#enough things have been hinted at to make people start thinking ‘wait a minute something’s not adding up’

[headfullof-ideas]

You know what I realized about writing a fic that’s in the style of ‘characters watch their own show’? Character development happening off screen. Because what the characters are watching, in my fic anyways, has already happened. They’ve been through it all already, it’s not linear to their current characterization. Which means that the characterization they may be starting to achieve while watching the show might not be the same characterization they have while in the show.

So, there’s a certain sense of whiplash for me as the writer when a character is starting to have character development via gentle parenting by Bryce or straight up getting smacked with it through being forced to acknowledge something was wrong via the ‘images’, and they start to grow as a person and start viewing things differently…and then i have to write them the way they were about a year prior, not-character developed and not starting to change their mind and starting to become almost not the same person at all

[starkeyslibrary]

FALLING OUT OF FRAME | Part 2

pairing: you x drew starkey

The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting golden light across your shared bedroom. You stirred awake to the sound of Drew shuffling around the room, already half-dressed for his next press obligation. His movements were quick, almost practiced, as he buttoned his shirt and grabbed his watch from the nightstand.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Drew’s voice was soft, a gentle whisper as he leaned over to kiss your forehead. He was already in work mode, his hair still damp from the shower, and you could smell the faint scent of his cologne. His presence should have been comforting, but today, it just felt distant.

“Morning,” you mumbled, rubbing your eyes and adjusting the blanket to wrap yourself tighter. You didn’t feel like facing the day. The night before had been difficult enough, and you didn’t know how to move forward from it. “What’s on the schedule today?”

“More interviews,” Drew said, running his hand through his damp hair. “Odessa and I are doing a segment for some morning show. Same old PR stuff.”

You nodded, your throat tightening, trying not to let your discomfort show. You had gotten used to this routine – being around Drew when the cameras were on, the endless interviews, the flashes, the constant attention. But this time, something about the way he said her name made it feel different. More real.

“You’ll do great,” you said, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes.

Drew’s gaze softened, but there was a hint of concern in his eyes. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice gentle.

“Yeah,” you replied quickly, but it was too fast. You knew it didn’t sound convincing.

Drew nodded but didn’t press further. He bent down and kissed you on the cheek. “I’ll be back soon.”

The day dragged on. You couldn’t focus, your thoughts a whirlwind of insecurity and doubt. You found yourself staring at your phone every few minutes, waiting for Drew to check in. But nothing. He was busy with the press tour, and every update you saw on social media made things worse.

Drew and Odessa. Odessa and Drew. Their names were all over the internet. You could almost feel the heat radiating from your phone screen as you scrolled through the clips from that morning’s interview.

In the clip, they looked so natural together, so comfortable. Drew’s easy laughter filled the air as Odessa leaned into him, her hand brushing his arm in what seemed like a casual, innocent gesture. But you knew better. This wasn’t just a movie press tour. This was a carefully crafted performance.

Still, it didn’t stop the pit in your stomach from growing.

“Working with Drew has been amazing,” Odessa said in the clip, her voice light, playful. “He’s so talented, and we just clicked instantly.”

Drew’s smile was warm, maybe too warm. “Yeah, Odessa makes it easy. She’s incredible,” he added, his eyes never leaving her face.

The host leaned forward with a teasing smile. “I can tell. You two have such great chemistry. Think the fans will start shipping you together?”

Odessa glanced at Drew, her eyes sparkling. “Maybe,” she said with a flirtatious tone. “But we’re just having fun. Giving the people what they want.”

The camera zoomed in on them, capturing the moment when Drew’s fingers brushed Odessa’s hand. You could feel your heart sinking, the jealousy and pain too raw to ignore.

The comments started flooding in within minutes:

@/user9819837: “I ship them SO hard! They’re adorable!”

@/lover987756: “Move over Y/N, #Dressa is the new endgame.”

@/user3012002039: “Their chemistry is off the charts.. bet it’s not just acting 😉”

You didn’t even realize you were crying until you felt the wetness on your cheek.

You tried to push the feelings away, focusing on something – anything – else. But the restlessness in your chest wouldn’t let up. Finally, you texted your best friend, Madelyn, desperate for someone who understood.

You: I don’t know what to do anymore. I saw the interview today. I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off. I feel like I’m invisible to him.

The reply came almost instantly.

Madelyn: I’m sorry you’re going through this. I get it, I really do. Maybe it’s just the PR stuff? They’re working, you know? But I know it’s tough. Have you talked to him about it?

You stared at the screen for a moment. How could you talk to Drew about this? Every time you tried, he dismissed your concerns as if they didn’t matter. As if this was just part of his job, and you needed to accept it.

You: I’ve tried, it’s like he doesn’t get how much it hurts to see him with her, even if it’s all fake. I don’t know if I can take it.

You stared at the text, hoping Madelyn would have something better to say. Instead, she was blunt, but kind.

Madelyn: I know you’re hurting, but you’ve got to be honest with him. He’s not going to change if he doesn’t know what you’re going through. You have to talk to him. For you.

By the time Drew came home, the tension between you was unbearable. You hadn’t spoken since the morning, and when Drew walked in, it was clear that something was off. But before you could say anything, he dropped his bag and ran his fingers through his hair, looking exhausted.

“Hey,” he said softly. “I’m gonna head out with the guys tonight. Some of the crew from Outer Banks are getting together. I’ve gotta keep up appearances.”

You stared at him, not sure what to say. He seemed so distant, like the space between you had grown too  large to bridge. You nodded, trying not to let your frustration show.

“I’ll be fine,” you said, even though it was the farthest thing from the truth. You didn’t want to spend another night alone, so you texted the girls group chat.

You: “Hey want to come over tonight? I need some company.”

Madelyn: “Of course! I’ll be there in 20 minutes.”

Madison: “Count me and Carlacia in! She is riding with me <3”

You were relieved when your friends arrived – Madelyn, Madison and a few others. They could tell something was wrong. As soon as they stepped inside, Madelyn pulled you aside.

“What’s going on? You look like you’ve been through hell.”

You didn’t want to break down in front of them, but the words tumbled out before you could step them.

“I don’t know how much longer I can do this, Maddie. The way Drew is with Odessa… it feels like he’s slipping away, and I’m powerless to stop it.”

Madelyn sat down beside you, rubbing your back comfortingly. “You’re not powerless, Y/N. He’s just – caught up in the PR stuff. But you have to talk to him about it.”

“I’ve tried,” you whispered, your eyes filling with tears. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”

The night passed in a blur of laughter and distractions, but the moment your friends left, everything came rushing back. You grabbed your phone to check for messages, hoping for something from Drew, but instead you were met with the flashing headlines on your feed.

“Drew Starkey and Odessa A’Zion Together Again – The ‘Dresda’ Romance Heats Up!”

You clicked on the article, your heart sinking when you saw the photos. Drew and Odessa walking together in the city at night. Their hands were brushing, and there was an intimacy between them you hadn’t seen between you and Drew in weeks. The photos made it look effortless, like they were a couple – nothing about it screamed “PR stunt.”

You felt your world crumble around you as the images loaded, one after another. Drew’s smile was wide and genuine, a stark contrast to the forced, stiff smiles he’d been giving you lately. Odessa was laughing, her head tilted back, looking up at him with that same spark you’d seen in their interviews. They looked perfect together.

Tears welled up in your eyes as the last of the photos appeared on the screen – Drew and Odessa stopped at a café, sitting so close their legs brushed. You swiped through the photos again, then again, hoping at the next swipe would somehow make it stop. But it didn’t.

Your heart ached in a way you couldn’t put into words. Drew was supposed to be your person. But now? It felt like he had chosen someone else – someone who wasn’t you.

The room spun as you tried to steady your breath. You curled up into yourself, feeling the weight of everything press down on you.

TAGLIST: @princesspeach124 @idiotussupremus @eitaababe @13tter @drewsephrry @drewstarkeyzwhore @cooper8224 @maybankslover @elyseesarchive @ietss @esquivelbianca @josephandrewstarkey @willowpains @wtfdudesblog

[chewnotchoke]

only us who knows - leehan

synopsis: you havent seen your boyfriend, leehan, in a while so you decided to surprise him in his fansign and he tries his best not to be obvious infront of everyone else

got inspired from this leehan vid

warnings: secret relationship, fluff, idol!leehan x non-idol!reader

wc: 781

more under the cut!

video calls and late-night messages were never quite enough. nothing could ever be as great as having your boyfriend beside you; it’s been two months since you last saw each other. your heart has been torn between the joy of his success and the loneliness of his absence over the months apart, and the pain has been constant. despite all, your love remained the same.

but tonight, you are now standing in line for their fan sign in japan. you had to fly over for a few hours just to see him again, and leehan knows nothing about it. you’re standing there like everyone else, your hands sweaty, your heart racing, even though you've touched his hand a hundred times. seeing him welcome each fan with that bright smile you know so well makes it feel unreal, like a strange combination of tension and excitement. if feels weird to be here, publicly supporting him like everyone else, even though you've been keeping your relationship with him a secret.

with each step, the line moves closer, and your heart beats more loudly. in the hopes that he won't notice you until the last minute, you keep your head down. you can already imagine his reaction: his breathless laughter, his wide-eyed shock, and his usual way of reaching for your hand, as though he finds it hard to believe you're real.

taesan was seated first, followed by sungho, jaehyun, riwoo, leehan, and then woonhak. right before it was your turn to interact with jaehyun, leehan’s eyes found yours across the room, and his face broke into the most genuine, unguarded smile, the kind he usually saves just for you. you could tell that he could not contain his excitement anymore and he started finding it hard to focus on the fan in front of him. he tried to contain it, molding his features into a more controlled smile, but you could see the sparkle in his eyes, the barely-contained excitement. leehan can’t hide it from you, not even if he tried.

and then, it’s your turn.

leehan’s face breaks into a more radiant smile, and he practically bounces in his chair. you furrow your eyebrows worriedly and your eyes try to tell him not to be so obvious. he clears his throat and says in his usual fan sign tone, “thank you for coming to see me.” but, his voice has a warmth and tenderness meant for you, and his eyes tell a different story, hinting at all the words he can’t say here. the two of you softly chuckles. he squeezes your hand, his thumb grazing your fingers in a way that, after all this time away, feels both exhilarating and natural. “i couldn’t wait any longer.” you said.

he kept squeezing your hand gently, as if to say “i’ve missed you, too.”

but he breathes, almost like a whisper, “i missed you.” and you become wary of your surroundings, worried someone must have heard him because leehan was not bothered to be worrying about anyone hearing what he just said. because to be honest, he will scream how much he misses you in front of everyone else if he could. he then slides his other hand under the table, giving your knee a reassuring squeeze.

his eyes hold yours, and then his look fell into every feature you have on your face, glistening with that comforting warmth, and you know he’s struggling to hold back. “can’t i just stand there and hug you? i don’t think holding hands is enough.”

his eyes lingered on your lips.

one thing about leehan when he’s restrained from doing something he wants, he becomes insufferable. “careful, a lot of people are watching.” you whisper, trying to remind him of where you both are. he tries to regain his composure but can’t help but lean in a little closer than necessary. he laughs softly and shakes his head, his eyes dancing with mischief. "you make it hard for me to be professional."

right when the staff asks you it’s almost time to move, leehan’s touch which was once so subtle now felt like he didn’t want to let go. the warmth in his eyes is becoming unmistakable and the fans are starting to notice. before you’re ushered to move along, he scribbles something on one of the pages in the album. even as you walk away, you feel his gaze following you and then he mouths something only you could understand and feel.

“i love you.”

after you are done with the fan sign, you flip through the pages of the album and see his writing: let’s meet at our hotel later. it’s my turn to surprise you.



[itsmarsss]

Scandalous (Blitzø x Fem!Succubus!Reader x Stolas) [Helluva Boss] pt. 2 - How to Make Friends

How the mighty do fall. (Getting into a weird three-way situation with an imp and a succubus isn't exactly considered classy, Stolas)

Meet Blitzø.

pt. 1 | pt. 2 | pt. 3 | pt. 4 | pt. 5 | 1st bonus | pt. 6 | pt. 7 | pt. 8 | pt. 9 | 2nd bonus

Word count: 2,415

Warnings: surprise surprise! the series is actually non-linear! Some hints of trauma regarding feeling used/objectified, a glimpse into a little more context, mentions of sex as usual, i told y’all i can be a fun writer

Things had been running rather smoothly at Ozzie’s before some idiot decided he could just come in.

Sneaked in, you assumed, since he didn’t seem to be accompanied, and, frankly, didn’t exactly look dressed for a fancy dinner night at Ozzie’s like other customers always were and he had the nerve to come up to you and ask for some minutes of Asmodeus’ time as if it were nothing. 

This wasn't the first time this has happened, of course- for some reason people seemed to think that speaking somewhat confidently about having an appointment would somehow distract you, the person whose job was to strictly keep track of Ozzie’s time, from… well, doing your job. 

At this point, he’d gotten past the whole ‘I have an appointment in five minutes´ thing and started trying to convince you that you had to let him talk to the Sin. 

“Uh. I don’t know what you want me to say, dude. You can’t just like… ask to see Asmodeus. It’s… kinda not how it works. At all.”

“Why not?”

You sighed. “Who are you supposed to be again?”

