#but yeah edwin. being as jealous as he is and as up front about people knowing that charles comes first and they’re ‘Best Friends’ and all

[edwinisms]

see I need ghost clothes to have properties more or less like regular clothes because wearing someone else’s jacket or shirt is one of the most important expressions of affection in existence and yes basically what I’m saying is i wanna see charles give edwin his jacket for one reason or another and see edwin get all flustered and giddy about it

[kimannhart]

something traumatic happened to me today and i didn't know how to cope so here's a horror/thriller-esque fic that's based off of a short film script i wrote. hope you enjoy this 2.1k fic.

also since this is based off of a film script, the style in this fic is sort of different than how i usually write.

this fic is also on ao3

~~

A thumb presses down on the remote control. The sound of various channels fill the room. 

The channel surfing stops. 

“... no evidence of a body being found, Maria Stark, a local blacksmith, has been legally declared dead after her car was found crashed and burned late last evening. A memorial service is to be held by Stark’s sister.”

The television clicks off.

A WEEK LATER

Shiny, multiple robotics trophies are displayed proudly on the built-in bookshelves. Only a few of the shelves have framed photographs sitting on them. Above the mantle of the fireplace is a framed family painting of a mother and her teenage son.

Tony, a mere eighteen-year-old, has his hair neatly combed and washed. He is dressed to the nines in a black suit. Tony is sitting alone on the tufted sofas. Though, the distant sound of heels clicking on the floor can be heard in the background. 

A glum look paints Tony’s face as he stares up at the painting of his mother. Tears start to fill Tony’s eyes. He clasps his eyes shut, not wanting to let the tears fall. Tony licks his dry lips and lets out a shaky breath.

The clicking of heels gets louder, moving closer to Tony before the sound promptly stops.

A thin, well manicured hand grabs onto Tony’s shoulder.

Tony looks back to see his Aunt Peggy, who is dressed in a conservative style black dress. Peggy’s hair is styled in a simple tight bun. While her face shows minimal makeup, her lips are painted in a daring red. A black birdcage veil is pinned into her hair. 

Peggy gives Tony a sad soft smile. She gives his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I need to head back to the house soon, darling. I have to go and finish setting up. Do you want to ride with me?”

Tony shakes his head, “No, thanks.” He glances back towards the painting, his eyes lock with the painting version of his mother’s eyes. His gaze was not faltering. “I want to stay a little bit longer. I promise I won’t take too long, Aunt Peggy... I just need a few more moments.” Tony turns to look back at his aunt.

Peggy nods in understanding. She presses a chaste kiss on Tony’s forehead and leaves. 

The moment that Tony hears the front door click shut, he slumps back into the couch. He lets out a sigh, and rubs a tired hand over his face. Tony still can’t process what’s happening. 

He gets up from the couch and walks quietly towards one of the shelves. Tony grabs a gold framed photograph of his mother holding him when he was a baby. Tony’s fingers gently graze the glass. A distant look appears in Tony’s eyes. It’s clear that he is stuck thinking about a particular moment. 

The chiming of a grandfather clock from the nearby hallway snaps Tony back to reality. He sets the photograph back in place. His eyes linger for a few more seconds on the photograph. “Thanks for everything, mamma,” he softly says.

Tony walks out of the living room and out of his home with a soft click of the door.

~~

The moment that Tony steps foot into his aunt’s home, he’s greeted to a blown up photo of his mother near the staircase. A gorgeous wreath stand is placed next to the photo. Tony looks around to see various people scattered downstairs, all of whom are having quiet conversations with one another to pass time as they wait for either Peggy or Tony to give a speech.

Tony mutters his thanks every now and then when people give their condolences.

He walks into the living room and tilts his head in curiosity when he spots a photo album sitting on the coffee table. Tony grabs it, sits on one of the single sofa chairs, and starts to flip through the album. He is surprised to see that the album contains photos of his mother and Aunt Peggy from their childhood. Some photos show the two of them posing in ridiculous outfits. Other photos show the two as teenagers in various candid moments.

Tony was about to close the photo album when he notices that one of the photos is slightly thicker than the others. 

He sets the album down onto his lap. Tony slips the photo out and realizes that one photo is stuck to another. Carefully, he separates them. 

Tony notices that the hidden photo is a family photo. The photo is of his mother, Aunt Peggy, his grandfather, and grandmother. The peculiar thing about this photo, though, is that someone seemed to have scratched out his mother’s face out of the photo. 

The clicking sound of a spoon on glass draws Tony’s attention.

Tony looks up and sees his Aunt Peggy standing in the middle of the living room. He quickly places the photos back in their rightful place, shuts the album, and sets it back onto the coffee table.

Tony focuses his attention to his aunt, curious to know what she is going to say.

Peggy smiles as she patiently waits for everyone to settle down and focus their attention on her. “Hi. Thank you all for coming, it means a lot to me,” she turns her head to look at Tony, “and I’m sure to Tony as well, that you’re all here. Your presence and condolences have been so comforting during this difficult time and have served as a reminder to me just how much impact that my sister had on others.” 

A wave of emotion crashes onto Peggy. She starts to get a bit choked up. Peggy clears her throat. “Maria was honestly one of the happiest people I have ever known. Every time she would walk into a room, it would immediately brighten up. She had an affectionate smile and laugh. She was smart and such a people’s person. Growing up I was always so jealous of her because not only was she kind and able to make friends so easily, she was...”

Tony’s attention dies, and he starts to drown out his Aunt Peggy’s words.

His eyes darted back to the photo album. His hands are itching to grab the album and take out the scratched out photo. Millions of questions about the photo run through Tony’s mind. Tony was so deep in thought that he doesn’t even realize that time has passed and that his Aunt Peggy has been calling his name.

“Tony!”

Finally, Tony snaps back to reality. 

“Huh?” he replies.

Peggy looks at Tony, concern gracing her face. “Are you okay, honey?”

Tony looks back to the photo album, wondering if he should bring up what he found, but decides against it. Tony nods his head. “Yeah, peachy keen, Aunt Peggy.” 

Peggy looks at Tony, her eyes squinting at him slightly, not really believing his words. 

“I promise,” Tony adds.

Peggy sighs and drops it. She wraps an arm around Tony’s shoulders. “Come on, I want you to meet some of your mother and I’s childhood friends. I’m sure they have a bunch of embarrassing stories about your mother from when we were about your age.”

At the mention of stories, Tony becomes captivated by the thought. He becomes so interested at the possible stories he could be told that he ends up forgetting about the scratched out photograph.

Peggy guides Tony out into the backyard to a small trio. 

“Your mother and I have been friends with them for ages. I think you’ll like them.”

The two stop in front of the trio.

“Hello,” Peggy greets. “I brought someone for you to meet!” 

The trio give their waves and say their respective hellos. 

Peggy points to a man, who seems to be in his early forties and is holding one of the snacks that Peggy set out. The man looks as if he could never hurt a fly. “This is Edwin.” She points to a woman. “And that’s Edwin’s wife, Ana.” Lastly, Peggy points to the last man in the trio. He is in his early forties as well, and looks harsh looking. He looks like someone you never would want to cross. “And that’s Obadiah, or Obie as we all call him.”

Tony waves shyly. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you all.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Tony... It is Tony, right?” Edwin asks.

Tony nods in confirmation. 

Ana throws him a kind smile. “I wish we met under better circumstances.”

“I do too,” Tony agrees.

An awkward silence falls among the group. All of them a bit unsure of what they should say. 

Peggy clears her throat. “I told Tony we had some stories about Maria.” 

Obie’s eyes light up. Edwin glances over to Obie and immediately knows what’s going to happen.

“Oh no. Are you going to tell him...” Edwin starts to say before getting cut off by Obie.

“Of course I have to tell that story!” Obie looks to Tony. “Say, Tony, did you know your mother was a bit of a wild troublemaker?” 

Tony eyebrows furrow. “Troublemaker? No way.”

Obie nods. “Yes she was!”

“Oh! Tell him about that time she got in trouble with the cops during our senior year of high school!” Ana jumps in. 

Edwin shakes his head and finishes the rest of his snack. “I’m going to need a bit more food if we’re going to be sharing stories for the rest of the night.”

As Edwin walks away, Tony immediately becomes enamored with the story that Obie begins to tell. 

~~

Hours go by and mostly everyone has left. The only people left in the house are Peggy, Edwin, Ana, Obie, and Tony.

Tony is sitting on the sofa, amused by their antics. His eyes land back on the photo album. He suddenly remembers the scratched out photo. Tony goes to grab the album, but Obie beats him to it.

“Oh, God,” Obie mutters. He looks over to Peggy. “Is this your family photo album? I haven’t seen this in years!” Obie starts to flip through the album, a nostalgic look on his face. However, the more photos he goes through, the more Obie’s demeanor changes. 

Obie starts to become irritated and bit angry. He tosses the album back to where it was. Obie chugs a drink from the bottle of tequila he had brought out earlier.

“Uh, are you okay, Obie?” Tony asks.

“I hated your mother.”

Obie’s words shock Tony.

“What?”

“Your mother was a piece of shit, truly.” Obie glances at Tony. “Did you mother ever tell you how she stole my girlfriend?” 

That stuns Tony into silence. 

“I guess that’s why I stopped being friends with her. So, when I heard the news that your mother died, boy was I so fucking joyful.”

Peggy, Ana, and Edwin are all listening carefully to Obie’s words. The three adults glance worriedly at each other.

Ana hesitantly looks back at Obie, afraid to ask what she knows is on everyone’s mind. “Obie? Did you... did you kill Maria?”

Obie’s eyes widen at the question. “What? No!”

Tony pulls out the scratched photo from the album and holds it up for everyone to see. “Did you do this?”

Obie gulps and his eyes dart back and forth between everyone in the room. “I.. Um...”

~~

The sound of gravel can be heard as someone walks up to a desolate cabin late at night. 

The inside of the cabin is dim, only being lighted up by the moonlight that peaks through the slits of the curtains. There are various pieces of furniture covered with sheets. 

The sound of the door being unlocked is heard. The door creaks open. A dark figure places the keys down onto the counter. The person turns the lights on. Once the lights are on, it reveals that the dark figure is actually Peggy. Her hair is still done in a tight bun, but the veil, dress, and lipstick she had on earlier are gone. Instead, she is wearing a black sweatshirt and leggings with athletic shoes.

Peggy heads over to a door and opens it. She turns the light of the basement and starts to walk down the stairs.  A no nonsense look is on her face. She walks towards something and stops. Peggy looks down. 

Peggy is looking at a thinner and raggedy version of her sister. Maria is tied up and gagged. Her clothing is dirty and torn.

Maria looks up at Peggy, all the fight is gone from her eyes.

“Now, this wouldn’t have happened if you just joined HYDRA like I did.” Peggy walks around Maria. “So, what are we going to do about you? Hmm?”

[prettymuchdolansbitch]

moved on | Zion Kuwonu

zion had made it clear to you that he wanted to be single on tour but you guys could stay friends

for the first few weeks of tour, you guys talked almost everyday. whether it was texting or actually calling one another.

the first day you didn’t hear from him you didn’t make a big deal out of it assuming he was busy all day. after a week of not hearing from him, you knew something else was up.

you didn’t push it but you still tried to talk to him. everytime you texted him there was always an excuse. your friend izzy had invited you to go out with them to promote young and reckless.

you agreed because you saw their pieces and actually thought it was dope. and it was a chance to see some friends you haven’t seen since the boys left on tour.

you met at Izzy’s house to get ready and whatnot. at the fair you stayed with izzy most of the time. At one point her and neveah ran away to have their own mini shoot. that left you with their friend Choppy and some other people.

You and choppy walked around with everyone else but stayed a little behind. “So have you talked to zion lately?” he asked shyly.

“no not really. which is weird, honestly” you said wrapping your arm around the giraffe that izzy had won. “No yeah i get that. ever since that girl on the bus, he hasn’t really-“

you stopped walking. “what?” you felt your heart shatter. “oh shit. you didn’t know? i thought- i’m so sorry y/n”

you wanted to burst out in tears. izzy and neveah had just caught up to you guys. “what happened?” izzy asked seeing you frozen.

“iz i gotta go. um i’ll text you this weekend or something “ you handed her the giraffe and ran to the parking lot. before you could even choose a song, you sped out of the lot towards your home.

you sat in silence to gather yourself. how could he? and just drop you? who even was she? did izzy know when she invited you out? were you the only one who had no clue?

before you knew it, you were in front of your secret beach. you didn’t know how you ended up there but you didn’t fight it either.

2 months later

the past 2 months have been a rollercoaster. the night you found out that zion had girls on the bus, you had met someone who also considered your secret beach, their secret beach.

the best part? he was probably the most gorgeous guy you’ve ever met. at first you thought he was a close second to zion but after 2 months of constantly hanging out, you learned so much about Grayson.

His goofy personality had won you over as well as how much of a gentleman he is. You felt like you were seeing a man rather than a teenage boy. Granted he was also 20, you just felt different.

Izzy and Choppy had tried to convince you to go to the boy’s last show in LA, but you would’ve rather be with Grayson. Unfortunately for you, Grayson had a work party.

You sighed as you told izzy you’d go with her to the show.

You agreed to pick her up for the show and you guys go together. You weren’t planning on drinking as you normally would, but you know izzy was going to.

you guys had just made it on time to see the boys before they had to get on stage. izzy ran up to edwin and you were saying hi to some of zions friends.

as you were saying hi to wolfie a loud booming voice was behind you. You and zion both turn to each other at the same time. “Hey” you smile and hug him. “Oh hey.” he hugged you back and wolfie left scared to hear what was gonna happen next.

you guys didn’t say anything so you decided to get up and leave. “um i’m gonna go find izzy. have a good show.” before he could respond, you pushed past the crowd so that he wouldn’t follow.

“bro what the fuck was that?” wolfie said rushing up to zion. “she wasn’t begging for me back? i’m confused i thought you said she was upset that i was gone?” zion said leaning up against the wall.

“she looked like it last time i saw her. but that was before y’all went on tour.” zion nodded.

“i thought she would get jealous and blow up my phone after she found out that there were groupies on the bus, but she just didn’t. and we haven’t spoke in like 2 months.” zion started realizing stuff.

after the show

after the show, zion was exhausted. his mind was racing trying to think of reasons for why you never hit him up after the scandal. he mainly avoided the reason as being another guy. performing and thinking about you had him out of breath by the end.

zion was able to catch you before you could escape. “wait y/n before you go, can we talk?” He asked putting his hands in his pockets.

