#he found some peace from his abuser in the company of his father's abuser

[the-winters-prince]

Ishraq pulling out a ouiji board and contacting Medraut: T-h-i-s, i-s, a-l-l, y-o-u-r, f-a-u-l-t!

G-o-n-n-a, g-o, k-i-l-l, y-o-u-r, m-o-m, n-o-w!

L-o-l

(I don't actually know if Morgause is still alive or not)

she should be alive so she can high-five Lleu for entering his groomer era and Lleu can act disgusted

"We are not so different you and I. Medraut has always been too soft-hearted and that cost him his life, but you, you are different. You are fighting ruthlessly for your desires and are even willing to drag the dead from their graves and make them dance for your own amusement. Had you two not been born four years apart, I would not be surprised to find out the thoughtless nurse switched our sons at birth. Sometimes I wish you had been mine."

[charlie-lec-stories]

Nightmares // CL16 & MV1

Pairing: Charles Leclerc / Original Female Character / Max Verstappen

Summary: Everyone deals with their own battle, but they are always easier faced together.

Warnings: Abusive parenting, homophobia, abandonment issues, sexism, grief and childhood trauma.

Author’s Note: This is about companionship, we all deal with our own pain and we all have a past that still haunts us. This is about facing those battles hand in hand with the people you love. I wrote this some time ago, listening to 'Return the favor' and 'Therapy', both by All Time Low, and 'The only exception' by Paramore. I highly recommend listen to those tracks. I hope you like the story. Rate: +16 (descriptions of violence)

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The cold wind from outside filtered through a small dent on Max's bedroom window and the contact it made with his uncovered skin made him shiver. He thought about all the other punishments he had endured before over his 16 years of life and he assured himself that it could have gotten worse. Spending the winter night on his bedroom floor, in underwear, was way better than when he had to spend a week sleeping in the back yard because he came in second on an important race. It was also better than when his father left him alone in that gas station, the fear so intense that he ended up crying on the bathroom floor, hiding from the strangers around. At least he was in his home, in his room and he had his stuffed lion to keep him company. He gripped it tightly, feeling a little stupid for keeping such a childish object when he was that old, but it was the only thing that brought him a little comfort. He thought about his mother, who gave him the lion, and wondered what his life would be like if he had stayed with his mom and sister instead of his father. Would he be happier? Would he be as good at racing as he was? Would his mother have accepted him for who he was? He had an answer for that one: Yes. His mother would have chosen to love him anyways, he was sure of that. He wished, with his whole heart, to close his eyes and wake up in a better place, where he was loved for who he was. So he closed his eyes and waited for his wish to come true.

Max woke up in a cold sweat, he could still feel his fingers and toes frozen, the floor against his bare legs. A decade had passed from that night, but he still had nightmares about it once in a while. His childhood always came back whenever he was stressed or with low batteries. It was like his brain tried to sabotage him, filling him with more pain than he already felt. He looked to his left and found Charles sound asleep, his arms under the pillow, bringing it closer to his face, a peaceful look adorning his features. He knew that Charles had his own battles, and that he dreamed of his own nightmares, but how he wished he had the kind of father Charles had. Hervé was a loving husband and parent and even though he left this Earth way too early, he left a wonderful mark on everyone who knew him. His children loved him, his wife Pascale loved him. What did his father do? He also left marks, his mom had an order of protection against him, his sister was terrified of him, and Max did everything he could to run away as far as possible so he didn't have to be near him. If he could, he would bring back Hervé and give up his father. With a sigh and feeling a little guilty for his thoughts, he finally got up. He had to look for his girl, who was definitely hiding somewhere instead of being in bed with them.

The sky was still pretty dark outside, the stars shining on Monaco's natural ceiling, the full moon big over the Mediterranean Sea. He found her sitting on the floor of the balcony, a cigarette between her lips and her eyes lost in the waves that crashed rhythmically on the beach. Charles hated when she smoked, so she did it outside, so the stick of the nicotine wouldn't stay on her clothes. Max didn't like it either, but he tolerated the habit because he knew that it helped her calm down, one day he would make her switch to something healthier. Some day. Before stepping out, he caught a glimpse of the beloved lion on one of the living room shelves, so he grabbed it and hugged it close, a familiar calmness running all over his body. If she heard him walk out, she didn't show, but she must definitely have noticed his presence when he sat down next to her. They were used to the silent conversations, they had had them their whole friendship. Secret gazes, millimetric gestures that only they could read, the changes on each other's skins when the other was around. They were used to the effect they had on each other, so he knew that she felt him there when the hairs of her arms stood up and her breathing changed, because even if she didn't say anything, her body did.

"Which one was it this time?". She asked, not even looking at him.

"The night I came out". He had said it so many times that his voice didn't break anymore.

"That one is tough". The comment was swallowed by the poof she gave to the cigarette, but he got it.

"It was. It always comes back whenever I'm happy with you, but angry at racing". And it made sense, after all the punishment wasn't only for coming out of the closet, it was also because Jos was sure that 'the queerness' of Max would make him a mediocre driver.

"You know that losing this championship wasn't your lack of concentration or skill. Charles is as great as us, and for the love of God, Ferrari finally did things right for once". He knew that, still, he lost and he always had a hard time losing. He lost in 2024 against her, he lost in 2025 against Charles, would he ever be able to win again? "You are a 3 times World Champion, Max. You don't owe anything to anyone, and I can assure you that you're not mediocre".

He pulled her close and took her cigarette away, she was about to complain when he pressed his lips against hers, kissing her deeply. He believed her, every word, and he was grateful that he had her to remind him of the amazing person he was and could be. They pulled apart when they heard movement inside, the curtains of the living room moving aside as Charles walked out to the balcony. Sleep was still written all over his face, but he woke up fully pretty quickly when he felt the dense atmosphere that wrapped them up. He walked over to them, a mixture of curiousness and worry in his eyes as he scanned them over. They pulled apart to make some room for him to sit in the middle, Charles noticed the lion and the cigarettes, understanding the situation. Resting his back against the building's wall, he pulled them to his chest and ran his hands up and down their arms, hoping for it to be enough. He saw Max's grip tighten around the old stuffed animal, the marks of his pyton's grip over the years clear on it. Charles pulled him a little bit closer and kissed his head.

"You're anything but ordinary".

She did all she could to get loose, but the grip on her arm was so tight it was impossible to break. She screamed and kicked as her mother dragged her to the room, she wished that her racing suit was ticker, so her arm wouldn't hurt that much. Her father was crying and pleading behind them, asking for his wife to finally let go, but it was pointless, when had she ever listened to anything he had to say? The mud of her shoes drew patterns on their living room floor as they neared her bedroom and she wondered if her mother was actually going to use the chancla on her. Her body made contact with the carpeted floor of her room and her mother grabbed her face to make her look at her. She screamed at her face, about how she was a disgrace, a 'marimacho', a 'zorra' playing with the boys instead of being a 'señorita', she went on and on about the shame she brought to the family. She reminded her that no daughter of hers would do something like racing, wear the clothes she wore and go around covered in mud and filth like she did. But the girl just muted the rest of the screams, she just let her say whatever she wanted, because she was not going to stop her from chasing her dream. She had just met the best boys in the world and she was going to race those boys for the rest of her life. No matter what. She felt the chancla hit her back, but it didn't hurt her anymore, no when she knew that it was the price to pay for sneaking out to race. Her mother would change her mind one day, but for that day to come, she had to take it today. No. Matter. What.

She woke up to the sound of the front door closing. Max and Charles were probably back from the supermarket. She sighed as he got up from the couch, the feeling of the chancla still lingering on her skin. It was the worst, the rubber hitting on the same place, over and over again, but it was more hurtful to her pride. The humiliation that came with the beating, the screams, the words, the hate on her mother's eyes. She remembered that beating like it was yesterday, because it was the one that changed everything. It was the first time that, when she was finally left alone in her room, she wasn't scared anymore. That week she met Pierre and he introduced her to Max and Charles the very same day that her mother gave her that beating. Meeting the boys and winning a race against them gave her the push she needed to hold on to her dream and never let go. Her motto was born that day: 'No matter what'. She took it to heart, and kept pushing and pushing, she took as many more beatings as she had, but she kept sneaking out, even if her mother dropped the chancla to grab the wooden spoon from the kitchen, even if the skin of her hands was red and burning from the hard wood against it. She kept pushing, and she became world champion. A hand on her back brought her back to reality and she relaxed against Charles' hand once his scent made her aware of his presence.

"Which one was it?". He asked softly as he ran his hand up and down her back.

"The day we met". She admitted, Max placed the bags on the floor and walked up to them.

"It's okay, Schat, you're safe now". She smiled softly at them.

"I know. It's just that her birthday is in a few days". Charles nodded, understanding.

"You know you don't have to go if you don't want to, Amour". It was her turn to nod.

"I also know that. But she changed a lot over the years. I know that we still have out problems and that she's not a fan of our relationship, but I can see that she's trying". Max was a lot less forgiving, but he was also aware that he wasn't the one with the best record of family choices, he still visited his father.

"I agree that she seems to be trying, Amour, and I admire you a lot for being able to see that and be so forgiving. I still want you to put yourself above everything. Take care of yourself, because you're not any of those things she said. You're wonderful, and we are beyond proud of who you are, okay?". Charles placed his hand against her cheek and she snuggled against it. "We are so very proud, Amour".

Charles rubbed his nose with hers, making her giggle a little, and bringing a smile to Max's lips. It always worked, because if there was something that she needed was softness. It was something that her dad did, treat her with gentleness, with love and with trust. He always believed in her, even if he was so afraid of his wife and had to take even more beatings and insults than her. She didn't blame him, but she was sure that she would never make the same mistakes her dad made. So she looked for gentle men, men with nice words and tender touches, nothing like her mother, nothing like who her dad settled for. And she found Charles and Max, the embodiment of kindness, enough for her heart to skip a beat and her shoulders to relax under their touch. It felt good, being able to be loved, laughing on a daily basis, relying on them when she needed and giving herself the chance of being an open book, unafraid and never judged. A lonely tear fell down her cheek and Max caught it before it made it to her jaw, wiping it away with a swift movement of his thumb. It made her look at him, his blue eyes looking back at her with the same adoration they have been for the past decade. Her heart made a few jumps inside her chest. Max pressed his forehead gently against hers, making her close her eyes with him, the feeling of Charles' hand agains the skin of her back, where the burning of the chancla was just a bitter memory in the back of her mind. Max's lips barely touch hers.

"You're a dream come true".

Charles ran, his lungs burning as the air coming inside was not enough to keep his body moving. The fog around the graveyard and the darkness of the night made his heart race faster, the feeling of it threatening to jump out of his ribcage. He called their names into the silence of the dead, but he couldn't hear anything. Does sound really exist if there's no one to hear it? He passed gravestone after gravestone, the names of his family and friends written in each one of them. He cried, the tears blurring his vision as he desperately looked for their names. He didn't want to be alone, in the dark, in the cold, with the dead. The place seemed to never end, filled with all the people he loved but weren't there anymore, the air felt tight around his body, sour inside his mouth, painful coming into his lungs. He kept searching. What would he do if he couldn't find them? How could he keep on living if they weren't by his side? He couldn't be alone, he didn't want to. He needed them, he needed his friends, his family. He kept searching, because it was the only thing he could do, and as the names kept appearing he felt like his heart just couldn't take it anymore. He fell to his knees, two stones right in front of him. Suddenly, he couldn't breathe anymore, the feeling of his lungs contracting for air but nothing going in. There they were, the names he hoped to never see graved in stone, right in front of his eyes. Charles clawed at the grass, removed the dirt, he felt the cold and humid soil under his fingertips as clear as he felt the daggers inside his chest. He just wanted to pass out, to turn to dust right there so he could join them wherever they were, because no life was worth living without them. But he had had this nightmare before, so he knew, he knew that he was never going to pass out, because this was his biggest fear: living the rest of his life mourning his own.

He woke up alone in the hotel room bed, a halo of cold sweat around him and he inhaled as hard as he could to keep his lungs full. He felt a rush of calm run down his spine when he felt the air come in. He searched for the dirt under his fingernails, only to find them as clean as they were when he went to sleep last night. Getting up, he gave up the longest sigh as he gathered everything he needed to jump in the shower. He needed it, he needed to get rid of the stench of the graveyard that still lingered on his nose, the humidity of the air clenched to his skin, but mostly, he needed to wash away the feeling of loneliness that haunted him still. As the water ran down his body, cleansing him like a religious ritual taking away his sins, he felt the same tug in his heart as he did a few years back. The guilt of that feeling settled inside his belly, like a parasite eating him inside out. He remembered the fear of closeness, how he refused to accept that he loved Max and Y/N because he was terrified of ever losing them, how he had found solace in keeping a comfortable distance, how he convinced himself that he was content with loneliness. He refused to love someone because he knew that the grief is as great as the love you feel. But they found their way into his heart and now he couldn't kick them out. He was destined to suffer, to live in pain. To be alone. He heard movement outside the bathroom as he stepped out of the shower. He opened the door to find his partners changing the bedding. They knew that he hated to be alone in the hotel rooms, he ended up getting sick and tired of sleeping alone over the weekend.

"Which one was it, Poopie?". Max asked, even though the messy sheets and the shower were a big hint. He just wanted to be sure.

"The graveyard". He sat on the bed, the smell of clean sheets comforting against the odor of the humid dirt that he could still remember.

"We're still here, Charlie". She reassured him, her hand on his tight applying a little pressure to ground him there.

"But you'll leave". He replayed softly. She pressed her hand more, a little proof to his heart that they were there.

"Everyone leaves, Poopie, but that doesn't mean you'll be alone". Max sat by his side and ran his finger through his hair, a gesture that brought some warmth to his chest.

"You can't know that". The risk was just so much, too great. "The more I love you the more it'll hurt".

"We know that, because we love just as much, Charles". Max pulled him into a side hug, his head resting against the Dutchman's collarbones. "Loving is a risk and we are all afraid of taking that risk. But, I have known since I met you, that there's just one person that everyone is willing to take the risk for, and that person is you. You're the greatest man I know. Loyal, just, kind, hardworking, you are the epitome of greatness. It's impossible for someone like you to ever be alone".

It wasn't just the words, but how they reverberated inside Max's chest, in sync with his heartbeat that made Charles believe him. It was the warm feeling of Y/N's hand still on his tight. They were there, they were worth it, the fear, the pain. He would rather spend his life mourning them if it gave him the chance to have them for as long as Death allowed him. He was still a work in progress, but he was on his way to believing, trusting, risking. He felt Y/N moving to sit on his lap, her hands carefully adjusting the towel around his hips so it wouldn't loose. She pulled him away from Max and placed his head against her chest, her own heartbeat now strongly pumping against his face. It gave him peace of mind. The feeling of them there, Max's hand still on his hair, her soft hands on his face. They made him feel loved, they made him feel like there was hope in life, no matter how hard the road was. And he finally felt like he may be that special person Max told him he was. Maybe he was one of those people that'll never be alone. Maybe, just maybe, he didn't need to be so scared. Y/N pulled him away and pressed her lips to his forehead, erasing the frown that tinted his features. Maybe, he was the reason why they were willing to take the risk of loving, even if their whole lives they had only met pain and hurt. Maybe the risk was as great for them as it was for him, so maybe he was the one they risked it all for, even if they said they would never. Maybe, he was comfortable with loneliness, except when it came to them. And he knew, the moment she mumbled against him, that he was...

"You're the only exception".

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I hope you guys like this one. It's really hurt/comfort and I feel like it turned out great. Like, reblog and comment, like you guys always do. Much love!

[perfectprofessorloverapricot]

•| A not so stolen youth |•

Stranger things / chapter 3

Summary: Everything in life seemed limited to walls of whites and rainbows. Caged within the confines of the lab. But an accident that involved a group of teenagers and the upside down world finally let him free. In a funny turn of events he found himself hiding in a step sibling's shed. A redhead that loves video games and a blond that spends his time making sure to keep his good looks.

Character: Male child OC

Warnings: Possible to descriptive scenes, child abuse, use of drugs and bad language.

A/N: I ask you to take into account that I lack experience writing in English and there'll be some grammatical mistakes because my native language is Spanish.

Prev part - Masterlist - Next part

It was early in the morning, every kid was either at school or at home because they’re sick. All except for one.

Thirteen walked with tranquility through the groups of trees scattered all over the town. He found that the only onces that walked there were a few really young kids, other than that, the coast is completely clear.

But what is not completely clear is his mind. The day before he saw something that brought back awful memories. He found out, his father is not the only man like that in the world and he isn’t the only one like him out there. He would like to say that he doesn’t understand Billy completely, but he does.

The teenage has moments of calmness when he usually keeps to himself or even glances at him as if inspecting his soul, and moments of complete chaos when he is hostile against anything and anyone near him.

Billy was angry at his father, that much was evident, but he couldn’t do a thing because he knew it was useless. That was a feeling he could relate a little bit to well.

It happened too often to him in the lab. Loosing his papa’s respect brought a lot of punishment with it and answering it only left him in pain. His only solution was to hold back and resist. But that led to future explosions where he sent his guards flying or breaking an entire room with a scream.

He was labeled as dangerous and forced to stay isolated.

He was thinking of ways to help make him feel better but nothing came to mind other than a present.

But what?

Or maybe, some company? That’s what he wanted when he was in the lab. Maybe that’s what Billy needs at home.

Before he could think about other options, his senses detected something. He heard a pair of soft footsteps quite some distance further in front of him but instead of dreading to find the person a familiar feeling made itself present in the back of his mind. He waited.

As silent as ever, he walked cautiously towards the sound.

Both kids that found themselves in front of one another gasped in surprise. They know each other.

The curly haired girl smiled at the boy receiving a smile in return.

“Eleven.” Whispered the boy, walking closer to her.

“Thirteen.” Once close enough they engulfed each other in a big hug, giggling, happy to realize they both basically survived.

The kids pulled away, still connected by their arms, smiling like no other day.

They had so much to talk about.

“-and then, she taught how to skateboard.” Commented the boy with glee.

They have been talking for about an hour about what’s happened the last year after escaping the lab and getting in contact with the upside down. So far, everything’s been peaceful.

He was happy to know that she was also taken care off by a good guy, even though she puts a kind of weird expression when she mentions him, she stills seems to trust him a lot too.

“But…” he made a pause and sunk in the log they were both seating at the reminder of what happened a few hours ago. “Her papa…” he turned his eyes from his joined hands to the attentive look of eleven. “He is like our papa.”

Eleven gasped softly at the revelation.

“She and Billy hide me.” His lips curved a little at the sides. He always gets a warm and fluffy feeling in his chest at the reminder of people that care about his safety. “She gave me clothes.” He gripped the fabric of the blue hoodie in his chest. The same that keeps his body heat from escaping. “And a name. Magnus.”

Eleven gave him a close-lipped smile. They don’t know each other as well as she would like too because they were separated in the lab. They met only after the rest of the kids disappeared and their father needed more power to connect with the unknown world. But couldn’t interact that much in a friendly way under the scrutinizing eyes of their handlers. He always wore a frown accompanied with tired eyes. So she is happy to see him finally smile, even in the slightest.

“And you?” He asked, giving her the opportunity to express something that might be bothering her.

“Hopper is good.” She nodded. “But he lies.” The kid raised his eyebrows in surprise. “He says, one day I’ll leave to see my friends but that never happens. He promised soon, but soon never comes.”

Thirteen lowered his head in sadness. He knows that feeling, or he knew, before living with his only friend.

“He says it’s dangerous, that it’s for my protection.” The kid wrapped an arm around her in a side hug to comfort her.

In moments like that he wished he was more like magneto and fight for their freedom.

But he couldn’t, he was just a kid after all. All he could do was make her aware that she’s not alone.

A certain blonde haired teenage boy was currently tightening a screw on the engine of his blue baby Camaro.

He was finishing changing the air filter. After what happened the day before with his father he has been looking for ways to release some pent-up pressure. He already said goodbye to his last hook up an hour ago, he doesn’t know where Max is because she was late and he left her to skate home alone and he already worked out in the living room but nothing seemed to make his anger decrease.

Billy huffed once he was finished, cleaning the sweat in his forehead with the back of his dirtied hand. It wasn’t enough but that’ll have to do.

“Jesus.” Exclaimed the blond once he turned around and found the boy behind him, startling him. Weirdly attentive to what he was doing. “What the hell are you doing there? Are you a creep?” He asked with annoyance. He had almost sent the tool in his hand flying.

