#good luck watching the penguin now you prick

[hetalia-club]

My ex canceled his Hulu subscription. Now if I want it I got to pay for it myself like a god damn animal! So guess who just changed her HBO password?

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

Satisfied, Part 50

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~~~

She watched all the chaos unfold below her and cringed internally as her eyes landed on Jason and Penguin.

It was a good matchup in theory: they were the only two using guns as their weapons, while everyone else was using mostly nonlethal weapons (sure, they could all technically beat each other to death, but that was much slower than a gunshot).

But it was still an unfair fight.

Jason was trying to keep bystanders safe, which was considerably harder than taking everyone down with a machine gun; even if most people had the sense to stay out of their way, some were in shock and he was forced to get them out of the line of fire. On top of that, the umbrella Penguin was using was reinforced with some sort of metal, making every shot Jason managed to get off pretty much useless.

She bit down on the inside of her cheek and tore her eyes away. She couldn’t watch them, she needed to wait until someone on the Rogue side went down before she intervened. Then she could drop the transformation without suspicion and go down as Ladybug. Just a little bit longer, Duke and Cass were making quick work of Scarecrow --.

And then Jason’s corner went still.

Her eyes snapped back to see what had happened. Her face drained of color. Jason had been shot, if the way he was clutching his stomach on the ground was any indication. Penguin advanced on him slowly, as if he had all the time in the world.

Marinette bit the inside of her cheek.

Please please please someone win please --.

He raised his umbrella to Jason’s head.

She covered her eyes with her hands. She didn’t want to see, even if it would be pretty difficult to from so far away.

Beep!

His comm had stopped transmitting.

A strangled cry escaped her lips as tears threatened to blur her vision. She wiped her eyes with one hand, and the other dipped into her pockets for the final miraculous she’d brought along.

Marinette pulled it over her head. “Tikki, Kaalki, Trixx, unify.”

She had brought the flute to her lips before the transformation had even ended. White light swirled around her and she looked down at herself. Good, she looked solely like Ladybug, no hint of the other costumes in sight outside of the necklace and mask. That was fine. They wouldn’t notice.

She attached the flute to her back and pulled out her yoyo, power and adrenaline surging through her veins.

“Lucky charm,” she said softly, and a pistol was dropped into her hands.

She attached it to her belt to make sure it didn’t drop and then hooked her yoyo on a streetlamp. She vaulted herself off the roof, a tiny whoop leaving her throat as she swung her way down.

Her foot connected with Penguin’s chest and she heard a loud crunch as he was launched back into a wall. She smiled faintly at the way the stone cracked around him.

He slunk to the ground slowly.

She hummed lightly, pulling her yoyo tight. The streetlamp buckled under the force and then snapped, crashing down on the already cracked walls. She smiled brightly as it crumbled. People nearby began rushing out into the streets.

She noticed movement out of the corner of her eyes.

Marinette turned her gaze on Penguin again. He was conscious, surprisingly, though badly hurt. He was crawling out from under the rubble, using the hook of his umbrella to drag himself out.

She hooked her yoyo around his umbrella and pulled it out of his hands. A humorless laugh escaped her as his shoulders slackened, a silent ‘oh I’m screwed I give up’. She weighed the umbrella in her hands and tipped her head to the side.

She walked over slowly and pressed the umbrella to his back. She didn’t exactly know how to use it, she’d never touched a machine gun before, but she’d certainly figure it out.

He was shaking, she noted, and quite badly. Crying, actually, if the muffled sobs were anything to go by. He looked quite pitiful like that -- face buried in the grass, covered in rubble and dust.

She looked at the gun in her hands and hummed lightly, wondering if it was just a normal point-and-shoot. One way to find out --.

A hand rested on her shoulder and she turned to see Damian. She raised her eyebrow at him.

He reached out and tugged on her mask and she let him pull her glasses off. The portals flickered and faded. Somewhere in the courtyard, Catwoman cursed as her stolen weapon disappeared.

She looked back down at Penguin, at the loaded umbrella in her hands, and tensed. “I…” She swallowed thickly. “I don’t know what came over me,” She lied. She quickly peeled off her necklace as well and set it and the glasses in an empty pocket of her utility belt. “Sorry.”

She didn’t even know who she was apologizing to.

Marinette looked down at the umbrella in her hands and snapped it in two. She tossed the pieces aside.

She and Damian dragged him out from under the rubble as a team and she looked down at Penguin. After a moment’s thought, she stepped on his face, reveling a little bit too much in the way his long, crooked nose crunched under her foot.

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Damian. “Think he’s out enough?”

“Probably. I’ll cuff him. Can you…” He glanced back at Jason and winced. “... help him?”

She nodded slightly, her hand going to the lucky charm she’d summoned. She looked at the pistol and winced lightly. She hadn’t really thought about what she’d wanted, just summoned the first thing that she’d thought of. It was the same model Jason had given her a while back. She ran her thumb along the barrel, biting the inside of her cheek.

“Miraculous Ladybug.”

Ladybugs swirled around the courtyard, but she only found herself caring about one part.

She was at Jason’s side in seconds, checking him over. Sure, the ladybugs would have gotten rid of all the injuries, but she couldn’t help but stress a little.

He gave her a weak smile, reaching up and patting her face. “Y’know, Mari, I think Dami and I are hogging all the deaths. We should share more.”

She gave a quiet laugh, because she knew that was what he was looking for, and pressed a short kiss to his cheek. They couldn’t afford to ‘waste’ much more time, but she would make sure to talk to him about it later if he wanted.

She smiled. “You’re on civvie duty.”

“You’re benching me?” He asked incredulously as she helped him up.

“Yup. Now, go.”

He stuck his tongue out at her and she grinned, then turned back to Damian. She sent him a tiny wink.

“Ready?”

They looked around carefully from their spot by the gate. Harley had been taken down by Damian before he had come over. Bruce was pretty close to pinning Catwoman down. Cass and Duke were high-fiving over Scarecrow, who was bound under their feet. Tim and Dick were fighting off Poison Ivy. Chloe was helping Jason get any stragglers out of danger.

The partners frowned at each other.

“Where’s…?” Damian began, but he trailed off. His eyes widened, focused on a spot over her shoulder, and she turned around to what was going on.

A needle pricked the side of her neck and a curse slipped from her lips. Even with her blurred vision, she could make out the green and black suit.

Riddler.

She didn’t even notice she’d passed out until she woke up, groaning to herself as she peeled her eyes open. She looked down at the damp floors and frowned, her brain struggling to catch up.

She slowly brought her hands to her eyes to try and wake herself up, only to hear a clanking sound. She looked at her wrists and blinked a few times as the shackles came into view. She tugged on her wrists, trying to slip her hands through, but to no avail. Then she noticed something else.

She wasn’t in her suit.

She snapped to attention, her eyes darting around wildly to take everything in. She was in what seemed to be a well, the moonlight above them the only thing keeping them from total darkness. A few feet away, Damian was in the same position as she was: costumeless and in chains.

She realized he was still unconscious and sighed. “DAMI!” She hissed, kicking his leg.

His head shot up and he looked at her for a minute, blinking a bit, then he frowned. “Where…?”

“Riddler got us.”

He groaned and rested his head back against the wall. “Kwamis, damn it.”

“Hello!” Said a voice from above. They looked up to see Riddler leaning over the rim. “Welcome to your escape room! You’re both a little short for this ride, but don’t worry! Together you’re just the right height!”

She and Damian met each other’s eyes before looking back up.

“You have everything you need for one of you to escape!”

They frowned at each other and then looked down for something they could use. Between them was a rock. Great. How useful.

Water crashed down on them and they gasped at the sudden rush of cold, leaning forward as far as they could to get away from it. They knocked heads and cursed, but continued to stay curled towards each other to avoid getting soaked right off the bat.

After a little bit the water slowed, but it was still rising way too steadily for either of their likings.

