#did everyone just like. blip forward a couple of days or am i just going insane bc i feel. way too stupid to actually ask anyone about it

[stuck-in-the-ghost-zone]

what the hell is happening rn

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

I’m Always Curious Part Thirty Four

Previous Part | Next Part |  Masterlist Notes: I hope everyone’s having a good week 💕

Warnings: Cursing, a lil fluff, a lil angst. Y’all know me. Summary: I already knew that whatever my fate in this time, it would be different from my own now.

“This doesn’t seem such a bad place to be. I’m an Admiral here,” Eli smiled.

“Well you’re technically not you, so someone that looks and sounds like you is an Admiral,” I reminded him, “You would not be an Admiral if we got stuck here.”

“Have you looked yourself up yet?” 

“No.”

“Why not?-- Maybe you and Pike are loved up somewhere.”

He was teasing, or trying to, but I couldn’t take the jest in stride. I hadn't told him what Mr. Spock had told me about Christopher in this universe; I hadn’t told anyone. I was trying not to let it cloud my mind. I wanted to focus on the task at hand: returning to our universe. But how could this new insight not make that mission all the more urgent? “...Hey,” Eli frowned, “What is it?” I glanced at him, considering. I couldn’t tell Eli— I’d hardly gotten Spock to tell me. Besides, if my hunch was correct and the same events didn’t occur in our universe, it could sound an alarm for nothing. I just shook my head, excusing, “Just...Can’t believe I didn’t attend the Academy in this universe— at least, not with Spock. I can’t imagine going to the Academy without him. We practically lived in the long-range sensor lab together our second year.” “I didn’t know that.” “...Eli, this has to work. We have to get back.” “This Spock says there’s a 12.31% chance that our plan works. That leaves an incredibly large margin of error—” “Durling, you are the Captain of the Pinnacle. What is a pinnacle? It’s a successful point, a culmination. You were over the frickin’ moon when you became Captain— and you’re just going to roll over because there’s a version of you that’s become an Admiral in some universe? Why not focus some of that smugness into your work, get us home, and become an Admiral where people that really know you will be able to see it?” Eli was quiet for a moment, watching me before his eyes darted to the doorway behind us. “I thought that the captains were meant to make the rousing speeches,” Came Kirk’s amused voice behind us. I turned to look at him and Mr. Spock and cleared my throat. “Yes, well… Sometimes Communications officers have to drum up a speech or two to get a captain’s wheels turning,” I grumbled, tucked my hands behind my back. “The occasions are far and few between,” Durling added. -- “Commander, a word, if I may.” “Yes, Mr. Spock?” I turned from the transporter bay with Durling and the rest of our crew was preparing to return to the Pinnacle. “I took the liberty of looking into your existing whereabouts in this universe.” My stomach swooped in fear and anticipation. “Oh– You did not have to do that.” “I must admit that I found it quite curious that you were so adamant about learning about Captain Pike’s future and not your own.” My eyes lowered to the floor as I considered my answer, “Well… Perhaps I care more about the fate of my friends than my own. Is that terribly suspicious?” “I believe I used the word curious, Commander.” “...I guess you did,” I conceded. Spock nodded a little, bringing an envelope out from behind his back. “I cannot force you to come to terms with your own fate in this time,” He said, “But I will allow you the opportunity, should you choose it.” I looked at the envelope for a long moment. I already knew that whatever my fate in this time, it would be different from my own now — my beginnings were already different, my day-to-day existence was entirely separate. I hesitated before I reached out, taking hold of the envelope. “Thank you, Mr. Spock,” I nodded. “Have a safe journey, Commander.” “And you,” I raised my hand in a Vulcan salute. Mr. Spock arched a critical brow, tipping his head toward me as he mirrored the gesture. “Live long, and prosper.” -- 

I held my breath as we dropped out of warp. We all held very still and quiet for a moment, but as the moments passed without a hail from Captain Kirk, the Bridge collectively relaxed and began to whoop with relief. I had never been so relieved to not see the Enterprise anywhere in my periphery. I turned to my station, opening the channels to try and get a hold of any ships in the area. I raised my hand to my earpiece, scanning the array of sensors and monitors in front of me. As I waited, I eyed the envelope on my console, as I waited. I shivered a little, shaking my head. While I hated knowing what Christopher may be in for, I hated the idea of my own potential fate sitting just inches from me nearly twice as much. 

-- When I heard that I was receiving a message from the Enterprise, I was expecting Christopher. I had, instead, been greeted by Una. “Before I ask where you’ve been, let me begin with my purpose,” She said, “Thaleh is leaving the Enterprise. We need a Communications officer. You can, of course, decline.” “I’ll need time to pack,” Was my quick answer. “Well, then you can tell me where you’ve been once you beam aboard. And we’ll have to find someone to replace you with for the Pinnacle.” “....Right, that,” I muttered. Una smiled a little. “I’m sure Durling will be disappointed.” “A little, maybe, but he won’t be surprised.” 

“And I should warn you, Pike has been more than a little...harried with your lack of communication.” “Understandable. If one of you suddenly blipped elsewhere, I would be concerned.” Una arched a sharp brow. “Blipped elsewhere?” She repeated, “Well… I’m certainly looking forward to reviewing that log.” 

-- “Door,” I ordered. I didn’t turn away from the box of things that I was unpacking. I could’ve sworn I’d left more notebooks on the Enterprise— “...Finding the new quarters alright?” I stilled at the sound of his voice. So much had happened since we’d warped through the singularity: the Discovery had beamed to an uncertain future, Spock— my Spock, had returned to the Enterprise...And so had Christopher. I hadn’t seen or spoken to Christopher since Mr. Spock had told me of his potential fate. It had been on my mind since I beamed aboard, and it had lingered, even as I settled into my new quarters and unpacked the boxes of my things that had been saved and stored. 

“It’s certainly larger than the last time I was aboard,” I conceded, lowering a notebook and brushing the dust from my hands as I turned to face him. I found Christopher looking around, and I took the chance to look him over. It was nice to see him in Command gold again, especially after that jarring experience of seeing Kirk in Captain’s chair of the Enterprise. Christopher’s eyes drifted to me, finally, and he smiled, “Well, you weren’t a Commander the last time you were aboard.” “That is an excellent point.” Christopher was quiet for a moment before he took a couple of steps deeper into the room. His hands were still tucked behind his back, and I found myself wishing that he would just reach out; I wish that I felt like I could. “What happened out there?” He asked, “Una used the word blipped.” I sighed softly, scrubbing my hand over my brow. I’d explained to Una exactly what had happened as I’d unpacked what I’d brought over from the Pinnacle. “Oh… Sometimes you accidentally warp through a singularity and wind up a universe where you never went to Starfleet. Typical Thursday, you know.” Christopher’s brows rose, his head tipping forward. “An alternate universe?” He repeated. I nodded. “I know you’ve some experience with that. Una told me about the Terran incident before I became part of the crew. It’s uh…. Jarring.” “It certainly is.” “We were only there for about three days but here, it was… It was months.” Christopher nodded as he came to a full stop just in front of me, looking down into my box from storage. “Everything you needed in there?” He asked. “Um— … Could’a sworn I had a couple hundred more notebooks aboard, but it’s been a while, you know. And Pal might have a few, I used to lend them to him all the time for conjugations and stuff,” I leaned back against my desk, folding my arms across my chest, “You’re um… You’re alright?” “Fine. It’s nice to see that you’re in one piece. I was concerned.” That warmed me more than it was surely meant to, and I had to duck my head to hide the smile that crept up at his admission. “I didn’t mean to concern you. I can point you in the direction of the singularity that we warped through, if you’d like to pick a fight.” Christopher huffed a soft laugh, shaking his head a little bit. “How about I just...See you on the Bridge tomorrow?” “Sounds good, Captain.” “Don’t be late.” “I wouldn’t dare, sir.” I smiled, watching Christopher leave my quarters. I sighed softly, sliding off of my desk and into my chair, looking out of my window for a few moments. I had a warm feeling swirling in my chest, something safe and soft. It felt like home. Tag list: @angels-pie​​ ; @fantasticcopeaglepasta​​  ; @mylittlelonelyappreciationtoo​​ ; @how-am-i-serpose-to-know​​ ; @onlyhereforthefandomandgiggles​​ ; @inmyowncorner​​  ; @tardis-23​​  ; @paintballkid711​​ ; @katrynec​​ ; @hypnobananaangelfish ; @elen-aranel​​ ; @blueeyesatnight​​ ; @hotchswifey​​​

[hcrringtonshair]

Our Time

Summary: After the blip you want to be alone but Sam has other plans. 

Word Count: 1455

Warnings: angst & contains minor spoilers of the first episode of TFATWS, so if you didn’t watched it yet don’t read it.

A/n: This takes place in the time around the first episode of TFATWS. This didn’t turned out like I thought, but after watching the first episode I was inspired and I like it haha. I love writing for Sam! God I just love him sm I wanna cry. 

Masterlist

Hey y/n. It’s Sam… You’re okay? I didn’t hear from you for a couple of days so… call me back

Piiiep 

Hey it’s Sam again… please call me back. I’m a bit worried if I’m honest… Whatever. Call me

Piiiep 

You sighed, turning around on your bed, trying to ignore the urge to pick up the phone and call him back.

To distract yourself you order a pizza, finally listening to your stomach. 

After another 20 minutes where you were staring at the wall, the doorbell rings.

Your anticipation was gone in seconds when you opened the door, and it wasn’t the pizza deliverer who waited on the other side of the door. 

“Pizza with Mushrooms, Basil Pesto and extra cheese. Some things don’t change huh.”

Sam with the pizza box was standing there, a light smile on his lips.

“If I don’t answer your calls, you know what this means.”

You wanted to slam the door, but he was faster.

“Let us talk. Please. Just five minutes.”

“Fine. I’m already counting.”

You grabbed the pizza while he made himself comfortable on the couch on the opposite of the bed.

“Did nobody tell you that you shouldn’t eat in bed?”

His smirk sent stitches through your whole body while you stared at him.

“It’s none of your business. What do you wanna say? You have 3 and a half minutes left.”

He sighs, resting his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. For a couple of seconds there was complete silence.

“I’m worried about you y/n.” 

He locked his eyes with yours, and you couldn’t help but stare back… again.

“It has been five long years. I’m back for six months, and you are ignoring me. Why? If you want to be alone you could have just told me. The others are worried as well I have to mention.”

“Oh really? Wait.”

You put the food away, standing up and started walking up and down the room.

“Steve is an old man and far away, Tony is dead, Nat… Is also dead.”

You blinked a few upcoming tears away.

“Bucky doesn't want any contact, who could blame him for that, Clint is busy with his family, like Scott and Thor is away in space. Oh, and Bruce is also busy.”

You sighed again, letting you fall back on the bed again. 

“So no. No one is worried I think.”

“But I am. And I’m here.”

Sam stood up, crossing the room to stop in front of you, looking down worried.

His brown eyes were so familiar but strange at the same time.

“Come on. Pack a few things. I’ll show you something else.”

“Why? I don’t want to leave.”

“I know. Since when didn't you see the outside? Your mailbox downstairs seems like it was at least one week.”

You murmured something he ignored as he grabbed a large bag from your wardrobe and handed it to you.

“I hate you Sam Wilson.”

A few hours later you arrived in Delacroix. 

You didn’t say a word since you sat down on the passenger's seat. 

You watched the street, the woods and everything else, but you didn’t dare to look into these brown eyes again.

“Home Sweet Home.”

Sam clicked his tongue as the car stopped. 

Shyly you followed him outside, watching him greeting his nephews and sister. 

“Who’s this? Is it y/n?”

Your cheeks heated up as the Wilson Family looked at you while you leaned at the car. 

“Yes I am. Hi nice to meet you.”

Answering one of his nephews, you made a step forward.

“Is this the girl you’ve been talking about all the time?”

“AJ, Cass, go help Carlos.”

Sam watched his nephews run away before making his way to the back of the car. 

You knew Sam’s sister from pictures, her heartwarming smile made you feel comfortable in this unknown area.

“I’m Sarah. Took Sam really long to bring you here.”

“Five years.”

A tired laughter slipped out of your mouth, and she laughed as well.

Before she could answer anything else Sam stood beside you again.

“Come on. I’ll show you the house.”

He already had your bags in his hands, and you followed him.

After he showed you the house and let you rest for a while, you were both sitting on the boat his family owned, a few empty beer cans in front of you.

The setting sun was warm on your skin and since you put all the bad thoughts aside you enjoyed the company of Sam.

“You know what? Thank you… for bringing me here. Maybe it was a good idea to see something else…”

You stared at the calm water, which crushed slowly on the roof of the boat.

“I’m glad you like it. I thought it was a good idea, not spending more time speaking to your voicemail.”

He cleared his throat, following your view before opening up another beer.

“It was a lot to deal with. I don’t know how it was for the people who were gone for five years. But it was a disaster for everyone who survived… it was a nightmare.”

You emptied your beer, thanking Sam as he gave you a new one before returning to staring at the water.

The memories of the first days after the snap made your heart tighten in your chest.

“It was strange. I can’t describe it. But I’m sure it’s confusing for both sides.”

His voice was low, you hardly heard him speaking, so you gave him your full attention by turning around and facing him.

“It’ll take some time. Trust me when I say you’re getting used to it.”

Your voice was filled with bitterness, more than you wanted.

“Oh yea for sure.” His voice was muffled by the can and for the first time he looked away.

“I had to build up a new life. Find a new job, find new friends and all that. Everything I knew was gone... You were gone.”

Not able to look up any longer, you watched your fingers nibble on the label of the beer can.

“You know the last time we saw each other?”

“How can I forget this?”

Your cheeks heated up again when you thought about the night in Warsaw before he went off again. 

Back in the days it was hard to be with him. He was on the run, you tried your best to be where he was when you could. If it was possible and safe you spent a day or night together. 

After that night he was at the Avengers Compound and then Wakanda… And then gone.

“What I want to say is that we can try it again. We can continue there where we’ve stopped.”

“No we can’t. It’s not the same Sam. The world is upside down, and you prefer it to track some bad guys in Tunisia and make everything like the five years didn’t happen.”

“How did you… oh fuck you Joaquín.”

Sam groans into his hands.

“Look y/n. I’m just trying to make everything right. Everything is upside down as you say. Everything is confusing. And I don’t know how to deal with all that.”

“You could have visited me when you were back. I didn’t ask for much, as I said I don’t know how it must be for the people who have been gone. But I speak for myself, I needed you. I wanted to be the first thing on your list. It’s selfish and inappropriate to say this, but I wanted you to look after me right after you defeated Thanos.”

While you spoke your eyes had filled with tears and the weak tries to defeat Sam’s touch when he came closer were unsuccessful. 

He sat down beside you, wrapping his arms around you while he listened to you sob softly.

“Believe me when I say I wanted to. Y/n, please. I’ll make it right this time. This is why I brought you here. This is our time.”

You lean into his chest, ignoring the anger that had built up in your chest before.

You were melting by his words, knowing that he was sincere. 

“God I’ve missed you so much.”

Your words came out stuttering, your nails digging in his sweater like you wanted to make sure that he was real.

“I’ve missed you as well baby girl. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”

His breath was hot against your cheek when he lifted your face.

The kiss was a mix of tears and the sweet taste of his lips which let you moan lightly, and he grinned. 

“No interruptions or surprises this time?”

“I promise.”

[annab-nana]

Things Change - Peter Parker

You and Peter have been through it. Before it all, you two were in a happy and healthy relationship and everything was great. Now, you both lost an important person in your lives and so much time had been lost. Coping may lead to the end of your relationship as things change.

A/N: Okay so I see soooooo many tiktoks that give me ideas for blurbs or sometimes oneshots like this one so y’all will probably be seeing more things like this. This is the video that inspired this so the idea creds go to them completely, but you’ll see the part I got from the video. I honestly thought this was a blurb and then I checked the word count and was like oh shit I wrote a lot so haha enjoy the fic!

Warnings: some curse words; Endgame stuff

Word Count: 1.2k+

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

Ever since his death, things have not been the same between you and Peter. Before it all, you guys were nearing the one-year mark in your relationship and you were both so happy and full of love, but after the blip and all, everything came crashing down on you two. Both of you lost someone important to you. Tony was a big part of each of your lives, especially Peter’s.

When Tony sacrificed his life for everyone else’s, it took a toll on you and Peter. Peter distracted himself with being the neighborhood superhero everyone knew and loved, and you focused on getting to know your new little cousin, Morgan. She was a bright little light in your now darkened days since the passing of your uncle, but you had become a little used to loss after your parents died in a car crash. That was something Tony helped you with. He related to losing parents so suddenly and he would hold you while you cried at night or he would offer to distract you, letting you help him build suits and gadgets.

Peter, who had lost a good bit of people in his life, was not as used to it as you were. It was harder each time for him, and he began to lose hope that even his close friends and family would stay for much longer. He also did not like to show that he was struggling, putting up a brave face when around you and Morgan that you had noticed a little. He tried to be some big strong leader around you, but you wish he would just be your dorky Peter Parker again. He didn’t have to be a superhero all the time for you.

You had not only noticed his dissociation, but he is not the same boy much at all anymore. He doesn’t do the things he used to. He doesn’t rush ahead of you to open the door for you as he did before. He doesn’t reach for your hand or lay his head of brown curls on your shoulder anymore. Rarely do you two hug or even kiss, but it is quick and fleeting as a goodbye or hello, nothing passionate or meaningful. You two just existed with a small connection of what was, basically playing house as you two look after Morgan while trying to keep your grades up.

One night after you had put the small spritely brunette to bed while Pepper stayed late at work, you sat next to Peter who sat on the living room couch.

“We need to talk,” you sighed as you sunk into the couch cushions, trying to prepare for the conversation you didn’t want to have but needed to if you wanted to move forward at all.

“Then talk,” he said nonchalantly, no emotion or anything behind his words or even his face which appeared tired.

“I don’t know what to say, but something’s wrong with us. We are not the same. We barely even act like a couple anymore,” you started the talk you both desperately needed to have but hated to be the one to initiate it. Peter’s brown eyes met yours, a small sheen to them as tears pooled in their corners.

“So what? You wanna break up?” he scoffed. This was the last thing he needed right now. He needed you but did not know how to ask for help because he figured you were going through it so much worse than he was because Tony was your actual family of course. He was trying his best to be there for you but he was struggling himself so what was he supposed to do?

“I-I don’t know, maybe? Or just a break? Until we figure things out,” you stated, getting choked up on your own tears. You watched something happen that never normally occurred with Peter. If your Peter was upset, he’d tell you and talk to you about it, but the Peter in front of you deflected his sadness into anger.

“So that’s it? We’re done?” he huffed as he stood, towering over your seated frame. He ran a harsh hand through his curls, tugging roughly at the strands in frustration. “I hate you.”

You were taken back by his words, the three syllables driving a knife into your heart and twisting it to add to the deep pain. The tears lined your eyes, but you were not letting them fall just yet. You stood with him and stepped a bit closer.

“Well, if you’re gonna be like that, then I hate you too!” You hated the way your voice sounded so broken when you shouted the words at him, but he also deserved to know how much that hurt. His eyes softened for a moment and you knew he regretted it.

“Why do you hate me?” Peter countered, his own voice breaking slightly as well. You stayed silent in fear of breaking down if you opened your mouth. “I changed my whole life for you. I am a great guy. I don’t cheat on you. I take care of you and Morgan and I’m responsible-”

“And you’re not in love with me,” you muttered so small but still big enough to stop his monologue. “If that’s what you were going to say, you’re not in love with me, Peter.”

“I love you, y/n!” Peter stated like a fact which was true.

“I know you love me, Pete, but you aren’t in love with me anymore! Ever since the blip, something’s been missing, and I think that is it. We aren’t in love anymore!” you admitted. So, it wasn’t just him. It was you too. He caught that as well and his eyes widened.

“You are in it either, are you?” he questioned, fearful of the answer to come.

“No, Pete. I’m not. I can’t. I have too much. With Tony, Morgan, school, life, us, it’s all too much and we fell apart.” You two stared at each other, tear-brimmed eyes gazing into the other’s before you fell into each other’s arms and broke down.

“I-I love you s-so much, y/n,” Peter sobbed as he cradled your head into his chest.

“I love you too, Peter,” you cried, words muffled by his tear-stained sweater.

“Y/n?” you heard the small voice of the little brown-haired girl who was a pain to get down for bed. Peter pulled from you and turned away from Morgan, not wanting the girl to see him so upset. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, baby. Go to bed. I’ll be up in a minute,” you told her as you wiped your face to rid it of tears. Morgan nodded and walked back up the stairs obediently before you turned back to Peter.

“Come here,” you whispered and wrapped your arms around the boy’s neck, his arms finding their home around your waist. “We aren’t over Peter. We just need a little time, okay?”

“Okay,” he mumbled when you both broke apart. Peter’s hand that still rested behind your head pulled it closer to his lips to place a kiss on your forehead. You waved at him when he reached the door and once he left, it set in what you had done and you hoped you made the right decision.

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[lotusfartstwice]

“You did all of this for me?” Sakura & Lee? 🌸

[from these prompts]

“You did all of this for me?”

--

Rock Lee had all but forgotten about his dojo and his dream of fighting rival fighters.

Pain’s attack had decimated the village and along with it his beloved dojo. Soon after, talk of war came about so rebuilding wasn’t even a blip on his radar. Once that had passed he had considered rebuilding but ultimately all his efforts were a shaky skeleton of a building. He had become quite busy after becoming jonin so he simply had no time to pursue any passion projects. A fact he often lamented to his fellow shinobi when goals were brought up in conversation.

“I think, if I ever got a chance to just work on the dojo again I would make it more appealing.”

“Appealing?” Tenten asked, brow quirked.

“The exterior! I would add a garden or a fountain! Maybe even a koi pond! That would be pleasant, would it not?”

“That is if you ever had the time,” Neji said with a sigh. The two had just returned from a mission so the Hyugga was really feeling the fatigue start to set in.

“No kidding. I’m still looking for a place to set up a weapon’s shop,” Tenten said before patting Lee on the back. “No worries! One of these days we’ll be all set.”

The three rejoined the rest of their friends.

--

Sakura had been busy training medical ninjas but once that had been taken care of she found herself with plenty of free time.

What was a kunoichi to do?

She decided to foster her bonds.

Her and her fellow shinobi had gone through many trials and tribulations together. They now lived in a tentative peace but it was peace nonetheless. She had learned many things from Tsunade but one thing that always stuck out to her was her teacher’s occasional regrets in life. The distance between friends had not done the former hokage any favors.

Sakura found herself having lunch with Ino or Hinata when she could. Then one could find her sparring with Tenten or Kiba. Naruto and Shino were helping in the academy so when she could she would offer advice on reading material they could use (and maybe scam some dango afterwards). Choji and Shikamaru were busy working as representatives to visiting shinobi from other villages. She'd join either or in giving tours around Konoha which always ended in a satisfying meal.

Sai, Neji and Lee were the only ones she didn't have much chance to spend time with one-on-one. The three men were often sent away on missions before they could get a chance to breathe. So oftentimes when she ever had a chance to interact with any of them was when she and the rest of their friends invited them out.

She would take what she could get, sneak in some conversations when she could.

Sakura had just gotten done catching up with Sai when she moved to join Team Gai, only to pause when she heard their conversation.

“I think, if I ever got a chance to just work on the dojo again I would make it more appealing.”

She blinked as memories of spending time in the secluded building as genin sprang forward. Lee had been so proud of it. She was impressed he had finished building it while recovering from injuries. It really had been years.

“That is if you ever had the time,” Neji said with a sigh.

Time?

Well, Sakura had plenty of that to spare at least more so than Lee did.

--

It was a lovely spring day and Rock Lee was happy to have it off.

“Sakura where are you taking me?” Lee couldn’t help but ask as his friend guided him through the village.

“It’s a surprise, Lee!” She stopped for a moment. “We’re getting close so you’re going to have to wear a blindfold.”

“A blindfold?”

Sakura snorted. “Concept of surprise is really eluding you today.”

Lee blushed but complied as he tied the blindfold. He heard the waving of Sakura’s hand in front of his face, for fun’s sake he quickly grabbed her wrist like a snake. “I might not be able to see but my senses are still keen.”

“Yeah, yeah you just wanted an excuse to hold me.”

Lee felt the tips of his ears heat up and he quickly let go of her.

“No good I need to hold your hand, remember?” He could hear the mirth in her tone which just made heat creep up his neck. She was so insufferable in her teasing sometimes.

--

Sakura rolled her eyes whenever Lee was able to name a street or a shop nearby despite a blindfold. He was such a show off.

“I guess they promoted you to jonin for a reason.”

Lee laughed. “Ah yes, my skill of memorizing my village. A very important qualification.” He paused as she led them outside the village and into the woods. “Interesting...what could be out here, I wonder?”

“I’m not gonna keep repeating that it’s a surprise.”

“You just did.”

She squeezed his hand with some force. “So I did.”

“Mm.” He squeezed back with equal force.

--

Something was familiar about this but Lee couldn’t put his finger on it. Wherever they were he had been there before. They had finally stopped and he could practically feel Sakura buzz with excitement.

“We’re here!” she let go of his hand. “Go ahead and take the blindfold off!”

He smiled at the tone of her voice before doing as asked.

“Wha-” the words got stuck in his throat at the sight before him.

He took a few steps forward.

His dojo stood proudly before him. It was still quite simple and no doubt worked off of the bare skeleton he had built beforehand. It didn’t look like a patchwork mess like when he was genin. It looked structurally sound. He peeked his head inside and grinned. There was plenty of space to work.

There was a new addition of flowers outside the building and was that a koi pond? He walked closer to investigate and sure enough. There were two koi fish lazily swimming about in the water. Two lotus flowers floating on the surface made him pause. “This is…”

He took a step back, swallowing hard as his eyes took in the rest.

“Do you like it?”

Lee looked back at Sakura. She was smiling but she looked nervous? What was she nervous about? This was wonderful!

“You did all of this for me?” He managed to whisper, his voice somewhat tight.

Sakura rejoined his side. “Of course!” She then pouted slightly. “Rock Lee, are you saying I’m not capable of doing nice things?”

His eyes widened. “N-no! Of course not!” He felt an uneasy laugh escape him before he looked back at the dojo. “I just...I cannot believe anyone would go through so much effort for me.” He could see Gai-sensei with maybe the reluctant help of his teammates sure but Sakura? Or anyone else for that matter? “This must have taken so long and I had no idea.”

He swallowed again but despite his efforts he couldn’t keep the tears at bay.

“I had some help,” Sakura said. “Naruto and I tried rebuilding everything from scratch but wound up knocking the frame you had up over.” She sighed remembering the failure. “Luckily Captain Yamato was happy to help us.” She moved to hold her friend’s hand. “We told him to keep things simple because that’s your style. He really wanted to make a two-floor dojo.” She giggled at the recollection of his disappointed face when they told him the details.

Lee chuckled, wiping his tears with his free hand.

“Then Choji and Kiba helped me make the pond.” Sakura laughed. “Akamaru was swimming in it a couple times before Shikamaru was able to bring in the koi fish.”

“Then Ino provided the flowers and everyone who could help came and we planted them everywhere.”

Lee imagined all their friends working together, laughing as flowers were arranged.

Sakura let go of his hand and he watched as she entered the building only to reappear with a blank piece of wood. “All that’s left is for you to make the sign.”

He took hold of it. He was sure it was the same size as it was when he was genin. Back then it had seemed so large and imposing. Now his hands were so big as he held it.

“You’re lucky I managed to keep that away from Sai! He was really insistent he make it but we compromised. He got to decorate your walls with some paintings.”

He laughed. “I did not even notice! I will admire them later.” He clutched the blank sign. “I do not know how to thank all of you.”

Sakura smiled. “Well, let us help you make it a proper dojo.”

“Oh?”

She nodded. “We’ve got a couple civilians who are interested in learning taijutsu so once you have the time…”

“Absolutely!” He grinned. “I will take anyone in as a student! We will all be splendid together!”

“Excellent.” She gave him the nice guy pose before giggling.

“Sakura.”

“Hm?”

“Thank you.”

“Well, it wasn’t just me-”

Lee shook his head. “I am aware that you had help but you organized it and made it happen.” He set his sign down to wipe freely at his eyes. “I am so very overwhelmed with all of this. It is so wonderful. Thank you.”

“Well, maybe the two of us can take everyone out for a meal.” Sakura suggested. “Does that sound good?”

“That sounds excellent!” He grinned. He couldn’t wait to thank the others.

“Excellent.” He blinked when he felt Sakura lean her head against him. Shyly, he moved to put an arm around her.

“Y’know you never did answer my question: do you like it?”

Lee blinked. “I thought it was obvious.”

Sakura just hummed.

“I love it! I love it all!”

His friend cheered and pumped an arm. “There we go!”

“I think later on I would like to add a tree, close by.” He says after a beat.

“Oh?”

“Yes, I think it would be lovely.”

“What kind of tree? Maple or something?”

Lee blushed, pointedly focusing on anything but her. “I was thinking maybe a sakura tree.”

Sakura blinked before chuckling. “Yeah, maybe a sakura tree would be nice.” She sighed but made no move to untangle from Lee. “The blossoms will be a pain to keep out of the pond.”

Lee shook his head. “Not at all! I will think of it as training! All of it will be worth it.” He finally glanced at her, smiling now. “It will be a place to rest against. It will be lovely, I promise!”

“If you say so.” She poked his side, eliciting a laugh from him. “Ready to work on that sign?”

“Ah! Yes!” The two headed into the building where a brush and paint waited. 

[vintage-brass-tc]

4/10/2021

(( Brace yourselves for a long post. 👁 ))

I’m not sure if I gave any more context of this event either, but, last week, I and around 1-2 people from each section were invited by the directors to go help out with something in preparation for next year.

To summarize it briefly, the incoming band students would be trying out some instruments today. Due to COVID restrictions, they couldn’t play the instrument (much) and actually try it out like the usual process. The older band kids given the option to volunteer were going to be the lead examples of what an instrument sounds like.

This means they’d play for people who were interested in hearing them/trying out our instrument. In addition, we also helped make sure the crowd was settled in nicely when we weren’t occupied with said playing.

