#he pretends to be the neighbors kid's dad when they get in trouble so <3 i guess colton is a deputy here for funsies

[cryptidsdad]

"I dunno what you're talking about. I don't have any kids -- You're thinking of someone else." / sc. ; @coltkiss

[quixoticall]

This Could Get Ugly 3. The Rise and Subsequent Fall of Eddie Munson

Summary: It's 1983 and The Downsides need another lead singer and you just happen to need a band--it's a perfect match. The only issue? You have to pretend to be in a relationship with your bandmate, Steve Harrington, but you can't help but be drawn to the band's broody guitar player.

pairing: s.h. x fem!reader, e.m. x fem!reader, j.b. x n.w., r.b x n.w.

warnings: Heavy drug use, misogyny, angst, past!Eddie x Chrissy

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Previous Chapter 🎹

WC: 2.7K

A/N: Halloween came early this year I guess! Take this early chapter as a thank you all for your follows, reblogs and likes! The idea of my fic being so well-received warms my heart! Enjoy!

***

EDDIE: Okay, here we go.

 I’m Eddie Munson, lead guitar for The Downsides.

 I  grew up trailer trash in some town that no one’s ever heard of. My mom died when I was eight and my dad was in and out of jail pretty much my entire life--well, until those royalty checks started rolling in, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

  People always use the dead mom/jailbird dad thing to either turn me into a sob story or villainize me, so I generally tend to avoid talking about it but since it's you, I'll say this: the thing I remember most about my mother is her absence and there is not a single redeeming thing about ole' Munson Sr. but I don't think they're responsible for any of the ways I've fucked up over the years. Nah, kid, that was all me.

Let’s get to the good stuff, shall we?

At the tender age of ten, I was gifted an old beat-up guitar by my uncle. Clearly, something he had picked up at the local Goodwill to try and keep me occupied and out of trouble. The neighbors hated us after. They hated us, even more, when it turned out that I could actually play.

When I was 18, Uncle Wayne got the idea that I was ready to commit to a life of indentured servitude over at the factory and that did not sit well with me, at all. I wanted to be a musician. But, instead of talking to him about it, you know, like a rational person? I just ran.

I sold my van and got a one-way ticket to LA. The metal scene was starting to pop up on the strip and music—metal—was the only thing I was good at, so I thought, ‘what the hell!’ and booked it. I slummed it for a few months and then, through some stroke of luck, I heard about a band that was auditioning for a new guitar player since their last one got hitched and quit. The Metal Gods smiled down on me the day of the audition because that same afternoon they called me back and told me they wanted me on as lead guitar.

1982

“It Was You”, your duet with The Letterman’s peaked at number 6 on Billboard’s Top 100 in October of 1982.

Suddenly, everyone wanted you to be featured in their songs. Your EP did well enough, but it didn’t even crack the top 30. That didn’t keep you from being the hot new thing on the scene and a

huge part of that was your reputation.

Of course, people knew who you were because of your groupie days, and you unintentionally built a reputation for being romantically involved with different musicians. So, when you broke out on the scene with a romantic duet, people started talking, and the tabloids began to spin stories about you and Jason being romantically linked which only caused a buzz for the song. You, of course, hated this and vehemently denied being involved with Jason to anyone who would listen. Jason, meanwhile, played it coy with the press, only fueling the rumors and your rage.

“Listen, I hate the guy as much as you do, sweetheart, but you got to respect the strategy,” Murray had said after hearing you gripe about one particularly salacious headline.

Before the year was through, you had been featured in five other duets. All with male artists. All resulting in more and more outlandish dating rumors. And all enjoying a lengthy stay on the top of the charts.

Starcourt had begun to push you to take it a step further and Brenner had asked for Murray to arrange outings between you and whatever male artist you were collaborating with. The meetings—you refused to call them dates—were always somewhere that was strategically public, somewhere where there was always at least one paparazzi with their cameras locked and ready. The pictures they would take would always make it to at least one gossip magazine, which resulted in even more publicity for the song.

