#he has become more open-minded over the years....skeptical but welcome to be proven wrong i would say

[clemencetaught]

this applies to all verses, but more so to verse one specifically, but patrick is agnostic, leaning more towards atheist. originally he was brought up christian both by his birth parents and his adoptive parents and while he never was a serious practitioner, he always did vaguely question it...but it was never something he seriously thought about.

this, however, changed drastically as a result of felicity's death. his reasoning is that: "if there truly is such thing as a benevolent god, then what happened to felicity and the others would have never occurred in the first place."

[hqprotectionsquad]

Sunlight (Kunimi x Reader)

Title: Sunlight Ship: Kunimi x Reader Word Count: 1,568 Summary: Kunimi takes you home after he is dragged on a double date with Oikawa and his crush.  A/N: cross posted from my Wattpad!

Kunimi leans into the desk chair, scanning the classroom. Deep breath in, deep breath out. No need for anyone to see that he is having an internal breakdown. His face is stone-cold, with his eyes as dull as usual, but his head is clattered with memories and thoughts, and most importantly, a realization that shook his form in the first place: he developed feelings for you.

For him, this is huge. He hasn't had a crush since junior high, and even then, he found the idea of a prospering relationship too much to handle. Now, while his perspective toward romance has matured, he wants his feelings to be like milk, spoiled once exposed to the elements. He just needs a few reasons to create a barrier between his brain and his heart. Maybe you have a bad habit of dog-earring your pages or you chew too loud or you tend to speak on the sarcastic side. Something. Anything.

Volleyball practice arrives and Kunimi pinpoints the original source of the "problem," as he wants to call this thing that's taken over his mind. This man with perfectly styled hair is ultimately the reason why you and your best friend even come to the volleyball games and while it isn't as hard to talk to Ritsuko, you are a little more difficult, only because Kunimi can't look at you in the eyes. Oikawa approaches Kunimi at the end of practice, glowing and glistening instead of appearing sweaty like everyone else. "Kunimi-chan, will you be meeting up with me, (L/N)-chan, and Ri-chan after we finish here today? I could use a friend to help me seal the deal with Ri-chan and she'll only come if (L/N)-chan comes."

Kunimi slings the towel around the crook of his elbow but all he really wants to do with the sweat-sopped thing is throw it into Oikawa's face. Is he really indirectly pushing the limits to his brain? Oikawa wouldn't know anything about it but Kunimi has nothing to do today and his mom is always nagging him to spend time with his friends instead of reading inside or peppering a volleyball by himself. Kunimi replies coolly, "Sure. What are we doing?"

"Cafe study date, of course!" Oikawa sips from his water bottle, but the corner of his lips form a grin. "I hope we do more talking than studying but you never know. Ri-chan and (Y/N)-chan are so studious sometimes."

"I see." Kunimi nods and gathers his things. "I'll meet you in twenty."

"Okay!" Oikawa's thumb and index finger meet to make a circle. "Say hi to them if you see them before I do! They'll be stopping by the gym. See you!"

Once Kunimi gets into the shower, he does everything he can to prevent himself from banging his head against the tiled wall. The water from the shower head rolls onto his body, then off into the drain. Why did he even agree to this? He is just going to shut off, like the robot everyone says he is. This is a mistake.

"Do you understand what they're talking about?" You lean over to whisper in Kunimi's ear. He shakes his head with a frown in response.

Across the table, your best friend and Oikawa are discussing what seems to be school but also flirting with every other word. You didn't think that was possible up until that moment. Ri-chan always goes for the studious kind, which is kind of the reason why you were so skeptical when she asked you to accompany her to this study session. Oikawa never struck you as the smart guy, but here you were, proven wrong, apparently. Kunimi, on the other hand, is quiet, but it appears that he cares a lot about his grades because he actually is studying for an exam he has next week, according to him.

"What are you working on?" You nudge Kunimi's elbow with yours and at first, it looks like he's about to lash out at you. You scoot into the back of your chair, folding your arms. He doesn't seem invested in his work and he sets his pencil to the side.

"A math assignment." His voice is everything but a murmur. "What are you working on, (L/N)-chan?" Your name doesn't roll off as easy as you thought it would, and you can't help but to wonder if his would sound weird in your mouth too.

"An essay for Japanese literature. I don't really understand it though." Your lips form a thin line before you force yourself to take a sip from your latte. If you were going to spend nearly 600 yen on a drink, you needed to finish it.

"I see." Kunimi nodded and looked outside the window, no longer paying attention to you. You know that he's not an outgoing person, but with Ri-chan and Oikawa doing all sorts of things across the table, you wish you had a more receptive person to the left of you.