Of course, I agreed to come right away. Who would turn down a chance to hang out around their TC (ahem, and the band 😳) for a little while?

People could choose to be there for around half of the event— three hours and thirty minutes, give or take— or remain there throughout the full seven-hour duration of work.

I think you know what I’m going to say now, right? Yeah. I chose to stay and pitch in for the whole time. Needless to say, I’m pretty worn out from it all.

(Believe it or not, I practically passed out right after I wrote the previous sentence. Haha, whoops. Hello from the next day!)

Anywho, with all of the background information out of the way, let’s move on to the actual event!!

||||||||||||||||||||||||

I arrived pretty early and assisted the band directors with their setup in the school’s cafeteria. W and I didn’t talk or make eye contact very much, but that was because we were scrambling to get things like the instruments, hand sanitizer stations, music stands, etcetera prepared.

I noticed that M’s wife and daughter, who’s in my band, were here to help all day as well. It was nice to coexist and talk a little with those who M loves and adores.

From what I remember, the first time W spoke within earshot of me was when everyone was given the incentive to warm up on their instruments in the band hall.

He made a stupid joke that I don’t quite remember, but I and some others found it pretty funny. As always, he never failed to lift the room’s spirits, or at the very least my own. If what he said wasn’t enough to keep me going, the smile on his face before he left was adorable as well.

~~

Fast forward to some time later, when I was mingling with other band kids. I thought it’d be fun to join in the frenzy of various pieces being played simultaneously, but I didn’t want to move away from the group to sit down. I thought it would be pretty awkward.

After being sure I wasn’t going to cause any major damage to myself or my instrument, I challenged myself to attempt playing some music on my concert tuba while standing up. I didn’t do this often, so I thought it’d be a fun time to try.

Why am I bringing this up? Well, just as I lifted the tuba upwards, I noticed something in the eastern corner of my gaze; A pair of eyes I knew all too well were already placed on me before I had even begun getting set. My gaze flickered in the observer’s direction for less than a second.

To my surprise, since nobody was talking to him, W decided to focus on me. He was leaning forward on the table he was sat at, with his chin cupped comfortably by his right hand. He watched me with pure curiosity and interest.

I did my best not to look at him outside of my peripheral vision after that to avoid potentially interrupting his thoughts. I also didn’t want to mess up whatever music I had out either since he was listening in on it.

He observed me with this same look on his face until he shot up in his seat and looked forward. I assume there was a person who was approaching him.

Can’t help but wonder why he decided to look at me...and how long he would have been tuning into my mediocre tuba skills if someone hadn’t walked over.

~~

A student was interested in hearing me play the tuba, so I did just that. I believe I played around 6-8 measures of my solo. Despite some minor blips due to a sticking valve, I guess I did pretty decent.

I smiled sheepishly and set my tuba down after my mini performance. A subtle applause rose from the kid’s family, accompanied by a louder clapping to the right of me, which I didn’t quite acknowledge until a voice spoke up.

“Thanks Dad!!” W spoke in a slightly condescending tone while grinning from ear to ear. The sound of his loud voice startled me and I zipped my head over to him. “Wha(ha)t?” I spoke in between some surprised chuckles.

“Your Dad’s clapping...like—” He mimicked a very enthusiastic and very expressive clap for a moment before slapping his knees, leaning forward, and letting out one of his signature loud, giggly laughs. I looked at my father and we laughed along with W for a few seconds more.

After writing this, I’m just now realizing that W must have been paying pretty good attention to me and the situation I was in. I would have never noticed this if he hadn’t spoke up. Wow, haha, that’s pretty cool! (My father decided a volunteer here for a little while in case some people were curious. ^^)

~~

Not as much people wanted to hear the tuba as I thought, so I had some free time on my hands. We were told that we could no longer play out of turn since we were being too loud, so I decided to try to talk to W a little bit while I still could. I watched as he wished the last person currently in line a good day, then I began to walk over to him. As I made my way closer, he lifted his head pretty quickly, and his concentration locked on me. Judging by his serious expression, he may have thought I had an important question to ask him. That threw me off a little bit, and I got nervous.

“What’s up?” He asked.

“Uh,” I started, “How‘s the thing going?” By ‘the thing’, I was referring to his job of checking people out of the school. I internally facepalmed at my phrasing.

“Good!” He turned to his computer and hesitated. “Actually, I have a favor to ask you..” I watched as he slouched down a little bit on the desk before popping back up to look at me.

W asked me if I could go ahead and get the directors’ lunch out before the kids got theirs, just in case it all ran out quickly. He then counted the directors for me and forgot to include himself, which we laughed together at after I pointed it out. I went to go grab the packages after the conversation ended.

The whole way to the band hall, where everything was located, I swam through my thoughts. I was grateful that he thought I was good enough to be trusted with keeping track of who got what, food-wise. I’m glad I could help him with that.

After a bit of explaining to some of the students why I was handling the food before lunch and taking multiple portions of it, I was off and giving everything out to the directors. M’s wife already went to get her own food somehow, and she seemed a little bit agitated when I asked if she already got her stuff.

I mean, I’d be pretty mad if someone interrupting my blissful munching moments too, so no shame there. I wonder if M messes with her while she eats sometimes. It seems like something he may do when he’s bored. Haha.

Anyway, I approached W with his stuff, but he was talking to someone, so I slowly came to a stop and just....stood there. Luckily, the guy mentioned I had W’s food, so he looked over. “Thanks R,” he smiled. “Is that all?” He looked at what remained in the bag. “Yep.” I told him that M’s wife had already gotten her stuff beforehand, and he nodded.

After I handed the items to him, he thanked me again. I acknowledged his thanks with a smile before letting him continue talking. A few minutes later, he began to eat.

Can I just point out that the way he eats is so...amusing? It’s like he pays no attention to those around him, instead focusing on engulfing the food in front of him with huge bites at a time. He leaves a mess too while doing this sometimes.

While he’s nomming the stuff down, he uses that time to scan the room with curious eyes. I assume it’s to see if anyone was looking at his Jurassic munching techniques.

Call me weird, but it was all so cute in a way. I had a very tough time directing my eyes off of him at first, but I forced myself to. He was looking near my direction anyway, and I didn’t want him to be like ‘??? R, why are you watching me eat?’. 😳 so yeah

~~

About an hour or so after this lunch incident, I was talking to M’s daughter and someone else. We were chatting casually about something related to our instruments. I just started getting into the conversation when I heard a loud voice call out my name.

“R.” W called from behind me. I perked up, shocked, and stopped talking as soon as his voice rang in my ears. The two people I was speaking to looked in his direction and I followed suit with their action, twisting my body backwards as quick as possible. “Come here.”

He stood there very still, facing me with a serious expression, and I was quite intimidated by this. There was nobody inside a 7-foot radius of him, which further intensified the situation for me. Within another heartbeat, butterflies were swirling in my stomach. I turned back to the two girls and apologized before walking over to see what was up.

I stopped just shy of an arm’s length away from him and met his strong gaze with a face that silently urged him to go on. “I’m going to go to the restroom,” he told me, dipping his upper torso and head down to make his look appear more firm. I responded by lifting my chin up and looking down at him with the same amount of seriousness.

“I need you to stay here and watch. If anyone comes, tell them to wait for me, okay?” He had a hint of a pleading tone in his voice that I couldn’t ignore. “Got it.” I told him. “Sorry!!” He exclaimed in a high-pitched whisper to me as he ran off to the other room. “Not a problem!” I yelled back.

I watched him dash out of the cafeteria doors and halt to a walking pace while he exchanged a couple words with the check-in volunteers. I stopped watching him when he began to walk towards the males’ bathroom again.

I was, again, honored that W trusted me enough to handle something like that. Even if it was a small task like the one he asked from me earlier on, he could have had anyone else do it, but he decided I was reliable enough to. I thought that was pretty cool.

Anyway, I stood there for a bit and noticed a phone faced down on the table. I assumed immediately that it was his, and I observed its beautiful casing. It was decorated with a light gray and white array of lines that sort of gave me a forest vibe.

I never expected something as toned down and serene as this was from him, especially with his crazy energetic attitude I know him from, but it was a very nice sight. I didn’t stare at his phone any further in case anyone thought I was going to snoop or something weird like that.

A family came up and I told them that W would be back in a bit. We chatted for a little while about some band-related stuff until W speed-walked back in. I ended our conversation abruptly before looking at him.

“Thank you so much for your help, R.” He told me sincerely while I stepped out of his way. I didn’t pay attention in the moment to how close we were, but it was definitely very close, somehow still barely avoiding contact. “Sure!” I beamed joyously as my gaze lingered.

“Your phone was going off for twenty minutes,” he told me before he sat back down in his chair. My face widened. “I was??” I paused. “I mean, it was??” He didn’t respond to my slightly panicking tone. Instead, he sat still where he was silently, staring at the person I was just talking to.

“Sorry,” I lightly apologized before heading back to where I had my stuff set up. I checked my notifications didn’t see anything new, so I was pretty confused. Maybe he was trying to get me to go away or something, hence the effort on his face to not respond. 😳

~~

The last thing here was just me wishing him a good weekend, and him saying “thank you for helping“, with me thanking him back afterwards.

Overall, this day was great. My arms are so sore from hauling the extra instrument cases around(the tuba cases for newcomers are unbelievably heavier than my current one), but the moments I shared with W and the band made it so worth it. ^^

Hope everyone’s having a great weekend and staying safe.

[upthenorthmountain]

Heartwood - Chapter Nine

Previous Chapters

The final chapter! Enjoy!

And a special thank you for the very special @karis-the-fangirl, for all her help now and always x

Chapter 9

“...Anna?”

Anna woke. She didn’t remember falling asleep, but now it was clearly morning. Kristoff was sitting on the side of the bed, fully dressed.

“Mmm?”

“I’m sorry, this is such a pain, I forgot I have to go into Town today - I have to go or I’ll miss my train. Will you be okay?”

“Mm. Yes. I’m fine.” He had said something about going to London the day after her birthday, and she’d forgotten too.

“I’m so sorry, I meant to…” he looked at his watch. “I’ll come home as soon as I can, okay? And we’ll - talk. And there’s something else I wanted to do yesterday but - anyway. Later, okay?”

To her surprise, he leant forward and kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll see you later. Go back to sleep.”

“See you later,” Anna said, and watched him go.

-----

It was almost eight, not so very early. Anna wasn’t sleepy any more so she got up and dressed. Yesterday’s events seemed distant already, almost dream-like - but they’d happened, and she could barely sit still, she was so caught up in wondering - had the doctor made a mistake? She couldn’t think of another reason why she was still here, breathing, heart beating as normal, as she paced the length of the garden and back.

At nine she rang the doctor’s surgery and made an appointment for later that morning. Kristoff would have taken the campervan to the station but she could call a mini-cab, or perhaps ask Lillian for a lift - no, she knew if she did that, she’d end up telling her everything. She had almost told Lillian, so many times, but she hadn’t wanted to make her sad; hadn’t wanted the time they had to be coloured by it. Kristoff had been good as his word, and never referred to Anna’s health, never treated her as if her strength was any less than his, and she was unbelievably grateful for it.

He’d said they needed to talk. Was he drawing the same conclusion she was? Or was he thinking that she had lied all along?

-----

“I see here,” the doctor said, reading her computer screen, “That you were scheduled for a follow-up from your last appointment but you cancelled it, any particular reason?”

“I - there didn’t seem much point.” Anna cringed a little, expecting to be told off.

The doctor frowned at her computer screen and clicked through a couple of tabs. “Yes, you’re probably right,” she said. “Looking at your results - not much point.”

Well, that was a little horrifying, coming from her doctor. Anna winced.

“Yes, a lot of people have these little blips,” the doctor was saying. “It’s good to have it in your records in case it gets worse but for now, no need to do anything. Have you had any further symptoms?”

“No,” Anna said. “Nothing.”

“Then I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“I shouldn’t worry about…” Anna paused. “I’m sorry, I’m confused. When I saw you, last year, you said...you gave me this.” Anna rummaged in her handbag and produced the letter, now looking a bit bedraggled. The doctor took it and glanced at it; then frowned and read it more carefully; then turned to her computer again and started clicking through various screens. “Odd,” she said. “I don’t see why - ha. Yes, we did have trouble with that one…”

“With what?”

“Oh, the machine - it wasn’t calibrated correctly - but we called everyone back in,” the doctor said. “Didn’t you get a letter?”

“I - moved,” Anna said. Well, that was true. She wasn’t going to sit here and say that she’d had a letter - possibly, actually, more than one - and ignored it.

“Oh, goodness, I am sorry. Yes, I can see your results here but it’s definitely wrong, we’ve estimated what it should have been although of course we can redo it if you like.”

“I’m not dying?”

“No, no. A mild murmur. Won’t cause you any trouble.” The doctor was watching her face carefully. Probably wondering why I look so horrified, Anna thought dully. 

“I’m so sorry,” the doctor said. “I will of course follow up with the admin staff and find out why they didn’t contact you again.”

“Of course.” 

The doctor cleared her throat, then reached across her desk and picked up a card. “And if you wish to contact our official complaints service, then I’m sure…”

Anna shook her head. “It’s fine. It’s....I’m sorry, I have to go.” She grabbed her bag and stood up. 

“Miss Rendell -”

“Mrs,” Anna said, and fled.

-----

And suddenly, all the happiness of that past year was gone. All of it had been built on a lie, a lie that had ended up being at someone else’s expense. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Didn’t even get a second opinion. Anna almost ran out of the surgery and along the road to the taxi rank by the station. She saw Kristoff’s camper in the station car park and flinched away from it, even though he was miles away.  

No wonder Kristoff hadn’t wanted to talk to her last night, had hidden away to avoid her. He’d realised what it meant, when the incident at the train track didn’t hurt her; he’d realised Anna was perfectly healthy, and that meant he was stuck with her forever. Or at least for another two years, wasn’t that how long it took to get a divorce? Or was it five? Either way. Oh, what if he’d thought she was lying all along; he must have been so angry. He probably wanted to talk to her later just to throw her out.

It was cowardly, to leave while he was at work, but she knew she needed to do it. She didn’t want to put him in the position of having to pretend he wanted her to stay, to say he didn’t mind. She had made him marry her under false pretences and she didn’t deserve his understanding. She didn’t deserve anything.

“Could you come back in an hour and pick me up again?” she asked the taxi driver when they pulled up at the end of the lane.

“It’s a bit of a drive out -”

“I just need to get my things together, I need to leave before he gets home,” Anna said. It wasn’t until the driver’s expression changed that she realised what she’d said.

“Of course, love,” he said. “I’ll be here. Do you want me to wait here while you get sorted? It’s no trouble.”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing like that -” But it would take too long to explain. “He’s at work until late. I’ll be fine, thank you.” The driver nodded but she noticed he didn’t pull away until after she’d reached the house.

-----

It took only half the time for Anna to pack her suitcase. Banjo rubbed up against her legs as she squeezed her clothes into the case and she bent down to scratch him under the chin. “I’m sorry, puss,” she said. “I’ll miss you.”

There were a few other things scattered around the house, and as she was gathering them in a carrier bag Anna realised that she did need to tell him why she had left. She should leave a note. But the only paper she could find was the shopping list pad, which had a design of cheerful vegetables - that didn’t seem very appropriate. Or the back of an envelope. Oh, dear.

Without thinking, she ran down the path to the office. It was locked, of course, but the key was under a flowerpot - she’d seen him take it out a hundred times. She didn’t think at all about what she was doing - she was just focussed on needing a piece of paper, and this seemed the most likely place to find one.

She’d expected a desk, maybe shelves or filing cabinets. There was a small table with a laptop, but it was connected to some other electronics she didn’t recognise. That was definitely a microphone, and speakers. His guitar was on a stand in the corner. But they weren’t paper, so she didn’t pay much attention to them. Instead she spotted an inkjet printer in the corner and took a piece of paper out of the tray, then went back to the house, locking up behind her.

Anna put her case and the bags outside the front door, then she sat down at the dining table with the paper and a biro from the kitchen drawer. Her mind was racing. What could be enough? Nothing. But she had to write something.

Kristoff,

I’ve gone home. I went to see my doctor this morning. She told me that there was a problem with the machine they used to diagnose me last year. There was never anything wrong with my heart and I am perfectly healthy and should live for decades.

I’m so sorry. I never meant to deceive you (she had to stop here for a moment to rub her sleeve across her eyes) and I hope you can forgive me. I will contact a lawyer and hopefully we can be divorced soon. I will of course pay all the costs.

Thank you for the happiest year of my life.

Anna

She took the ring off her finger and left it on top of the letter. 

-----

The taxi was waiting for her at the end of the lane. It had taken Anna a couple of trips to get all her belongings there, and the driver helped her fit everything into the boot.

She wasn’t going to cry. And she wasn’t going to look back at the house or the lane as they drove away.

The radio was on, and she asked the driver if he would turn it up, which he did quite happily.

‘....and now we have an exclusive - the new John Foster track, which I know you’ve all been waiting for -”

Oh, she’d forgotten about that. She’d seen about his new album online a few days ago, but with everything, she’d forgotten.

“- and you won’t have heard this anywhere else. I’ve heard it, and it’s a cracker, so settle down and enjoy. This is John Foster, his new single, Heartwood.’

The song began, and Anna’s brow wrinkled. This song wasn’t new - why, hadn’t she heard Kristoff play that intro a dozen times. He was always sitting around holding his guitar and playing little bits of tunes, and she’d liked that one. John Foster, you’re a plagiarist, she thought.

The lyrics began. Unusually for Mr Foster, it seemed to be a love song. There was a girl, and he loved her. He loved her, but they only had a year. For everything there is a season. That was what Kristoff always said. Well, she supposed it was no wonder she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

[They say

For everything there is a season

However many or how few

But if we only have a season

At least I spent this one with you]

She was going to cry. She concentrated on the words to try and avoid it.

[Your hair is honey in the sunlight

Your kisses honey on my lips]

Kristoff had said that. Something like that. Hadn’t he?

[When I come home and you’re not waiting for me 

Your sweet smile is what I’ll miss]

[They say

For everything there is a season

However many or how few

But if we only have a season, Anna

At least I spent this one with you]

Anna sat bolt upright in her seat. Did he say her name? She was imagining it. She…

...she knew Kristoff wasn’t John Foster; she’d seen John Foster perform. But she also knew that he didn’t write his own songs, there had been a heated discussion about that online that she’d avoided, because what did it matter? The songs themselves mattered. She hadn’t given much thought to who the songwriter actually was.

Except that she was married to him. That’s how he’d got the tickets to the concert, why he already knew the tune, how he made his money. And he’d written her a love song. His first love song.

No. She’d lied to him - however unintentionally - and it was a good idea for a song. It was a nice song; he was a talented man. She hoped the people of the world loved it and he made a heap of money, which he deserved, for putting up with her all this time.

But. He’d written her a love song.

She hadn’t let herself think about her feelings for Kristoff. Because she knew what they were. She’d known for a long time. If things had been different, if she’d met him otherwise - well, who knew how that might have gone. Maybe he’d have tired of her, anyway. Maybe she’d still have ended up alone, no matter how much she loved him.

Anna swallowed hard, and stared out of the window, watching the trees give way to houses, until they pulled up outside Elsa’s door. Anna’s door.

The taxi driver helped her get everything out of the boot and carry it up to the door. Anna tipped him well, found her old door key in the bottom of her handbag and let herself in.

No one noticed her, for a little while. She brought everything inside and started to carry it up to her bedroom, which was exactly as she’d left it. Anna wondered if it had been left for her deliberately, if Elsa had thought she might come back; or if no one had thought about it at all.

She was putting away some of her clothes when Elsa appeared in the doorway. “Anna?” she said. “Why are you here?”

“Because I’m not going to die,” Anna said, sat down on her bed, and burst into tears.

-----

Elsa clearly didn’t know what to do, but she sat down next to Anna and patted her on the shoulder, which is more than Anna would have expected. She listened while Anna told her the full story - or most of it - and she only said ‘Why didn’t you get a second opinion?’ once and ‘I wish you’d told me’ twice, which to Anna was acceptable.

“I’d actually been meaning to come and see you,” Elsa said, after they’d sat in silence together for a long moment. “I wanted to tell you something.”

“Tell me what?” said Anna, taking a whole handful of tissues and blowing her nose.

“I bought Bennett’s Field.”

“What? For what?”

Elsa hesitated, and looked at her hands. “The council has been looking for sites for a new country park. I bought the land to donate it. I thought - if you agree - we could combine it with the land we already own.”

Anna stared at her, mouth open. Then she said “That sounds wonderful.”

“I know that - you and I haven’t always seen eye to eye. I didn’t know how to be your guardian. I knew I wasn’t doing a good job, but I had no idea how to fix it.”

“It’s okay,” Anna said, automatically.

“No it isn’t.”

“We can start again. From now. As adults.”

“I’d like that.” They sat side by side for a while. “I haven’t even met your husband,” Elsa said.

Anna sniffed. “He won’t be my husband much longer.”

Elsa squeezed her hand. “You never know.”

-----

The doorbell rang at almost eleven that night, as Anna was contemplating going to bed. She didn’t want to climb into those white sheets, alone, but it had to be done; she’d put everything away, tidied it all neatly, had a long hot shower, and now going to bed was the only thing remaining. Until the doorbell rang. Elsa answered it.

“May I speak to my wife, please?”

Anna stopped at the sound of his voice, and listened, but Elsa’s reply was inaudible. Anna leant on the wall and peered round to try and see down the stairs.

“I just need to talk to her. I think - there’s been a misunderstanding. My fault. Is she here? Please?”

Anna walked out of the hallway and onto the top stair. Kristoff was standing just outside the front door, and when he saw her he stepped forward; Elsa moved backward to let him into the house. She glanced at them both, then shut the front door behind him and disappeared into the living room. Anna barely noticed her leave. Kristoff was standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking at her with an expression on his face that she couldn’t place.

“You can come up,” she said, for want of anything else to say. “Um. If you like.” She didn’t wait for him to reach her, but walked slowly into her bedroom.

“This is your room?” was what he said when he joined her.

“Yes.”

He nodded, slowly. Now that he was here he seemed to not be able to think what to say.

“Kristoff,” Anna said, “Are you a musician? A songwriter?”

He smiled, lopsided. “Yes.”

“I heard your song. On the radio.”

He nodded. “I knew it was being released today. I was going to play it for you yesterday, on your birthday. And tell you everything. Then I was going to do it today, but I got home and you weren’t there.”

“Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“About the songwriting?” He shrugged. “At first just because I knew you’d want to meet John and he and I don’t really get on. He’s a bit of a dick, to be honest. The record company matched us up, we aren’t friends.”

“But you don’t mind him recording your songs?”

Kristoff shrugged again. “They’re all just nonsense.”

“No, they aren’t. Kristoff, you don’t know what they meant to me, those songs, when I was alone and miserable. They’re wonderful.”

“The only one I care about is the one I wrote for you.”

He took both her hands in his. “I read your letter. You’re not going to die?”

“No. No more than anyone else, anyway.”

He squeezed her hands and she looked up to see him beaming at her. “Come home,” he said. 

“You don’t want me to do that. You don’t have to be polite.”

“I’m not.”

“I can’t come back,” Anna said. “And we have to get a divorce. I’ll do whatever you need me to do. We can be friends. But I know you only married me because you felt sorry for me and wanted to help me out. And I can’t stay married to someone who doesn’t love me, no matter how I might feel about them. It isn’t fair.”

Kristoff nodded and let her hands fall. “That’s my fault,” he said. “That you think that. Alright, yes - I married you because I knew you’d be miserable if you went home, and I thought I could help you. I thought you’d stay until you got your money, then you’d be off, and I was okay with that.”

Anna opened her mouth, but he wasn’t finished. “I didn’t love you then,” he continued. “Though I liked you well enough. And by the end of the summer I realised I was falling for you - but I remembered that you were going to die. And I couldn’t - I tried, I tried to stop myself. I told myself it was nothing. But my god, when I saw that train bearing down on you, I knew that I loved you. You have to believe me.”

He was so very earnest, that was the thing. He had never lied to her; looking into his eyes, she knew he wasn’t lying now.

“I love you,” she said. Kristoff smiled. He put his hand in his jacket pocket, and pulled out the ring Anna had last seen on her letter, on the table. He held it out to her in his open hand.

“Then come home,” he said.

And Anna realised that the only thing stopping her was the little voice in her brain saying that it was too easy. It was too right. How ludicrous, to have something you wanted so much offered to you freely, by someone who desperately wanted you to take it. But how wonderful.

Until her dying day - many, many years in the future - Anna never forgot the expression on Kristoff’s face as she took the ring from his hand and put it on. Never forgot how it felt when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, knowing that this time, it really was forever.

-----

Anna woke, and it was so comfortable and familiar that it took her a few minutes to remember everything that had happened over the last couple of days. But she was home; this was home. Forever.

Something was unfamiliar, though. She could hear two men, talking. She got up, put on her dressing gown, and opened the bedroom door.

The back door was open, and the conversation was happening just outside it.

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” one man was saying. “Either just put it in the bathroom as it is or knock through here. Or could use that space for a shower. I’ll do you a couple of quotes, if you like.”

“That’d be great, thanks.” That was Kristoff.

“Lovely spot you’ve got here. Can see why you don’t want to move.”

“We’re fond of it.”

“You know,” the other man - a builder? A plumber? - said, “This floorplan, what most people do, is put some stairs in and convert the loft. You can probably get two bedrooms up there, or a nice master suite. Keep one bedroom downstairs if you want. That storage building, it’s brick, right?”

“Breeze block,” Kristoff said.

“So it’s a permanent part of the existing building, right, you could get planning to add that onto the house. Might not even need planning permission. You could get three bedrooms in here, easy, without having to make the actual building any bigger, except maybe some dormers in the roof. Up to you, of course. Depends how much space you think you’re going to need. Just the two of you, is it?”

“At the moment, yes. Though that’s certainly something to think about.”

“I’ll put together a rough estimate on that as well if you like. You don’t want to have to move when you have kids. Lovely spot.”

“That’s very true. Though right now I mainly don’t want to spend another winter listening to my wife complain about how cold the loo seat is.”

Anna laughed, and Kristoff looked over at her and smiled. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Anna said; and it was. The first, best morning of the rest of her life.

[gingyboo]

Mirror Mirror

A/N: Again many thanks to @booglebug

Description- Soulmates existed. People knew that much. Soulmates were rare, a handful in each generation, an unexplainable phenomenon that formed a bond closer than blood and more sacred than marriage.

Bucky finds his soulmate when he needs her most. Little does he know how much she needs him too.

(Soulmate au that slots pretty much in to the MCU but with soulmates. Set after TFATWS.)

Pairing- Bucky Barnes x OFC

Warnings- Mentions of violence and guns, but its mostly fluff, drama and angst.

This is a multi chaptered fic.

Please like, comment, reblog!

prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

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Chapter 6

The journey to Wakanda passed quietly, Sam and Torres sat in the cockpit whilst Nancy dozed against Bucky’s shoulder. It had been a long 24hrs and the few hours of rest on her sofa hadn’t curbed her exhaustion. She remembered what her doctor had told her about taking things easy, well she certainly hadn’t been doing that, these past few months she’d felt stronger than she had in 5 years. Still she rested. Bucky watched over her silently, absentmindedly twirling a piece of her hair again. Mid way through the trip she woke up and smiled up at Bucky.

“Hey, do you know how much further it is?” She asked stretching out.

“Couple of hours at least.”

“No in flight movie?” She laughed.

“I’m afraid not”

“Sorry, I keep falling asleep on you.” She brushed the creases out of his jacket.

“Keep the habit, I don’t mind.” He swung an arm round her shoulders. “Tell me about your dad.”

“What do you want to know?” She asked.

“I don’t know, what’s he like. You don’t talk about him much.”

“Well…” Nancy told him, told him about Martin Cartwright. The man who’d carried her around on his shoulders when she was little. Who’d locked his work away in his study and never brought it into the home. Who’d chased Kit around the garden on the weekends. Whose marriage had broken down and how hard he’d tried to hide it from her and her brother. Who’d left her alone in London for a job he was dreading only to fall in love with Wakanda, with the people and the culture and Katima. She told him about his frantic phone calls, asking her to help him out by attending a function the next day that he wouldn’t be able to make, that had then become a more common occurrence.

“I think my father stopped coming home because what home was changed for him. He’d rather stay out there, help communications between our countries, he’s not so interested in the politics anymore.”

“And you are?” Bucky asked.

“No, I’m no politician, I’m a distraction. Mr financial secretary is having issues at home, his 13-year-old daughter is going through a difficult stage and he just wishes things could go back to how they used to be, his wife doesn’t look how she did when she was 25 anymore and he knows he doesn’t look the same either. They’re arguing more than they are talking and so he leaps at the chance to escort a young rich socialite to the ballet. He then makes some half-hearted attempts to lobby her for information but inevitably he falls asleep, not before making some obvious attempts to peek down the front of her dress, deciding she knows nothing and there is little behind those green eyes he liked so much and she’s not even worthy of proper conversation. She’s just another pretty face, should make his wife jealous though.”

“You’re more than just a pretty face. So much more.” Bucky stroked his thumb over her cheek bone. He felt an anger within him, a strong regret that he hadn’t thrown the financial secretary out of the box the night before.

“I can play part. Played it for so long I don’t know what I am, my dad tells me nothing of what he’s doing, what his plans for British-Wakanda relations are. All I know is he won’t let my people take advantage of the Wakandans,”

“I’d like to see them try,” Bucky interjected, and Nancy nodded.

“But you see they will try, not the British people per se, but the people at the top, they will always try to exploit for their own gain. My father’s made a lot of people unhappy with his silence on matter.”

“Good, though I’m surprised they let him keep his post so long.”

“They tried to remove him once, the Wakandans wouldn’t allow it, they said they wouldn’t accept a replacement.” Although she’d been pleased her dad’s job was safe, she had taken the brunt of the British displeasure, she’d heard the whispers behind her back at dinners. That her father should be looking out for his own country first, especially after everyone returned from the blip. Some thought earning Nancy’s favour would give then a path to her father. So many insincere friendships had made Nancy feel more alone than ever. And then Bucky had appeared.