Your partners—you refused to call them dates—were, at their best, cordial and business-like, one or two of them even asked for your permission before holding your hand. At their worst, though, they were handsy, entitled, and rude. None of them ever tried to ask you out on a real date and you weren't sure what that said about you.

Soon you were racking up duets and notoriety in equal measures. Radio DJs would make jokes about you every time they would play one of your songs—and they played your songs a lot. Once, while you were walking around Rodeo, a woman stopped you in the middle of the street and told you, very brazenly, that you needed to stop sleeping around so much. Before you could even tell her off, though, she proceeded to gush about how much she loved your duet with The Letterman's.

It seemed like everyone seemed to see you in a similar light though: they thought you were some sort of despicable maneater but all they wanted was more of a reason to talk about how you were a despicable maneater.

Murray had his work cut out for him, “We just need to find a way for you to have this same buzz all the time.”

***

EDDIE: Things started to pick up with Corroded Coffin. We were playing shows pretty much every night.  As I said, metal was on the rise and we were at the forefront. Eventually, record label bigwigs had no choice but to acknowledge that.

Some of them got smart and started poaching bands early on, like Starcourt. Corroded Coffin signed with them in ‘82. We thought we were hot shit after that.

There’s a certain lifestyle that goes along with that, though, you know? A reputation that you have to uphold.

I'm not trying to make excuses for myself here, trust me. I'm just...trying to explain myself.

People always love to talk shit. They'll call you all sorts of names before they see you as an actual person. Trust me, I would know. But, these interviews are an opportunity to set the record straight, to finally be seen as an actual person.

So, there I was, a nineteen-year-old kid from Bumfuck nowhere, finally making it big, finally feeling like I belonged somewhere--like for the first time I wasn't a freak whose mom died or some trailer trash high school dropout--of course, I was gonna get swept up in it all. Of course, I was going to start picking up the bad habits and doing drugs. There was no one there to tell me otherwise.

It started out as something to get us through the madness that was our schedule: between the live shows and the studio time, we needed uppers just to keep us on our feet. Then, obviously, you needed the downers so you could fucking relax because the uppers made you so tense. 

I stopped enjoying the drugs pretty early on, but at that point quitting wasn't something that I was willing to put that much effort into. 

1983

The first time someone asked for your autograph, you were at a show at Whiskey a Go Go. Murray, acting as a sort of manager, had set up a photo opp with Charles Riva, your latest duet partner. He hadn’t shown that night but you never walked away from a live show.

Two girls, not much younger than you, appeared behind you as you were ordering at the bar and tapped you on the shoulder.

“See, I told you it was her,” the shorter one, a strawberry blonde with severe bangs whispered excitedly to her friend, a taller brunette.

Before you could ask either of them exactly what they wanted, the strawberry blonde spoke again, “Can we have your autograph?”

You could only nod dumbly as they handed you a cocktail napkin and a pen. You tried to think of something meaningful to write, but in your shock, could only come up with “Best wishes, xoxo”. You didn’t even ask them their names. The best you could do was offer to buy them a drink, which they happily accepted.

You regretted the offer as soon as you registered how young they looked underneath all that makeup, an observation that made you unsettlingly sad. You were reminded of your first days on the Strip: lonely and young and wanting someone to notice you for the right reasons.

Your thoughts became too heavy to deal with at that particular moment and you abruptly excused yourself, leaving the two confused girls behind. A shame, you thought to yourself, in another life you might’ve all been friends, but no one really wants to be your friend these days. They just want to tell people they’re your friends. Walking away saves everyone the disappointment.

You needed a drink.

By the time the main act had taken the stage, your vision had started to haze at the edges as a result of the multiple drinks you had procured for yourself. You watched, half-interested as a band you’d never heard of, Corroded Coffin took the stage, your eyes tracing after each member, eyeing the things only a fellow musician would: the models of equipment they had, the way the band queued each other up.

