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turning-dreams-into-chaos · 4 years ago

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Sirius Black x Reader

Request: hello! can i request an imagine in which reader is Lucius’ little sister, so she has a bad reputation among the marauders, but on their last year, her and Sirius are supposed to work on a project together so they start spending more time together and he realises that she’s not like her family at all, so they start developing feelings for each other? maybe they even kiss in the end? hehe. thanks!

Word Count: 4.3K

A/N: I wrote this for @angelinathebook‘s writing challenge and dear god, it’s taken months to begin this because pookiebear just hit 2,000 followers and the challenge was for 300... Love that. Anyways, my prompts were “I like spending time with you.” and “I’ve fallen in love with you.” Enjoy!

***

Y/N Malfoy.

Your name held a lot of depth at Hogwarts that you didn’t want. Being the younger sister of Lucius Malfoy didn’t come easy. Everyone either feared your brother or didn’t like you because of him, which sounded absurd when you’ve tried your best over the years to make friends outside of your house. Your brother said it wasn’t worth it, Slytherin’s would always be superior and to stick with the pure bloods here, but you hated the thought, knowing the bad beliefs had rubbed onto Lucius greatly.

Even after Lucius graduated a few years ago, people still didn’t like you and you gave up, finding that trying to make people understand you is too tiring. You had one more year left at Hogwarts and all you wanted was to finish it off gracefully, no longer embarrassing yourself with the rejection of friend groups.

Tapping your fingers against the table, you tried to pay attention to professor McGonagall teach today’s lesson, but it was really hard when all you heard was the Marauders definitely not paying attention. It was irritating really how they didn’t seem to get trouble for their antics today. After hearing one of them snicker, you couldn’t help but look back at them. Sirius and James were both turned around to Remus and Peter’s table, Remus had his face in his notes but an obvious smile on his lips and he listened to his friends. Peter was snickering quietly as James mumbled something, but Sirius was the only one who hadn’t been paying attention, instead he was smirking as he saw you staring at his friends. Once he caught your attention, he sent you a wink before your eyes widened and you almost snapped your neck as you faced the front again.

Sirius rolled his eyes as he turned back to the group. “Malfoy was looking at us.” He whispered as James scoffed.

“What did she want?” James mumbled with a half smirk as he spared a glance at you, finding you focused more on the lesson.

Sirius furrowed his brows. “And I would know because we obviously had a very vocal conversation.” Sirius said sarcastically as his friends laughed a little louder, James nudging Sirius before someone cleared their throat behind James. The four of them looked up, seeing McGonagall standing there and the whole class looking at them. “Hello Minnie, what can we do for you?” Sirius asked, plastering a smile on his face that caused Professor McGonagall to purse her lips.

“Mr. Black, it would do you and your friends good to pay attention in my class. Especially for the term project I’ve assigned.” She raised a brow at them and Sirius remained unfazed.

“Ah, that’s okay Minnie. I’m sure we’ll all figure it out together.” He sent he a wink as McGonagall started towards the front of the classroom.

“For your project, I will be assigning your partners.” You watched Sirius’ smile fall as you let out a laugh, an action that didn’t go unnoticed by Professor McGonagall, though she said nothing. “And Mr. Black?” She called out, without even turning around. “That’s detention.”

He threw his hand in the air as he glanced around the room, finding you trying hard not to smile. Sirius huffed out a breath at your reaction. Although he’d hadn’t had many run-ins with you, he knew your brother was bad news and he assumed you’d be just like him. He heard rumors of you trying to befriend people, but based on the fact you never seemed to stay with those people, Sirius was certain it was because you were like your brother.

As Professor McGonagall began rambling off partners for the project, Sirius finally began listening, waiting for his name to be read. His friends all had their assignments and Sirius shifted in his seat, realizing there were only a few people left. “Sirius Black.” McGonagall said and for what seemed like the first time as she read off the names, she paused. Sirius furrowed his brows, watching her cross something out and scribble down something else before she continued. “And Y/N Malfoy.” Sirius’ mouth dropped opened as he stared at McGonagall, knowing he heard her correctly. He looked over to you, seeing you slumped back on your stool in a state much like Sirius.

“Class dismissed.” McGonagall said before looking up, seeing a few of her partners already heading to each other to start talking. In fact, the only two who seemed not to was you and Sirius. You slowly packed your belongings, sparing a glance back to Sirius who was still sitting in shock.

“Great.” You mumbled before heading over to him. “Black?” You said, knocking him out of his stupor. He blinked a few times before letting out a pitiful laugh and grabbing his bookbag.

“Come on, lets get this over with.” He grumbled as he started walking out of the room. Staying in place, you looked back to McGonagall, seeing a smirk on her face as you began to wonder what you did to her for her to force this on you. “Malfoy, are you coming?” Sirius asked when he realized you weren’t following.

You swallowed thickly before following behind him in silence until you reached the library. He stopped inside, glancing around to all the students before looking to you. “You really weren’t paying attention when she told us about the project, were you?”

Sirius expected you to bring that situation up, but he hadn’t expected your voice to sound so soft when you had. He nodded slightly, licking his lips as he quirked a brow. “I think we both know I wasn’t.”

“I figured.” There was a playfulness that again shocked Sirius as he cleared his throat, following you to the correct section of the library. You scanned the shelves for a moment before starting to pull books out. When you had a couple of them in your hands, you turned towards Sirius, giving him a huge fake grin as you pulled his hands up and started piling the books into him.

Sirius looked down at the stack as it started piling up. “Do we really need all these?” He asked dumbfounded, pulling his head back as the books reached his face. He heard you laugh and furrowed his brows.

“Absolutely not, but I wanted to see how many it’d take you to say something.” You smirked, counting the books in his hands. “It was 13, in case you were wondering.”

Sirius tried to hide his chuckle but it didn’t work. As soon as you removed all but 3 books, his face was back to the same mad looking one he wore when you left the classroom. You quickly averted your gaze. “Shall we?” you asked, gesturing to the table next to you. Sirius didn’t nod or anything as he placed the books onto the table and slid into the seat with his back to you. You let out a nervous breath you hoped he couldn’t hear as you moved around the table.

“So,” Sirius said, looking down at the books. “What’s the project?” You nodded and explained the project to him again, this time with Sirius listening and asking questions.

“That’s it?” Sirius asked a few minutes later once you were finished. You nodded, watching him lean back with a smirk. “See I didn’t need to listen in class.”

“Only because I did.” You quipped with a chuckle and reached for a book. Sirius, however, saw you reach for it and grabbed it first. He wore a grin as you looked at him, rolling your eyes and reaching for another one.

“You’re so mature.” You mumbled and Sirius clicked his tongue with a grin.

“I am, aren’t I?” His obvious use of sarcasm wasn’t lost on you as you flipped opened your book, scanning the pages for any useful information. Sirius did so as well, although he kept taking looks up at you before slamming his book closed. The sound caused you to jump as you looked up confused. “Okay, what’s your deal.”

“My deal? You’re the one who slammed the book closed?” You narrowed your eyes in confusion as he shook his head.

“I mean, are you like everyone says you are?” He shrugged and once again you were confused.

“People talk about me?”

Sirius averted his gaze, unsure if he should say more. “A little.” He admitted, watching you nod slowly.

“What do they say?” your voice wavered a little and Sirius gulped as he shifted in his seat.

“Just that you were the same as your brother.”

You let out a surprise huff of air with your eyebrows raised. “Oh.” You began, glancing about the library. It was then you noticed a few people casting looks your way, seeing you with Sirius obviously earning a few conversations.

“Are they right?” Sirius asked bluntly, tapping his pen against the table.

You locked eyes with him, your mouth upturning to smirk. “Absolutely.” You lied, seeing Sirius’ face falter. “You know, Lucius and I, brother and sister, why wouldn’t I be like my family?” Your question was rhetorical and Sirius knew it, but one thing was hitting him hard. He knew how Lucius was, everyone did, but he also knew how different one can be from their family. Look at his family. His brother and him barely spoke to each other as it is and he was estranged from his parents before he was even out of school. Why did he just assume you were like your brother? Why did everyone assume you were like your brother?

“Look this was fun, kind of, and it was a great beginning to the project, but I have to go to my next class.” You lied to him, putting the books in your arms to borrow. You left Sirius with the one he was reading as he nodded.

“Yeah, of course.” Sirius said, shaking away the thoughts in his head. “Uh, meet tomorrow?” He asked and you nodded, not looking in his eyes.

“Yeah. See you then.”

With that, you were off, leaving Sirius alone in the library with the book in front of him. He sighed loudly after you left, slowly falling himself forward onto the table. He couldn’t be wrong about you, right? 7 years of going to school together and he couldn’t have assumed wrong about you this whole time, could he?

Sirius groaned to himself, realizing he had been sitting there for quite alone before shoving the book into his backpack and heading out to find his friends. He realized he could’ve used his map, but he needed the walk. It took him down the black lake, feeling the cool air hit his skin as he stopped walking when he saw someone sitting against a tree. He snickered quietly as he moved closer, leaning against the tree.

“So, what class is this?” he asked, watching you jump out of your skin, the book you were intently reading flying out of your hands as Sirius threw his head back in laughter.

“For Merlin’s sake Black, what the hell?!” you shouted at him, holding an arm against your stomach as you let out a breath.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry!” Sirius continued to laugh as he fell to the ground, pushing your book over to you as you snatched it, keeping your eyes off him.

“You are not funny.” You muttered, fixing your position as Sirius moved to lean against the tree right next to you.

He was still laughing slightly as you opened your book back up, trying to find where you left off. “So, are we going to talk about how you lied about having class?”

“Nope.” Sirius made an appreciative face at your honesty as he watched you adjust your green and silver scarf around your neck. There was a silence that overcame the both of you before you couldn’t take it anymore. “Did you need something?” You asked, putting your book in your lap as you turned to meet his grey eyes.

Sirius put on a cocky smile. “Nope.” He said, popping the ‘p’. You bit lip as you kept yourself from saying anything and looking back to your book.

Once again, there was a silence as Sirius stared out to the lake, often taking glances to you reading. “Stop looking at me.” You muttered and turned your page.

“I’m not looking at you.” Sirius said very much falsely as his eyes never moved off your face.

“Black, I’m serious.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m-“

“Don’t even finish that sentence.” You interrupted him, looking at him again only to see him smile. It was then you realized he was messing with you, trying to get a reaction out of like he’d get out of your brother. “Alright. How about this, you can ask me one question a day until the end of the project, but you have to leave me alone for the rest of today.”

Sirius raised a brow. “What makes you think I want to know anything about you?” He asked and you shrugged.

“It’s your choice, take it or leave it.”

Sirius considered for a second before nodding. “Okay, deal.” You expected him to ask you the question then, but he didn’t, instead he just sat there.

“Your question?” you nudged him, hoping this could be sped up.

“Oh, I have to think about it.” He smiled at you again before leaning back against the tree.

You groaned although you were amused at his choice. “Fine, then as you think, lets get some work done?” You switched your book for one about the project and Sirius listened, pulling out his book. You weren’t sure how long you both sat there, talking over the project and exchanging information, but soon it was getting colder and even your scarves weren’t warm enough for the cool air.

“I think that’s enough for tonight.” You said before letting out a yawn as you covered your face.

Sirius nodded as he stretched. “Agreed. I still have my question though.” You nodded, fighting off another yawn.

“Yep, what do you want to know?”

You both stood off, brushing off the grass as Sirius pondered for another second. “What’s your favorite color?”

You looked at him with astonishment. “That’s your question?” you asked and he nodded. “Out of everything you could’ve asked, you want to know my favorite color?”

Sirius doesn’t know why he chose that question, but seeing your confused reaction, he deemed it the right now. “Yep.”

“Y/F/C.” you said, letting your voice rise with amusement. Sirius pretended to make a mental note as you rolled your eyes, throwing your bag over your shoulder. “You’re going to forget.” You called over your shoulder as your heard Sirius jog to meet your strides as you walked.

“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong, Miss Malfoy.” You looked at him out of the corner of your eyes, an action Sirius caught with a grin. “My memory? Spectacular.” He boasted and you nodded, stopping when Sirius and you were about to go separate ways.

“Good, at least then I know you’re not going to forget our study times? Tomorrow? Black Lake after classes?”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll bring us a blanket.” He promised, making a mental note as you snorted.

“That’s cheeky.” You grinned before walking your way, hearing Sirius yell out to you.

“I meant for the ground! So, we don’t have to sit on the grass!” You glanced over your shoulder before you turned the corner, sending Sirius a wink as he stood in place, watching you disappear. “Cheeky.” He scoffed, finding the smile on his face not going away any time soon.

Sirius, despite his memory not being as perfect as he promised, was right on time for the project time the next day, and the day after that and every day for the next month, often getting there before you. He always had the blanket too, spreading it out on the ground as you both sat or laid on it, reading your books and working on McGonagall’s assignment.

You didn’t have much longer in the project, and Sirius and you were right on schedule to finish and if someone asked you, Sirius and you were starting to get along really well. Sirius felt the same way, he wasn’t expecting a friendship to blossom between the two of you, but it was so easy. You were so unlike how he expected. Sirius was laying on his side, propped up on his elbow as he flipped through the book in front of him, honestly getting a little bored of what he was reading. He sighed, eyes moving to you, slouched over and head leaning onto your palm as you flipped the page.

Feeling Sirius looking at you, you glanced up, meeting his eyes and smiled before looking back down. Sirius however never looked away, in fact, a weird feeling overcame him. There were butterflies in his stomach and they wouldn’t leave. Although, he wasn’t sure if he wanted them too.

“Sirius?” you looked up. The butterflies seemed to flutter faster as you called him by his name, no longer by Black. “You haven’t read in almost 5 minutes, are you alright?”

