#dog shop near me price list

[steddieasitgoes]

Detours & Second Chances

written for @steddie-week Day 5 prompt: Reunion / Getting Back Together Rating: T | wc: 3545 | no cw Another big thank you to @sidekickjoey and @thefreakandthehair for giving this a beta read for me! Read on ao3

Steve had high hopes for this road trip. 

Just him, the twins, and the wide open roads with the promise of the beach and Disneyland on the horizon. He knew better than to plan it down to the second, especially when traveling with Mabel and Ollie, but he did hope to keep to some kind of schedule. A few nights here, a couple of nights there, a handful of free time hours carved into nearly every day so the kids could pick which tacky roadside attraction they could visit and then gloat to Aunt Robin about seeing. 

What Steve hadn’t planned for was the Winnebago going up in smoke four and a half hours from Disneyland on I-15. 

The good news is that it happened just as they entered Las Vegas, Nevada, and not thirty minutes later in the middle of the Nevada-California desert. The bad news is that it happened just as they entered Las Vegas, Nevada on a Sunday afternoon when everyone was trying to leave. 

Steve expects the drivers around him to curse and flip him off. At the very least, he imagines them shaking their heads in disapproval as they slowly inch past the smoking Winnebago broken down in the middle of the three-lane highway. And there is some of that, honking horns and judgmental gazes, enough that he has to explain to Mabel and Ollie that showing someone your middle finger is not nice and no you shouldn’t do it to each other. But there’s also a handful of Sunday travelers who take pity on him. 

Two truck drivers manage to get their rigs off onto the shoulder and then mosey their way over to see if they can help Steve identify why the RV is smoking. A woman in a mini-van full of preteens in sports jerseys offers him an entire ice chest full of snacks for Mabel and Ollie. Some good Samaritan even makes the half-mile hike to the nearest pay phone to call for a tow truck so Steve doesn’t have to leave the kids or make the track himself with them following behind him. 

Forty-five minutes later, they all climb into a yellow taxi while Winnie the Winnebago gets towed away. For a moment, he thinks he’s ruined the entire vacation, but listening to Mabel and Ollie talk about how cool it was to watch the “toe man” do his job eases the guilt. 

Unfortunately, the repair shop is nowhere near as exciting as standing in the middle of I-15 — at least, that’s what Ollie tells Steve five minutes after they’ve walked into the garage. Steve tries his best to keep everyone’s spirits up in between filing out paperwork and bargaining with the mechanic over the price of the repairs. He lets the kid raid the vending machine and spread it all out on the worn plastic chairs in the makeshift lobby like some kind of five-star buffet. It’s mainly cookies and chips, a few candy bars, and a granola bar Mabel even generously spent $1.10 on for him. 

It’s not the worst meal they’ve had on the trip — that honor goes to the gas station in Kearney, Nebraska, and the hot dogs he knew were a bad idea — but it’s definitely the least nutritious. And, in hindsight, it’s not the best idea now that Mabel and Ollie are hyped up on sugar in a small space with no central air conditioning. He gets it. He’s almost at his wit’s end, too, and he has several decades of patience over them. 

He’s hot and tired and so frustrated, he’d break down and cry if he could, but he doesn’t want to upset the kids or ruin the day more than it’s already been ruined. Instead, he puts on his brave Dad Face™, leaves his pager number with the mechanic’s receptionist, and takes the kids to explore Las Vegas. 

The city wasn’t on their list. It’s not kid-friendly, and the July heat is anything but welcoming, but thankfully, they luck out and stumble across a hybrid game and music store a few blocks away from the repair shop.

The bell above their door announces their entrance to the quiet storefront as the sweet, sweet relief of the AC hits them. Steve closes his eyes, soaking in the cool air for a moment before Mabel and Ollie are tugging on his hands, trying to drag him in different directions. 

Steve knows he should put an end to their bickering that borders on full-on sibling bullying, especially judging by the way they’ve dropped his hand in favor of pinching each other’s arms, but he gets distracted when a figure emerges from the back of the shop. 

The footsteps are uneven, which makes sense when an ornate cane enters Steve’s line of sight. He studies it, taking in the impressive woodwork and paint job — Max’s own can is pretty spectacular, but this one is a close second. Soon, his eyes drift from the cane to the hand holding it, a ring on each finger. Silver and gaudy and eerily similar to—

“Holy shit,” the voice says. “Are my eyes giving out on me too, or is Steve Harrington really standing in my shop right now?” 

Steve’s eyes shoot up to meet the man’s face — to meet Eddie’s face. It’s been years, shit, almost a decade he thinks, but Eddie looks the same. Older, sure. A few wrinkles around his eyes and a softer belly. But he’s still him. Unruly curls barely contained in a bun at the base of his neck, mischievous eyes, and a smile that makes Steve’s stomach flip in a way it hasn’t done in too long. Yup, definitely him.

“Eddie?”

Eddie laughs, throwing his head back with the same carelessness as he had at twenty years old. Only this time, when he rights himself, he has to reach a hand up to his neck to massage the ache. “Man, this is some cosmic, universe shit!” 

“At least it’s the good kind this time,” Steve jokes. 

Eddie goes for a full-on hug, Steve an awkward side one, and as a result, they end up with their bodies smushed against each other, arms pinned between each other in the world’s worst hug of all time. But it’s also the greatest, as far as Steve’s concerned. 

When they separate, Eddie gives Steve a quick once-over before shaking his head again. “So, what brings you all the way to Sin City?” 

“A family road trip.” 

“Ah, so the six nuggets and a Winnebago dream came true, then?” Eddie muses. 

“More like two nuggets, a piece of shit rental that’s in a repair shop after crapping out on me on I-15, and a co-pilot that doubles as my son’s emotional support stuffed animal,” Steve says, then smiles. “But I can’t complain.” 

“Wheeler never jumped on the Harrington Express?” 

Steve’s interrupted by Ollie running at him with a vinyl record thrust above his head. Mabel appears a moment later, holding a giant box in her arms that’s clearly too heavy for her. She passes it to Steve, who hands it over to Eddie, who has taken refuge behind the glass counter. As soon as the kids appear, they’re gone again. Steve shouts after them to stay together and not to touch anything. It goes in one ear and out the other if the loud crash that follows a moment later is anything to go off of. Steve winces and looks at Eddie apologetically. 

“I promise I’ll pay for whatever they break. They’re a little stir-crazy from being stuck at the repair shop all day.” 

Eddie doesn’t look worried about it in the slightest. In fact, Steve’s willing to bet he didn’t even hear the crash, judging by the fond look on his face. It’s a soft smile, almost bittersweet if he had to put a name to it. It looks out of place on his face — almost too earnest, which makes no sense because Eddie is the most earnest guy Steve’s ever known. 

“Eddie?” 

“Huh, what?” Eddie blinks himself back to the present. When he shakes his head, the elastic holding his hair back snaps, sending his curls cascading down to his shoulders. It’s easy now to see the hints of gray peppered into the locks that used to keep Steve up at night — occasionally still keeps him up. 

Steve gestures toward the row where Mabel and Ollie are frantically trying to restack things on the shelves. This time, Eddie snorts and meets Steve's gaze with that familiar crooked smile. 

“Don’t worry about them. S’just boxes and shit.” 

Steve nods and then grabs a pen out of the cup on the glass counter. He twirls it between his fingers, something about the rhythmic motion calming the silly nerves running wild in his body right now. 

It’s just Eddie. 

“Nance would kill you for even thinking she’s a part of this circus,” Steve says, then panics. “To answer your question from before. No misses at all actually. Or misters either,” Steve says before he chickens out. 

Eddie left before he realized that little fun fact about himself. It was ironic (and tragic), considering he’s the reason Steve even realized it to begin with. Chalk it up to cosmic, universe shit — the bad kind that time. 

“Cause that could be an option to, you know. Obviously you know, but it’s an option for me too in case you didn’t know and—“

“Woah, breathe, Steve.” 

Steve takes a slow, deep inhale. His exhale is strong enough to send a few of Eddie’s stray curls fluttering before settling back amongst the rest. “Sorry.” 

“Stop apologizing!” Eddie throws his hand across the counter, squeezing Steve’s wrist, 

It’s silly, but something about the simple touch relaxes the nervous energy that’s taken over him ever since Eddie emerged from the back. A part of Steve wants to blame the relief on the touch, but he knows better. Knows it has everything to do with finally telling Eddie about this part of him he helped him discover. 

Steve’s been out to just about everyone he cares about, and now he’s certain he’s told them all. 

“So no misses or misters,” Eddie says, before hiding his growing smile behind a curl. “What about Buckley? Is she on the great American family road trip with you?” 

“Robin refuses to get into Winnebagos after, well, you know.” 

“Can’t say I blame her for that one.” 

“It’s just me and the kids. Mabel and Ollie. They’re my kids…I mean, well, obviously, they’re mine, and anyone who says they’re not are fucking idiots, but they’re not blood mine or whatever people say.” Christ, he’s rambling again. “I adopted them. Actually, I was supposed to be their temporary foster parent. I was in my second year as a social worker, and they were two and six months old when they came in the middle of a Saturday night and we had no one on standby. They came home with me, and then they just never left.” 

Somewhere in his rambling, Eddie made himself comfortable, pillowing his chin on his hands, elbows sinking into the giant mouse pad that’s stretched out on top of the glass counter. He’s dropped the curl, his bright smile on full display, dimple, and everything when he looks at Steve now. 

“I love a good foster fail story,” he cooed. “I have a few myself. Fosters that turned into full-on adoptions. I mean not human kids, cats. And a few dogs. Even a bird. But they’re my kids, you know. I mean, not that what you did is the same thing as me or anything, but I… I’m just going to stop talking now.”

This time, it’s Steve's hand that breaks the barrier between them, reaching out to pat Eddie on the shoulder. A reassuring thing that he hopes conveys that he’s not offended. Just in case, he spells it out for him verbally too. 

“I get it. Kids mean a lot of things to different people. If you say they’re your kids, they’re your kids,” he says, smiling. “Robin has a plant, Ferguson. When she first got it she carried it around in Ollie’s baby bjorn because she needed to ‘bond’ with it.” 

Eddie laughs, this time hard enough that the case between them vibrates. “Lesbians, and their plants, man.” 

“She rescued it from her ex, who was drowning it.” 

“We’re just all patron saints of lost things, aren’t we?” 

“Guess so.” Steve smiles, then adjusts his own stance so he’s leaning against the counter. Something pops in his back, and for once, he doesn’t make an excuse. Eddie knows all about their aches and pains — the way their bodies are thirty years older than they should be, thanks to their teenage years. He runs a steady hand through his hair, hoping beyond hope that it’s not as greasy as it feels and then turns his attention to Eddie. “What about you? Game and record store sounds like a pretty sweet deal.” 

Eddie blows out air in a whoosh and reaches for another curl. “I mean, yeah, it’s pretty cool. Closest I could get to being a rockstar, I guess.” 

“Do you still play?” 

“Occasionally. There’s a dive bar a few streets over that I perform sometimes. No band, though. At least, not yet. I’m giving myself a few more years; let the gray really come in,” Eddie says, fluffing his curls. “And then I’ll join one of those mid-life crisis dad bands.” 

“Solid plan.” He fiddles with the pen again, contemplating if he should ask what he wants, too. Screw it. Who knows when he’s going to see Eddie again — if it’ll ever happen again. It’s best not to leave anything on the table. “What about a partner?” 

“Me?” Eddie asks, pointing to himself before laughing. “Nope. No partner. No lovers either, really. It’s just me and the petting zoo. And Wayne, when the old man makes the trip out to visit me.” 

Eddie being alone all these years shouldn’t make Steve happy. He should want him to be settled by now, grossly in love with someone who makes him feel special like he deserves. But Steve’s heart is a traitor, and his brain is no better, already imagining ten different ways he could change that. 

Had he known Eddie’s been in Vegas alone all this time, he would have visited a lot sooner. Hell, he would have made this their final destination — he’s sure he could find something family-friendly here for Mabel and Ollie. There’s a lake around here or some shit, right? They could have—

“Shit,” Steve says, reaching for his beeping pager. The repair shop number appears on the small screen. “Could I borrow your phone? This is the repair shop.” 

“I suppose I could make an exception on my no-customers rule,” Eddie teases. “Phones in my office, straight back there.” 

Steve nods and rounds the counter towards the backroom but stops short. The kids. He almost forgot about the kids. “Do you mind keeping an eye on them?” Steve asks, tilting his head to Mabel and Ollie who have finally picked up the mess they created. 

“Of course! Don’t worry about them. I’m great with kids.” 

“I remember.” 

___

Eddie’s office isn’t unlike his teenage bedroom Steve spent many nights in. It has his typical brand of messiness but with an added layer of professionalism. Like, there’s an honest-to-God filing cabinet in the corner, but next to it is a three-foot-tall Yoda statue.  Papers lay haphazardly on the desk beside a calculator. 

There are posters all over the walls — some Steve recognizes, some he doesn’t — and endless photographs in mismatched frames. At least three wallet-sized frames with pictures of his pets — kids — sit on the desk. There’s one of Wayne and Eddie on his graduation day on the bookshelfnbeside photos of him with Dustin and some of the other kids over the years. 

He even spots himself amongst the familiar faces — a polaroid they took one summer in Hawkins. It feels like a lifetime ago, but a part of Steve remembers what it was like to have Eddie’s arm slung around him like that with the sun beating down their faces, causing them to squint in the photo because Jonathan refused to shoot directly into the sunlight. 

Steve gives himself another second to soak in Eddie’s office, searching for any other details he can find to fill in the years he’s missed — a pride flag draped over a chair, his business license framed on the wall, packs of half-used nicotine gum instead of cartons of cigarettes. Finally, he makes it to the phone and punches in the number of the repair shop. 

___

When Steve resurfaced twenty minutes later, the neon “open” sign that flickered in the window had been shut off. Eddie’s abandoned his post behind the counter, taking up space at a table in the game section of the store. Mabel and Ollie are sitting on either side of him, listening intently with wide eyes as he moves two figures across a board toward a hoard of waiting miniature figures. 

“I leave you for twenty minutes, and you’re already corrupting them with your nerd games?” Steve teases, ruffling both Mabel and Ollie’s hair in the process. 

Eddie scoffs. “You expect me to believe Dustin hasn’t put them through D&D boot camp yet? Please.” 

“Your stories are nothing like Dustin’s,” Ollie says, voice full of awe. 

“Yeah, he always wants to skip the fun adventure stuff and get straight to the battles,” Mabel chimes in. “That's why we like it when Daddy gets to be in charge.” 

Eddie’s head swivels so fast that the irrational part of Steve’s brain fears it’s going to fly right off. “You DM for them?” 

 “I wouldn’t call it Dungeon Master-ing,” Steve says, grabbing the back of his neck. The room feels ten times hotter all of a sudden. The AC must have shut off, he reasons. There’s no other explanation for his sudden flush. Not at all. “I really just make sh— stuff up.” 

“He’s the best make-believer! You should play with us sometime. Like tonight!” 

“Mabel, Eddie’s busy running this store; he can’t just stop to play with you. And besides, we have to get going soon.” 

“They fixed Winnie?” Ollie asks, jumping up from his seat. 

Steve sighs. “Not yet. That’s why we have to leave. I need to find somewhere for us to sleep tonight that’s—

“—I have a guest room.”

Steve blinks. Is Eddie offering his place to them? His hearing may be spotty lately, but he’s never imagined entire phrases before. Which means—

“I mean if you want,” Eddie says sheepishly this time. “I have a hoard of kittens running around right now, so if you’re allergic, it might not be the best place but—“

“Kittens!” Mabel squeals before rapidly asking Eddie a hundred questions about them, but he doesn’t stand a chance of answering. 

“Can’t we stay at his house, Daddy?” 

“I really do have a spare bedroom and bathroom. Plus, a couch and a semi-stocked fridge. And I wouldn’t charge you. The hotels around here are going to sense your need and charge you an arm and a leg, trust me.”

Steve would be stupid to turn it down. A free stay in an actual house. A meal he can cook with his own two hands that don’t involve a shitty stove that gives out after a few minutes. Not to mention, a shower with actual hot water. 

Plus, it comes with the added bonus of a few more hours with Eddie. Yeah, there’s not a chance in hell he’s turning that down. Not again. 

“Alright, yeah. Let’s do it.” Mabel and Ollie shout in excitement, spinning around the table. Eddie might not have the same energy level as them to join them, but his smile says it all. 

“It’ll be just like old times.” 

“Wait! You guys know each other?”

Steve laughs first, but soon Eddie’s cackle joins him and it really does feel like old times again. “Of course, I know him. What? You think I would let us stay in a stranger’s house? Don’t you know me at all?” 

___

Three days later, Steve finds himself behind the wheel of Winnie the Winnebago as she makes her grand return to I-15. When he glances over his shoulder as the traffic crawls for miles in front of him, he spots Mabel and Ollie throwing Fruit Loops at each other to see who can catch the most in their mouth. And when he looks to his right, Eddie’s there — feet up on the dash, hands protectively clutching Ollie’s teddy bear as if he’s hoping it offers him the same comfort it does for the six-year-old — handsome as ever.

“Didn’t think I’d ever be back in one of these,” he says fondly. “Especially not with you behind the wheel.” 

“Really?” Steve lets the corners of his lips twitch upward. Doesn’t try to fight the blush he knows is creeping across his cheeks. “‘Cause this is all I’ve thought about for years.” 

[gomzwrites]

Task force 141 found out about your soft spots | Part 2

Summary: Ever since they saw the softer part of you, the task force 141 has been trying to see more of them. a/n: This is a follow-up from the previous part! It can be read separately but part 1 gives more context :)  Also! The dividers were made by @gomzdraws (which is also me lol) apologies if I took too long! I'll have to admit I got a bit carried away with part :>

Tags: incorrect military terms, fluff, can be read as platonic or romantic, horrible attempt at Scottish accent(I gave up near the end xD), mention of dog bites, x gn!reader

PLEASE DO NOT RESHARE MY WORK ON OTHER PLATFORMS WITHOUT MY PERMISSION

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Captain John Price

The two of you returned to base after just recently completing the mission; the target was secured and handled, and you rested in the general area as you looked through your phone again, updating your to-do list as you had stumbled upon the photo of the cute latter art previously. You stop and lean on the counter as you smile. It's so freaking cute, you think to yourself before a nudge takes your attention.

"Come", was all the captain said before you quickly followed along without questions. You’re always eager to follow any instructions he gives; maybe he needed to discuss the upcoming mission. But it’s obvious it's not going to be that as you sit in his car. Where are we going?

You ask curiously as you fasten the seat belt. The Captain only gives you a smile as he presses the gas pedal. "Just getting something to eat", he replies as you nod and relax into the chair. Well, it's nearing evening, and you are, in fact, quite hungry, so a small bite before dinner doesn’t sound too bad. It wasn’t long before you finally reached your destination. It’s a quiet town that has a few stalls and shops, and you walk alongside the captain until you stop before a small cafe, tucked nicely at the end of the street.

You look through the window as you watch the few people and barista chilling inside. It looks warm and cosy; there were soft fairy lights lining the pale yellowish wall with brown pillars supporting the structure. The captain gently places his hand around your back as he guides you to enter the cafe. You follow along as you take in the fresh smell of coffee and pastries and the sight of the small place. Price let you wander around for a while before taking a seat near the stairs, and a waiter quickly came as he greeted him. 

"Ah John! It's been a while; I see you brought company." The older man then hands you both the menu as he chuckles and bumps the captain’s shoulder. Price nods back as he glances back at you and says, "Pick anything you want, it’s on me", You give him a surprised look before you nod and take a look. You smile as you look through the list on the menu; it has a lot of cute drinks and desserts, so he saw. You thought to yourself as you ordered a latte; it's apparently their best-selling drink with the 3D cat milk foam on top of the drink. The waiter nods as he looks at Price, to whom he orders tea and some apple strudels. The waiter takes down the order on his notepad before promptly returning to the counter and preparing the orders.

How did you find this place? You ask the captain as you take in the surroundings again; it's a hidden gem, that’s for sure, and the prices on the menu were not bad as well.

"I knew this place because Oliver, the man who took our order just now, used to go to the same college", you hum as a reply and nod.

It's a nice place, and I can’t wait to try the drink, you reply back with a smile as your eyes twinkle with excitement. The captain chuckles as he nods. 

"Well, I didn’t take you as someone who likes these kinds of things, but it's a pleasant surprise, don’t worry. So I figured I'd bring you here." 

He raised an eyebrow out of amusement as he watched you blush slightly. You huffed out a puff of air before you replied sheepishly, 

Ah well, I guess cute things are my weakness after all; who would’ve guessed? 

"Just don't let the enemy know, and you’ll be fine", the captain jokes back as your drink arrives, and you immediately close your mouth as you watch the foam wiggle around when it was placed gently on the table. 

