#gav and i watched the first movie last night i blame them

[lord-owlsnake]

my god i havent drawn this lad since highschool

[acidic-alixn-quxxn-blog]

@cellophxne

Ok here is the drabble thing. The last part may not be very well written but I tried and warning it is very feelsy. The song I blame waifu for because of the movie we were watching while I wrote this. Anyway please enjoy this drabble from the prompt thingy she reblogged.

TW: Blood, Death, Depression

Mina couln't help her hurt as she made her way back to the dorms. New dress, new perfume. She got her hair to cooperate after hours of fiddling with it and even did her make up. She waited an hour and a half and there was no sign of Sero anywhere. Maybe her forgot? No he seemed excited. So then why didn't he show? She gav out a soft sigh as she stopped outside the dorms. Her eyes glanced towards the boys dorms a moment, looking up at the windows she noticed faint light coming from Sero's window. Without thinking her feet started to carry her towards the boys dorms. She needed answers and they couldn't wait.

It was a slow trudge up the stairs, her heels clacking with each step she took. She turned down the hall and felt a shiver run down her spine. Something felt wrong but she didn't know why. As she got closer to Sero's room she noticed his door was slightly ajar and could smell the faint scent of iron in the air. Her heart jumped into her throat as she slowly pushed open the door. "Sero? Are you in here?" She asked. The room felt cold as she took a couple of steps before slipping and falling to the floor with a soft grunt. "What the hell?" She whispered before looking down to find herself covered in blood. Her eyes went wide before following the trail and finally spotting Sero slumped onto the floor in front of her. She gasped before clasping her hands over her mouth. Tears started down her cheeks as she slowly pulled one hand away and slowly reached it out to him, giving a soft shake. "Sero please. This isn't funny! Please! I don't like this!" She choked out between sobs. After getting no response she let out an agonizing scream.

The rest of the night felt like a blur to Mina. Denki had been the one to hear her shriek first and rushed into the room. He stopped for a moment and called 911 before draping a blanket over her. "Mina come on. You don't need to see this." Mina shook her head as sobs shook her body. "He was supposed to meet me. We had plans...I...." She stopped, choking on her words as she reached out and ran her fingers through Sero's hair. "I didn't even get to tell him how much he meant to me. I have had this crush for so long, that he knows but....I felt more. I think I actually..." Denki stopped her after a moment, wrapping his arms around her and helping her up. "Trust me Mina. He knew." He gave her a soft smile before leading her out of the room.

After a few minutes the police and an ambulance arrived. They got Mina's statement and took the body away. It was a blur to her, wrapped in a blanket and sitting outside staring at the sidewalk. She looked up when she heard footsteps ad looked up to see Denki returning from giving his statement. She looked curiously at the bo in his hand, watching as he held it out to her. "The police found this on his desk. It has your name on it and they figured it should get to you." Mina took the box from his hands gently, flipping open to the note and reading it.  'I know your birthday isn't for another week but I wanted to give you this early. I hope you like it. Happy Birthday Pinky. ~Sero~<3'. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes as she opened it and found a simple gold bracelet with two charms. The first one was a gold heart that had their initials in it. The other was a small tape dispenser. A small chuckle graced her lips as she reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Tonight was supposed to be our first date you know." She said softly as she stared at the beautiful gift in front of her. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The week passed by slowly. Mina felt nothing but numbness as she went through her daily routine. Her pep was gone. She was just going through the motions. She had even finally met Sero's family and helped with the funeral and grieving where she could, even offering to sing her feelings at his funeral as well as saying a few words. Her smiles were few and far between and she had focused more on studying and practicing the piano than anything.

Finally the day of the funeral arrived. Mina sat off to the side with Sero's mother as people gave their condolences. After a while Denki came, checking up on Mina along with the rest of the class. She gave a soft smile as her tears started. "I'll be alright guys I promise." She reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes, the small charms on her bracelet swaying with each movement of her hand. She hadn't taken the bracelet off since she had showered that night. It was far too precious to her.

Once Mina was done giving her hugs to her classmates the service started. Mina took her seat, being invited to sit with Sero's mom, holding her hand for comfort. SHe felt a hand on her shoulder and looked back to Denki, giving him a soft smile before looking foreward. It went by slowly. Prayers were said and stories were shared, some of them sweet and other's causing roars of laughter from the crowd. Finally Mina got to her feet, ready to say her peice. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"Sero was a great friend to many of us at U.A. To me he was a lot more than that. He was my best friend. My confidont. Someon who could always put a smile on my face on my worst days. He had such a big heart and it showed. He always had our backs. He had such a great personality. I had a crush on him from the moment I met him. " She paused, letting a small giggl escape her lips as a few chuckles came from the crowd. "On the night we lost him, I was waiting for him at a resturant. We were finally going on our first date. Honestly words can not express how I feel about Sero or how great he is so I am going to be trying something different." She took another deep breath before moving over to the piano and taking a seat. Sh wiggled her fingers a moment before placing them on the keys and starting to play. After a few bars she started to sing along with the melody.

'It's hard to believe That I couldn't see You were always there beside me Thought I was alone With no one to hold But you were always right beside me This feelings like no other I want you to know

I've never had someone that knows me like you do The way you do I've never had someone as good for me as you No one like you so lonely before i finally found What i've been looking for'

Her voice was soft and sweet as she played the slow melody. She knew it was going to be hard and she had to keep her voice from cracking as tears started to pour from her eyes. Still she continued to sing.

'So good to be seen So good to be heard Don't have to say a word For so long I was lost So good to be found I'm loving having you around This feeling's like no other I want you to know

I've never had someone that knows me like you do The way you do I've never had someone as good for me as you No one like you So lonely before, I finally found What I've ben looking for'

She let out a soft sniffle as she finished out the song. When she finished she took a moment to compose herself before moving to the casket. She gave a soft smile before placing a hand on Sero's. "I can't begin to tell you how much you are missed Sero. You were taken from us too soon. I love you. I can only hope that you are happy." She gave another smile before sitting back down, tears continuing to stream down her cheeks. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It had been a month since the funeral as Mina walked back to her dorm from classes. Sero's killer was still at large and Mina was still in mourning. She had changed a lot, her bright smile slowly coming back but still not as bright as it use to be. Something in her heart had been missing.

She entered her dorm room and tried to turn on the lights, finding them failing her. She muttered a soft curse as she threw down her bag and fumbled around to find her desk. She finally found it but froze as she heard a voice behind her. "About time you got him girly. I have been studying you for a month now." Her body froze as a shiver went down her spine. "You're the one who stole him from me." She whispered softly. She could sense the sneer without having to turn around. "Such a shame. You should know the last word on his lips was you name. 'don't hurt Mina.' I believe he said. I didn't make any promises." She took a deep breath and started to turn. As soon as she did she felt the knife go through her chest. "You will be caught." She spat out before falling to the floor. She moved her hand, staring at the charms on her wrist as the killer continued his work. Tears stun her eyes as pain flashed through her body. Finally she hear footsteps as he left her to bleed out in her room. "I'm so sorry Sero. I'll see you soon." She whispered, bleeding out as she stared strait forward, to her wrist, to the charms that adorned it slowly getting covered in blood.