He nodded, a lazy smile on his face as he pushed back his long hair, running his fingers softly through it. “Just tired, Y/N. We’ve been working for a while.” He admitted and you agreed, slowly closing the book and leaning back on your palm, settling into a position to look at him.

“Finish the rest tomorrow? I honestly think we’re almost done.” You voice held disappointment you hoped Sirius hadn’t picked up on. If he did, he didn’t say anything. “Got today’s question?” Sirius smiled slowly. He loved the question part of the day. Some of them were things like favorite class, favorite animal, favorite food and others were ones like what your Boggart was, if you’ve ever had your heart broken, just personal questions. Sirius allowed you to ask him a couple too and mainly you just re-asked his questions, figuring if you had to answer them then he had to as well.

Sirius sat up as he looked at you, preparing to ask the question. “That first day of the project,” He began, earning a nod from you to continue, “why did you pretend to have a class?”

You gulped, making a face. You should’ve known he would’ve asked that sooner or later. “I didn’t want to be assumed the same as my brother.” You admitted quietly. Sirius felt awful for asking as soon as he did. He should’ve realized the reason. “We’re different people, with different ideals, different mannerisms. I didn’t want his legacy to become mine. I think when you asked me if I was like him,” your words slowly quieted as you looked out to the lake, taking a shaky breath, “I figured if people were going to assume who I was without figuring it out themselves, then I’d let them.”

Sirius just stared at you, a small smile on his face that was beginning to make you uncomfortable before he spoke up. “I think I’m figuring you out.”

You let out an unsteady breath. “You are, are you?”

“I think so. I do know one thing.”

“And what’s that?”

“I like spending time with you.” His smile never faded from his face as you slowly smiled yourself.

“I like spending time with you, too.” You admitted, pulling your knees up as Sirius and you looked away from each other, feeling your cheeks heat up. The smile remained on your face until a few certain thoughts made their way into your mind and you had to remind yourself of a few things. The biggest thing?

He’s only spending time with you because he has to.

You cleared your throat, shoving the books and papers you had into your bag as you scurried off the ground. “Um, I almost forgot I have to do something!” you lied and right away, Sirius could tell. He didn’t say a thing as you backed away reminding him of tomorrow’s final worktime before you were gone, leaving Sirius alone to ponder what just happened.

That night, alone in your room, you finished up the project, putting the final touches and saving you the next few days of having to work with Sirius. You weren’t sure why you did it.

Maybe you didn’t want to force your presence upon Sirius anymore.

Maybe you figured it was better to detach yourself from Sirius before he could.

Or maybe you’ve realized the feelings you had every time Sirius smiled at you were no longer platonic.

The next day, Sirius had the blanket all set up by the time your study session came to start, he was seated, leaning against the tree as he waited for you. Today was going to be a big day for Sirius, he’d been telling his friends about you for the last month and after several nights of them trying to convince Sirius to tell you how he felt about you, he was going to. He was beginning to get a little concerned when you were late since you’d never been late before.

“Hey.” He heard behind him as he stood up, meeting your eyes as you stood back from the blanket. Her furrowed his brows, watching you fold your arms tight to your body.

“Is everything okay?” Sirius asked, trying to keep his voice lighthearted despite the dread in his chest.

You nodded, gulping and dropping your eyes. “I finished the project last night.”

“You what?” Sirius asked, unsure why you would do that. “I thought we were going to finish it together.”

The silence that crossed you both made Sirius uncomfortable. “Well, now we don’t have to.”

“Did I do something? If this was about the questions-“

“It’s not about the questions, Black.” Sirius’ heart dropped as you called him by his last name. “Look, the project’s over, you don’t have to be forced to spend time with me anymore, you can go back to pranking with your friends and I can go back to my books and avoiding everyone.” You started to turn around and head back to the school but obviously Sirius ran after you, grabbing your hand to turn you around.

“Hey, I was never forced to hang out with you.” He tried to counter but you just shot him a look, putting a smile on your face to hide much this was actually hurting you.

“If we were never assigned as partners, you’d still be thinking I was like Lucius, probably talking about me behind my back and your friends would be-“

“Don’t.” Sirius cut you off, not wanting you to take a trip down that path. He took a breath, trying to keep his voice low. “Y/N, If I never sat with James on the train in first year, I wouldn’t have any of my friends. If I stayed with my family, I would’ve grown up like them. If I hadn’t talked back to McGonagall that day she was assigning partners and if you hadn’t laughed at it, we never would’ve become what we are.” Your breathing hitched as he spoke. He was right though, just because you were forced to work on the project together doesn’t mean you can’t now be friends. Or more.

“What are we?” you whispered, feeling the cold nip at the unshed tears in your eyes.

Sirius stared into your beautiful eyes, sparkling as the midday sun shined upon them. “I’ve been trying to figure that out myself.” He admitted, taking a step closer to you when he realized he was still holding your hand.

You looked down at your hands, Sirius’ fitting perfectly with yours and you felt the warmth spread from his touch. “I have a question for you today.” You whispered as you met his eyes again. Sirius nodded, licking his lips in nerves. “How do you feel about me?”

Sirius didn’t say anything at first. He knew exactly how he felt, but saying it out loud was another thing. He cleared his throat, feeling you squeeze his hand as he squeezed back. “I’ve fallen in love with you.”

Both of your eyes widened at Sirius’ honesty. He thought you’d let go of his hand, maybe call him out for being crazy but you didn’t. Instead you smiled at him, a bright wide smile that had Sirius’ heart souring. You opened your mouth to speak but stopped yourself, unsure of what to say. “You’re serious?”

“In more than one way.” He joked and you rolled your eyes, well aware of Sirius’ jokes. He brought a hand up to your face, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “I’ve fallen in love with you, Y/N.” he repeated.

“Well, I have news for you, Sirius.” He smiled at you as grabbed his other hand, letting your fingers intertwine. “I’ve fallen for you as well.”

Sirius celebrated, letting go of your hands as he pumped his hands in the air as he remained on cloud nine. You laughed as you watched him, your smile stretching your face before Sirius stopped what he was doing and grabbed your hands fast, scaring you by his sudden moments. “I still have my question.” He beamed.

“Okay?”

Sirius’ eyes flickered down to your lips and you already knew what he wanted to ask. He slowly pulled you closer to him, your bodies pressed together until you could feel Sirius’ breath meeting yours and both of your eyes slowly closed. “Can I kiss you?” He whispered.

You didn’t answer. Instead, you closed the distance between your lips, feeling Sirius move his hand up to cup your cheek, his fingers threading loosely into your head as he deepened the kiss. You were breathless, drowning in the feeling of Sirius and you never wanted to come up for air.

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moved-to-void-kissed · 2 years ago

Note

💬 hi im in ur inbox again feel free to ignore this one bc its longer than what the original prompt talked abt but .. would love to hear any ideas for like. if adri & luna had a "hey this is what u missed!" convo in the celebi quest .. was going to add taka in there as the timetravel partner bc im biased but elias being there also sounds funny

The fact that you took the time to send all these asks means a lot to me, friend. Thank you very much. I will not ignore this.

I will give a disclaimer that, since Adri doesn’t actually do the Celebi quest in our version of events, I hadn’t really had any ideas about this concept before you sent the ask. I had sort of envisioned lines from Adri as a part of the quest, since she can say about “don’t worry I stepped in as shadow champion while you were gone and before shelly became the new champion! after luna became an elite four member I took up a position as ghost-type gym leader and I take my battles in iolia valley”. However, this is something a bit different.

(source: this post by queenieboo22)

send me 💬 and a character and I’ll give you a line my self-insert would say if in a canon interaction with them - this is a full default Anna Route situation, meaning Elias is the other time traveller and it’s also in tier 3 instead of post-Tao Trio where you moved it to.

If you just want the one line: “I’m just.. so sorry that I left you all alone!”

And if you’d like the whole (dialogue-only) conversation: it’s under the readmore.

Luna: “My love.. It really is you! You’re still exactly as I remember you.. Oh, I cannot express how happy I am to see you again!”

Adriana: “I know it hasn’t been as long for me, but I am so glad to see you as well, Luna! How have you fared? Is everything alright?”

Luna: “Yes, with all things considered, I like to think I've done quite well for myself. I'm one of the Elite Four now, you see!”

Adriana: "Oh! That's amazing, Luna, congratulations! You're truly deserving of the title."

Luna: "Hehe, thank you kindly! I have been working closely with the Champion to help her keep a better record of this region's history, as well as to preserve what aspects of its old culture would be remiss to lose entirely. It would have been lovely to have you here to see our progress, I must admit."

Adriana: “I am so sorry.. If not for the Relic Stone in our original time being so inaccessible, we wouldn’t have had to travel through time like we did..”

Luna: “Ah, don’t worry too much; when the Champion figured out the answer, it brought us all much solace. Though it was still a miserable affair for myself, and others too, to begin with. Incidentally, where is.. the man who travelled through time with you..?”

Adriana: “As far as I’m aware, Elias is still.. Ah, yes. Up on the stairs over there, still miserably losing in a shouting match with Radomus.”

Luna: “Hah! I daresay Father shall trounce him in all arguments he could muster. ..I cannot say I was sad to be free of him. Though with the young master having previously been lost to us as well.. nothing remained of that time to me anymore. And I must admit, it was not entirely a miserable childhood when I look back on the time I spent with him..”

Adriana: “You’re.. referring to Taka?”

Luna: “Yes. I'm afraid that, even as we worked to deal with the anomalies from the New World, the only person we found from before was that young man who fell into the Void alongside us both; Cain, I believe."

Adriana: "Oh, I see.. Well, I'm glad Cain was brought back, at least. But I wish the same was true for Taka somehow, as well, even considering his fate. I know that you and him had grown up together, after all.."

Luna: "I know that I'm blessed to be part of such a lovely family, but.. With you gone, even once we realised you would return someday, it still wasn't easy. Nobody was surprised when I took up the training of Ghost-types once I joined the Elite Four, after all."

Adriana: "They are your secondary type specialty?"

Luna: "Of course! Not only do they fare quite well on my battlefield of choice, so it was a logical choice from that perspective as the final Trainer before the Champion, but.. I felt it was only natural to honour you in any way I could."

Adriana: "That's.. Luna, I'm not sure I know what to say.."

Luna: "My love.. Why are you crying?"

Adriana: “I’m just.. so sorry that I left you all alone! And- the fact that you did something like that for my sake.. You really didn't have to do anything like that at all!”

Luna: "Oh, there's no need for you to apologise! It is what I wanted. Please, come here; it's alright, I promise.."

Adriana: "Ah- Thank you.. If you're sure, then, thank you. To be entirely honest, the whole concept of being ten years in the future is still.. a little bit overwhelming to me. Seeing everyone and how they have grown older.. It's lovely, but it takes a lot out of me."

Luna: "I can only imagine how surreal this must be for you. But, even so, we hoped - and later, knew - that you would return someday. Even though you most likely aren't able to stay here with us as we are now, I have faith that everyone who's here at the moment will still be here once you reach this point yourself. In fact, I believe that with you still in our lives for these past ten years, as the shining shadow that you are and always have been.. It's safe to say that things will turn out even better than they already are for us now."

Adriana: "Hehe.. I must admit, I would like that. I want to be there for you, and for all of my friends here. Thank you, Luna.."

Luna: “It is never a problem! So please, do not worry, my love. When Celebi takes you back to the time you originally came here from, and ten years pass for us both.. I know that I will be standing here alongside you still.”

#a call from the void #selfship #selfshipping #heart of the void #love: dark dreamer (luna)#selfship: void‑kissed (luna/adriana)#self‑insert: soul‑touched (adriana)#this was much more sad when I was writing it last night but then I went back and actually read all the post-timeskip dialogue #so I toned down the melancholy just a tiiiiny bit #remembering how to push elias out of the picture by having this come directly after talking to noel also helped #It’s sort of a pain that having Elias as the other time traveller is only the case if Taka is dead at the time #because I really would have wanted Taka to be there for Luna during the timeskip here #especially since Ace can’t be back yet by this point either and I don’t remember Luna having a specific connection to anyone other than tho #the* two of them based on what I recall of her nightclub dialogue. plus second timeline just barely doesn't get to postgame at all #so.. that's why this is a full default anna route #anyway that's rambling I relegated to the tags after originally throwing it into the main body of the post #out of the inbox #selfship asks #clara tag!#ask to tag #crumbs this took a while to actually finish off so i hope it's okay

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missmorosis · 4 years ago

Text

Thanks, Sokka

@urmomoness asked: okay okay #9 angst & #12 from random from the prompts,,,, with sokka or zuko,,,surprise me 🥰 just love that prompt combo ❤️❤️ also ILYYYY

THANK YOU FOR REQUESTING, I LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUU

enjoy hehe <3

Pairing: Sokka x Reader

Warnings: just the reader being real stressed ig

Word count: 1.2k

sorry if this made like... zero sense LSDJFLKSDF

For the entire day, Y/N was feeling out of it. Even as the words "body reported" flashed up at her, she hardly listened as her friends argued over who was "sus."

"Well Y/N's been awfully quiet." The sound of her name snapped her out of her thoughts. What is wrong with you?

"Yeah, Y/N, what's up with that huh?" Katara was suspicious of her.

“Y/NNNNN, give me attentionnn,” Sokka whined, poking her side. "You're normally so talkative!"

“Sorry, I just... it's nothing." She gave him a half-hearted smile, which was all she could manage. What is wrong with you? The question bounced around in her head once again.

"Well, Y/N is sus, VOTE HER OUT!" Aang instantly voted for someone, and she knew that "someone" was her. Pretty soon, all votes were in.

Y/N was not the imposter. 1 imposter remaining.

She sighed and continued to do her tasks as a ghost.

After Among Us, Katara led her into her own bedroom just to talk while Sokka, Zuko, Toph, and Aang did who-knows-what.

