#got back from a two days school trip and now I gotta face a test I forgot about and a project deadline

[martyryo]

grr I have so much stuff to do piled up, I hate the concept of time I want to pass out for a bit and take a week long nap. It's awful how tired I get from the most simple tasks I do daily, it's like my body can't push itself further from the bare minimum and it makes me so mad.

[princessconsuela120]

Chapter one: A Well Respected Man —✧

Series masterlist

Chapter Warnings: mature themes, cursing, mentions of sex, mentions of pregnancy

Author’s Note: I’m so excited for this you guys, I can’t wait for it. Details will be up soon, explaining certain things like why Mr Garrison works at a convenience store and why they were on a science trip out of school! Keep an eye out!

—✧

“WELL, WELL, WELL, IF IT ISN’T LITTLE MISS MARSH. Back for another test?” The man at the cash register spoke, taunting me for the third time that day. Ironically enough, the face of my 4th grade teacher wasn’t the one I necessarily wanted to see at a time like this. Why I had to come to this store of all places was beside me, but hey, at least Garrison gives me half off prices. And considering this was the third test I was buying, I think I needed the boost.

He simply smirked, a smirk so evil I wanted to slap it off his face. He’d never understand, who could ever understand. He’d probably seen so many teen girls come here with the same tired eyed look on their faces, the same nervous attitude, and the same passive aggressive glare given every two seconds to remind him he was staring with too much curiosity once again. So instead of answering his question, I just shook my head, grabbing another box off the shelf and turning over to him.

“I think the first one was defective, the plus sign looked more like a division symbol. So I’m not convinced.” I said, deciding to be civil enough to speak, seeing as he was the only person who had spoken to me all day, and is probably the first person to find out that I was actually having the worst intervention of my life.

I reached onto the counter to grab the bathroom key, the one I had already used three times today, only for it to be pulled away from me. As I looked up, I met a tilted stare from Mr Garrison, who was holding the keys out of my grasp.

“That’s the third test today, mama bear. Your eggo is preggo, no doubt about it.” He taunted, spitting words at me as if they were nothing. I tried to pretend my heart wasn’t beating a mile a minute. It was probably beating even faster than that, I felt like I was about to throw it up with how high it was in my chest, but I didn’t dare admit that. See, if no one saw the fear, I didn’t have to acknowledge it either. Besides, Stan would be here to pick me up any minute, and I couldn’t risk that confrontation of how nervous I must’ve looked.

“It's really easy to tell.” A girl beside the counter said adding to the conversation, though it was the first time I had even noticed I wasn’t the only one in the store. “Is your nipples real brown?” She asked, earning a concerned look from both me and the cashier. I just rolled my eyes at the comment, holding my hand out as a silent signal I needed the key now.

“Yeah. Maybe your little boyfriend's got mutant sperms.” He teased, wiggling his eyes brows. “Knocked you up twice.”

I only scoffed, not wanting to even bring up the fact that the father wasn’t in fact my boyfriend, and the possibility of him having mutant sperm wasn’t expectantly low considering our colorful free time as children.

“Silencio, old man.” I rolled my eyes and shook my hand to remind him I was waiting for the key. “Look, I just drank my weight in Diet-Coke, and I gotta go pronto.”

He looked down at my hand, then over to the half-empty coke can in my hand, the 10th one today, I’m sure he knew that.

“Well, you know where the lavatory is.” He said, handing me the key as I rushed to the bathroom.

“Pay for that pee stick when you're done! Don't think it's yours because you marked it with your urine!” He shouted after me, but I was too focused to answer.

I still remember the day we did it, like it was yesterday. I remember all of it, every second. I remember how it made me feel, how he made me feel. I remember the euphoric feeling that came with it, the way he smelt, the way he looked. I remember the chair, it was leather.

I remember the things he’d say to me, the way he held me as if I was the most fragile thing to walk the earth. Like I was glass. Like I would break if he held me wrong.

I remember the music. Fleetwood Mac. Mostly. Dreams played almost on repeat for the majority of it. I had never even heard that song until that day, he had told me it was one of his favorites. It's one of my favorites now too.

I remember the bed. How it was just a mere few feet away from where we were, but he wanted the chair. I remember him saying, how it was closer with the chair. How I would be completely in twinged with him on the chair. Because he wanted me to be close, he craved the touch.

I remember the way he made me feel, and I hate that. Because I loved it. I loved it so much, I never wanted it to end.

And now here I was, sighing as I splashed some water in my face to dry and get rid of the dread that lingered on it. Hoping that maybe if I splashed enough water on my face, maybe the bags under my eyes would glow down the drain with all the water.

It didn’t.

I shook my face, letting off all the water that was in my hair, and grabbed both the now used test and the keys and headed back out to the register.

“What's the prognosis, Fertile Myrtle? Minus or plus?” Garrison asked. I shook the test, letting out all the air that was building up in my chest and slamming the keys down onto the counter

“I don't know. It's not seasoned yet. I'll take some of these.”

I grabbed a licorice rope from beside the counter and set it out with the empty pregnancy test box to pay.

“No. There it is,” I sighed again, scrunching up my face in disgust while shaking my head. “That little pink plus sign is so unholy.” I grumbled, shaking the test. Getting more and more violent with the shaking, hoping that maybe if I whole hard enough, it would disappear.

“That ain't no Etch A Sketch. This is one doodle that can't be undid, home skillet.” Mr Garrison said, reading my mind, the bastard. I just rolled my eyes, quickly paying before tossing the test in the trash on my way out.

Three tests, three damned home pregnancy tests, and all had to be positive. As if my life as little miss princess of South Park wasn’t enough. I wasn’t even ‘princess’ I didn’t wanna be. I guess with my perfect track record, and my amazing ability to fish my brother and our friends out of trouble, that made me a princess. I sort of was in a way, to my dad at least. His little girl, his Junebug. I could only imagine what he’s do if he knew.

I think when it came down to it, telling my family had to be the worst part. Stan would probably kill Kyle, or at least try to before getting drunk and probably end up hurting himself. My dad would most likely do the same, which would also end in him being drunk. And my mom, I could only imagine the look of disappointment she’d give me, the kind of look that sears into your heart and stabs and stabs, until you're utterly numb from the pain. Or who knows, maybe I’d never tell them.

—✧

“I’m a suicide risk.” I sauntered, mumbling into my small phone, making sure no one was around to hear. Even if I was home alone, you could never be too cautious.

“Juno?” Kenny’s scratchy morning voice rang from the other side of the phone.

Kenny McCormick, I swear sometimes he was my saving vice. He’s been my best friend since kindergarten when we used to get slushies together at the 711, until our brains were frozen and we almost puked our brains out. I could talk to him for hours on end and never get tired of it. In our group dynamic, sure we all loved each other, but when it came down to it we all knew Kyle and Stan were best friends. It was always silently known that Kenny was my best friend, Cartman floating around somewhere between the cracks. It was as if all the words I said, Kenny already knew.

“No, it's Morgan Freeman. Do you have bones that need collecting?” I remarked, rolling my eyes at him as if he could see me through the phone. I heard his airy giggles through the phone.

“Only the one in my pants.” He joked, still laughing at his own joke. I could feel my heart almost drop as I went over the words in my head. Who knew saying two words would be so hard. And to Kenny. I just stood there, collecting myself, sitting in my agony for another 20 seconds before blurting it out.

“I'm pregnant.” It was almost a whisper. Like even if no one else was home, somehow, someone would hear me.

“What? Actually?” He asked, all of the sudden eager and attentive, probably sitting up and now engaged in my words. Of course he was, this was almost as exciting as having died every day for his entire middle school experience. For Kenny, this was probably even more exciting.

“Yeah. Yeah, it's Kyle’s.” He didn’t say anything, I could see his eyes raise in my head, the one he did when she was shocked. He was probably sitting on hid bed, mouth open slightly with his eyebrows raised.

“Kyle Broflovski?” He asked, not to anyone in particular, seeing as he already knew he was the only boy I had ever done anything with.

“It's probably just a food baby. Did you have a big lunch?” He asked, making me roll my eyes.

“No, this is not a food baby, all right? I've taken like three pregnancy tests, and I am for shiz up the spout.” I rambled.

“How did you generate enough pee for three pregnancy tests?” He chuckled, I rolled my eyes. “That's amazing.”

“I don't know.” I grumbled, rubbing my forehead in frustration. “I drank like 10 tons of Diet-Coke. Anyway, dude, I...I'm telling you I'm pregnant, and you're acting shockingly cavalier.” It was quiet again, then he sighed.

“Is this actually for real? Like you aren’t just fucking with me? Cartman didn’t put you up to this did he? Or are you actually telling me the truth?” He asked, making me sigh even louder than before.

“Unfortunately, yes.” He paused again, then a nervous chuckle left his lips.

“Oh, my God.” I shook my head, slapping my hand on my side, rolling my eyes at how he was just now acknowledging it. “Oh, shit. Phuket, Thailand.”

“There we go. That was the emotion I was searching for on the first take.” I said, making Kenny scoff on the other line.

“Does Stan know? How are you not dead yet?” He asked, making me roll my eyes again.

“No, Stan doesn’t know. And I’m planning on ending this whole thing before he even finds out.” I shuddered, still afraid of what Stan’s reaction would be. Ken’s right, he would kill me. No, he’s my brother, he would never kill me. He would however, get as close as humanly possible to killing me, without actually laying a finger on me. And then he’d go and actually kill Kyle. Cause let’s face it, he’s a boy, he needs to take his anger out on someone and it sure as hell ain’t his baby sister.

“So, are you gonna go to Unplanned Parenthood or Women Now? Cause you know you need a note from your parents for Unplanned Parenthood.”

“Yeah, I know. No, I'm gonna go to Women Now

just because they help out women now.” I shook my head, still running my hands down my face. This wasn’t real. To me, this wasn’t real, this was shit. This was complete and utter bull shit that would wash away in the morning.

“Want me to call for you? I can say you’re my girlfriend, it always works?” He asked, as I shook my head.

“No, I can call, and I’m slightly concerned that you have enough experience to know it's worked before.” I glanced out my window at my truck, squinting my eyes to calculate whether or not it was the appropriate size or not. “But I do need your help with something. It's critically important.”

—✧

“You know, heavy lifting can really only help you at this point.” Kenny teased, making me roll my eyes. We were both currently trying to lift and shove the most magnificent discarded living room set I had ever seen, into the back of my truck. It was tough, and I was doing most of the work, but we were getting there. It started with the chair, just like most other things. The chair was first.

“Seriously.”

“You were bored? That's how this miracle came to be?” He asked, gesturing to my stomach that wasn’t yet pudgy. I shook my head. No I wasn’t bored, I wanted it. I wanted him, Kyle. It’s weird to say it, that that was what I actually wanted. At first I thought it was a rebellion thing but, I really liked him. I mean I really really liked him. And he was sweet. To me he was. The boy who held my hand the whole time, and made sure I was 100% okay for the whole of it. I didn’t go into it wanting to care about him, but I didn’t go into it bored either. But I came out with a baby, that was the problem.

“No. No, no. The act was premeditated.” I said, sighing with relief when we finally fit the chair in the car. “I mean the sex, not the whole, like, "let's get pregnant" thing.” Kenny nodded, having understood where I was going before we both slumped against my car, taking a break before we drove off.

“So when did you decide that you were gonna screw Kyle?” Kenny asked, wiggling his eyebrows at me teasingly. I smiled, remembering fondly when it happened.

“Well, like...A year ago, in Science class.”

I never paid attention, ever, he did though. See, even before the sex I had always been friends with Kyle, ever since we were little. Due to Stan being my brother, and Kyle being his best friend, I basically grew up with him. Class was never dull with him. He always tried to pay attention, I always tried to take that attention away. It always worked. It was the only class we didn’t have with the rest of our friends, and Kyle was unfortunate enough to sit next to me. Something was always being thrown at him, either my pen, my paper clip, I was almost always targeting him with paper planes. But it was different that day. It was the day before the sex, we had been sitting idly by in Science class when I got a note. It was odd, Kyle never was the note giver, but who was I to argue. It was a small notecard, where his notes should have been instead was a makeshift drawing of me, Kyle, and my brother. It was a remade picture of one from when we were little, me in the center with Kyle kissing my left cheek and Stan kissing my right. It was adorable, and when I looked over at Kyle to smile at it, it was almost as if he could read my mind. I think that’s when I knew, when he smiled at me.

“You love him.” Kenny said, raising his eyebrows at me. I scoffed, shaking in disagreement.

“It's... no, it's actually...it's really complicated, okay? And I don't feel like talking about it in my fragile state.” I said, pretending to be worn out and tired. Kenny and I both chuckled before he smirked again.

“So, what was it like humping Kyle’s scrawny bod?” He teased, but I didn’t roll my eyes this time. I just smiled, god the memory is still so vivid in my mind.

“Magnificent.”

—✧

One thing Kyle took way too seriously was the way he looked. His parents always coddled him with love, he could never tell the difference between seriousness and bias. So he took very very delicate pride in his appearance.

After Kenny and I had taken the living room set and successfully moved it out front of the Broflovski household, he took off while I sat outside, waiting for the Ginger’s ultimate appearance.

“Hi, how are you sweetheart.” Mrs Broflovski said, a sweet smile on her face as she excited the house, not saying a word about the full living room set on her lawn. She knew about the chaos that surrounded her sims friend.

“Mrs Broflovski, hi.”

“Oh darling you know to call me Sheila, please don’t be ridiculous.” She said cheerfully, slightly calming my nerves.

“Right, Sheila. Is Kyle home?” I asked, fiddling with my fingers, remembering why I’m here in the first place.

“He’s actually just upstairs getting ready for Basketball practice.”

“Oh okay.” She smiled again, sending my nerves.

“That’s a very pretty chair.” She said kindly, about to get in her car. I nodded.

“Yeah, yeah I thought so.”

“Well you have a good day sweetheart, don’t get into any trouble.” She said kindly, waving goodbye.

“Bye Mrs Bro-Sheila.” I said, which made her smile even more.

—✧

*cue A well respected man by the kinks.*

If there was one thing Kyle Broflovski was best at, it was his appearance, though he never would think it was. You’d think with the amount of time he took getting ready he had pampered himself to death, but he spent most of the time staring in the mirror, fixing his hair. He cared more about his appearance than most things. Due to the small mixup in 4th grade when he was deemed ugly by the female study body, he was always more conscious about himself. I felt bad honestly, I ranked him 1st on the list, but the girls didn’t listen to my bias based on my friends group. Now the poor boy spends all of his time carefully catering to each quality of himself that may be an imperfection. I don’t know why, I thought he was beautiful.

I still remember the day it happened, Kyle had me wear his t-shirt, because I had forgotten to bring pajamas with me and he didn’t want me to be uncomfortable. I think those were the sorts of things that made me like him so much, how he cared more about others than himself.

He wore almost the exact same outfit everyday, you’d think he had 6 identical orange jackets. He probably did, but that wasn’t the point. He wakes up in the morning, always showers before school. Whenever we’re at school I can always feel the dampness of his hair, which always smells like aloe Vera, in the best way possible. And I swear, he must wash that jacket everyday, it always smells like laundry detergent. He shakes his hair out, makes sure all his curls are in place, then pulls on the same outfit. His curls loosely hang out of his hat. The epitome of beautiful, who knew a boy could be so pretty.

“Hey, Ky.” I chirped, sitting in the chair that I stole.

“Hey Jo, cool tiger.” His eyes locked with mine and I couldn’t help but look down, chuckling nervously which he didn’t yet pick up on.

“I swiped it from Ms. Rancik's lawn.” I said proudly, making Kyle smile back at me. “My, your shorts are, like, especially green today.” I said, making Kyle chuckle as he looked down at his basketball shorts.

“My mom uses color-safe bleach.” He said awkwardly, making me nod.

“Go, Sheila.”

“I'll tell her.” He chuckled, smiling slightly as he looked at me.

“I got,” he gestured in front of him. “I’ve got basketball so…” I didn’t let him finish, figuring I’d rather rip off the bandaid quickly then drag this on any longer.

“So guess what…” I asked, making eye contact again. He raised his eyebrows, chuckling nervously at my own nerves.

“What’s up Jo?”

There it was again, that same silence that came before I told Kenny. It was almost painful to tell him, I could feel his stare stabbing into my chest. So I took one last deep breath, then I ripped the bandaid.

“I'm pregnant.”

He did say anything for a bit, just stared at me blankly while I chewed on my lip. He pointed to himself, and I nodded, confirming it was his. I could feel the shock he was going through. I expected him to run. I’m not sure why but I did. He didn’t run, instead he raised his hands, only to slam them back at his sides. Then he ran his fingers through his hair, and began to stutter.

“W-What should we do about...?” He asked, stuttering. He was petrified, Kyle was rarely petrified. And he was stuttering, Kyle could always keep his composure, in fact he articulated his words so much you could almost always hear every single detail of a word he said.

“Well, you know, I was just…” I shook my head, shifting in the chair. “I was thinking I'd just nip it in the bud. You know, before it gets worse. Because they were talking about, in health class, how pregnancy...It can often lead to an infant.” I remarked, and Kyle nodded along, almost still too stunned to speak.

“Usually, yeah. Yeah. That's what happens when

our moms and teachers get pregnant.” He said, making me nod. Then the silence came back, awkward silence. I hated it, that never happened between Kyle and I, but then again neither did this. He seemed too stunned to speak, to look at me even.

“So you're cool with that, then?” I asked, making him quickly jolt to look up at me.

“Yeah, yeah. Jo, I mean, you know, just, I guess…Do whatever you think you should do, you know?” He said carefully, and I could practically see the sweat dripping down his forehead. He looked at me, I looked away.

I know it shouldn’t have, but his okay mess with the fact I was getting rid of it make me sort of disappointed. We were to young yes, but I guess I kinda wanted him to fight me on that. You know, that maybe he’d want to keep it, just because it was something that would bond us for life. I know that sounds stupid in retrospect, we were 17, 18, we weren’t ready to be parents. I knew he was right.

“Well,” I said, getting up from my chair. “I'm sorry I had sex with you. I know it wasn't, like, your idea.” I started collecting my things, Kyle still staring at me in shock.

“What? Whose idea was it?” He asked, but I ignored him. Honestly I wanted to be anywhere but here right now.

“I'll see you at school, all right?” I gave him a pat on the back and began walking back to my truck. A pat on the back, I gave him a pat on the back as if I wasn’t pregnant with his child.

“Whose idea was it?” He mumbled quietly, before I got in my car, and drove off. The shame was on me if I thought that that was the hard part.

[rozcdust]

‘Zana said swing

Pairing: Pet Shop Trio x child!reader

Genre: Drabble, crack

Word Count: 1.2k

Warning: Profanity, mention of a fight

a/n: I can’t stop thinking about the Tenjiku orphanage-

Chifuyu almost jumped out of his skin as the doors to his pet shop got pummelled open, a frantic, bloodied kid bolting in and slamming the doors behind themselves.

Chifuyu, Baji and Kazutora stared on in confusion mixed with alarm as the child looked around wildly, finally zeroing in on the counter in the pet shop.

The very same counter where Chifuyu was seated.

“Hide me!” Borderline yelping, the kid scurried under the table, just in time for two flushed, panting policemen to burst in as well.

Now what the fuck is going on?

Baji, Chifuyu and Kazutora did not sign up for this.

“Excuse us! Did you happen to see a teenager, the had a school uniform on, about 10 or 11 years old, ye tall?” The policeman held his hand to show your approximate height, bent over to catch his breath.

Kazutora reacted faster than the other two.

“Oh, I think we did! They ran that way.” Pointing his finger in the opposite direction, the policemen thanked him and rushed out, yelling out your name.

You breathed out a sigh of relief, curled up under the counter, your hand tightly pressed against your mouth to prevent your rushed, ragged breaths from being heard.

Chifuyu pulled away from the counter, and suddenly, you had three pairs of eyes zeroing in on you, each of their faces looking disturbingly close to an upset parent.

Or an angry cat. You couldn’t really tell.

“What the actual hell was that?” The man sitting down demanded, his arms crossed and a furrow between his brows.

Oh fuck. He really looked like your caretaker at the orphanage in those few rare moments when you tested his patience long enough and he looked as if he was debating beating your ass with a wooden spoon.

He never would, he was too mild-mannered and gentle for that, but he looked as if he was considering it.

You swallowed, hard.

“I got into a fight, sir.”

Their eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Before they all started speaking over each other.

“Kid, you can’t do that-“

“Did you have a good reason at le-“

“Did ya win?”

The three of them stopped the cacophony to glare at each other.

“Baji, you can’t ask if they’ve won! They got into a fight!”

“Yeah! You gotta ask if it was for a good reason first!”

“Kazutora, no-“

Your attempt as assessing if they’ll call the police back on your ass is starting to look more and more like a no.

“What we will do is call the kid’s parents!” Chifuyu shouts in order to be heard over Baji’s and Kazutora’s bickering.

The two stop, nod to agree, and continue arguing, accusing each other of never listening to Chifuyu.

He feels a headache approaching.

“Kid, give me your parents’ number. I won’t snitch, though I do recommend you get cleaned up. You looked as if you went through hell and back.”

“No parents, sir. I live in the Tenjiku orphanage, sir.”

The two men with long hair stopped bickering, looking at you in surprise.

“Ah, so you one of Izana’s little urchins?” Laughing to himself slightly, Baji already pulled out his phone to contact the man.

“No, sir! Well, I mean, technically? But Izana is always busy with business trips. Hitto Kakucho is my caretaker, sir.”

“No issue, no issue.” Grinning wildly, the man scrolled through his contact list, “Got his number too, we go way way back in the day.”

Placing the phone to his ear, Baji waited for his friend to pick up.

He does so on the second ring.

“Hey, Kaku, my dear friend! Hi, we just got a kid hiding from the cops in our shop, says it’s one of your little guppies- Hold on,” Covering the speaker, Baji looks at you, “What’s your name?”

“Y/n, sir!”

“Y/n, Kakucho. No, hold up- Oh come on, not all of us finished a fancy schmancy university- No, I don’t see a problem with calling the kid an it- Okay, fine, see you soon, bye-bye.”

Not even a few seconds after he hung up, Kakucho slammed the doors of the pet shop open as if the Devil himself was chasing him, and Chifuyu truly had to ask himself how much abuse will the door be able to endure until it breaks.

“Where is my child?!” Huffing and panting from his sprint, Kakucho holds onto the doorknob as if his life depends on it.

Letting all of the heat out.

Wonderful.

Chifuyu can’t wait to see his electricity bill for that month.

“It’s here.” Kazutora, like a snitch, points underneath the counter.

He gets a nice and proper smack from Kakucho for calling you an it.

Chifuyu rarely sees Kakucho, and when he does, the man is side to side with Izana, sporting business casual attire, dress pants and a button-up usually, but now, Kakucho’s in a pair of loose sweatpants and a hoodie, not even having bothered with throwing on a jacket in his rush, standing with his arms crossed and glaring at the child cowering underneath the table.

He truly looks like an exhausted dad.

“Y/n.” He addresses you in a stern, disappointed tone, “How much of that is your blood?”

You twiddle your thumbs, smiling awkwardly at the man, but still refusing to leave the safety of the counter, hiding underneath like a scared cat.

“Hi dad. Uh- Well- Some of it?”

The tiredness on Kakucho’s face seemed to age him 10 years.

“What happened?” Rubbing his temples, he closes his eyes, taking deep breaths.

“Some assholes were throwing around another kid’s backpack and didn’t let him get it… So I punched them?”

“Child, what did we say about physical violence?”

“Well, you said that it’s bad, but ‘Zana said,” Your face relaxes, tone growing softer and slower, clearly in an attempt to mimic Izana. It has the pet shop workers snickering, “Y/n, you got a right fist and a left fist for a reason, and if a beep tries you, swing.”

Kazutora and Baji look about a second away from losing it, this 10-year-old sassing their once so feared friend too amusing to not laugh at.

Kakucho’s eye twitches.

“I’ll have a chat with Izana about his… Parenting methods. Did you at least win?”

You beamed, a sly grin making it’s way onto your childish face, still adored with baby fat.

“The police were chasing me, not those assholes, right?”

“Language!”

“OH SO IT’S FINE WHEN HE ASKS IF THE KID WON, BUT WHEN I CALL IT AN URCHIN-“

Baji goes on a full rant, not stopping once to consider the fact no one was listening.

“You stress me out.” Sighing, Kakucho bent over to coax you out, “C’mere, we’re going home, I’m sure Shion and Mochi will find this hilarious.”

“Leg hurts.” You drag yourself out in the open, but still refuse to move an inch away from the floor.

Not an issue for Kakucho, he picks you up into his arms easily, holding you like a little kid.

“What am I going to do with you honey?” Shaking his head, he softly pats your back, much like one would to a baby.

You find yourself a little offended, you considered yourself to be basically an adult, but your leg really did hurt, so not having to walk is nice.

“Suffer.”

“I’ll tell Izana about this.”

“Do it, he’d be proud.”

Kakucho opens his mouth to argue, but-

Yeah, no.

Izana would be proud.

Goddamit.

🔖Taglist:

@dilf-city @wakasa-wifey @rinsie @kisekihany @bajifairyy @cryszus @r-xochitl @graythecoffeebean @yukihime-mikeys-girl @mukounisuru-gashadokuro @sunahyejin @crybabylisa @yamaguccitadashi @minoozi @trashmemebitch @frogtits1 @sup-zfam @whydohumansss @xashiui @bontens-whore @nqctre @lumi-does-some-stuff @hana-patata @hxked @erza-uzumaki @sh4nn @sisnot @soushswag @kneeapartman @anahryal @reiners-milkbiddies @satsuri3su @aretheea @bluerskiees @luvjiro @sanchezbloodline @a-toxic-person @lostsomewhereinthegarden @astropheia @thetruepair @jeagckerman

a/n: currently sobbing over austria-hungary and this drabble was written as comfort 🥲

[dumbass-tumbler-cryptid]

Love your stuff what will be updating Visited on the son? Maybe?🤔🤞

Thank you 😊. I had hoped to finish it sooner but then I got side tracked with an au someone sent me. I’m close to finishing the last part of that but I’ve also been on a trip all weekend so I haven’t really been writing much (but I have been think up a complete new fic that I really want to start writing but probably shouldn’t until I finish other stuff) . I’ll get back to writing Visited when I get home tomorrow. I plan on just chilling for the next two days so I’m hoping to get a lot done. In the meantime, here’s a snippet!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

“Alright now what sound does B make,” Miles asked his son. Spider’s reading lessons were displayed on their living room t.v, Miles standing off to the side of it with a pointing stick in hand, playing teacher. His son sat on the couch, looking hilariously small on the oversized furniture. Spider was wrapped up in a blanket, clutching it close as if to shield from the schooling, the pout on his face a permanent fixture since the lesson began.

