#funny fish cat. nothing is not to love shush

[front-facing-pokemon]

[twowooheart]

─────────────────────

k.sw - “my heart went oops”

pairing: sunwoo x reader

genre: college au, fluff

warnings: player attitude, strong language, kissing

words: 4,800

„back to my question. where are you hiding from me?“

─────────────────────

you wouldn’t say that you were obsessed with him. it was just the inconvenience that you probably have fallen in love with him from afar, without him even knowing you.

once in a while you had a crush. they came and go, nothing too serious. but sunwoo completely messed with your heart and you can’t explain yourself why.

it all started when you leaned against the tree at your usual spot on the college grounds. it was a nice day. the wind played with the loose strings of your hair while you enjoyed the slight glimpses of sunshine that peeked through the leafs and fell on your face.

your friends and people knew not to interrupt you at this spot. if someone did, you would send them a death glare. you went to a prestigious college and as a member of your faculty and president a lot of work had to be done. this was the only time of the day where you had the chance to relax. it was a calm place where everyone knew not to talk too loud or listen to music. generally, everyone kept quiet.

after all this time of peace and harmony someone had to come to start a war. without opening your eyes you could clearly hear out one particular voice.

eric.

eric as in a loud student that often got on your nerves. you weren’t a grumpy cat or something like that. you are very liked by the students and laugh a lot. you like adventures and spending time with your friends. you also don’t mind loud or silent people.

the problem was the place. and that it was eric.

after a good ten minutes you decided to confront that chaotic group. first they didn’t even recognize someone approaching them. you positioned your hands on your hips and sent a death glare into eric‘s direction.

with a light cough finally the group and some girls that accompanied them turned to you.

eric‘s eyes widened and he was quick to get down from his sitting position on the table to salute in front of you. while the others laugh you let out a sigh.

„what could our pretty president want from me? a date?“ by now you’re confused why he would think such a thing and your confidence is slipping away at the compliment he just gave you.

get out of it. he’s a well known flirt.

„silence.“

eric pushes the boy next to him a little bit when kevin bursts out in laughter.

„w-what do you mean with that?“ the girls are giving you nasty glares by now not happy with the attention you’re getting.

„this place is reserved for silent studies and not a chat - “ you can feel your blood freeze in your body when suddenly another boy turns around that has black ruffled hair and round eyes. he’s wearing a mischievous smirk on his face and with a snicker he shushes you to be silent.

„you should be silent then.“

you’re completely astonished. just when you wanted to swoon over the boy and compliment his looks in your head he had the audacity to counter you with your own words. that boy had an attitude and he clearly enjoyed the ‚oh‘s and laughs by his friends.

you were too dumbfounded to utter another single word. usually the students respected you and it wasn’t only you who liked the peace here. you thought about the others that liked to enjoy the nature of this tiny place on the campus.

before you regained yourself the group was already back to their business. with slight embarrassment you trotted back to your spot and gathered your things to go to the library.

the next days weren’t any different. oh, but there were different girls. sitting on their laps and even flirting. the sight was so disgusting to you so there wasn’t any other option than leaving the place for good.

it wasn’t like you gave up without a fight. in your meetings you debated and brought up good arguments for setting up rules but no one seemed to listen to you or being interested in the topic. after asking other students and your friends you realized they were way too insecure to speak up to the popular students.

every time you encountered the boys they gave you funny looks and especially the boy, named sunwoo you learned, even winked at you. he was mocking you. unbeknownst to him and the others your heartbeat quickened it’s pace when he looked at you with those round dark eyes. you hated the feeling at first. but soon, what you hated even more, that you wanted to see him at campus.

was he here all the time?

he even sat in some courses with you. yet, you never managed to acknowledge his existence only until the day he made fun of you.

your slight crush kept only growing and growing until you decided to find out more about the irritating student. kim sunwoo was his full name. he was a soccer player and member of your university team. good grades and many friends. to the last part you internally cringed.

very popular with girls. typical heartthrob.

but one to never be in a relationship. he played and never stayed for too long with a girl.

great! you really fell for a playboy. worse: only by looking and speaking one time to him. you really had to get over with it as soon as possible. even if sunwoo would pay you a little bit more attention like with his other possessions it would soon fade and you would be left heartbroken.

and how to get over a crush and a boy you couldn’t have? have fun with another boy! you only had to find one...

after a few weeks went by you were on your way to the campus garden where you found your new place of peace. it was even smaller and sometimes you helped the gardener club with their duties. fortunately the smell of roses and herbs did wonders to your mind and soul. you felt refreshed and happy everytime you spend your pause in the garden on a bench or on the fresh grass.

today was also the perfect weather to spend some time in the little paradise. while you joined the queue in the cafeteria to get a little snack you jumped when someone tapped you on your shoulder from behind.

„sunwoo?“ the boy stood tall in front of you hair messed up a little bit making him looking cozy and kinda cute. his heart shaped lips formed into a dazzling smile while you probably ogled him like an owl.

„you know my name.“

„w-what? I mean, yes I do. everyone knows you, right?“ your voice was slight shaky and you just wondered what he could want from you.

„yeah, but you, you know my name!“

„yeah, well... anyways can I help you?“ your body reacted on its own again. your palms became sweaty and you couldn’t look into his eyes longer than a second before finding the ground in front of you interesting again.

„I just wondered where you have been?“

you look up at him puzzled. oh, „you probably mean why I am not lurking around in your kingdom anymore.“ a scoff leaves you and before you register that you just said that out loud a hearty laugh brings you out of your thoughts.

„I didn’t mean that!“

„oh, the way you always look at me tells me you definitely meant it!“ then he notices your disapproval for his flirty looks.

„back to my question. where are you hiding from me?“ you’re nearly ready to order and think about a good answer for that. wait, did he just say you were hiding from him?

„I am not hiding from you! I just - “ the way he emphasized the word made you fuzzy in the head. it sounded like you were his prey or some sort of that. you turn around so he faced your back again and quickly placed your order. before you can finish sunwoo suddenly chimes in and places his wish, too. leaving you dumbfounded because the next thing he fishes out his money to pay for the two of you before you’re able to do so yourself.

you roll with your eyes when he walks behind you. a small ‚thanks‘ leaves your lips and you try to get away from him as fast as possible. you couldn’t think clear when he was around. his intense gaze brought goosebumps over your skin and you knew this wasn’t a good thing.

you can’t have him. he wouldn’t want you anyways so get over it. he was probably just bored and that’s why he wanted to tease you a little bit.

before leaving the cafeteria you turn around to spot the boy but he seems to have vanished out of the scene completely. not even sitting at his usual table with the popular kids.

your lunch was deliciously devoured between some big trees in the garden. you listened to the birds cheeping soft melodies while reading some lecture. unknown to you someone has watched over you for some time now.

chuckling to himself sunwoo leans back letting out a sigh. „so that’s where you are now...“

a new week starts and while you are gathering your books in the opened corridor you can hear familiar voices nearing your spot. you’re chatting with one of your friends when the group stops in front of you and eric leans against the lockers to give you a flirty look.

„(y/n)...“ he sings your name in a cute voice while the others begin to laugh and you get yourself busy with ushering your friend away before they could annoy her, too.

immediately you spot sunwoo next to eric who sends you an interested look. back to eric you roll with your eyes.

„what do you want?“

„ah, ah! don’t give me an attitude. oh, did someone already tell you that your eyes sparkle in this light?“

„I am not asking again.“ you’re ready to leave before eric stops you by pulling you back with a strong grip on your wrist. your eyes lock on the spot he just touched you and again, you can’t see sunwoo shifting uncomfortably in his position.

„pretty please! can you show the new boy around? I swear he’s well mannered and good looking! an angel!“ ah, that’s why he’s acting like this.

„oh come on, eric. (y/n) probably has better things to do than that. for example arguing with people who enjoy life.“ you’re sending a death glare to sunwoo and your cheeks are growing hot at the laughter that erupts after that.

what an asshole...

„actually, no, I have time. where’s he?“ with that you stop the bickering and sunwoo‘s smile falls. he didn’t want you to show juyeon the university.

the new student came to the front and with a huge smile he introduced himself. what a good looking sexy god look at his arms and his lips and his eyes and his -

everyone was already gone leaving the two of you behind. juyeon fiddles with the hem of his uniform not knowing why you’re standing in front of him with an opened mouth and still, still clinging onto his hand. oh dammit quick react!

„I am (y/n)! (y/l/n) (y/n)!“ you let go of his hand and he sends you a smile that would bring girls to their knees.