Bucky looked thoughtful for a moment. He stared into her eyes and smiled.

“I have a feeling I’m going to like your father. Standing up for what is right even if his country is against him, reminds me of a man I knew. A couple on men actually.” His eyes drifted behind her to the cockpit. As if he sensed his gaze Sam turned around.

“Not long now princess, you might want to come up here and see this.” He called over to her. Nancy carefully removed the straps securing her to the bench and made her way into the cockpit. Torres’s expression matched hers as the giant black panther came into view.

“It’s amazing.”

“I can’t believe you’ve never been here before.” Bucky had silently appeared behind her.

Torres landed the jet expertly and not wanting to wait for steps to be put in, Bucky leapt from the plane lifting Nancy down after him. As soon as her feet hit the ground she was running, seeing her dad across the tarmac. He met her halfway enveloping her in a crushing embrace. He had greying blond hair and Nancy’s green eyes. He was wearing smart tailored suit which looked out of place next to the Wakandans manning their landing strip.

“Angel, thank god you’re safe, I never would’ve forgiven myself-“ He was a few inches shorter than Nancy’s 5’11”.

“I’m okay dad.” She hugged him back just as tight.

“Are you, you’ve been okay, no instances?”

“Dad, I promise you, I’m okay.” Bucky and Sam had stood back giving the pair some space, as Nancy drew away they both came to her side.

“Thank you, all three of you,” he waved at Torres who was still in the cockpit. “I am eternally grateful.”

“That’s what we do.” Sam said extending his hand, which Martin shook whole heartedly.

“Let’s get you inside, I’ve had a room made up for you, I’m sure you need rest, I’ll get some food put together,”

“Dad we need to talk, these people they meant business, I have a right to know what’s going on.” Nancy stood tall, she reached her hand out, reaching for Bucky’s, she needed the strength his touch gave her. Bucky stepped closer to her, breathing deeply and laced their fingers together. It didn’t go unnoticed, Martin Cartwright frowned, but said nothing about it.

“Nancy, you should rest we’ll talk later.”

“No, we’ll talk now.” She stayed firm.

“Okay, okay.” He gave in, leading them inside a large building with walls of windows. Through winding corridors, he led the trio to an empty meeting room. Martin sat on the edge of the table.

“Tell me what happened.” They each explained, Nancy her night at the ballet, Sam and Bucky described the men who had fought them and then followed them through London, they explained staying at the house until Torres could bring them to Wakanda, they spoke of the confrontation at the airfield though Nancy left out the mention of her brother.

“I am immeasurably grateful,” he thanked them again, “I should like to speak to my daughter alone,” Nancy held Bucky fixed by her side whilst Sam was led away by a member of the Dora Milaje.

“Bucky stays.” She said shortly, viewing her dad through narrowed eyes.

“Nancy, what is this?”

“I want you to explain and I want him to hear it to.”

“Explain what?”

“Why? What’s going on that would make someone want to ransom me. This was calculated, planned out, they weren’t giving up. Do you honestly have so much power that they thought it worthy to control you? And who are they? Dad I will stand by you, I trust your choices and judgment, but I can’t do so blindly anymore.” She threw the words at him in one breath.

“And he has to hear all this because?” Martin shot back staring at Bucky who was leaning against the wall, staring straight back.

“Because you put him in danger too.” She said quickly, eyes flicking back to Bucky. He stepped forward resting a hand on her shoulder briefly.

“And because I’m her soulmate.” He said clearly. Martins face changed them, the subtle look of guilt he’d had since their arrival was replaced with sudden fury. He dash forward punching the ex-winter solider back up against the wall, his forearm to his throat. Bucky did nothing to stop him, holding his hands up in surrender.

“Dad!” Nancy shouted.

“You!” He shouted in Bucky’s face, “you gave my daughter nightmares for years, you have haunted our family, don’t think I don’t know who you are!”

“Dad stop, what are you talking about!” She reached out grabbing her father’s shoulders, he turned his head towards her, tears in his eyes.

“You don’t remember, but I do, you were in your ballet class, he appeared, Nancy he tried to shoot you.” Realisation dawned on Bucky’s features.

“It wasn’t me, I don’t even remember that I’m not that person anymore,” Bucky plead. “I’d never hurt her, I couldn’t.”

“I’d never let him.” Nancy stated defiantly. “Please dad, let him go, it cannot be changed, are souls are one, you know this.”

Martin Cartwright released Bucky reluctantly.

“How could you keep this from me, you’ve known he was out there, all this time.” Nancy’s face cracked, a tear escaping her eye.

“I knew him for what he is, a murderer.”

“He isn’t anymore, he is pardoned, the winter solider is gone, I am Bucky’s, and he is mine, you accept us both or neither of us.” She stood beside him now, holding tight to his vibranium hand, the black and gold metal stark against her pale fingers.

“Nancy.” Martin warned, the stern voice she hadn’t heard since childhood.

“Together, or not at all.” She said finally. That conversation ended there, Bucky felt Nancy relax as she realised her father was retreating. He ran a hand through his thinning hair.

“Angel, I don’t know what these people want, I promise you.” He started meeting her eye before adding “I am going to try to tell you more, I just worry, I don’t want to burden you.” Nancy nodded, mouthed a thank you and allowed her father to lead her to her room in the ambassador’s apartment. The embassy building they were in consisted of a ground level of conference room, then each floor held apartments for different countries, all together in one place. Martin mostly stayed at Katima house further into the country, finding it quieter than the busy city. Katima was on her way back from Paris having completed her assignment there, Martin explained to Nancy whilst Bucky went in search of Sam. He hoped they could have dinner the following evening.

“Is Bucky invited?” Nancy asked.

“If he must be, if it means you’ll be there.”

“I’ll be there regardless, but I want him there.” her dad nodded in acceptance.

“Here you are, make yourself at home, I’m sorry I can’t send you back to London, not till I know you’ll be safe.” Nancy resisted insisting that as long as she was with Bucky she would be safe, she didn’t need to rub salt in that wound. He kissed her forehead briefly before walking away. Her dad was still so awkward around her, treating her with kid gloves, distancing himself. She made her way into the apartment, it was tastefully if neutrally decorated with blacks and whites and greys everywhere. She threw her hold-all down on the sofa and made her way through to the bathroom. She ran a steaming hot bath and soaked off the grime of travel. Her skin pink and hair damp she dug out her pyjamas, a loose-fitting red vest top and some black cotton shorts. She explored the apartment then, the bedroom had been prepared with crisp clean sheets, the fridge was stocked, and some additional clothes were folded in the draws. Nancy found herself curled up on the sofa answering a frantic text from Samara when there was a knock at the door, the control panel showed Bucky leaning against the door frame. She skipped over letting him in.

“Nancy, I’m so sorry, I didn’t remember, I never want to hurt you.” he cupped her face with both hands.

“Bucky it’s okay, it wasn’t you,” Nancy protested.

“It was though,” he continued. Nancy covered his mouth with her hand.

“Stop it, we can’t change the past, only our future.” Bucky nodded in agreement as Nancy lowered her hand. She saw Bucky’s eyes dance over her face, noticed the goose bumps from earlier had returned. Then she was kissing him, or he was kissing her. Her hand found the pack of his neck and weaved into his hair, he lent forward still cupping her face. he smiled against her lips.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve done that.” he laughed, kissing her again.

[arrow-guy]

Out of Time (2/??)

Synopsis: Asta is a woman out of time. She’s strong, and damn near indestructible, but when she wakes up hundreds of years in the future, she’s completely lost. She finds a new family in Peggy Carter and friends in people that she never would have dreamed of. But not everyone gets what they want, right?

A/N: First off, a couple announcements about this fic. 1.) The initial chapters leading up to modern day will be pretty long. I understand if that’s a turnoff for you. 2.) This will be my first 18+ fic! I’m excited to put out something like this, especially when it’ll be something that no one’s ever seen from me before. Anyway, please enjoy!

Jack ThompsonxOFC (Steve RogersxOFC endgame)

Word Count: 9.5k

Warnings: None

Playlist

Page dividers by @carryonmyswansong​

Part 1

“It’s been three days, Jack, you don’t have to keep checking on me.”

“If I don’t check on you, I won’t get to see you.”

“You know you can always come by after work. I’m not going anywhere, as per Peggy’s orders.” He frowned. “Besides, I don’t want you wasting your weekend on me like this.”

“You call spending my free time with you a waste?”

“No, that’s not what I meant. You’ve just spent so much time with me over the past few days, I figured you’d want some time to yourself.” I watched as he paced the room. “It’s not like there’s much to do in this little room of mine.”

“I understand that.”

“Then what is it?” I asked. “Someone’s gotta be breathing down your neck about the fact that you disappear so often.”

He scratched the back of his neck. “Not exactly. They don’t know where I’m going.”

“You can’t let this affect your work. You have important cases on your desk right now. I can survive two days without you. I promise.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m certain. If I could, I’d be training right now, but I’m still on bed rest.”

“Which you seem absolutely thrilled about.”

“I like doing things. I’ve already read everything in this room and I’ll tear my hair out if I have to do it a second time.”

He sat beside me and took my hand in his. “I know you’re frustrated.”

“And I know you’re just trying to distract me. And I really appreciate it. But I can’t take you away from work. Peggy could come by this weekend and keep me company instead. You need to get some work done and get some actual sleep.”

“I sleep just fine with you.”

“You don’t, you can’t get comfortable and you wake up constantly.”

“I didn’t think you noticed.”

“Hard not to when we sleep so close together.” I ran the back of my finger down his cheek. “Not to mention those bags under your eyes.”

“I do not have bags under my eyes!”

“You do too! They’re not dark, yet, but it’s clear you’re not getting enough sleep.” I sighed softly. "Go home, Jack. Get some rest."

"But-"

I shoved him up from the bed and walked him to the door. "I'll see you on Monday."

He stopped just short of opening the door to turn around and take my face in his hands. He stooped down to kiss me softly before stepping out into the hallway.

"If you die between now and Monday, we’re going to have serious problems."

"I'm not going to die!"

He sighed in resignation. "I'll see you Monday, then."

"You will."

“Okay. I’m leaving now.”

“Alright.”

He turned to walk down the hallway and I took his hand. I pulled him back to me and used his tie to pull him down to kiss him. When he pulled away he slowly opened his eyes and smiled.

"I'll be fine for two days," I said.

"But-"

"Jack, I need a partner. Not a knight in shining armor." I smoothed his tie down and patted his chest. “I need you to trust me and trust that I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it longer than you’ve been alive.”

He rolled his eyes. “You were asleep for most of that.”

“Because I got sick and fell into a comatose sleep for three hundred years. But I lived and I’m here. We’ll look back at this and think of it as a blip. A small abnormality.” I frowned. “I’m talking too much.”

He cracked a smile. “A little.”

I failed to keep myself from smiling. “Just go home before one of us gets in trouble.”

He nodded. “I’ll tell your sister I’m heading out for the weekend.”

“Okay.”

He kissed my forehead and walked off down the hall. Peggy dropped in later that night with dinner. She spent the evening with me and didn’t leave me alone for the rest of the weekend. By the time Monday rolled around I was looking forward to having Jack fuss over me instead. After an intense check-up on Monday, I was back to desk work by Tuesday. As soon as I was able to work again my desk was piled high with paperwork and I had very little time to myself outside of it.

Jack pulled me aside before he left on Thursday and quietly led me to an alcove close to the gym. By that time, most agents had gone home for the day, but it was still nice to be alone and away from any potential prying eyes.

Jack linked his hands behind my back and leaned against the wall. When I folded my arms and leaned against his chest, he sighed contentedly and pressed his forehead to mine.

“Mr. Thompson,” I said. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Am I not allowed to just want to spend a little time alone with you?”

“Not when you drag me off the floor to hide out in the hallway.” I pulled back and looked up at him. “What’s going on?”

“I want to take you out on a real date,” he said.

“Oh?”

“Have dinner with me this Saturday.” He smiled his perfect, crooked smile. “Maybe we’ll go dancing after. It’ll be fun.”

I bit back my smile. “I don’t know how to dance.”

He shook his head. “It’s easy. I’ll teach you.”

“Really?”

“Of course!” He tilted his head to the side. “So, whaddya say?”

“I’d love to.” I bit my lip. “I may have to clear it with Peggy first.”

“Why?”

“The SSR hasn’t really granted me outside world privileges, so I’m not allowed to leave without a chaperone.”

“I could be your chaperone.”

“Somehow, I don’t think they’d accept that.” He pouted and I laughed. “It’ll be fine. I’ll talk to Peggy about it. If we have to make it a double date, no big deal.”

"But it is a big deal. I was hoping to have you all to myself."

"Who says she and Daniel won't want some time to themselves as well?" He perked up slightly. "I'm sure she'd let us sneak off for a while. Peggy's a very understanding woman."

"That she is."

"So, I'll talk to Peggy tomorrow morning and clear everything with her. Does that sound alright?"

"Yeah."

I tilted my head to the side. “You sound so put out.”

“I know. Our relationship is just…”

“Unconventional?” I suggested. “Frustrating? Potentially devastating to your career?”

"Ye-wait, where did that last one come from?"

"Pure drama," I said.

He snorted. "Okay. But yes, it's unconventional. It's frustrating. I guess I thought things would be easier when we were together, but they're not."

I nodded. "I know. And we didn't exactly time this very well. It's been non-stop stress for a week, and things weren't particularly calm before that."

"Exactly."

"I'm sure we'll work something out. We won't be stuck in this spiral forever."

“I hope you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right.” I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him. “If I’m right about nothing else, I’m right about this.”

“Okay. I’ll trust you.”

“And you didn’t before?” I joked.

He hummed. “I don’t know if I wanna answer that.”

“Mmm, probably not.”

He laughed and kissed me quickly. “I should probably head out for the day. I’ve got an early meeting in the morning.”

I pushed away from him and straightened his tie. “I’d better let you go then.”

He sighed and kissed my forehead. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

I watched him disappear down the hall before going to my room. I pulled Peggy aside as soon as I was able to th next morning,

“I have a favor to ask.”

“Oh?” She folded her arms. “What is it?”

“Jack’s asked me on a date,” I said. “You know that I can’t leave unless I have a chaperone, and I’m sure that no one would agree that he’d be an appropriate one, given the circumstances.”

“What do you suggest?”

“A double date?” I shrug. “I don’t know how Daniel would feel about that. I don’t think he knows Jack and I are together.”

“I haven’t told him. That’s not for me to tell. So, unless Jack let something slip, he doesn’t know.”

“Ah.”

“That doesn’t mean I won’t do it.”

“Really?”

“Of course.” She touched my elbow. “The two of you haven’t had time to yourselves outside of the office. That’s no way to start a relationship.”

“Thank you, Peggy. I mean it.”

“I know you do.” She smiled and leaned in to whisper, “I’m half doing this out of selfishness, though. Daniel and I haven’t had much time to ourselves recently, either. It would be nice to have a night out together.”

"Then I suppose everyone will win, then, won't we?"

She grinned. "Yes, I suppose so."

I bit the inside of my cheek. "I don't really have anything to wear…"

Peggy shook her head and linked her arm with mine. "Don't worry about that," she said. She steered me to our desks. "I'll help you with that on Saturday. We've got more than enough time."

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.” She takes her seat. “Do you know what Jack has planned?”

“He wants to go to dinner,” I said. I sat down to flip through the files piled on my desk. “He suggested we go dancing after, but I don’t know exactly what’ll happen.”

“That sounds nice!” She tried to get me to put my work down and laughed when I smacked her hand with a file. “Are you getting excited?”

“A little,” I admitted. “I’m nervous, though. I don’t know how to dance.”

“It’s not particularly difficult.”

“I know, and Jack said he’d teach me, but still. I worry.”

She shook her head. “Don’t get too carried away. He’s completely smitten, Asta. Everything will be fine.”

“What’ll be fine?”

I jumped, startled by the person who’d appeared behind me. I pressed my hand to my chest, just over my hammering heart, and willed myself to calm down.

Peggy looked up at them and smiled. “Hello, Jack. We were just talking about you.”

Jack pulled up the extra chair beside my desk and sat down. “Good things, I hope.”

I hummed. “Absolutely not. Peggy has nothing nice to say about you.”

Peggy laughed when Jack frowned.

“You’re mean,” he said.

“You already knew this, Jack.”

He bumped his foot against mine and grinned. “You’ve kicked my ass enough times, it’s hard to forget.”

I rolled my eyes. “It was twice. You make it sound like I beat you for fun.”

He laughed. “Did you ask?”

“Of course I asked.”

“And?”

“Peggy’s agreed to go with us.”

“That’s great!”

“But I worry how Soua will react. As far as I know, he doesn’t know we’re together yet.”

Jack looked up at Peggy. “What if we make it a surprise?”

“Do go on,” Peggy said.

“Well, Asta hasn’t told him, I’m pretty sure you haven’t told him, and I know, for sure, that I haven’t told him. I say we leave him in the dark.”

“I don’t know…” I muttered.

“It’ll be fine,” Jack said. “I’ll talk to Sousa about the whole thing. Say I’m taking a beautiful woman out this Saturday, but I’m nervous to go without backup and suggest he and Carter come with for moral support.”

“What if he tries to back out?” I asked.

“Why would he try to get out of going out with his girl?” He scoffed. “The two of them haven’t had a minute alone together in months. He’ll be jumping out of his skin to say yes.”

“Very flattering assessment,” Peggy joked.

Jack shrugged. “I just know that’s how I feel.”

I smiled and reached out to drag the chair he sat in closer to me. I bumped my shoulder against his and he positioned himself so that he could press his knee against mine. Peggy looked between the two of us and smiled.

“Does that seem like a good plan, Asta?” she asked.

I nodded. “As long as we get to go out, I guess I can’t really complain.”

“Then it sounds like we’re good to go,” Jack said. He pushed himself up from the chair. “I’ll talk to him in a couple of hours. I have some paperwork I have to finish up first.”

“Okay.”

“Come see me later?” he asked.

“Of course.” He squeezed my shoulder before nodding to Peggy and heading to his office.

Peggy waited till he was out of earshot to say, “I think you got lucky with that one, darling.”

“I know.” I sighed and flipped through the file in front of me. “If I didn’t want to work earlier, I really don’t now.”

“That’s understandable.” She opened her drawer and dug around for her favorite pen. “Ugh, this case is a mess.”

I snorted and listened to her grumble for about five minutes more before tuning it out and focusing on my own work. Danial appeared beside Peggy about three hours later. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to get her attention and she beamed when she saw who it was.

“Hello there,” she said.

He grinned. “Hey. Are you free this weekend?”

“I am, why do you ask?”

I caught her shooting me a knowing look and I snorted, only to cover it with a cough when Daniel looked at me, confused. I pretended to focus on my work.

“Thompson wants us to double with him on this date he’s got tomorrow.” Daniel leaned on Peggy’s desk. “I thought it’d be nice to be able to have some time together outside of the office.”

“Oh? That does sound nice… Have you already accepted?”

He scratched the back of his neck. “I did. Is that a problem?”

“No, I was just curious. We haven’t had much time to ourselves recently.”

“I know. I just want you to myself for a while.”

“I feel the same.”

“Ugh, get a room,” I grumbled. “Mine’s free right now, if you want it.”

Peggy balled up a piece of paper and threw it at me. I laughed and batted it out of the air.

“Oh, Asta,” Daniel said, as if he’d just remembered I was there. “Thompson wants to see you in his office.”

I snorted. “Looks like I’m in trouble.”

“I’m sure that’s not it. He probably just needs to check in or something.”

I laughed and waved him off. “No need to reassure me. I know what this is about.”

Sousa shot Peggy a questioning look and she just shrugged. She knew full well that Jack had asked to see me earlier, but refused to disclose anything to Daniel.

Jack was sitting at his desk when I let myself into his office. I plopped down on his couch and waited for him to look up from his work. It took me five minutes to realize he didn’t hear me come in, so I got up from the couch to open and close the door again. I stood there and waited for him to say something.

“What is it?” he asked.

I folded my arms and leaned back against the door. “I don’t know, you’re the one who asked to see me.”

His eyes briefly flicked up from what he was working on before he realized I was standing there. He grinned and pushed back from his desk. He gestured for me to come closer and I smiled and shook my head.

“Someone could see.”

He shrugged. “I don’t care.”

“You’re the one who wanted to keep us a secret till Sousa finds out tomorrow.” I tilted my head to the side. “Wouldn’t that kind of ruin the surprise?”

He sighed. “You’re right.”

I turned around and closed the blinds at each of the windows. As soon as the last window was blocked, Jack came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed his nose to my neck.

“So,” I began. “Daniel seems excited for tomorrow.”

“Does he?”

“He headed straight for Peggy as soon as he left your office, so I’d say he is.”

“I think the real question here is whether or not you’re excited.”

“Of course I am.”

“You got really quiet this morning when we were making plans.”

“Because I’m nervous.” I bit my lip. “Dating is, at best, foreign territory for me. I am excited. I just don’t want to mess up.”

“You’re not going to mess up,” he murmured. “I already like you. A lot. Pretty hard to mess that up.”

“Still…”

“Still nothing.” He moved so that he was facing me and took my face in his hands. “I’m excited to go out with you tomorrow. I’m excited to show you off and go dancing and have a nice night together. Whatever happens, it’s going to be perfect.”

I felt tears welling in my eyes, but I nodded. “Okay.”

“Shit, are you crying?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart, I don’t want you to cry.”

I shook my head. “I’m just a little emotional.”

“Why?”

“No one’s ever been so… so passionate about wanting to be with me. Or even just wanting me, to be completely honest.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes,” I squeaked out.

“Well that stops now,” he declared. “Asta, you are a beautiful woman. You are strong, well-read, intelligent, observant, and scary strong. You are creative and confident and quick-witted. And, I'll be honest, I got lucky.”

“So did I.”

He cracked a smile. “Y’think so?”

“Yeah,” I said. “There aren’t many people who are willing to take on someone who could break them over their knee.”

He laughed. “Someone’s bound to think I’m outta my mind when they find out.”

“Does that worry you?”

He shook his head. “No. Who cares what they think? This isn’t their relationship. It’s ours. Their opinion doesn’t matter.”

“Okay.”

“Yeah?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

He smiled and leaned in and kissed me. Only when I placed my hands on his waist and kissed him back did he make a move to pull me closer. He angled his head slightly to deepen the kiss, but I pulled back abruptly when the door handle jiggled. I quickly grabbed a random file from Jack’s desk and took a seat on the couch before the door could open. I gestured for Jack to wipe my lipstick from his mouth before facing whoever was waiting outside. He managed to get all of it off before the door swung open.

“Hey, Thompson, we need your eyes on this case. It’s…” The agent trailed off when he saw me on the couch. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Yeah, actually, you are,” Jack said, his tone harsh. “I’m kind of in a meeting right now.”

“Shit, sorry. Didn’t know.” He glanced between Jack and I and slowly backed out of the office. “My thing can wait a bit, I’m sure.”

“Good. I’ll come find you when I’m done here.”

“Right. Thanks.”

Jack nodded and the agent closed the door behind him as he left. As soon as he was gone, I tossed the file into the couch and allowed my head to fall back against the wall.

"You need a 'busy' sign," I muttered.

"Duly noted," he said. He moved the file back to his desk and sat beside me. "Sorry about that."

I shook my head. "Nothing to apologize for. It was pretty nice before he showed up."

He hummed and pecked me on the lips. "It was."

I sighed. "I should probably let you get back to work. I've distracted you enough, as is."

"I could stand a little more distraction."

"As nice as that would be, I don't think that's a good idea. I need to get back before Sousa starts to think I'm actually in trouble."

Jack groans. "He has to ruin everything, doesn't he?"

I laughed. "You'll have me all to yourself tomorrow night. I promise."

He frowned. "I know. I wish it were more often though."

"We'll get there at some point, I'm certain of it."

"I hope you're right."

"So do I," I murmured.

He gently cupped the back of my neck and kissed me before he got up from the couch. He helped me to my feet and sighed.

"I'll let you get back to work then."

I nodded and headed for the door. "If I don't see you before you leave, I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

He nodded and smiled. "Alright."

The rest of the workday flew by after that. No one bothered me the rest of the day and I was able to clear my desk before the last person left for the night. I went to bed thinking about what Peggy had planned for me the next morning, half worried she'd try to stick me in pink.

By the time Peggy let herself into my room, I had bathed and was doing my hair for the day. She shuffled in and threw an armful of garments onto my bed and began to shuffle through them.

"What've you got there, Peg?" I asked, too scared to get up from my seat to inspect the pile.

She selected a garment bag and hung it on the back of the door before moving back to the pile on the bed.

“Options,” she said, shuffling through what was shortly recognizable as dresses. “I’ve got options.”

My brows pulled together and my curiosity finally got the best of me. I padded over to stand beside her. “Options?”

She held a bright red dress up to me and shook her head. “Too bright.”

“Wait, options for me?”

“Of course, darling. I wouldn’t do this for just anyone.” She held up a blue dress for a moment before laying it on top of the previous red one. “I know how worried you were about this yesterday.”

“When you said you’d help, I didn’t think you’d raid a department store.”

“I didn’t raid the department store. I asked a friend of mine to see if anyone in her building was thinking of donating dresses. I dropped off the ones that weren’t your size at a consignment shop before I arrived.”

“Oh, wow.” I traced my fingers over the collar of a deep teal garment. “This one.”

“That one?”

I nodded and pulled it from the pile. Between my fingers, the satin-y material slid against itself and was cool to the touch. I held it out in front of me, admiring the shape of the dress. It had blousy sleeves that tapered into a tight cuff at the wrist and a belt to cinch in the waist. I moved to the bathroom and held the dress up against my body and grinned at the way it complimented my coloring. Made the green in my grey eyes pop just a little more than usual. How it made me feel just a little more at ease with my feminine features. The sense of normalcy a simple dress brought.

“It’s this one,” I repeated. “This is it.”

“Jack may just lose his mind,” Peggy said. “I don’t think he’s ever seen you in a dress.”

“I’d be surprised if he had. They’re not exactly made for our line of work, and I don’t particularly like them. Still…” I smoothed the fabric down over my legs. “It is nice to wear one once in a while. If Jack likes it, then that’s just an added bonus.”

“You’ll look wonderful, Asta.”

“Thank you, Peggy.”

We spent the next few hours laughing and talking as we got ready for our night out. Peggy helped me pin my hair up the way that only she could, and I was never able to figure out. We stood side by side at the mirror and I watched in fascination as she swiped on her signature red lipstick. Her dress was a deep maroon, and she looked absolutely stunning that night.

I was practically vibrating with both excitement and anxiety by the time we left and Peggy poked fun at me while we walked to meet the boys. I complained about my feet hurting, as I didn’t really wear heels and Peggy just laughed.

“It’s not funny, this hurts!” I whined.

“Unless you’ve broken them in, heels are a pain, Asta.” She smirked. “I guess you’ll just have to wear them more often if you want them to be comfortable.”

“Hell no.”

She snorted. “Then you’ll just have to power through, I’m afraid.”

I shook my head and did my best to ignore my aching feet. It wasn't much longer til we met up with Daniel and Jack. Jack spotted us first and waved, drawing Daniel's attention to us. He smiled when he saw Peggy, only for his brows to pull together when his eyes fell to me a moment later. His confusion became blatantly obvious as we got closer.

"I know you and Peggy are practically attached at the hip," Daniel said. "But we've got dates tonight."

I raised my eyebrows. "Oh, no, I know." I walked over to Jack and he leaned down to kiss me quickly. "Hey."

"You look gorgeous," he said softly.

I instantly felt my face flush. "Really?"

"Of course, that color is really nice on you. Especially with your hair."

I smiled. "Thank you, Jack."

"You're very welcome."

“How  long has this been going on?” Daniel asked.

“Officially?” Jack shrugged. “About two weeks.”

“We danced around each other for months before that, though,” I added. “Wasn’t exactly an easy process, getting to this point.”

All Daniel could manage to say was, “Huh.”

Jack nodded and put his arm around my waist. “We should head in before they give our table away.”

Peggy looped her arm through Daniels and the four of us walked into the restaurant together. Our coats were taken at the door and we were quickly ushered to our table, which wound up being a cozy little booth in the far corner of the establishment. Once seated, I readily settled against Jack and he pressed his leg against mine. I softly asked him if he’d been to this restaurant before and he nodded and pointed out a few items on the menu he thought I’d like.

I noticed Daniel watching us, the beginnings of a scowl on his face.

“What?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Are we just gonna pretend this is normal?”

My heart pounded in my chest and I immediately wanted to hide in any way I could. The problem is there was nowhere to run.

“Is there a problem?” Jack put his menu down.

“The two of you butt heads constantly,” Daniel said. “You talk about how you’ve fought each other, literally, and you bicker.”

“You’re barely around us, Sousa. You don’t know what our relationship is like.”

“Then explain the fighting.”

“The first time, I was egging him on and Jack took a swing at me. I put him on his ass and scared the life out of him.” I folded my arms and leaned back against the booth. “The second we were sparring. He took me by surprise and managed to pin me. I distracted him long enough to flip him and the rest is private.”

“That’s it?”

I nodded. “That’s it.”

“We don’t actually fight,” Jack said. “Sure, we snark at each other, but no more than we did before we were together.”

“I don’t think we’ve bickered since the first time in the gym.”

“No, you told me I had bags under my eyes last week.”

“Was that bickering, though?”

He rolled his eyes and smiled. “You’re not helping our point.”

“True.” He took my hand and I took a deep breath. “I know that you and Jack have had your differences, but your issues, however old they may be, have no say in my relationship with him.”

"I get that." Daniel's brows pulled together. "I'm just worried that you're not… you're from a different time. I worry that you're not-"

"Choose your words carefully, Sousa," I growled. His eyes went wide and his mouth snapped shut. "I'm a grown woman, fully capable of making my own decisions. I'd be making more of them, too, if the SSR would just let me live my life like anyone else."

"I didn't mean-" he shook his head, unable to find the right words.

"Can we please talk about something else?" I asked, desperately wanting to change the subject. "I'm pretty sure we're all tired of hearing about the fact that we're on a government-sanctioned play-date."

