation mixing terribly with all the helplessness Kuroo always instilled in you, forming a dark, spiraling concoction you couldn’t seem to swallow down. “Please, don’t make anyone hate me. I’ll do whatever you want me to, but don’t bring them into this. No one else has to know!”

Kenma was silent, for a moment, pausing and perking up to better stare at you. He didn’t say anything, only scanning over you, the barest hints of relief ghosting over its features as he turned towards Kuroo. You wouldn’t have noticed, if you weren’t so used to looking for reactions so small. “...I’d like that. Do you think Yamamoto would be willing to help?”

Kuroo grinned, opening his mouth to respond, but a door opened from the floor below before he could, footsteps slowly approaching, but approaching all the same. There was a shrug, a shove, letting you stumble away as Kuroo stretched, never bothering to give you a second glance once you were separated from Kenma. “I’ll ask after practice. You’ll have to toss him a few extra balls, today.”

With that, he was gone, motioning for Kenma to follow as he started towards the gym. You considered running, making a break for it and promising to never let yourself be alone with either of those monsters, but Kenma was clinging to your side before you had the chance to move. He wasn’t strong in any sense of the word, you could get away if you tried, but those eyes kept you in place without the need for physical restraints. Always watching, always waiting for an opportunity to attack. “You’re coming too, right?” He asked, calmly. You weren’t sure what else you expected. “I’ve been practicing something new, I want you to see it.”

All you could think to do was nod, staring at anything but Kenma. You could’ve gotten away from him, you could’ve screamed and fought and broken up with him again, but it would’ve been pointless in a day or two.

Kuroo said he would be there every step of the way, after all.

[sethrine-writes]

Devil-sitter May Cry, Ch. 7

Pairing:  Dante x F!Reader, Vergil x F!Reader (Undecided)

Words:  2071

Warning:  Vergil being Vergil

Story Summary:  Low on cash and desperate for a job, you reply to a flyer for a babysitting position. Little did you know that the opportunity to watch over two special boys would bring your life so much mayhem and adventure…and, perhaps, a chance at a family of your own.

A/N:  Whew, what a hot minute it’s been for this bad boy! I’ve not forgotten, just merely had a bad case of the “wtf should I do next?” But I got it figured out! Let’s get into the thick of it, shall we?

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Chapter 7 - Not Necessarily Needed

Finding things that both V and Nero could eat together had become somewhat of a challenge for you.

Nero was the child every parent hoped for - nonplussed by veggies or fruits or temperatures, and cleared his plate every time with absolutely no fuss. V was the complete opposite, finding issues with flavors and textures at nearly every meal time and only eating small portions, though you could hardly blame that last part on taste and more on his underlying medical conditions.

Since taking up babysitting them, you felt you were starting to learn how V operated, taking careful consideration of the things he wouldn't eat and asking what it was he didn't like about the foods he ignored. It was quite the conundrum, but you were more than willing to learn how to incorporate things in a way that would be more enjoyable for him during mealtime.

So, you had promised to make the boys a special dinner that they would both enjoy, keeping exactly what it was a secret, much to the lament of two curious minds. Another evening scheduled for babysitting meant you would be in charge of dinner for the boys, so it was the perfect time to try it out.

Luckily for you, the little grocery store on your way to Devil May Cry wasn't terribly crowded. The inside was much bigger than you anticipated, however, longer rows of nicely lined canned goods and sections for both a tiny little meat market in the back and a nicely stacked produce section immediately to your right.

Despite yourself, you were immediately drawn to the stack of packaged strawberries on display, their sweet scent enticing you into grabbing a carton, and then a second one, for good measure. They would make a great snack later into the evening, and both Nero and V seemed to love them, much to your relief.

You smiled at the thought of the two boys, remembering what you had set out to get in the first place and beginning your trek through the store to find the ingredients you would need.

Peering down the aisles, you scanned the shelves slowly and with purpose, almost missing the pair of familiar faces at the end of one aisle and having to do a double-take when your mind caught back up with you.

It was rather odd seeing Vergil, of all people, in a grocery store rather than at the shop. It was almost just as strange seeing him dressed down from his usual get-up, though the nice slacks and collared shirt looked very becoming on him. He also seemed a bit more relaxed, though you weren't completely sure if it was because of the different environment, the clothing, or that he simply felt more comfortable-

You were staring, you realized rather abruptly, blinking a few times as you reorganized your thoughts, almost wanting to laugh at how easily your train of thought had derailed.

With an amused huff, you moved towards the pair, catching V's attention as you got closer. His eyes lit up considerably, and you were sure he was smiling excitedly, though it was thoroughly hidden behind the simple cloth mask shielding his face from his cute little nose downward. It was a necessary precaution, you knew, but it still felt like a crime to hide his sweet smile from the world.

"Papa, look!" he exclaimed excitedly while tugging at his father's hand, breaking away seconds later to excitedly wrap his thin arms around your legs.

Vergil didn't appear too worried that V had wandered away, and part of you had a feeling that the demon hunter already knew you were approaching almost as soon as you stepped foot in the same aisle. 

"Hey there, V," you greeted with a chuckle, carding your fingers through his hair as he pulled back to look up at you with happy eyes. "I was just on my way to the shop, but I had to stop to get a few things. Looks like you and your dad had the same idea, hm?"

"We don't have anymore soup," V lamented, leaning a bit heavier against you in a feigned show of dismay.

"Truly a tragedy," you answered with a mocked tone of seriousness, smiling and winking at V when he peeked up at you. His following giggles were too precious for words.

"Where's your partner in crime, huh? Surprised I haven't seen him yet."

"Nero stayed home with uncle Dante," V explained, his voice lowering to that of a not-really-at-all whisper as he added, "they're working on something secret."

"Vitale," Vergil spoke suddenly, his tone baring a light warning. V gasped and popped his little hands over his mask-covered mouth as he moved back to his father's side. His eyes still held a giddiness to them when he looked back up at you, however, so he wasn't in trouble, just being reminded to keep the secret, whatever it may have been.

You looked up at Vergil, then, who seemed to still be focused on the selection of canned soups before him, seemingly deep in consideration, though you knew better than to doubt how very much aware he truly was of his surroundings.

"I'm surprised to see you without your, ah, katana," you spoke as a means of small talk, hoping you had remembered the style of his sword correctly.

"It tends to frighten the public without need of it," he replied matter-of-factly, eyes darting to you for a fraction of a second. "Why are you here?"

The question caught you off-guard, and for a moment, you felt as if you were being reprimanded for something you didn't know you had done.

"I...well, I had an idea for a dinner the boys would both like," you explained while looking down at V and smiling, "or, well, I hope they do, at least. I just needed to pick up a few things before-"

"You're not needed, tonight."

The statement alone shouldn't have made you feel any sort of way, really, but Vergil's intimidating self made it feel like a jab in the chest. It was just the way he was, succinct to the point of almost too harsh, too serious at times, but it still hurt for reasons you could not explain.

You were well and truly confused.

"Dante said you both had a job-?"

"It was canceled this morning," he answered. "Dante tried calling you, though claims you did not answer."

Your brows furrowed in further confusion before realization dawned on you.

With a quiet, barely muttered curse under your breath, you reached for your cell phone in your pocket, flipping it open to find you had three missed calls and a voicemail from the shop, of which you had labeled DMC in your contacts. From the time stamps, he must have tried to get a hold of you right after you left for the bus.

“This stupid thing,” you groused, frustrated and just on the side of embarrassed for basically having left the house for no reason.

“I’m so sorry,” you started aloud as you pocketed your phone once more, “I should have looked before I left the house. Stupid ringer hasn’t been working properly...oh, but that’s no excuse. I guess...I guess just give me a call on my home number the next time you guys need me.”

An apologetic smile crossed your lips as you looked down at V, who seemed to understand that you wouldn’t be visiting that day and held a particular kind of disappointment in his gaze.

“I’ll see you in a day or two, okay, kiddo? Say hello to Nero for me.”

You then looked back up at Vergil.

“Sorry, again. I’ll be more mindful to check my phone before I leave the house, just in case this happens again.”

Unsure how else to end the conversation, you gave a curt nod and turned around, mumbling about how stupid you were for not having checked your phone, of all the days to forget, c’mon, it really had to be today?