„I already know.“

„oh, yes of course! I am sorry... I should show you everything!“ juyeon mutters a ‚cute‘ under his breath when your eyes indeed seem to sparkle when you start to drag him around the campus.

after five days you were sure, you really liked juyeon. you spent a lot of time together and he was so easy to be around. he was funny, teasing (in a good way), polite, intelligent and when he had the opportunity to part ways with you he didn’t. that’s because he liked you, too.

he was the perfect definition of everything that kim sunwoo wasn’t and especially to you. a friend and a possible lover.

on the other hand he wasn’t fully able to get your mind off sunwoo. that boy seemed to made himself comfortable in a deep deep part of your heart laughing evilly down there.

you want to emphasize the word evil again. after getting closer and closer with juyeon you couldn’t ignore sunwoo‘s hateful gazes anymore. didn’t he like juyeon hanging around with you? you were probably way to much a loser for them and they wanted the good looking guy between their rows.

it couldn’t be helped. one time you even tried to smile at the boy but that only resulted in him turning around to flirt with the new chick of the week. there he was at it again. pinching your heart again. it hurt much more than you wanted it to. but turning in your seat to watch juyeon eating brought happiness to you.

it was already after another few days and a date with juyeon that you two were clear about your relationship. you could never be a couple. you two found each other attractive at first but now you realized you probably just found a best friend in each other. never having one before the two of you also didn’t know how it felt to find your other half but in a platonic way.

you laughed the whole night about your attempt to kiss. there was nothing. no sparks. no everything. juyeon even apologized for not feeling anything. sometimes it turns out like this. luckily you were now inseparable leaving others confused on if you were dating or not.

juyeon literally begged you to not tell anyone and just wait what happens. that boy turned you into a mischievous kitten that agreed to his evil plan. even your friends fall for it at first. in the end some girls can read their girlfriends better than anyone else and they noticed little gestures between you and juyeon that no couple would do.

there’s still one thing you didn’t tell your bestfriend about. your safe space in the beautiful college garden. it wasn’t a problem either but this place was only for you. (and the hardworking gardener club)

something stopped you in your tracks when you were just entering the herb part. kissing sounds could be heard behind a tree. you wanted to lecture the couple who thought it would be a good time and place to fuc-

it was sunwoo.

your eyes widened and your heart sank to the bottom. your mouth still open sunwoo catches your gaze and locks eyes with you. he starts to kiss the girl‘s neck while she whimpers out his name.

you closed your mouth knowing what he was doing. he knew you would come at this hour. he knew you would find him with the girl. he wanted you to find him with... someone that wasn’t you, again.

this time one the other hand you decided to be confident. you coughed out loud gaining that girl‘s attention who let out a little shriek in the process. immediately she put some space between her and sunwoo and started to correct her uniform.

„I will report this if you’re not leaving this instant.“ this was enough to let the girl take a run leaving a pouting sunwoo behind.

you walk up to the boy and sigh out before speaking up.

„I don’t care what or with who you’re doing something, kim sunwoo. I just wonder why you have to do it here, the only place I can relax.“

sunwoo leans against the tree and sends you a bored glare. he lifts one of his eyebrows and you watch his tongue poking his cheek from the inside.

„the university garden doesn’t belong to you.“

you scoff at his words.

„I’ve never said that. I - I just thought... you and your friends already won over my favorite spot on the grounds.“

„and?“

maybe talking honest with him?

„look, I don’t want any problems with you. of course I won’t report this. I just want to have this little space for myself. could you please not come here again?“ you’re sending him a pleading look and when sunwoo starts to emerge your form with painfully slow steps you can feel your skin burning where his eyes land.

he leans down. so much that your noses are nearly touching. he’s so close you can smell his cologne and his breathing is tickling your face.

„I will come here whenever I want. I will bring here whoever I want. I will fuck here whoever I want. tell me, (y/n), aren’t you doing the same?“

you gulp. without much thought your foot collides with his shinbone. sunwoo cries out and clings to his leg sitting down in the process.

„oh god! I didn’t want to - ah, shit! here, cling onto me, I will bring you to the nurse!“ with a panicked voice you try to help sunwoo and the boy only curses out lowly while you and him slowly limp to the nurse.

„okay, sunwoo, look at me“ the boy is still in a lot of pain laying down in the hospital section bed. his eyes have not left you for once and you feel like the boy is planning on how to kill you in the most brutal way.

you’re nibbling nervously on your fingernails after the x-ray and the moment the doctor is out of sight your hands are on sunwoo‘s puffy cheeks. with a determined look you focus his face into your direction.

„you remember what I told you? I didn’t see anything! so you will say this was an accident, alright?“ his eyes darken at your words.

„why should I do that?“

„because! because I will tell them about you and the girl!“

„you kicking me is definitely worse.“ dammit, he’s right.

„o-okay! you can go to the garden whenever you want! I will not go there anymore!“

sunwoo chuckles at that. „a few minutes ago you lectured me and now you’re giving in again? but... no, that’s not helping you, too.“ out of anger you’re shaking his head by now and you don’t even realize how close you’re again.

the two of you flinch and immediately get away from each other when the doctor is coming back. „well, mr. kim. no game for you this saturday. your leg needs about a week to recover so no running and especially no sports!“ sunwoo‘s eyes open wide and after the two of you are left again you are at the verge of tears.

„oh, (y/l/n) (y/n). how do you want to make up for that?“ you’re now leaning down clinging onto him.

„sunwoo, please!“

„not only will you receive a punishment the whole university will be pissed off. I am an important player in the team.“ no, he was one of the best ones. if he couldn’t play that meant they would probably loose. your head is layed down facewards in the sheets while you rumble incoherent words. sunwoo on the other side has to hide a huge smile that’s growing on his face.

„we could say it was an accident.“ your head peeks up and you watch him with big eyes very interested in his idea.

„yes, I will do everything!“ sunwoo chuckles to himself.

„then be my slave this week.“

oh wasn’t that wonderful. sunwoo would cling onto you the whole week and by now you felt like his personal butler. of course the team lost so the students were in a bad mindset, too. after telling juyeon about the whole story the boy laughed for almost half an hour. he clearly enjoyed the view and gave you a thumbs up everytime you dragged sunwoo through the corridors or over the campus to his next lecture.

on the other hand... no one found out about what really happened. and as crazy as it sounds the boy smelled so good. you practically hugged him three hours a day. he only killed your joyful thoughts when you had to bring him a bottle of water again or only vanished out of his sight for only a minute to talk with a friend leading into him lecturing you.

you also would have found it cute to feed him but the gazes you received from the crowd in the cafeteria brought heat to your cheeks. sunwoo liked seeing you flustered and shy. he literally drank your reactions. he loved your reactions to every ridiculous thing he did or said to you.

the last day he insisted on you bringing him to the garden to have a picnic.

„I don’t feel good being here with you. the last time I got so mad I kicked you.“ he layed on the grass while you fed him with some grapes like he was a king.

„mh, I like being here with you. but, you’re probably going with lee here a lot anyways.“ you pause at his words. juyeon?

„why would I go here with juyeon?“ sunwoo‘s face turns sour.

„he’s your boyfriend after all.“ the boy locks eyes with you after you burst into laughter.

„what?“ sunwoo leans up on his elbows to get closer to you. „you’re dating him, right?“

„no? we’re friends. really good friends. but never would I date lee juyeon!“ you smile at him laughing again at the thought whereas sunwoo groans out annoyed.

„wait.. what is wrong?“ sunwoo had a weird feeling in his stomach after knowing you were still single. all this time he was so jelous and angered about the thought of you being together with someone else...

„nothing.“ sunwoo didn’t feel like it was the right time to tell you about his feelings. he messed up big. all this time of annoying you and being a dick... he liked you. he wanted to show you and fulfill your every wish before he saw you with juyeon.

it wasn’t a good move but he just turned bitter. he wanted you to recognize him. he couldn’t act different than letting out his frustration. it was just how he coped with things. but it was a mistake. with knowing he only managed to push you further away from him. you probably hated him by now. you would never like him, right?

you fulfilled your service. and you missed spending time with sunwoo. again please can there be another good looking guy entering your college? but, still you couldn’t hold yourself back to steal glances at the dark haired boy. and everytime you did sunwoo already had his eyes on you. you couldn’t read him at all. there was no bickering anymore and no winking. he just looked deep in thought.

maybe he was not interested in you anymore. in no ways. not even to annoy you. it mad you sad. and that’s how the next two weeks went by with you slowly feeling more insecure.

it was at the next month‘s game that you decided to actually join it with juyeon and some of your friends. you couldn’t believe your bestfriend that dragged you to the lowest row where sunwoo‘s friends and their chicks were also sitting.

the girl next to you was a very beautiful brunette. she cheered so loud for sunwoo and when said boy turned around to glance into her direction with a confident smile your heart sank again. you stopped counting how often that happen by now though.

with an annoyed look you watched the game. when your team goaled the brunette jumped up kicking her drink onto your lap in the process.

„shit!“ while everyone claps and howls you poke juyeon to show him your shirt.

„oh no.“

„yeah, whatever. I am going to wash this out.“ juyeon‘s eyes widen at your words that are spoken loudly over the cheering crowd.

„no! ehm, (y/n), the game is finished in a few seconds you have to wait!“ you roll your eyes at him.

„god juyeon we’ve already won.“ he tries to hold onto your arm but you’re quick to leave the field and vanish into the building where your locker is located to change into another clothing. it takes you a lot of time but you smile when you receive a text of juyeon to come back to the field because they’re waiting for you there.

it was already dark and you wanted to change at home to get ready for the after party tonight in one of the huge mansions of the fraternity. when you emerge the field everything was already dark and you could only see a silhouette standing in the middle of the field.

„juyeon?“ you look around to see if there’s another person but knowing he would never ditch you in the dark you take confident strides to the person.

„juyeon, you know it’s really creepy after the horror movie we watched yesterday - “

suddenly the light is turned on and you shield your eyes with your hands before the person turns around and gets down on one knee in front of you.

„s-sunwoo?“ you can’t breath. your heart hammers against your chest and you have to cover your shaking lips with your hands to prevent him from seeing your shocked state.

