#fate has successfully been tempted

[duckapus]

Episode idea: Desti's been trying to get a job for the last few weeks, but between the current job market sucking and the whole Being Dead For A Few Years thing messing with her resume, it hasn't been going well. She probably could go back into Inksports, but that would involve moving all the way to Splatsville since that's where the current Turf War scene is (and, you know, the fact that Inkopolis got destroyed during the Emulator Arc), and like hell she's gonna leave everyone she currently knows and live in the desert. She's been getting a bit discouraged, but today opportunity finally knocks in the form of the school the Kids go to needing a new P.E. Teacher.

Most of the Crew is somewhat apprehensive, knowing full well how intense both she and the kids at that particular school can be, but she's not worried about it. I mean, she was a high ranking member of the Octarian military, and after that the leader of a very successful professional inksports team! She can totally handle teaching a bunch of kids how to exercise!

[nunalastor]

Obsessive Roo

By the 1920s, Roo's managed to scrape up enough energy to give herself a temporary human form. She's got some business to sort out, and some cults to tempt. Unfortunately for her, a rather interesting man catches her attention. He leads her out to the woods, and just as Roo feels a spike in malevolent energy, stabs her in the neck.

Roo can't help but laugh as her body fades away. What a twist! This is the most interesting thing that's happened in centuries.

She watches this man, and the rest of his murders. This human just radiates evil; she loves it!

Which is why she chooses him. She can't wait until she's released, so he can finally be hers. Though, his little 'stunt' did set everything back another century or so. He's been waiting all this time, poor thing.

In the meantime, Roo's successfully managed to keep bad influences (i.e. people stealing Alastor's attention and making him feel safe) away from her deer. Like that Vox demon, who had the gall to try and drive a wedge between her and Alastor. As if her darling would've wanted a relationship with him anyways. Better to let Alastor assume the demon betrayed him, though, just in case to save him the drama.

And, finally, everything's in place- Roo's escape is imminent. She just has to tie up a few loose ends. Namely, that silly Hotel project her darling foolishly signed onto. (The amount of angelic energy around the building is enough to make her sick. It's almost like he's trying to get rid of her- ha!)

Oh, there's also that little deal he got himself caught up in. Who the fuck is Lilith to take Roo's property like that? 'Queen of Hell' won't mean much once she's finally free.

(And, no, Alastor's not aware of Roo in this AU. Even so, he can't help but notice the eyes that follow him everywhere... except in the hotel.)

Alastor probably would be flattered to know that such an entity is so interested in him- a powerful one, at that! It's just the whole 'being owned' thing that kinda ruins it for him. What's all that power worth if he's not at liberty to use it himself?

As for Lilith, she could have Al's soul for one of two reasons. 1) She wants to barter with Roo, who would probably pay a hefty price to have her deer in her grasp. Or 2), she knows of Roo's obsession (felt it the moment she met Alastor; real disturbing stuff) and keeps his soul to prevent Roo from getting it.

Lilith protects her people, and since there aren't many angels in Hell, the best protection Alastor can hope for is the Queen herself. She doesn't know what he did to gain Roo's attention, but it was a mistake. And she's simply not cruel enough to leave him to his fate.

👀

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

Temporary Care for Baby Gray Squirrels

So, I've obviously learned a lot this week about the care of baby squirrels, and let me stress that it must be temporary. They are best off in a wildlife centre where they will be prepared for release. But I thought I'd share what I've learned in case someone else finds themselves in a similar situation.

1) If the baby is scampering about, it's probably fine. Leave it alone.

2) If it is just lying there in the open or it crawls up your leg, this is a bad sign and a good chance it's been orphaned.

3) Approach cautiously and do not handle with bare hands. Gently wrap the baby in something soft.

4) If you see fleas or other insects crawling on it, this is even more evidence that it's been orphaned.

5) If found on your own property, place the baby in a box outside in a relatively safe location from predators with something soft and fluffy. If not on your own property, skip to 10).

6) Keep it warm. They can't regulate their body temperature so need assistance. Fill a sock with dried rice and microwave or fill a bottle with hot water. Place between blanket and squirrel and make sure there's enough room that the squirrel can move away if it gets too hot.

7) Give it fresh fruit with the skin removed at least in part so it can suck on it for hydration. You can try nuts and seeds too but it may be too young for solids (mine is not).

8) You can play baby squirrel distress calls to try and attract the mother back to it.

9) If 24 hours have elapsed without the mother retrieving it, it's been orphaned.

10) Take it inside. If you have a large cage, great. In my experience young squirrels don't move very far from a place they find safe that has food, so it's fine if you don't as long as you don' t mind the mess and have no pets/can keep pets away from it.

11) Make sure it has ample fresh fruit for hydration (for an animal as small as a baby squirrel, a full-sized apple is plenty), blanket for security, and a hot water bottle/rice-filled sock nearby for warmth (see 6)).

12) Take pictures if you can. This will be important for identification and they may be hard to get once the baby recovers its strength.

13) Get in touch with a wildlife centre and make arrangements to deliver it. This can be a pain as they may have limited ways to contact them with limited hours, but it's worth it if you can get through.

14) Unfortunately not every place has room or has drivers to come pick it up so you might have to borrow a carrier, find a further location, and arrange your own transport.

15) Do not feed the squirrel dairy, salted nuts, dried fruit, bread, chocolate, or peanuts. These will dehydrate it, poison it, have too few vitamins, or are too concentrated in sugar. Generally stick to fresh fruits and vegetables and unsalted nuts and seeds (peanuts are legumes, not nuts).

16) Do not handle it more than absolutely necessary. Do not try to make friends with it. Do not try to be its mother. Simply provide the things it needs and otherwise keep your distance.

17) You'll want to get it to a centre as soon as possible, and the younger it is, the more urgent this is, since before a certain age they need to be fed formula and can't pee or poop without stimulation.

18) Don't bring it to the humane society unless all other options have been exhausted. They will put it down. Only choose this option if it's between that and release. The baby cannot survive on its own and will die of hypothermia, dehydration, starvation, getting run over, or getting snapped up by a predator. If that fate was unacceptable when you picked it up, it's unacceptable now. The humane society offers a much more compassionate death. But try other options first.

19) While it's tempting, you almost certainly can't successfully keep it as a pet. It, like any other animal, has enrichment needs most of us can't provide. They can be quite destructive in a home setting as adults, and the longer you keep it, the more habituated it will become and the lower its ability to be successfully released into the wild.

20) Clean everything the baby has had contact with, including yourself. Last thing you want is a nasty infection. Also you want to get rid of the fleas.

21) This is just my experience in an emergency situation and may not apply to all! Please look up what your local wildlife centre has to say about their care and ask any questions you need when you get into contact with them directly.

22) This is also specific to gray squirrels. I don't know what a red squirrel would require and baby rabbits are notorious for just. Dying.

23) Good luck!

[thestarofhermes]

Behold! ‘Tis I, Fischl, the Prinzessin de Verurteilung! ‘Twas fate that led our paths to cross during one’s most turbulent of eras, and now one must test your knowledge of arithmetic to see if you are indeed worthy of the glories sung in your name! Should you succeed, one shall grant you the divine privilege of stepping foot into one’s beloved Immernachtreich!

10^x + 11^x + 12^x = 13^x + 14^x

X=?

Oh! It seems I have neglected this app for quite a while. I'm sorry for my mistake, please do not take this as an offense. I've been so busy trying to get used to life outside the island.

Fischl, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung? An introduction I'll most likely remember for some time. And you've given me a test, too! Wonderful. You've sent this question 4 days ago.. Hmh, I'm not sure if you still require an answer, but just incase:

Based on the given question:

"10^x + 11^x + 12^x = 13^x + 14^x"

I have calculated that x holds the value of 2. I'll provide a detailed explanation for further comprehension!

The first and foremost step to uncovering this equation, you must evaluate the behaviour of both sides of the equation as the x varies!

For x = 2,

10^2 + 11^2 + 12^2 = 100 + 121 + 144 = 365

13^2 + 14^2 = 169 + 196 = 365

Thus, 10^2 + 11^2 + 12^2 = 13^2 + 14^2 proves that x = 2.

Of course, with every equation, it is natural for us to question whether we have calculated the accurate result! This part is what most people find less important, but, it really is as important as the fun of finding solutions.

We can analyse the functions on either sides,

The left-hand side, f(x) = 10^x + 11^x + 12^x, is an increasing function since the sum of exponential functions with bases greater than 1 is increasing. The right-hand side, g(x) = 13^x + 14^x, is also an increasing function, with the same explanation why.

Since both functions are increasing, they can intersect at most once. From our methodical calculation, we have made it clear that x = 2 is the most reasonable conclusion because the functions f(x) = 10^x + 11^x + 12^x and g(x) = 13^x + 14^x are strictly increasing due to the derivative of each term being positive for x > 0. The most the can intersect is once. Since we found a single intersection at x = 2, it is the only solution.

Thus, the value of x is 2.

I don't exactly understand what you meant by an Immernachtreich, but from the formation of the word as a whole, I assume it is some form of Germanic language.

...

All right! I have successfully googled the meaning, and your offer seems tempting! Well, I hope my explanation has served some use to you, and everyone else. I'm still figuring out how these applications work, so there's definitely a high chance of me not responding as conveniently as you wish. I'll check if there are any other questions I've left unanswered—

Farewell! I'd find it nice to talk with you again.

[bethanysmiled]

saw your oc lore post.... my time to shine >:3

the big 4! little moon, cupid, permanent hole, and fortune!! what the heck are those sillies!!! do they know each other?

oh my gosh dsfsdfI'm flattered you'd ask hehI'll write in the undercut and try to keep it short.

Before all this tho, I think it's important to understand that my ocs and the world they inhabit dont need to make sense logically. Think of it as a children's book. Roald Dahl's books, for instance, or something like 'The Chocolate Touch' etc All in all, my ocs dont make logical sense. They live in a world where stuff just IS.

So! Fortune and Cupid do know one another, and Fortune loves Cupid very much. If you've ever seen a kid just fawn over an actor (like I did when I was a kid over Leonardo DiCaprio) that's the vibe. Cupid lives in a well, and Fortune visits often to throw in a coin to see him. He's generally nice to her, but a little confused and just rolls with it like 'ok this little dog wants to run around my well and look at me for a few minutes. That's fine.' Fortune on her own is a little wandering dog. She was born from a sentient "blood" puddle, perhaps a puppy fell in and was blessed with sentience as well. Fortune remembers her first moments of life, but has lost her way back to the puddle. She longs to see it again, and she wanders to find it. She may "tell your fortune" if you happen to meet her, however, it may or may not be a reliable reading. Her strongest and most accurate predictions are usually bad omens or looming tragedy. If you're in danger, Fortune will certainly tell you. I draw her in many ways that don't relate to her lore, of course. She is fun to explore with, and often ends up expressing many of my emotions etc! ( People ask me often if the puddle is a SCP inspired thing, but its inspired by the birth of Lurtz in LoTR and Shadowmere who is born from a tar pit lol) Cupid on his own IS a bad omen, perhaps why Fortune is so aware of him, whereas others only glimpse him before disaster strikes. Cupid is not evil, nor is he good. He is indifferent, guided by a nature one cannot relate to. If you see him, you are likely at the finale of your life. If you're lucky enough, Fortune may help you avoid your terrible fate by guiding you to Cupid's well. If you throw down a few coins or something of value, Cupid will spare you by not appearing to you at all, therefore successfully evading your disastrous end. Permanent Hole is more symbolic than Fortune and Cupid. He represents being at your absolute worse. He represents that constant drag that threatens to bring you into the darkest pit of yourself, thats why he is a 'cat' living in a hole. You could be grabbed at any moment, or simply fall in. He will try his hardest to tempt you to come his way because it feels easier to be in a dark hole and let yourself go. He knows you personally, and you him. He remembers you, he will try to bring you back to that hole again. But never fear, his arms can only reach so far and you can avoid him if you can find it in yourself to walk right by. Ideally, someday you can fill that hole and bury him forever. Little Moon is also more symbolic I guess. He brings back your fondest memories, though they can hurt sometimes. You might try to let a memory go, because it has been broken, but he will bring them back to you in dreams and thoughts you have quietly before bed. He can only come to you during the full moon, he crosses the sky for you and slips into you. He can feel what you feel, he knows what you love and what you need to keep. He won't let you forget. (Cats have always been something I relate myself to idk why) Anyway, thank you for asking :~) I hope you like them!

[out-there-tmblr]

Xiyao wedding fix-it

It's interesting how writing a fix-it fic makes you work out the things you consider important to that character's happiness. Apparently, it's not enough for a JGY fix-it fic to get him out of Koi Tower and married to LXC. No, I also want him to remain friends with NHS.

================

The flight to Lanling left Jin Guangyao exhausted this morning. Now, he's hiding yawns behind his sleeve.

"Oh, no, san-ge," someone says from above him, waving a fan urgently. "Don't tell me you've succumbed to the Lan bedtime!"

Jin Guangyao does not point out that not everyone has the luxury of travelling by carriage. Not everyone can excuse a weak core and refuse to train. "I am a member of the Lan now."

Nie Huaisang gives a mournful shake of his head. As someone who prefers sleeping until lunch, he's never appreciated the Lan approach of early nights and early rising. "I said you should have joined the Nie."

"If only you'd had the foresight to propose to me," Jin Guangyao replies lightly and is rewarded with the sound of laughter behind Nie Huaisang's fan.

"Don't even joke about that. Our elders keep insisting da-ge should be meeting with matchmakers. They want me to go, too."

On the other side of the banquet hall, Lan Xichen and Nie Mingjue are talking, sitting side-by-side and comfortably ignoring the rest of the crowd. Nie Mingjue is dressed finely but his pale face has a clammy sheen. Jin Guangyao's too far away to be sure, but he thinks Nie Mingjue's arm is trembling from how tightly his hand clenches his wine cup. Of course the Nie elders would start to raise concerns about succession. Nie Huaisang has never been a favoured choice to become sect leader. He's loved by his sect, but Jin Guangyao's overheard more than one elder discussing the hopeful possibility of Nie Mingjue having children to inherit instead.

"You could always approach it like Sandu Shengshou," Jin Guangyao murmurs.

"Be so disagreeable I get banned for life? I really don't think he did that on purpose."

"It was effective, whether it was intentional or not."