The kid just kept looking at him and the car with his big blue eyes and shrugged. He didn’t know what ‘creep’ means.

Billy raised a brow at the look of wonder in the kids face. He has seen it a few times before, directed to him, like trying to figure him out, which makes him edgy, but this time it was directed more to his car. “Never seen a car before?” He asked mockingly.

Unknown to him, the first time the boy saw a car was when he escaped from the lab. Ever since that day, the younger one has been greatly interested in the weird machines that roll faster than any adult he has ever seen runs.

Billy furrowed his brows when the only answer he got was the kid leaning his head to the side, still looking at the car.

Was he really that stupid? No, he couldn’t be. They would have already found him if that was the case, but he would have to live under a rock to not know what a car is.

“What, cat got your tongue, brat?” Thirteen shook his head and stick his tongue out to demostrarte it was still there making Billy huffed and turned to his car.

What a weird kid.

He grabbed the car’s hood and slam it shut to make sure it was closed.

“Cool.” Alluded the boy walking closer to the drivers side.

“What?” Thirteen glanced at Billy for a moment before returning to the inside of the vehicle repeating his word.

“Cool.” He is not completely sure if his using correctly the word Max taught him. ‘A word to describe something that’s better than amazing.’ Is what she said, and that is exactly what he thinks about the car.

“Huh, at least you have taste.” Said Billy as he wiped his hands in a towel he had hanging from his short’s waistband. Until he got an idea. Something that would help him destress and he used to do it a lot in California. “Hey brat.”

Thirteen turned towards Billy, not knowing what ‘brat’ means but understanding he wanted his attention. He blinked a few times, watching the weird look in the teenager’s eyes. He had an idea.

Billy would never in his life know what led him to do what he did, but the next thing he knows, he is driving top speed in one of the many lonely roads in the outer sides of Hawkins with the kid in the copilot seat. He loves to use the backroads.

He thought the kid would be scared shitless, however, the kid was grasping the seatbelt like his life depends on it (because it does) with the biggest smile Billy has ever seen.

But he doesn’t care that the kid didn’t get scared he was too concentrated in the adrenaline coursing through his veins at the speed to actually pay attention. He didn’t even light the cigarette between his lips because it wasn’t needed.

Billy whooped in ecstasy and bobbed along the surprisingly not so loud music. It was more important the roar of the engine than the beat coming from the stereo.

“That’s what I’m talking about.” Cheered Billy with his always sharp smile.

But that wasn’t the best part, he was waiting for the right moment to put his car modifications to the test. In a way he couldn’t in the crowded city of California.

His smile widened when he saw what he was looking for. A wide straight doble lane road.

It’s show time.

He stepped on the break and pulled the hand brake simultaneously, then turned the wheel completely to one side in a second. The car instantly followed the action, turning with so much force skidding the tires in the street. Making a U turn by drifting.

Billy laughed loudly while the kid beside him screamed for his life. The wheels scraped the floor until the vehicle came to a stop in the other side of the road. Facing the opposite direction.

Not waiting for anything, he pushed the hand break back down and step on the gas. The wheels screeched against the ground, leaving marks, before moving at full speed back to the house.

At the speed he was driving it only took him 10 minutes to arrive.

He got out of the car after killing the engine and lit the cigarette between his lips, taking a drag as if it was pure oxygen he was inhaling. Finally he felt a little bit better.

So lost in his relief he didn’t pay attention to the passenger in his car. He only turned his head back when he heard a thud. He found the passenger seat empty and the door opened. He huffed thinking the kid just left without closing the door but he stop when he went around the car and found the kid basically face planted in the dirt while giggling.

Billy scoffed a laugh almost sending the cigarette in mouth flying. He was positive the kid was high with adrenaline. He saw the kid try to stand up in his jelly legs only to fall on his side.

“What the hell?” Billy didn’t need to turn around to know who that was. He merely rolled his eyes when the redhead rushed by him to get to the kid. “What did you do to him?” She asked when the kid tried to stand up again with her help but stumbled to the side like he was drunk. She got even more confused when she heard him giggle.

“I fixed your damn brat.” He grumbled taking a drag of his cigarette before throwing it to the ground and returning to the house. He wanted to take a shower.

Max looked between the retreating back of her step brother and the kid seating in the dirt with a big smile in his face.

Could it be possible that Billy changed his mind?

No, that is not something Billy could ever do.

But either way, she was relieved that he was at least tolerating the kid’s presence.

If Max thought they had made a progress with Billy after the ride he had with Magnus. She was wrong.

The very next day his anger returned when he saw her talking to Lucas. There was no problem with that, she didn’t plan to be part of their club of hypocrites anyway.

Well, that was her plan, until the very next day she wanted to go to the arcade to play dig dug and forget everything only to be tricked in to the breakroom by Lucas himself. They argued about the veracity of the fanciful story Lucas told her ensuring that it was the truth.

Leaving the arcade Billy saw him at the door. At first he acted eerily calm while accusing her of disobeying and lying. But a silent threat was made evident later in the afternoon when Billy broke her skateboard when reversing in his car.

It was his way of telling her he could ‘accidentally’ break something without a problem.

He became a ticking time bomb and she didn’t want to be there to see it explode because she would be the collateral damage, and possibly with her, Magnus too. Even though he has mostly ignored the kid in the last days, it was obvious the anger he was holding in.

Taking every posible outcome Max took a decision. She’ll go back to Cali to her father and she’ll take Magnus with her.

The kid already had a new name, and no one will be looking for a kid in another city, miles away from were he was.

That’s how she found herself in this position. Fidgeting with her fingers inside her hoodie pockets, feeling the money between her fingers and watching attentively at Magnus sitting in her bed and messing with her Walkman.

She got the money by telling her mother that she wanted to buy a new shirt but she wanted the money to buy it herself and avoid any kind of harsh comments from Neil if she went with them to the mall in the neighboring town. Her mother, illusioned with the possibility of her daughter buying something more feminine, gladly gave her double the money she needed to buy the shirt. She thanked the heavens her mother did because she forgot the amount of money it’ll cost to buy two bus tickets.

She forgot a slight detail. The distance between her and her father was much more now that she is in Hawkins than when she was in Cali, and the tickets would be more expensive.

She already prepared two bags with things for her and Magnus. In that precise moment she has the perfect opportunity to leave with him. Her parents aren’t home and they’ll come back until night and Billy was too busy working on his muscles for his next hook up of the night to notice.

Gaining some courage Max sat next to the kid in her bed. She took a breath and spoke. “Mag-“

She was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell, someone calling at the door.

The kid raised his head, looking between Max and the bedroom’s closed door. He was to concentrated on the Walkman that he didn’t pay attention to the footsteps at the front door. It’s not like Billy’s blasting music trough the house helped at all.

He was already used to the volume of the music, but hearing it with the door open still hurt his head. At least the wood helps to drown out the sound. But he was still relieved that it’s not as loud as the alarms in the lab. That was a real headache.

He jumped from the bed when doorbell sounded again. He needed to hide. He turned to the window but stopped, if the person in the door somehow comes to the backside of the house he’ll be screwed. He turned to the bed. He doesn’t fit under it. As his last and only option, the kid threw himself inside the closet and closed the door, always leaving a crack to let the light come inside.

Max pressed her lips together trying to suppress a laugh. For a moment he looked like a headless chicken.

Her poorly covered smile disappeared when she heard her stepbrother yell at the next ring. “Max, are you getting that or what?”

Exasperated with him she yelled her answered “Okay.” She opened stood up stomping her way out of the room, closing the door behind her

“I swear to God Max.” Fumed the blond getting an eye roll and a glare from his sister when she walked by him. He just proceeded to lift the weights again.

From the closet, Magnus could slightly hear the door opening and closing over the music, along with Max’s voice from the other side of the door, indicating that now she was outside with whoever was at the door. He couldn’t tell what they were talking about because the music muffled their voices.

He waited for a moment, relieved that Max at least sounded like she knew the person outside. He was also aware that it wasn’t Neil, he could have heard his truck parking or his gruff voice booming in the house.

He waited a little while until she finally came back, closing the door behind her. She turned to Magnus watching the window in wariness. She knew why. Lucas was outside of the window. “Magnus.” She called for his attention.

He turned to her, blinking a few times.

“I… ammm.” She fidget in her place looking for the words to say. She didn’t know why she was so nervous, she just made up her mind and decided she’ll find out what’s really happening with Lucas and his group because deep down she still wishes to have friends. “I’ll live with the stalker for a few hours. He says he has proof or something.”

“Where?” Came the silent question from the kid. Max almost didn’t hear it with Billy’s blasting music coming through the door.

“To the old junkyard.” Magnus lifted a brown and tilted his head slightly to the side. There was nothing in there other than trash and forgotten stuff. Nevertheless, he nodded, understanding that she is going there like really few other teenagers do. “Okay, then. I’ll be back.” She said, making the reference of the terminator movie even though Magnus didn’t catch it.

She turned to one of the two opened windows. The one closest to the bed. She stepped on the woodshed outside before stopping and turning to Magnus who was seating in her closet.

“Don’t talk with Billy if he doesn’t talk to you, by the way. He’s not in the mood and can get cranky.” Magnus smiled at the thought but nodded again.

Don’t talk to Billy. Copy.

Max said a soft goodbye before exiting when she heard the boy outside telling her to speed up. He even heard her commenting that whatever they were doing better be worth it.

Minutes later after she left, Magnus stayed in her closet. He was to engrossed in the Walkman she borrowed him.

The interest came when he returned from the store he likes to visit (steal from) with a cassette tape he found behind the garbage dump.

He put on the headphones and changed the tapes the way Max instructed him to. He pressed play instantly jumping in his place and accidentally trowing the headphones. The volume was too high. Even with the headphones in the floor he could hear it clearly.

He decreased the volume to the minimum before putting the headphones back on. The rhythm of the music was somewhat similar to the songs Billy hears when exercising but not as scandalous. He turned the Walkman over to see the tape through the see through cover. The letters in the side said ‘Call Me by blondie’ and something else he couldn’t read due to the blurred sharpie. He likes it though.

He bobbed his head to the rhythm of the music, not caring that he could hear Billy’s music through the headphones. He liked it. He found his taste in music.

Still moving his head to the beat, he stood up and walked to the window farthest from the bed. He sat on the window sill dangling his feet for a couple of second before jumping out. He looked at the full woodshed beside him before returning to the shed. Walkman in hand.

He’ll wait for Max in there.

It’s been a few hours and Max still hasn’t retuned. Magnus got bored since he doesn’t know where Max’s tapes are and he can’t read so well, so he decided to steal an apple from the Hargroves’ fridge.

Meanwhile, the blond teenager was done exercising, taking a shower and currently sharpening his look before his date (hook up). He sprayed hair product in the hair locks that fell on his forehead. Turning over the bottle of colon, he spread a few drops of the liquid in his wrist, even going as far as to spread a little bit in the southern area.

He turned and posed in front of the mirror, smiling with satisfaction at the result. Taking a drag from his previously lit cigarette he leaned forward and blew the smoke against his reflexión, winking. Yep, he was ready.

His smile was erased once he heard someone calling at the door. He noticed the rush in the knock even over his blasting music. “Billy?” He knew that voice. The reason for witch his father decided it was a good idea to move.

Kind of.

“Yeah, I’m a little bit busy in here, Susan.” He answered uninterestedly.

“Open the door. Right now.” He mentally cursed when he heard his father’s commanding voice in the other side. There was no way around this.

Genuinely curious he finally opened the door finding his father frowning face and the always present worried face of Susan shielding herself behind the man.

“What’s wrong?” He cut to the chase.

Neil wasn’t at all impressed by his son’s bluntness. “Why don’t you tell us?”

“Because I don’t know.” He answered with obviousness in his tone. They just appeared in his door insinuating something that he isn’t aware of and yet, he is not surprised. Everything that goes wrong for Neil is always somehow his fault. No matter what.

“We can’t find Maxine-” Said Susan.

“And her window’s open.” Interrupted the man like the boss that he believes himself. Billy faltered for a second, looking in another direction before regaining himself. Even he was surprised. She was in her room with the brat a few hours ago. “Where is she?” Commanded Neil.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Scoffed the Man like his son was the worst dumbass in the world, annoying the younger.

“Look, I’m sure she just, I don’t know, went to the arcade or something.” Explained Billy, still not finding the force in his voice, kicking himself for it, and panicking internally. To avoid looking at the rising anger in his father eyes he went to the closet to retrieve his previously selected leather jacket. “I’m sure she is fine.”

Nike wasn’t having any of it. “You were supposed to watch her.” He commented, like he was just making an obvious observation.

Billy could clearly hear the covered anger under those words. But he couldn’t stop himself from arguing. He was getting annoyed.

He sighed. “I know dad. I was. It’s just you guys were three hours late, and, well, I have a date.” He slipped on the jacket and turned towards the man ready to face it and just leave. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“So that’s why you’ve been staring at yourself in the mirror like some faggot instead of watching your sister?”

That did it.

“I have been looking after her all week, dad. Okay?” He snapped. “She wants to run off, then that’s her problem, all right?” Neil licked the interior of his cheek, concealing his anger with an eerie façade. “She’s 13 years old. She shouldn’t need a full-time babysitter. And she is not my sister.” He turned to the radio. Stopping the music abruptly only to feel his heart drop to his stomach when Neil grabbed him by the colar of his shirt and slammed him against the shelves beside the closet.

“What did we talk about?” Asked Neil in a condescending tone. Practically whispering it in Billy’s face.

The teenager panted in anger and fear. He couldn’t answer fast enough when Neil slapped him in his left cheek, making him groan.

Susan, who once again couldn’t leave the scenario only looked the other way, feeling guilty for putting him in that situation but not doing anything fearing she could be in his position.

Neil grabbed Billy’s chin to force him to look at him before pointing with the same hand. “What. Did. We… talked about?” He made emphasis in each word.

“Respect and responsibility.”

“That is right.” Answered the man, pleased to have him under control once again. “Now, apologies to Susan.”

There was silence for a few seconds. Neil waiting for Billy while the blonde swallowed his pride and fear. “I’m sorry, Susan.” He said, never tacking his eyes from his father’s.

“It’s okay, Neil, really-“ she was interrupted when the man once again rises his voice.

“No, it’s not okay. Nothing about his behavior is okay. But he’s gonna make up for it.” He grumbled the last part. He finally stepped back to turn to look at Susan. “He’s gonna call whatever whore he’s seeing tonight and cancel their date.” He said as if it was the most normal thing to say. “And then he’s gonna go find his sister. Like the good, kind, respecting brother that he is.” He turned once again to his son, already finished with the humiliation. “Isn’t that right, Billy?”

Billy looked at his father with watery eyes hiding all that hate and anger he harbors towards the man. If only he could make him pay or just leave.

“It’s that right?” Yelled Neil when his first answer was only silence.

“Yes, sir.” He said softly.

Neil sighted in annoyance, leaning closer to his son. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you.”

“Yes. Sir.” He repeated. This time with more courage.

“Find max.” Demanded Neil with finality turning around and leaving the room, intimidating Susan enough for her to step away from his way.

Billy finally let the tears spill once the door was slammed close and hit the wall beside him. He hated him with all his being. He wanted to fight back, punch him or something, but the last time he tried to do it didn’t end well for him.

Sucking his feelings up and drying his tears, he left his room to the back of the house. He thanked the heavens he parked the car in the back really close to were he needs to go. The shed.

Faster than he thought, Billy reached the wooden door and gentler than he wanted to, he opened the door (still slamming it open). “Hey, brat.” He grumbled once inside.

Magnus raised his head looking at him with wide eyes. He knew it was Billy the one walking (stomping) towards the shed. But it still surprised him when the teenage barged in the shed and called for his attention, loudly.

Billy opened his mouth about to yell but stopped. He didn’t want to scare the kid that looked like a frightened rabbit ready to bolt and end up running around like a headless chicken looking for Max for scaring him, or for his father to find him hiding a kid in the shed and get his butt kicked.

Instead he took a breath before talking. “Where’s Max?”

The answer he got was the kid blinking in bewilderment hugging a comic to his chest.

“Ugh, for fucks…” he mumbled under his breath. “Do you know where is Max?” He repeated in a gentler voice, clearly containing his annoyance.

Magnus nodded his head slowly. Max told him to not talk to Billy if he didn’t speak to him first, she didn’t say anything about not telling him where she is.

Billy raised his eyebrows expectantly. “Okay, and?”

“The old junkyard.” He answered softly.

Damn. Now he is in trouble. He doesn’t know where that is. He slightly fidgeted in his place. “Do you know how to get there?”

Magnus nodded a slowly, still with the comic in his hands.

“Okay, then get in the car.”

Magnus instantly light up. He didn’t care that Billy used a commanding voice, he was just happy to get a raid again.

The kid quickly rushed out of the shed as silent as a mouse with an annoyed teenager following him.

Billy was already donde for the night, but unfortunately and unknown for him, it would be the longest and most eventful life of his entire life.

Hope you like the new rout I’m taking with this story.

[decaf-mother]

"No Longer On Eggshells"

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MDNI

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Simon Riley x F!Reader

Civilian|Y/N

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Warnings: Abuse, Toxic Father, Written as Platonic but can be read as Romantic, Big age gap I guess.

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Walking on eggshells is how it felt in your home, always waiting for bombs to go off.

Explosive rage and fire burning at your skin, set aflame by the person who was supposed to love you.

I love you

Your father loved selfishly, he cared for himself first. He didn't care how his words dug into your heart like a dagger. Only how the world was supposed to revolve around him.

He knew how to hide this fact around others though.

••

Simon Riley- one of your father's friends. You weren't sure how they met and didn't really care.

At first you didn't think much about the ominous man, even when it was announced he was moving in next door.

Though over time you found you gravitated towards him, you weren't sure why but there was something comforting.

He found he was quite fond of your company as well, just sitting on the porch with you and talking over a cup of hot tea.

Sometimes you would just sit in comfortable silence. It never felt awkward- just peaceful.

••

You seemed to be trying to escape something.

Simon picked up on that as you came to his house often, you hid the pain well but there was still that tenseness.

That hurt he knew all too well.

He didn't want to press for information as he respected your privacy- but he wanted to know what you were running from.

Why did you always seek refuge in his home?

You felt safe with him. Rough around the edges but gentle in his own right- calm.

Not a bomb just waiting to go off at any given inconvenience.

It was nice.

••

You were home alone with your father- everything was fine. He was being nice today.

Then it happened- one of the animals did something they weren't supposed to and he erupted.

Yelling.

You hid in your room trying to drown it all out, your lungs straining feeling as though your heart would cave in.

Shakily without giving it much thought you called Simon.

"Simon... I... I'm sorry I just..."

You didn't know what to say as you fought your tears, your father's yelling in the background faintly heard through the phone.

Simon's heart sank at the noise and understood immediately, the moment he heard your distress he was slipping on his boots.

"I'll be there in a minute, love. Hold on."

He wanted to bust your dad's head in for making you feel this way.

For putting you through this.

However he was aware that wouldn't help and tried to calm his rage, true to his word he was there in a minute.

Curled up in your room you heard talking in the other room, eventually it died down.

Simon made up a lie that he had some books he wanted you to go through with him, of course your father had masked his rage the moment Simon had came to the door and knocked.

The act only made hate burn more in his core but he kept a poker face.

Once you were out of there and walking with him to his house, he glanced down at you and wrapped an arm around you.

The gesture was warm and gentle, seeing you so shaken up made his heart ache. You didn't deserve this.

You deserved to feel safe.

"You can stay with me for awhile."

"Are you sure? What would I tell my family...?"

"Just say you're staying with a friend."

He wasn't going to just leave you to fend for yourself. He'd never do that to you- he knew what that felt like and he'd be damned if you went through it too.

"Thank you..."

"No need to thank me."

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{This whole thing is just written for my own comfort based off my experiences.}

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{Written quickly on a whim based off a dream I had.}

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{ @sofasoap }

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{More Content}

[annegrey]

Hola primero que nada muchas gracias por el one shot que escribiste de "dos por el precio de uno" me encantó por cierto ❤️‍🔥te podría pedir otro(?) , como reaccionarian las 3 familias al enterarse de la relación de ellos 3(?) Y como se tomarían la noticia del bebé en camino , como reaccionarian los fans de la f1 (?) , red bull como reaccionarian (?) De ante mano muchas gracias 💥❣️

I am really happy you liked it! ❤️

For this request I felt like a (longer) headcanon approach would fit better than a story. I hope you enjoy it just as much! And honestly, keep sending requests, it makes me incredibly happy and even though I can't write all the time, your requests keep me motivated to get back as soon as possible!

