#everyone: yes you love wright we know you love wright so much he's the light of your life WE GET IT YOU LOVE PHOENIX WRIGHT ))

[ghostieyanyan]

Yandere! Kalim x reader, but yandere but they're bad at their jobs au. Like one minute Kalim act all sadistic and dark then the next thing when reader asked if he wants some pets he went to his usual happy sunshine puppy that demands pets

yes~~ presious baby boi just wants love but he so spoil x3

what i also like to think about with yandere kalim is that he knows right and wrong but its so water down for him that "he just cant help it ^^

For fun, im making this into a modern mafia au ^^

~Just trying to help~

Yan!Boss!Kalim x Worker!mc

Warnings: power dymanmic, mafia mention, violence mention, nsfw hints, death?, manipulation

~~~~~

The Asim, they are known for their wealth and their trades. They're a super big powerful family with a lot of people (both loyal and not loyal) under them. They kind of give "untouchable kings" vibes. Theyre still really nice to their "people", you just don't see them a lot, or at all really. The only way to really "talk to them" is by talking to someone in their circle but there are layers into that circle. some people thinks that their family is shady, like the rich people act is a persona to hide something but no one really has proof.

But you really don't have to worry about that. You have your own stuff to worry about, like living expenses. You were basically living on the streets, barely living. You did side jobs to get by. maybe you'll clean or maybe you'll babysit. when you were a kid, you always wanted to help people. But with your home life, money, you couldn't really get to your dreams even if you tried. you stopped school pretty early and its a little too late for you to get back into it. plus what school will accept you. you lived in a community where rich gets richer and medium class becomes poor... I guess that's where you are, what your luck...

you were heading to your next "job" place. you had to clean for a really sweet old couple, the Wrights. They couldn't afford much either but they try to help you whenever they can. Example, you clean places that they cant reach, in exchange they give you dinner, as much as they can. you always wish them good health. they are too sweet for this unfair world.

you were lost in your head, enjoying the memories and conversation you had with them. But when you to their place, you see 3 grown men towering over Mr. Wright.

"please understand.. we aren't here for trouble but your son does owe us some money. were just here to collect."

"please.. we havent seen our son in months. hes not here."

"come on, blue carb! i wanna go home! if you dont tell us-"

"Floyd, we aren't here for threats."

"hmm..? oh my... what do we have here?"

the light hair man turn to you with a very scary smile. You didnt have time to take even a step when one of the men grabs you by the arm. he had teal hair with a black stirp. he had awful smile that showed off his sharp teeth.. the smile looked every threatening..

"were just here to talk about business, why dont you scram shrimpy."

you started to tremble and turned to Mr. Wright. he gave you a weak smile and moved his hand like to shoo you away.

"go on dear. it'll be okay."

you gulped in terror but you dug your heels into the ground. if you didn't, who knew what these shady guys would do to this kind old couple.

"h-he.. said he hasn't seen his son! n-ow get out of here before i call the police!!"

"..."

".."

"..."

everyone got quiet.. no one moved.. the men seem stun by your outburst. the man, that was holding you, didn't seem to like your outburst and gripped your arm, harder. it hurts..!

"tck.. im getting really annoyed, shrimpy... Should break your arm to show you-"

"actually Floyd, i have a better idea."

the light hair man walks up to you and hands you a card.

"i am Azul Ashengrotto. i run a cafe called the Mostro Lounge and Mr. Wright's son has owe us a pretty penny~"

The way he spoke gave you chills. You hated it. it was too sweet when you knew that the words he spoke are laced with poison.

"What if-..."

You had to take a long deep breath, you're risking a lot for even thinking this... but you had to. you were the only able person to protected these people who gave you more than you've asked.

"what if... i worked for you..? i'll work for you, pay off the owe money and you'll have to leave Mr. and Mrs. Wright alone! Deal..?"

the light hair man pauses.. then smiled. he put his hand out for a handshake.

"Its a Deal."

when you took his hand, that was it. you had to say goodbye to your home away from home. you gave mr.wright a smile and left with the strange men...

~~~

the next few weeks you learned what they did, kind of, and what they needed of you. they didn't tell you 100% of everything but you were supposed to be their servant, or an errand boy, or something like that?

the job wasn't bad at all. you cleaned, get anything they need, run things for them. sometimes they call you for... personal reasons. In exchange you get 3 meals a day and a comfortable room. which honestly, you weren't complaining. before, you would have one meal a day and even sleep on either a hard floor or a gross mattress. At this rate, after you finish paying off the Wright's debt, you might just stay here.

sometimes the job brings pretty scary people that show up out of nowhere. they often had big weapons to their side, some would have the weapons ready and loaded. Jade, Floyd, or Azul often gets you out of the way and most times tell you to cover your ears and close your eyes. sometimes they have you clean up their messes after these scary men... "leave." you knew better but you cant really say or do anything about it so.. you just don't question it.

after a month, you thought you get used to your new home life now but- you accidentally ran into someone or someone ran into you.

"oh my-! are you okay? im so sorry!! i-"

"no no! its okay. i should have been more careful."

the mysterious man helped you up. he had bright red eyes and white white that complement his dark skin every nicely. he had a black dress shirt and a red suit with gold accents, red dress pants to match. when he helped you up, you notice he's hands are really soft. big contrast to your hands.

"I'm sorry again."

he was about to run away but stopped and sheepishly turn and smile at you. it kind of reminded you of a happy teenage.

"actually... do you know where the Mostro lounge is? i... i think im lost. hehe." he scratched the back of his head. the embrassement on his face was slowly growing on you because he kept smiling.

it was kinda weird to see someone around here with such a bright smile..? like an genuine smile or maybe hes just a good actor or something..? you cant say.

"oh.. its a left then a right." you poked.

"kk! thank you~"

he turned and ran away again. you were about to leave but he stopped you again.

"can you actually walk with me there..? i asked directions before and got lost.. hehe~ pretty please?"

with his charming smile, you couldnt help but smile back.

"okay, follow me."

during your walk there, he asked a few question. they were harmless questions, enough. favorite colors? favorite food? favorite animals? where have you been? favorite places to go? etc.

when you got there a tall man with dark skin and long beautiful black hair rushed to your side, well more like to the other man.

He had the same outfit as the white hair man but they both wore it differently. which wasnt a bad thing. it compliment their personalities. Like jade, floyd, and azul do with their suits too.

"Kalim! where have you been?! we just left the elavoter and you were gone from my sights?! why did you-?"

"oh ya! i saw this pretty ocean theme pillows and i wanted to get some but you had my wallet hehe~ so... can i get them? they be perfect for-!"

"no. ugh..."

you felt really uncomfortable... it was like a mother scolding her kid... the black hair man looked at you. you shifted your feet uncomfortably.

"who are you? i dont remember you from our last visit?"

you raise your hands up and backed up slightly. people here are either very suspicious, they often come to see azul for his deals, or naive soul, that came for the ocean-like atmosphere.

"im just a-"

two arms snaked around you. you started to freak out. this is how you die--!!!

"shrimpy!! where's my drink~~? ive asked it for about... like 10 minutes ago~~~"

Oh! its just Floyd. he practicely moaned in your ear. it was a lot to get used to Floyd's mood swings. but you learn to avoid him when hes upset or just do want he says and not say too much. if he tries to tease you, he often gets bored and wonders to do who knows what.

"oh! hi sea snake! hi sea otter!"

"Floyd.. for the last time, stop calling us-

"hi Floyd!! haha!"

the white hair man jumped up and join the hug! you were getting crushed between these two... you were patting their backs in a way to say "okay thank you but-- that enough..!!! im dying! let me go!"

"jamil! Kalim! its great that you made it! a bit late but- i cant say im suprised."

"tsk.. hello jade... azul..."

the dark hair man, pulled the white hair man off you. it helped but Floyd is still squeezing you like he was trying to kill you, not literally... hopefully.

"ah.. its seems that you met our new hire. Jamil, Kalim, this is (mc)."

you, trying your best with the situation youre in with floyd right now, bowed your head as jade introduced you.

"hehe. we found shrimpy when we were at the Wright's place."

"did you get the money..?"

"no~ they were being stubborn but (mc) offer to pay off the money that was owed so i cant complain too much."

azul spoke and rubbed your head like a kid. you didnt like how they were talking about you like you werent there. or rather, talking about the Wrights like they were bad.. but you held your tongue. you didnt want to get them mad... especially when floyd is still holding you.

"ohh.. poor (mc). dont worry, well protect you from those mean people. im kalim, Kalim al-asim!"

"Kalim!"

"and thats jamil, Jamil Viper."

"Kalim! dont give our names to strangers! you dont even know them-"

"Well then~ we'll just have to just spend time with them!"

Kalim.. Kalim al-asim.... an Al-Asim.. Al-Asim! This smiling ray of sunlight is an Asim??

apparently your face paled because Kalim reached for your face and held your face into his hands. he gave you a giggle and smiled as he massage your cheeks in his hands.

"hehe youre so cute. after our meeting with Azul, i want to hangout with you on your break. when is it? hmm?"

you turned to Azul, he nodded his head in approval.

"i-its.. its in 2 hours from now.. sir.."

"hehe.. no need to talk so formal. just call me Kalim. And okay, on your break, meet me by the front door of the Mostro lounge, kk?

"y-yes.. kalim.."

he gave you a smile and all the 5 men started to head to Azul VIP room..

what did you get yourself into....

~~~

You've been spending a lot of your time with kalim as of late. To the point where you felt guilty for leaving work.. but you'd feel more guilty for saying no to kalim. You tried once. It was one too many.

You initially wanted to keep some distance. But with kalim's smile and charisma, you couldn't say no. Kalim always found a way to have lots of fun and he will always include you too.

Every time you came back to the Mostro lounge, floyd gives you a stink eye and a "why wasn't i invited~?" whine. Jade gives you his creepy smile and does a weird thing by leaning in and asking "did anything exciting happened~?", whatever that means. Azul doesn't seem upset at all. It made you anxious. Is he marking down your pay when you're out with kalim..? You checked your accounts and you were still getting payed for your work but.. you didn't do any work..?

You decide to talk to azul about it. You didn't want something like this be in the air, with someone as slimy as azul.. and with money no least!!

You knocked.

"Um.. azul..? Are you busy?"

You peeked through the door of Azul's office, and they vip room.

"... no. What do you need..?

he was working on some papers and he looked.. unpleased.

"I.. ill ask later."

You tried to take your leave befor-

"You wanted to ask about your pay..?"

You slowly turn to him. His face hasn't changed from that unpleased expression.

"Y-yes sir.."

Azul sighed, lend back into his chair, took off his glasses and rubbed his face as he let's out another sigh.

"Kalim is... renting you."

What..?

"And he also requested for you to still get payed because, his words.. 'they're still working.'"

He started to stare at you. You didn't think he meant it to look intimidating, because he can't see you, he doesnt have his glasses on. But it still was very unpleasant.

You were at lost of words. Kalim al-asim... is renting you..? You weren't mad but you weren't happy too. Spending time with kalim is really fun and his personality is really refreshing. But being told you were 'rented out' feels.. dehumanizing. But with your life, you can really feel anything else..

"Is that all..?"

"Yes sir.."

"Good, you may leave."

You bowed your head and left, making sure to close the door softly behind you.

What do you do now..?

~~~

Now after every visit from kalim, the moment becomes a little sour. He's paying azul to spent time with you, but why? He's an al-asim. He could get anything he wants right? Why would he spend time with a common rat like you..?

What are you to him?

"(Mc)? You okay?"

You looked up and kalim was really close to you! You jolted and lean back

"I-im okay! Its just.. work. Heh.. work just be exhausting and im just.. I'm okay!"

You smiles, you didn't notice that kalim stopped smiling.. he was still looking at you but just not smiles. it would have scared you to your core if it wasnt for you trying to change the topic by looking at the scenery. A minute past and his smile came back, brighter.

"Why don't you come with me then?"

"huh..?"

"You could live in the al-asim estate and you don't have to lift the finger! Serverts will come to your every beckon call and you get to live.. like an Asim."

As you were staring at him, lost of words, he gently took your hand. You didnt even noticed it until he pulled your hands to his lips and kissed it.

"K-kalim! I-"

Before you could finish your sentence, he stood in front of you and got on one knee.

You felt sick

"(Mc)... "

You felt dizzy

"Will you-"

This has to be a dream!!!

"Be mine?"

He sweet innocent smile made you feel sick. How can can someone so dangerous be so naive?!? You bearly knew him! He bears knew you!!

"I.. i-i have to go!!"

You ran off, back to Mostro Lounge, back to your room, leaving a sad otter left on one knee..

~~~

You were in your room for 3 days..

You weren't payed for those days but you didnt care..

You felt sick and a little guilty. Kalim looked so sad when you left him. Maybe when you see him again... you could apologize and explain yourself..? By the seven! Would he still be mad at you? Will he order for you to be erased??

You felt nausea.

You needed to get some water.

Luckily it was night time, you wouldn't likely run into floyd, jade, or azul.. maybe?

You walked through the dark halls, only using your memories and the walls to guide you.

You were lost in thought and didn't realize a figure coming up behind you. By the time you did noticed, the figure quickly over powered you and you were imbraced into darkness.

~~~~

[Before the proposal]

"Azul!!? how much does the Wrights owe!?"

Kalim bursted into Azul's office, with a tired Jamil following behind.

"ah! K-Kalim! you know you have to make an ap-"

"i know i know! this is important though!!"

Kalim rushes up to Azul's desk, slamming his hands down on to the desk and leaned over to Azul. he was like a jumping dog..

"i want to ask (mc) to marry me!!"

everyone froze and even jade and Floyd, they were walking by, looked at Kalim like he was crazy.

"Kalim! I know your father has told you about being an Al-Asim and your responsibility to your family and making an hair but not like this!!"

"come on, Jamil~ they're perfect~ they're sweet and kind. they're responsible and hard working, like father wanted. they're just... perfect!"

Kalim goes through his phone and looks at pictures of you he took when you hanging out with him and even ones he requested from Jade and Floyd, secret cameras. They vary between you working and you when you think youre alone...

Azul rubs his face and gives a long sigh.

"look kalim. Even if your display of affection is definitely... something... (mc) is still working the Wrights' debt off. if they're not here then-"

"oh! that's another amazing thing about them! they were willing to help the Wrights without even knowing what they were getting themselves into. with the amount of debt the Wrights have, (mc) would be working until they're in their 70s. Thats why i need to protect them, do they even know about the Wrights 'situation'?"

Floyd lays on the couch in the VIP room, with candy in his mouth.

"nope! Jade thought it would help (mc) stay motivated to work. you saw how upset they got whenever we talk about the Wrights. they're so cute but so obedient that they don't even asked what they did to get in their situation, HAHA! silly shrimpy~!"

Floyd laughs and Jade chimes in.

"To be fair, we did get them out of a 'dangerous situation'. what the Wrights were doing to them was shameful.. Saying their debt was all because of their son, who has been dead for 10 years, and saying they dont have money but is found actively going to clubs spending more. the fact that they're living in the poorest town, and looking like weak old people. they're fooling everyone with the act. Everyone, including (mc)~"

Jamil turned and glared at Azul.

"wait-.. you didn't even tell them..? and you kept them working here?"

"think whatever Jamil, someone has to pay the debt off."

"i can pay it!"

Kalim looks at Azul, he was giving a determined look. Azul sighs again, why is everyone in his office. He has too much work to do.

"i know you can but you know-"

"in exchange, give me (mc)."

Jamil was about to stop Kalim but-

"(mc), yes, they work here under false pretenses but they have became a big asset to us. if you were to take them, it will take a long time to replace them."

Kalim walks closer to azul. with his serious expression, to say left everyone on edge was an understatement.

"i will pay 3x the Wrights' debt... as long as i get (mc)."

Azul looks at Kalim and a sick smile appears. He held out his hand.