As you began your walk of shame down the aisle, you were unaware of the way V looked at his father imploringly, tugging lightly at his wrist to gain his attention. You missed the way Vergil caught on to the look his son was providing, missed how the usually stoic man’s intense stare followed you for a short moment, how his calculating gaze actually softened just a fraction...

"We don't have plans."

You paused in your retreat, turning back around to fix yet another confused stare on Vergil, who looked rather stiff all of a sudden despite having done nothing but intently look over the cans of soup before him.

"I'm sorry?"

"For dinner, that is," he clarified, gaze cutting over to you briefly, purposefully. "Nothing set in stone, though knowing Dante, he'll want to order in, as usual. It's quite tiresome, eating from the same three places everyone can agree on."

There was a moment of silence as you ruminated on what was said, feeling as if, perhaps, you were missing something. You may not have known Vergil very well, just yet, but you knew enough to figure that he wasn't much for saying things without intent, and it definitely felt like there was some intent hiding somewhere in his words.

Vergil's eyes cutting over to you once more had you jumping into action at their piercing intensity, stepping closer subconsciously and speaking nearly without thinking.

"W-well, uh, I did have plans for dinner...for the boys, of course," you stammered through, hoping you had caught on correctly to what was being implied behind his words, "and it'll be another hour or so before the next bus comes around. I'd be more than happy to cook for everyone, if you don't mind me waiting around."

You could see the line of Vergil's shoulders visibly relax, his posture not as stiff as it had been before, and it took you a moment longer to realize that the seemingly apathetic man had actually been nervous over what you would say. The knowledge alone was nearly jarring.

There was no way a man like him would be nervous over a woman like you. What a silly notion!

"I've no doubt no one would object to your presence, or your cooking, if the praises of young minds are anything to go by," Vergil responded coolly, "though for your recipe, do keep in mind how voracious the two at home can be."

"I've seen how much Nero puts away," you mused with a chuckle, "so I can only imagine what Dante is like. I'll make sure to double everything."

"If cost is any concern," Vergil spoke up suddenly, finally meeting you head-on for the first time during your impromptu meeting, "I'm prepared to cover anything you hadn't anticipated in your budget."

The sincerity behind his words was...actually rather sweet, if you thought about it. Granted, you hadn't anticipated needing to double the recipe, but you were certain you had enough to cover everything you needed. Still, that he had offered to pay the extra was actually very kind of him.

"I should be able to cover it," you answered with a smile. "Dinner's on me, tonight. You can cook for me, next time."

You meant it as a joke, following up your nonchalant words with a light chuckle. It was a moment too late that you realized your joke could have been misinterpreted or in poor taste, however, and you nearly spluttered in your haste to rectify yourself.

"Oh, I-I didn't mean it like- what I meant was-"

"It would only be fair," Vergil cut in, his icy gaze having moved back to the canned goods as he finally selected something from the shelf and placed it in his hand-held basket.

"Right, yes," you agreed in a rush of breath, mentally hitting yourself for being so damnably awkward in that moment.

You were a trainwreck, truly. And it wasn't even a Monday!

"I'll just...go grab everything, then. I'll, uh, meet you at the strawberries when I'm done?"

You were met with an affirmative hum, followed by V's excited little gasp as he looked up at Vergil, speaking for the first time since you had addressed his father with a much more chipper outlook.

"Ooh, strawberries?! Papa, can we get some?"

Perhaps you would only need one carton of the fruit, after all.

------

Tag List:  @v-vic, @astridstark13

[hwy-unicorn]

Christmas in White Pine Bay

Summary: That question had a sudden image of another lonely person popping into her head, and she ran to the window to see if Alex had returned from his shift. He had. His police cruiser was parked, windows slightly frosted over, so he must’ve been back for a while. Norma was torn. She hated to spend her favorite day alone, and hated the idea of someone else, someone she considered a friend, spending it alone as well. On the other hand, he rejected her offer to come up for dinner, so perhaps he just wanted to be left by himself.

Hi there! I know this is late, and Christmas is over for mostly everyone, but here is a little normero christmas fic that I hope you all will enjoy. I know this timeline doesn’t really make sense with the show, but I loved this idea so much and had to write it anyway! I hope you enjoy!!

Norma had always loved the holidays; there was an inescapable happiness to the winter season that she cherished so dearly. It was the one time of year that her childhood seemed relatively normal, her father’s angry face smoothing into something much more kind, and her brother seeming more like a brother than her lover. Even when she married Sam, with his temper and violence, the holidays were somewhat ordinary. He too was able to put whatever hatred he had towards his wife on the back burner, and be the loving husband and father that Norma always dreamed of having. It all came crashing down the next day, of course. That part was imminent, as he could spend hours picking apart every little thing Norma did wrong, from buying too many presents, to making too much food, even down to smiling much too often. She didn’t think about the inevitable doom the day after Christmas would bring, because how could she when her sons, the lights of her life, were so carefree and happy for that one day a year? It was the one day where she could pretend like her life was normal, like Sam’s harsh hand hadn’t descended upon her just the night before.

So it was safe to say that nothing life threw her way could ruin her holiday spirit. It became quite clear to Alex that Norma was absolutely infatuated with Christmas, when she sped into her gravel parking lot that afternoon, dangerously fast. She excitedly called Emma from the office, as she pulled mountains of decorations and lights from her trunk, passing them into her waiting hands. Norma all but bounced around her motel porch, giddy with excitement as she gestured wildly, no doubt telling Emma of all her plans for her lights and adornments. And when Alex woke up the morning after, there it all was, perfectly decorated in the typical Norma Bates’ fashion. She had to have stayed up all night to put them up, but there she was in the office, fresh faced and bright eyed like she had just had the best sleep of her life. Perhaps festive Norma didn’t need sleep.

“What do you think?” Norma asked that morning when Alex entered the motel office for some coffee before starting his shift. He gave her a quizzical look, and she sighed, exasperated by the fact that he didn’t even seem to notice her hard work. “The decorations, how do they look?”

He glanced out the door, as if he just noticed the hard to miss decor. “Oh yeah, it looks nice.”

Norma rolled her eyes. Sure, her and Alex were kind of friends now, but he was still the ever so stoic cop he had always been, and that would probably never change. Alex was just a very apathetic man, and Norma didn’t know why she cared for his opinion so much, especially since she knew he could care less about her. Nonetheless, Norma ignored his gloomy attitude, continuing to chat casually with the sheriff.

“What are your Christmas plans?” she asked, typing away at her computer with one hand, and the other nervously toying with the bow that was placed neatly on the gift hidden beneath her desk.

“I uh-” he cleared his throat. “I don’t really have any.” Norma looked over at him, eyes wide with surprise at the fact, though he didn’t seem to notice as he placed a to-go lid on his coffee cup. “See ya.”

Norma watched him go, before making a split second decision and rushing out the door after him. Surely, he had to have some plans, perhaps dinner with his family; he had to have family, right? She caught up to him as he was loading things into the back of his police cruiser, ignoring her presence.

“You erm-” she crossed her arms nervously. “You don’t have any plans?”

“Yeah, that’s what I said,” he replied, not even sparing her a glance and Norma felt her heart drop. No one should be alone on Christmas.

“Oh,” she rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself up in the cool winter chill. “Well um, you know you could always join us for dinner,” she offered, giving him a half shrug and a small smile. “It’s just going to be me and Norman. Well and maybe Dylan, but I’m not sure. So uh-”

Alex closed the trunk. “Yeah, I’ll pass. Thanks.”

Norma knew his rejection was nothing personal, and it really shouldn’t have hurt her feelings, but she couldn’t help but be bothered by the way he avoided looking at her as he drove out of the motel parking lot. Afterall, she was just trying to be kind, and he really didn’t have to be so rude. But she still felt hurt, as she thought that they were kind of friends now; the Alex that she’s seen daily was very different from the “I’ll burn you to the ground,” Alex, and she had hoped some progress had been made. Perhaps it had all been in her head, and she suddenly felt very silly for the gift-wrapped box underneath her desk. She didn’t dwell on it much longer though, becoming busy with the flurry of guests checking in to spend their holiday at White Pine Bay.