How would the world react to the news of your child, and the thereby inevitable reveal of your relationship - Max x Reader x Kelly:

To be honest, you were terrified of Jos. And as much as you loved Max, you weren’t sure he would be able to stand up to his abusive father. Trauma could make the strongest man crumble. But that never came up, because the second he frowned, Kelly ripped him a new one. She protected both of you, and your pregnancy hormones made you sob, ugly. But your lovers supported and protected you from the most terrifying man you knew. Because when you started to cry, and Jos scoffed, Max told him to shove it, and pulled you against his chest. That was the moment you knew, no matter what happened, you and your child would be safe.

Sophie was never a problem, as well as Victoria. You told them even before you were pregnant, and they included you as easily as they included Kelly, and Max actually regretted introducing you to them, because now four women were teaming up against him whenever he did something stupid. Being told up by his mom, his sister and both his girlfriends wasn’t funny at all…

Your family was like “Oh? Okay… Are you happy? Yes? Okay, fine!” They honestly already found peace with the fact that you would never procreate, because you were… special. The fact that you simply needed both a girl- and boyfriend to feel fulfilled might have surprised them a bit, and the fact that one of them was quite a bit older and already had a child was hard to swallow. But when they saw you when you got together with Max and Kelly, they were just happy that you practically radiated peace and happiness whenever you were with your loved ones. Or even just talked about them. (Your grandma needed a bit more time and explanation, but she was old, and tried her best. In the end, she just accepted that you were happy, and you decided to ignore her more oblivious, borderline rude questions for the sake of peace.)

Kelly’s family was similar to your grandmother. They needed a bit, but they were worried about the press and publicity, which you understood. What you also understood was, they weren’t against the relationship, or the child. They were worried about the reaction of everyone outside of the family. And they were the first to contact lawyers, to make sure all three (or rather five, with Baby P and your unborn child included) were taken care of and save when it came to the crazy press and fans.

Now, Red Bull was a bit more difficult. They wanted to be a safe brand, and polyamory wasn’t exactly safe. Especially when the current FIA boss was from the UAE and half of their brand was owned by a Thai business. You understood them, you truly did, but you were also furious. Who did they think they were to interfere with your private life?! But they shut up really quick when Max more or less threatened to switch to Mercedes, a truly European owned company that would just love to prove how progressive they were. So, you were still allowed to the garage and to everything else Kelly was, but whenever possible you were pushed to the background. All three of you agreed that was actually the best, giving you some form of privacy while not starting a fight with a multi-million company.

The fans were crazy. Of course there were the occasional assholes, both of the kind that insulted you, complaining that you were immoral, and corrupt every child that met you with your abnormal tendencies, and the kind that was making lewd comments on how you and Kelly were Max’ sluts, his harem, and other “creative” names, but those would always exist. Most would simply count down the days until Max’ child would be born. You were worried about how Kelly would feel when you were the one to give birth to his biological child, even before you went public, but she simply told you that as long as you and Max loved her, she was more than able to brush everything else off. Being the girlfriend of a Formula-1-champion required some thick skin. (You had the feeling she kept some comments she read and heard about you to herself. Both her and Max.) So everything you saw was incredibly supportive, and lovely, and sometimes brought you to tears because of how sweet the fans were.  

And the fact that there were enough videos of you and Penelope, where she put her hands and ear on your growing stomach, very obviously excited for her little sibling, or telling your baby how she was going to be the best big sister, and they would always play together, helped a lot of people to overcome their hesitancy and get excited for you all.

[thetavolution]

Modern Day AU

I spent a moment to think what everyone would be up to in a modern day AU.

Astarion: He was pre-law when he got caught up with Cazador. It's less a vampire spawn situation and a more straightforward abuse situation. I think in the AU he was also much younger when Cazador found him. Once he breaks free of Cazador, he might go back into law. He'd end up in therapy and he'd probably have to take a step back to re-evaluate what he wants in life.

Gale: Of course he's a professor. With magic off the table in this particular AU, he'd probably teach as many subjects as they'd let him. Students would constantly have deja vu seeing him in so many classes. He'd be teaching somewhere like Cambridge or Oxford. The subjects that came to mind were English, History of Art, Linguistics, Philosophy, and for reasons I can't explain, German.

Shadowheart: Her ass would be in a cult. She was kidnapped into some kind of Gloriavale situation as a kid. She'd eventually get a taste of freedom and leave the cult for good, especially if a Tav comes her way. Then she'd write a tell-all book and do a lot of Ted Talks about it. As she got older, she'd become more reclusive. She'd write books from her little countryside house full of animals.

Halsin: Halsin would still be a tree-hugging hippy. He'd have an environmentalism related job, like wind turbine technician, environmental technician, or solar installer. (I imagine he'd want something very hands on.) He'd 100% be part of a nudist colony. He'd still be poly, and he'd be very choosey about who he lets into the polycule.

Lae'zel: She'd go to university where she'd be expanding her world. It would force her to unpack her unhealthy home life is. She was probably raised in a jingoistic family. After discovering the power of friendship and self-discovery, she'd make better choices for herself. She'd still be INCREDIBLY disciplined so I imagine she'd be an athlete. Either she'd do professional rugby or MMA. She might do pro wrestling. She wouldn't join the theatrics on purpose. They'd just tap into her natural persona for her character.

Karlach: She worked for Gortash before he made a name for himself in politics. I'm still trying to work out exactly what would happen to her. I imagine he framed her in this universe and she spent 10 years in prison instead of Avernus. Now she's out and wants revenge... but also would love to get her life back. Possibly she has a chronic illness that, if untreated, could kill her. It's not a 1-to-1 for her heart situation, but close.

Jaheira: She refuses to ever retire from her work. She's been a part of almost every humanitarian world org that'll have her, like The Peace Corps. She now runs her own organization that travels the world for humanitarian efforts. She's a widow and she's still the mother to several adopted children.

Wyll: He was on track to make his father proud. He was going to Oxford to study politics until he realized how much he hated it. His father is the mayor of a major city. I'm hesitant to say London because it feels too obvious. Instead, Wyll drops out to pursue humanitarian work. This is where his path crosses with Jaheira as he joins her organization. His father just doesn't get it and they're at odds over it.

Minthara: Military brat who grew up to join the British Military. In her off time, she's in the BDSM scene.

Orin: She is either running a true crime podcast or being talked about on one. Either that or she's a CEO of a drug company a la The Fall of the House of Usher (2023).

Gortash: This dude is running as a Tory and you know it. He left a huge trail of problematic behavior on his Twitter. He made an anonymous Reddit account to post relationship problems on, but everyone figured out it was him almost immediately.

Barcus: This poor man is so tired. He never found his "dream" and he's been going from job to job for decades. After he starts to stand up for himself, he opens an online store based on all his interests and thrives.

I might do more later, but this is all I could think of for now.

[aneenasevla]

Red Velvet - Chapter 8 part 1

MasterList / Akane’s profile / Last chapter here

Chapter 8 - Christmas Party (part 1)

When she woke up, the first rays of sunlight were beginning to appear, and she felt the bed warm. She looked up, a little groggy, and… she couldn't see very well, she didn't have her glasses or lenses on and she was always more myopic in the morning when she had just woken up. But she recognized the man's bleached hair, his closed eyes and his peaceful expression. And she felt a slight urge to smile, but the smile died when she remembered some things.

Akane, from a very early age, had a certain luck in attracting men. It wasn't as easy as snapping your fingers, or as if you had some kind of magnetism. No, but she knew she was beautiful, that she had attributes that made her stand out, and she also had this analytical side to her that knew how to recognize the first signs of interest, and what was interesting about her to attract them, and how to manipulate them to get what she wanted. It had always been like that, with the boys from her neighborhood, her father's friends when she was a child, with her own friends during her childhood, and even with the boys in elementary and high school. When she started to discover sex, things only quadrupled, but that also earned her a bad reputation.

The bitch, the slut, the backstabber, the rotten picker. She didn't care, so to speak, since she was confident in herself to get what she wanted, even if it was a lollipop from a handsome boy. She could make him bend over and kiss her feet, following her like a drone would follow a queen bee. 

And then everything started to go downhill. After graduating high school and starting to worry about what to do with her life, she ended up returning to stay all the time in the neighborhood where her seamstress mother lived, and after her death, she started, of course, having flings left and right to get what she wanted. But as the saying goes, what goes around, comes around. And some of these men began to think she belonged to them. 

And if she didn't, she wouldn't belong to no one else.

She really didn't want to remember those dark times, a few years ago. She ended up hugging Rihito a little tighter, making him stir in his sleep. She was a little tense, but when he didn't wake up, she sighed in relief. 

It had been a huge problem, involving the cops, a jury and even jail time for one of these men  because of those abuses. That kind of experience had destroyed her inside. All the nonsense about relationships, romance and love that she craved for deep inside; she believed it was all dead and buried, far beyond her reach. Good for those who could find it, but what kind of relationship could a slut like her have?

Mrs. Jin's salon was one of the few places where she felt welcomed after what happened. That old lady was the one who helped her get back on her feet, along with Tomori, Hiro, and even Kanami, when she returned from the United States. In the same hood where she had survived, she found a family that made her blossom again. 

Nowadays, she was very happy having some flings here and there, but the rotten picker she had acquired still remained, so she didn't resort to having more than one relationship at a time like she did in her late teens. 

Then her old friend comes to her and asks her to broke down the ego of a human gorilla who seemed very interested in her. For this friend, she would do it, with pleasure... but... she wondered at what point she stopped playing around and started just going with the flow, and actually enjoying this man's company.

And said man was there now, right next to her, sleeping in absolute peace and having no idea that he was the object of her close scrutiny and one of the subjects of her unpleasant thoughts and depressive memories. The man who had been described to her as a helpless womanizer, with too much ego and too little intelligence, and who needed the life lesson that only she knew how to give more than anyone else.

And said life lesson had worked out so well that it had caused a gradual but noticeable transformation in him, right before her eyes. He hadn't necessarily changed his way of being over those two months of coexistence; he had only toned the bravado down to a tolerable point and allowed himself to show more of the person he was behind the façade of a prideful fighter who was too obsessed with appearing manly. Deep down, that man lying under her covers was one of the most adorable, gentle and soft-hearted creatures she had ever met in recent years, so different from the idiotic thugs that infested that neighborhood, and at the same time at the same time so capable of going toe to toe with them without breaking a sweat. A mixture of monstrous brute strength and sweet gentleness that made her feel protected, rather than intimidated.

She wondered why he hid that side of his, why was he so afraid of showing who he really was, preferring to maintain all his macho posturing and his perverted ways as a way of protecting himself from the world. He, like her, seemed to have some unresolved traumas. And just like her, he only allowed himself to reveal that fragility there, on a lazy winter morning, while he slept peacefully. Thinking that he felt so comfortable around her to unconsciously express that vulnerability made her feel a funny and kind of scary warmth in her chest.

One she knew too well, and that scared her more than any rival she could have. He sat down on the bed slowly, without waking him, and sighed. Why couldn't he be just a fuck-buddy and nothing more? Why did he have to be so cute like that? She felt angry at herself for being stupid and foolish for wanting anything like that. 

It wasn't something she had the right to ask for. 

A slut like her didn't deserve no one's love.

He moved, and she was startled again, but he just turned around and hugged her waist, still asleep, with the same stupid smile on his lips, grunting quietly with satisfaction. She sighed again, and stroked his hair. 

She had to do something; sitting on the fence wouldn't get her anywhere. But for now, she didn't need to make a decision. He seemed to be one of those idiots who, if you didn't say anything, he wouldn't see what was right in front of him, even if he himself was interested in something more. And that was one of the things she found adorable about him, despite being dangerous. 

He lets out another grunt, this one a little louder and clearer, from someone who probably wouldn't take long to wake up. She thinks for a second if it wouldn't be best for her to get out of bed, to try to put her thoughts in order away from him... until she feels a large hand rest lazily on her left boob, that stupid smile still there, plastered on his face.

Welp... adorable or not, a pervert would always be a pervert. She sighs, exasperated and at the same time wanting to laugh.

"Hnnn… Akane…" 

"Do you want me to blow the horn to wake you up? Since you already honked it and everything," She laughs, bending over to reach his balls, which were very close. "Or can I honk another one...?," she threatens while bringing her hand closer.

"Aaaiee!," He starts, his eyes getting wide, removing his hand from her boob immediately. "Alright, alright, I'm awake! I like it when you hold them, but this is a bit too much," He whimpers, and then laughs softly, stretching and looking at her lazily. "Good morning."

She laughs, moving her hand back to hold his face. "Good morning," She looks at the covers. "Haha, you ended up not even wearing the pants yet..."

"Huh, you're right. We kind of forgot about them. But there's no way I was going to wear them at any point during the night, because you wouldn't take long to take them off," He smiles mischievously, and then yawns, a hand over his mouth. "But I can put them on now..."

"Just so I don't feel tempted. I need to focus a little," She theatrically acts innocent. "Ooh, Father, let this cup pass from me!," and then she laughed without being able to maintain the character. She gets out of bed, combing her curly hair with her fingers. "It's somewhere around here. After we put something in, let's eat what you brought yesterday . I'm starving…"

He laughs at her antics, pretending to try to grab her to pull her back to the bed, which she easily escapes. He shakes his head with a smirk. "Yeah, I'm hungry too. I think this is proof of how banging you is addictive…"

She laughs.

Little did he know that he was also very addictive.

But she would never admit that.

…

"... Aaand we're done with this spot," Kanami sighs, clapping her hands together as she contemplates her newest masterpiece: a hearty Christmas dinner, with everything that such a meal entails. In addition to the hotpot, there was the traditional Japanese large pot, a large stuffed turkey, which she had had to stop Ohma from devouring with threats that he would have less dessert than usual after dinner. She smiles at her boyfriend when she sees him sitting on the living room couch with the cat; he used to wait for her while she cooked in that spot, since she had to forbid him from wandering around the kitchen while she was busy and couldn't protect the dishes. "Now we just have to take a bath, get ready and wait for everyone! C'mon, don't give me that look, you'll eat like a king todaty!" 

"Why do we have to wait until midnight to eat? It's all going to get cold...," He had Medeyami sitting on his shoulders, and the cat was hanging from there like a furry, living scarf. "I can understand waiting for the dessert because we eat it cold, but the dinner...," He makes a sad face that made Kanami sigh. It was as if she was starving him, but despite it being a genuine expression, it was also his way of toying with her.

"That's why everything stays in pans and tureens, covered with aluminum foil. It will maintain the temperature. And it's a tradition," She caresses Medeyami's head and then her boyfriend's hair, in a massage that she knew would make him go soft. "It makes the anticipation for Christmas even greater. Makes everything more special."

"Hhnm…," he closed his eyes at her caress, but he still didn't seem very convinced. "In that case we need to hide it from Medey too."

Oh, his rivalry with the cat…

"Ohma, the cat isn't going to touch the food. It's all inside the pans, and it's still hot," She says in a serious tone. "And Medey has already eaten his dinner, he's not a bottomless pit like you."

Ohma made a face, picked up the cat and held him by the armpits.

"Did you hear that?," He said in a warning. "You can't eat until midnight."

"Meooown…," And Medeyami replied.

"Hunf," he put him on the floor. Kanami felt like laughing.

"As much as I think it's cute when you interact with him like that," She puts her hands on her hips "just remember that, when people arrive and start making noise, he'll run away and hide. He's more introverted than you."

"Alright," He gets up from the couch. "We need to get ready, right?"

"Yes, it's that outfit I gave you."

"That wool coat?"

"Sweater," she corrects him. "And yes. I'll use mine too."

"And I have to use that red hat too?," He raises an eyebrow.

"Only if you want. I use it because I like it, but you don’t have to…"

"No, I'll use it," He nods. "I liked it."

She smiles "Look, if you're going to use it just to please me..."

"No, I'm serious," He smiles slightly. "It’s fun. And the hat is warm. And I like red."

She cups his cheeks, and he enjoys the feeling. She always did that when she was feeling affectionate and wanted to show it.

"Okay, if you keep it like this I'll hug you and we won't be ready in time. Let's go."

And he accompanies her.

…

"Oh my God, Ohma, look at you! Damn, Kanny, you actually convinced him to wear the sweater!," Tomori exclaims, excitedly, as soon as Okubo and her cross the arch of the door, he carrying bags with bottles, she carrying a large box, of what one could already assume was cookies of the most varied types. "See, Naoh? I told you you wouldn't be the only one, hahaha."

"Hey, Seaweed Head," He waves happily, showing off his blue sweater. "We’re matching!"

"No, mine is red, yours is blue. And convince me?," He looks at Tomori. He was wearing a typical Santa red hat "It's very warm, and it's cold outside..."

"Thank you Tomoh," Kanami takes the box from Tomori's hand and goes to put it in the kitchen. She then points to Okub. "Okubo, please, put the drinks in the fridge, I set aside a space in it just for them.

"Okay," He nods, reading to the kitchen. 

Ohma was about to follow him the baker's scream "HEY! You are prohibited from going there, sir!"

"Can't I just help?"

"No, you'll help by staying right here and fixing the video game cables with Tomori."

"Damn… what did you do, man?," Okubo asks him.

"He tried to eat the Christmas turkey while it was still raw, can tyou believe it?!," Kanami frowns.

"Raw?! Oh, Ohma... we have to get you some lessons about the dangers of raw food, salmonella and things like that," Tomori shakes her head.

"And he still eat the ham I bought for the cold cuts board…"

"Hey, I went to buy more, didn't I?," Ohma responds sulkily.

"Yes, but that first one was my aged ham with honey and spices. It took me a whole week to prepare, you feral animal!"

"I already apologized," He puts his hands in his pockets, frowning but head down. "I won't do it again."

"Did you hear that, babe? And you complain when I eat a cookie or two from one of your batches...," Okubo jokes.

"A cookie or two is no problem. It's a problem when you separate a quarter of the entire batch all for yourself," She jokes too, smiling sideways. "Your jealousy towards my cookies is cute, love, but this time the box I brought is for everyone. Yours is in the apartment."

"I'll behave, I promise," He smiles, after returning from the kitchen. "Come on, Ohma, we have to set the console up. I convinced Tomori to bring some horror games too."

Ohma opened his eyes in interest.

"It didn't even take that much convincing, seeing you guys playing horror games is so funny," She laughs. "I was only a bit hesitant because Kanny isn't a fan of them, and she's the host, hehe."

"Shut up," Kanami blushes. "I don’t like being scared, and the plots are too engaging."

"More than your arm around my neck?"

"Shut up, Ohma!," she pushes him into the living room, mortified, while he laughs softly.

The doorbell rings, and she turns her head. "Oh, someone's at the door! I'll answer it. Tomori, take over."

"She won't stop giving orders even on a night off, huh," Tomori jokes with an affectionate roll of her eyes, heading to the kitchens, while Kanami went to open the door.

"Good evening," Himuro greets her with a smile, carrying a bag also containing bottles in one hand, while the other was resting on the shoulder of a girl with straight black hair cut close to her neck, her bangs half tossed to the side. "I brought a plus-one, if it’s not too much trouble. She said she knows the hostess, haha."

"Hi, Kanami," The girl, who Kanami recognized as one of Tomori's former college classmates, Mariko, greets, a little shyly. "It's been a while, isn't it? Himuro invited me and assured me that there was no problem…"

"Ooh, hi, Mariko!," She smiles cordially. "Yeah, it's been a while, but don't worry! We're all friends and acquaintances here. Put the heavier coats on the rack here, please," She points to a series of hooks on the wall. "And the drinks are in the kitchen with Tomori, Himuro."

"Alright. I'm just going to greet everyone, and then I'll start," Himuro nods, noticing how Mariko looked at Kanami with an astonishment that she was trying to hide. He approaches her, asking quietly, "Is there a problem?"

"No, no. It's just that I haven't seen her since high school... and wow, she's so in shape. She used to be quite chubby, so I was surprised," She confides, also short, placing a hand over her mouth. Himuro blinks, caught a little out of guard. Okay, that was new…"

"Aah, Mari came! I'm here in the kitchen, girl!," Tomori’s voice is suddenly heard. Mariko starts a little, then smiles from ear to ear, turning to her companion. "Is it okay if I go to say hello? I promise I'll be back..."