"Its a Deal."

~~~~

This took so long! but i did it! i hope you guys enjoy it. if you guys like me to draw something for this, just ask, until then, back into my wips qwq

[wolfprincesszola]

Echoes of 50 Chapter 12

As always, check the TWs and CWs in the masterlist. This chapter broke me while writing. I hope it breaks you while reading. Enjoy <3. ——————– Now Playing: In Cold Light by Vanbur

<Masterlist>

<Previous Chapter> <Next Chapter> ——————–

Logan should’ve known something was off when everyone showed up for the heist with power suppressors on, though Logan was given them last and was surprised to note that his did not take away his telepathic ability.

“Are you sure this works?” Logan raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, Sanders. It does.” Janus rolled his eyes, “I specifically bought you the ones that work similar to Patton’s power where it resists others’ powers against yours, but it does not have an effect on yours. Thought yours might be useful to help predict when people are entering the building and where they all are.”

“I’m impressed.” Logan nodded.

Logan should’ve known something was more off when everyone began to whisper around Patton in hushed tones and pull everyone into a group hug for final goodbyes. He really should’ve known something was off when Patton said that he would go off with Remus just as they had arrived above the room with the DS device, still in the vents. He seemed anxious to say the least to find Phobus.

“You should stay here. At least until we can drop down.” Logan shook his head, “We need Remus to use his powers.”

Remus nodded as everyone awkwardly shuffled around to let Remus see above the vent.

“Ouch! Get your ass out of my face, Wright!” Virgil scowled quietly.

“That’s not very nice of you to say, Virgil!” Patton scolded.

“Ooo, didn’t know you were into that, babe~” Remus sang.

“Do you think I have much of a choice? I’d rather Remus be there right now, but we can’t all be winners!” Janus shot back at Virgil.

“Ew! That’s so gross. Don’t talk about my brother like that!” Roman gagged.

“Can you all shut up for one second?” Logan scowled, “Mind you, they could still hear us.”

“Sorry, Logan.” All five of those talking murmured as they focused on getting out of the vent.

Once he was above the vent, Logan watched as Remus’ eyes began to flicker green until it was glowing a steady color. He listened below to the workers and their thoughts to see that they were going insane. That they had thought someone had called them from outside. Once they were out, everyone dropped down and Roman was quick to help lock the door. Logan turned to Patton who was down with them.

“Will you be alright with that freak?” Logan raised an eyebrow to Patton.

“Yeah. I’ve got to go. If we want the best chance at getting this done, we need to find Phobus as quickly as possible.” Patton murmured, dashing his eyes around the room warily.

“Alright.” Logan nodded as he rubbed his thumb against Patton’s cheek, “Stay safe, okay? I love you.”

“I love you too.” Patton giggled as he was helped back up the vents by Remus.

Logan smiled before he turned towards the device.

“I love you.” Virgil’s voice came in, smugly mocking Logan’s relationship, “God, you two are insufferable.”

“Why don’t you just shut your mouth, Virge, and start unscrewing that panel for me?” Logan scowled as he threw a screwdriver in his pocket towards the man. He turned his attention towards the computer hooked up to the device and began to do his work. Logan was a chemical engineer who managed to mainly do software. He should know how to do everything.

“I knew assigning you to do software was a good idea.” Janus grinned.

Logan raised an eyebrow at Janus as he began to decode the password on the computer. He turned his focus back onto his decoding, but still spoke up, “I will file a complaint with you at work about that, especially since I’m supposed to be employed as the head chemical engineer. Must I remind you of that?”

“On the bright side, we are paying you the salary of both the software engineer and chemical engineer salary.” Janus offered as he watched Logan doing his work. He turned to grab a screwdriver to help Virgil with the device disarmament. Logan had briefed him early on so that the three of them could multitask.

“Satisfactory enough.” Logan remarked as he managed to get into the computer.

There was pounding on the door.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it.” Roman remarked as he pulled out a taser gun. Logan couldn’t necessarily focus on what was going on, but from the chaotic thoughts of all the workers and of the noise Roman was making, Logan could only assume there were a lot of injuries being sustained from anyone that was not Roman. Roman was always someone who knew how to fight, even if he didn’t show it too much.

“Roman, I do hope that you stay intact throughout all of this.” Logan remarked as he began to erase the entire software and the drive that the device could access. “I am about halfway done.”

“Doing just peachy, thank you so much.” Roman let sarcasm drip out of his mouth as Logan could hear the workers.

“Oh shit, he has one of our guns!”

“Fuck, I don’t know how to disarm him. I don’t want to get my power taken away.”

“Well, shit, we’re screwed.”

“Keep it up, Ro!” Virgil yelled out as Logan managed to scramble to erase the entire device before shutting it off and checking in on Virgil and Janus.

“Duck!” Roman yelled. Logan, Virgil, and Janus all ducked, right as a flying object came into view.

“Shoot at the Medeis, Roman!” Logan yelled out, “We believe in you.”

“Jeez, you cannot do anything on your own, can you?” Janus huffed as he stood up, “Logan, take over what I’m doing. I’ll help Roman.”

Logan began to take over what Janus was doing, beginning to cut wires and rip out boards whenever he could in hopes that he could damage the device as much as possible. Considering it was such a big device, there was only so much he could do.

It was quiet, at least in the outside world. There was no more fighting. Logan turned to see Roman and Janus heaving. Janus was carrying one of the ray guns the workers were carrying as Roman had out his taser gun. There was no doubt that Janus worked to disarm each worker while Roman went to tase each one until they were all unconscious.

“Well, that was easier than expected.” Virgil blinked, “Is that it?”

“We should get up to the viewing point.” Janus nodded.

“Yeah, we can meet Patton up there. There’s no doubt he must’ve found Phobus already.”

Janus, Roman, and Virgil shared a look.

“What?” Logan raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing. You’re right.” Virgil stifled a smile as he pointed to the vents, “Let’s go back up now, right? Better to get to Patton faster than slower.”

“No.” Logan stopped Virgil as the man began to walk back towards the vent, “What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” Virgil raised an eyebrow.

“I know you, Grey.” Logan raised an eyebrow, “Being your best friend for this long has allowed me to know your behaviors and mannerisms. You just twitched your ear.”

“What are you talking about?” Virgil scoffed, darting his eyes over to Roman.

“You scoffed and turned your head away from me! You only do that when you’re hiding something.”

“He’s not going to break.” Janus’ voice came in.

Logan turned towards Janus, raising an eyebrow, “What the hell did you do, Wright?”

“It wasn’t my choice.” Janus shook his head, “You should be asking that to someone else.”

Logan’s heart dropped. Now, it made sense. The guns that everyone seemed to be aware of except for Logan. Logan only found out their purpose because of the workers’ thoughts and from context clues. The glances everyone would share with each other. The goodbye hug they shared before the mission. The way Patton kept telling Logan to live without Patton. The way Patton kept telling Logan he loved him. The reason Patton and Remus wanted to leave to do something else. The reason everyone was acting weirdly. The reason everyone was acting power suppressors. Patton had something up his sleeve and no one wanted to let Logan into it because he would automatically decline the offer. No one wanted to tell Logan what was going on.

“This isn’t the only copy of the software, is it?” Logan let his stare harden as he turned around to the DS device.

“We did a lot of damage to DS Enterprise.” Virgil offered first.

“Where’s the software room?” Logan replied coldly as he pulled on the rope they had used to get into the room, “I’m going back up.” “Come on, Logan. Don’t ruin the plan-”

“The plan?” Logan raised an eyebrow, turning to Roman, boiling fury catching the back of his throat. “Are you really concerned about the plan?”

“I-” Roman began before Logan shook his head, efficiently cutting Roman off.

“The plan was to disable the DS device and to get help from Thomas’ team. What the hell is this?” Logan spat, “When were you going to tell me Patton went after Phobus himself and went to delete the entire software of DS Enterprise by himself? That he was going to disarm every single goddamn ray gun until he was caught? Why didn’t any of you stop him? This is reckless and stupid!”

Everyone stayed in silence, each one unable to meet Logan’s eyes in shame.

“I’m going to stop him.” Logan scoffed as he tugged on the rope to make sure it was steady enough to go back through the vents.

“Remus is there.”

“Sorry?” Logan raised an eyebrow, turning his head back to Virgil who spoke up. “You have something to say?”

“Remus was there.” Virgil cleared his throat. He brought his eyes up until they had met Logan’s. His eyes wavered with shame and apologies, though none of those emotions came out as prevalent in his voice. Instead, Virgil gave a response, “Remus is strong and has the power to create hallucinations. He was our best bet at keeping Patton alive.”

“And that makes it any better?” Logan let his words drip like a poison dart an assassin would use for a slow-killing death.

“Logan, it was for your own good. Patton didn’t want you to know for a reason.” Roman pleaded with the man.

Logan huffed. As much as he hated to admit it, they were right. Patton always was smarter than he let on. Patton knew how to delete the entire drive, probably faster than Logan could. Logan could dodge attacks from the others pretty well, but Patton was better. Patton had to grow up dodging them.

“I know you don’t like admitting we’re right, L.” Virgil shook his head as he grabbed the rope from Logan, “But Patton’s not a weak duckling in need of help. If anything, we’d be in his way.”

“It doesn’t mean that I won’t stop fighting to try and keep him alive.” Logan grumbled as he began to climb back up into the vents.

“Of course not. What would we expect from the best loving couple in all of the Mystic Oaks?” Janus mocked as he began to climb back up behind Logan. The other two were behind them.

“Stop grumbling, Janus. Let’s just get to Patton before anyone else comes.” Roman rolled his eyes as he climbed in as the last person.

The four of them began to crawl through the vents before Logan began to hear the thoughts once more. A perk of being in the vents meant that it gave a clearer view as to where the thoughts were coming from and where exactly they were coming from. Logan heard Talyn’s thoughts before it happened.

“Patton must’ve escaped through the vents last time. Maybe I should throw a bomb in there.”

“We need to get down now.” Logan urged as he dropped through the vents upon reaching a grate.

“What? Logan, why?” Janus raised an eyebrow. “Did you even check for-”

“No time. Get out, Wright!” Virgil yelled as he pushed Janus through. Janus fell through, Virgil and Roman getting out after.

“What the hell?” Janus yelled out, glaring at Virgil as he went to compose himself.

Not a moment later, there was a blast and the four looked up to see that the vents had completely exploded.

“That was why.” Logan huffed as he began to take a look at his surroundings. “Though I’m not sure if our current situation is better…”

The four were surrounded in a circle with workers of DS Enterprise all pointing the ray guns at them. In the very front was Phobus grinning at him, wearing a golden ring that he didn’t have before. Logan realized the gold ring must’ve been a power suppressor, as Logan couldn’t hear any of Phobus’ thoughts. Dammit.

“Hello, Logan. It’s nice to see you again.” Phobus grinned. “Mind telling me what the rest of your friends’ names are?”

“Oh sure! It’s ‘go’, ‘fuck’, ‘yourself’!” Virgil replied happily as he flipped Phobus off, “Why are you even here?”

“Oh, you didn’t think you were the only one planning for this visit, were you?” Phobus grinned. “I’ve been waiting for you, Logan. You know that I have.”

Logan stayed quiet, trying to observe Phobus’ habits. It was a little odd. He didn’t remember Phobus shifting to the right when he smiled. He didn’t remember Phobus having such a playful expression on his face.

“Hm, playing hard to get? Why, that won’t do. Let’s play a game, shall we?”

“And why would we do that?” Roman replied in horror, “You’re clearly going to rig it!”

“Now, now, hot shot, I play fair. I always do. Let’s make a deal, shall we?”

Logan raised an eyebrow in intrigue. Phobus never played any games. Even in his thoughts, he was serious. To play along to someone’s games was out-of-character.

“What’s the deal?”

“Logan, you can’t possibly-” Both Roman and Virgil spoke up to yell at Logan. Janus glared at them to shut up, knowing that they could do more damage by talking than by just listening. It seemed to be what Phobus wanted to do anyway.

“A simple game of chess. You win, I give you the exact location of your precious…Patton. I win? You turn yourselves into me and subject yourself to the same fate as your dear boyfriend.”

“Rigged deal.” Logan scowled, “I don’t want the location of Patton. I know where he is.”

Phobus raised an eyebrow, “Do you now? Because last time I remembered, Patton had exited the vents from here to get to the archive room. I intercepted him on the way here.” Him. Not them. Phobus hadn’t caught Patton at all, if he didn’t know that Remus was with Patton.

“Then I guess I do not care as much as I thought for that man. I don’t want his precise location. I want to know where the archive room is.”

“Archive room?” Phobus laughed, “Why? Are you planning to finish the job that Patton couldn’t?”

No. Logan planned to help Patton finish the job that he could do on his own. He planned to protect Patton from Phobus. Maybe stalling him was the best course of business.

“I just want to know what goes on in DS Enterprise.” Logan grit through his teeth, holding his hand out, “Deal?”

“Deal.” Phobus grinned as he shook hands with Logan. A chess board on a table was brought out.

“L, can we have a word before your chess game?” Virgil raised an eyebrow at Logan.

“Oh sure! It’s not like the fate of your entire lives is on the line.” Phobus winked, grinning as he turned away.

“Are you crazy?” Virgil hissed, glaring at Logan. “This could cost us everything. A chess game? With Phobus? Do you know how crazy smart that man is?”

“What’s a little fun in this place?” Logan mustered up a faux smile.

“Oh come on, Logan. I don’t believe you believe that.” Roman scowled, “What’s going on? This is only going to make things harder to find Patton!”

“I agree with Logan.”

Roman and Virgil darted their heads to glare at Janus. “What?”

“If Phobus is here, he can’t be near Patton at all. Patton’s probably still alive, so no doubt, he’s going to try and get the information out of us. Let’s give them a show and stall them, okay?” Janus winked.

The problem to Logan was that Phobus didn’t feel like Phobus. There wasn’t the same energies, the same command, the same anger that bubbled inside of Phobus. Instead, Phobus felt just like a normal man. Just as Logan had known the other workers of DS Enterprise were supposed to be. Most likely someone else posed as Phobus, though it wouldn’t make sense why it looked so accurate.

White pawn to D4. Black pawn to F5. White bishop to G5. Black pawn to H6. White bishop to H4. Black pawn to G5. White pawn to E4. Black pawn eating the white bishop at H4.

Logan stared blankly at the chessboard. There was no way that Phobus was being serious. If Phobus was really playing Logan against a chess match, it made no reason for him to fall for something as simple as the Dutch Defense.

“Scared you’re going to lose?” Phobus grinned as he rested his head on his hands, staring at Logan. Maybe Phobus thought that would bring some pressure onto Logan.

“The opposite, in fact.” Logan replied calmly as he moved his queen up to H5. “Checkmate.”

Phobus gaped at the game.

“Really, I do not know why you thought you could beat me at chess.” Logan tsked as he stood up, brushing off the dust from his clothes, “Now, the location of the archive room now?”

Phobus scoffed as he stood up too, “You’re not getting that.”

“I think I am, in fact.” Logan remarked as he stepped back for Virgil, Roman, and Janus to surround him, each of them holding out a ray gun as well as their taser gun. It wasn’t long before Logan heard zapping around him. Though he couldn’t see much from the way the others were covering him, it was only when they had managed to take down every worker except for Phobus that they let Logan out.

Logan sighed as he grabbed a gun from one of the unconscious workers, “I really am sorry for this, Joan.”

With that, Logan pointed the ray gun towards Joan and zapped them to get rid of their shape shifting power. In an instant, they were back to Joan. Janus was quick to tase Joan until they, too, fell unconscious.

“How’d you know, Logan?”

“Simply, it’s elementary.” Logan shrugged, “Now, onwards. I think I have the map of the entire place memorized, though I didn’t think we’d be going through the building this way.”

They rushed through areas, hiding behind walls and doors whenever any workers came by. They were trying to get through the area without having to tase yet another worker that did nothing to them.

Once they reached the archive room, Logan hesitated.

“What? Why are you hesitating?” Janus raised an eyebrow.

“I can’t hear anyone’s thoughts.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, of course you can’t. Two of them are wearing a power suppressor and the other one is a living power suppressor. We just need to make sure that Phobus knows he’s cornered.” Janus scowled.

“There you are! I was wondering when you’d get here!”

Logan huffed as he turned to see Phobus grinning at him. The real Phobus. He seemed preoccupied as he was in front of two magic bubbles, made from throwing potions that contained Remus and Patton in each one.

“Remus!” Janus yelled out, beginning to run towards the man. Looks like the snake did have a heart, even if he tried to pretend he didn’t most of the time. Especially when it came to his husband.

“Feisty one, I can see. Married, are you? I was wondering what the ring was for.” Phobus grinned as he pushed Janus down. “I’m afraid they’re unreachable. Why don’t you sit down there?”

Phobus kicked Janus until Janus slid back to where Virgil, Roman, and Logan were.

“Janus, are you okay?” Roman raised an eyebrow as he held a hand out. Janus took it as he huffed in embarrassment at what had just happened.

“What are you doing with those two?” Logan spoke up, staring at the magic bubble that was beginning to move towards the computers.

“Well, I saw them trying to hack and decode all that I’ve worked upon for the last 10 years and I just couldn’t have that.” Phobus tsked, “I’m keeping that green one. His power is useful and will make a good power for my second-in-command. Patient 50 on the other hand? I don’t know what I’ll do with him. Especially since you destroyed the only purpose he was made for. It’ll take me forever to rebuild that back up, Logan.”

Logan scowled, “What do you want, Phobus?”

“Wow, Logan. I didn’t know we were on a first-name basis.” Phobus gasped. “Might not want to tell your boyfriend that.”

Logan rolled his eyes as he looked over to Patton. Patton seemed to be wrapped up in cords and connected to some device, though Logan wasn’t sure what. The wires were too long for Logan to tell what it was. “Patton!”

“Just stall. Ten minutes.”

Logan definitely heard that. He stared at Patton. Patton seemed somewhat conscious, but not enough to move or even open his eyes fully. Patton’s glasses were nowhere to be found, probably broken off to the side during a fight with Phobus. Enough to let Logan hear some of Patton’s thoughts. Stall for what? Ten minutes for what? For Patton to regain energy? For everything to be fully deleted? For reinforcements to come in? For karma to kick in? Logan didn’t know.

“What do you have him hooked up to?”

“Ah, you always love getting me into villain monologues, don’t you, Logan?” Phobus grinned, “Unfortunately, I will not be indulging you in them, as it’s clear it didn’t hold you back from defeating Joan. Jeez, you can never get that good of help around here, can you?”

Logan stared at Phobus as he began to take out the ray gun he had.

“Those don’t work on me, remember?” Phobus tsked, shaking his head, “Last time I checked, I was an Impoten. There is nothing of me to take away.”

“Your IQ maybe.” Virgil shrugged as he pulled out the taser gun. Phobus easily dodged the bolts before raising an eyebrow at Virgil.

“Did you really think that would work, emo?”

“Emo! Ha!” Roman burst out laughing before cursing at himself, “Dammit, you’re funny, you wicked villain!”

“It was worth a goddamn try.” Virgil pouted.

“Well, it was a bad one.” Phobus remarked as he sighed, “Well, it’s time to say goodbye to all of you. I am sorry that I never got to learn your names, Logan’s friends. I do wish you well, but there are some things I need to take care of.”

With that, Phobus whistled, allowing for several police officers to come into the room and approach all four of them.

“This has to be my worst nightmare.” Virgil grumbled, “Logan, go save Patton.”

“What?” Logan stared at Virgil with bewilderment. “Have you seen what’s around us?”

“Yes, I know about the enclosing circle of police officers. But you’re faster and for some odd reason, you become crazy scary when something is happening to Patton. So go! Save him or whatever that cheesy stuff is.” Virgil glared at Logan as he pushed the man. Logan took a deep breath as he grabbed the dagger that he still had sheathed inside of his boot. He really had to thank Janus for thinking of everything when he had made the plan. Logan rushed over the police officers, jumping over and under them, with the help of Virgil’s help tasing the others he couldn’t outrun or outfight. With that, he began to follow Phobus, watching and waiting for the right moment to strike. Almost immediately though, his plan was foiled as Phobus had snapped his fingers and a bubble that had Patton trapped in originally popped. Patton fell to the ground with wires still attached to him, while the bubble went to keep Logan in the bubble.

“Get up.” Phobus commanded, slapping Patton in the face. Patton jumped, slowly standing up. It seemed as if his physical activity was hard to control.

“Patton!” Logan screamed towards the man.

“It’s okay. I’m okay, Logan.” Patton smiled weakly, his words slurring together. From the way that Patton had to stumble around to even keep balance, it was clear that the wires that were hooked up to him were making him delusional.

“I’m okay, Lo. Don’t worry. I’m just not able to stand.”

Logan tried to walk closer to Patton and ended up bumping into the wall of the bubble. Logan continued to pound on the wall, trying to find a way out.

“We’re finishing this, no matter if you like it or not. I did not put more than 40 years of my life, just for you to throw it away out of the reasons that you were being hurt. People got hurt all the time. You need to just accept that fate. Get in the machine. It’s time for the Medeis to fall.” Phobus pointed to Patton.

Patton stared blankly at Phobus.

“One more minute.”

Until what? Whatever Patton was planning better have hurried up because Logan knew that Patton didn’t have much longer. He had seen the anger that had burned in Phobus’ eyes. It was the fury of a dragon, one that would burn down an entire kingdom to get even one more gold coin for the greed of itself. Phobus was the dragon, selfish and arrogant in every way imaginable.

“Why aren’t you getting in?” Phobus raised an eyebrow, “You don’t want to disappoint me, do you?”

“I’m not getting in.” Patton remarked, his words still slurring in the slightest. It was better though. Patton had successfully removed half the wires that had been attached to his body and was currently removing more as he continued to speak to Phobus. “You know, I used to be really scared of you, Phobus. I really did. You always knew the right words to push and pull someone in and for the longest time, I always thought that when you threatened me, that you meant it. That you would kill me. That you would kill everyone else. I guess at the time, it didn’t occur to me how much I matter to your experiments.”

“Get in.” Phobus grabbed a nearby knife. Logan’s knife that had dropped when Logan had become trapped in the bubble. “Or I’ll kill you.”

Patton began to step towards the machine, “I pity you, you know? I was wondering how hurt someone would have to be in order to treat someone–let alone a child–like this. I didn’t deserve it, Phobus, but you also didn’t deserve all the grief you had. I’m sorry that you couldn’t grow from your grief enough to not be a shitty person.”

Patton began to step inside the machine. Unfortunately for Patton Morris, he was too kind of a person to even refuse his abuser. But Phobus was angry. Too angry.

Logan widened his eyes as he watched Phobus begin to approach Patton with the knife, intending to kill.

“Patton, watch out!” Logan yelled out.

Patton turned too late.

There was a scream. There was red. Blood everywhere.

“If we go down, then we go down together.” Patton remarked, winking at Phobus.

Logan blinked to see that Patton had successfully managed to dodge the knife that was aiming to pierce straight through his heart. Phobus, however, had a deep cut that ran along his right side that was closest to Patton.

“Freeze, Special Force!” A voice yelled out near the room.

“Fuck!” Phobus spat out as he began to rush out of the room quickly. Phobus might’ve cared for his company, but he cared for his well-being more and Logan knew the man wouldn’t last a day in prison. Phobus was gone.