Ri-chan pushes herself out of the table with her eyes wide open. "Ah! I need to go pick up Haru-kun!" Her brother, only five, gets picked up. You remember meeting him for the first time and you understand why Ri-chan goes out of her way for her sibling. He is one of the shiest things on this earth.

"Let me come with you, Ri-chan! So that you won't have to go alone." Oikawa suggests with his million-yen smile and she graciously accepts.

"I apologize, Kunimi-san and (Y/N)," Ri-chan's words come out fast and muddled. They bow to the both of you before taking their leave. The bell at the top of the door resounds in your ears over and over. Did that just really happen? You ask yourself. You glance over to Kunimi's expression and it seems that he reacted similarly.

"Er, I suppose I should take you home then." Kunimi offers after noticing your cup drew empty a while ago.

"Yeah, there isn't much point to staying after they've left anyway." You shrug, placing your notebook and pencils back into your school bag. After zipping up and thanking the server for the food and beverages, you motion for him to lead the way out.

He does and he barely looks at you before heading off into a direction. "Kunimi, my house is the other way," you pant after needing to run after him. He isn't necessarily fast, but he is persistent.

"Oh. Okay." To you, it looks like Kunimi is one to only work, but you know from watching him over the year you've known of him that he doesn't even work sometimes. What is the turmoil behind his eyes? What is he thinking about?

This time, you lead the way but you make sure you stand next to him. Now that you're side by side, you need to roll your eyes up to your eyebrows to properly have a look at him. Soft threads of hair, a fit and capable body, but saddest of all, his eyes evoke stirring into your heart. When was the last time someone really got to know him?

"Kunimi-san, if you don't mind me asking," you begin as your scenery changes from the hustle of the city center to the suburbs where most people live. "Do you have friends from outside of the volleyball team?"

"Not really," he replies.

"Why not?"

"I don't go out of my way to make new friends." It is simple and the truth, but it stings your eyes.

"Right." You nod, pushing down the stone in your throat. "Have you ever wanted to become friends with other people?"

"I guess," he mutters as you turn a corner and he follows suit, shoving his hands in his front pockets. "It doesn't really matter to me whether or not I have friends."

"Isn't it a little lonely though?" You prod more, seeing if he'll say anything or do anything. You can't really imagine yourself going further out of your current friend group either, but your group is diverse in all the activities you do. No one person shares all the same ones, which makes conversations exciting.

"Sometimes."

His words trail into a deafening silence. You walk for what you believe is hours and you continue toward your home. The next time he looks at you is when you arrive at the gate of your family home. It is modest, but it is perfect for a family like yours.

"Thank you for bringing me home." You smile as you fish for your keys in your bag, holding out the strap with one hand.

"You're welcome, (L/N)-san." His grin is a ghost, only seen for a second, but you catch it.

"You have a nice smile," you comment softly and shake your head. He isn't looking for new friends, you remind yourself. Your voice raises in dynamics when you say, "So! How far away do you live from here?"

"Maybe...20 minutes." He scratches his head with one of his fingers.

"You should've told me! Your house is far from here!" You go as far as slapping him lightly on the arm, but he doesn't really react.

"It's okay. I wanted to." His small smile returns. The sun streams through the tree on the sidewalk and when it hits Kunimi, it washes over his features with a soft glow. No longer does he look dull, he shines brighter than ever.

[lilacmoon83]

Witness Protection

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 4: Hidden in Bliss

Mary Margaret smiled at the wonder on her student's faces, as the tiny blue bird perched itself on her finger. For as long as she could remember, she had always had an affinity for birds. Other children always thought she was the weird bird girl, but then she had always known she was different from other people. Her father was a monster and she had somehow escaped him. She and her husband would likely have to be in witness protection for the rest of their lives, but that was fine with her, as long as she could be with the love of her life and their baby.

To the town, they were David and Mary Margaret Swan, newlyweds that had come to them almost two years ago now, just married and pregnant, though the people had taken to calling her Margaret. Margaret taught fourth grade and David was Sheriff Graham's new deputy. They fit in famously well with most of the townspeople, becoming quick friends with Archie Hopper, the town therapist, Ruby Lucas, who had become their best friend, along with her Granny that owned the diner and Inn, and two couples, Fred and Abigail Midas, as well as Lance and Gwen Knight. Most everyone had been very welcoming to this young couple with a baby joining their community. All except the Mayor, Fiona Gold, who seemed to loathe them from day one. She had tried to protest Graham's hiring of David as his deputy, even though her husband came with an impressive record as a detective in Seattle. And she hadn't liked the school hiring Margaret either. Granny had explained that the Mayor didn't like outsiders in her town. Which seemed a bit weird and as a cop, it made David naturally wonder just what the Mayor might be hiding. Despite her though, they loved their new home and hoped they weren't found and forced to leave it.