“I’m Blitz. The O is silent.” He offers his hand for you to shake, but you only raise an eyebrow, unamused. He retracts his hand. 

“Is that supposed to ring a bell or…?”

“Not to you maybe. But his little bitch boy knows who I am.”

“What?”

“I know Fizzarolli, okay?”

“Okay, and?”

“And? And I need to talk to the big Oz!”

“Yeah first off- you could just be bullshitting me. And second off… that doesn’t just automatically give you any priority in Ozzie’s very, very long list of important meetings.”

“Important meetings? What’s he doing right now, discussing dildo prices with some fuckface from Greed?” He raises an eyebrow in defiance.

You do your best to conceal the look on your face as you glanced at Ozzie’s schedule, which confirmed he was, in fact, discussing dildo prices with a manufacturer from Greed.

It wasn’t enough, though- the imp seems to realize it. “He is, isn’t he?” He grins.

“That’s confidential information.”

He leans over your desk, planting both his hands on top of it in front of you and getting his face closer to yours. “What’s a hot piece of ass like yours doing in a dump like this anyways?”

“This is… Ozzie’s, dude.” At this point, you don’t even have an excuse as to why you were even entertaining this guy (at least none that aren’t ‘things are slow right now and I’m really fucking bored’).

“Yeah, I’m usually at some shitty bar with cum and blood on the walls when I pull this one.”

You actually laugh. “I’m sure you are. Anything else I can help you with?”

“A… meeting with Asmodeus maybe?”

“Definitely not.”

“Eh, worth a try. How ‘bout a drink?”

“Are you offering to buy me a drink or asking me to buy you a drink?”

“Hey I’m up for whatever one you want,” he puts his hands up in surrender.

You roll your eyes, unable to contain a smile at the dumb conversation. At least he was entertaining you. You had to give it to him, he was a little funny. “You know what. Get yourself a drink, Blitz with the silent O. You probably need it.”

“Oh, really? Well if you in- hey wait what’s that supposed to mean?”

You just shrug. “Ya want the drink or not?”

He pauses. “Yes.”

You laugh again. “Just look for Maru by the bar and tell her you got a drink on me, she’ll make something for you.”

“Oh you’re not… you’re not gonna be… joining me?” He asks, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. He almost looked actually disappointed, just a little bit. Almost.

“Nope. The hot piece of ass is still at work.”

“Riiight. I’ll uh- I’ll be right there! At the bar. Drinking my drink.” He says, awkwardly walking backward.

“If you try to sneak into Ozzie’s dressing room I will find out.”

“And what would you potentially do if you found that out?”

“You don’t wanna-” Suddenly, Ozzie’s voice makes itself known in your earpiece, your voice dying off as you focus on what he says, saying the words that signaled things had gotten a bit heated during the meeting and you need to send in someone to escort the imp out of his office (something you had implemented after the third meeting in two months that had ended with him either slightly injuring or straight-up incinerating someone). “Yeah I wouldn’t recommend doing that, sir,” you tell him, quickly looking for and pressing the emergency buttons that signaled whoever was working security they were needed at Ozzie’s office. 

“Oh, sir, huh? I can work with sir.”

“Huh?” Realizing you hadn’t given the imp guy any sign you’d been talking to Ozzie, and not him, you feel your cheeks burn the slightest bit, getting caught off guard. “No, uh- earpiece.” You awkwardly point at your right ear.

Blitzø’s eyes widen, taken by surprise for a second before trying to keep his cool- and the little dignity he had. “Yeah I knew that. Just some good old teasing. Gosh you’re so uptight!”

“Okay, please get in before I change my mind.”

“Yup. Will do. I’m just gonna… stop by the bathroom real quick-”

“It’s the bar or out, man.”

“Fiiiine,” he exaggerates, dragging himself out of your sight.

“Y/n, you there?” Ozzie’s voice comes from the comm again, and you realize he’s probably been saying something already. 

“Shit, sorry. Someone was holding me up here. Did they get him out?”

“Yes. Do I have anyone scheduled right now?”

“Hold on, let me see,” you look at the screen, crossing out the meeting he’d just finished as done and finding the name written for the one under it. “Yeah, you have that meeting about the beach accident with those Inccubi in Pasadena.”

“What is a Pasadena?”

“Living world matter, sir,” you simplify for him. 

“Living world?”

“Yup.”

“When does he get here?”

“Eight minutes.”

[. . .]

“You sure you’re fine?”

“Yes! All of my meetings are done, performances are going fine and Aro owes me a lot of hours anyway. Now if you don’t mind, I have some alone time with my Froggie to attend.”

“Ugh, that nickname makes me sick.”

“I don’t pay you to judge me.”

“Yeah you pay me 'cause you loooove me. See you on Monday?”

“Yes!”

“If you need anything ‘till then-”

“I will let you know, y/n. Now, I granted you an early night, didn’t I? I expect you to enjoy yourself.”

“Fine, boss,” you teased him, making sure he saw you rolling your eyes.

You walked out of Oz’s office, inside of which you’d seen no sight of Fizzarolli, which was strange. You obviously wouldn’t pry, but wondered if the incident with his hearing aid that Ozzie had had to take a break for earlier had been more serious than what Ozzie made it sound. 

There was no use thinking about it too much, though. You and Asmodeus were close, but there were boundaries you still kept between you and respected. You were pretty much the only person Ozzie ever forwardly told about his relationship with Fizz (even though basically everyone else in all seven rings suspected it in some way) and he knew of many personal things of yours, too, but things such as Fizzarolli’s own personal life and the identity of any people you told him about in conversation usually went unmentioned. 

So, to the bar it was. When Ozzie told you he’d gotten someone to cover you for the last hours of the night so you could be free, the very first thing you’d thought to do had been to go straight home- but even thinking it to yourself made that sound depressing. In truth, Asmodeus was the closest thing you had to a real friend- the closest you’d had in a really long time. And although you did feel grateful to be free of work, it wasn't really much fun to think of the fact that, not being able to hang with Ozzie, you didn’t really have much to do. Or anyone to do anything with. 

So you decided maybe you’d have a drink or two, and enjoy the last performances of the night before bouncing. Couldn’t hurt, right?

To your surprise, when you sit down at a stool by the bar, ordering yourself a blackberry frozen margarita- in your opinion, the best drink on Ozzie’s drink menu- you’re startled to see the imp you’d talked to earlier that night sliding next to you, taking a seat on the stool right by your left. 

“Sooo. The hot piece of ass ain’t working anymore?”

“You’re still here?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

You shrug. “I dunno, I kind of imagined you would’ve managed to sneak into Ozzie’s dressing room and gotten yourself kicked out by now.” Of course, you were only taking the piss at him- you’d know if that would have happened. Obviously.

He furrows his eyebrows together. “Wait I actually could have sneaked into his dressing room if I tried?”

You laugh and decide to answer his first question instead of that one. “No, I’m not working anymore.”

“Does that mean I’m allowed to flirt with you now?”

“Oh, that thing you were doing wasn’t flirting?”

“Depends. Was it working?”

You drink the rest of your margarita in a single gulp instead of answering. “Hey, Maru? Would you get me another, please? You can put it under Blitz here.”

“Hey!”

“What? I thought you were trying to flirt. Buy me a drink!”

[. . .]

“So you’re the one who manages this whole thing?” Blitzø motions around to the restaurant, almost spilling the shot of tequila he was holding.

“Well not exactly,” you toy with the little umbrella from your third drink of the night. “I’m more focused on managing Ozzie’s business. I mean. The guy, not the place. You know, meetings to attend, places to go, personal errands, everything.”

“That’s… lame.”

“What do you do for a living then that’s just so fun?”

“Well, I used to be a circus clown.”

“What? Wait that is cool.”

“Only a little cool. I’m planning something big next. But uh. Right now I’m kind of doing anything I can find to support my daughter.”

“You have a daughter?”

“Yeah. Loona. The love of my life.”

“That’s cute.” You smile. Examining him with this in mind once again, you take he does sort of have a bit of a dad energy to him. It looks a little unconventional on him considering the… everything else, but it was there. “How old is she?”

“Nineteen.” He finally downs his shot, slamming the glass on the counter.

“Oh, wow.” 

He seems to notice all the processing you were doing in your mind to try to gather how old he was. 

“I adopted her like a year ago.”

“Oh. That’s cool. What’s she like?”

Conversation with him came to be strangely natural. A few drinks in, and, from an outside perspective, it would probably be hard to figure out the two of you had never seen each other before up until a few hours prior- cracking jokes and playfully flirting, sharing bits and pieces of your lives and drinking a little more than you should together. It was weirdly comfortable.

And, much to your surprise, Ozzie didn’t come up in conversation again. Not in the way you were certain he would eventually, anyway. After all, it all seemed too nice to not be a way to get you drunk and tell him something personal about Ozzie, or ask you again for a meeting with the Sin. Right?

By the end of the night, Blitzø tried a half-serious attempt at getting you to take him home with you (because apparently he rented a one-bedroom place, and gave up his bedroom to his daughter when she moved in with him, so he wouldn’t be able to take you home with him), to which you laughed, but stopped for a second to seriously consider.

You did find him attractive. His style was hot and his personality was fun. It was all certainly working for you.

You’re sure you could have a fun time with him if you did agree, and, honestly, atop of feeling like you deserved this, you kind of needed it. Nothing like a nice, meaningless one-night-stand with a barely-decent man to distract you from from being alone all weekend. Right? 

But for some reason, you stop yourself. Maybe not this time. Because, even though you weren’t sure if that was really you or just the alcohol talking, at that moment you found yourself thinking that maybe you could actually become friends with this guy. 

And though you weren't sure if he would want that, it would be nice to have a real friend other than Asmodeus, for a change. 

“Um, I gotta work really early tomorrow,” you lie, giving him an excuse. “But I could give you my number? You’re really funny and I had a lot of fun tonight. Even though you definitely crashed the place,” you joke. “I think we could be… good… friends? Maybe? I’d like that.”

“You… want to be friends? With me?”

Fine. That’s where this ended, wasn’t it? He realized he wouldn’t be fucking you and so the interest disappeared. That’s fine. You were prepared for that. “It's alright if not.”

“No, give me- give me your number. Yeah. Give me your number.” He fishes his phone out of his pocket and gave it to you.

Oh. “Okay.” He probably only said that in the hopes to fuck you in the future. 

Still, you grab the phone from him and type in your number and he immediately sends you a ‘hi’ and a smiley face so you can save his contact too.

“Just to be clear, like, we’re not gonna- like I really mean it, I wanna be friends.”

“Okay I got it the first time, you don’t gotta rub it on my face.”

Maybe he could be genuinely fine with just being your friend? 

“I don’t mind some flirting with my friends, though,” you comment, and he smiles. 

“Tell that to me when I’m sober, sweetheart.”

No harm in trying, right? And if sober you thought differently, you could always just block him. 

Why not? Maybe this is just how to make friends as an adult. 

“Okay but seriously where does the ‘O’ even go? Like how do I even save your contact?”

A/N: this wasn't even supposed to be out today but i got too excited so here it is. also im serious abt this being non-linear... there's shit mentioned here you'll only find out more about in like chapter 5 or so but i hope i wrote it in a way thats exciting enough to make it worth it! hope yall like it, share ur thoughts w me! luv yall <3

[laswells-ashtray]

A vague part 2 based on this.

On a funny note, I think 141 doing a mission that involves taking down some kind of warehouse and finding a child is funny.

Soap is for the briefest moment very deeply annoyed because he intended to blow the building up to fuck but this wee one is sniffling, and he has the saddest big eyes Soap has ever seen. They get the kid out and very quickly realise that they have no idea who he is or who his family is but these bastards are fighting to try and get this kid back so he's important.

They look into it [Laswell does] as the little boy, who the medic says looks to be about four, gets checked for any major injuries. He's a little bruised, too skinny and very obviously terrified but other than that, he's alright. If one could say that. Laswell figures out that this boy is important enough that people are looking for him and the 141 so she directs them to a pretty swanky property in America to stay in while they try and look for someone connected to the boy. It certainly isn't a safe house, far too nice but there's no use complaining about a good thing, is there?

As good as they like to think they are with kids, this boy is utterly petrified. Anytime they come near him, he flinches. They don't have the right things to look after them, and no one wants to leave to shop, knowing how aggressively they're being hunted down, so they try and make do. Keyword: try.

John is still in Captain mode; he knows he needs to protect his men most importantly, but he also can't let anything happen to the little one. The only time the boy shows the slightest hint of interest in him is when he has his hat on but the four-year-old isn't brave enough to try and touch it. He can see the tension in the man, and it very clearly scares him.

Simon's build seems to scare the boy, and it makes him feel guilty. He's so tall and in Soap's words "built like a brick shithouse" that he intimidates grown men so what good does a little one have. He walks into the living room one day behind the boy and the kid jumps and scampers off the minute he spots Simon behind him.

Johnny is just so angry at the thought of someone actively hunting down a child that he can't be near the boy because it leaves him seething. The thought of someone wanting this kid who's been separated from his family, who is so fucking scared in a way a child should never be has him wanting to punch a wall.

Gaz gets the closest to the boy but even that isn't much. The kid will take a glass of water from him if he's offered it but if he offers him a plate of food then the kid will just look between him and the bowl with a clear lack of trust until he gives up. Gaz is the one that notices that little bits of food disappear now and then so at least he eats something, but it doesn’t make any of the men feel better.