“Bah,” Spider spat out.

Miles sighed. “You know for a kid that’s right y’a look mighty miserable.”

“This is stupid!”

Miles pinched the bridge of his nose, “well son if y’a had passed this portion on your aptitude test then we wouldn’t be doin’ this. But y’a didn’t because y’a couldn’t even read the questions. So it’s not stupid. Knowin’ what sounds all the letters make will help y’a sound out words when we get to readin’. Y’a listen to the sounds, y’a figure out the words and just like that y’a can read.”

Spider defensively crossed his arms, glaring at the floor, still obviously unimpressed. “It doesn’t matter,” the boy mumbled, the words barely decipherable by his father, “I’m a moron anyway…”

“What did you just say,” Miles' anger was rising, hoping that he’d actually misheard his son.

Spider cast off his blanket, leaning forward on the couch, “I said I’m a moron!”

“Don’t you dare say that about yourself,” Miles shouted, wagging a finger at the boy. Spider shrank inward at the yelling but Miles' fury was too high for him to stop, “who told you that! That damn McCosker!”

Spider curled into a little ball, “yeah.”

Miles took a deep breath, trying to quell his rage. You can’t yell at him, he reminded himself, you're scaring him. He crossed the room, kneeling to his son’s level, laying his hands on the boy’s shoulders. In a much more gentle tone he said, “I’m sorry for yelling. I was just mad on your behalf. You are not a moron. Don’t you ever say something like that about yourself ever again y’a hear me.” Spider nodded. “Now tell me what happened when McCosker insulted you.”

Spider was quiet until he found the words, “we tried school a while ago. I couldn’t sit still and that made him angry and when I didn’t get the lessons he got more angry and started yelling and calling me a moron and an idiot and stupid….”

Miles had to stop himself from completely flying off the handle and going straight to McCosker’s apartment to beat the shit out of him. “How old were you?” Spider answered by holding up a hand all five of his fingers splayed. It felt like a knife to the heart for Miles. His poor boy had already been through so much and Miles could have prevented all of it if he had just made better choices. He took his son’s little hand in his own, looking him directly in the eye with a soft encouraging gaze. “Now you listen up. Sometimes when people are mean, like that mean ol’ Nash McCosker, it’s really because they’re unhappy with themselves. They gotta tear everyone else down just to feel good inside. Once you know that, those people can never hurt y’a again. They are sad and pathetic. You are kind and resourceful and strong. And you are most definitely a smart boy. Y’a couldn’t win at hide and seek, or safely make your way through the jungle all by yourself or speak two languages or take care of yourself for as long as y’a did if y’a weren’t incredibly smart.” Spider’s cheeks turned pink, a bashful smile on his face. Miles cupped his face in his hand. “Do y’a believe me now?” Spider nodded. “Good. Now can we try your lessons again?”

[witchywriterlythings]

All Apart of Something's Game

Chapter One: My Best Friend Gets A Shopping Trip and I Get Dodge-ball

The new school year started off with a big surprise. First off, the classes at my new school weren’t actually too bad since Meriweather had this whole “alternative” view on academia which meant we didn’t have desks or tests or grades, and our teachers chilled with us on bean bags while wearing jeans and rock t-shirts. 

They also were much more accommodating with my ADHD and dyslexia, recording classes so I could review lessons and making the learning active so I was able to focus easier. On the first day, my music teacher had us all come up with a beat that everyone had to try and copy. Then for the rest of class, if someone started tapping or making noise, everyone had to copy and the last person to do so was ‘it’ next.

The biggest thing, though, was about a week into the school year when they held an assembly in the gym. The mats were spread out all over the floor mixed in with bean bags so some kids were napping while we waited for teachers. 

“What’s up Meriweather!” Our headmaster, Mr. Bonsai, said cheerfully as he looked over all of us, not phased in the slightest by the literal snoring coming from by the locker rooms. “As part of our efforts to give you all the best chance we can, we’ve decided to invite a new student to school this year. He’s had it rough growing up, but I’m sure all of you will give him a warm welcome.” He waved someone forward from the gym doors. “This is Tyson.”

Now I had been working on hiding some of my more…animalistic features. My mom wasn’t exactly happy with how much I had let it slip without her there and my senses were starting to get overwhelming. I mean, school locker rooms? In middle school? Yeah. But even with my slightly dampened powers, I clocked my half-brother the second he stepped out of the shadows.

Tyson, as they called him, stood out immediately. He had six inches over even the tallest of the classes, even standing over some of the teachers, and was built like the Abominable Snowman. The ground cushioned his feet when he walked, causing the wood to creak. And under the stench of New York alley-way, he smelled like salt and metal and the air before a storm. His shaggy hair covered his face as he shuffled over to the headmaster, led by two teachers. 

“Thank you for joining us!” Mr. Bonsai was still smiling, even if he looked like he would gag any second. “Say hello to your new classmates.”

“Heh-low,” Tyson’s voice boomed despite sounding like a toddler trying out words for the first time. 

To cut a long story short, I took him home with me. 

My mom was gone for one of her writing workshops, so we had time to kill when we got back to the apartment. 

“What do you want to eat, big guy?” I was willing to make anything, since I’d shared my lunch with him already and both of us were probably starving. Why Meriweather thought a homeless kid would be able to bring his own lunch was beyond me. “There’s some leftovers from dinner last night if you want some.”

Tyson shrugged and dragged his socks across the rug from the hallway. His toes peeked through the holes. “Peanut butter?”

“Yeah, we got peanut butter.” Since he wasn’t very talkative, I figured it would be safe to toast some bread and give him a sandwich instead of trying to figure out something else. And since he didn’t want any, I heated up the fish for myself. I got us both glasses of water and set everything down at the table. “We gotta wash our hands first.”

Tyson watched me do it before trying himself, though he looked at the bottle of soap like he’d never seen it before. Maybe he hadn’t. “Slimy.”

Eventually, once his skin was free of any visible dirt and the water ran clear, we sat down to eat. I didn’t bother with table manners, since I didn’t want Tyson to feel bad if he didn’t have any. And my mom wasn’t there to make me act nice. We both scarfed down our food in a few minutes and I had to get Tyson some milk to get the peanut butter to stop sticking in his mouth. 

“Percy?” My mom called as she unlocked the front door.

“Give me a second, big guy,” I told Tyson before running over to see my mom. Finally, an adult! “Your idiot ex-boyfriend has another kid and he’s here and I don’t know how to explain all this to him because what if Uncle gets mad about it?”

My mom raised her eyebrows. Of course when I referred to my dad, I called him such, but it was much more fun to call the God of the Seas her ex-boyfriend if we were talking about him. Especially since my mom got exasperated with me every time. “He did what now?”

“He’s in the kitchen.” 

My mom peeked around the corner, startling when she caught sight of Tyson who sort of waved at her before going back to looking at his plate quietly. “Percy. Percy, your new friend isn’t like you.” 

“What do you mean? He smells like dad though.”

“Baby, I need you to really look at him. I need you to look him in the eye.” 

Oh. 

Tyson didn’t really need the whole “the greek gods are alive and you’re their kid speech” but it took him a few minutes for it to sink in that we were brothers. He immediately started crying and reached out for a hug, which I couldn’t have said no to. It was like being looked up at by a puppy who wanted cuddles. Who says no to that? 

While I got my ribs slightly crushed, he was much gentler with my mom. She didn’t seem fully on board with the idea of me adopting a circle-eyed half-brother until I asked if we could walk him home when he had to leave and she saw his refrigerator box. 

“Nope,” was all she said before she grabbed both our hands and started dragging us back towards the apartment. Everyone seems to think I get it from my dad, but really I’m more like my mom if you think about it. She once told me the story of how he caught her attention, how other he seemed, standing there on the beach. She really had a soft spot for us monsters. 

Tyson didn’t stay with us every night, he refused to. Apparently if he didn’t spend most of his nights there, he might lose his spot. I asked him once why he would need the alley when he had us and he just shrugged. “For when you gone.”

I tried to stick with him as much as possible in school. Once the other kids discovered he was a big softie, despite his massive strength and his scary looks, they made themselves feel good by trying to pick on him. I had to bare my teeth at more than one kid who looked at him wrong, and my reputation plummeted each time. 

Let alone when the school bully decided to try slamming Tyson into the lockers, my reaction afterwards probably wasn’t the smartest. Matt Sloan wasn’t big or strong, but he acted like he was. He had shaggy black hair, and he always dressed in expensive but sloppy clothes, like he wanted everybody to see how little he cared about his family’s money but refused to actually lower himself enough to shop at a thrift store. And his nose was now permanently like that.

He left us alone for the most part throughout the rest of the year. Even if Tyson wouldn’t make him regret it, I would. Things were going great. 

And then the nightmares started. At first it was just feelings of wildness, a buzz that would leave me in a haze instead of letting me sleep. That evolved into walking through barren wastelands, the feeling of despair crawling up my legs and pinning me to the floor. And the night before the last day of school, it came to a pitch.

I was standing on a deserted street in some little beach town in Miami. It was the middle of the night, with a storm blowing in as wind and rain ripped at the palm trees along the sidewalk. Pink and yellow stucco buildings lined the street, their windows boarded up. 

I don’t know why I knew we were in Miami, I had never been. Of course it being Florida was pretty obvious, it looked like Florida in every TV show ever. 

Then I heard hooves clattering against the pavement. I turned and saw my friend Grover running for his life. I hadn’t seen him since last July, when he set off alone on a dangerous quest—a quest no satyr had ever returned from.

I could smell his fear seeping from his pores, but also his determination. Whatever he was running from, he had found something. He must’ve just come from the beach. Wet sand was caked in his fur. He’d escaped from somewhere. He was trying to get away from…something.

And that something was down the street, lumbering towards him and swatting aside streetlamps as he went. I couldn’t catch his scent for some reason, was it the dream? 

Grover stumbled, whimpering in fear. He muttered to himself, “Have to get away. Have to warn them!” He turned a corner only to find himself cornered. I hissed as I watched him try to figure out where to go, hating how I could feel his prey drive ramp up as it started to affect me too. He backed up into a store only for the door to swing open. The sign above the darkened display window read: ST. AUGUSTINE BRIDAL BOUTIQUE. 

Grover dashed inside. He dove behind a rack of wedding dresses, trembling behind them as the monster's shadow drew closer. I couldn’t smell him. All I smelled was Grover, wet barnyard and wild winds. 

The monster passed by the shop, pausing only for a second before moving on. 

Silence except for the rain. Grover took a deep breath. Maybe the thing was gone.

Then lightning flashed. The entire front of the store exploded, and a monstrous voice bellowed: “MIIIIINE!”

I sat bolt upright, shivering in my bed. There was no storm here but I could still feel the edges of it to the south, my connection to it slipping away every time I blinked the sleep out of my eyes. There was no monster here either. 

I thought I saw a shadow flicker across the glass—a humanlike shape. But then there was a knock on my bedroom door—my mom called: “Percy, you’re going to be late”—and the shadow at the window disappeared.

It must’ve been my imagination. If anything was out there, I would have been able to tell. Besides, it was far too small to be the monster from my dreams anyway. 

“Come on, Percy,” my mom called again, “I’m putting the waffles on the table!”

“Coming,” I answered. “Don’t let Tyson start without me!” I got dressed as quickly as I could, letting my more easy fear of Tyson eating all the waffles take over the lingering unease of my nightmare. Before I left my room, though, I made a three-fingered claw over my heart and pushed it outward—an ancient gesture Grover had once taught me for warding off evil.

Whatever the dream had been, I couldn’t do anything about it without help from camp. Chiron would know what to do. And to get to camp, I had to get through my last day of school. For the first time in my life, I’d almost made it an entire year without getting expelled. No weird accidents. No fights (in the classrooms). No teachers turning into monsters and trying to kill me with poisoned cafeteria food or exploding homework. 

Tyson was a surprise, but a good one. Afterall, he was waiting patiently at the table for me so we could dig into breakfast. 

My mom made blue waffles and blue eggs, a leftover of my old stepfather who told us blue food wasn’t a thing. I think it’s her way of saying anything is possible. Percy can pass seventh grade. Waffles can be blue. Little miracles like that.

As soon as I sat down at the kitchen table, me and Tyson started digging into our plates while my mom washed dishes in the sink. She was dressed in her work uniform—a starry blue skirt and a red-and-white striped blouse she wore to sell candy at Sweet on America. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail.

The waffles tasted great, but I guess I wasn’t digging in like I usually did. My mom looked over and frowned. “Percy, are you all right?”

“Yeah … fine.”

“Liar,” Tyson huffed into his food and I kicked his shin under the table. “Heard your nightmare.”

Apparently, circle-eyes had really good hearing. Great when I wanted to know if anyone was in the locker room before we got there, but it sucked as Tyson knew things I’d really rather he didn’t. Especially because he decided my mom should know everything. 

Then again, she could always tell when something was bothering me anyway. She dried her hands and sat down across from me. “School, or …”

She didn’t need to finish. I knew what she was asking.

“I think Grover’s in trouble,” I said, and I told them about my dream. 

“I wouldn’t be too worried, dear,” she said. “Grover is a big satyr now. If there were a problem, I’m sure we would’ve heard from … from camp… .” Her shoulders tensed as she said the word camp. 

“What is it?” I asked.

“Nothing,” she said. “I’ll tell you what. This afternoon we’ll celebrate the end of school. I’ll take you and Tyson to Rockefeller Center—to that skateboard shop you like.”

Tyson perked up but he was still eyeing my mom with a weird expression. 

I frowned at her but kept my mouth shut. We were supposed to be packing up for camp tonight, but neither of us liked talking about it in front of Tyson because he tended to cry about me leaving. I was tempted to ask anyway, but just then the kitchen clock chimed the half-hour.

 My mom looked almost relieved. “Seven-thirty, dear. You two should go, can’t be late for your train.”

 “But—”

“Percy, we’ll talk this afternoon. Go on to school.”

Tyson and I grabbed our backpacks, both giving my mom a hug before we left. Tyson was much happier to accept her fixing his collar than I was, which made me shift uncomfortably. 

“Bye, Sally.” The way Tyson said it, it was like he thought he would never see her again. 

I had to keep myself from hissing in frustration because I was sure Tyson would take it the wrong way. 

As we stepped outside, I glanced at the brownstone building across the street. Just for a second I saw a dark shape in the morning sunlight—a human silhouette against the brick wall, a shadow that belonged to no one.

Then it rippled and vanished.

The back of my head itched like someone was watching me, but I couldn’t smell anything out of the ordinary. Tyson seemed to sense something was up too because he kept looking around until we got to school and stuck pretty close to me. He would have stuck close anyway though, so I’m not sure it meant anything. 

I tried to shove aside the feeling and let the anticipation keep me going. I only had four more exams to get through, since we had done half of them the day before, and then there was nothing anyone could do to expel me. 

Though this last day was going to be the hardest to get through by far. Take my first class today: English. The whole middle school had read (or listened to in my case) this book called Lord of the Flies, where all these kids get marooned on an island and go psycho. So for our final exam, our teachers sent us into the break yard to spend an hour with no adult supervision to see what would happen. 

I know. The teachers at Meriweather liked to think the best of us which was great for my learning, but ended up with situations like the wedgie contest Sloan was doing with his friends and the full tackle basketball the eighth graders were playing. 

If I didn’t have to watch Tyson, I might have joined them because it honestly looked really fun since the ref was Naomi Quinn. If someone turned my mother back into an eighth grader, I’m pretty sure they’d be the exact same. Though Naomi might be a little more feral. 

She apparently thought I was cute, like a puppy or something, and would ruffle my hair whenever she heard me growl at someone, which I really wasn’t sure what to do with. Not to mention Sloan was terrified of her since she had kicked him between the legs so hard he passed out once. I didn’t see what started it and she’d simply shrugged when I asked. “Probably best not to tell you, little shark,” she’d said. “You might eat him.” Though she seemed to find the idea amusing. 

Naomi had one of her friends in a headlock, which was impressive considering he was the tallest of the older kids and she was only 5 feet, when she saw me watching. She raised her free hand to wave, grinning. 

I felt my cheeks heat up and turned away to find Tyson. My mind blanked as I saw Sloan heading for Tyson, some new kids hanging back behind him and snickering. I rushed forward to get between them, but I was too late. 

Sloan snuck up behind him and tried to give him a wedgie, and Tyson panicked. He swatted Sloan away a little too hard. Sloan flew fifteen feet and got tangled in the little kids’ tire swing.

Shit, I thought and skidded to a halt next to my half brother. 

“You freak!” Sloan yelled. “Why don’t you go back to your cardboard box!”

Tyson started sobbing and plopped down on the ground hard enough to shake the playground. 

I growled lowly and tried to launch myself towards the bully, ready to tear his throat out with my teeth. I could take a lot of shit from people, but messing with Tyson was off limits and he had been warned. Just because he got a few new friends didn’t mean I wouldn’t bathe in his blood. 

“No,” Tyson said through his sobs and grabbed my arm gently. Despite trying my best to keep up with an exercise routine this year, I would have had to be Superman to break even the lightest grip Tyson could do. “Not worth it.” 

“Yeah Jackson,” Sloan sneered as the other boys helped pull him out of tire swing. “You’re not worth it.” He and his big ugly friends started laughing. “Just wait till PE, Jackson,” he called when he caught his breath. “You are so dead.”

I tried lunging for him again but Tyson forced me to sit next to him. “I … I am a freak?” he asked me.

“No,” I promised, gritting my teeth. “Matt Sloan is the freak.”

Tyson sniffled. “You are a good brother. Will miss you when you leave.” 

“Don’t worry, big guy,” I managed. “Everything’s going to be fine.” He looked like he was going to start crying again so I blurted out the first thing I thought of. “I think mom packed you an extra peanut butter sandwich for lunch to celebrate the last day!”

He sniffled but at least he didn’t start crying again. 

Naomi came over once the game was wrapping up and gave Tyson a quick hug. “Sloan thinks he’s important because this is as good as his life is going to get. Just ignore him.” She reached out to ruffle my hair like usual but I hissed at her. I really wasn’t in the mood. She pulled her hand back but didn’t seem offended. “Good luck boys,” she said as she wandered back to her friends. 

Tyson looked over at them. “She’s nice.” 

“She’s weird,” I agreed and Tyson sighed. 

When first period ended, our English teacher, Mr. de Milo, came outside to inspect the carnage. He pronounced that we’d understood Lord of the Flies perfectly. We all passed his course, and we should never, never grow up to be violent people. He might have had a point. We were all already violent. 

Our next exam was science. Mrs. Tesla usually had us mixing things like oobleck and doing experiments on what properties it had, so I was sort of excited to see what she was going to let us play with. Instead of the normal set up we had with our ingredients measured and laid out for us, we had a selection of the chemicals and other things we’d been allowed to use throughout the school year displayed at each of our tables. 

“Good morning class!” Mrs. Tesla, for once, had her giant mane of hair thrown up into a large bun and the scarf she usually wore, which was from some old british scifi show, was nowhere to be seen. Even her octagonal glasses were replaced by a pair of safety goggles. “Since throughout the year we’ve been talking about making new materials and their properties, I decided I wanted to see how much you actually remembered about each chemical and ingredient we worked with.” 

Everyone in the class seemed to shift at once, thinking maybe we were going to get our first written exam of the school year. 

“Today, you will need to wear all of the safety gear we’ve been using. Everyone come get a face mask, a pair of goggles, a pair of gloves, and a lab coat. Make sure you are wearing everything because I will be coming around to check!” Her eyes swept over the other students as we all did as told, confused about the change in our teacher. We shouldn’t have worried though because once she was sure we were all safe, she clapped her own gloved hands together and giggled. “Now to have fun!” 

Apparently we had to mix chemicals until we succeeded in making something explode, though hopefully like a science fair volcano instead of anything dangerous. That was our exam. 

Tyson was my lab partner. His hands were way too big for the tiny vials we were supposed to use. He accidentally knocked a tray of chemicals off the counter and made an orange mushroom cloud in the trash can.

After Mrs. Tesla evacuated the lab and called the hazardous waste removal squad, she praised Tyson and me for being natural chemists. We were the first ones who’d ever aced her exam in under thirty seconds.

“You two are dismissed and can hang out in the cafeteria with anyone else whose out of class. The rest of you will come with me to the other lab!” She bounced on her toes as she went, clearly excited by it all. 

Tyson and I ended up at a table by ourselves playing Mythomagic, a card game my cousin Nico had gotten me into during the few visits we were allowed. Apparently their stepmother really enjoyed my mom’s company and felt like she was a safe person for them to be with, though she usually stuck around to ward off monsters. 

I wasn’t really all that invested though since I couldn’t get rid of the itchy feeling on my head and my thoughts kept shifting to Grover and how my mom was hiding something. Did something happen at camp? Why wasn’t I packing to leave when I got home? 

Eventually it was time for social studies where we were drawing latitude/longitude maps. It was one of the easiest exercises we’d ever done, at least for me. I ended up turning my sheet in early and asking if I could draw something else which my teachet said was fine.

Instead, I ended up I opening my notebook and just stared at the photo inside—my friend Annabeth on vacation in Washington, D.C. She was wearing jeans and a denim jacket over her orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt. Her blond hair was pulled back in a bandanna. She was standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial with her arms crossed, looking extremely pleased with herself, like she’d personally designed the place. 

I missed her. She would be able to help me figure out my dreams about Grover. 

I was about to close my notebook when I saw a hand reaching for the picture out of the corner of my eye. I slammed my pencil down towards it, missing the fingers by centimeters and I growled at the culprit. Sloan. I really wished I had better aim. “Fuck off, dude.” 

“What’s got your panties in a twist? Got something in there you don’t want anyone else to see?” He snickered and turned back to his buddy. “Don’t know where this guy would get a Playboy though, he can’t even read enough to know what the title says!”

His friends must have been new kids visiting, because they were all wearing those stupid HI! MY NAME IS: tags from the admissions office. They must’ve had a weird sense of humor, too, because they’d all filled in strange names like: MARROW SUCKER, SKULL EATER, and JOE BOB. 

I narrowed my eyes at them but I couldn’t pick out their scent in all the teenagers that were spread throughout the room. If they were monsters, they couldn’t be that strong. 

 “These guys are moving here next year,” Sloan bragged, like that was supposed to scare me. “Good thing I’m gonna put you out of your misery next period.” 

The bell rang and I shrugged my bag over my shoulder. “Whatever, Sloan.” His threats weren’t that scary, the worst he could do was try to hit me and at that point it’s self defense. Chiron had tried to tell me I wasn’t allowed to hurt mortals under any circumstances, but my mom disagreed. 

“You can’t start fights, baby,” she’d said and her grin was as sharp as mine. “But you can finish them.” 

It was time for PE. Our coach had promised us a free-for-all dodgeball game, and Matt Sloan had promised to kill me. This was going to be fun.

The gym uniform at Meriwether is sky blue shorts and tie-dyed T-shirts. I changed as quickly as I could in the locker room because I wanted to get out there, but then Tyson caught my eye and I sighed. He hated changing out in the open. He’d been attacked when he was younger by a Spynx and the scars on his back were mad messy. 

Most days I stood guard outside the weight room for him so he could get changed. I’d learned the hard way that if people teased Tyson while he was dressing out, he’d get upset and start ripping the doors off lockers. Not that I minded the damage, but the teachers thought I was a good influence on him and having teachers actually like me wasn’t something I was going to give up. 

When we got inside the gym, Coach Nunley was sitting at his little desk reading Sports Illustrated. He reminded me of the Oracle at Camp Half-Blood—which was a shriveled-up mummy—except Coach Nunley moved a lot less and he never billowed green smoke. He gave me the creeps. 

Matt Sloan immediately asked if we could be team captains together which got a yes out of the coach without him even looking up from his magazine. Sloan grinned and took charge of the picking. He made me the other team’s captain, but it wasn’t like it mattered when all the jocks and the popular kids moved over to Sloan’s side.

So did the big group of visitors.

Matt Sloan spilled a cage full of balls in the middle of the gym, before looking for the whistle to start the game.

 “Scared,” Tyson mumbled. “Smell funny.”

I looked at him, confused. “What smells funny?” All I was getting was teenager sweat and a few other choice things around the school I really didn’t want to pay attention to. 

“Them.” Tyson pointed at Sloan’s new friends. “Smell funny.”

Monsters, I thought. The visitors were cracking their knuckles, eyeing us like it was slaughter time. I grinned sharply at them and enjoyed the flicker of confusion on their faces. Riptide was in the locker room since I didn’t have pockets, but I had Tyson and my claws.

Mom wouldn’t like it, she was always nervous about me shifting away from dad’s domain. But in self defense? Oh, I could let loose. 

Sloan blew the coach’s whistle and the game began. Sloan’s team ran for the center line, but I was the first one there. I didn’t look at what my team was doing, simply threw the ball as hard as I could at Matt in the middle of the monster pack and watched as he hit the floor with a satisfying thud. 

“You wanna fight?” I asked as I tried not to bounce on the balls of my feet, my energy ramping up as I saw the realization in their eyes. 

“Desperately, Perseus Jackson,” one of them said and then they were all growing in size. They were no longer kids. They were eight-foot-tall giants with wild eyes, pointy teeth, and hairy arms tattooed with snakes and hula women and Valentine hearts.

I let my form flicker for a second, just a second, to reveal what was underneath all my control and I laughed as a few of them actually went to take a step back. “Good.” It had been so long since I was allowed to let loose. 

Tyson immediately started herding our teammates away from me and towards the doors. As Mom got more used to the idea of him being a Cirle-eyed One, we realized he was actually only five and she’d told him under no circumstances was he allowed to get into fights with me. 