“yeah, here or?” she asked while grabbing her keys. “can we go to your house?” zion asked full of hope. “mm i don’t think so. my uh boy friend wouldn’t like that..” you said playing with your keys.

“boyfriend?” zion said in shock. “well yeah, after i heard about your little groupies i thought you were completely over what we had so i wasn’t going to wait for you to come home.” you shrugged.

“oh um okay.. good i’m happy for you.. listen i gotta go shower and then meet some fans so maybe i’ll catch you later..” zion said not making eye contact.

the last thing he wanted to do was push you away. he wanted you to beg for him. but he knows that’s not gonna happen anytime soon.

A/N: i just be writing random shit & posting it 🙈 hope you enjoyed it ! let me know if you want a part 2 💖

[cals-sunflower]

Yellow hearts (E.H)

You were the complete opposite of Edwin. He was so outgoing and very loud at times. You’re more reserved and shy. You kept to yourself and only really talked to people when they roped you into a conversation. Edwin was well known in the school and so were his friends. You’d always see him walking or laughing with his friends and other people around them. You had two good friends and that was about it. You harbored a crush for the boy that only you knew.

Waking up for school was the worse part but you managed to get ready for another day of hell. You quickly dressed in black shorts, a gray Nike hoodie and black/white vans. You grabbed your phone and awaited on a message from Elizabeth and Maya saying they were on their way to your house to pick you up. Of course you had your own car but today you didn’t feel like driving.

Amigas😙❤️

Lizzy🤪: Me and Maya are here, come outside idiot

You: I’m coming, hold on

Maya🤤: Hurry uppp

You walked out of your room and went to your brothers room to make sure he was ready to leave. The thing was that you guys always dropped off Jaden and then went to class. Being that his middle school was literally right next to your high school. You both walked out the door and got into the car. The drive was not that far and you guys made it in no time.

“Jaden please behave and do your best. I love you kiddo,” you bent down to the height of your brother and hugged him tightly.

“I love you too Y/n. Don’t forget to talk to Edwin,” your brother giggles and walks into the school doors. You shook your head and walked into the high school. Walking to your locker, you seen Edwin in all his glory. His black curls that looked so nice and soft. You couldn’t help but to gain a crush on the boy who you didn’t really talk to.

“Earth to Y/n!! Hello,” Maya waves her hand in your face and you immediately turned to her. “What do you want?” She smirks at you and winked.

“Nothing, i just wanted you to turn your head away from lover boy over there,” you rolled your eyes and got ready for first period. You thought Edwin didn’t notice you because you weren’t loud and out there like the girls who threw themselves at Edwin, and to be honest you were okay with just being a distance.

First period was a class that you only had with Elizabeth. Being that it was History, you grabbed your drawing book and began to draw Edwin who was seated in front of you. You never really payed much attention in this class but you always got an A.

“What are you making this time?” Elizabeth whispers to you. “I’m gonna just do a shading outline of him and then put his name with yellow hearts around it,” you replied back in a whisper. Your friends knew you were a good drawer and ever since have been excited whenever you’d pull out the thick black book with all your sketches and drawings.

By the time third period came around, you were done with drawing Edwin. Finish the last yellow heart, you were very proud of your work. Then the weird bell in between third period and lunch rang, and you couldn’t wait to eat. The three of you guys met up at your usual table and you began drawing again.

“Ugh, I’m so jealous of your talent to draw. You need to teach me how to draw,” you looked at Maya like she was crazy before laughing at her facial expression. “Sure sure, you’ll give up in 2 days of me teaching you,” still drawing something random in your book. Maya mumbled a quick “you have a point”.

“Okay Y/n, act natural because Edwin and his friends are coming to sit with us,” Elizabeth said in a whisper but you didn’t believe her, so you ignored her and continued drawing.

“Aye, is it alright if we sit here? They took our table,” the rich voice spoke. “Yay, of course. You guys are welcomed to sit,” Maya smiles at the boys who sat down with their lunch. You were too nervous to even turn around, so you just kept drawing.

“Your drawing looks really dope. Are you gonna add any colors?” Edwin leaned over your shoulder to look at what you were creating. “Um maybe, I’m not really sure. It should come to me later tho,” you glanced at him and gave a smile.

“Is it okay if I look at your other drawings?” You simply nodded and passed him the book, completely forgetting you drew him. You were in a full conversation with Maya, Nick, and Zion about after school plans when Edwin seen your picture of him. This brought a big smile to the boys face, which didn’t go unnoticed by his friends.

“Hey, why so smiley?” Brandon teases him. Edwin closed the book being that all eyes were currently on him. “Nothing, Y/n just really good at drawing,” he slides you back the book. You smiled and thanked him for his kind words. Everyone then just enjoyed each other’s company and spent lunch laughing and getting to know each other more.

“Okay boys, this was fun. We need to sit together more often,” Elizabeth said to which the boys agreed. “Yeah we’re going to leave, cause this girl doesn’t like to be late,” Maya pointed one your direction. You became shy and looked down, mumbling a sorry.

“Yeah for sure, we’re coming back tomorrow. Hopefully you guys don’t get annoyed with us to fast. We’re going to be sticking around,” Nick spoke to the three of you.

“Sure thing Nicky boy,” Elizabeth got up and gathered her stuff. “Hey Y/n, I’ll see you in fourth period?” Edwin turned his body to you. You nodded your head, not trusting your words to speak. The three of you walked away and left the boys sitting there.

“So what really made you so smiley?” Zion questioned Edwin once you girls were out of ear shot. Edwin smiled thinking about how adorable you were being. “Y/n was being adorable for one. Two, she drew a picture of my face and wrote my name with yellow hearts around it,” he explained to the other boys that sat around him.

“I knew you were falling for her. Man, go for it,” Austin replied to his friend. “Yeah, she’s definitely more your type then the girls that throw themselves at us,” everyone around the table agreed and got ready to walk to third period being that the bell rang again.

“Also don’t act like we haven’t seen you stare at her when she’s not looking,” Zion winked at him causing him to blush and laugh.

For the rest of the day Edwin couldn’t get you out of his head. Of course this wasn’t the first time you’ve ever captured his attention but today was the tipping point. He was going to ask you out but wanted to get to know you more. One thing he couldn’t stop saying to himself was she really put my name with yellow hearts.

[angelicarreaga]

Jello | Z.K

Request:  I love your writing you’re bomb af, could you do a Zion imagine where you’re real good friends and you both flirt all the time and try to make the other real jello ;) all the time and he sees you grinding on some guy and gets real mad and it ends with some smutty shit? ;*

Word Count: 2.5k

Warnings: Slight smut I guess but it’s not well written LOL I didn’t go all out because it was already long but if you want a part 2 that’s just smutty I can MAYBE try writing it

A/n: I know I usually write these as blurbs but I wanted this one to be a little longer so I’m posting it as a “full” imagine! I like this one a lot but I’m not very good at writing full on smut so it’s more just suggestive than anything but I hope you still like it!! :) 

Your friendship with Zion was probably one of the most complicated ones you’ve ever had in your life. Since you guys met each other, there was an instant connection, and the constant flirting convinced the other boys that you were going to end up together.

They would always tease Zion, saying how he’s whipped for you or how he needs to grow a pair and ask you out. On your side, you were always flirting back, with subtle teasing and smiles that drove him crazy.

The weird part was, neither of you ever said anything. Even though you knew you had feelings for Zion, you often tried to deny the fact that they were even there at all. It was a constant game of trying to talk yourself out of it. You didn’t know if it was out of fear, but it was.

With this strange friendship came along a lot of jealousy, and it was almost like an unspoken game that both of you were always making the other jealous, knowing they couldn’t really be angry. Although neither of you ever got into serious relationships, you still both felt a hint of jealousy when the other would flirt or have a fling with someone else.

Tonight there was a party at the house for Edwin’s birthday, and you were in your room getting ready before everyone started showing up.

You had finished your hair and makeup and stood by your closet, flipping through everything trying to look for something to wear. Your eyes landed on the red dress you remembered wearing a little while ago, specifically one Zion said he loved on you.

You smirked to yourself as you pulled it off the hanger, sliding it onto you and adjusting it in the mirror, feeling satisfied with how you looked.

You made your way to the boys’ house early since they wanted your help setting up and just wanted to see you early, so you happily agreed.

You turned the door handle, knowing it was unlocked and let yourself in, calling for the boys just to let them know it was you that had walked in.

“In the kitchen!” Edwin called, and you kicked off your shoes and held them in your hand as you scurried over to the kitchen, finding all of the boys surrounding the table with snacks sprawled out everywhere.

Zion looked up at you quickly, his eyes widening slightly at the sight of you, but he averted his gaze when he realized that you noticed.

“We’re eating good tonight I see,” you commented, walking over to them and examining the contents on the table.

“We wanna feed them the good shit,” Brandon nodded.

“I brought you a present, Ed,” you smiled, handing over the gift bag you had brought with you, “but I don’t want you to open it yet.”

“You didn’t have to get me a present,” he grinned as he walked over to you and enveloped you in a huge hug.

“I wanted to,” you smiled, ruffling his hair slightly.

You walked out to the living room, trying to move the furniture around so that it would be spacious enough for people to stand, dance and sit wherever they pleased.

“Edwin did you get decorations I wanna go all out,” you laughed, calling back to him.

As Edwin was shouting his reply, Zion walked in holding a bunch of balloons, and they surrounded him as he passed you some, asking you where you should put them.

You spread them out in the room, feeling Zion’s eyes follow you every time you moved.

“Who you trying to impress tonight?” he asked suddenly, making you turn back from where you were standing to face him, noticing a playful sparkle in his eye that he often had when he spoke to you.

“No one in particular,” you shrugged, looking down at what you were wearing as if you had forgotten.

“Oh yeah?” he teased, taking a step closer to you. You were able to smell his cologne and feel his warm breath on you because of his proximity, and your breath caught for a moment before composing yourself.

“Yeah,” you confirmed, “what? Think you’re special?”

“Not at all,” he smirked.

“Good,” you smiled, walking out of the room, smiling to yourself as you felt his eyes on you again.

The party was in full swing, almost everyone who was coming had already shown up except for a select few that decided to come super late.

Everyone had been drinking, and the music blared throughout the house, everyone laughing, dancing and having a good time together.

You usually weren’t one for house parties, but thankfully because Edwin was hosting, you knew most of the people who were there, which made you slightly more comfortable. You were feeling tipsy, but had not yet crossed that line, you weren’t planning on getting plastered, you knew you would have to be the mom for the night to the boys anyway.

You stood with Brandon and Nick, dancing stupidly to the loud music that was playing, both of them much more drunk than you were, but you found it amusing. As you danced with them, you looked over to Zion, who was standing with a beautiful girl. Your heart sped up at the sight but you quickly looked back at the boys in front of you, knowing you had no reason or right to be jealous.

“I’m gonna go grab another drink,” you said loudly to the boys so they could hear you over the music, and you earned a thumbs up from Brandon before you started making your way back to the kitchen.

“Why is Edwin so popular,” you whispered to yourself as you slithered your way through the piles of people, passing Zion on your way there, trying not to let your eyes linger on him for too long.

You sat at the island for a moment, sighing slightly due to the relief you felt from being off your feet. The heels you had put on were starting to take a toll on you.

Your eyes scanned the room, noting everyone around you, listening in on some conversations. You mingled there for a while and once you were finished your drink, you decided to head back to where everyone was dancing.

As you were walking to Brandon and Nick someone stopped you. You took in his tan skin and full lips as you looked up at him, his smile charming. You knew you had seen him before, but you couldn’t remember a name for the life of you.

“Wanna dance?” he offered.

You were going to turn him down, but when you glanced over your shoulder and saw Zion’s hands on another girls waist, you turned back with a grin, nodding your head enthusiastically.

The boy smiled sweetly at you, taking your hand and guiding you through the pile of writhing bodies, all pushing and bumping against each other as they danced and sang along to a song you didn’t recognize, but liked anyway.

You began trying to move your body to the rhythm of the music, the boy in front of you doing the same. You felt slightly self conscious, but not uncomfortable. You loved dancing, and he didn’t seem super creepy, so you were fine.

When he placed a hand on your waist and pulled you closer, you didn’t decline, taking a step closer and putting a hand on his shoulder as you continued swaying your hips back and forth, just enjoying the casual moment.

He took your hand and twirled you around, making you laugh as he ended up behind you, his hands still firmly grasping your hips as you danced, words not being spoken between the two of you since the music was too loud.

You were able to see Zion now, who had his gaze fixed on you until your eyes met him, making him turn away quickly like he did earlier that day. He didn’t want to show that he cared. He didn’t want you to know he felt something burning up inside him when he saw you with another guy, his hands roaming your body.

You started grinding against him, moving your body against his as he did the same back to you, and you laughed at the moment, knowing it was nothing serious.

You still weren’t super drunk, but the room was spinning slightly, making everything more amusing than it should have been.

You made a point to grind against the guy more, occasionally glancing over at Zion to see if he was looking, which he was. For a fleeting second you felt bad for using this boy to make Zion jealous, but he was still having fun without knowing that.

The song ended and you laughed, turning back to face the boy and thanking him for the dance.

“That was fun,” you smiled to him.

“It was, maybe save me another before the end of the night?” he asked, his eyes quickly sweeping over your figure before coming back to meet your eyes.

“Maybe,” you smiled before walking away from him, approaching Zion but passing him as if you didn’t even notice he was there. You knew that always got to him.

You felt a hand grab your arm lightly, and when you turned around you saw it was Zion, his eyebrows furrowed together as he looked at you, not saying a word for a few moments.

“What?” you asked, waiting for him to say something instead of just stare at you.

“What the hell was that?” he asked loudly, referring to what he just witnessed on the “dance floor”.

“What the hell was what?” you questioned, acting oblivious even though you knew exactly what he was talking about.

“Grinding with some dude you don’t even know!” he exclaimed, “Y/n he could have been a creep or like try to follow you home or something.”

“I’m staying here tonight anyway,” you shrugged, ignoring the rest of his comment.

“That’s not the point!” he said, throwing his hands up, “I don’t want grimy dudes touching you like that it’s gross.”

“Why do you care, Zion?” you asked, lifting an eyebrow as you took a step closer to him, a playful smirk starting to form on your face.

“Fuck outta here,” he said, throwing his head back as he let out a laugh, not wanting to admit that he was jealous. He tried to play it off as looking out for you, but you knew the real reason he brought it up to you.

