#expanding in the morning (6 hours from now ^^)

[hatkuu]

trying to sleep rn but imagine the possibilities of a kylar and whitney bodyswap. i will expand further in the morninfg

[readerstories]

When You Touch Me - Wolverine x male reader x Deadpool 10/?

Hello hello! Excited for new chapter, a little more world-building adjacent, hope y'all like! Before I posted this chapter I've also gone back and added some more details (and fixed some grammar/typos whoops), like reader wore gloves a lot of the time, so they wouldn't be able to meet their soulmate(s). (AO3) (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9)

Warnings/tags: male reader, canon-typical violence, enemies to friends to lovers, slow burn

Wordcount: 2569

Summary: You’ve heard many stories about how people met their soulmates. Everyone crazier than the last, ranging from typical meet cutes, meeting with one of them at death's door, in war, meeting at your soulmate's wedding to another, and everything in between and outside of that. You had just never expected to add yours to the crazy list, meeting yours in a fight, only realizing after trying to kill each other for at least half an hour. And you certainly don’t expect to have another.

Yet again, in hindsight, you should have stayed longer. Waited until they were both awake, maybe even slept some more while you waited for them (mostly Wade, since you had apparently woken Logan), and then made more concrete plans. The unplanned movie night and nap had helped, but it still didn’t take it all away, your body still aches as you unlock your apartment door.

Closing it behind you, you lean against the wall for a moment, massaging your head. It feels tender, so you press the heel of your hands over your eyes, groaning. You feel better, but not okay. Part of you wants to go back, to make it even better, but a bigger part of you wants to ignore all this soulmate shit.

So instead of leaving again, you take your shoes off, padding into the kitchen to fix yourself some coffee. It’s getting lighter outside, and it’s technically morning, so you might as well stay up.

While you wait for your coffee machine, you stick your hands in the pockets of your jacket.

There’s a piece of paper in your pocket. 

That definitely wasn’t there before.

Taking it out, it turns out to be a pink post-it note with a phone number and a small chibi drawing of Deadpool holding a gun.

Wade must have slipped it into your pocket while you slept. How deep were you sleeping for him to do that without waking you? You must have been really out of it. Or Wade just has really nimble fingers, a thought you do not let yourself expand on. 

Because, the frustrating thing is, under almost any other circumstance, they would have been your type. Two strong men who are skilled with weapons, and a little insane, you would have gladly taken either or both to bed. But mixing in the soulmate thing? Fuck that.

You crumple up the piece of paper, but throw it into your junk drawer instead of the trash, ignoring the other brief flash pink from Wade’s bandana in there. Your coffee is done, so you take your cup and walk over to the couch, the plan now being to watch some tv before going for a workout.

—---

You last about six hours before you think about the post-it again. In that time you’ve drank three cups of coffee, eaten breakfast, worked out, showered, and started watching some TV.

It’s when you spot a loose thread in your shirt and go to grab a pair of scissors from your junk drawer that you spot the post-it again. You stop, staring at the little piece of pink paper.

You should contact him. Not a call, but text him at least. Start the conversation so you don’t get as bad again. You’ve felt a lot better today, and looked it too, well enough that Dave had told you as much when you ran into him at the gym. (“Hey, look who’s not looking like he’s been chewed on and spit out by some monster! Looking good dude!”)

You spend several minutes crumpling and uncrumpling the little piece of paper, before you’re interrupted by your phone ringing, making you jump. You throw the post-it back into the drawer and slam it shut, grabbing your phone to answer Evelyn.

“Hello.” 

“You busy?”

“Nope.”

“Great, lunch? There’s this new bakery I’ve been dying to try, but Olivia’s busy today even though it’s my day off, so I’m taking you.”

“How dare she. Doesn’t sound like I have much of a choice then.”

“Nope! I’ll text you the address.”

—----

When you turn up at the place, it looks like a cute little spot. Flowers in the windows, and if you didn’t have the address, you could have followed your nose to the place. It smells of freshly baked goods and expensive coffee.

Evelyn arrives less than a minute after you, dragging you inside instantly. You chat about what to get, in the end you get a chicken sandwich, blueberry muffin, and coffee. She gets a green tea, BLT, and a slice of lemon cake.

After getting your orders, you find yourself led to a booth next to a window, where you end up sitting across from her.

“So, what’s up with you?” 

“Not much, why? What about you?”

“Just the usual. But I asked you first.” You furrow your bow as you take a bite of your sandwich, chewing a little before answering around the food in your mouth.

“And I answered.”

“Yeah, but only with ‘not much’.” You squint at her, swallowing and putting your sandwich down.

“What is this really about?” She picks at her sandwich, and takes a deep breath.

“You haven’t been looking real good lately, even avoiding working out with Dave-”

“You told me to avoid it-”

“Not for this long. But now Dave told me you’re better. You still look rough, but better.”

“Thanks.” You snort.

“Are you in some sort of trouble?”

“You’ve stitched me up enough times to know I’m often in trouble.”

“Not like this. Not like lasting trouble.” She looks worried, truly worried, not in the annoyed way she gets when you turn up on her table too soon after you promised her to keep out of anything that would need her help. 

You drag a hand over your face, biting your lip.

“It’s not….. trouble, really. Lasting for sure, but…..”

“Could you be any more non-specific or cryptic?”

“I met someone….”

“Okay…. What does….” She looks down on your gloveless hands, you fight the urge to hide them. “Oh!”

“Yeah.”

“Who? When? Where?”

“Remember the guy who slashed my chest and stomach?” You take a sip of your coffee as Evelyn stares at you with wide eyes.

“The guy you killed? How are you not- How did you not-”

“He got up afterwards. He heals, he’s some kind of mutant.”

“Oh.”

“And while fighting him afterwards, I touched him.”

“Your gloves-”

“Forgot em’.” Evelyn blinks, and after a few seconds, to your surprise, she begins to laugh. It’s quiet, but enough that she needs several tries to take a sip of her tea.

“Figures you met your soulmate when fighting him. Fitting.” She teases. “How did it go?”

“Not well, he ran, and I fucking had to track him down.” She raises an eyebrow, tearing off a piece of her sandwich.

“And how did that go?” She pops the piece in her mouth, chewing while she stares you down, very much letting you know you won’t be spared her full and undivided attention until you answer. She grabs her tea cup next, keeping eye contact.

“Considering my second soulmate tried to slice me too, not great.” She chokes on her tea, wiping her chin with her sleeve, mind too preoccupied by gaping at you to grab some napkins.

“Second?!?” You grimace.

“Yeah.” This time when she laughs, it’s a full on cackle. You feel your face heat up as she’s far from quiet. She draws the attention of quite a few other patrons, but quiets down after you kick her under the table.

“So the universe does have a sense of humor after all.”

“I don’t think it does, I just think it likes to be annoying.”

“Of course you do. But you gotta admit there’s some sort of irony in not wanting soulmates in any form, and then you get two. Do you know if it’s just strictly platonic or not?” You don’t want to answer, already so done with talking about it, but you remind yourself she’s your friend, she’s asking because she cares.

“It’s not.” You leave it at that, she gives a little smirk, though it quickly transforms into a frown.

“But you’ve been looking and feeling like shit for a while. Which…..” She sits up, leaning on her elbows on the table, staring you down. You feel like you’re in the principal’s office after pulling a prank that’s gone too far. “Have you been avoiding them?” She fucking knows you, so of course it’s an easy guess to make. You grind your teeth, but nod. In return you get your full legal name, which is never good.

“You know you should fucking take care of yourself, even if it means doing shit you don’t want.” She doesn’t grab your shoulders and shake you, but you assume she’s not far from doing it. “Are they not your type?”

“Um, well yes, but-”

“Then no buts, they are made for you, and you for them.”

“I’m not made for anyone, I don’t want the universe to decide for me.”

“Or are you just afraid of being seen?”

“I thought you were my friend, not my therapist.”

“I don’t need to be your therapist to know you.” She jokes, her smile slipping into something more fond as she looks at you picking at your nails. “I’m just your friend, and I just want what's best for you.”

“How do you, or the ‘universe’-” Here you do air quotes with a grimace. “-for that matter, know what's good for me?”

“Do you?” Annoyingly she is right. “But you looked like less shit yesterday, even worked out.”

“How did-” You cut yourself off and cross your arms, hiding your bare hands from her view. “Dave, of course.”

“He was worried about you, as we all were. But back to it, you looked less like shit. Which means….” She gestures at you. “You did go see them.”  You look out the window, watching people pass for a few seconds. You wish you were out there, in the throng of people, not talking about something you don’t want to even think about over the minimal needed amount.

“Well, I reached my limit. Felt like someone had thrown me in a cement mixer with rocks, and then tried to cave my skull in, so I went back to their place.” She sips on her tea as you look back at her.

“And…?” She prompts as you keep quiet.

“Not much. They ate, we all watched a Barbie movie which I fell asleep during, then I left.”

“Left or ran like a dog with his tail between his legs?” Oh, how wonderful it is to have friends that know you.

“Something like that.” 

“Did you even plan anything for the future? It clearly didn’t fully stop you feeling and looking like shit-” She gestures to you, you roll your eyes.

“Thanks.”

“How are you even going to contact them again? Just turn up and hope they’re home?”

“We didn’t plan for much, but I did get Wade’s number.”

“So call him and set up a date.”

“Don’t call it that.”

“Meeting then.” She rolls her eyes. “You need to, literally.” You rub your face, pinching your nose.

“I know, believe me, I am very much aware.” You glance up at her, and her gaze softens. She puts her hand out on the table, palm up, you put one of yours in hers. She turns it over, grasping it with both hands, massaging your palm with her thumbs.

“I’m happy for you though.” You don’t voice your disagreement on that, you know she means well even though you’re sure she knows your response without you needing to say it out loud. “Promise you’ll call?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Or else I would have banned you from dinners for three months.” You gasp over-dramatically.

“You bitch!” You take the offering of being able to dissipate the heavy talk, switching to wax poetically about her wife’s cooking instead.

—----

Several hours and a lot of chatting later, you’re home again. 

Your junk drawer still holds the post-it note, the pink paper being easy to spot on top of all sorts of bits and bobs.

You grab it, unfolding it again. Taking a deep breath, you pull out your phone. You decide to just start with a simple ‘Hi’ signed with your name.

Then stare at your phone for ten seconds as it almost instantly starts ringing, Wade’s number shining up at you.

“Fucking hell.” You mutter to yourself. “Hi.” Is what you start with as you answer it.

“Fucking finally, was starting to feel like a prom queen stood up during homecoming, I even wore my good panties!” You have to hold the phone away from your ear, as along with Wade’s words, there’s wind blowing into the speaker, crackling.

“Where the fuck are you?” You put the phone closer, luckily having just a minimal amount of trouble hearing him over the wind.

“Ohhhh, are we doing the fun thing of you picturing me somewhere sexy? I am so down for phone s-”

“No Wade, the audio is just awful.”

“Oh, that’s what happens when you answer a phone while riding a bike.” You rub your forehead, feeling a headache forming as you close your junk drawer.

“Is your handsfree that shitty or are you just holding it normally?”

“Nothing I do is normal, pookie, but don’t worry, Logan is the one driving. Say hello Wolvie.” You don’t hear anything except more wind. “He just told me to fuck off for holding my phone in front of his face, don’t think the phone picked up his sexy rumble.”

“It didn’t pick up shit except wind.” You lean your elbows on the kitchen counter, hearing Wade fumble with the phone.

“Logan, stop for a sec! Yes I know we are- Come on! I’ll blow you for being nice later.” Again you don’t hear if Logan responds, but the wind dies down, and now you can hear a bike rumbling, even more clearly as you’re put on speaker phone.

“There we go! Now you can hear both of our sexy voices!”

“You could have just waited, or just texted.” 

“Texting and driving is dangerous!” 

“Didn’t you just say you weren’t driving? And didn’t you have to have an arm free to answer your phone?” You move away from leaning on the kitchen counter, heading towards the couch instead.

“Yes, but texting would have needed both hands loose, I’m a double thumb texter I’ll have you know, and the fabric of the suit is a bitch to get out road rashed skin.” You hear Logan snort, and then a smack. “Anywho, you reached out. Finally missing us?” Your body certainly is, you wince as you sit down on your couch.

“Not in the slightest, but since we’re kind of stuck together, I thought we should at least set up a specific meeting time instead of a vague plan of once a week.”

“I know you said you would see Logan in a week-,” You’re not sure if you are imagining the brief sour tone in Wade’s voice. “-but what about tomorrow at 5 pm? At our place.” Wade offers before Logan speaks up for the first time, his gruff voice almost vibrating through the phone speaker.

“We got dinner with Peter tomorrow.”

“Oh yeah! Hmmmmm, day after, noon, our place?” Logan doesn’t object at the time, so you agree. 

“Sure.” You don’t know what to say next, but are saved by hearing something nearing in the background. It takes a beat for you to realise what it is.

“Are those sirens?” 

“Whoops yeah, that would be our sign to get going.” You hear the rev of the bike’s engine, then the wind starts back up. “Kisses and smooches, pookie, don’t be late!” Wade hangs up, leaving you staring out into space.

What has the universe gotten you into?

[kikis-writing-service]

Spicy Curry (Bakugou Katsuki x F!Reader) Chapter 8

Summary: Pro-hero DynaMight hides his developing hearing loss from the public. He doesn’t want them or the villains to know about what he considers his only weakness. His family knows. His best friends know. And now you, the owner of his favorite little curry shop, know. You want to live a quiet life & to protect your son. The last thing you want is to draw attention to yourself. You hide your identity, you hide your scars, and you hide your quirk. And then Bakugou, Katsuki walks in one day with dried blood on his ears, and you can’t help but help him.

🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Parts:  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  | 8 | ? ? ?

🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Content Warning: This fic will contain mentions of past abuse from a “partner”, including sexual assault. It will also contain depictions of ableism, both from external sources and internalized ableism.

This chapter contains explicit depictions of ableism.

The burn in Katsuki's muscles felt good as he lowered the weights back onto the rack with a satisfying clank. Sweat beaded along his brow, trickling down his temples as he grabbed his towel from the nearby bench. The gym was busy with the usual morning crowd—fitness enthusiasts and fellow heroes getting their workouts in before the day truly began—but the familiar cotton-wool silence that accompanied his world without his hearing aids created a peaceful bubble around him.

Two weeks ago, this silence would have felt unbearable. Now, there was something almost meditative about it. 

The days had settled into an easy rhythm—morning workouts to stay sharp, afternoons at the curry shop where lunch flowed into training with Kouichi, and evenings filled with homework, quiet conversation, and the hush of your little apartment after Kouichi went to bed. It had all fallen into place so effortlessly, like water winding its way home. The routine had formed so naturally he hadn't noticed it solidifying until it was already established, like water finding its path of least resistance.

As he wiped sweat from his face, Katsuki caught his reflection in the mirror. The person staring back at him looked different somehow—still fierce and determined, but the permanent tension around his eyes had softened. He'd been sleeping better, the constant anxiety about his career taking a backseat to more immediate concerns: helping Kouichi master control over his quirk, deciphering kindergarten schoolwork assignments, learning new signs to expand his vocabulary with you both.

He checked the time on his watch—still an hour before he'd need to head to the shop for lunch. His stomach growled at the thought of what might be waiting. You'd been experimenting with a new spice blend that actually delivered the level of heat he demanded, not the watered-down version most places tried to pass off as "extra spicy." 

In the locker room, Katsuki peeled off his sweat-soaked tank top and reached for his phone to check messages before showering. The screen lit up with an unusual flurry of notifications—missed calls from his agency, his publicist, even his mother, along with dozens of text messages and news alerts. His morning's peace vanished as he stared at the screen.

Frowning, he thumbed through the transcribed voicemails first, scanning his agency's messages: "Bakugou, urgent PR situation. Call back immediately." Similar messages from his publicist followed, each more frantic than the last. His mother had called twice, unusual enough to set alarm bells ringing.

He opened a news alert that made his blood run cold:

"EXCLUSIVE: Pro Hero DynaMight's Secret Disability—Is He Still Fit for Duty?"

The headline was accompanied by a photo of him at that café with Mina, the new hearing aids clearly visible. He remembered the waitress who had served them, how her eyes had lingered a bit too long on his ears, the overly helpful way she'd spoken to him. Fucking vultures.

Whatever shitstorm had just hit clearly required his full attention. With reluctance, he reached into his gym bag for his hearing aids. He normally kept them out during workouts, preferring the focus that came with the quiet, but he'd need them to make calls. The moment the devices settled into place, the world roared back with painful clarity—the clanging of weights, multiple conversations echoing off the tiled walls, the whir of treadmills, music blaring from the speakers overhead. The sudden sensory overload made his head throb as he dialed his agency back.

"Finally," his agency rep sighed. "Have you seen the news?"

"Just the headline."

"It's bad. That waitress from your lunch with Ashido sold her story to three different tabloids. They're running with angles about public safety concerns, questioning whether your hearing loss affects your ability to respond to crises." The rep's voice was clipped, professional, but Katsuki could hear the underlying tension. "Since the public didn't know about your condition, instead of us controlling the narrative, we're now playing defense."

Katsuki's free hand curled into a fist, sparks dancing between his fingers before he forced himself to relax. Blowing up the locker room wouldn't solve anything.

"We need you to come in. There's talk about issuing a statement, possibly scheduling interviews with hero-friendly media to get ahead of this—"

"I'm on medical leave," Katsuki cut in, his voice sharper than intended. "Doctor's orders."

"This is a PR emergency, Bakugou. Your reputation—"

"My reputation," he snarled, "is built on fucking results, not press conferences."

A heavy sigh crackled through the phone. "This isn't going away. People are already speculating about whether you've been compromised on missions, whether civilians were at risk because of your... disability. Some are calling it a liability."

The words landed like blows. Disability. Liability. Like he was broken, defective, dangerous. The comfortable acceptance he'd been building these past weeks with you and Kouichi suddenly felt distant, replaced by the familiar hot shame that had dogged him since his diagnosis.

"I'll call back," he muttered, ending the call before the rep could protest.

He'd barely set the phone down when it vibrated again—his mother this time. Taking a deep breath, he answered.

"Finally! I've been calling you for an hour!" His mother's voice was sharp with worry rather than anger. "Have you seen it yet? The news?"

"Yeah, just found out," he replied, the weight of the situation evident in his voice. "Agency's already breathing down my neck."

"Those vultures," she spat, protective rage filling her words. "Some waitress with a camera phone thinks she can judge whether my boy can be a hero or not? The nerve of these people."

"Those vultures," she spat, protective rage filling her words. "Some waitress with a camera phone thinks she can judge whether my boy can be a hero or not? The nerve of these people."

Despite their typically explosive interactions, his mother had always been his fiercest defender. Something in that protective rage sparked a memory of your eyes—the way they had sharpened when a stranger had gotten too close to Kouichi, that quiet intensity when you'd checked him for injuries after training. Different in almost every way, but that same unwavering resolve when it came to protecting what mattered. 

"How bad is it getting?" he asked, his voice strained with tension he couldn't quite hide.

"A hero commission rep called me for comment, can you believe that shit? Asked if there was a 'history of disability' in our family, like you've caught some fucking disease." The protective rage in her voice was so familiar it almost made him smile despite everything. She'd always been like this—all fire and sharp edges when anyone threatened her son, even when that same fire was directed at him minutes later.

"What did you tell them?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"To go fuck themselves, obviously. More politely than that, but the message was clear." A heavy sigh came through the line. "Your father's worried sick too. He's been pacing the living room all morning watching those damn news segments."

His father, always the quieter counterbalance to his mother's explosive nature, rarely showed stress so visibly. The image of him wearing down their carpet with worried steps unsettled Katsuki in a way he couldn't explain.

"How bad is it?" Katsuki asked, bracing himself.

"It's all over the hero channels. They're bringing in so-called 'experts' to debate whether someone with hearing loss can effectively respond to crisis situations." Her voice tightened with barely contained fury. "As if you haven't been saving lives for years. As if you haven't already proven yourself a thousand times over." She paused, and when she spoke again, her voice had that rare gentle quality that only emerged in their most serious moments. "Katsuki, you know this doesn't change who you are. Not to us, not to anyone who matters."

The unexpected softness hit harder than her usual shouting ever could. It was the same tone she'd used when he'd come home after his first real defeat at UA, when they'd thought he might not recover from the villain attack during his internship, when the nightmares from being kidnapped had left him raw and shaking.

"I know," he managed, his throat tight.

"But," she continued, steel returning to her voice, "you need to get ahead of this. Your father's already seen three different news segments speculating about whether you should retire."

Retire. At twenty-three. The word landed like a physical blow, making his stomach drop.

"They're saying that?" The question came out rougher than he intended.

"Among other things." Her tone softened again, just slightly. "Look, you've never let anyone tell you what you can or can't do. Don't start now. But you need a plan, not just your usual 'blow-everything-up' approach."

Despite everything, a small smirk tugged at his lips. "That approach's worked pretty well so far."

"Not this time." She was dead serious now. "This isn't a villain you can outfight. It's public perception. You need to decide how you want to handle this—on your terms, not theirs."

She was right, and they both knew it. This wasn't a battle he could win with explosions or determination alone. It was messier, more insidious.

"I need to see what they're saying first," he said, jaw clenched. "Can you send me the worst of it?"