They still kept in close contact with Roni and Rogers back in Seattle and much had changed there in the last two years as well. After having a one night stand with a woman named Eloise shortly after they left town, Rogers was surprised about a year ago with a baby outside his apartment. Eloise left a note saying that it was his daughter and she didn't want to care for her. And though he was in shock, Rogers took his child in and instantly fell in love with her, vowing not to fail her where her mother had. His little girl's name was Alice and she was only about a year younger than Emma and Roni adored Alice as much as her father. It made Mary Margaret hope that they could be reunited with their friends someday. For now, they were content and grateful that they had been able to stay in this new home for as long as they had. And they hoped it continued, for this small town was proving to be the perfect place to raise their baby.

She gently let the bird out the window and it flew to the bird feeder just outside. Her students marveled at that, just as the bell rang and they filed out. She watched them leave fondly and then started picking up for the day. She loved their life in this town, but in the back of her mind, she wondered how long it could last. It scared her, for it was one thing for her and David to be on the run, but to have to take Emma into that sort of life was another entirely. She prayed everyday that they wouldn't be found and though threats from her father had seemingly gone quiet in the last couple years, she and David hadn't let their guard down. As much as she hated it, she knew her father was still looking for her and she knew that he knew she had a child with David too. She shuddered to think about how he still wanted to destroy the beautiful life they had created together. But all her fears and worries melted away momentarily at the sound of a little voice.

"Mommy!" Emma called, as David let her down and she toddled to her mother.

"There's my munchkin," she cooed, as she scooped her up, as her husband walked toward them and kissed her tenderly.

"You're off early," she mentioned, as she was usually the one to pick up Emma from daycare.

"The perks of living in a small, quiet town," he replied, as he dropped a kiss on Emma's head too.

"Show Mommy what you made in daycare," he reminded, as Emma showed her the piece of purple construction paper she was carrying. Mary Margaret gasped.

"Oh sweetheart...it's so beautiful," she praised her daughter's drawing, which included a sun with a rainbow in the sky and three stick figures, which represented their family.

"We'll put it on the fridge when we get home," she promised, as she kissed her hair. She then got her things and joined hands with her husband, as they left her classroom.

"How about Granny's?" she proposed.

"Yay!" Emma cheered. David smiled.

"Sounds great to me," he agreed, as they strolled out to the car, unaware that someone watch watching and snapping pictures of them.

~*~

Seattle

Leopold looked up from his desk, as his head of security, Rivers, walked into his office.

"More photos just in from our contact," he said, offering the file folder to his boss. Leopold opened it and looked through them. It was much of the same as the rest of the photos taken over the past two weeks. Finally, after two years, he had found his daughter. But this time, he was taking a bit of a different approach.

"Boss...we know where they are, but you haven't issued any orders yet," Rivers stated.

"Because somehow Weaver is always one step ahead and manages to get them out before we can get to them. Plus...as much as I hate admitting it, my daughter's husband has been proven to be quite formidable, especially when it comes to taking what is mine. So this time...I'm taking another approach," he said, as he picked up the phone.

"Fuel the jet and standby," he told his pilot.

"So we're taking the jet there?" Rivers asked.

"No...because the moment my jet takes off, Weaver will somehow get our flight plan and warn them. So we're going to let him by sending the jet off to Los Angeles on a business trip," Leopold stated.

"Meanwhile, I have a first class ticket under an alias to Portland, Maine. And from there, it's a mere two hour driver to...Storybrooke. I'm going to visit my lovely daughter like any good father," he added.

"Alone Sir?" Rivers asked skeptically.

"Yes...after all, what threat does an old man like me pose to anyone?" Leopold asked. Rivers smirked, as he got exactly where he was going with this.

"That's...ingenious. I guess that's why you're the billionaire," Rivers complimented. Leopold smirked deviously, finished his drink, and left to prepare for his trip.

~*~

Mary Margaret bit her bottom lip and smiled indulgently, as she watched her husband feed their daughter bites of ice cream. And she felt her heart flutter when they smiled at each other with the exact same smile. David looked up to see her gazing at them with a dreamy stare and smiled at her too.

"What?" he asked.

"Just staring at the loves of my life," she answered. She never imagined falling in love and then when she did, she hadn't imagined actually having a baby. She couldn't believe that it was just four years ago when she walked into her father's living room and witnessed his men putting a bullet into a man's head. A man that had been on his knees, begging for his life. It had shocked her to the core and changed her life forever.