One of your favorite songs came on and you jumped excitedly, dancing subtly in front of him.

“Are you....jealous?” you said quietly.

“Not even a little,” he lied, watching you dance, admiring the way your body moved in the dress you were wearing. 

“So you mean, you weren’t mad when I was doing this?” you teased, turning around and pushing your butt up to Zion, moving it around to the beat of the song that was playing.

“Not at all,” he replied, trying to be stubborn. He tried not to touch you, but eventually couldn’t help himself, his hands grazing up your body and landing on your hips, bringing them closer to him. 

You smiled to yourself, knowing you had won as you continued dancing with him, eventually turning around to face him, putting your hands on his shoulders as you both swayed to the music.

“You sure you weren’t jealous?” you teased.

“Y/n you can do what you want I’m not jealous,” he persisted, his voice totally unconvincing. 

You moved your hand from his shoulder down his torso, landing on his crotch as you started palming him through the jeans he was wearing, making his let out a loud gasp since he wasn’t expecting it.

“Would you be mad if I did that to someone else?” you whispered into his ear, making his hair on his neck stand up.

“No,” he lied, and at this point he knew that you knew he was lying, he was just keeping it up for show. He tried not to show that he liked what you were doing, but when he let out a slight moan, he knew you wouldn’t let that down.

“Wanna go to your room?” you asked, moving your hand away, taking his large hand in yours.

“Yeah let’s do that,” he nodded, “to talk?”

“To talk,” you winked, walking to the staircase that led to his bedroom. You heard Brandon hollering behind you, making you roll your eyes as you continued. 

You shut the door behind you, pushing Zion towards his bed where he sat down, looking up at you as you stood in front of him. His eyes scanned your face and body again, admiring how good you looked.

You hands found his shoulders again as you straddled him, your hands going down his torso as you grinded against him slightly, making his breathing heavier.

“You look so good in that dress,” he said, his hands going up and down your body, eventually resting on your thighs that he gripped tightly. “But I think you would look better with it off.”

“Oh yeah?” you teased, your lips making their way to his neck, lingering there before moving up to his jaw, making his head fall back.

His hand reached behind you, fiddling with the zipper of your dress before pulling it down, making you smile at him.

You played with the bottom of his shirt, putting your hands under it momentarily before pulling it off him, your eyes lingering on his body.

“Like what you see?” he asked, kissing your collarbones as he gently moved the dress of your shoulder, starting to pull it down.

“Maybe,” you teased, moving down to his pants.

You both stood up, him removing his jeans as you kicked off the dress that was still resting on your bottom half.

Zion laid you on the bed, hovering over you as he kissed down your body, making you shiver slightly. You couldn’t believe this was happening.

“I really want to kiss you,” he muttered as he looked at your lips.

“So do it,” you urged,  pulling him down closer as you attached your lips to his, his mouth immediately opening, your mouths and tongues moving together as you felt the heat of his body against yours.

He pulled away from you, grinning at you as he continued kissing down your body, nipping slightly at your boobs and then your inner thighs, making you gasp unexpectedly.

As his lips moved down your hips, his finger lightly touched you over your panties, and you looked down at him as he smiled suggestively.

He moved his finger in circles on your clit, making you moan slightly at the feeling of friction. Your hips bucked up, wanting more as he chuckled at how you finally melted into his fingertips, something he never thought would happen.

He finally pulled down your underwear, and you felt his warm breath as he didn’t touch you, making you want him even more.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for so long,” he said to you, his hands running down your bare legs.

“Give me all you got, Kuwonu,” you smirked, “but I don’t know how much longer I can wait so hurry.”

He laughed at you before finally giving you what you were ready to beg for.

[intothestarkerverse]

Time of Our Lives (Part Seven)

Based on a prompt from @geekymarvel  

Peter is tasked with an important mission that requires him to go back in time.   Finding himself at a gala for Stark industries in the 1990’s, he comes face to face with a young and incorrigible Tony Stark who considers Peter’s attempts to deny his advances a challenge.  Now, dogged by a horny young CEO who won’t take no for an answer, Peter’s task has become much more difficult….

(STORY CONTAINS ENDGAME SPOILERS)

Read on AO3

Tony Stark had long ago learned to live independently.  From boarding school as a child to MIT as a teenager to working for his family’s Fortune 500 company as an adult, he had rarely been coddled and had taught himself how to survive without many close personal attachments, depending only upon himself, and never allowing sentimentality to consume him.  He could count those for whom he deeply cared on a single hand:  Edwin Jarvis, James Rhodes, and (before her death) Maria Stark.  The rest of the billions of people on the Earth?  He never expected much more from them than a fleeting night’s entertainment and debauchery or more money to pad his already over-inflated bank account.

The last thing that Tony Stark ever anticipated was how easily Peter Parker seemed to fit into that life of self-imposed solitude.  Perhaps some of that could be accredited to Peter’s familiarity with the Old Man.  Peter was not as easily offended by Tony’s peculiarities because, no doubt, the Old Man hadn’t grown out of all of them.  He laughed at Tony’s dry wit.  He blushed at Tony’s flirtations.  He called Tony out on his shit and somehow instinctively had a sixth sense about when to stand his ground and when to back down to Tony’s mercurial temper.  It was like being with someone he’d known for years, and there were times when he had to consciously remind himself that they’d actually met only a short time ago.

It was likely that the Old Man kept his lab organized in a similar way to Tony’s, more because Tony was a creature of habit than because there was any tried or true system to it.  Even decades into the past, that had to be how Peter seemed so at ease in the area of Tony’s home in which he had always felt the most comfortable and in control.  But it wasn’t just the lab.  It was everything else, too.

There were no breakfast buffets after that first morning, but there was always some manner of breakfast food waiting for them when they woke up.  Eggs and bacon.  Waffles.  Pancakes.  Muffins.  Something.  Peter playfully teased and cajoled Tony into taking at least a few bites of food, sometimes even serving him up a small plate with his morning coffee with the insistence that “even a brain as amazing as the great Tony Stark’s needs fuel.”  As much as Tony pretended to hate it, there was some long-buried and never-recognized part of him that was happy to have someone who cared about his morning caloric intake.  It had been such a very long time since someone had tried to take care of him, someone who wasn’t on his payroll and was genuinely concerned about him because of an emotional fondness and not a monetary need, at any rate.  It felt much nicer than he was ever going to be willing to admit to anyone.  Even when he didn’t feel like eating, he always caved in and ate at least a few bites of whatever Peter was offering him.  It was only to pacify the kid, he told himself, but if he was being honest…he might become more of a breakfast person if his mornings were going to stay like this forever.  But they weren’t.  That’s what he had to keep telling himself.

After breakfast, if Stark Industries could do without their CEO, the two men were off to Tony’s home lab.  The first time he’d showed Peter the lab, he had genuinely hoped for a bigger reaction.  Peter was not nearly as impressed as he would have hoped, but…Tony had to remind himself that he was still competing against that ridiculous Old Man who had the benefit of 21st Century technology and several decades of trial and error that Tony had yet to experience. Of course the Old Man’s lab was going to be shinier and more impressive.  Of course Peter wasn’t going to ‘ooo’ and ‘awww’ over technology that he likely found woefully outdated and comical.  Tony wasn’t bitter about that.  At least…not much.  To his credit, Peter seemed genuinely taken with Dum-E and U.  He greeted them like old friends…and they probably were, come to think of it.  If it was possible, the robots seemed equally enamored by the kid.  Though, as Tony watched Peter giggle and duck Dum-E’s awkwardly swinging appendage, the inventor wondered if there was anyone who wasn’t charmed by the spiderling within minutes of meeting him.  How did he fight crime in the future?  How did all of the criminals not just turn themselves in at the prospect of causing that boy an ounce of harm?  How had the Old Man not become an authoritarian dictator imposing martial law on New York City just to keep the crime rate down and make sure that Peter Parker never encountered anything more dangerous than lost tourists and purse thieves?  

Peter felt responsible for the Old Man’s death.  It wasn’t so hard for Tony to imagine that he’d died for Peter.  Protecting him.  Saving him.  Guaranteeing him a future of rainbows and unicorns.  Not that Tony would ever do anything like that himself.  He could just…understand where the Old Man might have become more sentimental as senility and infirmity crept up on him.  Tony Stark was a self-centered piece of shit…one who choked down unwanted breakfast food every morning just to watch Peter’s face light up with triumph and joy over his small victory.

Fuck.

The lab work was as grueling as Tony had warned that it would be.  Fixing the Nullifer was an impossible task.  There were six glass boards erected on wheels around the lab, all of them covered in colorful, erasably marked equations as Tony and Peter broke the Nullifer down to the bare bones theories Howard Stark had hypothesized when creating it.  There were parts strewn across several work tables.  Blue prints and schematics pinned to walls, taped to floors…  

Though he would never say as much out loud, Tony was impressed by Peter.  His grasp of theoretical physics was remarkable for a kid without a college degree.  Though there were times that Peter needed him to break down the truly advanced parts of a few of the equations, Peter was quick to grasp the concepts once they were explained and proved unafraid to voice his own ideas and theories.  He wasn’t just beautiful, sexy, and brave, he was also smart enough to carry on a scientific conversation with Tony without being left behind…and without boring the inventor.  That, in and of itself, was astounding.  Much to his own chagrin, Tony found himself hauling out other projects, theories, concepts, prototypes…explaining them all to Peter with a touch more eagerness than his self-respect preferred and taking in the boy’s praise or suggestions like he was starving for it.  

They always broke for lunch when the sound of Peter’s stomach rumbling became too distracting, taking whatever fare Jarvis had prepared for them back to the lab so they could eat and work at the same time…though they rarely did.  The ‘picnics’ as Peter called them were usually spent discussing things other than the Nullifer, mostly because Peter insisted that it was important to give the brain time to process things subconsciously.  Tony did have to admit that more often than not, after they’d spent all of lunch arguing over who the best Star Wars characters were while seated in the only clean part of the lab (a six foot square section of floor in the left center) there was some kind of small ‘eureka’ moment that led them down a new path.  It was never the right path, but he had warned Peter that he thought the Nullifer could never actually be fixed.  It certainly wasn’t like, as days passed, Tony was hoping he was right and that stupid machine was broken well into their old age.  Because that wasn’t true.  Or at least, he’d never admit it.  Even to himself.

It was somewhat distressing how little Stark Industries seemed to actually need their CEO around.  Tony suspected that Obie was probably still shouldering a lot of the workload, and since he had no desire to dip his toes into the bureaucratic side of the company…he didn’t feel much like stopping him. Every time he mentioned Obadiah’s name, Peter would imperceptibly tense up and change the subject. It was suspicious, but Tony tried to write it all off as a mutual dislike between the men.  After all, when Tony’s presence had finally been demanded in the office, he’d taken Peter with him to show him around the company…and Obie had been less than welcoming to the young man.

Dinner was mostly delivery, eaten in front of the television, the two men seated closely together on the sofa or the floor in front of the coffee table.  Peter had a deep appreciation for cinema, one that Tony found both endearing and a little obnoxious every time he referred to a recent release as a ‘really old movie.’  “You’re going to be a really sexy corpse if you say that one more time, Peter.”

Peter gave Tony a sidelong glance attempting an innocent smile and a dismissive shrug.  “You’re the one who calls my Tony ‘Old Man’ whenever you’re referring to him.”

Tony felt his jaw clench ever so slightly at Peter’s choice of words.  He sucked in a slow breath through his nose, letting it escape in a sigh as he pushed the nearly empty Chinese takeout container away.  Suddenly, he wasn’t hungry anymore.  “You know, from what little you’ve told me about the guy…I don’t get why you still think he was ever ‘yours’.”

Peter froze, staring down at his own food.  Perhaps Tony had said too much.  He wasn’t jealous of the guy and he hardly wanted Peter to think he was.  There was just some part of him that was very frustrated by Peter always referring to the Old Man as ‘his Tony’.  “No…yeah…you’re right.  He’s not mine.  Never was.  He’s just…just Mr. Stark.  I won’t call him ‘my Tony’ anymore.  I’m sorry…if it…you know.”

Fuck.

The kid even knew him well enough not to go any further with his apology or his excuses.  Tony had never imagined how amazingly frustrating it would be to have someone like Peter around.  No, not someone like Peter.  Peter. There couldn’t be anyone else like Peter, not in all of time and space.

—

“What’s this?”  Peter had been rooting around in Tony’s drawers trying to find a spare tube of lubricant.  They were out, something he’d only just discovered when he was trying to prepare to seduce the older man when he finished with his late-night conference call with the Japanese investors.  Instead of finding spare lube, he’d stumbled upon a worn children’s chapter book tucked away in the bottom drawer of Tony’s bedside table.

Tony froze inside the doorway.  His face was unreadable, but there was a hint of something uncomfortable in his dark eyes.  “A book.”

“Yeah, I figured that part out.  I mean…why do you have it?”

“It was a gift.”

“From?”

“My mother.”

“Oh.”  Peter’s hand fell to his lap, still holding onto the book.  Suddenly, he felt bad about bringing it up.  Although they had both lost their parents, it was something neither of them had talked about to any profound extent.  Peter barely remembered his parents, and for Tony that loss was only a few years old.  Peter could sympathize and avoided the topic unless Tony brought it up.  He felt the mattress shift as Tony sat down beside him.  The billionaire was staring at his hands, remarkably quiet for someone who always enjoyed talking so much.  “You don’t have to say anything else.”  Peter felt the need to make sure Tony knew he was all right with the silence.  “I…I understand.”

Tony nodded his head slowly.  “Yeah, Beautiful, I know you understand…That’s why…”  He fell silent, his words cut off by a melodramatic sigh.  “She gave it to me when I was little.  It was my favorite book growing up.”

Peter looked down at the battered dust jacket and smiled.  The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle.  “This makes so much sense.”  It added a whole new layer to Iron Man that Peter had never even considered.  He could just imagine a tiny Tony Stark pretending to be a knight…only to grow up and save the universe as a futuristic knight of sorts.  