[frostedpuffs]

Broken Hearts Club - Ch.5

Broken Hearts Club Summary: Upon confessing to their crushes, Marinette and Chat Noir both find out the hard way that those who hold the key to their hearts have affections for another. Rejected and blue, the pair find themselves in an odd sort of friendship, all while hiding the fact that they’d been the one to break the other’s heart. When feelings that hadn’t initially been within them begin to rise, they both have to come to terms with the fact that maybe the person they’d rejected means more to them than they had originally expected… Rated: T Pairings: Marinette/Chat Noir, Adrien/Marinette

Chapter 5 - Sleep Is For the Week Word Count: 5,704 Read on: ao3 | fanfiction.net

<< Previous Chapter | Next Chapter >>

Marinette was not a morning person.

No matter how much the telltale screeching of her seven-thirty alarm made her skin crawl with annoyance, she always found it difficult to simply lift her hand and press the button that would silence its maddening call.

Some mornings she was just too tired.

It took too much energy to turn off an alarm, and it was just too hard to rise out of bed, or to brush her hair and get dressed and put on makeup. No matter how she tried, it was not a rare occurrence for her to wake up with seemingly less energy than she'd possessed the night before.

Wasn't sleep supposed to make a person feel energized? Because all Marinette felt at the moment was her warm covers that begged her to stay nestled safely underneath their protection from the cold morning air, and the comfort of her wonderfully cozy pillow that made her head feel as if she was resting upon a cloud.

True, she did have school...but couldn't she just stay home and relax in bed all day?

No, she'd been doing a lot of that lately...and besides, that wasn't like her. She wasn't one to skip class. She was a good student, she swore it!

"Marinette," Tikki's voice rang down from the shelf above her bed. "If you don't get up now, you're going to be late."

Right, timeliness was a thing.

Poking her head out from underneath her duvet, Marinette blinked open her eyes and sighed, squinting at the bright rays of sunlight that streamed in through her skylight. A pigeon cooed above on her terrace and the familiar scent of bread baking in the ovens downstairs hovered in the air, adding to all the reasons why she did not want to remove herself from her loft.

It was chilly outside, and it was warm in her room. That was where she wanted to stay.

But if you don't go to school, you won't get to see your friends, her mind prompted her, reminding her of the three people that made life bearable. Her thoughts were right: if she didn't get out of bed, she wouldn't see Alya or Nino, or-

-or Adrien.

Who she had no problem with seeing whatsoever because she did not love him anymore and his eyes didn't make her legs turn to jelly and his gorgeous smile didn't make her feel as if she had fallen for him a thousand times over.

Yeah, she was totally over him.

For a moment Marinette allowed herself to glance at the framed photo of herself and Adrien that stood upon the shelf above her bed. It was from her fifteenth birthday—the night she'd invited him along with Alya and Nino to her house for a sleepover. The both of them stood with wide grins and wore silly little party hats, their arms around each other as they posed for Alya's camera. It was slightly blurry because Alya had been giggling, but Marinette liked it that way—it felt more "real."

Adrien was mid-laugh in the photo. His smile was as golden as sunlight, and his arm around her shoulders was a warmth Marinette would never forget. He looked so genuinely happy...so happy that Marinette wondered if he'd ever been given the chance to spend that much quality time with friends before.

It was a picture full of great memories. A night of fun, teaching her friends to bake cupcakes, marathoning movies until three in the morning, being with some of the people she cared about most...great memories.

Marinette's lips curled upwards into a smile, and she fondly grasped the frame within her hands.

That night meant the world to her. She was sure it meant a lot to Adrien, too. Without it, they wouldn't be as good of friends as they were now.

Marinette traced the pad of her thumb over the glass, frowning down at the picture in her lap. Adrien was so…so...

He was amazing. Wonderful; beautiful.

Adrien was everything good in the world.

(Everything but hers.)

With an ache in her heart, Marinette tore her gaze away from the picture as she laid the frame face-down on her bed.

She was completely over him. Completely, totally….

A sigh blew from her nose.

Oh, who am I kidding.

Sitting up, Marinette rose her arms high above her head and yawned, eyes squeezing shut from the force of her stretch. She felt slightly rejuvenated and even found the willpower to kick her blanket off of her legs—her very soft, snuggly blanket—and ignored the way the cool air made her skin uncomfortably prickle.

Climbing down from her loft, she changed out of her pajamas and into a white shirt and jeans, quickly donning one of her favorite pink sweaters to help her body rid the everlasting chill.

(Perhaps she was being a tad dramatic. It didn't get that cold in Paris, and it wasn't exactly freezing outside since it was only the first week of November, but...she did get chilly rather easily. She blamed it on the Ladybug side of herself.)

Hopefully later in the day the sun would warm up the city. That would be nice.

Warmth was always nice.

It didn't take long for Marinette to pull her hair up into her usual bun—a style she'd began to wear more often since her hair was getting a bit long for pigtails—and within ten minutes she'd sped through putting on makeup with shoes on her feet and a bright smile on her face.

Briefly checking the time, Marinette blew a small breath of relief. Good, she wouldn't be late today. That was something she was getting better at. The best part about being on time was that she had a few minutes to grab some breakfast, which her stomach was undoubtedly pleased about. Her parents could tell her as many times as they wanted that she was too skinny, even with her appetite, but running around the city saving lives all day was a certain type exercise she couldn't really control.

"Morning maman," Marinette said once she'd made her way downstairs. With a kiss to her mother's cheek, she was grateful to see that a small array of breakfast foods had already been prepared, and her empty stomach voiced its desire for food loudly. A hint of a blush tinted Marinette's cheeks as she placed her hands to her belly, and her mother laughed.

"Somebody's hungry," Sabine chuckled. "How are you feeling today, honey?"

Marinette slipped into a seat at the table. Spreading some jam on a croissant, she offered a shrug and bit into her breakfast with a noncommittal hum. "Better, I think. A lot better. I'm actually excited to get back to school today, since things are getting less...awkward." Her face reddened at the memory of how she'd come home from school the day of her rejection muffling her sobs, Alya rubbing her back and her parents by her side as she sat on her couch and wept. "Thanks for worrying about me, though."

Her mother came up from behind and kissed the side of her head, wrapping an arm around her shoulders in a sort of half-hug. "It's alright, Marinette. Just know that if you're still feeling sad, your father and I are here for you, okay?"

Marinette smiled and swallowed another bite of her breakfast. "Alya, too."

"Yes," Sabine said as she set a cup of coffee in front of her daughter. "Alya too. Good things are on their way, sweetheart. Just you wait."

"I think so too, maman."

Adding sugar and cream to her coffee, Marinette's smile grew at the thought of her best friend. She really did need to thank Alya for devoting so much of her time to cheering her up; a bestfriend that amazing deserved everything good in the world, and if Marinette could, she would gift her with thousands upon thousands of good things.

But, Marinette was only a sixteen-year-old who worked part-time at her parent's bakery and didn't have millions of euros to spend, so she opted for the idea of taking Alya out for lunch instead.

Maybe they could go to an ice cream shop, or the new little café that had just opened up down the street from their lycée. It seemed nice enough, and she'd heard good things about it so far. Apparently they had some of the best sandwiches in the city, from what Nino had told her.