„I actually planned this to turn out different... you know the whole crowd was supposed to be watching.“

„watching w-what?“

he looks to the ground and then into your eyes again. a smile adorns his face and he coughs out to clear his voice.

„(y/l/n) (y/n), I want to tell you that, that... I like you.“ you nearly collapse at his words. was this a dream? was he joking around?

„you’re joking.“

he shakes his head. „I am not. I wanted to do this here on the field so when you’re giving me a corb the whole university would see.“

„that is... sunwoo that doesn’t make any sense?“

„it does. it is my apology to you. for being mean and teasing you endlessly. for taking away your favorite spots. I know you love them so much. I did what I did because of my jelousy. and for being a coward for not telling you about my feelings.“

you think for a few seconds trying to register if this was really happening. your head turns and in the far you can see all your and sunwoo‘s friends. with an unsure gaze your eyes land on juyeon. after the boy‘s stoic expression he sends you an honest smile. and a thumbs up.

you let out a shaky breath and turn to the boy in front of you again.

„this is really... surprising.“

sunwoo sighs taking your hand into his. „it is. so please tell me you’re not feeling the same and I can begin sulking.“

„sunwoo. it doesn’t make any sense because“ you push him up by his hand and look into his dark orbs.

„it’s doesn’t make any sense because I like you, too.“ a sheepish smile escapes the boy.

„ahhh, I wished you would say that.“ you raise one of your eyebrows.

„of course. you’re still a tease. you know, you could just ask me for a date and - “

„do you want to be my girlfriend? I don’t only want a date. I want you.“ you bite your bottom lip at his words. you nod and send him a beautiful smile.

„woah. (y/n), eric‘s right in the end.“

your face turns stoic.

„about what?“ sunwoo smiles at you and circles your waist with his arms. his hand glides up to pushes some strands of your hair out of your face.

„your eyes are sparkling. not only that, you’re really shining. you always have.“ your eyes water at his words because would’ve never imagine the kim sunwoo using them with you.

in the far you can hear shouts of ‚kiss‘ and the loudest are from eric and juyeon. you quickly look to the ground but sunwoo‘s quicker to pull your chin up with his index.

he places the softest kiss on your trembling lips and it is the first time you can fully enjoy the butterflies in your stomach.

why did the two of you needed so much time?

[softboywriting]

Coming Home for Christmas // Shawn Oneshot

(is it too early for Christmas AU’s because...oops)

Christmas was two days after your birthday. Shawn still hadn’t called. It hurt. It hurt like a son of a bitch. He hadn’t been responding to any of your texts for days, a week nearly. You knew it would end up like this. How could you expect him to keep his promise to you when he was out seeing the world? What were you compared to his dreams? He could have anything. Why would he still want you? You always knew it would come to this, but you didn’t think it would happen right before your birthday, let alone Christmas.

You look at the small wrapped box on your desk and sigh. It was Shawn’s gift. A new watch, really nice, not Armani nice, but still very classy and minimalistic. Your hand goes to the cord around your neck with the silver ring hanging from it. It was Shawn’s. He had given it to you before he left Pickering to go be a rock star. You laugh to yourself. Rock star was not something you ever thought you would call him, but here you were and there he was, wherever he was.

Shawn gave you the ring on your sixteenth birthday. He told you to keep it safe. He said he promised he would wear the matching one every day so he would never forget about his home. Never forget about you. He was the first guy you ever fell in love with. Who falls in love when they’re sixteen? Probably everyone at least once. Whether its real or the illusion of love, well, that was up for debate. But you were sure you loved Shawn. After three years, you still got excited to talk to him when you saw his number pop up on your phone. You still smiled like an idiot when you saw he sent you a new snapchat photo. Everything about him made you happy and you wanted to give him everything.

For three years he texted you at least once a day, even if he was busy. He would call twice a week. Facetime, snapchat, instagram, you name it he was using it to talk to you or tell you about his day. Constant contact was key to your friendship. He knew it. You knew it. It was an unspoken rule that you had to at least say good morning or good night, if nothing else, to each other everyday. You would get to see him on holidays when he was home from tour and what not, sometimes he would be home for a few days, coming to see you and hang out as much as he could.

So when everything slowed down you assumed he was busy. Until everything just stopped. No text, no call, no social media. No Shawn. It made you sick the first time he didn’t reply back to your good morning text. He always replied back. Something felt wrong. There was no hints to as of what that was, but it felt wrong.

It’s after midnight before you fall asleep. Crying on Christmas Eve was definitely a first but it would be fine in the morning. You would wake up and get to open gifts and spend time with family you hadn’t seen in months. It would be a good time. You would have to force yourself not to think about Shawn and pray no one would ask about him.

Shawn stands outside on your patio, assessing the old trellis your dad built when you were ten years old. He looks it up and down, grabs the side and shakes some snow off. It seems pretty damn sturdy still. He hadn’t climbed the thing in three years and he was quite a bit bigger then he was back then. Shawn looks up and sees the soft light of your pink salt lamp is on in your room. You had forgotten to turn it off. He takes a deep breath and grabs the side of the trellis, foot sliding into the lowest hole on the crisscross pattern. He would be royally fucked if this thing gave out under him and he knew it. But it was worth it to surprise you.

With insane bravery, careful foot placement and good sense of balance, Shawn climbs the trellis and lays on top. His hands were a little shaky, but still, he and the trellis were in once piece. He makes his way across it, taking two steps, hearing the wood groan under his weight. He leaps for the rooftop and scrapes his knee all to hell. Shawn lays there, holding his knee and trying not to swear and scream profanities into the freezing night air but god damn it hurts. The pain subsides and he lays there, laughing to himself. If a fan got a picture of him like this, right now, he’s not sure he could even explain it. He must look ridiculous.

Your window is locked when he tries to slide it up. That’s not a problem though. He runs his fingers along the underside of the window sill. The little wire he used to use to get in is still wedged into the wood after all these years. He’s amazed it’s still there. He slips it into the sliding lock and fiddles with it a little until it catches the mechanism inside and he can lift the window up.

You wake up at the sound of something thumping against your floor. Your first thought is that your cat was trying to get into your room, so you turn over and ignore it in your more than half asleep state. When something breaks, you sit up and look around the dim lit room to see someone on the floor under your window by the foot of your bed. You gasp and almost let out a scream as Shawn says in a hushed whisper, “Don’t scream! It’s me! It’s Shawn!”

“Shawn?!” you hiss and he stands up, kicking aside whatever he broke off your little bookshelf under the window.

Shawn closes the window and starts pulling his boots off. “Yes. Shawn. That’s my name. Did you forget?” he laughs softly as he places his boots against the foot of your bed. He sheds his coat and hat and drops them on the floor. “I’m freezing, move over.”

You’re stunned silent. This had to be a dream. He wasn’t here, there was no fucking way he was in your room at an ungodly hour on Christmas Day. This wasn’t a movie for fucks sake. This sort of thing didn’t happen. “What’s going on?” you ask, very confused and questioning your own sanity.

“I’m trying to get into your bed and it’s Christmas morning and I’m very cold.”

“No! You idiot!” you shout and push at his chest as he pulls your blankets back and wiggles his way into the bed next to you. A twin bed had no room for you and him, yet here he was, squeezing his huge ass in. “Why are you here? Why are you- what the fuck!?”

Shawn’s hand covers your mouth and he shushes you. “I wanted to surprise you.”

You lick his hand until his pulls it away and wipes it on the blankets with a disgusted expression. It had been a long time since you did that to him. His reaction was no less funny than it was years ago. “Well I’m surprised. Why did you text me back? It’s been days. I thought you hated me or something.”

“What? I could never hate you. I just wanted you to be really surprised. You thought I was upset with you?” Shawn pulls you down and against him. “I’m sorry. God, it probably did seem bad didn’t it?”

You tear up a little. Relief that he didn’t hate you and wasn’t avoiding you hits you like a ton of bricks. “You haven’t been home in months!” You press your face to his shoulder and he rubs your back. “I missed you and you stopped talking to me and I thought it was over. I thought I’d lost you to someone or something better.”

“There’s never going to be anyone better than you. You know that right?” His voice is soft as he talks against your hair. “I love you more than anyone else.” You grip his shirt and press your face harder against him. “Remember what I promised you?”

“That you’ll always come back,” you mumble and sniff quietly.

His hand goes to your hair and he pets it gently. “No. I promised that I’ll always come back to /you/.” He pushes you back and hooks his finger under the cord of the necklace that’s tucked into your shirt. He fishes it out and twirls it around his finger. “I see you haven’t stopped wearing this.”

You shake your head and pull it from his fingers. “Of course I haven’t.” You take his hand and thread your fingers with his. The matching ring on his middle finger is cold against your skin. “Neither have you.”

“I feel naked without it. Couldn’t go a day without wearing it. I hate taking it off.”

“Me too.”

“Sorry I stressed you out by not talking to you.”

“I don’t care about that anymore.”

You put your arm around him, and he pulls you against his chest, pressing his forehead against yours. You smile at him and he smiles back. Your hands go to his hair, carding through it and messing it up worse than his hat had. He hums softly and closes his eyes.

You kiss his nose, making him pull your impossibly closer and faulter in his humming. “Merry Christmas.”

His voice is soft and sleepy as he says, “Merry Christmas to you too.” He’s all yours and you know it. You always did.