She made a nice dinner that evening, a bit disappointed by the fact that Dylan had decided to spend his Christmas elsewhere, but still trying to stay positive. It didn’t help that Norman seemed to be moody tonight, stomping around the house dramatically, purposefully avoiding his mother. Norma had tried to be understanding; it was Norman’s first Christmas without Sam, and he truly did love his father despite the way he was raised. But then Norman refused to eat, knocking the plate of food that she graciously offered him out of her hands and onto the floor, before storming up the steps and slamming his door shut. This is not how Norma wanted to spend her Christmas, holding back tears while cleaning up her floor, and changing her dress from the spilled mess of dinner. Norman wouldn’t even talk to her, to explain his sudden rash behavior, even when she tearfully pleaded from the other side of his door.

“Norman it’s Christmas!” she cried, knocking desperately on his locked door. “Come out honey, let’s have dinner okay? I got you some wonderful presents!” she trilled, resting her head against the wooden frame, yet was met with silence on the other side.

She huffed, wiggling the knob uselessly once more, before making her way downstairs. Norman had never been like this on Christmas. It was as much his favorite holiday as it was Norma’s, so his behavior was really inexplicable. Norma sighed. There was no longer a purpose for remaining positive today, considering that not just one, but both of her sons had abandoned her and she was alone, and what good was Christmas when you were alone?

That question had a sudden image of another lonely person popping into her head, and she ran to the window to see if Alex had returned from his shift. He had. His police cruiser was parked, windows slightly frosted over, so he must’ve been back for a while. Norma was torn. She hated to spend her favorite day alone, and hated the idea of someone else, someone she considered a friend, spending it alone as well. On the other hand, he rejected her offer to come up for dinner, so perhaps he just wanted to be left by himself.

Well, Norma thought, glancing down at his room, the light shining through his window, it wouldn’t hurt to drop off a bit of food. She practically had enough to feed an army after all. So she dug through her cupboards for some tupperware, filling the plastic bin with enough food to hopefully last him for a few days, before she went in search for something a bit warmer to wear on her way down. She considered letting Norman know she was heading down, and that she’d be back soon, but decided against it. If he had decided to ignore her, then she was perfectly in her rights to do the same.

Norma pulled on a pair of ankle boots, and buttoned up her gray peacoat, before grabbing the warm tupperware and heading down to the motel. Her keys jingled in her pocket as she bounced down the steps, taking off into a light jog towards room eleven. Balancing the tupperware in one hand, Norma reached up with her other to knock on the door before she could second guess herself, puffing out a nervous breath.

Alex didn’t seem as annoyed as she anticipated when he opened the door, doing a quick once over of her shivering form as she offered him an anxious smile. “I know you said you didn’t want to come up for dinner- which probably worked out since Norman’s being, well, all sulky,” she made a face, but shook it off quickly and held out the tupperware. “But I- erm- well I figured, I mean I have a lot of food so, erm, I didn’t want you to be hungry so I just thought, I- I don’t know.”

There was a stretch of uncomfortable silence, before Alex took the tupperware from her outstretched hands, and she puffed out a sigh. “Thanks Norma.”

“Sure,” she smiled, putting her hands into her pockets. “Okay, well, see ya,” she turned, cursing herself under her breath for being such a bumbling idiot in front of Alex. Sure, they didn’t know each other that well, but she shouldn’t have been so awkward.

“Norma!” Norma was barely to the edge of the porch when Alex called after her, and she made her way back, shivering in the freezing cold. “Uh, do you-” he gestured back inside. “I mean- do you want to come in?” she raised her eyebrows, glancing nervously in his room, before back at him. “To eat?”

Oh. “Oh! Are you sure?”

Alex chuckled. “I mean I wouldn’t have asked.”

In no time at all, Norma was sitting comfortably at the wooden desk in Alex’s motel room, her coat and scarf hung over the chair. She watched silently as Alex dug through his nightstand drawer for paper plates that were leftover from his last take-out meal, offering him a small smile as he handed her one of them. They were quiet, giving each other quick little glances as they each dished up a plate of the now lukewarm food, finding it hard to speak to one another. They never even had a conversation that lasted longer than two minutes before this moment.

“So uh…” Alex sat down on the edge of his bed. “Uh, Norman’s in a mood?”

Norma sighed, pushing the food around on her plate; she didn’t have much of an appetite after Norman’s outburst. “Yeah, well, things are just different this year, you know?” she shrugged. “I mean, his dad’s always been around for Christmas so…”

“Yeah, I-I’m sorry. It must be tough.”

“Oh it’s whatever,” she waved her hand dismissively. She couldn’t necessarily reveal to Alex that she was more than happy her ex-husband was dead and buried in the ground. “So um… what do you usually do on Christmas? I mean are you always…”

“Alone?” he huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, I don’t have family… in town I mean. None in town.”

Norma smiled sadly, focusing back on her plate of food, before suddenly remembering the gift that she had tucked away in the motel office. She set her plate off to the side, and slipped on her coat. “I’ll be right back.”

Alex watched as she rushed out the door, leaving it flung open for the cold air to flurry inside, and jog over to the motel office. She came bounding back only seconds later, a small wrapped box in her hands, and a nervous smile on her lips. Norma took her time closing the door, and taking her jacket off, trying to stall and come up with an explanation for the gift she had gotten him. She sat back down in the chair, awkwardly holding the gift out for him to take.

“I um… I just,” she shrugged uselessly, as he looked down, in what seemed to be a sort of shocked reaction at the gift. “I just thought it’d be nice.”

Alex breathed out a nervous chuckle, before setting the present down on the bed and making his way over to the small closet on the other side of the room. He sifted through the clothes that were in a pile on the floor, and Norma couldn’t help but roll her eyes fondly, stifling a laugh at the unused hangers. He too, pulled out a gift, wrapped a bit more messily than the one she had given him, and handed it to her.

“I was trying to find a good time,” he explained, shrugging and she looked up at him in surprise. “I didn’t want you to think it was stupid.”

Norma didn’t want to cry, but she had the sudden urge to. It would’ve been too much of an overreaction, and it was clear that Alex was not very comfortable with emotion, so she blinked back her tears. She thought back to her past Christmases, spent with Sam, and John before him, neither of them bothering to get her anything. They sometimes presented her with a card, their name scrawled inside, but nothing beyond that. And while she knew Christmas wasn’t about the gifts of course, it would’ve been nice to have anything, even a written “I love you” inside one of those cards. And here she was now, holding a gift from a man who she thought despised her, who had arrested her months prior, while sitting and having dinner with him in his motel room. Not to mention, he seemed to be as equally nervous as she was, exchanging gifts.

“Oh, Alex,” she breathed out shakily, her dainty fingers tracing the messy edges of the wrapping paper. “Okay, okay, you first.”

Their eyes met, and they both smiled nervously, before Alex tore away at the wrapping paper, and opened the small brown box. “It’s a scarf,” she explained, though it was very obvious to see. “I just noticed that you didn’t seem to have one, and you know, it gets cold so I- and I knitted your initials into it as well, in case you lose it.”

“You made this?” he asked, seemingly surprised, and she nodded, smiling bashfully. He turned the scarf over in his hands, fingers smoothing over the cursive “A.R.” that was knitted into the deep brown wool. “I love it. Really, I- thank you.”

She hadn’t seen such a genuine smile from Alex before, his eyes warm as he met her gaze, and she was taken aback by it. She had told him once already, that she thought his face was paralyzed, so to see him smiling so openly was-

“Your turn.” Norma glanced at the gift, momentarily forgetting that it was resting in her lap.

She tittered anxiously as she ripped away the red and green wrapped paper, met with a much similar brown box to the one she had gifted. Norma opened it, untucking the tissue paper and pulling out the floral printed cardigan sweater that was nestled inside. And there were the tears again, pressing harsh against the back of her eyes, for she had never gotten something so nice before. It took her a moment to speak, her glazed eyes meeting Alex’s, and she swallowed down the choked sob that was so desperate to escape.

“Alex, this is beautiful!” she set the box off to the side, and smoothed it out over her lap.

“There’s that new shop that just opened up in town and I saw it and just thought- I mean I don’t know, you wear a lot of floral, I- um- if you don’t like it, I can-”

“Are you kidding me?” she laughed, eyes gleaming as she traced the intricate floral pattern that ran down the sleeves. “I love it. Thank you.”