“Do... do you ever think about the future?” Katara asked her, looking up at the sky, and Y/N shook her head. Should she be thinking about the future more? Thinking about the future really got her stressed. She had no idea what was ahead of her, which worried her.

By the time her friends left, she was feeling mentally exhausted, but she put on a smile as she waved goodbye to them. She closed the door, and Sokka instantly went into his bedroom, yawning. She knew that he was asleep in 10 seconds, but it was past 1 am, so she couldn't exactly blame him. She trudged into her own room, quickly changed into her pajamas, and plopped into her bed. Her covers were cool to the touch, and as she pulled them up, her body thanked her.

She turned around in her bed. Did you do your math quiz? You know, it’s due in a couple minutes. Her mind snapped open as she frantically flipped on her laptop, opening up the assignment. Oh. She did it already. Thank goodness.

Wait. It was already graded? She scrolled to check on her grade.

64/100. Comments: Y/N, you can do better than this.

She- she had studied for it. She remembered studying for it; for a week, she got barely any sleep, and she was just constantly buried under her math book.

She flipped the pillow over. The thoughts that Katara had relayed on to her replayed in her mind. Why haven’t you really thought about your future?

She repositioned herself. Why don’t you have stuff figured out? What are you going to do about your math test?

She tried to get to sleep, but her mind wouldn’t shut off. She checked the time on her phone.

Oh shoot, it’s 2:47. She shut off her phone and closed her eyes, but no matter how tired she was, she couldn’t sleep. Some hot chocolate wouldn’t hurt, right? She got up, despite how late at night it was. Tripping over herself, she huffed, blinking frustrated tears out of her eyes.

She got to the kitchen and got the hot chocolate powder out of the cupboard. She couldn’t see very well, since it was pretty dark, but she opened the packet and placed it on the counter. She went to get the milk, and accidentally knocked over the packet, spilling all of its contents onto the floor. Shoot.

She was just so frustrated. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she fell to her knees, starting to wipe away the powder with some wet paper towels. Why couldn’t she do anything right? She continued wiping, her tears dripping onto the floor. Silly Y/N. It’s only hot chocolate. Stop crying.

She couldn’t stop crying. Instead, she started to sob. What’s wrong with you? Her hand fell limp against her side as she stopped cleaning. She sniffed and tried to push the tears away with her sleeves, but they just kept coming. Stop crying. Y/N. STOP CRYING. People have bigger problems than this, what’s wrong with you?

Pulling her shaking legs in, she sat up in a fetal position. Why- why couldn't she breathe?! She tried drawing in several breaths, but it wasn't working.

"Boo!" Sokka jumped out at her, and she screamed. She heard some laughter in the distance as she curled into a ball, panic rushing through her veins. Shoot, it’s Sokka. Why is he awake? She frantically wiped away her tears before he could see.

“Y/N? Are you in here?” Sokka tapped her arm, still laughing. His smile was almost mocking “Y/N, it’s like 3 am. Why are you still awake?” He squinted, trying to make out her figure in the dark. His voice was small and a bit raspy due to how late at night it was. “Woah, what happened here- Y/N?” The laughter quickly died on his lips, as he finally saw the state she was in.

"Hey, Y/N...? A-are you okay?" His voice dropped, now considerably softer. She opened her eyes ever so slightly, and she saw Sokka bend down next to her. "What's wrong?" He looked at her with concerned eyes.

"S-Sokka..." Her voice was cut off with a sob. Her breathing was ragged, irregular. She... she couldn't breathe.

"Hey, hey, it’s alright. I'm right here," he reassured her. "Breathe for me, okay?"

"I- I c-can't," her voice interrupted every second with an attempt to inhale, but she couldn't. Sokka grabbed her shaking hands.

"Y/N, it's okay. Inhale through your nose." Y/N tried her best to breathe in, drawing in a shaky breath. "Good! Okay, now hold it... okay good, great job. Now exhale for 8. 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8..." She let her breath go. "Inhale again, for four. 1... 2... 3... 4... great!" Sokka continued counting for her until she could breathe again.

"Y/N?” She exhaled.

"I'm, I’m s-so sorry." Tears leaked through her eyes, blurring her vision.

"Hey, you have nothing to apologize for. Are you alright? What happened?" He pulled her into a hug. Her body was still shaking, just not as violently as before. She swallowed. He released himself out of the hug in order to look at her properly, but his hands still clung to hers. He spoke calmly and softly, which Y/N appreciated, although it was a lot different from the normal Sokka.

“No, I’m sorry. It’s really nothing, I don’t know why I’m like this.” She looked to the floor. Her eyes scanned the floor, covered in hot chocolate powder. Sokka pulled her chin up, forcing her to look at him.

“Y/N, it’s okay, I promise.” He wiped the tears on her cheek with his finger. “What’s wrong?”

“Just… I don’t know.”

“You can always talk to me, okay?”

“Okay.” She sniffed, and he got up, reaching for paper towels. He started wiping away the leftover powder and Y/N went to help, but he stopped her.

“It’s okay, I got it. Just hang out on the couch for a second,” he said.

“It’s fine, I can clean it up.” He sighed.

“Y/N, you leave me no choice.” He picked her up and hoisted her over his shoulder.

“Sokka, please just let me go.” She struggled against him, but he threw her onto the couch.

“Stay.” He continued wiping up the hot chocolate on the floor, and began heating up the milk. Y/N watched him go through the steps intently, and he came back with two mugs of hot chocolate, one white and one blue. He handed her one and she carefully placed it onto the coffee table in front of her.

“Thanks, Sokka.”

heh soooo... yeah HAHA

Idk if I like this or not but that’s a-okay :)

Taglist: @zuko-is-the-sun @urmomoness @busyforkuvira

Send an ask to be added! <3

Requests are open! ily guys 🥺

#sokka x reader #sokka x you #sokka x y/n #sokka imagine #sokka oneshot #atla #atla imagine #atla x you #atla x y/n #atla x reader #sokka #atla oneshot #atla sokka #writing

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codewordpumpkin · 4 years ago

Note

!!!!!!!!!! I AM VERY HAPPY AND EXCITED THAT YOU ARE SO HAPPY AND SO EXCITED

But first off, I am perfectly happy being Rabbit. (Is it because I'm obsessed with bunnies? Certainly not.) I'm a little honoured that I've got a whole, like, pseudonym now. :P

It does, of course, feel a little absurd at this point to still be on anon when you have two separate names for me (Pretty Woman Anon, Rabbit [Anon]) and I am now a frequenter of your askbox, but it is Against Protocol for a living soul to know both my main Tumblr account and my AO3 so anonymous I shall remain. (I do apologise to your followers for having to see me freak out about one thing or another for paragraphs at a time though since you have to answer these publicly LOL.)

Anyway, you said you're okay with long asks so--

Why do we have the, like, exact same taste in Lizzington fics skdgjskgs. I mean, my enjoying Liz Whump was kind of inevitable given my track record of...a possibly unhealthy inclination to inflict pain on literally any character I love. But hey! If you like reading that stuff, perfect, 'cause whump and H/C are my specialties. :)

You will certainly be seeing more Lizzington fics from me. I usually keep my head down in fandom and rarely put forth content (because the social aspect of it all gives me *anxiety*), and this hesitancy has been especially true with TBL despite my love for the show and the many ideas I have had for it because working with that canon is quite the daunting task. There is...a lot to keep track of. After that finale though, I was kinda like nope I don't care (...as much) anymore hsdjfhsdjfh. So I've started actually letting myself write/post stuff! And I am so, so glad you enjoyed my first foray. I was very nervous about posting it; I think I Googled Aram four separate times because it was of utmost importance that I spell his surname correctly. (Which I did the first time. :|)

I regret to inform you, however, that the Pretty Woman AU will not have a lot of whump. The half AU to come could have more because, I mean,,, guns. But yeah, there's not a whole lot of room with the full AU since I'm really sticking to the movie's plot with that one. There is, of course, that one Stuckey scene (no spoilers but if you're familiar with the movie, you know what I'm talking about :]), which I 100% plan on absolutely milking for all of its whumpy goodness and Ruthlessly Protective Raymond Reddington potential, but beyond that... I'm sorry. :(

Also! You are so valid about your 1). I read fanfic on my phone's private browser so I can't bookmark pages on the actual device, but yeah... Efficient. Very nice.

HHHHH WOW OKAY I know you told me not to apologise for long asks but this is a hECkING LEtTER, I am so sorry. My inability to write anything short is really showing.

1) It's nice to see you again in my inbox, Rabbit!! (also glad that you're happy with being Rabbit!!)

2) So sorry it took me a while to respond. Since this message was on the longer side (which, again, I not only don't mind, but welcome!) I wanted to reply when I had the time to reply to everything

3) I totally understand your want/need for a certain degree of anonymity! This is the internet, after all lolll

4) I'm excited to have found another fellow shipper with whom I share these... proclivities

I love reading Liz whump. I love writing Liz whump.

As long as she doesn't die - and as long as events do not permanently damage her - .......... I will have fun

5) oh god, I deal with so much anxiety in RL, I'm glad to have this outlet where I'm just a pumpkin who virtually rambles about my love for two fictional characters

6) I personally don't find canon daunting because I'm perfectly happy to ignore about 75% of it lmao

7) Hey, I get you! Aram deserves to have his name spelled correctly!!

8) No worries at all, Rabbit!! As much as I love whump, I also love fluffy fics!! (any fics, really, as long as it's lizzington, and no one DIES)

9) Your "inability to write anything short" just makes me more excited to read your fics!! The more content there is, the happier I am!! (no pressure hehe)

10) I feel like we are virtual pen-pals. Please update me again when you can/before I leave Tumblr indefinitely (which I still don't have an exact date for because I'm waiting to see if the anon whose prompt I couldn't fulfill saw my post to them! PLEASE SEE THIS, ANON!!) :D

Much love to you, Rabbit! I hope your fic(s) is progressing nicely!

#Rabbit anon #pretty woman anon #lizzington #lizzington fanfic

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painandpleasure86 · 5 years ago

Text

I see you hungry, I give you meat (DeacuryWeek2019)

A/N: Hi people!! Always late to the party, but here I’m. If u has read the fic that i wrote for day one, the bois were interrupted... But now they can satiate their hungry...

Prompts taken for Day 2 and 3: Dreams and Moaning.

Word count: 1.7k words.

Warning: SMUT! (this isn’t minor zone!) It’s my very first time writing something if this kind completely alone, sorry for the mistakes. Plus, English it’s my 2nd language, so sorry for the typos.

Tag list: @nightoftheland (thank u for hosting this ship week <3) @binkyisonline (one of the strongest Deacury fans that I ever knew :3 something “spicy” to u ) @warriorteam1924

Notes:

REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED! If u liked this fic, reblog this please.

In italic it’s a Fred’s flasback about his feelings before the successes of previous fic.

These dreams were increasingly recurring. Dreams in which he was the owner of his moans, of his pleasure. Dreams where I could feel all that passion overflowing. Where both satiated that hunger. It seemed to be something that would remain there, in his unconscious and that he could only be satisfied on the dream plane, until he noticed some reciprocity. It was even tender for him to see how John tried to hide his feelings. There were gestures, looks that spoke for itselves.

It was then that Friday, Fred saw him more withdrawn than usual and was encouraged to speak to him after that concert. Because it is well known, off the stage he’s a shy person.

------------

After the awkward moment they lived in the locker room, the four left the place, each by his side. That includes the couple.

The bassist is driving to Fred's flat as he can and they arrive at the apartment. They were never in such a hurry to arrive and be at peace as at that time.

“Just in case, disconnect the phone. I don't want absolutely anyone to bother us" says John as they headed to the apartment. He wanted that moment to be just he and Fred, to be able to enjoy it as it deserves.

They arrived and when the singer had just finished closing the door that the youngest pounces on him, putting him against the door and his body. He begins to kiss him passionately, putting his left hand on fred's waist and his right hand on the back of his friend's head, intertwining his long fingers in that dark hair. The other, tried to get rid of his lover, but there was no case... Moments later, he succeeded and said "you said you wanted that I should to disconnect the phone... let me do it then." He walks away and then goes to the phone to disconnect him from the line. He leans toward the device, leaving his butt standing out. When Fred disconnects it, still being in th he feels that two hands take his hips and also the touch of a bulge in the middle of his buttcheeks. He laughs.

"Stand against the wall and quit your platforms" says the brunette between gasps. Meanwhile, he lets his right hand slide to the dark-haired's bulge and starts to caress it.

Between soft laughs, Fred says "Hehehehe, and think that to..." He's interrupted.

"Shhhhh," John said seriously. "Do it". He loves being the dominant one, from his first time having sex. Today wasn't the exception.

His orders were obeyed.

Once this happened, he leans against the singer's back sliding his right hand back to that bulge and start to caress with more intensity. With his left hand aparted the hair and the shirt's neck and whispered in Fred's left ear "I can play to this too". He kissed that neck with passion, feeling the heartbeats increasing and the temperature raising. A deep sigh escaped.

He unzipped the pants with just one hands and just the underwear was between his hand and that. Left hand, unbuttoning slowly the shirt, caressing that chest and still kissing the neck, but now the right side. He ended to unbutton that shirt and start to quit it very slowly. Meanwhile, he gone from right shoulder, going to the right side of the neck, continuing his way to left side, alternating kisses with tiny licking and soft bites. When the shirt was off, he asked “how are you, my dear?”

“Please…” whispered Freddie.

“Please what?”

“Fuck me”

“Now say the complete phrase”

“w-why…?”

“It’s fun”

“Gosh, I woke a feral beast with just my kisses in your neck”

John smiled and he blushed a little. “Thank you…” That softness gone and he returned to speak in that seductive and playful way. “But. You shouldn’t say something?”

A deep sigh. “Darling, really, really i want that you fuck me please”.

He stopped to provoke him.