They think they're absolutely screwed until without warning Kate walks in one day with three big bags in hand. How did she get a key to unlock the door? Wait, nevermind.

One bag is full of different foods: turkey dinosaurs, microwave meals, snacks, juice boxes and muffins. They even think they see a tub with something homemade inside. The second bag has clean clothes for a kid of that age: socks, underwear, pajamas and even a nice little outfit he could go outside in. A first aid kid. And a plastic plate, toddler cutlery and a plastic cup with a cartoon design on it. The last bag is the one that surprises them the most. It has an unreasonably soft blanket inside of it, one with stars and planets on it. A colouring book and a small tub of crayons. A kid's book. And the one that surprises everyone the most, a little stuffed bear with a little hat on.

They can only stand in shock as she starts ordering them about. John and Simon put the food away, Johnny puts the clothes and other stuff away while Kate keeps the bag with the blanket to her side as she kneels in front of the boy, keeping Gaz by her side. "Hello, Eli."

Laswell managed to find out who the little boy was, of course, she did. His name is Eli Roberts, and both of his parents are dead. He has no living family, and they haven't been able to find any acquaintances they'd trust to take him in. Gaz can only stare as the little boy's Eli's lip trembles, and he throws himself into Kate's arms, bawling. The station chief is a natural, wrapping her arms around the four-year-old and picking him up. She holds him against her chest, and he keeps his tiny little hands clenched tightly in the fabric of her shirt.

Kate wastes no time in looking after the boy, instructing the boys to throw some garlic bread in the oven and toss one of the microwave meals in the microwave: spaghetti. When it's ready it goes on the kid-friendly plate, but Eli still won't touch it. Until Kate eats a little first, taking a bite of the bread and eating a forkful of spaghetti as the boy watches, then he slowly digs in and within a few minutes his plate is empty. For a second they all feel like idiots, of course, the boy wouldn't willingly trust any food they hand him without them giving him a reason to. The minute he’s finished eating, he’s plastered to Kate’s side, a little hand holding onto her pinky.  

She spends the day with them and by the end of it, Eli is showered and in clean pajamas. He's sitting on Kate's knee with the blanket over his shoulders, trusting Kate to hold his bear as he colouring in a page of his colouring book to the sounds of Zootopia in the background. John is the one who asks, he knows Kate has countless nieces and nephews, but he didn’t expect her to be this good with the boy. “Why’s it you he trusts?” She briefly stops running her fingers through Eli’s curls as she answers. “Because you’re all treating him like a recovering captive, I’m treating him like a toddler, John. He’s just a little boy, he doesn’t need you to walk on eggshells around him, he needs to watch Scooby-Doo and have a tantrum about cookies.” The mention of cookies has the boy’s head popping up in a way that has even Simon suppressing a soft laugh.

A year later they get invited to Thanksgiving at Laswell’s. John tries to argue that it’s an American holiday and Kate tells him to haul his English ass over to her house and bring his pack of dogs. For Johnny, Simon and Gaz it’s the first time they meet Sarah Laswell. What surprises them the most isn’t her tattoos, her age or her height. It isn’t even the fact that they very quickly realise that Kate’s wife is fucking loaded. No, it’s listening to her thundering footsteps as she chases after a five-year-old who’s giggling his little head off as she yells in mock annoyance. “Eli Laswell, you give me back that spatula right now or Mommy is gonna put you in the mashed potatoes and eat you all up.”

What surprises them all more is the look of utter adoration on Station Chief Laswell’s face as she watches her wife chase and threaten to eat their son.

[haloshornsinkstains]

I Believe What You Said [James Wilson x Reader]

I have been bingewatching House, and I fell back in love with the adorable golden retriever of an oncologist. And I actually managed to write!

Warnings: hinted smut, female reader, reader has a last name (there is a reason), no use of y/n, House is House, reader is 30

“You called a hooker to the hospital? I’m telling mom!” Wilson sighed and went to apologise but the woman with him merely laughed, “then I guess you won’t want to hear about my two for one special? I’m told it’s knee-trembling.” “Oh I like her, hire her again.” “I don’t think he’s going to go away any time soon, I’ll see you later?” The woman smiled softly at Wilson and nodded. “Yeah. Thanks James.” As she reached the door she stopped and glanced back at the two men, “nice to meet you House.” “So, you got her card? How much does she charge an hour?” “I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.” Wilson sighed heavily, settling back into his chair. “What do you want House?” “I want to know who the hot piece of ass in your office was.” House wiggled his eyebrows. “You’re disgusting. And it may come as a surprise to you, but sometimes people other than you actually come to consult me on cases. Now, what did you want?” “Oh, I’ve got something way more interesting to look into now.” House grinned, making his way back towards the door and leaving a baffled oncologist behind him.

“So, who’s the hot new doctor you hired?” “Hello to you too House.” Cuddy hummed, not looking up from her computer. “I haven’t hired any new doctors.” “Well there’s no way Wilson has the balls to bring a hooker to a hospital. Short, stupid accent, wears a lot of black, doesn’t quite have your cleavage but-” he cupped his hands around his chest “-about yae big?” “You’re disgusting.” Cuddy huffed. “Why do you care?” “What, I can’t get to know the fourth ex-Mrs Wilson?” He smirked. “You know, I think she’s young enough to be his daughter.” “She’s 30!” “So you do know who she is?!” He looked practically elated, or as elated as House could get, “c’mon mom, little Jimmy gets all the cool new friends.” “She was a trauma surgeon, and if you actually did the clinic hours you were supposed to do you would have met her before now.” Cuddy clicked a few buttons on her computer and smiled, “and would you look at that, your clinic duty starts in ten minutes.” For the first time in months House didn’t whine or complain, instead headed straight for the door and turned in the direction of the clinic.

“He has three ex wives you know.” “Really?” The woman laughed, flicking over the next page in her file, “that’s extremely impressive for a nine year old. I’ll let his mother know.” “Hilarious. Wilson, not little Timmy in there.” She paused, narrowing her eyes at him. “I’m not sure what that has to do with me, or this patient, but I’ll keep it in mind… unless you really were thinking about that two for one offer? Or calling dibs.” She didn’t wait for his response, slipping into exam room two and closing the door. House smiled to himself, picking a random file from the stack. This was going to be fun. Each time he bumped into her while collecting files he asked progressively more personal questions, about her, about her intentions with the oncologist, about her medical history, or just things to get a rise out of her. After his last patient she was just stood by the desk waiting for him, expectantly. “You get one more question.” “So, how many doctors in this hospital have you slept with?” She tapped her finger against her chin, “three. Why, you want to make it four? So you know my family history, how many doctors I’ve slept with, how many times I’ve spoken to your boyfriend this month, and yet you never asked my name. Have fun with that Sherlock.” “Oh please, your name is up there on the clinic rota,” he grumbled, gesturing to the board behind him, “who wastes a question on useless stuff like that?” She just laughed and walked off, throwing a wave over her shoulder as she disappeared through the doors. House, still a little peeved he couldn’t get to her, turned to study the clinic rota. Next to his name, in shiny black letters, ‘Dr. Smith’. Great, just great.

House threw open the door to his office, slightly disappointed that no one on the team jumped any more. “You two, go run a PET scan on the patient's brain. And you,” he gestured his cane at Cameron, “go find me Dr. Smith, tell her I need a consult in Wilson’s office.” “Why would we run-” “Are you going to give me a clue on-” “Out. Daddy needs time to think.” The three stared dumbly at him as he made his way back towards the door. “Go on kiddies, scram.” Sighing the team set off for their different jobs, Cameron muttering to herself about how many Dr Smith’s there must be in this hospital. House headed in the other direction, still thinking, until he stopped outside Wilson’s door. Rapping his cane against the wood three times he pushed open the door and walked in. “What are you up to?” “I believe that’s usually my line. Hello House.” The older man made a childish noise and dropped himself on the office sofa, “with this Dr Smith. Did you know she’s slept with three Doctors in this hospital? I mean, I can’t blame them, that ass is amazing-” “You’re a pig. And what I’m doing is working…” Wilson hummed, staring at his papers for a few moments before dropping them on the desk, “how do you know how many doctors she’s slept with?” “Apparently we share clinic hours. So, you’re trying to be the fourth or what?” “No, no, we are not doing this. Since when do you do your clinic hours?” “Since there was something interesting in there.” House smirked, “so you are trying to be number four?” “House,” Wilson frowned at his friend, tone hardening slightly, “I am not answering that question.” “So I can be number four? Sweet, wonder if she meant it about that two for one deal. Think Cuddy would be in?” “No and no.” “So you are interested in her,” House grinned, “Wilson’s got a girlfriend!” “Men and Women can be friends, even if the woman in question has an amazing ass,” Wilson sighed “you happy now?” “Ecstatic. What about you?” Wilson’s head whipped towards the door, where Dr Smith was leaning against the doorframe. “I think I could hear a few more compliments. You wanted me?” “Yeah, my place about 8?” She chuckled and shook her head at the diagnostician. “Still not the best offer in the room, Cameron said you wanted a consult?” “Yeah, got a patient suffering from a heartbreaking lack of sex.” He grumbled. “Hire a hooker. Or sweet talk James really nice. Now, is there a real issue or can I go back to my day job?” She glanced between the two, one eyebrow raised. “I do have a patient with hallucinations, hearing voices, the whole shebang. He’s 39.” She hummed, sitting on the couch beside House. “This is new?” “Yep.” “Very late onset for schizophrenia, personally I’d be asking the oncologist not the psych.” “Tumour is a possibility.” Wilson agreed, wandering over to the couch as well. “Great, good thing I asked them to scan his brain.” House sighed, pushing himself to his feet. After he left the woman smiled at Wilson, “so, you want to get a coffee and go over that case?” “I’d love to.”

“So my ass is amazing huh?” Dr. Smith grinned, grin only widening as she watched the oncologist splutter, his face turning red. “I can’t believe House did that to me.” “Oh I can, Cameron went to like eight Dr Smith’s before she got to me, and so do you. But that’s not an answer Dr Wilson.” Wilson sighed, staring hard at the spill now on the table. “I was just winding House up.” She hummed, taking a careful sip of her coffee. “Well that’s a shame, ‘cause now I can’t say the same thing back without getting written up for harassment.” More of the coffee splashed onto the table, “you… what?” “I’m not blind.” Wilson just stared blankly at her, a pink flush sitting prettily across his cheeks. “But you’re… you know I’m a decade older than you right?” “You know I’m too old to care right?” She stared him down, though her lips still turned up at the corners ever so slightly. “You can say no, I got over being offended by that back in college.” “Well that has to be a lie. It’s not that I want to say no-” “So, Thursday night? I finish at 7.” Wilson could only watch, stunned, as she downed the rest of her coffee and walked off.

“There’s something wrong with her, and I’m going to find it,” House grumbled as he limped back into the office, throwing his badge onto the table, “one of you go pretend to be me in the clinic, I’m busy.” “You stole another doctor's personal file?” Cameron gaped. “I’m not even surprised.” Foreman sighed. House made shoo-ing motions as he sat behind his desk, starting to flip through the file. Less than an hour later he was slamming the file back down on Wilson’s desk. “She’s broken, thats why you want her.” “Ah yes, I definitely can’t like a gorgeous woman because she’s gorgeous.” His eyes flicked to the file and back to the computer, “of course you stole her notes. I’m disappointed but not surprised.” “She has depression.” House snapped. “That makes two of us.” “She can’t have kids.” “Ah yes, because my plan was to knock her up on the first date.” House narrowed his eyes. “You’re taking her on a date.” Wilson’s retort was interrupted by a knock on the door, followed by the person they’d just been discussing poking her head inside. “Bad time?” “No, it’s fine.” Wilson hummed, smiling softly. “You need me?” “Both of you actually,” her eyes drifted over the file on the desk, “you know, I’m not morally opposed to punching a cripple when they deserve it. You want copies of all my nudes too?” House grinned. “Yes.” “Ask James for them later, there’s a weird case in the clinic.” She grinned, nodding towards the door. “And since you have enough free time on your hands to steal my notes, you have enough free time to come look at this.” “You have nudes already?” Wilson frowned. “No?” “Not yet, hence the later. Keep up House.” As she walked off the two men glanced at each other, Wilson frowning at his best friends wicked grin. This was going to be a nightmare.

Thursday evening finally rolled around and the two doctors found themselves seated at a pretty nice restaurant, glasses of wine beside their plates and soft piano music trickling through the air. The woman smiled, leaning forwards slightly towards her date. “You know he followed us right?” She chuckled, nodding her head slightly. “Two tables over. You sure I’m not interrupting something between you two?” “Only him monopolising all my free time.” Wilson groaned, rubbing his temples. “I’m sorry about him.” “Don’t be, if I didn’t think I could handle him I wouldn’t be here. You don’t work at Princeton Plainsboro for years without knowing all about Gregory House.” She laughed. “Besides, he’s good fun to mess with.” “I’m glad,” Wilson smiled softly, “not that he’s messing with you, just that you don’t mind.” She gently rested her hand over his. “I finally managed to get you out on a date, a grumpy diagnostician with a fixation is not ruining this for me.” “Finally… you flatter me.” She shrugged, “I don’t really flatter people, but if it's working then I’m happy-” she sipped from her wine “-I’d be even happier if you agreed to come to my place and try some of my wines after this. I have quite the collection.” He blushed prettily, taking another sip of his own drink before nodding. “I. I think I would like that.” She smiled, taking another bite of her pasta. Wilson did the same, smiling back at her. Once their plates were empty and the last of the wine had disappeared she reached out and offered him her hand. As they walked past the table where House was sat she bent down and murmured into his ear ‘there are easier ways to get a threesome’ before walking out of the restaurant hand in hand with the oncologist. “I may have overexaggerated how good my wine collection is.” “I may not have really cared about the wine.” She laughed, pulling him to a stop so she could lean up and press her lips into his. “Good. My apartment is just around the corner, and I’m running low on patience.” If they both sped up their steps a little, and if they ended up pressed against each other outside her door too impatient to wait just a moment longer for the door to be opened, then there was no one there to judge them.