"I think that's a good idea," Peggy murmured.

Jack placed his hand on my knee and kept it there till we got our food. Peggy managed to start up a casual conversation with the boys, mostly about mundane work things, occasionally asking about what they'd heard on the radio that week. That led to them talking about their favorite radio shows. I couldn't add anything to the conversation, as I didn't have a radio and much preferred reading anyway. Peggy distracted me briefly by asking me where I was in reading Pride and Prejudice. I hadn't made much progress on the book due to work that week, but she assured me that I'd enjoy it. I promised I'd read as much as I could on Sunday so we could talk about it on Monday.

Somehow the topic of conversation shifted to Shakespeare and I was immediately pulled in.

“Asta saw a couple of his plays,” Jack said.

“I didn’t know Peggy took you to plays,” Daniel said.

“She didn’t. I saw them in London.” I quickly clarified, “Old London, actually.”

“Oh, in your past life, then?”

“It’s not my past life. I didn’t die and come back. I was alive the entire time I was in that church. I was just in a sleep state.” I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter. I did see a couple.”

“And?”

I shrugged. “They were alright. I wasn’t able to get very close to the stage and it was standing room only. After a certain point, you had to either worry about whether or not you could stand through the whole thing, or keep paying attention.”

“Is that all?”

“What else is there? It was theater for the common folk.” I shook my head. “I don’t understand the fascination with his plays now. It was never meant to be hard to understand. Shakespeare catered to the poor and downtrodden. A lot of his texts are riddled with dirty jokes and pure tragic idiocy.”

“Oh.” Daniel frowned.

Peggy laughed. “A lot of the language goes over people’s heads, so they assume that it’s more complex literature than it truly is. It doesn’t much help that plays like Romeo and Juliet have become so romanticized.”

I barked out a laugh. “The fact that audiences believe that Romeo and Juliet is a romance is laughable.”

“They were star-crossed lovers!” Daniel countered.

“No, they were children who willfully ignored everyone around them. Their poor choices lead to their deaths. They weren’t in love, they were rebelling against the longstanding rivalry between their two families. If they’d slowed down and gone through the proper channels, they may have been able to actually bring their families together through marriage. Instead, they died alone in a crypt by their own hands.”

Jack laughed beside me. “You unleashed the beast, Sousa.”

“You’re the one who brought up the fact that she’d seen the plays!”

“Hey,” Jack held up his hands in surrender. “I can’t take all the blame here. You pressed the issue.”

I snorted and smacked his arm. “Don’t be mean. It’s not like he knew.”

“You have a point, Asta.”

I shot Daniel a smile. “Better now than later to learn that I’m kind of an asshole when it comes to Shakespeare’s work.”

“Thanks for the warning,” he said.

“Anytime, Daniel.”

Dinner finished on a high note. We talked amiably for about an hour more before the waiter offered a dessert menu. We politely declined and asked for the check. Jack refused to let me pay for my meal and tried to placate me with a kiss on the cheek. I shook my head and excused myself to use the restroom. Peggy joined me and I quietly told her I wanted to ask her something. We had to wait for the last woman to leave before I could speak with her. I leaned against the counter and Peggy touched up her makeup while we waited.

The woman eyed us as she washed her hands and gave us one last weird look before exiting the bathroom.

“That was weird,” I muttered.

“Yes, it was,” Peggy agreed. “What was it you wanted to ask me?”

“Jack and I were hoping we could go off on our own for a while.”

“Oh?”

“He wanted to go dancing. I think he just wants to have some time with me to himself, and, I love you, but I feel the same.” I shook my head. “I feel like a child even asking this.”

“Don’t, I’m glad you asked.” She gathered my hands in hers. “Why didn’t you talk to me about it sooner?”

“I don’t know. We threw this plan together in two days. Jack and I talked about it in passing on Thursday.” I took a deep breath and started over. “I don’t know why I didn’t mention it earlier, but I am now.”

“Good.” She smiled. “You know I don’t like policing your life. I hate having to give you permission to do things, especially given the fact that you’re so much older than me.”

I snorted. “Only a few hundred years.”

“Exactly. What I’m trying to say is that you can definitely slip away. Daniel and I can keep ourselves entertained.”

I smirked. “Oh, I’m sure you can.”

She laughed and turned me towards the door. “None of that. We’re in public.”

“It’s a bathroom, Peg, it’s fine.”

“Just go.”

I laughed and we trailed back to our table. Jack and Daniel were waiting for us with our coats. Jack helped me into mine before wrapping his arm around my shoulders and leading me outside. While we waited for Peggy and Daniel to join us, I hooked my arm around Jack’s waist and crooked my finger for him to lean in.

“Hmm?” he hummed.

“Did you still want to go dancing tonight?”

“Well, yeah. Why?”

“We've got the green light to go off on our own."

"Seriously?" I nodded. "That's fantastic!"

"What is?" We glanced back to find Peggy and Daniel just outside the restaurant.

"Asta's decided to finally take up painting," Jack lied.

Sousa's brow furrowed. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I've wanted to paint since I was a little girl. I've got time for hobbies now, and I was asking Jack where he thinks I should start. He says watercolor, but I'm thinking oils could be interesting."

"That's wonderful, Asta," Peggy said. "Do you want to find an art supply store next weekend? I'm sure we can find what you want then."

"That'd be great, Peg." I grinned at her. "Thanks for offering."

"Of course." She met Daniel's eye. "Shall we go? It's too cold to stand around out here much longer."

Daniel agreed and led her down the street. Jack and I hung back so that we could split off eventually.

"Did you have a specific place in mind?" I asked.

"Yeah, there’s a little jazz club that's not too far away. It's got a great band and they only do slow songs this time of night."

"Sounds cozy." He hummed and I could feel it rumble through his chest. "Lead the way, Jack."

"Gladly!"

We trailed along behind Peggy and Daniel for nearly ten minutes before Jack steered me towards our destination. We paused outside for just a moment to make sure that our friends hadn’t noticed we were gone before we went in.

It was a dimly lit little place with red drapes along every wall. In spite of the time, not a single cigarette was lit in the entire club. A couple of men at the bar greeted Jack as we walked in and he waved and said hello.

“Who’s this little minx, Jack?” one asked.

Jack laughed as he took my coat and hung it on the back of a chair. “She’s not a minx, Bill, she’s my girlfriend.”

Bill’s mouth hung open and the other man gasped. “A girlfriend, Jack? And you didn’t even bother to tell us.”

“Work’s been nuts the last few weeks, I haven’t had time to tell you fellas about her.” Jack held out his hand and pulled me close when I took it. “Fellas, this Asta. Asta, this is Bill and Hank, who are making fun of me, but are suspiciously alone tonight.”

I snorted and hid my face against his arm to cover up my laughter.

“What’s the big idea, Jackie boy? We never poked fun at you for being alone before now, so why’re you turning that shit on us?” Hank smacked Bill. “Sorry, ma’am.”

I laughed. “Why are you apologizing? If that’s the worst you’ve got, I have you beat.”

Bill gawked and Hank laughed hard enough he started slapping his knee. “Where’d you find this girl, Jack?” Hank asked.

“Dark corner in Brooklyn?” Bill offered.

“Funny, Bill, you should take up comedy,” Jack muttered.

Bill and Hank laughed between each other. Jack took his coat off, grabbed mine, and moved further into the club to find us a table, leaving me with his friends for a moment. They immediately jumped at the chance to ask me questions.

“So, Asta,” Hank said. “What do you do for work?”

I shrugged. “I’ve got a little desk job. It’s boring, at times, but it pays the bills.”

“Understandable. It must be nice to have that kind of independence in this city.”

“It really is.”

“Is that how you ‘n Jack met?”

“Oh no, he saved me from a mugger on the street.”

Bill nearly spat out his drink. “What?!”

I cackled. “I’m joking. He works with my sister and I met Jack through her.”

“So she set you two up?”

“Not really. She was surprised to find out we were even together.”

“Wait…” Bill squinted at me. “Are you the dame who knocked him on his ass a couple’a months ago?”

“What?”

Hank snapped his fingers. “Oh yeah! I remember him telling us about pissing off this woman a while back. Said she could read him a little too well and he freaked and lashed out. Wound up flat on his ass because of it.”

My face flushed. “I didn’t realize he was telling people about that.”

“He’s been a little different since then,” Bill mused. “More aware of what he’s sayin’, y’know?”

“Yeah,” Hank seemed to agree. “But that was you?”

“It was me,” I admitted. “We were both in the wrong, then.”

“Maybe, but I dunno. Seems like he’s made a change for the better. He looked like he was really happy when the two of you walked in.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! I just gotta wonder what a beautiful dame like you is doin’ with a jackass like him.”

“Well, have you looked at him?” I laughed when they looked alarmed. “No, that’s barely part of it. But it’s definitely a plus.”

Hank laughed. “Anything aside from his devastating good looks?”

“But of course.” I tucked my hands into my pockets. “He’s a good man. He’s kind and intelligent. He worries about everything, though.”

“Oh, really?”

“Oh yeah, serial worrier.”

“I don’t think we’ve ever seen that from him.”

I jumped when Jack placed his hand on my waist. “That’s because the only person I can’t hide it from is Asta.”

I shook my head and covered his hand with mine. “How you always manage to show up when I’m talking about you, I’ll never know.”

He laughed and wrapped his arms around me from behind. “It’s a gift, sweetheart.”

“It’s going to put me in a well-timed grave one of these days.”

He hummed. “I think you’ve got at least fifty more years in you.”

“Gross.”

“You two are so cute together,” Hank said. “How long have you known each other?”

“Little over a year now, I think,” Jack answered. “We haven’t been together very long, though.”

“Could’ve fooled us.”

Jack’s arms tightened around me when the band began to play.

“Do you want to dance?” I whispered.

He nodded against the side of my head. “Sorry, boys, but we’ve got a date to get  back to.”

Bill waved us off and Hank told us to have fun before going back to his drink. Jack took my hand and led me out to the dance floor.

“Okay,” Jack placed my left hand on his shoulder and took my right hand in his left and held it close to his chest. “This is easy.” He snaked his arm around my waist and held me close to his chest. “Just stick close and follow my lead.”

We swayed in time to the music, turning in a slow circle. Jack, at one point, pressed his forehead to mine and sighed contentedly when I moved my hand from his shoulder to the back of his neck.

“How’d you even find this place?” I asked.

“I was kind of lost after coming back from the war,” he explained. “I couldn’t sleep one night and figured I’d take a walk. I wandered in here and met Bill and Hank and the rest is history.”

“Bill and Hank seem like nice guys.”

Jack laughed. “They are, sometimes, when they’re not trying to interrogate you.”

“They weren’t interrogating me.”

“They kind of were.”

“Honestly, they weren’t. They were just curious.”

He shook his head and sighed. “I just don’t want you to feel uncomfortable here.”

“I don’t.” I glanced around. “It’s a nice place.”

He smiled. “Good, I’m glad.”

“I didn’t realize you were telling anyone about that first night in the gym, though,” I said softly. “I’m not really sure how to feel about that.”

“What?”

“The first night when you took a swing at me. I’m not exactly proud of what I did that night. Bill mentioned you said something about it to them.”

“Oh, right.” His brows pulled together. “I didn’t realize it would bother you.”

“I just don’t understand why you’d tell anyone.”

“I had my ass handed to me, literally and verbally. I was feeling sorry for myself and needed to tell someone. I knew I couldn’t tell anyone at the office about it and the guys are the next best thing.” He squeezed my hand. “I wasn’t complaining about you, sweetheart. I was stupid that night. I needed to talk to someone about it to see where I was wrong in that situation. I wasn't kind to you then and I wanted to do better instead of coasting the way I'd been doing for years.”

"Oh."

"Don't look at me like that, Asta. You didn't do anything wrong. I honestly deserved it, and I think it’s fitting that you were the one to knock some sense into me."

“Oh?”

“You make me want to do better, Asta. That’s your fault.”

“Holy shit.”

He laughed and pecked me on the cheek. “Am I only gonna get one and two-word answers out of you tonight?”

“I don’t know. You’re pulling out shit like “you make me a better person” and that kind of leaves me speechless.”

He grinned. “Aw.”

I tried to scowl but failed. “Shut up.”

He pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. “You’re so cute when you try to be angry.”

“You’re awful.”

“And yet, you still like me.”

“Against my better judgement, yes.”

“I’ll take it.”

I rolled my eyes but tipped my head up to kiss him. He hummed and kissed me back before pulling back and pecking me on the lips and resting his forehead against mine. We danced for four more songs before taking a break. Jack led me to our table and pulled my chair out for me. I joked about him being a gentleman and he gave a good-natured bow before taking his seat at the opposite side of the table.

He held out his hand and I placed mine in his. He smiled and brought it to his lips before covering the back of my hand with his free one.

“I’ve had a lot of fun tonight,” he said. “Thanks for coming out with me.”

“Thank you for inviting me. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so-so…” I pressed my lips together, trying to think of the word. “Normal.”

“Is that a good thing?”

I grinned. “It’s the best thing, Jack. I haven’t been normal since I was twenty-two.”

“Oh, wow.”

“I know. Kind of sad.”

“No, it’s not. Is that when you got your powers?”

I nodded. “Life was completely different after that. I was totally on my own and had no idea what I was doing.”

“That must’ve turned your life on its head.”

“Absolutely..”

“Did your parents know?”

“Yes.” He quietly prompted me to go on. “I was disowned and had to leave home. It’s how I wound up in London.”

“You didn’t have any other family to turn to?”

“That’s not how it worked. I was shunned by my entire family.” I shifted in my seat, slightly uncomfortable with the topic at hand. “See, my mother’s husband wasn’t my biological father. No one knew that until my power surfaced. When it came out that I was a bastard, my father refused to claim me as his own and my mother was too embarrassed to try and fight for me. I had a little brother who was too young to fully understand what was happening, so I doubt he remembered me throughout the rest of his life. Any aunts or uncles either wouldn’t have heard about what happened and assumed I’d married and moved away next time they spoke with my parents or wouldn’t’ve cared either way.”

“Asta, that’s awful. They should’ve taken care of you. That’s what family is supposed to do!”

“Not my family, Jack. I was unmarried and almost too old for my parents to try and set me up with someone. My two sisters had married by the time they were my age then. I was the last girl left in the house, and at that point, my parents had greater hopes for my brother than they had for me, so they focused on him instead.”

“I’m so sorry-”

“Please don’t be,” I said softly. “I have a new start now. I choose who I am and what I do, to a certain extent. I’m not who I was those centuries ago. I get to be me. New name, new family-”

“New name?”

“I- yes.”

“Why?”

“Well… I’m not sure you’ll understand. When Peggy offered me a place with the SSR I felt no connection to my past. I chose a new name to put that behind me.”

“What was your old name?” he asked. He looked like he immediately regretted asking. “That was rude, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

“No, it’s fine.” I ran my thumb over his knuckles. “My name was Cecily. I was named after Saint Cecilia.”

“Oh.” His brows pulled together. “Why choose Asta?”

“I don’t know.” I stared at the table and shrugged. “I think it just felt right in the moment. Like it’s me.”

“I think it suits you,” he said. He quickly moved his chair around the table so he could sit beside me. He put his arm around me and pressed a kiss to the side of my head. “Thank you for telling me.”

I nodded. “Of course.”

“We can talk about something else, if you want.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

We talked about music and books for the rest of the night. With a little prodding, I managed to convince Jack to talk a little bit about life before the war. He was a pretty normal kid, but the way he talked about his family, the way his eyes lit up when he talked about his mother's pie and playing catch with his little brother, made me feel warm from the inside out. We got up from our table, at one point, and danced to four more songs before my aching feet begged me to stop. Jack checked his watch and his eyes practically popped out of his face when he saw what time it was.

“Is it really that late?”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “It doesn’t feel like we’ve been here for three hours.”

“I should probably get back.” He pouted and I laughed. “You know you can come with me, right? I’d actually prefer it if you did.”

“So would I,” he muttered.

I tugged my coat around my shoulders and reached for Jack’s hand as soon as he had his on. He took it and led me to the door. We said goodnight to Bill and Hank as we left. We made small talk on the walk back to SSR headquarters. Jack did his best to make me laugh with cheesy jokes and mostly succeeded in making himself laugh instead.

I smiled and shook my head as he told another stupid joke and bumped my shoulder against his arm when he laughed a little too hard again. He eventually calmed down enough that he was just occasionally chuckling to himself. When a group of men passed us, a couple looked us over and Jack squinted at them and put his arm around me. The two men quickly averted their eyes and I laughed.

“They wouldn’t have done anything, Jack.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “It’s the principal of the thing.”

“Are you saying you’ve never done exactly what they were just doing?”

“I-well...” he sighed. “No.”

“Alright.”

“How are you not uncomfortable with that, though?”

“Oh, no, I absolutely am. The only comfort I have is knowing that I could break their fingers like they’re pencils. But that?” I gestured back at the men. “Small fraction of what most women experience.”

He nodded. “You’re right.”

“I’m not trying to be right, I just want you to understand that this is a problem.”

“No, I understand,” he said. “It’s something I’ve gotta be more aware of, though. I mean, you already dinged me for the way I treated Peggy in the past.”

I hummed, unsure of what to say. Jack seemed to understand and just bumped his shoulder against mine. We walked the rest of the way back to Headquarters in silence. Jack eventually wrapped his arm around my shoulders when we passed several more groups of men he didn’t like the look of.

We let ourselves in and I immediately shrugged out of my coat.  A few agents were still stuck in the office getting some last minute paperwork done and I waved to them as we walked past. All three of them waved back without thinking before seeing Jack trailing along behind me. One agent tried to stand up a little too fast and got caught on his chair. Jack shook his head and told them all to go home. Any work they had could be finished on Monday and they needed to be home with their families.

I leaned against a desk and watched in amusement as they scrambled to pack their things and leave for the weekend. Each of them flashed me an awkward smile on their way out and the last man shook Jack’s hand before scurrying out the door.

“I’m surprised you sent them home,” I said. “Very generous of you, Chief.”

He shrugged. “What can I say? I’m in a good mood.”

I smiled. "Oh really?"

"Mhm." He offered his hand. "C'mon. Better get you back to your room before we get in trouble."

I laced my fingers with his and allowed him to lead me down the hall. “Should’ve known you’d be in a hurry to get rid of me.”

“You really think that?”

“No, but it’s been a long night, and I’d understand if you did.”

He scowled. "Well I don't."

"Okay." He opened his mouth to speak and I squeezed his hand. “I don’t need you to convince me, just… being wanted is still something I need to get used to.”

He nodded and silently walked me to my room. Jack sighed when I opened the door and stepped inside. I looked up at him, confused.

“I don’t really want tonight to be over,” he says.

“I don’t either.” I frowned. “We don’t have much time to ourselves to talk like we did tonight.”

“Maybe next time it’ll just be the two of us.”

“I’d like that.”

“Do you have plans tomorrow?”

I nodded. “Peggy’s enlisted me to run some errands with her tomorrow morning. I’m not sure how long it’ll take.”

He hummed. “Guess I’ll just have to see you Monday, then.”

“Mhm.” I took his hand. “You know we’ll be the talk off the office by the start of the week. Won’t have to hide much then.”

“Oh?”

“Jack, those guys you sent home caught us coming back after a date, They’re bound to tell someone.”

“You don’t know that.”

“We work in an office filled to the gills with gossips, love.” I tipped my head to the side. “Are you worried about what people will think?”

“I’m more worried of what people will think of you than me. Like you said, we work with a bunch of gossips. I don’t want anyone to think you’re sleeping with me to get better assignments.”

“It’s a good thing I’m not sleeping with you, then, isn’t it?”

He laughed. “I guess.”

“Still,” I took his hand and smiled. “It’ll be nice to not have to sneak around. Might actually feel like a normal couple for once.”

“That’s definitely a positive.” He ran his thumb over my knuckles. “You sure you’re ready to be public like that?”

I shrugged. “This is a first for me in many ways. If you’re comfortable with it, I’m sure I can manage.”

“Okay.” He leaned down and kissed me softly. “Thank you for coming out with me tonight.”

“Thank you for inviting me out,” I countered. “I had so much fun, especially after we snuck off.”

“We should do that again sometime.”

“Hopefully we won’t have to sneak away next time.”

“We won’t. I’ll be the one to get permission next time. I’m sure we’ll be able to have a night out without a chaperone. Until then, maybe…” He trailed off, biting at his lip. "Maybe I could join you and Peggy at the art supply store next weekend?"

"You'd want to?"

"Wh-of course! I'd get to spend time with you, outside of the office. I'd have to be stupid to not at least try to tag along."

"Okay, I'll let her know you'll tag along. Maybe we can get lunch after."

"It's a date, then."

I nodded. "It's a date."

"I'll see you Monday, sweetheart."

I tipped my head up and kissed him. "Goodnight, Jack."

"Goodnight."

I met Peggy outside the next morning and we left as soon as she was ready.

"How was dancing last night, darling?" Peggy asked.

"It was really nice," I answered. "I met a couple of Jack's friends and they seem like a great couple of guys."

"Oh?" Peggy chuckled. "I wasn't aware he had a life outside of work."

I shrugged. "They seem to know him pretty well and they were nice enough to me."

"That's good."

I nodded. "And Jack and I were able to just talk. We haven't had time enough alone to do that. Everything just made me feel really, really normal. Like I could have a life outside of the SSR one day."

"Atsa-"

"I only mean that I might have a home for myself instead of living like some kind of science experiment."

"No, Asta, listen."

"What?"

“Howard Stark has had a hand in organizing a new branch of the SSR. It’s been decided that I will run it.”

“Oh.”

“And I’ve contracted to bring you with me.”

“Oh.” 

“I know that you’re finally putting down roots, but this would be an opportunity to take back some time and space for yourself.”

I shook my hand and grabbed her arm. “You don’t have to persuade me, Peg, I’ll go with you.”

“Just like that?”

“Of course, just like that.” It then hit me that I didn’t just have myself to think about. “I’ll have to tell Jack.”

She nodded. “Yes, you will.”

“We’ll still be located in New York, right?” I asked. “We wouldn’t be packing up and moving to the other side of the country.”

“We’ll have to do some traveling at first, but you wouldn’t be relocated.”

“Okay.” I nodded to myself. “Okay. This will work. I’ll tell Jack next Saturday.”

“What’s next Saturday?”

“We’ve got a date to go to the art store together.”

“I thought that was our plan!”

“He asked if he could come along last night. We spend so little time together outside the office, I couldn’t say no. You understand,  right?”

“Of course.” She grins. “We’re really doing this.”

I nodded and smiled back. “We’re gonna change the world, Peg.”

“I certainly hope so.”

“When do we start?”

-----------

Part 3

Thank you guys so much for reading! If you liked this chapter, please reblog, comment, and/or shoot me an ask! Feedback would be greatly appreciated!

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[kainetestament]

WandaVision Theory

Good Day Everyone, my 1st post for the year 2021.

I was unable to post anything back then (because Tumblr is not letting me post images), and now I am posting for possible theories for WandaVision, and this is as of Episode 7. Please be reminded that this post contains spoilers, so if you don’t wanna read them, you have been warned and you can go back. Also,  I’m gonna skipped on some references as those has been tackled by others already (such has Malcolm in the Middle, Kick-ass, etc), I will focus only on Marvel related franchise, character behaviors and sentence phrasing interpretations.

For those who hasn’t seen it yet, we can simplify that WandaVision is a Online Drama / Sitcom style series by Disney and Marvel Studios that stars both Wanda Maximoff and the Vision. Wanda and the Vision are trapped in the world of sitcom and is being broadcasted to S.W.O.R.D temporary base. So far, Episode 1 takes back in 1950′s sitcom, episode 2 is 1960′s, Episode 3 is 1970′s, Episode 4 is current reality, Episode 5 is 1980′s and Episode 6 is 1990′s, and now its the current era (based on the console game the kids are playing which looks like a Wii).

But before we jump to that, lets talk about first the "WandaVision Plot Leaked" which was first published in 4chan and someone reposted it on reddit (I dont have the name so I'm sorry).  Of course when I first read it, I was also skeptical about it, but at the same time, lets give it the benifit of the doubt and lets see which one will come true and which one is not.

I just numbered and bolded them for easier read, and added ❀ for my side comments about the "plot leak". Also, I'll refer to X-Men Pietro as PETER (because that's how he's called in that world), and ATJ as Pietro.

1. Wanda is a SWORD agent after Endgame which you might already know includes Darcy, Jimmy Woo and Monica Rambeau.

❀ No conclusive information yet, though not impossible because we saw in Episode 5 Wanda stormed into S.W.O.R.D HQ, looking angry and took Vision's body. Hayward said in his comment that its a highly sensitive material and Vision's body location considered a top secret. It's impossible to get this information unless she has an access to it or at least someone she knows has.

2. Woo was recruited from FBI to SWORD to keep check on superpowered beings after Sokovia Accords lost influence.

❀Agent Woo is indeed working in partnership with S.W.O.R.D as of the moment, but he is still wearing his "FBI" vest, indicating he’s still with FBI and is just working alongside with SWORD because he was with Monica and witnessed her disappeared.

3. Wanda was sent to investigate as a SWORD agent..but she was also a part of the team to keep check on her.

4. Wanda as of now is placed in a real illusion. The sitcom world she sees is real with real people of the town – but one can't see so from the outside.

❀ This is true, this is the current event going on in the series.

5. Wanda came in contact with Mysterio who allowed her to gain Vision back and live a peaceful life – based on sitcoms she used to watch as a kid.

❀Mysterio, a lot of people commenting ill about him (for this post – and was thinking it could probably be a typo for Mephisto), but if we look at the timeline, Spiderman Far From Home is set 8months after the blip reversal, WandaVision however, is 3weeks to a month after the blip was reversed. In Episode 4, Hayward mentioned "It's been 3 weeks, and you're first to report" to Monica, and if we go back, the huge TV screens (just after the Marvel Intro) in SWORD's HQ lounge captions the news with "Globe Celebrations Continues" "The Blip Brings Back Loved Ones" indicating the blip just reversed.

6. Mephisto will stay close to the couple and keep watch over them (he is in the rabbit currently). His plan is to obtain Wanda's kids in the hopes they'll be powerful sorcerers he can control. He deems Wanda too dangerous to control in the long run.

❀Agness is INDEED keeping a rabbit and has been seen in Episode 2 and current Episode 7. But whether that is Mephisto or not is not yet conclusive.

7. Sword is trying to maintain contact with Wanda who is lost in her subconscious. Whenever she realizes it, she rejects it.

❀This happened in Episode 4 when Agent Woo and Darcy tried to contact Wanda from the outside the HEX using the radio.

8. The entire show isn't gonna be a sitcom as marketed. We'll see Wanda fighting Sword near the end until Woo manage to make her realize that she's lying to herself.

❀Still inconclusive if Agent Woo will really do that but she already confronted the SWORD in Episode 5, Hayward is indeed planning the attack.

9. The couple will face numerous villains in the final episodes – the ones who were manipulating them...!

10. Kathryn Hahn's Agnes is Agatha Harkness. She was a witch who was given away by her son (I'm not sure if her son will appear onscreen or not) and was burnt alive.

❀It is finally revealed in Episode 7 that Agness is indeed Agatha Harkness, but we will probably find out if she was sold off by his son in the next upcoming episode.

11. She too made a deal with Mephisto who allowed her to live. She befriended Wanda for her children but will become an actual friend to her.

12. However by the end she will be possessed by Nightmare who'd take advantage of Wanda's powers to break open the Multiversal seal – which will of course carry forward to DS2.

13. Dottie will be revealed to be Clea.

14. Grim Reaper will act as Ralph – Agatha's "husband" who Vision would go against in the climax.

15. Sword has a special device which was implanted on Wanda before she was sent. Essentially the events going on are being translated by her subconscious as a sitcom which can be seen by Sword agents (like Darcy) who are confused about what's happening with Wanda.

❀Still inconclusive but not impossible considering Darcy is the WandaVision sitcom.

16. Monica managed to enter Wanda's town while she was asleep in a helicopter. Sword will again try to break in. ❀Half wrong, half right - Monica sent a drone helicopter inside the HEX and Wanda first felt its presence as shown in Episode 2 (after the Marvel intro) when Wanda was still asleep (she heard noises), and in Episode 4, Monica came close to the HEX after her drone disappeared and got sucked inside of the HEX.

17. Monica would try to help Wanda realize the truth after getting her conscious back, but Wanda will get pissed off when she says her Vision isn't real and will throw her away from the town (to the outside world) using her powers.

❀Half wrong, half right - Monica is indeed making Wanda realize the truth and this occurred on Episode 7. In Episode 3, Wanda did sent Monica out of the HEX calling her an outsider when she commented that Pietro was killed by Ultron, not because Vision is dead.

18. Quicksilver will return! And I know it sounds stupid, but Evan Peters is playing him. Aaron will appear in a couple of episodes.

❀Indeed, Peter (Even Peters) of X-Men Universe showed up at the end of Episode 5 and is present the whole Episode 6, and Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) did appear in flashbacks (so far).

19. Wanda slowly starts remembering a few people of the outside world (including her brother). She is trying to figure out if she had a sibling herself, finding it weird why she wouldn't remember him.

❀Inconclusive - so far, it is projected that Wanda is in a state of denial. Though other than Vision, not a single one of the Avengers are mentioned here by her.

20. Meanwhile her subconscious starts to associate powers of the heroes she has known to random civilians of town.

21. She has twins Billy and Tommy who also have powers. One of them has superspeed and she remembers her brother (but not fully).

❀True - Wanda now have twins and Tommy is shown to have super speed, as shown in Episode 6 and Billy having telepathy, clairvoyance and telekinesis, similar to her mom’s power

22. There's one more. Vision will feel a bit weird none of the kids look like him. So they'd create a daughter based off Vision (Viv).

23. Quicksilver returns played by Aaron. However the presence of a real dead dude starts breaking the illusion. ❀Yet to happen but, makes one wonder how he'll get back to life.

24. Grim Reaper (Ralph) will be revealed and he befriends Quicksilver. He'll get him written out of the show and Quicksilver gets recast to Evan Peters.