"No sweat. It's been a while since you've seen each other other than inside the bakery," Himuro touches a strand of her hair, gently placing it behind her ear. The girl blushes, her dark eyes twinkling, before nodding and walking away. She then notices Ohma and Okubo in the room, her eyes widening a little," "Oh... you are Kanami and Tomoh's boyfriends, aren't you? Nice to meet you! I'll be right back to greet you better...," And she takes off to the kitchens. Himuro smiles sideways.

"Hey, guys. She's a little shy, but she knows how to make a Bloody Mary like a pro. And she sure thought you are handsome, Ohma.

Ohma rolls his eyes, not at all surprised, and goes back to work. Okubo had waved to the girl lightly, and raised his hand higher to Himuro.

"Hey, man!," He smiles. "Look who's finally got some time off during the Holidays!"

"So you’re going to spend the end of the year away from a counter," Ohma comments.

"Yeah, talk about a Christmas miracle. I was lucky that they were able to hire enough assistant bartenders to cover my shifts. Lots of kids looking to earn some money with a part-time job," Himuro takes off his coat, hanging it in the hangers next to the door. He also wore a sweater underneath, this one a soft ocher that contrasted with his tanned skin. It was almost infuriating how good he looked even while wearing that thing. "Anyway, did you bring anything good? We'll play Just Dance, right?"

"Yeah, and we also have Biohazard 8 and Outlast 2… The Evil Within… and there is Doom Eternal for when we get sick of almost shitting ourselves…"

"It's for after midnight," Ohma nods. "Horror games are nicer to play after midnight."

"Who told you that, Ohma?," Okubo looks at him, with an eyebrow raised.

"Everyone…," he blinks, confused.

"Well, whatever, you'tre right," Okubo smiles approvingly. "And it's also good because we're not going to be sober! It's always funnier with a load of alcohol..."

"… I remember when you guys told me how your friend, Mr. Kanoh, broke Okubo's TV, y'know," Kanami comments, in the hallway. "I don't want the same happening here, okay?"

"Oh, Agito wasn't drunk, he's just not tech-savvy," Okubo laughs loudly. "He bought me a new one later, so no hard feelings."

"... Seriously, it's a good thing Agito only drinks once in a blue moon. If he is a weapon of mass destruction while sober, imagine him while drunk," Himuro makes a face. "Anyway! Get a load of what I brought...," He smiles conspiratorially as he takes out, from inside the bag, a dark bottle, with a label printed with cherry blossom petals, which reads 'Kotozakura' in kanji. "Here it is."

Okubo makes an ‘o’ with his mouth, letting out an approving howl. "Woooh, man, that's what I'm talking about!"

Kanami widens her eyes in admiration. "What? Seriously, Himuro?! This sake is expensive as hell..."

"Don't worry, it was a gift from my employer. An extra as a thanks for the assets I won him," He confides, very satisfied. "He's filthy rich, so it wasn't a problem for him. But seriously, go easy on this baby here, it's strong stuff."

"Yeah, we'll be careful," She takes the bottle carefully from him and takes it to the kitchen. "Girls, look at what Himuro brought!"

Tomori appears from the kitchens with Mariko, both laughing quietly at each other. Tomori greets, "Hi, Himuro! And... is that a bottle of Kotozakura?!," Her eyes widen, her jaw dropping, to which Mariko nodded excitedly.

"I didn't believe it either when he showed it to me! You only brought quality stuff, we have enough for the whole night."

"I told you," Himuro combs his hair back a little in that charming way that always left Rihito and Okubo feeling twinges of envy, "So, shall we begin? These guys are dying to get drunk, haha!"

"Yes, I’m just going to greet everyone properly! Nice to meet you, Mr. Okubo! I was shocked when I saw Tomoh's Instagram posts about her dating one of her idols. You lucky girl," She plays with her friend, who laughs happily.

"I know!"

"And you're Kanami's boyfriend, right? It's a pleasure too! Wow, girl...," She speaks more quietly, to Kanami, very surprised. "Where did you get one of those? You and I have the same taste in men!" 

"Take your eyes off him," Kana jokes, smiling. "And he was the one who found me, just like my cat. I have two cats at home now, apparently."

"But I'm not a backstabber," Ohma looks at Kanami, making Okubo laugh.

"Damn, man, are you still calling the cat that just 'cause he stole your food?," he finishes fixing the cables.

"No, it's just my nickname for him. I also call him a 'thief'. If one day I have my own cat, I'll call it like that too."

Kanami sighs, shaking her head.

Mariko blinks, very confused, which only makes Tomori laugh and Himuro say, "Let's say Ohma has difficulty understanding certain social cues. But it's okay, we have fun with it, haha." 

Kanami confides, "it's one of the things I like most about him, actually. Look, he's not ashamed to wear a cute Christmas hat with cat ears."

"Oh... okay then. And really, that's a bonus. Handsome and confident, just like Himuro," She smiles, and Himuro playfully elbows Ohma's arm.

"You hear that? If only Okubo and Rihito had learned more from us from the beginning…"

"He would still be single, because I’m not looking for anything," Ohma smiles. "Is everything ready there, Okubo?"

"Yeah, I'll just let Tomori change the settings because she's better at it than me, but the consoles are all installed," He turns on the TV and gets up. "Tomori, your turn!"

"I'm going to the kitchen, Tomoh!," Kanami says. "Can you answer the door, Mariko?"

"Sure!," Mariko goes to the door, while Tomori bends down to help her boyfriend. She opens the door, smiling. But that smile becomes an expression of astonishment when she sees who just arrived. "Uh... Akane? Agata Akane?!" 

"Mariko?!," The girl opens her eyes wide, and then smiles brightly. "My goodness, it's been so long! Such a small world," She waves, laughing quietly. "How long has it been? A century and a half?"

"Uh... haha, yeah, pretty much! You're even more tanned than I remembered!," Mariko ends up smiling too, but still looking a little taken aback. "I didn’t know that Tomoh and Kanami had invited you to the hotpot…"

"Akane!," Tomori lifts her head from her work, smiling from ear to ear. "Come in, girl, it's freezing cold out there! And where is Rihito?"

"Oh, so this must be Miss Agata," Himuro comments, and Akane could finally see the famous 'hot tanned guy' from the photographs, with his arms crossed, standing calmly next to the guy she recognized as Kanami's boyfriend. "Nice to meet you."

"Oooh, so you guys are the Golden Boys in Tomoh's Instagram pics," She smiles. "Good to know that I don't need to worry about my friends because they are eating good, thank fucking God."

"Oh," Kanami looks seriously at Akane. "Hey, Bitch."

"Hey, Butch! Girl, you look hot as hell," She looks at her from top to bottom. "If you were still a 'vagitarian' I would think about giving you a chance..."

"Go suck a bag of dicks..."

"My favorite!" 

They stare at each other. And then they both laugh loudly, clapping their hands in a high-five.

Mariko blinks, a bit embarrassed, while Tomori rolls her eyes.

"And there they go again...," She says simply while the men can only stare in astonishment. Ohma looks a little confused, but he still raises his eyebrows.

"Ooh, so this is Canibal…," He nods. "Where’s Ichiro? Did you eat him before coming?"

"I would've loved to, but I was busy getting ready, honey," She fixes her hair. "Speaking of which, where is he? He still hasn't come in?"

"Hey, Himuro, pay up," Okubo extends his hand, speaking softly. "He ran away from her like the devil runs away from the cross. Told you so."

"Calm down, man. Lower your hand, we're still not sure," He responds quietly before raising his voice. "Rihito didn't come? Usually he would be the first one to enter through that door, singing the obscene version of some Christmas carol...," Himuro comments, to which Tomori answers, "No, he hasn't shown up yet. Did he really come with you, Akane?"

"Yeah, he did, I swear…," She blinks, looking over her shoulder. "Oooh, there you are! Seriously, man, you're embarrassing me here," And she laughs.

"Leave me alone, damn it! Do I really need to use this thing?," They hear Rihito's voice clearly, to which Himuro smiles triumphantly at Okubo.

"See? Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

Okubo pouts.

"Rihito?," Kanami calls. "Get out of the cold, man, everyone is wearing sweaters too!"

"But I doubt your sweaters look like glitter-filled marijuana paste!," He whines, and Himuro and Tomori laugh, the latter raising her voice, "But the fun about wearing these sweaters is joking about how tacky and ugly they are! Don't be so prideful, come on, even Ohma is wearing one!"

"Uh... yeah, now that I noticed, only the men are using those...," Mariko comments, blinking, to which Tomori laughs more.

"Kanny and I couldn't waste the joke, hahaha!"

"Hey, I'm also wearing one, are you kidding me?," Kanami laughs.

"You don’t count, Butch," Akane laughs too, showing off her manicured nails. "You have the best of both worlds."

"Fuck you," Kanami laughs louder.

"She's right," Ohma comments, and chuckles when she throws a pillow at him, defending himself calmly.

"Come on, Rihito, stop being dumb!," Himuro calls, cupping a hand next to his mouth. "Don't you want to take a pic of all of us lined up, like a football team, to send to Kaneda?"

"... Only if I can change sweaters with you!"

"No fucking way. Hold off on your marijuana paste until the party ends and try not to cover Miss Kanami's couch with glitter."

"For fuck's sake...," They hear Rihito's voice approaching, growling mortified, "I swear, woman, the things I do to make you laugh...," And he appears in front of the door, his face red, and the sight of the green, sparkling monstrosity that was that sweater, with the words ‘Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal’ on it, provoked general laughter.

"Ugh… Yeah, Merry Christmas to you too, you assholes," He snorts.

"I told you it would be funny," Akane laughs loudly. "Did you like it, girls?"

"Damn, Akane, you're terrible," Kanami smiles. "It looks great, Rihito. Relax, come in, everyone's wearing the same."

"He was going to buy one that had two deers fucking printed on the front, but I didn't let him in consideration for you guys, so you're welcome," Akane points to the baker.

"Leave me alone, Cockatoo! And the one with the deers fucking was funnier than this one. What's the point of an adult party if we can't even have a little fun?," Rihito pouts.

"Thank you for that," Kana nods. "Put the drinks in the kitchen, Rihito, and make yourself at home, Akane, but not too much and specially not with our men!"

"Man, you always spoil the fun! Thank fuck I brought one from home," She jokes, entering the living room. "Hey, dearies, I'm here."

"Hey, Miss Agata," Okubo laughs softly, shaking his head.

Akane was wearing a simple shirt with little cleavage (not that it made much difference) and jeans. She was also wearing heels and blue lenses, her hair neatly arranged and in a ponytail, showing her colorful locks. On her head there was a tiny Santa hat in a tiara.

"Girl, I love the tiara!," Tomori exclaims happily. "And I'll love taking a photo of you all as a souvenir! But let me do the introductions first. Mariko, this is Nakata Ichiro-"

"Rihito!"

"But he prefers to be called by his nickname. He's accompanying Akane today. And this is Ishikawa Mariko, a friend from college days," Tomori rolls her eyes a little, at which Rihito turns to Himuro's date. He smiles sideways, his eyes fixed on her, to which the girl looks away, a little shy. Himuro and Tomori immediately tense up. They didn't want to believe that idiot would start being inconvenient right now, and even more so when he was already accompanied-

"Nice to meet you, Miss Ishikawa!," He approaches, and Tomori was already preparing to intervene if he tried to grab her friend in another one of his rib-breaking hugs... but she suddenly stops when he just extends a huge hand. Mariko blinks, but soon recovers, more relieved, as she accepts the greeting.

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Nakata."

"You can call me Rihito. You're Himuro's date, right?," He smiles smugly. "Be careful when you play Just Dance with him, okay? That GoGo Boy wannabe hypnotizes chicks with his Shakira-like moves," He jokes, and Mariko ends up giggling.

"You, the male version of a Brazilian funk dancer, are one to talk," Himuro snorts, but his expression was one of slight astonishment. He exchanges a brief discreet look with the others, seeing that everyone there shared the same thought.

Rihito, greeting a woman like a normal person, without harassing her? Was that the last Christmas before the end of the world?

"Hey, Ichiro," Ohma says; he seemed to be the only one who wasn't fazed by anything that was going on. "We're going to have some horror after midnight too."

"Horror?," Akane blinks. "We came to a Christmas party just to watch a movie?"

"Nah, he's talking about games," Okubo smiles.

"Wow, this is going to be interesting," Akane smiles a little, looking at Rihito.

"Ooh, nice! I'll be able to watch you guys embarrass yourselves in front of the girls, screaming like crazy at every jump scare!," He laughs, to which Himuro grumbles, "Look who's talking, the guy who gave the excuse that he had to go take a piss whenever Chris Walker appeared on screen to chase us."

"I drank too much that day, man, it just happened that these moments and the trips to the bathroom coincided!"

"Yeah, sure…"

"I'm a little scared of these games...," Mariko pouts, leaning against Himuro, who pats her shoulder with a satisfied half-smile. Rihito immediately turns to Akane with hopeful smugness.

"You can hold my hand if you get scared too, okay? You can even sit close to me if you want..."

"I'm kinda scared of them too, Mariko, at least you're not alone," Kanami says.

"And I'll pay the price for that," Ohma laughs, and when she gives him a dirty look he responds, "Relax, I like it."

"It seems he's the masochist type," Akane whispers to Rihito.

"You betcha. His girl puts him in a neck-breaking armbar and he just stays there, looking like he's actually getting a leglock," He whispers back.

"Well, since everyone is here, I think we can start with the drinks. Himuro, feel free to do the honors," Kanami said, always the eager hostess, with the air of a leader.

"Leave it to me. You coming, Mariko? They already know about my skills as a barman, but not yours. How about we show off a little?," He smiles at Mariko, whose face lights up.

"I’d love to!"

"And in the meantime we'll stay here, choosing the first games of the night," Tomori says as she kneels next to Okubo, whispering to him, "Do you want me to hug you this time while you're playing? I don't mind at all, hehe."

"Well, normally you’re the one who hugs me, but I’ll love it anyway," he smiles back at her.

"Hey Kana, where’s Hiro?," Akane asks. "Won't Satan's Spawn join us?"

"Oh, Hiro sent a message saying he won’t be able to show up. Apparently his current date is a bit too affectionate, and he decided he wanted to spend Christmas alone with him to see if he could score," Tomori explains, smiling scathingly.

Akane laughs coquettishly without opening her mouth "Wow, even him is getting it good. Tell him I'm sending him kisses. I miss him, he never showed up at my neighborhood again either. I miss us going out drinking, he was a better rat catcher than me, ahahahaha."

"Hey Himuro," Ohma calls, asking quietly. "What's a 'rat catcher'? Does Cannibal eat mice or something?"

Himuro lets out a high-pitched sound of barely contained laughter, quickly placing a hand over his mouth. "Ahaha! No, bro, that's how we call people who go around having casual relationships with anyone. Rihito is a male example."

"Shut up! I have great taste...," Rihito looks sideways at Akane, seeing her laughing and making jokes with her friends. And Himuro raises his eyebrows a little when he hears how his voice has softened almost imperceptibly.

"She's the one who has terrible taste," Okubo laughs to his friend. "Now you look like that marijuana cat from Pokemon."

"Stay there unwinding cables with your girl and don't fuck with me, Chrome Dome head!," Rihito growls while Himuro laughs heartily. Even Mariko chuckles, which only makes Rihito more embarrassed.

"I look like a cat too," Ohma says. In fact, he seemed a lot happier lately.

"A very cute one, by the way," Kanami says.

"Aaand we're done!," Okubo announces, finishing adjusting the cables with Tomori. "Let's choose what we'll play first."

"I was going to suggest Just Dance, but it gets a lot funnier with alcohol on our systems," Himuro comments while Mariko brings glasses from the kitchen. "Unless you guys want to start making asses of yourselves right away."

"Karaoke!," Ohma raises his hand. Kanami laughs.

"I down for karaoke too," Okubo votes.

"Yep, they really want to start making asses of themselves now," Himuro shakes his head. "Fine by me."

"Nah, they won't," Akane smiles. "Come on, I want to hear y'all."

"Aren't you also going to participate?," Okubo raises an eyebrow.

"With that voice of mine? Nah, I'll spare your ears," she smiles.

"Oh no, don't give me that! You’re going to embarrass yourself like everyone else," Kanami laughs. “You're not getting away this time.”

"Thanks," Ohma takes a drink from Himuro.

"Oh come on, I've heard you singing in the shower," Rihito pokes Akane's hip, smiling mischievously. "You're not bad at all," He accepts when Mariko offers him a drink too. "Thanks, Miss Ishikawa!," And he pours the drink into his mouth, shaking his head afterwards. "Wow, that was some strong shit!"

Mariko's eyes widen, and Himuro snorts, "Take it easy, you drunkard..."

"Karaoke sounds good to me!," Tomori raises a hand, excited.

"Then it's decided. Who goes first?"

"By the house rules, it's Kana," Ohma says. "She's the hostess after all…"

"But you also live here! That makes you a host too," she smiles mischievously at him. He widens his eyes, caught off guard.

"But you sing better than me," he tries to say, drinking afterwards.

"Du-et, du-et!," Akane starts to sing-song, clapping her hands.

"Yeah, get it going!," Rihito laughs and takes another drink, lifting it into the air. "And please choose some pretty sappy song, Auntie, I wanna see the Seaweed Head belting out until tears fall from his eyes!"

"This is easier to happen in Okubo and Tomori's case," Himuro jokes, and Mariko giggles when Tomori blushes a little.

"Come on Ohma, the sooner the better," she extends her hand to him. He looks at her, and then smiles a little.

He takes her hand and stands up, putting his drink aside. Akane claps, the others going along with her with applause and whistles. Rihito, as expected, was the one who whistled loudest, sticking his fingers in his mouth, making poor Mariko jump in fright and almost spill her drink on her skirt.

"Come on, Tokita, get this shit started!"

"Go Ohma, kick some ass!," Okubo laughs. "You too, Miss Kanami!"

"Go Butch, make your bitches proud!," Akane shouts.

Tomori laughed out loud, also drinking. Himuro just shook his head, immediately pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"Kaneda will love to see this..."

"Okay, let us choose," Kanami was blushing. She shows it to Ohma. "This is the one I showed you the other day..."

"Oh, I like this one," he nods. It doesn't take long before the music starts playing.

They start the vocals immediately, Kanami with her low-pitched voice, with Ohma joining her on the chorus. Akane's eyes widen while she grabs Rihito's arm.

"My God…," she whispers. "He sings in such a soft and low voice, how can he do that?"

"That bastard is full of surprises," Rihito laughs heartily. "We were amazed the first time we heard him singing. He could become a rockstar and go out banging every chick he wanted, if he didn't already have his girl, hehehe."

"And if he cared enough about that sort of thing," Himuro smiles while record the performance.

"Wow… handsome and good at singing… Kanami won the lottery," Mariko sighs.

"I told you guys, that bitch got it good, hahaha," Akane shrugs, and then she looks at Rihito, with a drink in his hand. Ohma and Kanami were starting to raise their voices; they looked firmly at each other, in tune. "Shit, they really are cute... now I feel like challenging these two. It's already started well, so let's dethrone them on Just Dance. What do you say?"

"A dance number of our own, huh? Count me in!," And there he goes, having another drink, as Himuro twists his mouth.

"Seriously, dude, slow your roll. This has Kotozakura in it…"

"Himuro, the greatest masterpieces in the world were created while their creators were stoned or as drunk as skunks! I need to be inspired if I want to reach that same level, dammit!," He scoffs, shaking his head again. "Are you going to get one too, Panther?"

"I already grabbed one, but if you don't want me puking on you while we're dancing, I need to take it easy," she smiles, showing her almost empty cup now. "Just one more and I'll be ready, Mr. Himuro, fill it up!," she points to the cup on her hand.

"Okay, Miss Agata... damn, that's what I'd call 'birds of a feather' "...," Himuro arches an eyebrow, filling her cup. Tomori laughs again, turning to Okubo and murmuring, "See why I was so sure that I would win our bet?"

"It's not over yet," Okubo says. "Don't count on it yet, my trip with you will still happen..."