You didn't know enough about metal yet to know whether you'd consider yourself a fan or not but even with the little familiarity you have, you can tell this band is good. Their playing is unpolished but overflowing with energy and the crowd is feeding into it, screaming the lyrics along with the lead singer.

All of it reminds you of your first show at the Strip—what seemed ages ago—and that memory summons a whole other thought entirely: the reason that you had gotten into music was to actually make music you liked, not to be a topic of discussion in a gossip magazine, getting no say in the music you created.

You don't even remember the last time you had even written a lyric.

You think to yourself that maybe you should wander backstage after the show, like you once did and talk to the band. Maybe you could pick their brains about songwriting. They clearly didn’t care about mass appeal if they were making metal music which means they were probably doing it for the art.

At the very least they probably had a decent stash of pills.

Either way, it would be worth it.

***

EDDIE: It was pretty much love, at first sight, the moment I saw her in the crowd that night at Whiskey a Go Go. I remember seeing her for the first time halfway through our set and it was like I went blind for a moment. I had completely forgotten what I was doing, I think I even missed a cue. After the show, I made a beeline for the bar where she was standing, trying to act as cool as I could but I was shitting it.

***

Once that band had wrapped up, you made your way to the dressing rooms. You maneuvered to the dressing rooms like you had dozens of times before, but the band wasn’t there.

You milled about for a bit, before growing bored and leaving wondering if maybe they had seen you coming and left.

***

EDDIE: I ordered a drink just as an excuse to get closer and it worked. She was even more beautiful up close and so, so kind. Told me she loved our show and even pointed out specific guitar solos of mine that she liked. She always had a way of making you feel special like that. Chrissy Fucking Cunningham. Even her name was perfect, not a syllable too few or too many.

I asked her for her number that night and we went on a date two days later, I could hardly keep it.

together having to wait two days to see her again. Then, after a few weeks, we were going steady, as the kids say. It was perfect. I never really had anyone to myself, you know? She was the first person that ever made me feel seen and cared about.

I remember one time; she was hanging out at my place while the band was in the studio. When I came back, she had done all my laundry. When I asked her why she had done that, she just said “I dunno, just because” then, all of a sudden there were tears streaming down my face. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had done something like that for me “just because".

My life had never been better--so of course, I fucked it up.

***

While you did not manage to meet Corroded Coffin, you couldn’t stop thinking about them, even days later. It was like seeing them play had awoken you from a daze you didn’t even know you had been in.

You spend a few days getting incredibly drunk by the pool after that. But no matter how much you drank or how many pretty dresses you bought yourself or how many pill you took, you could not shake the feeling.

A few mornings later, you had called Murray, “This stops now, Murray. No more duets or features or whatever else. I want to meet with Brenner. I want to do this my way.”

Murray, not used to being awake so early, gave a weak attempt at talking you down.

“No,” you urged on, “you said once I started making money, I could have a say. Well, now I’m making money and I’m tired of Starcourt just using me for that. So, I want something permanent and I want to write my own music, got it?”

“You have a contract,” Murray parroted back, half-heartedly.

“Yes, I do, and I plan to honor that contract but so help me God I will make life a living hell for you and for Brenner and any other exec that tries to get me to do another duet with Jason fucking Carver. In fact, I will find a way to lose Starcourt money if you don’t get me out of this. Am I clear?”

“Crystal.”

“Great, I’ll see you at lunch Murray.”

He signed, “See you then.”

***

EDDIE:��My drug use was getting more out of hand. Chrissy hated it, but I couldn't bring myself to quit. Especially the things that I thought I needed to make it through the day.

Chrissy was a saint throughout the whole thing, until one night when she caught me in the dressing room of Whiskey with a girl who was not her. She walked away and I don’t really blame her. Out of all the regrets of my life—and trust me, kid—that was one of the biggest.

She moved out that day and refused to take my calls, moved in with one of her friends and I spent days just calling her, sending her flowers, the works.