“Oh yeah?”  Tony turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow, wondering at what part of his future could have anything to do with a book about the Round Table and chivalry.  “Well, I’m glad.  I guess.”  He was quiet again for several seconds before he reached out to gingerly take the book from Peter’s hands and begin leafing through it.  “When my mother wasn’t busy being a trophy wife, dragged off by my father to all corners of the world…she’d always come to my room to read me one of these.  Sometimes it was the only time I got to spend with her.  Being raised by nannies isn’t all that Hollywood makes it out to be.”  He grimaced, closing the book again.  “I loved those story times.  Everything about them.  Falling asleep to the sound of reading.  Dreaming about the stories.  Spent most of my very limited innocent years playing Knight and pretending to be a hero.  Then my father decided I was too soft, that I need to learn to be more independent.  Shipped me off to boarding school a half a world away when I was seven and I only saw my parents on holidays after that.  If I was lucky.  I don’t think we ever actually finished reading that book…”

Peter’s throat felt tight as he swallowed, lifting a hand to rub at his eye self consciously, attempting to wipe away the dampness there before Tony saw it.  

Only he did.

Peter could tell by the way Tony’s expression seemed to soften, the way he stared at Peter as if he was only just seeing him for the first time.  The teenager tried to smile, rubbing at his eyes again before Tony reached out to capture his wrists, gently pull his hands away from his face and bridge the distance between them.

Peter could never remember Tony kissing him quite so gently before.  There was a tenderness to the brush of lips that took the young man’s breath away.  When Tony dropped his wrist and lifted a hand to gently stroke the side of Peter’s face, the boy felt tingly all over.  “Umm…we’re…we’re out of lube.”

Tony paused, ceasing the gentle succession of feather soft kisses he’d been pressing to Peter’s lips as he stroked his cheek with a calloused thumb.  A little laugh escaped him and he rested his forehead against Peter’s.  “Way to kill the mood, Parker.”

“I’m sorry!  We could…I don’t know…go without it?”

“Nah, we’ll get some tomorrow.  Tonight…let’s try something else tonight.”

Peter’s gaze was wary, but he nodded, afraid of what sexual escapades they might be about to embark on…right up until the moment Tony made himself comfortable in the bed and pulled Peter into his side.  Wait.  Was Tony Stark actually cuddling?  On purpose?  Of his own choice?  Instead of sex?  Without sex?  Cuddling?   Peter couldn’t help himself, he was grinning like a fool and only too happy to snuggle in as close to Tony as he was allowed.

“What knight did you pretend to be?”

“What?” Tony’s words were muffled by his position, nose buried in Peter’s chestnut curls.  “What knight…Arthur, of course.  Had to be the king, didn’t I?  My ego wouldn’t tolerate anything less.  Why?  Which knight do you think I am?”

Peter considered this for several minutes, running his fingers on a slow track up and down Tony’s clothed chest.  “Lancelot.  I think you’re way more a Lancelot.  Flashy and sexy.  The best knight, but also…controversial and tragic.”

Tony pulled back enough to look at him. “Damn, kid, you make me really curious about my life between now and then.  What the hell happens to me?  Who the hell is this Old Man, anyway?”

“Earth’s greatest defender.”

“No shit?”

“No shit.”  The silence lingered between them, but it wasn’t a bad quiet.  Peter was happy to rest in the comfort of Tony’s arm, tucked against his side, head resting on his chest.  It was Tony who finally broke the silence in the most unexpected of ways.  “Do we start at the beginning or where my mother and I last left off?” He held up the book with his free hand.

Peter just stared at him in awe.  Was he actually suggesting what Peter thought he was suggesting?  Somehow, the idea of cuddling with Tony in his bed reading his favorite book, a gift from his dead mother, a book he’d abandoned along with his innocence well over a decade ago…was the most intimate thing Peter had ever heard. He felt so humbled, so honored, so happy, that he was blinking tears out of his eyes again. “Better start at the beginning.  I don’t think the story of King Arthur has a happy ending.”

“The best stories never do, Sweetheart.”

—

“We’re going to dinner.”

Peter looked up from the circuit board he was bent over, setting it aside to look at Tony incredulously.  “We’re what?”

“We’re going out.  We’ve been cooped up inside for weeks.  It’s time I took you somewhere nice.  So…go shower, change, whatever.  We’re going to my favorite restaurant.”

Peter couldn’t even try to hide his delight at the prospect.  They were going on an actual date.  If he’d thought that periodic cuddles and stories with Tony were wonderful, than a dinner date with the man of his dreams was more than he’d ever hoped for.  He didn’t even care if Tony saw him running to their room to shower and change.

After a little less than an hour, Peter was pleased with the way he looked.  He’d tried to tame his curls and tie his tie just right.  The suit Jarvis had picked up for him ‘just in case’ he happened to need it was precisely the right size.  Then again, with Jarvis, everything was always perfect.  Peter had never thought that the AI would come up short in comparison to the real man.  Even Vision had nothing on this guy.

At last, content and more than ready for dinner, he decided to leave the master bath and go in search of Tony who he discovered entering the bedroom in search of him.

The two men froze in their respective doorways, speaking simultaneously in mirrored exclamations of surprise and indignation.  “What are you wearing?”

A long pause.

“You said you were taking me to dinner.”  Peter looked down at the suit and tie he’d donned, suddenly feeling very self conscious about his choice of attire compared to the jeans and band t-shirt Tony was wearing.

“Where exactly did you think we were eating, Tavern on the Green?”

“I mean…you’re a billionaire.”

“So that means I eat nothing but cavier for every meal then, huh?”

Peter looked genuinely puzzled.  “Don’t you?”

Tony crossed his arms and regarded the younger man with an eyebrow raised questioningly.  “You claim to know me so well, Pete.  What’s my favorite food?  Hm? Is it Foie Gras?”

Another long pause.  “No, its Cheeseburgers.”

“Bravo!”  Tony gave Peter an over-exaggerated round of applause.  “There’s the boy genius I know and love!”

The words hung between them for several seconds as both men realized what he’d said, albeit accidentally.  Peter’s face broke out in a slow grin that very nearly split his head in two, while for the first time in recorded history, Peter assumed, Tony actually blushed.  He cleared his throat, opened his mouth to speak, and remained speechless.  Another first for the billionaire by Peter’s estimation.

“No fair taking it back.”  Peter’s warning was spoken so softly that it barely carried to Tony’s ears.  The billionaire sucked in a slow breath and shrugged as if to say that he had no intention of taking it back, or acknowledging that it had ever happened.

“You’re not changing your clothes, Kid.  You’re eating in the suit.  Come on.  I’m hungry and I’m tired of waiting.”

“No, but…I don’t want to eat cheeseburgers in a suit, Tony.  I’ll look stupid.”  Peter’s high-pitched pleading echoed around them as they made their way through the penthouse and finally to the garage.  Tony sauntered to one of his cars, smirking at the kid as he slid into the driver’s seat.  

“Get in or starve, Beautiful.”

“Mr. Jarvis would never let me starve.”

“Did I say you were going to be starving for food, Beautiful?”  Tony’s gaze dipped meaningfully and Peter turned a deep shade of red.  

“Yeah, okay…I guess…I guess I can eat a cheeseburger in a suit.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Peter fidgeted the whole ride, feeling incredibly self conscious and over dressed.  More so when he saw where they were going to be eating.  Tony led the way into the tiny diner, greeting the middle-aged server and the line cook visible through a small pass-through into the kitchen.  He knew their names.  Apparently, he was a regular.

“You look pretty young to be a lawyer.”

Peter looked up at the woman whose name was apparently ‘Lorraine’.  “Oh no, I’m…I’m not a lawyer.”

“You don’t say…never see men in here in a suit unless they’re lawyers.  You just a fancy dresser, then, huh?”

“Um…yeah?”  Peter glanced down at the napkin wrapped silverware she’d placed in front of him and smirked at the sight of what appeared to be grease on the spoon.  Good thing he didn’t need silverware to eat a burger.

“What are you and your fancy man getting today, Tony?”

Tony raised an eyebrow at Peter, gesturing to the menu.  Peter, however, just shook his head.  “Just…double whatever you usually get.”

“Well, Lorraine, you heard the man.”

“Hey, Charlie, you hear all that?  I need two Dead Cows wearing Yellow Blankets, two orders of Frog Sticks and we need ‘em Stark Naked.”

Peter couldn’t help but snort as he tried to hold in his laughter.

“Be right back with the shakes, Dear.”  Lorraine departed the table with a wink, unused menus stashed under her arm.

Peter took the time to look around the diner now that they were alone.  It was old, but despite the literal greasy spoon, appeared to be clean.  There were a few other diners, but everyone seemed to be minding their own business.  Every booth had a tiny juke box sitting against the wall, and with nothing else to look at, Peter was happy to slide along the seat and take a closer look at the music selection.  “Oh wow, there’s some great really old music on this thing, did you bring change?”

“Of course.”  Tony laughed.  “Gotta have quarters for the jukebox and the pinball.  It’s part of the place’s charm.”

“There’s pinball, too!”  Peter craned his neck to find the game.

“It’s by the bathrooms.  I’ll challenge you to a few games after we eat.  Only fair warning you though, Beautiful, I’ve had the High Score on it for well over a year.”

“That’s really going to suck for you when I beat you tonight, then.”  

The burgers were surprisingly good.  Juicy, covered in gooey melted cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, pickle, tomato and some kind of ‘special sauce’ that Peter swore was just ketchup, mustard and mayo mixed together.  The milkshakes were thick, the fries were salty, and Peter was quick to declare it his new favorite burger joint in New York.  He even managed to beat Tony’s high score on pinball and preened with pride the entire way home while he listened to Tony grumble about a promised re-match.

As it turned out, the diner became a familiar haunt for them.  Several times a week after working late in the lab, they’d wind up in ‘their’ booth.  While they started out on opposite sides, after a couple of weeks, Tony just began sliding into the seat beside Peter, settling an arm around his shoulders, speaking softly into his ear, stealing french fries from his plate.  

—

Tony couldn’t believe that he had to hear about Peter’s bithday from Jarvis.  That hurt.  Far more than it should have.  The butler had shared the somewhat troubling exchange in which Peter had debated whether it was possible to have a birthday before someone was officially born.  Jarvis now thought Peter was utterly insane, but still seemed to like the kid.  It was impossible not to.

What did you do for your lover on his pre-Birthday?  They couldn’t have a party.  Peter had no one to invite and that was just going to be depressing.  He couldn’t give Peter a physical gift because he’d never be able to take it with him when he left.   If Tony ever let him leave, anyway.  A trip was out of the question, Peter would balk about being away from the Nullifier for that long.  He could convince the boy to take a few hours off, but more than a day…that was never going to happen.  Never mind that they’d already been at the job of repairing it for months.

The answer came to him quite unexpectedly, but it really was perfect.  It was going to be expensive.  It was going to take time, but Tony had both.

August tenth, after breakfast, Tony convinced Peter to take the morning off, though he said nothing about Peter’s birthday.  Not yet.  Peter didn’t suspect anything until Tony pulled his sports car into a parking spot at a lot for Forest Park in Queens.  Only then did the teenager pivot in his seat to fix Tony with a questioning look.  His confusion clear on his face.

“Happy B-day Peter!”

Peter just stared at him.  “Uh…thanks.  I guess.”

He clearly had no idea why Tony had brought him to Forest Park, but that was all going to become clear in a moment.  “I couldn’t think of what to do to make this special.  Thought a lot about it.  Had a lot of crazy ideas.  Settled on this one.  So…Peter, are you ready to meet your very much alive and breathing parents?”

If Peter looked surprised now, Tony was sure that finding out they were S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents was going to be a real Kodak moment.

[winryofresembool]

Love Can Melt the Ice, ch 13

Aka Edwin ice skating au!

Summary: More heart-to-heart between Ed and Winry after Ed’s birthday party

A/N: Sorry for the long-ish wait, I hope I’m making up for it with the longest chapter yet! This chapter was supposed to be fillery, but it ended up involving some pretty important stuff in it. This chapter is dedicated to @kittykatz009 who has been an amazing support to me and to whom I wish a very quick recovery. Please enjoy and review! 

Previous chapters:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Next chapter: [x]

Companion pieces (note: these are all post Olympics happenings so reading the main fic first is recommended): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Words: 3030+ (wow I really did break the 3k word line!) 

Genre: floof, some angst/hurt/comfort

Warnings: swearing, mentions of drinking, smoking and character deaths. Oh and Ed has a bit of a dirty mind.

“Thanks, Winry.” Ed said suddenly as the two of them were walking back towards their hotel after the party. He had insisted he wanted to use his crutches because he was getting tired of sitting around, so his teammates had brought them for him sometime during the night. The rest of the gang had either left to sleep earlier or continue their night elsewhere, so that left Ed and Winry alone. Even Al had mysteriously disappeared before they had a chance to ask if he wanted to walk with them.

“For what?” Winry asked, confused by this ‘outburst’.

“I don’t know. For tonight? For sticking with me? Not letting me be an asshole?” Ed said sheepishly.

“Pfft, I can’t take credit for all that.” Winry dismissed it with a wave of her hand.

“I think you can. I wish there was a way to repay it for you.”

“I… think there is one way you could thank me…” Winry was blushing slightly, her eyes twinkling playfully when she looked at him. Her gaze moved back and forth from his lips to his eyes, biting her lower lip lightly, letting Ed know what she wished.

“You sure?” Ed asked quietly, and Winry just nodded.

He took one step closer and started to lean in. He was now as close as he had been earlier that day at the hospital before Winry’s phone had interrupted them… Damn it, why did she look so cute there in the moonlight? Her shiny hair felt soft under his fingers and her cheeks were adorably pink and warm in the chilly weather… Ed closed his eyes, finally ready to connect their lips…

And just like earlier, they were interrupted again. This time some guys Ed didn’t know started whistling in the nearby smoking spot when they saw the couple. Winry recognized them as the bobsleigh guys she had seen earlier at the Olympics and was about to mention it to Ed when one of them spoke.

“Hey look, isn’t that the Rockbell girl we met earlier? She went out with that runt? The bitch’s got a bad taste.”

“Oh, so you think me hanging out with someone who respects me instead of someone who calls me a bitch is ‘bad taste’? You losers are just angry I didn’t let you get into my pants.” Winry retorted and pushed her ponytail behind her back for a dramatic effect.

“Winry!” Ed felt he shouldn’t have been surprised Winry was perfectly capable of standing up for herself, but he still hadn’t expected her to be that brave.

“Hah, what pants? All you ever wear are skirts so short that I can see your underwear under them,” one of the guys yelled.

“Ex-fucking-cuse me?” Ed couldn’t keep his mouth shut any longer. “Do I need to beat the shit out of you?” He growled and bared his teeth like a wolf that was ready to attack. Winry hadn’t seen this side of him earlier, and she got slightly scared of what might happen.

“Ed, it’s not worth it! They’re just jealous. You’re in no condition to fight anyway!”