Meanwhile Kanami and Ohma finished the song on a soft note, the last note coming out together,  and that earned them a pretty high score. She smiles and hugs him, all happy, and he laughs a little, hugging her back. Akane squeals in delight, clapping her hands.

"That's what I was talkin' about, my hot couple! I shipp it so much!," she exclaims, laughing out loud. "My God, I'm drooling, Rihito! I think I'm gonna cry, and the night hasn't even started yet...," She hides her face in his shoulder. "I'm glad my makeup is waterproof..."

Rihito laughs loudly, throwing his head back, choking a little as he brings her closer with an arm around her waist. "Calm your tits, Kane, or soon enough you'll be asking to be the bridesmaid or something, hahahaha!"

Himuro blinks. Kane? He exchanges a look with Okubo, arching an eyebrow, while Tomori was distracted taking another drink that Mariko offered her.

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

Okubo raises his eyebrows, pouting as he nods, drinking as well. 

“Told ya, man, that woman is the fucking Devil”

Ohma and Kanami sit down again, side by side, and Kanami says, mortified, "Okay, okay, we've already done the opening show, who's next?"

"Oh, can we go, Himuro?," Mariko asks, to which Himuro nods, still looking at his phone.

"Sure. I'll just send this video here... done," He puts his phone aside, and then gets up. "That way Kaneda doesn't get bored with the tv shows that his grandpa likes to watch, hahaha."

While they were choosing a song on the karaoke machine, Rihito whispers to Akane," Look, we're going to have a tough competition with Himuro. He's possessed by the spirits of a hundred GoGo Boys, he twerks like a bitch with no bones."

"Oh, but he'll have to deal with other two bitches who dance like thet have no bones," she winks at him, smiling devilishly. Jeez.

Apparently she couldn't handle much alcohol without food.

"Bitches versus bitches. It's the battle of the century," He laughs mischievously, and his voice is no longer so firm either. Tomori looks at them from the side as the music starts, calling, "Guys, slow down with the drinks, especially when it's not time for dinner yet."

"I've already stopped," Akane puts her cup aside, now holding on to Rihito's arm. "I do tons of dumb shit when I'm too drunk, I don't want to give Daddy Satan any reasons pull me under too soon."

"I'm not touching any alcohol, Ohma," Kanami says when he offers her a cup. "I promised I wouldn't do that anymore."

"No problem," he shrugs. "I'm hungry, so this strawberry is doing it's job."

"Rihito shrugs. "I, on the other hand, see booze as a source of inspiration. Damn, when will we have the chance to drink rich people's sake again while watching Himuro sing pop music...," He laughs loudly while watching the other couple's performance, with Mariko still a little shy, but smiling while Himuro encourages her, even taking her by the hand to make her dance slowly with him. Damn, they weren't even playing Just Dance yet and he was already showing off like the conceited bastard he was. As if he needed that to make his date more eager to sleep with him. "Look, Akane, that's what I was talking about! Come on, let’s analyze our opponent’s movements coldly…"

And Tomori just laughed seeing him with that predatory smile. Was it just her or was he taking this dance competition thing seriously?

"I've been watching them since I came in, my dear," she looks devilishly at him. "You're just not aware... "

"Really? Woman, you're a goddamn hawk," He smiles back. "But were you analyzing your opponent's tactics or just admiring that incredibly tanned skin? Don't make me jealous, c'mon," And he laughed again, now drinking more slowly, as if the drink were a rare delicacy that he didn't want to end so soon.

"I looked at everyone, but I don't eat more than what's on my plate. And my skin is more tanned than that anyway," she laughs softly, pinching his nose.

"How about we go next?," Okubo asks Tomori. "Then we can enjoy their show next..."

"I'm in! And I have a feeling that we're going to have to tell these two to control themselves soon," Tomori responds with a giggle. "They're not even trying to hide their flirting. This party is for adults, but not for the films produced for them, haha."

"Heh, I'm loving the view," He smiles a little stupidly. "It's strangely cute, and despite the adult content, they're actually quite well-behaved."

The song ends and the two laugh, and the other couples in the room gave them an ovation.

"Very good, Mariko!," Kanami congratulates. "You did good."

"Although I'm sure she was mostly looking at Himuro's ass than singing," Akane whispers to Rihito, pretending to look at him with interest. Even drunk, that woman was an actress, Rihito thought. 

"Aawn, thanks!," Mariko blushes, all happy, while Himuro smiles, holding her hand and saying, "See? I said you have a beautiful voice. Do you believe in me now?"

The girl is completely disconcerted, blushing, her eyes shining. Rihito shakes his head, commenting quietly to Akane, "And you think that wasn't exactly what he wanted? He's a worthless womanizer too, he's just the one who gets the best luck in the group, hahaha..."

"I see... but you don't need to be jealous," She looks at him and smiles more, whispering. "I'm the one who has a knack for these things here..."

"And don't I know that? You're on another level, Panther...," He whispers with a mischievous smile, discreetly sliding his hand down her thigh.

"Okay, our turn, Tomoh!," Okubo jumps up and extends his hand to her. "You can choose," and he offers her the remote.

"Okay! I imagined you'd want to go for enka, I was already preparing to be your accompaniment," She jokes with a laugh as she holds his hand and checks the list. And Rihito scares the entire room when lets out that high-pitched whistle again, exclaiming, "Come on, you cheesy fools, do the gayest performance you can and make us proud!"

"I want the cutest, most sugary thing you can menage!," Akane coos, smiling with false innocence.

Himuro wastes no time, siting down again with a still shy Mariko at his side and pulling out his phone again, smiling mischievously.

"Himuro won’t run away from me next time," Ohma whispers to Kanami.

"Oh, I know," she smiles mischievously too, while watching Okubo and Tomori.

Okubo seemed a little shy at first, grinding his teeth at Rihito's antics, but Tomori's hand in his seemed to calm him down, making him smile tenderly at her. They intertwine their fingers, looking at each other as they sing, as if trying to ignore the presence of the others. There came a time when the plan seemed to work. Rihito, his head already a little foggy from all the booze, watches them, smiling a little.

"Just look at that, guys, I can't handle this much sugar! I'm gonna be sick! Get a room, you two!," He shouts, but it only sounded partially mocking. Akane could see genuine affection in the way he watched his friends interact. He probably wouldn't show his satisfaction with the couple's happiness so openly if he weren't already a little drunk. 

"I'm simply melting away with all this cuteness," She follows along, but more measuredly, making hearts with her hands. "My favorite couple keep giving me reasons to live! I love you guys!"

"She’s drunk, right?," Ohma asks his girlfriend softly, who nods. He becomes quiet again.

Tomori blushes at the comments, but she doesn't stop singing, and it's Okubo's turn to hold her hand more firmly to encourage her. Rihito laughs sharply before taking another sip of his drink.

"If I have one certainty in life, Akane," He says quietly to her suddenly "It's that that bald fuck won't wait more than a year to propose to this girl. I know him too well, haha. "

"I don't doubt it. She got what she wanted too, so I doubt she'll say no," she says in a sly voice. "And you like them together, right? You look all happy for them..."

"They make me wanna barf, and I kinda need to go on my nights out alone now," He shrugs, but the smile on his face doesn't diminish. "But I also gained a friend. And he's happy. Look at that stupid face. I've never seen him acting like this with anyone before... you must feel the same seeing her like this."

"I agree, I'm all giddy seeing them being cute together, enough to make me jealous of what they have, so much so that I wanna more booze, but our hot tanned friend closed the bar...," she looks at him. "No, you don't count, you're good but I want it only after dinner, so save that fire of yours for now."

He laughs sharply again. "Okay. But I was going to offer you my cup. Here, there's still half of it," He gives his cup to her. "Here's to all this cute fag shit, and here's to their fucking wedding because then we'll have all the free booze we could want, hahaha!"

She laughs and takes it, drinking promptly. "Thanks, honey," and she kisses his cheek.

He blushes, blinking his green eyes rapidly as he touches the place where she kissed him. He looks at her with fascination for a second... and then he laughs and asks, "What the hell, woman, are you gay?! Such a fag, hahaha!," And he pulls her towards him for a hug.

"Yeah, I am 'cause I can, so shut the fuck up," She hugs him back, laughing like an idiot.

"Not for long, 'cause we'll soon be playing horror games. We'll be screaming like little bitches!," He laughs again, his arm around her waist. At that point, they were no longer paying attention to their favorite couple's performance, nor noticing how the others were looking at them. Mariko blinks, surprised, and comments quietly to Himuro, "I didn't realize they were a couple..."

"They aren't," He responds bluntly, but he still looks sideways at Ohma and Kanami. He wasn't so sure about Ohma, but he was sure Kanami had noticed too.

Ohma was quiet, and Kanami smiled, seeing that he was leaning against her, with a frown and arms crossed, but not moving away in the slightest. They seemed too distracted to pay attention to anything, but Kanami occasionally looked at everyone else.

The song - which was actually prettty long - ends, and there was more clapping.

"Yesssss, please invite me to the wedding," Akane laughs coquettishly. "I love you two, please be together forever!"

Tomori just laughed with all the claps and whistles, a little shy, while Okubo scratched the back of his head. They were still holding hands. Rihito takes the opportunity to taunt, "Go on, man, seize the moment and propose now, since your hand seems to be glued to hers or something!"

"Screw you," Okubo turned extremely red. "You're the last person who should say those things to me! Get a grip," He looks at Tomori. "Just to make it clear, I love you, okay? It's this dumbass that's too damn inconvenient."

Tomori turns even redder, laughing sharply and leaning her head on his arm "I know, Naoh, I love you too, hahaha! Leave him be, I'm too happy to care," And she stays there, hugging him.

Rihito smiles even wider, giving Okubo a thumbs up. That idiot probably already owed him fifteen favors with regards to his girlfriend. These two would be lost without him...

Kanami laughs softly. "Speaking of convenience, it's your turn now. Or do you guys want something else?"

"Food," Ohma grunts, sulking.

"Soon, love, soon. You're even sulking, you poor thing," Kana laughs, and squeals when he pretends to bite her shoulder.

"And he says I'm a cannibal!," Akane points out, laughing loudly.

"I never said I wasn't," he laughs maliciously; the baker was mortified, her hands on her face.

Rihito chokes on the rest of his drink, laughing like a hyena, while Himuro just shakes his head.

"Told you. He's really been scaring me lately."

"If you can't stand me, go play some horror games," Ohma laughs more, still softly. He was clearly a little intoxicated, judging by the red cheeks.

"This is what I have to put up with every day," Kanami sighs, hugging him anyway. "What do I do with you?"

"I don't know, how about shutting me up with some food?," He smiles at her and she pouts.

"That way I’ll end up giving in, you naughty cat."

"That's the idea."

The two end up laughing, while she pushes him and he flinches, swaying as he lets out an idiotic but cute laugh. The idiots had never seen this side of him before. Normally he was always eating while also drinking, and he ate a lot, so it was difficult for him to get into that state.

"Are you seriously getting drunk already? I didn't even see you drink much... although you have an empty stomach too," Himuro comments, to which Rihito, still laughing his ass off, says, "It's the usual lack of habit, just like the Seaweed Head! C'mon, Kane, let's sing already so we can go eat and that creature can fill his stomach up before he gets hungry enough to eat everyone, hahaha!"

"How tempting," she laughs loudly. "But still scary, 'cause Butch would get mad. Let's go," She gets up and almost falls on her butt. "Oh my God!," she cries out before Rihito holds her. "Boy, I almost kissed the floor instead of you, so thanks a lot!"

"Damn, woman, you’re not in the middle of a fight to be kissing floors like that!," He shouts, worried, but still laughing out loud. "Here, lemme help, hahaha! Did you get hurt? Good thing you're so light...," And he helps her to compose herself; he himself felt a little dizzy. 

Tomori sighs with an exasperated smile, "That's what happens when you drink strong booze like it's water..."

"Will they be okay?," Mariko asks, worried, to which Himuro says, "Yeah, don’t worry. They'll just wake up with a hell of a hangover tomorrow. I said this thing could knock out a bull..."

"I'm not on the ground yet!," Akane leans on Lihito. "Wow, I knew you were big, but not wall-sized! I like it...," she smiles stupidly "Put on some... what will we sing, Rihito? I'm going to sing bad anyway, so it must be something equally bad. I'm down even for 'Barbie Girl' at this point."

"Alright, lemme see... holy shit, this one!," He exclaims happily while pointing to a specific song. "Since everyone decided to be sissies today, let's get with the program! If you wanna be my lover...," He hums in a falsetto, and Mariko gets a little startled when Himuro has a coughing fit, caused by laughter.

"Oh, fuck...! Sorry, Mariko, but I have to record this!," And he immediately pulls out his phone. "Kaneda would never forgive me if I didn’t…"

Tomori lets out a disbelieving laugh. "Spicy Girls? Really? Damn, he's drunker than I thought!"

Ohma looks interested at the scene, laughing a little. Kanami raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms, just waiting for shit to catch fire.

"Oh I love this one!," Akane laughs. "Man, this is going to be great!," She takes the mic.

The result was the most out of tune couple at the party, but also the funniest. 

The scene was so surreal that even Okubo pulled out his phone to record it, Himuro and he bursting out laughing as they watched Rihito, who loved to declare himself the bastion of manhood and virility, swaying his hips and even snapping his fingers while holding the mic in the other hand, singing as loud as he could, going out of tune in the high notes, and at one point even throwing his head back with one hand in his hair, his eyes closed tightly. And he couldn't seem to care less about the show he was putting on; his attention was all on Akane, both pointing at each other while singing, laughing loudly when one of them was out of tune, and swaying together even though it wasn't a dance song.

"C'mon, woman, move those hips, now it's the best part! Wooooh!," He throws his arms in the air when Akane rests her hands on her knees and raises her hips, his eyes wide as if that were the best view he could have. The rest of the party members were too busy trying not to piss themselves laughing.

The song ended and they were still dancing. Akane ended up falling on top of him, both of them laughing a lot. Then their laughter stoped and they looked at each other. Himuro even zoomed in on the recording, wanting to capture the moment in detail. Ohma widens his eyes and looks at the others, pointing. Okubo nodded a lot, and Kanami just laughed quietly at her half-drunk boyfriend's reaction. Tomori even grabs Okubo's arm, hiccuping after the fit of laughter, but her eyes are shining with how the two drunks were looking at each other. And Mariko could only think that this was probably the strangest Christmas party she had ever attended. But it wasn't like she wasn't having fun too.

"Hey...," Rihito says in a low voice, looking at the woman on top of him, his eyelids even drooping a little... and then he laughs loudly, exclaiming, "What kind of dance move was that, cockatoo? Attack of the Fat Ass? It's become my favorite move now!"

Akane laughs too. "Did you like it? I'm developing it further to take you down, you big dog," And she pushes him lightly, a little shyly. "Okay, quit the sissy shit, what time is it again?"

Kanami looks at her phone and then smiles. She shows it to Ohma, who blinks a little with the brightness of the screen. He then opens his eyes wide, smiling a lot, standing up suddenly in a burst of joy. "FUCKING FINALLY!!," He shouts, scaring everyone, immediately running to the kitchen. Kanami laughs loudly.

"Someone hold him, quickly! Or there will be nothing left for us!"

And everyone laughs together, running to the kitchen. Ohma gave a surprised yelp when all the men held him at once, so  Kanami could at least go ahead with the girls and set the table for everyone. Their fighting instincts suddenly took over, and the thing became an all out brawl. Those four huge men shouting and fighting each other in the hall was the icing on the cake of that pre-dinner party.

But the most impressive thing was Ohma taking them down one by one with absurd ease, even as a joke, with only food as motivation. Damn, and he wasn't even the biggest of them all! Akane looked at Kanami with an air of astonishment.

"What?," Kana shrugged, blushing.

"Girl, you knocked that man down with a leg lock! Damn, well done. You're a fucking badass."

Kanami was mortified when the others laughed, but everyone was scared when one of the mastodons crashed into the drywall and almost put a hole in it. 

Kanami widens her eyes in fury. The girls cower in both confusion and fear as the baker charges into the hall like a bull.

"THAT'S ENOUGH, ALL OF YOU," she gets in the middle of the four men. "COME ON, QUIT IT, YOU FUCKS! I SAID QUIT IT!," She holds Ohma and Rihito by their ears, and they flinch at the sudden pain.

"Ooouch!," they both complain, and when she lets go, they look at her with their tails between their legs.

"They started it!," Ohma defends himself, pointing to the others.

"Ow, Auntie, that hurts! Damn it, you seaweed head! You only managed to knock me down like that because I'm drunk!," Rihito points to Ohma, his face red red, massaging his sore ear. Himuro, panting, snorts, also red in the face, "He's drunk too, Rihito, did you forget? Shit, I need to train more…"

"Damn...! Tomori!," Okubo shrieks, mortified, looking up at his girlfriend. "I- I didn't look like a loser to you after taking a beating from Ohma, did I? He- He caught me by surprise, I wasn't even fighting seriously and-"

"Calm down, Naoh!," Tomori interrupts him, unable to contain herself and laughing, despite also being a little exasperated. "You're still the greatest to me, you know that."

"Really?!," His eyes shine. Then he also whimpers loudly when she approaches him and holds his earlobe, and with the size difference between them, he practically has to bend over. "Ouch!"

"But no more of these stupid shenanigans! If you want to play fight, go outside, okay?"

"... Okay, babe," Okubo pouts, and he looks furiously at Rihito and Himuro when they giggle. 

"Hunf. You still need a lot to take me down, you weaklings," Ohma shakes his head, his smile malicious, even while feeling pain on his ear. "You might give me some trouble when fighting three on one, but one only has brute strength and little technique," he points at Rihito, "a lot of technique and little strength," at Himuro, "and Okubo has both but not as much as me, so take that."

"That's enough, Ohma," Kanami raises her voice, and he stops immediately. "You four will fix what you broke, you hear me? I don't even want to see the damage to this hall before eating, otherwise I'll lose my appetite, and if this shit happens again, you go without eating. All of you will go without eating!," She points at the three idiots when they start to laugh. "This isn't a fucking madhouse, damn it! Next time go fight outside, do you understand me?"

"Yes ma'am," The three said at the same time, cowering, while Ohma still complained, "I wasn't even the one who started it..."

Kanami looks at him with acid eyes and he takes a step back, his eyes wide. Mariko just shakes her head, astonished.

"That was funny, cute and scary at the same time…"

"Even more so because the one who stopped the whole thing was Kanami, not the men," Akane adds, whispering, her cheeks flushing. "Damn, Butch, you almost made me wet my panties... in a good way."

Next chapter here

[brynnterpretations]

Long Goes The Night (Longer The Day)

“Rebecca was good company."

🔗 Read on AO3

⌗ double drabble ⌗ implied/referenced drug abuse ⌗ canonical abuse ⌗ on the run ⌗ road trips... in quotation marks ⌗ implied/referenced kidnapping ⌗ unreliable narrator ⌗ it's eileen y'all ⌗ title from the demo version of "teclo" by pj harvey

Kids went on road trips when Eileen was younger, but Eileen never did. She never felt like she was missing out, though, because whenever Joyce or Mary or the other girls in her school talked about watching Massachusetts melt into Connecticut and sipping on Shirley Temples on, all she could think about was how unpleasant it would be to do any of that with her father. He couldn’t go on long drives without his medication. If he did, he’d get mean. Same with sleeping, and going out when the sun was bright enough to hurt his dilated eyes: Eileen, close the blinds, dammit!  

So, Eileen didn’t feel like anything was robbed from her, really , but still, she felt like she was filling in some sort of gap. Eileen didn’t travel. She didn’t drive anywhere, either, besides to the grocery store or work. She certainly didn’t drive with company, especially company as beautiful as Rebecca St. John.

And, of course, Rebecca was good company. She always was. She didn’t backseat-drive like her mother apparently used to, the reason why her dad said he’d started taking his medication in the first place. She sat with her hands in her lap, eyes looking very far away. She was peaceful. She knew where she belonged. She knew that she and Eileen were intertwined in fate, that everything was in its right place, and that they’d found each other like everyone did in fairytales, even in the dirt and grit of Moorehead.

“I’m going to stop and get some water,” said Eileen softly. “Do you want anything?”

Rebecca shook her head. Docile, peaceful, sleepy. She didn’t nag like her mother apparently used to, either, so Eileen smiled. Rebecca was good company. 

[i-am-all-lies]

Lost Butterfly

A story I wrote a while ago. TW: Child Abuse (in every sense).