Nie Huaisang shoots him a sly look over the edge of his delicately painted fan. For a moment, it feels like being back in the Unclean Realm, the two of them standing around a brazier while other disciples fight with sabre in the freezing Qinghe winter. Exchanging quiet comments with someone else clever enough to follow them, sharing disbelief at Nie Mingjue's determination to work very hard without considering how effective that effort was. They were a similar age and despite their different stations, they found kinship while surrounded by disciples as honest, unsubtle and straightforward as their blades. If fate had taken different turns, he could imagine a life with Nie Huaisang, a marriage of strategic alliance that allowed Meng Yao to be useful and Nie Huaisang to be indulged. "Again, this would be solved if you thought to propose to me."

Nie Huaisang rolls his eyes. "Da-ge would never agree to that. He doesn't agree with you marrying er-ge, but Lans can be stubborn. And thinking of Lans, how is your marriage to our generation's most eligible bachelor? Does it live up to everything those Spring books promised?"

Jin Guangyao smiles sweetly. "I'm not answering that."

"San-ge, don't be such a bore. I can keep a secret."

"You can," Jin Guangyao allows, because when properly motivated, Nie Huaisang can successfully hide his illicit goods and fake his sabre practice, "but that doesn't mean you will."

"But think of those Lans. It's all height and shoulders and arm-strength. It's such a pretty package that also appreciates poetry and fine painting." Nie Huaisang gives a dramatic sigh that Jin Guangyao is almost sure he doesn't mean. Almost. "Shouldn't you share your tales of wedded bliss?"

There is a small part of him that is tempted to confide in Nie Huaisang, but Jin Guangyao has spent years keeping secrets from people he wishes he could trust. "It sounds like you should marry a Lan."

A considering hum. "Maybe if I could get a Lan to marry into the Nie. I really couldn't manage those bedtimes."

[longitudinalwaveme]

Ron Pearle's Lear: Act 4 Review

Edgar doesn’t get his whole “things can’t possibly get any worse” speech here. That’s too bad. 

But he still gets the line where he calls himself out for tempting fate. That’s odd. 

Poor poor Edgar and Gloucester.

The servants have some seriously flat line delivery. 

Edgar is insanely cute. 

“Is that the naked fellow?” “Aye my lord.” No idea if the servant’s response was supposed to sound as disgusted as it did. 

Gloucester seems quite insistent upon holding his arms out straight in front of him even when he has someone to lead him. 

Goneril’s hair is down (it was in a bun earlier) and she’s all giggly. 

It’s not really funny but I did giggle a little when Albany panicked when Goneril came close to him. Poor Albany. 

Wow, she actually slapped him. Wasn’t expecting that. Poor Albany. 

Full-on cat-style “meow” when Goneril’s says “marry,  your manhood mew”. 

Albany’s horrified reactions are quite good. 

The string music is a lot softer now. 

The Gentleman has an enormous hunting rifle. Kent has a gun too. 

The doctor is female in this version. And Cordelia’s voice is much improved. 

Regan’s attempts to see Goneril’s letter are very well handled. She does the flirty in-his-space body language well. 

For some reason she gives Oswald jewelery when she tells him to go and murder Gloucester. 

Edgar has underclothes on now. They seem maybe too modern? 

Edgar leads Gloucester around in a circle while he’s leading him “to the edge of the cliff”. 

“Farewell” (cups hands around mouth to make his voice seem echo-y). Edgar is a gem. 

Gloucester’s fall was more of a roll. 

And now Edgar is Southern. 

Edgar is so cute. 

Edgar’s really really getting into his performance as “guy who saw Gloucester plunge off of a cliff”. He missed his true calling as a theater major. 

Lear has lost a lot of his clothes but somehow still has his cape. 

Edgar is amazingly adaptable. He slips right into the roles Lear casts him in. 

Crazy Lear is surprisingly chill and happy. 

The coughing when Lear says he’s not ague-proof is great. 

Gloucester actually full-on kneels to crazy Lear. While blind. Both admirable and a sign of some seriously skewed priorities. 

Poor Edgar. He’s gonna need some serious therapy after all this. 

Edgar falls down whilst attempting to pull off Lear’s (entirely imaginary) boots. 

Does Gloucester seriously not have any other name?  

Lear’s extensive rant about women’s sexuality was cut. I can’t say that bothers me too much. Especially since they included all of his ranting about the injustices of society. 

Poor Gloucester (and his perpetually-extended arms). 

Oswald swaggers onstage for murder. 

Extreme crazy German-sounding accent from Edgar as he tries to stop Oswald from murdering his father (by running at him and grabbing his leg). He doesn’t have a sword at this point. 

Edgar just grabs the sword out of Oswald’s hands. Good work, Oswald.

I’m starting to suspect that this particular production didn’t have any experienced fight choreographers. All of the fights have been very brief and unexciting. 

The audience is very happy to see Oswald’s untimely demise. 

Why doesn’t Edgar find Regan’s letter? Granted it’s not important to the plot, but still. 

The line delivery doesn’t really help me understand whether or not this Edgar had already suspected Edmund before he found the letter. 

Time for crying! 

Cordelia’s voice is bad again. It seems as though she puts too much emphasis on certain words and causes her lines to sound unnatural.

Good job, show! You’ve successfully made me feel bad for senile narcissist Lear. 

Lear’s little stumble is great. 

This scene gets me every single time. 

[roolsilver]

3:45am-I wake up for work. At work, I am assigned to train a new temp. The new guy spends his shift telling me how the deli chickens were talking to him when he puts them in the oven. He is apparently unable to follow simple directions that do NOT come from a chicken carcass, because he is useless in my area.

9:40am- 5 minutes before the end of my shift, my sister calls me in a panic. She is at a vet 40 minutes away, her cat had an abscess rupture on a preexisting tumor last night. They're working her in, but she's about to be late for work. The friend who was supposed to help her has not answered his door being beaten on for 20 minutes. I get there in 30 minutes, and receive her cat Biscuit, who I've met maybe twice. Biscuit makes his displeasure with my presence known for the next half hour from inside his carrier.

10:38am- When we are finally called into the vet, I am questioned multiple times about this being an outdoor cat(he's not). Biscuit has had a hard life- when my sister found him several years ago, he came with a shredded ear, facial scarring around his mouth, and FIV. He looks like she pulled him out of a dumpster, and that honestly would not surprise me, but his owners are the people promoting indoor cat life on Facebook as a hobby. The vet finally reads his history file and believes me. I cannot stress enough that this is not my cat, not my vet, not my rodeo.

I stand next to the giant sign that says 'Let our staff handle your pet during the exam for their safety, DON'T do it yourself', and I successfully hold my face in as the vet directs me to physically hold and manipulate this cat that isn't mine and knows it, instead of either of the professionals in the room doing it. I successfully avoid being bitten, using the carrier towel as a magic carpet to remove and replace the extremely offended kitty while he is distracted with treats. I am surviving despite the judgement of the vet, who thinks the tumor should be removed despite the strong opinion of the last vet who examined the tumor, AT THIS PRACTICE. I promise to pass on her opinion, as I am, for the fifth time, not the owner of this cat.

11:16 am- Visit successfully completed, I drive another 40 minutes to return Biscuit to his home. He is thrilled to never see me again. Emergency handled. Now I can go back to my actual plans. Back across town.

12:14pm- I pick up my brother and take him to the convenient care. Several people in my family have recently been diagnosed with Pneumonia, and my brother has a persistent cough. As the 2nd oldest of 7 siblings, I have a habit of feeding the others, so we get burgers. Surely now I can relax.

12:32pm- my child's school calls. Child was out all but one day last week with Pneumonia, and today is the first day back. It is the counselor telling me they're sending home completely unrelated paperwork.

12:42pm- my child's school calls AGAIN. this time it's the nurse. I forgot to send a doctor's note, and child is insisting they can't do gym. I approve skipping gym, and finally drop off my brother.

While he's waiting at the urgent care, I run to the plasma center, my ACTUAL plan for the day. I foolishly tempt fate, joking with the staff that nobody else is allowed to need me today. I will regret this.

2:28pm- as I am walking out of the plasma center, FINALLY able to get a cup of coffee without it risking the $50 payout from donating plasma(no high BP) my grandma calls me. She has been sick in her car and needs help getting in her house. She was half-carried out of the local Cracker Barrel and to her car by the staff. I work part-time because I am frequently her caregiver. My brother is still in the convenient care. My child gets off the bus in 1 hour.

2:46pm-my youngest brother, a recently hired hospital orderly, has agreed to help grandma. He gets her from car to house in a wheelchair, with a blanket to cover her. There is no remaining mess in the car. Grandma is now feeling fine, is able to clean herself up, and does not need me to come. I go to Dunkin Donuts.

3:15pm- my brother exits the convenient care. He does not have Pneumonia! He's coughing because he's not taking an allergy pill. I didn't know there was anyone in my family NOT taking an allergy pill. Both of us are frustrated, because he has just wasted his money because I didn't think to ask a very basic question when he was asking me for advice. I drive him home.

3:31pm- my child calls, unhappy because I want home to receive them. Dad was home. With a chainsaw and headphones. I arrive home in time to start filling out school paperwork that involves knowing child's weight at birth, and other such information I have long forgotten.

4:30pm- homework time.

Approx. 5:20pm- I finally sit down and take off my shoes for the first time in about 13 hours. It has been something like 3 days since 3:45am.

this isn't critters related (or is it) but in my dream last night you asked me to take a small orange kitten to the vet and I had to go on a grand journey through a half-abandoned mall with this kitten tucked under my arm but I just wanted to let you know we made it and he was fine

I have so many thoughts - I'm in your dreams!! - WE SAVED HIMMMM - dream cat distribution system - I wanna play this game on switch

[terpsilith-official]

Because I've successfully predicted the Hooty body horror in relation to the door (when he detached from it) and Edric having facial hair I reckon that means I should tempt fate with THIS prediction;

In King's Tide, King finally meets the Collector for a proper talk of sorts as they rescue Luz. Luz pulls him out of it as "Collector is evil!" As they try to save Eda and stop Belos, situation is growing dire

And thus, King willingly talks to the Collector again. Collector reveals the deal they made with Belos, King bringing up how Belos tends to betray everyone close to him, maybe some Gus illusions reveal this. Doesn't phase Belos at all, but it proves King's point!

So the Collector points out that Belos is the only one who can free them, but due to King being a Titan, there could be another way. King offers that because "As king of these lands, I put the welfare of my people first". And it brings pause to the Collector becayse they realize King is just as much a lonely child as they are

The magic draining begins. It's wrecking untold havoc, Belos smiling as his victory draws near and there's no chance of the others stopping him. But then the draining starts to falter, his portal beginning to fail. He starts panicking, trying to figure out what is going wrong

The CATTs get the upper hand, the apocalypse averted. Heavy damage had been done, but it's stopped and Belos only has his most zealous still on his side (Terra, Kikimora, maybe Odalia and only a handful of his guards). Thus they all flee, planning on fighting. It's a hollow victory, but at least there's still a Boiling Isles. There's a war on the horizon, but at least there's still a world left to fight for

Then someone asks where King is. They search, finding no trace of him

And in the depths between worlds in a cage, King awakens to see the Collector who remarks "It's time to play~"

[luvyanfei]

anon said. ooo a new blog! can you do confession headcanons where xiao, childe, and scaramouche react to reader confessing to them and the aftermath of it? thank you!  

a/n. xiao’s is kind of terrible ;; ue ue gomenasai

“i love you, [character’s name].”

SCARAMOUCHE.

huh? is this some kind of a joke? if so, it’s definitely not a good idea to mess with his feelings like this, especially when he also shares the same sentiment. scaramouche is almost impressed by your boldness. not everyone has the nerve to confess their love for a harbinger in front of their own faces, after all. when he’s hit with the realization that you’re serious, he secretly pinches himself to make sure he’s not in a dream.

the sharp pain that comes with his nails making contact with his flesh affirms that this is real. he stifles back a genuine smile, choosing to stay calm despite the bliss he’s currently feeling. “i guess it can’t be helped. hmph, you should be lucky i’m rather fond of you as well, [name].” he says that, but he’s the fortunate one to have successfully stolen your heart before others can claim you for themselves.

unfortunately, his time with you is quite limited due to his affiliation with the fatui, so any fleeting moments are captured in photos from the kamera to look back on. he secretly carries a picture of you while he’s out of town on important missions so that he won’t miss you too badly. he fondly looks at your still, yet smiling face to cheer him up after a tough work while everyone else is asleep. well, almost everyone.  

“hmm, who’s that in your hands, scaramouche?” childe asks, gesturing to the photo the harbinger is admiring fondly. scaramouche rolls his eyes to hide his slight embarrassment and hesitates a bit before he answers.  

“oh them? their name is [name], my... sibling.” childe almost gapes in disbelief as he looks at the blue-haired man in shock. 

“you have a sibling? why didn’t you tell me? they’re so cute!” the 11th harbinger squeals in delight, which honestly irks poor scaramouche. he scoots away to give himself some space as he tucks the picture in his pocket for safe-keeping. 

“you didn’t bother to,” he explains matter-of-factly. “now if you’ll excuse me,” he stands up from his crouched position and dusts himself, “i’m going to take a walk, alone.” 

he wanders through a dark forest and grassy fields, until he finds himself standing on top of a cliff, the moon glowing brightly above. he peers up at the twinkling stars in the sky and imagines you beside him, watching the breathtaking view together. humming an unfamiliar tune to himself, scaramouche muses over the past and replays your confession over and over again. if he could, he would respond differently than he did before. 

‘i love you.’ those three letter words echo in his ears like a melody and he allows himself to smile. 

“i love you too, [name].” 

XIAO.

he automatically perks up an eyebrow in confusion. what? is it just him or did you seriously admitted you love him? xiao stammers for a brief second, no words spilling out from his partially open mouth. what is he supposed to say? “thank you?” “i love you too?” 

when he pulls himself together, xiao shakes his head and frowns. his answer is clear and simple: no. you mortals don’t understand just how dangerous it is to get close with someone like him - a yaksha. drowning in the brink of debt and despair, he doesn’t need you to suffer all the same. the dejected expression on your face pains him to a considerable degree, yet he convinces himself, this is for your own good. 

since then, he avoids you like the plague in hopes that your feelings for him will disperse into flames. you deserve someone better, someone who won’t place you in harm’s way, someone unlike him. out of kindness, you still visit him from time to time while you go and do your daily commissions, but your interaction is heavily tense and an air of discomfort seeps through your gaze. why does his chest hurt as if he was impaled with a knife and so much more when you look at him like that? the thought of breaking down and revealing the truth that he’s also in love with you tempts him eagerly, but his pride and anxiety tides over his desires. 

you, on the other hand, is aware that xiao harbors feelings for you. you discovered this secret of his when you climbed the stairs to the spot on the balcony where he was to surprise him with a greeting, but your ears captured a faint voice in the night breeze and you couldn’t stop yourself from eavesdropping on the little conversation xiao was having with himself. he muttered about “rex lapis”, the fate of liyue, and etc. you were about to leave him to his own devices, but the next words he said stopped you in your tracks. 