Let me know what you think! Thanks! Iove you all! Don’t forget to Reblog~♥♥♥

[snippychicke]

The Pet Emporium

Title: The Pet Emporium

Chapter One

Rating: G

Fandom: Undertale--UnderSwap

Pairing: Reader/Papyrus

You had (foolishly) thought working in a petstore would be wonderful. Who wouldn’t love to be surrounded by puppies and kittens, along with fish and birds of all kinds.

And poop. Screaming kids. Birds screeching, nonstop barking. Pet ‘parents’ giving you lectures about some item in the store that would cause Instant Death or Endless Suffering to their dog/cat/goldfish. Having to keep an eye out for cruel people thinking it was fun to torment the animals.

You were wary when monsters appeared from underground, and couldn’t help but imagining how everything could change for the worse.

But the only thing that did was the fact humans were no longer your only customers.

Dogamy and Dogaressa were the first monsters you really met. The married white dogs always walked hand in hand one day and brought out nearly all the rawhide bones...and all the flea treatments.

“Endogy brought fleas home,” Dogaressa chatted as if she had known you for a long time, though her eyes shifted as if she was nervous. “And now Greater Dog and Lesser Dog have them too.”

“Oh no!” you answered, nervous yourself yet falling easily into the typical small talk as you checked out the bottles of flea shampoo. “Fleas are horrible. Do they like at least like water?”

You think Dogaressa smiled. It was hard to tell with her snout. Either way, she seemed a bit more relaxed. “Oh, they love water. Baths are different story, though. That's what the rawhide is for. It's their favorite.”

“Oh, you love it too, honey,” Dogamy answered with a heart felt tease, his watchful eyes returning to the other dog. “Especially with you being with pups.”

“Oh shush you!”

The pair visited at least weekly after that, and you did get to meet Lesser Dog and Greater Dog, twin brothers that acted more like canines but still possessed intelligence. Lesser Dog would pull out cash from somewhere when Dogaressa forgot her wallet, and Greater Dog often solved the crossword puzzle that had stumped you while you fussed at the computer when it gave you issues...which was quite often, actually.

And then there was Doggo. Lesser Dog helped him in once, with brightly mismatch clothes and beady eyes unable to focus on anything. Which you didn’t think much of as you rang up a box of dog treats, silently wondering if they were like dessert for them, when Doggo opened up the box, pulled one out….

And went to light it as if it was a cigarette.

Lesser Dog barked suddenly, grabbing the lighter from him as you exclaimed: “Sir! You-you can’t smoke in here!”

“What? Oh, right,” he apologized, tucking the burned biscuit in his pocket. “Sorry, it’s been a long week.”

Then there was an orange cat-like monster Felix (affectionately known as Burger Pants, oddly enough) and his best friend, Usagi the blue rabbit. By the time they visited, you were fairly used to the Dog family. So you barely blinked at the pair, you were more worried about the blue rabbit pulling the very reluctant cat through the store. They...reminded you a lot of a pair of teenagers, one coercing the other into a  prank. So while you continued served customers, you also kept an eye on the pair on the security cameras.

They made a straight line for the cat department, arguing in one of the aisles before Felix picked up a small container. You expected him to pocket or something, but instead the cat nervously brought it up to the counter while the rabbit waited anxiously by the doors.

“I-I want to buy this…” he stuttered as he placed a small jar of catnip on the counter, and you tried not to laugh.

Except, a slight smile did. “It’s not for me!” he quickly answered. “Usagi told me only cats can buy it…! Oh no, I wasn’t suppose to say that.” His eyes were wide as he covered his mouth with his paws. You did have to laugh at that.

“It’s okay. I don’t think there is any laws against that...yet.” None that you were aware of, but it made him relax.

“He loves the stuff,” he said as he paid for the small jar. “I honestly hate it, but he’s my best friend.”

The pair would wander in occasionally after that, no longer acting shady but rather friendly. Felix was one of the nicest people you had met, always upbeat and cheery while Usagi...well, you were fairly sure catnip was an equivalent to weed. While he had a relaxed smile, he seemed to be the exact opposite of Felix with a very dark and jaded humour.

Yet, the monster you saw the most was the skeleton at the hot dog stand across from the store, dressed in a orange hoodie every day that clashed with the mandatory green hat on his head. He was never busy, customers came in waves, a rhythmic ebb and flow that was hypnotizing to watch.

You...may also have this very strange...crush. More like a squish really. Initially, it just started as a slightly macabre curiosity. After all, he was a skeleton, for stranger than the Dog family, Felix or Usagi.

Then his lazy smile and puns drew you in closer. He realized you worked at the Emporium, and you heard every animal pun possible, from the classic: “Back again? You gotta be kitten me,” to “Whale welcome back,” or “Whatever floats your goat,” after ordering, said with a smile and a wink.

It got to the point where Papyrus had your ‘dog ready before you even arrived. You didn’t know if that was good or bad.

At first, you would just eat at the bench nearby, catching snippets of his conversations and the music from the bluetooth speaker he had set up. Snickering at the jokes and enjoying the variety.

Then there was a certain song that quickly became your favorite. It took a good week before you worked up the courage before asking.

“Oh? It’s one of Napstabots early songs, back before he got famous,” he answered, leaning on the counter as he pulled up the song on his phone. “Do you have an Undernet account?”

Just as the internet, or Uppernet as it was now called, was open to monsters, their own version were open to humans. Except it was rather different. More open-share than anything. You nervously gave him your username, which made him pause.

“Pawsome Kitten?” he slowly grinned as you covered your face.

“I was really tired!” you defended in embarrassment. You weren’t about to admit he inspired the name. That was bad enough.

“Fur real? You’re not kitten me?” the grin on his face was bigger than you ever seen, ernest too. “That is pawsibly the best purrsona I’ve heard.”

“You have customers and my break is over,” you pointed out quickly before rushing back to the emporium.

“See you tomorrow Kitten!” he hollered after you, making you flush.

A few minutes later, your phone beeped. Bonehead was following you on Undernet, and had sent you a music file.

The song opened a flood gate. The two of you bonded quickly after that. It started with music reccs, which led to movie reccs and book reccs. Funny memes was a logical jump, often leading to late nights swapping the funniest memes and cat videos you could find.

It wasn’t long and he started to close up shop as soon as you left the emporium, handing you the your usual as he joined you on the bench. He’d slump down next to you on the bench, long bony legs stretched out and his arms across the back, a subtle warmth against your shoulders.

Friend dates, you told yourself. Just two friends spending the lunch hour together.

Did friends get butterflies though? Like every time he called you ‘Kitten’ instead of kid as he did everyone else, including people well into middle and late adulthood. Or when he wore his honest smile and not the lazy one he seeme to wear out of habit.

Anyone else and you would be fairly sure he was into you. But...it was different. He didn't seem interested, just...more relaxed around you. Open. Happy?

You weren’t going to push it, either way. His friendship had become too important to risk. Besides, how would that even work? Would he even be interested in you in that way?

*****

You were set into a boring day. Papyrus was off and oddly not bombarding your phone, and none of your regulars would probably be in, seeing it had been only a few days.

Early in the afternoon, the monotony was broken as a shot of silver and blue streaked past. “Mweheheh!” echoed after it, making you worry.

You leaned on the counter, trying to figure out what just ran passed when a pair of bony fingers scratched the top of your head. “Heya Kitten,” Papyrus gave a lazy smile as you jumped, through the grin didn't quite reach his eyes. “How's it going?”

“Good,” you stuttered faintly, feeling flustered from his closeness as well as the zipping blur. “Did you see that blue blur…”

“Yeah…” he fiddled with his signature lollipop, his eyes searching the store. “ It’s my brother. He really wanted to come visit…”

Gone was the usual pride and love in his voice whenever he spoke of Sans. You hesitated as you studied his face. It was nothing like his usual self, instead he looked worried. Concerned. You brushed his hand that rested on the counter with yours without thinking. His gaze jumped to you, a faint orange tinge to his face that disappeared fast enough to make you question if you had imagined it. “What’s wrong?”

He sighed, removing the candy from his mouth. “Sans...came here to find supplies for Sprinkles.”

“Sprinkles?” you repeated, still confused. Before he could explain, the blue blur was back. Sans was short, barely a head taller than the counter. His bright blue eyes stood out, along with the fact he was dressed in silver and blue armour.

“Human!” he announced loudly as he set a moderate sized stone on the counter. “I require items for my pet rock!”

You stared for a moment, heart clenching. Your eyes glanced up to Papyrus, who looked rather awkward as he avoided your gaze. Oh, you realized with a sharp pang who Sprinkles was. “Sorry, we’re...we’re out right now,” you found yourself saying, a stab of pain as you saw Sans’ expression deflate and Papyrus flinch slightly. “But...if you leave me a list of what you need, I can see if I can order it for you.”

His blue eyes legitly turned to stars as he grinned, making you smile in return. You fetched a scrap paper and a pen for him, and allowed him to have at it. While he made his list, you glanced back at Papyrus. There was a soft orange glow across the white of his cheek bones, his eyes fixated on you for a moment in surprise. You offered a another smile, which widened as he unconsciously smiled back.

“That should be sufficient!” Sans announced, slamming down the pen with a grin. “Thank you for your service, Human! No other pet store had anything for rocks. They even insisted that rocks weren’t even proper pets!”

You were cursing those other pet stores while trying to hold onto your smile. “Well, that’s because only a few people can properly own and handle a pet rock. So, of course those little pet stores wouldn’t be able to help you. But, I’m sure you can handle it.”