With a naughty smile, he said in his right ear “Good boy” and spanked him softly in the left buttcheek with his left hand. “Now we are going to the room… and dont quit nothing more! Lemme do it for you”.

Both were in the room. Wasn't too big but yeah so classy, and the bed seemed so comfy to lay.

When he locked the room, said to the another "lay upside down in the bed please." He lied in the middle of the bed, surrounded for some pillows. His head lies with the left side of his face over his two hands, with his brown eyes closed and smiling expecting what his lover will do. The brunette searched the bottle of lube in everyplace of that room… The dark haired laughed in a cute way and say "it's in the first drawer of that bedside table" pointing to the bedside of his left. "Howdy, it really seems like his first time with a guy… I just wanna to teach some things, but he don't…". His thoughts were interrupted for the presence of he, now without his shirt. He lied over his lover, feeling in his bare skin the sensation of the back of his lover. Both smiled in their inside. The brunette, having the bottle of lube in his left hand, said in the right ear of the another "I'll fuck u my dear… But not yet." A kiss in the neck. "I'll tease you a bit more".

"You really love foreplay", the another says smiling.

"Of course… I love see to my partner hungry for me, see their desesperation for pleasure, and see how they react when they finally have what they want" whispered in Fred's ear.

"I'm already hungry for you" confessed the another. "Please, I'm all yours. Do it."

"Hehe… not yet." said the bassist. "Relax and enjoy…"

Letting the bottle of lube near of his hand and now lying in his right side, very near to the singer, he now it's slowly quitting the pants of the another. After this, the singer tried to reach the zipper of the pants of his partner with his right hand "I wanna do it too".

"No no", said smiling mischievously and spanking in the another's butt.

Later, he start to quit that satin underwear. "Finally" he thought.

Sat in the border of the bed, with his body pointing to his partner, he open the bottle of lube and put some of the content in two of his fingers of the left hand.

"Are you ready for me?" said looking to that dark eyes.

"Yeah, do it".

Slowly, started to insert the index finger. Always watching to him. "Tell me if hurts"

"Don't hurts. Indeed… I want another finger."

"Not yet."

He introduced a lot of the index already. He starts to move the finger intensely.

He could listen a deep moan of his partner. "This is just the beginning" thought the bassist , biting his lower lip.

"Another... finger... please…" said sighing deeply.

After a seconds, the brunette introduced the another finger, the middle one. He start to move both fingers at the same rhythm.

His lover start to moaning with more intensity.

His fingers goes faster.

More moans.

"GOSH PLEASE FUCK ME. DONT TEASE ME MORE PLEASE."

The satisfaction in the bassist face watching to the another one with a lot of desire for his cock made him precum. "No gosh, I don't want to misfire", he tried to calm himself a bit.

He stand up of the bed and said to the singer then "I'll do. But I don't with this" pointing to his pants and shoes. "You w-"

"Yeah" said the singer incorporating. He goes to the border of the bed. Sitting there, he start to strip to his partner. First the shoes. After unzipping the pants. Quitted. When was turn of the underwear, he grabbed with his right hand that bulge "God, it's so big and hard… can I suck it a bit? Lemme do that…" said watching to the eyes to the bassist.

"Yeah, but just a… AAAAAAAAAH". He just quitted partially the boxers and grabbed the cock with his right hand and introduced it in his mouth. While he was sucking, he continued to quitting the boxers. His partner helped raising one leg at a time. When was finally gone, he grabbed the ass of the bassist and suck that dick like he knows to do it. The younger reclined his head, moaning deeply. Never had a better blowjob.

"Stop. STOP. I'll cum in your mouth if you continue… you don't wanted that I fuck you?".

Fred stopped.

"Sorry" said a bit shyly.

"Nothing to sorry… gosh that was so good. But that wasn't the plan. Next time, I'll let you carry on" said John.

His partner then posed with his knees on the border of the bed, with his ass up.

The bassist grabbed again the bottle of lube to lubricate his cock a bit more. Let the bottle in the next bedside table, grabbed that hips with his bare hands and insert his dick slowly.

The another sighed deeply.

"Perhaps will be short", warned John.

"No problem darling, do it please"

And he start to moving his dick with passion, always grabbing the hips of his lover.

Both moaned.

He goes even faster.

"Gosh I'm so close"

"Me too"

Moments later, both cum.

He stopped to move.

Trying to recover his breathing, quitted his dick and hugged to the another one. "I love you… I think".

"Why I think?"

"I don't know… this is so new to me… I just want to rest now with you. I'll think about that later, hehe".

He left to hug him and now lies in the centre of the bed,and the singer rest his head in the bare chest of John. Tight hugs. He kissing in the forehead of Fred.

"I loved this." said John.

"Me too.. but next time I want to be top, darling." said Freddie caressing John's chest with his hand.

"Heheh… we will see. For now, that will be just in your dreams".

Both giggled.

And bit a bit they fell asleep. In the arms of the another.

--------

At least, part of Fred's dreams come true. Will can be together, as a couple? Time will say that. For now, they had one of their best nights in years.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

If u liked this shitty try of gay smut (& you’re over eighteen), please reblog :3 Thxs for the support... -Lily

#deacuryweek2019 #deacury week #freddie mercury #john deacon #gay smut #queen smut #deacury #queen fic #painandpleasure86 fics

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lavender-lotion · 5 years ago

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Heyooo this is too long for the message in the commission but I'm Dani who just bought you two coffees :) , I've been reading your fics and I really like them so instead of just sending a prompt I thought "I'll buy two coffees so can share with someone" ;) so here it goes! Married peter/ned (so around 24 yrs old?) , with NED being presumed dead (most or all of the fics have peter injured but never Ned which really? He's a soft human) so basically angst angst angst hehe (to be continued)

hehe idk maybe the world almost ended and lots of buildings destroyed (including their apartment) and/or the last time someone saw Ned was before tragedy happened idk i'm not really creative. But basically for a few days (or lots of hours) Peter thinks his husband is dead and he can't process/can't deal with the grief. Happy ending tho cause Ned was somewhere or just injured enough he couldn't contact him. Plus Tony/May being his support and maybe finding Ned in a hospital or whatever (tobecont) Anyways long prompt hehe I dont have any social media so just post it to your tumblr/ao3 and I'll check it out :) thank you! Love u lots

***

and here it is! thank you for the prompt and thank you even more for the coffees! i am Struggling financially lmao so every little bit means so much

***

not all tears are an evil

“Peter, buddy, we found him.”

Read here on AO3 or continue below the cut!

His hands are shaking. He can’t get them to stop. Tony and May have made sure he keeps his sugars up, filling him with fruit and water every few hours. Peter eats and drinks whatever they give him, too numb to protest. He’s—he’s too numb for anything. He tucks his hands deeper into the too-long sleeves of the hoodie he’s wearing, nosing at the collar and taking a deep breath of the familiar scent.

The last time he’d caught the gleam of metal on his left hand, he’d had a panic attack.

The monitor in front of him plays the same footage over again. Peter doesn’t notice anything new. He’s been watching the apartment's security feed for...Peter isn’t very good with time right now, but his eyes sting every time he closes them to blink. Probably a while, then. His eyes flick to the other monitor when the video of his building exploding restarts again.

Nothing. There’s nothing there. No one leaves the building for the entire hour before the explosions begin, and no one leaves right before it’s hit and crumples into a pile of useless debris. Ned was at home, studying for a final he had coming up and begging off from the lunch date Peter had asked him on. Peter was only out because his internship with Tony had become official a few years ago, and he had to put in hours when he could.

They had been in the workshop, him and Tony, when the alarms had sounded. Peter wonders if he’ll ever be absolved of the guilt he feels for not being there, for not being in the apartment, for not being able to protect him when he needed him.

He doesn’t think so. Peter, Spider-Man, has failed before but...never like this. He’s never lost the one that means the most to him, more than Tony and May and his whole existence as Spider-Man. May’s worried about him even if she doesn’t say it. She hasn’t left him alone yet, not since they all got the threat under control and Peter had swung back to his apartment only to find it gone.

The next breath he takes shudders through him, but he doesn’t cry. Not after the night he spent sobbing into sheets that didn’t smell right in a bed that was too big and too empty. It hurts, everywhere, a crushing weight over his heart that feels like it’s going to swallow him whole until he’s nothing but grief and despair and longing.

He deserves it, he thinks idly. He should have been there. He should have gone home for lunch instead of grabbing something with Tony when Ned said he was going to stay in. In his vows, he had promised to protect him till death do they part, but he never would have thought...

Fuck, they’re only twenty-four.

Peter takes another deep breath and wonders when he’ll stop. It doesn’t feel right for him to be sitting there, heart pumping and lungs filling with oxygen when the only reason he has for waking up every morning is gone.

“Peter?” Tony’s voice cackles through the comm that is still tucked into Peter’s ear. He hums something in answer, watching the third screen that shows the alleyway behind his apartment as it gets filled with chunks of concrete and broken glass: the remains of his home. “Peter, buddy, we found him.”

“You...you did?” his voice cracks. The words seem far away, distorted. Peter can barely make sense of them.

“Yeah, Pete, and he’s alive we’re—” The rest is white noise that doesn’t matter as a sob bubbles out of his chest, a loud, broken noise that tears through his throat. May is there in an instant, hurrying into the room and tucking Peter to her chest, and she takes the comm out of his ear while Peter babbles something that doesn’t make much sense. He doesn’t try to listen to what she says, focusing on the familiar smell of her and the strong arm holding him close.

When she pulls away, Peter looks at her through eyes blurred with tears, gasping for breath as his chest splits back open wide enough to fit an entire lifetime worth of love he thought he’d lost.

“Peter, baby, they found Ned and he’s alive,” May tells him, hands holding his cheeks and staring into his eyes and Peter breaks down, another cry scratching out of his throat as he gives up and his body slumps forward into May’s arms. Peter doesn’t know anything but the crushing elation in his chest, and three simple words rolling over and over in his mind as he clutches to the only family he had for so long until he got down on one knee and asked for more.

They found Ned.

***

buy me a coffee for a fic?

#lavenderlotion #mcu #marvel #ned leeds #peter parker #my writing #peterned #grief #mourning #angst #happy ending #fanfiction #fic rec #commission

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ship-ambrosia · 7 years ago

Text

Gruvia Week, Day 3

Give it up for Day 3! Wow, I’m surprising even myself with the motivation I’ve gotten to write!

This one is posted off my laptop. It doesn’t fit the prompt exactly, but I couldn’t think of anything else and it works well enough. My submission today is a piece of a longer fanfiction that I’ve been working on, and debating if I actually want to do the entire thing - so today’s also kind of a test run for me? It’s also way longer than my Day 1 and Day 2 posts lol

As always, please consider checking out my first Gruvia fanfiction on AO3, Four Degrees!

"Would you stop moping around, ice princess? You're gonna give us all a damn cold!" "Natsu, don't be mean! That's totally unnecessary!" "I'll do whatever I want, especially if he isn't going to fight back! Hehe." "Salamander, you know I don't like the iceman as much as I don't like you, but even I'm starting to get pissed off for him." "Gajeel, please don't make this worse." "If you want to go, I'm ready to go!" "I'm always ready to go, you pink-haired loser!" "Call me that again to my face, metal freak!" "I just did!" Gray glanced up just in time to watch the two of them, mid-brawl, escape out the front doors of the guild. Across the table from him, Levy let out a sigh. "I'll go make sure they don't destroy anything. Be back in a second, Lu." Lucy nodded, turning back from her friend to face him. Mentally, Gray braced himself. He knew Lucy at the very least was concerned, but he didn't exactly like to have all his feelings out in the open for others to scrutinize. "She'll be back, Gray." He looked up to Lucy's eyes, her smile and her gaze twinkling with hope. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting her to say, but that wasn't it. And honestly, it still hurt. Anything that anyone said about Juvia would hurt, unless they were telling him where he could find her. "Why did she only tell Gramps where she was going?" He croaked. "Why wouldn't she let me come with her?" Lucy pursed her lips. "Juvia is strong, Gray. She can handle herself. You might want to protect her, but you picked a girl who knows how to be independent. She wants to figure out what happened to her family on her own. You have to respect that." "What if she finds out something terrible happened to them? Or that they abandoned her? Wouldn't she want me- or at least someone else to be there to comfort her?" He wasn't telling Lucy the whole truth. Gray had a bad feeling. He couldn't give a reason or proof, but he felt that Juvia was being tricked. By who, or why, he didn't have a clue. But it had him on edge, and that was why he was trying to get Master Makarov to tell him where Juvia had gone. "I can't tell you that I understand exactly what she's thinking," Lucy sighed. She glanced up when she heard Natsu and Gajeel yelling from outside the guild hall. She got to her feet. "I'm gonna go help Levy. But have faith in Juvia, Gray. She'll be home soon enough." As Lucy walked away to deal with the two dragon slayers, his thoughts drifted dark again. Juvia was a powerful wizard. She could have enemies from her Phantom Lord days. He had a lot of enemies. Fairy Tail had a lot of enemies. There were so many reasons that someone might want to hurt her. But to convince her through a letter that they had information about her parents? It either had to be real, or someone very sophisticated in their plan to catch her.