“will [name] accept me if i say i love them? probably not, i suppose.” you left before he could spare a glance in your direction and a smile graced your features as you happily walked away. and being the persistent individual that you are, you inquire verr on why he’s acting so cold towards you, desperate to seek the answer you need. “xiao is, as you’re well aware, a yaksha who’s experienced hardships throughout his life, and probably lost loved ones along the way. i’m sure,” she turns to look at the setting sun in melancholy, “he doesn’t want to hurt anyone important to him again.”

you plan ahead of time for the best way to approach him without giving him any chance to escape. unfortunately, this is the only thing you can think of as you place a hand on either side of his head, trapping him between you and the wall. xiao looks at you curiously, devoid of amusement. he crosses his arms and frowns. 

“what are you doing?” your hands twitch and you chew on your bottom lip nervously before you explain yourself.

“i heard from verr why you’ve been giving me the cold shoulder, that you don’t want to hurt anyone important to you, but...” you trail off to blink back the tears threatening to burst. 

“it hurts, when you ignore me like this.” your voice is quiet enough that he needs to step closer to hear you. “it hurts how selfless you are. can’t you be selfish just once? i meant what i said and i’ll say it again. i love you.” 

xiao stammers, at a loss for words, before he starts sniffling and buries himself in your arms, crying out apologies as you stroke the back of his hair and gives a closed-eye smile. “it’s okay, xiao. i’m sorry too, for not realizing how much you’ve been suffering by yourself. you don’t have to carry the burden alone anymore,” you say, looking into his tear-filled eyes, “i will always be here with you, no matter what path you choose to take.” 

“even if that path may eventually hurt you?” he whispers in a cracked voice, fingers curling around your sleeves. you nod. 

“it’s worth the pain as long as i can hold you in my arms, like this.” he chokes out a bitter chuckle and wipes away the glistening tears. 

“i love you too, [name].” 

CHILDE.

the harbinger blinks his cerulean eyes once, then twice, and... you find yourself pulled into his arms, as his lips uplift into a jovial smile. “really? you love me? [name], i had no idea you held such deep admiration for me.” you playfully roll your eyes and chuckle as you wrap your own arms around his body, fondly reciprocating his affection.

he’s the fastest to accept your confession than the other two men. you’d bet he would scamper to where he’s staying at to tell every grain of detail to his adoring relatives. 

he writes letters to his siblings about your daily dates and the progress you two are making in your relationship. they tease him for the most part, but they’re happy that he’s found the love of his life and requests that he bring you along with him on his next visit. childe smiles in relief, content that they accept you already despite never meeting you and he asks you if you’d like to come with him to his home country where you can introduce yourself to his family. without hesitation, you agree instantly, eager to meet the siblings he gushes about. 

snezhnaya is colder than you thought, as you hug yourself to preserve your warmth, even with the layers of clothing wrapped around you. “we’re almost there, [name].” childe notices your trembling and rubs his gloved hands against your back. “sorry, it’s a bit chilly here, but please bear with me.” 

you nod and continue on. when a building enters your field of sight, childe stops and grins shyly at you. “this is the place.” breath materializes in front of you as he gestures for you to head on in. almost immediately are you greeted with a little embrace as a young boy wraps his fingers around your waist and grins up at you. 

“so you’re the one who big brother said he’s in love with? have you kissed before? when is your wedding?” the child bombards you with questions excitedly and a girl has to pull him away from you, tonia, you guess. 

“teucer,” childe scolds gently, a light blush colouring his cheeks, which does not go unnoticed in his siblings’ eyes, unfortunately for him. 

a wedding, huh? seeing the sparkle in your eyes, the laughter in your voice, and the warmth of your touch as you idly chat with his siblings makes him hope, that maybe in the distant future, he’ll brave himself to take the next step to further deepen your relationship, for he wants to be with you always. 

as he tucks away the last sleeping child, childe wanders in to your shared bedroom, surprised you’re still awake. “you really love them a lot, huh childe?” he nods seriously, as you pull him to lie down comfortably into bed. 

“but do you know something else?” his breath tickles your ear as he intertwines his fingers with yours, offering a meek smile. you shake your head and nuzzle closer to him. 

“i love you too, [name].” 

[erika-being-erika]

More levihan reccomendations!

Part 1

• One Last Time by PiercingThePage

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary:

Levi & Hanji have been dating for about 3 years in highschool. He starts to have feelings for one of the pretty girls names Petra Ral. After he starts cheating on Hanji with her, he decides he wants out of the relationship. Until the day he decides to tell her, ends up being the day she tells him that she's pregnant. Will they make it out well, or will Levi start to realize he is becoming his own dead beat dad

• Having My Baby by Countess_Dorkula

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary:

Another SNK Kink Meme fill. Follow Levi and Hanji as they go through the marvelous adventure towards parenthood.

• catch me if you can by fanmoose12

[Multi-chapter || on going]

Summary:

The Ackerman duo. Just the mention of this name filled Hange with so many feelings. Mostly, when she reread the files of their cases over and over, until her eyes watered, she felt pricking annoyance. Sometimes, when she stared at the dead bodies of those scarce unfortunates who stumbled upon their crimes, she was filled with hatred and a pushing need for revenge. Hange couldn't deny, however, there were times when she marveled at the impudence of their crimes. And, when she was investigating the Ackerman's cases and saw just how meticulously planned they all were, she couldn't help but feel something close to fascination.

No one knew who they were. No one had seen their faces, no one knew their true names. Almost everyone knew of their crimes.

Hange was determined to unravel every last one of their secrets. She will put an end to their crimes and then she will get the elusive Ackermans behind bars.

• Partners by fanmoose12

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary:

When Petra was promoted to a detective and partnered up with legendary Levi Ackerman, she felt like the happiest person in the world.

But, as she soon found out, detective Ackerman she used to admire so much was actually a far cry from the ideal policeman Petra thought he was. He was rude, harsh and easily annoyed.

And, in addition, he still hadn’t moved on from the death of his previous partner - detective Hange Zoe.

• can't keep my hands off you by fanmoose12

[Multi-chap || completed]

Summary:

Hange, Levi and their not so secret relationship.

• Looking for You by fanmoose12

[Multi-chapt || completed]

Summary:

Returning from a long mission, all Levi wanted was to spend sometime with Hange. But instead he got a message from Erwin, urging him to come to HQ. There he found out, that Hange was missing for over a week and that his new mission is to partner with Moblit, Hange's loyal assistant, and together find and bring Hange home.

• A Tale of Two Slaves by TundrainAfrica

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary:

"Soulmates don’t exist. Fate doesn't exist. Everything's a choice. And Levi could only watch as she made the choice for him."

Levi remembers everything from their past life. Hange doesn't.

• Free-Falling by djmarinizela

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary:

Skydiver and tea shop owner Levi Ackerman meets the town’s resident mad scientist and tries to convince himself that he's not falling for her.

• All of Me by MannaTea

[Multi-chapt || completed]

Summary:

By the time they reached the trees, Sylvia's sides were heaving, her flanks covered in sweat-foam, but they couldn't afford to stop; two titans had become more. Hange refused to look behind her, but she could tell by the way the ground shook that one of them was at least a 13-meter class.

And all she had with her was one blade and a horse who was about to drop dead of exhaustion.1

• Dreams May Not Come True by MannaTea

[Multi-chapt || completed]

Summary:

Levihan. Hange knows something is wrong when she goes down to breakfast one morning and the smell makes her stomach churn.

• Something Like Destiny by MannaTea

[Multi-chapt || completed]

Summary:

Reincarnation AU. Zoë doesn't have dreams; she just knows.

• A Dangerous Game by just_quintessentially_me

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary:

A snk 1920′s AU:

Sina is wild, crowded, bursting with industry. Home to jazz, fashion - and corruption. Crooked politicians, dirty police, and powerful gangs have turned the city into a cesspit of violence where the powerful rule. At the center of the chaos are the Ackermans - one of the most powerful gangs in the city, Mayor Fritz - who is as corrupt as he is wealthy, Erwin - a police commander determined to weed out the corruption in his own department, and Hanji - a journalist willing to risk everything to expose their city’s darkest secrets.

• A Simple Choice by just_quintessentially_me

[Multi-chapt || completed]

Summary:

The rain had started up again. Fat droplets drummed over her hood, drenching the fabric. Her horse’s reins were wet and cold; though her fingers, numbed from continued exposure to the elements, could hardly feel them.

Following the sound of the explosion, they’d arrived at a clearing. It was a mess of blackened, shattered wood, and the wagon, a skeleton, was little more than a smoking husk. Beyond the wreckage, a titan lay prostrate. Felled, its limp, hulking form was barely visible through the rain.

As soldiers shouted, pointing at the creature, one of the horses still tethered to the ruined wagon, writhed. When the beast screamed a broken, panicked wail, her own horse shifted, flanks twitching with unease.

Hanji barely noticed.

The soldiers' voices, the poor beast’s screams, even the heavy, even thrum of rain - had silenced as she looked to the river.

A body lay at the edge of the dark, white-capped water.

• License to Science (And Kill) by just_quintessentially_me

[Multi-chapt || completed]

Summary:

When International criminal organization, TITAN, successfully steals an arsenal of missiles along with their encrypted launch codes, Code Blue is initiated. It up to Agent Levi Ackerman, a spy in a class of his own, and Research scientist Hanji Zoe, the premiere authority on the organization, to halt a global catastrophe in its tracks.

She lowered her glasses, brown eyes blinking over the rims. “Does this mean I have a-” One brow lifted. “License to Science?”

“No. But I do have a License to Kill. Don’t tempt me to use it.”

• Aftermath by just_quintessentially_me

[Multi-chapt || completed]

Summary:

Levi rushes to the wall in the aftermath of the Armored and Colossal Titans' attack.

“Are you worried about your wife?”

The question shocked him out of his musings.

Levi looked up, “My what?”

But the pastor was already speaking, “You’re obviously beside yourself with stress – and it’s understandable. Not knowing if your wife has survived-”

Levi cut him off, “My what?”

The pastor hesitated, apparently realizing he’d made some mistake, but misunderstanding precisely what it was. “Your…wife? The woman we traveled with before? She’s ah – forceful. You two uh – have the same, er – strident personality. When we first met, she dangled me off the wall.”

• Terrible Things by someonestolemyshoes

[One-shot]

Summary:

The first time he tells her she’s pretty, Hange is all kinds of filthy - sweaty, dirty, twigs in her hair and mud on her shoes and a great big disgusting ball of everything Levi hates.

She is also crying.

It isn’t like he’s never seen her cry before - they’re nine and crying is just what kids do, especially kids like Hange who like to play with things they probably shouldn’t play with and like to climb trees even though they’re kind of clumsy and so the crying, in it’s self, isn’t all that weird.

What’s weird is that Hange - Hange, with her print-smudged glasses and ratty ponytail and clothes two sizes too big for her - is crying because a boy called her ugly.

• Acquiescence by 3LevisInATrenchcoat

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary:

On Judgement Day, the tide brought someone strange.

• My soulmate by a_golden_hearted_snk_fan

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary:

When your soulmate gets injured or hurt, their injuries show up on your skin with a slight sting then slowly fade. It was a rare thing to occur, but Levi and Hanji were the lucky ones.

• SOS by djmarinizela

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary:

Levi is a reclusive senior student who shares an apartment with Mike, Nanaba, and his best friend, Hange, who he's secretly in love with. Oddly enough, they also belong to the same secret club with a special operations squad. The 104th cohort is a bunch of freshmen misfits they've taken under their wing, Moblit is Hange's lab partner also vying for her affections, while Erwin’s the newest instructor who doesn’t know how to teach. And they say school is fun.

• the moon is dark by alteirkay

[Multi-chapt || completed]

Summary:

His face was wet.

“What the hell?” He murmured touching his face to see if he was mistaken. He was not. His hair was damp with sweat. There was an uneasiness invading his whole body. He was filled with it like he had drunk it straight from a bottle. His chest was heavy, his breaths were uneven, and his right eye was throbbing like a hammer was hitting at it continuously.

He was feeling like he had just lost someone.

• The Experiment by KakashiSensei

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary:

After a public brawl between them, Commander Erwin confines Captain Levi and Zoë Hange to barracks. When the Survey Corps next heads out, they are left behind as a punishment. Soon bored out of her mind, Hange turns her scientific curiosity towards the most interesting specimen within her reach: Levi. When his past reaches out to him to claim him back, she joins him on a dangerous journey. Do budding feelings have a chance in the most desolate of places?

• windmill by alteirkay

[One-shot]

Summary:

Here is the thing about Levi, his heart is a windmill in the middle of a wilderness where there was no wind to make it twirl, there was no wind to make it beat, pound and feel. Just feel.

Until one day he got hit by a storm so wild, so rare and so incredibly terrifying but in the most beautiful and breath-taking way that it left him defenceless, vulnerable and weak. Like a tiny little flower which had long passed its day of blossoming in a fierce, winter dawn yet it stood erect with its fragile body, challenging against the merciless winds and the brutal frost.

He fell in love.

• In Your Shoes by Neighborhood_Nori

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary

Levi, Paradis Studio's strict ballet instructor, can't stand the newly hired hip-hop instructor, Hanji. As a ballet dancer with his own complicated history with hip-hop, Levi only has respect for the more refined forms of dance. Can Hanji change his mind about her and her style of dance through determination, persistence, and her passion for dance?

• Distractions by Rookblonkorules

[One -shot]

Summary:

Hange’s love for pop culture interferes with her and Levi’s work.

It’s annoying.

• Leave You Whole. by zerothecreator

[One-shot]

Summary:

Levi spends his last moments in Hangë’s arms.

• Moments by Anonymous

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary:

Levihan Modern AU

She's a long-legged, sun-kissed beauty with tattoos in hidden places and multiple piercings.