Logan turned towards Virgil, Janus, and Roman. They were no longer fighting the police officers, as the police officers had run as soon as they heard that the Special Force was there. Instead, they began to tiredly make their way over to Patton, Logan, and Remus. Patton struggled to find the button to let Logan and Remus out of their bubbles, but managed to find it soon enough. Logan and Remus both braced as they dropped to the ground, groaning as they sat up.

“That was not fun.” Logan grumbled as he turned to Patton. The love of his life. The man who was more clever than he put out to be. The man who seemed to defy all the forces of the universe. The man who was missing his glasses from a fight he had just had. The man who saved him.

The man who was bleeding out the side.

“Patton!” Logan screamed as Patton collapsed onto the ground from the loss of blood.

“Hey, Lo.” Patton smiled softly. “I’m sorry.”

“What? What are you sorry for?” Logan asked as he began to take off his shirt to tie a tourniquet around Patton’s side, “We’re going to get you to the hospital. The Special Force is here.”

“I’m not going to make it.” Patton shook his head, “I never was.”

“What-what do you mean?”

“Every child of DS Enterprise born for testing was bound to die at one point to the hands of Phobus Graves.” Patton echoed his words when he had first told Logan about Phobus.

“Patton, no. That’s not true. You can be the only one to survive-”

“No, Logan. I am the last one to die. When I first encountered Phobus again, I knew. I wasn’t supposed to live at all. At least not this long.” Patton shook his head.

“What?”

“I was a freak of nature. I wasn’t supposed to be half-Medeis, half-Impoten. I was supposed to be dead. Just like the other Patients. But for some odd reason, I was saved. By my parents. By the other patients. By Remy and Emilie. I was meant to find you, Logan. That’s what the universe has always wanted from me. I was supposed to be the last child to die because I was supposed to meet you and help you stop Graves from hurting anyone more than they hurt me.”

“No, no. This can’t be. Patton, we can still save you-” Logan’s voice broke. He couldn’t bear to part with Patton. Not when he had just figured out Patton was the love of his life. Not when he had just had a plan for the rest of his life. Not when he could barely breathe when Patton was not near because all he wanted to exist for was to love Patton.

“Stop that.” Patton hummed. His voice was barely a whisper now; he was struggling to even get words out. “I can see you spiraling, Lo.”

“Patton-” Logan cleared his throat, trying to brush hair out of Patton’s face, “Just keep fighting. It’s almost time.”

“Look up.” Patton whispered.

Logan did as Patton requested, staring at the open sky. The part of the building they were at had no upper floor, so when the vents above had blown up, it had blown a hole to see the stars.

“Aren’t the stars beautiful?” Patton pointed to a star, “Sirius A, right?”

“Yeah. You remembered.” Logan swallowed the lump in his throat. No. He couldn’t feel emotional. Patton needed him to stay strong. They would find a way to heal Patton in time.

“Promise me that you’ll make an observatory. Next to the aquarium with jellies. That would be nice.” Patton whispered, “Become an astronomer.”

“Patton, you’ll be okay. You’re going to get out of this safely, okay? Just trust me-”

“Just promise me, Logan. I don’t need you to go into a stellar rant.”

God. Of course even now, Patton was still making puns.

“Funny one, my love.” Logan swallowed the heartache that was trying to force itself out of his system. “I promise, Patton. But I can promise with you in my life-”

“Shhh.” Patton gave a small smile, the coffee eyes that Logan had fell in love with all that time ago glazed over.  “Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Logan tried to keep a calm face. It was all that he could do at that moment.

“Listen.” Patton requested Logan, smiling. God, Logan loved that smile. Would that be the last time Logan ever looked at that smile? If it was, Logan would spend every last moment trying to memorize Patton’s smile. To keep it in his memory forever. “Let me tell you a secret.”

“Okay.” Logan nodded, sniffling as he pretended as if he wasn’t gasping for air. As if it wasn’t impossible to breathe knowing that Patton may not be next to him in the morning.

“Thank you, love.” Patton smiled as he pulled Logan’s face closer to him. Patton cupped Logan’s face as he placed their foreheads together. And almost immediately, thoughts flooded Logan’s mind. “I love you.”

Thoughts of the past. Of the present. Of the future.

All of Patton’s memories from the very beginning of his memory until the moment he stood with Logan. From his abuse to his realization that things could get better. From his first memories of his parents to his last. From his first impressions of everyone to the reflections of what brought him here.

“Mom said not to disturb her while working.”

“I wonder if I’ll always feel this way.”

“I want my mom and dad.”

“I hate Mr. Graves.”

“Why can’t I go out like the subjects?”

“That hurts.”

“I want to tear my skin until I am nothing left but a puddle of blood. Maybe then, I’d be useful to the DS workers.”

“How could they lie to me?”

“I don’t think I’m that important to lie about. Why would Emilie and Remy sacrifice themselves for me?”

“He’s really kind. Is it bad to trust him?”

“Thomas said I should also keep an open heart. It’s the best thing I can do.”

“I like him. I really hope I can be friends with him.”

“Is Roman offering me a job? I can’t accept it.”

“I want to be a daycare worker. I like working with kids.”

“I hope this Virgil is sweet to Roman.”

“I think Roman is my best friend.”

“I don’t want to mess up on my first day.”

“Why is studying so hard?” “I need to push through.”

“Oh my god, he’s really hot. And I just spilled coffee on him.”

“I know I’m bad with names, but Logan. Logan. Logan. Logan. I really want to remember.”

“Find a way to repay Logan back.”

“I really like him. Does he feel the same?”

“Is Logan asking me on a date? Oh my god.”

“I wonder what I should wear.”

“Logan looks really enthusiastic talking about this. I like seeing him this way.”

“I will never get tired of this.”

“Please, universe, just let me stay with him.”

“What if Logan learns about Phobus?”

“What if I’m going to hurt him in the end?” “What if Phobus finds me?”

“Maybe I should end things with him because he deserves better.”

“I deserve to be better for him.”

“I know Janus and Remus from Roman.”

“I think Janus scares me.”

“I can’t believe my life changed because of him a year ago.”

“I should make him a present.”

“What if he thinks it’s stupid?”

“I hope Logan likes roses.”

“Oh shit, I’m in love with Logan Sanders. Fuck.”

“I wish I could tell him more.”

“Why did I have to chase him away?”

“I really hope this plan works.”

“I need to protect Logan.”

“I’m not afraid of Phobus Graves anymore.”

“I think I’m dying.”

“I wish I could’ve spent all of eternity with Logan.”

“The stars are so pretty in the night sky.”

“I need him to hear my thoughts and know who I am.”

“I love you, Logan Sanders, more than anyone in my entire damn life. I love you more than the sun loves the stars. More than the sun craves to be them. More than each planet craves to be near the sun that they will orbit endlessly in hopes of one day reaching the sun. And it’s stupid for me to say when I have not experienced love other than you, especially since I have never been outside of the world. But I met you and I just couldn’t help but fall apart in your arms. I never knew what true love was until I saw it run directly into me. It was of spilled coffee and shared smiles and tickle fights and onesie pyjamas and reading books and arguing about the stupid little things that never really mattered. My favorite animal is the jellyfish, not just because I thought they were pretty, but also because I wanted to share a little part of you in me. I wanted to always be there to see you rant about them to me. Maybe I will never find the courage to tell you any of this, but the truth is that I will love you until my dying breath and even after that. No matter what awaits us after death, I will be waiting for you. It’s just terrifying to think that we could never have a finished story awaiting us at the end of life. If I could do life again, I’d do it with you. I love you and I hope that maybe in another lifetime, in another universe, that we got the time to be ourselves and that I got to love you until we were both old and grey.”

Logan blinked as he separated from Patton. The echoes from Patient 50. From the last child haunted by Graves. From the love of his life. From Patton Morris.

Logan knew Patton was no longer breathing from the fact that Logan’s glasses didn’t fog up anymore from being close to his lips. From the speed of which Patton bled out, Logan knew that Patton must’ve been bleeding for a long time. That he just wanted to stay alive to see Logan once more and tell him all that had been unsaid. That he wanted to stay alive to see the justice of all the children haunted by Graves. Logan stayed with Patton for a long time. Even when the Special Force team had come around. They didn’t bother Logan and Patton. Only the others in the group.

Logan laid in the rubble, staring at the intimate face of the man he loved. Memorizing every feature and inch of his face, in hopes that when he found Patton once more in another lifetime, in another universe, in the afterlife, that he would be able to recognize the man right away. He was sure he would. After all, he could feel it in his soul that they had been soulmates.

The ambulance came after an hour of Logan sitting with Patton’s body. They came with a body bag to carry Patton in. Patton was right. The ambulance would’ve never come fast enough for Patton to survive. He had been fated to die since the moment he was born within the haunted halls of the corporation headquarters. Logan let the emergency techs carry Patton away as he stood up. He couldn’t move. His legs and arms were numb. His heart ached of something lost that he would never find again.

“Logan-” Virgil tried to begin. It was the first time his name was called. Or to be more correct, it was the first time he processed his name being called. He knew the group had been calling him since the moment Patton had died, but Logan hadn’t processed it.

Logan blinked as he stood up, his voice hoarse, “Right. It’s time to go home, isn’t it?”

“Logan…” Roman opened his mouth to say something, but the words died in his mouth. Just as Logan had loved Patton, the other five had too, in their own platonic way. It must’ve been hitting them just as hard.

“This is hitting Logan really hard.”

“I wish I could help him.”

“Is Patton really dead?”

“Logan looks broken.”

“Patton was the only one who could make him feel better.”

Logan tried to move his foot. To take a step. To do anything to move forward. To go home. Maybe it’d make him feel better. Maybe the ache in his heart would cease. Maybe he’d forget about Patton there.

But he couldn’t even drag his foot anywhere.

There was something cold on his cheek. Something wet. It ran down his cheek until it dropped onto the rubble below him. Logan had never felt it before, so he looked up. Maybe it was raining. But it was a clear night sky. What could it be then? A water pipe leak? It was possible.

“He’s crying. I’ve never seen him cry before.”

Logan brought his hand to his cheek. As Virgil had commented, they were in fact tears.

“Oh, look at that.” Logan sniffled, giving a small laugh, “Looks as if emotionless robots can cry.”

Logan had never cried before. He had gotten close many times. But never once had he cried. For a long time, he thought it was his curse. The emotionless man. Never to shed a tear. But now here he was. Crying. Over a man, of all things. Ironic, he knew, considering that he thought he would never fall in love.

Now, here he was. Logan Sanders, the man deemed to never have emotions, crying over the love of his life, Patton Morris.

“Logan-”

“Let’s go home, Virgil.” Logan shook his head as he began to take each step forward. With every step, he found it harder and harder to breathe. The grief took up space in his lungs so much so that Logan felt himself shrinking with every moment the grief overwhelmed him.

“No. Logan, look.” Virgil called out.

“It’s Thomas.”

Logan blinked as he looked up to see a man standing a few yards away from him. A man that looked so different from the moment he left their childhood house. A man who Logan only recognized from his eyes and hair color and that stupid smile that he inherited from their mother.

“Thomas.” Logan uttered out.

There was so much to say to him. So much to catch him up on. So much to ask him about. So much to do anything. But all Logan could do was utter out Thomas’ name and run to Thomas.

And all Thomas did was envelop Logan into a big bear hug, squeezing him tightly to no return. On any regular basis, Logan would’ve complained Thomas was holding him too tight. On any regular basis, Logan would’ve forced himself out of the hug within a few seconds. On any regular basis, Logan would’ve demanded to know why Thomas wanted to hug Logan.

But this wasn’t any regular basis.

Logan had just lost the love of his life.

And he really needed his older brother. ——————– And roll credits! Jk, there's still an epilogue for you, but seriously, this chapter was heartbreaking. I really hope you enjoyed it, and genuinely, I hope you caught the title. Echoes of Patient 50, and if you count, there are 50 echoes that are highlighted (something I thought was super clever).

[casspurrjoybell-20]

FOOLS Fall - Chapter 31 - Part 1

BOOK TWO: The 'Fools Fall in Love' Trilogy

*Warning - Adult Content*

Samuel Moretti

There was an arm wrapped around my waist when I woke up Sunday morning.

At first it felt nice to have Noah's arms around me but then the reality of last light sank in and I sprung upright because the arm around me was certainly not Noah's.

Carter. Oh no.

I looked down at the still sleeping and very much naked Carter and wanted to cry.

I had sex with Noah's friend.

And what about Elliot?

Oh my God, how could I be so thoughtless?

"Ellio, lay back down," Carter mumbled half asleep.

He thought he was with Elliott.

I whacked Carter's arm.

"Carter, this is bad, this is really bad," I said feeling panicked.

When Carter registered my voice, he woke with a startle but I couldn't contain my anxiety.

I got out of bed, quickly putting on my boxers.

"You have to leave, this... this never happened. That was..."

"A mistake," Carter stated looking just as palpable as I felt in shame.

"A huge mistake," I corrected.

"Oh my God, Noah's never going to forgive me," I started pacing, my hands trembling from fear of losing Noah.

"Why did I do that?"

I felt like I couldn't breathe.

It was inevitable, I was going to lose Noah Wright.

"I'm so stupid. How could I let this happen?"

"Hey, this was both of us. You're not the only one at fault here," Carter spook as he got changed.

"He's gonna hate me and you," I added.

Tears burning my eyes and threatening to fall.

"It's not like you cheated, you guys aren't together," Carter tried to offer but even he knew that didn't matter and it wouldn't matter to Noah.

Carter's his friend, sleeping with your friend's ex-boyfriend is unforgivable and Noah and I... even though we aren't together, it's complicated.

For me to sleep with someone, let alone Noah's friend, a week after we broke up would be the equivalent to cheating in Noah's eyes but Carter and I wouldn't just be hurting Noah.

"Elliott," I breathed out in horror.

"Oh my God," I said shamefully as my head fell into my hands.

"Elliott and I aren't exclusive," Carter pointed out.

I looked at him, my eyes portraying the sadness I knew I was going to inflict on my friends.

"Don't be stupid, Carter. Elliott really likes you. This would crush him."

"Then that's on him, we agreed to stop if one of us caught feelings, he should've told me."

I gave Carter a pointed look that borderlines a glare.

We both knew that's not really how Carter felt and he groaned when he saw my expression.

"Okay, I know, we fucked up bad but maybe we shouldn't tell them. It didn't mean anything, we both regret it, right?"

"Yes, God yes," I said quickly.

"Jeez, one 'yes' would've sufficed, could've just nodded, actually," his tone was dry and I rolled my eyes at him for joking in a serious matter.

"What do we do?" I asked, hoping Carter had all the answers and I didn't royally fuck everything up.

"I don't know but can we talk about it after I shower? I think I still have your cum on my stomach," we both laughed but it wasn't even remotely funny, we knew we were fucked.

Nonetheless I waited downstairs 'fully clothed in sweatpants and Noah's shirt he had left at my place' for Carter as he showered and I had some time to think.

Noah and Elliott needed to know but what if we didn't tell them?

We could both keep it a secret, how would anyone know?

But I knew I was kidding myself, Noah would know something was off with me the second he sees me and the utter guilt in my eyes.

I think Elliott would know too.

Fuck, that had to be to most selfish thing I'd ever done, using Carter's body as comfort for my broken heart.

Now everyone was in the crossfire.

I groaned, my hands rubbing my face as I wondered if I was capable of keeping what happened between Carter and myself, a secret but I didn't have much time to think as the doorbell rang aggressively.

I got up and headed to the door.

I did not want to deal with Carla or especially Elliott right now, so I hoped they weren't coming over.

I sighed and opened the front door.

My heart fell to my stomach.

"Noah?"

[scarlet-ancunin]

Hello are you ok?, i hope of time i asked hahah ,and I was wondering if you could imagine that Reader's five-year-old younger sister saw Ian Wright and said he's very handsome, and Reader would scold her, but her sister would say "but you say he's beautiful, why can't I speak"

thank you for letting me know

Lol i love this okay Ian x Fem Reader.

°•○°•○°•○°•○°•○°•○°•○°•○°•○°•○°•○°•○°•○

Sister Knows Best

Today was not a great day for you, you was running slightly late because your babysitter called out sick so it would mean you had to bring your younger sister to the facility.

You called magic and told him the truth and the situation you was slightly facing and they said it was okay lucky for you. Your sister behaves well and you filled her bookbag with things she would like to do.

Then you had a small bag with her little snacks because you told her you would go out for lunch. Which she agreed. "Is this where wright works y/n" ylur sister ask cutely.

You chuckle "yes bunny this is were Ian works the pretty one" you smile blushing lightly when your younger sister does kissy faces to you "h-hey please don't do that in front of them"

"No promises" she giggles when you told her you would get her extra nuggets. The whole team was there as you walked inside "guys im really sorry i am late i just i couldn't find a proper babysitter but i promised she is well behaved." You said quickly

Magic chuckles "i told them already we were just waiting on you to come so we can meet her" they all nod and Ian was sitting on their chair smiling at you.

Your little sister peeks her head and looks at everyone and smiles waving shyly "hello" they all said hello you pushed her gently to the front "im Magic" she giggles and says hello magic then afterwards Addison and Jenn introduced themselves then Ian "hello I'm Ian Wright im the brains here" they all rolled their eyes including you playfully.

"Your handsome Ian" your youngest sister said making raise a brow "b-bunny i told you not to-" "thats no fair y/n you called them pretty why can't i call them handsome" she pouted cutely.

Ian was grinning but their was a light blush there, the rest of your friend was trying to hide their laughs and smirks Jenn giggles. Ian got up suddenly and picks your younger sister up. "Hmm i think I'll take my first watch with her she looks smart enough to handle Ziggy" they walked away

Addison and Jenn laughed Magic tapping your shoulder "good luck" when he walked away the girls came closer "you better hope your younger sister doesn't tell them everything." Jenn said laughing

Addison held your hand "it was nice knowing you y/n" you blush deeply and nod "uggghhh lets work you guyss" you all left to work.

Around Lunch time you walked towards the break room getting your youngest sister McDonald's since it is what she wanted and yourself a little sandwhich. Of course Magic, Addison and Jenn was watching from his office and had the audio on. They totally wasn't trying to play match maker.

Your youngest sister managed to see what everyone did but they ended up staying real close to Ian. So when you walked in their and saw Ian playing tic tac toe with her it was a sight to see but also your heart was beating fast.

"Oh y/n we was just talking about you." You did a nervous laugh "good things i hope" you glare at your sister who sticks her tongue at you.

"Yes there were good things including how much of a crush you have on one of the programmers here" you pause mid-step and looked confused.

"I like to know who the only one i talk about is you-" your sister giggles loudly "i told you y/n will do that"

Magic and the rest laughed while watching you blush deeply glaring at your little sister "why you little" "mmm don't harm the messenger y/n besides that means the feelings are mutual." You looked at Ian blushing more. "I like you to y/n i just wasn't sure you felt the same and now that i know you do i can finally do this"

By that time they was in front of you and kissed you softly on the lips where you was to surprised to respond before responding soon after and kissing them back. "Get a room and where is my nuggets" your younger sister said pouting. The team on the other end just laughed now leaving to finally join them.

You pulled away blushing and sat between your sister and Addison while Ian was on the other side of your sister talking with the rest of the team. Jenn was playing with your youngest sister ever so often and you trying to ignore how cute Ian was eating their food but sneaking fries from your sister who literally ended up feeding them a fry.

You suppose your sister knows best.

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆~

Taglist: @justaproudslytherpuff , @sherazyjade , @the-masked-scorpio , @sugakookieswithacupoftae16 , @happilydangerousworld , @harlekin6 , @supermegapauselouca

[girl-of-many-fandoms]

Request for a little angsty fic with some fluff at the end? Maybe reader is BAU team member and goes undercover but it goes wrong and she gets pretty hurt while inside. Hotch has to keep his cool but is mad/upset but they eventually get her out and have fluffy ending .. details can be changed 😊

Rescue

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x Reader

Warnings: mentions of blood, angsty

MASTERLIST

----

“What’s a beautiful lady like you doing here all alone” a large hand rested on my exposed lower back as I leaned on the bar. Looking over to the owner I smirked as the man smiled down at me. So far so good

“Been having some troubles at work lately and I just need some form of relief, think you could help me out?” my fingers trailed up the man’s arm, squeezing his biceps 

“Careful y/n or you may just end up sleeping with the man” Morgan’s voice came through my coms   

His dark eyes raked over my curves that were accentuated by the form fitting dress that reached mid thigh, pulling me closer to him

“I’ve got just what you need. Why don’t we go somewhere a little more private?” taking my hand in his he lead me through the crowd of the pub. My eyes locked with Derek’s across the room before Slade lead me to a vacant corridor. I opened my mouth to speak but before I could I was hit over the head

-----

“Hotch I lost her” Morgan’s panicked voice came through my phone’s speakers. My stomach dropped as my entire body filled with fear

“What do you mean you lost her!” my fists balled into fists as they rested on the table. The team sat there sharing the same look, fear

“He took her out of the room and I stayed back. I found her coms in the corridor and I searched the entire place, she’s gone, I’m sorry”

“Get back to the office we don’t have much time to find her” hanging up I turned to Garcia 

“I need you to dig up everything that you could find on Slade Wright, associates, properties, family history, everything Garcia” I ordered as anger started over taking me, jaw cleanched tightly I went to my office

This can’t be happening again 

I cannot lose someone that I love to this job again

Getting to my destination I shut the door behind me and went over to my desk. Letting out a frustrated grunt I cleared everything off of it

Damn it! Why did I agree to send her in

Plopping down in my chair I ran my hands down my face and took some deep breaths to try and calm down. Hard to do that when your fiance is God knows where with our latest unsub

-----

“Wh-where am I?” groaning I blinked multipule times to adjust to the dim lighting. I went to move my arms but I couldn’t, the were bound with rope behing my back as I sat upright on the wooden chair 

“You know, you almost had me Agent Y/L/N. Too bad we never got round to that relief you wanted” Slade’s hot breath fanned against my neck as he leaned over my shoulder

“Such a shame really, I thought I had your dumb ass in the bag”  he yanked my head back forcing me to look at him

“Watch your mouth or else” 

“Or else what, you’re going to carve me up the same way you did to all those women” tightening his hold on me he stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out his pocket knife, blade glimmering in the light 

“Yes, but first” I held in my urge to scream from his blade being jabbed into my thigh

“Let’s have some fun” 

-----

Eight hours

That’s how long it’s been since her abduction and we’re nowhere closer to finding out where he took her. Walking out the front door of Slade’s getaway property I dialed Garcias number, she answered almost immediately  

“Garcia are you sure they’re aren’t any other locations in his name or aliasses?” furrowing my eyes I looked up at Rossi and Prentis as they came closer to me

“I checked them all sir, nothing under his parents or his name besides the houses that you’ve raided already unless-” she paused and the tapping of keys became louder 

“Unless what Garcia?” Rossi asked

“I checked everyone besides his ex-wife” 

“What do we know about her Garcia?”

“Heather Wright, she was twenty-nine when she died three months ago”

“How’d she die?”

