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stereksecretsanta · 5 years ago

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Merry Christmas, @nerderek!

Happy Holidays! This was a hard one but I think i did alright. I truly hope you are pleased with your gift and that its somewhat what you wanted. I went for cute. I hope it is.

Read on AO3

*****

The lost and found

There he was. Again.

Derek could smell him, sense him among the trees. He grumbled as he rose from the chair on the porch. The woods rustling and the wind howling between the treetops. Never a calm minute and it always, always happened on his fucking watch. Well, except that one time where Isaac had heard the moaning and whimpering instead. Needless to say, he had panicked and rushed into the Woods only to learn it was a common occurrence. So, Derek didn’t rush, he didn’t run. The boy would be there lost as always. Fucking humans. He just hoped he hadn’t sprained anything this time.

As per usual he took his time, a nice stroll letting his nose guide him to the offending smell of slight panic and cinnamon. He sat by a tree this time, his hair sticking up in any directions, a twig caught in the middle of it all.

"You got lost again" Derek started, he put his arms across his chest and tried to look a little bit intimidating.

"Lost is just a matter of perspective. I knew you would find me as usual so was I really lost?" the boy said between teeth clattering and his body shivering. Smart ass.

Derek sighed and let his arms fall down again. "You are still lost, if I leave you here, you will be lost". It was a matter of fact and Derek wanted to drive his point forward, all the way home.

"Always so grumpy, but thank you, I knew I could count on you to find me." the boy smiled, he had said his name the first time but Derek had forgotten because that was the only time he’d been worried out of his mind as the boy had been shivering out of his clothes. On his family territory. He didn’t dare ask for it again, because that would imply that he was interested in knowing more about the boy. He was but he sure as hell didn’t want the boy to know that.

"If you truly knew that you wouldn’t panic" Derek sighed. “And you are.”

"I plead the fifth." The boy smiled tiredly, and Derek sighed. Again.

Then Derek asked what he would probably regret but during these multiple times this boy had been picked up by him an Isaac in these woods he hadn’t asked, and he was curious.

"Why are you even doing this time and time again? Do you like being lost in a forest with demons and ghouls and werewolves?” To drive that one home, he let his eyes shine an unnatural blue. The boy took a small step backwards but otherwise weren’t visibly put off.

"One, its werewolves and pixies, possibly a shapeshifter or two. And secondly, I have my reasons, and it’s a nice bonus to have hot werewolves come pick you up when you fail. But my reason are mine alone". He shrugged as he walked past Derek. Hot werewolves. He shouldn’t be blushing, but he was.

Derek walked after him "Fine, but you do know this is technically private property and that you could just stop coming here and stop getting lost?” he grabbed the boys shoulder just as he were about to walk into a root and possible fall to his death. “And if you keep walking ahead of me, we will both be lost.”

The boy put his hands up in mock surrender but stepped behind Derek instead. "It’s your property but it’s also a preserve which means you have the rights to decide what the ground is used for and you choose to welcome the public. The fact that everyone is scared of werewolves, that’s you by the way, and stays away is inherently its own problem, but it doesn’t mean that when people stay away its because we don’t have access.”

“It’s because they are scared of us. We know. You’re not scared of wolves?” Derek looked at him and felt a deeper interest then earlier and inwardly groaned.

“Why would I be, you are not animals, you can contain yourselves just like me.” Derek stopped moving, that was a very progressive mindset. They had been public for years, but people tended to keep away from areas they knew wolves lived in for fear of getting killed. The boy continued, looking straight into Derek’s eyes. “I have access to a gun and is one hell of a shot but that doesn’t make me a killer. Having the weapon isn’t the problem its how its used. So put those claws away Mr. Sourwolf and lead me home.” He said as he pushed Derek in front of him. What an odd boy. But he did as he were told. He led him to the car, in silence. The boy talked on, mostly about his car, to which they were heading. He never. Shut. Up.

He waved goodbye as the car drove off this time, instead of fleeing as soon as the boy saw his car. Well man, he drove and apparently had a gun. Strange man. Now Derek couldn’t stop thinking about him. Again.

For two weeks all Derek could do was think about the man and the smell of cinnamon. And those moles. He didn’t want to be that sort of man who listened to his wolf all the time, he knew what damage it could do but when his wolf howled for him to grab the boy and kiss him. He had to fight that one. The look he gave Derek in the woods, going from frozen and wide-eyed to determined with that glint in his eye, that stubbornness. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. No matter what.

He had probably touched himself more than natural the last weeks and he still couldn’t get him out of his mind. And he’d tried so hard to remember his name. Miles? Stuart? Steve?

Even Isaac had picked up on something. And Cora. Laura and the others were away at college, Derek worked, and the two runts were still in high school. Isaac a year behind since his transformation and Cora were, as he and Laura used to put it: just tiny.

“What’s up doucheface. You smell awfully hormonal. Second coming of Christ or second cuming of the hour?” Cora laughed as she sniffed the air. He felt his cheeks redden and damn it. Nothing was holy anymore.

“You are disgusting!” Isaac shouted as he spit out his waffle.

Cora laughed “Well, he smells like he’s done nothing but looking at porn for days.”

“Do you need to be so blunt sweetheart?” Talia sighed as she came into the kitchen. “And Isaac honey, don’t spit out your food like that. You are not an animal, use a napkin.”

“Yes Ma’am.” He ducked his head as he picked up a napkin. Isaac had been with them for almost three years but were still a little bit scared of Talia sometimes. This was not really one of them, but he tended to keep on her good side. “Derek, I suppose you met someone new?” she continued, and her smirk looked an awful lot like Cora’s.

“Yeah Der-bear, who you been seeing.” She grinned from behind her waffle. “It’s either his right hand or maybe the left if he’s adventurous.” Cora said and let out a cackle at Isaacs face of disgust.

“I haven’t met anyone!” he grunted.

“Mhmm. And the pope isn’t wearing a funny hat.” Cora continued.

Isaac took a new timid bite of his next waffle. “Not when he sleeps, he doesn’t.” Then he looked like he figured out the mystery to the universe and Derek felt the rug move under his feet. Not literally, but the world shifted as Isaac took another sniff and decided that he knew. “It’s because of that dude getting lost in the woods all the time isn’t it?” When Derek’s cheeks turned a completely different shade pink he turned and walked out to Isaacs chanting of “I can’t believe it, I was right. No way”.