Oh my god, you whisper to yourself as you gasp and take in the sight, quickly taking your phone out and taking a picture. You glance back at Price with sparkling eyes as you tilt your head, giving him a "are you seeing this?" look as he chuckles and nods. He can feel the joy radiating from your face as you go ahead and stare at the drink, and the way you carefully turn the cup around to see the whole thing? Precious.  

He watches you take a sip. You close your eyes and give a nod as you savour the taste. Not only was the drink cute, but the flavour was perfect as well. You can smell the coffee's aroma and see how smooth the drink is. You didn’t realise when you had a bit of foam below your nose as you smiled back at the captain. Price couldn't help but laugh slightly as he took a tissue and wiped off the foam from your face. "Guessing you like it then?", you nod as you place down the cup and cover your mouth slightly to hide the pink blush that’s creeping up to your cheek. 

Yeah, it's not too bitter, and it tastes pretty rich. I like it. You reply as you watch him hum and take his strudel and tea. 

"Good, we can come here again next time". He says this as he gives you a warm grin and a wink.

John Soap MacTavish 

It was another week of training with the two military dogs, specifically Max and Judy, two German Shepherds who have been quite fond of you as they follow the training. Over the course of the regimen, you are supposed to reinforce essential handling techniques and carry out a few conditioning exercises like generalised commands. You may not be a military dog handler, but the training has definitely improved your skills to be one. Soap has joined you on a few training sessions and watches on the side as you smoothly handle the dogs, carrying out the essential steps and watching as the dogs follow you obediently. He finds it inspiring to see you train with the professional dog handler, Sergeant Sam, who has been offering a lot of help and tips. 

Today, Sergeant Sam guides you through controlled aggression training for Max, something the dog has had some trouble with for the past few days. Max has shown a good level of precision when commanded to attack a target, but its restraint technique still needs more practice, as Max tends to move before you give your words. You coo and guide Max as you carry out the demonstration, pointing at the volunteer as Max growls. You hold onto the leash firmly when Max tries to run towards the target, and you speak with a steady, calm voice as you patiently coo at the dog. 

Alright Max, steady. Not yet. Stay. 

Your voice hushed Max as it reduced his growl and made him stand on the ground, no longer pulling on the leash, and wait for your next command.

Okay, good boy Max, you don't forget to praise it immediately. This is one of the many bits of advice given by Sergeant Sam, it is said to give the dog motivation and let it know it’s doing the right thing if you praise its action immediately. 

You finally gave the signal after a while, and Max immediately went to jump and bite on the protective coat the volunteer was wearing, growling and displaying its aggression as you guided the dog. Sergeant Sam and you continue to practise a few more times with Max to properly train him to improve his restraining skills. 

After a few hours, you were finally given a break as you sat on the floor, sweating as you gently rubbed Max’s head. 

There you are, good boy Max~ So proud of you!

 You whisper to Max as you feel something poke your back. You glance back and smile as you watch Judy (the other military dog) wagging its tail and giving your cheek a lick. 

Ah! Judy, did you miss me? Hey now, who’s a good boy~?

You immediately shower Judy with attention and pat its head as you glance up to watch Soap approaching you. You wave to him as he stands at a distance. You watch his nervousness show as he rubs his neck and taps his foot repeatedly on the ground. You then stand up and order Max and Judy to sit and remain still on the floor as you walk to Soap. 

Sergeant Soap, good to see you. You greeted him with a smile as he relaxed slightly and smiled back at you. 

"Aye, I saw da training todae; it seems yer gettin better at this!", he said as he nervously glanced back at Max and Judy before staring back at you again. You nodded appreciatively as you chuckled and spoke. 

Yeah, Max and Judy have been behaving well, and the training with them is running smoothly. They remind me of my own dog back home, you say fondly as you watch him glance back at you with a surprised grin. 

"Wut? You owned a German Shepherd? That’s perfect, then, actually", You watch as he shuffles around his pocket as he holds out a bag of snacks; it’s Milk-Bone dog biscuits! You smile widely as he hands you the snack. 

"Well, I wanted to give it to ya as a wae to say thanks since yer took the job for me; you seem close to dogs anyhow; I hope I bought the right thing". Soap says as he laughs and pats your shoulder, "What’s the name?", He asks before you take out your phone and proudly show him photos of your own German Shepherd. It's big, and it has a golden sable pattern that shines ever so slightly under the sun. 

Named it Meatball because he always managed to steal some from the kitchen. He is my little ball of sunshine, you explain with a soft giggle as you show him more pictures, swiping the gallery before stopping on one where you were carrying Meatball with a struggling look, face scrunched up with a frown with a grin, you chuckle as you look back at Soap, 

He’s almost 5 years old now and still jumps and expects me to carry him around like a baby, even when he's 60 pounds! 

Soap laughs along as he stares at the photo. You looked so happy and content, and he likes how cheerful and giddy you are when you start talking about your dog. He’s still scared of dogs, but he felt like with you, he might be able to overcome that fear a little as he listens to your stories. 

I'm sorry for babbling so much, by the way. You stop halfway when you realise you’ve been talking for the past 10 minutes about your own dog, but Soap quickly shakes his head as he rests his hand on your shoulder, giving you a reassuring look as he speaks,

"No, no, go on. I love hearing yer talk about Meatball. He’s really cute!", Soap says as he gives you a nudge. "might even visit the fella with how sweet he sounds". Your eyes beamed when he suggested that,

Really? I mean, I don't want to force you to meet him if you’re still uncomfortable and all

Soap nods again as he gives a chuckle. 

"Well, I think I'm still a bit nervous, but it's something I want to try again, ya know?", You nod in understanding before you think for a moment and give a reply as you glance back at the military dogs. 

How about you start by warming up to Judy? Max is a bit bigger and more intimidating, but Judy is smaller, and he’s more obedient. Do you want to try it? Soap sucks in a breath as he contemplates for a few minutes before finally sighing as he nods slowly. You smile as you rest your hand on his thigh to soothe his nerves. 

It's okay; you’re with me. It will be alright. You say gently as you call for Judy to come around. Soap watches as Judy slowly makes its way towards you and Soap, his legs shuffling a bit as his muscles tense up when Judy comes and sits in front of you.

Be good. Soap is going to touch you, okay? You coo at Judy as the dog gives a nod and rests its head on your knee. You glance back at Soap as you hold his hand and speak.

You’re going to be okay; Judy won't bite, I promise. Soap nods with a gulp as he lets you take his hand and guide it to Judy’s head. You watch as he retracts his hand a bit when Judy tilts its head to stare at Soap. 

"y-y/n…" Soap says nervously before you pause and rub his hand in small circles, 

It's alright; take it slow and don't worry. You speak patiently as you watch Soap nod and take a few deep breaths to calm himself down. You don’t move and continue holding his hand in the air, and wait to let him take the initiative to move, and not long after that, he starts running his finger along the head of Judy’s fur cautiously. Judy remains still as it closes its eyes and wags its tail slightly. You give a small chuckle as you whisper back to Soap,

You’re alright; look, Judy likes you. You say as Soap relaxes more as he watches in awe, smiling slightly when he watches the dog press its furry chin onto your knees and melt into his touches. It’s certainly a much different response to what he imagined, and the memories of dogs biting into his legs and arms still haunt him sometimes. He can feel those sharp teeth sinking into his skin and drawing blood in those nightmares, but now? This dog he's touching is peacefully laying on your knee, not moving an inch as he strokes his fur softly with his palm, it's unnerving to him still, like he still expects the dog to bite him if he lets down his guard. But slowly, he gets more comfortable when he sees no signs of that happening, he also knows that if you're here with him, he'll be alright.

Soap glanced back at you as he held his gaze. "Thank you...", he said with a tone full of appreciation as you smiled back at him and nodded. 

No worries, I'm happy you’re able to come this far, you say back with a soft tone as the both of you just continue like this, chatting idly back and forth as Soap slowly strokes Judy’s fur. By the end of the conversation, Judy was resting its head on Soap’s tight, and Soap was no longer trembling as he rests his hand on its head.

Kyle Gaz Garrick

Ever since Gaz dropped off the bear in your room, you’ve been trying to reach out to him. But many times that has not happened because of the busy schedules, and it also doesn’t help that you’re not often teamed up with him. 

However, when you do see him, you make sure to give him a nod and an appreciative stare as he returns the same. You’ll admit you were not as close to Gaz when compared to Ghost, but ever since the IKEA trip, both of you have been trying to change that, even if it’s just a bit. Sometimes he brews you a cup of tea in the morning; other times you’ll secretly take on his paperwork when you notice those tired eye bags in the morning. 

But you wanted to return the favour with more than just these small gestures. You’ve thought about a lot of options; the first thing was perhaps to buy him a game of sorts. You heard from Soap before that Gaz is a gamer himself and owns a Switch. The problem is that you’re not aware of what kind of games he’s into, and asking those questions will raise suspicions. You have a rough idea that he might like action role-playing and multiplayer games like Elden Ring and World of Warcraft; sometimes you know Soap and Gaz will play Mario Kart because of how loud their laughter can be in their room. But you don’t like guessing and would rather get him something you’re absolutely sure he will like. The other thing you wanted to get him was perhaps a hat or a scarf, seeing as he likes wearing those. But you learned that he is very attached to his scarf, so buying him a new one didn’t seem right to you. As for the hat, you actually found a blue beanie that might look good on him, but you decided to save it for his birthday. After many sleepless nights of trying to figure out what on earth to give him, the opportunity finally presented itself one day. You just finished a mission with the team, and as the crew made their way back to base, you noticed how Gaz’s gloves were damaged; the thumb side was burned off, most likely due to the explosion previously. Gaz took notice of your gaze and gave you a smile.

"It's alright; the rest of it is still fine I can live with it." 

You give a nod as he turns around and speaks to Soap again, back to their usual banter as Gaz elbows Soap for not warning him when the bomb goes off. You secretly thank Soap for his recklessness because now you know exactly what to get him.

You tip-toed around the base during the late hours, being quiet and stepping cautiously on the floorboard to avoid generating any noise. You rest your hand along the wall as you walk before finally reaching the door. You glance around once and finally bend down to put down the little green box with a cute yellow ribbon. You smile softly to yourself as you stand up, only to yelp slightly when Gaz taps on your shoulder from the back. 

"Hey, erm, what are you sneaking around for?-", he stops as you quickly glance back as you nervously stand before the gift, shuffling it behind your feet as you shake your head. Gaz watches your demeanour before he smiles as he looks down, noticing a small gift box. "I didn’t know it was my birthday today", he jokes with that charming smile of his, chuckling softly as he tilts his hand and leans closer.

"You don’t have to be so shy around me. Come on", He bends down to pick up the box as he opens the door. You were about to leave before he stops as he looks at you, motioning to enter his room. You gulp as you nod and follow along, deciding to sit on his bed beside him. You have never entered any member’s room at this point, and you’re surprised at how cosy his room is. A few blankets here and there; he even has a few plushies himself! You get distracted by his place without realising he has already pulled off the ribbon and taken out the gift. You turn around and face him when he lets out a gasp.

"YOU DID NOT-"

Gaz said excitedly as he held a pair of Moto gloves, navy in colour with a dash of blue camouflage, lined with hard leather that protects the knuckles. You watch as his eyes shine and he smiles so big that you can see his prominent canine teeth protruding, silently satisfied with yourself when he thanks you for the gift.

I've been wanting to return the favour since you got me the bear.

You say softly as he nods and tests out the glove. It’s a perfect fit as he feels the texture and size.

"This is amazing! I love it. Thank you so much", He thanks you again as he gives your head a pat. Both of you decided to stay for a while and chat idly after that.

Simon Ghost Riley

You were awake the entire night, blinking and shuffling around your bed as you sighed deeply. 

Another sleepless night 

You thought to yourself as you pressed a pillow to your own face. You usually have trouble sleeping sometimes—more than you would like to admit. Whether it's because of the stress that lingers after missions or because of nightmares, They plague your nights without mercy. 

You groan and sit up as you stare at the clock. 

It's about 5 a.m. already, and I still can’t sleep. 

You grumble to yourself as you stand and stretch, pissed that you can’t even enjoy a day off without getting a good night's sleep. You decided to run some laps around the field to tyre yourself out and nap afterwards. 

And you did just that, running around the field for the past half an hour already, yet somehow you can feel that you’re more awake than usual. You know you’re physically tired, but your mental state refuses to calm down and screams at you. You sat on the ground hopelessly before lying on it, staring up at the sky as you let out a long, defeated sigh as you let out a few more grumble.

"Good morning, y/n" comes a voice as you glance to your left, recognising it as you divert your gaze from his shoe to his mask.

Good morning, Lieutenant Ghost, You reply back as you sit up and frown, slightly embarrassed that he saw you like this. 

"Grabbing coffee for them, coming along?" He asks as he shakes the car key in his left hand, his other resting in the pocket of his black hoodie. You nod as you stand up by yourself and brush away the dust as both of you head to the jeep.

You’ve done this routine before with Ghost, sometimes doing it yourself. The group likes to take turns buying coffee and breakfast every weekend near the base; even the barista and workers have already recognised you guys at this point. 

"Ah, it's you, 3 black coffees and 2 Earl Greys as per usual, yes?" Ghost nods to the shorter barista as she promptly prepares the drinks. You stood beside Ghost as you glanced around when you waited for the order before catching your sight on the fridge that displayed pastries and other small bites. 

swiss roll!! 

You take notice of the delicacy as you step closer to the glass. They rarely have cakes, at least whenever you come to visit anyway; mostly they display croissants or sandwiches, and you have to admit that the swiss roll they sell looks pretty good and tempting. 

Matcha, strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate

You take a close look at all the options as you stare excitedly. Ghost watches as he stands closer and bumps your shoulder. 

"Chocolate is good."

He whispers into your ears as you blush slightly at the sudden closeness and glance back at him. You nod as you stare back at that specific swiss roll. It even has what you assume is chocolate whipped cream with a small cherry on top. You whisper back softly as you grab his sleeve timidly. 

Can I try the cake with you?

You know you can finish this cake yourself, but you wanted to share it with him since he suggested it in the first place. 

Ghost blinks before nodding as he pats your hand, ordering the chocolate swiss roll as you smile and happily take a seat in the corner of the cafe. You watch as he brings the plate and sets it on the table. He hands you a fork as he watches you poke through the cake and take a bite.

!!! 

Your eyes beam as your face lights up when you have a taste; the soft, spongy chocolate cake is perfect, and paired with the chocolate whipped cream? It tasted like heaven. Ghost chuckles as he watches you take another bite. 

"Told ya"

You nod as you glance back at him with a giddy smile. You were right. You say as you take a much bigger part of the cake and hand the fork to him, and he nods as he pulls his balaclava to eat the cake, making sure he watches you from the corner of his eyes as he eats it. He likes seeing you take in the sight of him shamelessly, even if it's just his jaw and lips. He liked how you always stare and trail along the faint scar he has around the chin; it's as if you’re mapping him out and memorising his features. He gives a hum of approval as he finishes the bite and hands you back the fork, urging you to take more as you shake your head. 

"It's okay, kid, I’ve tried this cake before already. Eat."

He says this as you frown slightly and nod along, then enjoy the cake again as your brows slowly relax. He smiles as he continues to watch you eat; he knows that you’re always eager and tend to be more compassionate than the other members, even if you don't show it. Gestures like how you always save a seat for him in the planes beside Soap, or how you silently wipe and clean Soap’s guns after missions, or how you always helped Gaz with reports, and you always brew a cup of coffee for Captain when he needs it, your actions doesn't go unnoticed by him. 

Do you have a sweet tooth? 

The question caught him off guard as he watch your eye. He took a few moments to ground himself before nodding. He watched the glint of amusement in your eyes as you smiled and leaned in to ask another question. 

Then what’s your favourite dessert? 

He smiles at your question as he leans in and rests his arm on the table as he stares back at you. 

"Chocolate, if that wasn’t obvious enough already."

You chuckle as you shake your head and slightly poke his muscular arm. 

Yeah, I have an idea, obviously, but you know, like, what kind? Like chocolate bars? Cocoa drinks? Chocolate brownies? You know what I mean, you list out the example as you bite on the fork. 

He chuckles as he goes on and answers back, then you shoot another question and the process repeats. They may be small and mundane questions, but moments like this make him feel human again, to remind him that he is not just a war machine in this world, that he too has cravings and such, plus it also feels like you get to know him better, and perhaps this friendship can flourish more.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= a/n: am I biased towards Gaz? yes, yes I am(and yeah the gloves are from CSGO lol), like and reposts are appreciated! Have a good day/night! <3

[buffster]

Out of My Mind (BTVS 5.04)

This is part of my ongoing Buffyverse Project, where I write notes/meta for every episode in an attempt to better understand the characters and themes of the shows. You can find the BTVS list here and the ATS list here. Gifs are not mine.

Out of My Mind opens with Buffy being overshadowed by both Riley and Spike on patrol, illustrating their obsession with her as they take on a role that isn't theirs. Buffy is annoyed by the intrusion, a fact only Spike notices. Riley comes off a little desperate and clingy this episode.

Joyce collapses while making Dawn some breakfast--our first hint of what's to come this season. When everyone gathers at the hospital they discover Riley's racing heartbeat. Buffy uses Riley's phone tap to contact the Initiative, but Riley is extra resistant. He's gone from trusting soldier to terrified sceptic.

Buffy then miscalculates and offers Spike money to find Riley and get him to the Initiative doctor. Spike uses the opportunity to try and get his chip removed, a fact I think anyone who was paying any attention to Spike should have seen coming. This is the price you pay for forgetting the muzzled dog still wants to bite you. Harmony is assisting because she's still narcisstic enough to think her and Buffy are rivals.

I found the discussion of magic between Tara and Willow interesting. Willow lights up the tunnels they're searching and claims Tara taught her, but Tara insists she taught "tiny Tinkerbell light". It's a hint at Willow reaching for a level of power beyond the average witch and perhaps beyond what she should. I also think Tara appreciates and loves magic while Willow thinks more.

Riley is actually vulnerable this episode and admits part of the reason he's running is a fear that Joe Normal isn't enough for Buffy. I also think it isn't enough for him--he lacks purpose right now. Buffy feels out of reach to him because he notices her emotional distance. She's more careful since Angel and he's insecure. Understanding Riley's background, he grew up in an ideal/healthy family. I think that the distance/dysfunction that is normal to Buffy feels bad to him.

Buffy: Don't psyche 101 me! Not now. Not after - after everything....Nobody's ever known me the way you do, Riley. Nobody. I've opened myself up to you in a way that- God, you're just sitting back thinking it doesn't mean anything to me? Riley: I never said that-- Buffy: Well it obviously doesn't mean anything to you! Do you think so little of me-- Riley: Buffy-- Buffy: No! Do you think I've spent the last eight months with you because you've got super powers? If that's what I wanted I'd be dating Spike.

Oof. Now I know some interpret Riley as being misogynistic/hating Buffy's strength (and that's fine!) but so far I'm interpreting these problems as Riley missing the connection that monster hunting used to give them. He misses Buffy and felt like a partner when they fought together. I don't quite remember the explanation we get when he leaves, so maybe I'll change my mind. But that's where I'm at for now.

That being said, there have been some hints this episode that Buffy and Spike do have a connection. There's even a scene where they're separated but ranting about how they're going to kill the other one in a way that speaks of projecting your romantic feelings into annoyance.

Graham speaks to Riley privately and asks, "Now you're what, Mission's boyfriend?" Planting a seed that culminates in his leaving Buffy.

No more teasing. The episode ends with a dream sequence where Spike is fighting with Buffy and ends up passionately kissing her and confessing his love. Spike wakes up in horrified realization.

Character Notes:

Buffy Summers: Buffy is able to hold her own in a debate over a college lecture with Willow. Her opportunity to get an education is sadly nearing its end.

Dawn Summers: She likes chicken fingers and mustard when she's sick.

Xander Harris: He helps Giles build things in the shop. His carpentry skills are replacing army skills.

Tara Maclay: Willow suggests she set up in the Magic Shop as a psychic.