“Suicide, she slit her wrists in her bathtub. According to the police report Slade went over to her house to drop off their six year old daughter Hailey, she didn’t answer the door and he used the spare  key and went in. He saw the water running from the bathroom and that’s when he found her”

“There’s his stresser”

“I need an address Garcia” the three of us headed to the suv 

“Already sent to your device”

-----

“You’re going to wish you didn’t do this” coughing I winced at the pain that shot through my body, blood slowly oozing out of all the places he used his knife

“Who’s going to save you baby, I don’t see your beloved husband to be anywhere and yes before you ask how I know about your fiance, I did my research on the BAU the moment you guys showed up” he came closer to me laughing, taunting me with each stride he took. Slowly tilting my head to the side I saw movement in the doorway, Aaron. He slowly walked in making no sounds or sudden movements, gun pointed at Slade

I halfheartedly laughed at his predicament and he tipped my head backward

“What’s so funny?”

“You should probably look behind you” I coughed, blood spluttering out of my mouth

“Drop the knife” Aaron ordered and Slade pressed it to my neck

“Think about your daughter, Hailey. She already lost her mom she doesn’t have to lose her father also” he slowly removed the weapon before dropping it to the floor. Rossi came over and cuffed him, taking him out of the room as Aaron shouted for medics

“Took you long enough” I chuckled lightly as he undid the ropes on my arms

“It’s not funny, I almost lost you”

The medics came in and they helped me into the gurney. Aaron held my hand as they wheeled me out to the ambulance. He brushed the hair out of my face and kissed my temple

“I love you y/n”

“I love you too Aaron”

[sneezefiction]

I have a request for Tsukki. So we know he’s mean and snarky to everyone and everything, and he’s like that with his significant other as well. Which is okay. But I wanted you to wright a story about how he gets caught using his boyfriend voice by the volleyball team. He gets all frustrated and flustered cause he got caught being nice. 💖💖💖 Thank you.

Boyfriend Voice

Tsukishima x Reader - Scenario

a/n: okay so i really played around w/ this a bunch and well... it’s basically a crack fic. but i really hope you enjoy this goofy mess i’ve created hehehe. and thank you for the ADORABLE, fluffy request

warnings: language

wc: 970

---

It happens every so often.

You’ll be going about your daily routines and all of a sudden, you’re the embodiment of charm and cuteness.

These situations just happen to occur whenever Tsukishima is close enough to notice.

Something like you trying to reach the top shelf of a cabinet to grab a cookbook. The way you stretch to grasp it, pulling your shirt up and exposing your skin.

Maybe you’re leaning over to speak to a baby and your voice takes on the sweetest nature and quality. 

Or you’re being smothered in puppy kisses, tiny paws stamping their prints on your thighs, your giggles filling the span of the room, or echoing off the houses in your neighborhood.

All of these things are objectively good, Tsukki decides

You are undeniably adorable and even Tsukki cannot resist the effect you have on him, swearing you’re going to ruin him someday.

However, if it were only an emotional adjustment he had encountered under those (unfortunately) lovable circumstances, there wouldn’t be much of an issue.

He could deal with the undignified fluttering of butterflies and the pink tint that forced its way onto his profile.

It was the voice that came with those symptoms that gave him such grief.

A voice that grew too fondly of your presence, allowing itself to forget it’s master. Utterly vexing.

Oh, how could it betray him?

Yes, Tsukishima is suffering from and referring to his dreaded “boyfriend voice.”

The pitch raises into a mild and kind tone, showcasing an entirely new side of Tsukki. A side unknown even to himself.

And you just eat it up.

There’s nothing more satisfying than being coated in compliments and teased relentlessly by your blonde boyfriend with a voice that reminds you how genuinely rare you are to him.

Even when he’s insulting the living hell out of you, as long as you’re alone, the “boyfriend voice” will inevitably shine through. 

But at school? In public? Around friends?

Hell no.

He had a reputation to uphold. Pride! Standards!

Yet, no matter what he does, things never go according to Tsukishima’s plan.

---

You habitually visit Karasuno’s volleyball practice after school every day.

You’re usually greeted with adoring shouts and rounds of laughter. Pretty, smiling faces, sweaty from jumping and tumbling around the court.

You love that you’ve been so welcomed by your boyfriend's team and you always shoot them your friendliest smile…

But still, you never fail to save your truest charms for Tsukki.

You admire him from afar, observing his build on the court. Always so focused.

He’s intimidating. Daunting. Powerful.

But as soon as he steps off the court, there you are.

His demeanor visibly relaxes, a softness falls over his previously rigid stance, and that honey-golden gaze lights up just enough that you notice… but no one else.

And he tries to remain discreet. Calm, cool, and collected.

That is until you run up to him, gathering him up in an embrace.

He’s sweaty, but it’s okay. You don’t mind.

You missed him today.

And apparently, he’d missed you too, because he instantly has you pressed up against his chest, laying his head atop your own. There were perks to being this tall. This just happened to be one of his favorites.

The team had gone on break, scattered throughout the gym, and noise saturated the room from strategizing and planning.

So he takes a moment to let you know he loves you while everyone else is distracted… 

And that beautiful voice decides to join in as well.

It’s sultry but soothing. The alluring expressions dripping into your ears almost like a lullaby.

“Hey, baby… Didn’t your dumbass have to retake that math test from this afternoon? I thought you’d come later.” He jokes with a soft smile on his lips, the harsh words bizarrely refreshing.

“Nah, I told you I passed. Also, we can’t all be big-brained like you, weirdo.” You flick his forehead, playfully.

A few heads turn toward you two, but it goes unnoticed by Tsukki, still watching you closely.

“Maybe if you’d stop procrastinating your cute ass wouldn’t need my help studying anymore.” He shoots back a little too loudly.

The volume in the room drops significantly after that comment, now even more ears turned toward Tsukki, his arms still around you.

Tsukki had only recently warmed up to PDA, so the whole team is in shock, their absolute curiosity taking over.

“Well, whatever. I’m proud of you.” He mumbles out.

There it is. The true boyfriend voice. Sweet and simple.

It isn’t monotone and there isn’t a hint of sarcasm.

He just sounds… happy? Like maybe he isn’t an asshole all the time?

“Tsukishima… are you being nice?” Hinata butts in, practically wedging himself between you two whilst tilting his head, that orange hair flipping with it.

And suddenly, Tsukki is back in the real world, out of his trance.

What had he said again? How did Hinata get there? Had he been there the whole time?

And why is it that the entire Karasuno volleyball team is either gathering around you or staring from afar?

Even Kiyoko’s unable to look away.

“EVERYONE, TSUKISHIMA IS ACTUALLY NICE!” Tanaka blurts out, completely stunned.

Nishinoya is snickering in the corner. 

Daichi and Asahi are sick and tired of this team.

“So now we know how y/n can actually deal with him… ahh, the mystery is solved.” Sugawara comments, clearly having wondered this before.

Yamaguchi is doing damage control, trying to calm everyone down.

But before Tsukki can even speak, his body has made a beeline toward the door dragging you behind him by the hand.

His coldhearted demeanor. The calculated image he’s been portraying.

All spoiled.

Because now they know…

That Tsukishima has the capacity for kindness.

That he is only mean and insulting most of the time.

And you two have a lot to talk about on your long walk home because this stupid “boyfriend voice” you love so much is taking over his whole damn life and he has no idea what to do about it.

---

tags: @cherryonigiri

[spaceorphan18]

99 Perspectives on a Single Love Story #64

A/N: The Story of Kurt and Blaine told through the eyes of everyone else but them. Each chapter is a different perspective in the ongoing tale of their love story.

I started something like this a while back - and now I’m taking the idea and really running with it. Each chapter is a ficlet of a different character at a different point in Kurt and Blaine’s life - documenting their love story. This starts in Audition, and each chapter will be paired with a different episode until reaching Dreams Come True.

[Ao3]

***

Isabelle Wright (Lights Out) 

Monday mornings are rough.  It’s not that she had partied hard last night - she’s definitely not in her twenties any more - ooff - but the afterparties of the Gala went late into the night.  And Isabelle always feels obligated not to be the first one to leave.  

As she heads back from the break room, black coffee in hand, she notes that the only person who seems to be in as early as her is her intern - Kurt Hummel.  Instead of the normal clicking away at the computer, however, he’s looking pensively into his phone.  She isn’t sure what it is about Kurt, but she feels a special kinship with him. He’s young and green and she can’t help but want to keep an eye out for him.  It can be a hard city when you first arrive (god does she know) and while he’s already had a few bumps in the road, she hopes to make sure he keeps on the right track.  

“Morning, hon,” she rests on the doorframe of the tiny office they’ve set up for the few interns.  “Have a good night last night?”

“Isabelle, hi!” Kurt looks up, happily surprised to see her.  “Oh my god, yes, it was amazing.  Thank you again.  That must have been one of the best nights of my life.  Completely magical.” 

“Well that’s good.” She grins.  “I’m glad you had fun.  You’re here early - I half expected you to call in and sleep.” 

“Oh, I got a couple hours.  It was fine.” Kurt waves it off.  Ah, to his youthful energy again.  “I had to be up for class today anyway.”  

There’s a ding from his phone, and Kurt’s distractedly texts back, a serious look in his eye.  Isabelle waits for him to finish to speak again.  “Everything going okay?” 

“Yeah, just my dad,” he says with a heavy sigh.  “I told him, Blaine’s going to continue to come over to make sure he’s looking after himself, and make sure he’s cooking good meals.  He gets cranky about it.  I mean, my step-mom is great, and my brother’s there, but I just feel better when Blaine goes over there.  He’ll make sure dad takes his meds and not over do it with the fried foods.” 

“Well that’s sweet,” Isabelle says, noting that this is the same Blaine whom Kurt talked endlessly about when he first arrived.  The same Blaine that Kurt didn’t mention at all after their romance seemed to end.  The same Blaine that, after Christmas, Kurt would mention tentatively, as if feeling out how that name works in his life again.  She’s, if nothing else, intrigued at how integrated Blaine’s become in his life again.  

There’s another ding, and this time Kurt lets out a little chuckle while reading his phone, placing his hand over his mouth.  “Oh, Blaine…” he says, mostly to himself.  “I was just showing him photos from last night,” Kurt adds quickly, realizing that Isabelle is still standing there.  “And he said, well…” he stops himself before he says too much, but his grin gives him away.  “I shouldn’t probably repeat what he said, but earlier he mentioned I looked like James Bond in my tux.”  

“Well, you definitely are classy all dressed up like that,” she says.  “So, I take it things with the tumultuous ex-boyfriend aren’t going so badly anymore?”

She has seemingly put him on the spot.  He looks down, flushing a little.  “Oh, we are, um,” he stops himself again.  “I don’t know that we’re going to be exes much longer.” 

Isabelle raises an eyebrow.  She’s not surprised to say the least, even if he looks slightly hesitant about it.  She can’t say she ever felt this strongly about her relationships back when she was his age.  Still, she can’t help but take a more motherly approach.  “And you’re confident about that?” 

Kurt holds the phone up to his mouth, thinking hard about it.  “I’m not happy about what happened.  I feel like it’s just going to take a lot more time to work through that.  But we’ve been talking.  A lot. A lot of really good talks.   And at the end of the day, I love him.  And I realized that I don’t want to be with anyone else.”  

She gives him a kindly grin.  “Well, that’s good Kurt.  I’m happy for you.” 

“Yeah…” he says, drifting off dreamily.  “Oh, and before I forget to ask you - what is up Darren Aronofsky and Christopher Nolan? I mean, do they just hate each other? Frenemies? Secret Lovers? Whatever it is - that energy was intense.” 

“Oh, god, don’t get me started....” 

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

White Lies (Pt. 07 of 21)

Pairing: Keanu Reeves X Reader

Word count: 2.4 K

Summary: Keanu found the girl almost dead, in the wrecks of what was once her car. While she was in surgery, stuck in a coma, he gathered the best doctors of New York to attend to her. They told him she is likely to have some kind of brain damage, what may lead to memory loss. And this possibility added up wit the fact that she's pregnant, made the council come up with an odd idea. They asked Keanu to pretend to be her husband, since the stress of finding out everything that happened could put the baby in danger. He reluctantly agreed, but only if she does has some kind of memory loss. He still goes she'll wake up soon, with her memories intact.

But when you finally wake up, there's nothing inside. You're quick to find your head is empty, void, like a blank canvas. The only thing that brings you some relief, that makes you feel less lonely is the mention of a husband. And you can't wait to meet him, because you know you can't deal with this by yourself.

<- Previous part (06)

Next part (08) ->

{Keanu Reeves Masterlist}

{John Wick Masterlist}

×

Attraction

“It's so tiny.” You say, looking at the ultrasound picture you just got from your baby. It's week twelve, and the first trimester is almost over. You'll feel less uncomfortable, or so say the doctors, but a lot of different things are going to happen. You're excited about that. “And beautiful.” Walking fast, you let Keanu guide you through the hospital since you're a bit late to meet with Dr. Harris.

“Do you want a boy or a girl?” He asks, looking down at you.

“Boy.” You're quick to answer, smiling at him. “And I know you want a girl.”

“You know me so well.” He mutters when you reach Dr. Harris's office. “I'll leave you to it and go talk with Dr. Wright.”

“Alright.” Tiptoeing, you place a quick kiss on his cheek before heading inside, fast enough so he won't get a look at your blushing cheeks.

Dr. Harris stands up when she sees you, a smile on her lips. “Mrs. Reeves, good morning.” She says, gesturing for you to seat on the divan next to her. “How are you feeling today?”

Dr. Harris is great, but everything she asks is part of the appointment. You don't mind though, she helps a lot to put your thoughts in place. “I'm great. The first trimester is almost over and... Everything is great. Keanu and I are getting along very well.” You decide to bring your husband into the conversation because she'll ask about him anyway.

“That's very good to hear.” You settle down on the divan, pulling your legs up as she takes her place on the armchair. “Have you and Mr. Reeves spoken about the future of your marriage?”

“We'll try.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Elaborate, (Y/N). Dr. Harris never takes the short answer. “We'll try to make it work. I don't want the accident to break apart a good marriage so...” Running a hand through your hair, you sigh. “We had this settled a while ago, and it's been working well so far.”

“Have you and Mr. Reeves ever gotten... Intimate?”

The question makes you move in your seat, sitting up straight. “We hug a lot... And kisses on cheeks are frequent.” You two are growing closer, and you're happy to feel that he's not pushing himself away to make you comfortable. Keanu is letting you set the pace, and it's up to you to chose what step to take next.

“That was not what I meant.” She adds. “I asked if you and your husband have been... Romantically intimate.”

“Oh...” Clearing your throat, you bite your lip. You weren't expecting that, and you don't need this... Image in your head. Not when you've been thinking about kissing him ever since Lucia visited. “No, no. There's the baby so...”

“First of all, this is a common myth about pregnancy.” Resting her notebook on her lap, Dr. Harris looks at you. She's reading you, you know it. “It wouldn't hurt the baby in any way. But this isn't the point. I just need to know if Mr. Reeves tried to approach you that way, and if he did, how you felt about it.”

You're as red as a tomato now, you're sure of it. “Keanu is... Respectful. He doesn't push me into anything. We're... I'm still sleeping in the guest room and he's completely fine with it.” Why does everyone is so worried about Keanu trying to get intimate? He's your husband, it's only natural.

“And won't you sleep on the same bed with your husband?”

“I don't know.” She asks too many questions, and you don't usually have much time from one topic to the other. It makes your head hurt a little, having to deal with so many feelings and situations. “Maybe I should because... Because I really like being around him. I'm just waiting until I'm ready, I think.”

“And when do you think that will be?”

Sighing, you don't know what to answer. And you don't want to. Maybe Dr. Harris doesn't have to know everything. Some things are better if kept in between you and Keanu.

Dr. Wright's words are in the background as his mind floats away. (Y/N) is everything he can think about. Time and time again he's caught in the lie he built, wanting, wishing it was real. He knows he shouldn't let this happen. He knows he shouldn't let himself have feelings for her, but how could he not?

(Y/N) isn't just beautiful. She's kind, honest, caring. He never thought he would feel this way towards a woman. And it sometimes makes him angry that this didn't happen differently. That he didn't meet her, before she was married of course, maybe in the same way he told her about their fake first meeting. In an airport, where he'd approach her, talk to her, and if he was lucky, get her number. So things would be right.

“Mr. Reeves?”

“Yes.” He clears his throat, moving on his seat. “The headaches are still constant. Almost every day she complains about it, but they're less intense.” He's impressed that he was able to answer the doctor correctly. “But other than that, she's doing well.”

“That's good.” And he goes on again, basically repeating himself, saying things Keanu already knows by heart.

He knows what to do. He knows he has to call emergency if (Y/N) faints. Or if she feels too sleepy. He knows all the little things he has to pay attention to. As if he didn't have his eyes on her all the damn time.

Keanu loves watching her. When she's lying down watching TV, both her legs over his, a hand on her belly. When she cooks, not allowing him to help sometimes, as she moves around the kitchen. And God, her laughter. It lights up his whole world. Keanu thinks he could literally die if he goes too long without a flash of her smile.

“That will be all, I guess.” Dr. Wright says, taking one last look at his papers. “If you need anything, you can always call me.”

“Thank you, Dr. Wright.” He says, standing up to his feet and shaking the man's hand.

Keanu makes his way through the halls, to Dr. Harris' office. Once he's there, he peeks through the rectangular window on the door. She's seated on the divan, facing the doctor, legs crossed, and hands on her lap. He can hear their voices, low, but clear enough since the hall is empty and silent.

He doesn't want to listen. This is between her and her psychologist, and if there's anything she wants him to know, she'll tell him about it. But when he hears his name... His unconsciously listening, it doesn't matter how hard he tries to focus on his phone.

“How would you describe your feelings for Mr. Reeves?” The question has him full alert, holding his breath.

“Well... They're... Growing.” She answers, clearly a little confused. “I know that's not what you're expecting me to say but...”

“It's alright if you don't want to talk about it.”

“It's not that I don't want to talk about it, I just...” Her voice fades, and Keanu rests his back against the wall, trying to listen better. “I want things to fall in place before talking to you. I know I'm supposed to tell you everything and you do help me, but... I don't know. There are a lot of things I just don't know yet.”

“That's completely fine.” The doctor says, and a pause follows. “And what do you think Mr. Reeves feels for you?”

Keanu freezes, holding his breath once again. What will she answer? He feels guilty for listening, but this is something he needs to know. Closing his eyes shut, he tries to hear her voice above the pounding noise of his heart.

“He says he loves me.”

“And do you believe it?”

Silence again. For long seconds, almost a lifetime. “I do, I just... I was hoping he'd be more... Touchy, I think?” She giggles, nervously. “But he already told me that he'll let me set the pace in things, so...”

“Mr. Reeves is quite a gentleman.” Dr. Harris' says, and Keanu chuckles. “He won't push you, and that's good. Not many men would be so patient.”

“I know... Keanu is... Absolutely amazing.” (Y/N) mutters, and Keanu releases his breath, his lungs burning to the sensation.

“Well, this will be it for today.” Dr. Harris says, and he sets in motion, getting up to his feet. Running a hand through his hair, he stares at the door, waiting for her to show up. And when she does, he gets the same feeling he always has when he sees her. Like his world stops, like his heart will jump off his chest. It doesn't matter how much time he spends around her, this sensation never goes away. She's a sight for sore eyes, unbelievably beautiful.

The drive home is peaceful, and Keanu stops to get you ice cream. Back home, you both make lunch and eat together in the kitchen. Then you go take a nap, only to wake up when the sun is setting.

Making your way through the house, looking for Keanu, you start thinking he's out when you hear something coming from the garage. Bracing yourself from the cold, you go there, smiling to see Keanu in the back. You know he loves motorcycles, and he has three. Well, he has three now, since the new one just got here a week ago. Silently, you walk past the two cars, watching as he rubs a piece of fabric on the bike's seat.

“Hey.” You announce yourself, leaning against the hood of the nearest car.

“Hi, beautiful.” Keanu's eyes lay on you, as he moves to stand up straight.

“When will you take me on a ride?” The idea just came to your head, and you can't help but imagine what it would feel like. Speeding through the streets with the wind on your hair, holding on to Keanu...

“We can go around the neighborhood. But I don't think it's a good idea to good further yet. You're still recovering and there's the baby.” As he speaks, you walk over him, giving the new bike a look. The machine is huge, probably very heavy, and it suits him very well.

“Alright.” You agree, gesturing at the bike. “Can I... Can I ask something?”

“Sure.” Throwing the rag he was using on the wooden table in the corner, he lightly touches your thigh. “What is it?”

Blushing, you look down, touching the leather seat of the bike. “Do you find me attractive?” The words come out so low you wonder if he actually heard you.

“Why are you asking me that?”

“I asked first.” You burst out, putting a strand of hair behind your ear, glancing at him before turning your eyes at the bike.

“Yes.” He simply says in a soft voice. “You're a beautiful woman.” With his index finger under your chin, he makes you look at him again. “Why did you ask me that?”

“I... I really wanted to know.” Almost involuntary, you give a tiny step forward, standing on your toes just a little bit.

“Does it goes both ways?”

His question makes you giggle. “You're really asking if I find you attractive?”

“I really want to know,” Keanu whispers, his hands sliding to caress your cheek.

“Of course I do.” You whisper too, your hands coming to lay on his sides, holding on to his shirt. “Ke... Can I ask for something?”

“Anything, beautiful.” He assures you, and your eyes are locked on his lips. You need to feel them. You can't wait anymore, you're ready for this, right now.

“Kiss me.” You plead, tiptoeing, both hands grabbing a fist full of the fabric of his shirt.

“Are you sure?”

“I am.” You expect him to hesitate, as he usually does, but it's different now.

Keanu bends down, and you close your eyes to feel his lips brushing on yours. It's like sweet torture, the anticipation. At first, he only pecks your lips, quick and soft, but he doesn't pull away after. You're holding your breath, a little numb from the proximity, hands moving from his sides to grab the collar of his shirt, fearful he'll step away. He doesn't. Instead, you feel his lips on yours again, slowly at first, as your mind goes blank for a moment. Everything else fades away, and nothing else matters. His hands come to your waist, holding, grounding you. You're moving closer, wanting to climb on him. You're not thinking straight, but it doesn't matter. Pulling away just to catch your breath, you quickly kiss him again, parting your lips to let him in, deepening the kiss.

There's a burning sensation spreading through your body, but you don't fight it. You let it sink in, take over. But you need to breathe, your lungs screaming for a break, so you pull apart, still holding him close.

“Was this ok?” Keanu asks, his hands moving away from your body.

“Absolutely.” You assure him, nodding, still not ready to let go of him. “It was good... Right?”

“It was amazing.” With a hand on your cheek, Keanu smiles before capturing your lips on another kiss.

×

@multific @inumorph @aestheticallywinchester @bvbwestfall @liviiii98 @allie1804-fan @gian-giannina @playboygeniusphilanthropist @partypoison00 @mariafetamina @fortheloveoffanfic @trin303