“Unfortunately, you’re right,” Ed sighed, but waved his crutch threateningly at the men. “You assholes can be happy that I’m using crutches because otherwise you’d be seeing stars… This amazing woman here is worth about a million of you, and I’m not afraid of fighting all of you if I ever hear any of you say anything disrespectful about her again. I mean it.” He stretched his arm muscles and flashed a bit of his automail from under the glove he was always wearing, making sure his statement was effective.

“Now come on, Win. Let’s go.”

“But Ed…” she said when they were far enough that the guys couldn’t hear them anymore, “aren’t you worried they’ll say something about your automail?”

“I know the type of people those guys are, and they are way too coward to actually fight back. Besides, they only got a glimpse of it, they have no proof of anything. It might just as well have been a watch or something.”

“I have to admit, though, what you said about me was very sweet. Thank you.” Winry rested her hand on his shoulder for a moment.

“That was nothing,” Ed rubbed the back of his neck again.

“Don’t be so humble,” Winry said and squeezed Ed’s hand, the real one, before they continued their walk.

The two of them casually chatted as they walked towards the hotel, about the events of the night, how Winry had gotten everyone’s numbers (Roy had been a big help), how Winry knew the bobsleigh guys… For a while, they forgot where they were and simply enjoyed the moment. That was, until Ed asked an innocent question.

“So, individual competition soon? Are you nervous?”

“I… I don’t know. I haven’t really been thinking about it much for the past two days,” Winry admitted. It was true, she really hadn’t paid much attention to anything that was happening in the figure skating world after her incident. Garfiel would probably be angry when she’d finally show up at the training arena. In her defense, though, there wasn’t much she could do, with her foot still a bit tender.

“How’s your foot? You will be able to compete, right?” Ed asked.

“Um, I think so…” Winry shrugged. “It still feels a bit weird when I walk but the doctor says it isn’t badly injured. Just needs some rest.”

“That’s good, right?”

“Yeah… I just wish I could practice. I don’t know you can handle not being able to play. My problem is much smaller, but it’s still frustrating.”

“Trust me, I’m about to explode any minute now. That’s how much I hate this situation. But I’m lucky to have some awesome friends who have helped me to distract myself.” He gave her a toothy grin.

“Oh? That’s nice to hear.” Winry smirked happily, knowing that she was included to those “awesome friends”.

Soon the duo found themselves inside their hotel and started to make their way to their respective rooms. Winry’s was farther down the hallway so she stopped in front of Ed’s to tell him good night, but he was fiddling with his bag, apparently trying to find something.

“Damn it! I must have left my card key with Havoc when he went to get my crutches and I can’t call him anymore, he has probably passed out somewhere.”

“Oh no. Well, you can’t sleep in the hallway either, so…”

“Yeah? Do you have something in your mind?” Ed asked curiously.

“Please don’t get this wrong way…” Winry said, feeling slightly awkward. “Gracia and I share a room, but she hasn’t stayed there for a single night because Maes has a big bed, so… I guess there’s some space in mine… I mean my room! Not bed! Not that I’d mind… Ugh please stop me from babbling more!”

“I say this a lot, but you really are something else.” Ed smirked and raised Winry’s chin to meet her eyes. His golden gaze was enough to make her get quiet. For a while she thought he’d finally kiss her, but then he suddenly turned on his heels and started to hop towards Winry’s room on his crutches.

“What? You coming?” he asked when Winry just stood there, puzzled.

“You sure you are OK with this? I mean… I know things between us have been a bit weird and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable…” she asked.

“Didn’t you just say there are two beds in your room?” Ed rolled his eyes. “It’s not really that weird…”

Winry was a bit confused by Ed’s sudden change of demeanor. One moment he was pushing her away, the next he was already willing to share a room with her. Maybe… maybe this meant she had finally managed to make a crack into his hard shell. That’s what she wished, anyway.

“R-right. Let’s go in then!”

When inside, Winry showed Ed which bed was his and quickly pushed some of her underwear peeking from her bag out of sight (this situation was awkward enough as it was, in her opinion). Then she told Ed she was feeling kinda gross after a long day out, so she would take a quick shower before bed. Grabbing her towel and night clothes, she left Ed alone with his thoughts.

He soon regretted his choice to stay in Winry’s room, because as soon as the water started running in the small bathroom, his thoughts started to go to the wrong direction. That was Winry in there, wet and very much naked so close to him, with only a thin wall between them.  

‘Stop it, Elric, you have absolutely no right to think of her that way,’ he ordered himself in his mind. ‘She deserves to be respected, not treated like I have treated her during the entire time we’ve been together here.’

Pictures of water dropping into places he should absolutely not be thinking about filled his mind, and he tried to think of anything else that might cool him down. Roy being gross in the locker room. Armstrong flexing his muscles in every possible situation. Periodic table. Perfect. That seemed to work.

He would have to tell her how he felt sooner rather than later, he knew that much, but this was still too soon. Besides, Al had been right; she had the biggest competition of her entire life coming, which meant he really shouldn’t mess with her more than he already had. It just got harder and harder every moment to keep everything inside him; they had been so close to kissing several times already, and once that happened… it would be impossible to deny that something was going on between them (obviously something was going on, but in Ed’s opinion, they hadn’t quite crossed that invisible line between friends and lovers quite yet.)

Ed’s thoughts were interrupted by the opening door. Winry had thrown her towel around her shoulders, wearing a satin top and shorts that were short enough to make Ed’s mouth drop. He shook his head and tried to focus on her face instead when he realized she asked something.

“Is… everything OK? Is your leg hurting or something? You look kinda weird.”

“Huh, yeah, it’s OK. Not hurting,” Ed stammered.

“That’s good. I was getting a bit worried.” Winry said, totally oblivious to the effect she had on him. “Hey, do you mind if I call it a day? It’s been quite a long one and Garfiel is expecting me to be at the meeting tomorrow morning, so… “

“Yeah, I am pretty exhausted myself…” Ed agreed and took his hoodie and jeans off, leaving him with his T-shirt and boxers. Then he laid down on his bed, pulling the covers on him.

Winry hung her towel on a chair and did the same. She was already nearly asleep when she heard Ed mumbling ‘good night’ from the bed next to hers.

“Sleep tight,” Winry murmured and passed out soon after.

Ed didn’t sleep tight, though. A lot of thoughts were running through his head, most of them making him confused. He had sworn after the Nina incident that he would never get anyone too close again, but then this girl had just suddenly skated in his life and not just broken but crushed the wall he had spent building for so many years. It was too late to back down now, which meant either they’d keep drowning in this weird tension between them, or… he’d have to make a move to progress things.

Probably two hours into rolling around in his bed with no sleep in sight, Ed heard Winry mumbling in her sleep.

“Ed…”

She was seeing a dream of him! Once again Ed’s thoughts started running too wildly, wondering what exactly happened in that dream of hers, but then he heard her say something else.

“Mum… dad… no!”

OK, definitely not the kind of dream he had first thought of, he realized quickly. Winry’s movements got more restless, and something that sounded awfully like sobs and whimpers could be heard from her bed.

“Winry? Are you awake?”

No response.

She was quiet for a while, and Ed was about to pull his covers back on and try to get some sleep when she started making noises again.

“No! Don’t go there!”

“Don’t go where?” Ed sat up again and reached for his crutches, so he could try to get Winry to wake up.

“Winry?” He sat on the edge of her bed and tried to shake her shoulders. At first gently, then a little bit harder. Without a warning, a fist shot up and hit Ed on the shoulder. Luckily, the hit wasn’t strong enough to throw Ed off the bed, but it made him gasp her name loudly, finally waking her up.

“What are you… Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Winry exclaimed when she registered what must have happened. Her knuckles were throbbing for hitting the automail port and Ed was still rubbing his shoulder, looking slightly… surprised? Frightened?

“I swear I didn’t mean to do that!” she hurried to add and gave him the most apologetic look she could manage.

“I know you didn’t, you were asleep…” Ed tried to calm her down, but that didn’t work.

“That doesn’t excuse it… Are you OK?”

“I think I can handle a hit to my metal shoulder… it’s you I’m worried about.”

“Why?” She had hit him. Shouldn’t he hate her or something?

“You were screaming and thrashing around a lot before you woke up. I tried to get you to wake up for a good while.”

“Oh… Seriously, sorry, Ed, I didn’t…”

“Would you stop apologizing already? If you think I’m scared of you… well, I might be, but for entirely different reasons.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t tell you yet.” Ed stated seriously. “This… isn’t the right moment. Hey, are you crying?”

“I’m sorry, I guess I just got so overwhelmed…” Winry managed to say between her sobs. “Not just about what just happened... This entire time I’ve been here has been quite an emotional rollercoaster… I guess I really am quite nervous about the competition, especially because I can’t practice at all… And I’m really missing my parents. I just saw a nightmare about them… and you.”

There was a time when Ed would have rather run away from a situation like this than faced it, and if he was honest, he still itched to do that, but his conscience started talking with Al’s voice and told him he needed to be there for his friend. How ironic, he thought, that his little brother had become his voice of reason. The Al in him pushed him to ask her about the dream, so he did:

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Winry was quiet for a while before answering: “I guess I’ve never told you the full story about them… I was 10 when it happened. As you probably remember, my parents were doctors, getting me interested in automail mechanics as well. One day there was a big accident on the road near Resembool, a truck crashed on a bus and a lot of people were injured. My parents, who were at home when the accident happened, were called into the hospital because they really needed all the extra hands they could get, and they of course were immediately ready to leave. I don’t know why, but for some reason, I had a very bad feeling when I watched them get into their car. And it turned out my instinct was r-right.”

She threw her arms on his shoulders when she leaned to sob against his t-shirt. She hadn’t let herself think about parents in a long while, so now the bottled emotions all seemed to come out at once.

“T-they d-died on a car crash on their way to the h-hospital. A d-drunk driver had driven to the wrong side of the road… and you c-can probably g-guess the rest…”

“Yeah,” he simply said, holding her a bit tighter and rubbing her back with his real hand soothingly.

“This is going to sound really weird, but… in my dream… you were with them in that car…”

Ed didn’t know what possessed him to say: “That doesn’t sound weird at all… Remember when you were in my room to see my automail and I just left suddenly? I… had a bit similar vision. I could see what happened with Envy and Al in my mind, but you were there too.”

That made Winry stop sobbing and she raised her head from Ed’s shoulder to see him better.

“You did?”

“Yeah… that’s why I freaked out so much. I realized it meant… something.” He still couldn’t say it aloud.

Instead of trying to tiptoe around the topic, Winry asked directly: “Ed? What the hell is going on between the two of us?”

“I really don’t know,” Ed answered. “I’m a mess and you’re a mess and I’m not sure if I’m ready to start anything yet… but that’s something I need to figure out,” he said with determination, giving her the hope she needed.

“Thanks for your honesty,” Winry said quietly and pulled Ed with her onto her bed carefully, mindful about his leg, so that they were laying on their sides, facing each other.

“Hey, cheer up.” Ed wiped some of her tears away with his fingers. “I hate to see you crying. The only tears I want to see from you are tears of joy.”

He inhaled deeply, trying to get some courage, and finally added: “Listen, I’m sorry I can’t tell you the things I want to tell you quite yet, I’m just not ready… But know that I won’t be going anywhere any time soon. Some damn persistent woman has finally managed to convince me.”

He was grateful she had buried her face against his chest again because his face was rather red when he said that.

“I’m glad,” she said, wrapping her arms tightly around his torso. He kept brushing her hair with his fingers, and they stayed like that until they fell asleep. No more nightmares were seen on that night.

[constant-calum]

Watercolors (Brandon Arreaga) ~ Chapter 4:  Rembrandt

Summary:   17 year old Amina Parker was far from a blank canvas, but he still managed to make a finger painting with her love.

A/N:  It’s been 85490 years...and a girl still can’t get a reblog out here...wow

Part Three   Part Five

Amina was not looking forward to lunch on Friday.  It wasn’t because she didn’t want to see the boys, but rather, she didn’t want to see Brandon.  But as she approached the table, this time with Zane in tow, it seemed as though nothing changed.  Nick stood to greet her with a hug, almost squeezing her to death.  Amina found it comforting.

“What’s up, chicas?”  Edwin called, waving a french fry around.

“Hey, guys.”  Zane practically sang.

It was unfair how pretty Zane’s voice was.  Just by hearing her speak, you could tell she was an amazing singer.  Amina’s voice was a little deeper, definitely raspier.  She wished she had the clarity and presence in her voice that her best friend had always possessed.

Much to her dismay, Amina found herself sat in between Brandon and Nick.  She tried to block Brandon out as much as possible, admittedly still upset about their encounter yesterday.  It was hard, though, because his nose wasn’t buried in his sketchbook like it usually was.  He actually seemed engaged in the conversation.

“Yo so guys, I saw Miss Herrera in the hallway today, and I seriously considered taking spanish again just for her.”  Brandon said.

“B, you already speak spanish,”  Austin pointed out.

“I know, but she’s just that fine.  When I say I would risk it all…”  Zion fist bumped Brandon from across the table.

Zane looked confused.  “Wait, you speak spanish?  Like fluently?”

Brandon nodded.  “I speak it at home, so...But still, Eggwin is way better at it than me.”

“Once I leave the building,”  Edwin explained.  “No english for me.”

Amina was surprised, and oddly attracted to that fact.  She was in love with the spanish language.  She wasn’t oblivious to the fact that the boys were attractive before, but learning that about them instantly bumped up their attractiveness levels.

“Speaking of leaving the building,”  Austin interjected.  “Y’all are still good to come to mine for the Friday night tradition.”

Both Zane and Amina nodded as Austin pointed at them.  All of the boys smiled, except for Brandon, who looked confused.  Amina smirked to herself.  For once she was apart of something special, and it made her even happier that Brandon had no idea.

“Wait, you guys are coming tonight?”  He asked.

Amina couldn’t stop herself from snapping back.  “Yeah, is that gonna be a problem?”

Brandon looked Amina dead in the eye, and she could tell exactly what he was feeling.  It was a possessive, white hot anger.  Well less angry, and more competitive, Amina felt.  This was a stare down that Amina was not going to lose.  She cocked one eyebrow as a slight moment of silence passed.  For Amina, it felt like an hour, when in actuality, it was only a second or two.  Eventually, Brandon cleared his throat.

“No, no problem.”  He looked to Zane.  “It should be fun.”

Amina felt Nick squeeze her thigh under the table as everyone began speaking again.  It was low, closer to her knee, but it still made Amina jump.  She turned to him, and he looked extremely confused.  