[agust28]

love in the grocery store 2

pairing jaehyun x reader WC ? tags fluff Notes Sorry for the parts I didn't want to but Tumblr had a limit :( Also I literally rewrote the plot like 5 times and have at least 7 drafts In my notes. I wasn’t sure how to link part 2 on the part 1 post sorry again :(

Not even 2 weeks later you find yourself going back. Okay, to be fair, prices were getting outrageously high! You couldn’t keep convincing yourself that splurging on the groceries was better than going back to the forbidden store. Your mind constantly being reminded of the cute employee might have also played a part in the decision, but you’ll never admit that. You had to prep yourself in the car for about 20 minutes before actually entering the store. It sadly didn’t work because as soon as you walk in you wanted to walk out. Think about the prices, think about the prices, think about— “Excuse me,” an annoyed customer shoves you aside. “Sorry,” you squeak out, already embarrassing yourself, and you haven’t walked 5 feet into the store! You exhale before grabbing a cart, which did not fight this time, and head in. You look around trying to spot the cute employee from last time but no luck. You don’t know whether to be disappointed or relieved. Shaking your head, you remember why you’re here, and that’s to get groceries and head out. No detours! Most of your list has been crossed off except for the milk. It was a bit difficult to navigate since you were so used to your old grocery store. You're about to turn the aisle when you accidentally bump into someone. “Sorry! I—” you look up, and it’s like déjà vu. Before your mind can melt into a puddle, he speaks. “Oh hey! You’re the girl who fell into the carts!” His face of surprise morphs into concern. “Are you okay now? You didn’t look too good last time.” Speak, woman, speak! “Yes! I’m okay!” You say a bit loudly, startling him from your enthusiasm. Please universe, just let me shop in peace! “Ah, that’s good! You ran out before I could get a good look.” You look away from embarrassment, hoping this interaction would just end. “Yeah, uh, sorry, it was kind of embarrassing.” He smiles, watching your cheeks blush. “No worries, I totally understand! Well, I’ll let you get back to shopping.” He turns to walk away when you suddenly remember that you still need milk. “Wait! Where can I find the milk?” He turns around and tells you which aisle it’s in. “Or I could just show you? If you’d like.” He rushes the last sentence as if he expects you to turn him down. You nod your head yes, and he smiles widely at that. “Ok, follow me!” You follow next to him as he leads you both to the dairy section. You’re walking side by side when he takes a look into your cart. “You’ve got a cat? I love cats!” You smile brightly at that. Cute and an animal lover? You could melt. “Yeah, one cat and one dog,” you say, pointing to the dog shirt that’s also in your cart. You both continue to share your love for animals before he stops. “Well, this is the milk,” he points towards the wall of milk. You thank him and grab a gallon. From the corner of your eye, you still see the cute clerk standing near you, looking as if he has something to say. As you contemplate whether you should ask if something was wrong, he taps you on your shoulder. “Hi, I probably shouldn’t be doing this but um—” he stops to look around a little uneasy “sorry, I thought I saw my manager.” He breathes out and continues, “I was just wondering if I could have your number?” You’re taken aback because this is the last thing you imagined coming out of his mouth. He takes your surprise as disgust and immediately starts to backtrack. “Sorry! I just thought you were cute! And wanted to have your number to check up on you!” Now you're laughing. “Check up on me?” He sees your smile and visibly relaxes. “Yeah, you know that fall looked really hard. It'd be good to have my number just in case.” You smirk. “In case of what? I fall on your very dangerous carts again?” “Exactly!” He pulls out his phone and hands it over to you, hoping you'd agree to exchanging numbers. And of course, you do! You'd be crazy not to. The two of you exchange numbers and names and bid farewell. You step out with groceries that will no longer cost a leg and a new contact that you'll hopefully keep in touch with.

[mercerislandbooks]

Section Revival: Manga

Some of you may have noticed a lower shelf tucked away near the mysteries; many of you haven’t. Walk past the fiction, take a left at the games, and get low to browse an assortment of books read from right to left, with the cover on the "back" and the description on the "front". This is our little collection of Japanese graphic novels, known as manga. Reviving and curating this section has been high on my personal project list for two years now, and I’ve finally been able to tackle it. With the Netflix release of the live-action One Piece (a kid who wants to become King of the Pirates assembles a ragtag crew), an adaptation of one of the biggest and longest-running manga and anime (Japanese animation) series in existence, we’ve had countless kids (and their parents) beginning their journey into the world of manga.

I stumbled upon manga and anime when I was in high school with Fruits Basket. Here was an animated show, based on a beloved manga, that told of a quiet girl without much confidence who found her place in an odd and rambunctious family that just so happened to turn into the animals of the Zodiac when hugged by the opposite gender. A wild premise? Maybe. But it was also so engaging and sweet and entertaining. Fruits Basket was something my sister and I could share, and we began to find other manga that we could read together and discuss. This was our introduction to an abundance of stories that had been previously unknown to us.

The great thing about manga is that there's something for everyone. It covers a range of genres, from sweet slice-of-life series like Insomniacs After School (two high schoolers with insomnia restart their school's defunct astronomy club in order to have something to occupy their sleepless nights) to postapocalyptic worlds like Heart Gear (a young girl is raised by a robot after humanity has been wiped out).

There are the One Piece-level classics:

Naruto (a troublemaking kid wants to become a ninja)

Fullmetal Alchemist (two brothers pay the price in an alchemical ritual gone wrong and become state alchemists in their quest for the Philosopher's Stone)

If you like reading about people learning to use magic, try:

Witch Hat Atelier (a young girl learns the secret to being a witch)

If you prefer short vignettes, consider:

The Way of the House Husband (a retired gangster takes over the household chores and goes grocery shopping)

Mr. Villain's Day Off (a member of the Evil League of Villains just really loves pandas)

Or try current customer favorites, which are popular for a reason:

Spy x Family (a spy, an assassin, a telepath, and a dog that can see the future must form a fake family to prevent war)

Cat + Gamer (a woman who loves video games adopts a cat)

For many of the same reasons that Western graphic novels are so popular today, manga lets us enjoy amazing storylines with impressive art but with a different culture's perspective. I’ve long enjoyed the many ways people find to share stories and bring others together, and it’s been so rewarding to see a new generation and new readers discover a medium that means so much to me. If you want to try something new, we can point you in the right direction of our little (but hopefully not for long) shelf of manga. 

—Becca

[alohaphonerepairbytcawireless]

Need Phone Repair Near Me in Wahiawa? Aloha Phone Repair Offers Top-Notch Service

Your phone just took a tumble in Wahiawa. Maybe it went for an unplanned swim at Lake Wilson or your dog used it as a chew toy. Whatever happened, that screen looks like a shattered rainbow and you need phone repair ASAP. No worries, brah! Aloha Phone Repair by TCA Wireless has got your back. We offer top-notch phone repair service and we're just a short drive away in Honolulu.

Why Choose Aloha Phone Repair?

With a zillion phone repair shops around why should you choose us? Here's the 4-1-1:

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Reasonable Prices: We believe phone repair service should be affordable for everyone so we offer competitive prices.

Easy to Find: We're conveniently located inside Don Quijote on Kaheka St. It's a quick trip from Wahiawa and super easy to find.

Fantastic Customer Service: We want your experience to be awesome. Our friendly team will gladly answer all your questions and make the whole process stress-free.

Phone Brands We Repair

At Aloha Phone Repair by TCA Wireless we're like the United Nations of phone repair. We fix a wide variety of phones including:

Apple 

Samsung Galaxy phones

Google Pixel phones

LG phones

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We do way more than just phone screen repair. We offer a whole range of services:

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Camera repairs for picture perfect selfies

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And much more!

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A: While our shop is located in Honolulu we're just a short drive from Waipahu. Plus we offer same-day service for many repairs so you can drop off your phone and explore Honolulu while you wait.

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A: The cost of a battery replacement depends on your phone model. We offer phone repair services for a wide variety of phones so chances are we can replace your battery. Give us a call or visit our shop for a free quote.

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A: If you're looking for phone repair near me in Mililani your best bet is to visit our shop in Honolulu. We're a quick drive away and we offer fast and reliable service.

Q: I dropped my phone while I was hiking in Kaneohe. Now the screen is kaput. Do you guys do phone screen repair?

A: You betcha! We fix cracked screens on all kinds of phones. Bring your phone to our shop and we'll get you sorted out.

Q: I need iPhone repair near me in Pearl City. Where are you guys located?

A: Our shop is in Honolulu which is a bit of a drive from Pearl City. But we offer excellent iPhone repair service at affordable prices so we think it's worth the trip!

Q: I went swimming with my phone in my pocket at Kailua Beach Park and now it's dead as a doornail. Do you offer water damage phone repair?

A: Oh no! That's a bummer. But yes we have experience in repairing phones with water damage. Bring your phone to our shop and we'll see what we can do.

Contact Us

Don't let a broken phone ruin your day. If you're in Wahiawa and need phone repair swing by Aloha Phone Repair by TCA Wireless in Honolulu. We offer top-notch service and we're experts in all makes and models.

Aloha Phone Repair by TCA Wireless - Honolulu

Address: Inside Don Quijote, 801 Kaheka St, Honolulu, HI 96814, United States

Phone: +1 (808) 944-8886

[buddylifemagazineno1]

We hear in the news of dog attacks, dog fights, dog shop near me price list, dog boarding training, dog training at home, play with puppies near me, good dog treats, places to board dogs near me and Doggy Daycare services near and other traumatic events – all at the expense of badly trained dogs. But is it the dog, or is it perhaps the owner at fault? Through working closely with a trainer, we can begin to understand why our dogs act the way they do, adjust their thinking patterns, and see results…And often notice the changes sooner than you’d expect. We mustn’t blame our dogs for reacting poorly. We mustn’t become frustrated. 

[cherryatombomb]

list of aus i think fit soapghost perfectly and want to read but am too lazy/busy/whatever to write

parent ghost x teacher soap. ghost leaves the military after his nephew ends up orphaned, and ends up falling in love with his teacher, who is very dramatic and very lovely and oh god hes so cute

another alternative is where they are BOTH parents. ghost who took in his nephew, and soap who ended up with a kid one way or another. their kids end up loving eachother, so they have to keep interacting - a bit of forced proximity where they end up falling for one another

tattoo artist soap x flower shop owner ghost. soap who works across the street and works every day to see this highly tattooed and gruff man work in the flower shop. he goes in at least once a week to buy flowers (and talk to simon, of course, it's just an excuse). simon who thinks soap is annoying to begin with but begins to fall in love with him, but also WHY is he buying so many flowers?? hello??

alternatively, tattoo artist soap x piercer ghost. no i will not be elaborating (ghost with piercings is so real to me)

au where the 141 has to disband for various reasons and each member goes their own way. they try to keep in contact but life ends up getting in the way. price brings in the 141 to reunite after so many years apart, and both simon and johnny have to cope with their feelings reigniting - are they ready to let each other go after so long? probably not!

physical therapist ghost x injured soap after las almas. price has insisted he sees a physical therapist for his arm. soap initially complains until he meets the man - and now he's head over heels. when his injury begins to heal, he has to find a way to work up the courage to ask simon out (and possibly fake still being injured in order to work that courage up, hehe)

firefighter ghost x an extremely unlucky soap. a soap whos a civilian that always ends up accidentally in danger - car crash? yep. house fire? yep. it's all worthwhile when he finds the firefighter extremely handsome, even underneath that facemask... maybe he brings cookies over to the fire station, a snack to show his gratitude, and things blossom from there

medic soap x soldier ghost. soap who's there to - physically - help simon heal through his injuries several times throughout his life, after roba, then after various missions, etc. both of them end up falling in love with one another after a long amount of time... a good mixture of fluff and angst

bartender ghost x military soap. ghost who works in a bar most frequented by the military bc of its close proximity to base, and soap, who should be an annoyance, but he really does enjoy his presence the more they get to know one another.

famous soap x bodyguard ghost. im sure this has been done but oh what a good trope. fans keep theorizing over the mysterious skull man whos always at soaps side, who soap keeps smiling all fondly over. ghost whos gruff abt this dramatic man to begin with but ends up falling head over heels in love with him.

nextdoor neighbour au where soap and ghost, you guessed it, live next to eachother. maybe ghost is agoraphobic, he struggles with leaving the house - maybe he's a writer, so he never really has to - and soap moves in, runs into him a few times, and is determined to get to know him. fluff - and some angst - ensues

chance first meeting au where soap has a dog who's normally very good, but for some reason today is insisting on running up to the cute jogger he normally sees run through the park. it's love at first sight when the jogger - ghost - crouches down and offers him a treat, because apparently he keeps a whole pocket of treats just in case he sees any animals who want them. they end up running into eachother near enough every day, and begin to fall for eachother.

[waitingforwinterwinds]

A Clash of Kings - 03 TYRION I (pages 47-62)

Tyrion catches Cersei up on his new (regifted) position as Hand of the King, then checks on the city, and Shae.

-

Littlefinger laughed. "Well said, Lannister. A man after my own heart." Tyrion smiled at him, remembering a certain dagger with a dragonbone hilt and a Valyrian steel blade. We must have a talk about that, and soon. He wondered if Lord Petyr would find that amusing as well.

Littlefinger: LOL, you're so funny 🤣😘 Tyrion: ahaha true😁 😑but we aren't friends asshole

Dragonbone + Valyrian steel = 🥛🥛

"Littlefinger made the arrangements, We needed Slynts gold cloaks. Eddard Stark was plotting with Renly and he'd written to Lord Stannis, offering him the throne, We might have lost all. Even so, it was a close thing. If Sansa hadn't come to me and told me all of her father's plans..."

That would be a very damning statement, if we hadn't already done the maths during the relevant chapters of the last book.

By the time Sansa went to Cersei, Renly was already (on his way) out the door, and Littlefinger had already secured the gold cloaks. By the time Cersei was making her move less than an hour later Ned was trying to use Robert's dying will to gain the support of the Small council, the remaining members of which have all shown loyalty to, if not the Lannister regime, then at least the status quo of Joffrey's reign.

The fact is, to get that ready to go in such a short amount of time, means they were already, ready to go, and even if Sansa hadn't gone to Cersei, all it would have taken would have been one member of the small council sending a messenger ahead to warn the queen when Ned went to declare himself Protector of the Realm. (Which Littlefinger probably did anyway.)

The idea that Sansa, and only Sansa was able to tell the queen that Ned was planning to ship out if he didn't get his way (and ship his daughters out even if he did) is laughable given the degree of information Littlefinger and Varys are supposed to have at their fingers, and the timing involved.

He had told Cersei he intended to take the measure of the city. That was not entirely a lie. Tyrion Lannister was not pleased by much of what he saw. (...) A naked corpse sprawled in the gutter near the Street of Looms, being torn apart by a pack of feral dogs, yet no one seemed to care. (...) The markets were crowded with ragged men selling household goods for any price they could get... and conspicuously empty of farmers selling food. What little produce he did see was three times as costly as it had been a year ago. One peddler was hawking rats roasted on a skewer. (...) The frightening thing was, the rats looked more appetizing than most of what the butchers were selling. On the Street of Flour, Tyrion saw guards at every other shop door. When times grew lean, even bakers found sellswords cheaper than bread, he reflected. "There's no food coming in is there?" he said to Vylarr.

It is deeply concerning how quickly this problem got this bad, but I'm not so sure it was actually as quick as the war starting to now. For the city to be so lacking in food supplies, to have zero close by sources of food? That almost seems like legacy from Robert's reign.

What about the fish markets? Are they sending out fishing boats? Crabbing and digging mollusks? Upping the seafood intake? This is a coastal city, surely that's taking the edge off, even if the land trade is being impacted by the war?

Oh, right. For a second there I forgot we were dealing with greed and corruption, of course, even if the boats are allowed out it would all be sent straight to the Red Keep to feed the nobles who actually already have food stores to rely on.

Oh, but yes, good thing Cersei has war time production set to full blast. Ha, full blast. Cause the Alchemists' Guild pledged ten thousand jars of wildfire.

... yeah, I'll pop that on the list.

Wildfire = 🥛

Oh, and look, Littlefinger is charging the refugees an entry fee. Delightful. (sarcasm)

"Young lady," Shae repeated, savoring the words. "You're half right, m'lord. I'm young." Eighteen, Tyrion thought. Eighteen, and a whore, but quick of wit, nimble as a cat between the sheets, with large dark eyes and fine black hair, and-

*re-materialses metal chair* I'mma hit him again. On purpose this time.

I know 18 is legal in almost every country, but given the propensity for younger girls that a majority of the men in this series seem to have... (At least I'm pretty sure 18 is a pretty standard age of majority? I don't want to google 'places where the age of consent is under 18' and end up on a guest list for Special Hell... or the FBI jail cells.)

Tyrion seated himself beside Shae. He understood what was happening here, if Chella and the girl did not. Varys was delivering a message. When he said, I was taken by a sudden urge to meet your young lady, what he meant was, You tried to hide her, but I knew where she was, and who she was, and here I am. He wondered who had betrayed him. The innkeep, that boy in the stable, a guard on the gate... or one of his own? ... Don't bother, sweetling, Tyrion thought, swirling the wine in the cup. He cares not a whit about the carvings. The eyes he boasts of are his own. What he means is that he was watching, that he knew we were here the moment we passed through the gates.

Wow, it's almost like it's impossible to keep the movements of people a total secret in King's Landing. As if someone always knows some who knows something about someone else. And yet it was Sansa's loose lips who revealed the plan to ship out, and her alone, because Ned and his men who had been floundering in the foreign city and political climate up until that point sudden gained the ultimate buff for stealth. (sarcasm and annoyance.)

"- Then you'll get hard and you'll have no one to help you and you'll never get to sleep unless you-" She grinned that wicked grin Tyrion liked so well. "-is that why they call it the Tower of the Hand, m'lord?"

Pffff, I like Shae, she's funny. Witty. Precision crassness.

"So what will you do now, m'lord, now that you're Hand of the King?" (...) "Something Cersei will never expect," Tyrion murmured softly against her slender neck. "I'll do... justice."

Justice for whom? According to whom? I guess we'll have to wait and see. Still already better than Cersei's intentions, ngl.

[morizoras-cave]

Persistent (Request)

Marvel cast x f!teen!co-star!reader

Genre: angst-ish, fluff

Request Description: Hellooo! Could you write a all the marvel cast men x teen! reader? Like they all go out to eat and hangout at a mall or something and when she goes in the women’s part of a store while they are all on the men’s side, some creepy dude keeps on hitting on her and like after she tries to politely decline his attempts and stuff rdj and the rest are like nuh uh this ain’t happening lol

Warnings: language, hints at smexual stuff, harassment, persistent asshole 

(A/N): this story includes anthony mackie, winston duke, sebastian stan, chris evans, robert downey jr and mark ruffalo. im sorry i didnt include alllll of the marvel dudes, but i just find it hard to cram them all into one fic :((( ALSO sorry if the ending is shitty hgssghsgsh

“You don’t have to bring me with you.”

“It’s too late, we’re bringing you.”

“But-” 

“Y/n, you are not spending your birthday alone!” 

You and Anthony were bickering like always. There was a short break in filming the next marvel movie, and while many people, including you, were planning on going home for the week, Sebastian, Anthony, Winston, Chris and Tom and arranged a ‘guys night out’, if you will. 

You were going to enjoy your birthday that day with your family, but a couple of days before your family had cancelled, because of exams and overloading work. They promised you’d celebrate some other day, but you were still bummed out.

Anyway, Anthony had somehow reluctantly made you admit that you were celebrating alone, and had decided to instead drag you with him and the guys to their ‘night out’. 

“I don’t wanna come and just be a bother to everyone,” you mumbled. Anthony sighed and looked at you. He then diverted his eyes back to the road. 

“You’re not bothering anyone, N/n.”

“Well, you’re gonna have to cancel your plans to the strip club or whatever you were gonna do!” You stressed. Anthony gasped like a TV mean girl.

“Did you really think we were gonna go to a strip club? Y/n, that’s private business, you don’t do that with your guys.” 

“Well, what then?” 

The mall, apparently. 

You and Anthony both stood with your necks craned to look at the proud and boasting sign, ‘mall of America’. He’d shut up after your question and just parked the car, leading you to stand exactly there, in front of that famous mall. 

“You’re gonna go shopping?” you looked at him. 

“Yeah, and what about it?” 

Before you could start another argument with Anthony, you heard a familiar ‘hey!’ and snapped your head in the direction of the caller. Winston, Sebastian, Chris, Robert and Mark were all gathered together, seemingly waiting for you two. 

“Hey, there you are! We were waiting for you,” Chris said with his usual big, dorky smile on his lips. Him and Anthony hugged and then he pulled back to look at you. 

“Y/n, you okay with spending your birthday with us?” 

“Whatever, man,” was all you could say, making the group burst into laughter. 

You would never admit it to Anthony, or any of the others for that matter, but it was actually a lot of fun. You went into many stores for no apparent reason. The guys bought and helped you make a Build-A-Bear, which you named Svenbjorn, and he had a little detective suit and a little bag. 

You ate at a Denny’s, where Mark unfortunately, but rather predictably, spilled maple syrup on himself. Then you looked around stores for fancy suits and clothes and gifts for their loved ones. Your mood was brightened, and the guys sure didn’t seem to be displeased that you were there. 

“Let’s go in here real quick,” Sebastian had said, and everyone walked with him into the clothing store. You hadn’t actually bought anything that day, so you decided that maybe it wouldn’t hurt to look around a bit.