[imperfectfools]

(( *clutches chest* ))

[yellowocaballero]

Bonus from Human Relations (Jello Salad, NASA, and Epic Jon Bitchery)

Short little thing thumped out in an hour last night. I was challenged to write a genuine argument and Elias eating Jello Salad. I succeeded in one of those things. 

TW for discussions of, as you can probably expect, 1950s racism and maladaptive relationships

“Reservation for…”

The host stared at Jon blankly. Jon silently struggled.

“Reservation for Jo - uh...John? No…”

“Perhaps you are in the wrong restaurant,” the host hinted, somewhat forcefully.

“No, I’m quite confident I’m at the right place. Hold on.” Jon struggled with his briefcase, withdrawing an invitation scribbled on stationary paper. A large, embossed header at the top read in sprawling letters US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, and the host blanched. Jon quickly scanned the paper, taking a minute to translate his own shorthand before brightening. “Ah! Yes, Salle du Bois, at seven pm, March 2nd. With...yes, a Sir James Wright.” Jon folded the paper one-handedly and stuck it into his jacket pocket. He smiled brightly at the flummoxed host. “Well? Will no one take my coat?”

“Reservation for…”

The host stared at Jon blankly. Jon silently struggled. 

“Reservation for Jo - uh...John? No…”

“Perhaps you are in the wrong restaurant,” the host hinted, somewhat forcefully. 

“No, I’m quite confident I’m at the right place. Hold on.” Jon struggled with his briefcase, withdrawing an invitation scribbled on stationary paper. A large, embossed header at the top read in sprawling letters US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, and the host blanched. Jon quickly scanned the paper, taking a minute to translate his own shorthand before brightening. “Ah! Yes, Salle du Bois, at seven pm, March 2nd. With...yes, a Sir James Wright.” Jon folded the paper one-handedly and stuck it into his jacket pocket. He smiled brightly at the flummoxed host. “Well? Will no one take my coat?”

The name must have been familiar, carrying its own power - honestly, a peerage, man was annoying every time - because a waiter appeared from nowhere very quickly to take Jon’s hat, coat, and briefcase. Jon took the opportunity to straighten his fine suit and tie, and glance around the room. 

Part of him couldn’t help but be proud: barely four years ago, it would have been impossible to step foot inside the finest restaurant in Washington, DC. Senators dined on these tables, creating backroom deals and manufacturing methods of state and politics, and Jon had been forced to rely on some creative means to work himself into those deals. These days, it was as simple as walking in through the front door. Of course, the entire room was staring at him extremely pointedly, but that was what the peerage, money, and reputation was for. Jon never much cared if people disliked him - he tended to only concern himself with people who could do something about it.

Everyone of import in Congress knew Jonathan Sims. A whisper on the wind, a knife in the dark: that had been Jon, always. It still was. But now, people looked at him with respect. Everyone did. 

Everyone except, of course, the young man sitting at the pristinely white table that the waiter lead him to. Utterly unrecognized, but dimly familiar in the way that the endless parade of Jonah’s bodies always was: a thin, emancipated type of look, in his early twenties, with a thin but healthy comb of blonde hair and light muscle that would soon go unattended under Jonah’s careful attention. Hilariously, he was still short - would that man ever find a body over five feet seven?

Jonah smiled as Jon and the waiter approached, waving aside the waiter’s silent question of if it was really Jon that he had been waiting for. Honestly, the more things changed. 

“Jonathan,” Jonah said warmly, “how long has it been?”

“Too long to say in polite company,” Jon said lightly, shaking his hand tightly. He was waiting for public hugs between men to go back in style. He missed it, slightly. “You look...different.”

Of course, Jonah noticeably preened. “I think this one has a nice, strong jaw, don’t you?”

“It’s...the jaw that the English peerage is famous for,” Jon said tactfully, sitting down on a delicate and fine chair. “What brings you to DC, Jonah? Normally you can’t be pried away from London with a crowbar.”

Jonah gleamed a bright white smile at him. “Can’t a man miss his close business partner after so long apart?”

“That would imply you’re capable of human emotion.”

“True, my mistake.” 

The waiter appeared, and Jonah ordered something carelessly expensive and good wine as Jonathan carefully ordered a very refined and dignified cut of filet mignon. The wait on the food was short, of course, and Jon and Jonah wasted time by chatting about their business ventures. Jon’s was going extremely well, obviously. Jonah’s was extremely boring and slow, obviously. 

“This industry boom is incredible. The technological innovation, the jump forward in progress, the persistent fear that it will all be taken away the minute we step out of the conformist line…” Jon picked up his fork as the plates of steaming and small portions were slid onto their table. “Mark my words, Jonah. 1953 will be our year.”

“My good man,” Jonah said sympathetically, “it’s well into 1957.”

“Years should be longer. Simon agrees with me.” Jon frowned, picking up a fork and cutting into his meat . “We’re investing in Simon and his projects, by the way.”

Jonah smiled over the rim of his wine glass, raising a delicate blonde eyebrow at Jon. “Wonderful of you to make these decisions for us.”

“When you insist on spending all of your time in the crude and backward England, I shall do as I please,” Jon said haughtily, only to see Jonah snicker into his glass. “I’ve been working with him to push his little initiative through Congress.” 

“How quickly the prodigal son shuns his motherland.” Jonah ate slowly, never once looking away from Jon. He had never forgotten that tendency of Jonah - to keep his eyes always, always on Jon, as if keeping an eye on a dangerous predator. But in that hooded, dark gaze, a half-smile always tugged at his lips. In his better moments it seemed like fond indulgence; in his worse it appeared closer to a child watching his kitten chase a dangling piece of string. “A decade or two in the land of tomorrow and you’ve adopted a new home country?”

“It is a land of progress,” Jon hissed, jabbing at Jonah with his fork. “England is stagnant, putting on airs of civility and progress when it does little more than languish in its former greatness. Look what happened with the mess in India. What do we have left? A few impoverished African territories? Yemen? We have lost all ambition. The English still fancy themselves the greatest population in the world, when they’re little more than a bombed out shell. At least America had the decency to profit off war.” 

“War is fairly pointless if there’s no profit in it,” Jonah agreed mildly. He sipped his wine again delicately. “So you figure that space is the next frontier, then?”

“The pursuit of knowledge is always in our best interest,” Jon said primly. “I was skeptical too, Jonah. But I met this lovely young engineer, a Ms. Johnson, and she’s opened my eyes. NASA is the future, and NASA is here. Only habit keeps you in England, now.”

For the first time, Jonah’s eyes narrowed slightly. “A respect for history is far from a habit, Jonathan. Have some respect.”

“Your history, not mine. And you’re ancient history too,” Jon pointed out. He calmly ate his filet as Jonah sputtered. “Admit it. You’d walk around in the cravat you were buried in if you could.”

“The cravat is dignified. It’s hardly my fault if young men these days flaunt themselves in those dirty blue jeans.” Jonah sneered the word with marked disdain. “I can see their calves.”

Despite himself, Jon smiled into his filet. “Did it give you a case of the vapors?”

Jonah reversed his grip on his fork and held it casually within stabbing distance of Jon’s hand. “Do not get us kicked out of this establishment.”

“Were you forced to recline on your fainting couch with your smelling salts?”

“I have propiety,” Jonah hissed. Hilariously, his new body had the tendency to flush a little, and his ears were noticeably red. For the first time, Jon wished that he owned one of those camera things. “At least I don’t while away my hours with your harlot of a girl.”

Almost immediately, Jonah seemed to recognize that he had gone too far, and Jon was distantly aware that his neon green eyes had taken on a dangerous tint. Jonah leaned back a little from where they both had been unconsciously leaning in, and Jon carefully readied his grip on his steak knife. “Watch how you speak of my wife.”

“Wife?” Jonah crossed his arms, tone dripping with condescension. “When did you marry that gold digger?”

“Thirty years ago,” Jon ground out, and Jonah blanched. “You were there.”

“Ah.” Jonah paused a beat. “Well, you know how time gets away from us.”

“You were my best man.”

“Maybe we can Christmas together!” Jonah said, faux-brightly. “Christmas has become quite popular lately. I can buy her one of those dishwasher things suburban women are always losing their minds in Macy’s about.”

“We have people for that,” Jon said condescendingly. “And we don’t live together, anyway. She’s experiencing the beatnik lifestyle with that little gang she runs around with. I think they write novels.”

Jonah stared at him blankly. “What is a beatnik?”

“I believe they’re similar to bohemians? I don’t understand either.” Jon wiped his mouth with the napkin again, having cleared his plate. He replaced his napkin, carefully keeping the grip on his knife. On the other end of the table, Jonah’s grip on his fork was just as tight. “She expressed no desire to be a politician’s wife, and I have no expectation of her being so.” Jonah snorted - quietly, subtly, but visibly. Jon narrowed his eyes. “What’s so funny?”

“You’re always a gas, Jon.” Jonah’s own plate cleared, he flagged a waiter to take their plates away and refill their wine. “A politician’s wife.”

“I am a politician,” Jon said testily. 

“Mm-hm.” 

“I pushed a large bill limiting freedom of speech just last month.”

“Of course.”

“I’m close, personal friends with Senator McCarthy.” Jon’s grip tightened on his knife until the wood bore into his palm. “Even if it’s in no - no official capacity, I’m making a real impact here. My service to ou - God has been extraordinary. Unlike you.”

There it was - a hit scored, a gauntlet thrown. Jonah narrowed his eyes. “Yes, because doing your job and collecting records for the Institute is a waste of time that has no relevance to God. As opposed to what, Jonathan? Wearing fine suits and putting on your own airs?”

Bright, sparking irritation flashed through Jon’s chest, but it was laced with something more. A hard defensiveness, bared teeth, curling up to prevent a weak belly. “I’m allowed the fine suits, Jonah! I am allowed to have this!”

“They’re just suits, Jon,” Jonah said condescendingly, eyes a mirror of false pity. Always pity, always false, always pretending he was weak, or - or -

“I have fought for everything, and -”

“Oh, not this drivel again.” Jonah wiped his hands on a linen napkin and balled it up, throwing it on the table and leaning back. “Yes, yes, you suffered, whatever.”

“Whatever?”

“You’re so boring. Maybe it’s the nature of Archivists to be incredibly dull. My new man, Angus...whatever, he’s unbearably bland.” A glint of humor shone through his casual airs. “We’d benefit from you.”

“Oh, here it is again,” Jon said, perhaps a bit too loudly. He threw his hands up. “Every time, you harangue me, tell me my work is meaningless, and try to drag me back to your boring and tepid old library -”

“Who are you fooling, Jonathan?” Jonah retorted, also perhaps a bit too loudly. “Nobody but yourself, and you know it!  You aren’t a politician. You aren’t anything.” At Jon’s deranged look, Jonah quickly backtracked. “You aren’t anything without God. Everything you have is because of it.” It was something that couldn’t be argued, and Jon huffed out a breath as he untensed. Jonah smiled faintly, lowering his hands as if he was placating Jon. “Not to say that you aren’t doing any good. I’m sure you’re doing the best you can. But aren’t you more interested in being where you can do the most good? In being in the place of your highest productivity, your most effective worship? I understand America is...new, but it’s a dalliance. An infatuation. Which is more meaningful, Jonathan? A summer fling with an attractive woman, or a faithful wife who maintains your home and heart?”

Jon squinted at Jonah. “Georgie doesn’t like maintaining homes.”

“I do not understand your relationship with that woman. She hasn’t even given you any children, for lord’s sake.”

They were both incapable - how could an Avatar of the End give life? - but it was another tasteless thing to say, so Jon glared Jonah into submission over it again. For all Jon constantly heard praise over how impressive and charismatic and charming Jonah was, he was insufferably rude and tactless in reality. “Neither of us are very much in the business of allowing society to tell us how to live our lives. Society will pass, age, and die before we do. Why bow to it?” Jon smiled coyly. “Why bow to anything that ages?”

“You’re lucky you’re useful, you slimy little -”

But Jon just laughed, because he had won: Jonah had raised his voice in righteous anger that echoed across the suddenly deathly quiet restaurant, and the maitre’d was walking towards them very quickly. Jon laughed even longer as the waiter spoke in smooth, ubiquitous, but firm tones to Jonah: do try not to cause a disturbance with your companion, sir, this is a respectable establishment -

“As respectable as you when you cheated on your wife with the housekeeper?” Jonah snarled, and the maitre’d blanched. “Get out of my sight. Don’t come back unless you’re bringing us a plate of Jello salad.”

Jon laughed harder as Jonah sat back down, huffy and embarrassed. His ears were red again - how quaint. Jon had the feeling he’d grow to enjoy this James Wright body - as much as anybody could enjoy Jonah, of course. “Jello salad? Is that the nasty preserved food you people are all eating?”

“It’s modern cuisine,” Jonah said stiffly. “It’s quite good. Aren’t you the one who’s so fervent in preaching the gospel of modernism?”

“Not if it comes in Cool Whip and bologna, I don’t.” Jon pulled a mock sympathetic face. “You ought to be more careful, Jonah. It’s worth keeping an eye on your health. I heard that bologna helps promote aging.”

“I will spear you with this fork and cook you over a fire,” Jonah said pleasantly. 

“My, are you balding so soon -”

In the end, they were thrown out anyway. It was for the best, anyway: Jon had no intention of eating that suburban trash. 

That day was the last he ever saw of James Wright. It was the last he saw of Jonah Magnus, too - at least, until he received a phone call in 2015 saying that Gertrude Robinson was dead, and that he was required home to select a new Head Archivist. 

It stood to reason that Jon wasn’t really necessary for the process. He had no part in choosing that woman Archivist - why would he be necessary for the next one?

“I am beginning to think,” Jonah said over the phone, voice strange and uncanny with Jonah’s familiar cadence in a reedy and light voice, “that I am incapable of appointing controllable Archivists. Every one you’ve picked has been blissfully, wonderfully boring, and the ones that I pick defy me, ruin my plans, and try to kill me. Get back here and choose one yourself.”

“But Jonah,” Jon had said, delighted, “you choose me as your Archivist.”

“I said what I said. Get back here, now. Please.”

And that, in the end, was what brought Jon home: the fact that Jonah hadn’t cajoled, manipulated, or tricked. It was the fact that he had asked. Had said please. 

He had never said please to Jon before. 

But maybe it was pointless anyway: Sasha James was no more malleable than her predecessor had been. 

[thecoleopterawithana]

Songwriting is like psychiatry

[Dear @eppysboys, your wish is my command.]

-

There are bound to be thickheads who will wonder why some of it doesn't make sense, and others who will search for hidden meanings.

'What's a Brummer?'

‘There's more to "dubb owld boot" than meets the eye.'

None of it has to make sense and if it seems funny then that's enough.

— Paul McCartney, in the Introduction to John Lennon's In His Own Write (1964).

-

When we had a party in the States to celebrate having finished the album, someone came up to us and said 'Hello, Venus. Hello, Mars.' I thought, 'Oh. no.'' When I write songs, I'm not necessarily talking about me, although psychoanalysts would say "Yes, you are, mate." But as far as I'm concerned, I'm not.

— Paul McCartney, interviewed for the promotion of Venus and Mars (1975). In Paul Gambaccini's Paul McCartney: In His Own Words (1976).

-

I don’t examine myself that way. I just am. I just go through it. I just wake in the morning and go to bed at night and whatever happens during the day just happens. I don’t really know how I am.

— Paul McCartney, in Music Express: ‘Paul McCartney Wings It Alone’ (April/May 1982).

-

I’m not a great reader into moods: I don’t naturally say that if I wrote a sad song then I was sad that day, or if I wrote a happy song I was happy. I compose songs like playwrights write a play. They don’t have to know everyone in the play, they don’t have to know anyone in the play, it’s just a product of their imagination.

— Paul McCartney, speaking of ‘Somedays’, interviewed for Club Sandwich n°82 (Summer of 1997).

-

“There are a lot of mindsets when you’re writing a song – and one of them is commercial,” he admits. “It’s like any job, where if you do a certain thing you’ll progress in that job. In songwriting it’s an unspoken thing, but I recognise it. I remember hearing somewhere that people like sad songs, so I thought, ‘OK, I’ll write a sad song.’ I knew what I was getting into…” So, in a way, you were acting when you wrote [Yesterday]? “Yes. I wrote from the point of view of someone who was sad. But when you’re taking on a part, it’s usually you you’re writing about. Your psychiatrist would say it’s you.” Later, someone suggested that lyrics such as, “Why she had to go, I don’t know” were about McCartney’s mother who’d died when he was 14. “I certainly felt that way when she died. So when I sing Yesterday now, it does make me think about my mum. It’s more personal than I realised it was.” You sense that the older he gets, perhaps the more McCartney is prone to analysing his gift.

— Paul McCartney, interviewed by Mark Blake for Q: Songs in the key of Paul (May 2015).

-

This series – I just woke up one morning and I had a germ of an idea, which is all I want really. I don’t want too formed an idea, it’s just not who I am. [...] I woke up with this thing and I thought it would be just a black canvas and these three-fingered scratches, like someone in prison and they’re either trying to get out or they’re trying to mark the dates. [...] But then a shape emerged with this blue, and I still don’t know what it is. It looks vaguely phallic, or somebody’s ass bending away from you. But that’s what started to fascinate me. It’s probably an accident, but also what I like about that is the inner content, that I have no idea what my dreams are about. I’ve no idea, yet they’re every bit as real as sitting here with you. But my interior world, I think it’s not a bad idea to try and tap it.

My view is that these things are there whether you want them or not, in your interior. You don’t call up dreams, they happen, often the exact opposite of what you want. You can be heterosexual and be having a homosexual dream and wake up, and think, “Shit, am I gay?” I like that you don’t have control over it. But there is some control – it is you dreaming, it is your mind it’s all happening in. In a way my equation would be that my computer is fully loaded by now. Maybe in younger people there’s a little bit of loading to go, but mine’s loaded pretty much, so what I try and do is allow it to print out unbeknown to me. And I’m interested to hear what it’s got in there.

I think we must be interested as musicians as often our music arrives that way. I dreamed the song Yesterday. It was just in a dream, I woke up one morning and had a melody in my head. So I have to believe in that.

— Paul McCartney, in “Luigi’s Alcove” by Karen Wright, for Modern Painters (August 2000).

-

I think a lot of these songs like 'Tell Me Why’ may have been based in real experiences or affairs John was having or arguments with Cynthia or whatever, but it never occurred to us until later to put that slant on it all.

— Paul McCartney, in Barry Mile’s Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now (1997).

-

I was standing at the door and he was in bed, and we were talking about the lyrics of 'I Am the Walrus’, and I remember feeling he was a little frail at that time, maybe not going through one of the best periods in life, probably breaking up with his wife. He was going through a very fragile period. You’ve only got to look at his lyrics - 'sitting on a cornflake waiting for the van to come’. They were very disturbed lyrics. 

— Paul McCartney, in Barry Miles’ Many Years From Now (1997).

-

I remember giggling with John as we wrote the lines ‘What do you see when you turn out the light? I can’t tell you but I know it’s mine.’ It could have been him playing with his willie under the covers, or it could have been taken on a deeper level; this was what it meant but it was a nice way to say it, a very non-specific way to say it. I always liked that. 

— Paul McCartney, in Barry Miles’ Many Years From Now (1997).

-

"Sex is something I prefer to do, rather than sing about. Hi Hi Hi was from a period when everybody was getting stoned and having sex… I suppose singing about sex is not really in my genre. [...] It’s the same with trying to write angry songs,” he continues. “I can’t do it.” Really? “Yes. I wrote a song called Angry. Recorded it here with Phil Collins and Pete Townshend. At the time I thought, ‘Wow, we’ve really slammed this…’ I can be angry but I can’t find a natural way to put it into a song. It’s the same with sex."

— Paul McCartney, interview w/ Mark Blake for Q: Songs in the key of Paul. (May, 2015)

-

McCartney has written some of the world’s most famous love songs, but has he ever worried about revealing too much of himself? “Yes, but you’ve got to get over that feeling quickly, because that’s the game.”

— Paul McCartney, interviewed by Mark Blake for Q: Songs in the key of Paul (May 2015).

-

It’s funny because just in real life, I find that a challenge. I like to sort of, not give too much away. Like you said, I’m quite private. Why should people, know my innermost thoughts? That’s for me, their innermost. But in a song, that’s where you can do it. That’s the place to put them. You can start to reveal truths and feelings. You know, like in ‘Here Today’ where I’m saying to John “I love you”. I couldn’t have said that, really, to him. But you find, I think, that you can put these emotions and these deeper truths – and sometimes awkward truths; I was scared to say “I love you”. So that’s one of the things that I like about songs.

— Paul McCartney, on the challenge of giving too much of himself away when writing meaningful and truthful songs. Asked by Simon Pegg and interviewed by John Wilson for BBC 4’s Mastertapes (24 May 2016).

-

Songwriting is like psychiatry; you sit down and dredge up something that’s inside, bring it out front. And I just had to be real and say, John, I love you. I think being able to say things like that in songs can keep you sane.

— Paul McCartney, interview with Robert Palmer for the New York Times (25 April 1982).

-

[McCartney (1970)] was kind of… therapy through hell.

— Paul McCartney, interviewed for the Q magazine (2007).

-

GILBERT: Do you find it easier to write good records in a darker period of your life than in happier periods? You’ve lived through more than a few bad episodes…

PAUL: That’s a good question, I’m not sure. I think the answer is neither and both. I think it’s good when you’re in a dark period, the good is [the song’s] your psychiatrist, it’s your therapy, and you know we have many tales – anyone who writes has. Going away when you’re really upset about something and putting it in your song – you come out of that cupboard, toilet or basement and go, “I really feel better.” You’ve actually exorcised the demon. So it is one of the great joys of songwriting.

GILBERT: What would be an example of a song you wrote in a very angry or dark mood?

PAUL: I think the words of ‘Yesterday’, when I see them now I think there were quite a few of my songs like that, you know, bad moods made better. More recently ‘Calico Skies’ [evoking memories of Linda]; ‘Little Willow’ [for Maureen Starkey] was one I wrote about a friend when she was dying and, in fact, she did die, so those kind of things can help. With ‘Yesterday’, singing it now, I think without realising it I was singing about my mum who died five or six years previously, or whatever the timing was. Because I think now, “Why she had to go, I don’t know, she wouldn’t say, I said something wrong…” I think the psychiatrist would have a field day with that one. (Sings) “Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away / Now it looks as though they’re here to say” – there’s a lot of those songs, that’s just three where I can remember going into a hiding place with a guitar, purposely to exorcise your demons. It’s like writing your dream out or something, and it’s a physical effect where you come back out and you’ve created that magic again, pulling the rabbit out of the hat. “Where did that come from? Wahey!” It’s a great feeling. 

— Paul McCartney, interview w/ Pat Gilbert for MOJO: Don’t look back in anger. (November, 2013)

-

Q: Do you have a song that you put on if you’re ever having a hard time or a bad day, and it instantly makes you feel better? 

PAUL: There’s a track [’I Don’t Know’] on Egypt Station that came out of a hard time I think would fit the bill now! […] it’s funny what inspires you to write songs. For instance, John started writing ‘Help!’during a crisis at that time in his life, which is often a good motivator ‘cause there’s a therapy aspect to writing songs sometimes - but not all songs! It’s almost as if you’re telling your guitar your troubles and a lot of composure can be found through that. So you sort of say what you might say to a therapist, but you put it into a song and you might feel better afterwards. You don’t have to be going through terrible times, just something that’s frustrating.