Matt Sloan groaned on the floor. When he lifted his head, he froze. “Whoa! You’re not from Detroit! Who …”

It finally seemed to click for the other kids on his team who started screaming and backing toward the exit, but the giant named Marrow Sucker threw a ball with deadly accuracy. Tyson smacked it away and held the door open. 

“Stop them!” the one called Joe Bob growled at his friends. He had a tattoo on his biceps that said: JB luvs Babycakes. “We will not lose our tasty morsels. We Laistrygonians aren’t just playing for your death, Son of the Sea God. We want lunch!”

One of them broke off towards Tyson, but I had to hope he could handle himself. It’s not exactly like bringing all of their attention on my escaping classmates was a good idea. 

Joe Bob waved his hand and a new batch of dodgeballs appeared on the center line—but these balls weren’t made of red rubber. They were bronze, the size of cannon balls, perforated like wiffle balls with fire bubbling out the holes. 

The giant named Skull Eater threw his ball. I dove aside as the fiery bronze comet sailed past my shoulder.

“Are we done talking then? This fight was really starting to get boring,” I said and enjoyed how it made them roar. Lone hunters didn’t go after large prey by themselves. They waited for one of them to wander away from the pod, so by the time the others noticed it was too late for them to reach. 

“No one leaves unless you’re out!” Joe Bob roared and I chanced a glance at the exit. Most of the kids were through, but the door seemed to be locked. Tyson was busy grappling with the giant that had tried to stop him. “And you’re not out until we eat you!”

Another fireball came streaking toward me. I dove out of the way but the explosion still blew me head over heels. I found myself sprawled on the gym floor, dazed from smoke, my tie-dyed T-shirt peppered with sizzling holes. Just across the center line, two hungry giants were glaring down at me.

“Flesh!” they bellowed. “Hero flesh for lunch!” They both took aim.

“Percy needs help!” Tyson yelled, and he jumped in front of me just as they threw their balls.

I don’t know where the other giant went. 

Somehow Tyson, who was only five years old and had the coordination of a puppy with adult sized paws, had caught two fiery metal balls speeding toward him at a zillion miles an hour. He sent them hurtling back toward their surprised owners, who screamed, “BAAAAAD!” as the bronze spheres exploded against their chests.

The giants disintegrated in twin columns of flame.

“My brothers!” Joe Bob the Cannibal wailed. He flexed his muscles and his Babycakes tattoo rippled. “You will pay for their destruction!”

It was two on—I checked by the doors and grinned at the pile of ash over there, being kicked around by the kids trying to escape—three now. Much better odds. 

“Tyson!” I warned.

Another comet hurtled toward us. Tyson just had time to swat it aside. It flew straight over Coach Nunley’s head and landed in the bleachers with a huge KA-BOOM!

“Victory will be ours!” roared Joe Bob the Cannibal. “We will feast on your bones!”

“You’re taking dodgeball way too seriously, man,” I said cheekily and he roared again. I think Tyson would have face palmed if he safely could. 

Joe Bob and his remaining friends all picked up dodgeballs. I had to duck and roll again as one flew straight past me and into the locker room. The built-up gas in most boys’ locker rooms must have been enough to cause an explosion, because the flaming dodgeball ignited a huge WHOOOOOOOM!

The wall blew apart. Locker doors, socks, athletic supporters, and other various nasty personal belongings rained all over the gym.

I turned just in time to see Tyson punch Skull Eater in the face. The giant crumpled next to a matching pile of ash. But the last giant, Joe Bob, had wisely held on to his own ball, waiting for an opportunity. He threw just as Tyson was turning to face him. 

“No!” I yelled.

The ball caught Tyson square in the chest. He slid the length of the court and slammed into the back wall, which cracked and partially crumbled on top of him, making a hole right onto Church Street. The bronze ball was smoking at his feet. Tyson tried to pick it up, but he fell back, stunned, into a pile of cinder blocks.

“Well!” Joe Bob gloated. “I’m the last one standing! I’ll have enough meat to bring Babycakes a doggie bag!”

He picked up another ball and aimed it at Tyson.

My vision blurred. 

Here’s the thing about siblings that I was slowly starting to learn. Half the time you want to kill them, the other half of the time you wish you never had a sibling. But the second anyone else threatens them, you would kill to protect them. 

I don’t know if I held back the changes or if I went full monster, but all I know is I was slicing through the giants calf, dodging the ball he threw my way despite the burn I could feel forming on my shoulder. 

Joe Bob laughed even as he dripped ash and fire all over the floor. “You are funny, little demigod. You will go down nicely.” 

Suddenly the giant’s body went rigid. His expression changed from gloating to surprise.

Right where his belly button should’ve been, his T-shirt ripped open and he grew something like a horn—no, not a horn—the glowing tip of a blade.

The ball dropped out of his hand. The monster stared down at the knife that had just run him through from behind.

He muttered, “Ow,” and burst into a cloud of green flame, which I figured was going to make Babycakes pretty upset.

Standing in the smoke was Annabeth. Her face was grimy and scratched. She had a ragged backpack slung over her shoulder, her baseball cap tucked in her pocket, a bronze knife in her hand, and a wild look in her storm-gray eyes, like she’d just been chased a thousand miles by ghosts. She smelled like alleyway and sewer, golden dust crusted in parts of her hair. 

Matt Sloan, who’d been sitting there dumbfounded the whole time, finally came to his senses. He blinked at Annabeth, as if he dimly recognized her from my notebook picture. He stood up, pointing at her. “That’s the girl … That’s the girl—”

Annabeth punched him in the nose and knocked him flat. “And you,” she told him, “lay off my friend.”

I beamed at her when I realized Matt was out cold. So fucking satisfying. “Hey, you made it to the party!”

“I’ve been here all day, Seaweed brain,” she argued with a roll of her eyes but her smile was genuine. “I’ve been trying to find a good time to talk to you, but you were never alone.”

I paused my search around the chaos of the gym to snap my head around to look at her. “What do you mean all day? I didn’t sense you, you couldn’t have been…” My eyes snapped to her yankee’s cap. “The shadow I saw this morning—that was—” My face felt hot. “Oh my gods, you were looking in my bedroom window?” 

“There’s no time to explain!” she snapped, though she looked a little red-faced herself and her scent turned sour with embarrassment and something else I couldn’t identify. “I just didn’t want to—”

The doors to the gym slammed open finally as the headmaster, a collection of teachers, and some police officers started pouring in. 

Annabeth looked like she was going to bolt but I grabbed her hand. “Let go of me. I need to get out of here, you two.” She paused and pointed to Tyson, who was still sitting dazed against the wall. Annabeth gave him a look of distaste that I didn’t quite understand. Did she know what he was? “You’d better bring him.”

“What do I do?” 

“Improvise!” she hissed as she slammed her yankee’s cap on her head and vanished. I stopped being able to even feel her. 

That left me alone in the middle of a flamming gym looking like a bunch of kids had thrown moltov cocktails (wouldn’t have been the first time) and…wait. 

“Percy Jackson?” Mr. Bonsai said when he reached me. “What … how …”

Over by the broken wall, Tyson groaned and stood up from the pile of cinder blocks. “Head hurts.”

Matt Sloan was starting to come around, but I wasn’t going to let him blame this on me. Even if he didn’t know, he’d let those giants into our school and he’d led them straight to Tyson and me. 

I summoned tears like an expert and immediately started trying to wipe them away like I didn’t want the headmaster to see. “The…the new kids…they…” 

Mr. Bonsai bent a knee to get more at my eye level and I hated how much like a kid it made me feel but it meant the adults were looking less like they wanted me arrested so… “What happened?”

“They trashed the place! Sloan said they were his friends but then when we tried playing dodgeball they got really mean and started throwing the balls at everyone really hard and then they grabbed their bags and they had moltov cocktails! I think they were part of a gang!”

Sloan started shaking his head, turning red in the face. “That’s not true!” 

Tyson started crying at the perfect moment. 

“We’ll talk about this more later,” Mr. Bonsai promised. “If you can find your clothes, we’ll get you to one of the ambulances.”

I didn’t even realize they could see the burn on my shoulder but I just nodded obediently and snagged my jeans off the floor, happy to have Riptide back. 

Sloan lunged at me. “You liar!”

I dodged quickly, letting fear seep into my expression. I reached for Tyson, grabbing his arm before bolting for the gaping hole in the side of the building.

<Prev Master Post Next>

[writing-blog-iguess]

Harley Quinn

Summery: The batfamily hears three stories about batmom and Harley. How they met, how they started dating, and how they ended.

Warning: fluff, angst.

A/N: This bish is 4847 words. I did not mean to write that much.

Man, the amount of love I got from Stories...I'm so happy people enjoyed it. So, I hope you enjoy this one just as much.

Feedback is welcome! And feel free to let me know who or what kind of story of Batmom you want to see next.

-------

There were only two weeks left of summer, and she wanted to move onto campus as soon as possible. But her friend, Selina, had made it a little difficult for her. On the first day the campus was allowing their students to come, Selina had come over and stopped her from packing. And they spent the day together shopping, seeing a movie and eating. Selina ended up crashing at her place after they had binged a show.

When she started packing the next day, Selina did the same. But after a promise of hanging out when she was settled in her dorms, Selina conceded and helped with the packing. And after some whining and pizza, Selina came with her to campus to help as well.

Struggling to keep the heavy box in her hands, she made her way towards her dorm. “You can help me, you know,” she grunted, shifting the box as it was slipping out of her arms.

“I am,” Selina said, holding up a couple of garbage bags full of clothes. “My hands are just full to help you carry your box.”

“You’re funny,” she deadpanned. Selina flashed her a smile, to which she returned one of her own.

“And that’s why you love me.”

“No, no I don’t think that’s it,” she mused, looking at each dorm number. “I think I love your cat more. And that’s why we’re friends.”

Selina gasped mockingly, and bumped her shoulder. “I knew it!” She laughed just as she found her dorm room.

Fishing out her key from her pocket, she handed it to Selina and waited until Selina opened the door. The minute she walked through the door, she was eloped in a hug. It caught her by surprise that she dropped the box she was holding.

“Hiya! I’m your new roommate!”

“And they were roommates,” Dick gasped out, interrupting the story.

“Oh my god, they were roommates,” Tim finished, and three out of the four boys burst out laughing.

“You two are hilarious,” she said, slumping into her chair. They had just finished dinner when the boys started bombarding her with questions about her and Harley. And after teasing them a little about which story. She started with how she met her ex-fiancé.

“Are you two done?” Bruce asked, and the laughter slowly downed a little. Until they caught each other’s eyes, and it started again.

Damian rolled his eyes, and turned to his mother. “I didn’t know you and Selina were in a relationship,” he said, and that had caused Dick, Jason and Tim to stop and look at her.

“No, no we weren’t dating,” she answered, shaking her head. “I didn’t know my sexuatilty until I started dating Harley.”

“And how long did that take?” Jason asked, rolling his cup on the table.

She blew out a puff of air and sighed. “When we were twenty-one. Even then I needed help.”

“I don’t think I’ve heard this one,” Bruce said with a smile. She flushed in embarrassment and looked away before recalling the story.

——

“Pumpkin,” her roommate sang from the other side of the room. She hummed, blinking at her homework trying to keep awake. She was currently laying on her stomach with her chin sitting on her hand. “Maybe you should take a break. You’ve been at it for hours.”

“Pft, I’m fine,” she answered, though the words were starting to blur together. “Hey!” she said, as Harley yanked the book from her. “I need that.”

“And you need a break,” she pressed, closing the book with a snap. “Come on Pumpkin, let’s get something to eat.”

She pouted trying to grab her textbook. Harley giggled and held it out of her reach. “Harley,” she whined, “the test I'm studying for is supposed to cost half of my grade.”

“You should know that taking care of your body is more important than school, doctor,” Harley teased. She stuck her tongue out, causing Harley to poke it. “Come on, we’ll go to your favourite café.”

She lit up and quickly got out of bed, almost tripping on her feet doing so. Harley laughed and tossed the book onto the bed. “You gotta be more careful, pumpkin.” She made a face, and grabbed her stuff before the two of them left their apartment.

She looped her arm through Harley’s as they walked. Talking about everything and nothing that came to mind. On occasion, she would check her phone, hoping for any messages from Bruce. But there were none.

She hasn’t spoken to Bruce since the last time they hung out, and she wondered if it was something that she did. Though the thought was ridiculous. They’ve only met up a handful of times since he’d been back. And even then, she couldn’t think of a reason why he was avoiding her.

The only thing she could think of was their first conversation they had together. But that was back when he first arrived in Gotham.

Bruce had found the apartment she was sharing with Harley, and decided to pay her a visit before the tabloids caught wind of him being back.

It had caught her by surprise when Harley called, saying there was a billionaire holding pizza. Confused on what she meant, she rounded the corner to find Bruce Wayne standing in her hallway.

After giving him a hug, and a little catch up, the three of you spent the night hanging out. And it felt like nothing had changed between the two of you.

It wasn’t until Harley had gone to bed, that Bruce told you everything that happened since leaving Gotham when he was fourteen. He told you how his training had gone, and all the people he’s met.

It was one thing reading about them through Bruce’s letters. But it was a different experience hearing them from Bruce. When he had finished, he told her it was time to start fixing Gotham his way.

With a sigh, she had hoped that he had changed his mind. Instead of talking him out of it, she suggested waiting a little bit before doing so. Make Bruce Wayne into a public figure, or more then he already is. And then have his second persona make an appearance. Only so people didn’t connect that the two were related.

That had been two months ago. And sure, she’s been busy with school and midterms were just around the corner, and Bruce was busy running a company and….well, being a playboy from what she’s read in magazines. She didn’t read the articles, it hurt a little reading them.

And he was also busy with being Batman. She laughed at the name the media had dubbed him, it almost made her call him up just to tease him about it. But she refrained from doing so. She was unsure where she fit in his new life, and at this point she was too afraid of the answer to ask.

When they arrived at the café, she found a table for them while Harley ordered.

Harley looked over the rim of the coffee cup in her hand when her friend sighed again. “You’re in love with Bruce!” Harley accused.

She dropped her bagel on her plate and stared at Harley in shock. “I am not!”

“You totally are! You keep checking your phone like your love sick, waiting for someone to call you.”

“I am not in love with Bruce,” she stuttered out, “why would I be? He left to go to school abroad, and shows up eight years later! And so what if I thought about him during those years, and was worried about him. That’s what friends do, they worry about them. It’s not like I noticed how much he’s changed or dream about holding his hand or...or kissing him or…or...” she trailed off as she thought back to all the times her heart hammered in her chest when he smiled at her.

Or all the times Bruce made her blush. She thought back to how she smiled when she saw Bruce’s letter in the mail, or how happy she felt as she read them. Or how relieved she felt when she saw Bruce in her apartment or how hurt she was when she saw him with different girls every night.

Then she thought about all that when she was with Harley. Could she be in love with Harley too? But she quickly dismissed it, thinking it wasn’t possible.

She slumped into her chair as Harley set her mug down, and smirked at her in satisfaction. “Holy hell, I’m in love with Bruce Wayne.”

“There it is,” Harley said, giggling as she received a glare. “You’ve known Bruce since you guys were little, how is it only now that you're realizing this?”

“I don’t…” she trailed off, hands picking up her cup. She twirled it around the table as she tried to come up with the right words, “I’m not...when I can’t pick up the cues when it comes to stuff like that.”

“So someone has to tell you that they love you. Like your parents loving you,” Harley mused, she shrugged.

“I know they do and I can see that they love me. But for whatever reason, when it comes to romantic feelings, I have a blind eye,” she explained, letting the cup go in favour of pulling apart her muffin. She huffed out a laugh. “It’s funny. Back in high school there was this guy who asked me out on a date. But he didn’t use those words, he used ‘wanna hang out?’

“I said yes. It wasn’t until he kissed me that it was starting to click. Even then I didn’t fully understand. Selina told me what it was that I knew. I was so embarrassed I couldn‘t face him. I feel like there’s something wrong with me.”

Harley leaned over and took her hands, she stilled her hands and her eyes flitted up to Harley. And her heart stuttered as Harley looked at her. “Nothing’s wrong with you pumpkin. People process things differently, you just happen to need someone to tell you.”

Relief washed over her and she smiled. “Thanks, Hars.” Harley hummed and leaned back, letting go of her hand. She missed the warmth of Haley’s hands, but didn’t think anything of it, especially when she noticed a twinkle in Harley's eyes.

“So, are you going to tell Brucie?” Harley teased, she made a face and shook her head.

“No, I will not,” she said.

“But he might love you back!” Harley exclaimed, “pumpkin, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. He looks at you like you hung the moon every night.”

“Even if that’s true, I don’t think it’ll work. At least not right now,” she mumbled, and quickly added when Haley gave her a confused look, “he’s not interested in anything serious right now.”

Harley nodded in understanding, and she looked away when she saw pity in Harley's eyes.

That weekend, she found herself in the school library with Harley and Jonathan doing homework. Harley had just left for drinks, leaving the two of them alone.

Jonathan looked up from his homework and studied his friend. She hunched over her books and tapped her pencil on her head as she was going over a question.

“Are you and Harley dating?” Jonathan blurted out. She froze and lifted her head to look at him in surprise.

“Excuse me?” she asked.

Jonathan raised an eyebrow at her reaction, and stifled a laugh. “I think you heard me.”

“Oh I heard. But what made you come to that conclusion?” she clarified, squinting her eyes at him.

“The way you two act around each other,” he explained, “you're all in love and shit. It’s a wonder you haven’t kissed yet.”

“I don’t….but I can’t….” she trailed off. The words weren’t coming and she wasn’t quite sure if she did or not. “Friends can act like that platonically!”

“That’s true. But with you two, it’s hard to tell. You both have heart eyes every time you either talk about each other, or just being in the same room.”

She stayed quiet, she didn’t have anything to say.

“You know, when Harley told me you process feelings differently than most people, I thought she was joking,” he mused, this time chuckling.

“It’s great to know you talk about me,” she deadpanned, setting down her pencil.

“But I’m serious, do you like her or not?” he asked, and she let her head drop on her textbook and groaned.

“I don’t know. The other day, Harley helped me discover I’m in love with my childhood best friend. And now you're making me question my feelings for Harley.”

Jonathan held up his hands in surrender, though she wasn’t paying attention. “Wasn’t my intent, I just figured you needed to know.”

“Thanks,” she said dryly, and lifted her hand and flipped him off. He laughed and gently patted her head.

“I’ll ask a question or two, maybe it’ll help.”

She nodded but kept her head on the table. Jonathan's smile grew wider, enjoying this a little bit too much.

“When you see her, what do you do?”

She took a moment to ponder the question. “My heart starts to beat faster and I can’t help but think how pretty she is. And I get all flustered when she gets really close or she gives me a compliment. And when she’s happy and smiling and laughing, and my butterflies explode in my stomach when that happens because I did that. And sometimes, when she’s pouting or just sad, I just want to pull her into a kiss.”

Jonathan raised an eye at her statement, and had no doubt that she was blushing. “What about Bruce?”

“The same thing! He winks my way and the next thing I know I’m a blushing mess. And when he gives me a certain look, it’s like I gave him everything and I melt and just want to kiss his stupid face! And I hate him for that, but not really and….hhhhh!”

“Damn,” Jonathan huffed out, staring at her. “You have it bad for both of them.”

“But I can’t love two people at once!” she exclaimed, getting shushed by other students. She paid them no mind, head racing on what she should do.

“Who says?” Jonathan asked, and she paused to think about it. “There's no rule saying you have to like one person at the time,” he continued when she didn’t answer. “Now the question is who are you going to pick? Bruce or Harley?”

“What if they both don’t love me?” she whispered, lifting her head up slightly. “What if it’s all in my head and they laugh if I tell them?”

“I don’t know about Bruce, but Harley won’t,” he answered, going back to his homework, “trust me.”

She spent the next week pondering over her conversations with Harley and Jonathan. And there were a few things she’s discovered.

She’s bisexual.

She’s really bad at feelings and seeing them for what they are. Though this wasn’t anything new, still she hated that she needed help when it comes to emotions.

If she did choose Bruce over Harley, it wouldn’t have worked out. Not only because of him being Batman, but because she didn’t see it as a long term relationship. And she didn’t want that.

And if she chose Harley over Bruce, she didn’t want to make Harley feel like she was second pick. She didn’t want that either.

By the weekend, she still doesn’t know what to do.

Sighing, she fell on her bed. She stared at the ceilings and groaned, pressing her palms to her eyes. “Why is this hard?”

“I don’t know pumpkin, maybe I can help?” Harley suggested, startling her. She sat up quickly and turned to see Harley leaning against the doorframe.

“Help me with what?” she asked, nervously laughing. Harley smiled and walked further in the room.

“Whatever you’re having trouble with,” Harley answered.

She sighed and fell onto the bed again, she took a pillow and hugged it to her chest. “I don’t think this is something you can help with,” she mumbled, closing her eyes.

She felt the bed dip, and felt Harley shift around until she stopped. “I could listen to you rant about it?”

She hummed, but shook her head. “It’s something I need to figure out.”

Silence fell around them as she thought. Harley brought her hand over her face and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. She tensed at the sudden touch, but soon relaxed into it.

“Does it have something to do with what you and Jonathan were talking about last week?” Harley asked after a moment.

Her eyes flew open and she stared at Harley, panicking a little. If Harley knew, there’s nothing she could say that wouldn’t be a lie.

“But I…did he tell you?” she asked, Harley nodded. She groaned and stuffed her face into the mattress. “Damnit.”

Harley giggled and slowly moved her face so they could look at each other. “If it helps any, I love you too.”

She flushed, and looked anywhere but Harley. “But I don’t want to make you feel like a second choice. I don’t want you to resent me because you know I love Bruce too.”

“Hey I won’t,” Harley reassured. Biting her lip, she shook her head. Harley sighed, and moved to press her forehead against hers. “Can I tell you a secret? I loved you before I knew you loved Bruce, and I still love you knowing that. I just hope you can give me a chance.”

She studied Harley for a moment before closing the distance and kissed her.

——

“Ew! Mom! Gross! We don’t need to hear about that!” Dick interrupted. She looked up to see her boys looking at her in disgust. Jason and Tim gagged mockingly as Dick shuddered.

“What? It was just a kiss,” she answered, amused.

“Yeah but you kissed Harley. And that means you’ve done more than kissing,” Jason said.

“You knew this when your father told you I was engaged to her.”

“It’s one thing thinking about it, it’s a whole different thing to hear it from you, Mom,” Tim said, leaning back into his chair.

She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Shrugging, she picked up her glass and took a sip.

“So Harley figured out you loved me before you did? And this after meeting me once,” Bruce asked, amused. She felt her cheeks burn and looked away.

“Wasn’t my proudest moment, but yes she did,” she said with a shrug.

“And she was okay with it?”

She nodded, smiling a little at the memory. “Yeah. She didn’t seem to mind too much about it. But I didn’t spend too much time being hung up on Bruce. I was too busy with Har-”

“Ma!” Jason exclaimed, stopping her from finishing the sentence.

“I wasn’t even going to say anything bad!” she defended.

“You went to school with Crane?” Damian asked. She turned her attention to the youngest and nodded.

“We had a few classes together, and Harley just sort of adopted him into the friend group,” she mused.

“What I can’t get over, is the fact that Crane had to tell you about your feelings for Harley,” Dick put out.

“Like I said, I have a hard time deciphering emotions. Especially when it comes to romantic feelings. But once I know, then I’m okay.”

“How long were you together before getting engaged?” Damian asked, though it was still hard to believe his mother had someone before Bruce.

“And who popped the question?”

She looked at the clock and back to the boys. “Doesn't the patrol start soon?” she asked. The boys looked at Bruce with their best puppy eyes. Well, Dick, Jason and Tim did, Damian seemed indifferent but Bruce could tell he wanted to hear the story as well.

“If it’s okay with your mother, we can listen to one more story,” he said, and she raised an eyebrow at her husband. “What?”

“And I thought I couldn’t say no,” she said with a mumble.

“Shut up,” he said, but smiled slightly.

“So Ma, what’s the story?”

Her hand went up to her necklace and started playing with it as she thought back. “We’ve been together for almost eight years before I asked her.”

——

She fell on the couch once she got home from the hospital. It had been a taxing day, and all she wanted to do was curl up with Harley and sleep until the morning. But they had dinner plans they needed to get to, and if everything turned out as planned, she and Harley would be engaged.

Over the years of dating, conversation of marriage would come up. Whether it be just then asking about it, or their friends. They both wanted it, but they silently agreed that they wouldn’t take it seriously until they both finished school.

Harley had already finished her last year of residency, and she was one you last year. Granted, she still had a month left, but she figured it would still count.

“Pumpkin, I’m home,” Harley called as she walked in.

“Living room,” she answered back. A moment later, Harley walked in the room and plopped beside her. Harley laid her head on her lap and sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. “Tiring day?”

Harley nodded and closed her eyes. “I know we had plans to go out, but can we stay in? Arkham really took me out.”

She scrunched her nose, her hands stopped moving. “I thought you didn’t start there until next week?”

“I did, but something happened with the inmates,” Harley answered.

“And they needed a psychiatrist?”

“Apparently some of the inmates needed help and they couldn’t wait until next week,” Harley said, and sighed happily when she resumed playing with Harley’s hair. “So can we stay in?”

“Yeah, we can. We can order take out and watch a movie or something,” she mused, trying to think of a new plan. “What do you want?”

“Chinese.”

She smiled and reached over, grabbing her phone and ordering food. Once finished, she set the phone before turning back to Harley. She stared at her loving, watching as Harley was slowly falling asleep.

“You’re staring,” Harley mumbled with a smile.

“I can’t help, you’re just too gorgeous to look at anything else,” she teased. Harley blushed and snuggled into her legs.

“Shut up.”

Thinking it’s the perfect time, she went for it. “Marry me?” Harley’s eyes flew open, and she quickly sat down and looked at her.

“What?”

“Marry me,” she repeated, smiling at the bewildered look Harley was giving her. “I know we talked about it a few times. And since I have a month left of residency, I figured why not. So, marry me?”

Harley looked at her for a minute before smiling widely, and threw her arms around her, laughing. “Of course I will, pumpkin!” Harley said, kissing her all over her face.

And just like that they were engaged.

As the months went by, they planned a wedding. They had decided who was going to be in the wedding party, where the venue would be, and who was going to cater for them. They just needed to book everything, but they weren’t going to do so until they picked out the wedding day.