Juvia stared out the window of the train as it left the station of a small mountain town. Though deep within her heart she was rather lonely on this journey thus far, there was certainly something to be said about riding the train in peace and quiet, without the usual dragon slayer dry heaving on the floor of the car. She usually took jobs that included Gajeel, and occasionally she would join Team Natsu, so she was used to dealing with their motion sickness. But being by herself gave her lots of time to think. To reflect on her life in Fairy Tail as the train rattled along to its final destination, and Juvia's home. She had not been to Foxglove in over ten years, having only her earliest memories to remind her of her childhood in the orphanage before her mother's estranged brother discovered his niece was still alive and taken her in. This life of hers before she had joined Phantom Lord was not filled with happy memories. It was in the orphanage that she became alienated from the other children because her rain curse began. That was also where her habit of creating teru-teru bozu dolls came from, the nuns who ran the orphanage having taught her how to make them to drive the rain away. Her uncle had been a mean and nasty man who hated the rain and treated Juvia like dirt. He didn't know anything about her parents, either, never informed of how they died and never mentioning a thing about them; she only knew her mother's name. Juvia ran away from him when she was sixteen. Not long after that would she come across Phantom Lord, and Jose, seeing the vast magical potential in the fledgling water mage, offered her a position within his guild. Juvia sighed. It wasn't as if her life in Phantom Lord was as bad as her life before it, but it certainly wasn't happy compared to how she felt now. Phantom Lord was a cold and lonely guild, with relationships built on strength and the guild itself fixated on remaining the most powerful in Fiore. Still, she had made friends there, including Gajeel, so she couldn't say she was never happy; but it was clear to her that Jose was only interested in her for her power. Behind Aria, she had been the second strongest member of the Element Four. Her life had changed so much, starting the moment the rain parted and she saw the sun for the first time since she was a little girl. Of course, thinking of that event in time only brought her thoughts to the one who had driven the clouds away; her beloved Gray. Relationship being considered or not, it was hard to argue that anyone else had a more significant impact on her as a person than him. She counted her blessings every day that he was in her life, as she had seen what losing him felt like once and Juvia never wanted to feel that pain ever again. Despite Gray forcing her to promise to never do something like what she did during his fight with Invel again, there was not a bone in her body that wouldn't make that sacrifice if he was in danger and it was their only option. She truly had resolved to heed her own words and live for love however, to live for him, as he had done the same for her. Oh how she missed him. There were not many trains that made the journey up the mountain to rainy, secluded Foxglove, and she was grateful that this one did. Juvia leaned against the window in an attempt to get the imaginary Gray sitting in the seat across from her out of her mind, and mentally re-read the letter she had received. We have some records here in your name that have never been unsealed. If you would like, you should come to Foxglove and collect them. We would love to see your sweet face one last time, and the beautiful woman you've grown into! The instant Juvia had opened the letter, she knew what she had to do and that she had to do it by herself. When Gray begged her to take him along, concerned for her wellbeing, her heart had fluttered so rapidly she thought it might burst from her chest; but truthfully, Juvia didn't know what she might discover about her parents, and that was why she had refused any assistance and only told Master Makarov where exactly she was going. She didn't want anyone following her, though she couldn't remember if she had mentioned Foxglove to Gajeel or not. Juvia giggled a bit at the thought; for someone who feigned disinterest in nearly everything, that big oaf had a really good memory. He was actually just a big softie, but with metal screws. Juvia didn't even notice she had fallen asleep until the train's horn went off as it pulled into Foxglove Station. She blinked sleep out of her eyes and collected her small bag of things before quickly making her way off the train. In the pit of her stomach, she could already feel the nerves gathering at the thought of what was going to transpire. Juvia had booked a room at the town's inn, planning to pick up the records immediately from the orphanage and then retire to her suite to mull them over. She had enough money set aside for about a week's stay, so if she needed to be alone and mull over any particularly upsetting information that she might learn. Part of her was angry at herself for not taking anyone along, that she might crave company in the aftermath that learning about her family and her past might leave. But she took a deep breath and reminded herself that this was the correct action - to go alone. Whispers of recognition fled past her as she made her way to the orphanage in the center of the purple-hued town, but not because of her origins there. She felt herself swell with pride as the people around her buzzed excitedly of her more recent merits. Isn't that the famous wizard Juvia, of Fairy Tail? The one who uses water magic and declared her love for her guildmate Gray to everyone at the first Grand Magic Games that Fairy Tail won? She's amazing! She was part of the last day's group that year! I heard she's incredibly kind and resourceful as well! She's even more beautiful in person than in the magazines! Well, what else do you expect of Fairy Tail? Juvia was filled with a happy warmth as she climbed the steps to the orphanage door and reached up to knock. Juvia of Fairy Tail. That certainly was a title she liked much more than her previous Phantom Lord one. Her life in Fairy Tail was everything to her; it had all her friends, and especially Gray, and so many happy memories waiting for her to return. She would never let anything take her away from that. Her memories would be what comforted her if she found sadness in the records. When the double doors opened, she immediately recognized the nun who answered. Her smiling face brightened upon recognition of the little Juvia that had once been growing up in the building she stood before now. Juvia was hastily invited in, and brought through the courtyard past smiling children who also recognized her. The courtyard was not a happy place for Juvia, as it reminded her of how no one ever got to play outside because of the rain she brought. She politely asked to continue through. "I see the rain has stopped," her guide said cheerfully. "Yes it has, thanks to a wonderful man in my life." "Oh well, isn't that sweet? You deserve someone who cares for you so. What can we thank for your visit, Miss Lockser?" The nun asked sweetly as she poured Juvia a cup of tea. She took the cup gratefully and was about to explain when she paused. They had sent the letter, hadn't they? So they knew she would travel to Foxglove, they would be expecting her visit. "I received a letter, that said you found unsealed records in my name," Juvia spoke with a suspicious edge to her voice. "So I was hoping I could come to collect them." The nun blinked at her. "Miss Lockser... there were never records of your past here. You were brought here by strangers who found you wandering on your own; we were never even sure if you were from Fiore. That's why it took so long for your uncle to be approved as caregiver. We had nothing to compare to. The only thing we took was that he knew your name, honestly." Juvia felt a sinking feeling in her chest, all previous happiness gone. Suddenly she wished she had taken Gray up on his offer to come with her. That he might hold her while she cried the tears that threatened her now. This was even worse news than any information that she could have learned. "I understand. Perhaps there was a mix up and I received the letter meant for someone else." "I'm so very sorry. If you'd like, you can stay in town for a few days and I can let you check anyway," the nun answered. "Maybe you can spend some with the children here as well. They'd love you, I'm sure." Juvia wiped her eyes. There was no hiding the tears now as they fell. She insisted she was fine, however, and politely chatted with the nun for a bit before excusing herself so that she might check into the inn she had reserved for herself. On her way down the steps of the orphanage, she pulled out the small communication lacrima that Master Makarov had insisted she bring with her; now she was grateful for it, because she was lonely and a bit suspicious. She decided to call the guild hall itself and ask whoever answered if she could talk to Gray. Juvia resolved to tell him she was in Foxglove, because she desperately wanted him here with her now. Just as the lacrima connected to the one back at Fairy Tail, Juvia felt a sudden chill rush through her body. Goosebumps bristled her skin, and she felt her pace quicken. She looked around wildly, but no one around her seemed as panicked. "Hey, sweetheart!" Someone called to her. She kept her head down, focused on the lacrima in her hands. "Beauty with the blue hair, I'm talking to you!" The voice seemed to be following her. "Juvia Lockser!" The sound of her name reverberated through her ears. They only knew her name... because she was a well-known member of Fairy Tail... "Ame Onna!" She stopped dead in her tracks. Hearing her Phantom Lord name brought up emotions in her that she had kept down for so long. It had been one thing for the nun at the orphanage to mention the rain surrounding her was gone - because that had reminded her of the man who changed her life, and who loved her. But to call her that accursed name, was to remind her of a life she never wanted to go back to. I am not the Rain Woman! With her Water Body beginning to boil as her anger rose, in preparation for the use of her Sierra spell, Juvia turned around to angrily face the man calling to her. "You better have a good reason to call me-" Juvia stopped speaking immediately, cutting herself off when she recognized the man who stood before her. "You-" And she was cut off again, but this time by the man himself. Because he had shouted "Raging Thunder!" and caught Juvia off guard by a powerful lightning spell that electrocuted her Water Body - more painful than when she had struck Laxus's Thunder Palace to save Cana - and eliciting a bloodcurdling scream from her mouth. One that a certain Mirajane Strauss heard before Juvia dropped and shattered the lacrima that had been in her hands. Juvia dropped to the ground when the spell stopped, all of her strength sapped from her immediately. As she lay barely holding on to consciousness, she wondered vaguely if she didn't have such a strong magic core, whether or not that attack would have killed her. The man stepped forward and lifted Juvia's limp body from the ground, bringing her closer to his face and allowing her to indeed confirm that he was the man she recognized, a man from her past that she had not seen in years. Another set of feet were suddenly heard coming up to her, and Juvia wondered for a split second if someone was coming to her rescue. When the newcomer spoke however, a horrified expression appeared on Juvia's face. Her worst nightmare come to life. "I knew one day you would return to me, Juvia Lockser. My Ame Onna."

Mirajane wasted no time in informing Master Makarov what she had just witnessed, and he in turn wasted no time in rushing across the guild hall to where Team Natsu sat, along with Gajeel and Levy. He went right to Gray's side, knowing he was the one who most deserved to know. "I fear that Gray's hunch was correct," he told the table, causing the young man to sit up. "His instinct to travel with Juvia was correct, but both Juvia and I were fooled. One of our own is in grave danger." "What's happened to her?" Erza asked sharply, when Gray only clenched his fist in response. "We aren't actually sure," Mira admitted. "She called on a lacrima, and when I picked up I saw her being electrocuted and all I heard was her scream. I think she dropped the lacrima because only a moment later the line went dead." "Oh no!" Lucy gasped, covering her mouth with her hands in shock. "Where is she?" Gray asked coldly, getting to his feet. "Tell me where she went." "I'd bet she went to Foxglove," Gajeel crossed his arms and looked to their guild master. "Didn't she?" "You knew?!" Gray turned his fury to the iron dragon slayer when the master nodded. "You knew and you didn't tell me?" "If Juvia turned away your offer to come with her, it was clear to me she wanted to go alone. I wanted to respect her wishes," Gajeel turned his face away from him. "Foxglove is a small mountain village in the north, and Juvia grew up for a couple years in the orphanage there. Only one train heads up there. If we're gonna go after her, we better head out soon." "Of course we're going after her," he gritted his teeth. "I won't let anything else happen to her." Gray left the table and headed for the door without waiting for anyone else to follow. Everyone still present at the table looked between each other. An air of fear for the safety of their friend hung heavy between them until Gajeel stood up. "C'mon Lily," he called to his Exceed. "Stripper ain't the only one concerned about Juvia. We're going too." At his side, Levy also got to her feet. "I’d better go too, to make sure things don't get too heated between the two of them." "We'll stay here at the guild just in case something else comes up," Erza offered her. "Perhaps Lucy and I can try and figure out who would attack Juvia?" The celestial wizard nodded. "Be safe, Levy. And bring Juvia back, please." Levy bit her lip. "We will. We have to... for her sake and Gray's."

#gruvia week #gruvia week 2k18 #original post by bree #fairy tail fanfiction #day 3 #journey #gray x juvia #gruvia

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mawichandoodles · 7 years ago

Text

Beloved Rival (RusAme/AmeRus fanfiction)

My super late gift for @purplepatchwork in the RusAme Secret Santa2017 exchange.

This is my first fanfic EVER. And it’s longer than expected, almost 5k words. I’m a bit nervous, but know I wrote this with all the love. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Patch!

I mixed prompts number 2 and 3 :

“2. Al and Ivan as two rivalling teachers whom all the students secretly ship, whether they find out about this and/or their reaction to it is optional, just go wild.“

“3. Ivan confessing feelings to Alfred while being drunk, can be human or canonverse, Alfred’s reaction is entirely up to you.”

Note: I don't know much about the school system in other countries, so I'm going with what I was used to see during my high school years. I hope it doesn't end up clashing too much with other people's idea of high school.

Note2: English is not my native language, so regardless of research and editing, there may be some errors I’m unable to detect.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's Friday afternoon, near the end of the Algebra class, but more importantly, it's the end of the semester. The group is only a few ticks of the clock away from winter break. The only sounds in the classroom come from numb-handed students scribbling on their notebooks, and the mellow humming of the one sitting at the old desk in the front corner.

They are writing a final essay about the content reviewed throughout the semester, what they learned, why it's important, why they liked it, and things like that. Alternatively, they could write a whole manifesto of hate to the teacher, to algebra, or the world in general, if they sowanted. The only things the teacher asked for was eight pages of text, and finished within the hundred minutes of class they had on Fridays, as designated by the group's schedule.

Raivis, sitting in the middle of the front row, looks up at the clock over the whiteboard, a drop of sweat runs down his forehead. He relaxes the grip on his pencil, cue the feel of pins and needles as he stretches his fingers.

"Five minutes," he mutters.

The teacher, seating on his desk in silence, stops humming, along with his calculation of the student's final grades.

"Five minutes!?" A voice echoes from across the room.

A collective gasp and muffled muttering fill the teacher's ears.

Raivis' sight is blocked by a towering figure standing in front of his desk. The figure leans closer, revealing the smiling face of the teacher, Ivan Braginsky.

"Are you done, Mr. Raivis?"

Chills run down the spine of the small student.

"I ju-just... two more left."

Mr. Braginsky kept smiling. He gently places a hand on Raivis' head, and looks him in the eyes.

"The clock doesn't care you're staring at it. Mind your own work, before time runs out, yes?"

Raivis bites his lower lip from the inside, and remains silent. He resumes writing his paper without looking up at the teacher again. Pleased, Mr. Braginsky pats his head and goes on to walk around the classroom, nonchalantly. He happily strokes his red and pink scarf as he walks, the part wrapped around his neck. Not one of Raivis' classmates dare turn their heads towards the teacher.

"Remember this is an optional task you can do, if you want (or need) extra points. Because I don't want failing students. This is my Christmas gift for you. That's why I will take no less than 10 pages of text, as a sign of your appreciation, yes?".

The glasses of the guy sitting left to Raivis fall off his face and on his notebook.

"You said nine!" Says, Toris, who sat in the right corner of the middle row.

"Oh, is that how you say 'eleven' in your native language?" Mr. Braginsky chuckles.