~*~

As the body fell to the floor with a thud, her father and his men stared at her and Leopold was quick to snap his fingers.

"Close the door," he ordered, as one of his bodyguards did as he requested.

"Mary, my dear...what are you doing here?" he questioned.

"This...this is my home," she stammered, as her eyes were still locked on the body.

"You are early...the party is not for a few more hours," he chided. She looked at him in disbelief. He had just ordered the murder of someone and watched them die. And now he was talking about parties?

"Father...what have you done?" she blurted out. But he put his hands on her arms, which made her skin crawl.

"He was a very bad man, my daughter," he admonished.

~*~

But she knew better. She knew that it was her father that was the bad man. She had just been sheltered from his evil before that moment. And what had happened next was one of those make or break moments that defined a person's life. Had she not made a move to escape that night, her life would have turned out very differently. She would have been trapped in her father's web of evil and become his victim in the most horrifying ways.

~*~

"Don't worry...all traces of him will be gone before your party. Perhaps you'd like to relax in a bath before your guests arrive," he leered and she jumped, as his hands went to her waist. And what she saw in his eyes when she turned was a lustful stare that frightened her to her very core.

"Don't touch me…" she blurted out.

"You are my daughter, Mary. I must make sure you are okay after what you walked in on," he said, as he kept advancing, while she kept backing away.

"No...you want to make sure I don't tell anyone you just murdered someone! And you want to do things to me that a father should never do to his daughter," she spat.

"Mary...you belong by my side, just as your mother did. Is it so wrong for a father to love his daughter so much as I do?" he questioned.

"Yes!" she said hotly.

"Fathers are not supposed to love their daughters this way," she protested.

"I am Leopold Blanchard, practically King of Seattle. You know that no one tells me no…" he warned, as she kept backing away.

"I always have what I want," he added and in a moment of pure clarity, she stopped seeing her father and saw a monster instead. It would be the thing that saved her that night, as she picked up a lamp and broke it over his head.

~*~

That had led her fleeing to Hyperion Heights and directly to her friend's bar. Roni had promptly drove her to the police station in Hyperion Heights where she met Detective Rogers and his rookie detective partner that would become her husband and the father of her baby.

~*~

"Yes...you are still in a lot of danger, Miss Blanchard. If your father gets his hands on you again, I daresay he'll either kill you for knowing too much or worse things I'm sure none of us want to think about," Weaver said bluntly. She swallowed thickly at that.

"Then what do you suggest?" she asked.

"You are definitely the key to bringing down your father and luckily, I'm going to put my two best detectives on it," Weaver replied.

"While Rogers is investigating him and trying to turn up a body...Nolan will be moving you into witness protection," he said. She looked at Nolan and then back at Weaver.

"So I'm getting a babysitter," she realized.

"I'm not a babysitter," he snapped in return, as they stared at each other.

"I have a safe house in Oregon. You both leave tonight," Weaver said.

~*~

And the rest was history. She had fallen in love with her protector and they escaped to new lives with new identities. They made new friends and were a family. None of their new friends had any inkling of her past or who her powerful father was. And she prayed that it stayed that way. If she had her way, she'd never have to see her evil father again and they could stay in this wonderful town and raise their family. A family that would soon be growing, she thought, as she put a hand to her still flat abdomen. She hadn't told him yet, but planned to after they put Emma to bed tonight. He smiled at her from across the table, as Ruby picked up their plates.

"Thanks Rubes," Mary said.

"Three cocoas?" she asked and they nodded. Cocoa and a walk in the park on the way home would be the perfect ending to their already perfect evening.

~*~

Rogers rifled through the files on his desk, as he prepared to take a few home to read over that evening. He was about to leave to pick up Alice and peered into Weaver's office.

"Anything on the Leopold Blanchard front? You mentioned earlier that he was leaving town," Rogers replied. They were always leery when that happened, for there was fear that he may have found them. But Weaver shook his head.

"I just got the flight plan and his private jet just touched down in Los Angeles. Probably another lucrative business trip," Weaver responded. Rogers was relieved at that. He hated that Leopold Blanchard still got to conduct the day to day operations of his business, which they knew was full of illegal dealings; none of which they could prove. But at least he hadn't found David and Mary Margaret.

"Well...in that case, I'm out of here for the evening," he mentioned, as he made his way to his car to pick up his little starfish.

~*~

The commercial plane touched down in Portland, Maine late that night and Leopold disembarked at the airport. A car was waiting to take him to a five star hotel for the evening and then tomorrow, a rental car would be waiting for him. He would drive to this small town that his daughter was hidden away from him and he would finally see her again. By dinnertime tomorrow, he would find her and meet his granddaughter as well...