Another silence stretched on, as they both admired their gifts, but it wasn’t uncomfortable like last time. Instead, there was a newfound warmth that radiated off of them, simply happy to exist in each other’s presence. But it was getting late, and they both had work tomorrow, and surely Norman had to have noticed that Norma was missing by now. So they cleaned up their dinner, and the wrapping paper, both giggling and chatting about nothing and everything all at once. The nerves they had felt earlier in the night had dissipated, replaced by a more enthusiastic energy, both disappointed that the night had to come to an end.

“I can walk you up,” Alex said, grabbing his coat from where it was thrown on the floor, and Norma felt butterflies in her tummy at the offer. “So you know, I can break the scarf in.”

She laughed, slapping his arm as if they had always been this casual, and buttoning up her coat over her new cardigan, following him into the chilly winter evening. He offered out his arm, for her to hold onto so she didn’t slip on the ice in her heeled ankle boots, and she felt her heart skip a beat again. This was a whole new side to Alex that Norma hadn’t previously gotten the chance to see before, and she had to admit that she much preferred this Alex over the stoic cop that was banging on her door just months earlier.

“Thank you again,” Alex said, as her hand dropped from his arm to fish the keys from her pocket. “You know for dinner and the scarf, I had a good time.”

Norma smiled, toying with the small bit of her cardigan that was peeking out underneath her coat. “Of course, and I mean thank you, this is… so nice.” They shared another brief glance, before Alex turned and made his way back down the stairs towards his room.

Norma was dutifully checking out guests the next morning when Alex came in the office for coffee, the scarf wrapped snugly around his neck, surprised to see that Norma was wearing the cardigan he gave to her. There wasn’t time for any conversation, but their eyes met, gleaming happily at one another. And for once, Norma didn’t have to worry about what today would bring; the day after Christmas brought her no such dread anymore.

[blackhatsaredrycleanonly]

Why am I angry today?  Because so much is going wrong on purpose.  So many people who refuse to accept common sense and are endangering lives.  Fencing people in with a disease that could have been under control.  Because there are people purposefully harming others because it gives them a sense of power.  

Why am I sad today?  Because of the changes that are being made aren’t the ones that need to be made.  Because the changes that need to be made aren’t company labels but people’s hearts.  Because there doesn’t seem to be anything I can do to change that.  Because there are children being abused and sold right now and the only reason anyone cares is because the problem has gotten large enough to be noticed, or that the regular distractions of life aren’t as available.

Why am I apathetic today?  Because I don’t know what’s going to happen int he future, what to do to prepare, or if I can do anything to make it better?   Do you invest in prepping for the virus continuing for longer than expected?  Do you prepare for electrecity failing and living off the grid?   Do you prepare for 45 losing then running a coup and taking over the government?   Some of those solutions use up resources for others.  Or just the stress and mental energy to try and make plans for so many things at once.  The uncertainty blinds and wears me down.

Why am I happy today?  Because the bean and I are watching James and the Giant Peach together, and I like spending time with him.   Because we are safe, and blessed, in ways we know others aren’t/   Because we got to spend time together yesterday watching Hamilton (which was amazing) and The Parent Trap, and the only thing that matters anymore seems to be being close with the people you love.  Even if you annoy the shit out of them sometimes.

Why am I confused today?  Because the Mayor of Portland was tear gassed while trying to talk with protestors.   He said it was so hard to breathe, that he never imagined that tear gas would make it so hard to breathe.   I’m confused as to why he wouldn’t realize it.  I’m confused as to how much more is under the surface of all the problems that we don’t know. 

Why am I afraid today?  Covered by so much above. 

Life is bittersweet. That term isn’t enough for what I feel.  I’m wondering what my dad was thinking.  Not when he was sick.  How did he really see the world?  So many things that were good and special about him and not enough memory to hold it.  This morning my team was talking about their favorite shows and movies.   Out of nowhere I remembered that I had wanted to ask my dad what his favorite movie was.  That I had asked him at one point but he couldn’t understand me over the phone and answered a different question, whatever he heard.   Never got him to answer that one.   Maybe I’ll ask my sister.

So much always going on inside of me, and I feel like most people around me never see it because there’s something lacking in my expression.  Or something too large and uncomfortable when I do focus on it.  So if anyone was wondering how I felt, here’s a small slice. 

[tiaragqueen]

On The Spur Of The Moment

✂ Pairing: Yandere! Saitama x Reader

✂ Word Count: 2,1k

✂ Trigger Warning: Gaslighting, possessive behavior, yandere theme

[Edited]

***

This isn’t requested, but I want to satisfy my yandere Saitama urge first before I move on to the requests. My apathetic egg needs more love even though his personality is actually hard to capture.

If you like my writing, please support me on ko-fi!

“A lie with a purpose is one of the worst kind, and the most profitable.” - Finley Peter Dunne

You didn’t know what you were watching, nor did you care to figure it out either.

 All you could focus about was a pair of arms that wrapped loosely around your stomach, the chin that rested atop your head, and the muscular body that leaned against your hunched back without crushing you with its weight. Occasionally, he would tighten his grip around you for a bit before relaxing.

 It wasn’t a suffocating hug, to say the least. It was rather warm and comfortable. You could feel his warmth transferred into your body, like a personal body heater when the air conditioner was simply too cold for you to bear. Of course, it was nowhere near Genos' robotic body that could produce heat with ease. This had been like this since–

 Since when?

 You didn’t remember. You couldn’t even remember what day today was. Time seemed to pass by quickly–

 Or was it slower?

 It was like someone had purposefully shut down your brain, thus, turning you into a sentient being unable to recall even a simple occurrence such as yesterday. So how could you ask yourself those complicated and difficult questions?

 Frankly, it scared you.

 It scared you how you couldn’t recall the last time you met your friends and family, or whether you went out at all. Every time you brought this matter to Saitama, he would only respond with the typical answers that sounded like rhetorical questions to you: “What are you talking about? We went shopping and met your friends two days ago. How could you forget?” and “You called your parents a week ago, remember? We were cuddling when your phone rang.”

 But the thing is, you knew that you didn’t forget. Yet, you weren’t entirely sure with yourself.

 Genos didn’t bother to help you as well, or at the very least, assuage your quandary. He would either brush off your inquiries or merely stared with that probing look every time you voiced out your doubts. You disliked how he always tried to analyze you, especially when Saitama left to do his hero business and he stayed to ‘look after’ you. During those moments, Genos would sit in the corner and occasionally jotted down something on his trusty notebook. You didn’t know the purpose of him being your ‘personal bodyguard’ since you were an adult who could take care of themselves. Sure, he was polite and had never spoken ill to you, but it still didn’t cease your discomfort in the slightest.

 There was something that nagged you; something that insinuated how Genos cooperated with Saitama to keep you inside. Or the best word to describe it was: Saitama ordered him to.

 But that was impossible, right? Saitama would never do such a thing. He was a good boyfriend, if not a little lazy. There was no way he would purposefully ‘detain’ you. Not to mention, you couldn’t find a single reason why he should do that. After all, you’ve been nothing but compliant to him.

 “You’re tense,” the said man remarked, head cocked slightly. “Is something wrong?”

 “Ah, no. I mean,” you stammered, trying to word your response right. You’d learned that Saitama was quite attentive with you in contrast to his usual oblivious behavior to other people. Even King was shocked when he first saw Saitama doted on you. In his subtle ways, of course.

 “[Name]-san, I don’t... to badmouth my... behind his back, but I think he’s being too... for you.”

 You frowned. What was that? What was he trying to say to you?

 “I’m not... to... the blame on... but I think Saitama... changed now.”

 Saitama stared at your glassy eyes, patiently waiting for you to continue. “I mean...?”

 You snapped out of your perplexing thoughts and tittered. “I mean, I want to go outside. Take a breather, you know?” Your voice turned softer at the end in fear of him rejecting your suggestion.

 He blinked with that typical blank face of his. You’d grown to secretly hate that expression because it didn’t give you a peek of his true emotion; if he felt anything at all. But it wasn’t as though you could change what he was already born with. Saitama seemed pretty much apathetic towards everything, aside from bargains and deals. Sometimes, you wondered if he truly loved you.