Everyone groans at Toris.

Mr. Braginsky takes the empty seat in the middle of the room, right among his students. He begins talking outloud, tapping his fingers on the desk. No one was sure if he was doing it to distract them away from the last precious minutes they had left or not. He could be testing their ability to focus, to work under pressure, he could just want to ruin their lives (as every teenager thinks about any teacher, ever). They were all too familiar with Mr. Braginsky's subtle "tests" of character. Although they share the sentiment expessed by Mr. Braginsky, they do their best to tune out his voice.

"Uff, it's getting suffocated here." He pulls on his scarf with two fingers. "Who though repurposing a storage room as a classroom was a good idea? Greedy people, trying to save money instead of making more buildings. No wonder you guys call it the 'the Rat Trap', huh?"

A rat trap indeed. Located, next to the chemistry lab, the two rooms were built together in a one-story building, separate but next to the main building for classrooms which blocked whatever sunlight could have gotten through. Thus the room tends to be low, yet suffocating at times. There was barely enough space for fifteen people, and had four 30cm x 30 cm stuck-closed windows on upper walls.

"And the other teachers said 'You should be fine, you have the smallest group'. I'm sure in the next semester, the room distribution will be a total bloodbath. Mr. Jones will fight for the same room I choose, I bet. Regardless I'll make sure we get a better place for us this spring... Yeah, I will be your teacher next year too, hehe." He continues rambling.

The echoes of the ringing bell penetrate the walls of the Rat Trap. As soon as they hear it, most people put their pencils down and start packing their belongings. Some people sight in relief, others from exhaustion. Others shake their hands in the air to relieve the numbness and someone in the back corner starts crying. Meanwhile, Mr. Braginsky gets up and returns to his desk, without sitting down.

"Time's up, turn in your papers. Leave them on my desk here. I'll have them graded by Monday, and I'll send the final grades to you all via e-mail in the evening of the same day."

No matter what face the kids are making at him, with a fatherly smile Mr. Braginsky wishes merry Christmas to each one of them as they leave. One by one, the youths place their essays on the desk, not before stapling the pages together with the teacher's stapler, as they usually did. He put it there for the students after all.

"Brother," mutters Natalya, as she stands in front of Mr. Braginsky, adjusting her white ribbon. "Thank you for your hard work."

She hands a thick bundle of pages to Mr. Braginsky. With a gesture, she insists on him receiving it with his hands, instead of leaving in on the desk. He raises an eyebrow.

"Natalya? You don't need extra points at all. You could have gone home already."

"I wrote you a letter. I don't want you to read anyone else's paper first, it must be that one, okay?"

"Merry Christmas?" Says Mr. Braginsky, patting her sister on the shoulder as she turns to leave.

And so as the teacher begins to pack his belongings too, he notices a girl with pink flowers adorning her head, sitting at the bottom left corner. It is Mei, the youngest sister of Mr. Wang, who also teaches algebra. Hoever she chose not to have a relative as her teacher.

Mr. Braginsky gives her a puzzled look and approaches her. Mei seems to be focused on her notebook, moving her pencil with meticulous dedication. A whole two minutes have passed. By the time Mei raises her head, Mr. Braginsky is sitting next to her, leaning on the desk as he stares at her work with clenched teeth, hidden by a lips-shut smile.

"Don't your eyes get tired of drawing in a place with such bad lighting?"

Mei jumps on her seat and slams her hands on the notebook.

"Mr. B.!" Mei she raises the corners of her mouth in a dubiously successful attempt to sound calm. "You're still here?"

"I am the one locking the classroom door today."

"I didn't mean to make you wait, Mr. B., I'll go home right away."

"Did you take on the final task?" He says, fingers fidgetting, focusing on Mei's small black spot near her chin, probably a pencil graphite stain.

"My grade is fine, as you told me, so I didn't write anything".

"Is it too cold outside or something? Why didn't you leave early, like your friend Lien? Maybe you like my class that much?"

Mei looks down, without moving her hands off the notebook. Several seconds of silence ensue.

"Alright, let me see it."

Mei's eyes widen. Her hands press even more on the notebook.

"But it's nothing," she stutters,

"Yes, so let me see it."

"But..."

Mei sighs, her face turns red and quietly slides her graphite-stained palms away from her work, revealing the semi-realistic unfinished image of two men, suspiciously similar to Mr. Braginsky and Mr. Jones, engaging in what looked like "adult activities". Mr. Braginsky slowly extends his arm to grab the notebook, looking Mei in the eye as if to ask for permission to take it. Mei remains silent. Mr. Braginsky then proceeds to inspect the drawing, now on his hands.

"I have to questions, Miss Wang."

An imaginary knot forms in her stomach. She closes her eyes and folds her arms around her abdomen, anticipating the scariest scolding of her life as if she was preparing to take a fist to the gut. And so she nods in silence.

"Number one: Is that Mr. Jones, tying me up with the candy cane-pattern scarf I got from my grandma?" He inquires, pointing at the goofy scarf he's wearing.

Mei nods again.

"Number two: Did you draw my nose smaller on purpose?"

Mei is unable to hold back her nervousness any longer.

"Mr. B. please the don't tell my brother about this, please don't show it to him! I'm really sorry, I'll accept my punishment but please don't-"

"Shhh Shhh... Can I keep it?" He interrupted.

"Eh?" Mei stopped cold. "Do you... actually like it?" She stuttered.

"Well, no, but I can't let you keep it, much less actually finish it."

"I'm really sorry."

Mr. Braginsky chuckled behind his hand.

"Making a fuzz about this would be a waste of time, right? Just go home and don't draw these things at school. That's my Christmas gift for you, what do you say?"

Mei placed her hand on her chest.

"So, my Christmas gift for you would be letting you keep it?"

Mr. Braginsky chokes on his own breath.

"The gift is not drawing these things at school anymore. Now go, shoo shoo." Mr. Braginsky gestures, still smiling.

"Thank you, thank you so much! Merry Christmas, Mr. B.!" Mei exclaimed. She masterfully ripped the drawing from the notebook without damaging it, handed it back to Mr. Braginsky and hurried to pack everything. She then runs away from the Rat Trap more happy than scared.

Mr. Braginsky is still in the desk next to where Mei was, staring at the confiscated drawing, with narrowed eyes and furrowed brows. The rythmic tapping of his fingers echo across the room. Soon the image blurs as his minds simply wanders off.

"But why with Mr. Jones?" He thinks out loud.

It wasn't that Mr. Jones was a man, just like himself. It was that wether in public or in private, they were seldom "nice" to one another, if ever at all. How did so many kids get the idea that they could "love" each other? He didn't understand. Did Mr. Jones say something he was not aware of? Did they do it as a form of mockery? Could it be they noticed something?

"Because I'm the best teacher ever?"

Startled and holding his breath, Mr. Braginsky folds the sheet of paper with the drawing and places it on his lap to cover it under the desk. He looks up to where the voice came, only to see Mr. Alfred F. Jones, the physics teacher. standing just past the entrance of the room, staring back at him. Mr. Braginsky exhales and shakes his arm in a dismissive "go away" kind of motion.

"Ivan, how's it going? Found anything interesting? Said Mr. Jones, with an intentional, emphasized mispronounctiation of the "I" in "Ivan" as "eye".

"Alf," Ivan greeted him, referencing the extraterrestial protagonist of the eponymous 80's sitcom. "What do you want?"

Alfred goes to Ivan's desk and casually grabs the other's suitcase.

"Do you have, like, a stapler?"

Ivan puts Mei's drawing in the pocket of his coat and returns to his desk. He yanks the suitcase away from Alfred's hands.

"Not for you. Besides, I think I ran out of staples after my kids used it just now." Ivan replied with a dry tone. "And I don't want you to lose it or break it with your clumsy gorilla hands anyway."

Alfred smirks.

"So you're admitting I'm stronger, after all?"

"Clumsy." Ivan replies, walking to the door. Alfred follows him.

"Come on, I forgot mine at home. I need to staple my student's papers!" He begs. "And some other documents too," he mutters.

Ivan stops walking and turns to Alfred.

"Show me the papers and I'll staple them myself."

"Ivan, do you really think I'm gonna break it?"

No response.

"Man, the mug incident was an accident, I'm not asshole enough to break other people's stuff on purpose."

Ivan stepps out of the Rat Trap and closes the door behind him, with Alfred still inside.

"Oh you did break something of mine and it was not just a mug," Ivan replies, making noises with the keychain as to make Alfred think he's going to really lock the door and leave.

Alfred takes a deep breath and exhales. He rubs his temples then folds his arms.

"Then will you come with me to the teacher's lounge? I left them there. I have to present some of those papers real soon. I don't have time to drive home or look for one in a store, you know. I'll treat you to lunch if you want."

Ivan opened the door slowly, only enough to poke his head inside, like a shy little kid.

"I'll help, but I'll choose the meal. I don't want cheap trash-burgers get it?."

"F-- yes!" Alfred cheers and slams the door open. He runs outside, pulling a startled Ivan from the arm.

"Hey I have to lock the door!" Ivan complains. And so Alfred freezes on the spot, almost stumbling on his feet.

"Ah yeah, I forgot. Lock the door, then. It's just that I'm really short on time."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The lingering scent of cheap coffee floats in the air within the teachers lounge. The old coffee machine emmits a buzzing sound that everyone doubts is normal but no ones cares enough to actually check. Ivan and Alfred are sitting in the worn out but strangely comfortable couch next to the teachers' lockers.

Ivan had taken off his scarf, it was neatly folded and put on the couch, next to his lap. Under the beige coat he wears a wine-red turtleneck sweater, so his neck remains covered, as usual. Alfred had rolled up his sleeves and loosened his tie for the sake of comfort.

They two of them were alone in the room as most other teachers usually tried to go home early at this time of the year. There was a small coffee table in front of the couch, where they placed a tall tower of paper sheets Alfred had been passing mini bunches of paper to Ivan, who carefully stapled them together and placed them in the opposite corner of the table. Within minutes they had picked a good rythm of work.

"So, how did your kids do this semester?" Alfred grabs the next bunch of paper sheets and hands it to Ivan after asking.

"Overall a few low grades but no failed students."

"Well my students didn't get anything lower than 80."

"In last week's meeting you complained that 'kids nowadays don't care about science,' I recall? You called them burger-flipping babies then."

"I was mad at the time," Alfred laughs. "And I meant just the neglectful ones... But okay, my kids got nothing lower than 70. There, I said it."

Alfred grabs a thick bunch of documents and sorts them out appropiately. As he inspects them he holds the documents in such a way that the contents can't be seen by Ivan. He gives the next batch to his helper and leaves the rest aside. A single sheet falls off from them and glides unceremoniously until it lands on Ivans feet. Alfred freezes. Ivan picks it up without thinking much of it until he flips the sheet and sees the other side of the page.

A drawing made with blue ink, maybe from a regular pen. The sheet has some tomato sauce stains, it seems. It features cutesy characters holding hands. A blushing, big-nosed character kisses a spectacled character on the cheek. The artstyle looks like what the quiet and mysterious school librarian would call "moe", as Ivan learned during their rare small talk. As "stylized" as the appearance of the characters is, he grimaces when he gets to figure out the character's identities and feels the earlier situation with Mei kind of repeat itself. All within the same hour.

Ivan glances at Alfred with a serious face, without saying anything, holding the cutesy drawing for Alfred to see. Alfred loosens his grip on the next batch of documents so much they fall to the floor. He immediately picks them up and rushes to take the drawing away from the other's hands.

"I confiscated that thing from a student who was not paying attention," he says after clearing his throat.

Ivan looks down on the mess of sheets on Alfred feet and notices at least three other similar drawings lying among the "normal" documents. After shaking his head from side to side, Ivan stands up and stretches his body.

"I'll get myself some coffee," he says, but when he tries to step away, his foot stumbles on the table's leg and the tower of unstapled sheets is collapses and is now everywhere. Alfred snarls and just throws the paper on his hands onto the table, blending in with the rest of the mess.

"Goddamn it, what a great help you turned out to be! Talk about clumsy!"

"It's your fault for being so disorganized!... And having weird things among important documents!"

"Weird things, you say? Well it's NOT my fault you're so delicate you get offended so easily. I bet you doodled things like this yourself when we were in high school."

"I bet you now wish I did!" Ivan raises his voice. He takes his suitcase and is about to rush out of the lounge, when Alfred talks back once more.

"Ivan."

And so he stops, but doesn't turn back to face him.

"Your stapler," Alfred says, holding the tool with a stretched arm, trying to get it to reach Ivan. Even though Ivan is not seeing, so he wouldn't know.

"It's yours now. Merry Fucking Christmas." Ivan grunts and storms out of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The asshole forgot his dumb scarf," Alfred muttered to himself. "No way in hell I'm gonna go give it back to him."

More than an hour has passed since Ivan left the teacher's lounge. Alfred is sitting alone in the couch. Four neatly organized piles of documents were placed on the small table in front of him. The stapler sits on his lap as though and he pets it as though it was a living cat. Not too ago he had finished sorting out the last batch of documents, All of them now stapled together. He leans back and beholds the result of his efforts.

The first pile of paper corresponds to his final reports on the class and its members. The second and largest one corresponds to the planned content to review in the next semester. The third one is made of student's graded homework that he couldn't return to them on time. The last one is a collection of assorted documents and other non-school-related curiousities that had found their way into Alfred's current paperwork.

Alfred reached to the fourth pile. He grabbed it hole and placed it on his lap, not before putting his new stapler aside. The pile contained old tests, some postcards, wrinkly notes about past lessons, some letters from his students from years ago, some pictures, and, who would have though, more drawings like the one that sparked the short-lived argument an hour ago.