Everything okay?  He mouthed.

Amina nodded, placing a hand on his bicep in reassurance.  The last thing she needed is for the guys to know how Brandon had treated her.  Maybe she had been overreacting yesterday, but what he said was still rude.  In her mind, that was even more reason to keep her distaste for Brandon to herself.  She had only been apart of this friendship for two days;  it was no time to be causing drama.

Amina half-heartedly picked at her black eyed peas that her mother had packed in her favorite gold glittered thermos.  A sudden wave of anxiety crashed over her as she thought about the reality of her friendship with the boys.  It had only been two days; why did it seem as though years had passed already?  The boys provided her with a sense of comfort that took years for her and Zane to establish.  She didn’t know how to feel about that.

Across the table, Zane leant into Zion’s side, the two of them fitting like puzzle pieces.  Amina couldn’t help but be a little jealous.  Of course, she was happy for her best friend, but at the same time, everything always came so easy to Zane.  At any given moment, she could have any boy she wanted.  That was never the case for Amina.  So now, to see Zane easily falling into a relationship was making Amina’s heart clench.  She knew it would be a long time before she had anything like that.

Austin’s house was on Mendham Road, only a few short blocks from where Amina lived.  If he was wealthy like Nick was, his house sure didn’t show it. Amina kind of liked it though; it made her feel less alienated about her own family’s financial status.

They all decided to drive to Austin’s house together, squeezing way more people into Nick’s car than legally allowed. The boys all busted through the front door like they owned the place. Amina couldn’t tell if it was because they were all so close, or because that was just the nature of the boys.  Amina and Zane hung around the back, shutting the door quietly behind them.

The two followed the group of boys down the main hallway. Austin peeked into a room that Amina assumed was the kitchen to say hi to someone. As Amina passed the room, she took a glance in and saw a short brunette woman fussing over some cake batter. She was adorably petite, and humming to herself. Amina thought that made her even more adorable.

Eventually, the group ended up in the basement. Nick, Edwin, and Brandon were all squeezed into a small, black leather couch. Zion and Austin sat together on a matching loveseat. Coming down the stairs last, Amina and Zane scanned the room for a place to sit. Not spotting one, they both made a move to sit on the ground.

“No, no, no,” Edwin protested. “You ladies are not sitting on the ground. Here, one of you take my seat.”

Austin got up along with Edwin, and sat on the ground. “And one of you sit here.”

Smiling to herself, Zane went to go sit in Austin’s place next to Zion. Amina mentally sighed, once again finding herself in between Brandon and Nick. She was beginning to really dislike Brandon, no matter how pretty or cute she thought he was.

Austin turned the tv on to an animated show that Amina didn’t know the name of. She was surprised when no one complained, but she assumed they all went by the rule of “his house, his rules”. A small nudge to Amina’s shoulder caught her attention. She looked over at Brandon.

“What?” She whispered, trying not to interrupt the group.

“I’m sorry.”

“For?”

Brandon rolled his eyes, sighing a little. “You know, for being an asshole in the art room. You didn’t deserve that. So, I’m sorry.”

Amina wouldn’t have believed him if it weren’t for the glint in his eyes.  He looked genuinely sorry, even though Amina didn’t want to believe he was.  She thought about earlier, and how she didn’t want to be the problem in the group.  She found it in herself to smile.

“It’s okay.  Just don’t do it again,”  She joked.

When he smiled back, Amina felt that familiar rush in the pit of her stomach.  Brandon was honestly beautiful.  His sharp jawline and pronounced nose created an almost model-like aura, but his black framed glasses made him seem impossibly nerdy.  Amina thought he was the physical embodiment of every sexy nerd-next-door character there has ever been.  It made Amina feel like there was a sinking hole in her stomach.  She loved and hated the feeling.

The group spent the next hour or so watching the tv show, with the occasional laugh or comment from Austin. Amina looked over at Zane and Zion, whose faces were so close that they were practically breathing the same air. Zane smiled, causing her dimples to pop out. Zion placed an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to bury her face in his neck.

Nick was the one to break the relative silence. “Yo, it’s almost 6. Time to head out?”

Amina looked up at him from where her head was lolled to the side. He shot her a wink. Edwin stood up, stretching as Austin turned off the tv. Brandon was quick to get off of the couch, and he even extended a hand to help Amina stand as well. She took it with a shy smile, feeling her cheeks begin to heat up. For once in her life, she was grateful for her darker complexion.

The walk to Burger King was short, only because the group took a shortcut through the woods, which only Zane and Amina were opposed to. They ended up getting there a little after 6:15, which Amina thought was the perfect time for dinner. Her stomach growled at the thought of it, as they all waited in the long line.

“Mimi,” Zane called. “Shit, sorry. I mean Amina. Pops gave me the money for us so tell Mama I got it, ok?”

Amina nodded after rolling her eyes at the mention of her nickname. The boys, like always looked confused.

“Y’all are related?” Nick asked.

Zane chuckled in response. “No.”

“But you said Mama, and Pops…?” Austin looked like he was desperately trying to put the pieces together.

“I call her dad Pops,” Amina explained. “And she calls my mom Mama. It’s just because we’re almost like a family, despite not being actually related.”

“It’s a person of color thing,”  Zane said when Austin still looked semi-confused.

Edwin laughed loudly.  “Nick and Austin are our honorary POC.  They still got stuff they gotta learn.”

Everyone laughed.  Amina was starting to be able to piece out the roles of everyone in the group.  Zion was the heartbreaker, the pretty boy who was always with a girl.  Edwin was the dad, with all his corny jokes and sassy side remarks.  Brandon was the shy, quiet, artistic loner of the group.  Austin was the wild child, adventurous and outgoing.  Nick was a little harder to decipher; he seemed kind of just the glue to hold everyone together.

Where Amina and Zane would fit in was still unclear.  Amina knew that she was alone in this feeling, though. Zane was malleable. She could fit into wherever she was placed. Amina, on the other hand, could never change herself to fit her surroundings. She was always just who she was, even if it didn’t fit who she needed to be. For once in her life, Amina prayed that the people she was around would only need her to be who she truly was.

Nick threw an arm around Amina’s shoulders lazily, leaning on her for support. Amina chortled. “Well hello to you too.”

“Hey Mimi.” Nick smiled.

Amina sighed and rolled her eyes, looking to Zane right behind her. “Look what you did, Zane. Now everyone thinks they can call me Mimi. I think it’s only right then for me to introduce them to your household nickname.”

“Amina Nicole Parker, I swear to god I will fucking kill you.”  Zane threatened from under Zion’s arm.  

“Eh I think they should know. So tell me, Shu-shu, how does it feel?”

Brandon practically choked with laughter. “Shu-shu? Where in the hell did that come from?”

Amina cocked an eyebrow, smirking to the group. “When Zane was little, I’m talking about months old, her mother used to say she looked like a little dumpling.”

“And then my Pops,” Zane continued. “Who always takes things too far, started calling me his little shrimp shumai. Eventually he just shortened it to Shu-shu. And that’s been my nickname ever since.”

Zion cooed. “I think it’s cute.”

“Mimi and Shu-shu...sounds like anime characters,” Austin added.

Brandon happened to catch Amina’s eye as they both looked in each other’s direction. He sent a soft smile Amina’s way, and she felt her heart hit her pelvis. A warm tingle shot up the back of her neck, causing her to send an overly enthusiastic smile back. When she realized how weird she must of looked, she cursed to herself. Why did stuff like this always happen to her? All she wanted was to give a cool, cute, calm smile back, and instead she was all crinkly eyes and exposed teeth. God damn it.

“Next in line!”

[queenwinry]

Into the Galaxies-FMA Secret Santa

A very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! Specifically I’d like to dedicate this one to @avatarmerida who I got for Secret Santa this year! She mentioned liking edwin and royai as well as au’s so I decided to do one I’ve always loved the thought of but never delved deeper into: Star Wars au! It’s got a little sprinkling of both pairings as well as Ed and Roy being general idiots ;) I hope you like it!

Captain Roy Mustang, trained star wing fighter pilot, resident First Order hater, and the quintessential example of the phrase “Rebel scum” was about ready to turn over to the dark side if the little golden-haired prodigy didn’t shut up.

And he wasn’t even Force sensitive.

“What’s the matter, Captain,” said his commanding officer’s smug little pet, his arms crossed in a self-satisfied gesture that made Mustang want to find the nearest light saber and end it all. “Afraid of a teeny tiny little patrol ship? And here I thought you were General Grumman’s greatest weapon. Ohhh no, wait...that’s me.”

“Elric,” Mustang bit out, his hands fisting atop the control board inside the main command center of their remote base. “I understand that you’re the Resistance’s ‘only hope’ or whatever-”

“Do you? Because it sounds like you’re just a tad bit jealous.”

“But,” Mustang spoke through gritted teeth, having to use immense restraint to blow over that jab without a rebuttal. “You would be putting our entire group at risk by even attempting to sneak by the First Order. I hate those jackasses as much as anyone, but there are other things to think about here.”

Finally, Ed’s face hardened from genial teasing to a more serious look of anger. “I get that Captain Assface, but if you or Grumman or the entire Resistance want me to do anything we need to get to my mechanic in the Rush Valley system. We can take on the First Order’s patrol.”

Roy rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Elric, alerting them to our presence right now is not a good idea. Even if it is one tiny patrol, they’re all linked back to Father and the entire First Order. They’ll alert the top leaders and then we’ve got their whole army and a Death Star hunting down our asses.”

“They’re always hunting down our asses. Honestly, Mustang, when did you get so complacent with hiding? I figured out of everyone you’d be the one most on my side about this.”

Roy scoffed. “I am, to a certain degree. But as much as I want to torch every ship in their fleet, I understand a little thing called timing, unlike you. We need to lay low for now.”

Mustang could tell Ed was angry. No, angry wasn’t the right word. Frustrated was probably more appropriate. The elder Elric had been antsy ever since he and his brother had stumbled upon their base. It hadn’t been the Resistance leaders’ plan to host the brothers here, but in their quest across the galaxies looking for a way to restore the younger brother’s ‘soul’ to his original body (or whatever other Jedi nonsense Roy didn’t understand), they’d come upon the majority of the Rebels’ hiding spot. Grumman had been beside himself when he realized who they’d found.

Or rather, who found them.

But the headache of dealing with the stubborn Edward Elric, Force sensitive prodigy extraordinaire, was beginning to drain Mustang in a way he hadn’t ever experienced. They butted heads constantly. His weapons expert claimed it was because they were so similar (a thought Roy didn’t like entertaining for too long), but he was sure it was because the younger man didn’t like the idea of authority.

Granted, Roy had his moments when he didn’t either (a fact Grumman continuously liked to remind him of), but he knew when to shut up and accept orders that were important.

Their current tiff came about because of Ed’s recent pressing desire to see his mechanic in the Rush Valley system. He claimed it was because she was the only one who could adequately fix his busted mechanical arm (broken because of one too many unnecessary engagements with First Order patrols), but Roy knew it was because he wanted to check up on her. They’d gotten reports that the Order was intensifying its command on the area because of suspected Rebel outpockets. Ever since Ed had gotten wind of it, he’d been pleading with whoever would listen to take him to see her. They’d grown up together, so of course she was important to him, but Roy could tell by the desperation in his eyes that it went deeper than that.

Problem was, they had to get past the First Order to get to her. Ed thought it was a mere stumbling block in the road that could be easily passed. Captain Mustang knew better.

“Mustang,” Ed began after a lull in their conversation. Roy had to keep his surprise contained at the shift in tone of the younger man’s voice. He really was getting desperate, and if there was anything Captain Roy Mustang knew about, it was the gnawing panic and fear that came when someone that close to him was being threatened.

The blaster burn across his weapons expert’s back came to mind with a sickening clarity.

“I have to get to Winry. Rush Valley isn’t ready for a full blown First Order assault. They’re just engineers. If she stays there, she could be in danger.”

“Edward,” Roy spoke, reverting to the use of his first name given the gravity of their conversation. “If we go, we could all be in danger. It’s not a fun decision to make, but one mechanic doesn’t outweigh the entirety of the Resistance.”

Immediately, Ed’s golden eyes narrowed dangerously, a dark glint appearing in their swirling depths. Roy didn’t like the look of it one bit. “That mechanic is right up there with my brother as one of the most important people in my life. I already screwed things up with Al and put him in danger. I won’t do the same for Winry. If you don’t help me get to her, your little Resistance loses my help.”

And with one final glare, Ed shoved past Roy and exited the command center in an angry flurry just as Roy’s right-hand woman was entering. She watched the golden-haired blur brush past her without a word and immediately lifted an eyebrow before looking skeptically back at her commanding officer. “What was that about?” she calmly asked, noticing the tension in Roy’s shoulders and the dark look on his face.

Mustang merely shook his head at her. “That kid is too stubborn for his own good,” he spoke gravely.

A soft and knowing smile crossed Riza’s face as she walked up to where he stood, the silence of the empty command center nearly deafening. As she approached him, she placed a reassuring hand on his arm, though it did nothing to abate the thoughts passing at hyper speed through his mind. “Sounds familiar,” she quipped before leaning into his side. Roy, despite everything, couldn’t help but be grateful for the late hour that allowed her to feel relaxed enough to take such liberties.

“He’s in love with his mechanic, which means he’s not going to listen to anyone’s advice. He’d just as soon hop in an escape pod and take on the First Order’s entire star fleet himself.”

Riza smiled knowingly as her hand ran up the front of Roy’s chest, underneath his usual brown jacket. “Men do crazy things when they’re in love.”

Finally, Mustang turned his head toward her and their lips lightly brushed. He pulled back slightly with a resigned look on his face. “I’m going to have to do this, aren’t I?”

Riza couldn’t help the small laugh she let out. “Seems so, Captain.”

Roy let out a groan. “Ugh, fine. Grumman’s going to have my ass for this one,” he spoke before placing a small peck on Riza’s lips. “Alright, let’s get the Phoenix ready.” ---- Roy’s hands clutched the controls of his beloved ship as it darted through spacetime at hyper speed. The strategy he and Riza had discussed late into the previous night was to come in to the system (and specifically the planet they knew Winry was on) at hyper speed. A dangerous decision, but it was their only hope of averting attention from the First Order. They’d probably still have to deal with a patrol or two, but Ed (of course) was confident they’d manage to get through before any of the higher-ups were alerted. Captain Mustang wasn’t so sure.