— Paul McCartney, in You Gave Me The Answer (28 March 2019)

-

Q: ‘I Don’t Know’ opens with the lyric, “Crows at my window, dogs at my door, I don’t think I can take it anymore.” This imagery does seem pretty bleak for a comeback. 

PAUL: Well, I was in a bleak mood. It’s a well-known fact, you talk to a lot of songwriters, that they write good songs from being in a bad mood. It can often be a really good motivating factor, because you don’t care. You can’t just go out to your friends or your relatives, and just start going, 'I’ve got crows on my window.’ You don’t necessarily want to just go and complain about everything, but you can complain to your piano, in this case, or your guitar… It’s a great therapy. 

Q: Doubt and regret [hardly] seem to be things that people associate with you.

PAUL: It’s funny, isn’t it? People think that about me, that well, when you reach my position… you end up with no problems at all. But that’s unrealistic, because you’re in life. And if like me you’ve got a big family, there’s gonna be some sort of problem, even if it’s just someone’s ill. So realistically speaking, you have to think that it’s very likely that most people you know can have problems. Even President Obama. Even John Lennon. Even Taylor Swift. We’ve all got problems, and that’s what makes us all so human.

— Paul McCartney, interview for BBC 6 (20 June 2018).

-

The idea is that what I’ll leave behind me will be music, and I may not be able to tell you everything I feel, but you’ll be able to feel it when you listen to my music. I won’t have the time or the articulation to be able to say it all, but if you enjoy composing you say it through the notes.

— Paul McCartney, regarding Ecce Cor Meum, which premiered in 2001.

-

I have to leave  And when I'm gone  I'll leave my message  In my song

-

Tangents

The Walrus | A case study for John’s struggles with meaning in song

The Surrealist | Meaning and Magritte

I Can’t Tell You How I Feel | Expressing emotions and feelings [statements in songs]

This One | A case study for Paul’s struggles with expressing feelings

I’m Scared To Say I Love You | Paul’s struggle with saying ‘I love you’

[kodzumie-archived]

I want to submit this anonymously but I can’t rn so oh well,

I had an idea last night for Shuichi with an Ultimate Lawyer S/O so this is sort of a oneshot (yes I used the argument from Ace Attorney Im not creative with law shit)

I wanted to write this genderneutral but I’m insecure about my writing style and I’m used to writing female Mc’s so apologise for that

Also also forgive any spelling or grammar mistakes I’m super dyslexic

Anyway anyway I’m rambling enjoy my brain rot- 👑! Anon

If you ever asked Shuichi Saihara what his thoughts were on trials he'd tell you he hated them. He hated everything about them. Fully believing in the person he was defending only for them to turn around and reveal some truth they hid making him look an idiot.

Trials truely brought out the worst in people in Shuichi's opinion.

Speaking of the detective right at the moment he was enjoying one of his rare quiet moments, sitting outside the courtroom he sighed deeply, this was his least favourite part of solving a case; for some reason part of being the ultimate detective meant he had to appear in court with his client. He wasn't exactly their lawyer but he did play a big part in defending them, But that wasn't the big reason he hated trails, His wallowing in self pity was interrupted when the very reason he was thinking about walked past him and made her way towards the vending machine nearby.

(Y/N) (L/N) The Ultimate Lawyer, anyone that manages to get her to defend them is 100% guaranteed to get cleared of all their charges or at least a very light sentence. And for some reason almost everyone she agreed to defend involved his clients in some way and therefore him.

And he could never win.

No matter how many arguments he and his client had she could take them all down easily, He hated having all the attention on him, everyone at school knew it too, But whenever the two of them were in the courtroom everyone there knew they were in for a show.

He stayed hunched on the seat for a few seconds, waiting wondering if she didn't notice him he could stay outside a little longer. Keeping his stare on her she realised Instead of her usual suit he couldn't help but notice she was wearing a pencil skirt today ending below her knees, everything about her screamed professionalism. He didn't even realise he was staring until she was suddenly standing right in front of him. nothing was said and instead they both just maintained eye contact. Before she turned around and made her way back inside.

He would never understand her.

He wondered if this process could speed up a bit. He hated the courtroom, the smells, the people, the noises, that's why he always watched her he told himself. He kept his eyes on her because she was the only interesting thing there. They way she moved, the passion in her voice when she talked, how she always kept her cool no matter what was thrown at her.

"And that's why your honour my client is innocent"

"Objection!" Shuichi found himself standing up, he'd been listening to every word that had left her mouth, and thanks to that he'd heard something that didn't add up

"(L/N), your client said he found the body 9:30, correct?"

She looked at him, instead of anger or annoyance her eyes held an excitement he'd never seen her have in the courtroom before.

"That is correct Mr Saihara,"

Standing up straight, in a complete reversal of their position before she sat in a seat while he stood tall.

"But there was a blackout, and since we know your client didn't have their phone on them since they ran downtown to call the police correct? So how did they know the time?"

The client decided to speak up

"I- I heard the time on the tv"

"But there was a blackout, so how would the tv be on?"

They opened their mouth

"A-Actually it wasnt the tv, it was the clock!"

Shuichi objected again;

"the murder weapon that had been accepted into evidence earlier was a statue, not a clock"

You were the one who revealed that The Thinker statue did indeed double as a clock; by tilting it, it spoke the time after.

However, Shuichi refused to back down now, and with the look in your eyes as your stared at him made him want to continue.

"there was no way your client could have known about the clock function without having held it in his own hand. The reason that you knew the time was because he was the real killer. As he killed Stone, the clock announced the time, leaving a strong impression on him."

Shuichi spoke, every word held a confidence to it he'd never felt in the courtroom before, and as he stared at (Y/N), her expression for a split second looked shocked, and he thought for once he'd finally put her down a peg, before her face twisted into a smug grin.

"Mr Saihara you seem different today" leaning on her hand her gaze was focused on him, like she didn't even care that she was losing the case at all. Shuichi didn't understand this side of (Y/N). From every argument he'd ever seen in this courtroom she knew every detail and every loophole, she always had a fire inside her and a determination to help her clients, so why was she staring at him like that? The in her gaze that usually appeared when she argued was now fully directed at him.

Her client, infuriated at Shuichi's ruining of his testimony, began to breakdown on the stand, discarding his sycophantic demeanor and angrily throwing his toupee at Wright's face.

This was once of the rare times her client was guilty, but she didn't seem to be affected at all. Outside the courtroom and crouching in front of the vending machine grabbing your snack she didn't seem phased at all when the Ultimate Detective appeared behind her.

"Hey there Saihara"

"What the hell was that?" He spoke, standing up and leaning against the machine she tried to look innocently at him but the wide smirk on her face betrayed her.

"That was not like you at all (L/N), I know damn well you saw the same discrepancy in your clients testimony I did"

Placing your finger up to your lip you feigned innocence

"Did I? Maybe I didn't notice"

"There's no way, your the Ultimate Lawyer, that case should've been child's play" Shuichi frowned, his tone getting louder as he got more annoyed

She laughed, "truth be told Saihara I knew he was guilty since the start"

Shuichi recoiled the tiniest bit at that news, his eyes widening slightly before he regained his composure,

"Then why did you take the case?"

Walking toward she stopped till she was a few steps from pressing her body against the detective who was at that point hide How activity flustered he was. Her hand slipped into his pocket and she left something light in there before leaning to his ear

"Why do you think I take all the cases I know you'll be at shu-i-chi" she whispered, dragging out his first name before walking away, a flounce to her step. Only when she was out of his view he remembered she had slipped something into his pocket, grabbing it and pulling it out to inspect it his face bursted into fifty different shades of red.

'This must've been why you'd worn a skirt today' he thought as he hurried to find a seat on the train so he could get home, trying to inconspicuously place his hat in a specific way on his lap.

He really wanted to get home now. He had something he needed to do.

⤷ Kodzumie; INCREDIBLE!! THIS IS AMAZING, WAAHH..!! I CAN’T EXPRESS HOW HYPED AND EXCITED I GOT DURING THE TRIAL AND THE CONTRADICTION, IT WAS AMAZING!!

AAAH, THE PACING OF EVENTS WAS LITERALLY PERFECT, MY ADRENALINE WAS PUMPING THROUGH IT ALL AAHH!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE HOW EVERYTHING PLAYED OUT AND THE NARRARATION!!

THIS IS WRITTEN WONDERFULLY, I ADORE THE STYLE OF NARRATIVE YOU USED!! IT FELT SO RAW; SO PURE OF EMOTION AND PERCEPTION!!

I LITERALLY ADORE THE PERSONALITY YOU’D GIVEN THE READER, THEY WERE SO FUN TO TUNE IN TO!! AND, AAHH, THE ULTIMATE LAWYER IS TRULY SO INTRUIGING, ESPECIALLY PAIRED WITH SHUICHI!!

I CAN’T EXPRESS HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS!! SERIOUSLY, IT’S ACTUALLY SO, SO, SOOOO GOOD!! WAAH..!!

DO..! DO YOU HAVE A WRITING BLOG? YOUR WRITING IS SO WONDERFUL, I GENUINELY ADORE THIS ONE-SHOT SO MUCH!! I’D LOVE TO SUPPORT YOUR WORKS, IF YOU’RE COMFORTABLE ENOUGH!!

THIS IS AMAZING!! WAAAH, I LOVE YOUR WRITING WITH MY WHOLE HEART!!

[disney8733]

finding our song book one

begging

The lights of the stage flashed on showing the band members on it. You could hear the hum of the lead starting the opening of the song “ Put your loving hand out, baby 'Cause I'm beggin'' The rest of the band starts to join in the song known as, Beggin’. From the right side of the stage, you could see him as the main bass of the band Daichi Sawamura, A five foot nine well-built dark-haired brown-eyed man with thighs so thick they could crush a watermelon in half. It was the beginning of the trash heap tour for Junkyard scrap. The alternate punk rock band that everyone knew. They were known for being an attractive upcoming popular All-Star Band. Their lead singer had an amazing voice that could go and reach the low notes of a song but sound smokey and sweet and loving. Their bass guitarist could play the strings of his bass like nobody else. Their lead guitarist could play any guitar ranging from electric to ukulele. And there was their drummer. He was the rhythm of their band and could make a beat out of a pencil tapping on a table. But that's not all the band had to offer oh no there is much more. At first glance, junkyard scrap looks like a normal band but that's not all they had. Each one of the band members could do more than just what they were known for. junkyard scrap was nicknamed The Multiverse band, their lead singer Kōtarō Bokuto Also known as the owl was a Bombastic, friendly, energetic guy. Also known as The Moody one tending to sometimes in the middle of an interview going into an “emo mode” because he was sad. Bokuto could also play the drums, guitar, and song right to a certain extent. Tetsurō Kuroo the lead guitarist, is also known as rooster head due to the way his hair looks. Although he looked laid-back, he always seemed to be scheming for something and liked to provoke others' well-dishing outside remarks to them. But the truth of reality is that true karoo is a kind of surprisingly genius man both in music and somehow chemistry. The man could not only play electric guitar but also the bass, the acoustic, the ukulele, the piano, the trumpet and is an absolute god at writing love songs. Daichi Sawamura The bass guitarist of the group. Known as the dad of the group he's responsible, caring, understanding, and patient. Except for when you piss him off then he becomes utterly terrifying and everybody seems to be attracted to that. He can also play the electric guitar. If and when he does sing it's a very low soft and sweet velvet voice. And lastly Hajime Iwaizumi on the drums. A stubborn yet reliable member of the band with a strong intimidating vibe. With a firm yet caring attitude towards the rest of his team everyone tends to respect him and all his fans see him as a bad boy. He can also sing very well. These four young men make up the group known as Junkyard scrap. Clear their fan base they were gods that can play music like nobody else the hottest things on Earth. But to the four of them, they were just a bunch of friends who decided to play at a concert one night with the rest is pretty much history. From the crowd, you can hear the girls screaming their heads off for Daichi. Indicating that they were playing the song ashes which was sung by the drummer Iwaizum. “I fell in love with a boy I met in hell”. As the concert continued The Stylist walked up to their manager Kiyok.

“Are we going to do an outfit change?” the stylist asked

“Not that I know of unless Bo has other plans” She replies with a heavy sigh. Bo had a habit of taking his shirt off in a particular song known as Glory and throwing it in the crowd because according to him the song had just such a “vibe” and “he was so pumped he didn't know what he was doing”. The entire band called them out for just wanting to take his shirt off for no reason. And he did not deny or confirm this action. As the two were talking at that very moment You could hear Kuroo starting to play his electric guitar to the notes of none other than the song Glory. Kiyoko Turn to The Stylist rolling her eyes towards the stage saying “ well the answer to your question is yes Suga, we will be an athlete change in which Bokuto will need another shirt”

“Noted” he replied back quickly leaving her at the side of the stage to go get him a new shirt. At this point, he wasn't surprised he had been with the band as their stylus for the past 6 months and he had gotten pretty much used to the clothes that he had either hand-picked or made himself for Bo, being thrown into the crowd. At first yeah totally annoying the crap out of him. But then the bass player of the band talked to him stating how typically they get the shirts back because most of the fans know but was not allowed to do that anymore even though he still does it. Daichi promised that he would talk to Bo after every concert and yell at him for doing so. Now it wasn't that Suga would say that he was in love with Daichi. But he loves the idea of having a strong Rockstar boyfriend. Though it was never going to happen, he knew that and that was fine. What he didn't know is that Daichi himself had fallen head-over-heels Suga from the day that they met. As the concert ended you could hear the loud roaring of the crowd. The band thanked everybody for coming out and giving them a chance to start a brand new tour.

As the band members came off the stage. They were talking and laughing in a way that made you feel at home.

“That was a good show” Kuroo stated “Even if Bo took his shirt off again” the Rooster continued

“ I told you guys every time you play the song. I just get this feeling that I just can't explain it I just got to be free it's glorious if you try it sometime” Bokuto responded well laughing

“ You know Bokuto. First of all, it's just weird and secondly, you throw away all of Suga's hard work. You jerk” Daichi replied looking at Suga

“Oh, it’s ok. There just close

“No, it’s not ok. It costs us money every time he does it. Right kiyoko” Iwaizumi said

“Sadly Iwaizumi is right,” she said without even looking up from her notes.

“IM SORRY SUGA” Bo bowed his head. Suga just smiled.

“Don't worry, let's go get the shirt back together this time ok” the beautiful silver hair boy stated. As they walked away Daichi couldn't help but stare at Sugawara. To him, Sugawara was a beautiful 5' 8.7" slender-built guy, with light grey hair, and hazel-brown eyes. Not to mention, a birthmark mole under his left eye that Daichi just wanted to kiss. Kōshi Sugawara had a soothing and gentle personality. he kind of acted as a pillar of support for the crew and the band. He was a kind and sweet man. Daichi was unsure of when he had fallen for the man, maybe it was when they first met. That was the start at least.

“You if you ask him out, no one would stop you and every owner would approve,” Kuroo said smiling as they walk to the dressing room.

“I can't I have to Maintain appearance for the band's image” he s simply replied

“ You're joking right, In case you forgot I'm dating Kenma. You know the guy who wright more then half our song” Kuroo Side as he sat down in the chair taking his shoes off

“That's different. You two were dating way before we came to fame” Daichi huffed out as he took his jacket off. Just then Kenma walked while playing on his Game Boy.

“Kuroo,” the short boy said not looking up

“Yes, kitten?” the roster replied

“I want cuddles and apple pie”

“Ok kitten, just let get changed” Kuroo hurried up getting out of the outfit he had on and into sweatpants and a sweatshirt then picked up his boyfriend, leaving the room to go get apple pie and cuddle. Leaving Daichi alone. “Maybe he’s right,” he sighed as took out his shirt.

“Knock knock Dai-” Suga said, opening the door just as Daichi’s pants groped. Leaving him in nothing but his boxer. “OH, MY GOD IM SO SORRY I- I’ll um” He stumbled to figure out what exactly should say.

“It’s fine, just give me a sec,” Daichi said as he grabbed his sweatpants, He had decided to leave his shirt off for a multitude of reasons, mainly because he wanted to make Suga blush. “So I'm guessing you need the outfits from the performance today,” He said as he smiled. “Um yes please… and thank you” Suga replied calmly. Daichi nodded, picking up the clothes in the room and heading them over to Suga. Just as Suga took them he ended up trying over his feet, falling on Daichi. When Suga opened his eyes he realized both of his hands were on Daichi's chest, his shirtless chest realizing. where his hands were he blushed training his face into the color of the Tomato he stood up to grab the clothes and ran to the door. “I'M SORRY...Again… AND THANK YOU… GOODBYE!” He said that he closed the door behind them running down the hallway away from the embarrassment that just happened. Leaving sitting on the floor as red as the color of a tomato. “Your welcome,” he said to no one but himself.

To be continued

[uncannychange]

Seeking a cure for testosterone poisoning Dr. Babbitt Bernadette Badeaux turned to quantum flux engineering.

There she found success, hoping to perhaps turn down hyper-masculinity from 11 to somewhere around 7 or 8 she instead found that her experimenting was turning her subjects, mostly male grad students assigned to her as compensation for their chronic sexual harassment, completely into women.

This led her to be blacklisted from every University in the world.

But it didn't stop her from refining and creating the ultimate version of her discovery.

Obtaining financing from a shadowy organization it was not long before Dr. Babbitt's Girl Machines started to appear all over the place advertised on the internet as being for When You're Tired of the Whole Damn "Guy Thing". They showed up at fairs, street parties, trade shows, weddings, and other such venues and everyone was sure it was just some sort of joke item.

And joke item it did seem to the men who, after stepping into one, and paying the five dollars to activate it and were treated to an intense light and sound show while the thing let out a deep B Sharp tone that shook them to their bones but was kind of pleasant. Then it stopped, out they stepped and everything was the same.

Nothing for three days anyway, at which point the growing waves of quantum flux, at last, did their thing and as soon as the men who been in a Girl Machine were out of the sight of anyone (it's a quantum thing) there was a flash and a youthful female version of themselves, clothes and all, came into being.

Chaos then ensued, but no one listened to the crazy girls, I mean they didn't look much like their former male selves, even their fingerprints were changed.

Reactions to this varied. Also, much to the surprise of many Dr. Babbitt's Girl Machines then saw a spike in popularity.

Below are some of those reactions.

Dan Wright, Unionville, ON

“Now I can buy all of the stuff like this I've always wanted too!” thought Dan, happy as can be about what the Girl Machine had done for him.

Frank Reed, New Gloucester, ME

For most, the flash and change caused by the Girl Machines came as a complete surprise because they had already forgotten them without giving another thought to what they had thought were just novelty devices. This is what happened to Frank as he was on his morning run when suddenly he almost fell over when his running shoes turned into her new heels. Frank is still mystified about what happened.

Zachary Allen, Richardson, TX

Never out of his cowboy boots and stetson, Zach knew something was up with he felt his boots just “poof, go away” then on further exploration Ms. Allen found out his boots were not the only thing that had been replaced.

Chester Norris, Edmonton, AB

“Is this for real?” thought Chester “Is this mine?” Yes, Ms. Norris, it is.

Douglas Howard, Juneau, AK

Tired from overwork, shortly after his Girl Machine exposure suddenly felt a spring in his step, or rather her step. Fortunately along with all the other changes Dr. Babbitt's device also gave those changed a new burst of energy.

Timmy Winter, Milwaukee, WI

Knock Knock

Timmy: (opens door) “Yes?”

Agar Collection Agency “Is Timmy Winter here? We need to talk.”

Timmy (knowing he is in deep trouble) “Nope, haven't seen him for a week.”

Agar Agent: (sounding angry) “When you see him tell him to call us.”

Timmy: “Sure,” said Timmy Walker at first shocked and now relieved that he had somehow changed from a deeply in debt doughy 45-year-old man into the cutie he had turned into the week before. “Good luck finding him.” thought Tammy as she had already decided to call her new self

Jerry Wong, Pearl City, HA

For five generations the oldest son in the Wong family had joined the military, Jerry Wong didn't want to do that, but the tradition was tradition. Then he encountered a Girl Box and well the rule was the oldest son, not the oldest daughter so goodbye to that! Plus Jerry loved the new clothes.

Andre Phillips, Arlington, TX

In one of the oddest transformations caused by Dr. Babbitt's Girl Machines Mister Andre `Andy Boy,' Phillips found his change somehow influenced by his favorite movie Giant (1956)and much to his chagrin just as he was stepping on stage to address the Arlington Cattleman's Association, a good old boy organization he had been a part of for twenty years.

Meanwhile in Homewood, Alabama just outside of Birmingham, Praying Mantis kung fu instructor Mike Summers waits for his first class of the day to greet him in the proper manner. In stead they stare wide-eyed at the space where he had been standing. “Yeah, they’re in awe of my still” thought Mike not knowing that it was the new material of his new form, and her uniform, that they were struck by, not his kung fu form. 

[coldflame96]

Turnabout Parent Trap, chapter 20 (the end!)

I finally finished this bad boy and the last chapters a bit shorter so I thought I’d do something a little different. Don’t read if you haven’t read the rest of it please. 

It’s been a long journey. Thank you for sharing it with me. :)

Read the full thing on AO3 here

February 11, 2029

Gatewater Hotel Imperial Hall- Los Angeles, Japanifornia

Phoenix was nervous. Well, not nervous exactly, but more just excited. He was getting married! Not for the first time, but hopefully the last.

“Nick, they’re almost ready for you,” Maya came in. And then she gave him an unimpressed look. “What have I told you about messing with your tie? And your hair. Look at you, you’re a wreck! Don’t make me get my sister in here!”

“No thanks,” he muttered, “You’re bad enough.” And got a light smack on the head for that. He saw how the deep purple she was wearing brought out the bronze tones in her skin as she readjusted his tie and smiled.

“You look beautiful, Maya.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course I do. My wife’s a dress designer.” And then she smirked. “Besides, you’re the star here. Miles won’t know what hit him.”

“He’s seen me like this before.”

“Sure, but you look way better now than you did at 21. I saw the pictures.”

“Wow,” he scoffed, offended. “That’s-“ And then he paused. “Wait, really? I’m 36, how is that even possible?”

She shrugged. “Some people get better with age.” And then she gave him a smug look. “You were pretty dorky before.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Y’know,” she started, starting on his hair now, “I’m kinda surprised you’re even doing all this again. Kinda figured Miles wouldn’t wanna bother.”

Funny story about that. “It was his idea, actually.”

“Really? Wow. And here I thought he was the pragmatic one. Guess he is a romantic, after all.”

She finally took her fingers out of his hair, and he made to run a hand through when she smacked it away.

“I just fixed it, Nick!” she glared. “If you mess it up again, I’ll kill you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he mumbled.

He heard a piano start playing and Maya grinned. “Well, that’s your cue.” And then she offered up her elbow. “You ready?”

He took a deep breath, and then linked his arm with hers. He was born ready.