"Already texting you the links," she replied. He heard the soft click of her nails against her phone screen. "And don't forget dinner on Sunday. Your father wants to see you—make sure you're really okay, not just saying you are."

The dinner invitation was her way of making sure she'd see him again soon, her motherly concern wrapped in the guise of a routine family obligation.

"Yeah, fine. Sunday," he agreed, knowing it was easier than arguing. "I'll be there."

"Good. And Katsuki?" The protective fierceness was back. "Whatever you decide to do, we're behind you. All the way."

"Yeah. Thanks," he said, meaning it.

After ending the call, Katsuki's phone immediately buzzed with the incoming links from his mother. He opened his browser, steeling himself. Each headline was more sensationalized than the last:

"HERO OR HAZARD? DynaMight's Hidden Disability Raises Safety Concerns"

"EXPLOSIVE REVELATION: Top Pro Cannot Hear Emergency Calls"

"SOURCES CLOSE TO DYNAMIGHT: His Career Is Detonating"

Accompanying each headline were candid photos from his lunch with Mina, his hearing aids clearly visible, along with quotes from "anonymous hero industry insiders" questioning whether someone with hearing loss could effectively respond to crisis situations. One particularly vicious article had spliced together footage from his recent missions, highlighting moments where he'd appeared not to hear something immediately, presenting them as evidence of endangering civilians.

Against his better judgment, Katsuki scrolled to the comments section. The digital cesspool of public opinion hit harder than any villain's attack:

"Always knew something was off about him. Too unstable to be trusted anyway."

"My tax money pays his hero salary and he's been HIDING this? Fire him!"

"what if he can't hear someone screaming for help?? my kids love dynamight but this is scary"

"Deaf people shouldn't be heroes, sorry not sorry. Some jobs just require all your senses."

A hashtag was already trending: #DynamightOut with thousands of posts calling for his license to be reviewed. Though there were supportive voices—some disability advocates pushing back, a few loyal fans defending his record—they were drowning in the sea of outrage and fear.

The worst part was seeing comments from parents saying they wouldn't feel safe with him responding to emergencies where their children might be involved. That cut deeper than he wanted to admit. Even people he'd personally saved were questioning everything now, as if his hearing defined his entire worth as a hero.

The shame that washed over him was quickly burned away by rage. He'd poured everything into being a hero—sacrificed his body, his time, his personal life. And now they wanted to reduce him to this? To some broken thing that needed to be discarded?

His phone vibrated again, but this time it wasn't a call—it was a text from you.

"Just perfected that spice blend I've been working on. Think I finally got the heat level you've been demanding. Your taste buds will be the judge."

The normalcy of your message stood in stark contrast to the chaos erupting around him. No mention of the news, no probing questions—just that quiet certainty he'd grown to rely on.

His thumbs hovered over the screen for a moment before he typed: "Better not be lying this time. Last attempt was barely medium."

Your response came almost immediately: "You'll be begging for water, trust me.”

Despite everything, a ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. "We'll see about that."

"It's waiting for you whenever you're ready," you replied, the unspoken understanding in your message more comforting than it should have been.

The casual text exchange felt like a lifeline amid the morning's chaos. He briefly considered canceling to sort through the media mess, but the thought of returning to his empty apartment, surrounded by nothing but headlines and expectations, made his jaw clench.

"Be there at the usual time," he typed, somehow certain that this was exactly what he needed.

Shoving his phone into his pocket, Katsuki headed for the showers. He removed his hearing aids first, placing them carefully in their case. The world immediately muffled around him, the harsh voices of his fellow gym-goers fading to distant, unintelligible mumbles. The familiar cotton-wool silence settled over him like a protective blanket, creating a buffer between him and the morning's chaos.

The shower stall became a sanctuary of sensation without sound. He couldn't hear the water, not really, but he could feel every droplet striking his skin, the pressure against his shoulders, the vibrations traveling through his body as it hit the tile floor. Without competing auditory input, these physical sensations intensified—the steam opening his lungs, the heat loosening muscles he hadn't realized were tense.

The water couldn't wash away the headlines or the implications behind them, but as it beat against his shoulders, Katsuki found himself thinking about you. The steady way you carried yourself through each day. How you never wasted words but each one seemed to matter. Your eyes that saw too much and asked too little.

He'd never been one for getting caught up in other people. Connection meant vulnerability, and vulnerability wasn't something he'd made space for. Yet somehow the thought of your hands working methodically through curry preparations, of your quiet laugh when Kouichi said something unexpectedly wise - these thoughts felt steadying in ways he couldn't fully explain to himself.

As he dried off and dressed, Katsuki's phone buzzed with more media alerts, more concerned messages. The instinct to shut everything out pulled at him - the familiar urge to retreat into isolation until he'd figured out how to fight back. It was what he'd always done when cornered.

His hand hovered over his phone, ready to silence it completely. But instead, he found himself checking the time. He realized you'd be preparing for the lunch rush now. And something about that certainty drew him forward, pulled him away from the spiraling thoughts of his career.

Katsuki pocketed his phone and pulled a cap low over his eyes. 

The curry shop's familiar bell chimed as Katsuki pushed the door open, shoulders rigid beneath his jacket. The baseball cap pulled low over his eyes and mask covering the lower half of his face did little to ease the feeling of exposure that had followed him through the streets. The usual lunch crowd was noticeably thin—just an elderly couple sharing a bowl in the corner and a businessman typing on his laptop while absently spooning curry into his mouth. His eyes immediately darted to the television that typically played hero news in the background, now conspicuously dark.

His body tensed as he made his way to his usual spot at the counter, hyper aware of each step despite his makeshift disguise. The cap's brim shadowed his distinctive red eyes, but he still found himself waiting for whispers or pointed looks. His jaw clenched beneath the mask, teeth grinding as memories of the morning's headlines flashed through his mind. 

To his surprise, the elderly couple barely glanced up, and the businessman remained absorbed in his screen. No one stared. No one whispered behind their hands. 

Before he could settle, a blur of movement caught his eye—Kouichi racing from behind the counter, small face alight with excitement, completely oblivious to the storm brewing around his hero.

"DynaMight!" Kouichi signed, his hands moving with the exuberance only a five-year-old could manage.

The simple, uncomplicated joy in the boy's expression made something in Katsuki's chest loosen, just slightly. There was no pity here, no questioning whether he was still worthy of admiration. Just pure, unfiltered excitement from a kid who saw him exactly as he always had.

"Hey, kid," Katsuki signed.

Kouichi's eyes lit up as he pointed to the counter where a fresh bowl of curry waited, steam rising in a fragrant cloud. "Mom made a special one just for you!"

His gaze followed Kouichi's gesture, finally landing on you. The sight of you standing behind the counter, wiping your hands on your apron, hit him with unexpected force. After the hellish morning he'd endured, you appeared almost radiant in the shop's warm lighting, a sanctuary of calm in the storm that had become his life. Your eyes met his with that quiet understanding that never failed to steady him, and for a brief, unguarded moment, he imagined stepping behind that counter and burying his face in your shoulder, letting your fingers card through his hair while the rest of the world and its headlines melted away. The sudden intensity of that desire sent heat crawling up his neck, forcing him to look away before you noticed. He'd come here seeking escape, but hadn't expected to find himself wanting your comfort with such desperate clarity.

He was surprised when you didn't ask him anything. There were no questions about why he was wearing a disguise or what was wrong. You simply acknowledged his presence with that same steady warmth you always offered.

"I told you it was waiting for you," you signed simply, sliding the steaming bowl toward him with a hint of pride in your movements.

Katsuki pulled the mask down just enough to expose his mouth, the unfamiliar yet enticing scent of the new curry reaching his nose. A more complex aroma than his usual order—deeper notes of chilies layered with something smoky and aromatic that he couldn't quite identify. Something about this new offering in the midst of chaos steadied him. In a world that had suddenly shifted beneath his feet, your continued effort to perfect something just for him meant more than he expected. 

"Better not have been lying this time," he signed, the ghost of a smirk playing at his lips. "Last attempt was barely medium."

Katsuki took his first bite, and the heat hit immediately—not the one-dimensional burn of most "spicy" foods, but layer upon layer of complex heat that built with each bite, exactly the intensity he'd been demanding for weeks. His eyes widened slightly, a hint of genuine surprise breaking through his guarded expression.

"Holy shit," he muttered under his breath, the overwhelming sensation momentarily drowning out everything else—the headlines, the calls, the uncertainty about his future. The physical intensity of the spice grounded him in the present moment when his mind wanted to spiral into worst-case scenarios.

Kouichi, who had been watching Katsuki's reaction with rapt attention, leaned forward with intense curiosity. "Can I try it too?" he signed, looking between you and Katsuki with hopeful eyes.

"No way," Katsuki signed immediately. "It’s way too spicy for you."

"Absolutely not," you signed at the same time, your hands moving in perfect sync with Katsuki's refusal.

Kouichi's lower lip jutted out in an exaggerated pout, his small hands signing dramatically, "Just a tiny bit? Please? I'm brave!"

You exchanged a glance with Katsuki, who shrugged with a smirk that said "your call." The silent communication between you felt natural.

"Fine," you conceded with an exaggerated sigh. "One tiny taste. The smallest spoonful."

Kouichi bounced on his stool as you prepared a sample so small it barely covered the tip of the spoon. His face lit up with triumph as he accepted it. The moment the curry touched his tongue, his expression transformed—eyes widening in shock, then immediately watering as the heat hit him full force. His small hands frantically fanned at his open mouth, eyes pleading for water.

Katsuki's laugh burst out unexpectedly—rough and genuine. The rare sound warmed you from the inside as you quickly slid a glass of milk toward Kouichi. He gulped it desperately, dramatically fanning his tongue, while Katsuki's laughter lingered in the air between you.

"Told you, kid," Katsuki signed, amusement dancing in his eyes. For a brief moment, the weight he'd carried in seemed lighter. "Some things are too hot even for future heroes."

Kouichi, recovering with remarkable speed, signed with determination despite his still-watering eyes, "I'll train to handle spicy food too! Just like quirk training!"

"Good luck with that, kid," Katsuki signed with a smirk, before turning his attention back to the curry. He took another bite. 

"Damn," he muttered, genuinely impressed but trying not to show it too much. "You finally got it right." He gestured at the bowl with his spoon. "Not just hot for the sake of being hot. Actually has depth to it."

The compliment clearly caught you off-guard, a faint flush coloring your cheeks as you nodded in acknowledgment. "Took some experimenting," you signed, your movements betraying a hint of pride. "Worth it though."

Those three simple words – worth it though – struck him with unexpected force. Heat crept up his neck and spread to his ears as he quickly looked down at his curry. Worth the time, worth the effort, worth experimenting again and again just for him. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had considered him worth that kind of dedication, not because he was a hero or because they wanted something from him, but simply because his satisfaction mattered.

For a moment, the rest of the shop seemed to fade away. The simple act of sharing this meal, of having someone create something specifically for him – who thought he was worth the effort – steadied him in a way he hadn't experienced before.

You caught the businessman signaling for his check from the corner of your eye and pulled yourself away from the counter to attend to him. As you processed his payment and thanked him for coming, you couldn't help noticing Katsuki's subtle movements in your peripheral vision—the way his shoulders tensed when his phone vibrated again, how his jaw tightened as he glanced at the screen before quickly pocketing it. 

When you returned with the businessman's change, you caught the flicker of strain in Katsuki's expression before he masked it with his typical scowl. The news coverage must be taking more of a toll than he was letting on. Though he'd said nothing about it, you recognized the signs of someone carrying a heavy burden—you'd worn that same carefully controlled expression countless times yourself.

"You look like you could use a break today," you signed.

Katsuki's brow furrowed slightly. "I'm fine," he signed back, though the tension in his shoulders told a different story. 

"I'm thinking you should skip training today.”

"And waste a training day?" Katsuki's hands moved sharply, though his eyes held a flicker of relief he couldn't quite hide. "What's the point of that?"

"The point," you signed, your movements calm but firm, "is that sometimes stepping away helps more than pushing through." Your eyes met his, knowing and steady, your expression free of the pity or concern he'd grown to hate from others.

Kouichi, who had been following the conversation with increasing interest, suddenly perked up. His eyes widened with excitement as he looked between you both, unable to contain himself any longer.

"Can we go to the park with the ducks?" His hands moved eagerly, bouncing slightly on his toes. When he noticed Katsuki's uncertain expression, he added simply, "I can practice extra tomorrow! Promise!" His small fingers crossed over his heart with childlike sincerity.

Your gaze met Katsuki’s, patient and steady, as Kouichi waited for his answer. There was no expectation in your expression, just quiet understanding—like whatever he chose would be enough. That, more than anything, caught him off guard.

The way you so effortlessly made space for him, like you'd already accounted for the hesitation he hadn’t voiced yet—he wasn’t sure if that unsettled him or if it was just…unfamiliar.

“Sure, why not,” he signed, the words slipping out before he had time to second-guess them.

"Give me fifteen minutes to close up early? Slow day anyway." Katsuki knew that wasn't entirely true, but the gentle lie felt like a gift.

As you handed the elderly couple their complimentary tea, Katsuki watched Kouichi bounce with excitement. He let himself take in the moment—the quiet ease of it, the way no one here looked at him like he was fragile or slipping through their fingers. No pity, no hesitation. Here, he was just Katsuki. And somehow, that was enough.

When you glanced his way again, there was something steady in your gaze, something that said: You're safe here. Whatever's happening, you don't have to face it alone.

Kouichi tugged at his sleeve, impatient to get going, and Katsuki exhaled, some of the tension in his shoulders easing. The world outside would still be there when he returned—questions, speculation, the gnawing uncertainty about what came next. But for now, he had a reason to step away. Not because he was retreating, but simply because he could. Because you were offering something he hadn't realized he needed—permission to exist without proving his worth, room to breathe without explanations, company that asked for nothing except his presence.

You flipped the sign to 'Closed' and locked the door, while Kouichi waited by the entrance, his small backpack already strapped on.

"Duck food?" he signed, eyebrows raised hopefully.

You nodded, patting the container of leftover rice in your bag. "All ready."

Outside, the afternoon sun cast long shadows across the street. Kouichi immediately took the lead, his eager steps carrying him just ahead as you walked beside Katsuki. The baseball cap pulled low over his distinctive ash-blonde hair and the mask covering half his face couldn't diminish his presence, but provided enough anonymity to keep curious eyes at bay.

Every few meters, he glanced around, his crimson eyes scanning for potential recognition. The muscles in his jaw worked beneath the mask, tension evident in the set of his shoulders. You recognized the posture—the same alertness you'd cultivated during your first months after escaping, when every stranger might have been a threat.

"You come to this park often?" Katsuki asked as you turned onto a quieter street.

"At least once a week," you signed back. "They changed the landscaping in the central park—added those fancy stone pathways that look nice in photos but hurt Kouichi's feet when he runs. This one's more natural."

Katsuki snorted. "Fucking city planners. All aesthetics, no function."

The blunt assessment made you smile. After a long day of carefully measuring your words with customers, his honesty was a relief. As if sensing your amusement, his shoulders eased, the crease between his brows softening ever so slightly.

"The food trucks there are better though," you admitted. "The takoyaki stand on Thursdays makes the best sauce I've ever had."

"Takoyaki's overrated," Katsuki signed, expression deadpan. "Greasy balls of dough with tentacle chunks."

You laughed, the sound ringing through the quiet morning, startling a nearby bird into flight. It had been days since you'd laughed like that—unrestrained, unexpected, warm. Katsuki's eyes widened slightly, surprise flickering across his face before something softer settled there. His lips, hidden beneath the mask, twitched.

"Says the man who puts hot sauce on literally everything."

"Not the same thing," he argued. "Heat enhances flavor. Grease just smothers it."

Kouichi darted back to show you a particularly interesting leaf he'd found, then raced ahead again, boundless energy propelling him forward.

"How'd you learn to make curry anyway?" Katsuki asked after a comfortable silence had settled, his hands less rigid now, moving more naturally. "Family recipe?"

You shook your head, weighing how much to share. "Self-taught. Worked at a café during high school, but the owner only served bland, touristy versions of Japanese dishes. Started experimenting at home."

You left out the parts about cheap motels with hotplates, stretching ingredients to last for days, and the long nights spent perfecting recipes when you couldn't sleep for fear of being found. But something in Katsuki's direct gaze made you want to offer more truth than you usually did.

"Carried a notebook everywhere," you added, fingers forming signs you rarely shared. "Wrote down every recipe, every adjustment. It was... grounding. When things got complicated."

Katsuki's gaze lingered on your face, his eyes tracing every detail with an intensity that should have unsettled you, but didn’t.

The park opened before you, less manicured than the central city parks, with areas of wilder growth around its edges. A small lake gleamed in the center, its surface rippling with gentle breezes. A family of ducks paddled near the shoreline, occasionally dipping beneath the surface only to pop up elsewhere.

"Mom, look!" Kouichi signed excitedly, pointing toward a playground set back from the water where two other children played. "Can I go?"

You nodded, and he was off in a flash of movement. The distance was close enough that you could keep an eye on him while giving him the independence he craved.

"He's always moving," Katsuki commented as you settled on a bench overlooking both the lake and playground. His eyes tracked Kouichi's excited dash toward the slide.

"Yeah," you agreed, watching your son with a mix of pride and exhaustion. "Sometimes I wonder where all that energy comes from. By the end of the day, I'm completely drained, but he's still bouncing off the walls."

Katsuki snorted, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "When I was his age, my parents couldn't keep up either. Blew up the neighbor's mailbox with my quirk while they weren't looking." There was unmistakable pride in his voice. "Old hag grounded me for a month."

"Let me guess—that didn't slow you down at all?" you asked, finding yourself genuinely curious about what kind of child had grown into the man beside you.

"Hell no," he said, the corner of his mouth lifting. "Just got better at not getting caught." He shifted on the bench, his body easing into a more relaxed posture. One arm stretched along the backrest behind you—not quite touching, but close enough that warmth radiated between you. He pulled down his mask to take a drink of water, the sharp lines of his face softening in the afternoon light.

"What about you?" he asked, crimson eyes meeting yours with unexpected interest. "What were you like as a kid?"

You hesitated, sifting through memories that felt like they belonged to someone else's life. "I was pretty normal, I guess. Had a group of friends I was always with. We'd spend hours exploring this creek behind our neighborhood, building forts and pretending we were pro heroes." The memory surfaced unexpectedly, warm and bittersweet. "I was always the mastermind, planning our 'missions' down to the last detail."

Katsuki nodded, as if this made perfect sense. "Control freak even back then, huh?"

"Excuse me?" you said with mock offense, though you couldn't suppress your smile. "I prefer 'strategically minded.'"

"Same thing," he replied, but there was something like respect in his tone. "Bet you were good at it too."

The casual confidence in your abilities caught you off guard. It wasn't flattery—Katsuki Bakugou didn't seem the type for empty compliments—but simple acknowledgment, as if your competence was an objective fact rather than an opinion. You weren't used to that kind of straightforward appreciation from anyone.

You found yourself looking away, suddenly aware of the warmth spreading through your chest that had nothing to do with the afternoon sun.

A comfortable silence fell between you as you watched Kouichi introduce himself to the other children.There was something grounding about sitting in the afternoon sun, wrapped in easy conversation, where the words didn’t matter as much as the warmth between them. 

"This park reminds me of one near where I grew up," Katsuki signed suddenly, his crimson eyes scanning the landscape. "Used to spend hours there after school, practicing my quirk where no one would complain about the noise."

You followed his gaze across the open green space. "You had a place to practice freely? That sounds nice."

"Nice?" He snorted. "It was necessary. My quirk wasn't exactly indoor-friendly." His hands paused, a half-smile playing on his lips. "Blew up half my bedroom once when I was eight. The old hag threatened to make me sleep in the yard."

"I can't imagine how your parents managed," you signed, picturing a young Katsuki with his explosive temperament to match his quirk. "Mine had it easy with me. My quirk is subtle—food-based healing isn't exactly destructive."

"You kidding? My parents gave as good as they got," he replied, something like fondness crossing his usually stern features. "Mom's just as explosive as I am—maybe worse. We butted heads constantly. Still do, honestly."

The image of a young Katsuki facing off against an equally fierce mother made you laugh. "Sounds like a lively household."

"That's putting it mildly. Dad somehow manages to keep the peace between us. He's the only person I've ever seen who can handle both of us together."

"They sound close," you signed, a hint of wistfulness in your expression.

"Yeah," he agreed, studying your face. "What about you? What was home like growing up?"

The question caught you off guard—casual for most people, but complicated for you. You chose your words carefully, offering truth without revealing too much. "Quiet, mostly. Parents worked long hours. Dad traveled a lot for business, and mom was always busy with community committees and social events."

"So you were on your own?" he asked.

"I had the house to myself a lot," you admitted, the admission easier than you'd anticipated. "I had friends at school, but not the kind you call when things get tough. We kept things surface-level—homework, movies, that sort of thing."

Katsuki's brows furrowed slightly, his voice lower than before. "That sounds...exhausting."

The words weren’t sharp or dismissive, just an honest observation. Most people would’ve tried to fix it, to fill the space with empty reassurances, but he didn’t. He just let it sit.

"I got used to it," you signed, the admission feeling like peeling back a layer you usually kept firmly in place. "Got good at being self-sufficient. Turns out that's a useful skill later in life."

"But a shitty way to grow up," he countered, his bluntness somehow comforting rather than harsh.