The next morning she awoke to the chirping of an alarm and the warmth of a body curled around her own. Shifting slightly she smiled to see him still there, floppy hair a mess and brow furrowed slightly as the alarm broke through the last remnants of sleep. “You’re still here.” She murmured, fingers tracing his jaw. “You didn’t think I would be?” He murmured back, eyes still closed as he tried to bury his face against her shoulder. “I’m not necessarily used to it, but I’m glad.” Slowly she rolled over fully, pressing the front of her body against his and feeling him pressing back against her. “Mmmh, think we can get away with being late?” His eyes cracked open and he smiled, pressing his lips against hers softly. “If you’re as good as you were last night we won’t be.” Grinning wickedly she rolled him over onto his back, her hips straddling his. “Dr Wilson, you know all the right things to say.” “James. Call me James.”

[deiaiko]

#22.5 Cool down

Agni shifted his focus from Ran to the surrounding scene, listening to the light chatter regarding the game and their tags. To be honest, Agni was expecting them to bombard Bam with questions now that he was nearby, but he was left alone. The air around Bam seemed a little awkward, so maybe that was why. He hoped it'd get fixed in due time.

Still, it was interesting to see the discussion unfold as he took notes on everyone's unique quirks. The swish of Anaak's tail when Isu got uncomfortably touchy as he thanked Anaak for giving him back his tag. The way Endorsi boredly examined her nails when she got asked what she'd use her tags for. Or how Hatz kept his fists clenched but shoulders slouched, a hint that he had something to say but was still waiting for the right moment. Or how the younger him kept glancing at Bam, and Rak called him out on it like the croc wasn't doing the same thing.

Agni missed this, more than he ever thought he would. To be surrounded by the people he trusted, listening to their bickering like all those early years they were together. For so long, he thought it would never be possible anymore. To relieve this distant memory that he almost forgot the feeling of. To be able to witness it with Grace felt truly liberating, like a weight was lifted off his chest as a promise was fulfilled.

This was a big day. Not only for Viole, but for him and Grace as well. They really had worked so hard for this moment of being reunited with everyone again, and Agni could say it paid off.

But of course, it was only the start. They still have a long journey ahead to survive. He'd have to get everyone prepared, lest they end up the same as his previous time. Thinking back to the game, their teamwork could still use a lot of improvement. The way they fought still clashed with each other. The reason why Agni was able to hold out for that long against those fishermen was because he was able to exploit their openings. Were their moves more synchronized and were they more skilled at handling their abilities, he'd have lost if he were to deliberately drag out the fight like earlier.

The reason why he only suggested the game to be ten minutes long was because he had anticipated that he'd be the main target, and he wouldn’t have the stamina to continue longer. Plus using too much of his ice power could be dangerous for everyone, including him.

He blew a puff of warm air into his fist at the thought. His body had finally registered the cold, and his gloves couldn't provide enough warmth to keep his hands from shaking. It was harder to help Ran this way.

He had known that consuming redan could negatively affect Ran's body, but he didn't know it'd be this bad. Highly concentrated lightning shinsu had torn his muscles and burnt his smaller circulatory system. No wonder Ran collapsed right after. Maybe he should take Ran to lay down somewhere more comfortable, while also getting himself something warm.

He scooped Ran up in his arms and stood up, gaining everyone's attention once again. "I'm going to take him to the med bay." 

Shibisu stood up from his seat. "I'll come with you."

Knowing him, Isu likely wanted to make sure that Ran was safe. He had always been compassionate like that, the self-proclaimed dad of their team. Agni wouldn't agree otherwise. However, Agni wasn’t sure if Isu could actually do anything if Agni did have ill intentions.

"M-me too." Viole stood up as well. Khun and Rak followed close behind.

Agni caught Grace's words before he was out of hearing range. "Actually, since we've finished patching up, how about we get lunch?"

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[ravennaortiz]

October 1st is Gilly with prompt: You are supposed to be dead. I promised I would haunt you from the grave didnt I? Requested by teh lovely @hatersaremymotivators

Gilly had seen a lot in his lifetime. Had been through loss, experienced grief, been hurt many times. He had felt fear, nightmares and panic attacks. All this experience could not have prepared him for the loss of his beloved wife. Nor could it have prepared him for her ghastly return from a realm he had let to transverse himself.

It was a dark and stormy night. The rain was hitting the windows like bullets and the wind howled like a dying animal. The power had long ago went out. The only light coming from the flashes of lighting. Illuminating the house and casting weird shadows. The thunder boomed causing the house to shake and rattle about.

Nights like these induced a terror in Gilly that he struggled to subdue. His years in the military had left him with not just physical scars. Being with you was a blessing. You had helped get help for his terrors. Got him into therapy and worked him through it. This was the first big storm since your shining light had been snuffed. He couldn’t help but think of how he should have been with you. No matter how many times people told him he wouldn’t have been able to do anything he couldn’t shake the feeling he was supposed to be there too.

He tossed and turned in his bed. Sheets wrapped around him tightly. Sweat pouring off him as he fought for control of his mind. Mumbling he rolled over onto his stomach. A slight pressure on his back and the silence that fell told him his sleep paralysis demon had arrived. He scrunched his eyes and pretended to be asleep as his heart pounded almost out of his chest. His fingers gripped the sheet as he tried to remain as still as possible.

The hint of your perfume and what felt like an icy kiss to his neck had him jumping up. His eyes searched the room as the sounds of the storm came rushing back. He thought he caught a giggle by the closet before thunder boomed again. He swallowed hard and glanced at the clock by his bed. Three in the morning. He rubbed his face before making his way to the kitchen for a glass of water.

Gilly stood watching the storm through the kitchen window as he drank his water. After a few minutes he thought he could see something in his peripheral on the countertop. It appeared to be a figure sitting and kicking its legs. Once again the sounds of the storm started to fade and he could hear a feminine voice singing.

“You are my sunshine…..”

Slowly he turned meeting the eyes of his wife. Swallowing hard he gripped the counter top as he dropped his glass. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be real.

“Your supposed to be dead. H-h—how?” whispered Gilly as he reached out his fingers seeming to go through you. You giggled as you shrugged. “I told you I would haunt you from the grave didn’t I?” you stated as you giggled again. The sound unnerving to him.  The way your eyes bore into his had him questioning his safety.

“I’ve been waiting for a storm big enough to give me more energy.” you stated as you moved into a crouch on the counter that had him taking a couple steps back. The hair on his arms sticking up as your smile disappeared.

“Tonight you will join me for eternity Gilly. Just like you were supposed to” you snarled before launching yourself at him. The last thing Gilly remembered before everything went dark was the red of your eyes.

***

Gilly woke up drenched in sweat as the storm roared on. His heart pounding out of his chest as he gasped for breath. Eyes darting around the dark room, a sense of danger about that he couldn't find.

After a couple minutes he swung his legs out of bed to get some water. It was just a dream he thought right as a clawed hand grabbed his ankle.

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[dira333]

Life-Line - Shinsou x Soulmate! Reader

Anon Request for my Follower Celebration

Yes, Controller is my own OC, I am not ashamed of that. I picked Ectoplasm as the least terrifying person for Reader because he has the most terrifying smile (my brain works like that, sorry, not sorry)

1. longing

You stopped listening to the professor five minutes ago.

His voice is background music now, droning on and on and on about something history here, important there. The weather outside had been awful all morning, heavy rain and grey clouds. But right before history started, the rain had stopped and the clouds had started to part in places.

Now, the tiniest sliver of sunlight was peaking through the window. It catches on one of Megumi’s scales and breaks into a rainbow. At the end of it, sits Shinsou, lazily scribbling into his notebook.

He’s always pretty, you’ve realized that when you stepped foot into class the first day. Most girls in your class are more into the Hero Course students. Megumi fawns over Shouto’s cool demeanor, Shoul thinks that Bakugo could be cute if he would just stop cursing for a minute and Min Min blushes every time anyone mentions TetsuTetsu. But you just can’t be helped.

There’s something about him, from the vibrant color of his hair to the fact that his eyes never seem to miss anything to the lazy drawl of his voice. You’re absolutely smitten and you can’t even lie to yourself about it.

Lazily you twirl your pen between your fingers. It catches on the side of your glove, specially made just for you. The material is thin, the same color as your skin, and only covers your pinky. It’s the only thing that comes between you and death.

“Y/N?” You flinch in your seat. The professor is looking at you like he’s waiting for an answer.

“Uh, Japan?” You guess. Someone snickers behind you as Professor Oda harrumphs in disappointment.

“Shinsou, do you know the answer?”

“1985, Professor.”

“Correct. Thank you. Now, don’t think this wasn’t an important year…”

You stop listening yet again when Shinsou moves just a bit to the left and places a little piece of paper on the edge of your desk.

Your fingers shake as you unfold it and you have to fight the gasp that’s trying to break free.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” 

.

2. finding out

“Good work.” You squeak out when Shinsou passes you in the hallway. Your face is hidden behind your hands, long sleeves covering your fingers.

“Ha?” He turns, his eyes roaming over the people around him until he locks onto you. 

You’re not fast enough to escape, not sure if you should anyway even though everything in you tells you to run away.

“Did you just…” He asks, pointing at himself. You shake your head violently. 

He deflates, just a little. You can’t be imagining it, not with the way even his hair seems to sink down a little. Is he… disappointed?

It makes you rip your hands from your mouth again, squeeze out the words with all the willpower you have.

“That was a good match.” You squeak, nerves catching in your throat. “You’ll be an awesome hero one day.”

“You think so?” He asks, stepping closer. Is there a hint of pink on the tips of his ears or did you finally start to hallucinate?

“I…” Someone bumps into him and everything happens in slow motion. 

He stumbles forward, hands outstretched. Even knowing that your Quirk wouldn’t affect him if he’s the one touching you, you flinch away - but directly behind you is the window. Something digs painfully into your back just as his right hand catches on your shoulder and a burning pain erupts below his fingers.

The sound that bubbles out of your mouth sounds like a strangled sob and Shinsou pulls back his hand like he’s burned himself. You don’t wait for him to say anything, but run for your life.

At the end of the hallway, just ten steps behind Shinsou, is Aizawa-Sensei, red eyes glowing ominously in his pale face.

He does not stop you when you pass him, but his eyes seem to follow you as you disappear in the staircase, your heart beating out of your chest.

When you pull off your sweater in the safety of the girl's bathroom and prod your shoulder with your fingertips, there’s nothing there that could indicate a bruise.

But when you inspect it in the bathroom mirror, the truth screams back at you.

A brand new soulmate mark looks back at you, the color a dizzying mix of purple and white, the tattoo resembling something abstract, like a mouth and… a wave? Or is it air?

You feel a little sick as you crawl back into one of the cubicles, determined to skip the next period and the one after that, to stay away for as long as you need to get over this.

You cannot be Shinsou Hitoshi’s Soulmate. You just can’t.

-

“Y/N?” The voice has you freeze in the middle of the sidewalk. 

“A-Aizawa-S-Sensei…” You stutter out. He looks a little less murderous right now, hair pulled back in a bun instead of flowing around his face.

“Do you have a minute?” He asks. “I wanted to ask you some things about your Quirk.”

“I did not…” You start to defend yourself. 

“I wasn’t implying that. It’ll be just you, me, and Kayama-Sensei. We’ll just have a cup of tea and talk a bit.” 

“A-Are you sure?” The question is a little redundant but you’re also a little scared of Kayama-Sensei. She’s even scarier than Aizawa-Sensei.

Aizawa-Sensei seems to notice. “Tell you what. You can pick the teacher that’s sitting with us. I want you to be comfortable.”

…

“I have to say this is really nice!” Ectoplasm grins menacingly as he sips from a dainty cup of tea. “Now you said you wanted to talk about Y/N’s Quirk?”

“Yes. As far as I’m aware it’s called Life Absorption, is that right?” 

You nod, not daring to lift your teacup with your shaking hands.

“If I touch something living with five fingers of one hand, I absorb all of their life energy. It could be a tree, an animal, or a human being. So I always wear my gloves.”

“Interesting.” Aizawa drinks from his own cup, seemingly lost in thought for a minute before he shakes himself out of it.

“I assume you know Shinsou Hitoshi?”

You swallow harshly. “I… He’s a classmate.”

AizawaSensei is looking at you like he knows. You swallow again, fearing that he’s going to make you say it. Instead, he sets down his cup.

“Most people think that with a Quirk like his, he’s bound to be a villain. But he’s determined to become a Hero. You might have been told that with a Quirk like yours, you can only be a villain or a danger to society, but I assure you that is not the case.”