“I’m gonna go to the women’s section,” you said, pointing to the area at the other end of the store. 

“Sure,” Robert waved you off, as him and the others crowded around a blue suit. You rolled your eyes and bounded off to the women’s area. 

Your eyes found a pretty yellow shirt hanging on a rack near the back. You quickly made your way to it, standing and admiring it, checking the fabric and the price. 

“Hey, babygirl,” a cocky voice sounded beside you. You turned your head to see a boy around your age, an ugly smirk on his lips. His words almost made you vomit the Denny’s pancakes you’d just eaten, but you shook off the feeling. 

“Uh, hey,” you mumbled, turning back to the shirt. Now you fiddled with it nervously. 

“What’s a pretty girl like you doing here alone, huh?” his voice was strangely predatory, something about it just didn’t sit right with you. It made you feel alerted and uncomfortable. 

“Looking at shirts..”

“I bet you’d look good in this one,” he said. You didn’t have to look to know he’d found some sheer-ass, see through, titty exposer. You did however peep, and, yes.. You were right. 

“Look, I’m not interested,” you sighed. 

“That’s too bad, girlie, I could make you feel real good.”

You scrunched up your nose in disgust. Your fingers gave up their grasp on the shirt, deciding that it would be best to just get out of there. The sound of your boots hitting the shiny floor sounded, as you began padding away.

“Hey, wait, where are you going?” you heard him walking behind you, the action of persistence making your heartbeat speed up. You were now panicking.

“Hey! Why are you following her?” you breathed out in relief. Winston was standing not too far away, Sebastian and Anthony behind him. He had lowered his voice to sound more threatening, which you normally would laugh at, but considering the situation, you were pretty relieved he did it. 

All the three men looked pretty damn angry. You didn’t know how much of the conversation they’d heard, but obviously enough. Hearing another set of boots, you snapped your head to see Chris, Mark and Robert jogging towards the scene. You made eye contact with Chris, who furrowed his brows in confusion. 

The boy was now looking at the six angry and buff men, swallowing fearfully. He was shaking and surely starting to sweat. You smirked. Asshole. You walked over to stand between Sebastian and Chris.

“Are you okay?” they both murmured, searching your eyes worriedly. The fact that they were so protective of you made you smile a bit. Although, the thought that you needed several men with you to the mall to protect you kind of sucked.

“I’m alright,” you said. Meanwhile, Winston, Anthony and Robert were approaching the kid with disapproving looks. 

“Didn’t your mom ever tell you to respect women? Huh?”

“What’s your issue, kid? You had such a big mouth just a moment ago?”

“Don’t ever talk to any woman like that ever again, you hear me?” 

They didn’t even touch him, just the anger and seriousness in their voices and on their faces was enough to get the message into the kids head. He nodded, breath shaking. Then, he dashed off between Winston and Anthony, running out of the store, like a dog with its tail between its hind legs. 

When the other three turned back to you, they were still angry. 

“I can’t believe him! I can’t believe that asshole!” Anthony muttered, disbelief ridden in his voice. Winston had grown softer, looking down at you in concern. 

“Are you okay, N/n? He didn’t touch you, did he?” You could tell he was actually worried. 

“No, no, nothing like that. It’s okay, guys, it really wasn’t that serious,” you explained, wanting them to calm down. You couldn’t be the reason why their ‘guys night’ was ruined.

“Not that serious? Y/n, he wasn’t backing off when you told him to!” Robert seemed even angrier that you were denying the severity of the issue. You just shrugged.

“This kind of stuff happens all the time, this time I just had you guys with me,” you explained. By the looks on their faces, that wasn’t the most reassuring answer. In fact, even Chris and Sebastian and Mark (the sweetest human being ever, theoretically incapable of feeling anger) were angry now, scoffing. 

“That’s not- That’s-” Chris put his hands on his hips like an angry mom. Sebastian squeezed your shoulder, making you look at him, to see his jaw clenched. 

“Y/n, if that ever happens to you, no matter how big or small, just call us, please,” Anthony said, eyes catching yours to express how serious he was. You nodded. “I mean that shit.” 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll call you.” 

There was a moment of silence where everyone just basked in their anger, before Mark spoke up. 

“Hey, how about we just continue as planned and go watch a movie at the cinema?” 

Reluctantly, everyone started walking to the cinema. You noticed how your walking formation had changed, almost caging you in, protecting you. Although you, Mark and Winston kept a pretty solid conversation, you couldn’t help but overhear the other’s talking about how angry they still were. Of course, they had every right to. 

The night turned out alright again, as they slowly shook off their anger. The movie was great, and it created something new to talk about other than the ‘disrespectful little shit from earlier’. 

When Anthony drove you both back to the hotel you were both staying at, he had another serious conversation with you. He talked about staying safe and keeping a backup weapon and such.

He wasn’t usually serious, so you listened carefully. You were thankful that they had been there that day. So were they. And from that day on they all were a little bit more protective with you - whether it was in interviews or just in daily life - they kept you close and was always slightly suspicious of anyone talking to you. 

It meant a lot to you, and you thanked them, both for their protection, for an awesome birthday, and for one bitchin’ build-a-bear :)

___________________________

Tag List:

@hera-the-writer @marvel-madness @40srogcrs @whatthefuckimbisexual @snarky–starky @garbage-potato @eviemarvel @lozzypoz321 @allthecreativeonesaretaken @missamericana713 @rororo06 @shady80smusicsingercolor @ireadfanficforfun

[binniesthighs]

two tails | reader x minho |

One 

Pairing: self insert, female reader x lee minho 

Genre: strangers to lovers, neighbors to lovers, fluff 

Tags: neighbors au, comfort fic, catowner!minho, catowner!reader, author!reader, bestfriend!seungmin, agedup!skz, slow burn, plot-driven, gradual romance, meet cute scenarios, lil bit of angst, strained parental relationship, explicit language 

Word count: 3.9k 

Chapters 

P | ONE | TWO

homebody noun 

: one whose life centers around the home. 

₍⸍⸌̣ʷ̣̫⸍̣⸌₎

Grocery stores are a cursed place. Horrible. You might have guessed that if there were to be a special layer of hell to be reserved for you (which you sure as hell wished there wasn’t) it would likely be a grocery store. 

Firstly, they are one of the messiest places that you could ever experience. Have you seen the ways that those beige-y grey floors get caked with dirt and smudges from who knows what? Have you seen the dirt and grime that hides under those produce shelves? Secondly, why is it that everyone always feels the need to get so close to eachother crammed in those isles? Why is it that you have to do that awkward shuffle when your cart and someone else’s cart gets in each other’s way and you have to do the “no you go first” and “no, you go first.” 

You prayed that you had been good enough in this life to escape some kind of grocery-store induced hellscape. 

Partly it was Bomi’s fault. Temperamental nuisance. Three days into her newest bag of cat food and she suddenly decided to go on a hunger strike. The internet  had told you that perhaps she just didn’t like the flavor. Little did the internet know that you had nearly already tried every other flavor there was, even the expensive ones. 

You stared down to your crinkled up list filled with the ramblings of an attempted grocery list and other absentminded doodles. 

DONT FORGET STUPID NEW CAT FOOD 

Under the reminder, you had drawn an angry little cat face with Bomi’s characteristic calico facial splotches. 

“Damn cat. You’re lucky that I still love you.” You uttered under your breath. 

The wheels of your cart screeched as you turned the corner into the pet isle. Of course, you were the lucky one that had to pick the cart that had only three functioning wheels and whined like your mother over the phone. You cringed to yourself, bearing through the sound and the two glances from a mother and her child throwing an obscenely large bag of dog food into their totally normal cart. 

You didn’t need to, but you mouthed a tiny “sorry” to them as you passed them. 

The tall metal racks appeared to touch those flickering fluorescent lights above them as you perused them, glancing over all of the brands which you had undoubtedly purchased one time or the other. 

Tuna, salmon, tuna and salmon, tuna and veggies, salmon and veggies... 

What would it be that Bomi would tolerate this time? Was it grains that she didn’t like? Wet food? 

Merely looking at the prices for the canned cat food sprung such a headache that you wished you hadn’t looked at them at all. But, if it was what your princess would eat... 

On the highest shelf, your gaze caught a brand that you hadn’t seen before, so you summoned your strength to stand on your tip-toes, stretching up your arm as far as you possibly could, teetering just a little... 

“Al...most--” 

“Here, I can get that, let me just--” 

“--Oh no, it’s fine, I can reach it, thank you--” 

“--It’s alright, I’ve almost got it...” 

His elegant fingers got tangled up with yours. Had your determination been any weaker, he would have snatched it up all himself, but...

He chuckled a little. “Are you sure?” 

You turned your head to affirm, “Positiv--Minho?” 

“Y/n?” 

You had finally had the little can in your grasp, only to feel it slip out of your fingers in your shock. 

The terrible sound of the aluminum can hitting Minho’s head and glasses bonked between your fumbling arms, working just too slow. 

“Ssss-OW!” 

Minho’s hand went immediately to rub at the top of his head with eyes tightly shut. 

“Oh my god!!! Are you okay?” 

Instinctually you swooped in to see if any harm had been done. 

“Ah-I’m fine, don’t--I’m fine.” 

Your neighbor patted down his head, trying to craft a smile for you under his painfully crossed brows. 

“Are you sure? I-I’m so sorry. God, I’m so stupid and clumsy, don’t you think that you have a concussion or something?” 

He laughed out a sharp chuckle, then winced at what the action did to his head. “I don’t think so.” 

“Are you sure about that?” If he could have heard, he would have noticed your heart anxiously beating at a hundred times per second. 

“It’s okay, really, I’ve had worse things thrown at my head.” 

“What the hell could be worse???” 

“You don’t want to know.” He maintained his hopeful grin. 

Even after being assaulted by cat food, he was still just as beautiful as you remembered. 

“Oh! Your glasses!! Where did those go??” 

Frantically, you spun around, shoving your cart aside with another startling screee. Quickly you found them nearest the bird seed. 

“Here. Here you go, I hope that they’re not broken.” 

“Mm-doesn’t look like it.” Minho inspected them. 

“Oh thank God.” 

He huffed out one more little scoff-sounding laugh. “At least you’ve got the cat food that you wanted now. 

“Yeah, but at what cost?” 

“I said don’t worry about me.” 

Minho fluffed his hair back into place, likely hiding another rub to his throbbing head. 

What even does one say to someone who you nearly wrecked with cat food? 

“You uhh--what are you doing here?” 

“The same as you, getting cat food.” Minho snatched a bag of food from a lower shelf. “With three mouths to feed you tend to run out pretty fast.” 

“Oh! I-uh...can imagine.” 

“Weird shopping here like I live here now...never thought that would happen. I’m still getting used to everything around here; never knew that I would end up back living with my mom...and at my age.” 

“Don’t-don’t feel bad! It’s a nice area around here! At least I think, and it’s a... nice grocery store...” 

You did not think that it was a nice grocery store, but it seemed like the right thing to say. 

Minho smiled back at you warmly, just as he had done back on your doorstep, tabby cat in his arms. You had wanted to see it again. 

“-Guess that means I’ll be seeing you around here more often too then.” He took the cat food can--his ex-assailant-- to drop into your cart. 

“I guess so...and sorry, again.”

“Really don’t worry about it!” Minho rolled up his hands into little sweater paws on the handle of his cart. “I’ll see you later then.” 

“See...you...” 

Your words trailed behind him, seeing as he had already started wheeling away. As soon as he was out of an earshot, you cursed yourself out terribly--another habit you had developed since living alone; you really were your only company. 

“God, Oh god. Now he thinks that I’m a recluse and a wreck, oh god--” 

“--Hey! Watch where you’re going!!” 

An old man with a newsboy cap griped before you nearly collided with him and his cart full of diet sodas. 

“Sorry!! I’m so sorry!” You bowed profusely in apology while removing yourself from the isle as fast as you could.

Grocery stores really were your own kind of personal hell. 

₍⸍⸌̣ʷ̣̫⸍̣⸌₎

The cold metal of the bus stop sign dissolved into your sweating forehead while you watched the springtime sunset fade out before you. It really was pretty, and it was just enough to distract you from how weighed down your backpack and numerous reusable bags felt. Had your hands been free, you would have taken a picture. 

What time is it even? 

Your watch was restricted by the number of straps around your wrists. Sometimes stepping outside of your home and onto the sidewalk was draining enough to make you feel like scurrying back inside. Big trips like this however, had you falling asleep in those uncomfy plastic chairs in (also) disgustingly messy buses. 

To your right, you heard the usual hum of the number 10 bus wheel up. 

“Wait! Wait!! Hold the bus!!” 

Hurried footsteps came patting behind you, followed with shallow running breaths. 

Hair bopping and cardigan flopping a little like wings behind him, Minho sprinted to the doors. 

“Take a seat ma’am.” The bust driver snapped you out of your embarrassment over seeing him one more time than you would have liked. 

“Ah-sorry, I will.” 

You shuffled your way near back of the bus and attempted to hide your face behind your bags decorated with none other than flowers and cartoon cats. 

“Please don’t see me, please don’t see me.” You chanted under your breath while your neighbor looked for a seat. 

“Y/n? Heh, I just keeping running into you don’t I?” 

“Minho!!!!” You piped, just a little too animatedly. “Huh! Didn’t figure I would see you here...too...” 

Minho slid into the booth across from you. “I mean, it makes sense, we’re going to the same place basically.” 

“Don’t you...have a car or something?” 

“I do, but I figured that the grocery store was close enough, although, I didn’t really factor in how all of this would weigh a ton.” 

“Hm, I never really do as well.” 

A pair of older lades glared over at the two of you, clearly displeased that you were disrupting their peaceful bus ride. Minho cowered under their piercing and aged brown eyes, then stealthily slid into the seat next to you. 

His washed out jeans brushed up against your leggings, and you felt your hairs stand on end. If there was someone out there who decided if you went to a hellscape grocery store, they must have also been able to mask the smell of your sweat. You hoped that they were listening to your pleading requests. 

“It’s a really a nice evening isn’t it?” 

Minho peered out your window at the little shops and bustling streets beside you. The sidewalks were decorated with little skinny trees here and there which had just started to bloom with the buds of leaves and flowers. There was a peaceful air about the scene that reminded everyone that the cold would soon be gone for good, and the sky swirled into pinks and purples. 

“Oh! Yes, yes it is.” 

You tried your best to ignore the fact he was leaning into you slightly. 

“So. What else do you do besides be a cat parent and a part-time chucker of canned goods?”

You wanted to crawl in a hole once you saw his adorable grin once more. “I-I have a job, a couple actually.” 

“A couple? And what are they?” 

“I teach online college courses in creative writing and English.” your glasses fell a little down your nose bridge, so you adjusted them accordingly, “I also edit for a small publishing company--but that’s more of a side thing.” 

“That’s...a lot of writing and things like that.” 

“Well, it’s what I went to school for, and, I don’t mind...although my mother--” 

“--Have you written anything yourself? Anything that I could read?” 

You felt your cheeks set ablaze with heat. “You?! Oh no no no no.” 

“What?” A mischievous grin overtook Minho’s adorable one. “Do you write provocative content?” 

“No! I do not!” Your tone turned more defensive than you had intended. 

“Well, what do you write? Even if you did write that kind of stuff, I wouldn’t mind. Provocative contents are trendy these days.” 

“I didn’t even say that I write in the first place!” 

“I just assumed seeing as you seem to do other things in this field...so, what do you write?” 

“It’s embarrassing, and I don’t owe you the knowledge!!” 

Minho reached over your fuming body to pull at the bus cord, letting out the little stop requested tune. 

“What is it that you do then?” 

“Something boring and business-y that you wouldn’t care to know about. It’s definitely not as interesting as what you do I’m sure.” 

Your neighbor gathered up his bags while the bus slowed to the stop. 

“You coming?” 

₍⸍⸌̣ʷ̣̫⸍̣⸌₎

[19:07] 

me: seung, i’m such a fool. you will not believe 

seungmo: should I even guess? what? Bomi yack during your online lecture again? 

me: no, worse. 

seungmo: i’m listening. 

i guess i don’t really have a choice though don’t I? 

you’re just gonna tell me anyway aren’t you? 

The cat in question purred in your lap, permitting you your usual one hour of cat-attention a day like she would during the evenings. After your day of embarrassment, you had hunkered down on your favorite place on the couch, swaddled in blankets with the TV playing some nature show that you had been trying to pay attention to. Somehow, the thought that Minho living just doors away made it all seem even worse; you were bound to see him again. 

You bit your lip and started tapping away at your phone screen, regaling the entire tale to your best friend--who frankly had enough of your awkward “you-isms.” However, no matter how socially insecure you were, Seungmin appeared to stick by you. In fact, it was one of your “you-isms” that had brought the two of you together. 

Four years ago at that pet shelter where you had got Bomi, Seungmin was there too looking for a dog. It was Bomi’s skittish self that leapt out of her cage and into Seungmin’s arms when his dog started barking. Bomi had nearly destroyed Seungmin’s sweater by the way that she had clawed into him. Of course, you took her crime upon yourself and insisted on buying him a new sweater. After an exchange of phone numbers, he hadn’t gotten bored of you yet. Bomi had always liked him more than you--the traitor. 

[19:18] 

me: ...and then he showed up on the bus, just as I had thought that I had escaped, and then started berating me about what I do for a living. 

seungmo: are you sure he wasn’t just asking questions, NOT berating? 

me: it felt like it. 

seungmo: and why are you telling me all of this? 

me: bc I wanted you to give me some comfort?? or reassurance?? isn’t that what friends do? 

seungmo: what do you want me to say? I’m sorry, that was really embarrassing? get over it? stuff like that happens to you all the time y/n, I don’t know why you are making such a big teal of it. 

*deal of it. 

me: wow, you’re being of such help. 

seungmo: you’re overthinking it. as always. 

me: but i’ll have to SEE HIM again. 

Seungmin’s little three writing dots disappeared, and you waited in silent anxiety for what he would say next. 

[19:24] 

seungmo: you’ve got a crush on him don’t you 

₍⸍⸌̣ʷ̣̫⸍̣⸌₎

The evening sky had darkened, and you felt the air temperature begin to drop. It wasn’t unbearable however, and you had prepared yourself well with your giant sheep-like blanket wrapped around your shoulders. The cold wire chair that you sat in was undoubtedly pressing shapes into your bare legs crossed up on it, but you never seemed to mind it. 

Bomi yowled behind the sliding glass door to your backyard, so you allowed her to exit, making her a much happier cat. The two of you enjoyed these nights together deeply--they almost felt like a brief escape from life. Bomi would sneak around the edges of the fence, sniffing and looking rather suspicious when her green eyes would glow in the light of the house. Your glasses likely looked the same reflecting the light from your computer screen. 

You took one more sip of tea, then opened up your internet. A couple clicks, and you found the notification screen on your page. 

hearts: 267 

shares: 19 

comments: 21

Your eyes scanned over the little paragraphs that some of your readers had written for you. It made your heart swell with immense joy seeing the way that they had analyzed and picked apart every little part of your prose and how they would write IN ALL CAPITIAL LETTERS about how excited they were for your next chapter. 

~

I can’t wait for the next chapter! I’m DYING to know what was in that chest!! I really hope that Bomi can trust Davers. He just seems a little shady to me >////< 

YOU’RE INSANE FOR THIS. The fact that Bomi could fight off the dragon while Blaze was confessing his feelings for her??? I could never lollll 

 P L E A S E protect little Herbie. He’s such a cutie. I wish that hedgehog companions were real, I would take one with me everywhereeeee 

N/n, your writing is so so pretty!! I felt like I was right there in the scene with them! The way that you described the enchanted fountain had me drooling ahhh you’re such an inspiration to me as a writer!!! 

Blaze fanclub?? i’m trying to see somethin’ 

~

“If Blaze were real, I’d be the president of that fanclub.” You laughed out to yourself. 

Suddenly, you found you thoughts shifting from your dreamy Blaze to someone much less fictional. 

Crushes on boys who were real was much better than one’s who weren’t. It was nice admitting it to yourself at last. 

“Ahhhh” You sighed out, doing a little happy dance in your seat, then opened up the chat box to return to the replies. 

After responding to as many as you could, you opened up a new chapter. 

Chapter 22 

Blaze wiped off his sword, stained with the steel blue blood of the dragon, still steaming with heat underfoot. His disheveled deep black trellises were coated in his own sweat but it didn’t make him look any less dashing--per usual. 

“Princess Bomi, you still haven’t answered my question.” 

Bomi sheathed her own sword, then inspected her wooden shield for any more damage. For a moment, she thought that the claw marks made it look even more beautiful and intimidating. 

“Blaze. You know that I can’t talk about romance at a time like this, have you forgotten that the kingdom as stake?”  