~~~~~~~~~

Apollo sat next to his sibling, who practically had stars in their eyes as their parents exchanged vows at the altar. The old bearded guy gave them permission to kiss and they did eagerly which of course was something he’d seen many times at this point, but he clapped along with everyone else.

Trucy giggled from next to him and he looked at them curiously. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” they shook their head, “It’s all just kinda crazy, isn’t it? Two years ago, I didn’t even know you existed. Now we’re at our parents wedding.” She laughed again. “It’s all just so backwards!”

He rested an arm on their shoulder. “Yeah, I guess we were never very traditional, huh?”

“Nope!”

He vaguely heard Dad announce something, and then people around them started getting up. “Oh, I guess it’s time for the reception.” He offered his hand. “Coming?”

They took his hand.

~~~~~~~~~

When Iris had learned that Pearl, her younger half-sister, had moved to Germany last summer, she was disappointed. They had been getting to know each other rather well and she thought that she could finally tell her the truth about her.

But then Mr. Wright had told her she’d gone to Germany when she came to visit one day and she thought that was it. She’d waited too long and lost her opportunity. And then he had told her he was getting married. And even invited her. She wasn’t even sure if she deserved an invitation after what her sister did, but she appreciated it none the less.

She had been about to decline, but then Mr. Wright had told her Pearl would be here, and well…now here she was. It was only too bad she hadn’t been able to get Pearl alone so far. Maya had been quite welcoming and friendly and allowed her to mingle in with their group, but this was a delicate matter. She couldn’t just blurt it out in front of everyone.

She saw Mr. Wright pass through the hallway, from what she was assuming was the bathroom, and he nodded at her, pointing his eyes down the hall.

“You should catch her before she goes back in,” he advised.

“Thank you.” And then she already started walking.

“Iris?” he called out, and she turned her head in confusion. He gave her a small, shy smile. “Thanks for coming.”

He really was quite handsome…she felt her face heat up and she mumbled, “Of course.” And bolted down the direction he’d pointed her at, ignoring how her heart skipped a beat.

Mr. Wright was quite the charmer. She sometimes wished she’d been the one engaged to him once upon a time instead of her sister.

But it probably wouldn’t have worked out either way. His heart clearly belonged to someone else.

She was broken from that train of thought when she saw Pearl’s familiar figure just about to open the door back into the reception room.

“Oh, Ms. Iris!” she gasped. “You look so pretty!”

Pearl certainly looked quite beautiful herself, looking grown up in her dusty pink A line.

“Thank you, Pearl. You too. Did Ms. von Karma make that dress for you?”

The girl grinned. “Yes, she did!” And she did a little twirl. “Do you like it?”

She smiled gently. “I love it.” But she should get to the point. “Hey, Pearl, do you mind taking a walk with me? There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

She perked up curiously. “Oh, okay then.”

And Iris led the girl to the courtyard where they wouldn’t be disturbed.

Like peeling off a bandaid. Hopefully it wouldn’t bleed.

~~~~~~~~~

Gatewater Hotel Banquet Hall- Los Angeles, Japanifornia

Miles watched as Phoenix opened the bottle of wine, Where Dreams Have No End, 2010 etched on it. He nodded, raising his glass in a toast and once he got the satisfied clink, they both took a sip at the same time.

Miles raised an eyebrow. “Oh, this is better than I remember.”

Phoenix shrugged. “Well, you know what they say about fine wine.”

Miles eyed his partner appreciatively, saying without much thought, “Yes, much like yourself, it ages quite handsomely.”

Phoenix gave him an incredulous look at that and Miles noted with pleasure how his ears turned red. “What, are you drunk already?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he huffed, “I’m not such a lightweight to get drunk off one sip of wine.”

Phoenix didn’t say anything, instead choosing to focus on his cake, their live performers starting with a slow, melodic song. Which brought up a concern…“Are you sure inviting them to perform was a good idea?” he asked his husband softly, touching his arm, the performers in question being the singer Lamiroir and her partner Herod, formerly known as Thalassa Gramarye and Jove Sadhmadhi. Though the young blond pianist they had with them was unfamiliar to him.

Phoenix looked at him, distracted for a moment from his cake. “Lamiroir is Apollo’s favorite singer, right? Why would it be an issue?”

Miles really didn’t like it when he acted willfully obtuse. “You know why, Phoenix. Having them here with the kids is a risk. What if they say something?”

“They won’t. I already talked to them about it.”

“Apollo and Trucy aren’t stupid, as you well know. What if they find out?”

Phoenix grabbed his hands, pressing a light kiss to his fingers. “Miles, they’re 14. They’re old enough to know that they didn’t just sprout up from nowhere. It’s not like we have anything to hide.”

“Well, yes, but-“

Phoenix didn’t let him finish that sentence, kissing him firmly. Miles pulled away, glaring with no heat.

“That was quite rude.” He got a kiss on the jaw in response. “I was talking and-“ Another kiss. “Ugh, you’re trying to distract me, aren’t you?”

Phoenix looked smug as hell. “Is it working?”

Yes. “No.”

He chuckled, “Liar.” And then kissed him again, softer this time.

“Hey lovebirds!” Larry called out, causing them to break apart. “Come get your pictures taken!”

He rolled his eyes and watched as Phoenix did the same.

He supposed a few pictures wouldn’t hurt. But not before he kissed his husband another time.

~~~~~~~~

Trucy never really “got” Apollo’s type of music. She was always more into upbeat stuff like the Gavinners, but this Lamiroir lady…was not bad. Her voice was beautiful, and she could see why Apollo liked it, even though it was kinda slow in her opinion.

Something about her was weird though…Familiar somehow. But Trucy was sure she’d never met a celebrity before.

She watched as the man with Lamiroir started playing something faster paced on his guitar and she smiled. Now they were talking.

“Dance with me, Apollo!”

“Trucy, I don’t dance.”

She rolled her eyes, and then she spotted a familiar dark head and got an idea. “Fine, I’ll go dance with Clay then.”

Their eyes went wide and they grabbed her arm. “You can’t do that!”

“Why not?”

“Because!” their eyes darted. “Because I’m gonna dance with him!”

She asked faux innocently, “But I thought you said you don’t dance?”

“Well, I lied!” And then to her delight, they marched over to Clay, saying something to him that she couldn’t hear, and he looked both confused and pleased as they started dancing awkwardly.

She waved sweetly and laughed as Apollo glared at her and Clay waved back.

“Excuse me, Miss,” she whirled around to come face to face with her grandfather, his eyes twinkling. “May I have this dance?”

She curtsied dramatically. “Of course, sir.”

And she let him twirl her around. For an old guy, he was surprisingly graceful.

~~~~~~~~

Mia was feeling quite good after her couple glasses of champagne. Light on her feet and even lighter in spirit. She was giggling as Lana twirled her again, resting her head on her shoulder.

She heard a cleared throat and she turned to see Phoenix standing there, looking incredibly handsome in that suit. Mr. Edgeworth sure knew what he was doing that was for sure.

“Do you mind if I borrow your wife?” he asked Lana.

“So long as you give her back,” was Lana’s response and he laughed.

And then he grabbed her arm. “Come and dance with me, Mia.”

“Careful, Phoenix,” she grinned like a shark, “Your new husband might get jealous.”

He snorted. “Okay, how much champagne have you had?” he asked, as he started to sway her gently.

“Not enough.”

“I somehow doubt that.”

She saw how carefree he was and smiled. “I’m really happy for you, Phoenix.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. It feels good to have a wedding I can actually go to.”

“Why? So you can drink all the champagne?”

“Exactly. Get lit, as the kids would say.”

He cringed, which delighted her. “Please stop.”

She laughed. “Stop what? I’m sticking with the times.”

“You’re not. I live with two teenagers. Neither of them ever say that.”

She pouted. “Well, they used to.”

He muttered, “Yeah, maybe in the Stone Age.”

She flicked him on the head. “Don’t be rude. I’m not even 40 yet.”

“What is with you Fey women and hitting me today?”

So Maya got him earlier? She wondered what wise crack he said to deserve it. “Don’t be a baby. Someone has to keep you in line.”

“I have a husband for that.”

“He’s too soft.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but then refrained and just pouted. “Whatever.”

She patted his cheek fondly, pouting. “Phoenix, will you get me another champagne?”

“No.”

Damn, that usually worked.

Maybe this wedding was a mistake.

~~~~~~~~~

Franziska watched as Maya danced with Pearl, Iris having to leave in a hurry for some other obligation, Kay was dancing with Frau Skye’s younger sister and well…she was quite bored.

She was feeling restless. She saw her stupid brother in the center table kissing his foolish husband like the shameless man he was and had a solution.

She stalked over to their table. “Miles Edgeworth,” she said sharply, and watched them break away, her brother looking a bit disgruntled. Ugh, obscene. 37 years old and acting like a lovesick teenager. “You will dance with me.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Is that a request or an order?”

“Yes.”

He rolled his eyes. “Alright then.” And then he stood from his spot.

Phoenix Wright looked amused, and just said in a dry tone, “Good luck!”

She levelled her glare to him. “You’re next.”

He just got even more smug, which annoyed her. “Can’t wait.” Sometimes she lamented the loss of her riding crop. She missed the days when men cowered at her feet.

“Was your wife unavailable?” Miles asked flatly, doing an elegant twirl.

“Shut up,” she snapped, and then she mumbled in embarrassment, “Yes.”

“I see. So you were bored.”

She glared at him but he was unperturbed. She would have to attempt a different method. She switched over to her native tongue and said in a wistful tone, “Why must you assume the worst of my intentions, older brother? Is it not acceptable for your sister to dance with you at your own wedding?”

“Of course it is. My apologies for doubting you.” He didn’t sound completely sincere but she supposed that would be good enough.

“I am taking your husband for the next song.”

“Just don’t kill him, please.”

“No promises,” she said in English this time. The song ended and she made her way back over to where Phoenix Wright was. She nodded. “Your turn. As promised.”

He grinned. “Oh, good, I’ve been waiting!” Then he turned back to her brother. “If I don’t come back, take good care of the kids, yeah?”

“Of course,” Miles said solemnly and she rolled her eyes, dragging the man out by the arm.

She was expecting him to have two left feet as he was an absolute disaster in everything else, but he was surprisingly competent.

“I must admit, Phoenix Wright, I am pleasantly surprised.”

“Hmm?”

“I did not peg you for a dancer.”

“I took some classes.” And then he got that stupid smug look again that made her regret ever saying anything nice. “See, I guess I’m not totally hopeless at everything, huh?”

“Debatable.”

“I never got to thank you, by the way.”

She pursed her lip. “For what?”

“For making Maya happy. Taking in Pearls. You’ve grown up a lot.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I hope you’re not intending to imply I’ve gotten soft.”

He gave her a wry look. “I would never imply that.”

“Good. Because I will happily rip your head off your body if you hurt my brother, I hope you understand.”

She heard him gulp. Ahh, yes there was the fear she so desperately missed. “I understand completely. Thanks for clearing that up.”

She smirked. “My pleasure.”

~~~~~~

The party was finally over, her and Herod packing up their belongings. She’d been rather hesitant to come here when Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth invited her. She didn’t want to cause any trouble with their family, of course. But Mr. Wright had assured her it was fine and said he wouldn’t say anything so long as she didn’t.

And she hadn’t planned on saying anything. The twins she’d given birth to 14 years ago were flourishing under their care just like she knew they would. They didn’t need her. Sometimes she felt that twinge of regret when she would see parents with their children walking the street together, but it quickly passed. She’d made her decision, and she was no longer able to bear children. It just wasn’t meant to be, she supposed.

She wondered if her partner knew…

“Excuse me, Ms. Lamiroir?” She heard a child’s voice and turned around, coming face to face with both of the twins. Had they…figured it out? She wondered if they inherited her ability of observation.

One of them, the one with the shorter hair in a spiffy pantsuit, spoke up. “I’m a really big fan of your work. Can I have your autograph?”

Oh, that was it? “Oh! Of course!” She mimed writing. “Where should I…?”

“Right here.” They shoved a vinyl album in her face. Her vinyl album. She smiled ruefully. Life had a way of connecting things, didn’t it?

She got out her fine tip marker. “Who should I make this out to?”

“Apollo.”

She nodded and signed out To Apollo. With Love, Lamiroir. “There you are, dear.” She handed it back to them.

“Thank you so much!” They sounded breathless. But the other one didn’t say anything, only assessing her quietly which made her a bit nervous.

“Did you need an autograph too?” she asked.

The child blinked, as if caught out of a trance. “Nah, I’m just here for moral support.”

“I see.” She saw the one who’d gotten her autograph run over to one of their fathers to gush, but the other one was still staring. “Was there something else I could do for you?”

“You just look familiar. Have we met before?”

She frowned, thankful she had a cloth covering the bottom half of her face. She saw the child’s fathers off only a few feet away with their sibling, Mr. Edgeworth looking at her curiously.

“No, we haven’t. Unless you’ve been to France?”

They furrowed their brow. “No, I haven’t. Sorry, I must have been thinking of someone else.” And like that, the tension was gone as the child grinned. “Thanks for playing tonight! Your voice is really beautiful!” And then they waved to join their family.

“Sweetheart,” Herod put his arm around her shoulders. “Am I crazy? Or are those two…?”

“They’re just the grooms’ children,” she finished, but she could tell by his face that he wasn’t convinced. She tapped his wrist gently. “We should hurry. They’re going to close down soon.”

He paused for only a moment before nodding. “I’ll grab Machi.”