You gape at him.

Ectoplasm hums low in his throat.

“What are you implying, Aizawa?”

“You might not know this, but I am acquainted with the Hero “Controller”. Her quirk allows her to sense other people around her and control them. I talked to her about your Quirk and she mentioned that there is a possibility that you can train it. If you put yourself into it, you could touch people without absorbing anything and, better yet, give back life energy.”

You stare at him. 

“Are you…”

“Controller, huh?” Ectoplasm snickers softly before turning toward you.

“Before you make your decision on this, you should know that Controller is not only a one of a kind hero but also Aizawa-Sensei’s wife. If she thinks you can do it, you can do it.”

“How… How did you find out about my Quirk?” You ask, your mind still tumbling about. “Why are you interested in it anyway?”

“You didn’t hear that from me.” Aizawa-Sensei points out lowly. “But Shinsou just wouldn’t stop talking about it.”

.

3. winning

“That was great for your first training session.” Controller smiles down at you. She looks as threatening as Aizawa on a good day, but one hour into working with her has taught you just how sweet she actually is. 

You can’t remember being praised this much before.

“Oh, Hitoshi, you’re done training as well?” Controller turns to the now open door of the training room. You scramble to put your gloves back on at the sight of purple hair.

“Could I talk to Y/N for a second?” He asks, a nervous tinge coating his words. 

“Sure.” Controller walks out, brushes his shoulder with her hand as she passes him. It’s a gentle gesture and you wonder just how close those three actually are.

“Aizawa told me you started training.” Shinsou starts, rubbing his neck awkwardly.

“He told me you… you told him about me.”

“Ah.” He’s not looking at you but he cannot hide the blush on his cheeks. “Yeah, I… was kinda… I had a crush on you, I guess.”

“What?!” The word comes out a little too harsh, but you’re too stunned to care. “No way.”

“Yeah, but you had one on me too, right?” He lifts his hand, his face now red. There, on the middle of his palm, sits the same soulmate tattoo that you found on your shoulder.

“It’s… it’s okay though.” He clears his throat awkwardly. “If you’re not into that, I mean. We’re just soulmates. Plenty of soulmates don’t date. I just… I felt like I had to at least do something for you, if we were, you know.”

“Who wouldn’t want to be your soulmate?” You ask, your mind whirring so fast your mouth can’t keep up. “You’re gorgeous.”

The blush bleeds from Shinsou’s face. He grins, a wicked turn of his mouth.

“Oh, I’m gorgeous?”

“Shut up!” You press your hands against your mouth but he’s already one step ahead of you.

“No, say that again, please?”

That day, your first double selfie enters your phone. Because, as Hitoshi said, ‘Take a picture. It will last longer.’

-

“Step aside!” You call out to the people crowding the scene. “This is a rescue mission! Step aside!”

“No way!” Someone whispers behind you. “It’s Life-Line! She’s so cool!”

It’s a common scene. A burning building, you and your crew getting people to safety as others work on extinguishing the fire.

Megumi, with her dragon-like skin, brings out a little boy. She’s one of the few classmates that went into Rescue alongside you. 

“He’s not breathing.” She tells you, handing him over to you.

Your hands, no longer in gloves, touch his face. He sucks up your life energy like one does air after being underwater for too long.

“I’ll need more energy.” You call out to the people watching. “Who’s willing to give me a year? Anyone?”

An old man steps forward. “I don’t mind giving some of my time to this little boy.”

A young woman pulls him back. “No, I have more to give.”

Five, ten, more people reach out their hands. Five minutes later sweat is running down your back but the child takes one deep breath after the other, looking up at you with curious eyes.

“Are you a hero?” The boy asks, reaching out his fingers to touch your face.

“Yes.” You say with the confidence of more than five years of work under your belt. “I am.”

Join My Taglist

[mrsmiagreer]

MILO AND SWEETHEART ON A WALK AND SOMEONE HITS ON SWEETHEART 🙏🙏

Warnings: Fluff, a little cussing

Characters: Milo Greer × Gn!Sweetheart

————————————————————————-

Milo and Sweetheart were on a walk to the store. They suggested it because why waste gas when they can get some fresh air and a good exercise in? The two walked hand in hand to their local liquor store, just wanting a few snacks before they laid down for a movie or something of the sort. When they arrived Milo darted to the back of the store and grabbed his favorite salty and his favorite sweet with a soda and a water bottle to balance it out. Meanwhile, Sweetheart was in the front, fulfilling their cheat day with a big bag of chips and a share size of M&MS.

Sweetheart was finished browsing the store and decided to go ahead and buy their own stuff, not waiting for Milo to come and offer his money like they figured he would. Milo soon met them at the counter with an armful of stuff.

“You should’ve waited for me, I could’ve paid for it baby” He spoke as he set his items on the counter and took out his wallet

Knew it.

“It’s fine Milo” they smiled at him, watching him do his thing. God he was so fine, even just paying for junk food at a corner store. They chuckled to themselves as they thought about how in love with they were with him.

When he was finally ready with his bag together, they started to exit the store. Not even a minute into leaving, he realized he forgot one thing.

“Sweetheart, did you pick up the few packs of gum you said you wanted?”

“Oh shit no I didn’t. Good catch” They spoke as they started to turn around and go back in to get it. But Milo, being the gentleman he was, wanted to actually pay for it this time.

“No it’s okay i’ll go pay for it, you stay right here” He said, turning around and going back in.

While Sweetheart waited patiently, scrolling on their phone, the unimaginable happened. A man, conventionally good looking, approached them. He looked a bit nervous but masked it with a false sense of confidence. They looked up at him and saw he was quite tall too. He wasn’t Milo, but they could see why people might like him.

“Hello good evening! I just came over here to tell you that I saw you from across the street and I think you’re really undeniably gorgeous”

It’s been a while since Sweetheart was hit on, they’re usually seen out with Milo or on a job, they never really had time to be outside enough for someone to stop and see them. Let alone approach them. If they were honest, they were flattered by it.

“Oh— Thank you” They spoke back, tone kind and cordial, trying not to give this man the wrong impression, but also trying not to be rude.

“Uhm…Are you single?” The man worked up the courage to finally ask, after a little banter. Sweetheart almost felt bad that they had to deject him like this, but they soon realized that they didn’t have to

“No they’re not” Milo came out of nowhere, with the packs of gum in his hand, putting his wallet in his back pocket with the other.

“Oh I’m so sorry!” The man immediately spoke up, getting the hint. Sweetheart held in a giggle when they could sense the possessiveness radiating off of Milo and the intimidated fear coming off of the man.“They are truly really stunning, I just came over to tell them”

“I know they are” Milo said, looking the man in the eyes and never looking away, not even once.

He left the sentence at that, making the guy a little uncomfortable, and with that, he muttered another apology and a goodbye to sweetheart before leaving, going back across the street.

Milo scoffed, sucking his teeth before wrapping an arm around Sweetheart’s waist and leading them back down the street that they came from, letting them know to walk with him. They’re going home, right now.

“Jeez baby did you have to scare him like that? I had it covered” Sweetheart giggled on their way back home

“Hey I had every right. I step back into the store for three god damn minutes waitin’ in that stupid ass line for three packs of fuckin double mint and come out to some random guy tryna hit on you, what else was I supposed to do? Plus whenever you say you got it covered, it almost always leads to a disaster”

“Uh— That is NOT true”

“You wanna bet?”

————————————————————————-

A/N: I’m definitely not sure how good this one is, but i thought it was kinda cute and short. I also happen to love a jealous Milo so this was kinda fun to write.

@annahhopee this one’s for you :)

[likeadeuce]

Challengers Fic, WIP Wednesday, Art and Tashi in their Friend Zone era

“I don’t want to get on a plane tomorrow and then never talk to you again,” Art said.

Tashi waited for the rest of it, the I know this is crazy and totally unexpected but if this is going to be our last night, what if we slept together, just for the beautiful memory.

She’d had the same conversation the night before she left high school for good, to play Juniors at the Aussie Open and train fulltime and home-school. With that guy, who didn’t matter, she’d barely had a hint he was interested that way before that night when he started kissing her -- and also she’d said yes because she was sixteen and a dumb virgin who was tired of being a dumb virgin. Compared to that guy Art might as well have had “stupid in love with Tashi Duncan” screenprinted on a T-shirt, and she’d indulged it and now she was going to have to say no and make both of them feel shitty.

“Come to Europe with me'" he said. Now that was crazy and totally unexpected. “After your exams. My folks rented a place in Mallorca for two weeks -- huge place, lots of room, and I’ll probably lose in the first round, and then Dad will want to take me deep sea fishing or something so we can be really masculine at each other and he can decide if he thinks I count as a person yet.”

“So I should ditch my plans and fly around the world to save you from the specter of male bonding. He shrugged, and she admitted, “Your mom already kind of invited me. When we were emailing about the photos for your slide show. Or, more like, she assumed I was coming, but possibly she thought I was your assistant.”

“Oh, Jesus,” he said. “See? Save me from having to be alone with these people. I’ll still mostly be training, and we can hit together, whatever you feel up to. Play some golf, go to the beach and eat olives and chorizo and -- what do they have? Flan? I can watch enviously while you eat the flan. Then we’re doing a few days of Wimbledon, I won’t make qualifiers yet but my agent and my marketing rep are supposed to introduce me around to industry people and you’ve definitely got a better head for all that than I do.”

Art had picked his agent and his marketing rep after a two hour phone call with Tashi’s father, who had been researching the best people to guide his baby girl since she was nine years old. Tashi was supposed to be on the call, too, but five minutes in, she fake-remembered a study group she couldn’t miss and went back to her room to take a few tequila shots and cry.

“You’d be doing me a favor,” Art said.

Tashi considered it for a moment. She really did. Sunshine and good food and the game she still wanted to love, sitting in the player’s box for a good-looking boy with a sky’s the limit future, sharing little jokes and secret looks and eventually, finally, falling into his bed because, Jesus, if he kept looking at her like that, she would forget all the reasons she knew that bed was a bad idea. Especially when the main reason was, simply, that he liked her too much.

“I would not be doing you a favor,” she said. “Because you know damn well what you’re talking about is girlfriend shit, and I’m not your girlfriend.”

She was ready for him to say No No No, that wasn't what he meant, they were friends, European beaches and shacking up with his family were just normal things friends did.

Instead, Art answered fast, with a broad grin that would let it be a joke if it had to be a joke. “Fortunately, that’s a fixable problem. Be my girlfriend.” For the first time in a long time, she saw the brash kid who had tried to get her number that night at the party, to hell if someone else wanted it, he had just as good a claim as anyone, and tonight it was even true. National champion with a face TV cameras would love and a body to kill for, and world number one in Being There for Tashi Duncan and never complaining about the Friend Zone of it all.

Art couldn’t keep up the bravado long enough for her to say no. His grin froze, then crumbled and he looked at the ground. “You don’t have to say it, Tashi. But I figured I needed to try.”

“If it helps at all, even if it weren’t for everything else --” She swallowed. “I couldn’t take being around all that tennis right now.”

[bakedbakermom]

How "The Talk" Went With My 7-Year-Old

I want to preface this by saying that my parents NEVER had The Talk with me as a kid; they just expected my CATHOLIC SCHOOL SEX ED to cover it. Needless to say, there were gaps in my sexual health education, gaps that I worked very hard as an adult to fill in. When I had my daughter, I promised myself that I would do better by her.

My husband and I have been laying the groundwork by teaching her the proper names for body parts (she’s the only 7-year-old I’ve ever met who knows the difference between a vulva and a vagina, which is better than some adults I know) and normalizing bodily functions and asking questions. Whenever she asks about something to do with bodies or private parts, we answer honestly and at a level of detail she can understand and is appropriate for her age. She has seen both me and my husband naked many times and knows what “boy bodies” and “girl bodies” look like and what the differences are. And she knows that babies get half their “seed” from a man and half from a woman, and the baby grows in a thing called the uterus inside the woman’s body.

She just turned 7 in September and can best be described as “too smart for her own good” and possessing a level of curiosity that threatens the feline population of the entire planet. I have been reading her The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett (the first book in the Discworld series) and a few nights ago we got to the part where Hrun the Barbarian is challenged by the Liessa, princess of the dragonlands, to perform three tasks and win her hand in marriage. The last task is to have sex with her. The book describes her disrobing and propositioning him (but obviously doesn’t get graphic).

When I got to that part I sort of stumbled, because she’s never asked about or hinted that she knew anything about sex, and I said, “This next part has to do with sex. Have you heard of that before?” She said no. “Well it’s something people do when they’re naked–”

“Ew, no, just skip this part!” So I told her she can ask about it whenever she wanted, and just moved to the next part of the story.

I could tell she was mulling it over, and last night after I tucked her in she finally asked me, “Okay, Mom, what is sex?”

As much as I have been preparing myself mentally for this, I don’t think there’s any way to avoid the gut-deep yearning for the earth to just open up beneath you and swallow you whole, but I bravely pressed forward. The following is a rough transcript of our conversation (which totalled over 20 minutes).

Me: Well, it’s the thing that makes babies. Remember we talked about how there’s half a seed in the mom, and half the seed in the dad? Sex is how the two halves come together–

Her: Wait, is there a way to make a baby without sex?