And for a while everything was perfect. Up until Harley started seeing Joker as a patient. She didn’t see it, not a first. She took it as Harley having bad days or long tiring days at Arkham. And with doctor patient confidentiality, Harley couldn’t talk about their problems.

But Harley could tell her how the day went. If it was bad, she’d drop it and offer to make Harley's favourite foods.

Then Harley started to become distant. She would come home later than normal, and would snap for no reason. She had tried to get Harley to talk to her, but she wouldn’t. She kept saying she was fine and it had been a long day. It was worrying.

All at once, it stopped. Harley stopped talking to her, and stopped coming home.

She was out of her mind, worrying for Harley. She hoped her fiancée would come home. It was to the point that she went out and looked for Harley.

But Bruce had stopped her before she could leave the apartment.

She had found him waiting in her living room after a long shift at the hospital. It had startled her seeing Bruce dressed as Batman standing there, he cowl down.

She was about to greet him, but the sad, pitied expression Bruce had stopped her. “No, don’t…don’t say it. I don’t want to hear it.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, taking a step forward, she stepped back. “But something happened to Harley.”

She shook her head frantically, covering her mouth with her hands. “Nononono, she can’t have…please,” she begged, as Bruce wrapped her into a hug when he was close enough.

“I’m sorry, but Joker got into her head,” he started, tightening his grip as she choked back a sob. “Convinced her that they were meant for each other. Made her fall in the chemicals he fell into. She’s alive, but she isn’t Harley anymore. Not the one you knew anyways.”

She broke down crying before Bruce finished his sentence. She clung to him like a lifeline as the words sunk in.

She expected to hear that Harley died, that someone had killed her. Not this. But this? This was so much worse.

——

A heavy silence fell once she finished. She was clutching the ring that was threaded on a chain. It helped keep the tears at bay. She didn’t want to cry, not now, not after so many years.

“The next day, Bruce told me the full story,” she whispered, and grimaced as the fight flashed before her. “We fought. Okay, I yelled and he just took him. I said some things I shouldn’t have and I avoided him for a while.”

“I remember that,” Dick said, leaning onto the table. “Bruce looked heartbroken during that time. And every time I tried to ask what happened, he shut me down. Even at gala’s when you were there, he looked like he wanted to go and talk to you.”

Bruce looked at him in surprise. Dick was only eight when that happened, he didn’t think he was paying attention.

On the other hand, she felt guilt crawling in her stomach, and slouched into her chair. She hid her face in her hands when Dick continued.

“That falling out thing happened for a few years, didn’t it?” he asked. She opted to stay quiet, letting Bruce answer the question.

“Three or four years, yeah.”

Tim was about to ask what had happened, but Jason nudged him and shook his head. Tim gave him a look, and Jason gestured to their mom, practically saying I don’t think she wants to talk about it.

“Sorry for bringing up the past Ummi,” Damian said softly. “We didn’t know.”

Rubbing her face to get rid of stray tears, she dropped her hands onto the table. “That’s okay sweetie. I wouldn’t have told you anything if it still hurts.”

“So, how’d you fix your friendship with Bruce?” Jason asked. She shook her head and stood.

“Bruce can tell you,” she said, stretching, “I have the night shift tonight. And I need to get ready.”

With that she left her boys staring at Bruce, waiting.

“It’s time for patrol,” he gruffed out and followed his wife. The boys groaned, saying that wasn’t fair.

“Are you okay?” he asked when he reached their bedroom. He leaned against the doorframe, watching her quickly change and grabbed her stuff before pausing. She clutched her keys and sighed.

“Honestly? I don’t know,” she sighed, dropping her shoulders. “After ten years, it still hurts. Not as much as it did, but still.”

Bruce nodded, and pushed off the frame and wrapped his arms around her. Holding her close. “I’m sorry again for everything.”

“You know I don’t blame you anymore, you don’t need to apologize for it.”

“Feels like I have too. You don’t deserve to have gone through that.”

“No one does but life sucks that way,” she said, giving him a smile. “I have to go.”

Bruce frowned, tightening his hold a little. “I wish you didn’t.”

“I’m a doctor Bruce, but I’ll be careful,” she said, reaching up to kiss him. “You be careful too tonight.” He nodded and dropped his arms and watched as she left the room.

“I love you,” he called. She popped her head back in and smiled.

“I love you too.”

Running out of the manor and to her car, she didn’t notice a figure standing in the distance. Harley signed as she watched, glad that her ex-lover found happiness again. And promised she’d do whatever it took to keep it that way.

[volleychumps]

Found your tumblr acc recently and im INLOVE with it 😂. Idk if this is weird but, Can i request a fluffy imagine with nishinoya, bokuto, oikawa, and kuroo in which before practice the reader underestimates he's ability to lift stuff (calling him weak and other stuff) then out of nowhere, he lifts the reader to prove how strong he is and the other volleyball members there are like "... B r u h" lmao

c u t e 

Warning(s); cursing

Underestimating Their Ability to Lift Things and Getting Lifted in the Process (Nishinoya, Bokuto, Oikawa, and Kuroo) -headcannons-

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

Nishinoya

- come on you know better

- is the hardest simp for you, but you always say no because you really can’t take him seriously with the way he fawns over girls 

- so surprise surprise when he literally almost cries in joy when you pop your head into the volleyball gym with a stack of chairs they had requested tucked under your arm

- “Need a man to help you carry those, Y/N?” all puppy dog like, omg please pet him 

- “A man?” You tease, not seeing the way he had frowned while stilling in place “It’s okay, I doubt you could handle it-” 

- a whole beat of silence comes from him amongst the rowdiness of the gym before his eyes shine over in competitiveness

- and you don’t notice until he’s literally holding you by the waist, lifting you up like you weigh nothing with the chairs 

- grins widely up at you, blinking as if nothing were the matter as heat floods your cheeks

- he was literally holding you like a child, and you have to tighten your hold on the chairs so they don’t fucking fall 

- Now the whole gym was silent: like why the hell is their libero holding up some random girl in the middle of the entrance 

- “...do I need to call the police-” “Tsukki nO-” 

- Asahi’s literally palming his face while Suga is covering Hinata’s and Yamaguchi’s eyes, telling them not to take notes on how to treat the girls they like

- Daichi is behind him in a second, sweatdropping and ready to catch you if Noya decides to drop you because he’s so unpredictable 

- Tanaka is in the background nodding his head in approval while Kiyoko is just lightly shaking her head and thinking of a billion ways to apologize to you

- “O-okay, you can handle it!” You manage out, flushed as Noya’s grin widens, putting you down before scratching the back of his head

- “So ice cream after school?” As if he didn’t just pick you the fuck up, and your heart beats surprisingly a little quicker at the situation before you groan, spinning on your heel

- “...yes. It’s not a date though!” 

- let’s just say the gasp around the gym was collective as you rushed away, Noya grinning like a madman before punching the air as Suga and Tsukishima blink in disbelief 

- “That did not just work-” “I’ve suddenly seen enough today, I’d like to go home.” 

Bokuto

- bold of you to assume he wouldn’t 

- you’re the manager of the Fukurodani volleyball team, and you’re filling a large container with water bottles for the boys after they finish practice

- Bokuto’s your boyfriend, but still a newly-minted one that was always leaving practice to come up to you to bargain for hugs to keep him energized

- hugs are just his thing, okay?

- “Y/N can I help?! That looks heavy!” “I don’t know Bo...it seems like a bit much for you, don’t you think?”

- literally does not pick up on the teasing in your tone, and his face falls for a second before his eyes light up with an idea 

- so imagine Fukurodani’s surprise when a shriek fills the gym, and all of practice stops to see their ace had somehow managed to slip away from practicing to be the core reason of said shriek

- deadass lifts you high enough to where you’re sitting on his shoulders, legs draping over them as a hot blush fills your cheeks as he bounces on the balls of his feet, as if he were warming up

- “And now I’m gonna run-!” “Bo, nO-” 

- Akaashi takes a good two seconds to pinch the bridge of his nose as Konoha cackles at the sight before them, Bokuto grabbing your thighs to keep you steady as he runs around the outer gym

- Komi and Sarukui both shake their heads in disbelief as you hold onto Bokuto for dear life 

- “Konoha, get over here and help me stop him.” “Akaashi he’s your pet, you go get him.”

- only lets you down when he runs a full lap, and you blink in slight dizziness before expecting he’ll let you down-

- sike bitch you thought 

- “Y/N, can you do that cute thing where you lean your head over?” “Like...this?” 

- you’re still trying to get your thoughts together, and you hang your head over his upside down so your hair is draping downward, meeting Bokuto’s gold eyes from the odd angle 

- kisses the tip of your nose after grinning at your obedience, and you yelp before hiding your face in your hands after straightening with a blush

- Akaashi approaches him as if he has a hostage, both hands in the air as it looks like Bokuto’s about to start running again with a dazed you atop his shoulders

- I’m dying Konoha’s filming this 

- “Bokuto put her down.” “Gotta catch me first, Akaashi!” 

Oikawa

- “Why are you standing in front of Y/N-chan?” “Stop whining, idiot- it’s so you don’t look at her ass while she’s helping the coach lift some of the trophies onto the shelves of the gym.” 

- gasps at the accusation as you stifle a laugh from above, balanced atop stacked practice mats with Iwaizumi and Matsukawa chilling in front of you 

- “Y/N-chan, I’m being bullied down here!” “...I don’t know, maybe they’re onto something-” 

- feigns a second gasp of shock as you giggle before slightly struggling to lift a particularly heavier trophy onto the shelves 

- “Need help?” he’s done joking now, frowning when he sees you wobbling from your balance as you offer him a thumbs up when you lift it, too distracted to think about the impact of your next words 

- “As if you could offer me any form of help, you pampered setter.” 

- I kid you not this brunette really took those words to heart despite the laughs Iwa and Mattsun gave at your words, and walked up to your balanced form to push lightly on one of the mats 

- bitch the fuck

- you yelp before Oikawa catches you smoothly bridal-style, hugging one of the smaller trophies to your chest as you blink up at him with an owlish expression as he grins down at you

- “...did..did you just push me over to prove a point-” “OI SHITTYKAWA” 

- “Hang on tight, Y/N-chan, we’re going for a spin!” “A what-” 

- runs away with you in his arms as Iwa and Mattsun call after you like some kind of parents as you run away with an unapproved boyfriend 

- “...should we help her Kunimi?” “Nah she’s a goner, Kindaichi.” 

- Hanamaki considers tripping his captain but decides against it because it would probably hurt you too as you wrap your arms around his neck to keep from falling

- “...if you really want me to get her I can tackle really well.” “Kyoutani, sit your ass down.” 

- only sets you down when he makes it to the hallway conjoined with the gym, laughing at your bewildered expression as your back touches one of the lockers 

- “Still think I can’t help you, Y/N-chan?” “You are so dramatic, Oikawa Tooru.” 

- you shake your head before going to walk back to practiice only for his arm to stop you as he pouts down at you, leaning down as the pout contorts to a smirk

- “And what if I said I just wanted to get you and your pretty face alone?”

Kuroo

- “Kuroo stop flirting with our manager, you have to share!” “She’s my girlfriend, you imbecile.” 

- glares at Lev who pouts, wanting your attention as the tall boy impatiently waits to talk to you before you giggle, gently pushing your boyfriend away 

- “I’m everyone’s manager babe. I need Lev’s help to lift some of the mats out of the gym.” ...why didn’t you just ask me?”

- in all honesty you didn’t really think much of asking your boyfriend for help first, thinking it wasn’t a big deal as you grin teasingly 

- “Duh. Because I doubt you’d be able to carry one, babe.” “Is that right?” 

- But you’re already walking away to bend down to help Lev with the mats, not seeing the glint in Kuroo’s feral eyes as he watches 

- not gonna lie he was probs looking at your ass and trying not to admire it because he was trying to be annoyed 

- so as you come back laughing alongside Lev he’s really annoyed now, so when you bend back down again he walks up to you and scoops you up from behind, flinging you over his shoulder like a rag doll possessively 

- “Tetsurou, what-?!” “Team meeting!” 

- And I kid you not Kuroo leads this team meeting in the most casual-manner with you slung over his shoulder, Kenma sighing because he feels bad for you as if it were a test of trust, daring anyone to look at what was his 

- “Hey Kuroo? You’ve got a little something...” “Where, Yaku?” 

- “...oh nevermind, just a fly.” “YAKU MORISUKE-” 

- grins as he ignores you hitting him on the back, and when the meeting’s over he doesn’t put you down as he hums, lifting three of the mats with one hand

- “...I get it. You can lift things. Put me down now.” “I have no idea what you’re talking about, sweetheart.” 

- Lev is lowkey jealous while Yamamoto gapes at the cuteness of you two as you kiss the top of Kuroo’s head with a pout, trying to bargain you’re way down as Kuroo simply ignores you 

- “They’re an odd couple.” “If I said what she did, it would probably be me- he’s just insane.” 

- “KENMA I HEARD THAT.” “Says the guy with his girlfriend slung forcibly over his shoulder.” 

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

General Works: @takemetovalhalla @savemesteeb @kasandrafaye@dreebbles @yams046 @aprettyfruit @therestless101 @dai-tsukki-desu @lifeisntjustblackandwhite @curiouslilbeast@wisepandaslimeland @deadontheinsidebut @lmkjimin@h0ngh0ngh0ng @theworldupthere @itz-tooru @orangegiraffe7@let-me-have-my-own-name

[majycka]

For that fic fuel brainrot:

Akutami did a graph on the students knowledge of jujutsu sense, academic school sense and physical strength. And Mai was 9 for school sense! So she’s canonically a nerd. And Nobara got 6 too, so this sparks this modern au/hc:

Nobara failing her science tests/homework and having to find a tutor, but her friend/teacher arranged it for her and the tutor is actually her upper-classmate, Mai Zenin. I’m thinking Mai is teaching her a science formula or something of that sense, and there’s a near kiss experience maybe ?? But honestly it’d be funnier if they hated each other and the tutoring was arranged by Nobara’s science teacher 😭

but ofc u don’t gotta do this one, I just think it’s be cute <3 have a good day/night !

TUTORING_MASTER69

Tags: t-rated, no warnings, modern japan hs au, bratty nobamai whats new really, aaaaand stuff mentioned above,

Word count: 4077

a/n: tweaked the prompt a bit doesnt exactly follow the ask above. This is the graph anon mentioned

Nobara slammed her papers on the table, all two heads turning to face her. “I’m failing Science,” she said straight to the point.

Megumi and Yuuji went to stare at the blaring red marks on her paper, painfully overwriting its presence on the white sheet

“You can still make it for office hours,” shrugged Yuuji.

“Well, I did,” answered Nobara, placing her hands on his hips.

“And let me guess,” said Megumi, “you threatened him to pass you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Not exactly, I just almost caused a scene.”

Megumi shook his head as he went back in drinking his strawberry milk while looking out the window.

“C’mon, Fushiguro, I expected you to help me out here.”

“I can help-“

“Nevermind,” interrupted Nobara towards Yuuji. “I’ll ask Maki-san, she’s a second year, she knows what’s up.”

“I was about to say that,” pouted Yuuji but Nobara only knuckled his head, earning his little whines.

Nobara skipped out of their classroom and left the two boys to eating their lunches. She took a trip at the flight, stretching his leg out, jumping a step of the stairs. When she arrived at the second years’ classroom, Maki had stood near the windows, furrowing her brows while she listened to the phone on her ear.

Nobara waited for her to finish the phone call. Maki sounded annoyed from the tone of her voice and when she finished, her junior walked up to her.

“Nobara, what’s up?” Maki asked, sighing and pocketing her phone.

“You okay?”

“It’s just…my crazy family’s drama.”

“Oh.” Nobara wasn’t sure if she should pry open to her problem when at the same time, she knew she’s shit when talking about feelings. “Actually, I came here to ask if you can help me out on my Science test.”

“Sorry, I can’t right now, I’m busy with work afterschool and there’s the thing with my family.”

Dammit. Even how much Nobara wanted to spend time with Maki, she couldn’t disagree to it. She merely nodded and saifd it was fine. Now she’s a back to square one again as Maki said that Megumi could help.

She lightly slammed her head on her desk. Maybe she should just risk it all and afford not to be part of track team anymore because of her shit grades. “Fushiguro, say something,” she groaned, hoping he might actually find a reasonable solution. Megrim only continued to scratch his pen for some notes on his notebooks.

“Wait, I think I got something!”

Annnnnd it was Yuuji who had the bright idea.

“Have you heard about Tutoring_Master69?” said the pink haired boy.

Nobara raised her head off her desk. “What weird part of the Internet are you going through?”

“I’m serious, look,” Yuuji shoved his phone on Nobara’s face, “they’ve been hanging this poster around school lately”

“Will Accept any chips as payment in exchange in getting your work done,” Nobara read out the account’s instagram bio on his phone. It only has one post which is the poster Yuuji is talking about. “So you’re saying I should pay someone to do my work.”

“It said ‘Tutoring Master’ not ‘cheating master’”

“Office hours is still an option,” chimed in Megumi as he flip through his notebook.

“C’mon! Why don’t you just make this easier for me and teach me the stuff,” said Nobara.

“Well, I did tutor you already, and it was hell,” deadpanned Megumi.

Yuuji laughed, being a total idiot to how Nobara’s face scrunching up from his reaction.

Yet hours later, Nobara actually had her thumb hovering over the message button of the Tutoring_Master69 account. She admitted that she’s desperate at this point. Taking a deep breath, she quickly typed out a message and sent it without hesitation. It even made her spelling wack because of that.

Worst. Mistake. Ever.

The spell checker that’s supposed to make your life easier decided to be useless. It wrote ‘u need help’ instead of Nobara’s intended ‘I need help.’ How fun is that!

“Fuck!” exclaimed Nobara she was walking down the hallway and everyone’s heads turned to stare at her. She didn’t notice the stares and just went typing away on her phone.

Her message was immediately seen by the tutoring master.

“I mean I NEED HELP,” texted Nobara. Then again, seen.

The typing bubble comes out from the account. The tutor asked Nobara the usual homework pictures and instructions. They also added to bring the chips payment and homework at the library.

Fine, that wasn’t too bad actually. Easy Peasy, and who ever the heck is behind this seem like they would get the work done.

When Nobara finally went to library to meet this tutoring master, she sat on one the tables. Her thick Science books smacked on the study table, startling other students nearby. Her autumn eyes looked around the room as she made assumptions on who this tutor could be. Maybe it’s that guy with glasses reading a book in the corner? A girl munching away her food when it’s not allowed in the library? or maybe….

Nobara caught golden eyes briefly looking at her. Mai Zenin pulled a chair across from HER then sat on HER table. The green haired girl cleared her throat to try to catch Nobara’s attention.

“What are you doing?” Asked Nobara, her brows furrowed. “Last time I remembered we hated each other’s guts.”

Months ago, Rewind to the beginning of the school year where it all started. The country bumpkin Nobara moved to the big city expecting uncaged wings in high school. Then she found out that actually, they don’t allow dyed hair on campus.

“Hi, name’s Kugisaki Nobara.”

Mai remembered that day that dyed ginger headed girl went up the stage and took the mic from the poor emcee during their school assembly.

“I just wanna say it’s completely stupid that the school doesn’t allow dyed hair, and it’s needs to stop. That is all.”

She walked away from the stage, not failing to do the mic drop. It’s awful feedback noise pierced through the ears of all students as they squirm at their seats.

“That was a complete waste of time, you know,” A voice said as Nobara was walking back to her seat. She halted her steps to turn and figured that voice belonged to a short haired girl.

“This school assembly is already on hell on earth but you decided to make it even worse,” the girl added. “You could easily have talked to the principal.”

That was the final nail to her coffin. “And who are you supposed to be?” Nobara clenched her fist and ready to throw a punch

“Leave her alone, Mai,” another voice joined that came from the back row seats near Nobara. “At least, she’s tryna get a change here.” She had the same green shade of hair but a long cut and she wore glasses. They looked like sisters.

“Since when did you care about anyone else, Maki?” asked her possible sister..

Right after that was a series of stares in the hallway everytime Nobara walked her presence at the school. But the worst one of all was Mai Zenin’s case. Joining her school’s track team, she later on met Maki Zenin and figured that Mai was indeed her sister.

This girl skipped the cafeteria line when Nobara was there, patiently waiting for food. Mai would stink eye her in the hallways. At some point, they were really close in starting the fight at the girl’s bathroom.

“Still not over about what happened in the school assembly?” asked Mai.

“You started it,” replied Nobara.

“But I was right, if that dyed hair cult of yours didn’t straight up rain down the principal to “un-ban” that policy, then it could have meant nothing.”

That thing Nobara did at the assembly led to the creation of the dyed hair club. It was almost like watching a revolution as a bunch of dyed haired students offered a signed petition to the principal.

“Plus, think about it as an initiation for being such a brash 1st year,” added Mai.

Oh, right. She almost forgot Mai’s actually a 2nd year. “So, what exactly is your agenda here, Zenin? To annoy me like you always do?” asked Nobara.

“Unfortunately, the world doesn’t revolve around you since you actually ask for my help.”

Nobara paused for a moment, staring at the Science book then squinting her eyes at Mai. “You’re Tutoring_Mastering69?” she asked. That can’t be right. Mai being a tutor? She can’t even get along with Nobara. She tried to convince herself.

“Yep,” said Mai, grabbing the Science book from Nobara. “And you’re my first ever customer.”

She can’t believe it. “You must be kidding,” chuckled Nobara.

“I’m serious.” Mai looked at her straight to the eye and then winked at her. “So you better pay me good, Kugisaki.”

Their argument still kept on going on that their voices were raising its volume. Stares were looking up at them. When the librarian was close in kicking the girls out, Mai easily pulled up her own test paper. Nobara shut her mouth. Not a single mark of red was on Mai’s paper.

“So three laws of Newton, enumerate them for me,” Mai asked Nobara. Without getting kicked out of the library, they started their tutoring session.

“Uh, I don’t remember but I don't think that’s how tutoring works, aren't you supposed to teach me those?”

“It’s a way to gauge your understanding.”

“You could have just asked what I didn't know.”

“And most of the time people say, ‘everything’, so just answer the damn question.”

Sheesh, Nobara can’t believe she had to put up with this, and it’s all for the sake of not losing a spot in the track team. “No clue,” she answered.

Mai sighed and continued to write Newton’s rules with little drawings accompanying them. She explained clearly and also didn’t leave out Nobara as Mai asked her questions on the steps.

Their session ended without any complaints.

“Here’s your payment.” Nobara handed a bag of chips.

“Till next time,” Mai bid her goodbye as she walked away.

—

“You asked for Mai’s help?” asked Maki. She and Nobara are doing their warm up stretches at the track field.

“She was….not that bad actually,” answered Nobara.

“She’s a total nerd, but doesn’t totally act like one. I asked for her help a lot in middle school but since I had to move out..”Maki’s face changed as her words trailed off. The concerned Nobara immediately looked at her.

“Is that why you had to work?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter now really,” Maki shut her down, leaving Nobara clueless if she should still pry more about it. Being the nosy girls she is, she came to Fushiguro after practice, and he was hanging out on the roof reading his book.

“Fushiguro, you said you and Maki-san are cousins, right?” She asked, sitting crossed legged next to him. The wind caressed her lightly, and it’s no wonder why Megumi chose this spot.

“Well, yeah.”

“What’s going on with her family?”

There was a brief silence between the two of them. Megumi took in a breath.

“She hasn’t said anything to you yet?”

Nobara shook her head. Megumi debated if he should outright spill the beans or not.

“In a short story, Maki moved into Gojo’s ‘cause she wanted to escape her family situation.”

“Wait, with Gojo? as in Gojo, our physics teacher?”

“Yes, and as you know, he’s my guardian, too.”

“Damn. You’ve always been secretive one Fushiguro and now you’re being bared open.”

Megumi looked at her, blinking his eyes. “ I thought the whole school’s aware I’m affiliated to Gojo.” That blabbering oversharing teacher would spill some beans about his life sometimes in the middle of lecture.

“Eh, but anyways, what exactly is this family situation?”

Megumi flipped through a page of the book he’s reading before saying, “I’d think it’s better if you ask Maki for it.”

Then right after that the rooftop door’s burst open as Yuuji comes in with a sandwich stuck between his teeth like a stereotypical anime school girl in the morning.

Nobara was thinking hard about it though. The thing for Maki-san. Yes, she did admire her on how much she grinds her ass off in every aspect of life possible. Yet even if Nobara knew her in that light, she never actually knew anything about Maki’s family or the Maki behind that front she strongly holds.

“Sup?” Yuuji asked as he approached Nobara. Then he paused and suddenly said, “Oh yeah, how did that thing for the Tutoring Master go?”

--

Mai heard footsteps passing the hallway outside her bedroom. She grew suspicious. Her bedroom is the one at the end of the hall, and the only time footsteps would be there is if Mai herself enters her room or there’s a person who’s gonna enter the room across from Mai's. Mai quickly got up her bed, feeling dizzy, yanked open the door. Her eyes went wide when she saw her sister standing there, surprised as well, ready to twist the doorknob to her own room.

“Maki, what are you doing here?” said Mai.

Her sister only smirked and answered, “You know my ways, little sister.”

Mai arched a brow and turned her head to the hallway where the glass sliding door leading to the balcony can be found.

“You didn’t actually just climb the-“

“I’ll be out of here real quick.” Maki proceeded to enter her room and unzipped her backpack. She grabbed some items from her closet then stuffed them in her bag.

Mai leaned on the doorway and looked down at her feet. She tried hard to watch Maki packing her bags like how much it stings when she did it months ago.

“I actually thought of dumping all your stuff today since you actually don’t need most of them,” sassed Mai. She tried biting back her tongue on how she missed her sister but at the same time how she despised Maki for doing that.

“I know you wouldn’t do that,” answered Maki, leaving her sister with no explanation at all.

Mai stayed silent. If she could, she would shut the door behind her and ask Makii why she did it. Why did she leave Mai all alone in this house? She would start a fight, a fight that wouldn’t even break past Maki’s barriers.

Maki noticed the silence so she said: “Saw you're doing this tutoring thing for school.”

“Well,” Mai crossed her arms. “Got my first customer actually. Bet ya know her, Kugisaki, was it?”