And admittedly, she did want to talk to her about the whole "Chat Noir visiting" situation…even if part of Marinette felt it be kept a secret. The fact that he'd been keeping an eye on her the past few nights made her feel some sort of odd way. She wondered if Chat Noir watched out for other citizens whom he feared would be akumatized. It would make sense, after all...

Stirring her coffee, Marinette lazily dangled her legs back forth above the floor, the stool just a tad too high for her height. Despite the negative thoughts that swirled in the back of her mind, she was determined to ignore the despondent weight that had long since settled in her stomach and for the first time in a week, have a great day.

Happy thoughts, Marinette, she reminded herself. You're a positive person.

Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. Puppies, kittens, kittens in sweaters, her favorite pastries on her birthday and designing a beautiful dress. Alya.

Yeah, that was it. Spending time with Alya made her happy. And damn if she wasn't going to be happy today.

Checking the time on her phone one last time, Marinette finished off her coffee and bread and brought her dishes to the sink to wash them. "I've gotta go now," she said to her mother, drying her hands. "I'll see you after school! Love you!"

Sabine waved her goodbye with an "I love you too, have a good day!", and Marinette was out the door with her backpack slung over her shoulders and Tikki tucked safely away in her purse. On her way out she gave her father a quick kiss to the cheek, and as she stepped outside onto the sidewalk, a crisp breeze blew through the air.

It was only a fifteen minute walk to school. There were times where Marinette would take the metro with Alya just for the ride, but today she didn't want to be anywhere close to being late. She had an on-time streak at the moment and she wasn't ready to break it.

Heading down the sidewalk humming one of Jagged Stone's latest songs, Marinette walked with a skip in her step and a grin on her face, finally feeling genuinely happy for the first time in days. It was Friday, the end of the school week, and she was entirely prepared to spend the weekend out and about since she'd been cooped up indoors as of late due to her emotional state.

Maybe she'd hang out with Chat Noir a bit if she could. They really didn't get to see each other for more than a few weekly patrols or the occasional akuma attack, and considering there hadn't been one in nearly a week (a new record), Marinette was admittedly beginning to miss his dorky smile a little bit.

(Even if it still felt a little odd that he had shown up uninvited to her terrace a few nights prior.)

Part of her pondered that, if she hadn't fallen for Adrien so fast, purrhaps (heh, Chat would've been proud of her for that pun) she would have feelings for...someone else.

But that was a thought for another day.

The sun was shining, the air was cool and the last of the season's leaves crunched under her boots as puffy clouds floated lazily through the blue, blue sky. A few cars whizzed down the street next to her, and as Marinette walked past one of her favorite restaurants, the tempting aroma of coffee mingled with the scent of some type of hot food cooking—both of which smelled positively delicious. If she hadn't just eaten, it would have made her stomach growl.

Ahead of her, a man in a yellow coat walked his dog, and as Marinette paused at a crosswalk to allow traffic to pass a small child grinned up at her, hand gripping his mother's and green eyes sparkling with golden flecks in the sun. Marinette giggled and returned the smile, feeling a warmth in her chest.

For a brief moment she wondered what it'd be like to have kids someday. The more she thought about having her own child to look after, those green eyes reminded her that the one person she had imagined herself marrying unfortunately did not return her feelings. Which was fine. That wasn't Adrien's fault.

She was over him, anyways. Totally, completely-

"Hey, look who's on time this morning!"

Marinette let out a surprised squawk as Alya's hip bumped into her own, and the girl chuckled at her reaction. "Sorry, 'Nette. Didn't mean to scare you."

"You know how easily I'm spooked," Marinette sighed, placing a hand over her chest to steady her rapidly beating heart. The stoplight changed to red, cars slowing to a stop as she and Alya made their way across the street. "Actually, I'm surprised I managed to get out of bed on time. You have no idea how comfortable I was this morning, Alya. I was three seconds away from convincing myself it was okay to stay home in bed all day. And I would have." She looked away for a moment. "If, you know, I hadn't been doing a lot of that as of late..."

Alya hummed, kicking a stray pebble down the sidewalk. "Well, I'm glad you got up. It's nice out today, and you need some fresh air. And probably a few smiles, too."

Marinette put on her widest grin. "I've got plenty of those today, don't you worry."

"It's also nice to not see you rushing into class last minute because of 'air pollution' or something," Alya added with a laugh. "Or—what was it last time—that a cat got stuck in air vent and you just had to save it?"

A giggle rose from Marinette's lips as she blushed slightly with embarrassment. If only she could tell Alya her reason for being late all the time, she wouldn't have to come up with such silly excuses. But a cat stuck in an air vent wasn't entirely as unbelievable as saying, "hey, I'm Ladybug", and besides...it wasn't like she could let anyone in on her secret.

Not even Chat Noir, her partner and most trusted friend.

Some nights Marinette considered convincing Tikki that revealing their identities to each other would help them more than cause them harm, but the kwami always insisted that the identities were what kept them safe. Safe from what, she never specified—Marinette just always assumed it was in case one of them accidentally made a slip-up, or if an akumatized villain came after them in civilian form.

Once or twice, she'd even thought about telling Chat Noir her name. But, Tikki was a five-thousand-year-old, all-knowing little god so...Marinette knew it was best to not question her and to listen to what she said.

(And even though she hid it well, Marinette was admittedly as curious about her colleague's identity as he was of her own.)

But she knew better. She followed the rules. No identity sharing.

Chat knew that too.

"Hey, there's Nino."

Alya's voice broke Marinette out of her stupor, causing her to look up from the sidewalk. Sometime while she'd been musing over identities, she and Alya had arrived at lycée, and Marinette had miraculously made it up the front steps without tripping. Her eyes landed on the boy sitting on a bench across the courtyard, headphones in his ears and phone in hand, his foot tapping to a beat neither she or Alya could hear.

The thing that struck Marinette as odd was that Adrien was absent. And it wasn't her heart talking—rarely were there mornings Adrien wasn't the earliest of all of them, and he and Nino were practically inseparable from the moment they arrived at school.

Seeing Nino alone admittedly caused a small, sharp gust of worry to rise up into Marinette's chest, but she repressed it. Adrien was most likely just running a few minutes late.

"Wonder why he's alone," Marinette breathed, and frowned as Alya hummed in agreement.

"Maybe Adrien's sick?" Alya offered.

"No, no," Marinette replied. "He would have texted one of us if he was."

"Then maybe he's late. Probably had to stop and get cheese somewhere or something, knowing him."

At Alya's comment, Marinette couldn't hold back her snort. "You leave Adrien and his love for cheese alone!"

"You know, it's weird," Alya said, beginning to walk towards Nino. "We see him buy that fancy cheese all the time, but do we ever see him eat it? No! What does he even do with it?"

Marinette laughed a little harder. "Maybe it's not for him. Maybe it's for his dad, you never know."

"Maybe. But you know, I think-"

As soon as Nino noticed the pair of girls walking over, he took off his headphones, waved and practically beamed, looking like a ray of sunlight that had touched down on Earth.

Marinette watched as Alya froze, and the tiniest, faintest hint of red touched her cheeks—which only caused Marinette's smile to grow into a full-blown smirk.

Oh, that poor girl was so far gone and she didn't even know.

"Hey," Marinette whispered, gently nudging her best friend with her elbow. "I had my moment of bravery, now it's time for you to have yours."