Me: [swerving gratefully onto this detour while it lasts] Yeah actually, they can do it with Science now. The can take the mom’s half out of her body - it’s called an egg or ovum, which is just Latin for egg - and they can take the dad’s half out of his body - it’s called sperm, and it looks like a tadpole but suuuuuuuper tiny - and they put them together in a dish so it starts to grow. Then they put it in a woman’s uterus, and it can be the egg mommy or someone else, so it can become a baby.

Her: Why can’t they just grow the whole baby in a dish?

Me: Because it needs food to grow, just like all bodies too. There’s not enough food in the dish for it to get more than a few cells big; it has to go in the uterus, where it grows a cord that connects it to the mother’s body so it can get nutrients from her.

Her: Oh okay that makes sense, then. So what’s sex?

Me: Well, it’s something that people do when they really care about each other and want to show it. It can happen with a man and a woman, two women, or two men, but the kind that makes a baby is between a man and a woman. [draws a deep breath, waits a moment to see if maybe Death will just reap me now, then pushes bravely forward] It’s when a man puts his penis in a woman’s vagina.

Her: [various giggly noises of disgust] People actually do that!? That’s so gross!!!

Me: Yeah when I describe it like that it does seem gross, but when you do it with the right person it can be pretty fun so the gross part doesn’t really matter.

Her: But it goes INSIDE the vagina? How?

Me: Your vagina isn’t just a hole on your body; it’s actually more like a tube, and the penis fits inside.

Her: Doesn’t that hurt?

Me: [remembering the early sexual rummagings of my teens] It can, but it really shouldn’t. Sex is supposed to feel good. If it hurts, that means something isn’t working the way it’s supposed to.

Her: Okay, that makes sense. I wouldn’t want to do that if it hurt. But what if he pees in you???

Me: [struggling with every fiber of my being not to say, “Some people pay good money for that.”] I mean, that’s probably not ideal, and it could maybe happen. But there’s only one hole in the penis and it has two separate tubes that go to it - one from the bladder where pee comes from, and the other one has the sperm, and one tube has to close so the other can open; so there shouldn’t be any pee.

Her: Where does the sperm come from?

Me: Well you know what a penis is. [she does] There are these called testicles, but everyone calls them balls because that’s what they look like, and they sort of hang [unfortunate cupping gesture with my left hand] under and behind the penis [right hand comes up and makes an unfortunate flopping gesture over the left] and the sperm hangs out in there. I could draw you a picture–

Her: NO! Don’t draw a picture. I don’t need a picture. So where does the sperm go when it comes out?

Me: When the guy sticks his penis in the vagina, well he sort of does it a few times, and then the sperm squirts out and goes looking for an egg in the uterus.

Her: But what if he misses!?

Me: [more unfortunate hand gestures] If the penis is inside the vagina it’s pretty hard to miss, but he could squirt it somewhere else if he wanted I guess. [Someone help, I’m teaching the pull out method to a 7-year-old.]

Her: But how does it get to the uterus?

Me: The uterus is connected to the vagina. There’s this thing called the cervix inside the vagina. [I ask her to make a fist, then put my hands underneath in a tube shape.] So your vagina is right here. [I move my hands above her fist, making a bowl in the air.] And the uterus is up here. That’s where the egg would be, and where a baby would grow. [Now I stick my finger into her fist from below and wiggle it a bit to make her laugh.] The sperm are so small that they can fit through the cervix.

Her: [clearly thinking very hard] But what happens if there’s no egg and it doesn’t make a baby? Where does the sperm go?

Me: It dies after a couple days, and then it either gets absorbed or comes out when the woman has her period. We’ve talked about periods, remember? Every month the uterus makes a layer called the endometrium, which acts as food for the growing baby until it grows the cord that connects it directly to the mother. But if there’s no baby, the uterus throws the whole endometrium out. It’s like making a big fancy dinner and then it realizes no one’s going to eat it , so it gets all angry [makes a gesture like I’m chucking something in the garbage] and throws it all away. So all that stuff comes out of the vagina, the endometrium and any sperm that might still be in there. Sometimes it looks like blood, sometimes it’s slimey, and sometimes it’s like a brownish goo.

Her: WHAT IF IT COMES OUT YOUR BUTT!?!?

Me: [trying so hard not to lose my shit] It can’t, babe. The uterus isn’t connected to your butt; the only door out is the vagina.

Her: But doesn’t it get all in your underwear!?

Me: Yeah, it can. But they make stuff to catch it or soak it up so that doesn’t happen. There’s pads, which are absorbent like a diaper and you stick them in your underwear to soak it up. There’s also tampons, which are like big cotton balls that you can stick in your vagina to soak it up. You change those things out for new ones every few hours. And there’s also something called a menstrual cup, which is what I use, and it’s a soft rubber cup that you stick up there to catch the blood, and you take it out and wash it a couple times a day. If you want I could show you–

Her: NO! Don’t show me. Those ones you stick up there sound gross, like they would hurt.

Me: They can be uncomfortable until you get used to them, or if you’re using the wrong size. Most people start off with pads; when you start getting your period we can try different things and see which ones work for you. You just have to remember to change them out every few hours.

Her: But what if it gets in your underwear while you’re changing the thing?

Me: Well normally you’d do that when you’re going potty, so any period stuff would just go in there. I also wash my cup in the shower.

Her: Does a period hurt?

Me: Yeah, it can. Remember how sometimes when I’m on my period I’ll tell you I’m not feeling good, and I need to go rest on the couch? That’s because in order to get all the stuff out, the uterus has to squeeze itself kind of like a tube of toothpaste [more hand gestures] and that can be pretty crappy. You can take Advil like we do when you have an owie, and there’s other medicine you can take that makes your periods easier.

Her: [loading ring spins for a moment] So does sex always make a baby?

Me: Not always, but it can happen any time you have sex, so there’s things people can do to stop it from happening. There’s a pill I take every day that keeps me from getting pregnant, and there’s also something called a condom that’s kind of like a little balloon, and it goes over the penis and catches the sperm before it can get into the vagina. Condoms are great because there are actually diseases you can get from having sex, and the condom stops the germs from passing between people.

Her: Wait, you can get sick from having sex?

Me: Yeah. That’s why it’s important to always use condoms, and to make sure you’re having sex with someone you really care about and trust. There are consequences to having sex, like babies and getting sick, but also, sex is a really intimate thing. Do you know what ‘intimacy’ means? [she does not] It’s feeling really close to someone and trusting them a lot, like smoochy kissing times a thousand. You’re letting someone see you naked and touch you and touch your private parts, and that’s something that takes a lot of trust and care. You only want to have sex with someone you’re really close to.

Her: WAIT SO DID DADDY WEAR CONDOMS?

Me: [wishing desperately to die] Well, yeah.

Her: You and Daddy must have spent so much time together naked. Like years and years and years!

Me: [still wanting to die] Well not all at once, but if you add it up, maybe?

Her: I don’t think I’m ever going to have sex, or have a baby, or maybe I’ll just do it the dish way.

Me: Yep, that’s a choice you can make, and a lot of kids your age feel that way when they learn about this stuff. You might feel that way your whole life, or you might change your mind, probably when you go through puberty. Do you remember what puberty is?

Her: Not really.

Me: It’s when your kid body changes into your grown up body, like when girls start growing boobs. It’s also when your period usually starts. It takes a few years and girls usually start around 10 to 12, boys a little later like 12 or 13. Your body changes and your emotions change, and the way you feel about sex might change too, especially as you figure out whether you like boys or girls or both or neither. It can be a really tough time and maybe even a little scary when you’re going through it, because your body and your brain are doing all these weird things they’ve never done before, but I’m right here if you have questions or need help.

Her: [yawns, looks at the clock, and realizes it’s way past her bedtime] Wow we’ve been talking about this for a long time.

Me: Yeah, we have, but it’s okay to stay up a bit late for important conversations like this. I wanted to make sure I answered all your questions, because we all have bodies and we all need to know how those bodies work, even the stuff that feels weird to talk about sometimes. Do you have any more questions?

Her: No, not right now.

Me: Okay well if you think of any, you just go ahead and ask. We can talk about this any time you want, especially as you get older and start going through some of this stuff.

And that was basically it. I am amazed at the questions she asked, and how carefully she thought about what I told her. And how seriously she took it except for the giggling about the weird parts, which honestly? Same. She is definitely going to be That Kid when she goes back to school after break.

We’re also trying to teach her about consent and having control over what information about yourself you share online, so asked her if it was okay that I share this here without mentioning her name or anything personal and she said yes. I hope you got a kick out of it, and maybe this will even help you feel more comfortable when your day for The Talk shows up. I was not expecting it so soon, and I was not expecting it on a night when my husband was out getting the family from the airport for the holiday, but I believe that when the question is asked, it’s ready to be answered.

[sitron-sunni]

I watched the new episode of 9-1-1

a personal essay on queerbaiting (sorta)

I watched the new episode of 9-1-1, and immediately burst into tears as the credits started rolling.

Then I rewound the last six minutes, and watched the scene again, pausing to rewind the kiss. Again. And again. And again.

We got a kiss. I didn’t know we were getting a kiss. I sorta knew we were getting bi Buck, but I didn’t know we were getting a kiss. After last week’s episode, a lot of people were 100% convinced we were getting bi Buck. I saw their reactions before I watched that episode, too, and I was so confused once I finished it. Had we seen the same episode? That guy, Tommy, Buck’s so-called bisexual awakening-guy, was barely in there. He had about two memorable lines, and then he was in the background of a different shot, where he received a job-well-done slap on the shoulder from Buckley. That last one’s the one people were focusing on online. Look at the way this is framed, look at how he’s positioned, between Buck and Eddie. This is foreshadowing how he’s gonna get between them. Buck and Tommy is gonna be the gateway into buddie. They’re actually gonna do buddie, why else would they introduce a relationship between Buck and Tommy?

Reader, I’ll keep it straight with you. I did not believe them. After a while I gathered a lot of people already knew the name of the next episode; Buck, Bothered and Bewildered. They’d seen some stills, they knew there would be conflict and jealousy within that trio. They were putting it all together with comments and hints dropped by the actors. All those things added up, and it did paint a far more convincing picture. And I thought it was fun! I reblogged a few posts about it, I think, or at least I liked some. But the fact remains: I did not believe them. I thought, oh, imagine how cool it would be if they actually went there. I thought, yeah, realistically it would make sense to bring in a third person if they were actually gonna do it. That way they could test the waters, gauge audience response, and it could work as a catalyst for the relationship after so long. But mostly I thought Okay, so they’re gonna bring in Buck’s fear of not being enough for the people he loves again, this time through his friendship with Eddie, and we’re gonna get some sort of final resolution for that. Like, a big moment of catharsis. Or something along those lines, anyway. It just seemed to me like the most realistic thing that could happen. I mean, the idea of canon buddie was nice, of course it was! The queerbait is why I started watching the show in the first place: I wanted a good queerbait! But ultimately, a ship like that going canon was completely unrealistic. I speak from experience, after all.

Maybe it would’ve been different if I was younger. I remember being in fandoms when I was a teen. I remember reading theories, watching youtube-videos with “proof” that this or that was real, that it was gonna go canon. I remember getting my hopes up, thinking Oh my god what if they’re actually gonna do it!? for shows and pairings that, in hindsight, were completely unrealistic. Maybe that’s why I, even with fairly good evidence in front of me, didn’t actually get my hopes up this time. Because why be that stupid? Why invest emotionally like that? Why not just enjoy what we actually had instead, and then get anything extra from fanworks? Haven’t we learned by now?

I woke up this morning and opened tumblr, and I read half a sentence about how we actually have bisexual Buck confirmed canon now, before I quickly closed the app to avoid too detailed spoilers. Oh my god they were right! I can’t wait to watch the episode, I thought happily, and went on with my day. I opened the app again a few hours later, and scrolled for a few minutes, until I saw a brief glimpse of one, maybe one and a half gifs. Bucks face, Tommy’s face. Warm orange-y yellow lighting, Buck’s loft, you still owe me a beer. Close the app, move on. There were other posts throughout the day, more glimpses, all along the same lines as the first one. The last one came late in the evening, this time on twitter. Just the word in all caps; ANNOUNCEMENT, and then Bucks face and a bisexual pride flag.

And then finally, finally, after I’d brushed my teeth and gotten into bed, I was alone with my laptop, and I could watch the episode. The hype had built up, I was so excited to finally watch it. I was internally vibrating just a little bit. I was giggly, I was grinning widely, I was making comments to myself out loud, and laughing. I said oh my god, they’re really laying it on thick. I remember watching that scene for the first time and thinking how Tommy really looked so nervous at some points. That last one I found interesting. I really liked the actor’s portrayal; His facial expressions were quite subtle, and I thought he captured that nervous feeling so well. Maybe I took such notice of it because, well, I wasn’t quite expecting it.

I wasn’t expecting nervousness in an interaction between Buck and Tommy, because I still wasn’t actually expecting anything. At least I don’t think I was. Even with everything I’d seen online. Even as I was watching the show, I convinced myself. Those words, you still owe me a beer, they’ve misinterpreted them. They think it’s an invitation to a date because Buck’s jealousy in this episode is making it more plausible than ever before. Sure, the show’s leaning into it this time, but they’re gonna pull the rug out next episode. No, of course it wasn’t an invite to a date, what show were you watching, are you delusional? It’s just gonna be one week of people speculating and theorizing and building it up, and then the show’s gonna resolve it with some no-homo followed by a nice new buddie moment. The buzz will die down, and things will go back to normal.