“You have exactly thirty minutes! Good luck!”

~~~

Jason the plant died and I was like ‘I made a promise’ but then I felt bad so ummmmmm

~

Taglist

@comet-kun @thatonecroc @trippingovermyfeet @swiftie-miraculer13 @nickristus-dreamer @moongoddesskiana @i-am-ironic @indecisive-mess-named-me @thebooki3h @insane-fangirl-of-everything @deepestobservationwombat @theymakeupfairies @fatimaabbasrizvi @clumsy-owl-4178 @fanofalittletoomuch @iamablinkmarvelarmy @nathleigh @lilkymilky @silvergold-swirl @dino-lovingreen-angel @thestressmademedoit @kissa-chan @ladybug-182 @alysrose-starchild @t1dwarrior-of-earth @spyofthenightcourt @rowanrouge @nik-nak-3 @momothefemur @aestheticnpoetic @labschaos @our-preciousss @mochinek0 @eliza-bich @mythogaychic @severelyenchantedwonderland @sashakoi @smolplantmum @bluesimani @tropestropestropes @kitsunebell @keepingupwiththemalfoys @sassakitty @2confused-2doanything @too0bsessedformyowngood @all-mights-asscheeks @demonicbusiness @meg-an-ace @fantasiame @qualitypeacepainter @multplelifes @kokotaru @spicybelladonna @ultimatetornshipper

<3

[colorseeingchick]

Extremities

Summary: A fire alarm kicks you and your classmates outside in the middle of a chilly winter- and all your luck has just about run out. But in the midst of the icy situation, your best friend Kuroo manages to warm your heart. 

Warnings: Swearing, fluff, “unrequited” pining

Word Count: 2.5k

A/N: based off something that my good friend used to do in high school, but upon further reflection, was probably MAD sus to everyone else. Anyways hope y’all like it hehe. <3

Why is it that people only manage to start chemical fires in the winter? The blaring of the fire alarm rings in your ears as you carefully hop in the deep footsteps pressed into the snow beneath you- trying very hard to ensure that the snow doesn’t accidentally hit your socks or sink into the soles of your sneakers. The cold was already seeping into your exposed skin, slowly pricking and biting at your arms and cheeks. 

Of all the times for a fire alarm, it just had to be during gym. While everyone else had their winter uniforms on, you were stuck in your gym shirt and shorts.  Just your luck. You bury your hands into your underarms, attempting to cling onto any remaining warmth your body could generate.

If you were going to be stuck out here, might as well be with any friend you could find. Looking for Yaku amidst the herd of tall 3rd years felt like a lost cause, so instead, you look for the beheaded giant that you call your best friend. Finding him never really seemed to be a problem for you. He stuck out for a variety of reasons, but at the moment, his wack hair was the most prominent. 

You hop in footsteps as you make your way towards the spikes of raven black hair, weaving through the other students. Once you’re finally by him, you tug on his sleeve as a form of acknowledgement. He responds by looking at you and smirking (it was supposed to be a smile, but with Kuroo it always ended up looking like a smirk.) 

Before you can say anything you hear a teacher say, “We could be out here for anywhere between 10 to 20 minutes class, so try and hold out until then,” while slipping mittens onto her stiff fingers. 

“Yaku says most of the team is on the other side of the building with him. So I think it’s just gonna be us over here,” Kuroo types away at his phone while informing you. 

You shiver and nod, the skin on the back of your neck begins to tingle as another gush of wind blows in your direction. You let out a deep breath, focusing on the crystallizing vapor that appears like smoke in front of your mouth- trying to distract yourself from the aggravating cold. 

I really struck out in terms of luck, huh. You feel the cold start to climb your exposed legs, making your skin feel hypersensitive. You tried to move around in circles, doing an awkward lil shuffle, to try and keep the cold away.

“Are you waddling in a circle because you wanna be a penguin, or because you enjoy looking dumb?” Kuroo’s snarky voice pulls you out of your own head. 

“Bold of you to assume penguins don’t enjoy looking dumb,” you retort, rolling your eyes. 

“Well yeah, when they do it it’s cute,” he shoves his hands deeper into his pockets. 

Are you saying I’m not cute? You don’t ask it. Not out loud. 

“Listen, it’s not my fault there was a fire right when I was in the gym.”

“Aren’t we required to bring our track jackets to gym though?”

“I left it in my locker because I thought I would get too hot…” you know how it sounded as it left your mouth. 

“So you didn’t listen to instructions?”

“...”

“This is your fault then.” 

You scoff, visibly annoyed, which only causes Kuroo’s smirk to widen. That, of course, pisses you off more. He’s right, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying. 

“What class were you in? Chemistry?” you change the subject, still slowly waddling while hugging yourself. 

“Yeah. The fire was from our room.” 

“What even happened?” 

“Someone didn’t clean their beaker correctly so there were remnants of previous chemicals. When we were doing our experiments today, it just so happened to be the wrong combination- so it started the fire.”  

“Don’t be shy, Kuroo. You can tell me you’re the one who started the fire, I won’t judge too hard,” you tease. 

“Tsk, please. I may be an idiot but I’m not that irresponsible…” the faintest of pouts pulls at his lips. 

You hum softly, and quietly say, “I know.” Considering everything that Kuroo was- clumsy and irresponsible wasn’t him. He was one of the most chaotic people you knew- only outdone by Bokuto- but he always took good care of the people around him. You usually witnessed this firsthand as the manager for your school’s volleyball team, watching him in all his captaining glory. He kept it together when they couldn’t. And he definitely kept it together when you couldn’t. Kuroo may not have been clumsy, but you definitely were. 

While you’re lost in your own head, Kuroo hears his name being called out. “Oi, Y/N, I’ll be right back. One of my lab members is calling me over. Don’t freeze to death in that time” 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” You dismiss him. 

But now in this moment alone with no annoying cat to distract you, the cold starts to overtake you at a faster pace. 

Dizzy from walking in circles, you attempt to shuffle side to side. You did little to pay attention to where you were going, though. Without realizing, you misstep, tripping over your own shoe, left foot digging into a fresh pile of snow when trying to catch yourself- the soft white fluff encasing everything below your ankle. 

Shit. 

The cold that had been nipping at your exterior had suddenly soaked your entire shoe and sock through- permeating through your skin and now racking your entire body with an aggressive wave of iciness. 

********************************4ish minutes later***************************************

Kuroo doesn’t know about this catastrophe on his walk back over. Instead, he’s internally planning on how to continue your teasing banter, his demeanor annoying (it was supposed to be a playful one, but with Kuroo it always just ended up being annoying). 

“Oya, did the cold freeze you stiff or what.” 

Any patience and energy you had left has frozen over.

“I’m fine,” you deadpan. 

Kuroo pauses. ...Oh no, he thinks.

If Bokuto has his emo mode, you have your moody mode. It’s a lot less predictable in comparison to Bokuto, but just as easy to remedy. A little bit of attention or a nice distraction usually does the trick.

“You’re cold,” Kuroo blatantly states.

 “I'm not.” Lie of the century and a dumb answer. But on instinct, you just felt like arguing. 

“I can see you shaking.” You’re indeed shaking like a leaf. 

“Then there’s something wrong with your eyes then...go see an eye doctor or something.” l a m e comeback- but your brain is now freezing up, too. You don’t want to agree with him. If you do, he’d probably just lecture you for not following directions and tell you to own up to it rather than sulk. He would be absolutely correct in saying so, but you really don’t care for logic right now. 

Kuroo huffs, taking a broad step into your little waddle circle and grabbing your shoulders to turn you around so you’re facing him. You shuffle back a bit at the sudden closeness, not that it did much to create distance between you two. It’s at that moment that you also realize the wind is no longer hitting your face- Kuroo’s blocking off the breeze with his back.

“Give me your hands.” Kuroo gently grabs your wrists, which were tucked under your arms. He pulls your hands up to his chest level and then proceeds to wrap his hands around your fingers. 

“Kuroo wh-what are you--” 

“Warming your extremities.”

“Hah?” 

“Your extremities, your fingers.”

“My… what?” 

“When you get cold, most of the heat in your body centralizes to your core to keep your internal organs warm. So that means the extremities of your body, such as your fingers and toes, get the coldest the fastest. They become prone to frostbite as a result and…”

Everything Kuroo says made perfect sense. Probably. You couldn’t really tell because everything also happened to be going in one ear and out the other. Even the sudden bout of irritation you had felt had suddenly disappeared. You can’t focus on anything but his hands. 

They’re markedly bigger than yours. Your fingers feel so tiny in his grasp. They’re calloused from all the volleyball. His grip is strong, unmoving, but it isn’t crushing or tight. Above all, they radiate warmth. Your stiff and numb fingers regain feeling, soothed by the heat of your best friend’s hands. 

You want nothing more than to look at them. You want to just see his hands wrapped around your fingers. But there was no way you were going to let Kuroo in on the fact that the physical contact stole every bit of attention you had. So instead, you just opt to blankly stare at him, pretending to listen to him nerd out. 

“... it’s the most effective way to mitigate the most harmful effects of the cold. We learned all this in biology, don’t you remember?” 

Still completely clueless about what Kuroo's saying, you just hum in agreement. 

He lets out an exasperated sigh. “You didn’t listen to a word I said did you.” He squeezes your fingers slightly to refocus your mind on him speaking, rather than… whatever you were daydreaming about. 

“Oh- uh… yeah. Sorry for spacing out…” you turn your face away from him. Spacing out was a usual occurrence for you, but for some reason when Kuroo brought attention to it this time, it had you feeling a lot more embarrassed. 

He scoffs a little bit, but his voice softens as he says, “You can space out, that’s fine, no need to feel weird about it, y/n.” He squeezes your fingers again while gently stroking the pad of your pointer finger with his thumb. Flustered as it makes you, it's also very calming. Calming enough that you’re able to make stable eye contact again. 

“I’m sorry for getting moody with you, Kuroo…” you murmur, sheepishly gazing up at him. 

His eyes are unreadable. “You don’t have to apologize for everything, y/n. It makes me feel a little weird... Just, like- say thank you instead.” 

You cock your head to the side, confused by his comment. 

He takes a deep breath, the condensation thick in front of his mouth. “You saying sorry all the time, it makes it seem like you think you’re a bother or something. You’re not.” This is getting too serious for his liking. A heart to heart in the middle of a fire drill? Not happening. He has to lighten it up. “ So...instead of putting yourself down, just praise me instead. Trust me, I love every ego boost I can get.” His signature Cheshire grin slowly emerges, prompting you to roll your eyes. “So don’t say, ‘sorry I wasn’t paying attention in biology 2 years ago-’ say, ‘thank you for re-educating me like the great tutor you are, Kuroo-kun~~’” 

He was a great tutor. He’s been helping you with science for 3 years. 

“Or! Or- ‘sorry for letting a volleyball smash into your face,’ you can say, ‘I’m thankful I didn’t damage your gorgeous face-’”

That incident was completely accidental but hilarious anyways. 

 Kuroo’s nonsensical yet insightful rambling continues, and it helps the embarrassment dissipate from within your chest, amusement taking its place.

“Oi! You narcissistic cat.” Kuroo stops his rambling and just stares at you. “Thanks for being there for me… and putting up with me no matter how emotional I can be..” 

Kuroo’s face twists into a smile (yes- a smile! Not a smirk this time) filled with genuine happiness. “No problem. Anything for you.”

Anything, huh. 

“Do you not feel cold anymore?” Kuroo quickly realizes his hands are still enclosed around your fingers, now gently resting against his chest. 

To be honest, your upper body feels like its on fire. Your face is hot and your heart is pounding like you had run 5 miles. By contrast, your lower body is frozen solid. Your skin is probably extremely cracked, and its stinging. Your feet are also blocks of ice, the revolting feeling of soaked sock ever-present. The two extreme sensations leave you feeling really uncomfortable. But your hands don’t feel hot, though. There was just the perfect amount of warmth- a tingly sensation buzzing through them and faintly running up to your heart.

“Uh, not as much. My feet are messed up but my upper body isn’t as bad.”

“Your feet? You mean your legs?” “No, my feet.”

“Heh? I get your legs- ‘cause of your shorts. But what happened to your feet? I thought you were stepping in other footsteps to avoid getting snow in them.”

“I was but uh I- kinda tripped and stepped right into the snow.” 

“...” 

A snort. “Dumbass. How do you even trip over your own feet?”

“...oh shut up, nerd.”

The beeps of a loudspeaker cut off your banter, indicating you could all go back inside. 

“Finally!” You sigh in relief. Although you would never admit it, a part of you didn’t wanna go back in yet. Which is stupid because HELLO you’re gonna get frostbite at this point. But you really didn’t wanna pull your hands away from Kuroo. Not yet.

Physical contact had always been pretty limited to slaps on the backs during the good games and pats on the shoulders during the bad. This type of closeness was a first, but was it also going to be the last?

Regardless, you knew it would be sus if you, the person who was now essentially a walking ice cube, lingered outside longer than literally anyone else. 

So you pull your hands out of his strong, warm, welcoming hold. 

“I’m gonna go pour some hot water on my legs and change my shoes… I’ll see you during practice, yeah?” 

Before he could respond, you turn around and hop away in the deepest footprints you can find.

You don’t seem as off as you were earlier, but now you were acting weird in a different way. Kuroo stands there for a second, but once he realizes that he can’t figure you out, he just sighs. Clueless as ever, he shrugs, stuffs his hands into his pockets, and then heads in. 

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

As you situate yourself in the bathroom and wipe down your legs with a towel soaked in hot water, you let the series of events finally sink into your slowly dethawing head. You aren’t sure if your face is warm to fight the cold or because of embarrassment. 

Pleasant as it was, you knew you couldn’t dwell on the things that just happened with Kuroo. Not for too long, at least. He was one of your closest friends- but just that. So you would have to freeze away whatever wack feelings that were dancing in your chest. It would be better that way for now. 

That’s what you’re gonna tell yourself, at least.

[athrialuxegna]

Stronger than she thinks Part 2

Triggers warning: mental and physical abuse, violence, swearing

Part 1 | Part 3

Fanfiction | Archiveofourown | Wattpad