Her leather jacket's on his bedroom floor, her ripped jeans too and she's pretty sure one of her heeled scarlet boots got left in the living room in their haste last night. At least her glasses are on top of the bedside drawer- they managed that, at least.

• more baby snacks by argethara

[One-shot]

Summary:

Levi tries to find out how and why boxes of Udo's biscuits are gone.

• Anniversary by EllePellano

[One-shot]

Summary:

AU One-shot: Erwin and Levi have a short conversation about the woman they both loved

• All We Are by TundrainAfrica

[One-shot]

Summary:

"We’re what’s left of the old survey corps Levi. We’re all alone.”

“We can’t be alone if there’s two of us.”

“So what do you suggest Captain Levi?”

“We stick together…” Levi answered. “We stick together, Commander Hange.”

During the time skip, Hange and Levi's relationship develops.

• Thin Ice by Xenobia

[Multi-chapt || completed]

Summary:

Takes place between events in chapter 90 of the manga. Hange, now commander of Survey Corps, commissions Captain Levi to scout territory in the mountains to search for a supply tower she believes may still be stocked. The scouts need all the supplies and currency they can get in order to carry on with their goals. Against his better judgment, Levi joins her on this excursion. The bitter, early winter makes their mission harder than expected, however. The pair find themselves relying on each other to survive, and they find it increasingly difficult to treat one another as comrades in arms and nothing more.

• Hidden Meanings by WhatHistoryForgets

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary:

Hange never thought a materialistic item could mean so much to her until she lost it.

• Of teacups and stale bread

[One-shot]

Summary:

Five times Hange prepared tea for Levi, and the one time that he did.

• Unintended Consequence(s) by Ella3982

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary:

Not all of the Anti-Personnel Control Squad died when the cavern collapsed. Some of them escaped through the tunnel Hange, Moblit, and Armin used. When the two parties meet, the Anti-Personnel Control Squad takes the three Survey Corps members hostage with the intent to force the Survey Corp's hand. However, when they find out that Kenny Ackerman has died, they become more desperate.

If the Uprising Arc had ended a bit differently, how would it alter the course of the story? What would change, and what would stay the same?

• A Fire in the Shadows by free_pancakes

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary:

LeviHan in an Avatar the Last Airbender AU - a side story occurring alongside the events of ATLA

Levi, the nephew of a fire nation captain, stumbles upon a ragtag group of 5 known as the Scouts, formidably known for foiling the plans of local fire nation control, living in the forests a few miles north of Ba Sing Se.

• Speak Your Dark Pleasures to Me by Lamia of the Dark (VisceraNight)

Summary:

A collection of drabbles and oneshots exploring a sexual relationship between Levi and Hanji.

• Tips & Tricks by Sleepyheadven

[One-shot]

Summary:

Eren’s brow was furrowed forward in confusion as he spoke. “I thought you said that staring at people isn’t nice?” He said after a few moments, gathering his thoughts. He seemed genuinely bewildered as to why she was intensely staring down a stranger when she had told him countless times before that it was impolite to do so.

Oh, lord, was her only thought as she quickly scrambled for an excuse. “I - Uh - well, sometimes people stare at other people because -” before she could even begin to form a proper sentence, Eren interjected. She wasn’t sure whether to be grateful or dismayed by his actions.

“Is it because you think he’s cute? My friend Ymir stares at my friend Krista that way all the time, she says it’s because she’s so pretty!” Eren babbled happily, oblivious to the way Hange’s grip around the handle of the cart tightened. Her brown eyes darted back and forth between the stranger and her son, hoping that he couldn’t overhear their conversation seeing as Eren wasn’t the softest of speakers.

• A drunk man always tells the truth by krissixh

[Multi-chapt || completed]

Summary:

Levi finds out that Hanji is engaged to a rich man. He gets drunk that night and confronts her his feelings. The two have to confront a lot of difficulties to be able to end as a couple.

• Relapses by Oreotragus

[Multi-chapt || completed]

Summary:

Despite having become a great asset to humankind, Captain Levi still has some trouble adjusting to his post-crime lifestyle, especially the social aspects of it. One extremely badly coordinated step out of his comfort zone creates a grand mess that he has to clean up.

• Weight of Survival by otterbeans

[One-shot]

Summary:

Hanji gives birth to Levi's unintentional child. She pretends to be surprised when he shows up for it.

• Don't drink the kool-aid by smallblip

[One-shot]

Summary:

Think of a number between one and ten. Because that's how you love in this world. First you toss out the word love. You tell it to its face that Commander Erwin Smith says “love is the ultimate cult of men... A sect... A dirty ploy by the whatever god is up there to make us all vulnerable..."

And then, everything falls into place.

• until another thursday evening by pinkweirdsunsets

[Multi-chapt || on going]

Summary:

and ever since they were only five, Levi had protected her, whether it was from the daily shenanigans she came up with or the criminal background he came from. She was his sunshine, messy and grinning, and he shielded her away from all terrible things.

until zeke yeager came along.

• Make It Make Sense! By cznpai

[Multi-chapt || completed]

I can't add the summary cause I've reached the limit. Welp i still have a lot of fics here so ill make a another post of reccomendations... HAHA bye!

[morelikedoccock]

If You Play With Fire (or Electricity) pt. 6

Summary:  You've been badly burned before, so when you encounter a man who has clearly had some sort of freak accident that left him with burns even worse than yours had been, you feel compelled to offer him help, even at the cost of your safety (and maybe also your heart).

Doc Ock x gender neutral reader

Rating: M  

Tags: reader with past, gender neutral reader, Canon-Typical Violence, Burns, Scars, Choking, but not sexually, caring for burns, someone's gotta notice those, First Aid, Medical Procedures, Injury, Blood, Blood and Injury, Caring for cuts, Unconsciousness, Dreams, Feelings, oooh someone’s catching feelings, reader gets injured, Nudity, Angst, Definitely more feelings, Fluff, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Near Death Experiences, Crying, Prophetic Dreams      