And then the kiss happened. And then I burst into tears.

And now I think, oh my god isn’t it wild that they’re introducing a new romantic relationship for one of the main characters, and for the entire lead-up to the relationship, both Buck and Tommy are entirely focused on Eddie? Like, they’re just making everything about a third person! Imagine if they did this for anybody else! and, oh my god Tommy’s gonna break up with Buck because Buck’s basically already dating Eddie or something, isn’t he? and, oh my god it’s gonna be glorious! and, oh my god I can’t wait!

And I’m also thinking, I was wrong, and you were right. And I’m so happy I could cry.

TL;DR: If you and I share sterek, or destiel, or god knows what other similarly-shaped trauma, 9-1-1 might heal ya.

[hamunnyii]

BowUigi pirate AU

Yeah, Bowser is like a Blackbeard who's searching for a partner to marry for his kids and have privileges (so he could take better care of them) in Society.

While he robs an Island of its gold (not all of it, he knows other people need money for their families) and searches for a partner, he encounters Luigi and Mario who want to fight him. Bowser gets distracted by Luigi and his charisma for a moment, and continues to think about him. They beat him, but somehow Luigi sees he has kids and decides to at least give him bandages and other helpful things while having small talk about kids, Luigi making sure he doesn't hint he knows about him having kids. Though, he still doesn't trust him as he thinks he still robbed innocent people.

Bowser leaves, but later on Luigi and Mario find out from the residents he actually didn't steal all the gold. And while that is not nearly enough to make Luigi have a crush on him, he sees Bowser could have some good in him.

Some time after Bowser returns to that Island after realizing he never liked any other person at first glance like he did with Luigi. It was only a small possibility that he actually thought he woild have been a perfect parent, but he felt like he could give it a shot.

This time, he returns injured, not really bad injuries, but noticable. The Koopalings and Bowser Junior decide without him knowing to go in Town to search for medications, as they didn't know why he wanted to return. Luigi notices them running and as soon as he sees them he knows they're his kids, and knowing someone of the Town would capture them if they got seen, he runs up to them. He explains shortly who he is and after gaining their trust he goes home and takes medications to use for Bowser. The Koopalings take him to Bowser, Luigi feeling really nervous because he doesn't know if this is a trap or how he will feel looking at Bowser after so much time.

Bowser is like in some part of the Town making people already run away, but Luigi catches him up on time so that it would take some time for the whole Island to get alerted.

They go to a more calm, reserved place and he starts tending to his injuries, having small talks.

Bowser then thanks him but just as he says it people already got alarmed and Bowser and his kids have to leave.

Eventually Bowser comes back more and more frequently, now having a stable friendship with Luigi, continuing to meet secretly every time he comes back.

Bowser occasionally starts flirting lightly to see if Luigi would be interested in him. Luigi sometimes awkwardly flirts back without even noticing, and when he does he gets shy for some minutes before seeming to get calmer.

With time Bowser starts talking about him wanting a partner for his kids, that if the partner loved him it'd be nice, but he wanted his kids to be the first ones to be happy before him. And this escalates.

That just clicks something for Luigi. Luigi replies with something sweet like that he shouldn't search for a partner only for his kids, because while it's noble to do that, it'd be unhealthy for the kids to see a dysfunctional relationship from their parents. That just clicks something for Bowser. They get touchier as time passes and both even if they already had a small crush on each other get deeper feelings. They miss each other when they don't get to have their afternoons together and are far away, they think about each other and start having romantic thoughts, and excitedly wait for when they'd meet again.

After MUCH TIME, Bowser would finally confess saying all these sweet things and Luigi just forgets how to talk before saying how he feels about him.

They get together, and decide to wait for marriage at least until they can have a peaceful life somewhere safe for the kids.

They get married after a while and are the happiest family in the World

[belevant-candy-corps]

‘Excuses, Excuses’

Yuji x Y/N

One Shot:

“I’m heading out!” I stood up and slung my backpack on my shoulder. The occult club mandatory meeting was finally over after an hour and a half of eating snacks and talking about recent news.

Yuji and I usually walked home together but he said that some of his family was in town for his grandfather’s funeral. Jin had been like my own family. Ever since I met Yuji, his grandfather welcomed me with open arms. It hit me pretty hard when yuji told me about it, I know that it hit yuji much harder. I felt bad, I had known first hand how hard it was to lose someone you care deeply about. I wished that he would let me be there for him.

Yuji waved to me as I walked out of the abandoned classroom. I believe it used to be a French language classroom but a few years ago the teacher quit and no one wanted to continue teaching. I slid the door open and walked into the almost empty halls. The majority of the clubs were on the first floor or outside. I walked past the blue lockers and towards the stairs. My backpack bounced as I walked down the steep stairs. I walked down from the third floor to the ground floor before I turned down another hallway. Once I got to my locker, I turned the lock as I entered the combination. Twice to the left and stop on 32, turn to the right and pass up the next number once, stop on 24, then go to your next number, 7. I opened my locker and took my backpack off my back. I stuffed it into the locker before shutting the door with a slam. I looked around to see if anyone had heard. The only people I saw were a few stoners. I don’t think I would ever understand why people used and abused drugs.

I turned and walked back down the hall and towards the exit. As I exited I got a bad feeling, like something bad was going to happen… I brushed it off as nothing and continued to walk out the door. If there was one thing I could go back and change about that day, I would’ve gone to yuji and convinced him not to get in his aunt's car.

Slight time skip—

I hardly had enough time to process what had just been said to me before one of Yuji's distant relatives hung up the phone. My breath got caught in my throat. Warm beads of tears flooded out of my tear ducts. I sucked in a gulp of breath. I tried to make some kind of sound, the kind that people make when the worst news had been presented to them, nothing came out. My mother walked out of the kitchen into the living room where I was having my breakdown. My back hunched over and my legs started to shake and bounce. Tears fell into my hands and on top of my legs. I clenched my hands so hard that they left a bloody mark.

“What’s wrong?!” My mother sounded more angry that my tears got onto the couch than concerned for my well being. She stood in front of me, her legs visible from my position on the couch.

“Could you dr-drive me to the hos-hospital?” My voice cracked and hiccuped in the middle of my sentence but I think it got the point across.

We got to the hospital after less than ten minutes. I opened the car door in a rush and ran across the parking lot, making a car hit the brakes. I almost ran into the automatic doors I was running so fast. I tried not to cry as I talked to the front desk lady. She told me that he was being held on floor three but I couldn’t go inside of the hospital room. I nodded at the information and walked to the elevator. My mother had just reached the automatic doors when I pressed the button to go up. She walked up to me and tried to make small talk. I think that she got the hint that I didn’t want to talk at the moment.

As we waited for the elevator I finally took in my surroundings and looked around the room. The wide white walls were bright and stung my sore eyes. The lady at the desk looked at her computer in front of her and wrote something down in her book. There were three men and a child sitting in front of the entrance windows. To my left was a hall with a sign hanging from the ceiling. It read ‘Residential Rooms’ with an arrow pointing in that direction. The clean sanitizer smell flooded my nose. I breathed in the smell as the sound of a bell rang throughout the room. The elevator couldn’t have gotten here slower, I walked inside and let my mother walk in after me before spam pressing the third floor button and the close doors button. Quiet music played in the background as I stared into a mirror at myself, I looked like shit. My eyes were red and somewhat puffy, my hair was a mess, and my clothing was messed up. I didn’t take any time to fix those things, just stared into the reflection.

The elevator door opened allowing us to step out. I walked over to the next lady at a desk. She told me that he was in stable condition but wasn’t awake. She told me to go sit down with Yuji's family. I walked over to them. My mother sat down across the room and smiled at her phone. I felt out of place around these people who I had never met in my entire life. They probably thought I was crazy for sitting with them.

A nurse dressed in blue walked out to alert us that he could have visitors. He still wasn’t awake but she reassured us that he was going to make it but that he was in a coma for the time being. She said something about the coma being caused by medication, but I was honestly just thinking about Yuji. Only family could visit him so I sat back in my chair. Two of the family members walked down the hall leaving three others plus me.

I thought about what might’ve happened. On the phone, they only told me that I was Yuji’s emergency contact and that he was in the hospital. The last I saw of him he was fine… What could’ve happened between the last time I saw him and now? I decided to ask one of the family members, eager to know what happened to my best friend. “He got into a car accident with his aunt…” The old woman I asked seemed hesitant to explain things to me. She said that in a hushed voice like she was trying to make sure that no one else heard.

“Thanks,” I thanked her for sharing what she knew and returned to my own bubble. I started imagining the accident. I imagined Yuji flying out of a car, his head hitting the ground and busting. I imagined blood flying everywhere, glass shattering, and a car exploding as Yuji’s head flies from inside the car. I hoped that nothing bad happened but I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering.

A hand touched my bouncing leg. “I think it’s only a mild concussion and scratches.” The same woman’s voice spoke to me. I lifted my head up to look her in the eyes. Her blue eyes were faded and dark, just like her soul.

“Thanks.” I forced a smile, I’m pretty sure that it came out as a sad excuse for a half smile if anything. Hearing that it wasn’t that serious was a major relief. My leg calmed down and my hands stopped shaking so bad. A few scratches didn’t sound so bad.

I took a deep breath in. I sighed. Today was a nightmare. I leaned my head back onto the back of the chair. I closed my eyes and let myself drift away.

Minor time skip—

“Ah, sir..” a hand was placed on my shoulder before the thin hand moved off. My eyes opened, I looked around. I was in the same waiting room, except this time I was alone. I sat up, my legs stumbled as I grabbed my phone and walked out. My head was blank. I couldn’t think about anything without it connecting to yuji. I decided to take the stairs to avoid any questions.

I walked down the stairs before I finally got to the ground level. I walked out of the exit without sparing a glance to the desk lady. The cold air woke me up, remembering that I had no ride and that my mother probably went home made me want to scream even more than I already had. I used my phone to call a ride, I didn’t want to be a bother to anyone. The car arrived within a few minutes.

Once I got home, about ten minutes after I called a car, I went straight to my room. I didn’t bother to check my phone but I figured it was pretty late. I ended up falling asleep before I could undress or even take a quick shower. My final thoughts were about yuji.

-morning-

I woke up to my god awful alarm. I sat up, my legs still inside of the warm comfort of my blankets. Today was Wednesday, the day after yuji was put inside the hospital. The lady said that it was just a minor accident that provided little comfort. If it had truly just been a minor accident like she said, I wondered if Yuji would be at school today. Probably not…

I stood up and walked towards my dresser. I threw on the first thing I could find before heading to the bathroom. I took care of my personal hygiene before I realized that I had nothing more to do. I slipped on the most comfortable pair of shoes I had and slipped out of the house towards my bus stop. Me and Yuji would walk to school but since he wouldn’t be here I figured that I should get ready to be riding the bus.

My bus got here sooner than I expected, I would’ve missed it if I hadn’t left when I did. I took a seat in the very front. The ride was quick, only three or so stops after my own. We got to school within a few minutes. We got there much earlier than me and yuji would get there if we had walked. The bus pulled into the school lot and let us out after one of the teachers had instructed them to open their doors. Everyone walked in through one entrance, I evidently got pushed around a bit in the crowd.

I got breakfast and was about to sit in my usual spot when I saw him. Yuji was sitting at our table. He had his book bag around his shoulder like always. His eyes were locked on mine, he held a slight smirk. The smirk turned to a slight smile when I sat down.

“What the fuck?” My voice held obvious happiness and curiosity with a tad of anger that I made sure to mix in. I whispered when I spoke, like I was scared that someone would hear. The slight smile he first had turned into a giant smile with all of his teeth. I had been so focused on his smile that I failed to notice that his head had bandages around it and scratches scattered around his face.

“It was a minor accident, I got out this morning,” he paused for a moment. His smile faded to a smirk again, his eyes becoming more narrow, more flirtatious. “My aunt told me that you stayed until after visiting hours were up.” His eyes looked me up and down, I realized that I was still standing, I sat across the table. That was a bit embarrassing, but I’ve had way more embarrassing moments with Yuji, not a big deal.

“Wait, so what’s with the bandage?” I was eager to know the diagnosis.

“I just got a minor concussion, doc says that it’s not serious, just some changes in my personality for a few days” He closed his eyes, when he opened them again I felt that he looked a bit more tired than usual.

“You okay?” My voice was laced with concern. I stood up to sit next to him. I placed my hand on top of a thin layer of white band aids. His head was hot under my hand, I felt his checks. His face was burning up. I knew they shouldn't have let him out so soon…

“Let’s go to the nurse.” I removed my hand from his face. I stood up, hooking my arm over his shoulder to support him. I walked him out of the cafeteria, into the hallway. After we walked down the hallway for a bit he rested his weight on me.

Out of nowhere, he stopped walking. “What’s wrong?” My voice was filled with concern. If he were to pass out I think it would take me about two minutes to get to the nurses office across the campus. He stopped using my shoulder to support his weight. The people around us looked at us weird, although no matter what they thought I was pretty sure that we were already labeled as weird. I looked around us for a teacher that could call someone if he possibly did pass out. I noticed that we had stopped in front of the janitor's office, which was just a closet in the wall. I thought that he had probably not started cleaning yet, he should have still been inside.