Turning her head so fast that Marinette swore she'd give herself whiplash, Alya's eyes widened comically, and a glare wrinkled her nose. "What the heck are you talking about? He's just a friend!"

"I didn't say he wasn't!" Marinette held up her hands defensively and let a laugh slip past her lips. "Look, all I'm saying is that if you like him, you should tell him. Speaking from personal experience, it feels great to not be holding that secret anymore. And besides…" She lowered her hands. "I doubt you'll have the same outcome as I did."

Alya stuck out her tongue in a childish manner and crossed her arms. "For the last time, Marinette, I do not have a crush on him. He's just a guy that I think is cool and like hanging out with, that's all."

Marinette shook her head. "Okay, you're in denial, that's fine. But just for the record, the way I catch you looking at him sometimes as if he's your whole world isn't exactly an expression reserved for 'just friends'..."

"Sure," Alya muttered, an unmistakable blush on her cheeks. "But I still don't have a crush on him."

Chuckling, Marinette began walking with her friend towards the guy she didn't have a crush on before remembering she had a question to ask. "Oh, by the way, do you want to get lunch with me today? There was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Yeah?" Alya pointedly kept her gaze away from Nino as they walked. "Does 'something' involve a boy with blond hair and green eyes?"

An uncomfortable feeling Marinette couldn't exactly describe settled within her gut. "...Sort of," she said. "Well, probably not the guy you're thinking about, but-"

"Oh, he's looking at me," Alya whispered under her breath, and it took Marinette a moment to realize what she'd meant. But then it dawned on her, and she noticed Nino's eyes were firmly (if a bit nervously) watching her Ladyblogger friend.

Giggling, Marinette went up to the boy in question and took a seat to the left of him. She seriously doubted that if Alya ever did admit to herself that she held romantic feelings for Nino and confessed, she would be faced with rejection. Marinette knew when two people were pining for each other, and the way they looked at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking was almost too cute to bear.

Yeah, they'd definitely be dating soon.

(Part of Marinette had to shove the thorn of jealousy back under the rock from whence it came, and for just a moment a touch of sadness tugged her lips downwards. She fought it, though. She always would.)

"How was you girls' morning?" Nino asked, successfully bringing Marinette out of her saddening thoughts before they could cause her any further sorrow.

Swallowing, she forced a smile to her face. "It was good! I actually woke up right at my alarm and had time for breakfast, for once. It's nice not going to school hungry." She glanced around for a moment or two, watching, waiting to see a perfectly styled head of blond hair wander over, but...nobody came.

No Adrien.

Marinette didn't bother to suppress the disappointed sigh that blew from her nose.

"You okay, Mar?" Nino asked, concern filling his gaze.

Marinette nodded. "Yeah, yeah! Fine! Just...wondering where Adrien is…"

"Not sure," Nino said. "He hasn't texted me."

To his right, Alya chuckled. "Maybe he slept through his alarm, much like a certain girl I know…"

"Hey, come on," Marinette laughed. "I actually woke up on time today-"

A brief golden flash nearly blinded the trio for a moment, and not even a moment later a boy walking to class in front of them collapsed to the ground in a limp, snoring heap. His cheek pressed against the sidewalk, and his body curled up in a ball like a sleeping toddler. For the most part, he seemed unharmed...but it was still quite an odd sight to see someone fall over like that.

The three of them shared a look that was as equally started as it was perplexed.

What in the world—?

"Yikes." Nino rose to his feet quicker than a bolt of lightning and made his way over to the poor student, settling himself on his knees as he gave the boy a gentle nudge. "Dude, you okay? ...You awake?"

He waved his hand in front of the teen's face, and in response, a snore rose from his lips.

Sleeping. The kid was sleeping; completely out cold!

"Is he okay?" Marinette asked, standing herself. "Did anyone else see that weird light-"

The world flashed gold again, and as soon as the light faded from the sky Nino slumped over onto his stomach, his mouth stretching into a wide yawn before he quickly drifted off into a deep, deep slumber.

Alya was quick to his aid, surprise and concern etched together on her features. "Nino," she said, giving him a light shake. "Hey, come on. Wake up! This is no place to take a nap!"

Rushing to Nino's side, Marinette frowned, sitting on her knees as she placed two fingers to his wrist and felt for his pulse. His heart was beating just fine, and he was definitely breathing, which meant he was obviously alive. Not that she expected any different.

"He's fine," she told Alya, "just sleeping."

"But why?" Alya raised an eyebrow. "Why in the world would he be-"

A cloud of gold dust surrounded the trio, and before Marinette could process what was going on, a cough rose from her throat and her eyelids watered, feeling very, very heavy.

"Alya?" She asked, rubbing her eyes. "Did you feel that? ...Alya?"

No response.

As the glitter cloud cleared, Marinette saw that her best friend had fallen asleep over Nino, splayed out with her stomach over his legs. It was kind of adorable, just slightly—if it wasn't for the fact that two of her closest buddies had just passed out on the concrete floor.

"Must be an akuma," Tikki chirped, just barely peeking out of her purse. "We need to find somewhere quiet to transform, quick!"

Initially Marinette knew she needed to get up and flee, but something inside of her edged her to stay and assist her friends—insisted that the transforming wait while she dragged them off to a safe place. But Tikki popped out of the protection of Marinette's bag and gave her charge a determined little grin, reminding her that she'd be more help to the both of them donned in polka-dots rather than a sweater and jeans.

"Right," Marinette said with a nod. It was exhausting just to stand, but she fought the impending sluggishness with a low grunt. "Yeah, transform...Right."

Her tongue felt floppy in her mouth, and her eyelids felt as if heavy stones were attached by strings, pulling them down farther, farther, farther…

"Marinette!" Squeaked Tikki. "Don't fall asleep on me now. We've got an akuma to catch!"

"I'm going, I'm going!" Marinette groaned, a sudden crankiness rising up her spine. Why on Earth did she feel so exhausted? She'd slept a full eight hours the night before!

Must have had something to do with that dust...annoying akuma...

Marinette shook her head. Whatever it was, she needed to tough through it for however long it took to defeat an akuma and get through her classes. Then she could go home and rest.

All around her fellow students began to fumble and fall, collapsing to the floor like dead-weights. None were harmed, but all were sentenced to a nap in the time-out...courtyard?

Wherever Adrien was, he'd better stay there. No use waking up and coming to school just to go back to bed the minute he got there.

(Goodness, she really did think about him a lot.)

Through bleary vision, Marinette spotted an empty spot behind a pillar and darted, ignoring the exhausting numbness that made her legs felt as if they weren't her own. With a yelp akin to an injured dog she tripped over a dozing classmate, biting back a hiss as her body painfully collided with the concrete.

Oof. That didn't feel good.

Groaning, she lifted her palm to her forehead and gave it a rub, screwing her eyes shut at the headache that pierced through her skull. She wasn't injured, but damn did she feel tired.

If she could just lay her head on the cool floor...that would be nice…

No, she had a job to do!

The sound of snoring rose in the air, and Marinette sighed as she groggily brought herself to her feet. The undersides of her hands were scraped, but it was nothing she couldn't handle; she was a super-heroine after all, and a few little cuts couldn't ruin her day.

Just as she stood and was rubbing a sore spot on her hip, another gust of golden sand blew through the air, tumbling across the courtyard and buffeting Marinette's hair. It swept through the area like a gentle sandstorm, coating every object, every person in a dusting of glitter before it faded in the blink of an eye.