It was 6 a.m when I walked out of the cafeteria and nearly choked on my saliva when I saw Eric and Brent. They were laughing at some joke. I couldn’t help but feel a slight twinge in my stomach. If only Eric knew what monster Brent was. Who was I kidding! Eric would not give a shit about this. They stopped in their tracks when they notice me. My face contorted with disgust at the sight of Brent’s horny eyes looking up and down my body. A cold shiver ran down my spine.

“Christine, long time no see.” Brent’s smirk was full of himself.

He had me cornered. Eric was staring at our exchange. It was really bad. If I backed away it would give too much information and the same if I retorted. Ugh, one week of more or less peace wasn’t enough. I became a real ninja since my encounter with Eric. I have succeeded to avoid both men, but my luck was wearing off today.

“My life was brighter without the sight of you. Such a shame you just ruined it.” My sarcastic tone enraged him, his ears turned red and his eyes shot fire. Good. Then he smirked. Oh, crap.

“You know you miss me, Chrissy.” His voice was hushed and seductive.

All color was drained from my face. My nails were digging in my palms, blood slowly spilling from the crescent wounds. This nickname rang a bell. He had called me that when he was all over me. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood in my mouth. Motherfucker!

“I have something better to do than talking to a prick like you.” I hissed back, turning on my heels.

“You’re so hot when you’re angry Chrissy.” He called after me.

A wave of entangled emotions was bubbling inside of me. It won’t be long before I break down. I began to run when I turn the corner. I went straight to the roof. The rain was pouring hard. Thick drops fell on my face and soaked my clothes. I screamed at the top of my lungs to the raging sky. I couldn’t take his attitude, his face nor his fucking nickname. I took out all my pent up anger and desperation onto the wall beside me. My knuckles hit the wall harder and harder until my knees gave out.  I imagined his face, as bloody as my hands, as shattered as my soul. I wish I could just disappear or forget what happened. Hot tears were streaming down my cheeks. Okay, maybe I was not drained yet.

“Why did you do this to me?” I asked to the raging sky, defeated.

“Why who did what to you?”

Eric’s deep voice startled me. He was standing right at the door, the only escape from the roof. Wonderful. I sighed deeply. I am so fucked, I thought. I felt like I was ready to jump from a cliff without a safety net awaiting me at the bottom. Everything was crashing down around me. I had nothing to lose now. Still, a part of me refused to admit what happened. My bruised ego wasn’t willing to let go. I closed my eyes a second before answering, my back still facing him.

“It’s none of your concern Eric,” I replied dryly.

The tears had stopped as soon as I heard his voice. I appeared weak enough right now to not turn around crying my eyes off. Eric came in front of me, crouching down to be near my level. His eyes more intense than usual as if he was trying to read my thoughts. I wished I wasn’t in the cafeteria earlier. I wished Eric would just ignore me.

“I know this is related to Brent.” I hold my breath at the name. “Tell me, Christine, what did he do to you?” His cold voice chilled me to the bone.

I shivered but held his gaze nonetheless. I shook my head in complete denial. Eric was the last person I wanted to confess to. Eyebrows furrowed and teeth clenched, I held my ground.

“Nothing.” My voice was surprisingly strong.

Eric huffed then closed the gap between us. His breath fanned my face, our noses nearly touching. My breath quickened at the sudden intrusion into my personal space. Tears brimmed in my eyes and I cursed my body for trembling like a leaf. Eric’s eyebrow quirked up, his piercings glistening at the movement. His icy blue eyes tore into my soul, curiosity burning inside them. However, his face was void of any emotion.

“Now, tell me why are you in such a state? You can’t fool me, Christine.” His low voice reached a deeper octave.

Seconds passed, I couldn’t bring myself to tare my eyes away from him. Even though I hated him to follow me up here. Didn’t he have better things to do? I closed my eyes and whispered finally.

“Brent raped me.”

My surrender cost me a lot. It was the final straw, the confirmation that my life became a living hell. Silence followed my confession. I found the courage to open my eyes. Eric was fuming, his gaze fixated on the ground. A hole would appear any second in the concrete at this point. His clenched jaw and fists told me that he was on the verge of losing his self-control. I didn’t know if it was a good or a bad thing. Was he angry at Brent for doing this? Or was he angry because Brent might lose his job as his consultant? So many questions swirled in my mind when his sharp voice cut the dreadful silence.

“When?”

“Monday night,” I replied curtly, not trusting my voice further.

“Son of a bitch.” He muttered under his breath. “We have to report to Max. Brent has to respond to his crime.”

His words held a finality that scared me. Will he report with or without my consent? His entire demeanor screamed that he was ready to bolt for Max’s office any second. I shot him a wary look and shook my head. It can’t be happening so fast. I hadn’t processed the whole thing yet.

I needed some time to prepare myself for the incoming battle. Should I say the truth or should I lie? An investigation won’t do anything without my word. Brent set up the whole thing, there was no proof. Unless… I went to the infirmary to be examined. No way, no one would ever touch me again or see my lady parts.

“Max won’t know anything. Brent can’t be judged for his crime because of the circumstances.” I retorted with annoyance.

“What circumstances? Rape is rape for fuck’s sake.” Growled Eric.

“You wouldn’t understand because I can’t even figure it out myself,” I admitted bitterly. “Cowardice is my crime.”

“What do you mean?” Something flickered in his eyes.

“While he was…” I trailed off. “I couldn’t move a muscle, my body won’t cooperate. I was helpless, an empty shell. I could just watch and... feel.”

The words ran out of my mouth before my brain could register. I wished I could disappear or that Eric would magically teleport somewhere else. I felt my cheeks burn from embarrassment and shame. I lowered my gaze onto the floor, I couldn’t look at him after saying this.

“It is pretty common during a traumatic experience. Your brain shuts down to protect you, it’s a defensive response.” He explained with a rather know-it-all voice.

A surge of unknown anger bubbled inside of me. His nose side triggered something deep. I huffed and threw my arms around to avoid punching him. His psychological bullshit wouldn’t help me to get rid of my guilt.

“I was a coward nonetheless and I’ll remain as long as I can’t forgive myself. Where’s the Eric I know, the ruthless leader? He would just say to suck it up and get on with my life or I would end up Factionless. Why do you care anyway? Just throw me over the roof already to end my misery!” I yelled.

Eric stood still, unfazed by my sudden outburst. He crossed his arms over his broad chest and waited until I calmed a little bit. His eyes boring holes into my skull.

“Enjoy, this is the only chance you’ve got to shout at me.” He smirked briefly. “No matter what you think of me Chris, this is part of my job to ensure the security of all Dauntless members. The only way to protect you and other women is to send him to justice.”

I growled inwardly. He was right. Brent should be stopped as soon as possible. He could do worse in the meantime. I sighed deeply and bowed my head. I was conflicted. Part of me wasn’t willing to give in. My intimacy had already been violated. I didn’t need a nurse looking down there now. I was selfish, I knew, but it was easier to ignore it than to face it. Tell me about being Dauntless, huh.

“I’ll tell you when I’m ready to report this,” I muttered.

Eric’s lips twitched up at the corners in an almost genuine smile. My heart skipped a beat at the sight, his face always tight and closed was a bit relaxed. Bewitched Eric returned. His changing demeanor was unnerving, I didn’t know what to expect next.

“We should go back inside to take care of your knuckles. Unless you want to catch the flu.”

He turned on his heels and stalked away. He didn’t seem bothered by the rain drenching his clothes and hair. I followed him down in the compound. The cold hallways made me shiver. My soaked clothes clang awkwardly to my body. I certainly looked like a penguin with a stick shoved up his ass or a pathetic excuse of a cowboy, walking after hours of riding a horse. We didn’t say a word until he took a turn I hadn’t expected. He was leading me down the leaders’ quarter. I stopped dead in my tracks.

“Why do you bring me here?” I questioned warily.

“You prefer Marlene’s questioning?” He retorted coolly.

I began to walk again. Marlene was the head of the infirmary, a curious young woman who couldn’t hold her tongue. Eric’s smirk returned to his lips. He was himself again. Good. We entered his apartment. It was huge, tidy, and neat as if no one lived here. There was classical furniture, a black leather couch, a table, a full bookshelf. Three closed doors faced us, which lead to the kitchen, the washroom, and the bedroom, I presumed. Eric went into one of the rooms to get me spare clothes.

“You can use the bathroom to take a shower and change. We’ll take care of your knuckles after.” He pointed to the door closest to me.

I nodded and took the clothes from his hands. He disappeared quickly through the same door. I guessed he had a bathroom connected to his bedroom. Perks of being a leader. The hot water hit me and washed my emotions. Reality dawned on me. Eric knew. He was the only one other than Brent. How will it go between both men? They were working together, how was this supposed to go well?

I hoped that Eric would not do anything impulsive. It would only worsen the situation I was in. I didn’t even know what was the law regarding rape. Did it even exist? I wasn’t sure. Rape was a rare occurrence in Dauntless, exceptional trials that I’ve never seen in my twenty-five years here.

I tried to escape from my thoughts while drying myself. I get changed. Eric gave me one of his shirts, a large hoodie, and jogging. It smelt like him, his scent surrounded me. A mix of mint and leather. A strange sense of security settled in me. A knock on the door resonated.

“Are you finished?” Eric asked through the door.

“Yes, you can come in,” I responded, slightly surprised by his thoughtfulness. He could have barged into the room with no care in the world. We were in his apartment after all.

The door opened and Eric walked in. He changed into a similar outfit to mine. I couldn’t recall the last time I’ve seen him in anything other than his leaders’ attire. His tight shirt outlined his toned chest and his jogging hang low on his hips, I could catch a glimpse of his smooth skin. I adverted my eyes elsewhere, disturbed by my wandering mind. I was raped a week ago and I drooled over him. Something was definitely wrong with me. Did Brent hit me too hard?

I’d lie if I said that he wasn’t handsome, but Eric was Eric. He was untouchable, a leader, and most importantly the bearer of my secret. I needed to suppress the reminiscence of my crush on him. It wasn’t the time nor the best circumstances and, let’s be real, Eric could have any other Dauntless girl. So why bother with me?

Eric opened a drawer and took a first-aid kit without glancing at me. I had washed all the dry blood from my hands. The cuts were visible now. I let him take care of them. His rough hands were gentle and he kept space between us. I appreciated the gesture even though his changing behavior unsettled me. He bandaged my hands then cleaned all the supplies.

“If you want to fight find a real opponent. Next time the wall will win. Your bones are not that tough.” He remarked, his eyes resting on me.

“I wish I could kill him with my bare hands but it would do me no good.” I huffed while rolling my eyes.

“You could call me next time.” His voice light as a feather.

“What? You’ll do worse than the wall, Eric.” I responded, crossing my arms over my chest.

His laugh filled the bathroom. I’ve never heard it before. I was stunned for a second, processing what I was witnessing. I must’ve looked at him like he had grown two heads because he composed himself and raised an eyebrow.

“What?” The ghost of a smile lingering on his lips.

“I’ve never heard you laugh before,” I said without thinking.

His serious expression returned as well as his cold blue eyes. The Eric I knew was finally back.

“Now get out of here. I have work to do.” He dismissed.

I was about to leave when I look at him with worried eyes. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Come on, I won’t do anything about your secret without your consent.” He practically growled.

“Thanks, Eric.” I nodded slightly then walked out of the apartment.

Once alone dread fell onto me. I went to the tattoo parlor, my safe haven. Tori was cleaning her stuff when I walked in. She smiled at me and beckoned me to come with her to one of the tattoo stalls. I joined her and sit on the tattoo chair as if I belonged in here.

“Hey, Chris you want something today?” She asked, taking a sit by the chair I sat on.

“Yop Tori. I think I’ve got an idea.”

I explained to her what I wanted. She drew the design, it was better than what I have expected. The buzzing of the machine soothed me. It was a tough pleasure to get tattooed. The needles were in and out of my skin, the dull ache growing in my back. Tori hadn’t talked since the beginning.

“Now, would you tell me why you’re wearing man’s clothes and have your knuckles bandaged?” She asked out of nowhere.

I tensed slightly then relaxed not to mess up the tattoo.

“I ended up getting caught in the storm outside. Someone get me spare clothes. ” I answered carefully.

Tori hummed in response. Silence fell upon us once again. I must have fallen asleep because Tori woke me up by shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see a large smile on her face.

“Good nap, sleeping beauty?” She mocked.

“Sorry, I won’t do it again,” I replied, stretching my sore muscles.

“Don’t do promises you can’t keep, Chris.” She laughed.

Every time Tori tattooed me I fell asleep in no time. I smiled and get up to see my back in the mirror. The beautiful Phoenix, wings spread, was looking back at me. It was stunning, the fine details made it seem real. A masterpiece that took my entire back. Satisfied and happy, I turned to Tori.

“This is wonderful. Thanks, Tori.”

She nodded and was called by another customer. I waved goodbye and took my leave. I didn’t know what to do on my days off. Even more so now that I didn’t have any friends to spend time with. I missed hanging around with Jenna and Kate. I have encounter neither of them since their visit in my apartment. A dull ache crushed my ribcage, I was alone. Brent took everything from me. He took more than my innocence, he destroyed my life. I couldn’t trust anyone, not fully at least. There will still be a doubt, a “what if” that will ruin my relationships. I wandered in the Pit like a lost soul. It was becoming full. I sat on a rock and watched Dauntless members passing by.

A hand fell on my shoulder. I jerked away and turned around to face Four. My eyebrows furrowed as my heart calmed his frantic beats. He looked tired, working in the control room took its toll on him. He seemed more dynamic when he was training the initiates. He arbored a somber expression, his eyes boring into mine.

“Chris we have to talk about something. In private.” He muttered.

I gulped, it wasn’t something good. Four had to know something to appear out of nowhere to talk. He had seen something. Cameras were all over the compound. Brent couldn’t avoid all of them. I didn’t want anyone to see what happened. If they were a trial, it would be watched by so many people. My body shivered and I get up to follow Four in an empty hallway. We stood a few feet apart, staring at each other, choosing our words carefully.