She told me she wouldn’t budge unless I got clean. So, I checked myself into rehab. She was a good enough reason to quit. 45 days later, I checked out, clean as a motherfucking whistle.

Chrissy was gone though, I had no clue where she had disappeared to, but wherever she went, she didn’t want me to find her.

On top of that, my band was fucking pissed. I left the band for 45 days without telling anyone, right as we were finishing recording our debut album. Yeah, they weren’t happy. I was in something called “breach of contract” with the suits over at record label and they wanted to take me to court, and not the Star kind.

I definitely didn’t have lawsuit type of money back then, so it was in my best interest to work something out with Starcourt and jump back on fulfilling my contract. Problem was, Corroded Coffin didn’t want me back anymore, even though the guy they replaced me with wasn’t half as good as I was.

I thought that because my old band didn’t want me, that meant that I would be free of my contract. I was wrong. What actually happened was that my fate was then put into Starcourt’s hands and they could place me in whatever podunk production or band they wanted. They owned my ass.

And that’s how I ended up with The Downsides.

NEXT CHAPTER 🎺🎹

Taglist: @rexorangecouny

[fizzingwizard]

found some more cottagecore asks ty op

tagging @prevailing-westerly because you seem to like doing these too, and anyone else who might want to

teacup: what are 5 of your favorite songs at the moment?

Francesca - Hozier Two Slow Dancers - Mitski About Summer - Luli Lee Wish - Olivia Lufkin Hopeless Wanderer - Mumford and Sons

candle: how did you meet your best friend?

I don't have a best friend right now, so I'll talk about my childhood best friend. Not to knock adult friendships, but childhood relationships are so full of firsts and extremes of emotion that I feel like this one will always be special to me.

We were next door neighbors after I moved into the neighborhood when I was eight. I don't remember being introduced. But the other kids on the street included a girl my friend didn't like, a boy I didn't like, and then a few kids we just never interacted with (although years later I got to be friends with one of them through Girl Scouts). So pretty much we got to be friends because we didn't like anyone else :P and we both liked to play pretend. It was so much fun that I used to dread growing out of it, and we kept playing pretend long after most kids moved on.

blanket: what is your sleep schedule like?

Technically healthier than when I was younger, lol. I can't do all nighters anymore, not without paying the price. I get 6-8 hours a night, more of the 8 hours recently because I just pass out around ten or eleven with the lights on and stuff. On vacations I can still get by on less. Since I live alone and don't have kids, I have fewer sleep troubles. Even so, when I'm working I still feel so tired in the evenings.

hot chocolate: do you have a crush / partner / etc? describe them if so!

My boyfriend looks a little bit like Bradley Cooper in A Star is Born. I think I liked the movie particularly because of that, haha. He's quiet but friendly and very gentle and go with the flow. He always has candles lit.

fireplace: what has been your favorite age so far?

Whatever age I'm at. Every stage of my life has had its share of joys and difficulties. So as tempting as it is to say childhood, when happiness was never overshadowed by fears of tomorrow, I don't think it's really true.

cookie jar: if you could be doing anything right now, what would you do?

Swimming in the sea in Okinawa, for sure. And then ice cream afterward.

sweater: do you remember any of your dreams? describe them if so!

The dreams I tend to remember are all disturbing lol. And they fade when I try to think of them. I only remember one, from when I was a kid, a recurring dream in which a deer would approach me in random places. I'd be extremely scared and then wake up. The deer never did anything. I didn't have a fear of deers. Cannot explain.

doll: describe yourself through a mixture of fictional characters

Jo March with a touch of Beth. Right smack in the middle of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Bit of Snufkin, more Moomintroll, even more Moominmamma.

kitsch: what are your favorite books?

Well, the Moomin books obviously. Others: Never Let Me Go (Kazuo Ishiguro), Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen), Lord of the Rings (JRR Tolkien), The God of Small Things (Arundhati Roy), Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte), The Giver (Lois Lowry), His Dark Materials (Philip Pullmann).

lace: list 5 things you like about yourself

Committed 2. Genuine 3. Resilient 4. Accepting 5. Reflective

teddybear: what is your favorite temperature / weather?