25. The only one who finds it off is Viv. She is confused why Quicksilver doesn't look the former one. She tries to make others realize that. But they think she hates her uncle.

26. There will be a rerun of all the sitcom episodes. Wanda will break out from her illusion midway in the show to her actual living room in her subconscious.

❀I'm not sure of the rerun as its yet to happen, and I'm not sure if this break out of her illusion is the one that happened on current Episode 7 where Wanda fixed the couch and the TV.

27. Vision here is nothing but a puppet. At this point Wanda realizes the entire illusion but she gets heartbroken realizing her children weren't real.

❀It is already implied that Vision is indeed a puppet. Wanda realizing everything is an illusion is yet to happen.

28. She flips the channels to find her children again and decides to enter the sitcom-y world once again.

29. Darcy will end up there too and she will reveal Vision the entire truth (having watched all the sitcom episodes and analyzed what causes the changes).

❀Exactly as shown in Episode 7.

30. Wanda will be unwilling to leave her world even after her fight against the Sword stops.

31. Mephisto will take control of Quicksilver's body. Agatha will turn on him.

32. Wanda will try to send Quickie back to his universe in the end with Agatha's help but Nightmare will use it as an opportunity to seize control of Agatha.

33. The Nightmare part will only be revealed to the audience (not Wanda herself). Story carries over.

34. There are flashbacks of Wanda's life. A lot of which are seen by Darcy who tries to understand the extent of her trauma.

35. Yes Aaron will appear in flashbacks. Wanda will be shown a lot of these in the final episodes where she'd also find how the Mind Stone just unlocked her innate powers.

❀He did

36. Evan Peters will tell how in his universe Mutants are pretty common (just a tease).

❀ If this is true, then its only Peter will be the only mutant to appear in the series.

37. The ads in the show are all related to her trauma. There will be ads about Pietro's death, Lagos explosion and even a vacuum cleaner based on Thanos.

❀ The Ads - somehow true, related to her trauma. The first commercial with the oven possibly be a reference to Age of Ultron where commented Pietro and Wanda commented that when they were 10y.o, a bomb shell fell into their house but did not detonate, they were staring at it for 2 days because they were trapped and waiting for help while thinking every shift on bricks will set if off. Episode 2 has the Strucker watch referencing also to Age of Ultron where Strucker experimented on them using Loki’s scepter. Episode 3 is about escaping reality with the Hydra Soap (with the shape of the Tesseract), Episode 5 with Lagos Paper Towel representing her messed in Captain America Civil War when she tried to save Cap, Episode 6 with the animation of Yo-Magic with a Shark talking using a caption "If you're hungry, eat Yo-Magic", and lastly Episode 7 with Nexus medicine that promotes killing when you are depressed.

38. The couple in each of the ads is her parents who are acting as stand-ins for events based off her trauma.

❀Yes, that is the speculation.

39. Vision will help Wanda accept the reality and move on. He gives her his farewell and fights Grim Reaper, hoping to destroy the dome after sacrificing his life.

40. Wanda saves Vision in a scene which mirrors Age of Ultron. He will return back to real world along with their children, Agatha, Quickie and rest of the town/Sword.

41. Wanda is happy Vision is alive and sings a song to him, but it turns out he is effectively rebooted after the fight. Unable to bring his memories back, Sword leaves with Vision.

42. Her children are also hidden by Nightmare-Agatha. Wanda gets torn and tries to move on, unaware to her Nightmare is opening up the Multiverse for unknown reasons.

I will end this first here as the post is getting longer, and will continue with the part 2 and will discuss it further.

[dylanrauhl]

Anchor (Peter Parker x Reader)

(WEREWOLF!AU)

Summary ↦  You left three years ago to keep Peter safe but an unexpected death has caused you to come back.

Warnings ↦ Angst, mentions of death, the over used best friends fall in love trope

A/N ↦ This is for @sincerelyfan Halloween writing challenge! I know it seems a little choppy but the word limit had me for a spin, lol. Please don’t be too mean, I haven’t written much yet.

.o0O0o.

“I can’t stay Peter.” You choked out. Bags were packed and slung over your shoulder, your room bare. Everything that you couldn’t carry was either thrown or given away. Being emancipated made it simple to leave, no guardian to tell you no. 

“Giz..” He trailed off. The nickname he had for you already sounding foreign in his mouth. The expression on his face was one you knew well, eyes wild, face scrunched, trying to come up with anything to fix the situation at hand. How to get you to stay. His shoulders slumped, defeated. “Please.” 

You walked passed him afraid that if you looked at him you wouldn’t leave. The doorknob was cold in your hand as you turned it slowly, pausing to say one last thing. “I love you.” The words were low, barely audible, but you knew he could hear them. 

.o0O0o.

Every drop of condensation that ran down your glass kept your attention as you sat at the bar. There wasn’t much to do besides drink in Utah which is why you found yourself here at least five days a week. You heard someone sit down beside you but chose to ignore them.

“What’s a pretty girl like you doing at a bar all by herself?” You sighed, looking up to find the man behind the gruff voice. He was attractive, trimmed facial hair, bright smile, dark hair, but he wasn’t him.

In all three years you have lived here you haven’t uttered more than five words total to anyone besides the bartender. You didn’t care to make friends or memories, you were living in your own personal hell and you would rather do it alone. You turned back to your glass without saying a word.

“Oh c’mon. A pretty little thing like you shouldn’t be all alone at the bar. There are creepy people out there.” He laid his hand on your bare thigh. Oh the irony.

“Don’t touch me.” You seethed, pushing his hand away but keeping your gaze forward. “And please leave me alone.”

“Ooh feisty, I like feisty.” His hand was back and your patience was running thin.

“I said leave.” A growl rumbled low in your chest as you glanced his way with glowing blue eyes. 

His heartbeat quickened as he stumbled back off the stool, unable to keep the fear off his face. You chuckled, rolling your eyes and taking another sip of your martini. Most people in town knew not to approach you. That was easily distinguished within the first month of moving here. You knew the looks they gave you as you walked down the street, but you can't bring yourself to care. 

You calmed yourself by looking around the bar at the Halloween decorations, the stuffed gremlin catching your eye.

.o0O0o.

“Wow, I love that movie.” An eleven year old Peter sat on the couch, stealing the bowl of popcorn from your lap. You had just got done watching his favorite childhood movie, The Gremlins.

“Hey! That’s mine!” You reached across the couch slapping his arm before trying to grab the bowl but he lifted it away from you.

“Calm down you little gremlin. I just wanted a couple pieces.” Your eyes narrowed at him at the name and he laughed. “Actually, you and Gizmo have a lot in common, maybe I’ll start calling you that.” He cheesed at you, letting you grasp the bowl from his hand.

.o0O0o.

The phone vibrated in your pocket pulling you back from the memory and causing your eyebrows to furrow in confusion. No one has called you in years and then it was only a telemarketer. You don't know why you kept the damn thing, the first year was filled with dodging his constant calls but even those drifted off into silence.  

You took the device out of your pocket, and checked the caller ID, breath catching in your throat. With shaking hands your thumb slid across the screen, bringing the phone up to your ear. 

“Ned?” You whispered, not intending for your voice to sound so weak. 

“May’s dead.” His voice had no emotion to it, saying the words like he was telling the weather. You squeezed the phone, breaths coming out quicker as you felt your eyes flicker between colors. Squeezing your eyes shut and taking a second to breath in gradually you got yourself under control like you had taught yourself how to do before the phone ended up broken. Ned spoke again before you had the chance to. “You probably don’t care but I thought I’d try anyway. He’s not doing well, you know? Was never able to fully get over the last dropped bomb before another one hit.” 

You knew he was talking about when you left. He was very vocal in the first couple months after your disappearance, leaving angry voicemails about how you were a piece of shit for leaving. You saw the news, saw what Spider-Man was doing, how broken he was because of you and Ned’s reminders of that just pushed the knife deeper. 

“Funeral is the day after tomorrow.” He hung up.

.o0O0o.

“I can’t believe we graduate tomorrow, Giz. We’re adults now.” Peter smiled down at you as your legs were dangling off the rooftop. He had dragged you out of bed to join him on his nightly watch of the city, claiming this was the last night you guys could take chances and blame it on being young. He had his suit on with his mask laying on the roof somewhere behind you.

“I don’t know about adults, don’t get ahead of yourself there Spidey.” You laughed, taking in the calmness of it all. You both had made it. Years of watching him fight against the bad guys, finals, the blip; you were finally graduating tomorrow. 

“I can’t wait for college. Have I told you how excited and proud I am that my best friend is going to NYU?” He smiled down at you, beautiful brown eyes glistening with the street lights. 

“You’re going to Columbia, Pete, that’s a little bit more impressive than NYU. I should be the one telling you how proud I am.” You countered, leaning into his side as his arm came around your shoulders.

“Don’t downplay your accomplishments Gizmo.” His thumb was rubbing your shoulder, never allowing you to think anything but highly of yourself. “We’re only going to be thirty minutes away from each other. I’m going to come visit you so much you’re going to get sick of me.” He teased.

“Impossible.” You said, no joke in your tone, you couldn’t imagine a life without him in it. “You’ll probably get sick of me.”

His breath faltered, moving over slightly to fully look at you, the comfort of his arm leaving. You worried he caught the undertone of your statement, the feelings for him you were happy to leave buried under years of acceptance that he’d never feel the same way back. 

“Y/N.” His voice came out uneven, worrying you more at the use of your real name instead of the more common nickname he had given you. “I could never get sick of you, I love you.”

His hands were cupping your face and his lips were on yours before you had the chance to register what he said. It took you a couple seconds to kiss back, the shock of getting something you imagined many times before taking effect. The kiss was gentle like he was testing the waters, lips brushing over yours. It was over faster than you wanted, his face pulled back enough to look at your eyes but his hands stayed cupping your face. 

“Is this okay?” He asked, uncertainty in his eyes. 

“God, yes.” You whimpered. 

He grinned, lips finding yours again. There was no hesitation this time, every emotion both of you had kept in for years were pouring into the kiss. His one hand moved to the back of your neck as the other laid on your hip pulling you impossibly closer. A moan left you as he slid his tongue into your mouth to trace every crevice. 

A blood curdling scream had both of you jumping back, chests heaving from the previous lack of oxygen. Before you had the chance to blink Peter was up and pulling down his mask shooting a web to the next building. 

“Stay here.” It was a command but he should have known better.

.o0O0o.

You stepped out of the cab at the cemetery, backpack with your things slung on your shoulder and black dress hanging down to mid thigh. There was no need to get a hotel room, you were coming in for the funeral and leaving tonight. 

The first person to notice you was Ned, he caught your eyes with a shocked expression as he was turned in his chair. Honestly, you could barely believe you ended up flying in for it. Peter turned to Ned in confusion, straining his neck to follow his gaze. The second you saw his brown doe eyes rimmed red from crying your feet froze and your breath got caught in your throat. Your eye flickered their bright blue color for half a second but you knew he noticed by the gasp that rang through your hypersensitive ears. 

Getting yourself under control you continued up the hill, stopping to stand beside him. “Is it okay if I sit here?” You mentally slapped yourself at the first words to Peter in three years was a question about seating. 

“Uhm, yea. Yea.” He cleared his throat, picking up the obituary that was laying down in the seat. Ned scoffed, obviously annoyed. Peter kept his face poised, barely any emotion showing but you could hear the rise in his heartbeat as soon as he saw you. 

The ceremony was beautiful, some people talking about how May was and telling memories. Peter never did get up to talk in front of everyone, but you knew it would have been too hard for him. It was hard for you, May was the mom you never had growing up. 

As soon as everyone got done watching the casket lower and Peter shoveled in the first pile of dirt they started dispersing. 

“Can we talk?” You found yourself asking as the crowd dwindled out. 

“Sure. But, not here. Let’s go back to my apartment.” He looked around like a lost puppy, hands in his pockets. “I’m assuming you took a cab here?” You nodded. “You can ride back with me and Ned.” 

.o0O0o.

Even you could tell the scream wasn’t far away. You ran to the edge of the building right as Peter disappeared down an alley. You hurriedly climbed down the fire escape ladder and ran to where you last saw him, your feet stumbling over one another as you caught sight of Peter being held up against a wall by his neck.

“Giz,” A choked out sound of your nickname brought you back from the shock. A hairy man let his grasp of Peter up as he fell to the ground in a heap, gasping for air. The assaulter turned to you and you froze at the fangs and claws you saw, his eyes an inhuman blue. He lunged toward you before Peter had the chance to regain his step, a sharp pain on your shoulder causing you to scream in pain and fall to your knees.

Peter was by your side in seconds, the man long gone. You clutched your shoulder, fingers being coated in your own blood from a bite mark. “No, no, no. Stay with me Giz, you’re going to be okay.” Before he was able to pick you up, you arched your back in agony and roared, eyes glowing a bright yellow and fangs glistening in the moon’s light.

.o0O0o.

The car ride to their place was awkward and that’s saying it lightly. It was filled with constant glares from Ned in the rear-view mirror and Peter clearing his throat like he was going to say something but nothing came out.

He pulled into a parking lot out front of a nice looking apartment building in Manhattan.

“You both live here?” You only got a nod in return as they both got out of  the car.The apartment was small, but nice. A bed laid where the living room should be and another in the room adjacent. It was cleaner than you would have thought with two boys living their. 

“What are you doing here Y/N?” The words left Peter in a rush, like he’s been holding them back since he saw you. 

“Ned called me and told me about May and,” Peter deadpanned at Ned who shrugged unbothered. “And, well, I don’t know really. I just - I needed to see you.” You scratched your cheek sheepishly at your explanation.

“What? You didn’t feel like you needed to see me for three years but as soon as someone dies of course you’re here.” He scoffed, loosening his tie. “Unbelievable Y/N. You left me. I told you I loved you and then you left me.” He was pulling at his curls, the style that it held before loosening. Ned left to go into the other room, giving the two of you privacy.

“I could have killed you, Pete! I needed to leave so you would be safe.”

He scoffed, “I don’t need someone to protect me. I’m Spider-man, remember?”

“I couldn't risk it. I’ve done,” You faltered on your words, choosing them wisely, “things.” Your blue eyes flashing slightly. “And I love you too much.” You mumbled.

“IF YOU LOVED ME YOU WOULDN’T HAVE LEFT ME.” The words shook the apartment with anger.

.o0O0o.

It had only been a week of being a werewolf and the full moon was here. The research you and Peter did wasn’t much but everyone knew werewolves lost control on the night of a full moon. You could already feel it, your blood boiling with anger you didn’t even realize you had. 

Peter was currently chaining you up in an abandoned wine cellar he found on the outskirts of the city. You were breathing heavy, trying to keep yourself calm but you couldn’t help the claws and fangs that grew. 

“C’mon Giz, do what that one book said online. You have to find yourself an anchor, something to keep the anger at bay, something that keeps you grounded.” He tightened the last chain around your neck, both your arms and legs were immobile as well.

“I can’t.” It came out as a growl, despite your efforts. He didn’t say anything, sitting back on the wall across from you. “You have to leave, I could hurt you.”

He scoffed, “Spider-man.” He pointed to himself, waiving off your warning. He went on to gloat about his abilities, saying how no one, not even a werewolf could hurt him. 

“Shut the fuck up or I’ll cut your tongue off.” You seethed causing him to close his mouth in a tight line.

The moon was at its peak and you struggled to get out of the restraints. Every ounce of control you thought you had was gone. Your brain was clouded with anger, wanting nothing more than to run and tear something apart. The chain on your left arm broke first, making it unbelievable easy to get off the rest

Peter stood wearily, watching you rip off each chain. “Giz-Gizmo,” He hands lifted in front of him, trembling. “You can’t do this. You need to find an anchor and hold on to that.”

He kept talking but you didn’t bother to listen as you snapped the last chain, slamming him against the wall, clawed hand deep in his abdomen. You snapped out of it as you heard his pained moan, retracting your claws and running. 

You ran for hours, never letting yourself slow down. The image of Peter’s glassed over eyes the only thing playing in your mind. 

.o0O0o.

He broke down, a sob escaping his trembling lips as he fell to his knees. 

You sunk down to the ground next to him, cradling him in your arms. The tears you tried so hard to keep in escaped. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I had to do this to you, but Peter I couldn’t risk hurting  you again. You mean everything to me.”

“It’s all my fault.” He clutched onto your dress, face pressed against your chest. You felt the tears soaking through, but you didn’t care. “If I would have stopped that guy Uncle Ben would still be here. I could have moved the gauntlet away from Thanos faster so Tony didn’t have to sacrifice himself. If I just answered the phone when May called then she wouldn’t have been murdered. I’m Spider-man for god’s sake but I can’t save anyone. If I would of just let you sleep that night than none of this would be happening.” Another sob left his throat as you ran your fingers through his hair to try and calm him.

“Is that what you think? That Ben, Tony, May are your fault?” You can't wrap your head around what he was saying. “That I’m your fault?” You cupped his face, pulling him away from so you could see his face.

“You listen to me Peter, none of this is your fault. I don’t blame you for that night. And I can guarantee if you could ask May, Tony and Ben they would say the same thing. They were all so proud of you and loved you so much. So do I.” His tears slowed as he leaned into the warmth of your embrace. “Besides, I would get bitten a hundred times just to be able to kiss you like I did that night.”

“Giz, I kissed you that night. You’re too much of a coward to take that chance.” He smiled and you mirrored it. 

It had been a couple hours since the breakdown on the floor. You were sitting out on the small balcony curled into Peter’s chest watching the sun set. After you both had calm down it was obvious you couldn’t leave again, you both needed each other way too much. You knew there was a lot that had to be talked through, all the pain that was caused through the years, before it could be like before you were bitten.

“So what got you to finally learn how to control it? What’s your anchor?” He mumbled into your hair, resting his chin on the top of your head. You smiled.

“You.”

[evangelinedanvers]

 It didn’t get any easier, returning to my companions. Especially when I wasn’t really entirely sure how long it had been for them. I’m not entirely sure how long it had been for me. The only person who’d really ever gotten it was River Song. Brilliant, impossible Melody Pond. She had always known exactly what she was signing up for. It never mattered how much time had passed, she always loved me the same, always slipping easily back into the intelligent banter that I’d always enjoyed so much.

 This reunion wasn’t going to be like that. I was expecting to see anger and disappointment, after how we had parted. I could still see it now, disappointment in Yas’s eyes at my failure. She thought I’d given up, but I hadn’t. I’d chosen to try to sacrifice myself because I believed in The Universe. The Universe, with all of its brilliant humans, was so much more than me. And I’d lived for so long already. It might have looked like giving up, but it wasn’t. I was making a stand for everything and everyone that I loved.

 My hands were shoved deep into my pockets. I rocked back on my heels before taking a deep breath and turning away. I shouldn’t have been there. I knew I ruined lives. I told herself that being able to explore the galaxies was a gift, but when I thought about it, really thought about it, the pain I caused wasn’t worth it. It was selfish. But after all the good I did, didn’t I deserve to be a little selfish sometimes?

 I stared down at the ground, as though it was about to give me an answer. It didn’t, of course. It wasn’t sentient wood. I sighed before turning back and knocking on the door quickly before I could change my mind.

 “Hey.” I said, beaming as the door opened to reveal Yasmin. I was anything but happy, still thrown by The Master's revelation. I was a big believer of fake it til you make it, though.  Besides, seeing my Yasmin again was going to make things better. Maybe. “You still live here then? Brilliant. Always a bit awkward when someone moves and you end up on some stranger’s doorstep.”

 There was a silence as Yasmin stared back, her expression blank. I wondered if she knew who I was, or if I had regenerated in the many years since I’d seen her. It was so hard to keep track.

 “It’s me. The Doctor.”

 “Yeah, I can see that.”

 “Oh, good. Sorry. Wasn’t sure if I’d changed faces since I saw you last. It’s been a while and they aren’t exactly friendly in intergalactic prison. Wouldn’t even let me use a mirror. How do I look?”

 “Intergalactic,” Yasmin trailed off, seeming to lose interest. I guessed she had just become used the crazy. “You look the same.” Her response was nonchalant. Her eyes blank.

 I wasn’t the best at reading human emotion, but I felt completely uneasy. “You don’t seem all that pleased to see me.” I commented, sounding a little downcast. As much as I understood when my friends came to realise what it really means to be my friend, the rejection still hurt. “Understandable, I s’pose.”

 “No, I am.” Yasmin answered a little too enthusiastically, her words sounding forced. “It’s just, it’s been five years. I’d kinda put you behind me. If I’m honest, I’m not even entirely sure if this is really happening or if it’s a dream.”

 “Yeah, I’m not really sure either. Actually, we could be having a shared dream. Can happen now and again. TARDIS telepathic energies. Gets a bit weird sometimes. But nah. This is real. I can feel it.” I jumped up and down a couple of times as I confirmed our reality. “See. Sturdy. Dreams are usually a bit wobbly.” I paused, stuck a finger in the air before placing it on my tongue. My eyes narrowed as I analyzed. “Tastes real too.”

 “Tastes real? You’re joking, right?” Her mouth turned up into the smallest of smiles, if only for a second.

 “Either way, it got a smile out of ya, didn’t it?”

 Yasmin shrugged.

 “So, can I come in or what?”

 “Sure, I guess.”

 “Brilliant.” I entered, shutting the door behind me. “So, how’re you?” I gasped as I felt a burning sensation rush through my brain. Not quite trusting my legs, I grabbed onto the doorframe. “Whoa. Memory rush. Had a bit of a bump to the head. Feels good, but kinda hurts too, all those synapses firing at once.  Back on Gallifrey, when I was a kid, sometimes we’d remove our memories on purpose, pop them straight back in. Just for the rush. Except for my friend Whatshisface. Took them out, forgot to leave enough info in there to remind him to put them back and then when someone figured out what he'd done, no one could find them. Pretty thick, really.” My brow furrowed, as I thought of all of the memories that had been stolen from me. Best not to think about that too much, though. Coming from The Master, I didn’t really know how much to believe. “How’s the fam? Graham, Ryan? How are they?”

 “I…I dunno.”

 “What d’ya mean, you dunno?” I exclaimed.

 “I haven’t seen either them for a while.”

 “Why’s that?”

 “Being around them was just too painful. A constant reminder of you. We tried at first. Then we stopped trying. We didn’t mean to. It just kinda happened.

 “Understandable.” I frowned, not really understanding. Something didn’t feel quite right. There was something I couldn’t quite see. “What about you. What’re you up to these days?”

 “Nothing, really. Just working in a store. Mostly keep to myself.”

 “Ya what? Why? What happened to working for the police force?”

 “I tried that, for a while. After everything, it was just kinda boring.”

 “I worked in a toy store once. Few faces back, and only for a couple days. T’was fun, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say exciting. You’re not really making sense right now, so I’m gonna do something, and it’s gonna tingle a bit. Be quite painful, actually. I think you’ll thank me for it later, though.” I reached out, placing my fingers against Yasmin’s temples as my hands cupped her face. I squinted as I wiggled around in her brain. “Oh, you’re tricky. Very tricky. Almost impossible to see, but I see you. Alright, Yasmin. I’m very sorry about this. Tell me, last time ya saw me, what was happening? Long time ago for me, I’m a little foggy on the details.”

 “You were about to sacrifice yourself to stop The Master and his army of Cybermen.”

 “Oh yes. That’s right. How did that make you feel?”

 “Angry. Scared. Defeated.”

 “Ah, okay. Gonna need you to focus on the anger for a sec. Why were you angry?”

 “Because you were abandoning us. Because you didn’t even try to think of another way.”

 “You’re right. I didn’t. Didn’t care about how it was gonna affect you either. Just focussed on getting one over on The Master. Humans, you’re just insignificant blips in an infinite existence to me. None of you matter, but I gotta pass the time somehow.” Those words didn’t come easily. Words designed to inflict pain. That wasn’t what I was about. They were a little scary too, since they so easily could have been true; a different time, a different me; all of me, and who knew what could have been?

 Something flashed in Yas’s eyes. She felt something. Just what the doctor ordered. A good dose of anger.

 “Ah, there we go. Almost there. Just keep remembering. Remember how angry you felt. Remember how I abandoned ya. Remember how little I cared. Come on, now. Any time now, you fantastic little leeches. Ah. There we go.” I smiled gently as I removed my hands from Yasmin’s temples. “Hello, you. I mean, you were already you. Just the best parts of you were being stolen.”

 “Doctor?”

 “Yes, Yas?”

 “Firstly, thank you. No idea what you did, but I’m feeling a hell of lot more like myself. Secondly, if anything you just said was true, I’ll kill you.”

 “You were infected with a parasite. Nasty little creatures that feeds on your emotions until all you’re left feeling is numb. Numb is good, sometimes. It’s easier to be numb than it is to face how we really feel, yeah? These critters latch onto people who are already in pain because they know there won’t be much resistance. Who wouldn’t pick numb over hurting? That’s not living, though. That’s just existing and you are far too good to just exist. I needed you angry. Anger is strong, but it’s also fire. The greedy little things gorge on it until they burn themselves out. Quite fantastic, really, how they work. Although in very rare cases they manage to survive and grow so big that the host’s head explodes. But that probably wasn’t gonna happen.” I tilted my head to one side, brows furrowed. “Could be happening right now, actually.” I leaned forwards, looking into Yasmin’s eyes before pulling my sonic out of my pocket. I scanned the air around Yasmin before letting out a sigh of relief. “Nah, you’re fine. I think.”

 “Stop it.”

 “Stop what?”

 “Stop trying to not talk about the hard stuff. You always do this. Something bad happens and you talk and talk and talk at a million miles so that no one can take the time to stop and think about what’s happened.”

 “I don’t do that.” My nose wrinkled up as I shrugged. “Yeah, okay. I do that sometimes. So, what would you like to talk about?”

 “I dunno. Maybe hi, I missed you would be a good start. God, I missed you so much. Everything reminded me of you. Stupid things. Like, the sky is blue, like the TARDIS. Rainbows reminded me of that t-shirt you used to wear. And it was just like, everything beautiful reminded me of you. Everything I used to enjoy just hurt instead. Then about, I don’t know, maybe a year ago everything stopped hurting. I didn’t feel much of anything really, but that was better than just being sad, right? I just thought I’d kinda moved on and gotten over you and all the fantastic stuff we did. Now you’re back and it hurts again. So much. Right here”. She placed a hand on her chest, right over her heart. “What the hell? Man, I need to get a grip.” She laughed through tears.

 “That’s normal.” I used my thumbs to wipe away Yasmin’s tears, very aware that they were my fault.  “Everything that makes you human all rushing back at once. I’d be a bit scared if you weren’t emotional, to be honest.”

 “Yeah, I guess. I’m sorry I wasn’t exactly welcoming earlier.”

 “Aww, that’s okay. Wasn’t your fault. I expected you to be angry, actually. Fully expected to get somethin’ thrown at me.”

 “I’m not angry. Not anymore. Yeah, you’re late. But at least you’re here.” She shrugged before an awkward pause. “The stuff you said. About humans being your playthings.”

 “Never. I just needed you angry, that’s all. Did I go a bit too far? I always thought I’d make a good actress. Actor. Person who acts? I’ve never been a…” I had been a woman before though, hadn’t I? I had no idea how many lives had been stolen; how many faces. “I missed you too. The whole fam, actually. So much. We’ll go find them soon. Tomorrow, maybe. Just you and me for now though, yeah?”

 “I should at least text them, let them know you’re back.”

 “Yeah.” I nodded. “Sounds good.”

 “Can I ask you something? It’s kinda weird, and I guess it doesn’t really matter.”

 “I love weird and everything matters.”

 “Why are you here? Why did you come to me first, I mean?”

 “I think that’s a discussion for another day. When things are a bit more normal.”

 “Things are never normal when you’re around.”

 “Yeah. You’re right.” It wasn’t something I’d wanted to act upon. There had been too many times before and I knew that it all only ever ended in pain. I was destined for happiness. I had learned, in my previous body, that sometimes happiness only needed to be for a time. I wasn’t so sure that it was worth all of the sadness that came after, though. But if I was going to be around forever, if I was as immortal as I was beginning to suspect, I couldn’t just walk around sad all the time. Where was the fun in that? I know so many words. So many that sometimes they all get jumbled together  and I can’t seem to get a single one out. I knew then though that I just didn’t know any words that would answer Yasmin’s question. So, instead, I pulled her towards me, cupped her face gently and pressed my lips against hers. It was brief, chaste, but said more than a billion billion words ever could. “That answer your question? First time I ever kissed anyone, that. In this body, I mean.” I grinned, somewhat proud of myself.

 “Oh yeah. But now I have so many more.”

 “I bet ya do. ‘Nother time though. You’re gonna get a cracking headache right about,” I paused and looked down at my watch, then waited a few seconds. It was a bit of an act, really. I couldn’t predict the exact time, but I wanted to look cool and residual telepathic connections would tell me when. “Now. Side effect of burning out emotion eating parasites.”

 Yasmin pressed a hand to her forehead. “You ever feel like your heads gonna explode? Cos that’s what this feels like.”

 “Yep. All the time. So many thoughts and ideas burrowing away in such a tiny, pathetic brain? It’s a wonder my head actually hasn’t exploded. Huh, there’s a thought. Thought explosion. Theoretically possible, but not all that likely. Unless…Nah. Now, come on.” I took Yasmin’s hand and guided her towards the sofa. “Lie down here. Ya need t’ rest.”

 She lay down, as instructed and closed her eyes against the light. Clearly in pain, but not ready to let me off the hook just yet. “You know everything isn’t okay, right? There’s a lotta talking to be done and it’s gonna suck.”

 “Yeah, I know, but for now I’d like for things to not suck for five minutes. If that’s okay with you?”

 “Are you okay, Doctor?”

 “Me? I’m fine. Always.”

 “But really, though?”

 “No. I’m not okay” I said with a sigh. “really not.”

 “You know you don’t have to act so happy all the time when you’re not, right? You’re allowed to act sad sometimes. Me, Ryan, Graham? We’re your fam. We won’t love you any less.

 “Love is a big word.”

 “It’s only four letters.”

 “Yeah, well I cost Harriet Jones her Premiership with six words. I was a bit arrogant back then. Thought I knew everything. Thought I was in control. You’ve no idea how wrong I was.”