“Chris, I saw what happened Monday night. Eric and I were talking about the next initiation when the screens showed you and Brent.”

Eric knew before I confessed. I felt betrayed that he didn’t tell me. I swallowed thickly and shook my head. The situation was getting out of my hands. I needed to get out of here. The pitiful gaze Four cast on me made me sick. I couldn’t take his soft eyes. I turned around and ran as if I was chased by a werewolf.

I turned the corner and crashed into a strong body. My eyes settled on Brent. He had his arms wrapped around my waist to keep me from falling. His intense brown orbs plunged into my emerald irises. My body stiffened and I wriggled in his grasp to get free. It only made him tighten his grip.

“Oh Chrissy, I knew you would run after me.” His low voice rang in my ears.

I tried to pry him away from me to no use, he was way too strong. His lips graced my neck, a cold shiver ran down my spine.

“Brent get off me. I don’t want you.” I growled.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway. Brent let me go and I bolt out of here. Eric was right. Brent had to be brought to justice or he will continue. I went into my apartment and closed myself for the rest of the day. I didn’t eat this evening. I was feeling sick at the idea of explaining what happened to Max and the other leaders. My night had been restless, haunted by horrible nightmares.

[hiddendreamer67]

Enemies to Lab Partners to Make Out Session Associates

This is a commissioned piece for @eat-moar-veggis for their sanders sides OC ask blog: @ask-villegas-sides . 

Summary: When Flint, the science teacher and also Beckett’s dad, paired up Beckett with Reese on a group project to help them ‘grow closer’, he never could have anticipated how close the boys would actually grow. Also featuring guidance counselor Lev.

Commission info available here! Commissions are open! :)

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“Dad, please, don’t pair me up with Reese.” Beckett begged, staying after class with his father, Flint, the high school Chemistry teacher. “He’s insufferable.”

“You seem to be under the impression that everyone is insufferable.” Flint mused.

“Well, it’s true!” Beckett said exasperatedly. “But he’s extra insufferable. No, he’s just extra, period.”

“Is that a slang term?” Flint asked, stacking a few student’s papers on his desk so it appeared more orderly.

“Yes, dad, it’s slang, and in this case it means bad.” Beckett groaned. “Reese is the epitome of everything wrong with the world. He likes crowds, and people, and things.”

“You like ‘things’, as you put it so delicately.” Flint was clearly fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

“Yeah, but not theatre things.” Beckett stuck out his tongue. “Or jock things. He’s probably gonna end up shoving the whole project onto my plate, and if that happens I’m not doing it so I need a new partner.”

Flint paused, putting a hand to his chin as if he was considering the proposition. “I always wondered what it would feel like to fail my own son.”

Beckett immediately paled at his words. “Dad, you’re…you’re not serious, right?”

“I’m always serious.” Flint assured him, gesturing to his necktie as further evidence to his serious nature. “Beckett, it’s a group assignment, not the end of the world.”

“Sounds the same to me.” Beckett muttered.

“Beckett, I will not be having any more disruptions in my class.” Flint said, his voice turning stern as he glared down over the bridge of his nose. “You and Reese have been solely responsible for three interruptions in my class in the past week. I will stand for it no longer. Pairing you two up is my last warning for you two to get. Along. If I don’t see the two of you growing close over this assignment, I will be forced to report your behavior to the school board and fail you both for this project.”

“Dad!” Beckett’s jaw dropped, shocked at how harsh his dad could be.

“My word is final, Beckett.” Flint gave a nod to the door. “I trust you heard my declaration as well, Reese?”

Beckett turned to see the theatre athlete standing in the door frame, looking as though he was about to knock. Reese lowered his hand, looking sheepish. “…clearly, Mr. Flint.”

“Good.” Flint seemed pleased with this resolution. “Then I trust you two will spend the rest of your study hall getting started instead of moaning to me about how unjust my decisions are. The library should be an ideal place to set up.”

“The library should be an ideal place to set up.” Reese mocked, only for his eyes to widen in horror as he realized he said that out loud. “I mean, uh, meet you there!”

“No running in the halls!” The counselor’s called from the hall, the sounds of frantic footfalls slowing only slightly on the tiled floors.

“Guess I better go after him.” Beckett muttered, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets and trudging down the hall.

It wasn’t fair. His dad shouldn’t be able to force Beckett to behave with Reese as if he could just shove them into one of those two-person ‘get along’ shirts. This was totally embarrassing! Beckett didn’t even care about the stupid grade in the first place, having planned on bailing the second he figured out his partner, but now he had to actually make- ugh, an effort- so that he didn’t end up on the gallows in front of the entire school board.

“You’re late.” Reese commented the moment Beckett arrived, setting the teen’s teeth on edge.

“Well, you cheated.” Beckett growled. “And you’re a prick.”

“Ah, I see you’re just as pleasant outside of daddy’s class as you are inside.” Reese rolled his eyes with a smile. He held out his palm. “Give me your phone.”

“What the hell? No.” Beckett frowned, considering this to be the world’s worst mugging attempt.

“I’m not stealing it.” Reese rolled his eyes again. He seemed to do that a lot. “I’m just going to put in my phone number.”

“Why can’t I have your phone, then?” Beckett raised an eyebrow.

“Uh, and get your weird witchy cult vibes all over it?” Reese looked like he was pretending to gag. “No thanks.”

“You shouldn’t insult me if you want something.” Beckett argued.

“You walked in here and immediately called me a prick.” Reese deadpanned.

“Well, you said I was late.”

“’Cause you were.”

“Maybe you were just stupidly early.”

The two were quiet for a moment, irritated energy practically seething off of them both.

“A truce, then.” Reese decreed, pulling out a pen and paper. He wrote down his number, sliding it across the table to Beckett who typed it into his phone. Reese’s own phone dinged a moment later, and he pulled it out to check the message.

B: Hey stupid.

Reese rolled his eyes, not even bothering to reply as he tucked the phone back into his pocket. “I don’t just hand out my phone number to everyone, so treat this as a privilege. Don’t abuse it.”

Beckett raised an eyebrow, a silent challenge. “You got it.”

A moment later Reese’s phone dinged again, so he pulled it out.

B: Made ya look. ;p

“Oh, real mature.” Reese huffed, putting his phone back and not deigning Beckett with a response. Beckett seemed content to keep staring down at his phone, a series of chimes coming from Reese’s pocket again. “Beckett, I swear on Evan Hansen himself I will block your number.”

Okay, yeah, maybe Beckett was being a little immature. But watching the steam metaphorically blow out of Reese’s ears when he saw the stream of penguin emojis he kept endlessly sending made it all worth it. Who knows? Maybe messing with Reese wasn’t his dad’s intended goal of this pairing, but it was certainly a nice side effect. Eventually, Beckett stopped sending penguins long enough to agree on a time to meet up after class, the bell indicating their study period was over.

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B: You’re late.

Beckett tapped his foot impatiently, trying not to let his anxiety overwhelm him while he waited. This was where they always met, having started meeting up regularly a month ago. He had already checked, double-checked, and triple-checked their meeting spot twenty times on his phone in the last ten minutes. There it was, plain as day: Reese had said to meet at the library at 4:00 today. Now it was 4:20 (holla), and Beckett was considering ghosting Reese for the rest of existence.

But no, that wouldn’t work. With his luck Becket messed up which library they were supposed to meet at and Reese was going to be mad at him and then Beckett’s dad would think he wasn’t trying to make this work and they’d both fail and Reese would hate him forever-

…wait. Why did he care what Reese thought of him?

Beckett scrambled for his phone, hearing an almost silent ‘ding!’ in the foreboding silence of the library.

R: So sorry, practice is running late. Be there in five?

Practice? Practice for what? Beckett couldn’t even begin to guess. It seemed that Reese had a habit of signing himself up for quite literally everything the school offered. Beckett could never keep track of all that, and he never wanted to either; who needed all that unwanted pressure? High school was bad enough, thank you.

Beckett bounced his leg, nervously watching the clock count with agonizing slowness. It felt weird, just sitting here alone in the library where anybody could be staring at him. He knew the others were judging him. Beckett could feel their stares on the back of his neck, and took solitude in trying to distract himself with his phone. The battery was dying.

4:29. No sign of the jock in sight. Should he text again? Was that rude?

Beckett shook his head. This was ridiculous, he wasn’t the rude one. Reese had practically ditched him after making this plan in the first place.

B: You’re still late.

Even knowing he was in the right, Beckett held his breath as those three little dots appeared, indicating the thespian was typing.

R: Sorry!! This might take a while. Mind meeting me at the football field?

Yes, Beckett did mind; he minded very much. The football field was where kids like Beckett got beat up- not that Beckett went there often enough for that to happen, but cliché teenage Rom Coms never lie. Still, Beckett had nothing better to do, and he needed Reese to pull his weight in this project. It was with no small amount of grumbling that Beckett reminded himself that Reese was a… surprisingly competent partner. For a jock, anyway.

B: Be there in five.

Unlike Reese, Beckett actually meant it. His anxiety wouldn’t allow him to be tardy for fear of disappointing someone, even if that someone was a theatre kid with his gigantic head stuck in a football helmet.

He wasn’t going because he wanted to, in fact frankly Beckett would rather be just about anywhere else. Of all the activities he refused to participate in, sports was at the top. He couldn’t imagine exhausting himself, all eyes on him as he put his body through strenuous situations of his own free will. It was suicide. Not to mention, people got so invested in sports games; how did the players deal with all that pressure? If you missed the ball, you were letting the entire school down. And, even if you won (highly unlikely, given their football record the past few years), the opposing team would still hate you for making them lose. No matter what, you ended up sweaty and boo-ed. Yeah, no thanks.

But, as he turned the corner, Beckett’s eyes widened at all the muscled high school boys, realizing they were divided into shirts and skins. His heart rate increased, and he wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing that Reese was part of the half that was shirtless because on the one hand oh my god he’s so hot I’m too gay for this- and on the other hand how dare he look that hot I’m supposed to be mad at him.

…so maybe not all aspects of sports were inherently evil.

“Hey, Beckett!” Reese gave him a wave, jogging over to meet him with a smile on his face. Beckett’s own face flushed, and he burrowed further into his oversized hoodie. How did Reese manage to look so comfortable in his own skin when he was only wearing half his clothes?! Totally unfair. “I’m so sorry about all this, coach just wants us to run a few more plays before we’re done for the evening. But I figured it’d be best if you were here, so we can get started as soon as we’re done. Do you want to watch?”

I would like that very much. Beckett gave an awkward cough, shoving that thought into the far recesses of his mind. “Uh, yeah, I could do that, I guess.”

Reese gave a nod of acknowledgement, jogging back to his team as they did…a sports thing. Beckett couldn’t really comprehend what was going on, but the men seemed to be running back and forth a few times across the field.

Beckett looked up at the bleachers, deciding to take a seat while he waited. A few friends of the football players were up here as well, including a scattering of girlfriends. Beckett let them keep the front few rows and instead climbed his way to the very top where he could avoid having a social interaction ever.

The autumn wind was chillier up here, and Beckett pulled his jacket tighter around his chest. How was Reese not freezing out there? Granted, he was running around and sweating up a storm, but he was still shirtless. Why was the coach being so cruel? Would Reese catch a cold? That would be awful, especially since Beckett didn’t know how to cook soup to make him feel better- THE PROJECT! It would be awful because Reese wouldn’t be able to help him with the project. That was most certainly the only reason.

It was times like these Beckett truly loathed his dad for trying to force him to get along with the annoying hot popular guy. The world was already in love with Reese, so what did it care what Beckett thought? Beckett was nothing. He was the discarded gum that got stuck to the bottom of people like Reese’s shoes, only to be scraped off at their earliest convenience. People in high school shouldn’t be put up on a pedestal, and Beckett used to have no qualms about putting Reese in his place because Beckett was so low on the food chain he had nothing to lose.

Now, Beckett felt like he was on the brink of losing everything he had never gained in the first place.

“BECKETT!”  The emo jumped, startled out of his depressing thoughts when he heard his name being called. He glanced down, seeing Reese at the bottom of the bleachers, a towel wrapped around his shoulders. The idiot was still shirtless. “PRACTICE IS OVER!”

Did that mean Beckett should come down? He assumed so. Carefully he descended the stairs, feeling uncomfortable at the sensation of being watched. Reese was definitely watching, and a few other bystanders turned to give him curious glances as well. Beckett must be the first cryptid to ever show up to football practice.

“Put on a shirt.” Beckett muttered, not looking Reese in the eye when he finally got to the bottom of the stairs.

Reese blinked, seeming surprised by this statement as he glanced down at his bare chest. When he looked up, the smirk on Reese’s face made Beckett want the earth to swallow him whole. “Why? Like what you see? Is my herculean frame too distracting for your mortal presence?”

“You’re gonna catch a cold.” Beckett huffed, which only seemed to make things worse as Reese let out a sort of squeal.

“Aww, I knew you care.” Reese cooed, and now Beckett wanted to die on the spot.

“Yeah, because a dead lab partner doesn’t do me any good.” Beckett said defensively, his shoulders hiking up to his ears. “But a partner that ditches isn’t any better.”

Reese paused, the smile on his face quickly falling. “I- you’re right, I’m sorry-“

“Whatever.” Beckett cut him off. “Just get your clothes on and let’s go.”

Reese nodded, quickly pulling on his shirt and letterman jacket, red in an obnoxious way that made his eyes pop. He fell in step beside Beckett, the two walking in a tense silence as they headed back towards the building.

“I really am sorry.” Reese spoke up softly. “I wasn’t thinking, I forgot about practice, but I thought it’d be fast enough that you wouldn’t notice. I should have texted you earlier.”