You would never forget the grin on his face at your praise, his eyes literally sparkling at your words. He let out a little ‘Mweh heh!’ before dashing out of the store in a blue and silver blur.

“Thanks,” Papyrus said after a moment. “That...that meant a lot.”

You flushed slightly. “Not a problem. He...he reminds me of my own brother.”

You realized your slip at the curious look on his face. Your heart squeezed and you prayed for a distraction. Thankfully one was delivered as Sans returned. “Papy! Come on!” Sans yelled as he grabbed his brother’s sleeve. “You promised we could eat at Las Tapas before the movie!”

“Eh? Did I really?” Papyrus dug his heels in as Sans tried to drag him. “I don’t recall ever saying that….”

Despite his efforts, Sans wasn't gaining much ground with Papyrus, and the taller skeleton didn't seem to be putting up much of a fight. “Yes! You did! Chara and Flowey are probably already there! So move your lazy bones!”

“Alright, alright.” He gave you a playful wink to match the smile on his face. “See ya later, Kitten.”

He started walking suddenly, throwing Sans off balance. The small skeleton stumbled, and you couldn’t help but laugh. Papyrus paused at the door to give a small wave that you happily returned.

[kitkat1003]

Misfits always fit in here

Every child lost something and gained something else

@snarkyowl the backstory for the septiceye kids

Jackie dreams of being a superhero.

His  parents laugh every time he says it, the quiet, polite laughter one does when humoring children, but he knows he can do it, knows because of the odd strength he has when he least expects it, and by the moments he floats above the ground.  He doesn’t tell his parents of course; because comics tell him you shouldn’t, but when they buy him a red and blue superhero suit he loves them so much it might just kill him, and he wishes he could show them everything.

He spends his days trying to figure things out, how to summon the power rather than wait for it to show up, but he can’t seem to get the hang of it.  It’s annoying, but he’s a kid so it’s not as if he didn’t have time to figure it out later in life.  He has plenty of time to himself as well, because his Mom and Dad are always busy with work.  That’s not to say they don’t love him.  Every day they go out of their way to make sure they have time for dinner, and they don’t mind that he wears his superhero outfit everywhere, and they start call him Jackieboy Man when he asks.

They still tuck him in with the name Jackie, but he doesn’t mind that.

He doesn’t quite know if his parents share his ideals, not when their jobs are…scary.  They talk to mean men with guns, they have guards, they have tons of money that they hide in safes and they act as if there’s a bomb beneath their feet, one with a timer ticking down but there’s no timer anyone can see.  He doesn’t think his parents are bad, but this is starting to feel like his comics, where the hero’s parents are bad and the hero must be the one who is good.

Jackie dreams of being a superhero, but sometimes he just wants to be Jackie, because being a hero is scary and hard.

One night, his mom rushes into his room, waking him up only by grabbing him out of bed and carrying him somewhere.

“Mo-,”

“Hush, Jackie,” She shushes him, scurrying through the halls into a room he isn’t familiar with.  It’s a normal looking room, with a couch and fridge and necessities, and she sets him on the couch, hair unkempt and face a barely maintained calm.  “Just stay here sweetheart.  Don’t make noise, I’ll come and get you in a bit, okay?”  He nods blearily, rubbing his eyes to try and fight away sleep.

“L’ve you Mom,” he manages before she leaves, and she gives him the saddest smile he’s ever seen.

“Love you too, Jackie.”

He stays there for a long time, listening to nothing and clutching his mask to his chest.  He doesn’t feel like being a hero right now. He’s too scared and too weak and he has to listen his Mom.

Gunshots.

A few shouts.

Silence.

Jackie stays in the room for a long time.

He comes out after the silence becomes too scary, when he’s hungry and he doesn’t want the snacks because it’s a different type of hunger, one that gnaws at him because he wants to see his mother’s face and be held in his father’s arms.  Clutching his hero mask, he pushes open the door and steps quietly through the hallways, afraid of breaking the silence because the tension is too great.

The sight in the foyer is…

“Mom?”

There’s blood everywhere, still hands and glassy eyes and bodies, not people but bodies, and Jackie doesn’t get a reply.  He never will.

This is an origin story, he thinks.  No superhero has parents who live.  No superhero becomes one because they’re happy with life.  

He puts on his mask.

He grabs as much food as he can carry in his backpack before leaving, finding flowers and setting them around the bodies and closing the eyes like he’s seen in the movies and saying goodbye and crying a little bit because heroes can cry

He walks to town, ignoring cars and ignoring noise and ignoring the world because he needs to focus. He needs to focus on something other than his origin story right now.

Days pass, and he’s out of food, walking from place to place and thinking of stealing food but knowing that heroes don’t steal, villains do.  He finds waterfountains and he sucks it up and asks for money but no one cares enough.  No one ever cares about the little hero asking for money, even when his suit gets dirty and he becomes scarily thin.

No one cares, except for a man in a dark grey shirt, with black pants, green hair that Jackieboy likens to his own, and a snapback cap, also grey but with a magenta brim.

“What are you doing here all by yourself?” He asks, and Jackieboy shrugs, stomach growling in irritation because he hasn’t eaten in days and he won’t steal.

“I’m a hero.  I’m looking for crime to stop,” he lies shakily, and the man bends down to eyelevel.

“Well, and this may sound weird, would you like to come to my house and stay for the night?  So you can be rested and fed for tomorrow’s fights,” Jackieboy doesn’t know why he would say no, because he’s tired, and his clothes don’t help with the cold, but he still hesitates, because Mom told him not to talk to strangers.

Well, for that rule he’s already broken, so what’s one more?

“Okay,” he says, and the man walks him to his car.

“I’m Chase by the way,” The man-Chase says, and Jackieboy knows that this is the part where he says his own name in reply.

Jackie gets caught in his throat, because Mom and Dad called him that.  They were the only ones who knew his secret identity and now they’re gone so no one knows his name but him.

“Jackieboy,” he says, because Jackie is private, and Chase doesn’t seem fazed.

“Alright Jackieboy, let’s get you something to eat.”

He’s resting on the couch, belly full of hot soup and eyes drooping, comfortable for the first time in a while, when he hears an argument.

“C’mon Schneep, he’s got nowhere else to go,”

“Ve cannot just let a random kid off of zhe street stay in our house!”

“Why not?!”

“Because ve could get in trouble vith zhe law!  Vhat about his parents?”

“He was sitting out in an alley, Henrik!  Do you really think his parents are looking for him?”

A sigh, then footsteps his way.  A doctor looking guy comes into view.  He looks a lot like Chase, but he’s got glasses and a weird accent.

“Kid, vhere are your parents?” He asks, and Jackieboy sits up, staring at the floor.

“Superheroes don’t have parents.  It’s part of their origin story,” he says, and Schneep looks at him with soft understanding.  Chase walks over and stands behind Schneep, waiting.

“Fine, he can stay.”

“Yes!”

Jackieboy gets his own room, and stays.

Marvin gets magic the moment his Dad places the cat mask on his face.  Power fizzles out from his fingertips, and he turns the couch into thousands of jellybeans, a picture becomes a cat, and his Dad’s hair turns purple.

His Mom screams, but his Dad just laughs.

His parents argue a lot. Marvin tunes it out, trying to make things float with his wand, or planning out ways to make doves appear out of nowhere, or even just getting that one card trick right, but his house isn’t the nicest and the walls are thin, so he can’t help but hear the shouts.

“I thought you told me you could handle his magic!”

“I can!  I am!”

“Last week he turned my whisk into a fish!”

“Well, I can’t just make it go away, Mary!”

Marvin likes his magic. He likes the buzz of power under his skin, thrumming with excitement and energy, playing around and making the old ladies in their apartment giggle even when his tricks don’t work exactly right, but his Mom looks at hi weird.  Like he’s weird.

Like he’s scary.

Marvin doesn’t think he’s scary, and his Dad likes his magic too.  His Dad can do some tricks, but he’s said to Marvin time and time again that he doesn’t have many tricks up his sleeve.

“I don’t know where you get it from, kiddo.  Our family is full of mediocre wizards, but you’ve got magic to spare,” he ruffles Marvin’s hair, always careful of the mask, and Marvin giggles, pulling out a wrench from behind his Dad’s ear.

In the end, it isn’t even Marvin’s fault.  It’s an accident.  A fire, started on the lower levels of their apartment building that grows raucous and hot and it licks up the sides of Marvin’s room destroys their home and causes his eyes to water.  Marvin tries to make it stop, but his magic only makes the flames go higher, and his mother is screaming.

It’s his Dad who finds him, coughing on smoke but giving Marvin a brave smile.

“And…for my…final trick,” Marvin listens to his Dad speak, wincing at each cough that rattles his Dad’s lungs.  “I will make my son…disappear!”

Suddenly, Marvin’s vision is blocked by a black cape, the one he’s seen his Dad wear in pictures, and when he can see, he’s in an alley, far away from the apartment building.  He ties the cape around his neck and walks back, remembering the way faintly, but when he gets there the building is burned to the ground.

His parents don’t make it out, and Marvin is alone.

He gets by with magic tricks, performing on street corners for money.  People like him because he’s cute, and his tricks are wacky but funny, so he makes enough for a meal a day.  He’s lonely though, because he sleeps on street corners and benches, and it’s weird that people care enough to give but not enough to stay.

A man stops by when he’s performing a trick.