You shrugged, surprised by how easy it felt to share this with him. "It made me vulnerable in ways I didn't understand until later. When someone finally came along and made me feel seen..." You trailed off, having already said more than you intended.

To your relief, he didn't press for details. He was quiet for a moment, his crimson eyes studying you with unexpected perception.

"Yeah," he finally signed. "That kind of thing can screw you over." His jaw tightened briefly before he let out a slow breath. "But it's not your fault for wanting that.”

The simple understanding in his words caught you off guard. There was no judgment or pity in his expression, just recognition.

"What about you? You've always seemed so confident. Did you ever feel... overlooked?"

A humorless smile crossed his face. "Tch. The opposite problem." His hands moved more deliberately now. "My quirk showed up early and it was powerful from the start. I was always good at everything I tried—sports, academics, you name it."

His hands stilled for a moment, something vulnerable flickering across his face that he quickly masked. "Everyone expected greatness. Teachers, classmates, even my parents in their own way."

"That sounds like a lot of pressure," you observed, watching as something shifted in his expression.

His eyes fixed briefly on a duck skimming across the lake's surface. The slight tightening at the corners of his mouth was the only indication that your words had touched something deeper.

"Yeah," his hands moved after a beat. "The bar was always set impossibly high."

You noticed the way his shoulders tensed almost imperceptibly, how his fingers flexed once before continuing to sign.

"When everyone expects you to be exceptional, being merely good isn't an option." His movements remained controlled, but there was a new precision to them, as if focusing on the technical aspects of signing helped maintain distance from the content. "So I pushed myself harder. Had to be the best because anything less would've been seen as failure."

"And now?" you ventured.

"Now?" he repeated, something vulnerable flickering across his face before his expression settled into thoughtful resignation. "Now I'm stuck figuring out what the hell happens when you spend your whole life crushing every obstacle, then something comes along you can't just blast through." His fingers curled into a fist against his thigh before relaxing deliberately, the motion a silent confession of his struggle.

You let his words settle between you, recognizing the weight they carried. There was something in his honesty that resonated with your own battles—different circumstances but a similar core: adapting when life throws something at you that can't be overcome through sheer force of will.

"Speaking of obstacles," you signed, deciding to shift the conversation to lighter ground, "this food critic came in last month. Guy sent back perfectly good curry because it wasn't 'authentic' enough." You made air quotes to emphasize your disdain.

His attention returned, the shadow receding from his expression. "What'd you do?" Katsuki leaned forward slightly, interest piqued.

"Added more spice to the replacement bowl. Twice what I'd normally use," you signed, a mischievous smile playing at your lips. "Watched him sweat through his designer shirt while insisting it was 'delightful' because he didn't want to admit it was too hot."

"Fucking perfect," Katsuki's eyes lit with approval, crinkles forming at their corners. "Should've recorded it."

His smile—rare and unguarded—lit up his face, softening the sharp angles without dulling the intensity in his eyes. It was disarming, unexpected. Heat rushed to your cheeks as you glanced away, startled by the way your heart stuttered in response.

The afternoon stretched comfortably around you. Kouichi occasionally returned to show off treasures he'd discovered or to grab a quick drink from his water bottle before racing back to his new friends. The simplicity of the moment felt like a shelter—one you suspected Katsuki needed as much as you did.

When Kouichi finally came to scatter rice for the ducks, Katsuki surprised you by joining in, showing him how to toss the grains in a wide arc to reach more birds.

"You're aiming like you've got no control," he told Kouichi, his signs precise and direct. "Think about the target point. Like this." He demonstrated with a practiced flick of his wrist, the rice scattering in a perfect arc that reached the farthest ducks.

Kouichi's face lit up as he mimicked the movement, his accuracy improving immediately. The pride in Kouichi's expression when Katsuki nodded in approval was unmistakable.

As evening approached, shadows lengthened across the grass. To the east, darker clouds gathered on the horizon while the setting sun cast an orange glow across the lake.

"We should start heading back," you signed, gesturing toward the darkening sky. "Looks like rain coming."

Katsuki glanced upward, nodding in agreement. Kouichi groaned in theatrical disappointment but didn't argue, his energy finally beginning to wane.

The first distant rumble of thunder reached you as you passed through the park gates. Though Kouichi couldn't hear it, he must have felt the vibration, because he looked up at the darkening sky with wide eyes. The first few raindrops began to fall as you turned onto your street, fat drops that left dark spots on the pavement.

Katsuki walked beside you, his earlier tension nowhere visible. The weight that had driven him to your shop this morning seemed lighter now, though not gone. You recognized the shift—not healing, exactly, but the temporary respite that comes from stepping away from what hurts.

[babyboywilson]

Biggest congrats on the licensing exam!! I just inished rewatching season six and the amount of absolutely iconic hilson content in that season is unMATCHED so I'd love to hear any fun HCs you have for the period of time when the two of them were living together (I personally am still not over wilson buying house a rock organ when he let the rest of his house be furnished by a decorator?? that's a full-on marriage proposal in my book??)

thank you so much!!! i haven’t actually gotten to season 6 yet (i’m on season 5) but i know so many spoilers for the show and i’ve seen so many tiktoks and reels that have scenes from s6 and oh gOD you are so right the hilson content is truly unHINGED and unMATCHED! (the first time i saw that scene with the rock organ i utterly screamed it was so fucking tender and fond!! truly you’re so so right that really was a full-on marriage proposal because wilson knows house so well!)

for me, my favorite HCs for when they’re living together is them cooking together! the idea that wilson has always been a great cook and that he could teach things to house. house trying to cook and getting wilson to try the food he’s spent hours working. i love the thought of house perched up on the counter in his boxers and an old tshirt as wilson is cooking and wilson steps between house’s legs to offer him a taste of the lasagna he’s cooking. or house leaving work a little earlier then wilson one day and when wilson gets home, there house is already in the kitchen and he’s making wilson’s favorite meal. wilson has had a long day and when he walks in and smells his favorite carbonara, he walks into the kitchen and says “i could kiss you right now” and house turns around and he’s wearing a ‘kiss the cook’ apron and he gives wilson this wicked grin as he says “well? you gonna kiss me or not?” and it’s flirtatious and teasing and so fond.

and at some point they venture into baking together, too. it starts off with a batch of chocolate chip cookies just because house has a craving for them at 2am and wilson sleepily agrees and they make such a mess of the kitchen because they’re both tired and wilson knows it’ll be him cleaning the kitchen in the morning. but when house bites into the cookie and gives wilson one of those genuine smiles as he places a messy kiss on wilson’s cheek that leaves a streak of melty chocolate on wilson’s skin… it’s so worth it. they expand into cakes and pies. they move around the kitchen together as if they’re one. they know exactly what the other needs and hand things to each other and they talk about anything and everything and sometimes house sings dumb songs just to make wilson smile. it’s their favorite time to bond when they’re in the kitchen together

[itsnathateasy]

Armin Week | Day 6 | SFW Prompts | Bunny Armin OR Cadet Corps Shenaningans

word count: 863 warnings: none author’s note: there are a few shenanigans in there, i promise!

@armin-week-2024

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

i couldn’t resist writing some headcanons about cadet!armin and you dating!

cadet!armin DEFINITELY stays up late with you. you casually plan these dates during supper, then pretend to go to bed, only to sneak out a couple of hours later hehe

these dates are mostly reserved for snogging

and you literally always get caught by eren and mikasa who share your not-so-secret plan

cadet!armin is the cutest by always waiting for you to be done with your food and walks with you to the kitchen where you leave your empty plates and glasses

cadet!armin also makes sure you’re together for cleaning and kitchen duties, armin is so meticulous, but you keep distracting him, making up choreos with sasha and putting on the funniest of shows and connie always joins in the dancing

but captain levi is never satisfied with your cleaning, and even less with your terrible dance moves someone pls write a hc where levi joins in a broomstick and mop/bucket dance off to sum up, your cleaning duties tend to last quite longer than they should

cadet!armin isn’t the best at hand to hand combat but the fact that you practice together all the time has helped him greatly improve and has also filled his head with nasty thoughts

cadet!armin is very protective over you and gets kinda possessive (in a cute way) when you’re not allowed to pair up for tasks because why should you be allowed to gather apples with jean just the two of you when he’s stuck with mikasa?

and no, secretly saving him a few apples to snack on when you’re sneaking out didn’t really help, but no apples were left and armin was much calmer and confident about you hanging out with the other guys from then on

cadet!armin makes sure you study together, teaching each other the material you find most difficult to understand. you even expand those study dates to invite the rest of the group, which you both regret because no studying was done BUT you both find great joy in spending time with your friends, these study dates somehow make your alone time feel even more special

also, cadet!armin used to tutor eren and connie when they needed help, but he found out they only asked for help so that they could secretly plot their pranks and needed armin’s intel

cadet!armin takes AGES to properly confess to you and ask you out even though you two have been practically an item for who knows how long

“armin, we’ve been dating for months, what are you talking about?”

“i mean uh, we’ve never really- i mean it’s official now! we never properly discussed are relationship status before”

“have you been seeing anyone else besides me?”

armin is now PROFUSELY blushing and stutters at your remark “YOU KNOW THIS ISN’T WHAT I MEANT, I LOVE YOU”

“he has been seeing eren behind your back y/n”, a comment from jean which only earned him a glare from you and a punch from eren

“this was unnecessary” armin says to eren

“punching jean is never unnecessary armin, trust me” he said and rubbed his fist against his palm

cadet!armin is the one to pour you your tea in the mornings while you and the other cadets are still having breakfast, only to mess up and spill it all on you, him and whoever is sitting beside you because you kept talking to him and looking at him with those eyes “and this is how you waste an entire kettle of fine black tea cadets” a snear remark from captain levi

levi didn’t even bother putting armin, sasha and you on cleaning duty again, he knows this battle is long lost

cadet!armin pretends to have such a hard time getting his odm straps on once in a while, so he can come to you for help, only to see you tying all these straps and knots and have you touch him, he’s cunning like that

cadet!armin was often scared because he wasn’t as strong and skilled as his classmates, but he was never afraid to admit his fear or back down, he was particularly afraid the first time you tried your odm gear and he practically smashed himself flat on the wall, the incident was a running joke in your year

connie would always make fun of the incident and he even tried to imitate armin’s face when they took him down, “it’s not even funny anymore connie, just drop it” eren would step up for his friend

“yeah, remember that time captain caught you trying to cook when the fire was out? THAT was funny” said jean and pulled armin closer with one arm, ruffling his hair

“th- thanks jean. was my face really that funny?”

“yes, it was, but it’s been 6 months, connie should entertain himself with a new joke”

the blush on armin’s face was beyond words

“maybe we’d all be funnier if we were foods, right?” sasha asked, looking at you, then at mikasa

“drop it potato girl” reiner exclaimed in a pissed off way

“NOW THIS JOKE IS EVEN OLDER THAN ARMIN’S!” sasha screamed as she started chasing reiner around

[keysorsomething]

Before the Sun Rises / Caught

1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7

The double feature chapters I wrote :) Just wanna say thanks to everyone who's supported these fics, it makes me very happy to see all the likes and reblogs !!

Cross-posted on ao3

Before the Sun Rises

You awake the next morning with no pressure on your chest and nothing in your arms. Still half-asleep, you look around the room. You’re disoriented, like when you take a three-hour nap in the middle of a weekday and wake up covered in sweat and unaware of the concept of time. One thing you catch is that the room is still dark, but you would guess that it’s always dark in here. You haven’t seen a window, after all. You start to rub the sleep from your eyes, fighting a yawn as you try to find the man who seems to have disappeared into the night. Melting into the darkness, as he had each time before.

“Nikto?” You ask, sitting up. Or at least you try, before strong hands meet your shoulders and shove you back into the pillow. You spot his blue eyes staring down at you almost ridiculing, clearly not pleased with your attempt to get out of bed. It’s almost startling, the speed and force with which you’re slammed back, not the hardest you had been slammed into something, but it was sure lacking any form of gentle grace you would expect from the motion. In this context at least. But you’re too tired to really think about the strength in him like you had before or to think about how he had seemingly teleported into your sight and personal space with no sign of where he was prior.

“Stay,” Nikto’s voice growls out. You look up at him, confused and groggy. He lowers himself back on the bed, and then back onto your chest. “I was not done,” He huffs, taking the sleeve of your shirt between two fingers. He pulls on the fabric, turning it over in his hand. His eyes narrow at it, as if your sleeve had offended him.

“Okay,” You mumble, letting your eyes fall back shut. You spend a while like that, enjoying it. Laying on your back with him on your chest, feeling the gentle pull of his hand as he busies himself with your shirt sleeve. It’s a moment of peace, expanded when he stops pulling at your sleeve - it was actually kind of annoying - and instead, his hand rests on your bicep, unmoving. He lets out a soft sigh, and you assume he closed his eyes too. Your breathing synchronizes, as your hand goes back to rubbing his shoulders like you had been doing the night before.

“You will come back tonight,” He states firmly, breaking the shared moment of silence. Your eyes shoot open and your hands pause, unsure how exactly to respond. You did want to come back again. Hell, you wanted to move in with him. You dare to even think you want the world to melt away, for time to be this moment and this moment alone, always and forever, but should you really let him boss you around like that? Should you just agree? Should you agree enthusiastically, with a ‘yes, sir!’? Or do you say no on principle?

“Can you ask nicely?” In a patronizing tone is what comes out of your mouth instead. Like a mom talking to a toddler who just demanded ice cream or something. You don’t have many references for modern-day parenting in the army. Maybe you shouldn’t compare those two things, that was kind of weird. But it wasn’t mansplaining patronizing - and you knew mansplaining, since that was the only thing that came out of Graves’ mouth - it was the other kind. You had no other words for it.

Nikto groans, presumably rolling his eyes, “You will please visit us again tonight,” He corrects, but he doesn’t seem all too happy about it. “пожалуйста?” He breaks out the big guns. How do you deny a masked man who’s speaking in his mother tongue? It may be your biggest weakness.

You sigh, conceding, “Okay. I will,” And he lets out a pleased rumble. A sound you could very much get used to.

“Now go back to sleep,” He huffs grumpily. “пожалуйста..?” You almost listen instantly, but then another thought pops into your head.

“What time is it?” You ask, the thought of being caught once more nagging at the very back of your psyche. He lets out another less-than-pleased huff of a breath at you, this time through his nose. But, hey, is he really blaming you for worrying about both your careers? His head shifts so his eyes meet yours better, and you see a small smudge of eye black left over from him watching it on his right eyelid, hugging the lash line. It almost looks like eyeliner. You also see the curve of his nose. That is skin that is clearly scarred, looking like it would be rough to touch. Healed burns, probably. Chemical burns that stretch over from the right of his face. You aren’t too sure how the mask is doing that, as all of the points where it attaches to the blast plate seem intact, and it’s only a small dip from where it normally sits. You decide not to comment on it, however.

“Early. Four-fifty or so,” He replies firmly. “I would not let you overstay your welcome,” His words are aggressive in phrasing but soft in tone. An odd combo he seems to use often, which you can’t be sure if that is just him or because he isn’t a native English speaker. But, his brows soften too, his hand sliding up but hesitating to make contact with your face or hair. It retreats away. When you look into his eyes, you feel like he wants nothing more than to touch you, and you feel he agrees that this moment is ever so precious. But he doesn’t want to touch you. Perhaps he’s afraid, or perhaps he doesn’t like his face being touched, so he won’t touch yours. The Golden Rule and all that. But you still smile softly down at him, gently rubbing his back. A silent encouragement to do as he pleases, one that is not listened too. After just a beat, you speak again. There’s no point in making the fleeting movement a whole ordeal.

“Well, wake me up when I have,” You tell him, trying to keep your voice low and comforting, the way he likes. He nods in response, eyes staring up at you warily. You both share for a moment the fear of being found out, but you don’t voice it to him. And he does not voice it back.

“Of course,” Nitko mumbles, sliding back into the position he was before your question. You chuckle, wrapping your arms tight around him as he matches the gesture, and lean your head into his. You take a deep breath, letting the whole moment sink into you. The warmth and weight of the man on your chest, the sound of his breathing, the feeling of the cold, hard blast plate against your cheek. It’s all the best thing to ever happen in this place, and you have a feeling it’s the best thing to have ever happened to him.

You sigh, it's nice to share this moment with him. Every moment over the past few days had been precious. You let your head fall back - you had been keeping it up to look at him - but keep your eyes on him as best you can. You still your hand on his back, letting your arm fall limp. He shifts his head slightly on your chest, fully committed to using you as a pillow. The image of him and his peacefully rising chest is wiped away by your eyes falling back shut.

---

Caught

You reawaken to a soft patting of a gloved hand on your cheek. Your eyes open to Nikto just a few inches from his face, his hand gently twapping your cheek to wake you up. You groan, your muscles stretching as best you can under the weight.

“It is time you leave,” He mumbles, but you can see the disappointment in his eyes. “You do not have much time to get back to the barracks before the rest wake up.”

You pout, blinking up at him, “…How come you get a room all to yourself? It’s not fair,” You mumble, closing your eyes. His bed was so much more comfortable than your cot. And it was so much better than sleeping in a room with multiple other people. Just you and him. There’s a moment where you desire much more of this. So much more of this, in a much more domestic manner, but that fantasy is short-lived by a second round of pats on your cheek that don’t relent until your eyes open back up.

“It was a specific request,” Nikto replied, eyes narrowed on you as he tries to keep you from falling back asleep. As always, they are an icy blue that doesn’t match the feeling of having them on you at all. But by now they feel so much cooler than before, like a warm hug or a heated blanket instead of a hot iron. “I told them I would not take the job if they did not accommodate me.”

You nod, rubbing your eyes with a huff. That makes sense, you think. He seems like the guy to do that. Your eye opens now that your hand isn’t over it, and he hasn’t moved. Something a part of you deep inside is grateful for. You don’t know how well you could cope if he was gone just like that. Like how he had appeared earlier. That thought doesn’t last long, none of them do. He was just so much to think about. His eyes are wide, wild as they look down at you. He seems to think that you’re a lot to think about too. Or perhaps you’re assigning that to him, like when people speak for dogs and cats. You’ve been doing that with him a lot more often since that night in the armory. His eyes get a little less wide, and then even less wide. Until his eyes look closed, but you can tell they’re still partly open. God, he has pretty eyelashes.

He then, all at once, presses his still-masked face into yours. The fabric of the mask covering his mouth is rough against your lips. There’s no movement under it, almost as if he’s just smooshing his lips into yours like he isn’t sure how to do it. You feel the cold metal of the blast plate pushing into your forehead like a headache. It almost hurts, but there’s no way it’s enough. Somehow being too much and too little, but not just right. Your hand goes up to cup his cheek, but you don’t get the chance too. You didn’t even get the chance to close your eyes or lean into the kiss. It’s gone all at once, the same way it came. The pressure on your chest where he was laying there, on your forehead where the protruding parts of the metal dug into your skull, the rough fabric almost painfully hot on the skin of your lips, all of it. He pulls away before you can fully process it, before you can take it in for all of its glory. He rolls off of you, laying on the bed next to you facing away, partly curled up. You have to take a moment before you can do anything. You just kissed the Nikto. No, you were just kissed by The Nikto.

“Nikto?” You ask, voice soft and wavering, like if you speak too loud you’ll create a rip in space-time and it will have never happened. He cuts you off before you get any more in.

“Go,” He responds gruffly, and you nod, pulling off the bed. You’re a little stunned, and you do have places to be. You’d be worried that he was upset with you, but you have a feeling he’s just processing it, the same as you. Maybe he’s worried you’re upset with him? You almost feel like you need to cover up, and are subconsciously pulling the covers with you as you try to. You notice when you almost trip, but you catch yourself and throw them back on the bed. You take a deep breath, trying to ground yourself before speaking. And before leaving. You had appearances to keep up once you got back to the barracks and you had the three musketeers riding your dick.

“Okay,” You squeak, backing away. Your voice sounds so much more pathetic than you wanted it too, and you really can’t be having that. “See you tonight,” You say very quickly, hoping he’ll know you aren’t upset with him. You then promptly spin on your heels, and swing the door open. You go to step out of the room when you come face to face with a chest. You look up with a soft curse, only to find judging blue eyes staring back at yours from under a makeshift mask. The eyes are hard, angry. You’re in trouble.

“Oh, good morning, Colonel,” You manage to get out through a panicked breath. His arm is raised, you had interrupted him mid-knock. He lowers it, and it’s easy to tell his scowling down at you, eyes narrowing further. He bends slightly at the waist, and you hear the fabric shift and Nikto starts to speak when the room behind you goes silent. König looks behind you, and then back down at you, inching ever closer.

Then, you hear your voice hissed through teeth, a heavy Austrian accent filling your ears.

[girlactionfigure]

🇮🇱SOME ISRAEL->IRAN ATTACK INFO, ACCIDENTAL EARTHQUAKE - Real time from Israel  

ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

🚨ISRAEL RETALIATORY ATTACK ON IRAN.. The IDF carried out Friday night a retaliatory operation for the ballistic missile barrage about a month ago.  They destroyed factories for the production of missiles, launchers of surface-to-surface missiles and air defense systems.

.. Simultaneous attack against Iran and sites in Damascus, Syria.

.. Sites in capital Tehran and nearby city of Karaj, among others.

.. 20 military targets were struck across Iran in three waves.