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Today, I decided to start walking. I haven't done it for a while, I don't know how to do it anymore. But it shouldn't be that hard, right? Just… left foot, right foot. Yes… left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, stumbling once, stumbling twice, I knew I was going to fall, but why is my knee hurting? Should I be falling when I'm already on the ground? My dad was wearing a necklace today, and a ring too! It's not Mom's ring, so I guess it's a new one. "Hey, *****." Dad called out to me. "Yes, Dad?" I said as I turned my head to the other side of the table, where his plate was, which had no more food on it, in contrast to mine, which was still full - not because I had more food - of course. "Get the wine," Dad ordered. I put my fork on my plate and got up to get the wine. With a turn of my head, I found the bottle, well, several bottles, but as they've been there for a while, I don't think they're the ones he asked for, so I took the one that looked fullest and approached him to deliver it. As I placed the bottle down, I felt the judgmental gaze that ran over every inch of my skin, bones, muscles, organs and mind, which only ended when a cough could be heard from Dad, who began to say: "You've gained a few kilos, haven't you? And that chest of yours is rather large for your age, don't you think?" I made my way to my seat while preparing an answer, at the same time trying to keep my skin dry: "Do I look like I've been eating too much? And what do you expect me to do about my chest? It's not something I have any control over..." he seemed rather displeased with the answer and made his usual snobbish comment which, by now, he has memorized, given the number of times he has repeated it; it's certainly something he rehearses in his room, "Well, you don't eat anything! You just spend the day in your room! You're really useless, you still manage to gain weight, it's a shame." Yes, a real shame, I couldn't agree more, Dad. Although this sarcasm doesn't get me anywhere in my mental space, it does help in the process of dealing with the situation. He hasn't touched my taste in music or anything I like so far, remarkable progress, I'd say. In response to his unpleasant comment, I simply sat in silence, eating the amount needed to get away from the table and back to my room.

A pleasant silence formed, the absence of the noise from the nearby street, the television that was turned off because Mum said it was "spoiling the family dinner experience", whatever that means, and, most importantly, Dad was silent. Peace was achieved, until Mom opened her mouth and announced that she had... I don't know what she said, since I had excused myself to go to the bathroom in order to ensure some fat loss, I'm sure that what Mom had to say wasn't really that interesting. I washed my hands and cleaned the toilet to avoid anyone noticing the traces of vomit, and went into the dining room to get the dishes and wash them in the kitchen. While I was doing the dishes, I heard the phone ring and my mother started talking to someone, who certainly wasn't my father, as the tone of his voice was much brighter and the content of the conversation was about her job, more specifically about how she was upset with the manager for promoting someone else instead of her, despite the fact that she had supposedly done a much better job than him, It's not that I'm particularly suspicious of my mother's claims about her performance, it's just that I hardly believe that she would be even remotely close to gaining a promotion in her "company", due to the simple fact that restaurants don't have promotions, and so I ignored the conversation in the living room and distracted myself with other thoughts, probably of less value than my mother's nonsense. That is, until these thoughts were interrupted by the solid grip I felt on my buttocks, large hands could be felt grabbing that part of my body, I don't remember this happening, so I had no reaction, looking to my right, I saw my father with a smile on his face, "Come to my room for the usual". I felt the souls of those who were waiting for me screaming inside me in agony. What is "the usual"? What's going on here? I stood there, paralyzed with a mixture of fear and... I don't know how to describe it, but it was unpleasant, that's a fact, a really horrible fact. If I had to say something close to that, it would be despair. That's right, despair. I can't prepare myself for what's to come next, is he going to hit me? Humiliate me? Kill me? I finished my work and went to Mom and Dad's room, as Dad had instructed. Every step on the stairs felt like a whole flight of stairs; should I run? Hide in my room and block the doors? No... There's no escaping the fate that lurks behind that door.

It must be what I want in the end, isn't it? I approached the door, the cold coursing through my body, anxiety coursing through my bloodstream as if it were a nutrient highly necessary to keep my body functioning. I opened the door and closed it behind me, took a deep breath and turned my body, revealing my destination. A father without any cover was now standing in front of the bed. I was paralyzed. He grabbed my arms and put me on the bed, pinning me down with his strength. I couldn't move. My legs were forced open and… The clothes that had once kept me hidden were now torn and no longer offered the security I had before. He came in. Blood dripped down the sheets and onto my flesh, purity was now something I could never seek. "I know you like it," yes, Dad, I like it as much as I like the pain of being stabbed a million times, it's really incredible, I like it as much as I like the feeling of termites in my eyes, I like it as much as I like the feeling of my flesh rotting from untreated wounds, I like it as much as I like you. I truly became a receptacle of despair, agony and terror. It seemed to last an hour, two hours, three, a month, a year, my whole corrupted life. When my father felt satisfied, he ordered me to leave his room and go to mine. I did as I was told and sat down on my bed. Now I remember. That's why I couldn't walk.

[line-of-fire]

One week where I'm not going absolutely insane over the twins would be pretty dang neat.

Just, the tragedy of never having a choice for so long that the very concept is completely foreign to them in adulthood. Of not knowing how much of their identity is who they truly are, and how much of it was formed either as a defense mechanism or in response to the years of training, neglect and abuse from their father. Wondering now if the discomfort from deviating from the norm is because it doesn't feel right for them, or if it's an ingrained fear response because to deviate was to risk punishment; a hardwired instinct they can't shake even now.

It's a little easier for Voitto. Alkka did what she could to preserve his gentle nature, helped him hide it while fostering it behind their fathers back. The medical textbooks hidden beneath floorboards, cover ups for his "failure", blame that was intentionally taken off him.. It was for his protection, ultimately, and it was more of a success than a failure. He has some grasp on who he is beyond what he was raised to become, and has found hobbies and interests he can find genuine peace and solace in.

But Alkka... She intentionally made herself conform to their fathers standards; not letting herself consider any other option because this was the option that preserved her twin. She learned how to act to get the results she wanted (Voitto safe and unharmed), even if it was at the cost of her own health and mental wellbeing. She became the closest thing to a 'golden child' in Thurstons eyes, even if it was everything she didn't want to be. Until she had been 'performing' for so long she became the role she took out of necessity; became what he wanted her to.

She's always let herself and her identity be defined by her ability to (seemingly) carry out her father's orders while also protecting her brother from his rage. She let herself be the forged blade to be wielded by someone else; an attack dog trained to obey, self taught to protect a single person. She doesn't know who she's supposed to be outside of that, even after she killed her father and joined Shadow Company. She is unable to see herself doing anything but kill and truthfully?

She still judges herself based on how safe and happy she's kept her brother and how skilled she is compared to her fathers standards. She's tried, but even now, anything that can't be utilized in the field somehow or in some tactical setting doesn't feel quite right. The few 'deviations' from that she's been able to get herself to take are more expressions of her gender identity- something that, oddly enough, is easier for her to grasp and understand than her identity regarding who she is outside of her role as a killer.

Just. Alkka needs some domestic hobbies and a sense of self that doesn't revolve around the concept of her being something to be commanded and/or used.

[heroes-of-olympus-next-gen]

Day 8: Christmas Day

Part 3: Farewell Hope you all enjoy my last Christmas one shot <3

“Hey Alexa, play Christmas hits on Spotify.” Percy said as he started cooking for their Christmas meal.

“What do you want me to do?” Annabeth asked him as she left the baby monitor on the kitchen counter. “I can wash the vegetables or something.”

“You don’t have to do anything. Just sit here and keep me company.”

“So, I’m the moral support. No problem.” She sat relieved on the kitchen table and started drinking her coffee. “How do you feel about the lunch arrangement for this year?”

“What do you mean?” He started chopping some onions and turned on the stove.

“I mean my dad and your family all together in one house for Christmas.” Annabeth explained. Her father had asked if they could spend Charlie’s and Zoe’s first Christmas together so Annabeth preferred to invite them all as she could see that her dad was trying to be a better man.

“I’m sure everything is going to be alright. You have nothing to worry about.” He turned to face her. “It’s a peace offering after all these years. And if it doesn’t go well, we just never repeat the meal.”

“He sounded sincere on the phone. Bobby and Matthew wanted us to spend the day together as well. Besides, I want Charlie and Zoe to have everything I didn’t have growing up.”

“Me too, love. We have already broken the cycle of abuse. And we are way past healing. I’m proud of us.” Percy reassured her. He really did believe that they were doing the whole parenthood thing well. “I am excited about hosting a big Christmas feast. I never had one of these as a kid. It was just me and my mum.”

“It’s a shame that Zoe and Charlie won’t remember their first Christmas.”

That was one of the many Christmases Percy arranged through the years they were married. But every year, the people around the table were multiplying and more memories were being made.

They were happy that their kids felt comfortable and welcome in their childhood home even after they moved out and grown up. Annabeth had never wished to spend the holidays with her dad. Sally’s home made her feel more welcome that she ever had with her dad. Most importantly she believed that she was a decent mother-in-law and later grandmother.

The house was bustling from the noise. Annabeth saw Charlie sitting on a couch in deep thought. “Penny for your thoughts?” She asked as she sat next to him.

“Bianca and I are trying to find a way to explain Eliot that his birthday isn’t a national holiday and Santa doesn’t give his birthday gifts without hurting his feelings.” Charlie replied. “Any ideas?”

Annabeth smiled thinking that her kids had kids of their own. “He’s young to fully understand it. But you’re doing a great job celebrating both his birthday and Christmas without confusing him even more.”

“Thank you. So you say we just completely divide the two holidays and explain it to him?”

“I’m sure that’s the key to success.” Annabeth got up and looked around. “Do you know where your dad is?”

“Last time I checked he was going upstairs with Theo and Eloise.” Charlie replied before he went outside.

“I’ll be back soon.” She said and started going upstairs. The staircase was wall was filled with decades memories and moments Annabeth never wanted to forget. She passed Charlie’s old room where Bianca and Zoe were talking quietly as they had just put down for a nap Eliot and Xander. Theo’s door was half-open and before she could even knock Theo opened the door. “Hey, mum.”

“Is dad around here? Charlie told me he was upstairs with you.”

“He was talking to Tom and Lottie, wasn’t he?” Theo asked Renée. Renée was the only person that managed to make Theo fall hopelessly in love. He was too rational to ever put his guards down to fall in love. But Renée managed to do the undoable.

“No, he said he was going to get something from your bedroom.” Renée replied to her mother-in-law.

“Thank you. In five minutes, Eliot will blow his candles and we’ll eat desert.”

“Copied that.”

Annabeth at last found Percy. “Hey, stranger.” She leaned on the door frame. “I’ve been looking all over the place for you.”

“I was trying to get you, your Christmas present.” Percy explained and gave her a wrapped box.

“You bought me a present?”

“Of course, I only have one wife. The best wife. Now open your gift.”

Annabeth couldn’t contain her happiness. Not because she had gotten a gift. Her kids and grandkids had already done more than enough for her. But Percy always made her feel like she was the most special woman in the world. She ripped the wrapping paper only to reveal a signature red box. “Percy, what did you do?”

“Open it.” He said smirking.

Annabeth opened the box to reveal a trinity necklace. She was speechless. The day Zoe and Charlie were born, he had gifted her the trinity ring and after all these years he decided to give her the necklace. “You shouldn’t have. Thank you so much.”

Percy took the necklace and helped her put it on. “Not a day has gone by since you removed the ring. It only seemed right for you to have the necklace.”

Annabeth leaned in and kissed him. “What have I done to deserve you?”

“I should be asking that question.”

They heard steps from outside which were most likely Zoe and Bianca with Eliot and Xander. “Did Santa bring my birthday present?” Eliot asked.

“Santa bought you your Christmas present. We gave you your birthday present.”

“Santa isn’t real?” Xander replied petrified.

“No! He’s real. But today it’s also Eliot’s birthday. Which means he gets more gifts. Like you get on your birthday.” Zoe explained to her son. Annabeth and Percy couldn’t see their expressions, but they were sure Xander was very confused.

“Can we eat cake?” Eliot asked again.

“After you blow your candles. Come on, let’s go downstairs.” Bianca encouraged him.

“This is the best gift you could have given me.” Annabeth said to her husband. “Our big and very loud family.”

“Always my pleasure. I love spending Christmas with you.”

“Now only another 365 days before the next one…” She laughed as she opened their bedroom door.

fin

[mystery-orphans-club]

Snice I am working on the rewrite and it might take a while until It's done, here is the rewrites' exacts in their profile(basically little notes or fun facts about them). I will not include the two new characters in this post.

Tw: for Bulling, child abuse, aboundment, assassins, starvation, Miscarriages and more that I can't exactly remember as It's almost 2 where I am at. You have been warned.

Aisuru Itami Fukawa

Extra: He has a habit of people-watching sometimes. He would just watch what they do and observe their habits. He also may accidentally scare people by saying things they didn’t think he knew about them, but found out by being observant. He never means to scare people though.  

Ash Harukawa

Extra: He, Vehol, and Shinpi used to be best friends as kids but after their parents went missing, he grew away from them. He fell for Shinpi after a few months of watching over her from afar. He joined the Assassin Company his mother was in to make enough money to live, and he gave some of his money to charity.  He flirts with Shinpi a lot during their fights, he likes seeing her flustered.

Azul Asahina

Extra: He tries his best to help Mokusei(Jupiter) to get closer to Kum(Cloud). He plays the piano while Shinpi plays the Violin. He and Muri are very close friends, sometimes people would mistake them for siblings. He was the one to confess to Mokusei back in Middle school.

Muri Hagakure

Extra: Don't try to use her, her kindness is a privilege, not a right. She has a crush on Cloud who also likes her back. She isn't the best at confessing her emotions as she wishes not to be a bother to anyone else. She hates her mother for the abuse she had to face at the woman's hands due to her gifts.

Buttercup Nevermind

Extra: Her name was originally Vincent but she changed it. She had gender reassignment surgery and her driver's licence states her gender as Female. She enjoys learning about history. She knows how to use a sword.

Vehol Yumeno(He/Them for the rewrite please)

Extra: He can only do Ice and Fire magic but is trying to expand their spells and types of magic. They often have to patch themselves up due to him trying to learn magic on their own. He thinks his father left him because he thought they wouldn't be able to use magic

Mokusei/Jupiter Togami Kirigiri Naegi

Extra: He was forced to take over the family company. He grew up with his grandfather but grew to hate him for what he did to his sister. He wants to get closer to her but doesn't know how to. He is dating Azul and has been since middle school

Kumo/Cloud Naegi Kirigiri Togami

Extra: After her parents' disappearance, she was kicked to the curb by her Grandfather, and she had to fend for herself. She often hunts to eat and still goes to school. She also made herself a makeshift home to live in. She and her twin Brother aren't close anymore and she doesn't know how to talk to him anymore. She was taken back in by her Grandfather as soon as she inherited the Family Business from her father

Tetsuko Soda

Extra: she gets bullied a lot. She makes Monomaids and Monosirs to help her out in the shop, as well as make some for the club and the Kuzuryu Clan. She sees Ryūki as her cousin. She messes with things a lot.

Shinpi Saihara

Extra: Her fear of blood came from the miscarriage her mother had. She was covered in what should have been her baby brother's blood while she tried to help her mom. Her left hand is the only part of her body that didn't heal from the abuse but she doesn't change to be right-handed. She is starved and prevented from sleeping to get better at painting against her will. She grew to love despair as it was the only sense of peace she got in the dark moments of her life.

[rafescoke]

hi! i just saw how amazing your writing is and i needed to ask if it's okay for you to write some angst with jj? like, they're best friends but both of their parents are not really the best so they found comfort on each other? sorry for my english and thank uu!!

With You ; JJ Maybank

Pairing: JJ Maybank x reader

Summary: Maybe running away with someone doesn’t sound too bad, especially if it’s JJ Maybank.

Warnings: Abuse, tiger-parenting, swearing, sweetheart JJ

A/N: for a better ride throughout this fic, i recommend hearing this song! anyways, y’all know what i’m about to say; ily, thank you so much for 300+ followers?? it hasn’t even been a week since i created this blog <33 you guys are the best, truly. also my story isn’t align with what was requested & i’m truly sorry if this isn’t what you had in your mind, you can drop in a new request anytime if it’s bad to you!! @gabiatthedisco

p.s, drop in any fic ideas, i’ll give you my best (hopefully) :))

“Hey, princess.”

(Y/N)’s thoughts were interrupted by the sudden gruff voice behind her, and she quickly looked at the figure in case it was her father looking for her. She let out a breath of relief when it was none other than a boy her age, his mouth forming a warm smile.

“I can’t talk to you,” she mumbled, and continued to oversee the ocean before her. The sound of waves thrummed against her eardrums, creating peace for her in the middle of that particular night where there was nobody else but her. And JJ.

“Why? Is it because I’m a pogue?” He asked, raising his brows. There was something challenging in his tone, and he looked almost amused that she was willing to not talk to him just because of their money status, and made his way to stand right next to the big rock she was sitting on.

(Y/N) rolled her eyes, and god, JJ had never felt prouder that he got her all worked up just by his words. He expressed that charming smile of his, and placed himself beside her. She groaned, but she scooted to the side anyways.

She realised how much she needed company.

“What made you come down here, princess?” He started, staring at the ocean. The sky was full with bright stars, illuminating the surface of the ocean. It was the perfect night for a mindless stroll along the beach.

He waited for a few more seconds for her to answer his question, but by the time he could hear the third wave crashing, he realised that she won’t be talking to him anytime soon. So he did what he always do;

He kept talking.

“I was walking around, you know,” he said, using his two fingers to mimic a person walking, “And I was like, what the fuck? Who the fuck is sitting on that fucking rock? And I thought it was a ghost, because it’s like 12 in the morning. I came down here to see the identity closely, and you know, if I got lucky, maybe I can send it to some kind of a ghostbuster. But all I can see now is you.”

He finished with a bright smile, his teeth showing. She didn’t make any reaction, still staring at the ocean, and JJ thought about making another one last joke before he’ll finally leave her alone.

He opened his mouth and looked at her again, but his gaze fell on her bloody shirt, and he freaked out. When he first saw her, he didn’t realise the blood stain on her shirt, perhaps since it was dark, but he had a clear view of it now, and all he could think about was if she was okay.

“Are you okay?” He asked, and (Y/N) looked at him before looking down to her shirt, noticing how he was staring at it. She groaned, covering her chest with her arms and sighed.

“Ignore it.”

“What happened?” JJ asked, because he knew that look. He had had that same expression on his face before, with the same mark staining almost half of his shirts. “You can tell me about it, you know.”

“No,” was all she said, and JJ watched as she jumped from the rock onto the sand, walking towards the land with her slippers in her hands. He never saw her since then, even when he was delivering groceries to her neighbourhood. Their meeting was brief, but JJ couldn’t help but think about her sometimes.

“Do you think Rafe beats his girlfriend?” He had asked his friend during one particular evening while they were mindlessly strolling down the stream in the HMS Pogue.

“Maybe,” Kie answered. “Man’s crazy. Why are you asking?”

“Oh, I don’t know, just curious,” he said, but he thought about what Kie had said. Rafe has a well known addiction, so there was a chance if (Y/N) was abused by him, and that will explain the bloody shirt from the previous night.

“I know that look, JJ,” John B said, sighing. “No. Not worth it. Not a kook.”

“What?” He scoffed, rolling his eyes and trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach at the thought of her. “No. Remember our rule? No kooks.”

“Atta boy,” Pope laughed, patting him on his back as he made his way to the back of the boat.

But to hell with that rule.

So he began coming down to the beach everyday, sometimes strolling around the beach and glancing at the big rock where they had their brief meeting, but to not avail. It was like she completely disappeared, and he didn’t know what to do to talk to her.

He didn’t have her number, or any form of ways to contact her. He had been requesting her Instagram account since god knows when, but every time he tried to check, he was still in her requests list.

Until one day, he saw her on that rock again. He was late to the beach that night, having to clean his father’s mess and listened to his father’s angry remarks to him. He was used to it, but it didn’t mean it hurt him less.

“Hey,” he greeted her, and when she turned around, he saw her busted lip.

JJ gasped, walking close to her and asking if she was okay immediately, but all she did was nod at his question, and looked at the scene before her again.

But it was progress, sure, because she didn’t leave him until it was 2 in the morning. They stayed in complete silence, enjoying each other’s company, the only sound coming from the waves crashing.