70s Fahrenheit/ sunny if I'm outside doing stuff 60s F/ rainy if I'm inside writing

coffee mug: is there someone you miss right now?

My dad, who didn't reply to his birthday message

embroidery: do you consider yourself an artist?

In my opinion, to be human is to be an artist. People who actively try to control, restrict, or limit art have abandoned their humanity.

[phantasticworks]

If You Don't Love Me, Pretend - Epilogue

Well. So here we are. it's been a long time (about three years actually) since I started writing this fic and it's grown significantly out of my control since then :') if you've been along since the start, or if you've just found this fic today, thank you for coming along this journey with me. It's been incredible and I'm forever grateful for all the support this fic has gotten <3 thank you so much for reading. keep your eyes peeled for bonus content!

read on ao3

Words: 3.9k

Summary: Three years later

Warnings for this chapter: none

It’s nearly six in the evening and there’s a chiming noise coming from the laptop in the lounge. Dan curses under his breath as he makes his way from the kitchen, hoping and praying the volume isn’t loud enough to wake a certain someone.

He gets there just as the Skype call is about to end, and is quick to press the “accept” button as he scoops the laptop up, retreating back to the kitchen with it. “Hi,” he whispers.

“Hey,” Phil says from the screen, a little smile on his face. “I thought you forgot about me.”

Dan rolls his eyes, setting the laptop on the island countertop and settling on a barstool. “Right. God forbid I’m two seconds late to our Skype call.”

Phil does an adorable pout. “I’ve been gone a week, I miss your face. Is that a crime?”

Dan smirks. “Yep. I’m gonna call the police, have them arrest you on the spot.”

“Hm.” Phil considers it for a moment. “I don’t think I like handcuffs enough for that.” He’s got this smug little look on his face, like he knows a secret.

Annoyingly, Dan blushes at that. “Shut up. You don’t get to flirt when you’re, like, on the other side of the freaking planet.”

Phil gives him an apologetic smile. “Sorry, hon. I’ll be back home in a couple days, though.”

Dan nods, propping an elbow up and resting his chin in his hand. “I know. I just miss you.”

“I miss you too,” Phil replies easily. Dan loves that even now, after all this time, they’re still this disgustingly obsessed with each other.

“How’s work been?” Dan asks, changing the subject before he gets sad. He hates it when he gets sad during their Skype calls, especially when he starts crying.

Phil sighs, shrugging. “It’s been alright. I’m exhausted, though. You’d think I’d stop offering to go to these sorts of things for the BBC, but apparently I can’t help myself.”

Dan smiles at him. “You’re a dedicated worker. It’s a good thing.”

“Not when it takes me away from you guys for weeks at a time,” Phil mumbles petulantly. Dan has to agree there. “Speaking of, where are our kids?”

Nearly three years since the adoption was finalized and Dan still adores the sound of that. “The twins are upstairs, I think doing homework. I was starting dinner when you called.”

“Oh, sorry,” Phil says, smiling sheepishly.

Dan waves him off. “It’s fine. I’m doing stir-fry tonight, it won’t take long anyway.”

Phil nods at this, then asks, “Levi out with Charlotte?”

Dan smiles and nods. “Yeah. They went to see a movie, I think.”

“Did you make sure he had enough money?” Phil asks. He’s always got this perpetual fear that their son will be stranded somewhere with no money and no way home, so Dan’s gotten good at reassuring him.

“Yes,” he says patiently. “I let him borrow the car, and I told him that there’s some in the console if they need it.”

Phil nods, but his face is stricken with another worried look. Dan knows what’s coming before he says it. “Did they wear seatbelts? Are you sure he’s ready to drive on his own? I mean-“

“Babe,” Dan interrupts. “He’s nearly eighteen. He’s passed all his tests, gotten his license, and he’s practiced a lot. He’s earned a little bit of trust, yeah?”