.. Iran's Fars news agency says several military bases near Tehran hit.

.. Reports of use of Israeli loitering munitions as well as jet airstrikes.

.. Air defense sirens in Tehran sounded.

.. IDF statement: "The regime in Iran and its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October 7th – on seven fronts – including direct attacks from Iranian soil," the military says.   Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has the right and the duty to respond.  The reprisal strike was completed, and its objectives were achieved.”

.. IDF also targeted Iran’s surface-to-air missile arrays and Iranian aerial capabilities that were intended to restrict Israel's aerial freedom of operation in Iran. Israel now has broader aerial freedom of operation in Iran.

.. Syrian opposition sources reported that Israeli jets attacked radar systems at "Tel al-Kalib" in southeast Suwayda (southern Syria) and the 19th battalion of Syria’s air defense in Homs, central Syria.

.. Dozens of Israeli Air Force aircraft, including fighter jets, refuelers, and spy planes, participated in the strikes some 1,600 kilometers from Israel. The aircraft safely returned to Israel following the “complex” operation.

.. RUSSIA reportedly shared intelligence & warned Iran hours before the Israeli strikes.

.. US officials now believe that Iran will retaliate for the retaliation “in a subdued way.”

.. Iran is making significant efforts to downplay the impact of the Israeli attack in their media.

♦️LEBANON - Israeli fighter jets also struck Hezbollah targets in the Lebanese capital of Beirut overnight, 8 attacks.

♦️LEBANON - IDF captures four truck-mounted rocket launchers, loaded with 160 rockets. Separately, around 130 Hezbollah launchers were struck by the Israeli Air Force in the past week.

♦️GAZA - The IDF says it has expanded the designated "humanitarian zone" in southern Gaza , where the vast majority of the Palestinian population in the Strip currently resides.  The zone is where most humanitarian aid is directed, and where several field hospitals were established. 

♦️GAZA - IDF attacking heavily in the north of the Gaza Strip - the echoes of the explosions can be clearly heard in many areas in the south of the country.

♦️SAMARIA, TULKARM - A Hamas operative planning an "imminent" terror attack was killed by special forces, following a firefight.  He was found with weapons and bomb parts.

▪️ACCIDENTAL EARTHQUAKE.. on Shabbat morning 6:30 AM, the IDF demolished a large underground Hezbollah Radwan invasion force base in southern Lebanon using 400 tons of explosives.  That huge explosion set off earthquake detectors in northern Israel, which set off Home Front Command EARTHQUAKE alarms across the northern 1/3 of Israel - sirens and alert apps going off in over 100 towns and cities.  Oops.

Story and photos of the base: IDF finds huge Hezbollah base primed for invasion https://www.timesofisrael.com/under-a-lebanese-border-village-idf-finds-huge-hezbollah-base-primed-for-invasion/

⭕HEZBOLLAH ROCKET STRIKE KILLS 2, injures 13+ (some critical) in northern Israeli Druze town of Maid al-Krum.

⭕HEZBOLLAH ROCKET STRIKE injures 9 in Nahariya.

⭕DRONE FROM SYRIA intercepted in the Golan on Shabbat.

❗️END OF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME TONIGHT in Israel, at 2:00 AM go back to 1:00 AM.  Computers and phones should auto-adjust.

▪️ON THE IRAN ATTACK - ESCALATION OR NOT?

.. Foreign sources: 

…. Israel destroyed at least 12 special mixers - a critical component in the production of the solid fuel for Iran’s ballistic missiles. 

…. 4 - S-300 Russian advanced anti-aircraft batteries were attacked and disabled. 

…. Secret facility in Parchin where research and development activities related to the nuclear program were carried out in the past was attacked.

.. Videos shared by civilians in Iran show Israeli jets low-flying over areas in Iran, making their presence known.

.. According to Sky News, Iran told Israel that it would not respond to the attack. In Russia, some say that this is a type of "dogburniak", a Russian word that cannot be directly translated and means - a type of secret agreement between enemies who are not interested in uncontrolled escalation and secretly guard communication channels.

.. Prime Minister's Office: The report (above) is false and absurd. Israel did not inform Iran before the attack - not about the time, not about the targets, not about the strength of the attack.

.. Following Israel's attacks on military targets in the Islamic Republic, at 3:40 in the morning, the citizens of Tehran took to the streets and formed long lines at gas stations throughout the city.

.. The Saudi news site "Ilaf" reports that in attacks on Iran, Israel hit a factory for the production of solid fuel used to propel the ballistic missiles. It was also reported that the price of each solid fuel mixer that was in the factory is estimated to be at least 2 million dollars. "About 20 of them were destroyed," it was claimed. Sources familiar with the Iranian missile industry said that it would take at least two years for the plant to return to capacity, and that Israel had significantly disrupted Iran's ability to produce missiles.

.. AFP report: sources in Iran claim that only a radar array was damaged in the Israeli attack.

.. US President Biden responded to the attack in Iran: "I hope this is the end.”

.. German Chancellor Schulz: "My message to Iran is clear - we cannot continue with widespread reactions of escalation, it must end now."

.. The media in Iran: Significantly minimize the Israeli attack on the one hand, on the other hand and in the same breath they claim there will be an unlimited response.

♦️LEBANON - During the last day, the Air Force attacked more than 70 terrorist targets of Hezbollah, some of them directed by the Northern Command, among the targets that were attacked: anti-tank positions, military buildings, ammunition depots, terrorist squads and military headquarters.

⭕SAUDI SHIA TERROR GROUP.. claims to fire a suicide drone at Israel.

🔹Report in Lebanon: American envoy Amos Hochstein is expected to visit Israel tomorrow.

▪️3 HERO SOLDIERS HAVE FALLEN.. in battle in Gaza:

Barak Israel Sagan, 22, from Petah Tikva

Ido Ben Zvi, 21, from Shomrat

Hillel Ovadia, 22, from Jerusalem (we previously reported, but didn’t have age or city)

May their families be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem, and may G-d avenge their blood!

▪️WOMAN DIES RUNNING FOR SHELTER.. elderly woman passes away in Beit HaEmek.  May her memory be a blessing.

▪️CORRECTION - MAJD al-KRUM.. we said Israeli Druze town, we are told it is a majority Israeli Arab town.  13+ injured, 2 killed by a Hezbollah rocket strike - may the dead receive mercy.

[adventuresinpyjamas]

attempting to do shifts of sleep to maximise study time, will keep you updated.

qotd

what are you hoping to achieve by going into your discipline?

I want to pursue academia, and yes I know it's a horrible situation right now, but I am filled with passion for the field and omgggg there's so much

Day 17/28

125

to do

run/walk (more than yesterday if possible?)

see L.O., maybe O.R.?

write paragraph on Daemonologie

write intro & conclusion (the essay needs to be finished for this tho)

Think about a question the essay could reasonably answer bc I have strayed too far from the original.... rip

expand and fix alteration paragraph

"" non price competition paragraph (need to reconsult source for this)

CUT CUT CUT CUT CUT (again) (this will be consistent until the day it's due by the way)

Potentially email to figure out if the wl range is a solid range (3.5-4k) or with the standard +/- 10% (3.2-4.4k??) (much better for me if the latter)

double check R.o.D plan and choose subjects based on that... thinking maybe empires is a good one because I will have a huge semester

DL/ check prereading for Tudors and Rome

Aim for:

bibliography

I feel fantastic right now and woke up at 4:40, about to have a nap. I always feel so much better sleeping in 4hr increments (aside from little naps), I can sleep for 6 and feel like rubbish in the morning, or 4 and feel brilliant. Obviously that's just my REM sleep cycle, and 8 hours is far better than 4 but when I need to grind..... anyway

This is a lot to try to get done but I am hoping! I can do it!

Duo

50/50 xp

1/3 90% or higher

1/5 next lessons

Forest

0/1 tree

0/60 mins bear paw (locked though feasibly i could unlock it bc i have the coins)

0/70 mins any tree

[dadupbuck]

Buddie AUs under 20k part 2

Part 2 to the earlier rec list!

Over the waves (under your spell) by my_hopless_opus

14,9K, rated E

What if in season 6, Bobby and Athena don't cancel their honeymoon trip, but decide to give away their tickets to another couple? Hen & Karen are busy and Chimney & Maddie are still figuring out their stuff, that leaves only Buck and Eddie.

The only condition is that they have to pretend to be a couple during the whole trip.

How hard can that be?

OR

Buddie fake dating fic

(Spoilers: There's only one bed)

Spousal secrets and celebrity crushes by AshwinMeird

9,3K, rated G

Eddie joined the 118 and Hen learned plenty about his husband and son through endless stories, but she knew almost nothing about Buck. Then a movie being filmed not far from the station starts to become very relevant to her life.

Or

Five times Hen was confused about Eddie's husband and One time it all made sense.

You smiled and it was the most beautiful thing that I'd ever seen by wafflesofdoom

13,5K, rated G

Eddie had always loved coffee. From the moment his parents had deemed him old enough to drink it, he’d loved coffee – he loved the smell, the taste, and most of all, he loved the process of making it. So, it was inevitable that'd he'd end up in Los Angeles, and take over Diaz's Café from his grandmother.

He just never imagined he'd meet the love of his life while doing it.

or, a 911-style ode to the classic coffee shop au trope.

He never thinks about me (except when I'm on tv) by heartbeatdiaz

18,1K, rated M

"I have been in love, yes." He says after the most torturous of seconds.

"Would you mind expanding on that?"

Buck hesitates for a few seconds and then Eddie sees the exact moment he decides 'fuck it' as he straightens in his seat.

"There was this guy in high school. He was my best friend."

Wait.

Hold on.

Eddie freezes.

Is Buck— Is Buck talking about him?

or:

In which Eddie finds out years later that his unrequited feelings for his high school best friend were not actually unrequited, Buck is stupidly famous now and they pine.

They get there in the end, they just need to get their timing right.

Inspired by the prompt: “you’re famous and just got asked if you were ever in love this should be good– WAIT WHAT."

All that's left to find (is peace of mind) by agustmoons

8,3K, not rated

A still warm kernel thumps lightly against Buck’s temple and it’s his last straw. “What the fuck is your problem, Han?” He demands, rounding on the paramedic currently tucked away in an armchair, popcorn bowl balanced precariously on his chest and knees.

“Your dumb, grumpy face. What’s got you all wound up, anyways? You look like someone took a shit in your cereal this morning.” Chim says, waving a hand in his direction.

___________

Eddie's deployed and Buck is /handling it/. He's not freaking out, definitely not.

Well, he wasn't. Until his contact with Eddie is cut off and he's left alone, wondering what could have happened.

Taking smoke with my coffee by UisceOneLove

3,9K, Rated G

"Order for Firefighter Diaz!"

Eddie knows that coffee runs have typically been deemed a Probie task. He did plenty of them when Bobby first recruited him to the 118. So, tradition dictates that it's supposed ot be Ravi getting them.

But Eddie gets to have a lot of nice things for himself. The things that make even his worst call days just a smidge better.

If anyone (Hen) is interrogating him for details, it's definitely the coffee he's referring to.

"I'm not in my gear, Buck," Eddie tells the barista when he approaches the counter.

The smile he looks forward to is waiting for him courtesy of the barista that makes even Eddie have to tip his head back a little bit to make eye contact. "Yeah," Buck drawls as he pushes the tray of coffee towards him, "but you're still on duty."

Mr. Buckley's after hours detention by aresaphrodites

11,4K, rated M

It’s not like Eddie Diaz planned on this. Really, there was no scenario in his mind where he would ever be bringing his son’s teacher a freaking goody basket to class; a homemade goody basket, no less. Then again, Christopher has never had a teacher quite like Evan Buckley.

Lucky streak by 2manyboys

8,6k, rated E

A massive tsunami hits the Santa Monica Pier; Eddie has an instant connection with a firefighter from another station.

[reasoningdaily]

Justice Dept. releases Trump special counsel report on Jan. 6 case

If Donald Trump didn’t win the presidential election in November, the Justice Department had ample evidence to convict him at trial of trying to obstruct the 2020 election results, special counsel Jack Smith said in a report released early Tuesday morning.

The Justice Department made the findings public shortly before 1 a.m. — less than an hour after a court order barring their release expired. The report serves as the final public record of a historic Justice Department prosecution that never made it to trial, with the federal government abandoning the case in November after its criminal defendant became the president-elect.

Justice Department regulations prohibit the prosecution of a sitting president, but Smith emphasized in his report that dropping the case does not make the crimes that prosecutors allege that Trump committed any less serious.

“The Department’s view that the Constitution prohibits the continued indictment and prosecution of a President is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Office stands fully behind,” the report reads. “Indeed, but for Mr. Trump’s election and imminent return to the Presidency, the Office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial.”

The lengthy document was released after a week-long legal battle, as Trump attempted to prevent the material from reaching the public before he is sworn in for a second term as president next week.

A federal court has blocked for now the release of a second volume of the report that details Smith’s separate investigation into Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and obstruction of government efforts to retrieve them. Even before that court order, Attorney General Merrick Garland had agreed to keep the volume under wraps while litigation in the case continues.

The election-interference investigation examined Trump’s efforts to question the election results in specific swing states, encourage alternate slates of electors, pressure his vice president not to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory and encourage his supporters to protest what he falsely claimed was a rigged election.

In August 2023, the special counsel secured a grand jury indictment of Trump on four federal charges related to overturning the election results, alleging that he conspired to defraud the country by depriving citizens of having their votes countedand obstructed an official proceeding.

Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges and his lawyers filed appeal after appeal to delay a potential trial. The proceedings were paused for months when the Supreme Court took up Trump’s question of whether a president’s immunity from criminal prosecution extends to the actions alleged in the indictment.

In an explosive ruling, the justices largely sided with Trump, dramatically expanding the scope of presidential immunity. That decision prompted the Justice Department to file a whittled down indictment, stripped of evidence and allegations related to the president’s core constitutional powers, such as his oversight of the Justice Department, but bolstered to argue that other official acts were taken as a private candidate seeking office and therefore not immune from prosecution.

The parties were in the process of litigating what allegations could be included in the indictment when Trump won the November election. That meant the case would be dismissed. But under Justice Department regulations, the special counsel still needed to complete a report. And last week, Smith submitted the report to Garland, who then sent it to Congress and decided to release it to the public.

The report details the pressure campaign Trump allegedly waged in swing states, contacting state lawmakers and leaders and urging them “take action to ignore the vote counts.”

“Significantly, he made election claims only to state legislators and executives who shared his political affiliation and were his political supporters, and only in states that he had lost,” the report says.

Soon after narrowly losing Arizona, for example, Trump and lawyer Rudy Giuliani sought to convince then-Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers to aid them. According to the report -- and Bowers’s previous public statements -- the president and Giuliani “used false fraud claims to try to convince the Speaker to call the state legislature into session and replace Arizona’s legitimate electors with Mr. Trump’s illegitimate ones.”

Bowers asked the men to give him evidence of vast fraud or voting by noncitizens, but the evidence never came — and Bowers refused to go along.

In early January 2021, days before Congress was to certify the election results, the report said, Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and implored him to “find 11,780 votes” -- Biden’s margin of victory in the state. Trump continued to press state and GOP officials, the report said, in Arizona, Michigan and elsewhere.

He “engaged in these efforts even though trusted state and party officials had told him from the outset that there was no evidence of fraud in the election,” the special counsel wrote.

Smith also submitted to Garland the second volume of the report detailing his findings in the classified documents case, which was dismissed by Cannon last summer after she ruled that Smith was unlawfully appointed. The Justice Department is appealing that ruling but has dropped Trump as a party in the case because of his election, keeping his two co-defendants and longtime employees, Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira.

Nauta and De Oliveira joined Trump in fighting the release of the special counsel report, saying they could be unfairly prejudiced if that classified documents portion is made public and the case against them is later resurrected by an appeals court. Cannon scheduled a hearing Friday to hear their concerns and said she would decide the fate of the classified documents volume after that.

Garland has said he does not intend to publicly release that report while there is ongoing litigation against the co-defendants. But he said he wants to transmit the report to select leaders in Congress if they agree to not make it public.

Trump’s attorneys, in aletter to the attorney general that was also released Tuesday by the Justice Department, attacked Smith as an “out-of-control private citizen unconstitutionally posing as a prosecutor” and said his report peddled “false and discredited accusations.”

They urged Garland not to make the report public, saying it would interfere with Trump’s transition – an argument they’ve since unsuccessfully pursued in court.

Smith, in a response to that letter also released Tuesday, noted that despite their bluster, Trump’s attorneys had not raised any specific factual objections to the special counsel’s findings. He called their arguments for suppressing its public release “disingenuous.”

In a separate letter to Garland accompanying his report, Smith balked at repeated assertions by Trump and his allies that politics had tainted the special counsel team’s prosecutorial decisions.

“My Office had one north star: to follow the facts and law wherever they led. Nothing more and nothing less," he wrote. “To all who know me well, the claim from Mr. Trump that my decisions as a prosecutor were influenced or directed by the Biden administration or other political actors is, in a word, laughable.”

This is a developing story. It will be updated with more details from Smith’s report.

[themadmorrigan]

Hookay so - I was tagged not one, not two, but three times by excellent writers for this meme: so thanks to @zenkindoflove, @olenvasynyt, and @sonics-atelier for thinking of me. :)

Because I'm relatively new both to AO3 AND the ACOTAR fandom, I'm including other fandoms and some sneak previews otherwise my numbers look sad lmao.

-----

First line tag game

Rules are: post the first line(s) from the last 10 fics you've updated or posted (or however many fics you have, if less than 10).

Of Swords and Sorrows - ACOTAR, Nesta x Tamlin, Elain x Lucien, Feyre x being a feral little goblin (for now), 9/?? chapters, ~51k words

Wherever Feyre was, it was dark—oppressively so. The kind of suffocating dark that crept into her lungs and pressed on her chest, that sent tendrils of shadow reaching outwards to drag her deeper into the abyss and drown her in its lightless depths. For a moment, she was terrified. With her eyes rendered useless, however, she found her other senses sharpened in compensation.

Sic Semper Tyrannis - ACOTAR, Elain x Lucien, 1/10 Chapters, 6517 words

Elain’s day begins as it always does: with an affirmation. Rain or shine, she blinks into the dim morning light of her bedroom and tells herself, You’re happy. It’s the prelude of a well-rehearsed daily dance, the steps of which she can perform in her sleep - for Elain is a creature of habit, and there is comfort in repetition.

Sympathy for the Devil - ACOTAR, Beron Vanserra, one-shot, 432 words (for now; I plan to expand this into a whole-ass thing)

It's strange to picture Beron Vanserra as a boy, looking around at the ancient wood monolith called The Forest House with wonder and running through the woods chasing after foxes, picking acorns and snacking on wild blackberries that stain his small, pale hands purple.

Untitled Talis!fic - ACOTAR, Tamlin x Alis, one shot but unpublished yet, ~1000 words

With Feyre, love had always been grand gestures: an art room, a pool of starlight, a dazzling proposal. Their relationship had been similarly tempestuous - Cauldron, it had begun with a kidnapping, and only really gone down from there. With Alis? It had started with a knock and a doughnut.

Pride Before the Fall - D&D/Forgotten Realms - Original Character, one shot, 1958 words

The Vizier was a complicated man, as wizards tended to be: he was arrogant and frequently petulant, opportunistic and loyal only until it suited him otherwise.  Scattered among those negative traits, though, were a handful of virtues. The Vizier was efficient and deplored waste, for one. He had a penchant for quick thinking and flexibility in dire situations. And probably most importantly, he was an excellent planner. 

The Backup Plan - D&D/Forgotten Realms - Original characters, longer companion piece to Pride Before the Fall but unpublished still, 4340 words (so far)

While his party slept beneath the figs and reeds of the oasis below, Lone Wolf sat sentry at the top of a nearby stone tower, keeping his eyes trained on the horizon. Not that the Pride of Waterdeep needed a watchman that night, with how isolated they were, not to mention all of the wardings Lorraine had put up on her Magnificent Mansion a few hours before. Lone Wolf had volunteered anyway, though… cliche as it was, he lived up to his name and preferred his own company to others.

What's In a Name? - ACOTAR, Lady of Autumn/Helion Spellcleaver, Lady of Autumn/Beron Vanserra, one-shot but unpublished yet, 866 words (so far)

Dearest Helion, I hope this letter finds you well My darling Helion, By the time you read this To the light of my life and the promise of my future Pomona sighed at the growing pile of discarded drafts at her feet.

City of Gold - D&D/Forgotten Realms/Baldur's Gate II - Anomen Delryn/Original Character, 6/30 Chapters, published ages ago on that OTHER fanfic website

Upstairs, in a silent room of the stone temple of Quotal, a pair of weathered, bejeweled hands reached into a glass jar and extracted a handful of dried yellow petals. Despite their age and wear, these hands were particularly fine and strong: calloused but well-shaped, they belonged to a man of high birth who wasn’t afraid of labor.

Two Sides of the Same Coin - D&D/Forgotten Realms/Baldur's Gate II - Imoen/Khalid, 6/?? Chapters, ALSO published ages ago on that OTHER fanfic website

"Hey. Imoen. Ims, wake up. We've got to get out of here…" A familiar voice brought the redhead back to the edges of consciousness. She opened her eyes cautiously and found herself sprawled on a metal floor in an immaculately clean cage. The room was dim, but she could make out most of what was around. Steel bars… flagstone walls around, with flickering lights above... And outside, peering in through the bars and fiddling with something, was Eli. Right... She was Imoen. Imoen Winthrop, the innkeeper's daughter.