 Wait, why were you doubting about his feelings? Of course, he loved you. That was why he was so observant over you, right?

 “Saitama-kun is usually unaware of other people’s feelings, especially the subtle ones. I’m not saying that he’s self-absorbed, though. That’s just how he is. But with you, he seems more caring. More... watchful. That’s not a bad thing, per se. I’m glad that he finally found someone that loves him for who he is, and not because of his strength.” King peered at you through his broad shoulder with an oddly concerned mien. “But you have to know, [Name]-san, that Saitama-kun is an indifferent guy. He said that he’s lost his emotions, so I think if he finds something that can... Well, trigger his feelings, he’ll hold on to it for as long as he can. What I’m trying to say is, he’s at the risk of becoming possessive. Too possessive, actually.”

 But that was only natural for someone to be possessive over their lovers, right? That meant they loved that person. So why did he make it seem like it was a bad thing?

 No, why did you remember it now? What the hell was happening to you?!

 “You made it sound like you’ve been working on something,” Saitama replied.

 “Well,” you glanced around the small living room, smiling nervously. You hoped that he didn’t catch you ‘daydreaming’ again. That would surely raise some questions, and you weren’t certain if you could answer them all. “I just feel bored, you know. I want to take a walk around the neighborhood for a moment if that’s okay with you.”

 “Oh, okay.”

 “It’s alright if you don’t want to- eh?” you paused once you heard his positive response. You looked up and watched him putting on his hero costume, doe eyes blinking owlishly. “Saitama-kun, we’re really going?”

 “Yeah, sure.” Noticing that you were still sitting and staring dumbly at him, he propped one hand on his hip. “Well, do you want to go out or not?”

 Smiling, you immediately scrambled up before he could change his mind and latched on to the sturdy arm. “Let’s go, Saitama-kun!” you beamed.

 There was nothing new nor interesting from the neighborhood, at least from his point of view. And you had to agree with him, too. Debris and ruins scattered as far as the eyes could see. Broken vehicles littered along the streets and the half-broken lamps occasionally flickered on and off. Saitama chuckled when you yelped at the sight of a cat dashing right below you.

 “Um, Saitama-kun. Where’s Genos?” you asked softly, almost shyly. “I haven’t seen him all day.”

 The only reason why you inquired was because you couldn’t stand the awkward silence between you, even though he probably thought it was far from awkward. Boring, yes, but not awkward. If anything, you were honestly glad that Genos wasn’t present at the moment. Still, you needed a topic to start a conversation and your brain decided that it was a good idea to show Genos' serious visage instead of anything else you could think of.

 “Eh, he’s probably off to his doctor. What was his name again...? Doctor Kiseno? Doctor Kusono?” Saitama tapped his chin with his index finger and looked up, seemingly thinking. “He was, well, injured from our fight yesterday. So, he asked for my permission to be absent for a few days. Not that I care, though.”

 You furrowed your brows. Did they even leave yesterday? You were certain that they spent all day lounging in the living room. Well, it was only Saitama, to be honest. Genos was busy cleaning the bathroom and ironing your and Saitama’s clothes.

Regardless, you nodded to show that you were listening.

 “Why? You miss him?”

 The question threw you off guard until you nearly tripped on a pebble. Luckily, Saitama managed to grab your arm before you could fall headfirst. “O-of course not!” you squeaked, shaking your head vehemently. “I was just wondering. Really.”

 Saitama hummed; a skeptical sound that picked up your already throbbing heart as if you were a guilty child being caught lying. “Is that so...?” he murmured.

 “I-I swear, Saitama-kun. I don’t like him that way!” The way you flailed your hands around would certainly look comical to other people if it wasn’t because of your shrinking pupils, rapid breathing, and quick speaking. “I only love you!”

 You didn’t know why you feared the thought of angering him. It wasn’t as though he’d ever laid a hand on you. No, he couldn’t do that. He would never do that! And yet, you were sweating so heavily at the image.

 “Okay, I believe in you.” he finally said. You heaved a relieved sigh, feeling the weight of the world seemed to disappear from your shoulders. However, you still kept an eye on him. That interaction did leave you feeling on edge, after all. “I was just wondering if you, somehow, have fallen for Genos. I’m glad that you aren’t, though.”

 You opened your mouth to ask what would happen had you replied otherwise when a grotesque monster suddenly appeared out of nowhere. With a peal of chilling laughter, he proclaimed himself as the strongest being in the world and nobody was strong enough to defeat him. Saitama’s face remained unchanged, but you could see irritation twitched the corner of his eye the longer the monster went on about his infinite power.

 However, you couldn’t bring yourself to stay put when Saitama stepped forward in fight response.

 “Escape.”

 As if someone had possessed your body, you found yourself retreating further and further from the occupied duo. Then, you spun around and ran.

 You ran like you’d never ran before.

 You ran like you were being chased by that monster.

 You ran like freedom was the only thing you were running on.

 “Now, search for a more populated area.” that voice spoke again. The voice that sounded like someone was whispering in your ears, yet there was no one in sight. It was still empty and quiet as always. Too quiet. No laughter, nor the sound of a fight.

 It was silent.

 Why was it so quiet in here?!

 “[Name], what are you doing?”

 You whipped your head towards the questioner and gasped at the sight of Saitama nonchalantly jogging beside you. Shocked, you fell on your bum and winced in pain. However, you didn’t have much time to dwell on it once you heard his footsteps drawing closer.

 “S-Saitama-kun, I...” you stuttered, blinking away the tears that began to blur your vision. You knew he was strong, but you’d never thought that he would be this fast too. And how on earth did he know where you were anyway?! “I-I can explain! Just, please, don’t hurt me.”

 White cape fluttered in the wind as Saitama regarded your shivering body beneath him. You gulped and tried to maintain eye contact, although it was obvious that you’d prefer to look elsewhere. Anything but him. Maybe the weight of someone’s stare that bore into your back could be a good distraction for you.

 “Is that how far you trust me, [Name]?” Saitama asked. “Do you think I’m gonna hurt you?”

 You swallowed. However, you didn’t give any response that neither agree nor disagree with him.

 “Honestly, [Name],” he muttered, closing his eyes as if he was tired of dealing with your nonsense – whatever it was. “You can be so troublesome sometimes.”

 Perhaps you should be offended with that statement, but you opted to stay silent. It wasn’t as if you knew what to reply, anyway.

 Saitama sighed at your unresponsiveness and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Genos,” he mumbled.

 A gust of wind fanned your hair as a certain cyborg plummeted behind you. You froze, unable to function for seconds that felt like eternity. But you braced yourself and slowly turned around before an abrupt smack stole your consciousness.

 Genos observed you collapse to the ground with those calculating eyes and slowly lowered his hovering hand. Once he ascertained your unconscious state, he looked up to his esteemed teacher for another order.

 Saitama watched you for another minute, contemplating his next action. He hoped that with this lesson, you’d learn that running was futile. And he also hoped that he didn’t have to do this again anytime soon. It would be a waste of time and effort, and Saitama wasn’t too keen on spending the former. Sighing, he lifted your limp body effortlessly and gazed at the setting sun.

  “Good job, Genos.”

[kojoty]

marigolds

here’s my little larry/cliff slowburn flower fic. it’s just short and cute and you should read it.

read on ao3

His marigolds had finally popped open, their lion-mane petals waving orange defiances as they roared at the sun above them. It made Larry smile, his hand cupping one of the blossoms as he crouched in the dirt, the tails of his coat flat against the earth like the train of a fancy dress. He wished he could feel the soft satiny velvet of the flower against his bare fingers, but just looking at their colors were enough to make him smile.

He let the flower head bounce back into its original position, and could only hope that his peonies would have an equally daring overnight blossoming. The pads of the bandages on his fingers were stained a light orange from the marigold pollen, and he tried in vain to wipe it off on his pants, to no avail.

There was a glass of lemonade sitting on a small garden glass table, perspiring in the early afternoon sun. It was untouched; he’d poured the glass after spying the pitcher in the fridge (with one of Rita’s neatly cursive Please drink up! Notes taped to the vessel), and hadn’t realized until he had crouched in the dirt with a shovel in hand, mouth dry from the sun, that he wouldn’t be able to drink it without making a fool of himself.