Inspired by this post

Link to Ao3

pt. 1  pt. 2  pt. 3  pt. 4  pt. 5  pt. 7  pt. 8  pt. 9  pt. 10  pt. 11  pt. 12  pt. 13

~~~

      Warning for angst!! I promise things will end well, but this one just fell down an angst hole and I couldn’t stop it 😭

Chapter 6.

      A beautiful bruise blossoms over the better part of your cheekbone the day after your accident, all blues and purples and greens. It startles you when you first see it the next morning, like an unexpected stop sign appearing around a sharp corner. You look at it in the bathroom mirror for a moment, your mouth pursed with vague distaste, then you continue with your morning routine, determined to remain undaunted by the luridly-colored flag on your cheek.

      For some reason, you decide to tempt fate and walk to work instead of taking the bus. The air is crisp and a little chilly. Tiny gusts of wind tug at the hems of your pants. You pull your coat around yourself just a little tighter and wish that you could just go home and climb back into your warm bed. Alas, you can’t afford such a luxury.

      The city is as busy as always, with people already thronging in the streets. You join the hustle and bustle, heading for your work building. Just as you’re about to walk inside, something catches your eye, and you pause to stare down at the newspaper dispenser.

      Doc Ock in League with Unknown Citizen?!

      A chill runs down your spine. You fumble with your wallet for some coins, insert them into the coin slot, then open the container and grab the paper. You begin to read.

      Chaos reigned downtown yesterday, as supervillain Doctor Octopus and false ‘hero’ Spider-Man seemed to team up to purposely wreak havoc on the innocent afternoon city-goers. What’s more, an eyewitness who happened to be on the scene at the time reported that after a flying piece of car hit a citizen in the face, Doctor Octopus approached said citizen and spoke to them directly before capturing them and leaving the scene. The same eyewitness reported that the citizen didn’t appear to struggle, though they were said to have had some amount of blood on their face and may have been in shock. Could they actually be working together to cause even more panic? More on page 3.

      The article is accompanied by a grainy photograph. You peer at it, feeling your heart thumping in your throat. It looks like a picture of Otto from behind, and over his shoulder you can see half of a very blurry, red-stained face. There’s no way to identify it as you. At least, you hope there’s no way to identify it as you.

      You swallow a nervous snort of laughter and fold up the paper, then shove it into your bag. If it’s revealed that you’ve been helping Otto, you’ll be in some very hot water. At the same time, you don’t really care. You can’t just stop seeing him, as you haven’t really had a choice in the matter. He has always found you. After a moment's thought, you realize that you could always try to avoid him, but the thought makes you grimace. You don’t even know if you could do that successfully, and honestly, there’s a part of you that rebels at the idea of not seeing him. A very large part.

      Sighing, you walk inside the building and clock in.

      You’re preoccupied the whole day. Your attention moves between listening to your coworkers gossip about the newspaper article and thinking about Otto. When it’s finally time to go home, you’re exhausted, physically and emotionally. The mixture of stress and work and poor sleep quality is starting to hit you hard. It’s like running into a brick wall of tiredness.

      When you push open your apartment door, you’re about ready to collapse. The door swings shut behind you, and you drop your bag in its usual spot, then you head for your bedroom. Your sole intent is to get out of your work outfit and put on some more comfortable clothes.

      You’re halfway through pulling your shirt off when someone clears their throat nearby. The sound makes you jump and turn, then your heart stutters in your chest.

      Otto is sitting in the comfortable chair in the corner of your room, half of his face covered in congealed blood. The other half is set in a grim expression, his dark eyes level, measured, and fixed on you.

      You’re too tired to play coy.

      “Look away or whatever, I’m gonna change and you being here isn’t gonna stop me,” you tell him, trying to calm the rapid thumping of your pulse.

      He has the grace to look to the side. Once you’ve changed, you go to your kitchen and fill a bowl with warm water, then grab a few clean rags and some gauze from your first aid kit before returning to the bedroom.

      You walk over to him and hand him the bowl.

      “Hold that still,” you say shortly, then you wet one of the rags and begin to dab at the blood on his cheek.

      Being so near to him does strange things to your breath, to your heart. You try to steady yourself, but you can’t really help it. Just being in his presence already affects you, and when you’re this close—

      “I’m only here because you’re convenient, you know,” he says suddenly, his voice as cold as ice.

      The words hurt. Of course they hurt, that’s what he meant them to do. You’d gotten on so well with him the last time you’d been together, so this new coldness is unexpected and deeply unwelcome. Your eyes sting for a second, then you sigh, feeling a weight sink into your stomach. You know what he’s trying to do.

      “So you read the paper, then,” you reply. He doesn’t say anything, but that’s an answer in itself. Continuing to dab at his face, you let out a bitter chuckle.

      “I don’t care, Otto. I like helping you, even if you’re bloody most of the time, and bloody rude on occasion. If I didn’t, I would’ve locked the fucking window by now. Or called the police on you.”

      You rinse the rag, and move to a new area of clotted blood, wiping as gently as you can while still cleaning it off. His eyes are still fixed on you.

      “You’re welcome to do whatever you want,” you continue, your free hand moving to cup the other side of his face in an almost absent motion. “You can stop coming to me, for all I care.”

      You’re lying, and you know it, but can’t bring yourself to tell the truth, that the idea of not being able to see him again makes your heart ache, as if it’s being crushed.

      I’m in it too deep now, you think. I’ve already fallen in—

      “I don’t mind being convenient,” you say, feeling distant from your mouth. “Those burns you had when I first met you probably would’ve gotten infected if you’d left them alone, and an infection on that scale could’ve killed you. Not to mention that I know personally how much a large burn can hurt.” You pull away to rub the scars between your fingers. “I’d rather be used and know you’re having your wounds treated properly than just—”

      And now it’s too much. You bite your lip before you start to cry and finish cleaning off the last patch of blood. Muscling down the lump in your throat, you take the bowl of water from him.

      “Sit still,” you manage, then you go and retrieve a fresh gauze pad and some disinfectant. Pouring some of the liquid onto the pad, you begin to dab it onto the cut. Otto doesn’t wince, though you know the mixture stings. His mouth is closed in a tight line, and he’s still watching you, eyes unreadable.

      You fix a small piece of gauze over the wound with some medical tape, and step back.

      “It doesn’t need stitches, head cuts just bleed a lot. You’ll be fine,” you say, sending him a small, slightly watery, slightly bitter smile. “Now, go away. If you’re only here because I’m convenient, you have no reason to stick around.”

      His composure seems to crack under those words. The look in his eyes is raw now, open and vulnerable and you still can’t quite tell what it is. His eyebrows tilt up, wrinkling his forehead as his beautiful lips twist into a frown. You turn, unable to meet his gaze any longer.

      “Come back if you get hurt again,” you say softly, your throat tight. “I’ll leave the window unlocked.”

      You move to exit the room, but suddenly a metal tentacle arm is blocking your way. Anger and hurt boils up in you and you turn, ready to spit fire at him for making you feel all these things, but the expression on his face stops you. It’s tender, tender and sad, and it’s like a punch in the stomach. He steps forward and grips your chin, and you can’t help but remember the first time he touched you like this, weeks ago now. It had been dark then, but here there is enough yellow light that you can see the warm brown of his eyes, so close to yours. He reaches up, and the tips of his fingers brush against the colorful bruise on your cheekbone, so gently it’s as if it’s just the ghost of his hand.

      “I’m sorry,” he murmurs. The soft, deep sadness in the words hurts you more than any physical wound ever could. You gasp for breath, stunned, and in the time it takes you to realize that the one thing you want more than anything else right now is to pull him close and demand that he get his shit together, he slips through your fingers and vanishes through the window, leaving just the faint scent of leather and smoke and the echo of a tingle against your bruised skin.

[hexensalbei]

getaway green

find it on ao3

“Yeah, yeah… Love ya too, man.”

Eddie abruptly stops before he enters the changing room. Heʼd recognise that voice everywhere because itʼs Buckʼs. But the words he overheard make him uneasy. Love ya too? To whom Buck might have said it? The most likely answer is to Eddie but he’s right here and he’s definitely not talking with his best friend. It’s not Chim either because Eddie saw him already in the station. So… Who else? Albert? No, that’s just ridiculous. Albert and Buck are friends—not as good as him and Buck, obviously—but why would they talk via phone when they probably saw each other this morning in Buck’s apartament? It doesn’t make sense. So… Who is it then?

Eddie feels like someone just twisted his guts. Has Buck met someone new? No, he would’ve told him about his new relationship, he’s sure of it. His best friend has told him about reconnecting with Taylor and doing the whole “friendship without benefits” thing, for god’s sake. He would at least mention that he met someone worth dating.

It’s not very helpful or reassuring, though. Eddie knows it sounds bad but he doesn’t want Buck to find someone to date. Unless it’s him Buck would be dating. He can’t stand the idea of Buck spending his free time with someone else, kissing someone else, loving someone else.

Eddie’s very much in love with his best friend. He’s tried to get over with him by dating Ana. And it was a fucking disaster because everytime he kissed her, he wished it was Buck instead. So… It’s safe to say he got it bad. And he has to keep it under control because he doesn’t want to blow up the best friendship he’s ever had. Telling Buck he’s in love with him is not even an option.

He tries to suppress his jealousy and finally goes to the changing room. Buck’s already in his work clothes and he’s scrolling through his instagram; there’s a wide smile on his face. When he hears Eddie coming in, he looks at him and his grin gets even bigger.

“You’re almost late, Diaz.” He teases and Eddie can’t help himself but smile too.

“Almost late makes a big difference.” Eddie emphasises, quickly changing his clothes. Buck only rolls his eyes. When they’re both ready, they go upstairs and greet their coworkers. The blonde goes to the coffeemaker and he pours two cups of coffee—one for him and one for Eddie—and he hands it over to his friend. They sit on the couch as usual; their arms and thighs pressed together as if there’s any free space left.

“Uh, I’ve got news.” Buck says and waits until everyone pays attention to him. “TK’s coming to LA this weekend.”

“Wait, wait, wait. Do you mean the TK with whom you stole the fire truck and who you were flirting with?” Chim asks curiously.

Eddie nearly chokes on his coffee.

Was Buck really flirting with that kid from Austin? Sure, he noticed that dumbass and dumbasser hit it off very quickly but it wasn’t something unusual—Buck was so sweet and easygoing, it was almost impossible to not like him.

“I wasn’t flirting with him! I just invited him to LA! And besides, he has a boyfriend. Who is coming with him, by the way.” Buck explains; he’s slightly embarrassed, Eddie can tell, because his cheeks are more pink than usual. Again, why would he feel embarrassed if he wasn’t flirting with TK?

Maybe he was flirting but he just doesn’t want to admit that? Whispers a very annoying voice in Eddie’s mind. He tries to silence it.

“That’s amazing! Is that captain Strand’s son? You should come by the station with them, I want to meet them.”

Bobby’s voice pulls him away from his thoughts.

“Sure, I was actually thinking… Maybe we can have a night out together? As a team?” Buck suggests. “TK says he can’t wait to meet all of you guys.”

“Fantastic idea. I’ll ask him if youʼre bluffing.” Chim quips. Eddie has a strong urge to strangle him.

And then it hits him. Buck was talking with TK earlier, in the changing room. It was definitely TK.

The jealousy is eating him alive. Sure, Strand may have a boyfriend but is it really that big obstacle? Women were flirting with him when he was still married to Shannon; they’ve pretended not to see his wedding ring and ask him out anyway.

Oh, shit. What if he will be the witness of Buck flirting with TK? He’s not sure he can handle that. How will he react? What if he will finally blow up and say something he’s not meant to? He shouldn’t tempt fate and just stay at home instead of going out with the 118 and TK. He decides to gently decline the offer and thinks about a good excuse—he could easily use Christopher as a reason to not go with the team—and Buck would totally understand it.

When he finally opens his mouth to say something, the bell rings. Of course.

━━━━━━━━━━ × ━━━━━━━━━━

The whole friendship thing between Buck and TK is bothering him so much, he can’t even fully focus on the job. He’s so distracted that Bobby asks him if he’s okay. He shrugs his shoulders and lies that he’s completely fine. What would he say anyway? That he’s in love with his best friend who doesn’t love him back and he’s probably into another, very cute firefighter? No, this is already pathetic as it is. No need to embarrass himself more. When they’re back at the station, he’s almost on the edge. He needs to find out more, even if it causes him more pain.

He quietly follows Buck to the kitchen and when they crash on the couch, he musters up courage to ask him about his relationship with TK.

“I didn’t know you and TK were such close friends.” He says, trying to sound playful, teasing.

Buck sighs heavily.

“Oh, come on, man, you too?” He groans and shoots Eddie kind of an annoyed look. “Yes, we’re close and it’s nice to have a friend outside of the 118. And we’re just friends. No flirting, no hook ups. Besides, I’ve mentioned he has a boyfriend who will be there with us.”

Eddie believes him; he hears honesty in his voice and it makes him a little bit calmer. He feels like he can finally breathe again and—

“I wouldn’t flirt with him anyway even if he was single because I think I might be in love with someone else.”

Eddie swears he can hear his heart shattering on a million pieces. He wasnʼt prepared to hear this, he wasnʼt expected to have a breakdown in the middle of a shift. Buckʼs in love and he didnʼt know about this. How? Who is it?

“What?” Is the only thing he manages to whisper.

“I’m in love with someone.” Buck repeats. It’s very quiet, unsure, almost fragile. Like he’s afraid of Eddie’s reaction, afraid of being open and vulnerable. Afraid of being in love.

It breaks Eddie’s heart even more because the only thing that’s worse than his broken heart, it’s Evan Buckley’s broken heart.

“Oh. Are you... Does this person know about it?” He asks gently, moving a little closer to his best friend. He feels like heʼs been hit by a truck but right now he wants to at least reassure Buck itʼs okay, make him feel better. Thatʼs what friends do anyway. He can have a full breakdown in his own house when heʼll be alone. He starts to pat his back lightly and after a while, he can feel Buck relaxes a bit.

“No...  It’s… Complicated. It’s probably best if I don’t say anything. At least nothing will be destroyed. I canʼt destroy it.” He hears Buck’s muttering. He understands him perfectly; sometimes not telling the truth is just the best option.

Eddie still feels jealousy, he envies the nameless person who Buck loves. He’s trying to shove down his feelings and only focus on his friend to cheer him up.

“You wanna come home with me after the shift? We could make pizza together and watch some movies with Chris.” He proposes. He realizes he said coming home—like it was their home. Not only his and Chris’ but Buck’s too. And it is his home; Buck belongs to the Diaz family anyway.

His invitation instantly lightens up Buck’s mood because he finally looks at him and there’s a small smile dancing on his lips.

“Deal. But only if you stay away from the kitchen, we don’t wanna call 911 to the firefighter’s house. You can wash the dishes.”

“Fine. Whatever you wish.”

━━━━━━━━━━ × ━━━━━━━━━━

The rest of the week passes fairly peacefully. They don’t talk again about Buck’s feelings and Eddie successfully pretends he’s not jealous. They joke and bicker as always so it’s fine, it seems like everythingʼs perfect.

It’s Friday—and it means TK and Carlos are coming. Buck has a day off and he’s picking them up from the airport and giving them a quick LA tour. Eddie’s working and so are Hen, Chim and Bobby. It’s a busy shift so they’re definitely not bored; Buck keeps them entertained between the calls—he’s blowing up Eddie’s phone with texts and photos.

Eddieʼs happy that his friend is enjoying his day off, he really is. Of all people in the world, Buckʼs the one who deserves it the most. He wishes heʼd be there with him.

» from Buck: dude, we totally need to take Chris to this museum of space, heʼll be thrilled«

Eddie opens another photo from his friend—this time itʼs Buckʼs selfie whoʼs standing in front of the museum and smiling. It melts Eddieʼs heart because Buck always thinks about Christopher, always includes him in his plans. Despite what Hen says, heʼs aware that theyʼre basically co-parenting Chris; he canʼt pinpoint the exact moment when Buck has become a second dad, it just... Happened.

» to Buck: iʼm in. so museum and sleepover at my house next saturday? i think i need to get my revenge after last time«

Buckʼs response is immediate.

»from Buck: you can keep dreaming, Diaz«

Eddie stifles a laugh when he reads the message. At least, heʼs the one Buck chooses to share even small things with. And at this moment, everything is alright.

━━━━━━━━━━ × ━━━━━━━━━━