There are more but those go back to when I was in college and NO one needs to read that, lmao.

Tagging, uh...

@kateprincessofbluewhales, @sadlybluespirited , @limeandorange

[sighthounds-and-sketches]

Let's talk about flying to pick up a puppy by yourself

And some ways to make it easier on you.

Your prep starts honestly, about a week before baby actually comes home. Maybe 2 weeks.

For my pre-flight prep, I first picked out a flight carrier. I went with the one my breeder recommended.

It has expandable sides, and a little storage pocket. And it's resistant to chewing. I'm really glad I didn't buy a cheaper one, and I can't stress enough that it's cheaper to buy a quality one the first time than have a zipper break or a tear in the middle of your trip. My trip in total was 4 flights and 4 hours in the car, with him being with me for half of it and having the longest layover of my day. I could only really let him out a couple times, so this next part was incredibly helpful.

I mailed the carrier to my breeder,

at her behest. This was *huge* because the siblings got their scent on it and he was acclimated to being in it before I got to him. It acted as a secure place for him to ride in the car and for his first few nights here, he slept in there through the night.

And now that he's in his crate, the removable pad with scents on it has been instrumental in establishing the crate as a safe place for him.

Video of why I'm really glad I got the durable carrier.

Please consider what you're wearing that day.

Wear clothes you don't need to fuss with *at all* that's normal airport protocol- but I can't stress this enough, you're carrying the puppy in your arms through the TSA checkpoint and other people will be fussing over him. Make sure your appearance and personal bag is no fuss.

See: jeans, hoodie, puppy treat and potty bag that can be shoved into my personal Item, and a no fuss backpack.

In my personal travel bag I kept:

Pee pads, his food from the breeder, a change of clothes in case of incidents, a portable battery to charge my phone, collapsible food and water bowls, collar and leash incase one wasn't provided, and SEVERAL toys in there.

The toys were great for waiting in the terminal. I'd expand the sides of the crate and introduce a new toy to him to help him run a bit of energy out before we had to board.

Peepads: Even though airports have animal relief areas, chances are they're either kind of gross or your dog may be a little too young for it to be safe. I was traveling through one of the busiest airports in the world, and nobody was checking jack shit so I opted for potty breaks to occur in bathrooms with pee pads. He didn't end up going but it's better to be prepared.

I flew Delta and used Skymiles accumulated from our credit card with them that we pay off monthly, so the only thing I paid for out of pocket was 95.00 to bring Argos on board. My flight only costed 20k miles total, and that was only a small portion of what we'd accumulated over the 6 months we've been using the card. I think it's worth considering if you're planning to fly to a breeder. It enabled me to go anywhere in the country that Delta flies and not worry about costs.

Day of hack: double check your flights on the airlines app and switch your seat if possible. I swapped one of my return flight seats to an empty row for 15.00, which meant I could have my carryon and him with me at the same time and that was very nice for readjusting where my stuff was and taking a damn nap. Because at this point, I'd been up for about 18 hours and still had 7 hours of traveling before I'd get home.

I think my last thing is that if you're like me and you do have an invisible disability- ask if you can preboard. Dont be afraid to say "hey, i have this problem and standing in the heat while carrying a bunch of stuff is potentially going to cause an episode. " The employees were extremely nice, and willing to work with me. Ultimately, I went through all of this because he's a service dog prospect and will hopefully help.

Small things for me specifically prior: ate in the morning and right before I picked him up, he was able to chill in his carrier while I ate dinner at a restaurant in the airport- didn't make any sounds. He slept the whole time. I don't think I couldve eaten in the food court, too much to carry between him and my main bag.

I think that's it. I may add to this if I remember anything I forgot.

Edited to add: for my besties with miscellaneous illnesses-

A baggie with your medicines is IMPORTANT. Do not forget some dramamine, advil, Tylenol, whatever, pack it if there's a small chance you'll need it!

I ended up getting migraine symptoms like 5 hours into travel, and that was not a day I could afford to have blurred vision. <3 remember to take care of YOU on the journey.

[sea-creature-things]

Grimwalker Things

Chapter 6: An itchy weakness

I return with gifts of comfort... eventually.

This chapter is a direct continuation of the last chapter "Sleep" (cuz I don't believe in consistency). This chapter was kicking my ass, but I still loved making it <33

Read here below the cut or on AO3 with this link:

Hunter sat cross legged on the floor of the basement. His friends were all in front of him, snuggled up in the nest they had built hours ago. At least, he hoped it had been hours.

Time was blending in itself.

He yawned for what felt like the hundredth time, purposefully not suppressing it. It was a good way to keep himself awake, taking in a big amount of air and temporarily increasing his heart rate. He had a dozen tactics to help him stay alert at night.

He gripped Flapjack's staff closer against his chest.

He had breathing techniques for this, different from the one Gus had taught him, but this one was used to stay mindful instead of to calm down from a panic attack. Breathing rapidly for 15 seconds, then slowly for another 15 using his abdomen. It might work the same way for panic attacks, he probably wouldn’t remember that for next time though.

Hunter also counted. He counted blankets, pillows, boxes and fairy lights. He counted fingers and toes. He counted everything that could be counted. It was a good technique too, just like watching. Very actively watching everything around him.

Watching over them.

Willow was sprawled out, limbs in complete disarray. Gus was cuddled up to her left side, hugging her stomach as one of her legs was draped over both of his. Amity had mirrored him on the witch’s right side at first, but now she was entangled with Luz. Which Hunter thought was as adorable as it was hilarious.

Since Luz was drooling and snoring, while Amity slept like a fairytale princess. Her pink hair was draped behind her like silk and her limbs were placed delicately, she was even smiling like someone in a movie. Luz’s hair on the other hand was anywhere and everywhere, she’ll have a bad case of bedhead in the morning. Sometimes she even kicked her legs like a dog, but that was entirely due to Vee’s tail trapping them in place. Still, she was sleeping way more chaotic than their demon sister. Who had a calm grip on her blankets and was snuggling into her pillow. Vee often made a trilling sound, like the happy version of a snarl. Also adorable and hilarious.

Hunter would be happy to report they all slept soundly, as if they were dusted with sleeping nettles. Well, mostly soundly.

Willow had been moving around a lot in her sleep. At one point she'd kicked Amity's shin, Hunter cringed knowing how painful that was. Their pink haired engineer had groaned and turned on her back, her head lifted slightly. Hunter was worried she'd wake up and notice him sitting there. Her eyes opened and he was sure he was done for, but Amity lay back down. It was probably too dark for her to see anything anyways.

When Amity moved to cuddle with Luz, another arm got hucked at her head. Luckily it missed, but Hunter suddenly had to try very hard to suppress a laugh. Briefly dropping Flap’s staff on his lap to clasp both hands over his mouth. His lungs ached as they expanded with nowhere to put the air. A muffled noise escaped through his fingers.

It had completely messed up his concentration. He returned to his breathing exercise, gradually calming down and regaining his usual posture.

Hunter was probably the only one who liked the fact that Willow thrashed around so much in her sleep. It was cute. It fit her fierce and competitive spirit well. Most of all, it let him know that she was there.

It let him know that she was alive.

He needed that right now. He had to make sure they were all safe.

Hunter’s thoughts were interrupted by the basement door creaking open and bright rays of light filling the room. His head snapped to it, seeing Camila peeking through the opening. All he could do was watch as she walked down a few steps in order to look over the railing. He saw her scan the others with a fond smile, until she found him.

Their eyes locked and suddenly his actions felt a little silly. He'd been so sure that guarding them was the right thing to do, the only thing he could do. But now... was he wrong?

Camila's surprised and instantly worried expression seemed to suggest so. He looked away before her face made him feel queasy. Was she mad? Disappointed? Luz said one of them was worse, but he couldn't remember which one. Disappointing Belos always made him mad, there was no worse.

Maybe just worried was worse to him, he couldn’t handle her gentle, caring face. The matriarch slowly and quietly descended the stairs.

He rose to his feet to try and ease some of her concerns, but he was more unstable than he expected. He stumbled backwards, only able to catch himself using Flap’s staff as counterbalance.

"G-good morning." He stuttered in a pretty bad attempt to seem normal. Which was made worse by his body automatically going to stand at attention. Despite that, he tried to give her a cheerful smile.

Camila didn’t respond right away, the look on her face strangled his insides. With furrowed brow she examined him, her gaze flitting from side to side as she kept switching between both his eyes. Her mouth moved without sound, she didn’t know what to say. Then she sighed.

“Are you okay, hijo?” Her voice soft and warm. Camila held his face and rubbed his cheek with her thumb. Hunter looked up surprised.

He nodded, not trusting his voice. He was sure his face already betrayed him, shaky lip and misty eyes.

Camila somehow looked even more perturbed. She scanned the nest where his friends were still sleeping like babies. She looked like she was pondering something, then breathed in deep and focused on him again.

“Wanna help me make breakfast?” Her hand moved to pet his hair, before landing on his shoulder.

“Yes!” He almost forgot he was supposed to be quiet. He hurried a glance at his friends, but they didn't even stir.

“Okay.” She whispered with a nod. Giving him another gut punching smile, she tugged his shoulder ever so slightly and led him to the stairs.

Once they ascended and he followed their host out the door, the golden sunlight hit him. The warm rays tickled his nose, blinding his eyes. It completely took over the hallway, granting it a very welcome glow. It was finally day, after a night that felt like an eternity.

Finally dawn.

He saw Camila waiting for him to finish basking. He instantly picked up his pace. He shouldn't do that, Belos hated waiting.

He tripped again, but this time it wasn't because his feet gave out. Realisation struck him like lightning.

Camila wasn't Belos.

She wasn't anything like him at all. Why was he thinking about him!? Why was he acting as he would if he was still-

He shook his head, heart beating loud against his ribcage. He released a breath he didn’t realise he was holding. Camila hadn’t seen his stumble, already leaving in the direction of the kitchen. He hastily picked up the pace, doing his best to hide his gasping.

Everything was fine, he wasn’t the Golden Guard anymore. He was fine.

He got his breathing under control and, luckily, Camila didn’t appear to notice. When he trailed behind her into the kitchen, he looked out the window and saw he’d been mistaken. It wasn’t even close to dawn. He threw a glance at the microwave’s clock, reading 10:43 am. No wonder last night had felt twice as long.

Maybe that wasn’t a wonder either way.

"You can put the staff away, dear." Camila said fondly as she walked behind the kitchen island. She wore an amused smile as she looked him up and down.

"Oh right." A flash of yellow magic brought the bird back to chirping and flying.

And he was NOT happy.

Chirruping up a storm that was too fast and too incoherent for Hunter to follow. He tugged very hard on his long hair strand in the front, his chirps becoming even more scrambled. With every flap of his wings, he yanked on his head.

“Ow ow ow ow, Flap!” Hunter bumped into the table, trying to escape his palisman. The little bird spat out the blonde strands, realising his outrage might actually be hurting his witch.

“You shouldn’t have done that!” Flapjack flew close to his face. He hung in the air wheezing and Hunter was frozen. They were at a standstill. Only until Flap could catch his breath. “You were supposed to go to sleep!”

“Flap I’m sorry.” Hunter knew he messed up, but he hadn’t expected the little bird to be this mad. “I’m sorry for putting you in staff form, but I needed to!”

“You needed sleep Hunter!” He squawked again. “Still do!”

"I know, but-"

“You made a promise.” The cardinal spoke softer, landing on the table. Was this the difference between disappointed and mad? He folded his wings and continued in those low cheeps. “You were going to try.”

“I did try. But I... I can't Flapjack." Hunter's voice strained, threatening to crack. "I can't."

“Oh Hunter…” Flap’s eyes turned somber and worried. He lowered down to be at eye level with his palisman, crouching until his chin rested on the table in between his hands. The little bird instantly hopped closer, bumping his head against him and nuzzling his cheek. He faintly sung a soothing melody. “It’s okay, you’re okay.”

Hunter closed his eyes, feeling the soft feathers brush against his face. He wanted to apologise again, but the words got caught in his throat. Flap sung more sweet sentiments, he felt a lot better as the air between them slowly became less intense.

“I am sorry for yelling at you.” His palisman said and Hunter instantly shook his head. The muscles in his legs started to acidify, resulting in a sharp ache. Rising to his feet again, he held out his hands as a platform for Flap to jump on.

“I mean, you had a pretty good reason to be angry.” He said, feeling a little ashamed. The bird stretched his legs, his little claws carefully placed on his hands.

“Yes, don’t do that again.” Flap flew up on his shoulder. He perched and folded his wings, planning to stay right there for a long time. “But you went through a lot yesterday, so I understand. Just promise me you’ll sleep soon?”

“I promise I’ll try.” Said Hunter. He saw a red tail flicking out of the corner of his eye. But Flap nodded in agreement.

When he turned around, he was greeted by a very confused and intrigued Camila. To be honest, he had forgotten she was there, and what he was doing in the kitchen. He stared at her like a deer in headlights. She raised an eyebrow. Hunter hurriedly walked over to her, to actually do what he was supposed to.

“Flap’s pretty mad.” Hunter smiled nervously. He needed to tell her something as explanation.

“Was.” His palisman corrected, puffing out his chest feathers.

“He’s just worried about you.” Camila said and Flap nodded with a huff. She scratched him under his chin, earning some happy trills. “And he’s probably right.”

“Definitely.” Hunter swallowed hard. “I just- I-I-I just c-c-“

“It’s alright, baby.” She stroked his hair, spurring him to take a calming breath with her other hand. With her guidance, Hunter felt all the tension fall from his shoulders. Camila gave him a cheeky grin. “Now, these pancakes aren’t gonna make themselves.”

Hunter smiled, and for the first time that morning, it was real.

“Can you grab the milk and eggs, hijo?” Their caretaker directed him to the fridge while she pulled a bowl from one of the cabinets.

She had been calling him ‘hijo’ a lot lately. Hunter had no idea what it meant, but at this point he was scared to ask. He assumed it was similar to when she called him ‘dear’ or ‘baby’.

He also noticed she liked to pet his head a lot, but he didn't mind.

Camila got the whisk out of the drawer, while he grabbed the other supplies for the pancakes. This human breakfast food had been and instant success with them, it was Hunter's favourite from the first time he ate one. Though, being related to Flapjack's namesake might have something to do with that.

After gathering all the ingredients, Camila told him to start cracking eggs. As he picked one out of the carton Hunter felt it slips out of his fingers. He watched it fall as if in slow motion, entirely perplexed that something escaped his normally careful hand.

"Uhhh..." Is all he could say when it splat into the bowl, the shell shattering into tiny pieces. He slowly turned to Camila, but she laughed. A bubbly kind of laugh that didn’t seem to be at his expense.

"That's alright." She said between chuckles, fishing the eggshells out. She held out another one for him to try again.

"Maybe it's better if you do it." Hunter said with a nervous smile. Camila shrugged and cracked the rest of the eggs. He dubiously studied his hand, still not really understanding what went wrong.

Camila weighed the right amount of flower, sugar, and milk and poured them into the bowl, then she handed Hunter the whisk. He was able to mix everything without spilling, thank Titan.

“Isn’t it too late for breakfast?” He asked, eyeing the microwave's little clock again.

“Breakfast can be whatever I want it to be.” Camila said cheekily, Hunter couldn't help but laugh. It burst out of him in a somewhat hesitant giggle. Camila looked very proud of herself, beaming as she poked his cheek. “¿Es verdad no?

Camila carried the mixture to the countertop and put a pan with butter on the stove. They quickly settled into a routine where Hunter would put the batter in the pan and she would fry and flip them.

Flap was hanging around Camila, perching on her shoulders, picking at her hair - a lot softer than he's ever done to his witch - and standing on her hands whenever possible. Hunter warned him to not annoy her so much, but the Dominican woman assure them it was fine.

Hunter answered her questions about palismen and she answered his about human realm animals. They quickly got on the topic of her job, Camila explained what exactly she did and he listened with great interest. He wished he could come with her some time.

“Wait, it’s Thursday.” Hunter realised with growing anxiety. “Don’t you need to get to work? Doesn’t Luz have to go to school?”

“Don’t worry, hijo.” She assured him as she flipped another pancake. “I called to the school and explained that Luz would stay home today. And I’m taking a day off from work. Obviously I couldn’t tell them why, so I said it was for personal reasons.”

Camila’s explanation washed away his stress, but his insides still squirmed. He felt horrible for causing so much trouble. Preparing breakfast had apparently served as a great distraction, but now all the shame came flooding back.

Hunter didn’t feel like much help frying the pancakes. He constantly dropped things, knocked over other things, stumbled over nothing. But Camila was patient, holding the important stuff steady and cleaning up after him like it was no big deal.

She didn’t seem to care that he was awful today. And despite everything, Hunter actually had a lot of fun making food together. Camila appeared to enjoy it too, even though it took them ages.

By the time they were done, it might as well been their lunch.

Camila clapped her hands after they used up all the batter, two plates with high stacks of pancakes were waiting to be devoured. She said that they should set the table first and then wake up the others, to give them just a little more time to sleep. She got out some plates and walked to the table.

When he followed her with the cutlery in hand, he bumped into the kitchen island. The corner dug painfully in his side. He made a weird low breathy sound and Camila turned on her heels.

"I'm okay!" He choked out before she could ask. She eyed him suspiciously as he gripped his side. He smiled awkwardly. Camila supposedly decided to spare him, she sighed and went back to what she was doing.

“Should we wake the others now?” Hunter asked only a few minutes later, as he stood back and admired their work.

“Sí, I’ll go get them,” Camila pat his shoulder again. But because it didn’t feel warranted to him, he looked up at her surprised. “You brace yourself.”

He gave her yet another nervous smile. Before he could ask to come with, she had already disappeared around the corner. Her parting words of advice finally registered in his brain and he realised it was for the best.

He needed some time to prepare.

He reached a hand up, to where Flapjack had made himself comfortable in his hair, and felt a pointy beak softly rubbing against his palm. He absentmindedly scratched him under the chin, letting the sensation sooth him before one of the most awkward and tense days of his life began.

He could do this, right?

Suddenly, the peace and tranquility he’d experienced before was vanquished. Gus burst into the room, screeching to a stop in front of him.

“Hunter!” He yelled with a wide smile, like he’d been looking for him. “Good morning!”

“G-good morning!” He stumbled over his words. At least it wasn’t the floor this time. Last thing he needed right now was Gus watching him trip.

The others filed into the room, saying a couple of ‘good morning’s. They all started talking over each other and Hunter had no idea who to focus on. Camila made up the rear, giving him a sympathetic smile once he was surrounded.

“How are you feeling?” Gus grabbed his attention by tapping his arm. He also captured everyone else’s, it suddenly got uncomfortably silent. Six pairs of eyes locked on him.

“Great!” Hunter lied, giving his buddy a thumbs-up. He had no idea why he kept trying, he knew nobody would believe him.

He just hoped that one day he’d miraculously get better a lying.

As expected, Gus gave him a sceptical look. Luz was behind him, crossing her arms. She looked more annoyed than anything, shooting him a sour expression. Flapjack ruffled his hair in a silent show of support. Hunter decided not to study the expressions of the rest of his friends, he’d predicted this tension but that didn’t make it any less uncomfortable. Everyone was well aware of the giant ratworm in the room.

“Did you sleep well?” Amity asked nonchalantly. She was able to rip that bandaid off a lot better than anyone else. She still looked uneasy, even if it didn’t show in her voice.

“Um… sure.” His voice trailed off, he didn’t know where to look.

“Did you sleep at all last night?” Willow didn’t miss a beat. Hunter’s eyes snapped to her and he froze, he knew lying wouldn’t work but he didn’t want to admit it either.

“Hunter!” She crossed her arms, eyes wide in disbelief. His hesitation had already told her everything she needed to know.

"I tried... kind of." He squirmed under her fiery eyes.

“Hunter.” Her voice was thick with disappointment. It had a chokehold on his heart, making his brain race a million miles a second.

He had to make this stop. Right. Now.

“Look!” Hunter slid to the side, revealing the delicious breakfast table. In a desperate attempt to distract them. “Breakfast!”

Gus and Vee gasped, apparently they hadn’t noticed the table yet. Strange, but helpful. Willow and Amity, who was standing right next to her, definitely had. They gave him a very displeased look.

Whatever. Keep going.

“We have pancakes, a fan favourite I know,” He waved his hand with a theatrical flare he hadn’t used in a while. Luz and Willow exchange a look, but he tried not to think about it. “There’s orange juice and milk. We’re out of soy-milk, so Luz don’t drink that. We only have maple syrup as a topping, but that’s the best one anyways so it shouldn’t be a problem.”

As he rambled on, he moved to the other side of the room at a snail’s pace. Vee unfortunately noticed and followed him, all the while excitedly chattering with Gus and Camila. The other three girls were whispering, Amity pointed to the table. In response to whatever she said, Willow nodded and smiled. Hunter was happy to see it, partly because he was running out of things to say.

Luz, after petting her shoulder, slipped between them to follow her sister. The group still at the door started talking over each other again. Hunter was pretty sure they were enthusiastic though, their breakfast did look delicious.

Vee said something he couldn’t quite catch, but she stared at him with a questioning look.