“You and Nobara?” Maki, her eyes went wide, fluttering her lids. “No way. You can’t stand a second without wanting to kill each other.”

“Hmmm, you really have no little faith in me like that?”

“It’s just hard to believe,” said Maki as she started walking back with her bag to the hallway.

“What if we make it work out? get close to her?” suddenly asked Mai. An idea had been crafting in her head at this point.

“Good for you, I guess,” shrugged Maki.

“Would that change you having a little faith in me?”

“I never said tha-“

“Answer the damn question, Maki.”

“If I say yes, what happens then?”

“You stay back home here with me.”

Maki chuckled, but the air got stiffer than before.

“Crazy Mai, I can’t do that.”

“Then explain it to me, why you just left me like that.”

“I got no time for this, right now,” Maki said as she checked her wrist watch. “How ‘bout just do whatever you want and let's save this for another day?”

Before Mai could even say something, Maki already fled to the balcony.

—

“Okay, fine, I need more of your help,” said Nobara. She had barged in the second year’s classroom and slammed papers on Mai’s chair. “And it’s English this time,” added Nobara.

Mai winced, just by taking a peak of Nobara’s paper. “I actually got full sessions for the library today.”

“But this is urgent for me, I got a test tomorrow!”

“And you should have just told me earlier.”

To be honest, Nobara had been actually fighting off her pride to give Mai another chance. Her fingers hovered over that Instagram DM the night before. It was just that she couldn’t believe it herself Mai was actually that nerdy.

“I’ll pay you extra,” tried to convince Nobara.

“I can squeeze you in a session but..” Mai paused, “you have to come over to my house.”

Nobara widened her eyes. Goddammit, she felt another battle of her pride incoming for this one. “F-fine,” gulped Nobara. Oh jeez, desperation does wonders to people. She did one when she badly had to pee and straight up cut the women’s line at the bathroom. But that was nothing compared to this that she quite find…embarassing.

Since Nobara had to stay for after school anyway because of track practice. Maki was absent during that day, and according to Megumi, she had to stay at home since she apparently got sick. Pretty weird for Maki when she take care of her form very much.

The two had to take a short bus trip going to Mai’s house. The whole time, Mai’s eyes locked in to Nobara’s English paper,and just from observing her, Nobara knew Mai is probably formulating a syllabus on how their tutoring session.

“Aren’t you gonna ask me something?” said Nobara when they were five seconds sitting in the bus.

“Last time you did, you weren’t helpful at all,” replied Mai outright. “It would be a complete waste of time.”

“Oh right.” Nobara huffed in her seat. Mai had a point; they were in a time crunch here.

“You sound offended.”

“As if I’ll never get offended by you in general.”

Mai merely ignored what Nobara said as she looked up at the bus window and pressed a button to alert the bus to stop at the next drop off. “We’re almost there,” she said

And soon both girls were walking up to the front of the Zenin’s estate. It was a huge house, and very traditional japanese type with wooden carved name plates at the gate plus tatami mats covering the living room.

“No Zenins right now. They are at work actually,” said Mai, pointing out the empty house.

They got to the second floor and into Mai’s room.

Nobara looked around her room. There were band posters, a row of cactus plants by the window, and actually fashion magazines plus books. It caught Nobara’s attention, and she went all grabby to it.

“I never told you to touch my stuff,” said Mai.

“Never knew you’d be into this stuff.” Lies. Nobara had seen the jackets Mai would wear above her uniform and the school bags Mai brought that change at least every week.

Flipping to another page, Nobara noticed how the magazine featured actual photos of people that were taken at Tokyo to showcase their street fashion outfits.

“I’ve been to those kinds of events,” brought up Mai. “With my friends, Kasumi and Momo. It was a really fun day for me.” Mai smiled at that memory.

“For real?”

“Yup, but c’mon, let’s just get your English papers started.”

Nobara gritted her teeth. She wanted to know more, and she swore she’s gonna be insanely distracted just thinking about it during this session.

“Hey, you listening?” Mai snapped a finger. She even noticed it. “I said what’s the plural form of goose.”

“Uh, gooses?” Nobara attempted to save her ass. Aside from the magazine, Nobara had been trying to peek in the closet in the corner of Mai’s room. It was slightly open, leaving some of Mai’s clothes seen.

“Wrong.” Mai then proceeded to whack Nobara’s head with her rolled English papers.

“Jeez, was that even necessary!” Nobara caressed her head.

“You’re clearly distracted.”

“You didn’t have to be violent.” Nobara stood up from her chair, fists tightening.

“That’s like you weren’t violent in the first place anyway.” Mai stood up from her chair as well. She closed in her face towards Nobara.

“And you know I’d shut up that mouth of yours easily.” Nobara squinted her eyes, looking down and landing on Mai’s lips.

“Try me,” Mai taunted, licking her lips. She abruptly brought her face inches closer.

Nobara could feel their breaths synchronized to each other like a slight movement could end them up touching each other’s noses and..

Mai noticed how Nobara’s pupils became dilated. She smirked and then whispered, “So, what is it gonna be, Kugisaki?”

Her voice crooned that sent Nobara to get frozen in the ground like Mai casted some sort of spell on her.

’Move, you idiot!’ Nobara’s brain tried to say. But looking at those lips. So plump like it was really taken well care of. The smell of it sticking to Nobara’s nose. It was those kinds of things she wanted.

Mai shifted her hands closer on the table to where Nobara had been supporting her torso. Her eyes were still wide eyed bit when Mai started fluttering her eyes slowly, Nobara fell onto her as her own eyes slightly relieved, binking.

Just centimeters closer that deed could be done and Nobara’s first would be…

Mai’s bedroom door opened with a bang, and a disheveled Maki with her hair down stood at the doorway. Her mouth slightly agape. “I must be interrupting something here.” She pushed her glasses up.

“Maki-san! It’s not what you-“ Nobara jumped away from Mak that she hit her back on one of the cabinets so badly.

Mai snickered, totally amused by this situation.

“Oh,” another voice said at the door. “Never expected you’d be here.”

Nobara and Mai didn’t notice his sea urchin hair the first time around.

“Megumi?!” Both girls said at the same time.

He responded by just nodding.

“Sorry to ruin one of your shenanigans, Mai, but there’s something I need from the house.”

Mai walked to the door, like she didn’t try to purposefully lean into Nobara’s lips.

“Hey!” The girl called out. “We’re not done yet!” Nobara made the eye to eye motion with her hands. There was no freaking way she’d let Mai just walk out when she almost kinda harassed Nobara.

Mai quickly closed the door as she followed Maki to her room just across her sister’s.

“I never knew you’d take the word literally,” said Maki.

“Eh, which one?”

“You know, “getting close”?”

“You know my ways,” Mai said, a sly smile on her lips. “What is it you need?”

“Oh yeah, my meds for my migraine.”

Mai remembered it well that when they were younger, Maki had terrible migraines when her first period happened. As she got older, it was still hunting her.

“Never took it with me ‘cause I didn’t feel it for a while. Now, it looks like it’s coming back for my ass.”

“Yeah..” Mai’s voices trailed off. The cruel reality dropped weights on her when she realized after this, Maki was gonna leave again. Her sister caught on with Mai’s solemn expression.

“Hey, since you took your word, what if I’ll treat you tonight? At McDonalds? Instead of staying here at home, which I can’t do.”

For a second, Mai was face lit up, but was quick to be back in her bitchy face. “You’re not kidding?” She asked.

—

The sisters didn’t mind having Nobara and Megumi tag along with them to the nearest McDonalds.

Their group sat at separate tables in pairs. Nobara with Megumi and then the sisters together.

“You know, you look like a crazy person right now, chomping your burger like that,” commented Megumi as he watched Nobara stuff her cheeks and munch her burger with a deep frown.

She was staring at the sister’s table right across from them. And they were busy arguing about dipping fries on the vanilla sundae.

“So you don’t have a smidge of idea at all about them,” added Megumi, and it tore Nobara’s lifelong stare to the sisters.

“What I’ve seen is are annoyed with each other, especially Mai to Maki to the point where she ridiculously bullies her.”

“That’s the surface level of it.”

“Tell me then, Fushiguro.”

“Like I said before, ask Maki.”

And right, she still hadn’t done that.

“But it looks like they’re getting along,” said Megumi, watching the sister’s steal each other’s fries. “I think that what matters for now.”

a/n: Send me any nobamai fic prompts (imma try mah best to answer them)

my other nobamai fics ao3 link

[hangovercurse]

The Things We Can’t Tell Pete About

Pete invites you to meet his friends from The Dirt and makes you promise not to flirt with any of them, which is a lot easier said than done, especially when Colson Baker acts like that.

Request: “Hey so I love all your writing and I just thought you should know that! But also I’d your requests are on still would you mind writing a youre Pete’s little sister but kells got a crush xx”

Colson x reader

Warnings: Drug use, Cursing

A/N: I know, Dom (Yungblud) wrote the song, but also I am the writer and I say that Y/N wrote it :) Anyways, enjoy. This is only part 1 of what is probably going to be a fun, cute lil series. Also thank you to the anon who sent this! You made my day(s)

Word Count: 2411

| ii | iii | iv | v |

masterlist

New York was lonely without your brother. He had been filming in New Orleans for the past three months, leaving you alone. You had some friends, but Pete was your best friend. You were only eight months younger than him and practically attached at the hip. You supposed going through trauma together would do that to people.

He facetimed you all the time from set, updating you on things in his life, showing you cool stuff from the set, and introducing you to his castmates. You had kept him updated on your music, playing him demos of songs you were writing and getting his opinion on them.

Him being away wasn’t the worst thing in the world, but it definitely sucked for you. So, when Pete texted you that he was having a few friends from the movie over the night he got back, you were ecstatic.

Before you left your apartment to walk to his, he texted you.

You’re not allowed to flirt with any of my friends

You rolled your eyes as you locked your door, preparing a response.

I’ll try my best

Your phone buzzed seconds later.

I’m serious. I don’t trust any of them with you.

And I don’t need that kind of awkwardness in my life

Like if you date one of my friends and it goes badly

I don’t wanna deal with that shit

You chuckled at his chain of texts.

Don’t flirt with your friends because they’re dicks, got it

Don’t worry bro, I know the sibling code

 You came to find out that that was a lot easier said than done. When you walked into his place, everyone in the room turned to look at you. You recognized most of them from your facetimes with Pete, but you doubted they remembered who you were. One who did remember you was Colson, Pete’s new best friend. He made eye contact with you from across the room, a sly grin on his lips. You sent him a small smile, Pete’s text running through your head briefly.

You found your brother lounging on the couch, a huge grin on his face. He was definitely tripping on mushrooms. “Y/N!” He yelled. “This is my baby sister, everyone.”

You rolled your eyes, walking further into the room, grabbing a drink from the cooler, and taking an empty seat on the opposite couch. “I’m less than a year younger than you, Pete.”

You heard a snicker from the one of the guys, looking over to see Colson covering up the smile on his face. “But you’re still younger than me so it counts.”

Everyone went back to their own conversations, which you were thankful for. “Y/N, you remember Colson, right?” Pete motioned to the blond guy.

“Yeah.” You nodded, looking him up and down. His muscle tank exposed the sleeves of tattoos, which seemed to cover every inch of his skin. “Your hair was different, but yeah I remember you.” You opened the beer on the coffee table, taking a swig.

“You’re the musician, right?” He asked you, leaning back onto the couch.

You nodded, “Aspiring musician but, yeah.”

“Oh, she’s great. You should hear her sometime.” Pete butted in, grinning like an idiot at you.

You rolled your eyes but had a smile on your face. “I work primarily as a songwriter and editor right now, but I’m trying to work on putting out some of my own stuff.”

You felt a little intimidated talking to Machine Gun Kelly about music, seeing as he was one of the best in the industry, but he seemed to be genuinely interested in your work. “Well, if you ever want some help or someone to listen to it, I’d be willing.” He flashed a smile, his bright blue eyes sparkling.

“Thanks, that’s really cool of you.” You bit your lip slightly, trying to hide the fact that you were totally breaking Pete’s rule.

Pete sent a glare your way to which you raised your eyebrow. You weren’t really flirting; you were just… making connections. “Anyways,” he cleared his throat, “I’ve been working on this sketch idea, Y/N, and I need your opinion.”

You nodded, letting him talk. “So, I was thinking like, there’s this guy with posters all over his wall. Like life size posters of a bunch of different people. And he falls asleep while doing homework and he dreams about them coming to life. And it plays out like one of those really bad commercials that encourage kids to stay in school and shit. Like the posters are telling him to study for his test, but then there’s this one poster that’s like, very sexy. And she’s just like, talking about hot dogs and everyone else gets really sick of it and one of the other posters tries to like, tear down her poster or something.”

Throughout his description, you got more and more confused. “Pete, that’s not funny that’s just fuckin weird.” His mouth hung open in shock. “Dude, seriously? The big punchline is the playboy poster girl talking about hot dogs until the other poster people get tired of it?”

“Yes.” Pete said, as if it were obvious. “That’s hilarious.” You glanced at Colson with a questioning look on your face. He seemed as unsure of the joke as you were.

“Pete, man, that’s not your best work.” Colson clapped him on the shoulder and you giggled at Pete’s disappointed expression.

“You guys are mean.” He pouted and you two laughed. “Ok, well, how would you make it funny?”

“I don’t know if you can, bro.” Colson’s laugh was contagious. When he laughed his whole body shook, his feet stomping and everything.

“What are the other posters?” You asked, trying to be supportive but knowing this wouldn’t turn out very good.

“Well, I was thinking maybe one is like a video game character. Like that lady from Wreck-It-Ralph. The mean one. And then like a snowboarder who is definitely high, and someone else, I dunno.” He shrugged, taking a hit from the joint in his hand and passing it to you.

“Okay…” You trailed off, looking at Colson for support. You brought the blunt to your lips, inhaling the smoke and bringing it down, letting the smoke leave your mouth slowly. You passed the joint to Colson, who gladly took it, a smirk on his face.

Pete looked between you two at the small interaction, a frown. “So, the posters,” he brought your attention away from the man again, “they’re all really serious about teaching this dude math. But the hotdog girl just keeps talking about hot dogs in like this really high-pitched voice.”

You watched the smoke fall from Colson’s lips, not fully paying attention to your brother.

“Yeah man, I think that sounds funny.” Colson told Pete, his eyes lingering on you for a little longer than they should have. “It could use some work but if anyone can make it funny, it’s you.” Colson punched your brother on the shoulder, but the look he sent you said the exact opposite.

You held in your giggle, taking another sip of your beer.

The rest of the night followed a similar pattern, you and Colson flirting and Pete trying to get in between you two. At one point, after a few more hits of weed and a couple more drinks, Colson brought out a guitar, insisting you play something for him. Where he got the guitar from, you had no idea, but you didn’t ask questions. Instead, you rolled your eyes, insisting that “if I have to play something, so do you.”

Everyone was too caught up in their own conversations to care about the noise, or too drunk. You started strumming, trying to remember the chords to a song you had started writing a few days ago. “There’s no lyrics yet, just a melody I came up with.” You blushed, feeling very self-conscious suddenly.

“Guess I’ll just free style to it then.” He chuckled as you started to strum, your fingers working the strings like they had your whole life.

The blond man closed his eyes, head nodding as you played and thinking of what to rap.

“Watch me, take a good thing and fuck it all up in one night. Catch me, I’m the one on the run away from the headlights.

No sleep, up all week wastin time with people I don’t like. I think, somethin’s fuckin wrong with me.

You smiled as he sang, watching his expressions change as he tried to think up the next line.

Drown myself in alcohol, that shit never helps at all

I might say some stupid things tonight when you pick up this call

I be hearin silence on the other side for way to long, I can taste it on my tongue, I can tell that somethin’s wrong.”

He opened his eyes, looking rather proud of himself. “I had some of those lyrics already, but I just changed ‘em a little. I really liked that.”

You nodded, “That was impressive.” You smiled, looking back down to the guitar when something hit you.

You began to play the same melody but pitched higher to fit your voice.

“Roll me up, and smoke me love

And we could fly into the night

You take drugs, to let go, and figure it all out on your own

Take drugs, on gravestones, to figure it all out on your own.”

You looked up to Colson, watching his expression change, his eyes wide. Pete had a proud look on his face.

“Pete, you are a sucky hype man. You did her no justice.” Colson hit Pete on the arm.

“Whaddya mean, I told you she was great.”

Colson looked over to you, a stupid smile on his face. “Seriously, that was fucking amazing. Like, we gotta write that shit out some day.”

You bit your lip, trying to stop the blush from reaching your cheeks. “Yeah, that’d be cool.” You were trying your best to keep your cool as Colson kept his gaze on you, but you were completely freaking out on the inside.

A little while later, almost everyone was gone except you, Pete, Colson, and Douglas Booth, who joined your conversation not long after your jam session. Pete let out a yawn, directing your attention to the time.

“Jesus, it’s already 4am?” You asked, a frown on your face.

“Why, you got somewhere to be, darling?” Douglas asked you, your face scrunching up from the nickname.

“I have a writing session at 11 am tomorrow. Or, today, I guess.”

Pete reached out to hit you in the head, playfully, which you dodged. “Go to bed, dummy.”

You shrugged, “I’m gonna be dead at it anyways, might as well keep the party going a little longer.”

Douglas rolled his eyes, patting your shoulder. “Be that as it may, I am ending this party and going home. Goodnight, guys. It was nice meeting you again, Y/N. Good to see you guys.” Douglas and the guys did that little hand slap and hug thing before he left.

“I love you both, but I will also be going to sleep. And you should too.” Pete stood up, stretching his arms out before giving Colson a fist bump and leaving to his bedroom.

Once your older brother left, Colson moved to the couch you were on, his arm falling over your shoulders. You looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. “And how can I help you Mr. Kelly?”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m assuming Pete gave us both very similar talking to’s, given the glares you’ve been receiving all night.”

“You mean the “don’t flirt with my friends” talking to or the other one?” You tilted your head, a sly look on your face.

“That’s the one.” Colson laughed through his nose, an adorable smile on his face. You were both considerably high, but you still knew exactly what you were doing.

You moved closer to Colson’s body, “Well then I guess we’d better not do this.” You said quietly, leaning into him. “Or this,” You grabbed his jaw, inches from his face.

“Or this?” He whispered, connecting your lips. You smiled into the kiss, tasting the weed on his tongue. You adjusted your body so you were facing him, his arm that was once around your shoulder now wrapped around your waist.

His other hand grabbed your leg, pulling you up so you were straddling his lap, and your arms wrapped around his neck. His lips seemed to fit perfectly around yours, and you did all you could to keep yourself from moaning into the kiss as his hand began to travel up your leg.

Realization hit you like a brick wall, and you pulled away, your breathing heavy. “Sorry,” you muttered after a few seconds. You climbed off his lap, smoothing out your shirt. “We shouldn’t do that. I shouldn’t have done that.” You smiled awkwardly down at him.

He nodded, the same realization hitting him. “Yeah, that’s not the best idea. Sorry I wasn’t really thinking.”

You shook your head, cheeks still very red. “No, no, no don’t apologize. It was fine, it’s all fine.”

He nodded, looking down awkwardly. “I should get going.” He stood up, landing a little too close to you.

“Why don’t you just sleep here? Pete won’t mind and it’s a lot easier than going home.” You bit your lip awkwardly, taking a few steps back.

Colson scratched the back of his neck. This was a very different demeanor than he had before, and you found it very cute. “Are you sure?”

You nod. “I’ll get you some blankets and pillows.” You moved towards the guest bedroom, a guilty smile on your face. You moved your hand to your lips, feeling where Colson’s lips had graced you minutes before.

You came back to find Colson laying on the couch, one hand behind his head. “We don’t have to tell Pete about that, right?”

You shook your head, a small smile still playing on your lips. You put the pillow behind his head, watching his eyes as he watched your lips. “Stop looking at me like that or I’ll do something else we can’t tell Pete about.” You said quietly, watching him grin. You pulled the blanket over him, leaning down to be level with his face.

“I kind of like the things we can’t tell Pete about.” Colson chuckled, leaning forward to connect your lips again.

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

By Your Doorstep (Part 1)

Summary: When the reader is looking for her teenage sister’s service dog one day, she runs into Dean Winchester who thankfully saw him run past. When she arrives, her sister is fine aside from a sprained ankle but Dean’s decided to follow along and help get her sister home...

Pairing: Doctor/Neighbor!Dean x reader

Masterlist

Word Count: 3,200ish

Warnings: language, minor injury, mention of car accident/death

A/N: Parts of this series are told from two different POV’s. Dean’s POV are written from limited third person. Reader’s POV are second person (like a typical reader insert). Please enjoy this first part! …

_________

“Toast! Toast!” you shouted as you ran down a street. “Toast boy!”

“Uh, you okay?” said a guy walking on the other side of the street. He was raising an eyebrow and you shook your head.

“Toast is a dog,” you said.

“Oh, gotcha. I thought you were nuts for a minute,” he chuckled.

“You haven’t seen a german shepard around have you?” you asked.

“I saw one run down the block a few minutes ago,” he said. You looked the direction he pointed and you started sprinting. “Hey!”

“Sorry! Can’t talk!” you shouted back. You ran down the block and across the street over to the park. You ran over to the basketball court and saw Toast there next to Tessa. She was sat up and holding onto his vest when you jogged over to her. “Tess. Are you okay? Did you have a seizure?”

“No,” she said with a laugh. She was holding her ankle and you saw the swelling. “I think I broke it playing. My phone’s over in my bag. I told Toast to get it but I guess he ran home and got you instead.”

“He barged in through the doggy door, I thought he was just nuts at first,” you said. You heard footsteps behind you and the man from the street was there panting.

“You found your dog,” he said as he caught his breath. 

“Yeah,” you said, the man wincing when he saw Tessa’s ankle. “We’re all set.”

“She needs a doctor,” he said.

“Tessa, you okay here while I run home to get my car?” you asked.

“Yeah I’m fine,” she said. “Toast’ll stay.”

“I can carry her,” said the man. You both stared at him and he shrugged. “Save you a trip.”

“Are you some kind of weirdo?” you asked. 

“Says the woman running through the neighborhood shouting Toast,” he smiled back.

“Alright. Tess if you’re cool with it…” you said, the man nodding.

“Dean Winchester.”

“Dean will carry you back to the house and I’ll drive you to urgent care,” you said. “If you do try anything though Dean, Toast will rip your face and junk off, just to be clear.”

“Got the message,” he said. Tessa climbed on his back and he was careful of her ankle while you grabbed her bag. You walked with Toast by Dean’s side back the few blocks towards home. “I think it’s just a sprain actually. I wouldn’t worry too much.”

“You play basketball?” you asked.

“No. I’m a doctor is all. First glance it doesn’t look too bad.”

“Are you single? Y/N’s single,” she said.

“You’re a little shit, Tessa,” you said. Dean chuckled and Toast bumped his leg. “He wants you to get on the sidewalk.”

“Will do,” he said, Toast giving some space once he’d stepped up off the road. “He’s very intelligent.”

“We’ve only had Toast two years but he’s been very good with us,” you said. “He’s Tessa’s. I just feed him and pick up his poop.”

“I have school, loser.”

“I have work, loser,” you said. 

“You guys must be sisters,” he said. “I’m a big brother. I would know.”

“If your younger brother is single and half as good looking-”

“Keep it in your pants, Tess,” you said. 

“I like you two,” he chuckled. “Sorry Tessa but he’s probably a little too old for you.”

“They always are,” she sighed.

“You’re seventeen. You’re fine,” you said. “Besides college has way more attractive guys and stuff.”

“Oh yeah, Elmdale community college. Known for it’s hotties,” she mumbled.

“Elmdale University has some good choices,” you said.

“I thought it was too expensive,” she said.

“Well I was gonna tell you this at dinner but I applied for a different job awhile ago. I heard back this morning. I accepted. It’s double what I was making before.”

“Really?”

“Yes. With your grades you can get a half-ride and I figure between inheritance and my new salary, you can do your four year out of the gate without loans,” you said.

“Thanks, Y/N,” she said quietly. “Really.”

“You still need your part-time job if you want to get stuff for yourself though. I’m sorry. I can’t make it work if-”

“S’okay,” she said. “I can’t believe I can go to the university.”

“I called up the school earlier and talked to your guidance counselor. We gotta work on your application but we can make it work,” you said.

“Can I get a car? I know I can’t afford room and board but maybe I can get something used so you don’t have to drive me all the time?” she asked.

“Tessa…” you sighed. You knew you couldn’t afford insurance on two cars at the moment and everything else and she wouldn’t make enough part time to cover all the car expenses herself. “I-”

“I can pick up more shifts,” she said.

“Tessa, I want you to enjoy college. I sure did. I’ll give you rides whenever you want. I’ll drop you off in the morning and pick you up at night. That would work, right?”

“Yeah,” she said. “I don’t even care about my ankle. I can get my art degree!” she said.

“Tessa.”

“I’m joking,” she laughed. “Art minor?”

“You can minor in whatever you like but please for my sanity major in something you can get a job in?” you asked.

“Yeah, yeah,” she said. You rounded a corner and started to walk up a driveway, Dean setting Tessa down in the passenger seat of your car. You opened the back and Toast jumped in, Dean smiling when you shut both the doors.

“Thanks,” you said. “For helping us out.”

“Sounds like you two know how to solve problems on your own,” he said. “Happy to help. Here.”

He dug in his back pocket and pulled out a card.

“If you ever need a doctor, I’m two blocks over,” he said. “Or just to talk.”

“Thanks,” you said. “I’ll see you around, Dean.”

It was around nine when you were sitting on the front porch with a glass of whiskey in your hand. You drank slowly, eyes catching a man in a baseball cap and reflective shirt jogging by.

“Do you always run at night?” you called, Dean stopping at your front walkway. “Cause I never see you run at night and I sit out here a lot.”

“Whew well let’s stop that charade cause running is so not my thing,” he said. He breathed hard for a moment as he walked up the steps. You nodded to the other chair and poured him a glass, Dean drinking it down. “Your sister okay?”

“Yeah. Just a sprain,” you said. “Still gotta pay the deductible for the x-ray though.”

“How old are you?”

“How old are you?” you asked.

“Thirty one,” he said.

“Twenty eight.”

“Where are your folks?” he asked.