“Hey there little guy. Can you show me a trick?” Marvin bounces on his heels and nods with a grin, waving his wand to turn the man’s shirt into another color.

Instead, the shirt disappears completely.

“S-Sorry!” the last time a trick went wrong, he’d had to run because the man started yelling at him, but this man just laughs .

“That was amazing! Where’d you learn to do that?!” Marvin blinks in surprise at the happiness, but he grins.

“My Dad taught me!  He taught me everything I know!” he puffs out his chest proudly, showing off his cape.   The man’s laughter dies down, and he reaches out to ruffle Marvin’s hair, careful of the mask.  He still is somehow unfazed by his lack of a shirt.

“Cool!  Say, where is your Dad?” He asks, and Marvin freezes, looking down at the floor and shrugging his shoulders.

“There was a fire,” he mutters, and the man nods with sympathy, simply inclining his head as if to ask for another trick, to which Marvin eagerly obliges.

Eventually, Marvin learns that the man is named Chase, that he has a place where Marvin can stay, if he so chooses, and that he likes Marvin’s magic.

Marvin ends up in a room with someone named Jackieboy.

“Are your parents dead too?” The other kid asks, and Marvin nods.  Jackieboy walks over and gives him a hug.  “It’s your origin story,” He says, and somehow that makes Marvin feel better.

The child count in Chase’s house comes to two.

Robbie has known zombies since before he can remember.  He knows that they shuffle with pale, rotting skin, that they eat human flesh, and that they are anything but human.

His parents have taught him from a young age to shoot, to run, to hide, to steal, and to scavenge. He knows how to start fires with small sticks and he knows how to fire a pistol and blow off a zombie’s head.  He knows how dead people look and he knows how zombified people look.  His sister was shot because she was bitten.  He took the shot, and he can’t say he regrets it.

He does.

Being a child of an apocalypse is hard, because there’s no time for play.  Robbie is raised on blood and death and war and he doesn’t trust easy. He sticks to the people he knows, his parents, at the ripe age of seven being jaded and cold in ways that should be sad but are simply necessity in these times.

That doesn’t mean that he hates everyone, rather he keeps his heart locked away and his trust caged like a bird.  He wants to trust people, wants to make new friends, but he remembers the bullet lodged in his leg from when he met another camp of people and he knows how an apocalypse changes human decency.

His parents, at the very least, love him.  They’re a bit protective, especially since his sister died, but they also know he can hold his own to an extent.  That doesn’t stop them from babying him, but still.

Still, survival is survival, and there are moments where you have to choose things.

They’re zooming across the desert on a nearly broken motorbike, with hundreds of zombies on their tail, the horde a shuffling mass of groans and growls and open mouths, and while his Mom and Dad are actually sitting on the bike, Robbie is huddled in the basket on the back.  They’ve been slowing down, even with all the stuff they’ve been throwing out to get rid of excess weight.

“We’ve got to find something else to get rid off or we’re all dead!” He cries, watching the horde get closer and closer, and his Mom turns around, nodding her head.

“I love you sweetheart!” She shouts over the roar of the sputtering engine and the groans of the horde, and Robbie blinks in confusion.

“Love you too Mom, but what does that have to do wi-,”

His sentence is cut off when he’s pushed off of the bike.

Oh.

He doesn’t blame his parents, in the few moments he has to think before the horde catches him.  He doesn’t hate them, just accepts his fate with the knowledge that he would have doomed all of them should he have stayed.

Then, he hits the horde.

They don’t tear him apart like he expects, rather, they claw at his clothing and give him tiny bites, ones that don’t do anything.  There are, of course, the chunk taken from his ear and the large chomp on his shoulder, but after that they leave him to lay and turn on the ground.

It takes hours.  Hours laying on the ground, feeling his limbs grow heavy and his eyes glaze over and his skin goes pale and cold and his thoughts turn to mush and his heart stops beating but-

He doesn’t lose himself.

He doesn’t have time to, because when his head starts to melt into mindlessness he falls through the ground and hits a floor that isn’t ground, rather it’s soft like carpet. His eyes spot a portal above him, one that shows the harsh landscape of where he used to be before it closes, leaving a view of a ceiling.

“Marvin, what did you do?” He turns his head slowly, because rigor mortis, and sees two oddly dressed kids that look around his age.  The one who speaks is wearing red and is addressing the other who is wearing cat mask, a black cape, and is holding a black stick.

“I-I was trying to summon ice cream!” The kid-Marvin was it?-cries, confused but then excited, rushing over and leaning over Robbie’s face with wide eyes.  “Hello friend!  What’s your name?”

He manages to murmur “R’bbie,” before speech leaves him completely.

Finding out you’re in an alternate dimension where the zombie apocalypse has never occurred is odd, to say the least.  Robbie half expects this all to be a dream, where he’ll blink and find himself shambling towards someone, the pit of hunger in his stomach only satiated when he has their flesh in his mouth.

He ends up in the spare bedroom, and the bed is so soft, and he doesn’t have to get up early or sleep in shifts, and he can eat anything he wants.  It’s like a dream come true, almost.

Chase, the more Dad like person, seems to like him, but the Doctor, Schneep, seems worried, and that’s probably because Robbie salivates around people, and when he’s taken in a crowd he has to cross his arms to keep himself from reaching out and grabbing someone because he’s hungry.

The con of being an almost zombie, he supposes.

At one point, Schneep comes in with a plate of red meat, and the scent is intoxicating.  Robbie is drooling all over the table by the time the plate reaches him.

“Eat,” he says, and Robbie does, sloppy and messy and fast because it tastes like the most delicious thing ever.

Then he thinks about what it is, and he stops, feeling sick but at the same time feeling satisfied, and that’s the scary part.

“I did not kill anyone for zhe meat, if zhat is vhat you are worried about,” Schneep assures him, talking about organ donors and how it might not technically be legal but they’re already technically dead when he takes out the tissue, so no harm no foul.

Robbie appreciates the care more than he can say, but the quiet smile gets the point across.

He thinks he just might call this place home.

XXXX doesn’t know what to think of his parents, in all honesty.

He lives in a dingy apartment where the wallpaper is peeling off the walls, the carpet is frayed, they have a tv so old it’s in black and white, he listens to music through the radio, most of his dinners are take out or fast food, and the place smells like booze and failed dreams.

His parents argue constantly, but XXXX doesn’t listen to them, even when he hears the sound of skin hitting skin and pained cries from both parties.  He managed to snag a gameboy from a classmate-they got a DSi like two days later, so he doesn’t feel guilty-so he spends his days playing that and ignoring the world because it’s easier. That’s not to say he isn’t a kind person, no, he loves playing with the other kids and making friends, but sometimes he has to do some not so great things and deal with some not so great things.

He doesn’t think he’s a bad kid, not really.  Sure, he can be a bit cheeky in conversation, but he cleans his room best he can and is polite at dinner and does his work and tries to be nice and good, and he doesn’t flinch when beer bottles smash into walls around him.  His parents work hard, he knows, but money is tight because taking care of a kid is hard and expensive.  He realizes that his gameboy needs to be charged and that requires power and that costs money so he starts charging it during recess and lunch at school, sapping the power away because his parents pay for school and the school has plenty of money to spare.

He doesn’t notice the way his parents look at him when he isn’t paying attention, the deep seated hatred for a child they never wanted in the first place, he simply does his best to make them happy by cleaning up the broken glass and making them cards for every holiday and trying to love them because when they smile down on him it’s as if someone gave him the sun.

One weekend, they take him out in the car, and he’s so excited that he doesn’t even bring his gameboy; rather he watches the fields and towns fly past with wide, curious eyes because he’s never been in a car this long before, never been so far away from home, never seen his parents this happy because they keep smiling at each other and he just might explode from excitement.

They end up in front of some weird store.  It has pentagrams and other symbols in red in front of a black background, and all in all it’s pretty foreboding, but XXXX doesn’t even care, he wants to know what’s inside, what they’re here for, what’s happening, someone’s gotta tell him-

A man in a black cloak comes through the front door, looking down at him with scary eyes, and XXXX is hit by a wave of terror that he isn’t fond of, but his parents don’t seem fazed so he gives the man a kind smile and wave.

“He’s the virgin child?” The man asks his parents, and they both nod.

“Yeah, that’s XXXX, the…uhh…virgin child,” His father looks uncomfortable with the wording, at the very least, and XXXX tilts his head up and to the side in confusion, considering he doesn’t know what virgin means.

“Thirty thousand then?” His mother asks, rather demands actually, and the man pulls out three very large envelopes.

“Yes, ten thousand in each,” he hands her the money, and XXXX’s eyes go wide, because that’s an incredible amount of money!  He didn’t even think numbers could go that high! But then, why is his Mom getting so much money in the first place?

“Mom, what’s going on?” he asks politely, and his Mom kneels down to eye level, giving him a smile that feels stretched out.

“Honey, your Dad and I are going out for a while.  Listen to this nice man here, okay?  We’ll be back soon, I promise,” XXXX has never heard his Mom call him honey before in his life, has never heard her talk to him in such an affectionate way, but the words make his heart feel all funny and he really, really likes it, so he nods if only she’ll smile at him again.

She ruffles his hair, and his father waves him goodbye, before the two of them drive off in the direction of home.  XXXX is worried, but only slightly, because his Mom promised she’d be back, and Moms don’t lie, right?