 “Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I’m gonna sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow. When it’s all of us.”

[spacetimewraithwrites-archive]

grinding

whoa, if you’re the same anon for this and the next three words, thank you very much! you gave me some challenging stuff and I love it.

[Don’s 1 Year Celebration!]

GRINDING

Words: 1,404

***

“Did you ever think this would end? Because I was starting to think this shit would consume my life.”

Guetry let out a short bark of laughter, dropping out of the shuttle before it made a complete stop on the landing pad. He attached his rifle to his back holster and spun on his heel to face his teammate as she climbed out behind him. “You got somewhere to be, ma’am?”

Dazia hocked a loogie and it splattered against a shipping crate. “I’m fucking your dad later.”

“Oh! Great. Happy for him, but could’ve done without the trauma those words in that order just bestowed onto me.”

Tuxth exited the shuttle as well, ducking so she wouldn’t be scalped by the doorway. “I am not looking forward to the paperwork.”

Guetry pulled a metal cigarette out of one of his many pockets and stuck it between his lips, already setting his sights on the port so he could officially call this mission done. “Yeah, I feel like you’re not telling the whole truth there, Tux.”

“Just a sec, guys,” the shuttle tech called out from the front of the vehicle. “Controls are a little wackadoo, gotta do a diagnostic before I can let you go.”

Guetry waved him off and turned to Tuxth and Dazia, walking backward across the tarmac. “If you cover for me I’ll owe you several drinks.”

“You’re an asshole,” Dazia grunted while Tux rolled her eyes. “But you’re lucky we love you.”

Guetry winked and faced the large glass building several yards away, drawing a hit from the cigarette, coughing lightly around the minor tickle to his throat from the dusting of reaver rock mixed within the tobacco. He started mentally running through the extensive to-do list for when he got home, blocking out everything going on around him.

Beep.

It was an inoffensive blip of sound, but Guetry came to an abrupt halt in his tracks anyway, eyes cast straight ahead. No one else seemed to hear it, and he glanced over his shoulder at Dazia and Tuxth, who didn’t notice it either, chatting away amongst themselves at the edge of the landing pad.

Beep. Beep.

Dazia stopped mid-sentence to look around the area, gaze falling onto Guetry in silent question.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

“Oh god,” Dazia said suddenly. “That’s the projectile proximity—”

The missile zipped into the glass building out of nowhere, spraying shards through the air a split second before detonating, a fireball pulsing into the sky, followed by a plume of thick, acrid smoke. The shockwave knocked everyone within a hundred yards to the pavement.

Guetry pulled himself to his knees and blindly grabbed for his rifle, blinking the flash from his eyes and shaking his head to will the ringing away. He peered upward, catching the allegiant fighters zooming across the airspace.

“Shuttle!” Tuxth shouted. “Now!”

Guetry looked at the flaming wreckage of the port, eyes wide. He could just make out a charred body or two at the edge of the blast radius and rage overcame him, his grip on his weapon tightening.

He scrambled to his feet and sprinted to the shuttle, diving through the open door before Dazia closed it in his wake.

“Get this fucking thing off the ground,” he snapped at the shuttle tech. “I don’t care if you have to promise it all the riches in the world, do it!”

The tech sighed, annoyed. “That’s not how this works!”

Guetry reached across Tuxth to pound his fist against the console with so much force he nearly split his skin open. The lights in the controls sputtered and flashed, then held steady.

The tech grumbled under his breath before piloting the trio off the landing pad.

They carefully watched for each fighter streaming through the air, choosing to follow one in particular that had launched another missile at the port. Tuxth shifted from one side of the shuttle to another, throwing the door open as they climbed higher.

Guetry and Dazia perched halfway out of the door, aiming their weapons, pelting the passing fighters with bullets and shots of neon energy until one caught fire and spiraled out of control.

"Our target keeps swerving away,” the shuttle tech said, flipping a switch in the ceiling to activate the pressure barrier in the open door. “It’s hard to keep up.”

Guetry watched the fighter make a hairpin turn to pass directly underneath them, a blast of sharp red hitting the side of their vehicle and rocking it precariously. As Dazia kept shooting, he observed their movements, tracked their pattern. Hairpin turn...straight...hairpin turn...straight. An elaborate zig-zag.

“Hey,” Guetry said, snapping his rifle onto his back. “Tell me something you like about me.”

“I like it when you shut up and focus on the mission at hand,” Dazia said, replacing her heat sink.

Tuxth frowned at him over her shoulder. “Is your ego really that starved?”

Guetry drew his pistols from his hips and moved his breather onto his face, activating the pressure field. He gestured encouragingly with a pistol. “C’mon. One thing, Tux.”

“I...guess I like...your hair.”

Guetry grinned, backing away from the door. He watched the radar on the shuttle console, waiting for the fighter to make its hairpin turn, and shrugged. “I’ll take it.”

Before anyone could register what was about to happen, he took two running steps and launched himself out of the shuttle, twisting through the air to aim his pistols at the incoming fighter. The wind whipped violently past his ears and he surrendered to the deafening roar. He could feel his own heartbeat pounding against his chest, desperate to escape as he fell faster toward the ground and the fighter sped closer.

He opened fire. The fighter got closer. Closer. So close he could hear the engines over the wind.

Then he smacked into the roof, absolutely breaking a rib or two, and he hooked a leg around jutting bar in the exterior to keep himself from flying off as he pressed the barrel of his pistols into the red metal.

He looked away and fired, tearing a hole straight into the cockpit of the vehicle in a shower of sparks. He took out the pilot with a headshot and slid inside, shoving the allegiant out of the seat and squeezing himself behind the console to take over.

Guetry piloted the fighter around to the other allegiants, picking them off one by one with the help of the shuttle until eventually, they whittled them down to one very scared allegiant who crash-landed into a clearing several miles away from the port.

Tuxth, Dazia, and Guetry all tumbled out of their vehicles after they touched down, sprinting through the stringy grass after the allegiant dragging herself out of the cockpit.

Guetry caught up first, grabbed the Rotangan around the throat as she tried to dart away, slammed her back into the side of the felled fighter and jamming the tip of a pistol into her temple. “You know what comes next, don’t you, princess,” he chuckled in her face.

The allegiant choked and gasped, stammering in her native language.

“They got the port’s coordinates from a double agent of Hyret’s,” Tuxth said. “That...was surprisingly easy.”

“There were innocent people in that building,” Guetry murmured low at the allegiant. “Did you know that? Did you know there were people going about their business, living their lives day to day, probably wishing for all of this bullshit to finally end? Do you know how many families you fucking destroyed back there?!”

Dazia placed a gentle hand on his arm. “Hey. You just dropped a couple hundred feet out of the sky; maybe it’s time to let that frenzy meter cool down a bit, yeah?”

Guetry took a deep, shuddering breath through his nose as he stared daggers into the allegiant’s skull. He released her, shoving the pistol back into his holster and pushing the sleeves of his duster jacket up to his elbows. “Fuck this. I gotta go.”

He ripped the breather from his face and marched away from the crash, distancing himself from the proceeding arrest and flying the fighter back to port so he wouldn’t have to share space with the allegiant.

He also didn’t speak to Dazia or Tuxth the rest of the day, choosing to brood inside his head far beyond going their separate ways back at the Node.

[viridian-angel]

Black Pearl [Chapter 1]

Series: Original [Sara]

Genre: Thriller

Characters: Original [Rights Reserved]

Wordcount: 2,306

Prologue to this chapter here 

“Boss, you’re back!”

A round of cheerful hollers rose from the room as Sara entered, followed by a few confused mumbles and curious glances.

Held close to her chest, a frazzled-looking, skittish, scruffy black cat trembled in her arms, eyes darting around the room. Everybody gave it at least one look before returning their gaze back to Sara, who was currently more stone-faced than her typically charismatic and cool self.

“Uh… Boss? What’s with the cat?” one of her yakuza clansmen asked, scratching the back of his head.

“Ain’t that typical, goes out on a hit, comes back with a stray,” another joked, laughing to himself and stretching in his chair. The man behind him scooted closer in his chair, letting out a not so quiet whisper of “Isn’t that how she found you, dipshit?”, prodding him and laughing.

A massive man, about as tall as her and twice as wide approached her, reaching his arms out with palms open. “Here, I’ll take it, Boss. You still got blood on yer hands, you outta wash up.” Sara stared him in the eyes, conveying a silent message that he nodded in response to. She carefully offloaded the cat into his arms, the man holding it close to his shirtless, tattooed chest.

Sara took a deep breath and took a moment to stretch, clearing her throat. Everyone else in the room immediately fell silent and all eyes fell on her.

“Matano’s dead. Be on the lookout for retaliation– anyone loitering around the building, cars parked a little too long outside with no one coming out of ‘em. So on and so forth, you know the drill. As far as a lot of people are concerned, we’re even now. He put out the hit, he got hit back, no extra collateral racked up in the process. It’s about as cut and dry as you can get, we should be good– but you never know.”

Everyone in the room began to chatter quietly to themselves, picking straws as to who would be doing what and when. One of them spoke up above the rest, idly flicking the toothpick held between his teeth.

“’Grats Boss, but where’d the cat come from?”

“Heard it mewling from a janky old abandoned lot after I finished my business. It’s way too cold and wet out there right now for a stray to survive, so…”

She scratched the side of her head, just sort of ending the sentence there.

“Anyway, I need to wash up.” she continued, preemptively rolling up her sleeves. “Kentaro,” she addressed the large man, “Bring the cat to my room and just take care of ‘em for a little bit. As soon as I’m not covered in dry blood I’ll pay a visit to a convenience store and get some cat food for them.”

He nodded without another word, letting the cat have some wiggle room and shift back and forth between his massive hands.

Sara scrubbed her hands thoroughly in her bathroom, the dried blood on her hands flaking off and falling down the sink drain. She splashed some water into her face for good measure, drying her eyes with a hand towel and staring into the mirror.

“You’ve been dealt a real shitty hand–”

She shook her head. What could he have even meant by that? The implication was that something big was about to go down– but she hadn’t heard so much as a little blip on the radar regarding anything huge in the works. Then again, her clan was very much detached from any huge alliance– she was on her own, an outcast followed by punks. No one to answer to– but no one else on her side beside the people who pledged their loyalty to her. So, no one tended to give her friendly tidbits advice. Mainly, they just flung lead and shrapnel her way.

Cupping her hands, she gathered and poured water down her thick, silver hair. She worked little specks of red out of it the best she could, meticulous in her cleaning.

“All eyes are on you now, kid.”

More than usual? She was always going to be viewed as an unstable upstart to every other clan, and that much wasn’t new to her. What could she have possibly done? Something that he was going to do instead of her… something that he was sure of. What could he possibly be sure that she’d do?

She did a quick comb through her hair, pulling a hair-band from her pocket and tying it up into a neat ponytail.

“Guess I’ll just have to bide my time and find out…” she muttered quietly, stepping outside and walking into the main room again. Quick count– two, four, eight, sixteen… and Kentaro makes seventeen, in her office with that cat. Everyone here. Two of them were on relaxing back in their chairs while watching multiple camera feeds set around the surrounding streets and buildings. Five of them were playing cards and laughing together, waiting for their turns to do the basic tasks the others were currently taking care of. Three were doing routine check-ups and tune-ups on their small cache of weapons, four of them had taken point at the only reliable ways to enter the building, just out of view. The last two were hanging out in the kitchen attached to the main room, cooking a large meal for the rest of the group.

She couldn’t help but smile a little at it all. Despite not having any real instructions from her, they always managed to settle into the natural rhythm of work to keep the place safe. Sara knew she could trust each one of them, and it was the kind of peace that she always doubted she’d ever really be able to have.

“Boss!” one at the table shouted, reaching to the ground and flinging a raincoat up at her in one smooth motion. She instinctively caught it in her hands, earning a little dramatic “Ooooh!” and applause from the rest of the table.

“Figured you’d want to actually be a little dry when you go out there this time.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Michiya.”

The woman stepped into the rainy streets, now properly protected from the downpour the weather had turned into. Not cold enough for snow, but cold enough that this would turn pretty dangerous for anyone just trying to hang out outside. It was really late at this point, so most anyone would simply be sleeping at home. Anyone with a more… typical job, that is.

Sara looked around, eyeing the surrounding area for anything suspicious. Almost like clockwork, she saw a car parked across the street start up, lights flaring up.

She didn’t flinch, merely walking forward with an unsettling, unblinking glare focused on the car’s tinted passenger window. Within a few steps, the car’s tires begun to spin and screech against the street, quickly speeding off into the wet roads.

“Great. That’s real reassuring.”

Sara put her raincoat's hood up, taking more relaxed steps out into the rain. Whatever the case for someone to be watching her currently, she’d have to trust her crew to be able to handle themselves for now. She did have a hungry cat she needed to take care of right now.

There were few times in her life she had been happier for 24-hour convenience stores. It was a true boon to the people who didn’t typically get to live out their lives during the day– such was true for her now, and it was back when she was a temporarily homeless teenager. It didn’t take long for her to pick out a decent amount of cat supplies, pay for it, and get out.

From the crowd of people waiting for her outside, it looked like getting back home would be another matter entirely.

A large group of fourteen men formed a semi-circle a couple of meters away from her, all equipped with a range of close-range weapons from bats to katanas. Her eyes narrowed, observing all of them and making mental notes to herself.

“I don’t suppose you guys came to help a lady carry her groceries, did you?” she commented, forcing a laugh and shrugging her shoulders.

The most nicely dressed one of the bunch attempted to light a cigarette, not offering a response as much as his frustrated noises over the rain.

“Tsk. Real shitty weather tonight, huh?” he said dryly, giving up and tossing his now soggy cigarette onto the ground.

“Yeah.”

A tense silence fell over them before the man started to speak up again.

“So, Matano finally bit the dust, huh?” he muttered rhetorically, leaning against his car and sighing. “Well, I suppose that’s what he gets. Not really a smart idea to go starting shit when we got more important things to be doin’.”

Sara remained silent, keeping her eyes trained on everyone she could to be ready for an attack at any moment. The man straightened himself up, walking with a casual pace up to Sara. He stopped about half a meter in front of her, hands in his pockets. Looking her up and down, he let out a short whistle. Sara’s left eye twitched.

“Well, they weren’t kidding when they said you were big, huh?”

“Am I supposed to know who you are?” she said, an unsettling grin spreading across her face.

“Nah, not really.” he replied, looking past her at the bag of cat supplies she was holding. “Just Matano’s soon to be replacement. You really opened up a spot for me on the ol’ corporate ladder. Say, what’d you got there in the bag–”

The second he began to reach for the bag, Sara’s free hand lashed out and tightly wrapped around his throat. He let out a startled sputter and wheeze, his hands instinctively latching onto Sara’s to try and pry it free. No matter how hard he attempted to, he didn’t get so much as a budge.

The men behind him stumbled a bit in place, quickly readying their weapons and inching closer.

Sara squeezed tighter, eliciting another pained grunt from the man in her grasp. “Name.” she commanded, her eyes hard at work keeping tabs on each yakuza as they moved forward.  

“N… Noboru…” he managed to choke out, relinquishing his grip on her hand and waving hurriedly at the men behind him. “F-Fucking stop moving you idiots! She could break my throat right now…”

“Okay, Noboru. I’ll fill you in on any details you might’ve missed. Matano died because he tried to kill me. I’m not looking to start shit, but when people try to hurt me, I can’t help but lash out. I don’t care if you’re his replacement, or you end up being the big bad boss of your clan. You don’t piss me off, stay out of our turf, and leave us alone, we’ll get along just fine.”

“G… Got it…”

Sara stared at him in silence for a few moments, before unceremoniously letting go of his windpipe. He sputtered and coughed, massaging his throat with a hand and stepping back. “J-Jesus, alright then… you really outta loosen up, lady. I thought you were supposed to be the goody-two-shoes pushover of the patriarchs around here…”

“I’m nice to those who deserve it. People who come up to me with their entourage of goons to small talk don’t really fit that description.”

“Fair enough,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “I didn’t come here for a fight anyway. They’re just protection, really. More specifically, we’ve been searching around her for something…”

He scratched the back of his head, a knowing smirk on his face as he eyed Sara’s bag. “More specifically, Matano was around these parts looking for a little stray cat… it was pretty important, actually. I don’t suppose you happened to see one after you, uh… offed him, right?”

Sara kept a calm poker-face and shook her head. “No. Do you think I’d be looking for a cat in this weather?”

“Nah, I guess not. Just, you know… you happened to have a bunch of cat food and whatnot in that bag, and it seemed a little late to be going shopping for that kind of stuff.”

“I ran out of food. My cat’s hungry and yelling about it, so I went out.”

“Oh yeah? What color is it?”

“White.”

“What kind of cat?

“Persian.”

“What’s his name?”

“Yuuto.”

The rapid-fire exchanged paused for a moment, and he scratched his chin.

“Huh… so, a white Persian cat named Yuuto… how old is she?”

“He.”

His smirk widened, scratching the back of his head again and laughing. “Ah yeah, I’ve got a bad short term memory, sorry.” he said, casting Sara a cold glare despite the smile plastered on his face. “But you’d remember that for your own cat, of course…”

Sara returned the glare, but any trace of a smile was absent on her face. “Yeah. Are we done here now?” Sara hissed between clenched teeth, gripping her bag tighter.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to hold you from you cat any longer. Youta, was it?”

“Yuuto.”

“Right, right, sorry, sorry. I’ll getting out of your hair now.”

He opened his car door, taking a step inside before stopping. “Oh, and Miss Reighs…”

Sara didn’t offer a response, merely staring him down instead.

“… Might want to get indoors soon. Heard this weather was going to get even worse later tonight. Heh.”

He stepped fully into his car, sitting down and shutting the door as his crew begun to wander in different directions, offering her silent scowls.

Sara waited in place until all of them were out of sight, then let out a long, deep sigh. She tilted her head up, staring at the stormy sky and blinking through raindrops.

And then, a quiet, almost inaudible,

“What the fuck?”

[boueibu-valentines]

A Day at the Fair

Creator:  @silvormoon Recipient:  @kinatsuaddict17 Title: A Day at the Fair Characters/Pairings: Kinshiro/Atsushi Summary: Kinshiro regrets all the time he’s wasted spending time apart from Atsushi. When the school principal assigns him with overseeing a booth at the town fair, he sees an opportunity to recapture some of those lost childhood moments. Comment: This ended up really long so I am submitting this in two parts. This is part 1.

———-

    Kinshiro took the first sip of his morning tea, gazed out at his garden, and thought, There really is no place like home.

    Not that he hadn’t enjoyed his stay overseas. There was definitely something to be said for visiting new places and broadening one’s horizons. It was just that in his heart, he knew that Binan would always be his true home, and now he was happy to be back again. He’d arrived home three days ago, and now his jet lag had mostly faded and his long-neglected work as Council President was more or less caught up, and he was really beginning to feel like he was back in his groove.

    A pity I’ll be leaving again before too very much longer. His family expected him to go to college, so of course he would, but then he would come home and start working in the family business where he belonged.

    His ruminations were interrupted by the sound of his cell phone blipping, announcing that he’d gotten a text message. He snatched it up.

    Good morning, Kinchan! Are you walking to school with us today?

    Kinshiro smiled. The message was sprinkled with smiley faces and other electronic flotsam. From anyone else, the informality would have annoyed him. Coming from Atsushi…

    It really is good to be home.

    He ended up meeting Atsushi on the corner where their two routes to school intersected. It still felt strange, walking to school with Atsushi and his friends. He strolled along, saying little, just enjoying listening to the sound of the others chattering and marveling at how things changed. There had been a time when seeing Atsushi at a distance would be enough to ruin his mood for hours afterwards. Now he walked beside him and thought that he had never been so happy to look at another human being.

    “You look far away,” Atsushi remarked, as they reached the school gates. “What’s on your mind?”

    “Just thinking,” said Kinshiro, “that I wouldn’t mind going through another three years of high school if it meant we could go on walking to school together.”

    Atsushi put an arm around his shoulders. “I know what you mean. But we’ll have lots of free time when we’re in college, and we’ll be able to see each other on holidays. It’s not like we have to say goodbye forever once we graduate.”

    “I know,” said Kinshiro.

    Still, he thought, as he reached his classroom and settled into his desk, as much as he was looking forward to the future, he still couldn’t help regretting that he’d wasted so much time in the past. All those years, he could have been spending every day with Atsushi. Now his childhood was nearly over, and he’d never get those carefree days back.

    He was still musing on this bittersweet thought when a voice came over the school intercom.

    “Will Kusatsu Kinshiro please report to the office? Kusatsu Kinshiro, you’re wanted in the principal’s office…”

    Everyone turned to stare at Kinshiro, as people tended to do in these circumstances. Someone in the back of the room stage-whispered, “Did the president break a rule?” and a few others snickered. Kinshiro ignored them.

    “Teacher, may I be excused?” he asked.

    The teacher graciously waved him away. The professor’s expression suggested he felt it was less likely for Kinshiro to be in any sort of trouble than for the principal to want to consult with him on some weighty matter. Kinshiro couldn’t begin to guess what he was being summoned for, but had a vague thought that it might have something to do with his overseas trip, or possibly preparations for graduation. He left the classroom feeling calm but puzzled.

    The principal greeted him cheerfully.

    “Ahh, Kusatsu-kun. Please have a seat,” he said. He was a cheerful, rosy-cheeked, bright eyed little man. Kinshiro had always had mixed feelings about him. He was a likeable man, always affable and willing to listen. On the other hand, he tended to be a little more lax than Kinshiro felt was strictly right, and he could never figure out how to bring it up. Kinshiro was not a man to question authority figures, even when he privately felt they deserved it.

    “Was there something you wanted to speak to me about?” he asked instead.

    “Yes, indeed,” said the principal. “As I’m sure you know, Binan’s annual spring festival is coming up.”

    Kinshiro nodded. He knew this very well, having attended it for several years until he’d reached the point where he considered himself too old for such silliness.

    No, be honest with yourself. You started staying home and sulking because you knew Atsushi would be there with Yufuin.

    Still, he couldn’t help but be aware of it. It was held every year in early spring, temporarily taking over the city park. Kinshiro had a shrewd notion that it wasn’t celebrating anything in particular, save for a need to entice more tourists into the city once a year, but everyone seemed to enjoy it. There were always lots of carnival games, food booths, and entertainers there, and in the last few years it had expanded to include a couple of bouncy castles and some organized games like three-legged races to entertain the kids.

    “One of our school’s proud traditions,” the principal said, “is to sponsor a booth at the festival. This year, I am counting on you to oversee the details.”

    “What would it entail?” Kinshiro asked.

    “Just choosing four or five reliable students to set it up and run it, and to supervise the setup and purchasing of prizes,” the principal replied. “You’ll be given discretionary funds for the purchasing of the prizes, of course. The stall and its trappings should be in the shed on the northwest corner of the grounds. I’ll give you the key.”

    Suiting action to words, he fished a key ring out of his desk and handed Kinshiro a small key. Kinshiro slipped it into his breast pocket.

    “I’ll expect regular updates,” the principal let on. “Report back in a day or two and let me know who you’ve selected to run the booth, and speak to my secretary about the money.”

    “Of course, sir,” said Kinshiro. His voice was placid as ever, but inside, he was starting to feel excited about the project. Not that he actually wanted to spend the day sitting at a booth listening to little children wailing because they hadn’t won a prize, but…

    “Excellent,” said the principal. “I know I can count on you. Now, off you go. No starting work on the booth until after class!”

    Kinshiro agreed that his studies came first and excused himself. He had a brief chat with the secretary, accepted a check and a stern warning to keep all the receipts for anything he bought with it, and set off toward his classroom. His mind, however, was no longer on his lessons.

    For all its inconveniences, this was still a perfect opportunity. He could invite Atsushi to work on the booth. They could set it up together, man it together for a while, and then explore the festival. It would be a way to make up for some of that lost time. It might even make up for the disastrous way the school festival had turned out.

    When the lunch bell rang, Kinshiro sought Atsushi out at once.

    “A moment of your time?” he asked.

    “Sure,” said Atsushi. “What is it?”

    “I was wondering if I could ask a favor,” he replied. “It’s presumptuous, I know, but I need someone I can rely on, and, well… I know you’re reliable.”

    Atsushi appeared touched. “I’ll help if I can. What do you need?”

    “The principal wants me to run a booth at the spring festival,” said Kinshiro. “I need some helpers. Would you be willing to…?”

    To his relief, Atsushi beamed.

    “Of course! That sounds like fun,” said Atsushi. He grinned a charmingly sheepish grin. “To tell the truth, I get kind of embarrassed going to the spring fair like all the little kids, but it will be okay if I’m there for a reason. Will we have to work the whole day?”

    Kinshiro shook his head. “No, I was thinking I’d ask a few other people, so we could take shifts. I’m sure Arima wouldn’t mind, but I haven’t decided who else to ask. Perhaps your friend Naruko? He seems very responsible.”

    Atsushi laughed. “Not unless you were prepared to pay him. He never works for freeWhat about Yumoto?”

    “Hakone Yumoto?” Kinshiro blinked. The words “responsible” and “Yumoto” didn’t go together in his mind.

    “Don’t underestimate him,” said Atsushi. “He helps his brother run the bathhouse, don’t forget. He’s used to working a cash register and handling money, and he’s great with kids. I know he seems kind of flighty, but when he takes on a responsibility, he takes it seriously.”

    “Hm. Well, you would know,” said Kinshiro dubiously. “I suppose he’d be all right with Arima there to keep an eye on him.”

    Atsushi smiled. “Sounds like we’ve got a plan, then.”

    We. Kinshiro liked the sound of that. He smiled.

    “I’m looking forward to it already.”

*******

    Atsushi had seen the storage shed many times, but somehow it had never occurred to him that he might want to look inside it. He was vaguely aware of the sorts of things people kept in sheds - lawnmowers, hedge clippers, water hoses, things of that nature - and none of them had ever seemed like they had anything to do with him. Perhaps, he reflected, if he’d had more of a spirit of adventure, he might have worked up some curiosity about what else might be in there. He watched as Kinshiro took out the little gray key and slipped it into the lock.

    I wonder why he asked me, he mused, as the door creaked open. He knew he was a reliable worker, but so were lots of other people in school, some of whom would actually have a bit of star appeal at a public event. If it had been him, he might have been tempted to choose someone like the star of the soccer team, or the boy from the drama club who’d already been offered a role in an upcoming radio drama. Instead, he’d chosen a nobody from the Earth Defense Club, the school joke. He’d said it was because he knew he could rely on Atsushi. After years of believing the exact opposite, Kinshiro was putting his faith in Atsushi once again.

    I’d better not let him down.

    He followed Kinshiro into the shed. It was bigger than he’d first realized. On the outside, it had been screened by trees and shrubs, making it hard to see more than the front. Now he realized that while it wasn’t very wide, it extended a long way back. It was dim, but light filtered through vents near the ceiling. It smelled of dust and wood shavings and just a hint of mice. Kinshiro sneezed.

    “There sure is a lot of junk in here,” said Atsushi, looking around. There were, as he’d suspected, several lawn mowers of various shapes and sizes, along with all the other odds and ends used to keep the grounds neat. There were also various sorts of sporting equipment - the rollers used to chalk a playing field, some disassembled soccer nets and movable basketball hoops, stacks of hurdles and vaulting boxes - and some of the decorations that had been dragged out for the school fair. Some of the other items were harder to place. Atsushi looked at a panel of what might have been scenery from a long-ago play, a rather ugly piece of statuary, and a heap of assorted woven baskets.

    “I think they just tossed in anything that was too big to fit anywhere else,” said Kinshiro. He blew dust off of an unidentified gray box. “I think this is a cash box. It’s still got keys wired to it. That’s a start.”

    “Do you have any idea what we’re looking for?” Atsushi asked. He tugged at a tarp and studied the object underneath. “A spotlight. Do you think this belongs to the drama department, or do the athletes use it for night games?”

    Kinshiro ignored the question, which was fine since Atsushi hadn’t expected an answer. “I believe it’s some sort of dart-toss game. The secretary said we would need to buy balloons out of our budget.”

    Atsushi went burrowing among some stacks of plywood and two-by fours. Some of the wood near the bottom bore traces of paint, and when Atsushi shoved a bundle of boards out of the way, he could just make out a few letters painted on it: “TRY YOUR LUCK!”

    “I think this could be it,” he said. “Help me get this junk out of the way.”

    The two of them hauled industriously, until at last their treasure had been unearthed. The booth consisted of several wooden panels, designed to be easily fitted together and pulled apart again by means of a clever arrangement of pegs and holes. After a few false starts, they managed to work out which bits went where. By the time they were finished, they were both dusty and sweaty, but pleased. They sat back on a pair of old coolers to admire their work.

    “It’s a bit dusty,” said Kinshiro. He had taken off his uniform jacket, and his usually sleek hair was sticking together in sweaty clumps. His shirt was sweaty and dusty too, clinging to his back and chest. Atsushi had to resist the urge to stare. Kinshiro was always handsome, but this rumpled, disheveled look…

    “I suppose we could clean it,” said Atsushi, pulling his mind back to more relevant topics. “Maybe touch up the paint a little.”

    “We probably should,” Kinshiro agreed. “We’ve got a week before the festival, so if we met up on the weekend…”

    “I’m free,” said Atsushi quickly. He’d been planning on hanging out with En and doing a little shopping, but… well, this was important, wasn’t it? Surely he could fit it in somewhere. “We should make some plans about buying the prizes, too.”

    “You should probably be the one to decide that,” said Kinshiro. “I’m not sure I’d know what a suitable prize would be.”

    “You should help pick them out anyway,” said Atsushi. “We could go shopping together and then… I don’t know, maybe get dinner somewhere afterwards.”

    Now, where had that come from? He hadn’t had a meal alone with Kinshiro for years, not since they were little boys buying snacks from street vendors together.

    Did it sound like I was asking him on a date? I hope he doesn’t think I was asking him on a date. I don’t want to make things awkward, not when everything is going so well…

    But Kinshiro’s face had lit up like the sun coming out behind a cloud.