₍⸍⸌̣ʷ̣̫⸍̣⸌₎

Bomi perched at her usual spot in the window, eyes fluttering closed before she would take her nap that would last for nearly the whole afternoon. You would have been lazing with her, but that would have to wait another hour or so: with your newest paycheck, you had decided to deliver some new flowers to yourself for your garden. 

The little array was spread out before you: yellow and purple pansies, pink tulips, fuchsia and baby pink peonies, and dainty while lilies of the valley were arranged where you had planned to adorn your front lawn. The aroma of the flowers lingering in the air was enough to make you feel as if you had transported yourself to the very magical gardens that you would be writing about that evening. 

A pair of songbirds chittered past, carrying their whistles behind them. For a brief moment, the sun shone directly onto your arms spotted with dirt and filled your whole body with warmth. Nothing was more peaceful than this. You took to work, crackling them out of their plastic pots, and digging at the earth in holes to hold them down. After a while, you felt the dew from the grass start to soak into your work-jeans, but it was a welcome little cool feeling. Next, you popped up to hose them down with your little attachment that made the water cascade like a rain-shower. You admired for a moment how the water would create little rainbows from the spray. 

“Ahem, uh-hi there!” 

You choked out a gasp before swinging around, aiming the hose like your sword to the startling voice. 

“STAY BACK!!’ 

You pointed the stream directly at them, only in your horror to see your neighbor, trademark cardigan and all, soaking wet from your weapon. 

“GOD! That’s cold.” 

The fabric hung onto him, adhering to every part of his body which was much more toned than you had expected.

Minho looked absolutely bewildered as the water dripped off his frame with sad little pat pat pats on the concrete sidewalk. 

“Oh God. Oh God. Minho, I’m so so sorry. I-I can’t believe that I keep doing this to you--” 

You nearly felt like crying, but for fear of embarrassing yourself further, you decided to turn around quickly in search of your rags. They were garden rags, but dry nonetheless. 

“Here, here, I-I think that these should help.” 

You dabbed at his body, although it was clear that this wasn’t helping in the slightest. 

“Stop, stop,” He pushed your hands away. “I just live next door, I’ll live being a little drenched.” 

“You realize that's an oxymoron right?” Your nervous hands continued dabbing. 

“A what??” Minho kindly laughed at your frantic hands. 

“It’s a...writing thing. Sorry...” 

“I really need to be careful around you don’t I?” 

Your mouth crinkled into a flustered line. “M’sorry.” 

“Can you quit apologizing?? Here, I came over to give you these, my mom made some extra side dishes so she wanted me to bring them over to you.” 

“Oh.” He handed you the little bundle of Tupperware containers. “Thanks.” 

“She also, or--I mean--I wanted to invite you over so that you could meet my cats...and! my mom. My mom too.” 

“You want me to come over?” 

“I did mention that I wanted to a little while ago didn’t I?” 

“Oh! You did...” 

“Does next Saturday work? Around 5?” 

“I-I can do five.” You brushed your muddied hand across your sweating brow. 

Minho scoffed, “You’ve...got something...on your...” 

“Oh! Oops.” You tried your best to wipe off the dirt, but you didn’t know you had only made it worse. 

Minho squeezed out his soaked sleeve to carefully raise it to your forehead. “Here, like this.” 

This close to you, his brown eyes deeply shone with the color of coffee, chocolate, the bark of forest trees after a spring rain, and a million other things that your writer brain could compare them to. 

“There. It’s all gone.” 

For a moment, you wondered if you really had fantasized him, or if he really was real. For you, you wouldn’t have been surprised if he was some kind of figment of your imagination: they usually were. 

₍⸍⸌̣ʷ̣̫⸍̣⸌₎

[1 missed call, Mom, 09:12] 

“Y/n are you there? Why is it that you never pick up your phone? I’ve told you so many times that you should pick up when I call. What if it’s an emergency? What if someone’s died?? Nevermind, I wanted to call and tell you my friend’s daughter is getting engaged and I’ve been invited to the bridal party. I think that you should come with. It’ll be good to get you out of that house. 

Why is it that you haven’t gotten yourself married yet? You know that you aren’t getting any younger?? Either way, call me back. You’ll need to bring a gift too. Its impolite to show up without a gift. 

Ah, I almost forgot. Your brother got a promotion at work; I’m not sure if he’s told you. We’ll be having dinner to celebrate this weekend. Can I count on you to be there? 

Also, how is the job search going? Your father has some more connections for you to speak to. You need to take advantage of every one of them. You’re so close to getting something that really matters. I can feel it. Ah, I just feel like you’re wasting away there sitting at that computer with those silly classes. It’s like, barely any contribution at all. You could be making so much more money. 

Anyway, call me back once you hear this. 

love you sweetie, talk soon. 

i know that its tuesday and i said I would publish on mondays shhh just pretend I published this yesterday ooP 

[echos-newlegs]

I return with part two of this fic. I dunno how good it will be, started it at 11:37pm because I can’t sleep lmao. I found a prompt list tho and I’ll be posting that shortly 😳. Also I am a Tom boy so please excuse this chapter. I dunno words of things or how most girls dress up for dates. I’ve never been on one, and my purse is deep, blue Jean, pockets and a Star Wars wallet ✌️🥸

Warnings: Implied sexual themes, it doesn’t go into depth though. I may write the hanky panky in a separate chapter if y’all want.

Part one - This is part two

You and Echo hung out anytime he made his return to Corusant. It could be days after, or even months. Echo always had this horrid feeling that one mission would go wrong, and he wouldn’t be able to see you again. Or that you would decided seeing a clone wasn’t worth it, and move on. If you would even consider what the two of you had as, ‘seeing one another.’ You on the other hand were just worried for his safety. He didn’t make you feel self conscious or like he would move on and find someone new. He was so loyal, even if what you had wasn’t official.

After nearly six months of knowing one another. Seeing each other a near twelve times, bringing both you and your daughter back a gift after each mission. Or just a fun story about he and his brothers for the two of you. Though, Echo finally asked the last time if he could officially take you on a date. One with just the two of you. He adored your daughter, but having a five year old running around did tend to kill the mood, and you understood. Nearly jumping into his arms with a grin as you kissed his cheek. Blurting ‘yes!’ almost a little, too excitedly.

You were just getting ready to leave your house. Purse hung over your shoulder as your shoes clicked on the tile of your kitchen. You weren’t wearing anything super fancy, you didn’t wanna overwhelm yourself or Echo. It was still casual, but it was nicer than your normal. Exiting the house and locking the door behind you, after making sure the lights were all off for the thousandth time. When Echo came up behind you with a grin. “You ready?” He asked, you jumped a bit and you turned to see him. He wasn’t in his armor for once, nor his blacks. Which he would occasionally lounge around your home in until— who you learnt was his brother Fives— was ready to leave.

You smiled and swatted at his arm. “Warn a girl before sneaking up on her,” you teased. Echo tittering a bit. “Not my fault you’re always so jumpy,” “am not,” “Y/N, I could argue differently. You nearly punched me last time I saw you because your daughter let me in the house.” You scoffed, the two of you beginning your stroll down the street to who knows where. “You deserved it, not like I expected someone in full armor to be standing in my kitchen eating Star cherry dessert!” Echo laughed at that, causing you to laugh with him.

The two of you continued your stroll. You were thankful to have a night to yourself. Plus C/N got a night with friends. “Where are we going, anyways?” You asked, looking to your side to see Echo grinning. “You’ll see.” Was all he said. You weren’t really one for surprises. You were impatient and somewhat stubborn, and he knew this. Causing a sigh to leave your lips as the two of you strolled the dim lit streets.

Echos hand brushed against yours, fingers reaching to catch yours. You accepting his offer. Taking his hand into your own and leaning against his side a bit. You could of swore you heard him release a breath, too. Making you smile a bit more. In all honesty, even if the two of you just walked around the city, you would be the happiest person alive. Internally squealing when his thumb started rubbing over the back of your hand.

You came up to a diner, tilting your head a bit. “Echo, I could have made us something.” You spoke, looking over to him and he shook his head. “No no, this is supposed to be us relaxing and spending time with each other. Not me making you cook.” You were about to argue with him, but the look he gave you made you close your mouth and nod in agreement. “Alright, but I’m paying for myself.” Echo snickered and pulled you inside. “Alright, fine, deal.”

The two of you sat at a booth by the window. Across from one another as music played in the background, faintly. You both gazed over the menu, deciding what looked best. “You ever been here, Echo?” You asked, looking up to catch his gaze. “No, actually, but I’ve wanted to try it, have you?” You nodded, “I work here,” you added with a grin as you watched his smile fade. “Oh, I uh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” You snickered, shoving him from across the table. “Echo, I’m kidding, I work at a repair shop. I used to work here though, back when I was a teen.” You added and he smiled once more. Stars, how you could watch him smile for hours.

He raised a brow and stared at you, interested. “You repair things, like what?” “Speeders, droids, tech, you name it. It was something I learnt from my dad and brothers, and it pays the rent.” You added and he nodded. “Might have to have you look over my communicator for my helmet some time,” and you hummed in thought. “It’ll cost you,” he raised his brows. Grin only widening. “Oh yeah, and what’s the price?” Though before you could even think of a response the waitress was there with a pen in hand. “What will the lovely couple have to drink.” The comment caught you both off guard, blushing and rambling. “Oh,” “we’re not-“ “he’s just-“ “A friend?” The waitress asked, a hip popped out as she smiled mischievously at the two. “Uh huh, and I work here for fun. What’ll it be for drinks?”

The two of you stared at her and then glanced at each other. You speaking up first, since it was obvious Echo had no idea what he wanted. “A Star Cherry malt, please.” The waitress nodded, and wrote it down. “Just one or two?” “Just one,” Echo interrupted you before you could speak. You glanced over to catch him smile. “Alright, one Star cherry malt on its way.” And off she went.

The moment she returned with the drink Echos eyes lit up with curiosity. “Do you two need a moment before you order?” “Yes please, ma’am,” you spoke, and she nodded. Walking off again. You looked back to Echo and raised a brow. “Have you ever had a malt?” He shook his head, ‘no.’ You would have been surprised, if he hadn’t acted like you made gold each time he ate with you at home. “No, on Kamino, we were...” he trailed off a bit. “Programmed to not intake sweets. It messes with our energy.” He added and you snorted. “It messes with everyone’s energy, hun. Now try some. If you like the cookies I bake, then you should like this flavor.” He didn’t think twice before taking one of the straws and taking a drink.

His eyes were focusing. Eyebrows raised. Pulling back to look at you with a childish grin. “So?” “It’s amazing! Why do I even listen to anyone besides you, I’ve been hidden from everything!” He exclaimed and you couldn’t help but giggle. Pointing out some of your favorites on the menu. He stuck to some simple things. The two of you splitting fries and eating burgers. Absolutely enjoying your time together.

Once finished, you paid, like you said you would. He didn’t argue either. The two of you walking home, hand in hand. “When will you be back?” You asked, expecting he would have to leave the moment you got back to yours. “Tomorrow, if you’ll let me? We don’t leave for our next mission until the day after, I technically don’t even have to be back to the bunks tonight. I could crash on your couch if I wanted.” He told you. You looking up to him with a grin. “You know, the heater in my apartment went out, I’m doubtful you’d want to stay on my couch.” You spoke, looking down towards your feet. Him sighing and pulling you closer. Draping an arm over your shoulders. “Well, now I want to more, I thought you fixed things anyways?” He asked and you furrowed your brows with a grin. Pulling your keys out and unlocking your door when the two of you got to your place.

You pushed the door open and pulled him inside. Shutting it behind the two of you. “I do, but no ones asked me to. I don’t just hand out help for free, you know.” You told him. Making it a point to drag your hand up his arm as you walked off down the hall. Flipping on the lights. You knew he was right behind you, too. Following you like a lost dog. “So, did you wanna stay the night?” You asked, looking back to him, and he shrugged. Licking his lips as he looked around and then back to you. “I can, if you’ll let me. I can get out of your hair, if you want me to?” He asked. “Come back tomorrow.” You shook your head with a grin. “No need, we can watch a movie and lay on the couch for a bit, then you can keep me warm tonight.” You added with a wink. Snickering at the taken back expression he gave you. “I’ll return, I’m going to go change, you get comfy, Echo.” You murmured and he nodded. “Sure thing, Cyar’ika.” He added, and pulled his nice clothes off. Blacks resting underneath as they normally were.

When you returned your hair was down, what little makeup you had on was removed, plus you were in your sleep wear. Baggy clothing that made you look smaller in his eyes, but he loved it. He was sitting on the couch already, waiting for you to return. You smiled and grabbed the remote as you sat next to him with a sigh. Looking over at his awkward form. Scrunched together, hands to himself. He didn’t cease to surprise you. How one second he could be touchy, and the next moment too embarrassed to even hold your hand anymore. “You know, you don’t have to keep your hands to yourself.” You added. Looking at the screen. Finding a holovideo for the two of you to watch. Or even just have it as background noise.

Your lips pressed together when he eventually wrapped his arm around you. Pulling you against him as you rested your head against his shoulder. Neither of you were really paying attention to the screen at this point. Too distracted by one another’s presence. Hands eventually finding one another. “What does.. Cyar’ika mean?” You asked. Looking up to him with a curious and innocent gaze. A blush creeping up the back of his neck as he pretended to pay attention to what was happening in the holo. “It uh..” He stammered, you listening intently. “It means, sweetheart. Or Darling.” He admitted. Glancing down to meet your gaze. You were in awe, really. It really did mean the world to you.

Then you got an idea. Eyes darting down to his lips, and then back to his eyes. “I think I know what it’ll cost for me to look at your helmet,” Echo was curious now. Turning a bit to face you with a small smile. “Oh, and what is that?” You sat up a bit more. Leaning a bit closer to his face. “A kiss.” You murmured, lips ghosting against his. His hands moving to hold at your waist and his attention was all yours now. Both of your faces heated red. Hearts pounding in your chest. You squirming a bit under his touch and gaze. “Then what are you waiting for?” He asked, and that was all you need before your lips met his.

The kiss was soft, everything you imagined from the Arc Trooper. Hands reaching up to cup the sides of his face as your lips danced a slow rhythm. Humming a bit into the kiss as he pushed you back and down against the couch. Shifting himself to he was placed in between your legs, hovering above you.

When your lips parted you nearly whined. The two of you panting, eyes half lidded. Eyes roaming each other’s faces. “You ready for bed yet?” You asked with a small smile and a smirk. Echo grinning down at you. Though this grin was a bit wolffish, wild. Full of mischief. “Is that even a question, cyare?” He asked, voice a bit gruff as he leant down and captured your lips again. Before moving off and lifting you from the couch. Carrying you back into your room. Legs and arms wrapping around him as the two of you were a bunch of giggling messes. Kissing here and there as he scurried off with you in your arms. That night you and him both kept warm, almost too warm at some points.

[reikoackerman]

Off Days with Levi (ii)

Characters: Levi x Rei (me)

Genre: Modern!au

Warnings: SFW, fluff. Extremely self-indulgent.

A/N: I love doing self-inserts like this, it helps me cope with life. Also I'm feeling a little emo so LET ME DO WHAT I WANT

It was the day of our weekly grocery trip, which was one of the things Levi and I enjoyed doing the most. Parking the car, Levi and I put on our face masks and went into the shopping mall. It was rather crowded for a weekday, which was quite unusual.

Levi took out a dollar coin and inserted it into the trolley, and we started going down the list of things we needed to get; fruits and vegetables, detergent, milk, and dog food. We were about to go to the fruits section when something caught my eye.

"Hey, Levi," I patted Levi's arm when we were near the meat section. "Should we get some ham? It's on offer,"

"What f—"

"Hi there, ma'am! We're having a discounted sale for this kurobuta ham today," Levi was interrupted by the counter staff.

"Usually it's $4.00 per 100g, today we're having it as a discounted price of $2.35 per 100g," The lady offered us a sample plate. Levi and I took one each. Hmm. It was delicious. "I'm sure your husband wouldn't mind buying some since it's cheaper than usual."

My eyes widened when I heard the word 'husband'. "O-oh, no, he's—"

"Ahem. We'll have 200g of whatever ham that is, thanks." Levi cut my speech and told the lady as he threw the toothpick away. The staff packed our ham, pasted the price tag, and passed it to Levi.

"Thank you for your patronage, sir. Have a good day! You and your wife look really good together." The lady bowed to us as we left. Tch, and I thought he wouldn't want to get them since it wasn't on our to-buy list.

We slowly strolled towards the fruits and vegetables section. As we continued down the aisles, I realised that Levi had been silent since buying the ham. He looked like he was deep in thought too.

"Levi?" I nudged his arm.

"W-what?"

"What's wrong? You look dazed and confused." Looking at him closely, Levi's cheeks were slightly tinted red. Is he feeling sick? Levi only gave me a blank look, gaping like a goldfish.

"Rei. Do you like the idea of being addressed... as Mrs Ackerman?" Levi muttered after a few seconds of silence.

What? I nearly dropped the fuji apple that I was holding. So that's what was on his mind?

"What are you saying? Of course I'll be thrilled to be called Mrs Ackerman, silly," putting the apples in our trolley, I took Levi's hand.

"I don't care about the status, really. As long as I get to spend forever with you, I'll be happy." Levi gently pinched my cheek and gave me a smile.

"I like how we are now too. But trust me, one day I'll make you become Mrs Ackerman."

Levi gave me a kiss on the back of my hand, and draped his arm around my waist. Pushing the trolley, we walked down the aisle, continuing our grocery run.

Maybe in a few years from now, we will be walking down a different aisle.

[iampikachuhearmeroar]

honestly i hate how everything is becoming a subscription service these days. like on my fb watch feed over the last few days, i’ve been getting this aussie journalist lady’s instagram what she calls “instababble” videos where she just sits down and rants about shit in front of a camera, while she gets ready for the day. but in the description on one of them, she lists the things she’s like grateful (???) for, for the week, i think and like….. one of them is a dog poo bag subscription service- YES you read that right a DOG POO BAG SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE where i assume that a month’s supply of dog poo bags get sent to your door for only like $10 a month or something.

like. just fucking. go to a pet store and idek a supermarket pet isle and buy them???? like i get it might be for “time poor” working people or even disabled people (good service for them if they’ve got a dog)- cutting out the middle man of needing to go to the shops to pick up a idk $7 pack of 30 dog poo bags….. but what a fucking waste of $10 a month for normal able bodied people??? especially when you get marketed to have 50+ streaming services, 3 different meal kit services, spotify/pandora/youtube premium et al for music and podcast streaming, audible for audiobooks (as i’ve whinged before on here, which is the most expensive audiobook service here in australia at almost $20 a month- ie $16.49- and you still HAVE TO PAY for the audiobooks on audible instead of getting them bundled into your subscription like scribd does), dollar shave club and/or manscaped for all your bathroom shaving needs (which i hate to say it: i’ve actually considered getting thanks to the constant asmr sponsorship ads for them over the last couple of years) and fuck knows what the fuck else that apparently needs to be like “revolutionised” into a subscription tier program.

just what a fucking ridiculous subscription service. dog poo bags. for the love of fuck. just fuckin get to a pet store or a grocery store to pick them up… like when you can. and obvs people will be like “well you obvs don’t have a dog- it’s much easier to have this subscription so i don’t have to remember to go out to buy my designer bred dog’s poo bags every week/month. just $10 a month and they’re delivered straight to my door ready for ALL THE WALKIES for my precious milo ☺️☺️” but bro. why $10 a month (or $120 a year) for ANOTHER subscription for something as trivial (in a sense) as dog poo bags??? oh! i forgot! the toilet paper one but it’s “more environmentally friendly” than store bought toilet paper or whatever the fuck it is. just. it’s ridiculous.

like who has a spare $10 (or whatever the actual price was i didn’t bother listening to this woman’s video- but the standard sub price is almost always around $9.99/$10 a month for a basic sub service) laying around for this service when wages don’t even cover rent/food/bills to just live and exist, and every other streaming and ad infinitum other sub service that people consider or are signed up to for various shit??? like i’d get it if you don’t live near a pet shop. but if you have one close to you, just go there to pick them up???? pick up the poo bags in the grocery store next to your dog’s fave dog food??? like honestly. what the actual fuck else menial/trivial/inconsequential thing are they going to turn into a subscription service???? i swear to fucking god i’m going to go fucking insane.

on top of this, i hate when things you’re ALREADY subbed to, say like antivirus software, expect you to add like an extra $40 to your already expensive yearly subscription just for “new features”. like my norton antivirus is currently hounding me every time i use my windows laptop; to add an extra $US30 (but really $50 in australian $$) privacy or dark web safety or identity protection or whatever the fuck extension feature to my already expensive like $100 (bc i only have 1 device on it) a year subscription. my mcfee one used to be like $150 a year bc they loved charging for 4 devices when i only ever used it on my hp windows laptop bc it came “free” with it when we bought it…. and i hated mcfee bc it slowed down my laptop SO fucking much. but anyway. my point is the new feature i keep getting hounded for should already be rolled into my subscription, and not an extra $50 a year sub seperate program feature subscription on something that already costs me a fair amount each year.

and finally. how do these programs work when they deliver during the day while you’re at work??? do they leave the stuff by your front door or letter box (or another hopefully safe place at your house/flat etc) or do you have to pick it up from the post office after work or before work the next day??? like obvs you’d probs indicate in the delivery options part of the check out on where to leave them. but how inconvenient would it be when your dog poo bags aren’t on your doorstep when you get home, but instead they’re at the post office waiting to be picked up all bc they’re apparently a “sign only” item at your door??? get fucked. just get them from the pet shop/while grocery shopping instead if there’s no leave out of weather/in a safe place option like there are for many clothes websites (and they’re the only ones i shop on now tbh).