The whole thing felt surreal; like a dream.

Another wave of weariness coursed through Marinette's bones. She had to place her hands on her knees to steady herself.

"Ugh," she muttered. "I am just trying to transform."

Sluggishly she made another attempt at escape. Her hand made it to the pillar, and her heart did a little skip in her chest from gratitude. But as far as the day had proved to be lacking in luck, it didn't appear as if it would get any better...especially since a low laugh rose up from the archway behind her, and the feeling of drowsiness grew so strong that Marinette had to brace herself against the stone.

With narrowed eyes she glared over her shoulder at the villain who entered the courtyard behind her. A sizable guy with red cheeks, pale skin, a white robe and sleeping cap sat atop a lustering cloud, his perch sparkling like the sun. As he floated around the array of sleeping students, little flecks of gold fell from the cloud like rain and fluttered down to those who were already deep within dreamland.

The dude looked as if he was some sandman-esque guy, wanting to make the entirety of Paris...fall asleep, or something. That was Marinette's best guess anyways.

Man, these akuma villains were just getting lamer and lamer. Papillon really needed to step up his game.

Seriously, where was this guy a few nights ago? Marinette would have really appreciated an easy way to fall asleep while her aching heart kept her awake.

"Well, well, well," the man's voice boomed, which didn't make his sleeping victims stir for some odd reason. "Look's like my sleeping spell worked for every person but one! Won't you let Dreamscape give you some well-needed rest, my dear? After all, Paris is too lively of a city...it's so hard to sleep at night, especially because of annoying neighbors. Don't you agree that we all need a little more rest?"

Marinette slunk behind the pillar. If she got hit with that sleeping dust one more time, she'd be done for. It was a miracle that she was even awake at the moment considering her friends had drifted off from just one spell. Perhaps her ability to remain awake had something to do with Tikki's magic?

"I know you're there," Dreamscape said, and Marinette could practically feel him inching closer. "Come on out, and take a nap!"

Glancing down at her bag, Marinette frowned at Tikki, who nodded in affirmation. She knew what she had to do—it was only the matter of staying awake that concerned her.

With a final jolt of energy, Marinette stepped in front of the pillar, doing her best to put on a frightened expression. She hoped it was convincing enough. "Oh no," she sighed. "You caught me."

Dreamscape grinned, and as he raised his arms the palms of his hands glowed with golden light. "That's right. Now, lights out!"

Shutting her eyes to avoid the impending sand, Marinette held her breath, waiting for the sleeping spell to fade. A moment passed, then two, then three, and...she fell.

But it was on her own terms.

Slumping over as if she'd fallen asleep, Marinette lay on the concrete floor, momentarily cursing herself for lying on the same side she'd rammed into the ground earlier. There'd definitely be some bruises she'd be attending to later, but for now, she wasn't concerned. She lay with her eyes shut, listening in wait for Dreamscape to make his leave—which he did with a triumphant laugh that faded the farther away he became.

For good measure she lied still for a second longer, but the sleep that curled in her mind was beginning to drag her into darkness, making her feel numb and floppy. Marinette didn't know how she'd managed to stay awake so long...and feared that if she didn't move now, she'd be down for the count.

Pushing the last of her energy through her veins, she lifted herself to the ground and stretched her arms high into the air. A yawn escaped her just as she rubbed her eyes, and her muscles whined in protest at the movement.

Yeah, getting up in the mornings was hard. But nothing could compare to how dead-tired Marinette felt at the moment—not even rising out of bed after less than an hour of rest.

Leaning back against the pillar, Marinette rubbed her temples, shaking her head in an attempt to rid the grogginess from her mind. She needed to focus. She needed to think. She needed to transform and find Chat Noir and capture the akuma.

"That was a good idea," Tikki said, perching atop Marinette's shoulder. "Now, come on! It's Ladybug time!"

Marinette nodded and touched a hand to her earrings. "Right! Tikki, transform-"

A hand on her shoulder startled her to no end, and on instinct she grabbed the perpetrator's arm and twisted, sending them to the floor.

"Ah, mercy! Mercy!" Chat Noir whined as he dropped to his knees. "How are you so strong!?"

Guilt immediately crashed over her. Surveying her partner, Marinette frowned and grabbed his hand, helping to pull him to his feet.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I thought it was Dreamscape. Don't sneak up on me like that! Gosh, you can be so creepy sometimes!"

"Creepy?" Chat asked, brow raising under his mask. "Jeez, do I really come off that way?"

"Well." Marinette glanced away. "You were watching me the other night, and now you sneak up on me-"

"Oh my god, I am creepy." Cupping a hand over his mouth, Chat's eyes widened. "Okay, one, I am so sorry about that. It won't happen again and I swear of it. Two, what are you doing out here alone?"

Marinette's eyes widened as she fumbled for an excuse. "I was...um...looking for my phone!" She pulled her cellphone out of her pocket for proof and held it up with a comically wide smile. "I had dropped it on the way to class, so...I had to find it...but then Dreamscape came and wow, everybody fell asleep! So crazy. Everyone is sleeping."

"You got hit with the sand stuff though, didn't you?"

"I did," Marinette affirmed.

"And you're not tired?"

"I am."

Chat Noir gave a puzzled frown before he shook his head and replaced it with his familiar, cocky grin. "Right. Listen, it's not safe here. Go on home, alright? Ladybug and I will take care of this. Everything should be back to normal faster than you can say, 'wakey wakey, eggs and bakey.'"

Marinette offered a tired smirk. "Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey."

Chat Noir removed his baton from his back and laughed, extending it as he prepared to leap. "Well, we can't always be on time, can we?"

"I guess not."

They shared a brief chuckle before Chat motioned behind him with his head. "Welp, gotta go—my Lady awaits!"

With a bound and a twist of his baton he was gone, chasing after the trail of sunny dust that led out of the school and down the street.

Marinette found herself smiling at his leave, once again positioning herself behind the stone pillar for better cover. "Let's go after him, Tikki. Transforme-moi!"

[ecotone99]

[RF] The Muse Three Doors Down

Pulling into the driveway felt like the first drag of a spliff after a tiring day. It’s one of those moments where you switch realms. It was a transition from a mundane upper-class neighborhood into a pristine lakefront oasis, and it never ever got old.

“You got here fast,” Sully said as the car door opened. Nick, still disoriented from the view and the non-stop two-hour drive, emerged to greet him. The driveway wrapped around the side of the house, with Lake Butler about 50 feet from where the driveway ended, next to the beach volleyball court; Sully was staying in the guest house, which opened onto the driveway and a quaint picnic bench/sun umbrella setup, which they had stolen from a pizza shop years ago. It was one of those places where you stay once and never really want to leave, which was what Sully had been doing since graduation, and Nick couldn’t blame him. He had no real occupation to speak of, but here he was king of his own realm — natural lakefront view, 60-inch TV, proximity to a mid-size city, and of course a boat. It was paradise by anyone’s standards, and he was just lucky enough to have a blood relation to the owner.