It took another week before Derek had the unfortune to bump into Miles? again. He had stripped out of his jeans and t-shirt, changing into his running shorts before sprinting out into the woods, leaving Cora and Isaac behind to get ready for school. He ran until everything ached. Until he fell into a pile on the moss and leaves.

He laid there for a while, listening to the birds, the trees and whatever else ran through the trees. Then he smelled it. The cinnamon and lightning. Was he around? Derek had never seen him in daylight before.

He rose slowly, still catching his breath, sniffing the air to find the way to the other man. He sat in a clearing, swearing over a piece of paper. A map Derek guessed.

“Getting lost during daytime now too?” he said as the other man jumped straight up with a yelp. “Not enough to get lost during the night no more?” It looked like the man were about to yell at him before he stuttered out something resembling a baby’s gaggle.

“Wuhu.” He looked Derek over from top to toe and his eyes burned like fire on his torso. “Damn. Sorry.”

“No problem, so Miles, what need you help with today? Finding the fountain of youth?”

“Ha. Ha. It’s Stiles actually. Not Miles.”

“What the hell is a Stiles?” Derek found himself asking, a wrinkle on his forehead.

“Me, I’m a Stiles. Or a Mischief. Up to you, big man.” He caught himself. “Uh, like you are big and broody and. Never mind.” He groaned and Derek chuckled.

“Hey sourwolf, you laughed!” He said and slapped him on the arm jokingly. “At me but whatever.”

“Not at you.” Derek said. “Maybe a little.” Stiles laughed at that before he winced as he stood.

“You okay?”

Stiles grunted “So, so. I sat down too long and now both my legs are sleeping.”

“How long have you been out here?”

“Well. You know how you usually come save me at night?”

Derek looked at him with suspicion. “I do. Go on.”

“Well this time it took a little while longer, you came now.” He said looking almost bashful.

“You have been out here all night?!” Derek growled

Stiles laughed a little but nodded. “Sure thing.”

Derek made a decision and said fuck it. Only his mother was home as of now. Before Stiles could move away Derek scooped him up with a yelp as Stiles nearly fell out of his grasp.

“Stop moving, you’re being carried not going swimming. Be still.” He said and Stiles just looked at him unimpressed.

“Is this a bad touch, because I should remind you of my gunshooting-capacity. Oh god I just touched your bare chest.”

“Is this okay?” Derek asked but he knew the answer. He hoped.

Stiles seemed to mull it over, but the glint of mischief never left his eyes. “Sure, thing Hottie McWerewolf. Just keep your hands of the merchandise.”

“The only bad touch here’s been was when you just now squeezed my pec. You are going to turn out to be a handful, aren’t you?”

Stiles just laughed “Me, did I? I think not. I was in distress I am not in control of my actions. It looked like it was a nice squeeze. I was curious.”

Derek shook his head and walked straight past Stiles jeep and kept walking towards the house.

“You always bring home strays?” Stiles asked as they got close to the porch.

Derek huffed out a laugh. “We have a tendency to, yes.” He sat him down on the porch and let Stiles in before him. As he watched stiles gape in awe at the sight of the foyer and the size of the house Derek got a shirt on and grabbed a few blankets from the couch.

“Come on” he said and guided Stiles into the kitchen. “Sit.” Stiles sat down obediently at the table and Derek handed him two blankets. Stiles must be cold.

“Okay so, wanna tell me why I am in your kitchen?” Stiles asked as Derek tried to find a decent pot that wasn’t in the sink to soak. He fond one and let a frying pan fall to its death with a clanging sound. He showed Stiles the pan and smiled.

“Hot cocoa of course.” He said. “Is that okay?” hoped Stiles didn’t feel cornered. What if he just accidentally kidnapped the man. Stiles seemed to have seen his internal battle.

“Man, I love hot chocolate! Of course, it’s fine. First, I get a first-class rescue, then a damsel carry, and lastly a mug of cocoa?” Stiles kept emphasizing everything with his hands. “You can keep me if you want.” He grinned and Derek felt a blush creeping on again. He just grunted and turned around.

“Derek, introduce me to our guest please.” His mother said sweetly from the door.

“Mom, this is the man who has repeatedly gotten lost in the woods. Stiles this is my mother and Alpha, Talia.”

Stiles nodded and bared his throat a little, not enough for a human to notice but enough to calm a wolf who had a stranger in their closest territory. Derek never ceased to be amazed by how much Stiles knew.

“A pleasure Stiles. Tell me. What are you looking for out there? Regardless of what my other children say I find it unlikely that it is because you keep wanting to see my son.”

Stiles snorted. “No, you are correct, although it’s an amazing bonus.” He seemed to catch himself and realize what he said. “Uhm, I mean. I am looking for things that doesn’t like to be found.”

“Pixies?” Talia asked and sat down at the table.

“I...” Stiles hesitated, like if he told them he wouldn’t ever be able to find it. "I need to find the one place in this wood my mom wrote about before she died. She says she left something there. Literally or not I need to go there.” He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “But it can’t be found unless you are lost. So, I walk into the woods every now and then, hoping I will get lost enough that I will find it." he said in frustration and Derek knew then.

"You are looking for the nemeton." Derek said.

“Sweetheart, we are not just going to take a stranger to the centre of the paranormal occurrence in this town.” Talia said as if she knew exactly what Derek was thinking.

“The what now?” Stiles said as Derek placed a cup of cocoa in his hands. “It’s that big? I thought it would be something cool, like she found a cool magic pocket or something.

“This is the ‘or something’ part of that sweetheart.” Talia chuckled. “Do you know what she left?”

Stiles shook his head. “No idea. Could even be nothing, I loved treasure hunts as a kid, but I never really cared about the prize.” This would be interesting to follow.

After a little bit of awkward silence and a few cups of hot cocoa Derek saw Stiles eyelids begin to drop. He rose and Stiles looked up and mumbled out a soft “Wuhu.” Derek moved to pick him up and Stiles seemed to wake up a little.

“You need to sleep; you have been out in the woods the entire night.” Derek mumbled as Stiles yelped when Derek picked him up, swaddled in blankets.