“They and Tessa were in an accident two years ago. It’s just us two now.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m slowly getting used to be a guardian,” you said.

“I raised my little brother. My parents are still around but they fought a lot. I get becoming the parent when you’re not ready.”

“Do you ever get to just be a sibling again?” you asked.

“Yes. But they have to grow up first and you got a few more years ahead of you before it happens,” he said.

“I figured.”

“What does she have? Toast is a service dog I saw.”

“She gets seizures sometimes. It’s from the accident. She hasn’t had one in seven months. Fingers crossed we got her on the right mix of meds finally,” you said.

“So who takes care of you?”

“My buddy Jack Daniels. Sometimes I hang out Jim Bean too.”

“I’m partial to Johnny Walker,” smiled Dean.

“Very nice. I don’t drink much. Too tired most of the time,” you said.

“So nobody takes care of you then.”

“Who takes care of you?”

“Good point,” he said. “But I didn’t have it this rough.”

“We’re getting by. We always do.”

“I have no doubt that you can,” he said. “Take care of yourself every once in a while is all.”

“When she’s done with school I will.”

“She’s got five years left. You won’t last that long,” he said.

“Watch me.”

“Who worked on your sister at the urgent care tonight?”

“Dr. Novak. Why?”

“Cas is a good friend. I’ll see about getting that x-ray test off the bill,” he said as he stood up.

“Dean, you don’t have to do that.”

“It’s no trouble,” he said, heading down the steps. “You want me to leave you alone from now on?”

“...No.”

“You want to go on a date tomorrow?”

“Okay,” you said.

“I’ll pick you up at noon? I’m buying. Nothing too fancy,” he said.

“Okay,” you said. He smiled and nodded, spinning around and sliding right off the last two steps to his bottom. You rushed down them and he groaned, shaking his head. “Are you okay?”

“Yup,” he said, grunting as he stood. “Oh my ass hurts.”

“That’s what she said,” you said, Dean laughing.

“I definitely like you,” he said as you helped him take a few steps. “I’m alright. I’ll swing by tomorrow then.”

“Bye Dean,” you said.

“Bye Dean!” called Tessa from her bedroom window upstairs.

“Oh my God, go to bed!” you shouted back.

“It’s nine and I’m not twelve,” she said.

“Goodnight ladies,” chuckled Dean, waving as he headed back down the path. You gathered up the bottle and glasses, bringing them inside and locking up for the night. A few minutes later you were upstairs in Tessa’s room, frowning as she giggled while looking through her phone.

“Oh come on,” she said as she rolled her eyes at you. “He’s cute, he’s a doctor, he’s single and he’s a dork that just fell on his butt in front of you cause he’s so nervous and trying to play it cool. Like what is wrong with him?”

“Nothing. We have a date tomorrow,” you said, leaning against the doorframe. 

“We used to talk about guys,” she said. 

“I know,” you said. You picked at the wood, Tessa putting her phone down.

“Y/N. You’re not my mom. I know you gotta act like her sometimes but you’re not. Mom and dad would want you to go on dates and stuff. I haven’t seen you do anything fun in years.”

“I barely knew how to be an adult for just me,” you said. “You’re my priority now.”

“I’m not in a hospital bed anymore. My seizures are under control and I got Toast to watch out for me just in case. Dean had a point. You gotta take care of yourself,” she said. “Including me going to community college.”

“Tessa-”

“It’s both our inheritance and you can’t spend all of it on me. I can do two years at community and transfer to the university after.”

“Tess. You don’t have to do that. I did the math and it’ll work out.”

“When’s the last time you bought something for yourself? Seriously when?”

“I bought a new bedspread two weeks ago.”

“You needed one. That doesn’t count. When-”

“Before mom and dad died, Tess. Is that what you want me to say? They made good money but you had medical bills. Do I want a new winter coat? Sure. Do I want to splurge and by myself a nice pair of leggings? Of course. I want things. But I want us to stay in this house. I don’t want us to get shoved in a tiny apartment. I want you to be able to go to college like I did and not worry about this crap. I’m the grown up, not you. I choose how to spend the money.”

“Fine,” she said. She grabbed the crutch by her bed and got up, going to her dresser. She opened her jewelry box and grabbed a wad of cash, holding it out to you. “It’s three hundred. I want you to have it.”

“Tessa, no.”

“I earned it. I get to choose how to spend it,” she said. “You’ve always told me that. Buy a coat and leggings and whatever else you want.”

“Tessa. It’s yours. You were saving up to buy an iphone.”

“I don’t need a fucking phone. I need my sister to stop looking like she cries herself to sleep every night. Just take it,” she said. You shook your head and she shoved the money in your hand. “Y/N, take it.”

“Alright,” you said. 

“Good.” She waited a beat before pulling you into a hug. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” you said. “You got plans tomorrow night?”

“I was gonna sleepover Hailey’s house if that’s okay?” she said.

“Yeah. You guys have fun,” you said. “Just be careful on your ankle.”

“Duh,” she said. “Do you want to watch a movie or something?”

“I’m kinda beat. Sunday for sure?” you said. 

“Okay. Night,” she said.

“Night, Tess,” you said. You went next door to your room, opening your desk drawer and opening the envelope inside. You counted the money she’d given you and added it to the front. You definitely had enough for her phone now and her birthday was only a few weeks away. You smiled and put it away, writing out a few bills before you gathered up your pajamas and walked down the hall to the bathroom. You kept going though, down to the shut door. You pushed it open, the room cold and dark. You flipped on a light, a coating of dust on everything again.

“Y/N?” said Tessa from the other end of the hall. You turned off the light and shut the door, Tessa by the bathroom when you walked back. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m gonna shower quick before bed. Shout if you need something.”

“Yeah. Night.”

Dean POV

“Hey, Sammy,” said Dean after he’d gotten out of the shower and was laying in bed. 

“Hey, Dean. What’s up?” asked Sam on the other end of the phone. 

“I think I just went full on weirdo on this girl I met today.”

“Well that’s obvious but what’d you do? You didn’t like stalk her or anything.”

“She lives in the neighborhood. I kinda went jogging past her house tonight and she was sat on the front porch.”

“Okay that’s kinda creepy,” said Sam. Dean ran his hand over his face and sighed. “Did you talk to her?”

“Yeah. I don’t think I gave off creeper vibes but she might have just been polite. I don’t know. We’re going out tomorrow,” said Dean. He was quiet as he shut his eyes. “Which sucks cause I really like her too. I hope she doesn’t think I’m weird.”

“Maybe she’ll have pity on you and let it slide. Where’d you meet her? I thought you swore off women after your last hookup went bad,” he said. Dean didn’t speak and ran his hand over his face again. “De I know something happened that night.”

“Sammy I got tired of hooking up. I’m too old for it. I just want a girl to go home to at the end of the day and laugh with. That’s all there is to it,” said Dean.

“Dean I was still living with you at the time. You were off for days. I know-”

“If you’re gonna bring this shit up again-”

“I’m just saying it’s nice to hear you excited about a girl again...and you can tell me anything. Anything, Dean. I’m not a kid anymore.”

“You’re twenty seven. You’re a kid,” said Dean. He rolled over on the bed and lay on his stomach, putting his hands under his chin. “Some things I just don’t tell you about, Sam.”

“Dean, I asked you to stop raising me awhile ago. You’re not my father anymore.”

“I still gotta protect you from stuff,” said Dean with a shrug.

“I get that. But my mind has gone to the worst case scenario on this more than once. Just promise it wasn’t that,” said Sam.

“Sammy, I called to talk about a girl.”

“You want things to work out with her? Then figure out whatever the hell happened in the past so it doesn’t happen again.”

“You don’t understand,” said Dean. 

“Whatever. Just crack a joke next time you see her,” said Sam. He hung up and Dean looked at his phone, sighing before he jammed his face in the bed. He gripped the sheets tight and felt his heart rate pick up, bile rising up in the back of his throat.

“Stop. It,” he said to himself, forcing himself to sit up. He wiped off his eye and dropped his head to his chest. “It’s just a fucking girl. It’s just a girl, it’s just a date. It’s all it is.”

He saw his phone light up and Sam’s name appear. He swiped and put it on speaker before he faced away from it.

“I’m sorry,” said Sam. 

“It’s okay,” said Dean, freezing when he sniffled. He stared at the phone and Sam cleared his throat.

“You alright?” Dean stared at the phone and shook his head. “De, you there?”

“Are you alone?” he asked.

“Yes…” said Sam. “It’s just me.”

“You repeat a word of this to anybody or you laugh or you tease me or-”

“Hey. I’d rather we not have this conversation over the phone. I can be there in an hour.”

“...Fine but you better bring some pie with you.”

“I’ll see you in an hour, Dean.”

______

A/N: Read Part 2 here!

[marvelsbetch]

Peter Parker’s field trip. Part 1

Warnings: Trans!Peter, Spidypool, sex references, superfamily, transphobia, supportive avengers

Tony POV

I was in my lab waiting for Peter, my newly adopted son, to come home from school when Friday told me I had an email from Peters school. Turning to my phone I opened the email and was completely annoyed. The email read

'Dear Parent/Carer of Patricia Parker,

We are delighted to inform you that we have a surprise field trip for the student to none other than Stark Laboratories. The trip with be a residential starting on March 7th with a trip to Stark Tower, staying the night there with Mr Tony Stark-Rodgers and then having a trip to the Avengers Tower where we will have the opportunity to meet the Avengers and ask them questions. This is a once in a life time opportunity and we hope you allow your daughter to attend. Also, we would like to keep the trip as a surprise for the student so we urge you not to tell them the destinations of the trip.

Yours Sincerely,

Mrs Robbins.'

I was livid. My child Peter is a boy. I do not have a daughter I have a son. I couldn't believe the nerve of this teacher so I stormed out of my lab and in to the main living area of the penthouse and saw my handsome husband lay on the couch watching tv. He looked so calm and collected but I feel this might change.

"Honey, I just got this email from Peters school that I think you should have a look at." I told him handing him my phone.

He looked confused at first but then the anger set in and by time my phone was placed back in my hand he had an evil smirk on his face. I had an idea of why he had that smirk but just to be sure I asked him,

"What's the smirk for?" I asked.

"Tell the teacher our son can go on the trip while I make a few phone calls. Nobody purposely misgenders my son and gets away with it." He is trusted before grabbing his cell phone and walking down the corridor to one of the training room. Probably going to blow off a little steam and anger. Might watch in a little while.

After a second I simply responded to the email stating'

I as Peters legal guardian allow my son to attend this field trip. Is there any additional information that we should be aware of?' It seemed like the appropriate response.

In all honesty I had Pepper invite the school to the towers as a reward for how well they did at the decathlon competition. I was not expecting to receive an email like this.

-5 hours later-

Peter arrived home shortly after the email incident and was greeted to everyone being in the room. Everyone being Me, Cap, Bucky, Nat, Banner, Pepper, Sam, T'Challa, Shuri, Rhodey, Wanda, Vision, Thor, Loki, Clint and Strange along with the Guardians on a Skype call on the tv. We told him it was a spur of the moment gathering as well all missed each other, not an entire lie, but in reality we were plotting to a) embarrass Peter as much as possible on the field trip and b) get back at the teacher for what they did.

We decided to order enough pizza for an entire 3rd world country and discuss Peter's school life as we ate.

"So Peter, has anyone been giving you trouble lately in School? You can tell us the truth." Steve, Peter's other father and my husband, asked.

"No everything just fine." He terribly lied.

"Come on kid. I've known you for almost two years now, don't try and lie. If there's anyone giving you any type of shit for whatever reason please know that you can tell us." I explained to him all of a sudden getting very serious. I could see him fighting with himself on weather to tell us something or not but decided not to as he then said he had homework to do and went to his room.

"So, he's either lying or the teacher isn't as bad as we think." Loki observed.

"No, he was lying. I could feel his conflict and pain in remembrance of what people have said to him. I'm not one for violence but someone needs to pay for what he's been dealing with." Wanda told us with tears in her eyes.

Cap and Barton walked over to comfort her and hopefully stop her crying. My blood started boiling, Wanda was a strong person and if what Peter's going through brings her to tears then that's a lot for one person to go through. What else has this teacher or student done? Why won't he tell us? Does he not trust us? That last question broke my heart.

"Baby, you okay?" I hear Steve ask moving towards me and holding both my hands in his.

"No. I'm pissed. I'm pissed at any one who hurt my son. I'm pissed at us for not making sure he knows he can talk to us. And I'm pissed at the world for making his go through all of this." I told him with tears coming to my eyes.

Steve pulled me close to my chest and held me tight. He stroked his hands through my hair as he tried to calm me down. I could tell he was mad to, we all were, but he was trying to hold it in despite everyone being here to essentially punish this teacher was his idea. Embarrassing Peter was mine.

"Right, so what do we do about this? I'm not letting anyone hurt my nephew and get away with it." Nat said sitting up and pulling a knife from who knows where to sharped her nails. That women scares me so much.

"How about we just drop in during the day and make sure one of us is always with him. If he has one of us always there and we make it apparent that we know and support him the I doubt even someone as bigoted as his teacher is going to say something. Then we can embarrass him when we're with him." Sam suggested.

"I like that. Where are we all going to be stationed?" Loki asked.

"Well if I speak to the tour guide I could get Banner to give them a lesson on Gamma radiation as the first. Then, Barton or somebody drops in. After that they will be taken to a different lab with Shuri and T'Challa. By that time it should be lunch where Thor and Loki could drop in and the guardians land near the level 7 outside cafeteria. Then we can have Sam drop some stuff from above like a water balloon or something and Bucky bake his favourite cookies to bring to him. After Lunch they're looking around some other labs where Shuri could also be along with Banner. I think they're also going to be visiting the training rooms so Nat, Cap, Bucky and T'Challa could be fighting and Wanda, Vision and Strange could be training their magic." I suggested feeling better now that we were planning this.

March 6th

-Peter's POV-

I was in Chemistry faintly heading the teacher, Mrs Robbins, drone on and on about ionic bonding and how it differs to covalent bonding. It was something I already knew so I didn't need to listen until Ned started hitting my arm. Turning to look at him he simply nodded to the direction of the teacher. I turned around just to catch two words that made my heart drop.

"-Field trip!" Our teacher cheered with a big smile on her face.

Field trip? To where and why?

"That's right, we have organised a surprise field trip for you all as a reward for how well you've all done on your recent exams. Only the top 20 student of the entire school will have the privilege of going. The destination will be a surprise but I will say to bring an overnight bag and money for food and such. You're parents have already got an email consenting for your attendance and the bus will be leaving at 8am tomorrow so don't be late." She further explained.

The whole surprise field trip thing made me nervous beyond all belief. I may not technically be a Parker anymore but the luck definitely followed me and the idea of having to go on an overnight field trip made me terrified. Also, our parents got an email. This means that either Dad (Tony) or Pops (Steve) knew about this probably weeks ago and didn't tell me, this only fulled my anxiety.

Soon the bell went signalling the end of the day and our temporary liberation from this educational prison. On the way out Mrs Robins pulled me aside. It confused me at first until she put our most recent test infront of me. My name circled in big red circles, I know what's about to happen.

"Patricia, you must stop this. You're name is not Peter, you're not a boy. You were born a girl and therefore are, there is no picking and choosing with what God gave you. You must understand this by now. This little joke has gone too far that you're name has been requested to change on our register. Get it through you're head that you are not a boy and you will go to hell for thinking otherwise. One more incident like this and you'll have detention for the rest of the year. Got it?" She basically shouted at me pointing to my circled name on the test.

"No. My name is Peter and I am a boy, I don't care what God assigned me because he got it wrong. I am a boy and my name is Peter as we have gotten it legally changed." I rebutted getting impatient with her ignorance.

"Don't speak to me like that young man. You have no right to change Gods idea and destiny for you. Just thing, you're a girl meaning you can have kids and spread God's message to others and have many kids. Just what God planned for all women." She told me trying to sound sweet but came off and incredibly patronising.

At this point I was too angry to listen to her bulls**t (Gotta keep it Steve friendly people) so I stormed out the room. She started yelling for me to come back to the classroom but I didn't listen and continued walking till I reached the car Happy was in to take me home.

I got in the car and started telling Happy about my day while playing classic songs on my phone such as Highway to Hell, You gave love a bad name and Living on a Prayer. He pretended like he didn't care but I could tell he was listening and hanging onto every word I was saying. I love that about Happy, he acts like he doesn't care but in reality he does and he does a lot. He once caught Flash saying stuff about me and threatened to hit him with the car, he almost did as well but we were running late to a meeting I had to go to with Dad. Of course that didn't stop Flash as he still likes to torment me daily but he now does it more secretly making it more bearable.

We soon made it home and I found all of my dysfunctional family,minus the guardians who were on a Skype call, sat in the living room watching a movie on the tv. I quickly set my bag down on the kitchen island and settled right next to Tony (Dad) who was cuddling Cap (Pops). Everyone was asking me questions about my day and school life in general. They focused mostly on if people were bullying on me. It worried me a little because as much as I know I can go to them, I don't want to because I know that if I tell them everything that's happened they'll kill people and I don't want that for my family. Half of them only just got pardoned and I don't want the governments to revoke that.

"Sorry guys but I got homework. The pizza was delicious, is it okay if I invite Wade around?" I pleaded with Pops knowing he's more likely to say yes.

"Yes but that door stays open hound man. Do I make myself clear?" Pops asked in a stern voice.

"Crystal." I responded before taking out my phone to call Wade, grabbed my bag and walked to my room.

"Hey Baby Boy, what's up?" Wade asked after picking up his phone.

"Not much, Pops said you could come around." I told him making him slightly squeal.

"Okay Baby Boy, I'll be there in 10 minutes. I love you." Wade informed.

"I love you to Babe." I said before hanging up with a smile on my face.

-10 minutes later-

I was sat at my desk finishing my algebra homework when I heard someone knock on the window. Knowing it was Wade I turned with a smile on my face and let him in.

"Hey Baby Boy, how was your day?" Wade asked making himself comfortable on my bed.

"It was fine, quite boring if I'm honest. We did get told about this residential field trip tomorrow though. Sorry I won't be here for most of the weekend. I'm sure my Dads will love having you around." I joked sitting on his lap and cuddling into his chest.

"It's fine Pete. I'll just have to savour our time together now." He said wiggling his eyebrows and kissing me passionately.

"My Pops said to keep the door open." I told him pulling away with a massive blush spread across my cheeks.

"Does that rule apply to your en-suite?" Wade asked.

"I don't believe so." I answered getting up from his lap and dragging him into my en-suite, which is where we stayed for the rest of the night.

To be continued...

[qlala]

pleeease can we have more teacher barry au? or kidfic? my crops are dying

Alright, sorry for the slight delay on this one, but please know that you're a menace and I kept thinking about it and then I wrote this for you all in one sitting.

It's both teacher!Barry (though still set in the canon universe!) and coldflash kidfic. <3 I just put it up as a prequel to "good cop, bad cop" on ao3, since I guess it technically is that? Although, if you guys have opinions about what order the series should be in, I'd interested to hear it!

“Barry?”

“Hm?”

“You’ve got something in your hair.”

Barry hid a wry grin, and glanced over at Len—at least, glanced as far in his direction as he could manage. Two small hands were holding his head still, though Henry did let go of one handful of Barry’s hair to reach out when Len stepped around the coffee table and stood in front of them.

“Alright, kid.” Len bent down and hoisted Henry off Barry’s shoulders, and both of them ignored Barry’s indignant yelp when Henry didn’t quite remember to let go of Barry with his other hand in time. “I like the hair too, but he’s gotta move his head to”—Len propped Henry on his hip and reached out to steal the top page from the stack of papers in front of Barry—“grade pop quizzes.”

“Those are midterms.” Barry stretched, then tipped his head to one side with a muffled crack.

“Then you’re going easy on them.” Len took advantage of his distraction to hand the paper to Henry, who scrunched it in his hand with a broad smile.

[read on ao3, or continue reading below the cut]

“Len!” Barry recovered the paper in a sweep of yellow lightning, and Len traced his trajectory from the fading after-image even as Barry tried to smooth out the test on the arm of the couch.

“So feet on the coffee table are allowed when the Flash does it?”

“Language,” Barry reminded him, without looking up.

Henry, ever the trooper, was taking the loss of his prize in stride, and Len rewarded him by bending his knees to let him reach for the next paper in the stack.

“Leonard.”

“He’s working on his reading.”

“He’s eighteen months old.”

Len read the upside-down paper Henry was offering to him. “Another year for whoever’s test this was, they might be at his level.”

Barry got the same ruffled look he always did when he was torn between defending his students and agreeing with every hyperbolic praise Len had for their son. Eventually, he landed on, “You’re not helping.”

“I disagree.” Len accepted the paper from Henry, turned it right-side up, and finished skimming it. “You’ve got a typo in question three. That’s why they’re all putting ‘hydrogen.’”

Barry yanked the exam back, despite having a stack of identical ones on the table in front of him. His eyes went wide as he looked over it at Flash speed, and then he said a word that made Len cover one of Henry’s ears with his free hand and tut.

“You shape the minds of the next generation with that mouth?”

Barry wasn’t listening, too busy dragging his hand down his face, his fingers ending up in an annoyed fist over his mouth.

“Can you please,” he said slowly, evenly, with the couples-shrink-approved, conflict-management voice that always made Len smirk, “give Henry his snack.”

“With pleasure.”

Barry leveled him a glare, but it was without heat, and he tilted his chin up in a clear request for a kiss when Len passed behind the couch again.

Len obliged. He could feel some of the stress drain out of Barry’s shoulders when he drew his fingertips over the edge of Barry’s jaw with the hand not still supporting Henry.

“Hi,” Barry murmured when Len pulled back, at least a full minute later than he’d intended. “Missed you.”

“I was gone an hour.”

Barry’s answering smile was crooked, with an unabashed dimple that Len refrained from tracing his thumb over; he had a reputation to protect. “You know, you could just say it back sometimes.”

“Fine.” Len smirked as he tweaked a cowlick that Henry had left in Barry’s hair. Then he met Barry’s gaze, all false sincerity, and drawled, “Hi.”

Barry rolled his eyes. He couldn’t hide the wry smile even when he turned his head away for a second, though, and he gave Len a playful glare. “You know I meant—“

“Hi!”

For a second, neither of them moved. Then Barry reeled back with something like panic in his eyes, alarmingly contagious, based on the way Len’s heart tripped into fourth gear. “Did he just—“

Len hoisted Henry up to sit on the edge of the couch, and they both stared at him. He ignored them both for a few moments, small hand squishing the cushion before he watched it slowly expand back to its original shape. Then he noticed their eyes on him, and looked up with a beatific smile. “Hi!”

Barry was off the couch in a bolt of lightning, then back a heartbeat later with his phone out, talking so fast he was nearly incomprehensible. “Twice, Joe, I swear, he looked right at us—“

Len got a glimpse of Detective West’s patient expression on the phone screen as Barry waved it toward Henry. “Barr, you said that the last three times. I told you, kids talk when they’re ready. Iris didn’t say a word until she was—“

Barry turned the phone and held the screen out to Henry. Len bit back a reflexive objection; they’d agreed, no screens until he was five (and it’d be eighteen if Len had his way).

Henry reached out for the phone, all Barry’s reckless confidence when confronted with anything new.

Tinny over the speakerphone, West’s voice said, weary but unflaggingly affectionate, “Hi, Henry.”

Barry let Henry have the phone—and that time, Len did shoot him a look—and Henry flattened a tiny palm over West’s face on the screen. Then he tilted his head thoughtfully, lifted his hand, and chirped a delighted, “Hi!”

Barry swept him up with a rush of static that made Henry shriek with laughter, phone forgotten in an instant. Barry deposited them both at Len’s side with a breathless grin, and Len didn’t quite manage to disguise his own smile as a smirk when they looked up at him in unison. West’s voice was still coming from somewhere nearby, but Barry could fish the phone out from between the cushions later. For now, Barry was getting suspiciously bright-eyed, and Len lifted Henry out his arms before Barry could set the kid off crying, too.

“Who had ‘hi?’” he asked. He ruffled Henry’s hair, already overdue for a cut, dark and curling up at the ends. Henry only allowed it a moment before he started to fuss, his snack clearly not forgotten despite the excitement.

“Iris,” Barry hiccuped. He wiped the heel of his hand over both cheeks, then said, “She had ‘hi’ and ‘bye.’ She’s gonna be insufferable.”

“She’s gonna be rich,” Len countered. “Mick put ten grand on ‘Flash.’”

Barry shook his head on a laugh. “You did explain to him that we’re specifically not letting people say that in front of him? Given the whole”—he gestured, with a glimmer of lightning that distracted Henry into a fresh smile—”child’s grasp of a secret identity?”

“And deprive the pool of his ill-gotten gains?” He passed Henry back to Barry and tapped him on the tip of his nose. “Never.”

“She’s just gonna put it in a college fund.”

Len hummed, and didn’t mention the account he’d already placed a quarter mil into at the credit union downtown.

Barry’s eyes narrowed all the same. “What was that?”

“What was what, dear?” Len leaned hard on the pet name, flat and sarcastic, but he knew even before Barry straightened up that it wouldn’t work.

“That ‘hmmm.’ That was an I’m-not-telling-you-something ‘hmmm.’”

Len was saved by the bell, literally.

Someone leaned hard on the buzzer to the front door. A second later—and utterly predictably, given the number of metas in the family Len had married into—Wally West phased through the door, bouncing on his toes and looking around the room before he even finished setting Iris on her feet.

“Joe says Iris won,” he said.

Barry tore his suspicious gaze away from Len to blink over at the new arrivals. “Joe knew about the pool?”

“People on six different earths knew about the pool, Barr,” Iris said. She leaned on Wally as she toed out of her work heels. “Now, give me my favorite nephew. Can you say, ‘journalism school,’ Henry?”

Barry let her scoop Henry out of his arms, his brow still furrowed. “Wait, six different earths? How much was in the pool?”

He sounded a hair indignant, and Len took the opportunity to snake an arm around his waist and pull him back against his chest.

“Say the word,” he murmured against Barry’s ear, smiling when he felt him shiver. “I’ll get you triple by dinner.”

He felt Barry’s heart speed up where his back was pressed against him, and Len nipped the shell of his ear to cement his victory.