“Well, that’s what happens when you do 85 the whole way.” Nick dribbles out, stretching in hopes of shaking off last night’s episode. The hangover, combined with the confinement of the ride, had him grasping at singular thoughts. “Well, I’m glad you called this morning. I needed an excuse to party. I just got an oil shipment from Colorado, and I need to whoop your ass in FIFA again. Not to mention this Tinder chick wants to hang tonight, and she said she could bring a friend,” He lingered on the last word, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Nick fiddled with the coin in his pocket and rebutted “Whoa whoa whoa. First of all, I torched you in FIFA last time I was here. You just can’t accept that. And second, that’s always the famous last words before we go out. ‘Oh yeah bro, she’s bringing a friend and she said she’s so hot’ and then flash forward to 11 pm, when it turns out her friend is a sophomore at Valencia State College, who’s trying to focus on her social media presence, has ‘the cutest’ Pomeranian, and is 20lbs heavier than her Facebook pics.’”

“…….so you don’t wanna go?”

Nick paused for a second, then shrug apathetically, “I mean, no. I’m down for whatever. Just saying. Alternatively, if we’re going near Lake Eola, Victoria and her rave friends will most likely be around, so that’s always Plan B.”

They head inside, and Sully brings out the hash oil at his desk. He ignites the souffle torch and begins heating the bowl of his Winnie the Pooh bong. The whole scene resembled the office of a Mexican cartel’s lawyer, Nick thought; loose papers neatly strewn across the surface, with a special compartment below for the illicit articles. Nick portioned off the tiniest piece of wax onto the dabber, as he knew well the potency of the oil Sully liked to smoke. But resistance was futile because as the flowing, transparent yellow wax melted onto the glass, and he inhaled, his mind and any semblance of a care melted with it.

After multiple games of FIFA and Super Smash Bros, Nick needed a change of scenery from Sully’s surprisingly dark guest house, so they changed into boardshorts and headed out on the lake with the paddleboards. It was a perfectly clear day, the type where a cloud would not dare defile such a virgin sky. The wind was light but constant, blowing parallel down the shore, but that didn’t matter; they were stoned on the beauty of the landscape, and all they wanted to do was catch up on each other’s lives.

“So, what’s the plan now? I mean, you’re living large in George’s guest house, but what’s next?” Nick asked, not really probing for an answer, but trying to reconnect with the person he’d shared a bathroom with for three years.

“I don’t know. I don’t wanna get a bullshit job in insurance or something like that. I’d just get bored and end up loathing everyone in the office, one-by-one systematically, until I blackout at the Christmas Party and try fighting some the office manager’s husband.”

“I mean, that’s basically the American dream” Nick added sarcastically

“I was thinking I might go to law school, considering I know the law so well with my multiple run-ins,” Sully continued. He had been carefully taking out a cigarette and lighter from a plastic sandwich bag that also held his phone, taking every precaution balancing over the water, but still smoothly executing the maneuver; he did it with the practiced ease of a longtime smoker and frequent wakeboarder, the perfect balance of aplomb and cravenness. “I could see that, and I’ve heard that you can have up to three DUI’s and still get accepted to the bar.”

“Yeah, that’s one reason I’m looking at it, but my GPA from FSU sucks, so I think I’m gonna take private-eye classes and work in that industry for a minute to fill up on my resume with relevant experience.”

“Really? Like a Private Investigator? Do a fedora and trench coat come with the class, or is that sold separately?”

“Ok, but like, I need something to do, and I’ve always been pretty good at investigating people, so I thought, why not?”

In truth, he had. One of Sully’s notable skills was stalking social media and piecing together true but farfetched theories about disloyalty to argue with his girlfriends. It was a common trait from children of divorce and made relationships difficult. Nick related to this and tended to overlook his complex attitude towards women, as it never really affected their friendship in any way, and it made good conversation after the fact.

Drifting idly, the hash oil had erased any perception of time and space. They laid on their boards under the dry spring sun and floated down the lake with the wind, letting the ease of the day wash over them. After what seemed like hours, Nick was jolted awake when he rolled over and saw they were about to be blown into a dock. They stood up and tried to paddle against the wind back to the middle of the lake, but were effortlessly pushed back toward the shore. Eventually, they began paddling along the shoreline, just outside the end of each dock, using them as cover from the violent wind whenever possible. This went for about 20 docks — Nick still had no concept of time — until Sully shouted that they could take a break at his neighborhood’s public dock up ahead. They rounded the final dock, and maneuvered onto the shore, beaching their paddleboards and jumping off to catch their breath. Nick went about securing his paddle to the board and going for a drink of coconut water in the small cooler in tow, casually asking Sully for details about the rest of the journey and their whereabouts. He shot back curt answers, and when Nick turned to ply him for more information, he observed Sully was talking with a girl that had been standing onshore the whole time — Nick was utterly unaware of her presence while they “made landfall,” but once he caught sight of her… holy shit.

She was immaculate. Nick had run into many beautiful girls during his time at FSU, and most were attractive, wearing makeup and outfits that made them look gorgeous, but once those layers had been shed, they were merely pretty. This girl, on the other hand, was absolutely stunning; while only wearing a workout outfit including yoga pants and a semi-loose fitting t-shirt, she looked like a goddess. Her flowing golden blonde hair hung down to the middle of her back, and was pulled up in a meticulous ponytail, utterly smooth without a single hair misplaced; its gossamer mass swished with her level of excitement in the conversation. Her face was sunkissed and vibrant, just as anyone under the age of 25 looks in Florida, but her body was what shook Nick. She was petite yet muscular; her toned lower abs produced a contour through the yoga pants – something Nick thought could only be conjured in Photoshop, and not in the physical world. She was immaculate, but he paid no attention.

“This is my friend Nick,” Sully said, gesturing to him as he drank the coconut water he had bought at a Fort Pierce gas station earlier. Nick surmised that it had been at least two hours since they smoked, and he still hadn’t come down. So he did what he always does when he was uncomfortably stoned in social situations: stayed mostly silent.

“Nice to meet you,” Nick said, unsure how to proceed any further. Still in a fog, Nick also noticed that she was not alone, as a little girl around the age of 7 and a dog with a curly blonde coat were splashing along the shore — some sort of golden lab-poodle mix, Nick was sure of it.

Sully continued to chat, and Nick began to infer they were neighbors and had met once or twice before. While they talked, Nick paid little attention, mainly watching the child play with her dog, and as the coconut water lost its refreshing appeal in the warmth of the day, he switched to cold beer. Nick stood there drinking, and couldn’t help but feel a warm sense of joy fill his stomach as he watched this admittedly adorable little girl playing with her happy-go-lucky dog while their beautiful 20-something babysitter watched over them. Nick thought he was watching a Hallmark TV movie, but really, he was just violently high.

Suddenly, the little girl marched up to him, while Sully and her babysitter were engaged in light but entranced conversation, and declared with authority, “Do you want to buy some Girl Scout Cookies?”

“Uhm, let me think…. Of course. I would like two boxes of thin mints, but I don’t have any money with me.” Nick said, trying but failing to match her level of cuteness.

“Oh yeah, her Girl Scout troop is having their cookie sales, and the competition is fierce.” The babysitter said, “We can just drop off the cookies at your house after we leave, and you guys can just pay later.”

They both politely declined in unison, but she insisted, and since it was Girl Scout Cookies, and they were stoned, they quickly gave in. A few minutes later, the little girl sneakily climbed on the beached paddleboard and was pretending to ride, using her arms to “balance.” Nick leaned over from his beer and whispered, “You want to take it out?”