“Okay caveman take me to bed!” he laughed then stopped abruptly and stuttered out an apology. Derek’s mother laughed from her study, hopefully far away that Stiles wouldn’t hear.

“That came out wrong, I didn’t like, you are hot and all but I, shit.” Stiles said in about two seconds flat. “Forget I ever said anything.” He groaned and Derek chuckled at that.

“Impossible, you never stop talking.” Derek said. “You see a complete stranger in the woods and when he takes you to your car because you get lost, you tell him the car doesn’t have a working lock on the doors or that it runs on duct tape. I could have used that to murder you or something. Isaac came back terrified you would someday die in these woods.”

“First, those were a lot of words, how are your throat. And second, I like to trust people, it also takes away the challenge from the murderers. Or something. I’m tired.”

Derek stopped outside his door. He didn’t know why he hadn’t moved to the spare bedroom, but he had been driven on autopilot by his wolf. And his wolf wanted this boy’s scent on his sheets. “Would you be uncomfortable in someone else’s bed?”

Stiles looked at the door. “Well, this is the start of a very sexy porno I once saw. So, I guess no? Just I want to actually sleep and keep my clothes on. I may also need to call my dad.” Stiles rambled. “Scratch that, I don’t want those two words in the same sentence. Dad and porno that is. Oh god damn I’m gonna shut up now, text my father and then sleep.”

Derek laughed again and it felt liberating. He could hear his mother chuckle warmly at the exchange. “I’m gonna let you do whatever.” He said and Stiles snorted.

“Yeah. I bet you would.” Derek didn’t want to dwell on that for too long, because he was absolutely certain that he would. He didn’t know why but if Stiles said jump, he would ask how high. He would go and dig him out of the forest every night if he had too. His wolf preened at the thought, but he just dumped Stiles on the bed. The man yelped as he hit the mattress but then dragged the pillows closer and started snoring in almost under a minute.

“Mom, I want to take him to the nemeton.” Derek said as he entered his mother study, leaving Stiles behind on his bed. Derek’s bed.

She looked at him and smiled. “Of course, you do. I’m not sure I entirely like it. The boy smells of magic but I trust your instincts love. He seems like a bright young man. He is staying for dinner I presume?”

“Thank you. I don’t know if he will stay for dinner.”

“Of course, he will, you are pulled together either way. I don’t believe he will be leaving us alone once you have showed him the way to the nemeton.” She said as it was a matter of fact.

Derek gaped at his mother. “Oh.” OH. Oh, no. He wasn’t sure he was ready to unpack the whole magic attraction and magic pull just yet but now it had manifested in his mind and his mother saw his panic.

“It’s not the end of the world Derek, there is a stronger attraction, not a coerced bond. Either you will be together for a while, you may have an amazing friendship, or it just won’t be anything. Like real life. It’s just a better match for whatever relationship it may be, a stronger connection. Its not written in stone. Stop panicking and trust whatever ancient magic created this phenomenon.” She said and squeezed his hand.

“But this soon?!” Derek hissed “He doesn’t even know me, I could still be a murderer, so could he to be honest!” Talia laughed.

“I doubt he is a vicious murderer considering how clumsy the boy is. You have felt attraction before I imagine, its no difference, just a stronger pull. Treat it like any other meeting of minds. Respect and consent Derek.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He said as she shooed him out the door. “Wait, what do you mean he smells like magic?”

Stiles woke as the door opened. His mind muddled with sleep and his body heavy and wrapped in blankets and covers. He was not moving. No sire. “No. Go away. I’m comfortable.”

Stiles herd a humming, peaked out from the covers and saw Derek and saw his lips curving into a tiny smile. “Don’t want to go find the mystery of the nemeton?”

Stiles shot up out of bed. He kind of thought he were still dreaming. Why would Derek be in his room. But he was the one in Derek’s room and he had slept in the woods tonight because he went looking for what apparently were called the nemeton. All he had ever known about it was the fact that his mother wrote. Namely that if he wanted to find the last thing, she’d be able to give him he would have to get lost. It wasn’t possible to find on a map, constantly moving. But he knew it would be in the woods. She told him as much in the letter.

They walked around in what Stiles thought of as circles before Derek just stopped by a cut down tree. When Stiles just looked lost Derek pointed at it.

“A tree trunk. Nothing more?”

“Well sure, but this tree trunk is the beacon of magic around here. The world today is built on leylines, natural lines of magic surge flowing through the earth. The nemeton is right on top of a crossroads of sorts. It gets its magic from two laylines crossing. It makes this city great for us wolves for example. Everything touched by magic feels at home here, its more natural and more in tune with nature.” Derek explained as he touched the treetrunk. “It’s a fixed spot, it isn’t actually moving but its also a source of unimaginable power for the wrong people, so it protects itself. If you go looking for it without stating intent it won’t show, it will stay hidden.”

“So why couldn’t I find it?” Stiles were frustrated but happy and it was hard to get a hold on what he thought and how he felt.

“You never stated your intent I guess, or it needed us to trust your intentions first. You also didn’t know what you were looking for. But it shouldn’t be easy to find. Most people say its only found when you stop looking for it while some say, like your mother, that you won’t find it if you know where you are. Both are technically true. It will only reveal itself for those deserving and those it trusts with its location. Hales have lived on these lands for hundreds of years. We go look for it as children and some find it sooner, and other later. First when it knows who’s on the lands it connects to us and lets us help protect it. Shows us where it is. It’s like it knows if we are to ever abuse that trust. My great grandfather never found it. The nemeton somehow knew he’d someday betray the trust in knowing its location, so it never revealed it.”

Stiles thought this over, what did that mean. He’d been careful, he never wanted harm, he just wanted to find what his mother sent him out to find. “You think I wouldn’t have found it, that it didn’t trust me?”

Derek shook his head. “I think that if you had known what you were looking for it would sense you and decide. But you didn’t know, how would it know you even looked? That it should reveal itself to you?”

Stiles shrugged. “Magic?”

“Fair point. I don’t know.” Derek admitted as he mulled it all over. “But I got to take you here, it trusts me.”

Stiles started pacing around the tree. “How does it know I won’t use it or shout its location from a rooftop.”

“Because, Stiles. You. Are lost.” Derek grinned and Stiles burst out laughing.