“Hey,” he whispered to her, and he watched as she tilted her head to look at him. Their fingers were displayed on the hard surface of the rock for balance, and their thumbs were almost touching.

“You know you can trust me, right?”

(Y/N) nodded, hearing countless of boys saying the same thing to her before but with no effort to prove so. “Thanks.”

One thing she couldn’t deny was the calming effect absorbing into her when she was right next to JJ, hearing his breathing and his inconsistent sniffs.

They reunited a few days after, when JJ had to make a grocery run for the kitchen of the country club. (Y/N) was watching her little sister play, bored out of her mind as she stared at the green landscape and hearing the constant sound of metal hitting a ball.

She turned for a change in scenery, and to her surprise, she saw a jogging JJ with a total of five plastic bags hanging from his arms.

“Hey,” she greeted when he came out of the kitchen, and he smiled when he saw the beautiful girl in front of him.

It’s definitely progress.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, smiling. JJ stared down to her mini polo skirt and tried to conceal his red face.

“Delivery,” he replied, and (Y/N) nodded before giving him another soft smile, and JJ noticed the dimples on her cheeks.

“Hey, um,” he raised a hand, awkwardly scratching the back of his head as she raised a brow. “Can I, um, can I get your number?”

(Y/N) laughed with her head tilted to one side, and god, JJ had never seen someone as beautiful as her before. Her skin was glowing under the scorching sun and she was sweating under her polo shirt, but she still looked perfect to him.

“No,” was all she said, and she continued to giggle as she made her way back towards the waiting area. JJ stopped in his tracks, trying to process the fact that he had just gotten rejected by the girl he likes, and thought about how this was the first time a girl didn’t leave with him their phone number.

And that made him want her even more.

“Dad, please, just leave me be,” (Y/N) cried, putting both of her hands against her ears as she rested her back against the wall. She could hear her little sister crying in the background, but she too felt like crying herself.

“Why would you end things with that son of Ward?” Her father scolded, banging his fist against the dinner table as she closed her eyes from the fear of seeing his face. “You’re so stupid. You’re lucky Rafe even stayed with you until recently.”

She could feel her tears against her cheeks now and her throat was hurting. She wanted to walk away, but she knew the consequences if she does so. “He’s a drug addict, dad. You don’t get it, I don’t want to be with him.”

Her father laughed, and his voice echoed throughout the empty hallways of the (Y/L/N)s household. (Y/N) flinched, knowing what was coming next, and just like what she had expected, a rough slap was given by her father and she fell to the floor, yelping as she tried to apply pressure to her cheeks, lessening the pain.

“I don’t care how you do it-” he continued, pointing his finger at her, “But make up with him. Say how you’ve changed your mind and you’ll be with him. He’s our only choice, do you get that?”

(Y/N) nodded, too afraid to speak up, and watched as her father sighed, closing his eyes and massaging his temples. “Go up to your room.”

She didn’t waste anymore time as she sprinted to her bedroom, picking up her car keys and jumping off from her bedroom window to the backyard. The first time they moved into the house, she had complained about her room being only a few feet away from the ground but as she grew up, she took it as a blessing from the gods above.

As usual, she drove her car to the beach to stay in her usual spot, overlooking the ocean. She looked around when she safely placed herself on the rock, and realised how she had been looking for the blonde boy.

Oh god.

“There you are,” he appeared half an hour later, and (Y/N) saw his bloody knuckles. He hid them behind his back when he caught her looking at them, and gave her the sweetest smile ever. She couldn’t help but smiled at him back, and scooted to the side even more to give him some space.

“Wanna start first?” He asked, and (Y/N) turned to look at him with a quizzical expression. JJ laughed, and cleared his throat.

“Which one of us would like to explain what happened to their body first,” he explained, and watched as she stifled a laugh.

“I’m perfectly fine, Maybank.”

“Are you saying-” he leaned onto her, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear before grazing his finger across the red mark on her cheeks. Her breath hitched, feeling his soft touch against her skin. “This is nothing?”

She sighed, wrapping her cardigan tighter. “It’s complicated.”

“Yeah, I get you,” he nodded, stretching his fingers and feeling the pain from his bruised knuckles spreading through his vein. He bit his lips at the stinging feeling, but he noticed how he kinda liked it.

“You do?” She questioned, “Why don’t you go first; how did you get your knuckles all bloody?”

“My dad,” he shrugged, and watched her. “But I love him, you know. I can’t do much.”

She nodded, but she couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. She was not surprised, having the rumour of Luke Maybank abusing his son circulating around her school before the summer started, but she didn’t put her thoughts into it that much before.

“Did Rafe do that to you?”

“What?” She asked, disbelief written all over her face. She couldn’t help but let out the loudest laugh ever, and she felt good after keeping the pressure inside of her for a really long time. It felt good to laugh, with him by her side.

“God, if Rafe ever put his hands on me-” she laughed again, “I’ll kill him.”

JJ smiled, but his mind was not making any sense. If not Rafe, then. . .

“It’s my dad,” she shrugged, and she almost screamed from the sudden relief releasing out of her. She didn’t know why she felt it, but she guessed it must’ve been from finally confiding in someone after a really long time of keeping the secret to herself.

“I’m sorry,” he said, and he hesitated to pull her into a hug. He settled with his hand above hers, and he was glad she didn’t move away.

All his life, he always thought of the kooks to have a somewhat perfect life he sees on the internet. (Y/N) always look like she’s enjoying life; having the perfect kook boyfriend and a perfect kook mansion, living in the most elite area of Obx and being a member of the exclusive country club, but he finally realised how lonely she must have felt all those times.

“It’s okay, I’m used to it,” she said, and gave him a weak smile. “Guess we’re the same, huh?”

“The same,” he nodded, and they sat in the silence for a few more minutes again. She shifted a few moments later and JJ watched her, in case she needed him for anything, but he was surprised to see her handing him her phone.

“Um. . . yeah?”

“Oh,” she smiled, “Your number. For future purposes.”

“Future purposes?” He smiled, and took it with a soaring heart. He typed in his number nervously, having to press the delete button a few times as he kept messing his number up. (Y/N) laughed, and she felt the difference between him and Rafe.

Rafe would always make her feel lonely, even when they were together. He never laid his hands on her, yes, but the countless times he’ve yelled at her over the smallest things in the world left her in a depressing state until the day he apologised, but that would probably be 2 weeks after. When they didn’t agree on a topic the usual quarrel in the car will occur that always resulted into Rafe leaving the car stranded and ordering an Uber and (Y/N) having to drive his car with her trembling fingers and blurry eyes from the tears back home.

The only reason she was with Rafe was to please her parents, who wanted to be on the good side of Ward Cameron. (Y/N) never loved Rafe, and she knew Rafe never liked her anyways, only loving the attention of being with the untouchable kook princess. She knew the amount of times he cheated on her with his college friends, but she never said anything to him.

She felt his fingers on top of hers again, and the warmth radiating from his toned body spread throughout her body. She wished she could stay in this exact position until forever, close to the blonde boy and having to think about nothing.

The next morning, she woke up with a small smile on her face, and she realised how light she felt when she walked towards the bathroom to pee. Her head wasn’t heavy anymore, and she could feel the edges of her eyes lifting. Whatever JJ had done to her yesterday, it was working.

She went to the country club to accompany her little sister for her daily golf lessons, hoping with all of her heart to bump into JJ again. But she didn’t see him, and felt her good mood slowly evaporating into the thin air.

JJ wasn’t there, but when she reached home with a squealing little sister, so hyperactive even after an hour of practicing golf under the sun, the figure of Rafe Cameron and his father appeared in the living room.

(Y/N) stayed glued on her spot, her eyes fleeing from Rafe to her father, and she finally understood what was happening.

And how she wished she had run off with the boy living on the other side of the island yesterday.

“Hey,” Rafe said weakly, giving her a grim smile. She didn’t return his gesture, and instead giving a questioning look to her father’s way, to which he accepted as his daughter finally trying to do some good to the family.

“What’s going on?” She asked, and Ward sighed before delivering the news.

“(Y/N), I know this is hard for you, but, um, let’s think about it, okay?” He breathed, “We’re thinking of sending you off to the same college as Rafe in.”

“What?” She widened her eyes, not wanting to believe her ears. “Dad, this is ridiculous. I can’t, and I won’t go to the same college as Rafe.”

“(Y/N),” her dad warned, but she didn’t care. She felt like crying right here and right then, and she didn’t care if any of them will think of her as weak.

“We just think it’s better if you stay close to each other.”

“Dad, please,” she sighed, “You know it has been my dream since forever to go to New York for my studies, dad, you can’t do this to me.”

But she knew that look in his eyes; the final decision that could never be changed. She fell to the sofa, feeling so weak, and felt her heart shattered.

All of this, just for money.

“I have to go,” she mumbled, and before anyone could stop her; with Rafe running after her and her dad screaming her name, she got into her car and drove off to JJ Maybank’s small house located in the outer side of The Cut, her fingers trembling and her eyes watery.

JJ pulled her into a hug as soon as she heard a car pulling up, letting her sobs filled the air as he held her close, his chin on top of her head. They stayed in the position for a few more minutes, and when she pulled apart from him, JJ could guessed the words that was about to come out of her mouth.

“I’m going off to college with Rafe,” she said, and bit her lips to stop her tears from falling. “JJ, please, can we go somewhere? Just us two?”

JJ always do everything alone, he prefers it that way, including his plans to escape from all of the bullshit in his life and run off to Italy or somewhere far. He looked into her red eyes, seeing her pain, and the words that left his mouth right after came out as a surprise even to him.

“Okay, okay, we’ll run,” he said, his mind starting to work out a new plan. “Just us two, okay? We’ll run before they can find us.”

(Y/N) nodded, intertwining their fingers together. She felt right, doing this, although she knew the consequences that she might have to face after. But she didn’t care; she was tired of being an object to please everyone and for once, she felt like making her own decisions too.

“We’ll leave now, just, just-” he ran to the door into his home, and she heard him shout. “Let me get a few things!”

She sighed, her heart beating so fast she felt like fainting. She got closer to her car, waiting for him, and when she saw him coming towards her with a backpack, she never felt so free.

Just them two now.

-

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[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

The villains of the MCU

PHASE 1

Iron Man: Capitalist father figure (but not really)

The Incredible Hulk: Russian-British man who wants to be the Hulk so bad

Iron Man 2: Angry Russian man who blames Tony for his problems

Thor: Jealous little brother who just found out he was adopted

Captain America - The First Avenger: Super Nazi (but not really since he cut ties with the Nazis)

The Avengers: Jealous little brother is back and this time, he's got an army

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

PHASE 2

Iron Man 3: A "nice guy" toxic nerd who formed his own company

Thor the Dark World: Generic Lord of the Rings villain

Captain America - The Winter Soldier: The War on Terror / American foreign policy

Guardians of the Galaxy: Really angry blue man who is angry that his people chose peace over war

Avengers - Age of Ultron: Robot Pinocchio who wants to kill everyone after surfing the Internet

Ant-Man: Generic capitalist villain

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

PHASE 3

Captain America - Civil War: Regular human who just wants the Avengers to be held accountable for their actions

Doctor Strange: Evil sorcerer who worships CGI Benedict Cumberbatch

Guardians of the Galaxy - Vol. II: The deadbeat dad who comes back home and tries to pretend that he didn't abandon his kid for years

Spider-Man Homecoming: Working-class father who got screwed over by bureaucracy and billionaires

Thor Ragnarok: The long-lost sister who your estranged father didn't tell you about

Black Panther: Revolutionary who wants to stop imperialism with imperialism

Avengers - Infinity War: E̶r̶e̶n̶ ̶J̶a̶e̶g̶e̶r̶ Purple, space Hitler

Ant-Man and the Wasp: A woman who just wants to live

Captain Marvel: The "I was just following orders" guy trying to explain their horribleness

Avengers - Endgame: Purple, space Hitler round 2

Spider-Man - Far From Home: Fake news

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

PHASE 4 (so far)

WandaVision: Witch who is having too much fun messing with people

Falcon and the Winter Soldier: V for Vendetta

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

ABC SHOWS

Agents of SHIELD S1: Abusive father figure who makes his kids kill dogs

Agents of SHIELD S2: Creepy mad scientist / Long-lost mom who is just trying to protect her people

Agents of SHIELD S3: That one guy who you thought was cute until you learned he was a Nazi / Squid monster who is somehow a founder of fascism

Agents of SHIELD S4: Robot yandere who just wants some love

Agents of SHIELD S5: Alien overlord from the future / Military man who gets possessed by liquid gravity

Agents of SHIELD S6: A literal Incan goddess

Agents of SHIELD S7: Bootleg Joker

Agent Carter S1: Evil Sigmund Freud

Agent Carter S2: A Hollywood actress who is revealed to be a mad scientist

Inhumans: Bootleg Loki

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

NETFLIX

Daredevil S1: Mobster who can't control his temper

Daredevil S2: Immortal ninja who performs blood rituals

Daredevil S3: Mobster who can't control his temper...but now he's even more pissed

Jessica Jones S1: Selfish rapist who just discovered love for the first time

Jessica Jones S2: Long-lost mom who has gone insane

Jessica Jones S3: Best friend/sister-figure who went bad because of envy and insecurity

Luke Cage S1: Half-brother who quotes the Bible because...it's scary, I guess

Luke Cage S2: The two leaders of a gang war. One uses pocket sand as a weapon, the other has a Game of Thrones backstory

Iron Fist S1: Corrupt businessman who has ties with magic ninjas

Iron Fist S2: Magic ninja version of the Punisher

The Defenders: A clan of magic ninjas led by Ellen Ripley

The Punisher S1: The military industrial complex

The Punisher S2: Y'all Qaeda / Christian extremists

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HULU AND FREEFORM

Runaways: Aliens and witches (so, two of Sam Wilson's big three)

Cloak and Dagger S1: Oil tycoons

Cloak and Dagger S2: Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Despair but if she was a black, male, jazz musician

Helstrom: Literal demon daddy

[saturnsstufff]

The Empress (pt.IV)

Mmm. Blood for blood god, yes?

Warnings: mentions of abuse, poison, death, swearing

   The palace was a bit busier after the evening you announced your new employment. After the servants herd there would be a trip, they were mostly preparing for Techno’s, and Phil’s leave. Two days weren't much to you, but to Techno and Phil? They were busy days. Techno ended up stealing Phil from your side during those days, so instead you spent your time with Wilbur. 

   Wilbur was a brilliant child. For being twelve he already had a large understanding of how their kingdom worked. Not only that, but when questioned he could also tell you about other countries and nations. He didn't play up his intelligent, but he also didn't dismiss what he knew.

   Tomorrow was the day that Techno, Phil and you had planned to leave on. Phil did walk you to breakfast that morning, but Techno and Phil didn't waist time eating. They mostly hurried through, leaving little room for conversation, then left to Techno’s study. Leaving you and Wil alone for the day again. You didn't mind that though, yesterday you spent your time lingering over his shoulder well he did his studies. The studies, though sounding boring at first were actually pretty interesting. You had a education, however, the one you received was very basic. You were taught to read, write, and even shown basic math, but beyond that you weren't pressured to learn more. No one in your village was. This wasn't because your village viewed education less to survival. But mostly because your village was tiny, there were no great scholars. Most children were taught by there parents, like you, your mother taught you everything. Where Wilbur, at twelve was learning about different potion ingredients and there properties. You at the same age had just finished basic fractions. But that was ok, education wasn't something to compare, everyone learns differently and at different speeds.

   Well you maneuvered around the casual tables, bookshelves and sofas, he responded. “Oh! well, you see, Phil wants all of his kids to be respectful, especially to women” you nodded, ’most parents prefer that.’ you mused to yourself. The two of you walked through the library to a room in the back. This is where Wil did his studies. It was just a private room, mostly made so no one could disturb the individual reading inside. “Our mother, she was really kind- you would have liked her- and her most defiantly would have liked you” He was just loosely rambling off, but it was adorable, he had a bright smile. Well you listened, something told you, not many people sat and talked with him. “When Phil met our mother he always told us of how poor her home life was, she wasn't treated very nicely, you see.” Wil took the door to the study and opened it for you two. Both of you moseying inside, side by side. When you two found the sofa you sat down easy, mostly having to readjust after. Unlike you Wil half threw himself onto it with a little squeak of the cushion. “When Dad found out mother was carrying me, he quickly took her away from her home. Anytime he mentioned her parents you could have sworn he wanted to kill them. Dadza doesn't get mad, but when he does... it’s not exactly pleasant.” Wil had swallowed a bit thickly at that last comment. Letting it linger in the air.

   You walked with Wil towards the Library, the hall’s were a tad chillier due to the fact the sun wasn't out today. In its place was just grey clouds, offering more snow to the already maxed out ice cube you stood on. When you took the handle to open the door for Wil, he took it from your hand quickly. After grabbing it, he stumbled into profusely apologizing for his spur of the moment behavior.

“So sorry (y/n), it’s just, if Dadza caught me slacking on my manners... He wouldn't be too pleased.” You tilted your head slightly as he opened the door fully. Exposing the Ancient Book lined walls. The stale smell of paper, parchment, and the occasional ink hit you. The library was rather large, but then again, most things within this palace tended to be. The library did have a warmth to it, and a welcoming feeling. The type where if your not careful, you could get lost inside for hours at a time. In the corner rested a larger than normal fireplace, The attached Chimney ran to the celling, lined With thick Rocks and stones. The crackling and popping of the wood burning within was a very comforting white noise.

   “this might seem off, but, what manners?” they way you said it may have sounded wrong, but you meant it in the best way you could. Or more the less for him to expand on the manners he was talking about.

   “I'm not sure if I can ask, but, Techno looks older than you, did... He live with your mother when she was with her parents?” Wil shifted to face you a bit more. Putting his heel up on his knee. well he rested his elbow on the arm of the couch, he moved his head to rest in his hand. 

    “No, Techno was adopted. When dad was in the Nether he raided a lost fortress. from what he explained, there was just a toddler roaming around.” Your heart clenched slightly, you couldn't imagine leaving a toddler alone, none the less in a place like the nether. you have never been there, but the stories you’ve herd were enough to tell you the danger. “Since he’s a hybrid of a Piglin Brute and human, none of the other Piglins would touch him. So Dadza did, as Dadza does. he took him home.”

   You thought back on this a moment. Techno had a godlike amount of strength, not to mention how tall he was. Of course he was a Hybrid. You felt a bit stupid now for not picking it up. “Just, don't tell Techno I told you, he doesn't like his name being discussed behind his back” You nodded. Wilbur’s face grew into a smile. “This can be our secret” you nodded and smiled back.

   “our secret” The more you talked to Wil, you discovered he was a lot like Philza. The two had the most contagious smile you’d ever seen. The only difference you assumed was he had his mother's features. Phil had bright keen blue eyes, well Wilbur had deep beautiful brown eyes. Another difference was there facial structure. You two were quiet a moment before you spoke up. You had been curious of where their mother was, there were paintings of her. But she was no where around. The way Wil talked about her made you assume she had passed. “what happened to your mother?”

   Wilbur’s eyes saddened briefly before he- what you assumed- forced himself to contain. “Oh, well... Phil and Mom had a dinner one night with some other world leaders.” he paused a bit rubbing his neck. “It was supposed to be peaceful. but someone from the German Empire didn't want us to be allies. so he poisoned our mother’s food.” He started slowing down with the story as he went on. “Like you said with your father (y/n), you were too young to understand? That's how it was for me. I was only four. I didn't understand why Techno and Dad were so angry.” he wiped his eyes as they welled up, one eye let a tear fall. “They didn't keep me in the room long. As soon as mom started choking, they started yelling. One of our allies’, his wife, had taken me out of the room before it had escalated any further.”

   Your heart fell heavy, a pit forming in your stomach. you couldn't empathize with loosing a parent. especially at such a young age like that. You could easily tell Wil wasn't over his mothers death. The way he looked at the ground with such hurt, it genuinely pained you so see the happy boy like this. You moved yourself closer to his side and hugged him tightly, showing him the reassurance he needed. You didn't respond for a little bit. letting Wil express what emotions he had possibly bottled up. After a bit when you felt him pull back, you just kept your arm around his shoulder. You weren't his family. but you hoped that for what company you offered, it made him feel at least a bit better. “I'm sorry Wilbur…” was all you could muster. The atmosphere weighed heavier now. With the sadness of pressed memories lingering, the two of you didn't talk. instead you simply sat in silence.