The cutesy drawing is the sixth drawing featuring him and his coworker that he confiscated during that semester alone. The first time he caught a student drawing or writing such material he was shocked, almost traumatized, he could have said at the time. However, somewhere along the way he began to find it amusing. Now he would only confiscate material and punish the student if it was being used as a distraction during class. Otherwise he'd even joke about it and keep the students guessing. It's not like other coworkers didn't make similar jokes about them from time to time.

Of course Alfred would have never let Ivan know about that guilty pleasure of his. Not after the things he had said in the past, and has come to regret now. But more on that comes later. Now as he beholds his secret collection he wonders, why is he even keeping those dumb doodles around? In his mind, most of them look like specimens of failed human experimentation, begging for the sweet release of death. And yet...

Alfred moves the fourth pile back to the table and rests his hand on the side. His hand lands on the still folded, abandoned candy cane scarf. He slaps it away and it comes undone on the floor. Alfred sighs lets his body collapse on his side onto the couch, like a ragdoll.

His stretched arm hangs from the couch. Before he knows it, he's grabbing the scarf again. He brings it back to himself and strokes the fabric. He starts to knead it back and forth with his fingers, similar to how cats do when they find a comfortable spot for a nap. The scarf is soft and way more fluffy than its appearance would indicate.

And so Alfred digs into his pocket and takes out his cell phone to start texting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A brief vibration comes from Ivan's pocket on his coat. He's at a grocery store, standing in front of a stack full of small potato sacks. He's looking for ingredients for tonight's dinner. The store is very crowded. He hopes the vibration of the phone is not something important enough for him to need to call back.

Ivan takes the phone out, it's just a notification from the app store, a pending update for one of those annoying preinstalled applications that he never uses.

"I thought I turned those off." Once he places his phone back on his pocked, he puts a potato sack in the shopping cart, next to the cabbage, the carrots, and the onions. He turns his head around, making sure there's nothing else around that he might want to take. He clutches his turtle neck, forgetting once again that he left his scarf back at the school. He had an habit of stroking it to keep his hands busy when he was nervous, anxious, or bored. Concluding the assessment of his surroundings, he moves on to the meat and fish section. It didn't take too long for him to find what he needed, but he now he has to wait in a very long queue just so he can pay for the groceries and go home.

So Ivan stands there, advancing mini steps each several minutes. All the while the speakers around the store are emit obnoxious Christmas carol remixes as dictated by modern tradition. In a way he thinks it's kind of nice. To be reminded that there are other things in life to be mad about, other than whatever spurs out of a dumb, old high school c...

"Hey, sir. Your turn for the cashier," Ivan hears someone behind him on the queue say.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alfred locked his car and made his way through the parking lot of the mall. Both hands are hidden on the pocket of his jacket to protect them from the cold. He is whistling the Ruldolph the red-nosed reindeer song. He was interrupted when someone called him from several meters behind him.

He turned back. It was almost 5pm and the sun had begun to set a while ago. The sunset glare hurts Alfreds eyes and obscures the figure of the person standing in front of it, calling Alfred. He can't quite make out the words the other person is shouting. As he approaches the figure gets clear enough for him to figure out it's just Ivan. He's next to his car, carrying a grocery bag on each hand. Now that Ivan too, has a clearer sight of Alfred, his neutral expression changes to that of disgust.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Ivan exclaimed.

"Excuse me?" Alfred was confused.

"Don't 'excuse me'. Why the fuck are you wearing my scarf?"

"Oh, that. Welp." Alfred shrugged. "It's warm."

The two of them stood in there for the longest ten seconds ever.

"Are you gonna give it back to me or...?"

Alfred clicked his tongue.

"Of course I will." He ripped the scarf off of himself and threw it at Ivan. "Take your gay-ass scarf."

Ivan catches the garment, making sure none of it is dragged on the ground. One of the bags almost falls off, but he holds them well. He doesn't put the scarf back on. Just keeps it under his arm.

"That says more about you than about me." He replies.

Alfred lowers his head, awkwardly scratches the back of his neck.

"Whatever. So uh, lunch is like, cancelled, I guess? Is dinner ok?"

"I'll cook dinner at home." Ivan says. he taps his foot as he waits for Alfred to leave. Now that he got back his personal property he can carry on with his evening.

"What are you gonna make?" Alfred is still there.

"Shchi."

Alfred squints, lips curled a little bit.

"It's cabbage soup, you uncultured swine."

"Eeew. You know, my pal's restaurant serves the best lasagna ever. He's from Italy, you know."

"Thanks, I know. I'll take my sisters there sometime soon."

Ivan opens his car. He shoves the grocery bags in the front passenger seat and gets inside.

"Okay then why the hell did you shout at me from across the damn parking lot if you are gonna be like this?" Alfred yells from the side of the car, knocking on the front glass.

Ivan lowers his window.

"I just wanted my scarf. Saw a red-pink dot in the distance. I more-less knew it was you. Wondered if you carried it with you, but didn't think you'd be actually wearing it. I may be messed up, but you're a total creep. Just go away."

Ivan turns the keys. The engine sounds like it's going to start but then dies off. Both men's eyes widen and turn their heads to the front of the car. Ivan tries to start the engine again to no avail. Alfred folds his arms, expectant, until Ivan gives up on the tenth failed attempt. Defeated, Ivan leans on the steering wheel, his head presses the honk button. Some bystanders a few cars away begin to direct their attention towards them, but Ivan doesn't care. Alfred leans on the car, laughing histerically.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "This is the kind of day that makes me regret being born." Ivan says as he chops fresh cabbage. The knife gets closer the fingers of his other hand and pokes the side of the thumb. Unsurprised, he leaves the knife and opens the nearest drawer to look for a band-aid.

"Look at it in a different way," says Alfred, who's turned back from him. "You got your scarf back, we managed to take your car for repair so you can have it back within the weekend. You don't need to drive to work for now anyway."

Alfred sniffs and grunts, trying to hold back the tears. "I even gave you a ride back to here, which is an hour away from where we were." He puts aside the onions he's chopping and rushes to get a napkin.

"I even volunteered to chop the onions you ungrateful piece of shit." He wipes his nose so the swearing gets muffled at the end.

"No one asked you to stay for dinner either." Ivan puts on a band-aid and resumes his tasks. "Besides, kids who complain about chores don't get dessert, you know," he jokes. He acknowledges Alfred has a point, though. His mood begins to lighten up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a while they managed to cook a decent cabbage soup. Alfred didn’t waste the opportunity to mock Ivan for eating "grandpa food", despite getting a second helping himself. Alfred was supposed to leave not long after dinner, but a couple of cookies and cups of sbiten later, the two of them are at Ivan's rooftop, simply chatting, gazing the sky at midnight. The roof was slightly angled, with blue flat roof tiles. And a thin layer of snow covered the surface, but none of that bothered them. It was also a one-story house, so they were not quite worried about falling off.

Alfred lies on his back. His arms are folded behind his head as a pillow. Sitting next to him is Ivan, hugging his knees with one arm, and hugging a two thirds-empty bottle of vodka with the other. Ivan tries to lie down on his back too, but is encumbered by another empty bottle behind him. He pushes it away with his free hand. When trying to lie down again. His head lands on the bottle, but he's a bit too drunk to care, he just stays like that. That's going to be his pillow. It is to be noted that while there are two open bottles, Alfred has abstained from taking a sip, knowing that he'll eventually have to drive home.

"You know, I kinda regret not studying Astronomy at all in university," Ivan said, biting the tip of the bottle. In the end he had gone for Computer Science.

"Me too," Alfred replied. "But a degree on Engineering for me wasn't bad at all. Not like I'm doing much with it, though."

Ivan reaches to Alfred and pulls his sleeve slightly to get his attention.

"Your telescope still works?"

"Pfft, that thing's been broken for years," Alfred replies. "I never got rid of it, though. I've been saying I'm 'fixing' it for years, but it's just gathering dust in my basement."

"Why cling onto old stuff, though." Ivan takes a sip of Vodka.

"It's not old stuff until it becomes irrelevant, right?" Alfred turns his body on its side to face Ivan. His head rests on one hand. "We still love space and stuff. Hell, we are gazing at it right now!"

"Yeah, even the other club members called us weird." Ivan gulps down the remaining contents of the bottle. "If you want, I could help you clean your basement after I leave the town."

"Oh that'd be... Wait what?" with furrowed brows, Alfred's eyes widen.

"What?" Ivan doesn't understand the reaction.

"What did you say?"

"I'd help you throw the trash." Ivan shruggs.

"What do you mean you're gonna move out of town?" Alfred drags his own body closer to Ivan.

"I'm thinking of it." Ivan plays with his hair, dodges his gaze. He clasps both hands together, doesn’t elaborate further.

"And your job?"

"Teaching has always been part-time stuff. I'm more established as a programmer now. I'm just waiting for a reply from any of the places I applied into."

"What the- Why didn't you tell me about it?"

Ivan turns his back on Alfred. He hugs the empty bottle of vodka like a teddy bear.

"That matters because...?"

"Then just... why?"

"I really want to get rid of the old stuff myself." Ivan replies with a hand his chest. "You know what I mean?"

Alfred stops making questions. He lies on his back again and sights. His breath is visible in the warm vapor escaping his mouth. His glasses become foggy so he takes them out. And so he finally notices that there's no moon to be seen anywhere in the firmament. But the stars were still there, still, beautful, The location of Ivan's home near the countryside made the precious stars even more visible on the darker environment. Even if visible, a full moon would not outshine them that night. He can almost hear them twinkle, if such a thing existed outside of cartoon sound effects. He turns to Ivan. He is seeing them too. They are reflected on his irises.

Alfred hadn't paid as much attention to space and the stars as he'd have liked after he started university. Even less so after his telescope broke down. It was the telescope Ivan gave him for his birthday, when they were on their high school's Astronomy club. Meeting Ivan again as a teacher in the same school gave both of them a chance to get back to those interests, after having to push them aside in favor of their new duties and obligations.

Though that came only recently. Right now they can to tolerate each other, yet at the time of their first encounter as teachers, after separation during university, Ivan wanted nothing to do with him. It was like their time as two territorial chimps posing as teenage nerds was the only relationship they ever had. As if they had never managed to become best friends before they had to part ways. And it was all his fault, he thought; for as early as that reencounter Alfred realized that just like the stars, Ivan too had become inaccessible after he smashed the telescope with his baseball bat.

"Dude, maybe you should go to bed, you know," Alfred sat up. "I should go home too, I guess."

"I'm not done with this vodka." Ivan declared, lifiting the bottle with force.

Alfred slaps the bottle out of Ivan's hands and it falls off the rooftop. The shrill sound of glass shattering offscreen leaves the state of the ground by the house's entrance to be imagined. Ivan glares at Alfred, a few veins seem to be popping out.

"It was empty anyway. Come on big boy, you drunk."

A grmbly Ivan lifts his arm towards Alfred. Alfred takes his hand and helps him sit up. Ivan stands up on his own, but as soon as he starts showing signs of dizziness Alfred holds him. He makes sure Ivan gets back inside in one piece. All the while Alfred is not even trying to hide that Ivan is a bit too heavy for him. But Alfred would rather place the blame on Ivan being "fat" instead of lack of strength or exhaustion due to the time.

At some point even before they left the rooftop Ivan's body decides without telling anyone that it will stop cooperating altogether. So Alfred has to carry him all the way back to his bedroom as well. Ivan's head and arms are perched onto Alfred's shoulder and the tip of his feet are being dragged on the floor.

"What the hell Ivan? You're effin' fat."

"I'm big boned," Ivan whispers.

"Big-boned my ass!"

Panting and grouching, Alfred grouches and throws Ivan on his bed. His legs are left hanging from the edge of the bed after he falls like the potato sack he bought earlier. He giggles from the slight bouncing on the mattress

"Really? I don't want to see and find out for myself," Ivan talks back and crawls his way into the center of the bed to fit his whole body in.

"Shut up. You're the fat one here."

"Don't worry, Alf. Softer bodies are cute too." Ivan makes squeezing motions with both hands.

"You say the weirdest things when you're wasted." Chuckling, Alfred slaps Ivan's hands then hides them on his pockets.

"Who's wasted?"

"You are wasted."

Ivan shakes his head left to right. Standing next to the bed, Alfred leans close to Ivan.

"Come on, big boy, take off your shoes and go to sleep already." He says, patting the other's large chest. "Let's hope you don't wake up all hung over. I'll lock the doors well and turn off the lights, so don't worry, okay? Good night.

Alfred walks out of the room and closes the door. But Ivan keeps talking, seemingly not realizing Alfred is not there anymore.

"Say, Alfred. We didn't use to be like this. Do you still want us to remain as rivals? Even now?"

The door of the room is thrown open. Alfred knows the best would have been to ignore the other's rambling and leave, but he is overcome by a an impulse even stronger than him. His excuse is that he is just making sure Ivan's really saying what he heard or that he's not asking for help for whatever reason. He just stops and keeps listening, though. He is yet to step back inside.

"When I said I regret not studying Astronomy, I meant it."

Ivan is now lying on his belly. His face rests against a pillow, so his words are muffled, but Alfred is able to make out most of what he's saying with little trouble.

"We've been so childish. And it's my fault we are like this."

Alfred is uncertain about the point Ivan is trying to get to. Maybe is just pointless drunken rambling, but he wants to listen still.

He adjusts his glasses and leans on the doorframe. Ivan turns his body again to face the window next to the bed and curls his body in a ball. Even his wide back begins to look small in Alfred eyes.

"I'm sorry for moving back to Russia instead of going for the University we wanted. I left you alone, and told you confusing, unwanted things too."

Alfred's heart becomes heavy inside his chest, his lips shut tight, curled downwards. He steps inside and returns to Ivan's side. He sits on his bed. Ivan face is still turned away from him.

"Since we met again I've been doing as you told me before I left. But it hurts, you know, going back to this after we got to become friends."