They sat by the tree for a while, Stiles deep in thought.

“I think she knew. Like this tree trunk just knows. It knows without seeing, without asking. I think it was somehow this way it was supposed to go, that it was you she meant. Like not specifically you. But I don’t think she were specific. I think she knew I’d find you here. She always seemed to know that sort of things. Like she saw things without being there. The woman could be putting me to bed and yell from my room for my father to put down the donut in the kitchen. And she was always right. She just knew.” He paused as if he mulled it all over. “I think I did too if I’m honest.”

Derek hummed in response. “I think there is something about that, not about me, but the nemeton. I think she wanted it to embrace you, not for you to stumble upon it and maybe miss it.” Derek said but Stiles were in a mode now, no amount of agreeing or disagreeing would stop his rant.

“She said I’d find something here, something that would remind me of her. That I would find her here. Her magic.” Stiles touched the tree now and as if jolted by a static shock he quickly removed his hand. “There is so much care here and I miss her everyday but, in these woods, I found her. Every time I came here, I was with her. Maybe that is all she ever meant even if I think there is more to it. I do think she knew, like your tree, that there was something more here for me. She just needed me to get here.” He kept touching the tree carefully, and every time Derek could see the faint electricity between the nemeton and Stiles.

“But I can have both right? I can have her, I can understand what made her so amazing, her connection to this tree. But I can get this, too right?” Stiles said and pointed to Derek and then to himself. “The care your family has shown. Someone who repeatedly finds me when I’m lost?” Stiles looked at Derek and continued: “Who I trust with my location?”

“Like the nemeton.” Derek said low. “Do you think she knew you’d meet us when she sent you to find the source of her magic?”

“Of course, she did. I’m certain. She always told me I’d find a man with big family and a heart of gold. She knew.”

“There is a possibility Stiles. I have never been so instantly drawn to someone, so pulled in and interested. I think you are my mate.” It felt weird on his tongue, like a coercion of sorts, but it also felt right, like he knew, like his wolf knew, that Derek would never use it as a weapon. That it was nothing more than a deep attraction, a sort of glimpse of a loving future.

“I know” Stiles said and smiled, Derek never asked how. But that spark between the nemeton and Stiles did something and it was almost like Stiles could take one step out in the woods and get to the nemeton, like all laws of physics never applied to him when he sought out the tree. Wherever he stepped the tree would appear and whenever Stiles needed an answer, he’d get it. As well as that creepy know it all look, he had sometimes. Like when Derek tried to sneak an extra donut from the box. In some way, even though Derek had ever met Claudia, he just knew that Stiles mother had led him directly to the source of her powers, directly to exactly what she promised. She left him her gifts. And Derek were terrified of them.

The nemeton started to bloom again a few years after, a tiny sprout on the surface of the cut down tree. And Stiles kept coming around, no longer getting lost. But Derek were there, to find him if he ever did.

Always.

#nerderek #stereksanta19 #*fics19 #*gifts19

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erijonarexhepis-blog · 3 years ago

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IT’S ALL HER FAULT

SEASON ONE, EPISODE TWO ////// PART TWO

Part one, Part three

The Keating six were called to Annalise's house the next morning. They're sitting in the living room area, reading. "Breaking news on the Lila Stangard murder here," the reporter says. "Police just released the medical examiner's ruling that Ms. Stangard's death was indeed a homicide. This comes a week after she was discovered deceased in a water tank at her sorority house, Kappa Kappa Theta."

"Want to know the best part about that?" Asher asks but doesn't wait for an answer. "Those corpses crap themselves. So the sorority girls were drinking their friend's poop."

"A girl was murdered. There is no good part," April tells him.

Wes walks in. "Hey, is professor Keating in?" Michaela shushes him. Wes turns to the tv.

"Mr. Gibbins," Annalise comes out of her office. "Did you do what I asked?"

"Uh, yes," Wes walks up to Annalise and hands her a file.

"I-I did. But I actually found a discrepancy between what's in the supplemental report versus what's in the prosecution's murder book."

"What kind of discrepancy?" April looks up from her notebook and watches Wes and Annalise.

"A name. The murder book says the hunting knife was found on the front lawn by officer Jake Dorsey.... but the supplemental report said it was found by Officer Chad Mullens."

"That certainly is a discrepancy. Good eye, Mr. Gibbins. I'm impressed."

"Dorsey. Jake Dorsey," the officer introduces himself to the court. April is watching from between Wes and Asher.

"Really?" Annalise asks. "So, you're not officer Chad Mullens?"

"Your honor, I'm not sure what Ms. Keating is insinuating here—"

"I'm not insinuating anything," Annalise cuts her off. "I'm just reading from the supplemental arrest report, which says that officer Mullens found the hunting knife, not our witness here."

Annalise takes the paper and walks up to Dorsey. "Or am I misreading the name, officer Dorsey?"

Jake takes a look at the paper. "Uh... no. Says officer Mullens."

"An officer who I recently found out is under investigation for drinking on the job, which explains why your boss might want to keep his name off of the official arrest report." Annalise walks back to her table. "Maybe even changing his name for yours."

"Your honor, can we recess?"

"After we get the knife thrown, we attack the motive. Any thoughts?"

"I had one," Laurel says but gets cut off by Michaela.

"Prosecution's going to use Marjorie's best friend to say that she wanted to divorce Max, which would have eliminated his inheritance per the prenup and thereby giving him motive to kill. I looked into discrediting the friend, but I couldn't find anything just yet."

"I can make that happen," Connor speaks up. "Why don't I help?" He asks Michaela.

Annalise is standing in front of the blonde woman. "Mrs. Taylor. You claim that your best friend Marjorie spoke to you about divorcing Max nearly a year ago."

"Yes," she answers.

"Even though you wrote the following toast at their anniversary party about two months ago." Annalise picks up a file from her desk and reads it, "I haven't seen two people more in love since the captain and Maria performed their first dance in front of the von Trapp children."

"Doesn't sound like a couple about to divorce to me," Annalise adds.

"How in the hell do you find this crap?" Michaela asks Connor.

"You'll never know," he tells her.

"Impressive," April notes.

"The alibi's next. Max claims he was out for a walk when the murder occurred, so we need a neighbor who saw him. Frank... take who you need."