“Yeah, I get it, you’re too busy.” Beckett shrugged, trying to act like it wasn’t a big deal.

“No, that’s no excuse.” Reese said firmly. “Your time is just as important as mine, and I wasted it. I need to make it up to you. Do you like coffee? I can take you out sometime.”

“What, like a date?” Beckett teased, trying to keep his tone light and not as hopeful as his traitorous heart would believe. “If you wanted to get into my pants you could’ve just said so.”

Now that was the wrong thing to say to your growing crush. Even worse was the way Reese froze up, his face turning brighter than a cherry tomato.

“No, that’s not-!” Reese stammered, looking offended, and Beckett’s heart plummeted at the thought of being rejected even in a joke. “I would never be so crass, or forward, especially without- I mean, your intentions are important too, I wouldn’t just force myself on you like that, I was trying to be a gentleman about it-“

“Wait, what?” Now it was Beckett’s turn to blush tomato red. “Are you- you’re serious? About the pants stuff?”

“NO!” Reese’s shriek of indignation was so high-pitched Beckett could have mistaken it for a girl. “Certainly not off the bat. But- the ah, the date? I mean, maybe? Oh Lin Manuel Miranda, I never even asked if you’re into guys-“

“I am.” Beckett interrupted, a bit too suddenly for his own good. “Into you, too.” Was this a joke? Was Beckett being pranked? He didn’t exactly love the idea of a bunch of popular guys deciding to gang up and craft a plot to break his heart. Still, even as his anxiety tried to suggest such a nefarious scheme, Beckett couldn’t picture Reese being part of it, especially as the thespian had been reduced to a blushing, stammering mess at Beckett’s feet.

“Maybe…” Beckett swallowed, hoping he was making the right decision here. Good lord Romance was not his department. “Ugh, this is just… let’s start with coffee, okay?”

Reese visibly relaxed, as though a huge weight had been taken off his shoulders. “Coffee it is.”

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So, they had started with coffee dates.

And then coffee dates turned into regular dates.

And then came the hand holding, the soft kisses, and then… more.

Beckett wasn’t actually sure if Reese was his boyfriend, but there certainly should be a shorter title than Lab Partner who Occasionally Disappears Into the Back Room With Me For Super Hot Make Out Sessions.

Unfortunately, the privacy of the back room came with the unspoken caveat that while Beckett had access, it was truly his father’s prep room, and it was only a matter of time before they were caught.

“You know, while I did express that I wanted you two to grow closer as individuals, this is a bit closer than I anticipated.” Flint deadpanned, flicking on the light.

“Dad!” Beckett frantically shoved away from Reese, trying in vain to disguise the fact that moments ago his hands were wandering beneath the jock’s shirt while Reese ran his fingers through Beckett’s hair. (Beckett was pleased to note Reese’s chest felt as good as he imagined ever since that football practice).

“Professor Flint!” Reese said hastily, his face ashen as he looked like a frightened doe. Goodness gracious did Beckett just want to kiss that adorable look off his face. It was a pity his gay thoughts would not assist the situation at hand.

“Reese. Beckett.” Flint’s tone was eerily calm, the kind of scary dad tone that indicated he was about two seconds from blowing up. The teacher took in a long, tense breath, seeming to be calculating something in his mind. “I think you should both count yourselves grateful that I have discovered you on school property, and thus have an obligation to follow the necessary procedures.”

Uh oh. Beckett was tense, stepping forward to follow his father as he gave a wave of his hand. Reese moved to follow too, Flint pushing the high schoolers apart so that they stood on either side of him and had a few feet of separation.

“Where are we going?” Reese asked timidly, more nervous than Beckett usually heard him.

“The guidance counselor.” Flint’s tone was clipped now, clearly more annoyed at Reese considering he was the one discovered making out with Flint’s son. “You both have behaved wildly inappropriately.”

Reese and Beckett exchanged a glance, both thinking the same thing: We’re screwed.

Flint raised his knuckles, raping on the hardwood door. There was a pleasant “Come in!” spoken from inside, and Flint’s posture seemed to relax somewhat as he opened the door.

“Good afternoon, Lev.” Flint smiled, and Beckett found it strange to see his father acting so laid back in his greeting. Beckett didn’t know his dad even knew the counselor. Did they talk behind his back?

“Oh, heya Flint!” Lev, the guidance counselor, greeted him in turn. “Nice to see you too, Beckett. And who’s this young man?”

“This is Reese.” Beckett jerked his thumb towards the guy he makes out with sometimes.

“How do you know Beckett?” Reese blurted.

“Oh, he comes in here all the time.” Lev explained with a wave of his hand. “I love having him as company.”

Beckett shuffled his feet. “Lev helps with my anxiety.”

“Be that as it may, I think it will be more beneficial to get to the matter at hand.” Flint remained standing, watching the boys sit like two properly scolded school children. The analogy was quite accurate. “I have just apprehended these two boys engaging in… suggestive acts within my lab prep room.” Lev stifled a giggle, causing Flint to frown. “What’s so funny?”

“Sorry Flinty, I know this is serious.” Lev put on his serious face, making Flint’s lip twitch up. “Now boys, care to explain your side of the story?”

“No.” Beckett answered honestly, shrinking in on himself as he tucked his knees up to his chest.

Reese sent him a glare, which clearly was meant to say ‘Don’t you dare abandon me now, you traitor.’

“Ah…that would be an accurate description.” Reese conceded. “Beckett and I thought the privacy was, um, ideal, for… kissing.”

“Just kissing?” Lev clarified, immediately making everyone else in the room twice as uncomfortable.

“Yes, just- just kissing.” Reese looked ready to spontaneously combust. “With some touching, but clothed, and-“

“I do believe we have an accurate image of the event.” Flint raised his voice, cutting Reese off before the image could get more engrained into the poor father’s head.

“Yes, agreed.” Lev nodded. “Boys, I think you’re both smart enough to know that acts of PDA are not allowed on school grounds, especially to that extreme. Save it for when you get home.”

“Or not at all.” Flint couldn’t help but tack on. Beckett rolled his eyes, but this seemed to be a very poor choice as Flint gave him the dad glare. “Do you disagree, young man?”

“…no sir.” Beckett winced, his eyes soon staring down at his lap.

“With all due respect, I do disagree.” Reese spoke up, and Beckett’s eyes snapped to him instead. The jock had puffed out his chest, clearly acting with a confidence he didn’t fully possess. “I think I have a right to physically show my appreciation for my wonderful boyfriend, in moderation.”

Boyfriend. He said boyfriend. Beckett couldn’t help but grin like an idiot. His now-boyfriend was such an idiot, and Beckett loved him so much. Hopefully he wasn’t about to die by his father’s wrath.

The room was unbelievably tense, Reese and Flint caught in a staring match. Flint was cold and unyielding, while Reese was firm but polite. Jeez, what had Beckett ever done to deserve such a gentleman to stand up for him like that? Even if it was about something as trivial as steamy make out sessions, Beckett couldn’t help but feel his heart swell.

“They’re just kids, Flint.” Lev spoke up softly, going over to put a hand on Flint’s arm. Flint broke away from the staring match, looking into Lev’s eyes with an unreadable expression.

Lev turned back to the boys, giving them a small smile. “Now, since this is your first offence, only a verbal warning is required, so don’t let the two of us catch you making out in any more closets.”

“Yes sir.” Both boys spoke in unison, the tips of their ears turning red in embarrassment.

“Reese, I do believe the two of us will need to have a chat, off school grounds, about the nature of your relationship with my son.” Flint spoke up, in full dad mode.

Reese gulped, giving a stiff nod as now he was properly shamed. “Understood, sir.”

“Well, sounds like everything is working itself out!” Lev clapped his hands happily. “You boys are excused, have fun you too.”

“We will!” Reese assured him, flinching at Flint’s gaze. “Ah, an appropriate amount.”

Beckett hurried out the door after him, nearly missing the way Lev was asking Flint to grab coffee with him. Wait, was that a coffee date? Beckett definitely needed more details about that later. In the meantime, though, Beckett had a super hot idiot to thank for defending his honor.

Beckett fell into step beside Reese, slipping his fingers between his boyfriend’s and leaning close to whisper in the thespian’s ear. “Want to get off school property?”

“Sweet mother of pearl, yes.” Reese said breathlessly, the two racing each other to the door.

[getoutofthewater]

@dbhrarepairs Friday Day 5: Unexpected Rescue

[Tina/Chloe]

Rating:  T

Warnings: None

Words: 4,101 [AO3 Link]

Notes:  Sailor!Tina / Mermaid!Chloe AU

To say that nobody had wanted her to do this was an understatement; her father had told her that if she went and did such a thing he didn’t want her to shadow the step of his house ever again, while her mother and sister cried. Tina felt very sorry for them, especially for Amy. Her younger sister had been the perfect child to their parents, always did what she was told to, even when she was told to marry some buffoon only because it was a good match to push forward their Dad’s trading business.

Their Dad had gone to Tina first, being the eldest, but Tina had put her foot down on that, and her father had too much sense to push it, let’s his eldest daughter offend the head of the Wang family and ruin the professional and personal bonds he and his wife had been cultivating so carefully for years

“Anyhow” Mrs. Chen had told her husband “Amy is prettier, younger and a better cook, Enjie Wang really should be glad you are offering her hand to his son, Yifei looks like a diseased penguin”

Amy had married the diseased penguin, but who had helped her sister through her very frightful first pregnancy? Who had held her during her morning sickness, and gone to the shops no matter how late because she wanted something to make her feel better, it had been Tina.

Yifei, had done nothing, he never did anything around the house (not even watch after the children), just like their father; while Amy wasted away with pregnancy after pregnancy, and Tina did the chores (cooking, laundry, cleaning) none of it was good enough for their father and Amy’s husband however.

Tina had no intention of staying around, when Gavin had told her he was going to go work in the docks, with the hopes of being a sailor, she’d envied him so much. Why could he go and have adventures while she had to stay home? Where her parents expected her to marry some other selfish, ugly man Tina would have to have ugly children for and pick up after him just as if he were another child, one she’d never be able to get rid of until she grew old, tired and bitter and she outlived him out of spite.

She’d told Gavin she wanted to go with him, she could do anything he could do. He hadn’t laughed at her, as anyone else would have done, or screamed at her, as her father would do.

“You watch my back, I watch yours, Chen!” Gavin said with a smirk

She’d told her father she wanted to live with Gavin at the docks, because she was a truthful daughter if nothing else. Her parent’s first thought went to her virtue, which was never safer than when she was with Gavin, since Gavin didn’t look at women that way, and Tina didn’t ever notice men more than she was forced to; the fact that Gavin was the saving grace of the sex in her life seemed to point at some really great flaw within the entire human race.

“I’m not eloping with Gavin” Tina said “I want to work at the docks with him!”

That’s when her father had told her if she did such a thing she didn’t have to bother coming back, and so she hadn’t.

At first she pretended to be a man, Gavin cut her hair, got her clothes she fixed to fit to her short height by herself, William Tayloring it all around the place had been easy enough, until they were expected to live all on top of each other like the rats in the ship with the other seamen, still they had gone almost two years like that until she’d been discovered and taken to the Captain. Gavin barked so much about it he’d been taken with her, an accomplice, when he could have just kept quiet and wash his hand off her mess.

“You can’t sack us you dick!” Gavin was shouting as soon as they entered the Captain’s cabin “Chen and I do more for this piece of crap ship than 10 of those other useless pricks”

“Yeah!” Tina said, although she wasn’t in any way a jaw-me-down like Gavin was, they had to pull together right now “I have been doing everything Gavin has for years, why can’t women be sailors too?”

“Most seamen are superstitious men” One of the High Officials said to her, his pale blue eyes cold and steely “Women in ships are bad luck, they anger the sea gods, they say”

“The figurehead of the ship is a woman!” Tina argued

“A topless woman can appease the seas“ Master Allen said matter of factly

“I wonder who made that up!” Tina said, not that Tina didn’t enjoy looking at the beautiful, full figure and ample bosom of the figurehead, but her point still stood “And unless you think sea gods are as easily tricked as mortal men, they haven’t seem to mind me being here”

“Having the crew be… distracted would be dangerous in itself, on top of any superstitious hysteria she may cause” Master Allen was really Tina’s least favourite crew member

“Who would be distracted by Chen?” Gavin said in honest disbelief “Look at her! If there’s a girl less like that figurehead it’s her”

“Yeah!” Tina agreed

“Am I to understand there’s nothing between the two of you?” Captain Fowler inquired

“For fucks sake!”

“Over my dead body, disgusting!”

Gavin and Tina said looking at each other like they had not seen anything more repugnant in their lives

“And it’s not like I want anything from any of the rest of them either,” Tina said firmly “I have seen them in the nude and throwing up and pooping, the smell of the sleeping quarters is something else, They have showed me some pretty nasty stuff, rashes and boils in their, you know, ‘roosters’”

“Miss Chen!” Allen said in a tone that perfectly replicated that of Tina’s mother

“I feel sorry for all their wives, quite frankly,” Tina continued “and by the way, I think Kayes should really be seen by the doctor”

“Ugh, yeah, what the fuck’s that” Gavin added “eggs or what?”

“Right?” Tina said “I swear I saw them move”

One of the officials laughed, a warm, fatherly laugh “Jeffrey, I never took you for a superstitious man” he said with familiarity

“All sailors are superstitious, Hank”

“I say we take a shot at it,” Hank Anderson insisted “It’s true that Chen has been doing an excellent job, I would be really sorry to lose her, I have had my eye on both Chen and Reed for a while”

“What if the men get rowdy over her?” Allen said

“We throw them overboard” Anderson said with a shrug, “Just as we would if anyone tried to harm a fellow seaman, wouldn’t we, Fowler?”

“That’s sounds sensible,” Captain Fowler said, while Allen looked as if he had just drank something really sour “These two are your problem now, Anderson” the Captain said dismissing them with a gesture of his hand

“Out of here, then” Anderson said to them “You have work to do… I’ll send our good doctor to see Kayes too”

“And I better not hear you calling my ship a piece of crap again, Reed” Captain Fowler added “Or I’ll be throwing you overboard personally”

“Captain” Gavin said with a nod