“What?” He asked for clarification, feeling sorry that she had to repeat herself. Luz, now standing next to her, was squinting her eyes. Hunter much rather focused on Vee.

“Did you make those?” The basilisk pointed to the stacks of pancakes.

“Ohhh, no Camila did.” Hunter waved his hands in front of him. “I only helped a little.”

“Okay good, then it’s actually edible.” Vee smirked, punching his arm lightly.

“Why wouldn’t it be-“ Hunter abruptly realised she was insulting his cooking skills. She loved teasing him ever since he burned her omelette, five weeks ago. He playfully slapped her arm back. “Hey! I’ve been getting better!”

Vee giggled and wrapped her arm around his back, leaning her head against his shoulder. Hunter felt a little awkward in the side hug, not sure what to do besides giving her a grateful smile.

“Are you okay?” Luz quietly asked, in a way that made him think she already knew the answer. If he wasn’t sure by her tone of voice, her almost suspicious eyes sealed the deal. Her face was taught with worry, sending a fresh wave of guilt through Hunter’s conscience.

“Yeah!” He tried lying again, just in case that miracle finally happened. She stared at him with an incredulous expression.

But what was she expecting? She should know him by now.

Luz looked at Willow, Gus, Amity and her mom still animatedly chatting, then back to him. A softer expression on her face. Hunter followed her glances to their sister too. Maybe she thought that he’d open up if it was just the three of them. Maybe he would. If he didn’t feel so jumpy.

“Let’s eat before it gets cold.” Camila clapped her hands, then motioned to the table. Saving him from this personal hell.

Breakfast had the intended effect of calming down the room as they happily devoured their food. Hunter was extremely glad they enjoyed it, feeling more relaxed as they fell into their usual banter.

But his friend’s mood hadn’t completely turned around yet. The tension still hung over them like the grey clouds before a rainstorm, or the electricity in the air right before thunder strikes.

And he was still a wreck with no dexterity, almost spilling his orange juice on his pancakes. What a horrible combo that would’ve been. His antsy fingers were only made worse by everyone constantly staring at him.

But all things considered, breakfast went pretty well. Afterwards Hunter immediately made himself useful. He offered to do the dishes, but was told that they had a dishwasher for a reason. Naturally, he still collected all the plates and silverware to put them in said dishwasher.

The witches protested, but he somehow convinced them it was no big deal. To be fair, they would have to physically stop him from loading a dishwasher.

They wouldn’t go that far. Yet.

In the same way, Hunter couldn’t stop Amity and Gus from helping him. She offered to lessen the workload, then her and Gus walked over without waiting for his response. The rest wanted to help as well, but doing this with six people was a bit ridiculous.

Afterwards, Hunter volunteered to do more chores. He asked Camila if he could do the laundry, she was a little taken aback but agreed. She was confused by his sudden and chaotic need to help around the house.

“Hunter,” Willow stopped him from leaving. She hadn’t expected him to stop so abruptly and the look on his face made her feel uneasy. She struggled with what to say next, she was really worried about him. "Take it easy today, okay?"

"No no no, I'm fine!" He assured while walking backward to the door. He had great difficulty looking her in the eyes. His jittery nerves not just from the tense atmosphere this time.

He bumped his shoulder against the doorframe as he made his escape. A defeated sigh escaped Willow’s mouth. Luz shot her a knowing smile, petting her shoulder again.

"I mean, that’s what I expect him to say, but I still don't like it." The plant witch pouted, resting her chin on her hand. Luz laughed like a deflating balloon.

“He’s gonna do this all day, isn’t he?” She asked, but it was more like an observation. Her mom followed their exchange with growing concern in her eyes.

“Yup.” Vee confirmed dejected.

And that’s exactly what the better part of his afternoon consisted of; chores. He washed a few piles of laundry. Vee came to check on him and he assured her that he didn’t need any help this time. But she insisted to keep him company in case anything went wrong, since she knew more about human machines.

He collected the mail from the box outside and sorted it. Then he cleaned the bathrooms. He wanted to grab the duster again, but Ghost looked at the thing with murderous intent. So he took out the trash instead.

In short, he kept busy.

And he tripped, stumbled, bumped and fumbled his way through everything. His eternal eye-bags had darkened in colour. And talking or listening was proving impossible at times.

He'd rather not admit how many times he's walked into a wall.

“Hey,” Luz tapped his arm in passing, when he walked past her in the upstairs hallway. He stopped to listen, hoping she needed his help with something. “Can I talk to you?”

“Oh uh- I… um, I gotta go…” Hunter clambered for an excuse. He knew what this would be about and he wanted nothing more than to leave. “Vacuum! I gotta go vacuum.”

Luz was exasperated watching him run off again. She sighed and entered the study room where her mom was working on her computer.

“Mamí,” Luz said, not meaning to sound as whiney as she did. “Can’t you do something?”

“I think he needs the distraction.” said Camila, not even needing to look up from the screen to know what her daughter was talking about.

“I dunno…” Luz thought about it. She couldn’t decide if what Hunter was doing was really a healthy distraction or a bad one. “Maybe you’re right.”

“I really hope I am.” Her mom admitted with a certain eyebrow-raised look at her computer.

A few hours went by where Hunter only did housework. The longer it went on, the more keen his friends were on on making him rest.

Gus and Amity followed him around, helping him like they did with the dishwasher. They hovered next to everything he did. It was sweet, but it also got a little irritating. Vee and Luz tried to, in their own words, ‘talk some sense into him’. Which didn’t work.

Flapjack had given up trying to stop him. Very tired from flying around him the entire time, he decided to take a nap upstairs. After making his witch promise again to sleep this time come nightfall.

Willow somehow managed to sweet-talk him into lazing around in the garden. It started with her asking for help with her gardening, he should’ve known she was scheming. And when he finally realised — he jumped up to sputter out a sudden accusation which Willow only met with remorseless nodding — he had already wasted a whole hour.

But her vibrant smile had made it totally worth it.

He really liked being in the garden with her. Willow was just so completely in her element. Obviously she was a plant witch, but even besides that she was so enthralled by the outdoors.

Her most genuine and biggest smiles were in the garden. Her eyes actually sparkled. And her laugh! Titan, her laugh came so easily outside.

He’d make some stupid pun about the flowers she was planting and she would giggle, carefree and giddy. It made his insides worm around, but in a good way this time.

But still! Out there in the garden, he wasn’t actually doing anything. He wasn’t making himself useful. He wasn’t helping Camila. At best, they were making the backyard look nice.

That wasn’t good enough!

He quickly got back inside, having the misfortune of dashing past the rest of the hexsquad. They yelled his name, chasing after him into the living room, where he frantically searched for something to do.

“Hunter, stop!” Vee shouted almost angrily.

“Dude!” Luz shouted as well. “Calm down!”

Hunter’s shoulders tensed up as the room plunged into the most stressful environment since he woke up that morning. Willow joined the other witches at the door, blocking the way out.

They probably didn’t plan it, but now he was trapped. And it made his gut drop and his brain ring alarm bells.

He had to mitigate this situation somehow.

“Just stop.” Vee said again, slowly coming closer. Her arms moved like she was hushing a wild beast, her expression turned more gentle. “Take a break or something.”

“No. I don’t need a break.” He said calmly, trying to reassure them. “Guys, I’m fine.”

“No you’re not,” said Willow. “You didn’t get any sleep last night.”

“You need sleep to function. You need energy.” Gus added. Amity who was standing next to him nodded vigorously. They both shot him a pointed glare.

"I have done a lot more with a lot less." Hunter told them, remembering all the excruciating missions he went on with hardly any rest in between.

"That does not make me feel better." Gus countered, moving his hands around wildly and giving him a confused look.

Hunter, getting more nervous as he felt he was losing this battle, took a few steps backwards. He looked around, anywhere to avoid the eyes of his disappointed friends.

“Hunter, you look terrible.” Amity gestured to his general direction, walking further into the room

“Thanks Amity.” he deadpanned.

“I just mean you should rest.” She sighed, putting her hands on her hips. “You’ve been running around all day, doing chores. And that’s fine, I think I get it, but you’re not giving yourself a chance to relax.”

Her words resonated with him. She probably did understand, more than anyone else. He’s known since the beginning that she, just like him, just wanted to be useful.

“I have to-“ Hunter got caught off in the middle of his appeal. There was a sudden pain that shot up through his body, he had stubbed his toe on the coffee table. He stumbled and his knees gave out, he fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Before anyone could react, Hunter immediately sat up and held his right knee with pure anger. The buildup of frustration from every trip and collision boiling over.

“Work, damn you!” He yelled at his own leg as he shook it violently. A groan that sounded uncomfortably close to a growl escaped his mouth. He forcefully put both feet flat on the ground and stood up.

He's been in much worse conditions where he wasn't such a stumbling baby giraffe!

He stomped his leg a few times on the ground, making sure the stupid thing worked now. It also helped to relieve some of that finger-curling aggression he felt.

Right when he wanted to walk it off, he remembered the people at the doorway. Absolutely mortified, he slowly turned to see their reactions.

This was NOT helping his case.

Vee, Gus and Luz looked completely stunned, they didn’t react outside of a blinking stare. Willow and Amity looked like they had been ready to help him stand up, outstretched arms and a wide-eyed look of concern plastered on their faces.

Hunter cleared his throat in an attempt to combat the embarrassment, but it only felt more awkward. There was a long moment of silence, where all Hunter could think of was how he was going to get out of there. His face felt like it was on fire. He had to say something, get ahead of their lectures.

“Okay, I know you guys are not gonna believe me, but I am totally fine.” He laughed nervously.

“Alright that’s it! You have to take a break!” Gus yelled. He pointed at him with burning determination in his eyes. “Lay down or I will tackle you."

"Ha! I'd like to see you try." Hunter said smugly. The absurdity of his threat distracting his tired brain from what it should be doing, reassuring his friends. He brought a proud hand to his chest. “I’ve been trained in all forms of combat and I will not be-"

"AAAAHHHHH!!" Gus yelled as he charged at him. Hunter didn't expect him to actually attempt a tackle, but before he could even react the illusion witch was only inches away.

His arms were spread wide, swiftly wrapping around his target. When his chest made contact with Hunter’s abdomen, the power behind his small friend forced him to take a few steps backwards. Which wasn’t possible. The edge of the couch dug into his legs and they both fell onto it with a massive thud.

Hunter groaned in crushing pain, most of which coming from his bruised ego. There were a few concerned sounding voices, as well as a few laughs. Gus had landed with his head on the older witch’s chest and he giggled, looking proudly at him.

"Coming in hot!" Vee dashed around the coffee table.

"Nonononono, Vee please-" Hunter's plea went savagely ignored. The basilisk jumped on top of them both, knocking the wind out of his lungs. The impact made the couch creak in pain, harmonising nicely with Hunter's groan and the laughter from across the room.

Gus shrieked, which quickly evolved into a roaring laugh together with Vee. Hunter looked away from their stupid little faces, otherwise he wouldn't help but laugh as well. His frown wavered either way.

The new weight shifted and changed, hard boney edges turning into a soft and round body. Her true form was a lot more comfortable, but he was still very much being crushed by the two of them.

Well, he could still breathe and the way they were draped on top of him now wasn’t painful. But he was definitely trapped.

Which, he finally realised, was probably the plan.

"Ya know, I sleep better with a weighted blanket." Vee piped up with a chipper tone of voice. "It's nice to have something giving that pressure."

Gus nodded in agreement. They shared a grinning look before simultaneously turning their gaze on him.

"I can't sleep now, it's the middle of the day!" Hunter protested, straining his neck to see them. He wasn’t giving up so easily, trapped or not.

"It's called a siesta," Gus said with a smirk. “Right Luz?"

"Yup!" Said Luz, popping the p. She had moved in front of the tv, together with Amity and Willow. Hunter looked at the three girls, still giggling and snorting.

"I'm guessing I can't count on any of you coming to rescue me?" He flashed a hopeful smile, wishing he’d be proven wrong.

"Absolutely not." Amity shot his hopes down immediately.

"In your dreams." Willow said sassily. Hunter felt heat creep onto his cheeks. He quickly locked his eyes on the ceiling. He was just really embarrassed is all!

"Alright you leave me with no other choice." He said, pretending to give up and resign himself to this couch prison. He let Vee and Gus share a look of victory before raising his hands to his mouth. "Flap! I need a teleport! ... Please?!"

The room got loud with laughter. Hunter didn’t miss the familiar chirps of his palisman though. Flapjack flew in, but he landed on Willow's shoulder.

"No." He chirped.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Hunter was baffled. "You're my palisman."

"I am." Flapjack twittered, nonchalantly preening a few chest feathers. "And the answer is no."

"Good job Flap" Willow giggled, nudging her cheek against his little face. Flap happily returned her affection.

"Traitor." Hunter mumbled, letting his head fall back down. He should’ve known the cardinal wouldn’t help him escape. Maybe he was still mad at him.

Flap flew over to the couch cushion. He nudged his little cheeks against him, showing he wasn’t angry. Hunter’s relief quickly turned to confusion. If he wasn’t angry then why did he have to stay here like this?

“If you can’t sleep, just rest.” The palisman said. Maybe he saw this as ‘doing it for his own good’. And Hunter should probably count himself lucky to have such well-meaning and doting palisman. Well, he didn’t feel very lucky today.

This wasn’t good for him. He didn’t need to rest!

“Flap…”

“Amity’s right.” He chirped against his protest. “This nonstop running around isn’t healthy. You can do more chores after you take a break.”

“She’s always right.” Hunter whispered annoyed, dodging the actual topic. His arms found a more comfortable spot around the little gremlins on top of him. Since it looked like he wasn’t getting out of here anytime soon.

“Hunter.” Flap pecked him gently on the nose. “Just relax for a bit.”

He hummed in confirmation, not really saying any words. But Flapjack accepted it happily.

“Love you~” He sung. Hunter pouted and mumbled his response, moving his head to the other side. That wasn’t sufficient for Flap, who hopped up on the back rest looking down on his boy expectantly.

“Love you too.” Hunter humoured him, still feeling salty. He ignored the numerous ‘aww’s from his friends.

Flapjack meant well, they all did. But this just wasn’t what he needed.

Still, he really did love that bird, so Hunter followed his advice. Resting, not sleeping, not closing his eyes.

It was good enough for his friends. Amity and Luz disappeared upstairs, and Willow sat on the floor with her back against the couch reading a book. They were satisfied with his surrender.

Vee had hopped off and was on her phone in the cozy chair, but Gus remained as his weighted blanket.

She was right, it was nice. But Hunter was never going to admit that.

A very easily removable blanket by the way, Gus was not that heavy. But he didn’t want Flapjack to get mad again and he didn’t want to disappoint his friends, they needed this more than him anyways. He could stay put for them. For a while. Probably. Maybe.

Besides, he looked adorable like this. Snuggled against him, eyes closed and cheek smushed on his chest. It would be pretty ironic if Gus ended up napping instead of him.

Hunter looked to the side, just able to see Willow as she was nose deep in her book. She absentmindedly pushed up her glasses. He also thought she looked adorable, but in a different way somehow. He shook the weird thought out of his head.

“What are you reading?” He whispered. She turned her head and scoffed in amusement. She sat up straighter and put one arm on the couch cushions to lean on, looking at him directly with a disapproving gaze. Hunter smiled slyly. “People can rest and talk at the same time.”

Willow burst out into a soft, breathy laugh. It filled his chest with pride as the heat crept onto his face again.

“I’m reading that new gardening book I got at the library.” Willow whispered back. She held it up so he could read the title: The Gardener’s Complete Manual. “It’s really interesting actually, it has several chapters about growing edible plants. Which could really help me maintain Camila’s vegetable patch. Look, this one’s called ‘from seed to bloom’, isn’t that cute?”

Hunter nodded as she held the book next to her excited face. He definitely thought it was cute.

“Can you read it to me?” He suggested. She looked surprised for a second, blinking a few times. Then she regained her previous knowing expression. 

“Hunter…” Willow rolled her eyes. 

“Please?” He dropped his confident act, sending her a pleading face. “I’m so bored.”

“Fine.” She turned back to sit more comfortably on the floor. Her cheeks looked flushed, but he must’ve imagined it. Was he really so tired he was starting to see things?

Hunter diligently listened as the plant witch read to him about her favourite topic. He genuinely enjoyed learning about it, but sometimes he’d get distracted by the was she brushed her hair behind her ear. Sometimes he caught himself listening to her voice more than her words.

“I have to get back to the garden and finish up my work real quick,” She said after reading the entire chapter. She stood up, placing the book on the coffee table as she set her eyes on him again. “Are you gonna be okay here?”

“Do I have a choice?” He asked hopeful.

“No.” She said cheerfully, breaking his heart with a smile on her face. And she walked away.

Now he was stuck here with no distractions. Just his thoughts, lovely.

He should’ve been less chaotic. If he was half as frazzled, they wouldn’t have been so worried. The whole point of doing chores was to show them they didn’t have to worry! He wanted to be of use and help Camila after everything she’d done for them.

And everything she’d done for him specifically. After the night that they had, that he caused… But he just ended up causing them more stress. Again.

Titan, this was torture!

Didn’t Willow just leave? How long has he been in this silence? And how long will he have to stay in it, keeping his thoughts from spiralling?

No, no, he could do this. It’s just resting, he was great at resting! Of course he knew how to relax, no problem.

“Kids! Dinner’s ready!” Sounded Camilla’s voice from down the hall. 

“OH thank Titan!” Hunter couldn’t hide his relief, pressing the palms of his hands on his eyes. Gus snickered, which felt weird against his chest.

He hadn’t been napping after all, he could’ve talked to Gus this whole time! Or Vee, she’d been lounging across the room with headphones on, but he could’ve just waved her over.

Hunter gave his friend an embarrassed smile. The smaller witch climbed down, returning the precious feeling of freedom to him. As they walked towards the kitchen, Vee slapped him on the back with an delighted laugh.

——————

Hunter was laying on his side, the mattress underneath him was soft and thick. His body sunk in it, perfectly snug. Not to mention the extra comfort coming from the actual bed frame. No wonder Amity was so unhappy to relinquish it to him. Hunter would’ve loved to let her keep it though, it was only making it harder to stay awake.

The girl’s room was surprisingly bright at night, with no curtains in front of the window and the glowing stars on the bunkbed. It was a miracle they got any sleep at all. But evidently they did, he heard Willow’s familiar snores in sync with Amity’s quieter breathing behind him. In front of him he saw Luz and Vee, their upper bodies alternating in rising as they slept soundly. He couldn’t see Gus in the top bunk, but he was pretty sure his buddy was out for the count too.

It was Luz’s idea to have a ‘second sleepover’. After dinner, Camila pointed out that all their stuff was still in the basement. Hunter wished he’d remembered that sooner, it could’ve been a helpful chore. And maybe then he could’ve avoided this situation.

Hunter had rushed to pick everything up. His friends, still unhappy with his work ethic, followed him downstairs. But they kind of just hovered around, not seeming very motivated to clean their nest.

“Hey!” Luz perked up, hitting her fist on her palm like she had an idea. “Why don’t we have an actual sleepover tonight?”

Hunter stopped in his tracks as the rest all began excitedly agreeing.

“Let’s move everything upstairs, since our room is a spacier. I can teach you guys some human sleepover-traditions?” Luz continued to rally their friends behind her. Gus was immediately game, literally bouncing in place before turning to his buddy.

“What do ya say, Hunter?” He looked up at him with big, expecting, puppy eyes.

“…I can’t think of a single reason why not.” And boy, did he try. Hunter knew they wanted to keep an eye on him and he wasn’t going to deny them that, but he really didn’t want to be observed anymore. He gave his friends a tight-lipped smile of resignation, hopefully hiding his annoyance.

Camila, his last chance at a rescue, had agreed to it. But when Luz tried to convince her to let Amity, who was off to the side and red as a tomato, sleep in her bed to conserve space, her mom saw through her and refused. She also preferred that the boys had their own beds. Which is how Gus ended up in the bunkbed and Amity struggling for space next to Willow.

Luz was determined to make the second sleepover better than the first one, playing video games, painting nails, doing ‘truth or dare’. Vee had gotten some experience at the camp she went to, so she helped with the activities. The witches said it wasn’t very different from a moonlight conjuring after all.

Any other night, Hunter would’ve loved it too, to feel like a normal teen for once.

But he couldn’t pretend to be all happy and excited. It was hard to focus on those activities. So he actually felt relieved when they eventually went off to bed. That was, until he realised he had to do nothing for several hours.

Hunter moved to lay on his back, staring holes into the ceiling. He couldn’t go back to sleep. He just couldn’t. It didn’t matter how logical he tried to think it through. Or how rational he tried to assure himself.

He just couldn’t.

He was scared. He didn’t want anything like that to ever happen again. And yes, he knew it probably wouldn’t, but he couldn’t risk it!

He didn’t want to stand guard again. He had no idea what had gotten into him the night before. Just thinking about it made him sick to the stomach now.

And yes, he was tired, he was absolutely exhausted. His limbs felt dense and moved clumsily if at all, his head hurt and he was dizzy, but that barely mattered.

He didn’t even try to sleep, like he promised Flapjack. He was a lying lier who lies and who was doing everything in his power to stay awake.

He couldn't put them through that again. They were so scared.

“We couldn't find a pulse."