    “I’d enjoy that very much,” he said. “Perhaps we could go to Kinoko?”

    Atsushi considered only a moment. Kinoko was a moderately nice restaurant - very traditionally Japanese, a bit out of the way of the tourist traffic. It was just barely within Atsushi’s budget, but he didn’t see why he couldn’t splurge just a little for Kinshiro’s sake.

    “I’d like that,” he said. He laughed a little. “I suppose you must have missed real home cooking while you were in England.”

    “I really did,” said Kinshiro. “You’d have liked it, though. They serve a lot of curry in England.”

    Atsushi laughed. “That doesn’t sound so bad, now that you mention it. If you ever go back, you should take me along so I can try it.”

    “Perhaps I will,” said Kinshiro thoughtfully. Then he shook his head, pulling himself from whatever daydream he’d been wrapped up in. “But first, we need to do something about this stall. Help me haul it outside. I’ll call someone to come help me get it loaded into a car. We can store it in my garage until we need it.”

    “That’s a good idea,” said Atsushi. He got reluctantly to his feet. It had been nice to just sit there and chat. Still, Kinshiro was never one to slack when there was work to be done.

    Together, they manhandled the booth out into the schoolyard and gathered up all the odds and ends that came with it. It was indeed a dart-tossing game, consisting of a cork backboard on which numerous hooks had been hung. The idea seemed to be that prize tickets would be suspended from the hooks and balloons hung in front of them to obscure them, so that when the balloon popped the prize would be revealed. A lot of little cards with numbers printed on them had turned up in the bag with the darts that looked like they would fit on the hooks, and could presumably be rearranged at will so the crowds didn’t learn where the best prizes were hidden. Atsushi wondered about the wisdom of working at a booth where people would be throwing pointy objects in his general direction, but he supposed it was probably too late to back out now.

    “We should go to the baths after this,” he said aloud. “The others might even still be there.”

    “That sounds like fun,” said Kinshiro. “Even if they aren’t there, we could still go.”

    Atsushi thought about being alone in the bath with Kinshiro. The fact that he was willing to visit the Kurotama at all was still so new to Atsushi that it still amazed him to think about. Before now, though, there had always been someone else there with them - usually En, often the rest of the Defense Club, sometimes the rest of the Student Council. It had never been just the two of them before. The thought made him feel oddly fluttery inside.

    “We should still do that,” he agreed.

    Kinshiro smiled at him. The light of the setting sun gilded his silvery hair and outlined the delicate lines of his face. Atsushi felt his throat go tight.

    That was the moment he realized his life was about to get a lot more complicated. His friends had teased him often about the dramatically fraught relationship between the Student Council president and their own club’s reluctant leader, calling them boyfriends and joking about their “lover’s quarrel”, but he’d always laughed and shrugged it off. He and Kinshiro were just friends, that was all. They had missed each other. They had a lot of catching up to do. Of course they were always happy to see each other, and wanted to spend every moment they could together. Of course Atsushi felt a thrill every time he received a text message from Kinshiro or saw him smile just for him…

    Looks like they were right after all.

******

    Kinshiro strolled along the sidewalk, arms full of shopping bags, and reflected that today had been a good day.

    He had gotten up early, and he and the rest of the festival crew had gotten to work making the booth look like something other than a thing that had been buried in a dusty shed for a year. Arima, of course, had been only too flattered at being asked to help. Kinshiro been amazed at how right Atsushi had been about Yumoto: once he’d understood what was wanted of him, he’d scrubbed harder than anyone to get the booth looking sparkling clean and ready for a coat of paint. Perhaps working at a bathhouse all his life had given him an affinity for scrubbing. He hadn’t been able to avoid getting white paint all over himself while they touched up the scuffed and discolored boards, but steadier heads and hands had assured that the finished product looked at least halfway professional. In fact, Kinshiro had been quite pleased with how it had turned out. With some flags and bunting hung on it, it would be as handsome a booth as anything at the festival.

    Now he and Atsushi were strolling along side by side after a successful afternoon of shopping. Atsushi had located a party supply store that sold inexpensive gewgaws for people to use as decorations or party favors. Kinshiro had not previously been aware that such a thing existed in this city, and had wandered in great bemusement up and down the aisles, too overwhelmed by the number and variety of gimcrack plastic objects to think very sensibly about which might make good prizes for their booth. It had been up to Atsushi to fill their bags with flower crowns, miniature plush toys, tiny water guns, glow stick jewelry, and other objects that would delight the heart of a child or lighthearted adult.

    “That was a lot of fun,” Atsushi remarked, swinging his bags at his side. “They had some neat stuff in there, didn’t they?”

    “They did. I was actually a bit surprised,” Kinshiro admitted. “I wonder what the school will do with anything we don’t give away as prizes?”

    Atsushi grinned. “Maybe they’ll let us keep some! That would be fun.”

    Kinshiro admitted that it would. He normally would not have agreed to coveting anything that wasn’t up to his high aesthetic standards, but there was something about these small, brightly colored objects that appealed to the more primitive parts of his brain. Anyway, glow-sticks were fascinating.

    They reached the restaurant. It was an unassuming little building, painted in shades of brown and off-white suitable to its name. Beside the front door hung an oval signboard depicting a cluster of variously-shaped mushrooms growing from a patch of leafy ground, with Kinoko painted beneath it in elegant script. It would be easy to walk past it and assume it was a florist, or an art gallery, or anything but what it was. The locals knew it, and anyone who wasn’t a local found out by word of mouth or didn’t find it at all. Atsushi smiled as they drew near.

    “Do you remember,” he asked, “when we had your birthday party here?”

    “I do,” Kinshiro admitted. “That was a good day, wasn’t it?”

    “I thought it was kind of amazing,” said Atsushi. “Other little kids asked for hamburgers or pizza or ice cream on their birthdays, but you wanted to be like the grown-ups.”

    “You must have been bored,” said Kinshiro.

    “I was never bored,” said Atsushi.

    A hostess greeted them pleasantly and showed them to their table. Atsushi began looking over the menu. Kinshiro pretended to, but he already knew what it said and had his order ready in his mind. He was happier watching the thoughtful expression on Atsushi’s face as he considered the options.

    “It’s nice of you to say so,” said Kinshiro. “That you weren’t bored, I mean. When it was your birthday, you always wanted to go to the amusement park or the arcade.”

    “And you wanted to go to nice restaurants and book stores and museums,” said Atsushi. “I remember one time we went to an actual tea house and went through the whole ceremony. You were so excited about it. I remember how you talked about it for days afterwards.”

    “I suppose I was a strange child,” said Kinshiro. He could feel his face warming. He hadn’t realized that Atsushi retained so many embarrassing childhood recollections.

    To his surprise, Atsushi smiled and placed a hand over his.

    “Kinchan has always been Kinchan,” he said.

    Kinshiro spluttered. “Atchan! What a thing to say.”

    “It’s true, though. I mean, you’ve always been the way you are,” said Atsushi. “That makes me happy. I wouldn’t want to find out you’d turned into someone I didn’t know while we were apart.”

    He settled back in his chair, looking thoughtful. Kinshiro wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or sorry that Atsushi had taken his hand away.

    “I always thought you were fascinating,” he said. “You were always a little different from the other kids. You seemed so smart and mature… I was really flattered that you chose to spend time with me. Maybe that’s part of why I didn’t fight harder when you pulled away. I felt like maybe I wasn’t good enough for you, and it was only natural you’d figure it out sooner or later and go find some friends who were on your level.”

    “It wasn’t like that,” Kinshiro blurted. “You know it wasn’t like that.”

    “I know,” said Atsushi. “But I didn’t know that then.”

    “I always thought you were special, too, you know,” said Kinshiro. He fidgeted with his napkin, unable to meet Atsushi’s gaze for the moment. “Everyone else always seemed to think I was weird or a snob, but you made me feel like a normal person. I stopped feeling that way after you were gone. I suppose that’s why everything went wrong afterwards.”

    Atsushi smiled gently and patted Kinshiro’s hand again.

    “It’s not going to be like that anymore,” he said.

    Kinshiro mustered a smile. “No, it won’t.”

    A waiter floated over to beam down on them.

    “Good evening,” he said. “Are you ready to order, or do you need some more time?”

    “I know what I want,” said Kinshiro.

    And it was true: he knew exactly what he wanted. Looking at Atsushi smiling across from him, looking happy and at peace in Kinshiro’s company, he knew that <I>this</I> was what he wanted. He wanted the two of them to be together forever, just as they had promised each other they would all those years ago. He wanted to go on feeling like the world was a good and wholesome place and that he belonged in it, in that way that only Atsushi had ever been able to make him feel. He had known that a long time ago. The difference now was that the first time they’d promised to be together, they had been children, with only a hazy idea of the kinds of things the future might bring. Now he was nearly grown up, watching the end of his school days and the beginning of his adult life come speeding towards him, and what he wanted went beyond childhood trips to the arcade.

    In short, what he wanted was for Atsushi to love him the way he loved Atsushi, and he had no idea if that was even possible anymore. Could he ask that, of someone who he had tried to kill only a few months ago? They had worked so hard even to rebuild a functioning friendship. He wasn’t sure he dared to ask for more. He didn’t really think he deserved it.

    He rattled off his order by rote. Atsushi said, “That sounds good. I think I’d like the same as him.”     Would you? Kinshiro mused. I wonder…

******

    It was a perfect day for a festival. Atsushi got up early and headed out to the fairgrounds while the sun was still creeping over the horizon. He didn’t really mind - there was a nip in the early spring air that made him glad he’d brought his jacket, but some of the flowers were already starting to bloom, creating delicate touches of color amid the early morning mist that echoed the pink and rose of the cloud-dappled dawn sky. For that, it was worth getting up early. He reached the park and found Kinshiro, Arima, and the Hakone brothers already there and setting things up.

    “Morning, all,” he called out. “I see we’ve got some extra help.”

    “Anchan wanted to see our booth,” said Yumoto proudly. “He says I did a good job painting!”

    Atsushi smiled, recalling how Yumoto had ended up with paint on his clothes, face, hands, and hair by the end of the exercise.

    “You certainly gave it your all,” he agreed. “What can I do to help?”

    Arima handed him a heavy-duty stapler. “Start hanging up some of the streamers. We’ve almost got the main part of the booth set up.”

    Kinshiro smiled a little. “Which is to say Mr. Hakone just picked all the pieces up and slotted them in place like so many building blocks.”

    “Just trying to be helpful,” said Gora. “Anyway, if you don’t need me anymore, I’m heading back to work. You guys enjoy the fair.”

    “I hope you’ll get a chance to enjoy it too,” said Atsushi.

    “No worries,” said Gora. “The twins promised to take over the front desk around lunchtime so I can come over for a while. Maybe I’ll even try my luck with the balloons.”

    He sauntered off, leaving the remaining four workers to put on the finishing touches. Atsushi hung up their supply of streamers and ribbons, while Yumoto busily filled balloons and Arima hung up the prize tags. Once each balloon was filled, they were passed on to Kinshiro, who fastened each one in place. Atsushi finished with his decorating and started arranging the prizes temptingly on shelves along either side of the booth. It took a surprisingly short amount of time to get everything into place. When everything was finally done, they all stood back to admire the effect.

    “It looks quite nice, if I do say so myself,” Arima observed.

    “We did great,” Yumoto agreed. “Hey, can I play now?”

    Atsushi smiled. “Go right ahead. Have you got some money?”

    Yumoto handed over a few coins, and everyone stood back to let him have his throw. He hurled the dart apparently without aiming, but it struck an orange balloon dead-center with a satisfying <I>pop</I>! Atsushi laughed.

    “Good throw!” he said. “You got a two, so that means you can have anything off this shelf here.”

    Yumoto accepted one of the little plush toys.

    “I’m gonna play again later and win one of the big ones!” he asserted. “Hey, Arima-sempai, are you going to play?”

    “Not just yet,” he said. “I’d like to look around a little first. Unless you need me for anything else?”

    “No, go on and have fun,” said Kinshiro. “Just remember to come back when it’s time to change shifts.”

    “You can count on me,” said Arima. He turned to Yumoto. “So, shall we explore the fair together for a while?”

    Yumoto agreed enthusiastically, and the two of them set out into the rapidly swelling crowd.

    “I think it’s going to be a good day,” said Atsushi, fetching a new toy to replace the one Yumoto had won.

    It did indeed look like the beginning of a fine day. The mist had burned away, and the day was now clear and sunny. Dozens of other booths had begun springing up, and the air was already full of the scent of good things cooking as the snack stands prepared for business. Someone just out of sight was playing music over a loudspeaker. The crowds were trickling in, and everyone seemed to be looking forward to a good time.

    “I think it will be,” Kinshiro agreed.

    Atsushi laughed. “You look so solemn when you say that.”

    “Well, I mean what I say,” said Kinshiro. He looked briefly worried. “Do you think I should try to look more enthusiastic? I don’t want to drive away customers.”

    “I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” said Atsushi.

    Indeed, a few customers were already lining up to take their turn with the balloon toss. The two of them quickly fell into a comfortable rhythm - Atsushi called out to customers to come try their luck and handed out their prizes, Kinshiro collected money and periodically hung up new balloons and rearranged the prize numbers. Their cash box quickly filled up with money.

    “We make a good team,” Atsushi remarked, and was gratified to see how pleased this made Kinshiro look.

    Some meters away, Atsushi noticed a pair of little boys talking earnestly to each other. One was plump and rosy-cheeked, the other with the scabby knees and band-aided elbows that suggested an adventurous outdoor lifestyle, but they were alike enough in other ways that he guessed they were probably cousins or even brothers. Eventually, the outdoorsman said loudly enough for Atsushi to hear, “Well, if you won’t ask ‘em, I will!” and came trotting up to the balloon booth.

    “Hi!” he said. “Hey, Mr. Balloon Guy, Magozaemon wants to know if the flower crowns are for anybody or if only girls can wear them?”

    Atsushi smiled. “Well, personally, I think everyone looks good in flower crowns.”

    To make his point, he took a ring of yellow flowers and placed it on his head, then offered a purple one to Kinshiro. Kinshiro looked at it blankly for a moment before solemnly accepting it and settling it neatly on his own head.

    He looks adorable, Atsushi caught himself thinking. With his silvery hair and delicate features, he might have been some magical elfin creature. Atsushi hoped he didn’t look too silly by comparison, and suspected he only looked like a high school boy with plastic flowers on his head.

    Still, the gesture seemed to please the little boy, who beamed and hurried off to tell his companion. A few seconds later, both of them returned and handed over their money. Atsushi helped them climb onto the step stool they had acquired for the smaller children to use. The boy who had first approached them, who Atsushi had gathered was called Ichiro, threw his dart so wildly that Atsushi was amazed it didn’t end up stuck to the ceiling, but instead it popped a yellow balloon in the far upper corner and netted him a small foam-rubber soccer ball. The one called Magozaemon stepped up with a serious expression on his cherubic face. He lined up his toss precisely, and neatly struck a green balloon. The expression on his face when Atsushi handed him a wreath of pink flowers and ribbons was enough to make Atsushi beam as well.

    “There you go,” he said, as he gently placed the crown on the child’s head, so that the ribbons streamed down his back. “You look really cute!”

    This was clearly the right thing to say. Mogazaemon glowed with pride. Ichiro tugged on his sleeve.

    “Come on!” he said. “Let’s go try to catch goldfish next!”

    Atsushi smiled as he watched them go. What cute kids. I wonder why his parents decided to stick him with a name like Magozaemon? I’ll bet he changes it as soon as he’s old enough…

    He became aware that Kinshiro was watching him approvingly.

    “You’re good with children,” he remarked. “I’ll bet you’ll make a wonderful father someday.”

    Atsushi felt himself blushing. “Nah. You know I’d spoil them.”

    “I suppose you’re right,” said Kinshiro thoughtfully.

    “I guess if I get married, it’ll have to be to someone who’s good at enforcing rules,” said Atsushi, without really thinking about it.

    For some reason, the idea seemed to embarrass Kinshiro. He quickly turned away and began rearranging a display of miniature frisbees that had looked just fine to start with.

    “I suppose so,” he said to the toys.

    Atsushi quickly turned his attention to the next set of customers, a rather harassed looking woman with “chaperone” written all over her, trying to wrangle a flock of unruly children. Atsushi guessed from their matching lanyards that this was an official school outing, and that the woman was probably regretting volunteering for this.

    I wonder what got him so flustered? Atsushi mused, as he made change. Did he think I was talking about him? Well, maybe I was.

    He was diverted from this line of thought by a scuffle breaking out among the flock of children, and the chaperone’s attempts to deal with it.

    “No, Masaru, it’s not your turn yet! Yukimi is first in line this time. No, Daichi, it’s not time to eat yet. Be patient. Taishi, don’t - Manza Taishi, you stop that right now! We do not pull people’s hair! Taishi!”

    The irrepressible Taishi gave the pigtail of the girl he’d been teasing one last jerk, stuck his tongue out, and made as if to run off into the crowd. He managed to get about five steps before Kinshiro was suddenly in his path, scooping him up with a hand under each arm and holding him out at arm’s length. The little boy squirmed and kicked, but couldn’t make any headway against Kinshiro’s immovable grip.

    “Now, that’s no way to behave,” said Kinshiro firmly.

    “She was making fun of me!”

    “That’s no excuse,” said Kinshiro. “You need to learn how to deal with people better than that, or no one is going to want to be friends with you.”

    “Don’t care,” said the boy sullenly.

    “You will someday,” said Kinshiro. “I suggest you do something about it now, while you have the chance. Anyway, if you misbehave, we won’t let you play with the balloons.”

    That got through. The boy looked genuinely shocked. “But she already bought my ticket!”

    “We’ll give it to someone else. Darts are sharp. We aren’t going to give them to someone who can’t be trusted to use them properly.”

    The boy Taishi thought this over for a while.

    “I’ll be good,” he consented at last.

    “There we go, then,” said Kinshiro, setting him gently back on his feet. “You’re going to behave for this nice woman and not pick on anyone else today, right?”

    The boy nodded. Kinshiro’s eyes were boring into his, fascinating him as a snake might fascinate a bird.

    “Good,” said Kinshiro. “Then you may throw a dart when it is your turn.”

    Taishi drew himself up and made a show of how well behaved he was being. The chaperone looked relieved.

    “Thank you,” she said. “He’s a good boy at heart, really. They’re all just a little overexcited today because of the fair.”

    “I understand,” said Kinshiro, passing a dart to the girl at the front of the line. “We all have our off moments.”

    Atsushi grinned. When all the children had rushed off to some other entertainment - the troublemaking Taishi now proudly sporting a colorful new bandanna - Atsushi said, “You’re going to be a good father too someday.”

    Kinshiro looked pleased. “I’m just used to being the disciplinarian, that’s all.”

    Atsushi grinned. “I think the little guy liked you. You’ve got a lot of charisma, you know.”

    Kinshiro’s cheeks were definitely pink now. “Flatterer.”

    “A lot more than me, that’s for sure,” said Atsushi.

    “Not at all,” said Kinshiro. “You’re a very charming person.”

    Atsushi beamed. “Call it even, then?”

    Kinshiro smiled back. “If you like.”

    The two of them stood that way for a few seconds, just smiling and looking into each other’s eyes.

    Someone cleared their throat.

    “I can come back later if this is a bad time,” said an imperious voice.

    Atsushi jumped and turned his attention to the mother of three who had just approached the booth.

    “Sorry, Ma’am,” he said. “Will that be three tries, then? All right, that’s a hundred yen each…”

    Still, even the frosty look the woman was still giving him couldn’t dampen his good mood.

    I really am glad Kinchan asked me to do this.

The day wore on. Kinshiro looked down at his watch and was surprised to see that noon had already come and gone. The flow of customers had become so steady that he’d barely had time to stop moving, much less notice the time. Now he realized that he was getting hungry, and wondered when his relief would be here to spell him.

   “Do you see any sign of Arima and Yumoto?” he asked, in between bouts of pumping up fresh balloons.”    “Not yet,” said Atsushi, as he passed a plastic bracelet to a little girl, “but I’m sure they… oh, wait, there they are!”

   He waved to someone Kinshiro couldn’t quite see. Sometimes, he thought, he envied Atsushi for being taller than him. It made it that much easier to find people in crowds.

   Soon, though, Arima became visible through the throng. He was followed by a bobbing balloon that probably meant that his diminutive companion was somewhere close to him. Sure enough, a few seconds later, Yumoto himself pushed his way to the front, with Wombat tucked under one arm and a bag of assorted prizes slung over the other. A half-eaten corn cob on a stick was clutched in one hand, and there was a smear of ketchup on his cheek.

   “I see at least one of you has been having fun,” Kinshiro observed. “I take it you’ve eaten lunch?”

   “I have,” Arima said. “I think this one has had several lunches. I’ve never seen someone eat seven corn dogs in succession before. Where does he put them, do you think?”

   Atsushi laughed. “I don’t think he puts them anywhere. I think he just burns through them, like a furnace.”

   “He is certainly very active,” said Arima.

   “I knew I was gonna hafta work all afternoon,” said Yumoto plausibly, “and I can’t have any snacks while I’m working, so I had to fuel up!”

   “Thank you for being so far-sighted,” said Kinshiro dryly. “Are you ready to take over, then? I don’t mind admitting, I’d like something to eat myself.”

   “Ready when you are,” said Arima.

   Atsushi passed possession of the cash box over to Arima’s capable hands and issued orders for Yumoto to unbox some more prizes. Wombat hid himself beneath the counter and went to work blowing up more balloons. Once they were satisfied that all was in good hands, Kinshiro and Atsushi set out into the fair.

   “Free at last!” said Atsushi, turning his face to the sun as though he’d just emerged from a cave. “That was kind of fun, though, wasn’t it?”

   Kinshiro agreed that it had been. He actually wasn’t sure whether “fun” was the correct word, but he hadn’t disliked it. He always took satisfaction in having a job to do and knowing he was doing it well. All the same, he was happier now that he was off the hook and free to explore the festival with Atsushi.

   “Where shall we go first?” he asked.

   “Let’s find something to eat,” said Atsushi. “What do you think would be good? Grilled noodles? Okonomiyaki? Or are you feeling brave enough to try one of those corn dogs Yumoto liked so much?”

   “I don’t think I’ll risk finding out he didn’t leave us any,” said Kinshiro dryly. He considered his options. Festival food was not really part of his regular diet. He had more or less convinced himself that it was all spectacularly unhealthy, dubiously hygienic, and definitely below his social status. On the other hand, he was starving, and everything he passed smelled wonderful.

   “I think,” he said, with great deliberation, “that I could be persuaded to eat okonomiyaki.”

   Atsushi grinned. “Good choice.”

   They browsed among the food stalls, picking up plates of this and cartons of that as the impulse came to them, and Kinshiro gradually began to relax and enjoy himself. Maybe it was the fresh cool air, or the fact that he really was very hungry, or the fact that everything was being given to him fresh and steaming straight from the grill. Whatever the reason, everything Kinshiro tried was delicious, and when Atsushi suggested they should get something for dessert, he didn’t put up any argument.

   “What should we get?” Atsushi asked. “That’s the trouble with these fairs, you know? There are so many good things you can’t try them all.”

   “I don’t know,” Kinshiro admitted. “It looks like there’s…”

   He didn’t finish saying what there was before a small child collided with the back of his legs.

   “Oops! Sorry!” said the boy.

   “You should be more careful where you’re going,” said Kinshiro. He turned to look at the boy. “I know you. You’re Unazuki Taiju, aren’t you? Your father owns the construction company.”

   The boy nodded. “That’s me. Sorry, I just wanted to catch up to my friend.”

   “All right. Just watch where you’re going from now on,” said Kinshiro.

   Taiju nodded. Then he dashed off again, calling to his friend. “Wakura! Hey, Wakura! Dad says he’s going to buy us ice cream!”

   “That’s an idea,” Atsushi remarked. “Do you want to get ice cream too?”

   “Hmm… no. We can get ice cream any time we want.” Kinshiro realized as soon as the words were out of his mouth that he’d just said “we”. He wondered if Atsushi would take it as an invitation. Quickly, he went on, “I want to get something a little more out of the everyday, like cotton candy or a candied apple.”

   “I think you’re right,” said Atsushi. He looked around, eyes serious as he scanned the various offerings. Kinshiro couldn’t help but admire him. He looked so intelligent, even though he had apparently forgotten he was still wearing a crown of yellow flowers. Come to think of it, Kinshiro was still wearing his, but he had no inclination to take it off. After all, it had been a gift from Atchan, and he didn’t have so many of those that he was willing to cast this one off lightly.

   “Aha!” said Atsushi, expression brightening. “I see just the thing.”

   He grabbed Kinshiro’s hand and began leading him through the crowd. Kinshiro almost stumbled, all other thoughts subsumed by the thought that was, Atsushi is holding my hand! Somehow he managed to stagger and regain his footing well enough to follow Atsushi on his zigzagging course through the crowd until they had reached on specific booth.

   “Here we are!” said Atsushi. “What do you think?”

   He sounded so proud of himself that Kinshiro was prepared to say that whatever he’d dragged him to was fine. Then a shift in the air brought a scent of sweet baking dough, and he realized that Atsushi had found a taiyaki stand. For an instant, he was back in time, a little boy sitting beside his best friend at a table in the mall, contentedly ruining his appetite for dinner with those little fish-shaped cakes, and all was right with the world.

   “It’s perfect,” he said, around the sudden tightness in his throat.

   Atsushi beamed. “I knew you’d think it was a good idea.

   They ordered bags of small taiyaki - custard filled and chocolate filled for Atsushi, red bean and matcha custard for Kinshiro. Then they wandered away from the crowds, out into the parts of the park that hadn’t been taken over by booths and picnic tables, looking for a quiet place to enjoy their dessert and rest their feet for a while. Kinshiro nibbled a cake, still warm and steaming, the filling melting on his tongue, and thought that the world really was a good place after all.

   “Hey, look,” said Atsushi, nudging him.

   He was pointing to three little boys playing together under a nearby tree. Or rather, Kinshiro realized, one little boy napping while the other two attempted to rouse him.

   “Come on, Kyotaro!” the red-headed one was saying. “We’re all done eating now. It’s time to go back to the fair.”

   The drowsy Kyotaro flapped a hand and said something too quietly for Kinshiro to hear. The boy with the glossy black hair rolled his eyes dramatically and said, “Come on, Ryouma. If he won’t come we should just go without him.”

   “But Ata…!” Ryouma protested.

   Atsushi laughed as they walked past.

   “It’s like if you and me and En-chan were all kids together,” he said.

   “It really is,” said Kinshiro. “I hope things don’t get as complicated for them as it did for us.”

   Atsushi smiled and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

   “Nothing,” he said, “could get as complicated for them as it did for us.”

   Kinshiro smiled. “You’re probably right.” Then he sobered again. “You know, I wish it had been like that. Can you imagine? If maybe that day you had told me where you were going and I had decided to come along just to keep you company. We’d have met Yufuin and he’d have been my friend as well as yours and none of this nonsense would have ever happened.”

   “Hmm,” said Atsushi. “If that had happened, I might never had met Wombat or gotten to be friends with Yumoto or Arima and Akoya and the Beppu brothers, and I’d have been kind of sorry if I thought I’d missed my chance to be a superhero. That part was kind of fun sometimes. But I am sorry we didn’t get to spend more of our childhood together. I’m sorry you had to be so lonely for so long. I wish we could have had it both ways.”

   Kinshiro’s lips quirked. “The Battle Lovers and the Caerula Adamas fighting together against the evil of TV Universe? I suppose that wouldn’t have been so bad.”

   “It would have been fun,” said Atsushi. He smiled. “I think next time, though, I really am going to have to be more careful what I wish for. I wouldn’t have wished to be a superhero if I’d thought it would involve me fighting with you.”

   “So, what would you wish for this time?” Kinshiro asked.

   Atsushi smiled. “I’ll have to think about it and let you know. What would you wish for?”

   “The same as last time,” said Kinshiro promptly. “For us to be together for the rest of our lives.”

   Atsushi nodded. “I’ll try, then.”

   Kinshiro found himself oddly pleased by that noncommittal answer. If Atsushi had promised unhesitatingly that Kinshiro shouldn’t worry, that Atsushi would always be there for him whenever he needed him, then Kinshiro wouldn’t have been able to make himself believe it. He’d believed it when he’d been a child, and had been disillusioned when he’d found out it wasn’t going to happen that way. Now they were both older, and understood that sometimes things happened. Sometimes they would be misunderstandings that would have to be worked through. Sometimes they would be things outside of their control. All Kinshiro needed to hear was that Atsushi wasn’t going to just give up on the two of them the next time an obstacle dropped in their path.

   “Thank you,” said Kinshiro. “That actually makes me feel better.”

   Atsushi flashed a bright smile. “At least I can promise to spend the rest of the fair with you. What do you say we finish our dessert and then go try some of those games? I’ll bet with all that archery you do, you’d be really good at hitting targets.”

   Kinshiro smiled back. “I’ll win you something.”

   “You don’t have to do that,” Atsushi protested.

   “No, I want to. To thank you for agreeing to go through this whole ordeal with me.”

   “I was glad to do it. It’s been fun,” Atsushi insisted.

   “Then accept it as a gift from a friend,” said Kinshiro.

   Atsushi nodded. “That’s all right, then.”

   Kinshiro smiled and reached into his bag for another taiyaki, already planning his strategy. He was going to win Atsushi the biggest, best prize at this fair if he had anything to say about it. And maybe when he gave it to him, buoyed by his success, he’d be able to say why he’d really won it. If not, well, Atsushi would still be accepting it as a sign of friendship, and that would be almost good enough.

******

   Atsushi stood aside and watched as Kinshiro patiently lined up his shot. At moments like this, he could have been some legendary warrior of ancient legend - some demigod, perhaps, come to do a bit of righteous smiting. His back was straight, his chin held high, his eyes hard and bright with the glint of battle. A stray breeze ruffled his hair, and Atsushi sighed.

   He really is gorgeous. Maybe if we’d spent more time together I’d have noticed it sooner. As it was, he had to assume that the only reason someone hadn’t snapped him up already was that Kinshiro had firm views about people messing around with dating when they should be concentrating on their schoolwork.