Alfred gets further in the bed and pulls Ivan's shoulder to face him. Ivan looks at him with squinty, glassy eyes. It is uncertain if alcohol is to blame for that.

"Don't touch me," Ivan whines. He languidly throws a pillow to alfred's face. "I'm sorry Alfred but what do you even want anymore? You rejected me then, but won't stop teasing me now."

"Hey Ivan I want to..."

"I don't want to like you anymore. You're too much."

Alfred's heart becomes even heavier. So much his body alone will be crushed under its weight. He allows himself to fall on top of Ivan to wrap his arms around him. His glasses fall off his face and on his hand, but he tosses them away. Ivan lifts both knees together. He wants to curl up again, but is unable to.

"I'm the one who's sorry," said Alfred.

He puts both hands on Alfred's sides, but is hesitant to return the gesture. Alfred buries his face in the gap between Ivan's neck and shoulder. Alfred's cold cheeks against the warmth of his body sends chills down Ivan's spine. The skin underneath his clothes get goosebumps. He closes his eyes.

"I shouldn't have reacted like that when you told me." Alfred muttered to the other's ear.

He clings tightly to Ivan's body. His resistance is waning, but Alfred hugs tighter and tigther as he continues.

"I was a stupid kid just like you. I was confused, and sad... and I got angry."

A knot swells inside Alfred's throat, he jitters, his arms and legs tremble, but he wouldn't stop.

"It was easier to hit you and call you disgusting and a traitor, instead of saying "goodbye" and accepting that maybe... I felt the same for you too."

Alfred's lungs run out of air after saying that. He makes a pause to breathe. Ivan doesn't respond. He opens his watery eyes to see Alfred, but everything is blurry in his eyes and hazy in his head. He can't tell if he's dreaming or not, so he too, wraps his arms tight around the other. He runs his hands back and forth on his back. He wants to confirm he's holding the real deal and not an alcohol-induced hallucination.

"Ivan, I didn't want you to leave... I don't want you to leave again now. I like you too."

And like that, the thoughts weighting down on Alfred's heart escape through the air he exhales. Ivan turns his face in and goes for a kiss. He misses and smooches the corner of the other's lips. Smiling, Alfred cups Ivan's face on one hand and joins their lips properly. And it was all great until Alfred noticed the smell and taste of Vodka and remembered that Ivan was drunk as f...

"Wait wait wait. Stop."

Alfred gets up. Suddenly he doesn't feel as heavy anymore. He picks his glasses from the floor and fixes his jacket.

"No good. Let's... try again when you're sober," He says after clearing his throat. However, Ivan was already passed out.

After realizing Ivan's done for the night, Alfred begins walking in circles around the room at a pace so fast he's almost hopping like a rabit. He feels so energized he might as well do it. He cover his mouth to muffle what would otherwise be uncontrollable squealing.

After the euphoria wears off the events that transpired moments ago sink in completely. In a single day did they just sort out years of buried feelings and childish grudges? Oh boy, no. But they sure had one hell of a start.

Now A stream of questions flooded Alfred's mind. With what had happened, does that mean they are lovers now? Will Ivan even remember what happened? If he doesn't remember, will he tell him and explain what happened? Would Ivan believe him and/or confirm his confession?

He doesn't know if he should feel happy or scared. More importantly, he's thinking whether or not he should stay over tonight. It's not like he doesn't want to go home. However, leaving a drunk person alone is always dangerous, even when they are asleep.

As carefully as he can, Alfred takes off Ivan's shoes and leaves them next to the bed. He turns Ivan's body on its side and puts him on a position to lessen the choking risk in case he gets nauseous; although so far Ivan doesn't show signs of sickness. His breath is calm and follows a normal pace too.

A bit hesitant, Alfred decides to check Ivan's pockets, only so he doesn't crush or damage anything under his weight or when rolling on bed. He takes out Ivan's phone and wallet out of his pants and leaves them on the night table. Ivan didn't seem to have anything on his jacket, but then Alfred pulls out a now wrinkly folded paper sheet. He opens it and the more he examines it the more flustered he becomes. Of all the weird erotic art of them two their students had made, that one was by far the most detailed and realistic-looking as of yet.

He could only wonder where did that thing come from. Leaving the drawing together with the other objects, Alfred goes to pull the thickest blanket he can find out of the closet and covers Ivan with it. He rushes out of the room to lock the house properly, makes a trip to the kitchen, and then returns to Ivan with a tall glass of water, just in case.

Alfred leans close to Ivan and kisses his forehead, an affectionate, loud smooch. He sits on the bed again, close to Ivan's legs. The wisest thing to do for now is to stay there and take care of his beloved rival. At least until he wakes up. Whatever comes next for them they will figure. After a day like that, It's not like he will be able to fall sleep anyway.

The End.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Final note:

Writing this was one hell of a ride. This is my first fanfic ever, and I'm not a very good writer when it comes to prose. But I gave it my best shot, and wrote this with lots of love. I'm sorry if the overall tone or mood is too bittersweet or if the humour is kinda sour. I also hope Ivan and Alfred’s backstory wasn’t too hard or confusing to piece totgether. I'd still say the ending is a happy one, even if there's an air of uncertainty for the future haha.

Thank you for reading and for your god-tier patience, Patch. I love your blog.

#rusame secret santa 2017 #laaaate #purplepatchwork #rusame #amerus #hetalia #aph russia #aph america #hetalia fanfic

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bentchcreates · 7 years ago

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Beyond Light and Darkness (Part 1)

This is going to be a two-part blog feature because I want to write about the book as a reviewer, as well as the experiences I had as one of the authors of this wonderful work. Also, fair warning that this is gonna be a long-ass post because I am on a roll. Haha.

Before BLaD

Let’s start from the very beginning, just a brief intro, for context. LOL.

Kath Bute (https://www.wattpad.com/user/kathbute) is actually a group of writers on Wattpad that bonded over the community forums a few years ago, and decided to collaborate and release an anthology of stories we wanted to read.

I was actually the last Kabute to join the first anthology, Beyond Fate and the Stars. I don’t know much about the group before I joined; except that they were working on an anthology based on the 12 Chinese Zodiac (with an assigned emotion) and they were short of one writer to do the Ox. I was very new to Wattpad then and basically just happened to be active in a forum for Filipino Writers, so they asked if I wanted to contribute. And I did. It was one of the first few times people actually asked me to write a new story.

After a few weeks I came up with Seek the Ox, Find Happiness (https://www.wattpad.com/183607408-beyond-fate-and-the-stars-self-published-seek-the) and in the summer of 2016 we had a book! My very first printed book! It wasn’t until MIBF that year that I got to meet my Kabute friends in person for the first time but it didn’t feel weird at all, kindred spirits and all that. (@AlaraChan & @lunatrix)(http://bentchcreates.tumblr.com/post/151133454706/bentch-at-the-37th-manila-international-book-fair )

As originally planned, printing BFatS was solely for us to have a physical book with our names and stories on it, a dry run. And while we might’ve discussed eventually making it available for selling, logistics and other business matters were tougher to figure out once the book is done. (We’re still trying to figure out if this is possible. Hehe.) But we wanted to do it again, and we wanted to do more this time, so we decided to take another shot at a second anthology, with selling the book as part of the plan from the very beginning.

The Stories

We tried our hand at a little bit of indie publishing. We had reviews that helped us with things to improve. We learned a lot from the first take and we had a clearer vision on what we wanted to become of this. The instructions this time was almost similar to the previous one: write whatever genre you want but there will be assigned prompts to follow and a sub theme of light or darkness. Even the interpretation of these themes was free for the author to make his/her own.

I got “A broken wristwatch, peppermints and a hug that goes too far” and in the ‘light’ subtheme. I had finished an NA romance manuscript by then and I got off easy. Others who got perky prompts and then a ‘dark’ subtheme were a little more challenged! Hah!

*Artwork by Trix Luna. My story prompts are here. ;)*

It was quite fun to write. And in the weeks that we were planning this second anthology, my inbox were constantly filled with book ideas; as well as funny messages (and abs!) from friends that were miles away from me. We talked about the book, and then about our personal writing projects, and cheered on each other when the writing gets tough. The friendships I’ve made with this book has got to be the best payoff in this journey.

Anyway, we also decided to open the proverbial doors for two more stories – two new bloods so to speak – so in June 2016, we called for short story submissions for the anthology. Four official entries were screened in anonymity (there were 5 stories, but we later found out @RK Sanchez should’ve already been part of Book 1 so she got in) and it was what I would say was the most challenging part of this. As an old Kabute (heh) and judge, I had a hard time choosing only two over four wonderfully written stories. In the end, I had to choose those who have showed the prompts more creatively and whose stories have captured our hearts. We welcomed @Nigel Libranages and @Raine RIllera into the fold. :P

With the stories and authors completed, we set out to editing, and because we didn’t have a professional editor, nor the funds to actually hire one, we did it ourselves. Around 14 pairs of eyes went through all the stories and different people who wrote different genres offered advice and suggestions for the improvement of our stories. It was team-effort every step of the way.

*My review copy with all the original members’ stories after I was done with my first run through. heehee.*

Development Hell

Development hell or development limbo is media industry jargon for a project that remains in development (often moving between different crews, scripts, or studios) without progressing to completion.

– Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_hell)

We were 14 authors whose writing were more passion projects than actual dayjobs so when each of us got a little busy in the real world, the book got lightly shoved in the backburners. Some authors weren’t able to finish their works and to this day, we’re still waiting for them to release them (*wink wink, fellow kabutes!*) Most of us had a lot on our plates, I for one had to uproot and move back in to my parent’s house, and completing a book seemed like a huge task to strike off our To Do list.

I also had fears. Being a writer who could sell his books had been a big dream of mine and when felt like I was so close to grasping it, I feared it wouldn’t be as amazing as I hyped it up to be. I had to process it for a while, to learn more things about the industry, and ultimately, about myself, before I could fully commit to taking the plunge. And when I felt I was almost ready, I did it. I can only speak for myself but knowing I wasn’t doing this on my own, that I had friends with me, achieving our shared goals together, helped quell those fears. I’m still afraid, I have to say, but it’s more manageable now that I’ve got all these lovely people behind me, as I to them.

It took a few more weeks before we got our fire back (some slots had to be refilled with new stories, we had to hold a small face to face meeting to iron out everything) and when we got to see the artworks for the cover and the genre divisions, the excitement was renewed. I almost missed the cover reveal but when we all saw it, we knew that beauty had to be shared to the world.

*BLaD F2F meeting with Bebe Kabute Irina Jean and the secret agents again! heehee!*

*BLaD Cover reveal (art by @RK Sanchez) and this pre-order promo graphic is by @Johanna Lee

At this point, Summer Feels had been launched and I got to be part of the promo team on social media so what I learned from that I pitched in. In no time, we had a solid contract, a promo schedule, a pre-order form, a slot at #FilipinoBookFriday; and a launch date. @Lunatrix and @AlaraChan were sending us updates on what the book would look like, printing schedules and all. I was so excited I have picked clothes to wear on the launch weeks before. Haha!

*#FilipinoBookFriday promo graphic. Hosted by me and @Johanna Lee

BLaD Book Launch

What we called the book launch was just going to be a small author get together, a meet-up to see each other, collect our books and have a small meal together. I thought about working on an invitation, a graphic I could print out and stick to my journal later, when I found out Trix already made a Programme (so HYPED, I’m telling you!) and we had activities to really set off our baby to a great start.

On November 30th 2017, we met at the CBTL in Trinoma where we rearranged tables on one side of the café as if we got a reservation (We didn’t. They don’t so reservations. Or maybe not for an event as small as ours. hah). We chose that venue because it was sort of a midpoint for where the authors were coming from; Baguio was the farthest point from the North and Laguna in the South (Okay, if we count Australia as the farthest point in the South, then we’re screwed because the midpoint is probably in the middle of an ocean. XD).

We started with a short Kath Bute intro and welcome remarks from Ate Kabute; and then all authors got to introduce ourselves (we introverts get all weird introducing ourselves to people we’ve been talking to for months online!). We got gifts and goodie bags from our artist Kabutes; I even got to do an unrehearsed live-reading of The Time Banker! And then we got to the Q and A part where we got to know more about everyone else.

We also got to sign a ton of the first batch of the print books. Seeing the book for the first time is just totally amazing (the cover is more beautiful in person) and seeing stacks of it together before they are eventually distributed is even better. I took a lot of pictures of the beautiful books and forgot to take pics of the people, haha!

It was such a fun experience, and knowing it had been possible because of this dream we all had, that we were now making into a reality, is priceless. I got to write, I got new friends and now I got a new book! There was hardwork, and I know the others worked harder than I did, but we can all say it is worth it.

What’s Next?

I don’t know how to end this blog. Haha. I rambled on and on about recent history and yada, yada, blah, blah, blah, but now I don’t know what my parting message will be. Classic Bentch! Haha!

I guess I’ll leave you with a link to order our book because now I know you’re itching to get your hands on it: http://bit.ly/BLADBatch2 (Batch 2 is set for printing in January, so delivery dates might be late January-early February)

We’re processing an e-book version for international release so watch out! (Naks, ako yung in-charge dito, so good luck to me. Wahaha) And we’ve discussed the initial phases for Book 3! No further announcements, thank you! Haha!

I think it’s also better to end with a thank you to everyone who has made this possible.

My fellow BLaD authors, thank you for sharing your talents – writing and editing AND artistic skills – especially to Mama and Ate Kabute who started all of this and pushed us to bring our collective best to the world. To my other author friends, who showed support by cheering on us and buying our books!

And to God, because this is your design. Thank you.

*next part will be my review of BLaD as a reader. It will be biased because, you know, I wrote the preface (not-so-humble-brag!) and is currently in charge of promotions, but it’s a GREAT anthology, 500%!

#bookish #bentchcreates #book launch recap #beyond light and darkness #blad #kabute sa wattpad

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