Frank looks at Laurel for a moment. "You two— prom queen and doucheface. Come with me." Asher seems offended by his new nickname, but April loves it.

"It was around 8:30 when I took out the trash that night. Right after our nightly family dinner."

"And what did you see while you were outside?" Annalise asks.

"A man was walking on the other side of the street."

"And did you recognize the man?"

"Well, it was very dark that night, but I think it's very possible that it was my neighbor, Mr. St. Vincent." Frank gives him a nod.

"First off, I would like to point out that Marjorie's death was messy, the stab wounds were inaccurate, and they hit bone. Considering Max has hunted all his life, he knows how to kill. It couldn't have been him, but rather someone inexperienced. Second off, by studying Max and his behavior, I have every reason to believe that his first wife's death wasn't an accident— which I'm still looking into."

Annalise gives her a slight nod. "That's a good observation. You let me know what you find out."

"I will, professor Keating."

"The prosecution has rested, so the first witness to take the stand will be Max's daughter," Annalise tells her students. "I need someone to write up the prep questions."

"I'll do it," Lauren speaks up.

"Frank's Girl. Good. Have them on my desk by midnight."

///

April walks into her apartment, holding a yellow package and a bottle of Jack Daniels. She closes the door before making her way over to the couch. The package is light, and April is relieved that it has arrived. And knowing what's inside makes her feel at ease.

She opens the package and takes out the file that's inside. The file is in French, and thankfully April is fluent.

April takes a sip from her drink as she frantically takes notes and looks through the files.

There are papers scattered on the table. April takes a short break before getting back to work.

She pours herself another glass. And she chugs it down.

///

#wesgibbins #ashermillstone #annalisekeating #Demisexual #femalelead #femoc #femlead #familydrama #frankdelfino #laurelcastillo #coliver #connorwalsh #murder #murdermystery #michaelapratt

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beepfuckingbeeprichie · 7 years ago

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I’ll Be Your Hideaway Pt 1

Pt 1 Pt 2

Eddie sighed at the sound of a rock thumping against his window. He thought about ignoring it, briefly, but Richie would just keep throwing rocks until the window shattered.

He slid up the window and poked his head out. “What, asshole?” Richie was standing outside in the twilight, the glow from Eddie’s room illuminating his glasses. He grasped at his chest and feigned hurt. “I can’t believe I have a soulmate who talks to me that way. Your mother would never say such things to me.”

“I can’t believe I have a soulmate who makes ‘your mom’ jokes.” Eddie turned away and sat back down at his desk, where he was piecing together a model airplane, but didn’t close the window. He pretended his heart didn’t beat faster at the sound of Richie clambering up the tree outside his window. He didn’t turn around when Richie tripped over the windowsill and face planted into the carpet. “What’s up?” Eddie asked, without looking away from his plane. “Can’t a guy just wanna see his soulmate?” “Yeah,” Eddie said. Richie spontaneously visited him all the time. “But never at night, without calling first.” He could hear Richie shifting back and forth behind him. “It was just, y’know… my mom…” Eddie did know, which why he abandoned his airplane in favor of jumping up and wrapping his arms around Richie as tightly as he could. “Eds,” Richie gasped. “Can’t breathe.” Reluctantly, he loosened his hold. “Don’t call me that,” He muttered into Richie’s shirt. He relaxed when he felt his arms wrapping around him, and a bony chin settle on top of his head. They stood there for a moment. Eddie pulled back from the hug that had gone on too long to be platonic. “Do you wanna talk about it, or do you just wanna hang out?” Richie nodded. “Hang out, definitely.” He looked over Eddie’s head. “But we’re not putting together model planes. And why are you trying to glue it with Elmer’s? That shits weaker than your stomach.”

Eddie huffed. “My mom thinks the hot glue gun is too dangerous.” Richie snorted. “That’s my Mrs. K.” “Shut up and sit down, doucheface.” Eddie ordered. Richie flopped backwards onto his bed. “And don’t make too much noise.” “Me? Never.” “Seriously, Richie,” Eddie kneeled beside his movie stand. “You know how she is.” Sonya Kaspbrak was not a woman who believed in soulmates. She thought it was something that could be cured with a pill, like being gay. So when she got a call from the school, telling her her son had found his soulmate, to say she was distressed would be an understatement. Eddie and Richie met on their first day of kindergarten. It was just like in the movies; they saw each other and just knew. Eddie had rushed at Richie and Richie had kissed him on the cheek, and any teacher that tried to separate them had blocks thrown at them. Both of Richie’s parents didn’t care much, but when Eddie’s mother arrived, she chewed the teacher out and ripped Eddie away from Richie. It had been traumatizing, to say the least. “What about this?” Eddie said, holding up a romcom. Richie scoffed. “All your movies are shit. Let’s just watch TV and stuff.” “You’re shit,” Eddie shot back immediately. “Fine.” He threw the remote at his head. “Pick a channel, asshole.” “First,” Richie said, wiggling under the covers. He threw the corner up and opened his arms. “Come snuggle, Eddie Spaghetti.” “You know I hate that,” Eddie grumbled, but crawled into Richie’s arms just the same. He didn’t mind being the little spoon, especially when Richie folded his entire body around his. They laid in silence, watching The Twilight Zone reruns for an hour before Richie finally broke their silence. “Can we do that… thing?” Eddie twisted around to look at him. “What thing?” “Y’know,” Richie cleared his throat. “The kissing?” Usually, it would be Eddie asking, all shy and reserved. Normally, Richie just usually went for it. But this wasn’t a normal night. “Yeah,” Eddie said, rolling over onto his side. Their faces were so close that Eddie could feel Richie’s breath ghosting over his face. His breath smelt like candy and cigarettes. He would usually be grossed out at the thought of another human being’s mouth close to his, but the germs in Richie’s mouth had never much bothered Eddie. They’d kissed a total of six times. Richie kissed Eddie on the cheek all the time, but that didn’t count. Besides, Eddie was too short to reciprocate. Every time had been electrifying and kinda scary, in the way it made them feel so at home beside each other. But being surrounded by their friends most of the time ruined the mood. Richie hesitantly bumped his lips against Eddie’s, once, twice, then let their lips rest against each other. They kissed softly, and hesitantly, for so long they lost track of time. Eventually, Richie had started to tongue at the seam of Eddie’s lips, which was so in character that it made Eddie smile and allowed Richie access. They finally pulled apart when both their lips were numb and they were officially out of breath. Eddie panted and released his grip on Richie’s curls. He nestled his head into his chest. “You feeling any better?” Eddie asked. Richie darted down to place one last kiss on his lips. “Totally.” They were both dozing off into sleep when Eddie mumbled, “Don’t forget to climb out of the window at five.” “Aw Eds, do I have-“ “Yes. And don’t call me that, asshole.”