He can tell Phil is still a little nervous and weary, but he nods in agreement. “Okay,” he says with a breath. “I just worry about him.”

Dan looks down, hiding his smile. His husband could be such an anxious mess when his kids were involved. “I know. But he’s fine. They’re fine. Charlotte’s aunt said she could stay the night, so they’ll be back soon, I’m sure.”

“Oh, make sure you make her a separate serving of the stir-fry. She’s still doing the vegetarian thing, and I don’t want her to go hungry,” Phil says.

Dan’s heart clenches. He’s so full of love and that ooey-gooey affection that hasn’t dulled at all over the years.

“Sure,” he agrees with a smile.

“How’s-“ Phil begins to speak, but before he can, a piercing cry comes from the lounge. Dan jumps, and Phil laughs. “Speak of the devil,” he grins.

Dan makes a protesting noise. “Don’t you dare call our daughter a devil,” he chastises playfully.

Phil rolls his eyes. “Go get her, I’ll wait.”

Dan nods and quickly makes his way to the lounge, straight over to where the crying noise is coming from the bassinet in the corner. “Oh, dear,” Dan tuts in a high-pitch voice. Phil makes fun of him when he does that, calling him Winnie the Pooh every time. Dan leans down, smiling at the little bundle resting there, the crying softening to a sniffle when Dan scoops the baby up.

“Shh,” he whispers. “There we go. Daddy’s here, love.” He strokes her little fingers, grinning wetly when she clutches onto his pinky. “Aww, what a sweet thing. Do you wanna see your other Dad? Yes! Let’s go see Dada.”

He’s careful as he makes his way back to the kitchen, and he glances up at the laptop, smiling when he sees the way Phil is beaming at him through the screen. “Hello there,” he coos softly. “Oh, sweet angel. How’s she been today?” His tone shifts when he speaks to Dan, and Dan glances up at him again, having gotten lost in staring at her cute little face.

“She’s been a lot better today. I think Kath was right about the colic,” Dan says, absently stroking her little hand as he rocks her gently.

Phil nods. “So it was probably just gas?” He asks.

“I think so. I gave her a warm bath and did the bicycle thing with her legs earlier and she seems to be loads better now,” Dan replies.

“Good,” Phil says with a smile. “I read somewhere that if they’re still having trouble you can have them lay on their tummies and that might help.”

Dan nods. “I’ll try that if she gets fussy again. But the crying finally stopped, thank god.” He’s not religious but he’s not kidding in his thanks. The crying was literally about to drive him insane.

“I know, babe. I’m sorry I haven’t been there this week,” Phil says, his eyes dropping with something like shame.

Dan wishes he could kiss him right now. “It’s fine, Phil. We’ve been fine.”

“Still...” Phil shrugs. “I wish I would’ve been there.”

Dan smiles. “I know. But next time you will be, yeah? At least the BBC isn’t sending you out all the time these days.”

Phil nods. “Thank god. And thank god that Bryony lets you work from home.”

“I know, right?” Dan grins. He’s still a little over the moon about his career shift, even though he does find himself struggling to do both jobs part-time. But that’s something he won’t let himself worry about now.

The baby gurgles in his arms, and Dan coos at her. “What? Is our baby girl hungry? Hm? Time for din-din?”

“I guess I should probably let you go,” Phil says, sounding sad.

Dan glances up at him, frowning at the thought. He really does miss him a lot. “You don’t have to. Do you want to talk to the kids before you go?”

Phil smiles and nods. “Yeah, I’d love that.”

“Let me go grab them. Hang on,” Dan gently bounces the baby as he goes to the end of the stairs, covering her little ears gently before calling out, “Mia! Jai! Come here for a second!”

There’s some shouts of agreement and then Dan listens to the stampede of little feet as they race down the stairs. Thank god they’d finally moved into a house that they actually own, with neighbors far enough away that they can’t complain about the sounds that fill a house full of children.

Still, old habits die hard, and Dan gives them a look when they reach the bottom. “What did we say about running?” He asks.