“Drink that.” He said, gesturing to the table. “It’s getting watered down.” Larry didn’t need to turn to hear Cliff’s approaching form. It must have surprised him, though, because the sound of his clanking footsteps stopped for a moment before continuing.

“I can’t, idiot.”

That made Larry turn, looking at Cliff over his shoulder. “Right. Guess our biggest curse is watching Rita’s lemonade go bad.” He sighed, a dramatic puffing of his chest to illustrate his point.

It made Cliff snort, his shoulders hiking up in the beginning of a full-bodied laugh. Larry appreciated that about Cliff; even robotic and stiff and designed (sometimes, Larry wondered if it was on purpose) to look apathetic, Cliff managed to express himself better than anyone else in the house. There was a willingness to admit to and enact out emotions that the other residents of the house had pushed deep, deep, down.

Larry almost envied the openness to which Cliff carried himself.

“What brings you out here, if not for Rita’s excellent homemade lemonade?” He looked away from Cliff, back to the blooms, knowing that he shouldn’t stare for too long. Eye contact wasn’t something Larry had ever been good at, but since-- since. Since the bandages and glasses, it’d been easier to feel… Well, less conspicuous, so to speak. Easier to stare a person down until they got uncomfortable without fear that they were seeing Larry for who he was.

There was a familiar nervousness in his belly, looking at Cliff for too long. So he didn’t look at Cliff for long.

“Bored. Stretching my legs. Get too stiff in that house; reminds me too much of sitting behind the wheel for hours and hours ‘till your thighs go numb.”

“...You could help me weed.”

Cliff was quiet, and Larry heard him shuffle his feet. He glanced back at him again, and though he knew Cliff wouldn’t see it, his brow was raised in a question.

“...Not sure you’d want my feet stomping around your flower beds, bud.”

Larry offered Cliff a pair of weed cutters. His hands at this point were more dusty brown than sterile white. “You’re more graceful than you think.”

Cliff slowly took the tool from Larry, but didn’t move closer to the garden.

“You know how to use those, right?” He asked, his tone purposefully barbed. He’d noticed, over the years, that he sometimes had to emphasize his tone, considering no one could read his facial expressions.

“God, you’re a dick.” Cliff replied, his shoulders hunching upwards again for a moment. He seemed to do that whenever there was something making him nervous.

“Well, I don’t have all day, and you’re blocking the sunlight from my peonies. They need that sun.”

“Christ.” Cliff stepped closer and slowly, slowly lowered himself down into the dirt. Larry had mostly been lying to his face about the whole graceful thing; Cliff walked and moved and motioned like he was made of metal, and well, he was, so at least he had a valid excuse. His knees dropped into the dirt hard enough that the peonies near him shook their blossomed heads at him like annoyed lions.

“You just pluck the plants that--”

“I know how to garden, Larry.” Cliff grabbed a small prickly plant and pulled it up from the roots to illustrate his point, tossing it behind him onto the gravel road.

Larry stared at him. “I thought you were rich. Woulda had your own gardeners.”

“I wasn’t that out of touch.” Cliff paused, while Larry just continued to stare at him. “Okay, so I was out of touch, but-- hey, you know what? I’m helping you out, why do I have to explain myself?” Larry shifted his gaze to a weed Cliff was angrily plucking, knowing that it probably just looked as though he was still looking at Cliff.

“You don’t. I just wanted to make sure you wouldn’t ruin my plants.” He haphazardly threw an arm behind him, gesturing to a pile of empty pots that he’d cleaned and stacked next to the rain gutter. “After Jane gutted my bus, I had a few casualties.”

“So you employ the robot man with zero physical awareness.” Larry could all but see Cliff rolling his eyes.Frustrating as it was, he liked that they both had to try equally hard to read one another’s faces. It evened the playing field, a bit. He’d be a liar if conversations with Rita and Jane and the Chief didn’t take on a note of envy when they could clearly convey a look of disgust, or wry humor, with just a flick of an eyebrow or an irony soaking through their cheekbones.

Larry plucked one of the marigolds, leaving a few inches of stem below the head. “Jane would get distracted, and Rita would ask why we don’t employ gardeners.” He reached forward and shoved the flower into one of the metallic openings in Cliff’s shoulder blades; he felt his lips stretching wider at how the bronze of Cliff’s… flesh wasn’t the right word, but Larry couldn’t be bothered to think of another, matched the orange of the flower. He wasn’t wearing the leather jacket he often opted to wore, instead donning just a muscle tank that was curiously blank; maybe he hadn’t had a chance to spray-paint one of his baffling phrases on it yet. “Vic would keep asking why this is important to do, and I’m not about to argue with a kid about the importance of gardening. So. You.”

“That’s a lot of rationalization for someone who didn’t know I was gonna be outside today.”

“Ah. Well. That too.” Some of his lavender had sprouted up in the beds next to the marigolds and he stretched himself wide to read one of the plants, carefully breaking a couple of the stalks. He sat back up and, when Cliff was back to plucking weeds, reached over and shoved them in the shoulder joints again, careful not to actually touch him.

He knew that Cliff couldn’t feel any of his touches, but it didn’t make it any less natural to be completely aware of just exactly how close Larry was to him.

It was harder to feel the sun through his bandages, but the early afternoon heat was hot enough to give him something, at least, and he let his face fall upwards like a sunning cat. He didn’t often have someone to help him with the gardening, and it was easy to let himself fall into a quiet comfort wherein the only sounds were the occasional buzzing from fat honey bees (there were plenty on the estate, since Larry had realized  he was just about the perfect to beekeep about a decade ago) wriggling into the bright flower heads, and the grunting and metallic movements of Cliff as he moved through the rows of flowers.

“I don’t see you actually doing anything, Trainor.” Cliff said after a while. He was looking over his shoulder at Larry, the other shoulder still carrying little flower parcels waving at the wind from their perch in his joints. It made Larry snort.

“I did all the marigolds. I’m letting you do the peonies.” He replied, and Cliff just sighed and threw a clump of dirt-clogged weeds at him. Larry flinched and cowered, scowling when his arms came away covered in dirt. “Rude. You’re a rude man, Cliff. The rudest I ever met, probably.”

“Is this what you do all day? Garden and berate everyone? Christ. You’re like a geriatric grandma.”

Larry didn’t deign to respond to him, just brushed the dirt and weeds off his body. Cliff continued to weed for a few more minutes and then sat up, looking back at him. “Think that’s everything. One of your peonies even popped open. First one.”

That made Larry finally get up from his perch in the soil, coming to stand over Cliff and look down at the plant. It was a smaller plant, less leaves and a little on the frail side. Evidently she’d put all her energy into making two flowers, a gamble that COULD pay off if the flower attract good insects, and fast. He reached down and plucked one of the flowers, and, with Cliff watching, shoved that one along with the other flowers, eyeing him as Cliff realized the small impromptu bouquet jutting out like replescent wires.

“You could use some ornamentation,” Larry said by way of explanation.

“Uh-huh.” Cliff replied, but he didn’t sound mad, or annoyed. Just… slightly amused in a quiet way. A confusing response. Cliff wasn’t one to shy away from yelling or at the very least being upfront about how he felt about something.

“I can help you take them out.” Larry realized that maybe it was too much, too intimate, too weird and strange and awful and something he shouldn’t just do to men, who might take it the wrong way and then he’d be in loads of trouble and he’d--

“Nah.” Cliff waved a hand through the air, nearly side sweeping an angry fat bumblebee. “I kinda wanna see how long they’ll stay in there. Not like I can feel them.” He was looking at them as much as he could, neck tilted.

“...Okay.” Larry felt his shoulders hunch up, apprehension in his gut.

“They’re-- You know, I liked flowers, a lot. My daughter used to bring me a bouquet everytime I finished a race. Obviously her mom bought them, but it was always Clara who’d give them to me. Always put ‘em proud on the kitchen table. So she’d see them whenever she was running around. So I would see them when I was running around.”

Cliff slowly stood, and he looked as though he wanted to brace himself by holding onto Larry’s shoulder, his hand half-bridging the gap between them, but he aborted the movement and grunted his way to a standing position instead.