   “So what’s France like?” you asked curiously, taking a bite of your mashed potatoes.

   By dinner that evening Wilbur and you had already promised each other that you wouldn't speak of what happened in the studies. He didn't want Techno on his back for opening up, or that he also cried a bit. You were ok with keeping it between you two, Wilbur had confided in you something very personal, the least you could do was respect his wishes.

   Dinner had gone by smoothly, the chatter between Wilbur and you had picked up quite a lot. You could tell this made Phil happy to see the two of you getting along. Especially since you now technically live with them. When you first arrived to the palace, dinner’s were kind of awkward, since only Phil and you really talked. But now it seemed that Techno was the only one that wouldn't partake in the conversations. He would put a word or two in. But mostly dinners were spent with Wil and you talking about whatever came to mind.

   Wil was hurrying to swallow to try and respond. “Oh! you’d love it there (y/n)!” Phil slightly chuckled at Wil. “Its really scenic!” Before Wil could ramble off about France and it’s perks, Phil had chimed in.

   “It is a beautiful place, but were not going to any specific places. were only going to the countryside's. We know that much” Wil and you cocked your head’s slightly. ‘what’s out in the country side?’ You mentally questioned, but Wil instead asked it aloud.

   “Not that the countryside isn't beautiful- why not stop by the towns?” Wil questioned, his brow furrowed. waving his fork between Techno and Phil for his answer.

   “The cities don't have what I need” Techno said plainly, at that Wilbur shot back with a remark.

   “mmn, like a girlfriend?” you couldn't help but laugh at the way Techno turned to face Wilbur. Since he still eats with his mask. you could only see his lips, to which Techno made a ‘heh?’ before he compiled his answer fully.

   “Keep it up I’ll take you to France and punt you out of my plane.” Phil laughed with you on that one. Although Techno was pretty stoic and monotone, over the last couple of days lately he’s been showing more of his ��Brotherly love’ as Phil call’s it. you had a feeling that Techno and Phil were going to miss Wilbur during there trip. or, at least you would for sure. After Wilbur laughed a bit he got serious again.

   “But really, what are you looking for. there’s not many things in the countryside besides the occasional mansion or farm. Kind of boring if you ask me” Techno hummed in response. Appearing like he was aware of what was in the country already. Since Wil couldn't work a answer out of Techno he simply dropped the subject, viewing it no longer worth the push. Instead he started back on his steak, Phil picking up the conversation.

   “Those new clothes should be in your room tonight, (y/n)” you looked up and swallowed your mouthful. nodding before you answered.

“mhn! oh! right, thank you again for them. Are you sure my old pair wouldn't cut it? I’d hate to ruin a new pair of clothes on a side trip” Phil waved his hand in response, as if waving away your worry.

   “awh, I wouldn't worry to much on it. Besides, now that you work for us, you have to be official n’ shit” He grinned at you. “Besides, your clothes were nice for your village, but France and Russia have a bit different climates.” You nodded casually. The idea of visiting new places had you a bit giddy. Yes, you missed your home, but being with the royal family so far has been utterly pleasant.

   “do you have a certain time you would like to leave?” you questioned, your eyes dancing between Techno and Phil for your answer. Techno didn't look up from his food, expecting Phil to answer for him.

   “we’ll probably just end up sending a servant to wake you up. We don't have a specific time yet, but we know it will probably be early. Mostly so we can reach land on time. Techno has the map’s ready for tomorrow with the stops marked. fuel n’ stuff will probably draw us back time wise.” Phil poked at his food well he talked, moving a bit of the food to a nice size bite. “We don't have a designated time we have to return. But we also don't want to be gone from the palace long.” you tilted your head a bit, looking to Phil.

   “why don't you want to be gone long?” You assumed it was because they liked being in the comfort of their own home, but you also had a feeling it was something beyond that. Phil’s brow had came together in a bit of... frustration? 

   “we cant be gone long because the Governor's get antsy..." this was the first time you herd Phil's voice drop. It wasn't his casual light hearted tone, instead it was replaced with a deep, meaningful, yet precise tone. He knew what he wanted to say, and he knew exactly what he had to say. "We can't take Wilbur with us since he’s too young. It's also best to have someone to look over the palace in our absence."

   You set your fork down as you finished your plate. Mimicking how techno piled his plates. "Why do they get antsy?" You couldn't help your curiosity on this matter. ‘Did the Governor's not like them gone?’

   "Because they feel Wilbur is more fit to Rule. It's utter bullshit" Phil had a lot of pressed emotion on that topic. You could tell just from how he now handled and moved his fork. Usually he had a easy grip, loose moving it about his plate. But now his knuckles were a tad white, and his grip was much more secure. "Don't mistake my words, Wilbur could rule. He'd be a bloody brilliant king too. But Techno is my oldest son. The crown falls to him. Plain and simple. But They think, that because Techno isn't my blood, that it doesn't count." His words started becoming sharper and more hateful. He dropped his fork on his plate at this point out of anger. Even Techno who never moves his head much, Or talk for that matter, had moved his head to face Phil. Techno addressed his father.

   "Dadza..." you were a bit shocked, his tone wasn't as monotone. His voice showed his concern, or maybe his understanding. Phil only looked at his plate before he looked up with a breath.

   "I cant leave Wil because they pressure him. They pressure him into the thought of marriage with his best friend, into dethroning techno, last time the fucker's brought up killin’ tech and I" Phil leaned back in his chair a bit.

   Phil sighed again. Looking up at Wilbur with kind eyes, the hate from his previous thoughts wiped free. "I hate leaving him with that much pressure. He's only twelve".

   After the dinner everyone slowly retired to their rooms. Techno had stolen Phil again for some last minute run by plans, so in his stead Wilbur walked you to your room. You both didn't Talk long however, you both were aware that you would be up early the next day. Oh yeah, you were definitely up early. The sun hadn't rose yet and you were already being shaken awake by one of the maids. Telling you that Techno and Phil were patiently waiting. you hurried to change not wanting to leave them waiting any longer. 

   When you saw them in the hall you had just thrown your cloak and cape over your shoulders. The new attire Phil had made for you was just mostly more layers. This way if you got warm you could shed a few, or vise versa when you were cold.

   “I'm so sorry I kept you waiting-” you stopped mid sentence you couldn't believe what you saw. If anyone could have seen your face, they may have assumed you had witnessed a murder for the way your jaw hung open.

   There stood Techno in front of you, Phil by his side. But that's not what had your mouth open. Techno’s mask was long discarded, and by the gods was he good looking. Maybe not in the typical sense of beauty standards, but to you he was ethereal. He had scars, yes, but that only added to him. Maybe if he didn't have the scars he would have blown the beauty standard of Handsome, but speaking for yourself you prefer him with the scars. You definitely prefer the scars. There was a small scar over his lip. Then one larger one across his brow bone that dragged down to his cheek. From how the larger one appeared, you could only assume how long it took for it to heal. His eyes were delicate, but they danced ablaze. they were brown, but almost borderline red tinted. Without his mask you could see that he had a rather soft, natural appearance. He was young, younger than you assumed. He looked only about seventeen. The way he was dressed made him look like a casual, young gentleman you would have found on the street. you almost couldn't believe he was the feared Emperor. He must have noticed your lingering eyes, because his lips moved into the ever slightest bemused smirk. When you saw his expression you couldn't help the heat that flushed your cheeks. Worst of all is you could feel your heated cheeks, and that just made you redder from embarrassment. If this was how the trip was going to start, you were in for a long bumpy ride.

   “Hello, princess” was all he said. He was purposefully poking at you now. He just learned he had a big effect on you, and oh boy was he ready to torment you with it. You could only avert your eyes, you had nothing to say against that. You didn't even know where to begin with it all. it took you a moment to process. Phil still stood beside Techno, his hand rubbed at his mouth a bit to muffle the chuckle he had.

   “w...where’s your skull?... a-aren’t you traveling with it?” oh great, yeah your voice definitely, wasn't taking your side on trying to compose yourself. Techno hummed, he was really amused now.

   “Hm? Here I thought you would have preferred this... what a shame, I even shaved.” techno ran his large but delicate hand over his jaw and neck, the rings on his fingers stuck out against his skin. Phil laughed vocally now. The little shit was enjoying this. techno adjusted his stance and crossed his arms. He just held a bemused smirk, oh you so wished nothing more than to rub it off. You didn't care if he was a royal, if you thought you could take him, you would have.

   “Ok techno, that's enough, don't want her too red now. she might try and off ya’” Oh don't worry Phil you already thought about it. “don't worry about making us wait either kiddo, we had to get a few things ready anyway” you looked up at Phil as your cheeks finally started to return to normal.

   “What were you getting?” you inquired, your brows slightly furrowed.

   “This” Techno said, offering a sheath to you. You looked up to him and back down to it. It was a sword, not the one you made, but a different one. “We cant have you defenseless on your trip with us” You hesitated. you knew this was the wrong time to admit that you didn't know how to fight with a sword. You gently took it, parting the blade from its sheath to look it over. It was well made that's for sure, basic Iron, but still strong.

   “Your Imperial Majesty...” you were thankful for the sword but, again. you didn't know how to use it. you made them, but you were never taught on how to use one. Your mother forbid it, saying that you already took a man’s trade, there was no need for you to dirty yourself further down the path. “I... I cant...” Techno’s brow lifted in question. “I... d-don't know how to use it...” You felt shame take over you. Fully prepared for them to laugh at you. Instead Phil offered you a slightly surprised look. Techno only made a ‘Heh?’.

   “You don't know how to use a sword?” you could only shake your head, looking down slowly. Phil placed his hand on your shoulder reassuringly, moving his head down so he could face you. “Hey... Hey, your ok... Tell ya’ what. Well were out on the trip, we’ll show you ok? It’s still good to carry a sword, just incase things go side-ways. But I promise we’ll make sure you don't have to use it then, ok?” you nodded slowly.

   “O-ok, I'm still sorry...” Phil only shook his head, explaining you had nothing to be sorry for. He gently took the sword from you and put it back in it’s case. He told you to lift your arm’s, so that's what you did. He easily maneuvered the belt around your waist and secured the sword your hip. Almost like he would have done to his own kids. The weight of it would have to be something to get used to, but you were thankful that they were not mad or disappointed in you.

   The three of you walked to where all the planes were kept. this is where Phil offered you a choice. “Would you like to ride with Techno or I?” Oh, so you had to pick. You gave them a brief blank look. 

   “I figured I would be riding with you, Phil” You did assume you were just going to ride with him, but you also didnt want to be with techno if he was strickly in a teasing mood. Phil only smiled and nodded. 

   “Alright’ lets get going then” was all he said. Techno walked passed you and Phil. Making his way over to his plane, there was a heavier cloak waiting on the wing. Techno’s plane was different from the other ones, not physically. His had a crown on the side along with the signa, probably to shownit was the Rulers. He effortlessly threw the heavy cloak over his shoulder and stepped up on the wing. His arm reaching out to pull himself up. jumping into the cockpit easily.

   Phil handed you a similar cloak. “it’s colder right now due to the sun being down. you will definitely want this.” you nodded and took it with a ‘thank you’. well you put it on Phil had stepped up onto the wing. pulling his cloak on. He offered his hand down again like he did the last time you flew. His wings were spread out behind him, enjoying the freedom they had before they would be confined. when you took his hand he pulled you up effortlessly. letting you steady yourself before he lifted you up to the cockpit, assisting you in. when you were all situated the planes roared to life. Techno faced Phil and sent a nod. A wordless que. Phil sent a nod back before they both started moving together. Soon before you knew it, you were back in the air heading home.

@goldensunshineshit @snobunns @olyink @lolitsellieletsgobro @jackalopedoodles @angelic-scent @coolleviauchihadreamerlove @artsimatsu @justabalroginthenet @seme1e @fangirl570 @sweeetteaa @awlawdtheycoming @idkwhatusernametohave

[avengerscompound]

Small Gods: The Still of the Forest - 4

The Still of the Forest:  A Bruce Banner Fanfic

The Still of the Forest Masterlist | More Small Gods PREVIOUS //

Buy me a ☕ Character Pairing:  Bruce Banner x F!Reader

Rating: E

Word Count:  1826

Warnings: Stress, Mentions of Bruce’s DID, some foreplay

Synopsis: Bruce has been existing in a perpetual state of stress in an attempt to keep the Hulk at bay.  What he needs is rest.  Somewhere peaceful where he doesn’t have to worry about hurting anyone and he can just let go.  He needs the still of the forest and maybe - if he’s lucky - someone to share it with him.

Chapter 4

There was a reason Bruce liked science so much.  His life had always been chaos.  A violently abusive father that beat both him and his mother regularly until the day he murdered his mother and Bruce was taken to live with his aunt and cousin.  Bullies that tormented him at school because he was quiet and withdrawn and very, very smart.  The fact this his own psyche had shattered at such a young age so that he wasn’t even always in control of his own body.  That his mind had over the years, been shared with five other complete personalities.

Yet, science made sense.  You would form a hypothesis.  Find an experiment to test it.  If the results could be replicated consistently under the same parameters, then you had a full-blown scientific theory.  Science held the answer to all the questions in the chaotic world, creating an order that comforted Bruce.  If things could be predicted, if they could be categorized, then they made sense, and if they made sense all this shit didn’t happen for no reason.

He threw himself into his work when he got back from his picnic with you in the forest, studying your blood and DNA.  He found it was both different from Thor’s and the other Asgardians, and it was different from that of a human.  Yet it shared similarities to both.  There was a core part of the DNA that was shared between all three DNA types.  Separated by thousands of years, but a common ancestor.  Bruce wondered if Asgardians - or protoasgardians - had come to earth in the past and spread their seed through humanity enough that they were now related, and perhaps whatever species you were, it was an evolutionary branch of that with a stronger connection to whatever force it was that was currently known as magic.

There was an interesting shared trait between you and Thor.  Your telomere chains were very short compared to that of humans, and yet they self-corrected in a way that they didn’t in humans.  Each copy was identical to the one before, instead of breaking down in the DNA of humans over time.  Bruce wondered if this could explain the long lifespans in the Asgardians and if you had been telling the truth - you as well.

He decided that if he was going to learn more about you, he was going to need to spend more time with you.

He started to make trips into the forest every week.   At first, there was a tentativeness between the two of you.  Neither quite trusting themselves of each other and both not wanting to scare the other off.  Over the weeks that tentativeness evaporated and was gradually replaced with an eagerness.  Bruce loved learning more about you.  He loved how relaxed you made him feel.  He loved that in the hour or two where he sat and spoke with you he wasn’t caught up with all the terrible things that could happen in the world, or all the things that could happen to him personally, and he could just relax.  No Hulk.  None of the others.  Just him and you sitting in the cool quiet of the forest, with the whole universe looking down from above.

You seemed to like the company.

No… that wasn’t right.  For whatever reason, you seemed to like his company.  That wasn’t always something he could trust.  Yes, he had good friends.  Yes, he’d even dated and had serious relationships before with some beautiful and intelligent women, but still, it was hard to shake the years of being asked out as a joke and laughed at if he ever tried to make the first move.  It was hard to shake the fact that before he’d met the Avengers he’d struggled finding friends, and only ever had one or two at a time.

Yet, you always seemed so happy to see him.  After a month you began to come skipping out of the trees and drilling him with questions.  After two when you sat with him, it was always so that you were touching.  Usually just with your leg or arm pressed against his, but lately, you’d started curling into his side and he was starting to realize that the initial physical attraction he had toward you, might be turning into a romantic attraction too.

“What’s this one?” you asked, picking up a piece of star fruit from the fruit plater he’d bought with him today.  He’d discover that he really enjoyed bringing you things you’d never tried before, and it turned out, there were a lot of things you hadn’t tried before.  You had a preference for raw food, but you were very limited to what could be found in your immediate area.  He’d gone on several little forage trips with you, picking native berries and mushrooms and digging up truffles.  The new hobby was quite enjoyable and he had started considering adding a botany Ph.D. to the seven he already had.  The limit of your own experience meant that everything he brought you was new and interesting and he loved watching you discover things.  He recognized that look of enjoying newly acquired knowledge.  It was one of the feelings that got him up in the morning.

“Star Fruit or Carambola,” Bruce explained.  It’s native to South East Asia.  They’re sweet and crispy.”

You took a bite and smiled happily as she chewed it.  It crushed between your teeth and the juice dribbled down your chin.

Bruce ran his thumb over your chin to wipe it off and your tongue darted out and licked it from the pad of his thumb.  Bruce froze and his heart started hammering in his chest.  You watched him, your eyes flicking from where his hand had frozen mid-air, to his eyes and back again.  You put his hand on his thigh and leaned in, wrapping your lips around his thumb and sucking on it.  Bruce groaned, and it was like a dam broke inside him.  All these desires and reactions and needs he’d been holding back since he ran from Betty all those years ago game bubbling out and he leaned forward and kissed you.

It was deep, and intense, and heated, and he let it take over him.  He was always so afraid of the Hulk in situations like this, but he couldn’t feel him at all.  Wherever the other guy was he was either sleeping or happy to enjoy the show.

You moved to your knees, not breaking the kiss, and started to move closer to him.   When you were immediately in front of him, you tentatively wrapped your arms around his shoulders.  Bruce responded in kind, wrapping his arms around your waist and drawing you in closer.

The kiss was a strange blend of tentative exploration and deep passion.  Both inexperienced and unsure, but wanting and desperate.  Bruce tilted his head and his tongue flicked out as he deepened the kiss further.  You moaned softly and climbed into his lap.  His cock twitched and hardened in his pants and for the first time since the accident that gave the Hulk his own form, Bruce wasn’t worried. He let his arousal grow, feeding his desire.  He splayed one hand out on the middle of your back and the other he cradled the base of your skull.  Your hands bunched into his shirt, holding him tightly as you moved your lips with his and matched his passion.

As his cock strained in his pants and pressed against you, you began grinding on it, creating warm friction over his clothed shaft.  He groaned louder and pushed up against you, trying to deepen it.

It was you that broke first.  Pulling back and leaned your forehead against his as you breathed heavily.  “That was… amazing… but I need to stop.”

Bruce did so without hesitation, taking his hands off you and moving them to the ground beside him.  He was never the type to push people further than they were comfortable, even before he had a big green problem that came out when people did the same to him.  “Okay.  Are you okay?  I didn’t go too fast?”

“No,” you said quickly, shaking your head and putting your hands on his neck reassuringly.  “I am in your lap.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, you are,” he agreed.  “Still… I don’t…”

“You didn’t,” you assured him.  “It’s just been so long for me, I’ve forgotten what it’s like.  There were more of us once.  We could do different things.  The cool of the water.  The scent of fresh flowers.  The swish of long grass on a sunny day.   The should of hoofbeats during a hunt.  We were what people needed and wanted and we fed off that and then people started wanting different things.  They carved up our homes and I don’t even know if everyone survived.  I am so much weaker than I used to be Bruce.  We used to gather together.  We had friends and lovers and it was good. And I haven’t seen any of them for so long.  And I’ve never… not with a human.  So…”

Bruce’s heart broke for you.  He knew what it was like to be alone and to feel like you had no one, but at least there were always people around.  He could go order a sandwich or a drink from someone and have some contact.  To go, god knows how long with no contact at all was horrifying.  “I’m not going anywhere,” he said.  “And we never have to… you know?”

You leaned your forehead against his again and caressed his cheeks with your thumbs.  “I appreciate that, Bruce Banner,” you said.

He tilted his head and kissed your cheek.  “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything,” you said.

“Can you leave here?  Come to the compound?  Go for a drive?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” you admitted.  “I used to be able to go into human dwellings back before.  When they were simple.  Now I feel weak when I am near them.  I tried to go into the town here years ago and nearly lost myself completely.  I think it would be dangerous.”

He nodded as a range of ideas came to him.  He wanted to bring you to your kind, though he wasn’t sure where they might be or how to do it.  He’d work on it though.  Finding out how things worked so he could solve problems like this was what he was good at.

“Bruce,” you said, softly.

He raised his eyes to meet yours.  “Yes?”

“Can we lie together?”

He smiled and nodded.  You climbed off his lap and when the picnic was returned to the basket the two of you lay down together.  Bruce wrapped you in his arms and held you close.  You closed your eyes and he looked up at the canopy, relaxing in the quiet and peace of the forest with you.  Truly letting himself appreciate it.

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