“We’ll make the Chicken Feed proud, Captain Fowler!” Tina said as they left the Captain’s cabin

“How drunk was I exactly when I took on your suggestion for the ship’s name, Hank?” the Captain said sorrowfully  

Tina heard Lieutenant’s Anderson’s laugh and felt like she could conquer the world,

“We’ll make the Chicken Feed proud” Gavin mocked her “Always the teacher’s pet, Chen”

“Shut up, Reed” She said bumping against his side.

Her fellow seamen took it better than expected, some apparently with extreme relief. She slept just as usual with Gavin right by her side and if anyone held any sort of resentment or ill will towards her they kept it to themselves. Nothing changed really, except she felt lighter being able to go about her duties as herself, not having a secret to hide, she felt she really could serve in the ranks of the Chicken Feed until her final days.

That good will among her fellow mates lasted only one week, when their ship found herself near huge chunks of ice, they hadn’t been expecting that, nor the stormy clouds that seemed to close over them as if attracted to the ship, the men looked darkly at her then, as if all of it was somehow her fault.

“You okay, Chen” Miller asked

“Yes, of course!” Tina said confidently “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Chris was a gentleman and as such he now worried over her, but Tina didn’t hold it against him, he really had done so even when he thought she was a guy, always trying to help her just because she was smaller than the rest, ‘Don’t try to prove yourself just because some of them are assholes, alright?’ he’d told her with the tone of an older brother ‘the sea is dangerous and unforgiving, better alive than dead on some stupid dare’

Chris smiled at her with that same older brother warmth now “We’ll weather the storm and everyone will forget about silly superstitions, I for one wouldn’t have anyone else by my side than you and Reed, if things are going to get a bit ugly”

And they did get ugly, the storm hit them close to midnight, the waves the biggest and angriest Tina had seen in all her travels yet

“Chen! The sails!” Lieutenant Anderson shouted at her,

She nodded and went deftly up the mainmast. She was the lithest of the crew, she was always sent up the mast because she was the fastest and most agile, she could get it done in half the time of anyone else on the ship. She climbed just as usual, not expecting the wind to be this strong and cold. Somehow her numb hands slipped off the rope, she lost her footing, and the next thing she knew was that she was falling, she didn’t hear anything, only the air rush deafening her ears, something hit her and then she was in the water.

Her first instinct on hitting the cold icy sea was to breathe in, she was in pain, and the blow of the waves had hurt more than whatever part of the ship her body had collided with. She was drowning and she couldn’t tell up from down to get to the surface. Nice legacy this was going to be, she thought vaguely, she was shutting this line of work for women everywhere. Tina Chen would go down in the archives as one of the women that confirmed sailing with the fairer sex on board was a cursed endeavor.

Something tugged down at her leg, dragging her even deeper into the water, Tina turned wildly in the dark sea trying to see as the last bubbles of oxygen went out of her lungs; was it something that had gotten tangled with her leg when she fell? Was it a sea creature? But what she saw made no sense.

There was a girl, the loveliest girl Tina had ever seen, she’d never seen anyone that beautiful not even in paintings. The girl’s silky, blonde hair floated around her, her skin was almost translucent, and her blue eyes twinkled like stars made of the clearest aquamarine. It seemed like Tina’s brain really knew what she’d want to see last before everything went dark forever.

Their eyes locked for a moment, and the girl seemed to gasp in surprise, at least that was her expression, Tina couldn’t hear anything but the water in her ears. The girl let go of her leg swimming upwards to grab Tina by her shoulder instead. Only then did Tina notice the fish tail.

Tina’s head broke the surface of the wild sea; she coughed and gasped for air, breathing in half air and half sea water from the stormy waves, only managing to steady herself enough thanks to the girl… fish… mermaid creature.

“Tina!” She heard Gavin’s voice calling for her and was surprised at how distant and faint it was; the sea had already taken her hopelessly far away from the ship.

“What in the world are you doing, Chloe?” said the beautiful but angry voice of a redheaded woman breaking the surface near them “Just drown him already!”

“What’s all this fuss about” Another just as equally beautiful woman asked, wet blue hair cascading down her shoulders, and the next second yet another appeared behind her, wrapping her arms lovingly and lazily around the shoulders of the bluehaired one, Tina wondered if she was actually dead and in heaven, it felt suspiciously cold and painful, but other than that, being surrounded by beautiful women was very much her idea of otherworldly bliss, nevermind the fish tails

“I’m starving!” the newcomer said “why is our dinner still breathing?”

“That’s just what I was asking, Chloe” the redhead said reproachfully

“North, look at her,” Chloe said, “she’s not  a man” she still held on to Tina with a grasp that hurt but Tina appreciated, it was only because of that she wasn’t being thrown around by the waves like a rag doll

“Don’t be ridiculous, men keep women away from the sea, at least living ones” North said, swimming closer to Tina, taking her face and turning it this way and that, not in any way gently. North whistled “Would you look at that, you really aren’t a man”

“Of course I’m not” Tina said, sounding much less firm than she did in her head; that with her teeth chattering because of the cold and the coughing because she kept breathing water in

“Did they hurt you?” Chloe said with concern “Did they throw you off on purpose?”

“That’s what happened to me and Kara” the third mermaid said with sympathy “We were pretending to be men to be at sea, and they found us out, hurt us, pushed us overboard, we drowned though”

“Is that what happened to me? Did I drown?” Tina asked incoherently, because she was honestly losing it a little

Chloe laughed “Don’t be silly! I got you, didn’t I!”

“Do you want to go back to the ship?” The bluehaired woman asked comfortingly

Tina nodded “Yes of course, my friends will be worried about me”

North Scoffed “We aren’t taking her back right now; it’s dangerous to be in the surface with this much ice and the storm. Chloe, you take her down to the caves.” She ordered “Echo, Ripple and I will see if we can actually get some dinner tonight”

“I hope so!” Echo said, “I was so excited when she fell, fish is getting boring you know”

“My friends are on that ship” Tina said, she’d heard the word ‘dinner’ quite clearly this time  

“Men are no friends of ours” North said savagely and disappeared with the other two

Tina moved as if she were going to try to swim after them, get to the ship to make sure they didn’t hurt any of her friends but Chloe hold on to her

“Let’s hope none of your friends fall overboard” Chloe said, “You should take a very deep breath now”

Tina obeyed the best she could, and Chloe pulled her back into the sea with incredible speed. Tina closed her eyes to protect them, she was running painfully out of air when she felt herself breaking the surface again, she spluttered and coughed and took big gasps of air before she could see around her.

She was inside a pond in a big cave, her coughing echoed in it, and moonlight beams broke in from somewhere above, while the sea wind made strange, moaning, sorrowful sounds going through what Tina supposed were small tunnels all around her, none big enough for a person she guessed, but big enough to give her air to breath. The moonlight told her they were far away from the storm.

“You’ll be safe here” Chloe said “You can get dry, change your clothes, we have a ton of those!” Chloe added excitedly

Tina got herself on the rock, when her eyes adjusted to the dim light she saw Chloe was absolutely right, there were piles of clothes, men clothes, seamen clothes, all crunchy with unwashed, dried up sea salt. Tina changed hurriedly, piling up coat upon coat to warm herself, trying not to think who they had belonged to, and how they had ended up here. There were some trinkets in the pockets as well, some pocket watches, one or two spyglasses, a flasks, she tried her luck with that last one, gingerly at first, and then in one or two big gulps to help her body warm up.  

Once Tina felt like she wasn’t one minute away from dying, she turned to look at the mermaid creature, half expecting her to be gone, like a fever dream, but she was still there, sitting on the rock, humming to herself and splashing her fish tail in the water. Tina was struck again by how breathtakingly beautiful she was, the mermaid turned her head and Tina was caught staring.

“Are you warm now?” Chloe asked “If I remember right, humans are much more delicate when it comes to that”

“I’m fine, thank you” Tina said blushing, coming closer to her, slowly, cautiously, the mermaid laughed at this

“You aren’t afraid of me, are you?!”

“I– I don’t know” Tina said honestly “I’d never thought I’d see anything like you, I mean I had in story books, but never thought– You are very beautiful” Tina spluttered  

“Thank you very much” Chloe said prettily, just as if she were a lady in a tearoom, “I think you are very lovely yourself, how come you are a sailor? Are men coming to their senses at last?” Chloe asked

Tina smiled ruefully “I’m afraid not, it’s just like your friend said, I was pretending to be a man and then was found out”

“Did they hurt you?” Chloe asked again

“Not at all, they were willing to give me a chance, and then I fell overboard”

“Don’t worry” Chloe said “I’ll give you back as soon as the storm passes”

“How about you?” Tina said, not even knowing what to ask

“I don’t really remember” Chloe said tilting her head pensively “I think… I think… someone shoot me in the head, right here” she said pressing one of her pretty fingers softly to the center of Tina’s forehead

“That’s awful” Tina said, her eyes wide

“Isn’t it” Chloe agreed “I remember it like an almost forgotten dream, I don’t remember why, I remember… being sad, feeling…. betrayed?” she said with a faint frown on her pretty face “but then I woke up, and I was this, and I was with my sisters and nothing was ugly or painful anymore,”

Tina felt her face grow hot with anger, feeling furious at whomever had hurt Chloe in the past. This girl that was so petite, lovely and sweet, but knowing the world maybe she had been hurt precisely because of that.

“Oh! That’s an ugly, angry expression, it doesn’t suit you” Chloe said, fluttering her fingers over Tina’s face. “What happened to me was a very, very long time ago,” Chloe continued “I may not look it but I’m about the oldest of them” Chloe said proudly “I think only Amanda is older than me, but she’s really ancient, very wise. The newer they are the more clearly they remember, that’s why North is so angry all the time”

“I’m sorry– I wish I had been there to rescue you, just like you rescued me” Tina said lamely, feeling sick

“Thank you” Chloe said, leaning her head against Tina’s shoulder “You are the first ever to say something like that to me”

Chloe asked her to tell her stories about the things she’d seen and Tina complied, she didn’t know when she had fallen asleep, but when she woke up she was still in the cave, lying near the water, with Chloe cuddled up to her, only the very end of her fish tail still touching the water. Tina looked at her sleeping face, all cream and roses, Chloe opened her eyes then, smiled, and Tina leaned down to give her a light kiss. Chloe pulled her closer.

“I wish I could stay” Tina said once they broke apart. She felt almost as breathless as she had in the sea, but in a much more delicious and lovely way.

“Then my efforts saving you would be completely wasted” Chloe said, splashing water with her tail “And I will not have that, no m’am! A female sailor is too valuable for me to selfishly keep all to myself, no matter how much I’d like to”

Tina smiled, cupping Chloe’s face with her hand, when Echo broke the surface of the pond

“Oops!” She said playfully “Am I interrupting?”

“Certainly, you are!” Chloe said in the same playful tone splashing water to her

“Sorry, it was that or risking North’s wrath” Echo said “She says we can take you to your ship now, the storm is over” she disappeared under the water as suddenly as she had arrived

Tina didn’t want to say goodbye to Chloe, but she also knew she couldn’t stay. She got into the cold water gasping, Chloe threw her arms around her neck

“You know what the best part of being a sailor is?” Chloe asked with a lovely smile

“What?” Tina said bumping her nose against hers

“I’ll tell you later” Chloe replied playfully “Ready?”

Tina nodded taking her deep breath

Chloe swam slower, letting Tina look around the depths of the now calm sea, they took a few breaks for Tina to breath, but only a few. The sea may be calmer but it was just as cold, soon enough there was the ship right above them; Chloe cupped Tina’s face with both her hands and gave her the sweetest kiss, salt and bubbles, before letting Tina float to the surface as she herself sank deeper into the water.

“Hey!” Tina called out breathlessly once she was in the surface “Hey!!”

“By old Nick and all his ungodly demons,” Kayes shouted “It’s Chen!”

“Someone fetch Reed and Lieutenant Anderson!!” Chris was shouting as he and Kayes threw her a rope

She climbed it easily, and before she knew it she was being crushed in Gavin’s bear hug

“Fuck you, Chen” Gavin said

“Where were you? Did you hold on to the ship?” Chris asked with awed curiosity

“Impossible, I would have fucking seen her” Gavin rebuked him, they had had to restrain him for him not to jump into the water  

“A lady doesn’t kiss at tell, Miller” She said with a wide smile, as Anderson put a coat over her shoulders

“Let’s warm you up, Chen” Anderson said leading her away from all the other awed seamen

“You have to tell me” Gavin said “I saw some shit that night you won’t believe, I thought I was fucking losing it!”

“Mermaids?” Tina whispered to him and chuckled at the look on his face.

“Your clothes are looking very particular, son” Old Collins said, he’d kept on calling her son even after her secret had been revealed “Looks like something my grandfather used to wear”

Nobody on the Chicken Feed ever dared question Tina’s right to belong on board again, she had swam her way back from the very jaws of the unruly, freezing waves, you didn’t mess around with someone so in cahoots with the strangeness of the sea.

 “What’s the best thing about being a sailor? –”

Tina asked Chloe, many, many, many years later. After Tina had been the Master of Captain Reed’s Ship for decades, after her hair had become the color of sea foam instead of its original coal; when her routine disappearances from the ship were starting to become the stuff of legends, never confirmed but much believed  – “In the middle of the sea, puff! She wouldn’t be anywhere” They’d say for as long as anyone who met her lived “by my word Master Chen was a sea witch!”–

“ – You never told me”

“Why, silly!” Her lovely mermaid wife laughed “They marry the sea!”      

[thegreenfairy13]

Dog Sitter Part 10 - Friends, At Last

A Gobblepot fanfic. When Oswald loses his dog Ed, Jim Gordon finds it and does an excellent job when it comes to taking care of the mobster’s furry friend. Read it on Ao3 here.

Oswald wakes later than usual. Yawning, he turns onto his left side and hugs his pillow close. He’s still so very tired and utterly exhausted.

“We’ll have cereals for breakfast,” he grumbles into his blanket, waiting for his son to protest, insisting on a sumptuous meal instead.