Larry straightened himself. “If you like flowers so much, you can help me in the mornings.”

“Hm.” Cliff looked around at the beds again, and then back at Larry. “Only if I get the best trimmings from the work.” He snorted, and Larry felt the apprehension turn to something else, something lighter, something softer, and before he knew what he was doing, he was nodding. Nodding and stepping out of the flower beds to grab the discarded weeds lying in the gravel road.

“Deal. I’ve got carnations that are due to bloom tomorrow anyways.”

Cliff patted right under his shoulder and nodded, the lavender and carnation and peony bouncing with the movement, and Larry couldn’t tell one-hundred percent, but he was almost certain Cliff would be smiling if he could.

[urfavfandomles]

[first sight]

    dedicated to natalie, a girl who loves embry. @embrycalls

[first sight]

    You were pissed.

    Embry Call -- your best friend, mind you -- had been ignoring you for two weeks. You had called his house probably ten thousand times (okay, more like twice a day) and his mother would always be the one to pick up the phone. At first she had he was too sick to speak, but after the first couple of days it turned into “he’s out of the house right now, dear, but can I take a message for him from you?”

    You didn’t know what the hell was going on because he refused to speak to you! How often can someone not be at home? How did you always just barely miss him, even when it was almost 10 o’clock at night? And since when did Embry even stay out that late?

    You had even resorted to talking to Quil and Jacob, asking them about any sightings of your shared best friend. They would always freeze up and say they knew nothing about what was going on, but you felt as though they had seen him and were purposefully avoiding the questions.

    And so when you woke up one January day, you decided today would be the day. You would confront Embry yourself, in person. You would wait outside his fucking house if you had to. Luckily, it wasn’t a school day and so you didn’t have to stare at his abandoned seat in your Chemistry class. You quickly get ready, applying your skincare and getting dressed in your favorite pair of jeans and your bright orange sweater.

    After tugging on your rain boots you scribble a quick message to your parents that you would be out late and headed over to Embry’s.

    Your 1989 Ford Bronco wasn’t brand new and clean by any means, but it did its job and you adored your car. The two-toned paint was chipping, the maroon flaky and the white top peeling, but the heater worked better than any of your friends’ cars. You wait for the vehicle to quickly heat up and decide to take the long way to Embry’s house from yours, as you had all day to wait for him.

    Just as you rounded the corner, the cliffs of La Push to your left, you are met with an unimaginable sight. Two burly men, who you believe to be named Jared and Paul, each grasping an arm of your best friend.

    At least, you think it’s your best friend.

    He was almost impossible to recognize from this far away, but you could hear laughter that sounded like his even from behind your closed window.

    Dumbfounded, you watch Paul and Jared push Embry into the water below. You gasp aloud, wondering if he was okay as his lean frame dives into the depths of the ocean. You wait until you successfully see his head pop up, and know that he was swimming towards the shore of First Beach. You could see Paul and Jared jump in at the same time after him, and with newfound determination you race towards the beach.

    When you reached the beach, you see now three but four figures at the edge of the water. When you opened up your door you could hear them better, and it was almost as if the boys -- no, men -- were howling. They were all tall, you could tell that even from how far away you were. And in that moment you remember the hell that Embry put you through and realized he looked a little too carefree for your liking. How was someone who was supposedly so sick they couldn’t even answer the phone or go to school laughing without any mind to you?

    You race towards them, your feet sinking into the sand with each step. There was a light drizzle, barely there as it touched your frame. It was more like a mist that was shielding the group from you.

    As you grew closer, their frames came into picture. And you were right. These were not boys. No, these were half-dressed bodies of men.

    They all stop talking as they realize you’re making your way towards them, and focus on you with laser sharp vision. A part of you was embarrassed by how attractive they were and how lame you probably looked, your small frame struggling against the wind and misty rain and sand.

    Finally, when you reached them you realized Embry was indeed there, and you did what any normal human would have done and tried to get his attention.

    “Hey, asshole! I’m speaking to you!” you shout at him, clearly pointing in his direction. He refuses to even look in your direction. What the fuck? He was really pushing your buttons.

    “First you don’t call me back and now you don’t even look at me? What the fuck, Call? I got same lame ass excuse from your mom that you were sick the first couple of days so of course I was worried, and guess who never got a call back to assure me you weren’t, you know, dying? If you guessed me, well ding ding ding, we have a winner!” The sarcasm was leaking out of your voice but you couldn’t help it. You were hurt god damn it. Okay, so maybe your feelings for Embry went a little deeper than friendship --not that he would ever notice. He was too oblivious, always so fucking oblivious. “What the fuck is up, Embry? Are you even gonna look at me?”

    By now you’re standing directly in front of him, and holy shit had he changed in the last two weeks. Gone was his lean frame, bulging muscles in their places instead. And how he had grown! Embry was always a head taller than you, but by now he was at least 6’5”, putting your 5’3” frame to shame.

    And wow, was he really pissing you off. Despite yelling at him in front of his newfound friends he had no visible reaction, looking over your head like you didn’t even exist.

    So there you are, thinking, I would like nothing more than to smack that stupid fucking apathetic look off of his face, and so you do.

    The sound of the slap rings over the sound of the waves. What you weren’t ready for, however, was how much it fucking hurt. You let out a shriek, cradling your hand as the muscles visibly twitch. “Hey! What the fuck are you made of, roc-?” And you cut yourself off when you see you had indeed gotten a reaction.

    Embry was shaking, shaking so bad his figure was distorted coming in and out of frame. You gasp, hearing someone warn you to run away, when you finally lock eyes with your ex best friend.

    And just like that, everything changes.

    The shaking stops immediately and he opens his mouth in astonishment, his dark eyes widening in his surprise. You were confused by his expression, and open to say something when he falls to his knees before you.

    He says your name like a prayer, staring up at you like he was truly seeing you for the first time. You shiver at the way he says your name, shuddering visibly. And then a familiar grin breaks out against his face and you felt your cheeks heating up for some reason.

    Okay. So maybe your best friend disappeared for two weeks and suddenly came back even hotter than before. What’s that supposed to mean? You didn’t even know what to say.

    Embry did, however. “I knew it would be you.”

    “What the fuck is that supposed to mean,” you ask bluntly.

    He laughs at your statement and he’s all white teeth and dimples. “It means I’m in love with you.”

    Wait. What?

[pxiao]

Something’s off

Ever since Yuzu came back home, she’s noticed how everything seemed a bit different before the whole interdimensional war started. She didn’t really mean that things were different but more the people around her. Well if she was being truthful, she really met one person, Yuya. While he wasn’t acting any different from normal, something about him seemed fake especially his smile. What she didn’t realize was how right she was. 

At 6:30 am Yuzu awoke from the cries of the evilest invention that ever came from the minds of humanity, an alarm clock. It was times like these she wished her handy harisen fan worked as well on machines as it did on people. After nearly breaking the stupid thing, she tiredly came down stairs, not yet used to waking up that early for school like before. As soon as she stepped into the kitchen, there was a mouthwatering smell in the air. She quickly saw her father, Shuzuo Hiragi, cooking up a storm. One of the things that had changed was that Shuzuo was even more protective and pampering than before. While Yuzu completely understood why he was acting like this and even enjoyed a bit of the pampering, she wished that he would go to his Hot Blooded! attitude soon. 

“Oh Yuzu, you’re up, I was just about to wake you.” Shuzuo greeted as he saw her walk into the kitchen.

“Morning Dad”, Yuzu said as she sat down at the table. 

Shuzuo quickly finished cooking, divided the mountain of food onto two plates and set a plate in front of her. Yuzu was amazed at not only the amount of the food but that everything was shaped like hearts. While she could understand how her dad made heart shaped pancakes, she was rather shocked at the heart shaped bacon and fish ..... 

“Dad this must have taken you forever! I already told you, you don’t have to go to the trouble!” Yuzu argued.

“I know. I just wanted to.” Shuzou said with a hearty smile that deeply touched her. “Besides today’s the day right?” Shuzuo said as he looked at her.

“Valentine’s day?” Yuzu questioned as she started cutting up her pancakes.

“Yes and the day you confess.” Shuzuo blurted out. 

*Smack*

Yuzu had a deep red blush on her face, breathing heavily after hitting her father over the head with her fan. 