The words still echoed through his mind. Making him feel like he was teetering on the edge of a cliff. Watching the waves crash against the rocks down below with horrible vertigo. It was decided, he was never sleeping again.

Okay, even his exhausted mind could rationalise that that was impossible.

But…

But he had to.

He got fidgety, his heartbeat was racing all of a sudden and his hands felt sweaty. The soft covers became itchy and uncomfortable. He tossed and turned, but he got scared it would wake the others. His breathing hitched.

He couldn’t stay here!

His body reacted to his inner thoughts without him meaning to, instantly sitting upright. Hunter froze, slowly looking left and right to see if he disturbed anyone.

He held both hands against his chest. The stupid galderstone banging against his ribcage mocked him with its double standard. It pumped his blood, it kept him alive, but it didn’t make a pulse.

Because it was a stone, not a real heart. It wasn’t real.

Whatever! Focus Hunter! Copy or not, this body was his own. And he had to stop it from hyperventilating before he got too loud. He used Gus’s breathing technique and calmed down after some time.

From his new vantage point, he could see Luz’s desk where all the pasliman had curled up around the egg. Flapjack was snuggled in Ghost’s fluffy belly. If he snuck out, guaranteed none of them would notice.

As silent as a mouse, he slipped out of bed before he missed his chance.

Hunter tiptoed downstairs, grabbing a glass of water before flopping down on the couch with a long sigh. He thought it would be best to leave the lights off, the window let in some moonlight that gave the room an eerie, silver glow. He cursed his grimwalker existence under his breath between sips of heavenly cold water.

He was never ever telling anyone else he’s a grimwalker.

He wished he could erase the knowledge from Luz and Vee's minds as well. Hell, he wished he could erase it from his own!

On the other hand… If Vee didn't know, she probably wouldn't have gotten comfortable around him. Maybe she'd even still hate him. And without Luz's support he would've never been able to navigate all of his 'unique traits'. Without them knowing and helping, he never would've made it this far. In becoming comfortable that is, and growing into his own as an ordinary kid.

As ordinary as possible at least.

Actually, without Luz he wouldn't have made it at all. He owed her so much. It's funny how such an annoying little brat could turn into the most important person in his life.

Maybe not most important, Willow and Gus were pretty high up there. Maybe they just all shared the number 1 spot.

No wait, they were all a close second to Flapjack. That bird was definitely the most important presence in his life. But Vee, Willow and Gus were still very important, Amity as well. Hunter liked to pretend that she wasn't, but she really was. They both still joked about hating each other, much to Luz's dismay, but in reality they really clicked. They just really understood each other.

They deserved to know, didn't they?

Damn it!

They deserved to know, but he couldn't tell them. Because he was scared.

No…

That was him justifying everything, wasn't it?

He could tell them. He was perfectly capable of saying it. But he chose not to. In that moment, when they probably needed it the most, he chose not to say anything. Because he was selfish.

The only thing he was scared of, was his friends leaving him behind. Because in all fairness, they had every right to. He wasn’t just a grimwalker, he was a grimwalker whose blueprint was Belos’s witch-hunting brother!

If he were Willow, Amity or Gus, he wouldn’t trust him either.

His eyes burned as he felt tears form in the corners, he wiped them away aggressively. He wasn’t at risk of waking anyone up, so why was he still sitting there thinking? He could be reading a book or something.

“Hey.” He suddenly heard a voice and his head snapped towards the doorway.

“Luz!” He reflexively called out when he saw who it was. He rubbed a hand over his cheeks to get rid of any remaining wetness and cleared his throat as Luz came to sit next to him. “Um hey.”

She made herself comfortable on the couch, tucking her legs to the side. Hunter awkwardly waited for her to say anything as she looked at him with an exasperated expression.

“You should be asleep hermano.” She punched his shoulder weakly, a tired smile on her face. Her voice was a little vacant, but still determined.

"I can't sleep Luz."

"I'm pretty sure you could, you look exhausted."

"I can't."

"You can, but you won't." She pointed a finger at him, poking it into his arm. She was getting fired up now.

Hunter sighed, shooing her hand away. She was right and there was no use trying to deny it. Of course Luz of all people would see right through him.

"Can you blame me though?" He muttered despondent. Luz seemed to recoil slightly, becoming a lot less intense.

"No." She admitted.

She brushed some nonexistent crumbs from the couch cushions and he ran a hand through his hair.

“What’s that human saying about a pot and a kettle?” Hunter’s voice was forced, trying to be witty. “You should be asleep, you have school tomorrow.”

“Yeah, would if I could dude.” The brown-haired girl picked at the couch some more, throwing tiny balls of lint across the room.

“Ah, good old insomnia.” Hunter shot her an empathetic smile and she laughed.

“I dunno if I’m allowed to call it that.” Luz said and he shot her a puzzled look. “I thought you had have it for forever. Like, constantly.”

“No that’s chronic,” he explained. “You probably have acute insomnia.”

“Well I don’t think it’s cute at all.” She scowled before turning to him with a smirk.

He looked at her with a perfect blend of annoyance, disbelief and disappointment. But the corners of his mouth involuntary turned up and he couldn't hold a serious expression anymore.

Especially not when she was staring at him with that ridiculous, cat-like grin plastered on her face.

He begrudgingly rolled his eyes, his smile turning into quiet laughing. Which then turned into a bit of a giggle fit with Luz joining in, way too proud of herself.

"That's so stupid!" Hunter managed to say between laughter.

"You're stupid!" Luz pouted, scrunching her face to mock him, but quickly faltering to laugh again.

They giggled for a while, but seemed to realise at the same time it wasn’t really that funny. They died down awkwardly and stayed silent for another while. Hunter picked at his freshly-painted nails, it really would’ve been fun some other evening.

“Can we talk about it now?” Luz threw another piece of lint, this time there was a little aggression in her movement.

He remained silent.

“Hunter, these ‘grimwalker things’ are getting kinda scary.” She leaned forward to look at him, an impossible expression on her face. He looked away.

He knew! He knew that already, she really didn’t have to point it out.

“Maybe you should tell them.” Luz almost whispered, Hunter's eyes snapped back to her.

"Then are you gonna tell them you helped Belos?" He retaliated by reflex, his voice venomous and cold. It wasn't fair. It was mean and manipulative, and not even true! Whatever Luz did was so infinitesimal that it was almost insulting how much guilt she felt.

But it worked.

And when her encouraging smile dropped and her eyes filled with fear, shame took over every inch of his being.

“Luz,” He choked out. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“Not it’s not!”

“Okay, it’s not.” She admitted. Hunter breathed in sharply and out shakily. He didn’t know whether he should be happy with her confirmation. Whatever feeling of relief he felt mixed uncomfortably with heartache, but her warm smile returned. “But I get it.”

“And I forgive you.” Luz added almost sarcastically. Placing a hand on his shoulder and staring at him wide-eyed. Her joking tone made him feel as though she didn’t realise how serious he was.

"Luz-" He started with a face that hopefully didn't look too much like a kicked puppy.

“You’re not ready," she interrupted him, her tone and expression very serious this time. "I understand.”

"Thanks." Hunter waved his white flag, ready to stop fighting about how horrible he was. He stared ahead for a few seconds, at their reflection in the black screen of the tv. "You're a very forgiving person."

"Well, I'm not ready either." She deflected, putting a hand on her heart. "Every time I think about how to tell them, I wanna cry. And run away."

Hunter laughed with his voice devoid of anything remotely close to humour. It was painfully funny how well she had described that feeling.

"But you can tell me anything." Luz scooched closer with another stupid grin and expecting eyes.

"Yeah," Hunter said bluntly. He knew he'd eventually open up to her, he always did. And he kind of owed her this time. But not to that face. He pushed her head to the side, earning a giggle as Luz fought against him to stay put. "Same goes for you."

“So... it was a grimwalker thing?” She was relentless. Hunter sighed, trying to look into the hallway, making sure there was nobody else.

“Stonesleeper lungs.”

“What?”

Hunter explained he had the lungs of a stonesleeper and told her about the creature’s unique ability. Unbeknownst to him, Luz slowly got twisted smile on her face.

Hunter’s eyes had been fixed on the hallway. He was hoping, praying and manifesting that nobody was eavesdropping. He did notice the suspicious silence. But his suspicions died when he felt a strange sensation behind his ear.

Whatever it was, it felt good. A tingling that grew in intensity, creating an amazing feeling. His surroundings faded and the room seemed to disappear. The sensation spread through his entire body, filling him with peace and tranquillity.

He felt like he was floating, the wonderful feeling pushing the shadows in his mind away. He closed his eyes. He felt like sleep would easily come to him, but not because he was exhausted, he was just… calm.

He was in a state of absolute euphoria.

Then he heard giggling. A mischievous kind of giggling that he had come to know all too well. Luz! He ripped himself away from the clutches of sleep and his eyes flew open. He hadn’t even realised he’d closed them.

He’s never turned his head so fast in his life. Luz had her hand behind his ear, pure glee plastered on her face. He ducked away and swatted at her arm.

“WhaT the fAwck?!” He yelled out, his voice cracking in a cringey way.

Luz erupted in laughter, quickly covering her mouth to not wake the others. Hunter was extremely embarrassed and offended, but mostly confused.

“What was that?!” He asked again desperately, but quieter this time. It was no use. His sister was busy dying from laughter.

Even after calming down a little she didn’t feel the need to elaborate. Just smiling widely at him, way too proud with herself.

“What in Titan’s name did you just do to me?!” Hunter whisper-yelled, rubbing the spot he’d felt the feeling. It clearly didn’t come of as threatening because Luz only smiled bigger.

She folded her legs underneath her and stood on her knees. Now towering over a very alarmed Hunter. Her cat-like grin didn’t escape him this time. He pointed his index finger like a warning.

“Nooo.”

“Yeeeeeeeess.”

She wiggled her fingers in front of her. Hunter backed away slowly, considering also standing on his knees on the couch. Then she attacked! Hunter dodged her touch and swatted at her arms again. He didn’t want to hurt her however, so it was a weak kind of defence.

She reached the spot and Hunter felt that divine feeling creep in again. It took all of his willpower to duck away. He grabbed Luz’s arms and laughter escaped her mouth again.

Hunter was not having it.

He folded his legs underneath him as well. Trying to regain a little bit of dignity, he pushed against her shoulders. She lost her balance and fell backwards, but landed softly on the couch. So she immediately lunged for the spot again, gripping the backrest for extra speed.

Hunter caught her hands. It wasn’t difficult, as Luz’s arms were weak from laughing so much. Before he knew it, he was joining in, laughs erupting out of him in bursts. They were now having a full on wrestling match.

Eventually, they got tired and called a truce. Along the way, they had forgotten to be quiet, but the rest of the house appeared to still be out cold. They flopped back on the couch. Their little match had taken them through the room. Luz gripped her stomach, apparently laughing too much could hurt. Hunter took some deep breaths and rubbed his face.

His hands unwittingly traveled to the spots behind his ears. How humiliating. The absolute audacity of this human! How dare she.

“No but seriously, what was that?” He deserved some clarification here.

“It’s a Stonesleeper secret: they have a ticklish spot behind their ears. When you scratch it, they calm down and fall asleep.” She once again looked way too proud of herself. Grinning from ear to ear. Hunter was just more confused.

“Wh- How… Why does that work on me?" He groaned with his hands pressed to his eyes. "And how do you even know about it?!”

“Lilith taught me!” Luz beamed. Suddenly her face fell, she looked like she saw a ghost.

“Are you okay?” He could guess what kind of realisation had hit her like that.

“Yeah! … No. No, I’m not.” She didn’t have to lie to him. He bottom lip trembled and she bit it, looking down at her hands. “I just miss them so much.”

Hunter didn’t really know what to say, or if there was even anything to say. She was staring blankly ahead, like she was somewhere else entirely. Tears were forming in the corners of her eyes.

Hunter’s heart fell into a thousand little pieces. He felt so useless beside her. He was still pretty bad at the whole comforting thing. The only thing he could think of was raising an unsure arm to his sister and placing his hand softly on her shoulder.

She was a little startled by the touch, suddenly back on earth. She looked at him with pain in her eyes, the corners glistening in the faint light coming from the window.

Hunter was already questioning his action, how could a weak shoulder-touch ever be enough? Then Luz lunged for him. She crashed into him, her head hitting Hunter's clavicle hard. The hug was awkward and honestly kind of painful, but he wouldn't trade it for the world.

“Uhm there there.” Hunter mechanically patted her back, not any less unsure in this situation. If only Flap were here to tell him what to say.

“Pfft- Wow you suck at this!” Luz lifted her head. The tears that she had held back were making two wet streaks down her cheeks. But she was smiling.

“I know.” He whispered and he saw her smile brighter. Hunter wanted to cheer her up, luckily he was he was getting pretty good at that part. He pushed her head against his chest again. “Shhh, I know I suck. Shhh, it’s okay. I know.”

He used an over the top baby voice and pat her head like Camila always did. Luz giggled and it sounded very genuine. Success!

“You really wanna make me feel better?” Her voice was muffled, but carried a certain tone. Hunter could feel a joke coming.

“I’ll do anything.” He said dramatically. Holding her in front of him by the shoulders.

She wiggled her fingers like a weirdo. Hunter shot her a displeased look, but was contemplating to let her do it. Luz wasn’t just suggesting a scratch behind the ear though.

“Then let me do it in front of the others too.”

“No.”

“Awww come on!” Luz whined loudly. He shushed her, but she ignored it. She quickly rubbed off her tear streaks with her sleeve, looked like she was over it. “You looked just like that Stonesleeper, it was hilarious!”

Hunter tried to fight the uneasy feeling of his stomach flipping. He didn’t want to be similar to those… urg! He hated everything he inherited from them.

"Wait- you've seen a Stonesleeper?!” Hunter’s brain suddenly caught up. “Up close?”

"Yeah!” Luz was excited, bouncing on the couch to get more comfortable. The fact she’d been crying a second ago didn’t make sense. Regardless, he was happy she was feeling better. “They're like the cutest dinosaurs ever!"

"What?" He reacted in pure disbelief.

"What?" Luz looked at him funny.

"Aren't they... vicious predators?" Hunter asked confused. He wasn't sure if he really wanted the answer to that question, maybe Luz was just joking. Maybe she hadn’t actually been close to it.

“No way!” Luz frowned and Hunter felt a weird feeling in his chest. “Well at first it was pretty scary, but when I scratched its neck it turned into a big softie! Me and Lilith even rode on its back, it was super cute after that.”

“Huh.” Hunter was stunned, recognising the feeling in his chest as relief. All those books were wrong.

“I’m sure they’re vicious to their actual prey though.” Luz tapped her chin thoughtfully. “The one we found was really hungry, pretty sure it saw me as food before we became besties.”

Hunter thought that was relatively fair, but the fact it had been so friendly to Luz and Lilith even though it was starving. This was absurd. So many of the books he read had misinformation in them. What a shocker honestly.

The first time he’d gone into Hexside’s library he had taken every single book that even so much as mentioned grimwalkers. He quickly learned that some of the stories, mostly from the fiction section, were bogus. They had inconsistencies that, although he was scared, even Hunter could spot.

But the non-fiction wasn’t like that. And he never thought that it could be the same for other ‘monsters’. Bestiaries were impartial, at least it seemed that way. Scratch that, they were supposed to be impartial!

If the books weren’t even real- If no one knew the actual truth- Everything in his life was a lie!

“Heh, a dangerous foe turned big softie.” Luz said, interrupting his spiral. She bumped her fist against his arm. “That’s exactly like you.”

“Ha… yeah.” Hunter trailed off, not really seeing the humour in it. Being compared to that beast still made him feel uncomfortable. Okay, calm down. Lilith must’ve gotten her knowledge from books too, they weren’t all bogus. He wished he could ask, he never really liked her but the way Luz talked about how she thrived outside of the coven… It suddenly hit him that she was mocking him. “Hey!”

“Admit it, you’re a softie hermano.” She laughed.

“Shut up.” He mumbled. Her calling him ‘brother’ right now was definitely planned, things like that is what made him a softie!

He wanted nothing more than to stop thinking about all the books that may or may not have been totally false. He needed a change of topic.

“How are things with Amity?” He asked as he also got into a more comfy position on the couch, he’d felt kind of frozen before.

“Good! Well, better.” Luz fumbled over her words. “I mean, we were good and we’re still good. It’s just that I feel like she doesn’t fully trust me, if that makes sense?”

Hunter raised an eyebrow and cocked his head, showing that it, in fact, didn’t make any sense. Luz groaned after trying and failing to explain it more, like she couldn’t decide what to say.

“She just wants to talk about how I feel all the time.” She eventually burst out.

“And that’s so horrible because…?” He waved his hands around, spurring her to continue. He was very confused what the issue here was.

“Well I can’t tell her the truth.” She sighed, then cut him off before he could even respond. “And whenever she wants to talk about the Boiling Ilses I just get really…” She wiggled and shook her hands around, having trouble finding a word again. “…flighty?”

“Alright,” Hunter said a little disturbed by the aggressive way she was moving and trying to process what she said. “Can’t you talk about your feelings without telling her everything?”

“I can try.” Luz shrugged.

“You two still going on that date?” Hunter asked before placing a proud hand over his heart. A smug smile pulling at his mouth as he gave a pointed look. “I gave you that genius idea for a reason.”

“Ha-ha.” Luz kicked his knee softly, it felt more like a playful push. “We were planning to go tomorrow after school, but I'm not sure if that's still a good idea."

"Luz.” Hunter turned fully, staring deep into her eyes. “If you let me ruin your date I will actually cry."

"Oh no- Hunter!" Luz couldn’t decide wether she should laugh or be genuinely upset about his threat.

"I'm serious! I'll do it!" He doubled down.

"Okay! We'll go!" She relented.

Hunter was joking, but if Luz had actually cancelled her date because of that ‘incident’, he probably would cry.

They sat in another long, awkward silence. But the longer they sat in it, the less awkward it felt. Hunter almost started feeling peaceful, sinking deeper in the couch, the silver moonlight still bathing the room in an almost spellbound glow.

“Go to sleep,” Luz said, “I’ll watch over you.”

Hunter watched the expression on her face for a few seconds. He longed for sleep. There were a million reason why he shouldn't, but somehow they didn't feel that heavy anymore.

“That’s my line.” He smiled as he felt himself giving in.

Luz didn’t respond, probably knowing there was no need. She pat the couch cushions as she stood up, getting a blanket and an extra pillow from the comfy chair. Hunter lay down with some reluctance when she unceremoniously dropped the pillow. After which she draped the blanket over him, tucking him in with self-satisfied smile.

He shut his eyes even more reluctant, but the calm that washed over him was so overwhelming. And his poor aching eyes finally had relieve.

He felt something brush against his ear. His eyes flew open again, giving Luz a warning look right away. It didn’t deter her stupid grin or her hand from his hair.

With one last sigh, he surrendered himself to the feeling of pure bliss.

[taylooraaye]

It'll Work Out - Chapter 1

Summary: When Gail Force, a producing duo, gets asked to join HYBE and work with a boy group under their company, they did not think that they would be meeting their Fated Mates. 

Pledis had been bought by HYBE, and Seventeen now needs more producers.

Disclaimers: Hi! Just a few disclaimers, this is a Seventeen A/B/O AU, and there will be smut at some point in the story. This is technically an OC fic but you are more than welcome to read as Y/N. This is something that I and my best friend are coming up with together. I don't have a set posting schedule yet so bear with me.

Hello Gail Force,

I am the Recruitment Liaison from HYBE labels. We are currently in the process of expanding our music production department.

Based on your previous work with BIGHIT and other Korean labels, we would love to invite you out to meet with us and discuss the opportunity of a permanent position on our music production staff.Your work comes highly recommended along with a positive reputation within the industry.

Below is attached a detailed description of the position, the standard production contract, and the company's health and safety promise. Please respond to this email or contact me at (xxx) xxx-xxxx with any questions or concerns as well as to schedule a formal interview and conference if you are interested in the position.

Kind Regards,

Recruitment Liaison

Music Production Department

HYBE Corp.

The email had come as a shock to both girls, while they had worked very well when they collabed with BTS, this was not the outcome that they had thought would happen. Vienna was the one that had opened the email in the first place, having called over Piper to make sure it was not a joke.

“Are you seeing this?” Vienna was still in disbelief, they had been in the industry for years now, and collabing with BTS had opened some opportunities for them with smaller companies but it was never permanent positions. Piper had sat there for about five minutes rereading the email making sure it was not fake before she had decided to say something.

“Call the number you whore!” she had begun to hit Vienna to try and get her to hurry up.

“Wait! What time is it in Korea?” The other girl had begun to look up what time it was. It was 4:00 PM in Atlanta so it was well into the early morning in Korea. Being that early in the morning the girls had no choice but to wait at least three more hours so it could be a reasonable 6:00 AM in Korea.

The waiting was the worst for the both of them, they were people who liked having the instant gratification of going and buying in the store instead of ordering online. Once it had hit 6:00 AM there was a fight to see who would not have to call, both girls having anxiety when having to make phone calls.

“It's technically your turn to make the call.You have the better customer service voice.” Piper had made a good point but if Vienna was being honesty, she was not giving up that easily.

“But I was the one that found the email, I saw it now you have to make the call.” Vienna had started to pout at Piper. Vienna was the younger of the two and really knew how to get her way with the older girl. All she had to do was bat her eyes at her and she would fold. Piper had given up at that point realizing that she had already lost.