The complaint never comes and despite better knowledge, he hopes his boy is still sound asleep beside him. After yesterday's events, Martin insisted on sleeping in his own room but crawled into his father’s bed sometime in the middle of the night. Oswald had been glad for it - he had slept better himself knowing his kid was safe and sound and breathing steadily only a few inches away from him.

He yawns again and rolls around. His eyes protest vehemently when forcing them open against the bright light of another sunny day in New Heaven. He stares at the empty space beside him and swallows down a rush of anxiety.

Martin is still safe, he tells himself. He simply woke up and is probably sitting in the living room, watching his cartoons and pestering Jim.

Jim!

For a moment, he completely forgot about the GCPD’s Captain sleeping on his couch. Hissing in pain when dragging his aching limbs out of bed, he puts on a robe and starts hobbling downstairs. He should really consider installing an elevator he thinks when gripping the handrail tightly and jumping down the stairs on his one good leg.

When finally reaching the living room, the panic returns full force. There’s neither a trace of Martin nor Jim and even Ed is nowhere to be seen. Oswald already wants to scream his boy’s name on top of his lungs when hearing Jim’s voice drifting over from the kitchen.

Spinning on his heel, he limps closer as quickly as possible.

“I swear it tastes good,” he hears the other man say then, sounding more than just slightly pleading.

Pricking up his ears, Oswald decides to hide beside the door instead of simply entering. After all, Cobblepot is known for his curiosity. Also, he’s dying to find out what his little one might have possibly done to make the great Jim Gordon sound so desperate that early in the morning.

“My dad never puts maple-syrup on bacon,” Martin states in return and the black-haired man smiles, bemused. His little one is a picky eater. Good luck, Gordon, he thinks, baiting his kid into trying new food.

“I’m not putting it on it,” Jim objects. “I’m caramelizing it,” he explains quietly. “It improves the taste.” Oswald gapes. He wouldn’t have thought it possible a man living on hot dogs and hamburgers even knows what that is.

There’s a short pause after that, probably because Martin is considering the cop’s words.

“That doesn’t sound right,” the little boy judges determinedly.

Suppressing a snicker, Oswald leans against the door in order to hear them better.

“Tell you what,” Jim replies with all the authority he’s is able to muster, “you’ll try a tiny piece of the bacon. If you like it, we’ll serve it that way. If not, I’ll start from scratch and even use a new pan.”

“If you are indeed using a fresh pawn, I’ll accept your offer,” Martin answers hesitantly and the mobster has never been prouder. This low, gruff voice is able to send shivers down the most hardboiled criminals’ spines while the little prince of Gotham isn’t even affected.

Oswald hears some shuffling afterward and what he assumes to be breathless tension on Jim’s part.

“It’s not bad,” the kid answers thoughtfully. “You think dad will like it?”

Jim snorts. “Wouldn’t have suggested it otherwise,” he tells the child and then there’s the sizzling sound of more bacon being dropped into a pan followed by a smell that makes the slim man’s mouth water.

“So what’s next then? Scrambled eggs meet your approval?” the cop asks expectantly.

Oswald assumes Martin must have nodded in response cause moments later he hears some more clattering.

“I prefer to whisk the eggs in a bowl first. Makes them fluffier,” he explains. “Gimme some butter, young man.”

“Dad uses olive-oil,” the kid objects.

“Yeah, but you wanted me to help you create your very own signature-breakfast for your dad. So we gotta do it a bit differently than him but still tasty, right?” Jim counters easily.

The little one makes a skeptical noise in response.

“Look, I learned how to make scrambled eggs in France and they are known for their excellent food.”

There’s silence after Jim’s last statement and Oswald wonders what might be going on behind the door. He imagines his kid and his cop being caught in a staring contest neither of them is willing to lose. Also, when would the cop have been to France? Jim Gordon anywhere else than in the United States? He has a hard time believing that statement.

“Same procedure as with the bacon?” Jim proposes and then the clattering finally continues.

“It’s good,” Oswald hears Martin say after a while, sounding entirely flabbergasted. The gangster has to bite his fist else the pair would hear his chuckle.

“Told you,” Jim sing-songs proudly. “Did anyone ever tell you, you’re even bossier than your old man?” he asks teasingly.

“Dad isn’t old,” Martin mumbles angrily.

“It’s just a saying,” the cop replies placatingly. “So, what else do you want me to do? Shall I dance for your father while you serve him breakfast?” Oswald almost chokes at the image.

“I can’t imagine you’re any good at dancing,” Martin answers thoughtfully. “You don’t have the build.”

Jim chortles. “That’s very rude, young man,” he tells him politely.

“I’m just being honest.”

“Well, that’s a good trait,” Jim ends their argument placably. “So, we gonna need some bread with that, too. Any suggestions?”

“We have dough in the fridge,” Martin answers. “I’ll start the oven,” he decides.

“Ah, stop,” Jim interrupts. “You’re not coming near anything that’s hot, sharp, or in any matter fit to hurt you.”

“I can operate the oven. And dad taught me how to handle knives.” His son is clearly miffed with the cop.

“I’m sure about that,” Jim mutters. “But if you hurt yourself while I’m around, I’m pretty certain your dad’s gonna feed my bones to a lion.”

“We don’t have a lion.”

Jim considers those words. “Still.”

“Fine,” the little one huffs at last. “You’re dad’s lackey after all.”

The mobster behind the door cringes. A little chat about decent behavior seems in order. He already dreads Jim’s opinion on that last sentiment. On the other hand, he’s pretty satisfied with his boy. After all, Martin is dealing with Jim Gordon. Most people getting into an argument with the cop don’t even have a slight chance of winning that game. His little Martin is a true Cobblepot after all.

“I’m not your dad’s lackey,” Jim sputters in response.

“Sure you are,” the kid states matter of factly. “You’re a cop. And dad has all cops on his payroll.”

The mobster’s heart almost stops when hearing his kid’s words. That’s really not a topic he wants Martin to discuss with the unruly lawman. After everything that happened with Pyg, Jim firmly believes his colleagues returned to being incorruptible. Which, of course, is a huge lie. Jim’s still pretty much fighting his war alone, blind to the system and nature of their beloved city. On top, his good friend Harvey had been the first to take bribes from the Penguin again once things returned to normal - well, as normal as things can get in Gotham.

It takes a moment for the policeman to compose himself. “Well, I’m not getting paid by your father,” he replies at last.

“But you take care of Ed. And you came to protect dad yesterday. So you have to be one of his lackeys. Why else would you do that?” the kid challenges and Oswald is torn between barging in on them and hearing Jim’s answer.

“I, I like dogs,” the man stammers lamely and the mobster wants to scoff. But he really needs to know how the rest of their conversation unfolds now.

“That’s all?” Martin sounds incredulous. “Dad would pay well, though” he adds smugly.

Oswald wonders if Jim is sweating profusely at this point. He is for sure.

“I’m a cop, boy. I can’t take money from a man running…” At this point, the policeman is struggling for the right words. He’s clearly not quite certain how much Martin knows about Oswald’s less legal activities.

To his credit, he doesn’t continue. Jim’s behavior gives him a little stab to the heart. He remembers when the cop met his mother. How he pleaded with him not to tell her about his career as a mobster. Jim indulged him back then. Now, he’s not giving him away either. For all the times Jim went behind his back he at least never sold him out to the people he truly cares about.

“You mean you can’t take money from a gangster?”. Martin interrupts the cop's musings. “Cause that’s what my dad is. The king of all gangsters,” he adds proudly and Oswald almost stumbles through the door.

“That’s not what I wanted to say,” Jim replies, entirely lost now and the man behind the door pales.

“Dad told me about you,” Martin continues. “He says you think you are better than anyone else in Gotham. He told me you did bad things to him in order to do good and made everything worse.”

“Is that so?” he asks, taken aback.

“You locked up my dad,” he accuses and Jim doesn’t protest.

“Why do you think my dad is a bad man?” the kid challenges, sounding every bit as infuriated as his father shortly before throwing a tantrum.

“I, I don’t think your dad is bad man,” Jim replies, obviously confused. “I just think he occasionally does bad things. I’m sorry, though” he finishes barely audible and Oswald finally decides to save him from his misery.

Putting on his most cheerful smile, he opens the door and marches in. “There you are!” he announces with false enthusiasm when three pairs of eyes are being directed at him.

Ed gets up and practically flees the kitchen while Jim sighs a breath of relief. He’s pretty sure the man has never been happier to see him.  

“What are you doing?” the gangster asks innocently. Bending down, he presses a soft kiss to his child’s forehead.

Jim merely rolls his eyes. “How long have you been standing behind that door?” he asks while turning off the oven and starting to serve their meal. “There,” he grumbles while pushing a plate into the pale man’s hands.

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about,” he retorts sweetly. “Thank you, that looks delicious,” he adds, a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Thank your son,” he scoffs grimly. “He made breakfast.” Oswald doesn’t miss the wink Jim directs at his kid.

“That’s wonderful,” Oswald states cheerfully. “We’ll have to talk later,” he whispers then, for his son alone to hear.

Shaking his head, Jim sits down with them and starts chewing. Up close and in the harsh morning light, the cop appears to be more worn down than ever. He’s still wearing yesterday’s rumpled shirt, a short stubble started growing along his jaw, accentuating his bruises even more. The color beneath his eyes hasn’t improved either. Sometimes the crime-lord wonders if only his job is draining his sometimes foe, sometimes ally.

“You don’t happen to have a spare toothbrush?” the cop asks him between two sips of his coffee.

“Are you asking me for a favor?” the gangster suggests jokingly and Jim’s face darkens. Oswald could kick himself. Teasing the good Captain isn’t worth ruining their breakfast.

“There’s a guest-bathroom upstairs. Second door on the left. You’ll find everything you need.”

“Thank you,” he answers quietly, leaving father and son alone.

Uncomfortable silence spreads between the pair of them while Oswald is debating with himself how to tell his boy he should treat that special cop more delicately.

“I like him,” Martin passes his judgement once he has finished his orange-juice.

Everything Oswald wanted to tell his kid suddenly leaves his mind. Despite his young age, he looks ridiculously earnest. He can’t help himself and starts laughing heartily.

“And why’s that, my little prince?” he demands to know, wiping his eyes.

Martin shrugs. “Most of your friends tried to kill you. I don’t think he’ll try to take you away forever.”

At that statement, the gangster’s heart breaks a little. His son shouldn’t be constantly afraid for his father to die. And he shouldn’t like people simply for not trying to kill his dad. But it had been him to teach him never to trust anyone, so why is he surprised? For the thousandth time, he wonders if he did right when adopting his boy and bringing him into his crazy life. All he ever did was teaching his kid to fear the world and to make himself feared. There should be more, though. His son deserves stable relationships, not fear. Even if fear keeps him alive.

Heaving a sigh, he leans back against his chair. “I like him too,” he confesses quietly. “Now eat up. Butch is coming to pick us up soon.”

To Oswald’s utter amazement, their Sunday continues to be a quiet one. He would have expected Jim to start bickering with him the moment he wakes up. Instead, he takes Ed for a walk once he looks mostly human again. Afterward, he settles back down in the living room and watches cartoons with Martin while Ed is curled up in his lap.

It’s an unsettling feeling how well the cop fits into his little family - and how well it feels having him around. For all his mistakes, Oswald is pretty certain the cop would die trying to protect an innocent kid and his furry baby. He can finally calm down now with his silent guard occupying his living room.

When Butch arrives to tell them the jet is ready Jim doesn’t object when Oswald offers him to take him aboard while the thug drives his car back to Gotham. For the second time today he wonders if there might be something seriously wrong with the cop.

Even on the flight back he stays uncharacteristically quiet. They don’t talk much but now and then Jim glances fondly at the little boy sleeping beside the gangster.

“What?” Oswald demands to know, slightly annoyed with the man’s stubborn silence.

“Nothing,” Jim replies. “I just thought he’s your perfect image. If I wouldn’t know, I’d never guess he’s adopted.”

Thoughtfully, the criminal runs his fingers through his kid’s hair. “He’s much more,” he admits quietly. “And I very much hope the world will treat him better than me,” he adds, looking the cop sharply in the eye, meaning not the entire world at that moment but Jim alone. For he can only appeal to him right now.

He looks away, ashamed. “I’ll try,” he replies softly after a while. “I told you before, I don’t want him to become an orphan.”

Oswald considers the sincerity of those words but as ever, he can’t rely on words or promises alone. He needs commitment - something Jim had never been able to give.

“How can you promise that?” he asks. “You dedicated your life to chasing and hunting down criminals. So why should I believe that changes now?”

“It doesn’t,” Jim agrees. “But I learned my lesson with Sofia. I won’t try to bring you down again unless you leave me no other choice.” And it’s true. His efforts to bring him behind bars have lessened after that whole ordeal yet that doesn’t mean the man has come to his senses.

The mobster sneers as he shifts beneath his boy’s sleeping form. “You always had a choice, Jim,” he reminds him. “You just choose to make me your enemy number one.”

Staring down at his hands, the cop doesn’t reply. “Just don’t make anything horrid enough for me not to look away,” he mutters, averting the criminal’s eye.

If not for his son the Penguin would have probably exploded. What Jim is offering is the height of insolence - even if it’s more than he would have ever thought possible.

“So you are saying,” he drawls, “you’d arrest me only if my actions violated your sensitive set of morals. Congratulations, Jim. That would make you the most crooked and most hypocritical cop in the history of Gotham. Wouldn't it simply be easier to accept the generous offer I already made your colleagues and finally play by the rules?”

“No,” Jim protests firmly. Scooting his hand desperately through his hair Jim stares pleadingly at the mobster.

“And where would your limits be?” the Penguin urges. “How far would I be allowed to go before you come chasing after me again, hmm? Threatening to kill a man is obviously not far enough. What could I do before you hunt me down like an animal? Go on, tell me how your morally justifiable system of corruption would work. I am what I am. Nothing more, nothing less - and that won’t change.”