They finally meet at the 118ʼs favourite pub. Eddie went home after the shift to drop Chris at Abuela and change into something nicer. He tried once to say heʼs not going out with them but he quickly changed his mind when he saw the disappointment in Buckʼs eyes. Heʼs quite nervous, though. Despite what his friend said about flirting with TK, the doubt, the uncertainty is still there. He hopes he wonʼt do something stupid. Heʼs the last one to arrive and Buck spots him the second he crosses the threshold. When he reaches the booth theyʼre sitting at, Buck almost jumps out to pull him into a hug.

“Thanks for coming.” He whispers into his ear and Eddie shivers involuntarily.

Then, heʼs crushed by another hug—this time itʼs TK which is a little surprising but Eddie returns the hug. Carlos sticks to the traditional handshake.

“Nice to finally meet the famous Eddie Diaz.” He says fondly. “Weʼve heard about you quite a lot.”

Itʼs quite dark here but Eddie notices Buck blushing anyway. Itʼs cute, he thinks.

“I hope Buck hasnʼt told any embarrassing stories.” He quips.

“Your embarrassing stories are safe with me.” Buck says very seriously, placing his hand on his chest.

“Trusting Buckley with your secrets? Youʼre either brave or stupid. Or both.” Chim laughs, sipping his drink.

“Iʼm telling Maddie. She will kick you off the couch for at least a few nights.” Buck warns him. It piques Carlosʼ interest because he asks a question, looking at the other man.

“Wait, so Chimʼs with your sister? Wow, you guys are really close.”

“Oh, you have no idea.”

━━━━━━━━━━ × ━━━━━━━━━━

The conversations go as smoothly as the drinks they keep ordering. Eddie feels buzzed and content. Heʼs talking with Carlos about their childhood in Texas. He discovers that they have much in common; itʼs a very pleasant surprise and he feels like they will be very good friends. Bobby already called the night off, saying he needs to go back to his wife—because you canʼt say no to Athena —but Hen and Chim are still there and theyʼre singing karaoke alongside Buck and TK.

Eddie keeps an eye on these two; there was a reason why Judd called them dumbass and dumbasser. Buckʼs also slightly more drunk than him so someone really should check out what heʼs doing. And that is Eddieʼs responsibility. There is definitely no hidden meaning, no other reason to glance from time to time (fine, very often) at the scene.

Itʼs their turn to sing—itʼs Ed Sheeranʼs Give Me Love —and Eddieʼs confident it was Buckʼs choice. He notices how synchronised they are, how they keep sharing casual touches, how they laugh at each other, how they look at each other during the song—

And the jealousy almost throttles him. Because this is something Buck had only with him. Heʼs never been so touchy with Chim or Albert; sure, they have hugged many times but itʼs different with Eddie. Their closeness, lack of personal space was there from the first Eddieʼs day at 118 even when theyʼve been showing off to each other. Itʼs never felt awkward or inappropriate. It was easy, natural, kind of like breathing—something that people do without even thinking about it because itʼs just part of life. Because it was Buck.

Heʼs spiraling. He needs to go outside, somewhere where he wonʼt see Buck and TK together. It doesnʼt even help him that TKʼs boyfriend is right there next to him and he doesnʼt feel annoyed, threatened. He watches them with amusement in his eyes.

“I... I need to go to the bathroom.” Eddie says quietly and he rushes out of the booth before Carlos can say something. In the middle of the road to the bathroom, he changes his mind and goes out of the pub. He needs to take a deep breath, calm down and donʼt let jealousy take over him. Itʼs not like Buckʼs his boyfriend; heʼs allowed to be close with anyone he wants to. He knows that this possessive feelings and fear of being replaced, hurt is probably irrational but it still gets to his head very easily.

━━━━━━━━━━ × ━━━━━━━━━━

He goes back inside after a while. He orders a beer and sits in the empty booth because apparently Carlos decided to join the rest on the stage. Eddieʼs grateful for that because he doesnʼt have to explain himself, he just can sip his beer in peace.

He doesnʼt notice TK coming to the booth, heʼs too lost in thoughts.

“What are you doing here all alone? Playing a dark, brooding hero?” He hears a very amused voice when TK sits across from him.

Eddie glares at him.

“Iʼm not brooding.” He scoffs. Heʼs definitely not brooding, heʼs just... Thinking. Trying to behave as usual. It would be rude of him to just go home without saying goodbye, right? And Buck would definitely call him to check if everythingʼs alright. Itʼs better to wait a little even if heʼs sitting alone.

“If you say so.” TK shrugs but then, he continues. “You know, thereʼs no need to look at me like you want to rip my head off.”

Eddie opens mouth to say something, to deny it because heʼs sure he didnʼt look at Strand like that but TK doesnʼt let him.

“Dude, donʼt. If looks could kill, I would be already dead when we met in Texas. Well, maybe it wasnʼt that intense back then but tonight you look like you want to strangle me. Thereʼs no reason. I like Buck but heʼs my friend. Just a friend.”

Eddie looks at him like a deer caught in the spotlight. Is he really that easy to read? He feels the blush creeping up in his cheeks; heʼs a little embarrassed because he really didnʼt expect TK to be so perceptive.

“I... How did you know?” He asks, his voice filled with uncertainty. He doesnʼt try to deny it anymore, TK wouldnʼt buy this bullshit anyway.

“Besides that I-wanna-kill-you look? ” TK laughs and then, he takes the water left on the table. “You look at him like the sun shines out of his ass. You were so focused on him that you barely noticed everyone else tonight. If I asked Hen or Chim about it, Iʼm sure they would say this is your normal behaviour. And you kept touching him like...” He trails off for a while, biting his lip. “You know... When I saw you and Buck for the first time, I was sure you two were together.”

Eddieʼs speechless; he’s mindlessly tapping his leg, looking at TK but not really seeing him. He’s silent for a few moments, but TK’s patient, he doesn’t rush him to talk.

“It’s… Complicated.” Eddie sighs heavily. He hasn’t told anyone about it but he doesn’t know if he can keep all of these emotions bottled up any longer. Maybe the fact he’s not entirely sober helps. And the fact it’s TK he’s talking to. “We’re friends. Best friends even. I… You know, he’s been there for me and he’s got my back since the day I arrived at the station. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had and I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with him. I don’t know how and when it happened but it just… Did? The thing is… I was panicking at first, I even tried to get over him by dating Ana. She’s—she was Christopher’s teacher. She was nice and sweet but I’ve kept thinking about Buck even when I was on a date with her. Even when I was kissing her, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. It’s embarrassing, I know.”

He’s thankful that TK’s not interrupting him, that he actually pays attention to him. He notices the resemblance between him and Buck. Both of them have a personality of a golden retriever and they tend to do sometimes very stupid and reckless things. But after all, they’re so easygoing and sweet, it’s very easy to love them. Eventually, he goes on with his confession. “You know, I was jealous when I saw you two because you’re awfully… Handsy. You can understand each other without even talking. I know you have Carlos and that you two are serious but… I can’t help it, it’s stronger than me. And I can’t tell him I’m in love, I can’t destroy our relationship. I can’t do it because Chris would lose him too and he’s already lost one parent. Besides, Buck’s in love with someone anyway.”

He ends his monologue and hides his face in his hands. He definitely feels better after saying it out loud but it’s still a little bit awkward.

“And here I’ve thought Judd calls you Hollywood because of the looks but now I’m sure it’s because of how dumb you are.” TK says boldly.

Eddie raises his head to gaze upon his friend. There’s a very amused grin on his face and he looks like he’s refraining himself from laughing out loud.

“You really have no clue, don’t you?” TK asks. “Sorry, I shouldn’t laugh at you but it’s so funny how oblivious and blind two people can be.”

Eddie scowls.

“Are you gonna keep mocking me or you’re gonna tell me what you mean?”

“Fine.” TK chuckles. “Have you ever considered that Buck might be in love with you? I know that he told you, not directly, but he told you about it. I guess you didn’t figure it out.”

“He didn’t—” Eddie protests without hesitation but he stops when recalls their conversation after Buck told the team about TK and Carlos coming to LA. He mentioned being in love with someone and not wanting to tell the person about his feelings but Eddie didn’t even think that he could be talking about him. “You sure… He was talking about me?”

He looks at TK with hope; he desperately wants it to be true.

“I’m sure.” The younger man reassures. “He’s in love with you as much as you are. Oh, speaking of the devil.” He mutters, seeing Buck going in their direction.

Eddie rapidly turns his head only to see his best friend settling down next to him. His face is slightly flushed, hair disheveled and there’s a wide smile on his lips.

“Dude, I know you’re into Texans but I think one of them is enough, don’t you think?” He asks TK playfully.

“Don’t worry, Eddie’s all yours.” TK replies, smiling mischievously and he winks at Eddie. “I’m sure Eddie’s more into cute, blue-eyed blondes anyway.”

And then, he flees out of the booth, leaving them both alone. Buck raises one eyebrow, looking suspiciously at his best friend.

“Blue-eyed blondes, huh?” He asks very intelligently. Eddie’s sure his cheeks and neck are red by now and it’s very noticeable.

“Y-Yeah. He’s right.”

“Interesting. Neither Shannon nor Ana were blondes.” Buck points out, his voice very teasing.

“But you are.”

It makes Buck blushing furiously and Eddie thinks it’s the cutest thing he saw this evening. Suddenly, he notices how close they are, how their bodies are pressed together, how blue Buck’s eyes are and how soft his lips are.

“So… You’re into blondes now?” Buck whispers, not tearing his gaze away from him, even for a second.

“Been into for a while now.”

“It’d make everything easier if I knew about this, I’d definitely do this sooner.”

Buck makes the first move and he closes the space between them. He gently brushes his lips like he doesn’t want to overwhelm him. But Eddie doesn’t want to back off. He’s the one who deepens the kiss, he’s the one who slides his tongue into his mouth, causing him to quietly moan.

“Do you think we could sneak off and go to my house maybe?” Eddie asks when they break apart, panting heavily.

“Dude, TK and Carlos are staying at my apartment, I can’t just sneak off.” Buck laughs. “I need to at least give them the keys if I’m not supposed to go back to my place tonight.”

“Then what are you waiting for? Just give them the keys and we can go.” Eddie pouts and he sounds so needy, it makes Buck giggle.

At some point, they get up and approach their friends who’re standing by the bar and ordering new drinks.

“Look who decided to join us!” Hen chuckles and she wants to say something else but she’s cut off by the Chim’s laughing loudly.

“I’m not sure if they are joining or leaving us.” TK smirks and Carlos nudges him softly to not to meddle.

“Actually, we were thinking about leaving if you don’t mind. I can give you the keys to my apartment.” Buck offers sheepishly.

“Just give us the keys, we’ll manage. You can go with your Texan.” TK says but then he adds, pointing a finger in Eddie’s direction. “But I need to meet Christopher before I go back to Austin.”

“I think we can arrange something. Tomorrow afternoon maybe?” Eddie suggests.

“Then we’re all set. Now, stop talking and get a room already!”

When Buck finally gives TK his keys, they say their goodbyes and order an Uber to Eddie’s house.

The ride is quick but quiet. They don’t really talk but the silence between them is not uncomfortable—it’s the opposite of it. They have to talk about their feelings eventually but they know they’ll have the time to do it. They enter the house and the second Buck closes the door, he’s slammed against the nearest wall. Suddenly, they’re kissing again; Eddie pushes his hips forward and it causes Buck to spread out his legs a little bit.

Eddie’s so glad Chris is at Abuela’s house because it means they have the whole night only for themselves—and they can do whatever they want to.

“Bed.” Buck growls when Eddie bites his lip and starts to unbuckle his belt.

“Someone’s impatient.” The older man teases.

“Said the guy who dragged me out of the meeting with our friends to have sex with me.” The blonde replies wryly.

“Just shut up, Buck.”

“Make me.”

━━━━━━━━━━ × ━━━━━━━━━━

Eddie slowly wakes up when the sun peeks through the curtains and shines on his face. His head hurts a little—well, heʼs not in his twenties anymore and he wasnʼt counting his beers last night—and he feels the weight on his chest. He needs a second to register that itʼs Buck; he sleeps very peacefully, completely nestled to Eddie. His headʼs on the place where Eddieʼs heart is, one arm around his waist; thereʼs a gingerish stubble on his cheeks and his blonde curls are perfectly messy. Itʼs a wonderful sight—and he wants to wake up like this every morning... Maybe minus a hangover.

He doesnʼt even notice how long heʼs staring at Buck like that but he doesnʼt really care. Eventually, Buck wakes up too and he raises his head a little. He seems a little confused but the expression disappears when he notices heʼs on top of Eddie and the manʼs grinning.

“Hello, sunshine.” Eddie says and he shifts a little to be able to pull his friend closer to properly kiss him. Itʼs kinda gross because they smell like yesterdayʼs beers and they havenʼt brushed their teeth but neither of them care.

“I assume you do remember last night... No regrets?” Buck asks. His tone is cheery, playful as always but Eddie can see the uncertainty in his eyes.

“Only one. That I was a coward for so long because we could have had it all much sooner.” He answers very seriously, looking directly into Buckʼs eyes. He wants him to believe in every word he says. “I know we hadnʼt exactly talked last night... But I donʼt want this to be a one night stand. Not with you. I want... More. Everything. I mean weʼve already been a couple for quite some time. You practically live in my house, youʼre Chrisʼ second dad and youʼve been my rock since the day weʼve met. We just... Havenʼt done the sexy part of the relationship.”

“Until last night.” Buck points out.

“Yeah... Point taken. So if you want to take it slow, we can take it slow. We can date like people usually do or you can already move in and take my closet, my bed and everything because youʼve already taken my heart.”

“If you think that your offer to move in is getting you out of asking me on a date then you’re terribly wrong, Diaz.” Buck teases and winks at his friend. “You need to romance me a little.”

“God, youʼre such a dork.” Eddie says fondly. He feels so damn happy and content because he can really have everything he wanted.

“You love it.”

“I do. Now, get your ass up. We need to pick up Chris from Abuela at some point. We have dinner with TK and Carlos later.” Eddie sighs because heʼd rather stay all day in bed with Buck—and maybe tell him some of the fantasies he had in his head—but the reality calls anyway.

“Are you sure you want me to pick up Chris with you? I mean, we donʼt have to do it together, I can go to my apartment and—”

“Buck. Iʼm sure. Itʼs not like we havenʼt done this before. I want to tell him about us too. I donʼt want to lie to him because I did it when I dated Ana and it didnʼt end well. Besides, heʼll be thrilled to see us together. Hell, he wants us together. He literally told me last week that I need to buy glasses if I canʼt see that you love me too.”

Buck looks at him with amusement and he laughs heartily.

“Heʼs a smart kid. And he definitely didnʼt get it from his father.”

Eddie scoffs.

“Youʼre really lucky that I love you that much because otherwise you wouldnʼt get away with saying stuff like this.”

Buckʼs smile is almost blinding.

━━━━━━━━━━ × ━━━━━━━━━━

They get up, eventually. They go to the shower together to “save the time and water” but it turns into another long making out session. They eat breakfast (made by Buck) and they finally go to Abuela to get Christopher.

“Edmundo, youʼre late.” They hear in the second Abuela opens the door. Sheʼs a little surprised to see not only his grandson but also his best friend.

She notices the big ass hickey on Buckʼs collarbone thatʼs exposed because heʼs wearing Eddieʼs Henley and raises her eyebrow.

“Now I understand why youʼre late.” She smirks which causes them to blush. “Anyway, itʼs nice to see you again, Evanito. I hope I get to see you more often.” She adds and then embraces both of them in a hug.

“You will, Abuela, I promise.” Eddie says honestly. He wants to add something but he hears an excited voice from the hallway.

“Dad!” Christopher shouts as he goes to the door to greet Eddie. “Bucky?” He asks when he notices the other man standing next to his dad.

“Hey, Superman!” Buck says, kneeling down to hug the kid.

“I didnʼt know youʼll be there. Are you coming home with us?”

“Yeah, buddy, Iʼm coming with you.”

Christopherʼs smile only gets bigger.

━━━━━━━━━━ × ━━━━━━━━━━

“Chris? What would you say if Buck were living with us?” Eddie asks when theyʼre at home. Buckʼs making Abuelaʼs famous enchiladas with Christopher (none of the Diaz siblings have gotten the recipe despite asking for it a countless times; Buck asked once and Abuela happily gave it to him) and Eddieʼs only an observer. He loves watching those two interacting, spending time together. He loves how easily Buck has stepped into a co-parent role, how fast and hard he has fallen in love with Chris, how good he is with kids in general. Heʼs amazed by it almost every time he sees them together. He wouldnʼt have found someone better to be with.

“Buckyʼs moving with us? Iʼve thought it wouldnʼt happen!” Chris replies. The corners of his lips are curling into a smile but before it breaks into a full grin, he asks. “But does that mean you are dating and we wonʼt see miss Flores or someone else anymore?”

Buck looks at Eddie with a mischievous smile and mouths told you, heʼs a smart kid.

“Yeah, kiddo, no more miss Flores or any other women. Itʼs gonna be only the three of us.”

It seems to be a very satisfying answer for Christopher—he just nods and goes back to adding all ingredients to the enchilada sauce.

When everything’s almost ready, Christopher goes to his room to change his shirt because he spilled the sauce on it and they are left alone. Eddie doesnʼt waste any time and comes closer to be able to kiss Buck. He thinks it may be a problem to keep his hands off his best friend but they will figure it out too. Eventually.