[alohaphonerepairbytcawireless]

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A: While our shop is in Honolulu we're just a short drive from Ewa Beach. Plus, we offer same-day service for many repairs so you can drop off your phone and hit the beach while you wait.

Q: My phone battery conks out super fast. How much does a battery replacement set me back? Do you provide phone repair services for all phone models?

A: The cost of a battery replacement depends on your phone model. We offer phone repair services for a wide variety of phones so we can probably replace your battery. Give us a call or visit our shop for a free quote.

Q: I live in Mililani. Are there any good phone repair places near me or will I have to drive for ages?

A: If you're looking for phone repair near me in Mililani your best bet is to visit our shop in Honolulu. We're a quick drive away and we offer fast and reliable service.

Q: I dropped my phone while I was hiking in Kaneohe. Now the screen is kaput. Do you guys do phone screen repair?

A: You betcha! We fix cracked screens on all kinds of phones. Bring your phone to our shop and we'll get you sorted out.

Q: I need iPhone repair near me in Pearl City. Where are you guys located?

A: Our shop is in Honolulu which is a bit of a drive from Pearl City. But we offer excellent iPhone repair service at affordable prices so we think it's worth the trip!

Q: I went swimming with my phone in my pocket at Kailua Beach Park and now it's dead as a doornail. Do you offer water damage phone repair?

A: Oh no! That's a bummer. But yes, we have experience in repairing phones with water damage. Bring your phone to our shop and we'll see what we can do.

Contact Us

Don't let a broken phone ruin your week. If you're in Waipahu and need phone repair swing by Aloha Phone Repair by TCA Wireless in Honolulu. We fix all makes and models and we offer fast, affordable and reliable service.

Aloha Phone Repair by TCA Wireless - Honolulu

Address: Inside Don Quijote, 801 Kaheka St, Honolulu, HI 96814, United States

Phone: +1 (808) 944-8886

[sideshowyelling]

Knocked Down, Dragged Out, pt. 1

I decided I wanted to post this properly here instead of just a link. V meets a ripper, one that’s too good for the slums of Night city...

“That’s not his real name. I refuse to believe that’s his actual name.”

Really it had been the way that Jackie had talked Viktor up as a whole that made him seem too good to be true, like some unobtainable perfect ripper who would be able to patch V up no matter what shit show they had just gone through time and time again. Good work, trustworthy guy, and cheap? The guy might as well have been a walking contradiction if anything Jackie was telling him actually held any weight. Most of the time you were lucky to get two out of three, and finding someone who was the whole package deal… well V had always figured that they would have a better chance at winning one of those rigged fucking lottery pools than finding someone like Jackie was describing.

“Viktor Vektor? Sure fuckin’ is, his mama gave him that name. Think she must have hated him or somethin’… I’m telling you though V, Ol’ Vik’s the best in town, mark my fuckin’ word.” Jackie said, leaning against the food stall that the two had stopped at for a bite to eat just outside of V’s megabuilding.

“Yeah? There’s ripperdocs all over town, what makes this one so special?” V asked, not bothering to look up from their own takeout container that they were doing little more than picking from at this point.

“What can I say? He’s got the magic touch, make you feel better than you have in years, I guarantee.” Jackie said.

It wasn’t hard to see just how excited Jackie was to be able to introduce V to Viktor, to make a connection between an old friend, and his newest partner in crime. He’d been mentioning that he had a guy he wanted to have V meet if they were going to be working together as closely as they were, they needed someone who could put them back together again after a rough job if they were ever going to really make it big in this city after all. This wasn’t just a doctor to Jackie though, no, this guy was so much more and it showed.

“Come on Jack, is he a ripper or a joy-toy? I really can’t tell with the way you’re talking about him...” V asked.

The laughter that got out of Jackie was a bit surprising to V, but it was deep and genuine so it brought a smile to their face all the same. “Oh man, tell that one to his face, he’ll get a good laugh out of it too.” Jackie said, finally finishing up his own food before he tossed his to-go container into a nearby trashcan as he stood up from his seat. V followed suit, crossing their arms over their chest as they followed after him. Jackie may have been just about as excited as V had ever seen him before, but they still had their apprehensions about the whole thing.

“If he’s so good at what he does, and for fuckin’ zilch compared to the prices of some other docs around town, then… why the hell haven’t I heard of him before? I’m no fixer but I still keep a pretty damn good ear to the ground, especially in this part of town.” They said.

“Simple, cause he deals in referrals only for his appointments. Doc’s gotta be able to trust their patient every bit as much as their patient’s gotta trust them, right? I haven’t brought too many chooms to see him before, so consider yourself lucky V, you’re getting the preem slumcare-healthcare today.” Jackie said.

“Low prices and a short patient list, sounds like a good way to go out of business to me.” V said with a shake of their head, staring down at the ground as they made their way through the streets with Jackie at their side. Just a short walk from their apartment was what Jackie had told them. How fucking convenient.

“Trust me, it ain’t about the money for him, V, you’ll see.” Jackie assured, clapping V on the shoulder and dragging them closer until they were walking side to side with Jackie’s arm thrown over them. They looked up at him, and the excited gleam in his eyes was enough to ease their concerns just a little bit.

Their short walk ended with them standing inside one of the last places that V expected to be that day; a shop front that not only dealt in spiritualism, an already niche interest in a city so grounded and built on the bodies of corporate sellouts, but one that was ran by Jackie’s own damn girlfriend. She might have been the last person they expected to see, but V greeted her with a smile all the same, giving a quick look around the eclectic shop at the trinkets and knick-knacks for sale as Jackie went to lean across the front desk to steal a kiss from Misty.

“Hey baby, Vik ready for us yet?” Jackie asked, and Misty shook her head, pointing her thumb towards the back of the shop as she spoke.

“Not yet, he’s got Laurie down there right now. She was running real late today and… well, you know Vik, he’s not gonna turn her away unless he has to, not when she was as haggard looking as she was when she finally got here. Shouldn’t be long now though, I’ll let you know as soon as his chair’s empty and wiped down.” She said, looking between V and Jackie both before motioning to her own empty shop chair. “Maybe while you’re waiting I could offer you some of my services? On the house...”

“Awwe, ain’t that sweet, V? VIP treatment for the both of us.” Jackie said, pushing himself off the counter and making his way over to the chair to have a seat while they waited.

“I can’t say I’m surprised Jackie,” V said, watching as a small smirk spread on Misty’s lips, and her eyes stayed locked on him as she followed Jackie over towards her chair to kneel down beside him. “I think the shopkeep has a bit of a crush on you...”

“Oh yeah? Maybe I ought to see if I can get her number then...” Jackie mused with a playful wink aimed at his girlfriend, already admiring the hit of a flush on her cheeks with his light teasing.

“If you don’t I sure as hell will...” V said, though no sooner than the words left their lips did V lift their hands up in a defensive way when Jackie shot them the nastiest look he could, silently daring them to continue that train of thought. “Kidding, you know I’m kidding. Not about to step on any toes, especially not yours. Besides, you two might as well be pure sugar, gonna make me fuckin’ puke with how sweet guys are…. You better tip her well though, Jackie, I mean it.”

“Oh I tip her real good V, don’t you worry about that.” Jackie said, cackling to himself before grunting as Misty reached out to place her hand in the center of Jackie’s chest and give him a little shove to get him laying back flat in the chair. She may not have been the strongest person ever, but V knew better than to assume she couldn’t handle herself. Once Jackie was laid back in the chair, he gave her a sheepish grin and the best puppy dog eyes he could muster, but she didn’t seem as weak to them as V was.

“Watch what you’re saying, Jackie, or when V heads down I’ll pull out my acupuncture kit.” Misty said lowly.

V watched as Jackie’s expression quickly morphed into a pained grimace, and he jabbed a thumb up towards Misty as he turned towards V to explain. “She’s still learning...” He said grimly, before tilting his head back to look up at Misty again. “Babe, you know I’m more than happy to let you practice on me, but V’s appointment ain’t gonna last long enough for somethin’ like that. Just introducing them to Vik and getting them in his system, you know?”

“Ooh, that’s right,” Misty said, turning her attention over to where V was busy flipping through a little booklet that Misty had set out for sale on star signs. “You haven’t met Viktor before, have you? Are you Nervous, V?” She asked.

For a moment V paused and looked up in thought, because really their anxiety about the appointment had been coming and going since the night before. They couldn’t quite place why, but it would creep up on them at odd moments. Here and now though, when they were watching Jackie and Misty talk about it with excited looks in their eyes… “No? Not really, why? Should I be?” They asked. “With the way Jackie has been talking about the guy, it sounds like I’m about to have a new best friend.”

“I meant more… well, just going to see a new ripper can be a little stressful sometimes, especially one not as well known. He doesn’t get new patients very often, and there’s not a lot of buzz on the street about him, and that can make some people uneasy.” Misty said with a small smile. “Dr. Vektor’s got a bit of a grumpy face, sure, but he’s actually a sweetheart if you’re doing good by him.” She assured.

“Oh-ho Misty you better be careful talking about Vik like that, would hate to get him griping about people thinking he’s ‘going soft’ or something like that.” Jackie said with a deep laugh.

“Where the hell did you even meet this guy, Jack?” V asked.

“Met him in a fight actually, boxing match years ago that was damn near fuckin’ legendary man. Never met someone who’s given me as big a run for my money… I laid him out flat in the end though, had him seeing stars I think.” Jackie said, but even as he boasted there wasn’t really a smug air around him. He looked more like he was fondly reminiscing on the day he punched his friend’s lights out.

“You know, the more you talk about him, the less I actually believe the guy even exists.” V said. No sooner than they had said this though, a green light accompanied by a low buzzer went off on Misty’s desk, drawing everyone in the room’s attention to it. Jackie patted the arms of the chair he was sat in as he pushed himself up, Misty standing beside him to lead them both to the back room.

“Yeah? Well saddle up, V, because you’re about to meet him.”

What V was lead out to was a rather nasty looking back alley, littered with trash, broken down furniture, and what V could only assume might have been a few straggler Piranhas who had pushed themselves too far, as well as the general homeless. They weren’t sure this was really the ideal place to open a good clinic at, but then again this was the Red-light district, and it probably wasn’t much worse than anywhere else Viktor could have set up shop in the area. V couldn’t help but wonder if maybe the fact that Viktor’s clinic was back here might have been one of the reasons these haggard looking city slummers had gathered there in the first place.

“Misty I’ll be back up in just a few minutes, wanna give V a proper introduction instead of just sending them down all on their little lonesome.” Jackie said, and Misty reached up to pat Jackie’s cheek with a smile before she turned to head back inside her own shop.

“Good luck V!” She called out to them, the door closing behind her only a moment later.

There was a set of stairs that lead down to what V could only describe as an underground basement, and the sheer absurdity of such a sketchy location hosting a good doctor was a little baffling to them. They weren’t worried though, especially as Jackie slung an arm over their shoulder and lead them down into the clinic’s dim lighting. They stepped through the door at the bottom of the stairs, only to come face to face with a gate, and before it’s automatics could slide it open for them, V could see the doctor sitting across the room at a desk, tinkering away with what looked like a cybernetic arm.

The gate slid open and the two stepped in as Viktor looked up at the both of them. A warm smile crept onto his face when he saw Jackie, and he tossed the screwdriver he had been using up onto his desk before holding his hand up towards him. Jackie pulled away from V to go and grip it tight, slapping his other hand over the back of Vik’s in greeting as he all but pulled the guy out of his seat.

“Viky! Good to see you’re still alive and kicking down here,” Jackie said. “Brought you a new customer, that new partner of mine I’ve been tellin’ you about? Well they’re finally ready to take the plunge and get involved with a real ripper.”

“That so?” Viktor asked in a voice far deeper, gruffer around the edges than V ever would have expected from him. He leaned around Jackie just a little to get a good look at V, who had stayed behind a couple of steps while the two friends caught up. “I was wondering why I had a new name listed for an appointment for today. Suppose I should have guessed it was you bringing in a stray...”

V wasn’t entirely sure what they had been expecting to see when they first met Viktor, but the man before them certainly wasn’t it. He was an older man who, despite his line of work, didn’t look as though he had an ounce of chrome in him. Now that V was a bit closer, they could see that what they had initially thought was a cyberarm was actually some sort of external tool glove that Viktor was wearing rather than him actually having anything installed.

That… wasn’t to say that Viktor didn’t look like he could go toe to toe with some of Night City’s most dangerous if he needed to. The guy worked out, that much was clear as day, and V only had to take a quick half glance around the clinic to see some of the more personal areas where a couple of weights had been left laying around from whenever Viktor had last put them to use. And even while Viktor was sat down, staring up at Jackie, it was easy to tell that the man had good height to match his build.

The glasses that Viktor had on were dark lensed, and it made it hard to see his eyes behind them, but really V didn’t need to see them in order to know that his eyes were flicking between them and Jackie both. He was probably sizing V up, making judgments on whether or not he could take V in a fight before the two of them could even exchange a word. V didn’t blame him for that, but it still left them feeling just a tad bit on edge.

Before V could introduce themselves or Viktor could even ask about them, Jackie motioned with a wide sweeping arm towards V and waved them over. “V, I want you to meet Viktor Vektor. Vik, this is V, best partner in crime I have had in a long time now.” Jackie said, trailing off just a little as Viktor stood up to meet V halfway as they approached.

“Uh-hu, it’s nice to put a face to the name… first time here and you’re already a tad bit infamous in this clinic, you know that right?” Viktor asked as he extended his bare hand to shake V’s, and even if his tone seemed almost a tad bit hesitant, the nod he gave and the small smile that came with it took the edge off of his words.

“What, Jackie been shit talking me behind my back again?” V asked, giving Jackie a playful side-eye as they took Viktor’s hand and gave it a firm shake.

“Just heard a few of your more recent gigs is all, if not from Jackie then they tend to run up the grapevine through Misty.” Viktor explained, before he stepped back towards his desk after pointing across the room towards the only part of the clinic that actually looked like it was a professional medical set up rather than an underground gym locker. “Why don’t you go and park yourself over there for a minute? I’ll be right with you, just gotta finish tightening up a few loose screws before we get started.”

V shot a quick look to Jackie, who simply nodded and gave them a little nudge forward towards the operation station before he himself went to lean up against the wall near the Clinic’s front gate. The double thumbs up that he gave them was enough to get them rolling their eyes, but it did put them at ease as they made their way over to wait for Viktor.

The clinic really didn’t offer much in the way of comfort for it’s patients, not in it’s visuals anyway. As V took a seat in the chair and had a look around, the place really only gave off the vibes of a joint where you would go expecting to get some shady, illegal cyberware implanted, only to wake up a day or two later in some ice bath, if you were lucky of course. The only real lighting came from the bright surgical lights hanging over head, and a few neon signs that Viktor had laying around more as decoration than anything else. The Kiroshi display looked as though it had been jacked from right off the street somewhere, and as far as V knew, that may have very well been the case.

V continued to let their eyes wander around the clinic and just take everything in while Jackie seemed more than happy to make a bit of small talk with Viktor while he grabbed a few things off of his desk and got his shit together after his last appointment.

“You’re never gonna guess where I picked V up, Vik, really is a wild story.” Jackie said, and Viktor glanced up at him for half a second before giving an amused scoff.

“Do tell? What kind of crazy did you drag in here this time, Jackie?” Viktor asked. It wasn’t meant as an insult by any means, and V didn’t take it as such. No, the way he said it honestly sounded like someone who had seen Jackie get into his fair share of trouble, and if Viktor was anything like Jackie had described to them, then he had probably been the one to put him back into one piece nine times out of ten. “You ever gonna just meet someone casually in the street instead of landing yourself in a heap of trouble with a complete stranger?”

“Vik if you want meet-cute then this is about as good as it gets in Night City. Found ‘em trying to nab the same damn luxury car as me, couldn’t let them get in the way of a stack of eddies though, you know?” Jackie said, a fond grin on his face as he looked over towards V.

“Fucker hadn’t said two words to me before he had the business end of a gun pressed against my head.” V spoke up, leaning back in the chair just a bit as Viktor finally made his way over after kicking his rolling stool over with practiced ease. “We didn’t even have time to fight about it before the cops were stormin’ us, had us face down on the ground…. We… had something of a man on the inside though, so here we are to tell the tale?”

Viktor let out an amused huff at their rather troubling first encounter. “It’s always just that, isn’t it Jackie? Some wild, lucky break that keeps you from being flatlined and dumped off somewhere in the middle of nowhere.” He said, taking a seat beside V before pointing towards the exit. “Now go on up and let me get to work here. I’ll send V along once we’re through, shouldn’t take too long but we gotta get through all the preliminaries first and foremost. How about you tell me the whole story over a drink later this evening?”

“Yeah, I get it, I don’t really wanna sit around and watch V fill out a datapad anyway.” Jackie said, pushing off the wall and turning to make his way out. “Vik if you really want that drink then you’re on, Coyote Cojo tonight.” Jackie said, pointing at V. “V, I’ll be up in Misty’s shop, I ain’t in a hurry but come find me when you’re done. You’re in good hands alright?” He said before stepping out of the clinic.

V nodded and waved Jackie off a bit absentmindedly as Viktor handed them a decent sized datapad with what looked to be a blank medical file pulled up on it, an editable one. Their lips twitched down into a small frown as they looked it over, scrolling to the bottom of the page and then back up again while Viktor pulled up a few scanners on his own data terminal.

It took Viktor a few minutes to actually look up at V as he set things up, but after only a half glance over and seeing that V was just sitting there, staring down at the datapad in their hands with a confused look on their face, he turned towards them. It didn’t actually look like they had made any progress on it, and if they needed help with anything on it, he wanted to make sure they got it.

“What is it? Is something wrong?” Viktor asked.

V didn’t say anything for a moment before shaking their head, holding the datapad up just a little higher before finally beginning to fill it out, starting by typing in their alias. “No it’s just… well, I’ve been to my fair share of rippers before. Never had one hand me paperwork to fill out though.” They said, and Viktor rolled his eyes, barely visible behind his glasses.

“I’m sure Jackie has already told you a bit about what kind of business I run here, right?” Viktor asked, turning his attention back to the screen to finish getting his system all set up. “I’ll take people in off the street when they need it, but that’s not my usual practice. Most of the time when people come in to see me, they’re regulars, and it’s nice to be able to pull up a basic medical file about whoever I have on my table, at the very least.” Viktor said. “Whether or not you ever end up back here again is up to you, but if you do…. Well, lets just say I’d hate to have you wheeled in half dead and not know if the drugs I wanna use to shoot you full of are gonna fucking kill you or not.”

“...And this isn’t gonna leave your hands after I give it back to you, right?” V asked, the first hint of hesitance sneaking into their voice that Viktor had heard, even if they cut it with a small, somewhat forced laugh afterwards. “Know some weirdo fixers and solos who would pay decent eddies for deets’ like this.”

“I just want to know if you’re allergic to penicillin, not all your deepest darkest secrets.” Viktor said, pausing his typing again to point to the datapad. “Listen, you’re asking the right questions and I like that, really, but if I was gonna sell out and hand my patient’s information off to some asshole who would use it against them, or god forbid some fucking corp, do you really think I would still be set up here in the slums of the Red-light district? Been here for years now, V, and I can promise you nothing said or discussed in here gets past that gate.”

“Ok,” V said, holding up a hand to stop Viktor, a sheepish look on their face. “Ok I got it. It’s just… been a while since I’ve been to a clinic that actually does things by the book, you know? I’m a bit more used to the no-questions-asked kinda joints.” V said, and the amused smile that spread across Viktor’s face as he reached out to finish the set up and grab a jack was enough to put them at ease, to know they hadn’t offended him.