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pharaohsparklefists · 7 years ago

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Episode 101 and it’s the worst you guys

I feel you, babe. #relatable

Seamonkey Fashionmodel - the worst - is in a position where he could win and put us all out of our various miseries, but nooooooo

UGH

this is such LAZY GODDAMN WRITING

you want tension? this is not how you get tension. fuck’s sake. if you can’t think of a way for the strategy you’ve come up with to be both Super Scary Hard and also actually beatable by Mr Protagonist with no fuckery, then you fucked up. do not pass Go, do not collect $200. back to the drawing board, assholes.

SAME, YAMI

Yami is struggling with the actual-damage sort-of-not-really-who-knows part of the duel. And it’s Not Funny apparently

“bad”

way to be hella vague, boy, it’s like you’re not even sure what happens to a body when it takes damage?

.... you can tell? like you can figure it out? *squints suspiciously* Maybe this is a lost-in-translation thing but this sentence does not mean Yami is feeling the pain so much as aware that it is happening.

It’s at this point that Kuriboh begins to try to communicate

“What’s that?! Timmy is trapped down a well?!”

Yugi has to intercede because apparently he speaks Kuriboish.

Yami looks somehow shocked and betrayed that Yugi knows that.

So Yami sets the card face down and Seamonkey says some more bullshit and pulls another bullshit maneuver and...

gasp. how will I take this suspense.

Right before the blow hits, two things happen: Yugi shows up looking apprehensive but determined and Kuriboh...

...proliferates.

And when the (weird bright orange cloudy) dust settles...

It’s Yugi in control and he’s still alive! Seamonkey Doucheface is all like, hey you switched places, and Yugi’s all like, KURIBOH’S SPECIAL DECK MASTER ABILI-- i can’t care.

Yami asks Yugi why he forced a switch and Yugi says...

Awww! Sweetie he’s already DEEPLY traumatised and potentially completely disconnected from physical sensation you are like 3001 years too late but that’s sooo kind!

Yami thanks him and Yugi says...

Sometime’s a family is a teenage boy, the traumatised ghost that haunts his jewellery and their creepy floating sentient furball.

Yugi spells out the Message of the episode, in case any of the children watching are particularly slow today

.... SURELY this means that Seamonkeyface McMurderchildren should win tho cause he’s so United with his Deck Master that he’s VIRTUALLY (eh? eh?) indistinguishable from them?

Also this whole thing implies that Yami was not connecting at all with Kuriboh and basically Yugi had to step in to remind Yami of the HEART OF THE CARDS #takeadrink

He doesn’t say what is the most important part but maybe that’s because Yugi obviously wants him to say it’s “making friends with pushy furballs who can’t talk” and Yami might think it’s something lame and boring like “strategy” or “not giving up”.

Anyway, to fend off further potentially awkward conversation, Yugi just passes out for, like, no reason

“NAP TIME”

like yeah I get it’s supposed to be his body has taken damage and it’s hard for him, but he went from 100% A+ fine full-sentences no signifiers of pain, to 0% conscious in like two seconds, I think he’s faking

“because that’s what my life has come to I guess!”

Seamonkeydick Fuckface is still (a) pontificating about various alleged “sayings” from military history and (b) being a shithead

WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN. FUCK OFF.

But Yami’s got a solid plan!

AND HE DOES

GAY-LY.

[patreon! tip jar!]

#and that's the end of that chapter #suck it Seamonkey Fashionmodel #yami yugi #yugi #Yu-Gi-Oh!#sparklefists watches ygo #episode 101

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misspandalily · 7 years ago

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because Team Gai is so extra

Last entry for Nejiten Month! Prompts used: it isn’t my fault you’re perfect, gifts

AO3 | FFN

"Your new hurdle assessment piece: in pairs, you will be assigned an egg to care for over the next month. Now, please come up to the front to draw your partner's name."

Because she has no surname, Tenten is the first to draw a name from the weird, sparkly blue top hat that Mr Hatake insists on displaying year-round, even though it's a little frayed at the edges and losing the rich sapphire colour it used to have. She remembers Temari the Senior telling her that it's because he actually stores his porn books in it, though no one's ever come close enough to the hat to find one. He also wears a mask, for some reason, and she's pretty sure that it's against Departmental Regulations but Mr Hatake is also the coolest health teacher on campus so she isn't about to cross that line. Yet.

She dips her hand into the hat, swirls it around a bit, prays that she'll have a partner who'll help her pass and not shatter the egg, then picks up a piece of paper that's folded so precisely it's an exact square. Opening it up, Tenten is awarded by the most shocking revelation of her life. Who in the blazes is 'Neji Hyuga'?

Neji Hyuga, apparently, is that guy who sits right at the front with his hair immaculately tied into a ponytail and snaps out lines that border between poetry and insults. She honestly has never paid much attention to him, only now knowing that he's been topping the academic board for so long that no one - not even the teachers - bother acting surprised when he scores highest every year. Also, he's the cousin of Konoha High's wallflower, Hinata Hyuga, a sweet sophomore who's so quiet and kind that no one in the school wants to pick on her, ever. Which is why their relation comes as another shock to Tenten because Neji (who actually talks a lot in class, to her surprise) is probably the worst person she's ever met.

"Hi, I'm Tenten," she holds out a hand for him to shake. Their seats are being reassigned to whoever their new partners are, and amongst all of the shuffling and shouting that's going on, Tenten is one to always remember etiquette because she's a good girl who was raised right by the orphanage caretaker. The same doesn't seem to go for him, because he leaves her hanging and replies with a stiff nod. "Okay," she slumps into her new, disgustingly warm, seat, "nice to meet you too."