I opened the door, expecting to find the janitor sitting at his tiny desk in the corner of the room. The only thing I found was an empty red sofa, about the size of two chairs pushed together. Anything else wouldn’t have been able to fit. I walked inside to see if there was anything I could use to help Yuji. The only thing I found was some Ibuprofen…

“Do you want some ibuprofen?” I asked as I picked up the bottle. My back was still turned to him when I asked. I started to turn around before something or someone had pushed me onto the blood red sofa. The bottle was dropped onto the ground, seemingly spilling open. I opened my eyes with urgency. The first thing I saw wasn’t a bully, or any kind of object, it was yuji.

“What’s wrong?!” I first thought that he had passed out or something like that. But he was blinking fine, his chest was breathing, he didn’t look pale? I tried to lift him off of me but he wouldn’t bust.

I only understood his intentions after he kissed me. The kiss was deep and sloppy. Beads of saliva dripped down my chin. We took multiple breaks to catch our breath but they didn’t last long. I was able to open my eyes afterwards, I looked to the left of Yuji’s head. He must’ve closed the door before he tackled me onto the sofa.

Yuji pulled me back onto another kiss. His tender lips pressed on mine. Yuji’s hands slipped underneath my shirt, his hands pressed against my stomach and chest. He ended the kiss to travel down my chin before leaving dark hickeys along my neck. I hardly noticed him unzipping my cargo pants. The kisses on my neck stopped as he unzipped his own pants. He pulled down both my pants and underwear with one hand.

The thrusts started off slow, he was taking his time thrusting deep with each buck of his hips. His hands caress my chest. He leaned in, bending his neck to kiss my lips. His thrusts became faster, he used more force each time.

“Fuck,” he mumbled under his heavy breathing. I closed my eyes. I heard the sound of the bell on the other sound of the door. My eyes closed even tighter, I slid a hand over my mouth to keep any sounds from spilling out. In the background, I could hear the sounds of conversation and walking.

The thrusts shook the sofa, it lightly hit the wall. At some point I remember the intense shock and my erection becoming limp. Yuji continued for a while. I stopped counting how many times I came.

It would be hard for Yuji to come up with an excuse for this one.

[punks-never-die205]

Passing Fascination

Fem Reader x Yandere!Eustass Kid

CW: kidnapping, yandere Eustass Kid, violence, dubious consent, imprisonment, abuse, swearing, sex, group sex, dark content kids I am not messing around with this ♥

Tag list: @keiva1000

Chapter 4: Guilt

Waking up was disorienting. The room was so dark and something in the back of your mind insisted it shouldn’t be. Your room -.

You weren’t in your room. The cold reality of it all sank into your bones and your conscious mind like a lead weight. You tried to let your eyes adjust, to take in any scrap of light that might exist in the room, and after a moment you could see the barest hints of the outlines of things.

Turning onto your back you saw an enormous lump asleep on the other side of the bed. Your heart nearly leapt into your throat, but you managed to not make a sound. Kid’s form rose and fell at an even pace, and you could hear the soft sounds of his breathing. For a guy so big you expected he snored loud enough to rattle the boards off the ship.

You didn’t know what time it was, but the need to pee pulled you off the bed and carefully into the bathroom. It was a mix of trying not to be too loud, and a mix of beginning some semblance of a plan.

Step one was sorting out which boards creaked, and which didn’t.

Trying to log the soft creaks in your memory you make your way to the bathroom and find more light coming into this room than the bedroom. It’s dark outside. You weren’t sure if the night had just started, or was coming to an end, but you couldn’t imagine you’d done anything more than sleep the day away.

It was just after morning when Kid found you, and just before noon by the time you’d gotten back to the boat, patched up, and fed. You weren’t sore enough to have slept for days, so you likely just slept the day away.

Who knows when Kid joined you. Who knows how deep asleep he was or wasn’t.

Coming out of the bathroom, you use the faint light of the moon and stars to help you see a little better for a minute before you close the door. You keep your sense of hearing on Kid’s breathing, your sense of touch on the floor, and your sight focused on the light creeping through the main doors to the room. If the ability to jump ship presented itself again, you’d take it, but your real goal was just to get comfortable with the layout.

Kid was being… almost uncomfortably kind to you so far. You kept expecting him to just take what he wanted, but as intent as he was on thinking you both loved each other, he didn’t seem to be in a rush to consummate anything. For a pirate he wasn’t treating you like you expected him to.

When you opened the door to the bedroom, you froze. You could feel his eyes on you even though he hadn’t said anything. You wait for a moment, forcing yourself to not look back at him, to not let those golden eyes catch your gaze, and when he doesn’t say anything you walk out of the room, closing the door quietly behind you.

You can feel the tension leave your body when his eyes were no longer on you, and you walked calmly down the hall. If you ran, or tried to walk quietly, you were worried he’d take it as an attempt to leave. Which wouldn’t have been entirely inaccurate, but you hadn’t been confined to his room, so you wanted to wander around.

The more comfortable you got with the layout of the ship, the more ways you’d have to leave it. You were smaller than most of the crew, if not all of them, so there might be avenues of egress no one else would worry about. If he was going to call you his pet mouse, then you might as well learn how to scurry about like one.

You moved about the ship easily enough. It was certainly nighttime, when you stepped out onto the deck a good chunk of the crew was still up and about, but the moon was in the sky and there was no soft glow of sunlight anywhere on the horizon.

People looked at you, or watched you, as you meandered around the deck, but no one approached you, and you didn’t approach anyone else. There would be a time to consider making friends with the crew, but right now wasn’t it. Even if you meant so genuinely, there would be concerns about your intentions, you were sure.

You gave a slight nod every time you made eye contact with someone, enough to simply admit you were acknowledging their existence. You weren’t trying to be completely cold and rude either.

A slow circuit around the deck showed that it was less cluttered than when you made your escape. The lifeboats were also tied a little more securely. It was a fine-line between needing to get them in the water fast, and keeping you on the boat for a second or two longer.

“Hey.” A muffled voice speaks up behind you and you flinch, turning around to see Killer.

It was a little disorienting the difference between how he’d been at the pub versus how he was now.

“Hey.” You reply, looking around to see if anyone else was around. “Guard duty?”

Killer shakes his head. “Kid doesn’t need the help.”

You can feel yourself bristle at that a little, but you can’t argue it. “Then…?” You prompt.

“Dinner was two hours ago, but I’m not going to make you go without. Hungry?”

A strange guilt twists in your stomach, and you feel like it’s been needling at you since the entire shit show started. You sigh a little because of it.

“Yeah.”

You know full well that anyone on this ship could do whatever they wanted to you. You’re not strong. You’re not practiced with haki and you don’t have a devil fruit. You have a bit more strength and a bit more stamina than most people just by virtue of your jobs. Nothing more.

Even Kid hasn’t been shy about admitting what he could do to you.

Here you are, being fed, despite having run, despite having screamed at the captain, despite everything. Fed without fanfare. Killer didn’t even hover over you while you ate.

Some part of it all felt nefarious, but some part of it felt like you were the one being unreasonable.

No one was mistreating you. Kid didn’t even touch you despite you both sleeping in the same bed. He wasn’t an idiot, but if he was manipulating you by doing things like this it seemed too subtle for him.

As you ate you thought about what he had said. That if he wanted a mindless toy you’d already be without your legs covered in cum and spit, and who knows what else. You were certain if you misbehaved too much that would be your fate anyway. If you couldn’t escape you’d rather that than this.

Whatever this was.

You finished your meal, gave Killer your thanks, and resumed walking the ship. You stayed inside, working your way through the decks, bringing yourself back to the mess hall and making a rough mental map. It was going to take weeks to not get disoriented below deck. Above deck the floors had enough light coming in you could always sort out what side of the ship you were on easily.

After your feet started to ache, the cuts and bruises from your excursion not entirely healed, you wandered back to Kid’s room. You didn’t have a room of your own, and didn’t expect you ever would, but you also figured if you dared to sleep anywhere else right now you’d be woken rudely.

You climbed back into bed, staying close to your side. You could tell Kid was awake enough to know you’d come back into the room, but neither of you said anything. If your relationship had been legitimate, you would’ve thought you were fighting, and maybe you were. You had yelled at him earlier.

Even if your reasons had been valid.

You fell asleep easily enough despite everything on your mind. When you woke in the morning you weren’t surprised to see the other side of the bed empty. There were a change of clothes set on the corner of the bed, and a note to clean up. If it was Kid’s handwriting it was surprising to you how neat it was.

Somehow you expected it to be chicken scratch.

You cleaned up, and got dressed. You didn’t feel like you needed to bandage your feet, there’d been socks and simple shoes provided. You remember hearing somewhere that kidnappers would often deny their victims shoes so they would be less inclined to run. Since you’d already done so shoeless you guess no one saw an issue with providing you a pair.

You meandered around the ship again. One of the people you passed, Heat, you were sure, had muttered that there was still breakfast in the mess, and he could guide you if you needed it. You knew where it was, and didn’t want to play dumb, so you thanked him and admitted as much, heading off toward the galley.

You got a tray of food from the kitchen, manned by Killer and Hip, and sat down across from Kid. His eyes had been on you since you entered, and you didn’t want to know what display of authority would happen if you ignored him.

The tension was almost enough to make you sick, but you’d been tense for so long at this point you’d looped back around to relaxed, or at least relaxed enough to eat most of your meal. Kid left first, the only words exchanged between you were about your cuts, and if they started to bleed you could go to the infirmary and have House patch them up.

The rest of the day was barely any different. You went to the mess hall when someone let you know it was time for a meal, sat with Kid, barely exchanging ten words between you, and then going your separate ways. Kid disappeared into some room that was down a hall no one would let you go down, and so you spent the day exploring.

One day.

Two days.

Three.

Four days at sea and you knew Victoria really well. You knew most of the storerooms and their contents, which rooms were actively occupied and which weren’t. You knew a dozen different ways to get from one end of the ship to the other, and you’d even found a few of the hides that smugglers and pirates used in case the ship was boarded.

You never saw Kid except for meals, and at bedtime. You’d even tentatively started talking to the crew by the third day. A couple of them showed you what they were doing, but no one seemed ready to trust you with anything potentially dangerous for the crew. You weren’t being taught any knots, or given so much as a whittling knife.

On the fifth day you stayed in Kid’s room and read all the titles of the books that were in there. Books on building, engineering, navigation, welding, thirty books on tinkering and mechanisms, leather working, rigging, and even a few books on agriculture and diseases like scurvy. Some were almost pristine, some were barely held together, a few were obviously rebound, the titles in the same handwriting as your morning notes.

Different island markers too. It was hard to say which he started with, and which he gathered while the crew had sailed. The idea that Eustass “Captain” Kid would steal books from other pirates, towns or marines was absurd. You could picture him running around with armfuls of gold and jewels, but books?

There were a few books in a script you recognized, but you didn’t even want to touch those. Interest in books about poneglyphs was bad enough, if anyone even thought you could read the script it could result in your death. Best to just not even touch them.

You heard the door open and pulled your hand away from a book you were about to pull down to read, eyes wide toward the door as Kid stepped in. Kid’s eyes found yours and you could hear frustration when he clicked his tongue.

“No one saw you scurrying about today, little mouse.” He says after a second. “I was just checking to see if you were in here.”

You take a step back, putting more space between yourself and the bed. “I… thought I’d read today. If I’m allowed.” You add the last bit hesitantly.

He’s silent for a moment, and you can hear something creak – either the door or his metal arm, you aren’t sure, but there’s a soft clipped sigh that escapes him. “Stay away from the damaged ones, I don’t have time to fix ‘em right now, you can read the others.”

“Thank-.”

“Just stop being so godsdamned timid!” He barks, interrupting you. “You’re all spit and fire toward the crew on that island, even defied being brought onboard!” He takes a step toward you, and you do your best to at least stand your ground. If you cower right now he’ll probably just get angrier. “Five days and no one on this crew has even raised their voice toward ya, and yer still scared!”

You can feel yourself bristle. Of course you’re scared. They’re all pirates. He is a pirate! You’re a barkeep and a dock worker who got kidnapped, how could you be anything but scared in this situation?! The way he seems dead set on not realizing how he messed up causes you to snap.

“Take me back home and I’ll go back to being all spit and fire again!” You bark back. “You don’t want me scared, then let me leave! The anxiety is killing me!”

“What the fuck do you have to be anxious about?” He growls, stepping into the room more.

“You! You, you giant asshole!” You bellow, taking a step toward him. “I’ve already said why I’m scared you bastard! I keep waiting for it to break! For this damnable farce to end! For your patience to finally crack and for you to just take what you want, LIKE THE PIRATE YOU ARE!” You’re practically seeing red by the time you’re done.

You’re breathing heavy. Exhausted despite the day still being pre-afternoon. The whole ship must’ve heard you, you’d never yelled so loud in your life.

“I take what I want, and your anxiety will go away, is that it?” Kid questions, locking the door and stepping toward you.

“What?” You barely breathe the question, your anger draining from you and being replaced by cold fear as he draws nearer. You can’t keep your feet and step back.

“If you’re dying waiting for me to fuck you, then doing so will fix this timid shit.” He asserts, standing over you as you back into the bookshelf behind you. “Right, little mouse?”