“Oh you can rest assured that’s where the ‘by the book’ nature of this clinic ends.” Viktor said, pulling the cord of the jack until it was long enough to offer up to V. “Listen, show me a bit of trust and let me in V, and I’ll do my damned best to make sure you never regret it. Now do me a favor and jack in, we can make sure you’re systems are running clean before we really get started. You can finish up the file while the scanner does it’s job.” He said. “What all are you in here for today?”

“Just a checkup is all...” V mumbled as they reached out for the jack, examining it for half a second before reaching behind their head to slot it into their port. They felt the buzz and rush of electricity course through the port as the scanner connected and began an automatic scan, sorting through the files on their processor and all the tech connected to it. As little as that might have been, it would still take a few minutes for it to go through everything, so V sat back and let their eyes give Viktor as once over before looking back to the file, slowly filling out every section that they could. “….You take an oath?” They asked.

“Hmm?” Viktor didn’t quite look like he understood what V meant at first, so they pointed towards the pouch that was securely strapped to Viktor’s right leg.

“That’s a Trauma Team satchel there, right? Were you on a TT unit?” They asked, and Viktor glanced down at the satchel that he kept a small variety of tools slotted away in. Scalpels, smaller wrenches… he’d left the screwdriver he used to tighten the joints of his exoglove with on his desk, but there was space for that there in the pouch as well. “Don’t see a lot of corporate level doctors ending up as rippers on the street… or did you just happen to pull that off some really unlucky bastard?”

Viktor paused for a moment, seeming to think back on when the pouch had been given to him, but he ended up simply giving a little shrug. “I’ve, ah… well I’ve had a number of jobs over the years, to pay the bills between sponsored fights and whatnot. Let me tell you though, the reason you don’t see a lot of corporate doctors leaving their positions isn’t because they don’t want to. It’s because it’s not that easy to do.” He explained.

“You managed to get out though… gotta ask why you left a nice cushy job like that for?” V asked lowly.

“Something just not right about killing five people for the sake of one, just because the one had more eddies invested in Platinum, you know? That’s what your contract says you have to do if you sign onto a TT unit; if anyone stands in your way of the paying customer even the slightest bit…. Take ‘em out. Couldn’t stomach it, and I don’t really care if that makes people think I’m weak. I know where my line is, and I’m not going to cross it for some eddies.” Viktor said. He was staring down at the scanners as they worked through V’s system, but it didn’t really seem like he was actually watching them. He was lost in thought for a few brief seconds before he shook his head, sitting up a little straighter as he took in a huff of breath. “So yeah, I guess you could say I took an oath. Not the drivel they all but try to brainwash TT medics with, but...”

“I get it.” V said, and they saved the file that they had finished filling out for Viktor before passing it off to him. Viktor took it and gave it a quick skim before looking back at V when they continued. “It’s respectable. Sounds like you’ve got yourself a real good thing going here. I’m glad Jackie brought me by.”

“...Right, well, people don’t just come to me because they know me for being a good guy. Scans are just about done now, and it doesn’t seem like they’re picking up any critters. Sit up, lemmie have a look at you and lets see what we can do...”

The first thing that Viktor did was go over a few of the details on the file that he’d had V fill out for him, asking questions to clarify a few things and get a bit more history on both their basic physical, and the augmentations that they already had in place. He checked their eyes for proper dilation, their reflexes, took their blood pressure, and apologized quietly under his breath as he placed a cold stethoscope against their chest to listen to their heart and lungs. He took notes as they went, adding his own little addenda to the file so he could look back on them at later time. It was care that V almost found a little… surreal. This kind of care wasn’t unheard of, but damn was it rare down in the streets.

After Viktor finally set the datapad aside, he looked back to the scanner and quickly read over some of the data that had been pulled from it. V sat patiently waiting for some kind of doctor’s order before they heard Viktor give a small, curious hum to himself before he wheeled himself closer to the chair, motioning to V to sit up and turn to the side just a little.

“You’re runnin’ on an older system, been a good few years since you last upgraded your processor?” Viktor asked. “Tilt your head for me, please? I wanna get a look at the hardware you’ve got installed. Have you had any issues with connection errors between your augmentations and your processor? Any glitches with your optics, might come across as a sort of visual lagging?” He asked.

V tilted their head to the side just a little and reached up to make sure that no hair got in the way of Viktor’s inspection. Viktor stood up from his seat and gave a small sigh as he reached out and gently grabbed V by the chin, guiding their head just a little before he leaned in to get a good look at the serial number etched into the external rim of their port. V fought the urge to hold their breath, clearing their throat instead as they thought about Viktor’s questions. “It’s served me well enough over the years, and I haven’t noticed any issues like that. I just haven’t… well, even processors a year or so old can cost a fuckton of eddies. Getting a new one just hasn’t been enough of a priority for me.” They explained as they felt Viktor lightly feeling the area around their ports as while he listened.

“Installment doesn’t seem too shoddy… doesn’t feel loose...” Viktor said slowly, and V closed their eyes as Viktor brushed a thumb over the old, small incision scar that had been left behind when the processor was first installed. His hands were warm, rough from use, but the hold he had on them was about as soft as could be. Viktor gave another little hum as he seemed to consider something, before muttering a quiet ‘Fuck it’ under his breath as his hands slipped away from V, and he kicked off the ground to wheel himself across the room.

“Now, V, most of the time I’m with you on that if the tech serves you well and you’re happy with it, as long as you keep it well maintained there’s really no need to go out and buy every shiny new upgrade that the tech companies churn out every few months. With processors though it’s actually important to keep them fairly up to date, get a new one fitted in every couple of years or so at least. If you start buying newer augmentations and try connecting them to older processors it can cause… complications.” Viktor said, pushing himself up from his seat so he could dig through a couple of his storage boxes. “Now, I have a couple processors in backstock around here somewhere, nothing terribly fancy, but you should find that they give you a higher quality performance overall, as well as talk to any future tech you get better than what you’re currently packing.”

“Well that’s nice, but I’m kinda strapped for eddies right now. Like I said earlier, I really only came in to meet you and make sure my systems were in good working order. Jack said your prices are good but… can’t be good enough for flat ass broke.” V said, knowing damn well that everything Viktor was saying was right. They may not have had any issues with their tech being incompatible with their systems just yet, partially do to the fact that they could hardly afford to get any to begin with, but really it was just a matter of time before what little they did have would fall subject to forced obsoletion.

V watched as Viktor out of the side of their eye as he continued to dig for a few seconds before he seemed to find what he was looking for. He pulled out a small white case and popped it open to check that it wasn’t empty before snapping it closed once again. With the case in hand, he turned and kicked his chair back over, following after it as he held the processor’s case up to show off to V before he sat down with a small grunt. “Eddies or not, Kid, if you want it then it’s yours. Wouldn’t take long at all to switch it out with your old one.

V turned around to face Viktor fully when he said that, eyeing up the case for half a second before shaking their head. “Can’t take a gift like that.” They said firmly.

“Then we’ll put it on a tab for you, I don’t really care either way.” Viktor said with a shrug.

“A tab?” V asked, brow furrowing in disbelief at such an offer. “Viktor you barely fuckin’ know me and you wanna open a tab for an expensive piece of tech?” They asked.

Viktor nodded, and almost more surprising to V than the offer of a line of credit from the doctor was the utter lack of hesitance from him. “Jackie vouched for you, and if he says you’re good for it then… then you’re good for it.” Viktor said, giving a small shrug as he looked down at the case in his hand, before he held it out towards V. “Look, I’m not about to go mad doctor on you and install a new processor if you really don’t want it, but I also won’t feel very good if you walk out of here without an upgrade that you’re long overdue for just because money’s tight. Choice is yours.”

Nothing in the world was free, V had learned that the tough way years ago. The deals that always came back to bite you in the ass the hardest were always the ones where you went in thinking that the gifts you were given along the way were just that. Gifts. There was always a price though, always a small string attached that would unravel everything into a tangled mess if you didn’t watch your fucking back. There had not been one soul that V had ever met that didn’t at some point come back to make demands after doing even the smallest of favors for V free of charge.

For a split second all V could think of were bloody knuckles, busted noses, broken ribcages and being left in the gutters with their eddies wiped from their account after misunderstanding the intentions behind someone’s generosity one too many times. They swallowed thickly as they stared down at the case that had been extended to them. Every instinct in their body was telling them not to take it, to just finish with the basic check up and get the hell out of there before they got roped into a shitload of trouble taking things they couldn’t afford. When they looked up at Viktor again though, the doctor had a small smile on his face so soft and encouraging that it almost looked out of place in the fucked up world they were in. V wished they could have seen his eyes better right then, but even without them they could feel the anxiety in their chest ebb away as they remembered what Jackie had said to them earlier, his voice all but ringing out in the back of their head.

‘It ain’t about the money for him, V, you’ll see.’

Slowly, so slowly, V reached out for the case and took it from Viktor. They popped it open to get a good look at the processor safely nestled inside as Viktor clapped his hands together in a satisfied manner and wheeled himself around so that he could grab a few of his surgical tools. V leaned back in the chair, reaching a hand up to brush against the ports of their processor as they stared down at the device in their hands.

“You said yourself that you would do your best to make sure I don’t regret trusting you,” V said quietly. “And Jackie vouched for you as much as he apparently vouched for me, you know?”

“Did he now? I’m almost afraid to ask what all he said…” Viktor said, motioning for V to roll over onto their side as he stood to get a better angle, adjusting the lights above them as he did so. “All good thing I’m assuming?”

V reached out to return the new processor back to Viktor and shifted onto their side with their back facing him to give him easy access to their ports. “Made you sound like a damn joy-toy with the way he was talking about you. I almost choked when he mentioned something about you having a magic touch...” They said, and the deep laugh that Viktor let out when he heard that made V want to glance over their shoulder, to see the grin they just knew he had plastered across his face. Before they could though, Viktor placed a gentle hand on the side of their head to keep them still.

“Guess I’ll have to thank Jackie later for such a kind review, but for now I’m gonna inject a bit of anesthetic, OK? Once you’re good and numb I’ll get to work. Let me know if you feel any discomfort at all.” Viktor said between a low chuckle, and as V felt the cold press of an injector against the spot just below their processor ports the anxiety came back for half a second until the pain of needles pricking their skin melted into numbness. The quiet praise that Viktor mumbled had V closing their eyes, relaxing into the chair as much as they possibly could. “Good, just try and stick still for me, alright? I’ll make this quick so you’re not laying here long.” He said.

Honestly V could have fallen asleep there just listening to Viktor talk, if he hadn’t been about to take a scalpel to the back of their head anyway.

For a few minutes after that the only thing that V could hear in the clinic was the quiet beep of machinery, and the soft clicks of Viktor’s exoglove as he worked at carefully disconnecting and extracting the processor from V’s head. As he worked, alerts popped up on V’s rather basic optical display about the missing hardware, but V ignore it as there was nothing that could be done while on the operating table. They kept their mind off of it, and tried to focus on other things.

“So… you and Jackie… he said you two met in a ring?” V asked as the silence droned on for a little too long for their liking. They hadn’t been able to tell if Viktor just wasn’t a doctor who liked to get chatty while they were working, or if he just didn’t have much to say to them in particular, but as Viktor gave a low hum and spoke up, they figured they had their answer.

“12 rounds between the two of us. NC Devils had a few of their best fighters lined up that night, myself included. Jackie came in as an outsider just looking to get in on a few pickup fights and make some quick eddies. Rinsed through some of our best fighters before he ended up in the ring with me.” Viktor said, and V heard a small metallic clink, what they could only assume was their extracted processor being set aside.

“He said he won that fight. That true?” V asked.

“I’ve got the second place certificate to prove it...” Viktor said, and the slight hint of indignation in his voice made V laugh, and Viktor’s grip on them grew just a bit tighter to keep them steady. “And then after I could see straight again, I took him out to get a drink. Ever since then he and I have been fairly close. He gets me, I get him, it just works out.”

“Cold-cocked is a bit better than a getting gun pressed to the side of the head, I suppose. Glad to know Jackie keeps a good track record of making friends.” V snorted, staring ahead at the two little beckoning cat statues resting only a few feet away on top of some of the nearby equipment. They had seen a few on Viktor’s desk as well, and could only assume that Misty was the culprit behind them.

“At least it seems like he’s got decent taste...” Viktor said with a hum as he delicately grabbed the new processor in his exoglove. “Hey, listen, after this is all said and done I want you to feel free to come on by again, OK? Wouldn’t do anyone any good to have you flatlining in some back alley because you don’t think you can afford proper care.” Viktor said. “Seen too many people’s lights go out just because they didn’t have the eddies… I’m always willing to work something out if we need to.”

“Yeah… I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks Viktor.” V said slowly, brows knitting together as they felt the new processor click easily into place. Even with their eyes closed their optical display flashed a warning about the new hardware that had been installed, but it flickered away only a few moments later as the hardware quickly began to synchronize with the rest of their system while Viktor moved to jack V back into his computer system and make sure everything was updating and running smoothly.

“Keep still now, still gotta close you up again.” Viktor said, and V held their breath as V made quick work of closing up the small incision that he’d made behind their ear. They shivered as they felt a cool, wet cloth pass gently over the back of their neck and the freshly sealed would after that, as Viktor carefully wiped up whatever blood their was before finally V was disconnected and helped to sit up straight once again. Viktor stepped away from the operation table to go and grab something off his cart. “The anesthetic will last for a while longer, probably wear off in about half an hour after you leave, so I’m going to send you off with some stim to help the healing process and keep the pain at bay. Two whiffs now, another two in an hour. If you still feel like you need to take the edge off after that you can take an additional one, but keep an eye on it ok? If you feel anything more than mild discomfort then I want you to come right back here.”

V was tempted to reach up and touch the spot that Viktor had just operated on, but they knew that probably wasn’t the best idea they’d ever had. Besides, before they could even begin to reach up, Viktor had turned back and held out a small inhaler towards them. They took and gave it a once over before Viktor nodded down to it, so V lifted it to their lips and too two deep puffs off of it. There was no real relief right away since the back of their head was still numb, but V figured that they would be thankful for it later that evening. As they pushed up from the chair and slipped the inhaler into their pocket, Viktor snagged a fresh rag off his medical station so he could clean and the sanitize his exoglove.

“Hey, listen, Viktor….” V started, only to pause as Viktor looked up from what he was doing, slowing to give them his attention. They were sure that Viktor probably had other people he would be seeing that day for appointments, but there was something about the doctor’s nature that was more laid back than pretty much everyone else they had met in Night City. He didn’t seem to be in a rush at all to see V off, just wiping off his took while patiently waiting for V to continue. “I was pretty hesitant coming in here, I don’t know if you could tell, but Jackie was right to sing such high praise about you. If this is really the way you operate, I’ll be back again, I promise. I’ll bring eddies next time to pay you back for the processor and whatever else I might decide to get.”

“You know, sometimes hearing things like that can be payment enough. I’m no charity, so don’t expect me to waive your costs every time you come in of course, but I try to do what I can you know?” Viktor said with a little shrug. “I’m looking forward to it though, V. Will you do me a favor when you head back up and tell Jackie I still fully expect him to buy me a drink later and tell me all about how the hell you two even met, the details I mean. He’s got my number.” Viktor said.

V gave a small nod at Viktor’s request, and a they shifted from foot to foot a little nervously, stuffing their hands into their pockets. “Well, what about me, Doc? Do I get your number?” They asked. “Or does that require a few more visits?”

The amused smirk that V got the pleasure of watching spread on Viktor’s lips suited him a little too well for his own good. It wasn’t like the smug, cocky grins that V was so used to seeing on anyone who had even the slightest bit of rep to their name these days, there was something far more genuine behind it that V couldn’t quite place. It didn’t make them feel sick to their stomach just seeing it, and really that said way more than it should have.

Viktor set the wipe he had been using aside and he made his way across the room back towards his desk. “I don’t think that’s too much to ask… promise not to make me regret it?” He asked, and V watched as he leaned over to grab his holo off it to offer out to V for a scan. Quick and easy way to transfer numbers, and as soon as V saw the gesture, their face lit up with a smile and they pulled their own holo out to tap it against Viktor’s.

“I’ll do my damned best, how about that?” V asked with a laugh as the quick transfer of information completed and they saw the image and name that autofilled into their device as soon as the connection between them was made. Once they were satisfied, they tucked their holo away back into their pocket and stepped backwards towards the gate, giving a small wave as they did so. “Thanks Viktor. I’ll pass the word onto Jackie, and… and you’ll see me again real soon.” They promised.

“Good. See you later V, and take care...”

* * *

“Alright then, let me see it V,” Jackie said, making a motion for V to turn around and show off, like he would actually be able to see anything other than the small healing cut and V’s processor ports. “Viktor really spoil you and give you some free tech?”

“Not free, I’m gonna pay him back it’s just… I guess he figured I’m more likely to be able to come back and see him again if I have a better system running inside me, you know?” V said as they tilted their head just a little so that Jackie could get a better look.

“Mm… well he’s not wrong, a souped-up you is always gonna be better than a dead you. I’m just a little surprised is all. He’s been known to make a deal or two for someone who needs it, but normally he at least waits to see if he’s even gonna see you a second time before he starts doin’ stuff like this.” Jackie said, reaching out to brush his thumb gently over the port before he dropped his hand to his side and gave a little shrug.

“Guess he just puts a lot of weight on your word then, Jackie.” V said with a snort. “I’ll try and bring you credit, I guess, but it’s not like the guy doesn’t deserve to be paid back… fuck Jack, if he’s being honest, really doesn’t care whether or not I actually pay him back for this… you’ve got a yourself a fuckin’ diamond in the rough there.” V said with an almost dreamy sigh. “… By the way Jackie, he told me to remind you that he still wants to go out for drinks later.”

“Right, like I could forget a promise to go drinking, fuckin’ been a hot second since we’ve had a bit of downtime so I think we all more than deserve to cut loose tonight,” Jackie said, before crossing his arms over his chest. “You are coming with, right? Or are you planning on skipping out as soon as we get out of here?”

“I dunno...” V sucked a hiss of breath through their teeth, considering for a moment whether or not it would be a good idea to join the two, if for no other reason than to take the night off after they and Jackie’s recent flux of work, like Jackie had said. “Kinda seems like he just wants to catch up with you, you know?”

“Ahh don’t worry about that V, if he wanted to hang out one on one with just me, he could. We see each other more often than you think though, even with all the wicked jobs we’ve been getting lately.” Jackie said. “I try and stop in to say hello whenever I pay a visit to my Pretty lady’s joint, as long as he ain’t busy anyway.”

“Jackie, I don’t think that-” V started, but Jackie quickly cut them off as he stepped closer and threw an arm around their shoulders to pull them flush against his side.

“Come on V, Ol’ Vik likes you, I can tell. What with him puttin’ in a piece of hardware like that for you on the first date?” Jackie said, and he got that stupid look on his face that he always did then he thought he knew something that V hadn’t quite caught onto just yet. That was very rarely actually the case. “Just come have a couple of drinks. We’ll tell him all about how you and I ended up face down on the ground after a carjacking gone wrong. It’ll be a good time, V, you’ll make a friend, a real friend, I promise.

V gave a small sigh as Jackie pushed and urged them to join in on the night’s outing, something still not quite setting right about trying to slot themselves in between two old friends when they didn’t know Viktor that well yet. There was something about the way that Jackie could talk something, anything really, up that could melt the heart of the toughest gangers in Night City, and it was making it hard to think of any excuses as to why they couldn’t join. Out of the corner of their eye they could see Misty had a look of utter amusement on her face, though she did hide it fairly well all things considered. All they knew is that she wouldn’t be backing them up on this anytime soon.

“Alright, fine, I’ll come out for a drink or two, but don’t expect me to stick around the whole night, OK?” V finally said, holding their hands up in defeat as they caved, and the way that Jackie’s face absolutely lit up really did make it worthwhile.

“Oh that’s what I’m talking about! I’ll set it up, alright? You just run on home to gussy up, and I’ll send you the deets as soon as Vik and I get them all squared away.” Jackie said, giving V a light shove towards the door as he leaned back against the counter Misty was stood behind. “By the time you get settled in with us tonight, you’ll be wishing the night would never end!” He promised.

“I’m holding you to that!” V said, pointing sharply at Jackie and giving the firmest face they could muster, but it quickly broke as they laughed and waved him off. “I’ll be ready, just keep me up to date. Misty, it was good to see you, don’t let Jackie keep you distracted here alright?” They said as they started towards the door, not seeing the light playful shove that Misty gave Jackie in response. Jackie mumbled something in a playful tone to her that V didn’t quite catch as they stepped out into the loud and busy streets of the Night City Red-light district…

* * *

“There, I see his car, Vik’s already here.” Jackie said, pointing towards a small, dark blue vehicle parked right by the front door. “Probably inside already chattin’ someone up.” He said, and V squinted at the car that Jackie had pointed at before turning to pull in beside it.