“I think I can get used to this.” Buck says when they stop to take a breath.

“To what? Cooking with Chris?” Eddie teases.

Buck only huffs but then he smiles anyway because cooking with Christopher is definitely on top of his favourite things to do. “Yep, definitely. He is my favourite Diaz after all.”

“Then Iʼm in second place I guess?”

“You wish. Thereʼs also Abuela and Tia Pepa... Maybe even your sisters.” Buck grins. “You have very strong competition.”

“I think I may have some tricks up my sleeve to change your mind then.” Eddie states and heʼs ready to show them to Buck but the doorbell rings. He sighs heavily. “Guess you just have to wait to see them then.”

“Canʼt wait.”

“Hi Buck. Fancy seeing you here.” TK says with a very wide smile on his lips. “Iʼm guessing last night went well then.”

“Well... Yeah? Thanks to someone who was meddling just a little bit.”

Carlos rolls his eyes but he doesnʼt look even slightly irritated.

“Please, donʼt boost his already big ego, he was talking last night about changing his career to be a matchmaker.”

“Matchmaker?” Buck raises his brow. “Sounds interesting.”

“Carlos, we should really keep our boyfriends apart, itʼs dangerous to let them use their brain cells together. If they even have them.” They hear Eddieʼs amused voice and he appears right behind Buck. The blonde blushes at the word boyfriends. “But come on in, weʼre all ready.”

“We brought a six pack and a gift for Christopher.” Carlos adds, lifting up the beers.

“Oh, Chris will be thrilled. Heʼs already so excited to meet you two.”

“Weʼre excited to meet him too, Buck has told us so many things about Christopher, I feel like I already know him.” TK explains when they go inside.

“Bucky was talking about me?” Christopher peeks in the kitchen shyly. He sounds quite surprised.

“Yes, he did. And itʼs very nice to finally meet you. Buck couldnʼt stop talking about you. He didnʼt even talk so much about your dad I think.”

“Because my dad is very boring sometimes and heʼs all grumpy.” Christopher shrugs, looking apologetically at his dad. “Sorry dad but thatʼs the truth.”

“When did you become so sassy, huh? But I guess youʼre right. But... This is TK and this is Carlos.” Eddie introduces his friend to his son.

“And we know youʼre very interested in space so we got you a little gift.” Carlos adds, handing Chris over a package.

“Thank you.” Christopher says simply and puts it on the floor to unpack. “Whatʼs this?” He asks curiously.

“Oh, let me help you unpack it but maybe not here? We don't want to make a mess now.” Carlos proposes and Chris immediately agrees.

They go to the living room together and Buck sees with how much fondness TK looks at them.

“Carlos seems pretty good with kids.”

“He is. Heʼs fantastic. Maybe one day weʼll think about it.” TK replies thoughtfully.

“Oh, really? You two would be amazing dads.” Eddie says honestly, putting up the plates on the table. TK looks a little stunned.

“Never really thought about it too much earlier. But, anyway, howʼs my favourite couple? Because you two are a couple now, right?” TK eyes both of them carefully.

“Buckʼs moving in. Donʼt know when yet but Iʼm planning to make it as soon as we can.” Eddie announces proudly.

“Wow you really donʼt waste your time. So should we expect an invitation for the wedding next year?” TK laughs.

“... Maybe?” They both reply in sync.

“Well, weʼre doing it backwards. We started by raising Christopher together instead of just simply dating each other. So maybe we should marry each other soon. Iʼd marry him even now.” Buck states and winks at his boyfriend.

“Something tells me that the 118 would be mad at us for weeks. If they wouldnʼt kill us first for not inviting them to the wedding.” Eddie points out.

“I hate that youʼre right. They would totally kill us. But dinnerʼs ready and boys are probably starving so letʼs feed them first.”

The dinner is excellent, the conversation goes smoothly and Chris talks about his gift—an International Space Station Lego set—with so much excitement, they donʼt even dare to interrupt him. Buck and TK even offer to help him build it later. They eat a dessert and then, Eddie and Carlos settle on the couch, beers in hands and Buck and TK sit on the floor alongside Christopher and they discuss how to build the space station. Eddie canʼt tear away his gaze from Buck who looks so happy and excited to play with his—their —son and agrees to everything Christopher says.

“You two really fit together.” Carlos says quietly because he doesnʼt want to distract boys from work. “And Iʼm glad you were able to finally talk about your feelings. I must admit, I was pretty invested in your story when TK was talking about it. I really hoped you two would figure it out somehow.”

“Can you believe I was really jealous yesterday? I was sure Buck and TK were flirting and.. God, I was so mad at you for a second why you donʼt even react, why are you so cool about it. And... Yeah, I was stupid because I was sure he was into TK.” Eddie sighs because heʼs still embarrassed about it, he still canʼt believe he was so anxious that Buck might be in love with someone else.

“Oh, you probably havenʼt seen the way he looks at you. Itʼs really something. And TK was really invested in—and I quote—bringing these two lovesick idiots together. They were never flirting. Not seriously at least.”

“Yeah, I know... I... I really hope heʼll be happy with me. But Iʼve heard your relationship is getting more serious.”

“Yeah, well... We live together now so itʼs a pretty big step for both of us. We havenʼt killed each other so Iʼm taking it as a good sign. I donʼt know whatʼs next. Maybe a wedding but I need to be sure TK will say yes and wonʼt freak out about it.” Carlos sighs, knowing that TK may be still cautious about the whole wedding thing but he definitely wants to try it anyway.

“He mentioned earlier something about you two having a kid so I think heʼs taking it very seriously too.” Eddie reassures him.

They both look at his boyfriends who are completely focused on building a space station with Christopher and itʼs very heart-warming sight. “I donʼt think he would say something like that if he didnʼt mean it. Besides, heʼs a lot like Buck and I bet he loves kids as much as him. And I need to add that Christopher is not really a kid who trusts easily but he clearly has so much fun with TK. I wouldnʼt worry too much if I were you. You two really fit together too.”

“Yeah, we do. TK was annoyingly stubborn at first and he didnʼt want to admit that itʼs more than just a hookup. Now weʼre living together.” Carlos laughs, looking softly at TK who sticked out the tip of his tongue and visibly tries to concentrate. “I must say, this is a really nice trip. Glad I could meet TKʼs friends and just... Let myself relax a little bit. Something tells me ifʼs not our last visit in LA, though.”

“I bet.” Eddie hums in agreement. “You can visit LA as many times as you want to. We will probably visit you in Texas too. I have to properly introduce Buck to my family one day so we can definitely do a quick trip to Austin then.”

“Weʼll be happy to see you. Captain S—Owen—will be thrilled to see you. He was disappointed he couldnʼt go with us, he wanted to see Hen again and meet your captain.”

“Yeah, he was whining all the time since we told him weʼre going to LA.” TK adds suddenly. Heʼs still focused on building the space station but Carlos and Eddie stopped talking quietly and now he hears what theyʼre saying. “Mateo was disappointed too, he wanted to visit his cousin. Marvin? Or something like that.”

“We can organise something bigger so everyone can be there.” Buck agrees. “Eds, we should definitely tell Bobby about it. I donʼt care if itʼs here or in Austin, I can definitely organise it.”

“I have no doubts.” Eddie says fondly and then looks at their guests. “You shouldʼve seen him when he organised a Christmas party for us all with help from Athena. We were all working and our kids were so disappointed by it but Buck basically rescued everything. That was really amazing.”

“Really? You didnʼt even mention that!” TK scoffs. “But nice to know, maybe Iʼll hire you to organise my wedding with Carlos since youʼre so good at this stuff.”

“Oh, I donʼt know. Maybe Iʼd work with Carlos because heʼs so sweet and nice but you? I bet youʼll be a bridezilla.”

TK only throws at Buck a piece of Lego in response, followed by the laugh of both Eddie and Carlos.

━━━━━━━━━━ × ━━━━━━━━━━

Itʼs almost 10pm when TK and Carlos decide to go back to Buckʼs apartment. Christopher already fell asleep but he managed to build the space station with Buck and TK and he was really proud of it, just like both of his helpers.

“Dude, your kid is really amazing. I mean, I donʼt remember the last time when I had so much fun—sorry, babe—and Iʼm really gonna miss him.” TK admits and thereʼs so much honesty in his voice, nobody even questions it.

“Heʼs gonna miss you too, if it helps.” Eddie tells him, grinning softly. “Both of you. But youʼre gonna see him soon. At least I think so.”

“I take your word for it.” TK warns him.

“Well, you can always face time with us.”

TKʼs face instantly lights up and he hugs Eddie.

“I will miss you too, Hollywood.”

Eddie only rolls his eyes.

“Hey, you two big saps, you will see each other tomorrow because weʼre gonna drive you to the airport before our shift.” Buck announces.

“Fineeee.” TK sighs dramatically. “But I think our Uberʼs here so weʼre gonna leave you alone. It was really nice to spend more time with you.”

“Likewise.”

They say their goodbyes eventually and when TK and Carlos are already in the car, Buck takes Eddieʼs hand and smiles widely.

“It was really an eventful 24 hours.” He says.

“It was. Now we only have to prepare ourselves for tomorrowʼs shift. I bet Hen and Chim will be insufferable.”

Buck groans.

“Ugh, they will be. Maybe we should be insufferable too?”

“Buckley, do you have something particular in mind?” Eddie asks, watching his boyfriend carefully. Maybe other people wouldnʼt notice it but heʼs Eddie and he knows Buck too well. He notices that mischievous look in his eyes and heʼs sure Buckʼs up to something.

“I have a few ideas, Diaz.”

“Care to share them with me?”

“Always.”

[shihalyfie]

After Miyako and Hikari had successfully pulled off their first Jogress three episodes prior, in 02 episode 34, Iori quickly figures out that he and Takeru are "left", and while it might be tempting to see this as Iori being unusually genre savvy or toeing past the fourth wall into meta a bit, in actuality...

One thing you might notice if you look carefully is that nobody chose the Jogress pairings in advance, not any higher power nor any kind of fate. In fact, even when everyone meets Qinglongmon later in 02 episode 37, it is never said that “befriending Ken” was one of the hopes expected of them, simply just bringing him back from the brink (which had already been achieved as of 02 episode 21). Other than Gennai obliquely mentioning in the finale that Tailmon’s Holy Ring ended up used to power Jogress, for all intents and purposes, the kids here reached the power of Jogress with no real guidance, simply understanding each other by their own will.

It is true that Iori, thankfully, ended up being the person most in the right position to understand the very evasive and convoluted Takeru, thanks to his methodical way of pushing further into learning more when there’s something he wants to understand better -- but the story itself never hesitated to indicate that this was the most difficult Jogress to achieve, with its arc spanning a whole three episodes. And, when you think about it, Iori’s reason for coming to the conclusion that he needs to try harder to understand Takeru has a very significant pragmatic motive to it -- after all, they need all the firepower they can get right now, and having the final two members of the group be Jogress partners with each other would certainly be the most efficient. It’s not so much some magical assignment of fate as much as, really, this is the last resort and the only option left.

So it’s not easy. It’s not handed to them on a plate, and Iori’s really just realizing something that’s a very important lesson for all of us in real life, too: if there’s someone you want to understand better, and if you want to maintain a proper relationship to someone, you have to work for it. You can’t just sit around waiting for it to be handed to you on a plate (and it’s not like Daisuke-Ken or Miyako-Hikari did, either; there may have been more of an “accidental” component to theirs, but there was still a significant degree of hearing out troubles and directly working to address them). There are times when you’ll have to take the time to understand the other person’s feelings and where they’re coming from, and reach an understanding by proper communication instead of hoping it’ll happen by chance -- even if it ends up being a long and grueling process. And, conversely, it also means that it’s possible to develop a deep bond with someone even if the powers that be haven’t assigned you to do so already. Even if the chances seem unlikely at first, if you work hard at it and put an effort into it, you can make it happen.

And that’s exactly what Iori and Takeru do.

[cryptiql]

cherry starbursts

pairing: bakugou/reader (male reader in mind but is gender neutral)

warnings: none, i think?? lots of cussing though, courtesy of lord explosion murder

words: 3.6k

a/n: yuzuya's audios giving me so much brainrot...gonna be thinking about this all week. also the way this started out as god tier writing but gradually turned into shit at the end 🏃 nonetheless, i hope i did this gremlin man justice </3

a contemplative hum tickles your throat as you observe the paragraph laid out before you, the pads of your fingers tingling as you trail them across the pages. on the occasions where you've found your nose nestled deep within them, a muted scent of pears and sawdust would invade your senses, and the urge to rest your head in the plains of your chemistry textbook would become overwhelming. however, the threat of being cuffed over the head by a rolled up magazine makes you think twice about slacking off, so you begrudgingly slump back into your seat with a resigned huff. the clock in your dorm is no doubt ticking away like always; the second hand rounding at great speeds while the minute and hour hands crawl by at a sluggish pace; but you aren't there to hear it.

instead, you reside in bakugou's room, basking in the unencumbered atmosphere created solely by his diligent efforts to keep his space clean and organized. it's just the way he is, you have to remind yourself. not because you stubbed your toe on his dumbbells last week and he felt sufficiently guilty as to make sure nothing was in your path the next time you visited. that would be silly. all that considered, bakugou's room isn't much different from your own—save for the few comfort objects brought from home that give off a hospitable air—but the lack of stimulus it holds is apparent. anything that could disturb your tranquil study date has either been stored away or placed beyond your reach.

damn him, the bastard! he's completely oblivious, you silently muse, bracing your elbows on the desk to plant your face in the palms of your hands. you chastise yourself at the same moment for forgetting your headphones, but in your defense, bakugou screaming for you to hurry up had prompted a hasty departure. if he had the patience to wait two more minutes. . .

rather than finishing the thought, you pull the textbook closer, hoping that somehow the enlarged print will stick to your brain like a temporary tattoo. you only need this information long enough to pass the exam, but once it's over, you swear you'll never mention anything chemistry related unless it's the bond between you and your neighbor. the idle scratching of pencil led against paper erupts from his side of the room, lessening the static in your head by a fraction, but it doesn't last. he mutters something unintelligible under his breath as you spin in your chair to look at him in desperation.

he remains ignorant for the next minute or so, only glancing up at you briefly before returning to his notes. your nostrils flare as you reach down to untangle your laces and pull off your shoe. you chickened out last time this happened, but being ignored has successfully fed the flames of your frustration, and you simply will not stand for it any longer. you blame your sleep-addled mentality for the lack of better aim, but it stokes your pride when bakugou flinches as your shoe hurdles past his shoulder.

"the hell was that for, dumbass!?" he growls, his eyes narrowing into slits. you respond with a high pitched whine; one that would be considered overexaggerated in his opinion, but in yours, was perfectly reasonable when being held against your will to study a subject that has no business being this tedious. "sukiii, i'm booored."

the blonde makes a 'tch' sound, positioning his arm in a warning manner before throwing his pencil at you, which you manage to catch easily. you revel in the deflated expression he wears, twirling the pencil between your fingers and kicking a leg over one arm of the chair. all this, while never breaking eye contact, was sure to break through to him. you're hopeful, what with the way katsuki's gaze—gradually failing to hide his infatuation—travels over your build from head to toe. whether because you giggle at his reaction or decide to kick your feet like a giddy child, he snaps out of his trance with an all too familiar scowl and shuts his own textbook with unnecessary force. his demanding stare is fixated on you as he tosses it haphazardly to the edge of the bed.

"give me back my pencil, idiot." he completely ignores your previous statement and jumps straight into business, as always. "give me back my shoe first, hot stuff." you challenge, smirking in a way that you very well know gets him hot under the collar. the teasing endearment will either put the odds in your favor; earning you your shoe as desired, and perhaps the lovely little blush that often dusts his face whenever you flirt with him; or seal your fate in hell where the everlasting flames may burn similarly, if not just as hotter than bakugou's explosions. it has taken years of practice to uphold your smug attitude in the face of his unyielding rage; nose wrinkled and canines grinding. even now, he is the image of perfection—a powerful god emblazoned in brimstone and baneful inferno—and you, a mere lover of art. after a moment, bakugou's resolve seems to falter. his piecing glare relents only slightly to give way for a pensive expression as he sighs, gently rubbing along the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. he throws you your shoe while standing from the bed, and as you slip it on, he shuffles over to his clothes drawer to pull out his own pair of sneakers. this prompts you to raise a brow inquisitively, but your silent question is left unanswered up until bakugou claps a hand on your shoulder and grumbles.