The man ushers him inside, and the room is full of jars of weird stuff and crystals and books and more weird symbols.

“Come along, child,” The man pushes him past the first room and into the back, which is simply an empty room lit by candles with a pentagram in the middle, and XXXX thinks it’s all so cool.

Until it’s not, because he’s being shoved into the middle of said pentagram, and suddenly the man is holding a knife.

He screams, kicking and punching because the man is scary and he wants away he wants out, but a strong knee holds his chest to the ground and his arms and legs are weak, only seven years old and powerless against the cloaked man who only gives him a mad smile.

“Mom!  Mommy please help me come back please Mo-!” And his voice is cut in the most literal of senses when the blade of the knife drags across his throat, and hot blood crawls into his mouth as he goes limp on the floor, twitching as the room spins and blurs and all he can hear is the man saying some weird words before the world goes dark.

He opens his eyes in a black void, floating in dead space before a bright green human figure appears out of it nowhere.  They have long horns and sharp claws and teeth, with eyes as black as complete darkness, and their expression is one of sick joy before they see him.

“Fucking dammit, a kid?! The caster couldn’t have chosen literally any other example of a virgin?! Seriously?!”  Everything hurts, and XXXX doesn’t have time to dissect the weird person’s words as they groan. “I have one line people!  One line I don’t cross, and I am Anti-Kid Killing!” The green person sighs, floating over to XXXX with bored eyes.  “Look kid, I don’t like this anymore than you do. The guy who cast this spell needed a virgin sacrifice so he could become a demon or whatever, and one of us has to seal the deal.  I was around, so I showed up expecting some teenager or an adult who’s just not into sex, and I get you,” XXXX hacks up blood as a response, and the person rolls their eyes best they can considering they have no pupils for a point of reference.  

“Okay, so I got a deal for you.  I keep you alive, kill the caster and turn you into a demon of sorts, and occasionally I get your body to use.  Sound fair?” XXXX isn’t quite sure what’s going on but he wants the pain to stop, wants everything to go away and wants the taste of blood out of his mouth.

As if the weird person can read his mind, they give him an extra push.  “C’mon, it’s painless,” the words are said with a crooked smile.

XXXX takes their hand, and the void swallows him whole.

He wakes up with bloody hands holding a knife, and the man is lying dead in front of him.  His eyes are gone, laying beside him, and when Anti looks at his wrists he sees a pentagram on each one.

‘Just a little bit of binding symbol, don’t worry about it’ XXXX jumps after hearing the voice come from in his head, and he recognizes it as the guy from earlier.  ‘Don’t mind me, I’ll just be around.’

XXXX isn’t sure what to do, but his Mom said she’d be back for him, so he washes himself off and waits, hoping she won’t freak out over the fact that the whites of his eyes have gone black, his teeth have grown sharp, his ears are pointy, and he has a large scar on his neck.

It occurs to him, two days later, that she’s never coming back.

Bitterness tightens his mouth into a scowl when he leaves the building, bandages covering his wrists and the scar on his neck because he doesn’t want people to see, and his heart grows cold because it all clicks into place with painful clarity, the money and the lies and how happy his parents were when they drove to the place and XXXX wants to scream, fury making his vision blurry.

It’s not tears, he swears.

A few weeks pass where he ends up stealing food and water from stores, slipping in because he’s sly and no one notices him, but one day he hears the voice in his head say something like ‘Gotta take the wheel, take a break’ before the world turns black and he wakes up in front of someone else who no longer has eyes, hands bloody as he backs away and runs off into another alleyway.

He sits on the ground and draws with the blood on his hands because he has nothing else to do, but a man in a grey cap spots him.

“Hey kid, are you alri-oh,” And the man sees the knife, so XXXX is on the defensive, backing away with barred teeth and trembling hands.

“G͏o̴ ͟a͟w̷a-,”

“Did they deserve it?”

XXXX stops, tilting his head to the side at the question.

“W̕h̕a̕t?”

“Did the person you killed deserve it?” the man asks, and XXXX shrugs, because he honestly doesn’t know.  The man stares at him for a long time, and XXXX is just about to try and sneak away before the man holds out his hand.

“Need a place to stay?” And XXXX is floored by the question.

He nods.

Later that night he is asked for a name, and it is then that he realizes that he cannot recall his name. His memories are fuzzy, and whenever someone calls him by name in their voice is distorted so that it is indecipherable.  For a moment he’s worried he’ll have to explain that, but then-

I’m Anti-Kid Killing

He says Anti, and the man, Chase, just smiles.

Suspicious.

He ends up in a room with a guy named Robbie, a zombie it turns out, and Anti laughs because he’s a demon and aren’t they a pair, even with the vice in his chest causing caustic comments to spew from his mouth every other sentence.  Jackieboy and Marvin are both interesting and annoying, and Schneep wisely doesn’t trust him.

Chase is…weirdly kind, and Anti doesn’t trust them because people who you trust come back to bite you and adults always trick you can because he won’t let himself be fooled by anyone again.

But this is a house that he lives in now, and it’s, at the very least, not terrible

There are four new, strange children at their house, and the two adults aren’t quite sure what to make of the chaos, of the craziness.

Chase and Schneep work double-time, overtime and have sleepless nights sometimes because money is tight and it’s hard and it’s tiring but-

But the house is full now, at least.

The house is full.

[kitanoko]

The Popular Belief

Rating: K

Pairing: Todoroki x Yaoyorozu from BNHA

Two Shot

Romance/Angst- the fanfic with angst that I said I’d write a while ago, enjoy! 

……….

Despite popular beliefs, Yaoyorozu never accepted the idea of lasting relationships. As ridiculous as it sounds, Yaoyorozu grew up in an environment where relationships meant business, and in turn, business meant money. Her family was wealthy; everyone knew that of course, but to her, wealth started to become something really dark and twisted. In her world, wealth was what attracted ‘family friends’, if you could even call them that. She was fed with a silver spoon since she was a baby and she donned gold jewellery for every social event for as long as she could remember. She could technically obtain whatever she wanted with a snap of her fingers, but at the same time, she had to work hard to give her parents something to be proud of. At the age of 8, Yaoyorozu noticed that what really was intangible were people who wanted to know her for her. Not because of the Yaoyorozu family name. And so entered Todoroki Shouto.

               Todoroki, Yaoyorozu swore, was the only person who came from a well-known, greatly publicized family, who never seemed to give a damn about the world. He had to uphold his family name but the composure that he instilled on everyone around him came as a surprise to her. Ever since the exam where the two fought against their beloved teacher two years ago, the girl admired him more so than before. From the wires where he was left hanging, he shouted to her a short speech that Yaoyorozu can still hear, placidly repeating in her mind, as if it were on a broken record.  It left her emotional.

               But when it came to confrontation and discussion, Yaoyorozu would have to admit that it wasn’t her strong suit. Her innocence and naivety were like a spring breeze brushing over soft fields; gentle, fresh, and unwavering. And that’s what plagued her. Jirou had consulted her many times, with a smirk of course, over matcha lattes and cinnamon buns, that talking to him about her inadvertent crush was key to ‘success’. What Jirou meant by ‘success’ however was still a mystery to her, but if that could clear her mind and cure the constant anxiety whenever Todoroki was a meter away from her, then maybe Jirou was right.

………………………….

               One casual morning came, and the black-haired girl, with her signature pony tail, was struggling to carry a pile of “Hero History” workbooks across the UA hallway. Like always, she volunteered for teacher without hesitation, and she was told to bring it to the staff room where he will begin his long treacherous journey of homework marking. She treaded carefully on the clean marble floor, noticing the few scuff marks that periodically became visible as she walked, giving the only evidence of student existence. Quiet echoes of her footsteps disturbed the silence of the hallways, coercing her to move faster. If it weren’t for UA’s strict policy on using one’s quirk on school property, she would have fashioned a pair of skates by now.  

               A short, slight tap was heard somewhere on the left of the girl, and with a few more steps, she noticed two girls, one with vibrant pink hair, and the other dark brown, taking something out of their lockers. Were they even supposed to be in the hallway during class time? Yaoyorozu stood far in a corner, the perfect perspective to see what they were doing. Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back…right?

               “I want to give him this, what do you think?” The pink haired girl, spoke quietly, “I made these myself!”

               A heart-shaped box peaked through the girl’s tiny fingers. Valentine’s Day chocolates? But wasn’t Valentine’s Day way past?

               It was the brown-haired girl’s turn to speak. She leaned forward, Yaoyorozu noted, and she took the box out of her friend’s hands. The contents inside the box rattled a little, and the other girl quickly made a ‘shush’ gesture with her finger.

               “This is really sweet,” the brown haired girl spat, her tone like venom from a snake, “I don’t think he will accept it though. Haven’t you heard about the other girl he’s been seeing?”

               Yaoyorozu almost laughed. These first years sounded so immature she couldn’t bear it any longer. The girl continued to balance her books and was about to tiptoe away when the conversation steered itself towards an eerie ending.

               “Todoroki-san? Seeing someone?” The pink haired girl sounded disappointed. She grabbed the box away and carefully packed it neatly into her backpack.

               “Ya, rumour has it, he’s out with the same girl almost every week. You know, sitting in cafes and stuff,” the other girl hissed, “I wouldn’t confess to him now if I were you.”