   With snakelike speed, Kinshiro went from statuesque stillness to a blur of motion. The ball he’d been holding shot from his hand to smack squarely into a pyramid of bottles. They clattered to the ground - all but one, which wobbled precariously back and forth on its base. Atsushi held his breath, but Kinshiro simply stared, coolly daring it to defy his will. The bottle gave up.

   “Great job!” the man behind the counter cheered. “You get a prize. What would you like?”

   Kinshiro glanced at Atsushi, who grinned and said, “You pick.”

   Kinshiro surveyed the offerings before selecting a windbreaker dtenciled with “Binan City” and a view of Mt. Binan on it. He solemnly offered it to Atsushi.

   “You keep it,” said Atsushi, holding up his hands in protest. “You already got me this.”

   He held up the plush toy Kinshiro had acquired at the pop-gun stand: a round and smiling onsen manju over a foot across, pink-cheeked and button-eyed. It was amazingly soft and squishy, and Atsushi couldn’t help but feel that En would be jealous of it, and probably try to steal it for a pillow.

   I’m not letting him have it, though. If he wanted one, he could win it himself. Possibly he had - Atsushi had seen him briefly outside the balloon booth, chatting with Arima as he prepared to take a chance with the darts. Atsushi had considered asking him to join them for a while, and decided against it. En, while always good company, would be a complication Atsushi wasn’t prepared to deal with just now. Later Atsushi would call him and they could hash over the day together, maybe even meet up at the baths if it was still open by the time Atsushi got home. For now…

   “It will look better on you,” Kinshiro insisted. “Anyway, you won me this. Fair is fair.”

   He indicated the canvas tote bag that Atsushi had managed to win at the coin toss. It wasn’t a bad bag, as these things went, but Atsushi didn’t feel it quite counted. It was only one step up from a consolation prize, for those who managed to toss a coin into the outer ring of the slippery target but hadn’t managed to hit dead-center. Atsushi felt it was a poor repayment for the grand prize Kinshiro had won for him.

   “Well, all right,” he allowed, “but if you see something else you’d like, you have to let me know so I can try for it.”

   Kinshiro nodded. “All right.”

   Privately, Atsushi suspected that Kinshiro was just humoring him, but Atsushi wasn’t about to let the matter drop so easily. There had to be something at this fair that he could offer to Kinshiro that would help him express all these complicated things he was feeling.

   “What do you want to do next?” Kinshiro asked, glancing at his watch. “The fair will be closing down soon.”

   It was true. The sun was inching towards the horizon now, painting the fair in shades of gold and rose. Once it began to get dark, the booths would fold up and the fairgoers would begin to depart - not to go home, though, not all of them. Most of them would head to the other end of the park, down by the river, where the fireworks display would be held. They were always a high point of the festival, and Atsushi was looking forward to them.

   “Let’s make one last circuit of the fair,” he said, “and then check in and see if Arima and Yumoto are ready to close up yet.”

   “And then the fireworks?” Kinshiro suggested.

   “Definitely fireworks,” Atsushi admitted. “I wouldn’t miss them.”

   Kinshiro’s smile was inscrutable. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

   Atsushi raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”

   “You’ll see,” said Kinshiro mysteriously. “Come on. Let’s make sure we didn’t miss anything.”

   They walked slowly, taking everything in. Already the crowds were thinning out, as parents brought tired and cranky children home and locals slipped off to find dinners that weren’t fair food. The raucous noise of shouting people, squealing children, and popping balloons had quieted to a gentle murmur. Atsushi found himself looking less at the booths he was strolling past and more at Kinshiro. The light of the setting sun reflected off his hair and cast gold highlights on his face. He looked relaxed and peaceful in a way that warmed Atsushi’s heart. He hadn’t often seen his dear friend looking so content.

   “Atchan?”

   Atsushi jerked his mind away from contemplating the way the sunset highlighted Kinshiro’s eyelashes.

   “Yes?” he asked warily.

   “You aren’t really looking at the fair, are you?”

   Atsushi felt himself going red with embarrassment. “Guess not. Sorry. It’s just… you look so happy, and it’s nice to see you smile.”

   That smile broadened. “I am happy. I’m so glad I got to spend this day with you. I just wish I’d had the sense to do this sooner.”

   “Well, we’re doing it now. That’s what’s important.”

   Kinshiro shook his head. “I’m not so sure. All that time is gone, and we can’t get it back, and it’s all because I was stupid.”

   Atsushi politely declined to comment on whether or not Kinshiro had been stupid. He walked along silently for a second or two, watching the clouds in the west go from gold to pink to purple.

   “We’re going to be graduating soon,” he remarked.

   “I know,” said Kinshiro. “And then we’ll be going out into the world.”

   “That’s right,” said Atsushi. “We’ll be adults, and we’ll be able to make choices for ourselves - what schools to go to, where to live, what jobs we do.”

   “Yes..?” said Kinshiro, in a tone that said gently, “And where are you going with this?”

   “So are you sorry you spent all that time in school when you could have been out in the world doing what you decide to do?”

   “No, of course not. How could I? I had to go to school first to… oh.”

   Atsushi nodded. “It takes time to learn things. Maybe you could have learned it faster, maybe you couldn’t. Maybe you needed that time to let go of being hurt and be ready to start over. Maybe I needed time to learn things too. Things happened when it was time for them to happen. We might have used up a lot of time, but we didn’t waste it.”

   Kinshiro regarded him with wide, amazed eyes. Then he shook his head.

   “The way you see the world is really something special,” he said.

   Atsushi laughed. “The way you say that, I can’t tell if you mean it as a good thing or a bad one.”

   “It’s a good thing,” Kinshiro insisted. He turned his head, eyes tracking something out of Atsushi’s line of vision. “Oh! Look at that!”

   Atsushi turned to look where Kinshiro was pointing. The attraction was a ring-toss booth, but Kinshiro wasn’t looking at the game itself. He was looking at the prizes. Most of them were the usual suspects, the same sorts of things that Atsushi and Kinshiro had spent their morning giving away. A few, though, were clearly meant to be grand prizes, and were safely shut away in a clear plastic box where they could be admired without any danger of being smashed by a wildly tossed ring. A few gaps showed where lucky players had already carried off some of the best prizes, but Atsushi could still see a new video game, a detailed figurine of a popular anime character, a glittering necklace, and… yes, that had to be it: a teapot with matching cups. They were all the same shade of soft celedon green, touched gently with strokes of black, white, and gray that suggested the outlines of leaves tossed by the wind. They were simple, elegant, and beautiful, and Atsushi could easily believe that Kinshiro must be coveting them.

   “Nice,” he said. “That teapot would look perfect on display in your room.”

   Kinshiro nodded slowly. “I wonder if I could…”

   “Let me,” said Atsushi.

   Kinshiro half-smiled. “I was going to say, I wonder if they would let me buy it off them, since the day is nearly over and no one has won it yet.”

   “No, no, no,” Atsushi insisted, playfully wagging a finger. “It’s a prize. You have to win it or it doesn’t count. Anyway, you won me a jacket. And a plushie.”

   “It’s not the same. I’m sure that tea set is worth a lot more than a cheap windbreaker.”

   “Well, let me at least try,” said Atsushi. “You can try it your way if mine doesn’t work.”

   “Stubborn,” said Kinshiro, but he was smiling when he said it.

   Atsushi stepped up to the booth and regarded it thoughtfully.

   “How does this work?” he asked.

   “Pretty simple,” said the barker. “Five hundred yen gets you three tosses. You get a ring around one of these poles, you get a prize. The bigger the pole, the bigger the prize.

   Atushi nodded. The poles stood in a row, with the smallest sitting nearest and the biggest the furthest away. Atsushi could see that it was nearly as big around as the hoops themselves, so that only a toss that was dead on target would drop onto it. Still, he had to try. He handed over his money.

   I can do this, he told himself. He sized up the target. The little ones, he could ignore - it would have to be the teapot or nothing.

   “Here we go,” he said aloud.

   “You don’t actually have to do this,” said Kinshiro, as Atsushi lined up his shot. “I’d be just as happy with something else. Anyway, you know these games are rigged so that it’s impossible to…”

   Atsushi tossed his ring. It wafted gently through the air, seeming to drift rather than sail. He watched with a sense of inevitability as it landed neatly on the furthest goal and dropped into place as though drawn by a magnet. Kinshiro’s jaw dropped. Atsushi blinked, as stunned as anybody.

   “That was just a practice throw,” he said no one in particular. “I wasn’t actually expecting to hit anything.”

   “Well, I’ll be damned,” said the barker. He shrugged and grinned. “Well, it looks like you’re the last winner for the day. What do you want?”

   Atsushi felt a smile spread across his face as he took in what had just happened.

   “We’ll have that tea set, please.”

   “Right you are,” said the barker. “I’ll box it up for you.”

   Shortly afterwards, Kinshrio was clutching a cardboard box to his chest as if the teapot and cups were precious treasures that everyone in the world might be expected to steal.

   “I still can’t believe you did that,” he said, for the second or third time.

   Atsushi grinned. The repetition didn’t bother him. It was rare enough that Kinshiro was impressed by anything that he was enjoying the novelty.

   “It was just fate,” he said. “That tea set was destined for you.”

   “I love it,” said Kinshiro sincerely. “I’ll think of it you every time I use it.”

   Atsushi felt a little thrill run through him when Kinshiro said the word “love.” He hoped his flusterment wasn’t showing too clearly on his face.

   “I hope you enjoy it,” he managed. “Come on. Let’s go help the others close up. I don’t think I can top that performance, so I might as well end on a high note.”    

   They reached the booth where Arima and Yumoto were helping the last few stragglers. A boy ceremoniously handed his prize to the young woman with him, and the two of them strolled off hand in hand. Yumoto called out a goodbye to them, as enthusiastic as though he hadn’t spent the whole day waiting on customers. It was Arima who first realized that his friends were returning.

   “Well, hello there,” he said. “I see you two have been having fun.”

   Yumoto turned to beam at them. “Hey, guys! Wait until you see! We made so much money!”

   “I see you’ve been doing very well,” Atsushi agreed. The supply of prizes was looking decidedly picked over.

“It was lots of fun!” Yumoto agreed.

“Do you need us to help you get it all back to school?” Arima asked.

Kinshiro shook his head. “You two go on. Get something to eat. Watch the fireworks. My people are coming back with a truck to help us haul this away, so Atchan and I can take it from here.”

“Okay!” said Yumoto cheerfully. “Hey, Arima-sempai, you want to come to the baths? Anchan’s making a big dinner and then we’re all going to the twins’ house to watch the fireworks from their roof. You can come too, if you want,” he added magnanimously, to Kinshiro and Atsushi.

“Thank you,” said Kinshiro, “but I have other plans.”

He cast a quick, speaking glance towards Atsushi. Atsushi had been considering taking up the offer, but now he held back, wondering what Kinshiro was up to.

“Okay, then,” said Yumoto. “See you tomorrow!”

He went bouncing off, with Arima following behind him at his usual sedate pace. Kinshiro turned back to Atsushi.

“I hope you don’t mind me volunteering you,” he said.

“Not at all,” said Atsushi. “I’m glad to help.”

Kinshiro smiled and shook his head. “Sometimes you’re almost a little too eager to volunteer help… but in this case I’m glad of it.”

“Oh?” said Atsushi.

Kinshiro’s smile became mysterious. “You’ll see.”

******

The trip back to school was a bumpy one. Kinshiro and Atsushi ended up riding in the back of the truck among the bits of disassembled booth. They didn’t talk much, since they had to invest most of their energy in not being jostled or squashed as everything rattled about. Kinshiro was surprisingly all right with that. It meant he didn’t have to make conversation and potentially spoil his surprise.

They reached the school, and Kinshiro directed his driver around to the back gate where they could unload the booth more easily. Atsushi started to help the driver unpack, but Kinshiro stopped him.

“Let him do it,” he said. “You’ve had a long day already.”

“Are you sure?” asked Atsushi, casting a guilty look to where the driver was already hauling things out of the back of the truck.

“It’s fine,” said Kinshiro. “He’s up to the job, and he’s being paid for it. I want you to come with me for a minute.”

“Oh. Okay,” said Atsushi. “Where are we going?”

“First,” said Kinshiro, “I want to take the cash box inside and put it away where it will be safe. After that…” He faltered slightly. “Well, I was hoping you might want to have dinner with me and watch the fireworks.”

“I’d love to,” said Atsushi. The way he lit up warmed Kinshiro’s heart.

This might actually be all right…

He fetched a key from his pocket and let himself and Atsushi into the school. The building was dark and silent, and slightly spooky in the absence of any other people. He was gratified to find Atsushi edging closer to him.

“It’s so much bigger when there are no people here,” he murmured, as they picked their way silently across the entry hall.

“I know what you mean,” Kinshiro agreed. He couldn’t help but find it a little unsettling to see the school he loved so much empty of life and light. He found himself wondering how Atsushi would take it if he tried holding his hand, but he restrained himself.

They reached the door to the council room without incident. Kinshiro let himself in with a different key and went to put the cash box away while Atsushi wandered around the room. The damage left by the disaster of the school festival was gone now, its only trace being a few spots on one wall where the paint was a bit fresher than the rest. Still, Kinshiro wondered if Atsushi might be thinking about that moment when he’d first realized that his club’s humble base was connected to this room.

“This is a really nice place,” said Atsushi aloud. “It’s no wonder you hang out in here so much.”

Kinshiro smiled a little. “It serves its purpose.” He strolled over to the window and unlatched it. “There’s a good view from here, too. Come and see.”

Atsushi obediently crossed the room to peer out the open window.

“Wow, you’re right,” he said. “The stars are beautiful tonight…”

While he was contemplating the view, Kinshiro crouched and began rummaging under his desk. After a moment, Atsushi turned around to see what he was doing.

“What have you got there?” he asked, as Kinshiro came up with a bundle in his hands.

“Dinner, if you want it,” said Kinshiro, a bit sheepishly. “I suppose you’ll think this is silly, but I had this idea… I thought we’d be able to see the fireworks really well from the school roof, so I thought if you were all right with it…”

“You’re asking me if I want to have dinner with you on the roof?” Atsushi guessed.

Kinshiro nodded. Atsushi beamed.

“That’s a great idea,” he said. “I should have thought of that myself.”

Kinshiro glowed with pride. He slid his picnic basket onto his arm and gestured to the open window with his free hand.

“After you, then,” he said.

Atsushi grinned and bounded through the window with the confidence of someone who had done it before. Perhaps he had. Kinshiro was vaguely aware that students sometimes slipped out the windows to sunbathe on the roof, or to cut classes, or just to read quietly away from the bustle of the rest of the school. Kinshiro could all too easily imagine Atsushi and the rest of the Earth Defense Club clambering onto the roof to watch the sun set while they rambled on about everything and nothing.

Well, tonight it’s going to be with me, he thought.

He started to climb out the window. It occurred to him that he had never actually done this before. Oh, Chevalier Aurite had perched dramatically on the roof more times than he could count, but plain old Kusatsu Kinshiro had never done anything so undignified or dubiously rule-abiding as climb out a school window. His balance faltered a little as he tried to find his footing and manage his picnic basket at the same time. Then a hand closed around his, and Kinshiro looked up into Atsushi’s smiling face.

“It’s all right,” said Atsushi. “I’ve got you.”

“Thank you,” Kinshiro managed, and somehow managed to get out onto the ledge without losing his balance or his composure and falling flat on his face - or worse, onto the ground four floors below.

It was better once he was outside, though. The tiles of the roof had absorbed the warmth of the day, so even though the air was growing cooler, it was pleasant up where they were. They clambered their way up to the top of the roof and into the bell tower. Kinshiro spread his picnic out for them. It was outrageously simple fare, by his own standards: fruit, sandwiches, bags of chips and nuts, cookies, bottled tea, things that would be all right left sitting around all day. He’d also had the foresight to pack a small blanket, in case the weather got chilly. Atsushi seemed delighted with the repast, though, and set about helping Kinshiro unpack it all with good will.

“I know what we need,” he said.

He reached into his pocket and took out some of the glow sticks he’d collected from the booth. He snapped them and arranged them around the perimeter of their picnic while Kinshiro watched in bemusement. Atsushi grinned.

“Nearly as good as candles,” he said.

Kinshiro smiled back. “I couldn’t agree more.”

The two of them settled down on the blanket and tucked into their feast. Simple as it was, Kinshiro couldn’t remember when he’d enjoyed a meal more. He and Atsushi chatted companionably, hashing over their thoughts on the fair and speculating on what the rest of their friends might have done with their holiday. Occasionally they’d lapse into a silence that neither of them really minded. For Kinshiro, it was enough that he was here, that Atchan was there with him, the stars were shining overhead, and all was right with the world.

“We should do this kind of thing more often,” said Atsushi.

“I don’t know when we’ll get another chance to sneak onto the roof,” said Kinshiro.

“I don’t mean quite like that,” said Atsushi. “I guess I just mean… well, things. Going to the movies or on a picnic or to fairs or… anywhere, really.”

“We will,” said Kinshiro. “We’ll get to visit each other a lot while we’re in college. After that, well…”

“We’ll make something work out,” said Atsushi. There was a gleam in his eyes that suggested one way or another, he meant to make it happen. He’d fight monsters for it, if necessary.

“We will,” said Kinshiro. He gathered up the last of the wrappers and tucked them neatly into his picnic basket. He checked the time on his phone. “Fireworks are about to start.”

“Better get a good view, then,” said Atsushi.

They moved out onto the spine of the roof, where they had a clearer view of the city. It was beautiful from up there, with all the city lights shining in their multitude of colors. If Kinshiro listened carefully, he could hear the distant music of the band that was playing to entertain the crowd before the fireworks started. Local garage band, Kinshiro thought, hoping to rise to greatness on the coattails of the VEPPer. They weren’t anything like as talented as Aki and Haru, Kinshiro suspected, but muffled by distance they sounded all right.

Asushi settled down next to him and tucked the blanket around the two of them.

“What…?” Kinshiro yelped, startled to find himself suddenly bundled up in the same blanket as Atsushi.

“So you don’t get cold,” said Atsushi. “You always did get cold easily.”

“You always said you’d keep me warm,” Kinshiro murmured. “I remember.”

Atsushi leaned his head on Kinshiro’s shoulder.

“A lot sure has happened since then,” he said. “I’m glad it all worked out all right. I missed you a lot.”

“I missed you too,” said Kinshiro, with feeling. “Not a day went by that I didn’t think about you. It’s hard to believe I could be so stupid as to spend so much time doing the opposite of what I really wanted to do.”

“Well, I could have done better, too,” said Atsushi. “But all that’s over. Now it’s time to think about what we want to do next.”

Kinshiro smiled slightly. “I think I want to watch the fireworks with you. After that… maybe just lie here and look at the stars for a while.”

“I’d like that too,” said Atsushi. “But what about after that?”

“After that?” Kinshiro hesitated. He was tempted to say, “I’m not sure,” but that wasn’t true. He knew what he wanted for the future, for tonight and tomorrow and the rest of his life, and that was to spend as much of it as possible with the man he loved. He just wasn’t sure how to get that out without making a fool of himself.

“What do you want?” he asked, feeling like a coward.

“I want… to spend a lot of nights watching the stars with you. I want to go to the library with you and sit and read together for hours. I want to go to coffee shops with you and drink coffee and talk until the baristas get tired of us sitting there and throw us out. I want to go to more festivals like this one. I want to do so many things I can’t list them all.” Atsushi turned towards him, his warm eyes serious. “I wish I never had to spend another day without you. That’s what I want - for us to be together forever, just like I promised we would.”

“That’s what I want too,” Kinshiro whispered.

Maybe it was because he was tired and his defenses were down. Maybe it was because he’d spent the whole day wishing he could do this. Maybe it was because he had planned this whole picnic idea with the hope that it would help him get to the point where he could. Maybe it was because he knew he’d never get a better chance than this. Maybe it was just because Kinshiro couldn’t stand the temptation any longer, but whatever it was, it was powerful enough to make Kinshiro lean close to Atsushi and kiss him.

A flickering of light on his eyelids told Kinshiro that the fireworks had just started. They were nothing compared to the fireworks that seemed to be going on inside him. After a second or two, he pulled away again, suddenly worried that he had ruined everything. He couldn’t quite read the expression on Atsushi’s face.

“Atchan?” he hazarded.

“You just kissed me.”

“Yes.” Kinshiro felt his face going red. Of all the stupid, impulsive… and just when they’d started to make real progress, too…

“Why?”

Kinshiro stared up into Atsushi’s gentle face. He didn’t look angry, or repulsed, only mildly quizzical. The fireworks going off in the background colored his features rose and gold and emerald.

“Because I wanted to,” Kinshiro admitted. “You’re just so warm and kind, and I always feel so happy when you’re near me, and it just came over me all at once, and…”

He stopped babbling as Atsushi raised a hand to cup his cheek.

“Would you like to try again?” Atsushi asked gently.

Kinshiro sighed with relief. He hadn’t ruined everything after all. He closed his eyes and leaned into Atsushi’s embrace. This time, there were a lot more flashes and bangs in the background before they pulled apart again. Atsushi laughed giddily.

“Wow,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day. All week.”

“Me too,” Kinshiro admitted.

Atsushi was still giggling. “Boy, are we slow or what? We take forever to do everything.”

Such was Kinshiro’s current state of elation that this struck him as hilariously funny. They both leaned against each other and laughed as the fireworks display reached its crescendo. Kinshiro reached for Atsushi’s hand and felt it close around his.

“Our friends are never going to let us hear the end of this when they find out, you know,” said Atsushi. “En-chan is going to tease us about it until we’re a hundred.”

“Let him,” said Kinshiro. “He had it figured out before we did, didn’t he?”

“He’s smarter than he lets on,” Atsushi agreed. “And I think he’ll be happy for us. I’m happy for us.”

“So am I,” said Kinshiro fervently. “I really do love you, you know.” It felt good to finally get the words out.

“I know,” said Atsushi.

“Mm.” Kinshiro settled himself more comfortably under the blanket. It was nice here, his head resting on Atsushi’s shoulder, the two of them holding hands. “I think the fireworks display is over.”

“Looks like it,” Atsushi agreed. He made no move to get up.

“Want to stay here a while longer?” Kinshiro asked.

“Mm-hm.”

“All right. Just for a little while, though. Tomorrow is a school day, you know.”

Atsushi laughed. “Nothing changes you, does it?” He gave Kinshiro’s hand a squeeze. “I love you.”

They leaned back against the tiled roof, holding hands and looking up at the stars. Far below them, the last of the fireworks winked out, the audience began to go home, and the city lights dimmed. The spring festival was over, but for the two of them, the real celebration was just beginning.

[andrewuttaro]

New Look Sabres: 2019 NHL Draft

Rasmus Dahlin is a hard act to follow. I think part of the reason Alex Nylander went through such Sabres popular opinion hell was because he was the first round pick the year after Jack Eichel’s Draft. Maybe that’s me projecting because my little Sabres heart hadn’t been broken for a while at that point. I really only jumped on the Sabres wagon at the beginning of the decade so my biggest lived disappointment in this team was the 2011 First Round against the Flyers. Picking Alex Nylander was a curve ball that year and he didn’t pan out immediately. That failing to hit on high draft picks was part of then-General Manager Tim Murray’s undoing and part of what ruined rebuild 1.0. That’s not to mention how bad GMTM was for Nylander’s development thrusting him right into the AHL. You couldn’t put all that on Nylander. I hoped so hard going into this Draft that whoever gets drafted the year after Dahlin isn’t under that kind of microscope right away. Nylander had a tiny little renaissance during his callup last season but he’s still not quite there yet. He’s about to enter what-the-hell-are-you territory but to be very honest his name coming up in trade talks made me a little angry. Hold back your snide tweets, apparently they’re informing the real insiders! I can’t imagine anything like the Nylander Saga repeating itself, but this is the Buffalo Sabres we’re talking about.

The Draft last year felt like a coronation for Sabres fans but just because we’re not getting a generational talent this go around doesn’t mean this draft isn’t ripe for drama. Rewind back about a month and Buffalo was once again the home of the NHL Combine. The event that now will be in Buffalo for several years to come saw the genesis of a few Draft narratives for the Sabres. The most notable one is the Alex Turcotte story. Apparently Sabres brass interviewed Turcotte and… his dad? The reports were conflicting but Turcotte definitely represented a big blip on the radar. The young Mittelstadt-color-palate-swapped center is from Chicagoland and was probably not likely falling any further than 7 – Buffalo’s first pick. Turcotte was a popular choice to go to the Blackhawks in many mock drafts because of the Chicago connection. Jason Botterill and the funky bunch also interviewed one London Knights forward Conor McMichael. Sabres bloggers smarter than I say he was an intriguing option for the other first round pick... that’s if we have that second first round pick because with other teams wheeling and dealing for a week plus going into the Draft Jason Botterill was quiet. There had been rumors galore connected to Buffalo from Tampa to Vancouver which made the lack of movement that much more peculiar. Add onto all this the debut of a Vegas Gold look for the Sabres “Golden Season” instead of royal blue and it was a wild week going into the Draft.

Jack Hughes and Kappo Kakko went first overall as expected. The Alex Turcotte watch was short lived, but he didn’t go third overall to Chicago as many predicted. He had to wait all the way to number 5 when the LA Kings scooped him up. Conor McMichael went 25th overall to Washington but this is a Sabres blog so you’re probably waiting for some Sabres talk. With the 7th overall pick the Buffalo Sabres selected WHL center Dylan Cozens. Once again, smarter bloggers than I say that selection was solid because the first round of this draft was really three tiers: the top two, two through about ten and then everyone else. The Red Wings threw a curve ball and selected Disney Channel star Moritz Seider throwing off everyone’s top ten but for the most part there weren’t many surprises. I was on the Cole Caulfield bandwagon, but he probably wasn’t a wise choice at seven. When he began to drop I even entertained the idea of Botterill trading up with that second first rounder to get him, but this was not one of those drafts and he went 15th overall to… Montreal. Ugh. How about something funny? The Panthers picked goalie Spencer Knight with their 13th overall. That was funny too, but this joke is a Sabres joke: Cozens is the first WHL draft pick in Jason Botterill’s time as General Manager of the Buffalo Sabres. This is a real, deep-cut Sabres joke but there is some humor to that. I think the social media guy for the team knew it too because one of the first photos from them after his pick was Sam Reinhart greeting him. Sam is the last WHL guy to be drafted onto the Sabres. Again, it’s deep cut joke about how Botts hates the WHL so it’s not going to get the whole room but there you go: Humor. I’m not going to pretend to know how to project out Cozens because again, I’m not the smart guy in the room; but I will say it is great to start to replenish the center depth in the organization which dropped off a cliff only a few guys down the depth chart.

The Sabres used the 31st overall pick to… just make a pick. No trades in the first round. As Day One wound down the swell of energy that it may happen dissipated and they picked USHL Defenseman Ryan Johnson. I am all for picking lefthanded D to help build up that side of the defense but the buzz around the pick was a guy with a Russian name who will certainly make me regret not knowing his name. Johnson could’ve easily fallen into the second round, but the pick was in and another defenseman is in the pipeline. Trades, at least the variety from the Sabres, were scarce in the remaining rounds on Saturday. The Sabres traded some late round picks but no real consequential trades on Draft weekend for Buffalo put a little bit of a damper on it all for me. I don’t really subscribe to the idea the yet-to-be-announced salary cap number is really what’s stopping trades. PK Subban got traded to the Devils for a bunch of no names and low picks while we wondered if Sabres 3rd round pick goalie Erik Portillo is in fact named after a type of pepper. The lack of movement right now isn’t something worth panicking about but if we’re sitting here next Monday on Free Agency Day wondering if we’re crazy I’m not going to blame anyone for hitting the panic button. Botterill has signaled a renewed faith in Rasmus Ristolainen probably egged on by the new coach so… you can fall either way on whether the OG Rasmus needs to go. I lean toward trade him but that doesn’t have to be right now. We’ll address all this stuff in the free agency blog so let’s take a look at who else was picked. I mentioned Portillo and we won’t see him even in Rochester for a couple years but that’s fine, the goalie depth was beginning to get shallow. Botts said openly he doesn’t want to rush Ukko Pekka-Lukkonen who will probably make his Rochester Americans debut this coming season. That is smart and frustrating because goalies take a long time to develop when you do it right but… uh… did you watch the second half of last season? Part of that collapse was the goalie tandem coming back down to earth hard. Folks were clamoring for UPL, probably a little too hastily but that’s what eight years out of the playoffs will do to you. I am not particularly jazzed about the other three guys we got. You take flyers on guys that far down in the draft and the chances are better than not all three of these guys I am about to mention don’t make the NHL: Aaron Huglen, Filip Cederqvist and Lukas Rousek. Hopefully one of them is a diamond in the rough. Perhaps it’s unfair for us to be so underwhelmed. Sean Tierney at Charting Hockey placed the Sabres in a top six of teams who did well at the Draft. He’s worth follow if you want to understand how you can make a graph of average likelihood to make the NHL because Lord knows I can’t explain that.

Like, share and comment on the New Look Sabres blog. It’s great to be back at it. You can expect the post on the 2019-2020 NHL Schedule later this week. By the sounds of it that will be released by the league either tomorrow or Wednesday. We already have the preseason, season opener and home opener but I’ll save all that analysis for that blog. Then later on next week you can expect a Free Agency Recap. Normally by the fourth of July the action quiets down. Jeff Skinner happened in August last summer but hey, I’m not psychic. Thank you to everyone who responded kindly to me dropping off the map for a couple days. My wife and I had a family emergency that we needed to address so we put everything on hold. We’re back now and things are going to be alright. Your support means a lot to me and I hope if you ever need something I can be there for you as well. To lighten the mood: let’s hope we don’t need to be here for each other after a worst-case scenario offseason! Pieces are moving and for all the rumors the Sabres are in on this guy and that guy there hasn’t been a lot to actually talk about. I guess we’ll see. It wouldn’t be fun if we knew the ending, eh? Let’s Go Buffalo!

Thanks for reading.

P.S. That Moritz Seider was shocked to go as high as he did. The gif of his reaction is some precious draft video for the ages.