“I, I don’t know,” Jim utters softly. “The only thing I know is that I am continuously expanding those limits since I met you. I can’t kill you. I can’t get rid of you. I can’t take a child’s father. Not again,” he admits brokenly.

“Do you mean Mario Pepper?” the kingpins asks, half mockingly, half seriously.

Jim nods. “I can’t do right in Gotham. No matter how hard I try….” His voice trails off. “It seems every good deed is being paid with pain and suffering. I can’t stop doing what I’m doing or being who I am. But I can…” The cop is wringing his hands, unsure how to continue the sentence he started.

The kingpin knows Jim went as far as possible. He can’t promise any more, not without the man he is ceasing to exist.

His morality, his quest to fight all evil, his wish to build a better world, those are the things which had attracted the mobster in the first place. Ironically, he’s drawn to the man for all the reasons he should have stayed away from Jim. It seems he’s attracted to anything able to ruin him. But now he’s got more to live for than his own megalomania. He has a family to protect.

“It seems like we should come to an agreement,” Oswald decides at last.

Looking up sharply, he gestures for the gangster to continue.

“I think it would be best if we stayed as far away from each other as humanly possible. In order for you to be able to keep your promise.” The wolfish grin he directs at the cop is hardly able to hide his sadness  - yet what must be done, must be done.

“I can drink to that,” he retorts drily and the kingpin gestures for the steward to bring them a glass of champagne.

“I suppose that makes us friends, at last,” the mobster states and for once, Jim doesn’t protest.

[moccahobi]

Hot And Cold [Jungkook x Reader] College AU!

Summery: Cheesy pick up lines. Generally they’re used by someone suave and cool, but what happens when the person using them just seems to fail time and time again to be anything but a stuttering mess?

“Fat penguin!” Jungkook shouted at you, his large build putting you in shadow as his cheeks grew a deep red color.

“What did you call me?” You asked, more confused than anything as this model-looking man started to stutter out an answer, his face paling by the second, “I-I-I don’t m-me-mean to say t-that you’re fat. N-no! I- A fat p-pen-penguin would break the i-ice… I wanted t-to ta-- nevermind. B-bye.” He stuttered out before bolting out of your college’s courtyard. You stayed sitting in your chair with a friend from your Philosophy and Star Trek class, stunned. Who ever that was… you’ve never seen someone change so suddenly.

“What just happened?” You tried to laugh awkwardly but instead a strangled grunt came out as you curled up into a ball on the lawn chair.

“I-I don’t know, but I… I don’t know… I’ll have to see.” Namjoon mumbled, “I will say, I’ve never seen Jungkook act like that.”

“Wait- that’s Jungkook? I always thought that from you guys had described him he was like a prepubescent baby.” You said, shocked that that god-like man was the “prick” who always cancel last minute when it came to movie marathons with you.

“That’s how we see him, but he’s only one grade below us, remember that as well.”

“You see this shirt?! It’s boyfriend material!” He randomly blurted out at you when you opened your apartment door to the four boys joining you and your roommate for the Mexican telenovela marathon (as part of your plan to watch a ton of different genres from around the world) before shoving past you and curling up in a ball on the couch, neck beet red.

“Don’t mind him, Y/n-ah… he’s still in the stage where he thinks girls have cooties.” Jimin smiled broadly, patting you on the back before making a b-line to our kitchen pantry where he knew you had stored spicy ramen and cheese just for him.

“I found this one movie called Coco! It’s by Pixar and it’s bound to be great!” Hoseok shouted as he set the dvd down on the tv stand.

“Awww… I’m sorry, Hoseok-sshi, but that’s an American animation. Telenovelas are like noon k-dramas with better cinematography and a worse plot and they’re in spanish. Besides, we already have enough, but let’s save that for the animation’s of America, k?” Your roommate, Jae-eun, sang as she curled into the rocking chair with your only fluffy blanket.

“But I rented it!!!”

“Then we’ll just have to watch it tomorrow morning when we get breakfast, eh?” You asked, dragging a bean bag from your room and sitting down close to the tv.

“How can you sit so close to the tv, Y/n? It seriously makes no sense. I mean haven’t you ever heard of the wives tale that it’ll ruin your eyesight?” Jin scolded, rubbing your head roughly as you laughed.

“Eh. They call ‘em wives tales for that exact reason. They’re fake. Now… let’s see if Eduardo gets MARIA AND IF MARIA GETS WITH EDWARDO’S BROTHER-”

“What the hell are telenovelas!?”

“This is the first episode! I DON’T KNOW!”

You were late to bowling. You had promised to be there on time, but one thing lead to another and your lab partner for chemistry took an extra hour to complete the paper YOU WROTE MOST OF. You bumped into the front desk well aware that you most likely looked like a cracked out crazy person as you gasped for air as somehow wheezed out your shoe size. Before you knew it you were slowly walking over towards your friends when you noticed something, “Yeah! Our Jungkookie is too good to be competing against us!” “He really should join the bowling club!” “With this skill he could probably beat a good dad!” “If only he was this good with girls!”

“Just you wait!” Jungkook said, a splitting grin on his face, “Soon my skills will be better than Jimin’s butt!” He caroled as you got closer

“Jungkook-ah, no thing is better looking than Jimin’s butt.” You joked, winking at the boy as you sloughed on the seat and started to fix your hair.

“Then you clearly haven’t looked in the mirror lately!” He suddenly yelled, eyes bugging out of his head as he dropped to bowling ball onto his foot before howling in pain.

“A-are you ok?” You raced up to him, grabbing his shoulder and trying to look him straight in the eye, deciding to ignore the comment he made earlier as your soon-to-be, hopefully med student kickin in.

“I-I-I… yeah.”

“Maybe we should just have Y/n over every time we bowl with our Jungkookie! He can’t do squat around her!”

You were silently working in a cafe near you, computer battery at halfway just like your now lukewarm coffee when a large crash came from right in front of you. Your head shot up, heart racing, when your eyes landed on the one and only Jeon Jungkook, who every. single. time you’ve tried to talk to him or even are in the same general space as him he spits out some stitty pickup line before freezing up… it’s been an entire semester now, and halfway through you just tried to ignore him because while he might look like he was carved from stone by Michelangelo, he has no manners at all and you’ve never able to get more than two words in.

“See?!? I’ve scraped my knees falling for you!” He blurted out for the entire cafe to hear, eyes soft and face now a light shade of pink as he scrambled over to you and shrunk as much as he could into the chair in front of you.

“What the actual fuck? I know you’re socially awkward around me or something, but please don’t blurt that stuff out so randomly. It’s weird.” You cried, head falling loosely onto your laptop.

“I-I-I-I… sorry. I-I you’re ju-- just so pretty and cool wh-when my hyungs talk to you and… and I kinda got a cr-crush on you-- b-but it’s like… I’ve never talked to someone as cute as you and-- fuck what am I saying.” At this you lifted your head up slightly to look at him, eyes tired and mind slow from finals.

“What did you just say?”

“I-I have a c-crush on you?”

“Well shit! Why haven’t you asked me out yet?” You blurt out, straighten up and laughing quietly.

“I have tried to but… I’ve always chickened out. Wait-- would say yes if I did?”

“Of course! Have you looked in the mirror? Plus, from what I saw at the bowling alley, when you aren’t freezing up, you’re quite hilarious… plus I might have stalked your social medias after we first met.”

“Well then close your computer! This is our first date!”

If you liked this, check out my other work here!

Sooo... my second one is out!  I hope to keep up this schedule for now! Wish me luck!

I want to say before anything else, that I have a writer’s account on another site so if you see these on Quotev by someone of the same name, that IS me. Anyone one else and no!

[gimmesumsuga]

BTS Reaction - visiting your at your job as a zookeeper

#Seokjin

When you’d invited Jin to come visit you at work you’re fairly certain that feeding tarantulas wasn’t exactly what he’d had in mind when he’d excitedly accepted.  You have to practically drag him into the insect house of the zoo, promising that none of them are quite as scary as they look as he looks at all the glass enclosures with wide, frightened eyes.  He turns worryingly pale when you offer him a box of crickets to give to Betsy, your favourite hairy spider, so you compromise will small, frozen mice instead – though even those take some convincing to get him to handle.  Jin holds them in gloved hands at arm’s length, wrinkling his nose in distaste as you slide open the back panel and point out where to place them.  As if on cue Betsy chooses that precise moment to slowly creep out of the shadows, only an inch or two from Jin’s hand.  She’s still nowhere near him, really, but he withdraws his hand like he’s been burned, shrieking and hopping from foot to foot.  

“GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!”  

Yoongi

You can tell Yoongi is excited when it comes time to feed the Lions, even if he doesn’t outwardly show it.  He helps you attach a fresh carcass to the back of your jeep with only minimal complaint too, a sure sign that he’s in a good mood, and as you drive through the gates into the enclosure his eyes visibly widen in anticipation.  The lionesses immediately recognise your entry as an impending meal, their ears pricking up, sitting back on their haunches and watching the vehicle hungrily as the male lounges around sunning himself. You warn Yoongi to hold on as you put your foot down on the accelerator, encouraging them to give chase, and when they start rushing after the carcass you hear him laughing, looking out of the back to watch them sprinting after you.  It doesn’t take them long to get hold of it, pulling it free and then dragging it back to the pride, and it’s only then that the male awakes with a stretch, wandering over to take first bite.  

“Jagi, would you bring me food if I slept all day too?  This guy’s got it made.”  

Hoseok

Hoseok had always avoided visiting you at work.  If you worked with the otters or the elephants or even the hippos he could maybe get on board, but knowing that you work inside the bat cave has completely put him off.  He pretends it’s a hygiene issue that keeps him away, but you both know it’s really the bats that scare him.  He’d looked horrified when you’d first told them that they fly around freely inside, and it takes months of persuasion – and maybe the promise of sexual favours – to finally get him to come round.  He helps you prep the fruit, slicing and chopping whilst asking over and over again whether they’ll land on him or fly into his face or bite, and you try your best to reassure him, but even so you still see the bowl in Hobi’s hands shaking as you’re about to walk inside.  He barely takes a step into the dark past the plastic curtains before he lets out a yell, baulking at the first sound of flapping wings, throwing the bowl up in the air and running back outside.  

“NOPE, NOPE, NOPE!”

Namjoon

The moment Joonie finds out that you’re a zookeeper he is totally on board with paying you a visit. He asks you all sorts of questions about the colourful birds you look after on your way there, testing your knowledge far more than the average tourist; so much so that you’re really glad when you finally arrive.   He’s finally so excited that anticipation seems to have overridden the inquisitive, questioning part of his mind that you usually love so much, and he takes the cups of nectar that you give him with an eager, joyful smile.  The moment you step past the plastic curtains the Lorikeets descend on him, having easily recognised the little pots of sweetness that he’s holding in each hand.  Namjoon’s beside himself with happiness, smiling so hard that his cheeks are dimpled deeper than ever with three or four birds on each arm and one sat on his head.  They drink the nectar with their tiny pink tongues, fighting each other for space as Namjoon’s smile just keeps growing and growing.

“Baby, how many are on me now?  Take a picture, quick!”

Jimin

Jimin’s so excited about visiting your colony of penguins that the night before you’d promised to take him he barely sleeps a wink, waking early too, and when you arrive to pick him up you’re amused to find that he’s dressed all in black and white; ‘so they like me more’.  He’s not overly keen on the bucket of fish you had him at feeding time – though you can’t say you blame him – but he sucks it up, his enthusiasm about coming face to face with one of his favourite animals overriding any complaints he may have about the smell.  He’s biting his lip in anticipation as you open up the gate to the enclosure and he stays close to you as you walk in, looking suddenly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of penguins that exit the water on seeing your arrival.  His eyes are wide as they surround him, his plump lips parting as he gasps, and when he’s done feeding his very first fish he straightens and screws up his eyes in glee, smiling the biggest smile you’ve ever seen on him.  

“Did you see Jagi?! They LOVE me!”   

Taehyung

When Taehyung finds out that you’re a zookeeper his whole face lights up with surprise, and if he’d have gotten his way you would’ve had to take him along with you that very afternoon to meet the giraffes that you care for.   As it happens, he has to wait at a week whilst you clear it with your bosses, and by the time he walks through the zoo gates he’s practically bursting with excitement, his whole body vibrating with pent-up energy.  He stares open mouthed at every single enclosure you pass on the way to yours, pointing out each and every animal like he’s never seen them before, and you can’t help but smile at the childlike glee that makes his every step bounce.  When it comes time to feed the giraffes, standing with his arm extended above his head, palm open flat with a mouthful of hay on top, Taehyung is finally lost for words.  He gawps up at the tall, graceful animal that gently takes the food from his hand, and when he looks back at you his eyes are full of wonderment.

“This is the best day ever. Can I feed him again baby, please?”  

Jungkook

You’re absolutely astonished when Jungkook confesses that he’s never visited a zoo before, so you immediately offer to take him with you on the very next shift you have – an offer he gratefully accepts.  He’s absolutely entranced by the gorillas, watching them play with each other with a silly smile on his face, pointing out every little thing they do to you in a voice much higher than his usual pitch.  He can hardly believe his luck when you tell him he can go inside and feed them, handing him a basket full of bananas to scatter about the enclosure under your watchful eye.  He suddenly looks a little nervous when it comes time to step inside, but this is a group of female gorillas and their babies, so you know they won’t do him any harm. They do watch him curiously though, especially the young ones, and the moment Kookie starts throwing bananas into piles of hay he becomes an instant hit.  The youngest of them starts following behind him closely, sniffing at his heels, and when Jungkook looks back and sees him his face splits into the widest, sweetest grin.

“I think I’ve made a friend, Jagi!  Can we take him home?” 

@kissesfrombangtanatnight - I hope you like it! <3