“No felonies,” Barry reminded him, but his voice was breathless, and he didn’t disentangle himself from Len’s arms.

“Mm, forgot again,” Len lied. “How about we send Iris and Wally to show Henry’s first word to Joe in person, and I make it up to you?”

A blush was climbing steadily up Barry’s neck, and he’d already shown his hand when he said, “The midterms. Progress reports go out Friday, I have to—“

“Telling me the fastest man alive can’t grade a stack of ninth grade chemistry tests before third period tomorrow?”

“They’re for my AP class,” Barry gasped, and he caught Len’s hand where he’d been tracing his fingers down Barry’s stomach. But he cleared his throat, then said, “Iris? Maybe you wanna bring Henry to the station? It would make Joe’s day.”

Iris gave him a knowing look, but her eyes were warm when she shared her smile with Len. “Mm. I bet it’ll make someone’s day.”

“Singh’s, probably,” Wally said, where he’d been drawing increasingly elaborate flowers of static out of the speed force for Henry’s fickle amusement. Then he glanced up. “Oh. Oh, you meant—yeah. Alright. I’ll grab the diaper bag. And congrats, you guys. On the first word, not the—“

Iris patted his arm and interrupted with, “The station, Wally?”

Wally ducked his head on a nod and gave them both a sheepish grin.

“Make sure your father doesn’t arrest my sister,” Len said. “She’ll show up as soon as she gets the intel out of Cisco.”

“No promises,” Iris said. “But I’ll give him the heads up. Bye, boys.”

The after-image of Wally’s lightning hadn’t even dissipated when Barry dropped his back against Len’s shoulder, one foot tapping rapidly. “Are we bad parents?”

Len nosed at the corner of Barry’s jaw and slid his fingers under the hem of his shirt. “No.”

“Maybe we should—should’ve, uh, reinforced it, more. He might get—confused. He said ‘hi,’ but we—oh my god, did we even say ‘bye?’ Len—“

Len spun Barry and pushed him back against the couch, then kissed him to distract him from looking anxiously at the front door. “You’re overthinking this.”

“I’m overthinking this,” Barry agreed. “No, I’m not. Len, his snack—“

“There are snacks at the station. Joe has a drawer full of Cheerios.”

Barry slid a hand through his hair, gave one last jittery look toward the door, and then slumped back against the couch with a laugh. “You’re better at this than me.”

“Already did it once,” Len said, smoothing the worry out of Barry’s brow with the pad of his thumb. “And look how Lisa turned out.”

It didn’t land the way Len had aimed it to. Barry gave him a warm smile instead of an alarmed look, and Len had to tick his gaze away for a break from the earnestness in that expression.

“Yeah,” Barry said. “Yeah, okay. Now maybe we could, uh, stop saying our family members’ names for a little while?”

Len rolled his eyes, but he allowed Barry a brief smile as he hooked his fingers in the front of his belt. “I thought you’d never ask.”

*

*

[❤️ Link to Ao3 ❤️]

[dippydots]

December 15, 1994

Here's Henry's birthday writing as promised :)

Tw implied physical abuse

Henry examined his body in the mirror. There were bruises on his arms and chest. There was a cigarette burn on his arm as well. Obviously those could be covered up with a sweater. But how was he going to cover up the giant black eye he had? He was gonna have to lie again, wasn't he? He sighed. He reached for his blue sweater and pulled it over his head. His head popped out, making his curls bounce. His mother didn't like his curls. She said they were ugly on boys. He wasn't sure why she let him keep them. He brushed that aside as he continued getting ready for school.

******

Lisa skipped up to the desk where Henry sat. She wore a huge smile on her face as she approached him. "Hey, Harry," she said, and he looked up. "Hi Lis." She slid him a piece of paper. He looked confused. "What's this?" he asked as he picked it up. "A birthday card, duh. Welcome to the double digits!" He forgot that it was his tenth birthday. His mother hadn't mentioned it at all. Although, he would be surprised if she did. He smiled slightly. "Thanks," he said quietly. Lisa grinned, ruffling his hair. Then she looked surprised. She must've saw the black eye. "Oh my God what happened to your face?" He made up a lie on spot. "I, um, tripped on the stairs." Lisa raised her eyebrows. "Again? Henry, ya gotta be more careful or you'll get hurt really badly one day." If she only knew. She huffed. "Well, I have a birthday surprise for you after school, so you ca-."

"Ms Carew, sit down, we are going to begin our test soon." Lisa rolled her eyes and sat down next to Henry. "Meet me at my house after school," she whispered. "I always go to your house after school."

"Yeah, but its just a reminder," she whispered louder.

The school day was eventually over, and the duo made their way to Lisa's home. They took off their coats and put them on the coat rack. "Ready for your birthday surprise?" she asked excitedly. He nodded. She smiled brightly. Taking his hand, she led him to the basement. She flipped on the light, and there Henry saw the Carew family greyhound, with puppies. "I, uh, I don't get it," Henry said with a nervous laugh. "Trisket gave birth to them seven weeks ago, and Bessie," her voice flattened at the mention of her stepmother, "said that we weren't going to keep all of them and that once they were old enough that we'd sell them. And I asked her if you could have one of the puppies, and she said if it was ok with your mom and your mom said yeah, which surprised me honestly."

"Really? She said that?" Lisa nodded. She slapped a hand on his shoulder, which made him wince. "Take ya pick, Hen-Hen."

"Please never say that again." She put her hands up defensively. He sat at a distance away from the puppies. A few of them were playing with each other, but the one that was chasing it's own tail got his attention. Henry picked up the small puppy, careful not to drop it. It sniffed him, and then licked Henry's face, making him laugh a little. "You like him?" He nodded, a tear or two coming to his eyes. Noticing, Lisa's smile faded. "Hey, you ok?"

He reached over and hugged Lisa. "Thank you." Overcoming her surprise, she patted his back. "You're welcome," she replied. Henry looked at the scrawny little puppy. "You didn't name him yet, right?" Lisa shook her head. "His name's Ed then," he said decisively. "Ed?"

"Yeah, I mean, he looks like an Ed," Henry said, holding up the dog in Lisa's face. "I guess he does." Henry repositioned Ed in his arms, and smiled slightly. "I should probably head home now, and um, thanks," he said awkwardly. She nodded. "Take care, Henry." He nodded, and started walking back up the stairs.

[razrbladekiss]

Tyrants | Chapter Three - Presage

WORD COUNT: 2.4k

WARNINGS: Brief mentions of Wendy’s drug use. Nothing explicitly *bad* goes on here, just some of the usual SOA shit is hinted at. :) Tig <3

MASTERLIST

Ninety degrees was horrendous. Ninety-six degrees saw Isla spiraling toward a fully-fledged mental breakdown, desperate to climb out of her own fucking flesh and melt into the parking lot outside of St. Thomas.

Seeing the Sons sporting leathers, hoodies, and long-sleeved shirts underneath their cuts made her skin crawl, too.

She'd thrown on the flounciest summer dress she owned, thin and wispy, and she was still roasting to death underneath the Californian sunshine.

It felt like they were living in the fucking ass-crack of hell.

Though, with their current state and Charming's infestation of ATF and other federal agents, hell wasn't too far off the mark.

"Thanks for the ride." Isla expressed her gratitude as she slid off of the back of Tig's bike, pulling the helmet away from loose blonde curls.

"No problem, baby--you good to get home, yeah?"

"Yeah. I'm meeting Gem here, so she'll take me back to T M in time to pick my car up," she confirmed, readjusting herself.

She couldn't risk Tig Trager getting an eyeful of her asscheeks today. Not again, anyway.

"Perfect. See 'ya later, beautiful." Isla leaned in for him to peck her cheek--which was habitual for the pair--and she did the same.

Her smile was wide. She was beaming. "Bye, Tiggy. I love you."

"Love you too, kid." He reciprocated the smile, squeezing her hand as she broke away and padded toward the steps, brushing her fingers through wind-tousled strands.

Things were, for the first time in about a week, finally looking up. Resuming a sense of normality, perhaps.

She and Trager had been on precarious terms since that day, and had been avoiding one another altogether. Which, for them, was strange.

Days went by without even so much as a word being uttered between the pair, no backhanded comments, or even sideways glances.

Usually, they'd be bickering like kids, arguing nonsensically until Clay or Chibs broke them apart--but it was all just their little bit of fun. Because they bounced off of one another.

They lauded the relationship they shared because, really, it was one of the strongest.

He'd been her official favorite since the very day that they met--he and Bobby were the two she liked to talk to whenever she felt that she couldn't confide in her father.

But the last few days were so fucking hard. She was struggling with the weight of all that she did, coupled with the stress of not being able to discern Tig's current feelings on her.

And after she'd lashed out, had bitched at him for no fucking reason, she was pretty certain that Tiggy didn't want to know anymore.

That was thrown out of the window this morning, however, when Isla's clutch blew out, and she needed a ride from the garage to the hospital to see Abel.

Of course Tig was there for her. He always would be.

"Hey." Isla spoke softly as she held the little blue bear close to her chest. "I stopped by the gift shop on the way up here--Jax said he's already got bears and balloons comin' outta his ass, so I thought what's one more?"

Gemma couldn't help but smile, gesturing for the blonde to sit with her opposite Abel's isolette.

"He'll love you for it," she joked, though she knew that she was appreciative. For her company more so the stuffed animal.

With their commitment to the club and the current battle against the ATF, Jax and Clay weren't as hands on as what they usually would've liked.

Of course, Teller was at that baby's side whenever he got the chance to break away from SAMCRO, but he wanted more. He wanted the satisfaction of knowing that his little boy was being provided with the best possible care at St. Thomas.

And he was. He absolutely was. But he needed to know--for his own peace of mind, he needed to see that. So, his mother was there every waking fucking moment, giving him that love he could only get from his Grandma.

"How's he doing?" Her query was braided around a whisper, worried she'd disturb Abel's peaceful rest. "Jax said he should be coming home soon."

Gemma simply affirmed with a nod, gazing affectionately at her grandson.

It was heartwarming to see so much love, so much adoration from a woman who had a reputation for being a fucking cunt--thus proving that Gemma's main priority was her family, and their health and happiness.

That, somehow, made Isla love her even more than what she already did.

It also made her a tad jealous of Jax and the fact that he still had his mother in his life.

"He's gettin' stronger and stronger everyday. Tara said he'll be set to leave Friday--"

"Tara?" Her brow lifted as she put the bear amongst the pile of gifts. "I thought she was a doctor, I didn't think she had anything to do with the babies?"

Gemma's smile faltered a little. "She's a pediatric surgeon. Been takin' care of Abel since the start."

"Oh."

Now, she would've known that if she'd taken the time to visit her best friend's kid since he was born. But she hadn't--she hadn't even considered taking a trip over to St. Thomas to check in on Jax's baby.

And it was for the simple fucking reason that she couldn't bear the thought of facing Wendy and having to be nice to her. Especially after what she fucking did to that poor little boy.

She subsequently landed her own flesh and blood in the hospital after shooting heroin while pregnant? And she wanted Jax to pardon her for it?

Isla wasn't a hateful person, she didn't care about what people did in their spare time because that was their time.

But the moment an innocent person was harmed due to the carelessness of others...That was when she felt a scathing animosity.

"She's good with him." Gemma stated bitterly, snapping Isla from her ire-fueled daydream. "Kills me to say it, but she's a gem. A real fuckin' star."

"I'd bet. She was always good with kids."

"Yeah?" Suddenly interested, the older woman crossed over her arms. "Who's kids?"

Finally, Isla took a seat beside her on top of plush blue leather.

"A few of the girls we were in high school with had kids pretty young and Tara was usually super keen to hold them, or just hang out at their places whenever we weren't at school. Or it could've just been the wannabe doctor in her, now that I think about it."

"She's pretty maternal," Isla hummed in agreement, "but I'm glad she and Jax never had kids when you were teenagers--I don't know how that would've looked for him."

Suddenly, she was staring at Gemma like she had two fucking heads.

"I don't trust her." She elaborated, drawing another confused glance from Isla. "She and Jax would have been a fucking disaster had she stayed--"

"And things worked out so much better with Wendy?" A little more vehemently than intended, the blonde asked.

Now Gemma was the one shooting dirty looks.

"Look, Gem, I'm just saying. Jax and Tara are history now, yeah? You don't have to trust her. Just thank her for what she's doing for your grandson because when he's outta this place, you won't need to worry about her."

"And you're so sure about that, huh?" Skeptically, she asked. Arms folded over. "You know what they're like--like two fucking magnets or something. They always find a way back to one another."

That line gutted her.

It hurt her--it was agonizing--but she wasn't sure why she was so beaten by it. Because it was the truth, wasn't it?

Tara and Jax were, at one point, the strongest couple she'd ever known, and when it fizzled out he was fucking broken. She hadn't seen him so downtrodden since JT had passed, and he was suddenly left without the strength and guidance of his father.

She was his everything. Isla was a fool to think he'd be able to see her back in Charming and not feel something for her. His first love.

"I think we should throw Abel a homecoming party on Friday--if he's coming home then, that is." Gemma shifted the topic of conversation, getting to her feet.

"Absolutely. I'll help."

"Yeah?" She asked a little doubtingly, reaching over to pick Abel up. "You don't have to--I know you work Friday's."

Isla waved her off, standing beside the brunette. "I do, but it's no bother. If everyone's gonna be there, then I wanna show my face too. Offer a helping hand of some sort."

"Alright, perfect," Gem stated softly, holding the baby close to her chest. "When we get back to T M, we can figure out what we need to get."

"Sounds like a plan--" Isla was cut off by a soft knocking at the door, irritating her a little bit because she'd only just gotten there and hated the idea of having to leave already.

She made a mental note to stop by a little earlier tomorrow.

"Hey, sorry to bother you--" Tara stopped herself when she needed her estranged friend, almost dropping the clipboard she was holding against her chest.

Isla Telford was the last fucking person she expected to see today.

"Hey," with a fake smile, she greeted.

The tension was palpable.

Gemma felt the irritation washing over her favorite of the duo, urging her to turn her attention back toward her grandson before she said anything to worsen the situation.

Because she would've.

"Uh, I've gotta run a few tests on Abel before we determine that he'll be ready to leave this week, if that's alright?" Tara gestured to Gemma, ignoring Isla's presence.

That stung a little bit.

"Yeah. It's fine." The response was blunt. Terse, to a point.

"Great."

Isla realized that she wasn't wanted in that space any longer. She grabbed her purse, turning toward the door. "I'll meet you outside."

"Yeah, alright," Gemma put the baby back into his crib, smiling at Isla. "You want my keys?"

"I'll wait on the steps--I'm gonna smoke--"

"Before you go," Tara cut in. She cleared her throat, trying to smile--but she just couldn't.

Telford sensed where it was going, however. There wasn't a reason for her to stop Isla in her tracks, in front of Gemma no less.

She wondered how long it'd take for it to be brought up.

"Thanks."

Gratitude genuinely swept over the doctor, letting Isla know she was truthful in her acknowledgment--or, was it more like a form of praise? Because Jax definitely told Tara what they both did for her, and she was astounded that the woman would even float the idea of helping out.

It was a strange notion. To know what she did--when she looked and acted like that--was fucking weird. And nobody would've believed her if she said that Isla helped to dispose of a dead body, which did make her laugh a little.

She knew how to hold, load, and fire a pistol, but she wasn't capable of committing the unspeakable the same way that Jax, or Chibs, or Clay were capable of it.

But she was slowly earning her title as 'Daughter of Sgt. At Arms/ Man of Mayhem.' And she wasn't sure how she liked that.

"You're welcome," she spoke plainly. "Hope everything is alright now, Tara."

"It is."

"Good." Her retort was immediate, laced with that same genuineness the other woman expressed. "You free this coming friday?"

Hesitantly, she nodded.

"If all goes to plan--and Abel is good to come home--we're gonna throw a little party for the boy," Gemma confirmed with a nod. "You wanna swing by? Everyone'll be there--Donna, Ope, their kids, Wendy, the rest of the Sons. You should come. It'll be nice for everyone to see 'ya again."

Wendy's name falling from those pink lips, in such a positive light, maimed Isla. She and Jax were starting to get along a little bit better now, but she was still wary of that woman.

"Yeah. It'll be great," the older woman added.

Tara felt cornered. She knew that she wasn't really wanted, and she also knew that was a way for Isla and her menopausal best friend--old enough to be her fuckin' mom--to keep the doctor as close as possible without explicitly saying that they wanted to keep an eye on her.

"Sure. I'll stop by."

"Brilliant." Gemma conceded, slipping past the pair. "Address hasn't changed, sweetheart."

It was passive aggressive, sickly-sweet, and it was Gemma to a fucking T. The woman was loathing every second she had to spend with Tara Knowles and she wasn't even trying to hide it.

But it didn't have to be for very long, she thought.

"What was that all about? Why'd she thank you?" Gem queried as they got outside, passing the lighter to her left.

"For not breaking her fucking neck when I had the chance to all those years ago, probably."

Isla sparked her cigarette, pacing alongside her as they headed toward the car.

"That's bullshit."

"How so?"

"Just is." She could read Chibs's little girl like a fucking book. "But I won't press--if it's something between you and Tara, I don't care to hear. Just lemme know if it goes south. I can put a bullet in her for you, baby."

Isla would've laughed had she not known that Gemma was deadly fucking serious about blowing Tara's brains out.

But it was a relief. For her to give it up just like that--uncharacteristically so--was a kind of relief that she never thought she'd feel from Gemma Teller.

She was used to being protected. Used to being viewed as the one that needed to be shielded from the horrors that shrouded the Sons. But Isla wasn't innocent, nor was she fucking stupid.

The security was appreciated, however. Because, lately, things just didn't seem to be going too great for her.

And, if she'd learned anything, they'd only worsen from here on out.

"You don't have to go full mama bear mode, Gem. I'm a big girl."

She laughed, turning to face Isla.

"I know," smoke blew from her nose, "but you've gotta protect the ones you wanna keep close, y'know? The ones you love."

The tip of Gemma's boot pulverized her cigarette into the sidewalk as she fished for the car keys, avoiding eye contact all together.

"I haven't been able to protect everyone I've wanted to from the shit that goes on in this town, honey, but I'm really tryin'. And I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you or my boy."

[wefoundloveunderthelight]

Mystery Of Pixie Hollow by GleefullyCaptainSwan

Chapter 1/11

Read on AO3: | Chapter 1

Or on FF

Stacy's Tortured Crew: @teamhook @kmomof4 @stahlop @lfh1226-linda @ilovemesomekillianjones @itsfabianadocarmo @mariakov81 @qualitycoffeethings @zaharadessert @jrob64 @jonesfandomfanatic @natascha-ronin @tiganasummertree @xarandomdreamx @therooksshiningknight @batana54 @superchocovian @onceratheart18 @ultraluckycatnd @snowbellewells @karlyfr13s @the-darkdragonfly @xsajx @deckerstarblanche @jonesfandomfanatic

Chapter 1: Neverland

Emma stood at the register, a pile of coins and dollar bills sitting in front of her as she began counting her tips. She had been working nonstop for the last three weeks to save every dime she earned in order to take Henry on a special treat for his birthday. He had seen the flyer in the window of the diner after school one day, immediately calling the carnival to her attention. A traveling amusement park themed to the story of Peter Pan was visiting their town. Henry hadn’t stopped asking questions about it since.

Do fairies really exist?

Can Peter Pan actually fly?

If I really believe do you think I can fly when I’m there too?

With his birthday approaching, Emma knew the best birthday gift she could give him was a trip to the park when it came to town. It was only visiting for three days, and Henry had been completely gutted when they fell on Emma’s weekend at the diner. He had been putting on his best face when she got home from work, her feet tired from standing all day, reciting to her his day, and trying to pretend that he wasn’t disappointed after sitting all day listening to the sounds of the park lofting through his window.

She could barely contain her secret last night when she tucked him into bed, and he told her that he got to spend the day watching Peter Pan skip through the park and it was just as good as being there.

Henry was such a sweet boy, he never asked for things he knew he couldn’t have. He knew that money was tight for them. Emma had been on her own ever since she gave birth to the boy, his father was long out of the picture before he was even born. It wasn’t that the boy was ever without something important, Emma made sure that she saved her money to spend it on things he needed, and when she couldn’t afford it, her best friend, Will Scarlet always pitched in to help her out.

Which was what had happened with Henry’s birthday gift this year. Emma had saved almost enough for the admission price but knew that Henry would want tickets to ride the rides and play a few games, and of course Will tossed some money into the pot, so that the three of them could enjoy the last day of the park together.

“Did you save enough?” She turned to see her boss Mrs. Lucas approach her from the kitchen.

“I made $25 bucks today, I should be able to get him some dinner while we are there.” She said with a smile.

“Get him something from me too while you’re there.” She responded as she held out her hand, a white envelope in her palm. “It’s his birthday after all.”

Emma tentatively took the envelope, lifting the top to see a crisp $20 bill tucked inside. “Gran, you didn’t have to do that.”

“I know, but it’s his birthday, just be sure to tell him it’s from Gran.” She reached out and hugged the woman, a smile growing on her face. The bell above the door made a sound and they both turned to see the customer walk into the diner. “Get out of here, you’re off the clock.”

Emma looked at her watch. “I still have ten minutes left in my shift.”

The woman shook her head and pulled out her notepad to assist the man who sat down at the counter. “Clock must be slow.” She said with a grin. “Get out of here. Take that boy of yours on an adventure.”

“Thank you, see you tomorrow.” She hollered back as she ran out the door to her yellow bug parked outside the diner. She couldn’t wait to get home and tell Henry they were going to Pixie Hollow.

When she opened the door to her apartment, Henry was running circles around the couch as Will chased him through the living room. “You can’t get away from me, mate.”

“You’re too old to catch me.” Henry hollered and Will stopped in his tracks and grabbed his chest.

“Oi, that was quite rude.” He said in a feigned outrage. “I’m not that old.”

Emma laughed and they both turned toward her. “Mom!” Henry ran and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“The lad is being hurtful on his birthday.” Will scoffed.

“Tell your Uncle Will that you’re sorry for calling him old.” She leaned over and whispered. “But say it loudly because his hearing isn’t what it used to be.” Henry fell to the ground in a fit of giggles.

“You know he gets his mean spirted nature from you, right?” Will complained.

“We love you.” She teased as she ran her hand through his short locks and pinched his cheek. She turned and faced Henry.

“Why are you home? I thought you had to work tonight.”

“I wanted to surprise you!” She grinned. “Thought maybe we could go see this Peter Pan you keep talking about.”

Henry’s face brightened. “Seriously? Oh my God.” He squealed “You mean it?”

“Happy birthday, baby.” She smiled. The boy launched himself into her arms. “Ok we gotta get ready to go, get your jacket in case it gets cold after the sun goes down.”

Henry disappeared in a fury to his room to collect his jacket, just as Will’s phone rang.

“Don’t answer it.” Emma protested as he held up the phone and Will groaned.

“It’s work, I can’t ignore it.” Emma groaned as he greeted his boss, a chorus of “Yes, sir” “I know, sir” “Of course, sir.” Carried through the room.

“Yes but I was planning to…” He frowned. “I understand, of course, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He said sadly. Henry came bounding into the room as he disconnected the call.

“You’re going in to work now?” Emma complained.

“I’m sorry Em, it can’t be helped. They had some sort of emergency, and they need me there right away.”

“So, we aren’t going?” Henry said sadly, looking up between them. Will hesitated, staring between the two. Emma knew he wouldn’t disappoint Henry if it couldn’t be helped.

“I’m sorry lad, I don’t have a choice.”

“We’re still going Henry.” Emma announced.

“Emmie, you can’t go alone.” Will began to protest.

Emma rolled her eyes. “Stop it, I’m an adult. I don’t need you to babysit me everywhere we go.”

“I’m not there to babysit you, I just don’t like it when you and Henry are out late at night without someone else with you.”

“Without a man with me, you mean. I don’t know if you realize this yet, but I don’t need a man, I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

“Are you sure you two will be alright?”

Emma chuckled. “I think I can handle a carnival for children on my own.”

“Alright, but text me when you get there, and again when you get home.”

“Ok dad.” She teased and he slapped her playfully on the arm.

“Happy birthday, Bub.” He picked the boy off the ground and squeezed him. “Don’t have too much fun without me.”

“That’s impossible.” The boy replied.

“Did I tell you that you’re my favorite six-year-old out of all the six-year-old kids out there?”

“But I just turned six. You don’t even know all the six-year-old kids.” Henry wined with a playful smile.

“I don’t have to because you’re still my favorite.”

“You said that when I was five.”

“And I’ll say it when you’re seven or fifteen.” Will said as he sat the boy back on the ground.

“I love you, Uncle Will.”

“Love you too Bub.” He raised his hand, and they exchanged their ridiculous handshake that they had made up when Henry had turned four.

Two taps, spin around, tap down low, shake your booty, tap up high.

It was ridiculous and heartwarming and a reminder of how lucky she was to have such an amazing best friend. Even when she showed up on his doorstep, a positive pregnancy test in her hand, tears streaming down her face, Will simply pulled her into his arms and promised he would always be there for her. Over the years he had been her shoulder to cry on, her Lamaze coach, her sounding board, and her support system. Even with the one drunken misstep that neither of them ever spoke of again, there wasn’t anyone that Emma relied on more than Will.

“Ok I’m off, have fun tonight.” He smiled and left through the front door. As soon as the door closed Henry jumped up and down in front of her.

“Can we go now?” Emma chuckled and pushed him toward the door.

“Of course, let’s go.”

“You have to say it mom.”

“Say what?” She asked, confused on what he was meaning.

“Second star to the right.” He began excitedly.

“And straight on til morning.” She continued as they closed the door to the apartment and made their way to the park across the street. The lights shone bright into the sky with all the rides and attractions that had their own music playing all around them as soon as they entered the park.

Henry could barely contain his excitement as he bounced about from ride to ride. More than once Emma had to remind him to stay close by, not to get too far ahead of her, but the boy was hard to be contained.

“Mom, look, it’s a house of mirrors, can we go, can we go?” He jumped up and down in front of her.

“Ok, but don’t get too far ahead of me.” Emma laughed as he handed his ticket to the man at the front of the attraction. She didn’t like the way the man glared in her direction, there was something about him that made her uncomfortable in a way that caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end. Henry ran ahead into the building and Emma yelled for him to wait as the man seemed to take an extra-long time to allow her to enter behind her son.