The little girl nodded emphatically, and without the babysitter noticing, gently pushed the paddleboard off the beach. She then shot a look at the babysitter, and then back at Nick, showing a wry smile and letting out a hushed giggle. The warm joy in Nick’s stomach began to grow as she repeated this process, maneuvering zigzag into the water, and out to the middle of the alcove.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” the babysitter said, laughing casually when she saw the little girl kneeling on the paddleboard in the water. The dog had been barking excitedly at the little girl, clearly wanting a turn. After one lap to the middle of the dock, the little girl went back to shore, where the dog jumped on, and they floated about the water, detailing the perfect picture of what a full life would look like. This movie had a great writing staff, Nick thought to himself.

Eventually, he woke from this blissful daze and realized they had been standing on that shore for the better part of 30 minutes — he was finally coming down. He looked at Sully, and the girl talking with each other and had a feeling this was no longer a neighborly conversation. There was something more here, and after spending years observing Sully, Nick knew this was going to lead to an exciting conclusion.

“So, you live nearby?” Nick said, trying to get his facts straight.

“Yeah, I live like 10 houses down from here, in the brown one opposite the lakefront houses,” She said, her velvet ponytail bobbing as she spoke. “I’m living with my parents, but they’re actually in Aspen right now.”

“She lives like catty-cornered from me,” Sully clarified, trying to give me a frame of reference, as well as conveying that any late-night hangout would be very convenient.

“Yeah, it’s pretty boring. I’ve been cooped up inside all week watching these two. Don’t get me wrong, I love them and all, but I need a break.” Nick got hung up on her being cooped up with the little girl all week. Was it her sister? Why would she be babysitting all week?

“What are you guys doing tonight?” Her innocuous inquiry seemed to jut out into the conversation.

“We’re going downtown, probably start at Church St and then wander from there. You should come. We’re thinking of doing some dancing too”, Sully rattled off. It came to him with such ease, like Harry Potter speaking Parcil Tongue , sounding so smooth, yet sinister when out of context.

“Well funny enough, I do actually have plans to go downtown with one of my girlfriends tonight. We were gonna go to Stardust. Have you guys ever been there?” This is precisely the response Nick was expecting, and yet he was still genuinely surprised the conversation had gotten this far.

“Is that the place below World of Beer on the lake?” Nick interjected.

“Yeah, it is. Have you been?”

“I’ve never been, but a friend of mine lives right next door, above the wine bar.” Sully shot Nick a look, knowing that’s where Victoria lived.

“It’s a great place, I love it! They play disco, and 80’s pop hits, so it’s perfect for dancing, and last time we went, the owner kept giving us free shots.” She exclaimed, but still maintaining her poised cheerfulness. “If you guys are in the area, you should come by.”

“Yeah, for sure.” Sully said with calm intent, “What’s your number? I’ll text you when we finish pregaming at our buddy’s place.” They exchanged numbers, and Nick thanked God one of them had brought their phones.

She rounded up the little girl and dog, and floated up the shore and along the mulch path to the street, lofting back a “See ya later.” Once she turned the corner, Nick hazily turned to see Sully, who was wearing his signature shit-eating grin. Nick paused for a second with a puzzled look on my face, then all at once blurted out “Dude… what the FUCK just happened?!”

Sully responded simply with, “Right!”

“No, but seriously, who the fuck is she and how is she so goddamn beautiful? I know you’ve said there something in the water around here that makes girls crazy hot, but this is something different enti…” Nick trailed off, still perplexed at the events that took place. “Ok, first answer me this: is that little girl her sister, or is she like a live-in au pair? I couldn’t figure it out.”

“That’s her kid, bro,” Sully stated, emphasizing each word as he said them.

“…wait, she’s a mom?” Nick questioned, not able to deal with the information he was just given.

“Yeah, man. Apparently, she was married to the lead singer of the Muse, and they had a kid, but recently got divorced, so she moved back in with her parents here and has been like working out the divorce shit I guess. I met her a month ago when I was running the neighborhood.”

“Two things. First, you were running? Outdoors?”

“Yeah, I’ve been trying to lose some extra pounds I’ve put on since graduation.”

“Okay, fair enough. Second, what the actual fuck? You can’t be serious? So she’s essentially a single MILF that just happens to live three doors down from you.” Nick asserted, grasping for answers to this dizzying realization.

“Yeah, bro, I know. I kept going out for runs, hoping to see her, but never did until just now.” Sully confessed.

They got back on their boards and paddled back to Sully’s house, but Nick’s mind had not left that shoreline. He was reexamining the events in this new light and felt remorse and kinship. She seemed so well composed for a single mother going through a divorce, he thought. She was moving on, having the time and resources to pursue a second act in life. She had taken what she had left — her health, her child, her youth — and tried again. Maybe talking to them, who had no predispositions, is precisely what she was looking for. If he were in that situation, that moment of normalcy would be enough to sustain him for a few weeks. It was also enticing to ponder why she would want to go out with young men like themselves. He could already see the dim ending pursuing that notion would have, but nevertheless, follow it they did.

The rest of the journey was dull in comparison, as the wind had died down, and the house wasn’t that much farther. Once they arrived, they brought the boards up and were sitting at Sully’s picnic bench when he got a text.

“Left a present at the front gate :-)”

Simultaneously confused and giddy, Sully went to check it out and came back with a box of Girl Scout Cookies. They were beside themselves. “Holy shit, this is huge.” Nick bellowed. “Like, I couldn’t tell who she was hitting on between us. I’m down for a threesome if you are, only if we can hold hands, though.”

“Ok, pull back from a sec there bud. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m obviously down for anything, but let’s play out the situation first.” Sully said through the cigarette in his mouth, trying to keep his cool. “I’ll start texting her, and we can say we're gonna see where the night takes us.”

“…but in reality, we are beelining for that bar as soon as we’re sufficiently hammered, right?” “Yeah, duh.”

They watched as the sun began to dip below the horizon, sending iridescent beams of red, gold, and pink across the mirrored lake surface. It was a satisfying sunset, one that reminded Nick of sitting on the roof of their house at school, where they would watch the sinking daylight explode into the sky, capping off a successful day of doing everything and nothing. It was a feeling of blithe torpor that washes over you, which most people have to fly to Tahiti for, but Nick received for free. He thought this must be what heroin feels like.

They got ready to go out, mainly by playing a Rick and Morty drinking game while they watched an episode. Eventually, Nick wandered into the shower, and upon getting out, put on a shirt for the first time since he had arrived here. Sully did the same, and it seemed that throughout their friendship, they were beginning to dress alike — button-down shirt, jeans, and Vans sneakers — and the resemblance was striking. They kept drinking after they were dressed — some awful rum and Coke mixture Sully had created — and listened to the new Kendrick Lamar album to get excited for the night. By the time the TV read 8:00 pm, they piled into Sully’s black Ford Explorer, which had turned into more of a mobile recycling center than an actual SUV with the comical amount of empty plastic bottles, and made the 20-minute drive to Don’s house. By the time they arrived, Nick’s hash oil high from earlier in the day had transformed into a healthy buzz that had him energized, which Sully noticed.