"Let's just get this over and done with," he says with an air of finality. Tenten sputters, her eyes darting between the egg sitting before them and his stoic face. He returns her incredulous gaze with one of impetuousness. "We only need to talk whenever the assignment entails it."

"Wow," she mutters to herself, then side-eyes him, and decides to completely skip over the part where she wants to retain her etiquette, "You are such a loser."

That gets his attention. Neji swivels in his seat, abhorred. "I don't think I recall you topping the school's academic board."

"I came first in PE, doucheface," she hisses back when Mr Hatake's powerpoint slides pop up - a sign for total silence that no one has ever listened to in the years he's been teaching here (so, five).

"Ah, a subject for men."

"Yeah, well," her brain is rifling through the vast database of insults she stores in her mind whenever she's in the shower and arguing with an imaginary person, "If you look at that list, you don't even qualify as one."

Neji stares. Mr Hatake finally manages to quiet down the class with a horn he keeps stowed away in his top drawer. Neji continues to stare, to her satisfaction. "I don't like you."

"Neji," Mr Hatake calls out, having caught him for breaking the Sacred Rule of Silence, "Kindly refrain from defying authority for today, thank you."

From her slumped posture, elbows on the table, fingers holding her pens and paper in place, Tenten tilts her head back and lets out a silent laugh.

"Look," Tenten sighs for the fiftieth time since entering the Hyuga Compound. It's a large mansion with marble floors, columns and staircases; she's slipped once or twice, because that's how polished it is. They're in Neji's room, deciding on a name for their egg (which apparently takes more than the six allotted hours of a school day when it comes to Neji Hyuga's 'List of Adequate Baby Egg Names, Condensed and Revised for Tenten's Stupidity') and timetabling their shifts. "Could you please stop thermoregulating the egg? Literally nothing has changed in the past two hours. Give it a rest."

He almost gasps in astonishment, but she counts it as a success when he finally removes his thermometer from the mini marble egg bathtub. Don't ask, because she'll tell you anyway, but Neji claims that his little cousin Hanabi has a Thing for collecting elaborate, custom-made egg-holders. Tenten doesn't buy it. At all. "Excuse you. My child will be cared for in the way I deem fit."

"Wow," she watches him fuss over his - their - egg like a mother hen and massages her forehead delicately. "I think I just understood something."

"Meaning?"

"Nothing flattering for you, that's what."

"I don't need flattery from you when I have Eggbert to care for."

"Hold up," Tenten places her palms in the air, affronted, "Eggbert? I thought we agreed on Eggs Benedict?"

Neji scoffs with his nose high up in the air. "No child of mine will be named Eggs Benedict. How barbaric."

"I'm sorry," she starts sarcastically, "It's not my fault you're so perfect. After we inaugurate the egg into your clan, shall we decide on Eggbert von Hyugastein's bedroom decor?"

"The best suggestion you've made since...well, ever."

Tenten groans. This is going to be a long month.

Despite the looming threat of mid-year exams catching on, Neji sticks to their shift timetables like a slavedriver and insists on getting the compulsory 'joint parenting outing' out of the way so that he 'never has to see her face again'. Like he can even help that. They literally have every class together.

Because he's the one forcing her out of her procrastinatory slumber, though, she gets to choose where they go - egg-racing in the park with Lee, since he refused to pay for a huge dinner at Konoha's most expensive restaurant (The Golden Flower) for their family.

Reputedly the most active person in all of Konoha, tying only with Mr Gai, Rock Lee wears spandex-green jumpsuits on a constant basis and emulates his idol Bruce by spending almost every waking second in the gym and dojo, if not on his extremely sleek bob. He's overwhelming, but he's also Tenten's best friend, as well as someone Neji once described to her as 'pitiful' and 'annoying', so that's why they're meeting up with him.

Predictably, Lee's egg is painted forest green, complete with orange leg-warmers and a mini-bob, and is called the 'Springtime of Youth'. Tenten takes utter delight in the cringe that spreads across Neji's face when he realises that they have to spend the next ten hours with Lee unless he agrees to spread out 'joint parenting outing' over a month instead of a day.

Anyway, the race is amazing. Lee puts all of his energy into everything he does, so it's a complete obstacle course of sloping slides and mazes for the waxed eggs to roll through. She places all of her savings (so, fifty cents - she likes to buy things, okay? Shut up, Neji.) on Eggbert von Hyugastein and is shockingly backed up by Neji's big, fat, fifty-dollar bill. The gesture catches her off-guard, because he's actually smiling at her, but then Lee declares the betting pool closed and starts the race.

Here's a snippet of how it goes:

"Lee's winning. LEE'S EGG IS WINNING. SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH IS WINNING. NEJI."

Neji calmly squints at their egg, dressed to the nines in tailored Hyuga robes, to move faster down the padded obstacle course. It works; Springtime of Youth suddenly comes to a halt, giving Eggbert the precious few seconds it needs to gain ground. Tenten whoops and tackles Neji into a headlock.

"YOU'RE AMAZING. NEJ, WE'RE WINNING!"

Neji manages to claw his way out and straighten his robes with enough dignity to make the Queen feel ashamed. "I told you," Tenten's seconds away from crying tears of happiness when she looks at him, "Eggbert is telepathic."

"My baby's growing up," Tenten wipes a tear away from the corner of her eye as she leans her head onto Neji's stiffened shoulder. "Our baby's growing up."

"Honey, I'm home!"

Neji opens the door to his room and greets her. "I prefer being called Neji."

"I was talking to Eggbert, loser."

"Oh," Neji replies, trying not to look too disappointed.

Tenten places her bag on the ground and coos at the egg perched in its diorama-room, in between the mini-marble columns and Picasso paintings on the walls. "How's my widdle baby doing? Mummy's home now and she has a gift!"

Tenten extracts a decorative egg cup with 'SPELL-BINDEGG' printed in bold over the surface and situates it in the corner of Eggbert's room.

Neji joins her and smiles down at his child. "They grow up so fast. An hour ago Eggbert rolled over."

She gasps in delight before letting her face fall. "I've been meaning to ask," Neji turns around and quirks up an eyebrow. "Don't you think I should get some home-time with Eggbert now? You've already had your two weeks and I am the mother of our child."

Neji gawks at once. "But-what will I do in my spare time? This is just cruel."