“Why the hell does Viktor drive a fucking tiny ass clown car looking thing?” V mumbled as they parked and killed the engine.

“The MaiMai? Can’t blame him for liking to keep it simple, not everyone needs the biggest baddest ride on the street, especially if you don’t actually get out as much.” Jackie said with a shrug, getting out and looking over the top of the car towards the driver’s side, with V doing the same to look back at him. “Why? You really got a problem with it?”

“Just hard to imagine a guy as big as him driving around in a tiny ass car like that.” V said. “Also, like I said before, looks like a fuckin’ clown car.”

“Oh Vik loves it. Trust me, nothing’s better than seeing some poor road-raging asshole’s face go pale when they come to try and pick a fight, only to have Vik step out instead of whatever small spindly fuck they were expecting. He towers over them almost every time.” Jackie said. “Seen it happen first hand, kills me every time.”

Just imagining the scene that Jackie had described was enough to make V laugh. They locked the car up and stepped around towards the entrance of El Coyote Cojo, stopping only to playfully jab Jackie in the center of his chest. “Have a hard time imagining you sitting in a fuckin’ MaiMai too. The two of you crammed in a little two-seater like that? Fuckin’ laughable is what that is.” They said, only to be proven right as Jackie cracked up as he thought back to it, and really it had been just as absurd as V assumed.

Jackie shoved V’s hand away before reaching out to sling an arm around their shoulder, hauling them right up against his side as they stepped in. “Come on, burnin’ daylight here V. We gotta get settled in before the crowds start showing up and we can barely hear ourselves talk.” Jackie said, though really he was hardly complaining. He and V had spent a few good night at the Coyote living it up the best way they knew how, and often left stumbling into the streets with their heads and hearts still pounding to the beat of the music that would blast through the bar during the later hours.

There was a moment of adjustment needed as they stepped in from outside into the neon glow of reds and greens that made up a good portion of the decorative lighting in the joint. Beyond the workers, there were a few early patrons who had already made their way there and settled in at some of their favorite spots for a bite to eat and a good time with friends, but the bar was almost entirely unoccupied yet thankfully. Save for one lone body, anyway. Viktor was sat towards the center, making casual conversation with Pepe as he waited for his friends to arrive. With his back to V and Jackie, he didn’t notice as they approached until Jackie slipped away from V to move to one side of Viktor, while V moved towards his other side and the two caught his attention by sitting down on the stools next to him.

“Been here long Vik?” Jackie asked, and Viktor gave a quick shake of his head, reaching out to pat Jackie on the shoulder to welcome him, and when he looked over to V he saw that Pepe had already stepped over to take their drink order to get them started for the evening. He was a little surprised that V had actually come along with them, but when Jackie first mentioned the fact that they would be there, he hadn’t been disappointed.

“Nah... my last appointment ran a bit long so I just got here maybe ten minutes ago? Customer was about as indecisive as they come and took forever to decide what they wanted. Like I don’t tell my customers to at least have an idea what they fuckin’ want before they come in…. They ended up going for a damn set of rippers of all things.” Viktor said with a heavy sigh and a shake of his head, fatigue clear as day in his voice. “They always assume that just because it’s not a big installation that it will be an easy installation.”

“Rippers? Fuck man, that shit’s old-school, nasty work right?” Jackie asked, far from being a medic but he still knew how rough certain procedures were through word of mouth, and from listening to Viktor bitch about them enough times. Anything involving finger work tended to leave Viktor agitated. “Sorry to hear your day kinda went downstairs after we left. Installation at least go alright?”

“Ahh, it ain’t really worth griping over. I’m here now, ready for a drink. Definitely done thinking about cybernetics for the evening.” Viktor said, clapping his hands together to clear the air between them so they could get things started. Pepe had just handed V’s drink off to them, and he looked between Viktor and Jackie to see what they would be having. “Drinks are on you tonight, right Jack?” Viktor asked.

“Said I was buying, didn’t I?” Jackie said, nodding to Pepe. “Open a tab for me tonight? I’ll pay it off before we head out. Figure we’ll be here a good while though. Gotta catch Viky here up on what V and I have been getting up to, and he’s gonna need somethin’ strong to get him through this one.”

Jackie and Viktor both placed their drink orders and Pepe made quick work of getting them prepped and poured out, and Jackie picked his up as soon as it was ready before turning towards the other two. “Alright how’s about a fuckin’ toast first though, yeah? We’ve all got a lot of good going for us as of late, feels like tonight is the night to celebrate it all.” He said, watching as the other two followed suit in grabbing their drinks to raise up, V leaning forward against the bar just to look around Viktor so they could see.

“I mean, sure, that sounds good Jack,” V said. “What exactly are we toasting to though?”

Jackie thought for half a second before thrusting his drink forward just a bit, sloshing it slightly but none of them cared about the small spill it caused. “Let’s keep it simple; to friends. Old, new, ones we’ll meet in the future.” He said, and to that both V and Viktor held their drinks higher, with V reaching as far as they possibly could to clink their glasses together. It was sloppy, messy, so perfect for the three of them.

“To friendship.” Both V and Viktor said, and the three of them took a generous drink from their glasses before settling back down, V flopping back in their stool so hard it almost rocked a little.

Viktor took a second slow drink from his glass just to really appreciate it a little more, before he looked between Jackie and V both, and he motioned for them to get on with it. He had been promised quite the story several times by Jackie at this point and he expected the man to deliver. “Alright… so let’s hear it,” He said. “What’s the story behind you two?”

“Jackie set his own drink down and shifted in his seat so that he was fully facing Viktor with an excited gleam in his eyes as he began to set the scene. “OK, so I’m out there just doin’ a job for Wakako cause she’s got intel on a high-end, absolutely preem vehicle and she wants me to nab it for her. Apparently she had some client lined up wanting to buy it off her, she just didn’t have it in her possession yet, you know what I mean?” Jackie said, before flicking his wrist towards V, who couldn’t have hid the smirk on their face if they had wanted to. “And I’m all set to grab it right? I get there though and this fucker is sittin’ in the car already, trying to fuckin’ high-jack it with some garbage tech that’s supposed to be a kind of damn skeleton key for super cars I guess?”

V quickly waved their hands, shook their head, and Viktor turned his attention towards them as they began to explain their side of the story. “Listen, you can’t fucking hot-wire a car like that, it was just supposed to get the damn thing up and running for me, I was gonna do the rest.” They said, sighing. “I was trying to help Pepe out with Slimy Kirk ‘cause he was in the hole with him for some money. Kirk said I could do a job for him and Pepe would be squared away, and the job was to grab the car. ‘Course it went belly up like every fucking job from him does...” They said, pinching at the bridge of their nose as they spoke. They were about to carry on with the story, but there was something about the expression on Viktor’s face that gave them pause.

He looked… upset. A little confused, maybe shocked, but mostly just upset as his brow furrowed and he shook his head and turned his gaze down to the table. It was such an abrupt shift from happy and relaxed to this that it was almost jarring to V.

“Wait… wait you mean to tell me that Kirk’s still around? Nobody’s gone and flatlined that little rat yet?” Viktor asked, the disgruntled look on his face only partially obscured by the drink in his hand.

“What can I say? It’s on my to-do list, but bigger things keep pushing him further and further down as priority.” V said with a shrug. “Why? You got beef?”

“Well… hardly these days, doesn’t even matter anymore now that I’ve set up shop behind Misty’s, but the fucker took me for about a grand a few years back while I was still looking for a good place to run my clinic from.” Viktor mumbled, and beside them Jackie nodded with a low whistle as he waved a finger at Viktor.

“Yeeeah, yeah I remember that, god never seen you so pissed Vik. Had every right to be though, I’m still surprised you didn’t knock Kirk into next year...” Jackie said, letting out a low chuckle and shaking his head at the memory of it. “Bastard went into hiding for a bit before you could even get your hands on him or something, right?”

Viktor let out little more than an annoyed grunt in affirmation as he tipped his glass back against his lips and took a long pull from it. When he set it aside the ice clanked loudly against the side of the glass and he raised his hand to motion to Pepe for another. “Something like that...”

V looked between Jackie and Viktor for a moment, but clearly they were missing a bit of history here that neither of them seemed to be in too much of a rush to explain to them, so they cleared their throat and gave Viktor a little nudge with their foot to get his attention. “Hey, I mean he’s back in broad daylight again. If you wanted to send a couple of goons his way to get back at him for you...” V pounded their fist into the palm of their hand a few times for show. “I think Jackie and I could make a bit of time for it.”

Viktor shook his head, waving that idea right off without so much as considering it. “No, not necessary. Like I said, it was years ago and I’m happy with where I’m at right now. Besides, going after fixers doesn’t really do you any favors, even if it’s someone like Kirk… great way to get yourself blacklisted if you’re not careful. Lost eddies ain’t worth it.”

“Yeah… you axe one, all the others tend to get a little twitchy when they hear about it...” V mumbled, slouching in their chair just a little. It was clear to Vik that they were disappointed that they couldn’t help, but he wasn’t going to change his mind on that.

“I swear sometimes they know you’re gonna do somethin’ to piss them off before you even do it, don’t know how though.” Jackie said.

“Well…. Suppose if you ever change your mind, Vik, offer will still be there.” V said.

It was clear that all the talk of Kirk had left a bit of a bad taste in Viktor’s mouth, but he smiled all the same as V assured the offer for support would still be there if he ever changed his mind down the line. “Thanks V, I appreciate it, really. Not a lot of people in this city who would have your back just like that no questions asked.” He said, before muttering a quiet thank you to Pepe as his refill was set in front of him. He held the glass up in a much smaller cheers before taking a sip. “...Anyway, so Kirk sends you out on a job and you just happen to run into Jackie, who just so happens to be looking for the same damn car for Wakako?”

“Should have seen her, Vik, not just any car. Aerondight, ‘bout the sexiest set of wheels I’ve ever seen...” Jackie said, and V couldn’t help but snort at the almost wistful look on his face as he thought back to the car that got away. “PD were on our asses in fuckin’ seconds though, and I’m pretty sure the only reason we walked away from that one alive was because of Stints...”

“Couldn’t let us off without a proper beatdown though, better than ending up at the bottom of a fucking river at least...” V muttered, reaching up and rubbing idly at their nose that hadn’t quite looked like it was supposed to since that last little run in with the cops.

“Ok so… so let me get this straight,” Viktor started, setting his drink down before he leaned back in his seat and he motioned between Jackie and V both. “Somewhere between Jackie putting a gun to your head and getting your shit kicked in by PD, you decided that you two were gonna be best buds from now on?” He asked.

“Well, no, actually I still kinda wanted to kick his ass for a while after all that, but then he went and introduced me to Mama Welles and…. Well she asked me to stay for dinner, what can I say?” V said with a shrug, a sheepish grin spreading on their lips as they spoke. “Can’t say no to her, and can’t hurt her baby boy.”

“Awe, come on V, don’t gotta go breaking my heart by telling me you’re friends with Mama and not me.” Jackie said, and Viktor ducked his head at that, hiding the grin behind his hand. He couldn’t hide the way his shoulders bounced with poorly concealed snickering though, and when Jackie lightly kicked Viktor in the shin for laughing at him, Viktor reached out and gave a small shove right back in return. They really did seem like a couple of best friends, rather than a doctor and his patient.

“Learn to make chili like your mom, then I’ll think about upping you on my list of friends, Jack.” V said.

“Oof nasty words V!” Jackie said, giving the most heartbroken sounding gasp he could muster, hand placed over his heart. “Vik, you’re closer, punch them for me.”

Viktor gave V a bit of a side-eyed glance and a thoughtful hum as he circled the rim of his glass with his thumb. Then he shook his head with the barest hint of a smirk on his face. “Come on now Jackie, I don’t think they deserve to die for that...” He said, ignoring the way that V’s head whipped around and the indignant expression they had plastered to their face. The moment V opened their mouth to spit out some sort of a rebuttal Viktor shot them a look, just daring them to argue against him. “Hmm? Got something to say, Kid?”

There were a few beets between the two that seemed to carry on for an eternity, just Viktor staring V down while V looked like the cogs in their brain were frantically trying to churn out an answer to that challenge they had just been issued, at least in their mind. Finally V sat up a little straighter as the looked Viktor up and down before shrugging. “I don’t know Vik… I’ve been in some pretty decent scraps myself….. I think I could take you.” They said, tone laced with nothing but pure defiance.

Jackie erupted into laughter, while Viktor’s expression seemed caught somewhere between complete awe, and utter befuddlement. He almost seemed like he was waiting for V to take back what they were saying, to realize that if Viktor wanted to, he could have dropped them in an instant with a well placed blow, but they just cross their arms over their chest and looked proud of what they had said. That stunned look on Viktor’s face melted into one of admiration for the gutsy little street punk in front of him.

“Oh… I like this one Jackie.” Viktor said, leaning against the bar just a little as he spoke, and he seemed to be trying to decide whether or not he should make them prove themself or not. Given the fact that there was alcohol involved here, he figured maybe that wasn’t the best idea for them, or potentially anyone else in the bar for that matter. “They’ve got a pair.”

“Ehh, they really do have a wicked arm on them too, for someone who’s untrained anyway. They’re bullshitting hard right now, they know damn well they couldn’t take on a pro like you, but… I’ve seen them throw some nasty punched all the same.” Jackie said with a shrug, and just from his praise alone V felt bolstered, and the look on their face was damn near blinding with pride. The compliments certainly did nothing to quell their ego, and they couldn’t help but puff out their chest just a little. “I think you’d actually be impressed if you saw it, Vik.”

Viktor hadn’t looked away from V since he first began to realize just how daring this little streetpunk actually was, and V was beginning to feel like the man’s eyes were about to burn a damn hole in their skin with how intently he was watching them. The lights from behind the bar had them all cast in a deep green glow, and it hit Viktor just right to let V see his eyes hidden behind the dark lenses of his glasses. They had been locked on their own at first, but it was impossible for V to miss the way they flicked down as he glanced them over.

V wasn’t the toughest, biggest bastard in Night City, not by a long-shot. Their augmentations were a rather pitiful minimum, and with next to no bio-enhancemnts to even begin to compare to some of the cybered up tech heads you could find in the slums, the only person there who was less kitted up was Viktor himself who, as far as V could tell, was tech free. With a painful lack of eddies to their name, all they could really do to even begin to stack against the dangers the city held was to stay in shape, grit their teeth, and give it all they could. They had long since learned that even if you didn’t have the shiniest new implants installed, you had damn well better be willing to walk into a dangerous situation with the confidence of someone who did, or you would get chewed up and spit out in a heartbeat.

But… Viktor wasn’t looking for tech. They could all but feel Viktor’s eyes roaming over them now that their jacket wasn’t in the way like it had been at the clinic. His gaze lingered on their arms, their shoulders and chest, the subtle definition of the muscles hidden under the thin fabric of their T-shirt. V pulled their glass up to take a slow drink from it, the burn of the alcohol distracting them from the nerves the felt itching at the edge of their mind.

“Well, Vik, are you impressed? Like what you see?” They asked lowly, and as soon as they spoke Viktor looked back up at their face.

“Yeah… I mean you look like you’re in pretty good shape, from a glance at least.” Viktor said, clearing his throat as he reached for his glass, quickly bringing it to his lips to take what was really the smallest sip he could. “Next time you come in I’d like to take the time and put you through the wringer, do a full physical and see what we can do to improve on that…” He said, looking down to his glass, and finally V felt like they could breath again. “Not that I really wanna talk business right now, came out to spend time with friends and that’s what I plan on doing.”

“Fair enough, V said, before tapping the back of their hand against Viktor’s shoulder. “Hey, I know Jackie said drinks were on him tonight, but let me get your next one. My way of saying thanks for the work earlier.” They suggested with a lopsided grin on their face, all too charming in their own way.

“I like the way you say thanks, Kid.” Viktor said with a small laugh, not caring if it was a little silly since he wasn’t going to be buying his own drinks either way, but he supposed that it really was the thought that counted. "Last one though, I still gotta work tomorrow so I’m not looking to get drunk tonight.”

“That would be a tall fuckin’ order anyway, getting Viktor drunk. Guy’s got the tolerance of a champ.” Jackie said, before he leaned around Viktor to look at V, and he jabbed a thumb towards the front door of the bar. “V, buy the man his drink and then do me a favor after that, will you? Think my holo slipped out in your car, and you got the key. Fetch it for me?” He asked.

“Yeah, I got you Jack. I gotta step out anyway, I’m expecting deets on a job any minutes really.” V said before waving Pepe down and tapping the spot in front of Viktor. “Another of what he’s having, I’ll send you the eddies in just a second Pepe, I just gotta step out real quick and I’ll be right back. You can keep Jackie as collateral ‘till then.” They said, giving Jackie a playful wink as they passed by, fishing their key out of their pocket before they even reached the door.

Jackie watched them go, leaning back on his stool until he almost looked like he was about ready to topple over backwards until V disappeared from his sight. As soon as they were gone, he leaned forward again and turned towards Vik to smack him on the shoulder a couple of times. It didn’t hurt so much as it just surprised Viktor, making him flinch just a little.

“Viiiik, Viky, come on what was that now?!” Jackie demanded, attempting to smack at Viktor’s arm a few more times before the old ripper pushed his hand away and reached for his freshly refilled glass now that he wasn’t being hit.

“What are you going on about now? Not short circuiting over there, are you?” Viktor asked.

“Damn near thought I was, seeing what I just saw. Was that the one and only Viktor Vektor flirting?” Jackie asked, and the shit eating grin he had on his face made Viktor give a roll of his eyes and shake his head.

“I don’t flirt, Jack, not anymore. Too old for that kinda thing, you know?” Viktor said, waving Jackie off. “V seems… they seem real nice. I don’t know them that well at all of course, but what little I’ve talked to them they at least seem like they’ve got their head on straight, and if you’ve taken a liking to them, then they probably have a good heart buried in there somewhere too I’m guessing...” He said, pausing for a moment in hopes that would be enough to placate Jackie, but that goofy, almost accusatory grin didn’t seem to falter from his face. “Fuckin’ get over it Jackie, you’re seeing things that aren’t even there.”

“What about that fancy new rig you set up in their head earlier? Processors don’t come cheap, even older ones.” Jackie pointed out. “They mentioned that they wanted to pay you back for it… bet you didn’t even ask them to though, did you?”

“I’d just rather make sure I actually get to see them for a second appointment than worry about eddies.” Viktor said. “Wasn’t even the newest model, doubt I would have had anyone coming in looking for it, and I really doubt I’ll miss it.”

“...Well, you sure as hell won them over with that smooth move, I can tell.” Jackie said, the smile finally fading from his lips just a bit as he glanced over his shoulder towards the door. He could see V through one of the cracked front windows, kicking the door to their car shut while looking down at their own holo, responding to some texts by the look of it. They were still looking down at the device when they started back towards the bar entrance.

“Mm...” Viktor glanced over when the door chimed with V’s re-entrance. “Like I said, forget it.”

As soon as V made their way over, they stood between the both of them and sat Jackie’s holo down in front of him, and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “Hey, listen, hate to bounce already but I just got word from one of my fixers about a sweet gig. Should be easy work for a decent chunk of change. Figure it would probably still be best if I can see straight going into it though.” They said, looking to Jackie. “I warned you that I would probably be dipping earlier than the two of you anyway.” They said. They just narrowly missed the little frown that Viktor had on his face upon hearing that V was heading out, probably to get into some sort of trouble elsewhere. Jackie didn’t

“Fine, fine, you’re free to go. Dunno what you’re up to, but try not to catch a bullet, alright? I kinda need you for this next job, alright?” Jackie said with a little snicker, grunting at the hard swat V gave him on the back. “Hey play nice now! S’what you get for saying you’re better friends with my Mama than you are with me. Now scram, V, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah, of course, we’ll rock it out OK Jackie? I’ll give you a call first thing in the morning.” V said, letting their hands slip away from the two, before pointing at Viktor as they began to walk backwards towards the door. “Soon as we finish this I’m comin’ to give you what you’re owed, Vik, and maybe we can talk shop about getting a few more fancy toys installed?”

Viktor lifted his head just a little when V spoke to him, and he nodded. “Sure thing, V, just call ahead and I’ll be sure to make some time for you as soon as you’re ready.” He promised, giving a little wave before he finished off his glass that had been ordered for him, setting it aside to be cleaned up while he and Jackie caught up.

V turned on heel and headed out after that, with Jackie watching them until they got in their car and drove away, headed off for what he could only hope wasn’t too dangerous of a mission if they were going to tackle it themselves. As soon as V was gone though, Jackie looked back over to Viktor.

“You’ll make some time for them, Vik? Squeeze ‘em in?” Jackie asked, elbowing Viktor lightly, raising his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

“Shut it, Jackie, before I wire your jaw shut myself.”