“What are we even supposed to say when we get there, Brother?” Al’s distinctly mechanical voice called from the droid his soul had been attached to.

“What are you talking about, Al?” Ed spoke, lazily enjoying a game of virtual chess. He was still positively glowing from his victory over Mustang. While Roy knew the entirety of the Resistance leaders would be pissed as hell at him for going against orders the minute they saw the Phoenix making a hasty exit from the base, Ed didn’t seem to give a single shit. He had gotten his way, Mustang would get the wrap for it, and he’d be seeing Winry for the first time in forever. She’d probably smack him upside the head the minute she realized his arm was busted, but that didn’t bare thinking about at the moment.

“Well...it’s probably unlikely we won’t attract some attention. And if we just stop in for a quick visit and repair and then leave, Winry’s going to be the first one the Order goes after. We’ll have to move her or at the very least take her with us,” Al said, taking a little bit of the air out of Ed’s balloon.

“Yeah...I guess so. But there are plenty of secure places she can go. Granny’s been wanting her back on Resembool anyway and the First Order doesn’t know to find her there.”

A mechanical groan sounded. “Something tells me she’s not going to be happy about it.”

Ed sighed. “She’ll deal with it. It’s better than her being interrogated or worse by the First Order. Once we explain everything...she’ll be on board.”

“You know, Elric, I have a feeling you’re not used to involving her in your plans. That seems a little cruel, don’t you think?” Roy commented from the pilot seat. Beside him, Riza eyed her captain with a skeptical look, knowing he was delving into dangerous territory questioning Ed’s relationship like this. Roy was pissed off enough not to care.

“Shut the hell up, Captain Bastard. You don’t know anything about us.”

“I know enough to realize you’re usually keeping this ‘friend’ of yours in the dark about these things. Force sensitive Rebels are the First Order’s least favorite, believe it or not. She’s in danger from simply knowing who you are. Why not tell her the important stuff?”

Roy could practically see Ed seething from behind him, but he simply kept his eyes on the passing lights of the galaxy.

“Winry doesn’t need to be involved in what we’ve done,” Ed eventually said in a low and dark voice. “She’s safer when we don’t tell her things.”

“And yet, here you are putting her entire system on the radar of the First Order, pissing off all the Resistance leaders, and making my life miserable just to see her again. Doesn’t sound very safe to me.”

“Captain,” Riza finally admonished, knowing that he was being just a touch too real for a young man who was a touch too naive about these kinds of things.

There was silence from behind them, as Roy continued piloting his ship, waiting for Ed’s blustering rebuttal. It never came, though. Eventually, the captain sighed and spoke. “Trust me on this one, kid. You’re not doing her any favors keeping this stuff from her. If your feelings are as deep as I think they are, you’ll realize what her role is in all of this.”

Mustang waited for that one to sink in before he heard Ed abruptly rise to his feet and walk away from the cockpit of the ship, his brother following after him questioningly.

Riza heaved a sigh to match his own and shot him a reprimanding look.

“What? I’m right,” he defended.

“Maybe so, but I don’t think your approach is what he needs right now. If anything, this Winry Rockbell should be the one setting him straight about that.”

“Not like he’d listen to either of us. He does whatever the hell he wants whenever the hell he wants to do it.”

Riza scoffed. “And you say you’re nothing alike.”

Just as Roy was shooting her a disbelieving look at her slight, one of the displays went off, indicating their approach to the Rush Valley system. Roy groaned when he noticed it.

“Great, we’re almost to the hornet’s nest. Better hop into the gunner position.”

Riza calmly removed her headset and rose from the co-pilot seat at her superior’s direction, feeling just as apprehensive as he was. Still, she could never help himself from teasing him. “Yes, I suppose we might need someone who knows how to operate a blaster cannon. May the force be with you, sir,” she said with a small, almost imperceptible smirk as she descended into the gunner seat.

Roy shot her an annoyed look as she left.

“Very funny,” he mumbled to himself, having heard enough about the Force and the Jedi’s for a lifetime. If Edward Elric was anything to go off of, budding Jedi’s were the most insufferably arrogant people who tended to do whatever they hell they wanted.

Who knows? Maybe he did have a bit of Force sensitivity in him after all.

He shook away that disconcerting thought as he got to work preparing the ship to exit hyper speed. He knew they’d be coming in hot if his calculations were accurate, so he strapped himself in and asked Riza to call for the brothers to do the same. Not half a minute had passed before Ed was running back into the cockpit, strapping himself into the co-pilot seat, much to Roy’s chagrin. He didn’t have time to argue, however, as he had to immediately pull the ship out of hyper-speed.

Only to narrowly avoid slamming into a skyscraper.

“Fucking hell, Mustang, did you have to come in that low?”

Roy’s hands gripped the controls as he maneuvered the ship around the high-reaching buildings with expert skill. “Couldn’t take any chances. You want to see your girl? This is the way we’re doing it.”

Ed growled from beside him, but held on and said nothing as they flew away. It took quite a bit of twisting and turning to be able to get them out of the danger zone, but he eventually got the ship around the outside of the city they had made their approach into.

“So where are we supposed to meet this mechanic of yours?” Roy asked once the ship stabilized.

“She said she’d be-,” Ed began, but was quickly interrupted by a screeching alarm on the control panel. The pair both looked down to see what was going off.

Proximity alarm.

“We got company, Captain,” Riza called desperately from down below and Roy cursed under his breath.

“Dammit, and here I thought we’d gotten past them. Hope you’re ready for a fight, kid,” he said to Ed, gunning the engines up as two First Order fighter ships appeared on the radar from behind.

Ed scoffed. “I’m always ready for a fight.”

Roy smirked at that. “Yeah, no shit,” he spoke cheekily before quickly swiveling the ship to the side, leading the two fighters outside of the city to avoid unnecessary damage. Not that most residents of Rush Valley weren’t always itching for something to fix.

The fighters began shooting at them and Roy had to quickly dip from side to side to avoid a direct strike. The Phoenix had seen better days, so the less blaster rays to the hull, the better. He could hear Riza attempting to shoot them down as best she could, but the constant maneuvering made it difficult.

“I need a better shot on them, Captain,” she shouted, already sounding frustrated.

“I’m working on it!” he called back, sweat beading down his forward as he took the two fighters around and into a rocky canyon. The two men in the cockpit watched warily as they just managed to squeeze through the crevices provided by the towering rocks, but whatever they could fit through, the much smaller fighter ships could as well.

“Flip us around!” came Riza’s voice again.

Roy lifted an eyebrow as he raised them back up to ground level. “You sure?” he asked.

“Yeah, just do it!”

“Alright, your wish is my command, Hawkeye,” he let out slyly as he slowed the engines down and completely inverted the ship. Not anticipating the change, the two fighter ships dashed on by. Roy and Ed heard their canon go off before there was an explosion in the distance and one of the blips on the radar disappeared.

“Nice!” Ed shouted victoriously.

Roy shook his head. “Damn, I sure am lucky to have the best shot in the galaxy on my ship.”

“And don’t forget it!” she shouted and he could practically hear her smirk.

“Think you can do it again?” he challenged, watching as the remaining fighter looped around to follow after them again.

“Line me up.”

Roy did as she directed, attempting a new strategy to throw their pursuer off and get Riza in the right position to deal the final blow. They worked like clockwork, the pair of them, so it didn’t take much for Roy to pilot the ship so she could get the shot she wanted and for her to quickly take it down.

Roy righted the ship back up once she had finished her business and they dashed outside the city limits in an attempt to regroup. It didn’t seem as though the First Order had sent anyone else to get them, but Roy had to remain cautious. He doubted either of the two fighters would simply forget to alert their superiors, so laying low for now would be the easiest option. Still, there was something that didn’t feel right.

“That was surprisingly easy,” Mustang commented as he dipped into another canyon for cover.

Ed shrugged from beside him. “Well, what do you expect? Those fighter pilots are lousy shots.”

Roy mulled this over. “Yeah, but their strength comes in numbers,” he pondered. “With a ship as recognizable as mine, it’s suspicious that they only sent two guys after us.”

Ed didn’t offer up another idea, merely brushing the possibility of danger aside before telling Roy where to meet Winry. Immediately the captain questioned the safety of stopping to pick her up, but Ed only smiled slyly and reassured his companion they would be alright.

Following Ed’s directions, Roy flew them into the mountains outside the docking city, and the captain couldn’t help but wonder how the hell he was supposed to land their ship in this kind of terrain. Still Ed offered no more than a sadistically satisfied smile as they approached what looked to be nothing more than a hut at the top of a mountain. Just as Roy was about ready to strangle Ed for leading them into absolute nothingness, the mountain mysteriously began to part to reveal a completely cloaked hanger. Ed delighted a bit too much in Captain Mustang’s completely astonished expression as he carefully landed the Phoenix inside and the doors closed behind them.

The golden-haired almost-Jedi nearly burst through the exit door of the ship, his brother not far behind him. After waiting for Riza to come up from the gunner seat, they approached the Elric brothers just as Ed was enveloping a pretty blonde woman in his arms. Al wrapped his metal arms around the both of them and the trio laughed and cried at having been finally reunited.

“Oh, I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve seen you both. You guys keep running across the galaxy and yet you never end up in the Rush Valley system.”

Ed sheepishly let her go and rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, sorry about that. Things have been kind of crazy lately.”

At these words, Winry’s eyes immediately narrowed and she crossed her arms. “Yeah, so I’ve heard. You guys just can’t keep to yourselves, can you? Of all the enemies to have, you had to choose the First Order?”

Both Ed and Al gaped at her, floundering for words at her accusations. Mustang and Hawkeye watched on in amusement.

“H-How do you know about all that?” Ed asked, completely aghast.

“Oh please, why wouldn’t I know about all that? Did you think I would just sit here and do nothing while you guys are out getting into trouble? Please, I’ve been doing my research. And making some friends,” she spoke, a sly note to her tone. Finally, she turned toward Mustang. “Sorry about the trouble coming in, Captain. We were supposed to make it so that no one followed you, but those two fighters slipped through.”

This caught his immediate attention, as he stepped forward to address the spritely young blonde himself. “Wait, is that why there were only two of them? How did you manage that?”

“Oh, we may or may not have put up a cloaking shield around the entire city without the First Order knowing about it,” Winry replied, looking awfully proud of herself as she placed her hands casually behind her back and rocked back and forth on her heels.

Roy’s mouth practically dropped to the floor. “H-how is that even possible?”

“It’s a city of engineers, Captain. We have our ways,” she answered with a small wink. “Only trouble was that we were just a touch too late. The two guys that went after you managed to slip under before we were able to finish it, but you shouldn’t have any trouble leaving provided you go straight into hyper speed. Now come on down to the base. You all must be starving.”

“B-base!?” Ed exclaimed, his eyes bugging out of his head. Roy didn’t look much different.

“Yeah, silly, the underground Rebel base that’s been operating out of Rush Valley and that I’ve been working with ever since you guys left. Honestly Ed, what did you think I was doing all this time? Patching up landspeeders every day?”

With a twinkle in her eye, the mechanic-turned-Rebel-engineer swiveled and began to walk away, directing them to follow after her. Ed and Al did so still positively beside themselves at all this new groundbreaking information while Roy and Riza followed behind them, shaking their heads.

If there was one thing Captain Roy Mustang had learned since joining the Resistance, it was that allies could be found in every single grimey, no-name corner of the galaxy. That night he ate with other Resistance friends while Winry berated Ed constantly for busting up his arm, Alphonse laughed happily at all his new friends, and Riza shot him satisfied, delightfully meaningful looks as the two moons rose in the Rush Valley sky.

[springbender-blog]

RULES: Always post the rules. Answer the questions asked, then write 11 new ones. Tag 11 people to answer your questions, as well as the person who tagged you.

I was tagged to do this FMA-centered tag by both @greedoda and @ladywiltshire, thank you soooooooo much!!

I kinda don’t want to do this twice though, so I’m going to take my favorite 5 questions from each of yours and answer those - I hope that’s okay! There are also two questions you both had that were the same so I’ll do those too - a total of 12! You lucky nuggets.

Okay, so, the questions under a read more!.......I WROTE WAY TOO MUCH and there’s a lot of analysis....I got really really carried away. :B

Greedoda’s questions:

1. Which two characters do you think have the best dynamic in the series?

Personally, I have to say I love Ed and Ling’s dynamic? They make a great team and they’re such dorks! The couple of episodes where they’re stuck together in Gluttony’s stomach are two of my favorite episodes. As well as just, how they go from Ling pissing Ed off monumentally (I mean, he does set his “goons” and/or “lackeys” on Ed during their first meeting XD) to being just the closest bros, looking out for each other to the end (which I guess definitely includes Greed as well)! It’s a dynamic I wish we saw more of in the show, if I’m being totally honest. They’re two of my favorite characters, and all of their interactions were hysterical.

2. Would ed like milkshakes?

Actually I think it’s canon that he does!! During the episode where he’s trying to get Scar’s attention by going around and fixing things with alchemy, he’s shown afterwards drinking a milkshake with Al and laughing about how he’s “pretty sure everyone in Central knows his name by now”.

3. Favorite character development?

SCAR’S. OKAY??? SCAR’S. Don’t even get me started, holy shit. We, as the audience, start by thinking of him as just this cold blooded murderer, then we realize he’s Ishvalan, which gives him motive, but we still don’t particularly like him, you know? But that’s only in episode five! 

Throughout the whole show we learn more and more about him, we watch him falter for killing Ed when he throws himself in front of Winry, remembering his own brother doing that for him. We see him bring along Yoki, for apparently no reason at all?? Like, Yoki just runs after him and he could kill him, especially since Yoki caused him trouble! But, he doesn’t? And then May comes along and you can see him accepting her and starting to care about her and listening to her and making sure she’s safe. You see him fight alongside Ed and Al because he HAS to, You see him bring along Marcoh despite all the things Marcoh had done to his people - despite Marcoh begging him to kill him. You see how Winry’s binding of his wound (though not forgiving him) affects him because he doesn’t think he deserves it. You see how his attitude is changed further by Miles, until, by the end, he’s honestly one of Ed and Al’s strongest allies. He rallies a group of Ishvalans to help during the Promised Day. And then joins Miles in trying to reform Amestrian’s view of his culture - HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE SCAR I DON’T EVEN. !!!!???