"You'll still get to see Eggbert every second day and on weekends - it's not like I'm taking it from you forever."

Neji gives Eggbert a pained look and says, "I'm sorry this is the way things have turned out, son. But understand that your mother and I love you very much. It's just best for you to know what it's like to have a mother before you come back and live with me forever."

Tenten turns to him, aghast. "Forever? What happened to equal coparenting? I'm family too! I deserve to be with my baby and if you won't accept that then I demand full custody. In fact," she grabs Eggbert and the cup and seizes her bag from the ground. "Good luck seeing my baby again."

It's a little dramatic, even for her tastes, but it's her baby. She can't help it if eggs bring out the drama queen inside of her.

"Are you going to keep ignoring me?"

Tenten sniffs, like Neji sitting next to her like he always does in class these days is the beginning of the apocalyse. Eggbert is sitting on her side of the table for the in-class examination of egg-health.

"We have to make up someday. Eggbert needs both his parents. I'm sorry I tried to take you out of the picture, but I've thought about it and I think we can come to a compromise."

She turns to him with a slight smile. "You mean it? You don't think I'm a horrible parent anymore?"

"No," Neji shakes his head encouragingly, "I think we both have our strengths and weaknesses. It's up to us to give Eggbert the family it deserves."

Mr Hatake walks in twenty minutes late with his briefcase, and Tenten sniffles and slides Eggbert to the middle of their table. "Okay."

"I don't want to see Eggbert go," Neji whines when the alotted month is up. Tenten's sniffing beside him as they walk up the steps into their classroom. "You think you know a person but they're really just an inhumane teacher trying to steal our babies away from us."

They reach the door to the classroom, where they're greeted by Lee's strange green egg, Naruto and Sasuke's predictably smashed egg yolk and Sakura and Ino's bowtied egg, and Neji makes a strange hissing sound.

"My precious," he clutches Eggbert to his chest and glares at Mr Hatake, who's not late for once and rolling his eyes at them humourlessly. "You will not take my baby from me."

"It was never yours to begin with," their teacher calls out flatly, because yes, chickens lay eggs.

Churlishly, Tenten stomps to her desk and shouts, "You're never yours to begin with," Neji in tow with Eggbert still held tight against his chest. They take their designated seats at the front and glare up at the teacher in silent protest.

Mr Hatake ignores their passive aggressive intervention and drawls out the names of partnered groups to walk up to the front for presentations. Predictably, as Kakashi always calls people at the top of the roll, she and Neji are called up first. They make a show of whipping out her custom made shuriken USB drives when they go up, terror-inducing glares still glued onto their faces and aimed at Naruto, who's suddenly confused as Hell.

"It is time," Neji starts when their very detailed slides finally pop up on the screen, "to ask yourselves a question. Who are you?"

There's a groan at the back of the classroom that Tenten silences with Kakashi's blue whiteboard marker. Neji continues. "I am Neji Hyuga."

"And I am Tenten."

"Today we bring to you not a presentation, but an expression of our souls. Our time together with Eggbert von Hyugastein has taught us many valuable lessons." There's a slight cough when Eggbert's name is brought up.

"Humility," Tenten quips, slamming her closed fist into an open palm as each new word is accompanied by a different picture of Eggbert wearing different costumes, "Patience. Creativity. Respect. Cooperation. Bonding. Compromise." She shoots a megawatt smile at Neji that he doesn't have enough time to properly absorb but responds to with gusto nevertheless.

"We found ourselves struggling to juggle work with family, fun with stress, and sternness with flexibility - but in the end, we pulled through and learned the true meaning of parentage. And that is, responsibility."

Neji retakes the helm and places Eggbert on the front desk. Their PowerPoint presentation lands on the final picture - one of Neji and a Tenten smiling down at their baby. "After a month with Eggbert, I can safely say that if anything happens to my baby I will make everyone's lives a living Hell." She beams proudly at how he maintains his classic straight-faced, no-nonsense face. The classroom remains deafeningly silent. "Many times, I have considered electrocution, but apparently that's illegal when performed deliberately."

"Apparently," Tenten reinforces with a dagger-like glare at the audience.

"And now I ask you all - who are we? We are parents," the slides move alongside Neji's words. "Parents who love, hate and sacrifice for their children. I think I can vouch for everyone here that they would devote their lives to their children. Except you, Lee. You'll chase them away with green spandex."

"Hear hear!" Lee cheers from the back, causing several others to join in with the standing ovation. Neji and Tenten bow at the front with ear-splitting grins on their faces before walking back to their desks triumphantly. The whooping does down as Mr Hatake heads to the front of the classroom, mildly dazed.

"Thank you, Neji and Tenten, for that shining pearl of wisdom. You truly...outdid yourselves," he allows a brief silence to commemorate his words, "Now, who would like to go next?"

The classroom immediately shrinks back, leaving Lee to stand up from his desk exuberantly and march to the front with lines of determination on his face. "Me! Me!"

"You know, we don't have to hang out after school anymore." Tenten swings her backpack around her shoulder and smiles at Neji, who's standing beside her expectantly. They'd received an A, of course, though Neji's been whining about the lack of a '+' and Mr Hatake's lack of a spine, apparently, for not being able to stomach empty threats. She's just glad that they scored so high, really, and that they got to keep their egg.

"True, but I've been meaning to say something."

He waits for her to finish rifling through the rest of her papers and look up at him before continuing. "I think you're great."

"Oh. Thanks!" She replies brightly, pretending that Neji Hyuga overtly displaying his thoughts isn't throwing her off a ledge at all.

"I mean," he seems to retract a few mental steps, a little deflated at her reaction, "If you ever need anything, like lunch at The Golden Flower, or a movie partner, or perhaps-"

"Hold up," she stops him, her palm pressed directly over his sternum. He flushes a little at the contact but clamps his jaws together regardless. "What are you trying to say?"

"Date," he blurts out, face reddening, "Would you like to go on a date some time?"

"Sure. How about this Friday?" Grinning, Tenten lets go of her hold over his chest and skips a little when they exit the classroom. Neji positively beams.

"That sounds perfect."

#nejiten #nejiten month #nejitenmonth #egg-sitting trope #high school #AU #neji hyuga #tenten #rock lee #naruto #fanfiction #fanfic

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