               A sudden shock resonated through her and Yaoyorozu’s heart began to hammer. As if all her blood rushed toward her tired arms, a workbook started to tilt forward. Haphazardly, Yaoyorozu shifted her weight on her heels, praying to God it wouldn’t fall. But it did anyway, and the loud thump made the two girls jump in surprise with Yaoyorozu’s presence.  Cursing (which was surely forbidden in her unwritten family code of honor), she placed the steady pile on the floor, gaze fixed on the book which was now half opened. She picked it up swiftly, acting as if the other two girls were simply statues,  Yaoyorozu placed it on the stack and continued on her way. In the corner of her eye, she saw the two girls, mouths agape. Whispering, the two girls turned quickly on their heels to leave. Yaoyorozu could only hope they didn’t recognize her.

……………………….

               Yaoyorozu returned to class with the most neutral expression she could put on, and sat at her seat. Noticing the white and red haired boy resting his chin on his right palm, she felt her mouth turning dry. Lately, he’s been extra quiet. He wasn’t very social to begin with, but it was as if he was always busy thinking about something. Was he really seeing someone? How could anyone in her class not notice that if he were? Or is she just out of the loop because of all the training she’s been having lately? The sound of the lunch bell startled her out of her reverie and she watched as Todoroki follow Deku and Iida out the door. Unknowingly, she let her innate self-deprecating side take over. Her 8-year old impression of the world might be right after all.

……………………………………….

               When school ended that day, Yaoyorozu grabbed Jirou’s arm in haste and dragged her somewhere quiet despite her best friend’s protest. That scene in the hallway earlier was still fresh in her mind, and her head was still pounding from all the questions and the confusion that flooded through her. She fiddled with her left hand nervously and looked straight into Jirou’s eyes.

               “What’s going on Yaomomo,” Jirou spoke, watching as Yaoyorozu opened her mouth to speak but closed it again like fish out of the water.

               Face furrowed, the taller girl exhaled.

               “I think Todoroki has a girlfriend. Or something like that.”

               Eyes wide, Jirou stifled a giggle, “What? How can that be?”

               Scents of pine and oak left Yaoyorozu slightly calmer and she spoke carefully this time, enunciating every word.

“He’s seeing someone.”

               Jirou looked surprised, “Is it just a rumour?”

               “Yes well…hearsay and rumours could somewhat be true you know.”

               Jirou shoved both of her hands within her pockets, “Well I honestly don’t think you should be worried at all. I mean look at you!” Jirou’s intonation started to rise, “You excel in class, you’re beautiful inside and out. How can anyone reject you?”

               Jirou smiled, “Look at it this way, this should motivate you to confront him even more.”

               Yaoyorozu bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes, pausing for a few seconds to compose herself.

“Okay, I’ll do it. Maybe I’ll fail but I know I’ll regret if I don’t.”

               Those words prompted her best friend to grin widely again and she felt Jirou’s warm hand patting on her shoulder in reassurance.  Yaoyorozu thanked her for the support. As the two parted ways, Yaoyorozu left, holding onto as much determination as she could muster.

……………………………………………………

               Crumbled up love letters or whatever they were, sat scattered across her desk. She was an excellent writer at school, for Pete’s sake, why can’t she do this?

Fingers fidgeted with the unused pile of expensive note paper she got for her birthday last year, and she placed a piece in front of her for the twelfth time. She gulped and guided her pen swiftly across the blank canvas. Yet her words became jumbled every time her pen touched the piece of perfumed paper, expressing nothing but gibberish; her writing, blue ink swirled gracefully as if dancing on the surface, was as coherent as a 5-year-old’s daily journal, the ones overworked children had to do for homework. She covered her head in her arms in frustration, releasing a loud groan that was sure to wake up her mother. The clock on her desk blared brightly.

1:11 am.                                                                                              

Oh God, she was supposed to be asleep four hours ago. A funny thought appeared in the girl’s head. People say when the clock hits 11:11 or 1:11, that’s when someone’s wish will come true. If rumours were right, which she really hoped that none of them were, she found herself clasping her palms together and shutting her eyes tight. She mumbled something silly and prayed. Usually she would ask for perfect grades, but this time was different.

………………………………………………………………

The next morning, Yaoyorozu woke up groggily. Her letter finished in a rush the night before, lay comfortably on her desk, not wanting to be taken away. She sighed as she swiped it into her bag and headed out the door.

Jirou made the occasional eye contact throughout that day’s class with Yaoyorozu and the girl weakly smiled back everytime. Her thoughts were packed with imaginary scenarios of her planned encounter with the boy sitting next to her. She accidentally gave her black backpack a light kick, where the neatly folded letter in a white, pristine envelope was.

Labeled and sealed, she made sure.

The only conversation she has had with the boy next to her that day, however, was his brief question about when the legendary hero Shadowstalker’s first debut was. Of course the girl answered within a few seconds. Her head was filled with so much useless details she wished she didn’t have photographic memory. The boy nodded in appreciation and went back to studying, and Yaoyorozu swore his eyes reflected a tinge of dull uncertainty.

…………………………………………..

Her chance came when Deku invited everyone over to his house for a quick study session before their history test. Yaoyorozu, popular as always, was asked by Kaminari, Jirou and a few others hundreds of times to tutor them at Deku’s place. She hesitated, putting her hands up to refuse, but her soft-heartedness got the better of her and she finally accepted the request. She turned her head and saw Todoroki packing his things too. Grabbing the hem of her skirt, her voice came a little bit louder than she anticipated.

“Todoroki.”

The boy turned to her, and she felt an uneasiness that seemed too familiar.

“Can we talk outside for a minute?”

…………………………………

He let her take the lead and both of them ignored the odd stares directed from their classmates. Every step the girl took felt heavy, and she doubled checked with the feel of her fingers over the thin fabric that the letter was tucked away attentively, folded, in her skirt pocket. They stopped behind the gym building and a dead, unwanted silence embraced them. The girl paced back and forth a little as Todoroki leaned against the concrete wall, wondering what was so urgent. The sun was setting and the light that peeked softly out of the trees settled on the boy’s face, emphasizing every inch of his chiselled features.  She didn’t realize how close they stood, enough to see every detail, from the scar to his perfect heterochromatic irises. Must be great winning the genetic lottery, she thought. Funny enough, she noticed how hard it was to focus given their proximity. Finally, the girl spoke, voice trembling.

“I just wanted to say how much I wanted to thank you, Todoroki. For the past few years.”

The boy cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms, “I see.”

The girl stared at him in anticipation, hoping the next words to be something more meaningful.

“If that is all, then maybe we could go back?” He asked monotonously, “You’re heading to Deku’s too right?”

He looked at her, eager to hear her answer but her heart was beating so loudly she could barely hear her own thoughts. Todoroki straightened his jacket with a slight movement of his hand, and Yaoyorozu swallowed hard. Her chest heaved, and she felt numb.

“Actually,” the knot in her throat wasn’t relieving, “I have something I wanted to give to you.”

Her voice trailed off. Head slightly lowered, she looked up, peeking to see his expression. The boy was clearly taken aback. He let his arms rest on his side and noticed the letter that she took out then. Grasping it tightly, she extended it towards him. She really wanted to push it into his hand and escape, but her legs were rooted. The boy looked at it for a brief moment.

As if his next words were taboo, he analyzed them carefully and slowly. His voice was as rough as burlap, and he released the words quickly, wanting them out of his system.  

“Is it about the arranged marriage?” He said, voice deep.

Was this his sarcastic attempt in comic relief?

She could see regret in the glint of his eyes.

The air turned sour between them. The tension was so thick, the girl found it hard to breath. Both of them, eyes locked onto each other, had nothing but a painful serenity. For a second, she actually wished that words, alone, could kill.

“What?” She managed to say in between hitches of her breath, letter still in hand. She could feel chills, either from Todoroki’s subconscious quirk release, or maybe from her own anxiety.

“After this year’s graduation, our last year, I mean…” He halted, gaging the dangerous path his message was surely headed towards, and continued, “I’m getting married.”

As irony presented itself at her expense, the letter fell out of her hand, making no sound, just like the nonexistent impact it would have on him, she thought. The sun has completely set now, street lights burst into life, creating imaginary fireflies along the trails. It was so dark, where they stood, and Yaoyorozu was thankful for it at the moment, hiding the sorrow that seeded in her heart. He looked at the letter on the ground and back at her.

“Well,” she faked a laugh, “I had no idea!”

Her voice was so, so stiff.

“Congratulations.” Yaoyorozu felt lost as her mockery and laughable desires melted into oblivion.

Thank God for drama classes, right?

“I thought maybe Midoriya had let it slip.”

She turned around, neglecting the letter that seemed to be ensconced into the muddy puddle, but stopped in her tracks when his voice rang through the air again.

“My parents arranged this long ago, and as stupid as it was, I signed it to make my mother happy. In a way, she was forced to support this too, you know?”

Her lips pressed tightly together, feeling as though a thousand needles had just pierced her skin.

“No, I don’t actually.”

She looked away, trying so hard to not show any emotion. But as she shifted underneath the iridescent lights, he made out the wet eyelashes that lined her eyes, batting every time she blinked.  He understood he wasn’t obligated to explain to her anyway, but a sickening feeling inside him urged him to. She persevered and sent him one last smile. He heard the steady ticking of the watch on his wrist and lamented on her expression which penetrated through him like the thorns on beautifully adorned roses.

Author’s end notes: Thank you for reading :) I would love any comments from you guys. Part 2 is coming up really soon!