"c'mon, i'm fucking starving. there's a seven eleven nearby that's got spicy ramen."

and just like that, all thoughts pertaining to the test have been pulverized to dust by katsuki's unrelenting fists. the promise of food after hours of relentless mental abuse has you brushing off the sudden change of inclination in seconds, meanwhile the hothead to your right mulls over it during your trek through the empty hallways, stuffing his arms into the holes of his jacket. he had been able to overlook your constant fidgeting and intermittent noises of vexation, but too soon it became obvious that you weren't getting anywhere with the session. he would have simply offered to help if not for his own inability to concentrate, which had made itself known within the last half hour when he caught himself staring at you between taking notes. so what if he found your pouting cute? just maybe, he had started to fall in love with the way your brows furrowed at the instance of a misunderstood question; the absentminded tugging of your earlobe; the way your eyes looked without seeing, as if the smallest things held the greatest importance. sure, the tapping of your nails against a desk was a bit much, but he could always put a stop to your fretting by lacing your fingers together and kissing the back of your hand. just maybe, your bashful reactions made him want to hold you closer; to see you lounging across his lap—a throne befitting for a king—with your rose hued cheeks nestled in the crook of his neck.

not that you needed to know any of that. no fucking way would he endow another reason for you to tease him when the list was already so long.

curfew isn't for another hour, but bakugou would rather not waste time dawdling, so he uses this as reasoning for hooking your arm with his and practically hauling you out the exit. he mutters something about you being "too fucking slow" and "leaving you behind if you don't keep up", but the fact that he's dragging you along at all shows that he would have no problem resorting to desperate matters. the right amount of groveling and or compromising might mean a piggyback ride to the store, but regardless of how tempting the idea is, you decide not to further burden your friend with carrying you.

the towering shape of heights alliance becomes more and more like a speck of dust as your journey continues, the weight of your thoughts heavy on your already weary mind. you eye katsuki's side profile, noting the distinct lack of malice upon his handsome features, and smile softly to yourself. friend. it was the first word that occurred to you, albeit the least desirable and in no way comparable to the term that caused your heart to flutter within the confinements of your ribcage.

you aren't together. you don't know if you'll ever be, but when the the milieu; brimming with chaotic screams, booming laughter and disorderly merriment belonging to that of your closest friends; is whisked from the narrative, katsuki looks at you differently. whatever fragments of disdain and spite tend to crumble within the first few seconds and are replaced by an emotion that was unheard of ever having manifested in the depths of his vermillion hues. it holds a semblance to adoration, perhaps even respect, and for as long as you can recall, that is all you've wanted to see from him: to be regarded like no other.

sure, it's not like how you dreamed—he isn't very affectionate in public, though you doubt he would be even if you were together, and it always stings when he shrugs your affections off with a deriding comment—but that's just it. it's not a dream. after every scornful remark; after the day has passed and the dwindling moon takes its place in the evening sky, breaking through the curtains of his dorm; he'll kiss your hand, your blooming cheeks, your lips, all to atone for it. where no one else can see, he treats you like a divine being, and part of you wishes to think that it's because he's selfish. a bit of possessiveness has lead to many nights of a shared bed, ruffled sheets and smothering cuddles, but who are you to complain? everything he gives you is more real than any well-constructed reverie.

he may not be yours, and you may not be his, but no one else will suffice for either of you, and that is the unspoken truth.

the minimal bitterness in the autumn breeze makes for a refreshing atmosphere with the only discontent being the hunger that claws at your stomach. bakugou has never been merciful towards anyone, let alone the self-acclaimed nuisance who interrupts his studying with half-baked plans of adventure, but you're ever so grateful for the rare times where he is.

you know you won't have to wait long now that the smell of milk bread and takoyaki trickles into the air, much like the faint pitter patter of raindrops on the concrete. the shower is horribly ill-timed, but you hardly mind, especially when the droplets cling to bakugou's eyelashes like crystalline gemstones; glimmering faintly with every blink as they catch the suns rays. it settles below the horizon, only a sliver of golden yellow to be seen dancing in the tree boughs above, and the fuck if the way it illuminates your not-boyfriend's visage isn't absolutely breathtaking. the glimpse of honeyed skin and kissable lips—pulled into a pensive pout—draws you in deeper, and deeper, and oh god i've been caught—

"you got a staring problem, dumbass?" he grumbles, a roseal color dusting his ears that he swears is from the cold.

even his offensive nicknames are laced with an abnormal tenderness, and knowing that you're the only one with the privilege to hear it causes your chest to swell with delight. you nibble your bottom lip, hoping that it will somehow hide the fleet of giggles bubbling in your throat, but it does no such thing. "yeah, it's weird. whenever i see something beautiful, i just feel compelled to stare at it."

you don't need to look at him to know you've struck a nerve, but you do anyways, and his face grows redder under the intensity of your teasing leer. he sputters, curses falling from past his lips like a waterfall, and rips his arm from your grasp to cradle it as if you've burned him. any sane person would have backed down the second mini explosions began flaring up from his palms, however, you are perhaps the exact opposite, as to be expected when surrounding yourself with the infamous bakusquad, who (excluding bakugou) procured one braincell to share amongst themselves. years of having to put up with and, by extension, learn how to effectively handle bakugou's fits have proven to be time well spent.

you remain none the wiser to the concerned stares of others as he spouts a line of insults; incomprehensible from behind his curled fist pressed tightly to his mouth.

"you-you can't just say that kinda shit out loud, dumbass!" and although he may seem mad, he's already dragging you down the street. you test your luck by huddling closer and resting your chin on his shoulder, your steady pace never faltering.

"is the katsuki bakugou stumbling over his words from a little compliment?" it almost feels like you've won, but then the blonde proceeds to cover your face with his still damp hand. the little shit had timed it perfectly so that your open mouth would taste the saltiness of his sweat—quite the contrary to its sugary caramel aroma—and if you weren't so preoccupied by the resonance of his cackling laugh, you might have spent the rest of the trip gagging and complaining about the whole ordeal. he hardly seems bothered, wiping your saliva on his trousers and going forth with that customary lumbering strut, which always has you torn between fawning, chortling or questioning if he has fucking weights down his pants.

nonetheless, you can't help but murmur how cute he looks as you swing your free arm in tune with your steps.

by the time you've arrived at the shop, the sun has long since disappeared; welcoming hues of purple, navy blue and hints of orange to dapple the heavens, along with the foretelling of stars. you can't begin to describe how lucky you are to be living in a city with such beautiful scenery, even when the thin clouds of smog from factories often hinder your view of it. the fluorescent lights from the 'open' sign flash sporadically, casting a cobalt glow to dance across your dazed expression. katsuki watches with intent, chuckling at how easily distracted you can get as he tugs you inside by the cloth of your shirt.

the person behind the cash register spares a customary greeting before returning to their magazine, and bakugou makes a beeline for the intended isle, something akin to excitement radiating from him. he wears it much differently, and it resembles is go-to callous guise in almost every way, but you're able to detect the slight shift in demeanor as if its the easiest thing in the world. you hardly register that he's removed himself from you until the distance grows too large to ignore, and you shuffle over to the place beside him with a newfound adrenaline. the crisp air of the corner store heightens your senses as you tap your foot to the pop song playing overhead.

the only other sound is of katsuki examining the ramen and deciding what level of spice he should get, encouraging you to ponder what sort of hellish nightmare he has planned for the rest of the group. it was just last week when he dared kaminari to try some of the noodles, and the poor boy had spent ten minutes weeping in snot-nosed agony that you would have to be insane to put something that hot in your mouth. bakugou had laughed at his misery and carried on eating with vigor, mocking the others for their weak taste buds.

after a beat of silence, you decide to test your luck again by poking is shoulder, as well as batting your eyelashes at him and cocking your head to the side.

"can we get some candy?"

bakugou waves his hand dismissively, which is all the conformation you need before rounding the corner to peruse the variety of sweets on display. you immediately spot the marked parcels of sour gumdrops and assorted licorice and giggle to yourself as you pick them out, unaware of the gentle smile the blonde wears in regards to your child-like glee.

"yeah, just don't eat it all in one sitting. you go through that shit way too fast—it's unhealthy."

you won't bother commenting on his strict, motherly advisement, because you know it's in his best interest. he's grumbled about "stuffing your body with all that garbage" on numerous occasions, and while the hypocrisy might have annoyed you at one point ("and i assume gouging yourself on spicy ramen is completely different?") you realized rationing your candy would benefit both your health and your wallet. you nod, despite knowing he can't see, and idly feel for your back pocket, wondering just how much katsuki plans to stock up. money isn't exactly an issue, so you suppose it doesn't matter, but the amount of packets he normally brings back is downright criminal.

"don't be shy," he eventually says, "i'm buying. you're responsible enough not to buy out the whole store, right?"

your confusion overwhelms the urge to roll your eyes at his sarcasm, but there also lies a hint of elation that he would offer to buy.

"i figured i'd be paying as compensation for messing with you." you stand on the tips of your toes to poke your head over the isle, feeling very tempted to ruffle his hair whilst he gathers the packages of ramen into his basket.

"nah, you can pay me back in some other way." his eyes flick upwards to meet your devilish smirk, and he turns away with an affronted noise, blood rushing to his cheeks.

"oh? i can't wait to see what you have in mind~."

and there go the sparks. they last but a few moments before katsuki composes himself, presumably because he realizes making a scene won't help the situation, but he still throws a glare at you from a distance as he beckons you closer. it seems like he's gotten all he needs, so you hastily grab whatever sweets are left on your mental list and rush back to the counter. a comfortable silence sits between you both as your items are checked out, and in that time, you observe the significant difference between pre-late-night-shopping-run bakugou and food-deprived-study-date bakugou. his shoulders are more relaxed, as is his facial appearance, and you'll be damned if you ever forget the way he smiles when he catches you looking from his peripheral vision.

it's soft and unguarded and leaves you struggling for breath as he waits for the cashier to turn away, then promptly laces your fingers together. what? katsuki takes the bag and pulls you effortlessly; like a ragdoll; a mere toy at his disposal; out into the brisk evening. his thumb brushes the back of your hand, making you jump in surprise at the suddenness of it, and he titters freely. what? the streetlamps glint brightly, flickering at random intervals as you travel onward at a leisurely pace. the roads closest to U.A. aren't as packed as the ones deeper into the city, and thus you are the only two souls to be found, save for the few cars that speed by under the faint luminescence of nearing traffic lights. katsuki squeezes your palm, then slithers his hand out of your hold to replace it at your waist, methodically caressing the skin there in a way that has your knees buckling. you sputter witlessly, attempting to catch the thoughts that flee from your mind like birds to the wind. the blonde is nothing less than ecstatic to be the reason for your flustered state, and he takes full advantage of it by leaning in and hovering his mouth just inches from your own.

"i'll take my payment now." and oh lord, you think. he doesn't have to ask me twice. your lips collide with his, molding together like melted toffee; just as sweet and addictive. you've shared kisses before; ones that left you bruised and scrambling for a coverup the next day; ones that felt like fire but were tinged with honey that soothed your throat; fleeting ones that were never enough. you were sure that your need for affection would never truly be satiated unless it was from the boy you held most dear, and with the moon as your sole witness, katsuki was happy to oblige.

"starbursts. . ." he huffs after pulling away, massaging your hip to subdue your dissatisfied hum. "you taste like cherry starbursts."

he doesn't seem to mind by the way he leans in for another kiss, and another, and another, until you're a jittery mess in his arms. you press against his chest, a wistful sigh escaping you when you part once more.

"not that i'm complaining, but where's this coming from? you're usually not so touchy." the last bit of your utterance trails off as bakugou presses his lips to your forehead and keeps them there. moments pass, and when he finally pulls away, its to hide his blush by walking ahead of you. "i should be able to kiss my partner whenever i please, shouldn't i?" he doesn't even give you a chance to catch up, because his words have you rooted to the spot. what urges your feet to move is the haughty smirk he tosses over his shoulder, and even then, the race has only begun; your demands for him to stop echoing down the street as you chase him.

cheeky bastard.

[majortuttle]

BJ’s been looking forward to this particular mail call for some time now, and the wait has been well worth it.

“Listen to this, Beej — Listen! ‘The Crabapple Cove Courier has learned that one of her native sons, Captain Benjamin Franklin ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce, M.D., son of Daniel Pierce, M.D., has been serving tirelessly in Korea as the Chief Surgeon of Mobile Army Surgical Hospital Unit 4077, which holds the record of having the highest survival rate of any such unit in the Pacific. Marine Gunnery Sergeant and Purple Heart recipient Willie Brees, of Bangor, credited Captain Pierce with not only successfully saving his leg after a grueling firefight, but going so far as to show off his a trademark Pierce besides manner with Brees during his recovery, often reading to him from his most recent issues of this very paper!’”

Hawkeye steps up onto Charles’ cot like it’s little more than a soapbox, snapping open the newspaper wide.

“Beej! This is unbelievable — I’m on the front page! Me! This says Mayor Tillet’s planning to give me the key to the city when I get home! ‘He’s doing Maine proud, and everyone should know how lucky we are to have someone like Ben Pierce looking after our boys’. Beej!”

BJ tries to keep his grin in check, but Hawkeye clocks his reaction immediately. “What? What is it?”

“Nothing — Nothing! I’m just happy for you,” BJ shrugs, palming the skein of yarn in his hands like a football to hide his delight. “Happy Brees followed through.”

“Followed through on what?”

“Brees asked me how he could thank you, I told him your birthday was coming up and I’d appreciate it if when he got home he could make sure Maine knew what a swell guy they’d leant us.”

BJ turns his attention to the yarn to keep from showing too much of his own delight, realizing a half-second too late he’s also missing Hawkeye’s reaction. When he does look up from the wool in his hands, Hawkeye is staring at him with an inscrutable expression.

“Beej,” Hawkeye crosses the tent with the paper still delicately held in his hands. “You did this?”

“I mean, not me,” BJ backtracks, “Brees did the leg work and you did the surgery, but I, well . . .”

“You told him about me.” Hawkeye finishes softly, handing over the paper; BJ’s eyes track immediately to the photo of younger, darker-haired Hawkeye in his Class A’s, standing with a beaming Daniel Pierce in front of what must be the elder Pierce’s practice. “You asked him to do this?”

“. . . I did.” BJ apologizes. “I’m sorry, Hawk, I don’t know if I overstepped, here. He just really wanted to — ”

BJ’s fully ready to beat a retreat from the Swamp, certain he’s pulled the wind from Hawkeye’s sails, when he finds himself wrapped up tightly in the man’s arms, Hawkeye’s face buried in the hollow of BJ’s neck.

“This is the best birthday present anyone’s ever given me,” Hawkeye whispers, lips catching on the stubble of BJ’s throat. “I’m including the bike my dad gave me for my ninth birthday and the record player Carlye stole from her brother.”

“Everyone should know who you are, Hawk,” BJ returns the hug, unable to keep himself from burying his face in Hawkeye’s hair. “Everyone should know how amazing you are.”

“You’re amazing,” Hawkeye sniffs, hands still clutching at BJ’s back. “God, what my life would have been like if your sorry face hadn’t shown up.”

“Horrible, I know.”

It occurs to BJ that they’ve been hugging for longer than might be strictly appropriate when Hawkeye shuffles slightly but still doesn’t release him. BJ, in turn, stays put, though he does tempt fate when he slides his hands low to rest them on the Hawkeye’s waist, a move that does not go unnoticed if the hitch in Hawkeye‘s breathing is anything to go by.

“Happy Birthday, Benjamin Franklin Pierce,” BJ whispers against Hawkeye’s ear. “To this one and many, many more.”