The nine-year-olds at least have the decency to look ashamed. “Sorry,” Jaiden says, stepping closer and stroking his baby sister’s cheek with a gentle finger. “Hi, Nat-Nat,” he coos.

Dan smiles at that. “Dad’s on Skype, he wants to talk to you guys,” Dan says, and the words are barely out of his mouth when the twins are barreling off towards the kitchen. He rolls his eyes as he follows after them, mumbling to the baby all the while. “Sure, Daddy’s been feeding them and keeping them alive this week, but as soon as Dada is mentioned, it’s like I’m chopped liver,” he complains with the same baby-voice he always uses when talking to her.

She gurgles and Dan sighs. “You’re right. Dada is the best.”

When he reaches the kitchen again, both kids are hovered by the laptop, rambling about their day. They’re interrupting each other more often than not, but Phil seems to be getting the gist of everything regardless. Dan busies himself with preparing a bottle for Natalie, humming to her as he heats up the water. He smiles and makes faces at her to keep her occupied, and his heart leaps when her lip curls just a little.

“Aren’t you Daddy’s little angel? Hm? Our precious girl?” He says in a sweet voice, smiling when she smacks her lips. “Oh, someone is hungry, huh?”

Apparently Amelia is listening to him, because she pipes up from across the room. “I’m hungry,” she says loudly.

“I know, love, I’m going to start dinner as soon as I feed Nat and put her down for another nap,” Dan replies.

Amelia huffs. She mutters something, and Dan tenses. Things had been a little tense since they brought Natalie home over a month ago, and Amelia was not shy about telling them how much she didn’t want a little sister for the months leading up to Natalie’s birth. Dan hates to think that this is their reality for the rest of forever, Amelia disliking her little sister to the point of contempt, but at this point, he wasn’t sure.

“Amelia,” Dan hears Phil say over the Skype call. He’s using his fatherly warning tone, and Dan is partially relieved. This week has been hell trying to balance four kids and a job (thank god it’s summer and his school counselor tasks were more sparse this time of year) as well as the weird energy Amelia has towards the baby, so it’s a relief for Phil to finally step in.

“I know,” Amelia says with an irritated sigh, rolling her eyes. Dan gives her a look, and she looks down.

“Honey, I know you don’t like this change in our family, but that’s just the way things are now, okay? Natalie is here to stay, and sooner or later you need to figure out how to live with that,” Phil tells her firmly.

Dan’s careful not to say anything. There’s been many times, over the years, where he’s been inclined to argue with Phil over their parenting methods, and there’s been times when those arguments have become proper fights. But they’re working on communication, both with each other and their kids, so this time, he keeps his mouth shut. Honestly, there’s not anything Phil said that he doesn’t agree with, so it’s not a hardship to let him take the lead on this one.

Amelia rubs at her eyes. “Fine,” she says tersely.

Dan’s heart clenches. He hates to see any of his children in pain, and he knows that Amelia isn’t wrong to be upset. A new sibling is an upending of her life, and especially since she’s gone from being the only daughter to just the oldest. He thinks about how he felt, at seven years old, when Adrian was born. He gets it.

“Mia, do you want to help me cook dinner tonight?” Dan asks.

Amelia brightens a little at that. “Can I chop peppers?”

Dan smiles. “You sure can. I need my favorite sous chef if I’m going to feed the masses in an orderly time,” he says with a wink.

She giggles, and he relaxes. Amelia starts to tell Phil about something that had happened earlier that day when Dan took them to the park, and Dan hurries about finishing Natalie’s bottle so he can feed her. She’s starting to get fussy, and he’s bouncing her carefully as he readies the bottle, checking the temperature on his wrist.

“Here we go,” he says softly, tucking the bottle nipple in her mouth. “Good stuff, huh?” He smiles down at her, stroking her soft little cheek. Her eyes drift shut and he allows himself to relax, wandering back over to the laptop and standing behind the kids so he can see Phil again.