“Oh shit, it’s time to resume regularly scheduled programming, because Nick at Night is here and ready to go.” This was the name that Sully had given Nick in college, because in his words, ‘you change into a different person when we go out… not in a bad way, just more aggressive and basically shameless’. Nick couldn’t fight him on that. Drinking always brought out a forceful side of him, as if he was about to run into a tied lacrosse game with 30 seconds left – full of adrenaline and ready for anything. But alcohol does that to everyone, so he wasn’t too worried. “Don! What’s up, shitbag?” Nick said with endearing force as he leapt out of the Explorer. “You will not believe what happened to us today… we bought Girl Scout cookies. Crazy, right? Oh yeah, and we met the hottest MILF of all time, and we’re going to meet up with her and her friend later.”

Don was their neighbor in college who was an insouciant guy like the rest of them. He had a shaved head and stout build, but very athletic; much more than Sully and Nick — the guy ran triathlons for Christ’s sake. He was standing on his stoop, smoking a cigarette when Nick walked up. Don paused for a second after hearing him, then with a look of malaise, replied, “so what you’re telling me is you guys got seduced into buying Girl Scout cookies?”

“Joke’s on her. We never paid for the cookies,” Sully shouted from the car.

They all shared a laugh and walked inside, making their way to the back, where a few of Don’s work friends were playing beer pong on the porch.

————————————— The plastic cup beaded with sweat as the hot spring night drenched all of its inhabitants. Nick fixated on the droplets, then reached for the cup from the bar, and turned to face the writhing crowd in the street. The city was alive, having some sort of festival that shut down the road to set up drink stands and speakers.

“Bro, where the fuck have you been?” Sully yelled as the humid crowd gave birth to Nick’s friend.

“I’ve been taking laps. You know I like to wander.”

“Well, you might want to wander over to Stardust because the MILF just texted me.” Nick could tell that Sully was focused because where he might typically be wearing that shit-eating grin, was now replace with a concise half-smile while he drafted a reply.

Without saying a word, Nick turned and began to walk away from the street-side bar. He walked to the end of the block and sat on an elevated planter, flipping a coin in half-time with the hip-hop playing nearby. After three minutes, Sully came down the street exasperated and said, “What are you doing?”

“Waiting on you,” Nick replied blankly. He slipped the coin back in his pocket, lingering on the triangle etched into its surface.

Sully shook his head, and the two continued bumbling down the street. After passing numerous street signs Nick couldn’t be bothered to read, they arrived at a basement bar with a small red neon sign that read “Stardust.” The dimly-lit venue was relatively empty for a Friday night, with only a handful of patrons standing at the bar, and a few people dancing near the DJ booth. Nick passed the bouncer and headed straight for the bar, ordering a vodka-tonic-lime, without so much as glancing at his surroundings. After paying for the drink, he turned around to survey the bar, and his glazed eyes illuminated at the sight of sleek golden hair glowing magnetically in the aged club spotlights. It flowed like fresh honey in synchronous with the resilient body it was attached to, moving with the precision and poise of experience. She twirled and gyrated along the dance floor, beaming while she sang along to the Bee Gees’ “Night Fever,” flaunting her youth and wanting all to witness. In his fugue state, Nick was paralyzed by her vitality, and it wasn’t until he saw Sully shimmy into his frame of view that his trance was broken, and he regained his focus. With the sheer force-of-will Nick’s stupor provided, he followed suit and bobbed his way toward the dancing group. She was with a friend who looked much more her age, though still held that same playfulness which the goddess exuded. Nick moved and swayed up to the group, after saying hello with a very European kiss on the cheek to both, focused on the friend — the die had been cast, and he was now the wingman. He stirred from side-to-side, in unison with his partner, being conscious of his own body for the first time in months. They moved together, and he eventually took her hand, spinning and twirling each other, aptly drifting through the music of an era that chased euphoria at all costs.

Time slowed around Nick as he shrugged off all of his cares once again; any responsibility or suffering that had occupied his mind was gone. The blurring lights and hypnotic music combined into a force that began to overwhelm him, and moments around him started to come in as clips, like the unused scenes for that made-for-TV movie — the knowing glances from friend to friend, the twirling of a perfect stranger, the creepy guy trying to cut in. All the moments that Nick knew would stay on the cutting room floor of his mind after tonight. Nick continued to jive and spin to the music but glanced at Sully and the goddess every so often. And as buoyant rhythms played and his head swam in a puddle of dopamine and pheromones, he could distinguish Sully moving in to kiss her, and her moving back slightly. Sully then whispered a line that she countered, but Nick could only see one word on her lips.

———————————- “NO NO NO NO NO!” Michael Scott yelled. The Office episode played loudly on the 60-inch TV. Nick opened his eyes a sliver as the daylight through the ragged bamboo shades assaulted him. The hangover had followed him to the next day, and again he was sprawled in his own disgust. He pawed for his phone on the coffee table and checked to see if he had called Kelly again, but all he found were pictures of Don completely asleep on a barstool and a text from Danny that said “Pizza at Joe’s. Come.” Nick was definitely still drunk, because his head didn’t hurt and his stomach was still full. That would all change after he inevitably vomited in an hour. As he laid there wallowing in his filth, pieces of the night began to come back to him. Before “Pizza at Joe’s,” he remembered Stardust and the gyrating body of the goddess. Nick sat up on the battered secondhand couch, peered over the bed to exchange information about the events of the night, but Sully was gone, and Nick was left there wilting, as the disinfecting sunlight burned away the deep layers of his protective shamelessness. He more remembered the rest of the night.

Nick got up slowly, unsure his dehydrated legs could hold his weight, wobbled his way to the door and opened it. The morning sun, though assaultive and blinding, cast a soft hue over the lake and the horizon; the frogs croaked, celebrating the new day, as the faint sound of a bullhorn drifted with a crew team streaking by. He eased his way into one of the Carolina chairs facing the lake, taking in the scene before his body turned on him. His mind had already given up. Nick sat there as he recalled more and more from the night before, and fell deeper and deeper into the abyss.

He recalled her saying something to Sully and twirling away as her friend followed suit, gliding across the dance floor and away from the two children in an adult’s bar. He recalled feeling a jolt of shame in the moment, but then moving robotically out of the bar and down the street, into a blackout. This was the third time in a week, and Nick didn’t know how much more he could take. He couldn’t have fun for the sake of fun anymore; there was always a motive, an underlying theme, and he couldn’t escape it. Nick thought of all the times he brought home a great report card, and after 7 seconds of congratulations, the next question would be “Ok, now what’s next? What are you going to do better next time?” Progress for the sake of progress, and never celebration of what was achieved.

Nick sat inert, starring at the coin from his pocket and moving his fingers over the words “to thine own self be true”. Just then, the black Explorer rounded the corner and parked. Emerging from the mobile recycling center was Sully, whose 1000-mile gaze made Nick feel in good company.

“Sup butt?” Sully threw at Nick, meandering to the adjacent Carolina Chair. “Chick-Fil-A?”

Nick admired the delicate pink sunrise and said, “Yeah sure. Hey, Law School’s good for you. You should do it. We’ll have the grad party at my house.”

EDIT: here’s the link to the story on Medium. Any feedback would be great. This is my first time writing fiction.

submitted by /u/oliver--cromwell [link] [comments] via Blogger https://ift.tt/2qZ2Qg0