“What are you talking about!!!″ Yuzu defended as she felt her blush get worse. 

“Well you got Yuya a chocolate right?” Shuzuo defended as he held his hands up frantically  

“I always get Yuya a chocolate for Valentine’s day!” Yuzu yelled

“But you made it yourself this year.” Shuzou pointed out, causing Yuzu to flinch. “And you even met with Serena, Ruri and Rin to make those chocolates. That seems like a lot of effort just for one person.” 

*SMACK* 

“You’re WRONG!!!” Yuzu screamed after smacking her father one last time. She quickly grabbed her bag, homework and chocolates and ran out of her house. After running a good ten minutes, she stopped and felt her heart racing not knowing if it was from the running or what her dad said. She tried to convince herself, her father knew her feelings because he had saw the two of them grow up together before remembering that Mr. Tokumatsu was also able to see her feelings for Yuya despite the fact they were total strangers. As she started coming near Yuya’s house, she wished she wasn’t obvious in her feelings.  

“Yuzu, you ok?” Yuya asked only to be rewarded with silence. He sighed as they walked to You Show like they always did when school ended. He wondered what could have upset her so much that she wasn’t even talking to him, well anybody actually. He then remembered today at school and wondered if she was just tired, it was a pretty hectic day. When they arrived at school, they were both hounded by admirers. A ridiculous amount of girls went up to him and gave him chocolates, he was sure he hadn’t even met half of those girls. That being said while Yuya was accepting all that chocolate, he saw a similar amount of boys went up to Yuzu either asking for chocolates or even giving her some. Yuya felt his mood sour a bit as remembered the scene of all those boys surrounding Yuzu. Then he wondered if the reason Yuzu was quiet was because she was jealous like he just was. Yuya couldn’t help but smile at the thought of that, feeling at ease for the first time in a while. After a few seconds, he quickly realized what he was doing and quickly regained control of his emotions again. 

“That’s it!” Yuzu declared as she grabbed Yuya’s arm and started pulling him off the road and onto the river’s bank below them.

“Yuzu, what are you doing!”, Yuya argued as he tried to free his arm. He quickly remembered that she was stronger than him. After five minutes of flailing his arm, he gave up as she dragged him under the bridge they were walking towards earlier. “Why did you drag me under the bridge? Are you finally going to murder me like I knew you were!” Yuya joked, hoping to defuse the situation a bit.

“Can you stop that!” Yuzu yelled. 

“Stop what?” Yuya asked confused. 

“Stop pretending that you’re happy!” Yuzu attacked causing Yuya to widen his eyes.

Yuya was shaken and actually took a few seconds to collect himself before he replied, “But I’m not pretending.” as he forced the largest smile he could. 

Yuzu just looked at him sadly as he continued to lie. “Yuya, I’ve known you for most of my life. Do you really think I can’t tell the difference. I was there during those three years after uncle Yusho disappearing. Every time you were mocked, you gave those same smiles that you’re currently showing to everyone.

Yuya looked at shocked before finally dropping the fake smile. “When did you find out?” he calmly asked. 

“Honestly a few days after the eight of us went back to our homes. At first, I thought I was overthinking things but today I was sure. Every time you accepted someone’s chocolate or even someone’s praise, you always gave that fake smile. If I had to be honest, I’m sure my dad, your parents and Gongenzaka are noticed it too. We just didn’t want to believe it.” Yuzu explained. 

“So I guess I really didn’t change huh? I was hoping I at least became a better liar.” Yuya chuckled a bit. 

“Yuya ....” Yuzu said as she looked at her best friend.

Yuya took a deep breathe and after a few minutes of silence finally said, “I’m scared ... Yuzu, I’m scared.” 

Yuzu just looked at him and replied, “Of Zarc?” 

“No, well yes actually, kinda.” Yuya stumbled his answer as he started to rustled his hair thinking of how to explain. “I’m scared to relax. Yuzu, I spent months doing my best to entertain everyone and save reality and now that we’ve done it. It ... it ... feels fragile. I’m scared that if I let myself relax and actually enjoy myself; that something Zarc, Leo or even Zarc’s parents will attack us and destroy this peace. I’m scared if I enjoy myself and something does attack that I won’t be able to recover. So I put up a wall. I simply never let myself enjoy anything to protect myself. Pretty pathetic huh.” Yuya said as he gave another of his fake smiles.

*Smack* 

Yuya felt a familiar string on the top of his head as he struggled to regain his balance. He was finally able to stand up and was shocked at what he saw. 

“You idiot” Yuzu said with tears in her eyes. “Yuya what if nothing attacks? Then that means you purposefully made yourself miserable!” Yuzu screamed, angry at his stupidity. 

“I know Yuzu.” Yuya muttered 

“Then wh..” Yuzu started

“Because I can’t do anything else!” Yuya interrupted. “During the interdimensional war, my memories of home were all that kept me sane. I kept remembering my parents, You Show ... you. I remember that was what I wanted to protect and I kept pushing on. While those memories gave me strength, they also reminded me just what my life became. My memories soon became a double edged sword, giving me strength at the price of causing me misery. If I have to defend reality again, I can’t do that again, I can’t spend everyday thinking about how miserable I am. Even if I live the rest of my life apathetic, I can’t live with the possibility of living everyday of my life knowing how pathetic my life has become. Not again!” Yuya roared as his memories of the war came flooding back, causing tears to fall. 

Yuzu took a good look at her childhood friend and realized just how the war had hurt him. She saw that now that he finally let himself feel after hiding behind the wall of his own creation, he couldn’t stop. All those emotions that he kept buried were finally seeing the light of day, causing Yuzu to cry as well. Before he even realized it, Yuzu gave Yuya a huge hug, causing Yuya to widen his eyes in shock. 

“Yuya, I .... I’m not going to say that everything is going to be fine. Because as much as I want to say that, I can’t. But Yuya you can’t divorce yourself from your emotions, you can’t live your life that way. That’s not even a life.” Yuzu finished as she saw Yuya crying in her embrace. “Do you want to remember your entire life as humorless and cold?” 

Yuya remained silent as he heard Yuzu’s response.

“Like uncle said, it’s best to laugh. Yuya, when I was chased across the dimensions, my memories of home did hurt as I realized the contrast between then and my current situation. But even then, because of those memories I could visit happier times. I could smile even in that situation and that saved me ..... Yuya I don’t want you to look back on your life and not feel anything. I want you to look back on your life and be able to smile because .... because your smile saved me so many times in the interdimensional war.” Yuzu argued with a small blush on her face.

“Yuzu” 

“So Yuya please don’t hide from us anymore. Even if our memories might cause us pain if we don’t try to enjoy ourselves, what’s the point of even winning the war.” Yuzu said as she gave a small smile.

“You’re right. You’re right, Yuzu. I was just so” Yuya answered as his emotions got the better of him. 

“It’s fine”.

They kept hugging under bridge for ten minutes until Yuya let go and they stood face to face.

“Yuzu, thanks for that. I guess I’m a pathetic entertainer if I tried to ignore my own emotions just because I was scared. haha” Yuya joked. 

“No, Yuya that just makes you human.” Yuzu said as she smiled. 

“Thanks” Yuya thanked as he finally smiled for real. Yuzu could feel her heart beat faster as she felt that everything was finally back to normal.

“Wait I almost forgot, Happy Valentine’s day. Your chocolate.” Yuzu said as she fished the chocolate out of her bag. “Great time to feel again, right Yuya?”

Yuya took the chocolate with a smile on his face and then looked in her eyes before quickly closing the distance between them and letting their lips touch. 

*SMACK* SMACK*

“WHAT WAS THAT FOR!!!!!” Yuzu screamed with two fans in her hands and her head as red as Yuya’s hair. 

Yuya was rubbing his head with a huge smile on his face. “Because I love you.” Yuya happily answered. 

Yuzu looked in shock and didn’t realize that a smile was creeping on her face. 

“Yuzu, you’re right. I want to make a lot of memories with my parents, your dad, Sora. Everyone! Especially you. I’m sick of hiding my feelings and that’s why I kissed you. Happy Valentine’s day, Yuzu.”

Yuzu unable to think as her brain was overheating only said, “Happy Valentine’s day. I love you too Yuya.”