“Hi, This is Piper, one half of Gail Force, I was giving you a call regarding the email that was sent.” She had sat down in their studio to give them a call and was now regretting everything as her anxiety started to rise. Vienne was waiting not as patiently, she had her ear pressed up against the phone that Piper was holding to try and hear what they were saying. It was not a comfortable position at all but she needed to be able to hear what was being said.

“So you want us to come to korea for a permanent position, Who are we going to be producing for?” The older girl was getting annoyed with the person on the phone. The email was real but they would not give them any more information besides that someone had recommended them for this position and that they would be working with a boy group.

~ a week later ~

The girls had decided that they were going to take the position after a lengthy call on what HYBE was prepared to offer them to get them to sign a contract. HYBE was going to set them up with an apartment since finding one at the last minute was not going to go over well, along with that each girl got their own production studio. While they were a producing duo, when producing they had different sounds when working.

They were hoping that once they got into korea that they could get to their new apartment and get some unpacking done but HYBE had wanted them to come in to the office to official sign the rest of the contract and meet part of the group that they were going to be working with. The plane ride was not that bad but being omegas in their own little “not pack” it was hard not being able to scent each other to calm down, and now having to go straight to HYBE ment that they would have to put off scenting each other ever more. Once at HYBE, they were meant to be meeting with Bang PD.

“So, we just want to get some more information for our Health and Wellness department, If you could just fill out these forms, that would be great.” Bang DP had explained while handing them to form.

“Are your heats regular?” Vienna had read the question before Bang PD could react. His face had turned a firey red before he could tell them to not read the question out loud. “Please dont read the questions off, I do not need to know what is being asked on them.” The girls having turned red themselves at his awkwardness,jsut continued with the questionnaire.

On the other side of the building, the Leader line of Seventeen was exiting their practire room when they were met with a few member of BTS.

“OH! Are you all headed to your meeting with Gail Force?” Namjoon had questioned them as they were passing. Seungcheol having realized what they were talking about had spoken up “yes, we are going for our initial meeting with them. You have work with them before right?”

“Yes, they worked with us on Map Of Seoul 7 after Jungkook had begged Bang PD to get them to work with us.” Jungkook started pouting at what Namjoon had reveled. “They are pretty intense when it comes to producing, it probably one of the only time that i have been intimated. “ Yoongi had added. Picking up on what Yoongi was up to, Jungkook decided to get in on the action.”They are like 6’6” and really macho Alphas. They give Namjoon a run for his money.” Namjoon having to turn to conceal his amused face decided that they needed to head out. “Well, you all should be heading over, dont want to be late.”

As the leader line was heading to the meeting Hoshi decided to speak up. “ do you think they were telling the truth? Namjoon seemed to be laughing at the end there.”

“Well, they have worked with them before, there is not a reason for them to lie.” Woozi was already annoyed with the situation and Hoshi was not helping. Woozi was under the impression that Seventeen didnt need more producer, he was more than able to do it and now he was going to be made to work with more people.

The walk over to the meeting room was not long and as they got there, Hoshi had to ask another question. “What do we do?”

Seungcheol being the Pack Alpha decided to speak up “Hold our heads up and puff our chest out. We are also Alphas.”

Opening the door, they wre not met with the picture they BTS had painted for them, sitting in the room were two girl on the shorter side, one was stacking bottles atop one another and the other acting like she didnt know who she was.

“Um, are you both with Gail Force?” S. Coups was still holding the door handle incase they had entered the wrong room.

“Hi, yes we are Gail Force, Im Piper and this is Vienna. “ the older girl had introduce the both of them.

“Is it only you two?” S. Coups was in disbelief at the two girls that were in the room. “See i told you BTS Sunbeanim was joking with us!” Hoshi was now pouting at Woozi and S. Coups since they did not believe him. The two girls were giggling at Hoshis outburst.

“They tend to do that, they think its funny since we are both Omegas.” Vienna had explain after her giggles had died down. “ we are going to have to text them again.” she added on.

“Wait, You both are Omegas? we have been looking for Omegas.” Hoshi had sat down as he began to talk. S. Coups give him a bewildered look. “You can not just say that to people, Its not common for people to ask that is the states.” S. Coups had sat beside him while he was scolding him. Woozi was the last to sit but he had yet to say anything.

“I am very sorry about him, we are technically looking for an Omega for our pack but he should had no asked that especially since we all just met.” S. Coups apoligized to the girl on the behalf of Hoshi.

“Its okay, we understand that some things are done differently in Korea.” Vienna was trying to not laugh as she talked. Piper was still in shock at what Hoshi had said, her mouth still open with shock. Vienna had nudge her to get her back to earth.

“You do know that you both can take off your scent blockers right?” S. Coups was saying this for more of his sake, he did not like have part of his pack around people that he couldnt smell. While the only other two with him were Alphas as well, it didnt mean he liked it any less.

“We are okay keeping them on, we are still getting used to the scents here in HYBE.” Vienna was planning on sticking up for herself and Piper if she had to. They were unmated and in a foreign country they werent just going to go around without scent blockers on. “Bang PD told us that we did not have too as well, but until we are more comfortable her, we arent going to be taking them off.” She had added also.

“If anything, you all should be wearing one. Yall are stinking up the office.” Piper wasnt going to admit that she actual thought someone out of them smelled amazing but she also wasnt going to allow these alphas to think they were entitled to smell them just because it makes them uncomfortable.

Woozi having sensed that the girls were getting upset decided to step in before the other two could put their foot further in their mouths. “We were just making sure you both knew that we and the company value our omega workers and would not make them wear scent blockers.” Woozi having defused the situation moved onto a different topic. “You both have worked with BTS?”

“We have, about a year ago, we each produced a song with them. We are a duo but we have different sound when it comes to producing.” Piper had begun to explain the dynamic of their duo, “I work mainly on softer music and Vienna is usually the go to for harder sounds. “We look forward to working with you both.” S. Coups added in to the conversation.

Piper having realized the time decided it was time to cut the meeting short. “It has been great to meet y'all but we need to head out and get to our living arrangements.”

A/N: I hope y'all like this so far. it's my first time writing fanfic so it hope it's good.

[ha-rinrin]

FRACTURED PHATS

Y/N, a determined CEO, has built a successful enterprise from scratch, only to face fierce competition from Hyunjin, the head of a rival company.

First chapter of this new series :))

01- Company next door

“what are you doing in my building” I say clearly annoyed

“trust me, this is the last place I would rather be” he spat with so much venom it hurted

“then why the fuck are you here Hyunjin” I spat back

The man I was just talking to flinches his eyes between between him and me, clearly uncomfortable.

“we need to talk Y/n” his eyes filled with hatred

12 hours prior

“here comes one of my favorites CEO’s, do me a favor and tell this douchebag to let me in? “ Felix grumbled with a bright smile on his face, I smiled back “of courses sunshine, next time he comes jut let him in” I advise to the guard. “yes mrs Eun” replies the guard. “lets go Lix”

“I missed my couch, and the view of course” purred my best friend as soon as we entered my office, the sky of Korea clear behind me due to the enormous glass wall, “why haven’t you visited me?” I question with a pout. While sitting on the glass table, not bothering to sit on my fancy chair “you know how’s Hyunjin with me coming to see you” Felix pouted, I frowned at the memory of the man. “why are you still working for him anyways?, you can always work here” I questioned, “I really appreciate the offer Y/nnie but I already have my place at the company and he’s my best friend, you know this” ” he explains “I knowww but how can you be friends with him?” Its just so unreasonable that such a pure soul like Llix would be friends with the most annoying, self-centered person I know, “you guys don’t get along ´cause of the rivalry you guys have due to the company’s” stated Felix laughing, I just stayed silent. “Can’t deny that” i answered

Eun enterprise and Red Lights corporation have always been rivals in the industry, I built my company from scratch ever since I was 18, 6 years of hard work were definitely whort wit, as now im the CEO of one of the best, most known business in the country, here’s where Red lights Corporation comes in, one year after from my company’s opening. He decided to launch his own business, Felix being his right hand.

“but he’s such a pain in the ass all the fucking time is unbelievable” I proclaimed. Just as Felix was opening his mouth, some annoying boss felt the need to call him. “Hyun?” Answers Lix. I can hear the clearly angry Hyunjin on the phone. “I swear.. she’s sweet don’t day that.. hyun… okay okay just… fine, im coming in 5” he mutters, “looks like someone’s looking for you” I smirked. “I’ll be back for my couch·” shouts lix while rushing to the elevator. Just as it opened my assistant popped up, “Y/n I have some great news” she says excitedly “well hi there winter” I answer with amusement “u know u can call me by my real name right?” Forty raises an eyebrow in my direction “I know I know Min-Jeong” I smile sweetly at her, as my friend since kindergarten, I have a lot of care for her.

“Back to the great news” she continuos, “ some really important person wants to make an inversion in the company” winter says with a smirk, “how important are we talking about?”, “oh nothing is not like he isn’t the owner of one of the most important company’s that’s for sure” she says jokingly “u kidding” I ask, there have been a lot of people wanting to make deals with us but never that big, “his name is changbin”

…

“THE SEO CHANGBIN??”

“The one an only” frosty’s smirk never leaving her face for one second, “shut up” I cover my mouth in shook “he’s like.. rich rich” my eyes couldn’t be more open. Seo Changbin is the owner of one of the most important company’s, not only in Korea but also in Europe, this is that big of a deal.

“This could elevate the business to the point were we could expand to Europe” I exclaim in absolute shook

“Hes coming here tomorrow morning to talk about the deal”

“Better be ready then” I say as I smile

“You can’t stop smiling can you?”

“Im sorry!!”

“Welcome mr. Seo, Im Eun Y/n, CEO of Eun enterprise” I give him a welcoming smile as I introduce myself while we are in the lobby walking towards the elevator to get to my office.

“Oh dear you can call me Changbin, I’m really exited to get to know you” as he says that I just look at him taken by surprise, he can be very handsome but business is business, since this company started I was determined to not cross my personal life with my work. He notices how weirded out I am

“And the company of course” I can see the nerves in his posture and how his eyes are moving way too much but I decide to stay silent as we enter the elevator.

“What a nice office you have” he exclaims as he is inspecting every single inch of my office

“Thank you, we can take a seat here” I suggest while im pointing to two armchair facing each other whit a glass table in the middle. Yes, im fan of glass okay?. After he sat on the chair we start talking about the deal, everything goes well, I can already see my company in different part of the word.

“Of course I would want certain part of the income” starts changbin

“How much would we be talking about?”

“Well..”

He couldn’t finish his sentence before someone comes in.

what are you doing in my building” I say standing from my chair, clearly annoyed

“trust me, this is the last place I would rather be” his eyes drift to the seated man, his eyes filled with rage

“then why the fuck are you here Hyunjin” I spat

The man I was just talking to flinches his eyes between him and me, clearly uncomfortable.

“we need to talk Y/n”

He seems to notice just now the presence of the about to be new investor

“In private” Hyunjin musters between grilled teeth

“Oh don’t worry, I was just about leave, Y/n I will email you the date of the next reunion, now please excuse me” I can’t even say anything before he’s in the elevator spreading going to the lobby.

“Great, you just made me lose an important investor, what the fuck do you want, who even let you in?” I say loudly almost shouting at him

“Well first, don’t fucking shout at me, second, he literally said we was going to set a date for another reunion don’t be dramatic, third, we have a much bigger issue” remarks hwang

“Don’t tell me what to do Hwang, and what is this “big issue” you are talking about” I answer, doing quotes

“There’s a new company in the market casually doing the exact same products as we are” he whispers

“Hold up” I raise my hand in sign to let me process this, “ do u have a picture?” questioned.

“Yes, I even have all te comparisons between their product and ours, they are not just copying me but you too, also doing some type of mixed product between both our ideas”

“Great, show me the pictures of what they are selling and their name” I demand

“Cmon I have them in my office” he informs me as he’s already in the elevator

“Do you really expect me to just show up at your company?” I laugh

“Believe me, I hate the thought of you in my office but do you want to let the unoriginal copycat ruin your company and mine? Be my fucking guest” okay, now he’s clearly annoyed and pissed

“Fine.” I mustered

As we enter Red Lights corporation I can feel all the stares and shocked looks as we walk side by side.

“Do you think they’re dating?” whispers one secretary to the other “I don’t know but they sure would make a great couple” as I hear that I can see Hyunjin smirking, he also heard.

We make our way through the bustling corridors of Red Lights Corporation. The building’s sleek, modern design feels both impressive and intimidating. Hyunjin leads the way with a confidence that seems almost rehearsed, though he’s clearly on edge. I follow, feeling the weight of the stares from the employees we pass.

"Here we are," he announces, stopping in front of a glass door that slides open to reveal his office. It’s as luxurious as you’d expect from someone in his position—large desk, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a minimalist aesthetic.

“Take a seat I guess” Hyunjin says, gesturing to the chairs opposite his desk. I sit down, crossing my arms and trying to suppress my irritation.

“Alright, Hwang. Let’s see what you’ve got,” I say, my tone clipped.

Hyunjin sits behind his desk and pulls out a file. He flips it open and spreads out several photographs and reports. Each page shows a side-by-side comparison of our products and those of the new company, along with notes detailing the similarities and overlaps.

“This is what they’re selling,” he says, pointing to the pictures. “Their products are strikingly similar to ours, and they’ve even incorporated features from your line.”

I study the images carefully. The resemblance is undeniable—same design elements, similar functionality. It’s like they took our ideas and just tweaked them slightly.

“What’s their name?” I ask, still absorbing the information.

“Veritas Industries,” Hyunjin replies. “They’ve been gaining traction fast, and it’s clear they’re targeting the same market we are.”

I raise an eyebrow. “And you’re telling me this now because…?”

“Because,” he says, leaning forward, “I need your help sadly. If we both tackle this problem together, we can neutralize the threat. If we don’t, we risk losing significant market share to them.”

I give him a skeptical look. “Why would you help me? You and your company have always been a thorn in my side and vice versa.”

Hyunjin’s expression softens slightly. “Because it’s in both our best interests. If Veritas continues to copy us, it’s only a matter of time before they start eating into our profits. We can either waste time fighting each other or pool our resources and deal with this threat head-on.”

His argument is sound, and I can’t deny the urgency of the situation. I sigh and run a hand through my hair. “Fine. What do you propose we do?”

“First, we need to gather more intelligence on Veritas—find out who’s behind it and their strategy. Next, we should consider legal action to protect our intellectual property. And, of course, we’ll need to step up our own R&D to stay ahead.”

I nod, already formulating a plan in my mind. “Alright. I’ll start by getting my team on this. But don’t think this means I’m going to be friendly with you.”

Hyunjin smirks. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Just then, the office door opens and a young woman steps in, her eyes darting between us. “Mr. Hwang, I have those documents you requested.”

Hyunjin takes the papers from her and then turns back to me. “I’ll have my team coordinate with yours. Let’s set up a meeting for tomorrow to go over the details.”

I stand up, ready to leave. “Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

I step into the elevator and the doors close, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I’m not sure what the future holds, but I’m ready to face whatever comes next—whether it’s with Hyunjin’s help or not.

The elevator ride down is silent, my mind racing with the possibilities of what working with Hyunjin could mean for both our companies. Despite my best efforts, I can’t shake the image of him from my mind—his intense gaze, the way his jaw tightened when he spoke. There’s something about him that gets under my skin, and it’s not just business.

When the elevator dings and the doors open, I step out into the lobby and head towards the exit. As I step back on my own office, winter is already waiting for me. “Dare to explain me why I just saw you and Hyunjin together?” There ´s a slight shook in her voice.

Just dealing with some kind of copycat trying to copy and paste our ideas” I say lightly

“Oh shit, again”?”

“Yep, but this time its not only me but hwangs company too”

“Okay that’s come audacity”

“I know right?, anyways tomorrow we’re gonna met for a meeting to talk about this”

“Ohh” she teases

“Oh come on you now how im with mixing work with personal business” I roll my eyes

“A little bit of losing up doesn’t hurt anyone Y/n, its been a while since your last relationship”

“Yeah, then my ex made a company right next to mine”

[melanieph321]

Ruben Dias - The Award Part 15/15

Prologue Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Epilogue

Sassy Ruben, I love it! 🤭🤭

Kiera Reed, upcoming superstar, the new it girl, multi Grammy Award winner…or so she wants to be. Realizing that the music industry has little to do with talent and a lot to do with status, Kiera is willing to do it all to give her music the recognition it deserves. Even if that means fake dating the stubborn, inconsiderate and undeniably arrogant football player, Ruben Dias. It is through lies, schemes and hurt that the "couple" comes to know each other. But through passion, love and sacrifice Kiera and Ruben go through lengths to help each other achieve their dreams.

Enjoy! ✨️

Kiera couldn't help but to feel like she didn't belong. What was she thinking, showing up at the hospital uninvited and unwanted? With Angie by her side she rushed down the polished corridors of the general hospital in Wolverhampton. Finding Ruben would be difficult. The lady at the ICU front desk had already refused to give up information about the "famous footballer" who was brought into their care earlier that night. She referred to the girls as crazy Man City groupies and sent them on their way.

"Call him." Angie suggested.

"What? No. What makes you think that Ruben is in any kind of shape to pick up his phone right now?" Kiera hissed.

"Well, how else are we going to find him?"

The universe was on her side. Kiera's gaze had wandered down the hall, wishing, no, hoping for a miracle, any kind of miracle. It came in the shape of a man, a small man dressed in blue, pacing anxiously at the end of the hall. "Bernardo!" 

"Kiera, you made it!" He exclaimed, as she rushed towards him. "Did Ines give you a call?"

"Ehm, no.  I…..I was in the neighbourhood….visiting my cousin.." Kiera lied. She wasn't sure whether Ruben had told his friend the truth about their relationship. Considering how disastrous things were going between them, what was stopping him?

"Oh, okay. Well that's good." Bernardo replied. "The doctors won't let me into Ruben's room past visiting hours. Family members only."

"Really, that's a shame." Kiera turned to her cousin. 

"We can come back tomorrow, check on him then?" Angie shrugged,

"Why?" Bernardo scuffed. "You're Ruben's girlfriend, the closest thing he has to family right now. They'll let you see him. Meanwhile I can go home and change."

"You're leaving?" The panic in Kieras voice was not meant to be detected. 

"Yes, I'm going home to my wife and kids," Bernardo said. "But don't worry, we'll be back first thing tomorrow morning, in time for Ruben's release from surgery."

"He…Ruben has to have surgery?" Kiera clutched her heart, fear in her eyes. Bernadro noticed this and didn't hesitate to put a comforting arm around her. He spoke to her gently. "You should go in and see him."

"I don't—."

"Trust me, he's waiting for you." He smiled, as if he knew something that Kiera didn't. 

She nodded her head, assuring Angie that she would only be a minute. But before she slipped through the door, she turned to Bernardo, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "Thank you, for being such a good friend to Ruben."

He chuckled lightly. "Thank you, for making Ruben the happiest that I've ever seen." 

She smiled timidly and with a light knock made her way into the hospital room. It was dimly lit with the curtains drawn. In the corner lay a bed. Kiera carefully made her way towards it, stopping once she noticed Ruben with his eyes closed and his head resting on the pillow. The peaceful sight struck her heart. Kiera pressed her hand to her mouth not to let her cry escape. She failed however, as Ruben's eyes slowly batted open, his pupils expanding at the sight of her. "Kiera?"

She shook her head. "I'm so sorry. I woke you up."

He raised his head from the pillow, struggling to sit up. Kiera rushed to be by his bedside, aiding him to sit up straight. She noticed his bandaged leg and the way it was positioned to restrict movement.

"Please, don't overextend yourself, you might make it worse."

"Worser than this." He chuckled. "Nah, nothings worser than rock bottom."

Kiera couldn't help but to feel for Ruben, and the way his eyes hung low. She could tell that all hopes of recovery had left him on that pitch tonight.

"I'm so sorry, Ruben."

"You said that already." He was being sassy, trying to joke away the pain, however Kiera wasn't having it.

"Bernardo told me about our surgery tomorrow. Are you worried?"

"Bernardo." Ruben sighed. His hands folded behind his head and fell back against the headboard. The hospital had given him a plain hospital gown that fitted tightly around his torso, stretching the fabric around his chest and biceps. "I'm guessing that he's the one who called you down here." He said, with a touch of irony in his voice.

"I told you that I was in BIrmingham, visiting my parents." Kiera explained. "No one called me here, I saw the accident happen on live TV, my whole family did."

"Better on TV than in person, right?"

"I—."He was being an asshole. But rightfully so since Kiera never told her family about Ruben inviting them to see him play. Although keen on it at first, Kiera changed her mind once she had come to her senses. "If you must know, I've been working on my music for the past twenty-four hours. I have an album release coming out shortly."

"Oh, yeah and how is that going for you?" He asked, again, with a touch of irony noted in his voice. Have you and your boyfriend made up already? You must have since you didn't bother to return any of my calls and tell me that you were ditching the game today."

"I said that I was sorry."

"You didn't, actually."

"Well, I am."

"Then I want to hear it."

"Excuse me?" Kiera found Ruben's sudden daftness to be insulting. He was pushing her buttons, purposely so.

"An apology, Kiera. A real one." He said. "Let's hear it."

Read full chapter on my Patreon!

Prologue

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Epilogue