When he finally raised the gate, she ran toward the fun house, entering the building and exhaling when she saw Henry standing at the corner waiting for her. “Come on mom, this is so cool.”

“It’s very cool.” Emma replied, looking around the disorienting room. The mirrors at all angles making it appear that Henry was in more than one place in front of her.

“You could get lost in here for days.” He joked as he stepped into the room, his arms outstretched in front of him to avoid running into anything.

“Let’s try and avoid getting lost, I’m starting to get hungry.” She joked.

“Come on mom, I bet you can’t find which one is really me.” Henry yelled, rushing forward, and turning a corner until she couldn’t see him anymore.

“Don’t get too far ahead of me.” She warned, turning the corner he was just at and seeing three versions of him in front of her. “Ok which one is my Henry?” She questioned as she stepped forward, her hand coming into contact with a mirror. She then touched the one next to her but that was a mirror as well.

“I’m right here.” Her son mimicked, before running around the corner again.

“You’re too good at this.” She chuckled, turning, and chasing after him until she ran into one of the glass mirrors. She really hated this attraction. “Ok Henry, I’m really getting hungry. Which way did you go?”

“I’m over here.” She heard him toward her left and she turned to stumble in that direction as she caught a glimpse of him just as she turned the corner.

“Henry, can you just stay in one place until I get to you.” Her tone was starting to sound agitated as she felt her way through the glass around her, dipping in and out of the crevices until she reached a dead end.

“Henry, where are you?” She yelled.

“Mom.” She heard him shout and then it got quiet.

“Henry?” She hollered toward the last place she heard his voice. She felt her way through the attraction until she heard music and felt the breeze of the outside, stepping through the small doorway, she found herself on the other side from where they entered. She looked around for Henry, but only saw other children, families standing around the exit area.

“Did you see a little boy come out of here?”

“I’ve seen a lot of little boys.” The guy grumbled and wandered away from her.

“Henry, where are you?” She yelled, trying to control her voice as the terror started to race in her heart. “Henry?” She ran toward the entrance and the man who took her ticket. “Where is my son, did he come back out this way?”

The man frowned, “No one comes back out the front ma’am. Did you check the exit?”

“Of course, I checked the exit, you idiot, how else did I get out here!” She yelled and he turned to take a ticket from another family.

“I need you to find my son.” She grabbed at the lapel of his jacket and turned him back toward her.

“Hands off lady.” The man warned. “I’ll get my manager.”

“Good, get your manager. I need to find my son.”

The family tried to push past her, and Emma stood in front of them, blocking the exit. “My son got lost in there.”

“It’s not my problem that you can’t keep an eye on your boy, get out of my daughter’s way.” The man pushed around her, leading his daughter into the entrance of the attraction.

Emma ran after them, and the ticket idiot was on her heels. “You can’t go in there without another ticket.”

Emma shoved his hands off her, “Get off me, I’m going in there until I find my son.” She screamed, wandering back into the fun house, her heart racing as she turned in every direction screaming her son’s name. “Henry, where are you?” She yelled, pushing forward through the maze. There was no response except for the grumbling of the people in front of her who she continued to push aside in her quest to find her son.

When she reached the exit again she immediately screamed his name, grabbing at random strangers to ask if they had seen her son, a photo of him pulled up on her phone. Suddenly she was grabbed from behind and she turned quickly to see the ticket asshole with a man. “You can’t go around grabbing our customers.” The man sternly growled at her.

“My son is missing. He went in the hall of mirrors, and he didn’t come out.”

“That’s impossible. There is only one way in and one way out. He must have come out; you’ve just lost him.”

“I didn’t lose him.” She cried. “Don’t you have something you can do. Call the cops, make an announcement, just find my son.”

“Of course, I’m Felix. I’m the assistant manager. Let me make a few calls.” He said with a grin that certainly didn’t set her at ease. There was something off about the man, something menacing and scary, and Emma just wanted to get her son and get the hell away from all of them. “Come with me.” He didn’t ask but tugged at her elbow. “Nothing to see here, she just lost her child.” He announced to the people who had suddenly taken an interest in the commotion.

Emma was too concerned about her child to admonish the bystanders for gawking at her, their looks of contention and disappointment apparent on their faces as if they just watched an irresponsible parent simply leave their child by the side of the road instead of the fact that her son vanished without a trace.

“Ok ma’am can you explain to me what you think happened to your son?” The man closed the door to the trailer and gestured for her to take a seat in the dingy office.

“What I know” she paused, “was that my son and I went into the Hall of Mirrors and when I got to the exit, he wasn’t there.”

“Do you normally let your son run off without you?”

“Excuse me?” She stood up from her seat. “He did not run off without me, he was playing in the goddamn funhouse with me in the room.”

“Yes ma’am so you said, however if he was simply playing with you, then you would know where he was, isn’t that correct?”

Emma was done with this man’s treatment of her, she was done with people not ripping that god forsaken fun house to the ground until they came upon her little boy. She pushed her way past the man and shoved the door open, ignoring his plea for her to stay put. As soon as she stepped out of the trailer, two men approached her.

“Are you the woman who lost her son?”

Emma recognized their badges and the names on them from the Sherriff’s station. “Thank God you are here, these idiots won’t do anything to find my son.”

“I’m officer Nolan, and this is officer Locksley, can you tell me what happened?”

Emma took a deep breath, “My son, Henry, he just turned 6, it’s his birthday today.” Tears started to fall down her cheeks. “We went into the Hall of Mirrors, he was playing hide and seek and trying to get me to find him, but then he called out for me, and I couldn’t find him anymore. When I got to the exit, he wasn’t there, and no one can tell me where he is.”

“So, he wasn’t with you in the Hall of Mirrors?”

“Did you just hear me? I told you we went in together. He was only a few feet in front of me, it’s not like I let my fucking kid just run around alone.”

The man held up his hand. “Alright ma’am, there is no need to get upset.”

“No need to get upset.” She stated, shocked at the audacity this man had standing in front of her like everything was normal that was happening to her. “I lost my son. My baby is out there somewhere, and no one will fucking help me.”

Officer Nolan stepped forward and took her by the elbow. “Ma’am, if you keep cursing in front of the children here, we are going to have to take you down to the station to discuss this matter.”

“Matter!” She yelled. “My son is missing; I don’t give a fuck what you think about my goddamn cursing. Find my son!”

“Is it possible that he simply ran away?” The other man asked.

“Ran away? Why would you even think he would run away?”

“Is his father here with you?”

“Why does that matter?”

“I’m simply asking if the boy could be with his father.”

Emma shook her head. “No, his father isn’t around. He’s most definitely not with that asshole.”

“So, the situation with the father, it’s contentious then?”

Emma couldn’t believe the crap she was hearing. “This has nothing to do with his father. He’s lost, he’s probably scared and all you can do is sit here and ask me stupid questions that aren’t doing anything to find him.”

The men looked at each other and nodded, Officer Locksley stepped into the trailer and shut the door behind him. “My partner is just going to talk to the manager and find out if they know anything else.”

“He’s the assistant manager and he knows jack shit.” She said as she rolled her eyes.

The door to the trailer opened and he gestured for his partner to join him. They whispered at the door for a moment and then returned in front of her, closing their notebooks. “Ma’am, I’m going to give you my business card, we can’t do anything about a runaway until after 24 hours. If he still hasn’t come home by then, give us a call.”

“I already fucking told you he’s not a goddamn runaway.”

“Ok ma’am, we’re going to have to take you down to the station if you can’t control yourself.” She felt their hands on her arms and she pulled away from them, holding her hands in the air.

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Well, you can’t stay here.” He announced, looking back at the ridiculous assistant manager who was glaring at her.

“So, I’m supposed to just leave my kid?”

“Most times, they show up in the morning, a little scared, hungry, and apologetic for causing a scare. Go home and get some sleep, they usually show back up at home.”

Emma couldn’t believe this was happening, that she was just supposed to go home and leave Henry out here, lost. She looked toward the fun house, wanting to make a run back to it, wanting to search frantically for anything she could find, but she knew he wasn’t there. Something had happened to Henry.

“Ma’am. We need you to leave or come with us.” They stepped toward her, and Emma backed up from her spot. She surveyed the crowd and then paused.

“I’m going.” She announced, turning on her heels and storming toward the exit. When she got to her house she climbed the stairs, screaming her son’s name, hoping he would answer and explain that he got lost and simply went home, but the house was still, dark, and ominously quiet. She went into Henry’s room and pulled open the curtains, the lights from the fair spilling into the window. She pulled the chair over to the wall and sat down, staring at the scene in front of her. She would wait there until she found him, until he made his way back to the house.

Looking down at her phone, she sent another text to Will asking him to call her immediately. Pulling a blanket around her she sat and waited.

Henry, where are you?

~*~

Henry woke with a start, a painful beating in his head. He reached up and winced at the swollen knot on the back of his skull. He looked around in the dark, trying to figure out where he was. Just moments ago he was in the Hall of Mirrors with his mom, they were playing a game. He remembered seeing her, just a few feet away and then his back hit something solid and then it moved. Arms reached out and grabbed him and then everything went black.

He felt around on the ground below him, dirt digging into his fingernails. There was a small light coming in from a tiny opening up high in the room. He groaned as he tried to sit up.

“Don’t sit up too quickly, I’m sure you’re dizzy.”

He jumped at the sound of a female in the room. “Who’s there?”

A face came into view, the light streaming into the dark onto her golden hair. “It’s ok, just give it a minute. You can see in the dark after you get used to it.”

“My head hurts.” He groaned.

“It will only hurt for a couple of days. Then it will go away.” The girl moved closer to him, sitting down next to him.

“What do you want with me?”

“I’m a friend, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Where are we?”

“Underground. I don’t know really. We move around a lot.”

“Who’s we?”

“Pan’s crew.” The girl said softly, and Henry almost started laughing.

“As in Peter Pan? I must be dreaming. That’s what’s going on. This is a nightmare.”

“I wish it were, but sadly this is real. What’s your name?”

Henry peered at the girl in front of him. “I’m Henry.” Suddenly the shadows moved behind her and he pushed back against the wall.

“Don’t be afraid, they won’t hurt you.”

Henry stared at the faces of the children staring back at him. “Who are you people?”

“We’re the lost ones. Just like you.” She said sadly.

[doc-pickles]

always free to run home

in which alex's dad shows up post 16x16

hello! i posted this fun little fic on AO3 awhile back but i'm also throwing it over here. shoutout to @mac-andcheeses for letting me use her brain child for this one!

“Hey, it's Alex. Leave me a message.”

“Karev, it's Miranda Bailey. Your dad is being treated at Grey Sloan for injuries he sustained during a car crash and he’s also detoxing from years of heavy drug use. We don’t have any other emergency contact for him, the only reason we knew who he was… That’s not important. I need you to come back to Seattle. I know you’ve got your picket fence and your perfect kids and your blonde ex wife out there in Kansas but you need to come back home.”

+

“Hey Junior. Can’t believe they really dragged your sorry ass out here. Doctor Bailey said I got a couple of grandkids out in Kansas. What the hell are you doing in Kansas?”

Alex rolls his eyes, ignoring his dad as he flips open his chart. Bailey had explained the situation when he had arrived just 30 minutes earlier but he wanted to see for himself just how bad it was looking for his father.

“They’re my kids but you’re not their grandpa. You don’t deserve that title,” Alex answers, not looking up from the chart. “Your liver is failing.”

“I know, that’s what they told me.”

“That doesn’t just happen overnight, you must have been in pain for a while.”

“You’re not giving me any new information, the leggy brunette doctor nearly chewed my ear off when I first came in,” Jimmy lets out a sigh and Alex decides to let his comment about his doctor slide. “I’m dying, it was bound to happen sooner or later.”

“Do you just not care about anything? You’re about to die and all you can do is shrug your shoulders,” when Jimmy doesn’t respond Alex can’t help the frustrated groan that leaves him. “God I don’t even know why I came out here. You’re still the same guy that left us all those years ago aren’t you?”

Alex turns to leave but stops in his tracks when Jimmy speaks up, “Now that’s something you know a thing or two about isn’t it?” He doesn’t know how his dad knows the details of his escape from Seattle but his words make Alex’s blood boil as he turns to face Jimmy again, “Don’t you ever compare me to you. I left my whole life behind the minute I heard about my kids. I left my friends, my wife. Everything! I left the state to be there for my kids, I am nothing like you.”

“Trust me kid, I know all about your wife. Who do you think figured out who I was? Didn’t you see her name all over those tests?”

Alex practically lunges at the chart he’d just discarded. His eyes frantically scan the page, freezing almost immediately as he finds what he’s looking for.

Attending on the case: Doctor J. Karev

“She figured out pretty quick who I was, said we have the same crooked smile,” Jimmy is unphased by Alex’s mild freak out, continuing his story. “Didn’t say it outright but I saw her name on my chart and I knew. Well I pieced it together eventually, I’m not stupid.”

Alex finally looks back at Jimmy, anger still evident in his expression, “I know I fucked up by leaving Jo but you left our family! You left your kids behind!”

“And how exactly do you think I figured out who she was?”

Alex pauses, mind reeling at Jimmy’s words. He thinks he knows what he’s saying but Alex refuses to believe it. His dad was probably high still and trying to guilt trip him.

“I saw her, you ex wife. She was getting coffee and she had a baby, a little boy, all bundled up in his carrier. That’s when I figured it all out, the kid is your clone. Looks just like you did when your mom and I brought you home.

“Anyways the next day I overheard her talking to someone in the hall about how she couldn’t be on my case anymore. And it all made sense, the last name and the baby and everything. She stopped by earlier today and that short doctor told her you were coming. I think she went home to avoid you.”

Standing in a stunned silence Alex stares at the chart in his hands, still trying to fully process what his father is telling him. On the other hand Jimmy is talking a mile a minute but Alex can’t comprehend a word he’s saying.

“I gotta go,” Alex mutters the words as a half assed goodbye, sprinting out of the room and down to his rental car.

The loft is an easy destination, Alex’s body driving almost on autopilot. As he pulls into the back of the lot it occurs to him that in the year he’d been gone Jo might have moved. He’s about to call Meredith when the sleek black Audi he used to drive pulls in. He sits and stares in awe as Jo climbs out, opening the back door to grab a diaper bag and car seat before heading inside. He can’t see the baby from his vantage point but just the knowledge that he and Jo have a child together brings tears to his eyes.

He pulls himself together quickly, locking his car as he takes the steps up to the loft two at a time. It’s not until he’s standing at the door that he pauses, wondering if Jo rebbe wants to see him. Despite his reservations Alex knocks on the door, knowing he never wanted to live a life where he didn’t know all of his children.

The loft door slides open and for a moment the world around Alex is frozen. Jo is standing in front of him, eyes wide as she takes him in. As awestruck as Alex is seeing Jo for the first time in a year he can’t take his eyes off of the little boy in her arms. His dad was right, aside from the bright hazel eyes blinking up at him the kid is his clone, right down to the haphazard curls sticking up on his head.

“I… Bailey called me about my dad. And he said he saw you… I just needed to see for myself,” Alex shakes his head, as if the past year had suddenly come back to him. “I’m sorry I just barged in on you, I know you probably don’t want to see me. I’d really love to get to know him, you know where to reach me.”

Alex turns to leave, getting to the top of the stairs before Jo’s voice rings out, “His name is Blake. You two share a birthday.”

He doesn’t move as he processes what Jo’s just told him. There’s another beat of silence before she speaks again, “I didn’t know I was pregnant, you’d think a doctor of all people would know but I didn’t until I gave birth at home at 2 AM. He’s only three months old and by some miracle he’s perfect.”

Alex finally turns around, staring wordlessly at Jo who has tears streaking down her face. Blake is fading fast in her arms, struggling to keep his eyes open as Jo gently rocks him. It takes everything in him not to surge forward and wrap them both in his arms, but he knows not to push his luck with the woman he left so long ago.

“I’m sorry I haven’t called and told you about him but this has been the longest and scariest three months of my life. I didn’t have nine months to prepare and adjust to being a mom, I had minutes. And every minute since I first held our son in my arms has been full of me second guessing myself and trying to do what’s best for him.”

Jo’s chest is heaving now as she struggles to catch her breath. Her hand comes up to stifle the sob that comes out, Alex moving quickly to wrap her in his arms, “I know you’re a great mom Jo you don’t need to doubt that even for a minute. And I’m sorry that I wasn’t there for you.”

“You being here wouldn’t have changed anything, except maybe you freaking out when I went to pee and came back with a baby,” Jo burrows herself further into Alex’s embrace. “We made a baby.”

“A pretty cute one too,” Alex is about to say more when he notices a ring of bruises around Jo’s wrist. She notices too, quickly pulling at her sleeves to cover the fresh black and blue marks. “Jo…”

Jo pulls away from Alex as she walks into the loft and sets Blake down in his crib, “I’m fine, it was just an accident at work last night.”

Alex steps in front of Jo as she attempts to walk away from him. He doesn’t reach out to hold her like he wants to, instead studying her nervous behavior, “You know you can tell me the truth, right?”

Jo nods, still hesitant to look up at Alex as she focuses on her hands, “It was just an altercation with a patient, Hunt stepped in before I could get seriously hurt.”

“Jo-”

“It’s fine!”

“It’s not fine, you were attacked by a patient.”

“And I’m not on the case anymore. So it’s-”

“Not fine! What would’ve happened if-”

“Nothing happened! And I don’t think it’s your place to worry about me.”

“Of course it is, it always will be.”

“Can you stop freaking out?” “You were hurt! Of course I’m going to-”

“It was Jimmy. It was your dad that… hurt me.”

There’s a stifling silence as Alex takes in what Jo’s just told him. She’s watching him nervously, as if he was going to blow his lid at any moment, but he just stays quiet. When she realizes that he’s not going to say anything, Jo breaks their eye contact and continues her story.

“He was detoxing and thought I was your mom,” Jo rolls up her sleeves to show Alex the large hand marks covering the bottom half of her arms. “I’m fine though, I got checked over and Blake was in his car seat the whole time.”

“Blake was with you?!”

“Yeah… I was just checking on Jimmy before I left. He had told me earlier that he wanted to see Blake, that he looked just like you did as a baby,” Jo still refuses to meet Alex’s worried gaze as she retells the events of the previous night. “When I got there things were fine but then I showed him Blake and Jimmy just… He started yelling at me and pushing me around the room. He was calling me Helen and asking why I hadn’t picked you up from school yet. I pushed Blake’s car seat out of the way right before he pinned me up against the wall. Thankfully I was able to reach the code blue button and Owen rushed in right before he punched me.”

Jo finally meets Alex’s eyes and it takes everything in him not to run out of the loft and find his father, to scream at him and kick and punch and make him pay for hurting Jo the way that he had hurt him and his mother. Instead he leans down and cups Jo’s cheeks, wiping the tears pooled there as he fixes her with a gentle look.

“I’m fine, I really am Alex. I was more worried about Blake through the whole thing,” Jo shrugs as Alex’s fingers float across her cheek. “I’m used to-”

Jo cuts her statement short as she realizes what she was about to say. Instead she shakes her head and breaks free from Alex’s hold on her as she walks to what used to be his dresser. She pulls out a pair of his ratty sweatpants and an old t shirt, handing them to him as she walks past him towards her bed, “You can stay on the couch tonight, you know where the blankets are.”

“I can wake up with Blake,” Alex quickly offers. “You have a ton of bottles up by the sink and I’ve made about a thousand of them in the NICU. You need the rest.”

Jo just nods, practically falling into bed with a sigh. By the time Alex comes out of the bathroom her soft snores are echoing through the loft.

+

When Jo wakes up the next morning Alex has scrubbed the kitchen and bathroom and folded the pile of laundry on the couch. He had let Jo sleep in, toting Blake around in his carrier while he cleaned the loft. While Jo was never the neatest person she would always get antsy when the loft started to get too unorganized or cluttered. He could tell just from the state of things that she was completely overwhelmed with the infant that had unexpectedly taken over her life.

“I made coffee,” Alex gestures to the steaming pot on the counter. “And Blake just went down for a nap.” Jo nods in appreciation, silently pouring a cup of coffee for herself before turning to Alex, “When are you going back to Kansas?”

“My flight is scheduled for late tonight,” Alex lets out a sigh as Jo turns away from him. “Jo come on, I didn’t even know about Blake until yesterday.”

Jo turns back towards him, anger replacing the sadness that was just there, “Because you left! You left me Alex! I’m not counting on you sticking around just because we have a baby together.”

“I’m not just going to abandon my kid Jo.”

“Well you abandoned your wife pretty easily so excuse me if I don’t exactly believe you,” Jo scoffs, tears welling in her eyes. “You wanna know why I never called? Because being a single mom sounds a lot easier than shipping my son across the country to see his dad and step mom and their perfect life on a farm. I know you want to be in Blake’s life but I’m not putting him on a plane every other weekend so you can do that.”

“Izzie and I aren’t together.”

“Could’ve fooled me. Your stupid letter-”

“Was a mistake! The biggest mistake that I have ever made and I am so sorry about that Jo, but I would never try to take Blake from you,” Alex pleads. “You have to know that, don’t you?” “I don’t know that, I don’t know anything about you,” Jo’s voice reaches a scream as she faces off with Alex. “You spent years telling me you weren’t leaving, even longer trying to show me that your actions were louder than your words. And you still left me in a freaking letter!”

“Jo-”

Jo finally turns away from Alex, running a hand through her hair, “I’m not arguing with you about this. You left and gave me no say in our divorce.” “I had to leave, I had to be there for my kids.”

“And I would’ve come if you had asked me,” there’s tears in Alex’s eyes as Jo speaks, her voice coming down from it’s roar. “If you want to talk about knowing people, you should’ve known that I would follow you anywhere Alex. Did nine years teach you nothing or are you just extraordinarily stupid?”

Alex’s phone rings and breaks the illusion that they’re alone in the world. He only glances at the text for a moment before he’s shoving his shoes on his feet and grabbing his wallet and keys. When he looks back at Jo she’s staring at him with an anxious expression.

“I’m not leaving, it’s just my dad and-”

“Go Alex.”

“I’m not-”

“Go. We’ll still be here.”

Alex only spares one more look at Jo before he’s rushing out the door to Grey Sloan. He doesn’t know why he feels some sick sense of honor towards the man that abandoned him and gave him more trust issues than he can name, but he knows he needs to see his dad.

“Karev, your dad coded a little while ago,” Bailey begins to explain the situation as soon as Alex walks up to her. “Because of his long term drug use his heart is weak. He’s stable for now but… I would be shocked if he made it through the night.”

Alex nods his thanks to Bailey as he walks into Jimmy’s room. His dad is laying completely still, the slow and steady beeping monitors the only sign that he’s still alive. Alex settles into the seat next to the bed, watching his dad for a long moment. He hated him for years for everything he had put their family through, the way he had abandoned them and hurt his mom beyond repair. In fact Alex couldn’t help but feel a cruel kinship with his father, both men having broken their families into seemingly unfixable pieces.

“Alex.”

The soft voice shocks him but Alex looks up to meet his dad's gaze. He can tell it’s taking everything in him to form words but that doesn’t stop Jimmy.

“Kid, you’re nothin’ like me. That girl loves you more than you know and you’ve got a chance to do right by her and that little boy,” Jimmy lets out a cough and reaches out for Alex’s hand, giving it a tight squeeze. “Don’t make the same mistakes I did. You’re a much better man than I ever was.”

It’s silent after that, Alex sitting and holding his dad's hand until the monitors around him fall silent an hour later. He sits with him for a while more before leaving, going back to the hotel room he had rented instead of the loft like he had wanted to. There’s a million thoughts running through his head but one rings louder than the rest.

Don’t make the same mistakes I did.

+

Logically Alex knows he should’ve called or texted or even sent another letter to Jo. Maybe not the letter, but it had been two weeks since his dad had passed and he had left Seattle without a word to anyone. He feels bad for leaving Jo once again but he also knows that his decision is for the best.

He’s not shocked even a little when Jo opens the loft door and scowls at him. Blake is on the floor of the living room batting at colorful shapes on his playmat and Alex is thankful that he at least seems happy.

“Hi.”

“Hey asshole,” Jo scoffs and turns around, leaving the door open for Alex but not acknowledging him. “You said you were going to the hospital and then you left. You specifically said you weren’t leaving and then you left. Again.”

“I know.”

Jo picks up the laundry basket on the couch and begins to put away the folded clothes, “I’m not really interested in whatever it is you have to say Alex. I’m done believing anything you say because every time I do I just get hurt.”

“l bought a house in Queen Anne,” Alex watches as the laundry basket in Jo’s hands tumbles to the ground, her eyes wide as she stares at him with unwavering attention. “I know you always liked the neighborhood and it’s right around the corner from Meredith. It’s a two story with some extra bedrooms and it’s got a big backyard for Blake to run around in with the twins when they come to visit in the summers. I already talked to Izzie and she said she’s more than happy to let them visit. And uh Bailey gave me my job back, as head of peds.”

Jo’s hand flies up to her mouth as she stares at Alex in shock. He at least has the decency to look somewhat ashamed for having left without a word, but the sight of her so emotional over his return makes him feel slightly better.

“I’m staying in Seattle, I’m going to be here for Blake. I can’t… I’m not my dad. I’m not going to leave my kid or my… you. I’m not letting you do this alone Jo, you don’t deserve that,” Alex takes a deep breath and chances another look at Jo who now has tears running down her cheeks. “I’m sorry I didn’t call but I wanted to wrap things up back in Kansas and have everything lined up here. I promise that anytime you call or text from now on that I’ll answer. I’m not going to make the same mistakes I did before.”

The last word barely slips out of Alex’s mouth before Jo is across the loft, throwing herself into his hold. A sigh of relief leaves Alex as he wraps her in his arms, pressing his lips to her hair. They stay that way for a few minutes, just enjoying being close before Jo pulls back.

“Thank god, the loft is getting crowded and I’m worried Blake is gonna end up electrocuting himself or something when he starts crawling because I never had time to baby proof,” Jo blinks up at Alex, who looks confused at her statement. “What did you think I wasn’t going to come with you?”

“I-“

Before he can say anything in return Jo’s lips are against his and for the first time in months Alex feels well and truly at home.