4. Favorite villain?

Okay, I’m honestly not sure if Greed counts, so other than him, definitely Envy. I just love that good-for-nothing garbage lizard. *shaking head* They’re so complex!! I think a lot of has to do with their attitude - the sarcasm and condescending yet cheery tone of voice they always sport makes them oddly endearing and funny, despite how much a terrible person they are. And then to find out all of this hides tons of insecurities because they’re jealous of humans. They pretend to be so much and so powerful and unstoppable but they feel like the most inferior worm (and they are - literally). I just...yeah I love their character!

5. What fma merch do you want, or wish existed?

I REALLY WANT AN FMA BLANKET. Like, just something simple, like red with the main crest on it, or something. I know they exist! I also really want a poster!

And now for the Lady’s:

1. Do you remember your first time watching or reading Fullmetal Alchemist? What was your first impression? 

I remember the first time I ever saw it (not watched), I was passing my sister on our home computer. I distinctly remember seeing a young girl in pink with a lot of braids and a tiny panda bear making something glow like blue lighting (*choking noises*) and I asked my sister what it was and she said “Fullmetal Alchemist” and I was like “Oh” and brushed it off because she’d talked about it before but I wasn’t interested? (wtf was my problem??). But maybe a few months later my friend watched it and at that point I just had to. The hype was real when I finally started, and the hype was even bigger for Brotherhood. I remember being halfway through 03 and watching the first FMAB opening and just getting chills, I couldn’t wait to get to it, and boy did it live up to my expectations and more from episode one.

2. Tell me about a scene that really touched your or made you realize something about yourself.

My first thought is immediately the episode “Interlude Party”. I mean, I know that episode is pretty much just a summary of what’s happened so far, but the bits in between with Hohenheim talking to Pinako, to baby Trisha, to especially the part with Hohenheim getting overwhelmed by Father, who stands there laughing at the “puny foolish humans” who live only to die, so they may as well use them - and we can see the shadows of the dancing morphing and turning into something...else - followed by Trisha interrupting this train of thought by that’s what makes humans strong. The fact that we die. The fact that we change. And the fact that that’s what makes us so undefeatable, because we don’t give up. And this is followed up later with Envy being jealous of humans, because of this very same reason - our resilience and determination against all the forces against us, including ourselves. 

And I think that that’s so true. And that gives me strength to keep going.

3. Funniest headcanon you’ve ever seen. Go!

Okay this is definitely a tie. The first is the one where huge rumors sprout up about Ed after the Promised Day and everyone bombarding Fuhrer Mustang about all these far fetched things until Mustang finally says something like “Edward Elric is a 30-something-year-old-man living in Resembool teaching his daughter how to make apple pies” or something like that. The other is the one where Ed is in Xingese history books as “the man who fed the emperor a shoe”, for obvious reasons. That’s just. GREAT.

4. What spurred you to join the fandom?

Actually, it was totally on accident! There was a long, long part of me and my tumblr experience that believed FMAB was NOT my favorite anime. And then I started realizing, I posted a lot of it on my blog? Like, instead of random FMAB between the multifandom mash of cringe and zero tagging systems, it started to become FMA that I saw the most of on my dash and blog. And I realized, like someone had flicked me in the face, that wtf, this show is actually so important to me and where would I be without it??? 

5. Have a fandom meltdown here and tell me why you love your fandom or show/comic so much!

AAAHHH everyone here is SO nice and I’ve managed to keep my dash (mostly) discourse free! Everyone is so supportive of each other and have the same passion as I do for this show. There are SO MANY talented artists, including musical artists, which is amazing, and SO MANY funny things and funny memes that come from this fandom. I’m honestly so glad I’m a part of it, even if I don’t contribute much myself other than screeching in my tags!

And here, the two you both asked!!

1. OTPs! Who are they? Edwin is top of the list!! I’ve shipped them all the way from the beginning, and to see them come together in canon - and in such a NERD WAY - I just love them so much. I also ship Lingfan, Almei, and Royai!

2. Favorite opening/ending number and why?

My favorite opening is Opening 3, Golden Time Lover, for a L O T of reasons. The way it goes from the soft melody in the background to the much harsher tones above just convey all my feelings for it, because this opening is both soft, and rough and to me it just perfectly conveys the stories’ struggle, and the journey forward. The elements of the zooming in and out, the sweeping camera angles, and the sudden changes in the action between teasingly slow and choppily fast. There is SO much contrast in this song, and in the animation to match it. Literally, this opening is a masterpiece and thinking about it makes my heart race.

My favorite ending is Ending 2, Let It All Out. GOD THIS SONG. Wow. It just, tears at my heartstrings a little. A lot. First of all the animation is stunning. Secondly, the lyrics are just, amazing. “There’s no need to pretend you’re so strong” and “Let’s turn our pain and tears into stars”??? Jesus christ, how lovely is that?! And how it changes from half screen to full screen with the climax of the chorus. The emphasis on Ling, Lan Fan, and Fu, and  then on May, as well as Ed and Al and Winry. The way it STARTS with Winry. It just symbolizes strength in such a simple way - through the fear of what living has done, what it could do, and still being able to move forward. It’s a very powerful song to me.

OKAY! And since that took me over an hour to answer (I regret nothing and thank you both so much for giving me the opportunity to gush without restraint...) I’m not going to tag anyone or make new questions myself. Frankly, I’m too tired and my imagination is spent. XD 

I hope you all enjoyed reading this! Thanks again! Love you all!

[dudence-blog]

Dear Dudence for 13 October 2017

Man, Dudence feels terrible.  I. Was. Late.  I had this written yesterday.  I’d like to say that Mrs. Dudence’s birthday, or playing with Little Dudence, or any number of other reasons justified being late.  But I cannot.  It is all on me.  Today is the first day of the ALCS and this is, hopefully, the last of Herpes Week.  I might have to add “An STD doesn’t mean you’re an awful person” to Dudence’s Guidelines.  As always, shoot me an email at AskDearDudence@gmail.com or hit me up on Facebook.

I have a girlfriend I love very much. I have moderate depression and anxiety, and she has supported me for the entirety of our relationship; she’s a really excellent partner and person. We technically have an open relationship, but neither of us has acted on it yet, so we talk a lot about how we’re feeling and any worries we have. I’ve never had this kind of “check-in” before, and it feels great.

I also have three fantastic housemates, two of whom are in a couple. Before they started dating (also before I started dating my current partner), I had really strong feelings for one of them and had to work through a lot of sadness and jealousy when I heard about their relationship. Recently my feelings have resurfaced in full force, along with some feelings for the other half of the couple. I am often hit with waves of sadness and/or jealousy when I see them together, even if we’re all hanging out. Sometimes I think about what it would have looked like if I’d ended up with the friend I first liked, but mostly now it’s more wanting to be part of the couple, too—wanting to be around them, be together, be included (and yes, I’d really like to kiss both of them!).

Dear Gay and Tired, how terrible have your other residences as an adult been that a situation where you’re increasingly anxious, depressed, and jealous to the point it is eroding your mental health is the best situation you’ve ever been in?  That is just rough and as Newdie said you (or them) is probably going to need to move.  Although I think that either you or them moving out is the best option, I don’t think you should dismiss “tell them how I feel” out-of-hand.  You say you’ve discussed it with your girlfriend and that you wouldn’t do anything without her okay, which tells me she hasn’t said your feelings for them are a deal-breaker.  Talk it over with your girlfriend, have her give you her consent or not.  Is she doesn’t you’re not the worse off, if she does broach it with your roommates; please let one of them be named Jessie....  The worst case is you’ve blown up a friendship and have to move; you were going to need to do the latter either.  But I’d be willing to bet your roommates are aware that there is something up with you, maybe not the extent or details, but they know.  Give them the opportunity to tell you how they feel, and even if they’re not into it, it’s possible they won’t make it awkward.  And in the best case scenario a whole lot of people get to bang one another.  And if that does come to pass toss an invite to your fourth roommate, it’s just rude to leave them out.

I am an older, sexually conservative woman who got herpes from a man I was dating. He’s a pillar of the community and did not tell me he had herpes. I had a long dry spell before we started dating. My issue is that I have an unlabeled bottle of herpes medication in my desk drawer at work. My administrative assistant asked for some pain relievers, and I opened my desk drawer and shared from a labeled, over-the-counter bottle of acetaminophen. I saw her staring at the unlabeled bottle in the drawer. Later that day I went back to my office, and she and another person had actually opened the unlabeled bottle and were looking at the medicine! 

  Dear Pariah, I’m going to guess you had a moment of l’esprit de l’escalier with your assistant and her conspirator.  I think you need to go speak with, at least, your HR department about the original incident and determine what options, if any, you have at your disposal.  I also think a visit with an attorney who specializes in this area of the law would be in order, since this wasn’t something your employer erroneously revealed, I don’t know if the FMLA applies or if your state has a law against disclosing private facts.  At the very least your HR folks need to refamiliarize the employees with rules regarding unauthorized disclosure of medical information, and the consequences for such disclosure.  I’d think this is something they’d be very interested to do as the employer might want to know if they have an employee who can’t keep her trap shut regarding private medical information.  In regards to your assistant you are long past the time when you were too stunned to act.  You need to have a very pointed conversation with her about her incredible violation of your privacy.  I’d have prefered this conversation was had as part of her exit interview because you were firing her, but that’s me and we’re now months beyond the incident.  You don’t need to get into details about what the medication was for because it doesn’t matter.  It could have been for Supergonsyphyliaidsepes which you got from a foursome involving a pair of dwarves an octopus and it wouldn’t matter what the medication was because the grossest thing involved in this incident was your assistant and her co-conspirator shifting through your medication to identify what you were taking.  Granted, if you want to have some fun, when you do bring this up with HR tell them you caught her snooping through your desk looking through your medication and you’re worried she has a drug problem.  Let her explain to the HR pogue that she was merely snooping at your anti-viral drugs, not trying to score her next fix.  There is nothing in this which is your fault.  I know that doesn’t help with the feelings of shame, embarrassment, and betrayal but you need to remind yourself of it.  

I got married six months ago. My relationship with my family is at best distant—we don’t have a lot in common and there were several incidents of what I’ve been told most people would call abuse (but I’m not there yet, mentally speaking). My dad is a racist, sexist creep. I’ve managed to get him to tone it down around me enough that I can handle a monthly phone call, but that’s my limit. I really didn’t want him to walk me down the aisle, but by the end of the engagement, I was so burned out on decision-making that I just didn’t have the strength for that conversation, with him or any of my many relatives who would have demanded an explanation.

Dear Angry, Just Angry, it’s time for you to redefine your relationship with your father.  Either have a final conversation with him where you tell him that you’re not going to be able to talk with him again until he addresses his alcohol problem (if you even wish to continue having conversations with him if he sobers up), or get your husband to do it for you.  Hopefully there’s someone in your family who you trust enough to tell them why you’re not going to be talking with your father and that you want to limit your exposure to him during your brother’s medical issue.  While you might feel foolish for not knowing the extent of his problems, someone else in your family knew, and they needed to give you the head’s up.  As for your wedding, I know it’s hard to see it now, but this is something that’s going to fade.  Your friends and guests don’t view you being walked down the aisle by your father as an “endorsement”.  They don’t blame you for his behavior.  I think a good way for you to start moving forward with your own feelings from that day would be to finish up with your photographer.  Have your husband call your photographer and schedule the time to go over your photos for the album; but also have your photographer take out pictures with your dad prior to arriving.  Let you see that you still looked beautiful, happy, in love and excited for the life you were going to start with your new husband.  It’s amazing how much your memory of an event can improve when you’re spared a reminder of who you thought was ruining it.

My family is not well-off and neither am I. My parents always try to help me where they can because they feel guilty that they couldn’t give me a better financial start in life, which has never been something I held against them. My sister recently had a baby, and I came up to visit and help ferry my mom, who dislikes driving, to and from the hospital. My last morning here, my dad got up early and took my car to get gas.  I came downstairs afterward, and my car keys were on the table with one or two 20-dollar bills folded underneath them. I assumed this was the money they’d offered me to help pay for my sister’s shower. I left it there, but when I came back less than an hour later, it was gone. My mom and I were the only two people in the house. I didn’t say anything because what if I was wrong and I accused my mom of taking money meant for me? But Prudie, I don’t think I am wrong.

Dear Cheated, slow your roll high speed.  As NuPru points out you’re making two assumptions; the money was for you and your mom took it for nefarious reasons.  Let’s play this out:

“Hey dad, I saw there was a couple $20s on the table the other day, was that for me to cover the shower?”  

“No, it was my change from getting gas.”

Or, “Yes it was, why?”

Then, “I left it on the table, but when I came back it was gone.”

“Oh, yeah, your mom picked it up, she thought it was the change from when I went to get gas.  I forgot, here you go.”

Scene. Last night my wife and I went to a small theater to watch The Mystery of Edwin Drood. In the row in front of us, a woman became increasingly amorous with her date. She first leaned over and kissed his cheek. Then she took off her shoes, put her legs on his lap, and started kissing his neck. Then they began a lip-lock session—all while we were trying to watch the play. My wife, who had to look through their hook-up to watch the stage, leaned forward and asked them to break it up. Fortunately they did and must have decided to carry on elsewhere, as they didn’t return for the second act. At what point is it reasonable to ask people to “get a room” during a performance? And what would you suggest saying?

Dear Prude at Edward Drood, try asking your wife for help with this question.  If you’re feeling feisty though you could always offer to join in or you and your wife show them how it’s done.

I am a professional woman in my mid-30s. My parents live about five hours away, and I visit them for a few days at a time every few months. My mother has unacknowledged anxiety problems that prevent her from traveling to see me (her go-to excuse is that her pet needs her, although they have a pet sitter at the ready). She also refuses to call me. She says she could “never live with [her]self” if she disturbed me while I was asleep, as I sometimes work nights—though I’ve explained the Do Not Disturb feature on my phone and told her she can always leave me a voicemail if I don’t pick up.

Dear Not Asleep, you’re not unreasonable for feeling a bit hurt that she won’t initiate contact, but it might just be a thing you’re going to need to accept.  At least until she decides to do something about her issues keeping her from calling you.  I don’t know if you’re visiting them “enough” because I have no idea what “enough” would look like, but a visit every few months for several days at a time seems more than reasonable.  It sounds like you’re doing everything people would expect from a caring child.  You mom’s hang-ups are not something you can do anything about if she doesn’t want to do anything about them.  Call and visit when you can in good conscience.  If you do want to do something yourself though, next time you call your mom tell her you’re hanging up and you’d like her to call you back.  You’re awake, you’re expecting her call, let her see it isn’t the worst thing in the world.  Not sure if it would work, but maybe it can help her get over the issue she has with doing it for real.