And like that, the party was over and they all went their separate ways once again.

~~~~~~~~

May 23, 2029

LAX Airport- Los Angeles, Japanifornia

Apollo got a sense of déjà vu, though the airport was different this time.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?” Papa asked as they walked in through the door. “You got yourself into quite a bit of trouble the last time.”

Apollo rolled his eyes. “Well, unless there’s a secret triplet that me and Trucy don’t know about, I don’t think that will happen again.”

Trucy snorted at that, but Papa just glowered. Apollo thought he was due for a scolding for getting smart, but Dad steered Papa gently away. “They’re fine, Miles. They’ll look after each other.” And then he gave them both a stern look. “Right?”

He nodded furiously, while Trucy, who was always much braver than he was, just rolled their eyes. “Yes, Daddy,” they sighed out.

Papa was satisfied with that. “Very well. But you call us if anything goes wrong.”

“We will.” He went to hug him. “Bye, Papa.”

He gave Dad a hug too while Trucy gave one to Papa and then, after Dad practically dragged Papa out of the airport, they were finally able to get through the baggage line.

He wondered if all his friends from last time would still be there.

~~~~~~~~

May 24, 2029

Maine, USA

“Alright, campers, we have made it to our destination! Welcome to Camp Gourdy!” Trucy was jolted awake from the loudspeaker and then nudged her twin. “Polly, we’re here.”

Apollo blearily opened their eyes, squinting against the bright sunlight, and then their eyes widened as they sat up. “Oh! Hey Trucy, we’re here!” She gave them a flat look. “Oh, right.”

She rolled her eyes fondly. “Alright so, as soon as they open the doors we have to make a run for it. Otherwise, we’re not gonna be able to get our luggage.”

“Why wouldn’t we be able to get it?”

“Just trust me.”

“Okay.”

They quickly shoved their way to the front, ignoring the squawks of protest from other campers. Trucy saw her bright blue luggage and Apollo’s red bag about to get buried. “Quick, Polly, grab it!”

“Got it,” they grunted, hoisting their bag over their shoulder.

She grinned in triumph and gave her twin a fist bump. “C’mon, let’s go get our cabins.”

She looked around curiously. Everything seemed the same from when she was here last. Not that she expected much to change.

They approached the check in, and she was mildly amused to see it was the same grumpy old lady from last time. Windbag, right?

“Name and pronouns!” The woman barked.

She blinked. “Sorry, what?”

She huffed, still grumpy as ever. “I said your name and pronouns, whippersnapper, I don’t have all day.”

“Oh! Uhh, Trucy Wright. She.” And then she added on. “Or they.”

“Well, which is it? She or they?”

“Both?” Windbag gave her a flat look and she grimaced.  “Just she then is fine.”

The woman handed her a name tag that read Trucy. She/her. Yellow. Wow, so maybe things were a little different. She wondered if people complained about them not being inclusive enough.

“Name and pronouns!” Windbag barked to Apollo, who flinched under the intensity.

“Apollo Justice!” they yelled, making the old woman wince.

“Don’t shout, child, my ears still work!”

“Sorry.”

“Pronouns?”

“He.” Windbag glared and Apollo flinched again. “They?”

“Fine.” She threw the nametag at them and Apollo couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

“Well, she’s as unpleasant as ever, I see,” they huffed. But then they furrowed their brow again as they looked at their name tag. “There weren’t pronoun options last time.”

Trucy shrugged. “Maybe they’re catching up with the times.”

“Well, they could do it a little nicer.”

“What cabin are you in?” she asked, nodding towards the tag.

“Green.”

So they were in different cabins again. Interesting.

~~~~~~~~

Apollo hadn’t expected to have the exact same cabin mates as last time, but he was still a bit disappointed that Athena wasn’t here. He’d quite liked her. But the other girl, Junie, was here so he supposed that counted for something.

“This is the first time me and ‘Thena are separated,” the girl sighed out.

“Oh, do you know what cabin she’s in?”

“Yellow, I think.”

“Oh, that’s the same cabin as Trucy.”

Junie frowned. “Trucy? Isn’t that the awful girl you got stuck with last time you were here?”

He grimaced. “A lot’s happened since then.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah.” Junie just continued to stare at him expectantly. He supposed he should elaborate. “We found out we were twins separated as babies and that our parents were divorced, so we switched places and our parents are back together now and happily married.”

She looked like she had a lot of questions, but just said, “Okay. Well, um, congratulations!”

“Thanks!”

~~~~~~~~

Trucy was unpacking her things when a familiar face came bouncing up to her, that tall, ginger girl from last time. Agatha?

“Oh, hey, Apollo!” She grinned.

“Not Apollo,” she said wryly.

“Oh, you’re the other one!” she put her fist in her hand. “Um, Tracy?”

“Trucy.”

“Gotcha! Well hey, is Apollo here too?”

“Yep. They came with me.”

“Oh really? Wait, does that mean you guys actually are siblings?”

Was she serious?

“We look identical.”

“Well, yeah, but it could’ve just been one of those weird freak Twilight Zone things!”

Trucy cocked her head. “What’s a twilight zone?”

“Oh, it’s this show my mom really likes. It’s about like people who get stuck in like alternate worlds. Sometimes it’s kinda scary, but I find the vibe of it really soothing.”

Sounded interesting, actually. Maybe she could check that out when she got home.

“Sounds cool,” she admitted, “But it was nothing crazy like that. Our parents just separated us when we were babies because they broke up.”

The taller girl’s eyes bugged out. “What?! That’s awful!”

She shrugged. “Yeah, but then we traded places and forced them to talk again and now they’re back together, so it all worked out in the end.”

The girl grinned. “So my theory was right then!”

“What theory?”

“Oh! I guess you wouldn’t know,” she chuckled, “So you see, me and Apollo both have Greek names, right?”

“Yeah…” What was her name again?

“And my mom is single and his dad is single, or was at the time, so I theorized that we were siblings separated at birth.”

Trucy stared at her blankly. “You guys don’t look anything alike, though.”

“Well, no, obviously because we’re not related, but…” she held a finger up. “The theory was true. Just not for me.”

Well, she couldn’t argue with that logic.

And then she got a hard pat to the back. “But hey! I’m glad it worked out for you!”

She was strong. Trucy always did like strong girls. “Thanks!” she grinned, leaning closer. “What was your name again?”

The look she got for that was priceless.

~~~~~~~~

The mess hall was the only time all the campers came together. Atleast the ones in his age group. So he was only partially prepared for a whirl of orange to practically tackle him to the ground.

“Apollo, oh my gosh! I missed you last year and I thought you got banned and were never coming back!”

“Athena,” he wheezed, “You’re choking me.”

“Oops.” She let go of him quickly. “Sorry.”

He set his tray down on a free table. “So you’re in the same cabin as Trucy this time?”

“Yep!” She slid in the chair next to Junie, grabbing her hand and squeezing. “She told me all about your crazy family!”

‘Crazy’ was an understatement. They were utterly mad.

With just the three of them, and Trucy chatting it up from a distance, it really felt like old times.

“So where do you live now?” Athena asked, “Are you still in Germany?”

He shook his head. “No, me and my father moved in with Trucy and my other father last summer.”

Athena gave him a sympathetic look and said in broken German, “it was adjustment?”

He nodded. “Only a little.”

He was curious why she couldn’t say that in English, but at the awestruck look Junie was giving both of them, he figured she was just showing off.

“Well, atleast Trucy won’t try to dump a bucket on your head this time,” Junie said quietly.

He certainly hoped not.

Maybe he could finally have the full camp experience he wanted from the beginning.

~~~~~~~

It had been a bit of a rough sleep for Trucy that night, as it usually was anytime she was in an unfamiliar place. Though atleast she didn’t have nightmares anymore. Those seemed to have stopped a while ago. She wondered if it was because Papa was there now.

In an echo of last time, she heeled her sneakers on and snuck down to the nearby lounge for some coffee. Daddy didn’t like her drinking coffee unless it was decaf, and Papa swore by tea, but they weren’t here and what they didn’t know didn’t kill them.

As expected, the place was a ghost town. Just how she liked it this early.

She sipped her coffee gingerly, remaining blissfully uninterrupted this time, and then jolted a little when the trumpets went off. Well, that was her cue to disappear.

She quickly changed into her t-shirt and shorts, tying her hair back, which was getting long again. She wondered if she should cut it. She’d gotten spoiled from it being short for so long. But now it was almost halfway down her back and starting to be a nuisance.

The first day for her cabin didn’t officially have anything scheduled, so when she heard familiar sounds of a cheering crowd and the clink of metal, she wandered towards it.

She shouldered her way closer to the front, her height making it hard to see, and smiled when she saw the fencing match, the familiar dodge and jab. Oh, she’d missed that. Maybe she could incorporate more sword fights into her magic shows. Though she was sure Papa would have a heart attack.

She heard the cheers and then Counselor Lotta, still with the same full afro and the southern accent, “And the winner again is Apollo Justice. Our undefeated champ so far! Any of y’all brave enough to challenge them?”

She grinned. She raised her hand, shouting out, “I’ll take a whack at it!”

“Wha’?” Lotta looked around, “Who said that?”

Trucy kept her hand up and watched as the crowd let her go to the front, still grinning as Apollo’s face came into view.

Lotta squinted at her. “Now why does this seem familiar?” Then she shrugged. “Whatever. Put your gear on and git ready to face off.”

It was as she was putting her helmet on that Apollo asked smugly, “Are you ready to lose again, Wright?”

She smirked, even though they couldn’t see it and held up her sword. “I’m gonna win, Justice.  And I’ll do it without pushing you in a basin.”

Apollo got in position. “We’ll see about that.”

“On yer marks!” Lotta called, and then she put her arm down with a whistle.

And Trucy swung.

[i-am-a-bad-influence-writes]

She is forever - Part 2

Series Masterlist - Stucky Masterlist - Full Masterlist

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OC, Bucky Barnes x OC (Ophelia Wright)

Summary: When Steve and Bucky went to the army there was a girl they went to school with who wasn’t allowed to go. She was left alone and never thought about again, until Steve sees a carbon copy of her on the streets outside Stark tower and she seems to know them just a little too well to be a stranger.

Word count: 2138

‘You’re going to get hurt if you keep thinking like that.‘ ‘I know, but sometimes the world is prettier in my head.‘

Anything is prettier than the world inside Bucky’s head. He knows it, Steve knows it, everyone knows it. With the amount of times Bucky has woken up screaming and skipping his rest it’s a miracle he’s even alive. Which is why Steve is a bit surprised when he doesn’t get woken up by Bucky’s screaming throughout the night. He had woken up at 3am out of habit, but when he checked Bucky’s room he was peacefully sleeping. It had scared him for a second because, at this point, Steve is convinced Bucky can only lay like that when he’s dead. But no. The man wasn’t even curled up like he always was. It stressed Steve out knowing it might’ve been because Bucky was starting to make a wrong narrative about Ophelia in his head. Back in the day, she was the one who would lay with Bucky when he couldn’t sleep. He had written how he missed her to Steve, that he had such a horrible time falling asleep ever since. But now he was suddenly sleeping soundly for a whole damn week. Steve just hopes it is because it give Bucky peace of mind to know where Ophelia ended up, but he knows that isn’t the case.

Ophelia slept horrible throughout the week. The years after Bucky went to war were terrible, but she thought she had gotten over the loss of touch. No, meeting Bucky again sparked the need to be touched and made it way worse than it had ever been. Normally, she could get by with a weighted blanket for pressure and a teddy bear for touch, but last night it hadn’t worked. She felt terrible, but she won’t show it. After all, she doesn’t have shit to do. Working on a new project, yes, but that’s all in her own time. Art isn’t something that just go, go, goes. ‘Good morning miss Wright,‘ the girl at the front desk, Naomi, greets Ophelia as she walks in, ‘mister Stark called. He is having a party this Friday and was wondering if he could rent some of your art to display.‘ ‘Oh, always,‘ Ophelia answers with a smile, ‘I’ll give him a call. Thank you so much Naomi. Anything else?‘ ‘Yes, mister Rogers stopped by and dropped this off for you,‘ she says and hands Ophelia an envelope. ‘Is that it?‘ Naomi nods. ‘Good, I’ll be in the studio. Call me if I’m needed.‘ ‘Yes ma’am.‘ ‘Oh, and I know you have that thing tonight, so I want you to let me know when it’s 5pm so I can take over for you.‘ ‘Oh, you don’t have to.‘ ‘Yes I do,‘ Ophelia says with a smile, ‘you do so much for me, I can do something for you every once in a while.‘ She walks through the gallery, checking if all the paintings are still in place and straight except for the ones who aren’t supposed to hang straight. Satisfied, she walks into a back door and up a staircase to the studio above the gallery. It has marvelous natural light and a beautiful view on the streets. But no time to marvel over the view. Ophelia has an envelope to open and someone to call. She opens the envelope and is faced with pictures of her that she knew existed, but had never seen herself because both Bucky and Steve had teased her with the candid pictures. With the pictures is a note.

“Dear Ophelia,

Bucky and I wanted to thank you for digging through your pictures and bringing these memories back to us. We’ve enjoyed talking about them and reliving the past. See these pictures as our part of a non negotiated exchange. Because your grandmother never wanted to be in pictures Bucky and I took it upon ourselves to get her in pictures. These are a few of the pictures we have taken of her. We hope you’ll cherish them as much as we do. And I know I’ve said it before, but you do look a lot like your grandmother. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were a clone of her.

Steve.“

Ophelia feels her heart beat. Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. It beats like a bass drum in a heavy metal song. Way too fucking fast. Why does it always feel like they know when they say things like this? Will this last? What has she gotten herself into? To distract herself, she starts thinking about Tony Stark wanting to rent some of her artwork like he does all the time for his parties. It’s something she always enjoys because he doesn’t care what she gives him. For all he cares, she draws a dick on a white canvas and calls it a day, he’ll still hang it. “Stark tower, this is Penny speaking.” ‘Hey Penny, this is Ophelia Wright. I heard Tony called to rent some more artwork?‘ “That is right. I’ll redirect your call to him.“ ‘Thank you very much.‘ “Tony speaking.“ ‘Hi, it’s Ophelia.‘ “Ah, Ophelia. Wonderful. So what’s your answer?“ ‘Of course you can rent art from me. You do have to come over to pick some.‘ “Do I get special treatment?“ Ophelia rolls her eyes. ‘I’ll grab some paintings that haven’t been shown yet. But just because it’s you.‘ “Thank you sweetheart. Oh, Natasha told me you also did a painting for her and she’d like to pick it up?“ ‘Just bring her with you. I’m available until five.‘ “I’ll be over in a few.“ ‘Sure, just tell Naomi to call me over. You know the drill.‘ “I do, but thanks for the refresher.“ ‘No problem. Always happy to help the elderly.‘ “Wow, I feel lightly offended. Let me scrape my pride off the floor and then I’ll be there.“ ‘For sure. Bye.‘ Oh boy, this is going to be fun.

The second Tony puts down the phone he realizes everyone in the common room is staring at him. Which includes Natasha, Bucky, Steve, and Peter who had just come in after some “nerd thing“ as Thor usually called it. ‘Oh, we’re going to pick up the painting,‘ Natasha asks excitedly. Tony gives her a confused look. ‘Yes we are. I’m sorry, why are you so cheery about this?‘ ‘Ophelia wanted to paint something inspired by me,‘ Natasha tells him, ‘I’m curious what it is. I had to pose for a lot of pictures, but I don’t know what it is.‘ Tony nods, but looks no less confused. ‘Can I come too?‘ The group turns to Bucky, who is never one to volunteer to come with. ‘Yeah, sure.‘ ‘I’m coming too,‘ Steve states. ‘Jesus, is this going to be a school trip or something,‘ Tony sighs and looks over at Peter who tries to lower the hand he apparently raised, ‘just come with. It’s fine.‘ Peter nods with a smile. And so the group crosses the street and stand in front of a wide eyed Naomi. She didn’t expect this group to walk in like this. ‘Hi Naomi, I’m here for the art rental,‘ Tony tells her. She nods and starts pressing buttons on her phone. ‘Oh, and maybe tell her that everyone suddenly wanted to come along. Just so she’s prepared.‘ ‘You brought the whole group,‘ a voice says excited. They all turn to Ophelia who comes walking towards them dressed in overalls that have paint stains everywhere and a black sweater that she wears beneath it. ‘Yeah, they all wanted to come along,‘ Tony says with an apologetic look in his face but not in his tone. ‘Of course they did. I’m a great artist,‘ Ophelia jokes, ‘I was going to take Natasha and Tony upstairs to have a look at some things, but now that you’re all here I’d love to take some pictures of all of you to use as references. Most people I hire to take pictures of aren’t- well- they aren’t superheroes.‘ ‘Yeah, sure, I don’t mind,‘ Steve says. ‘Great, great, ehm, who is this kid,‘ Ophelia asks a bit confused as she looks at Peter. ‘Oh, Peter Parker, he interns at the Stark Tower,‘ Tony lies through his teeth. ‘Sure,‘ Ophelia says with a suspicious tone in her voice, ‘let’s go up.‘ Peter looks stressed as can be when they go upstairs. ‘Does she know something? Did I do something?‘ He keeps asking questions in a hushed tone, but Ophelia hears all of it. She’s seen him before multiple times. Sometimes dressed in red, other times dressed in normal clothes. ‘Tony, you should really be a bit more secretive if you want your spider boy to keep his secret,‘ Ophelia whispers to Tony. ‘I knew you’d find out,‘ Tony seems almost proud that she did figure it out, ‘but the kid’s great at keeping a secret. He’ll be fine. Just need to learn a thing or two.‘ She grins and opens the door to the studio for all of them. ‘Please watch your feet, there is paint scattered across the floor. I didn’t exactly had time to clean. If you value your shoes, I do have shoe protectors,‘ she announces to the group. Then she takes Natasha’s hand and pulls her over to a corner. She hands her a slab of wood with her eyes painted on it as the main focus of the face. ‘Wow, that’s beautiful,‘ Natasha awes, ‘I didn’t think you did realistic paintings.‘ ‘I do sometimes.‘ ‘What do I owe you?‘ Ophelia smiles. ‘Nothing. You gave me inspiration, so I give you art.‘ Natasha pulls the girl into a quick hug. ‘Thank you so much Ophelia, I love it.‘ Ophelia smiles and walks over to Tony to show him the new pieces that are ready to go on display after this show. The two look at the pieces for a while, talking about what would fit where, when Ophelia hears a loud gasp. She turns around to see Bucky standing at her rack of private canvasses. ‘Bucky, please step away from those, those aren’t for anyone to see,‘ she snaps at him. He looks up in shock and a realization hits her. ‘Fuck.‘ ‘What is it Bucky?‘ Steve is still oblivious to the whole situation while everyone else is frozen. ‘Steve, I swear to God, if you look at what Barnes found I will tear your head off,‘ she snaps before she can realize it. He stops and stares at her. She rushes over to Bucky and looks at what he saw. It’s a rendition of a picture that is still stuck for it for inspiration. The picture if of Bucky and Steve on that night they went skinny dipping. Ophelia pretends to be relieved, but she can tell that Bucky isn’t buying it. To reduce damage, she flips to a canvas only a few behind it to show him a nude that she had painted with herself as the subject. ‘Sorry, I thought you saw that one. I was working on painting some pictures my grandma left,‘ she tells him as explanation and tries to smile, but Bucky is still unsure about her excuse. Though he did feel a bit invasive when she showed the naked painting. ‘We’re good. I’m sorry for yelling,‘ Ophelia apologizes to everyone and tries to go on her merry way, but Bucky grabs her wrist with his metal arm. The metal makes her shiver and it is only now that she sees it. He watches the change in her face as she looks at his arm and back at him. She looks pained seeing what happened to him. Before either of them can say anything, Steve steps in being the peacemaker that he is. ‘Bucky, let go of her.‘ But Bucky doesn’t listen. ‘Talk.‘ ‘No.‘ He squeezes. She winces. ‘Bucky!‘ ‘Talk.‘ His eyes turn dark as he hears Ophelia’s breathing become louder at the pain in her wrist. ‘What the hell are you doing Bucky,‘ Tony tries to step closer, but Bucky shoots him a look that could only mean danger, so he steps back. Bucky meets Ophelia’s eyes again. ‘Last chance.‘ The two stare at each other, but he can see that she isn’t going to say a word even if he does break her wrist. The seconds feel like minutes as the air becomes thick with tension. No one dares to move and not even Steve dares to speak. ‘Let go of me.‘ Ophelia speaks slow and clear. Neither of them wants to show defeat and it scares everyone around them. Suddenly, Bucky is hit in the head with a mixing stick for paint. Surprised, he lets go of Ophelia who looks back to see Peter with a terrified look on his face. No one had paid attention to him the whole time they were here. He was near invisible to everyone when Bucky grabbed Ophelia so he was in the perfect place to throw something to throw him off. She nods to him as a thanks and runs over to Tony. ‘Bucky, I think it’s time you leave,‘ Tony speaks loud and clear.  ‘She’s lying to us,‘ he barks at Steve, ‘she isn’t Ophelia’s granddaughter, she IS Ophelia.‘