“And Daddy said that tomorrow we’re gonna go to the zoo,” Amelia announces proudly.

“Might,” Dan says, emphasizing the word strongly. “I said we might go to the zoo.” He rolls his eyes at Phil, shaking his head in exasperation.

“But Daddy-“ Amelia whines.

Dan’s already shaking his head at her. “Nope, don’t start. I said we might go. Honestly, I don’t know if I can handle toting all three of you around by myself.”

“Toting all three of them around where?” A voice says, interrupting Amelia’s next complaint.

Dan turns around where Levi and Charlotte are walking into the kitchen and smiles at them. “The zoo. Possibly. Hi, Lottie. How was the movie?”

Charlotte shrugs, going to settle on the barstool closest to Amelia, accepting the hug Amelia gives her with a smile. “It was alright. The special effects were horrible. You’re going to hate the ending.”

“No spoilers!” He protests, shaking his head adamantly since he doesn’t have an empty hand to gesture with.

She grins and pretends to zip her lips before turning to the laptop, the Skype call still open. Phil is smiling at them, that goofy kind that Dan knows well. It usually means Phil is thinking about how lucky they are to have this life. Dan understands the feeling.

“Hi, Phil,” Charlotte greets with a little wave.

“Hi,” he waves back with a smile. “Did you guys wear your seatbelts?”

Charlotte nods, but Dan notices her give Levi a pointed look and Levi sighs, pulling out his wallet. Dan watches in amusement as he takes out a couple pounds, handing them to her with a roll of his eyes. When she notices Dan looking at her, Charlotte shrugs, looking only a little bit sheepish. “We had a bet on whether or not one of you would ask us about that,” she explains.

Dan snorts. He turns to Levi, giving him a fake disappointed look. “Probably should’ve seen that one coming, Levi.”

Levi sighs. “I knew that you probably wouldn’t, and I wasn’t counting on Dad being here when we got home.”

“Sorry,” Phil says with a grin.

“Are we ever gonna have dinner?” Amelia wails, interrupting whatever it was Phil was going to say next.

“I’m starving,” Jaiden agrees from beside her. He turns to look at Dan, pouting. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just order pizza?”

Dan looks straight at Phil, giving him a very pointed look. “That one is all yours,” he says, nodding to Jaiden.

Phil at least has the decency to look almost embarrassed. “I mean... he’s got a fair point, babe,” Phil says with a little grin.

Dan sighs. Natalie’s bottle makes a snapping noise and Dan looks down to find she’s only got a couple swallows left in the nipple. He’s careful to watch and pull it out of her mouth before she can start swallowing any air, placing it on the counter to be washed later as he grins at her. “Well done Nat-Nat! You finished all your din-din.”

The baby gurgles at him and Dan smiles as he takes her up to his shoulder, burping her gently. The kids are still talking amongst themselves, but Dan catches Phil watching him through the screen. He smiles helplessly, shrugging at his husband, and Phil grins back.

“I guess I should let you go so you can put her down and start dinner,” Phil says, a resigned sigh in his voice.

Dan hates it, but he’s right. Dan could sit here talking to Phil all evening instead of ever bothering to cook dinner, and with a houseful of hungry children, that’s hardly an option. “Yeah, I guess so,” Dan agrees. “Everyone, say goodnight to Dad, he’s gotta go eat some dinner and get to bed, and so do we.”

The kids all make their noises of complaint but he watches, rocking the baby with a smile, as each of the kids tell Phil goodnight. Dan shoos them all out of the kitchen with Levi’s help, and then it’s just Phil and Dan and the baby.

“I miss you,” Dan says.

Phil smiles. “I miss you more.”

Dan shakes his head, resting his cheek gently against Natalie’s little head. “I seriously doubt that,” he says softly.

“It’s true,” Phil replies, dropping his chin to rest in his hand. “But I’ll be home soon, okay?”

Dan nods. “Right,” he agrees. “I love you.”

Phil blows him a kiss, their usual parting on these calls. “I love you too, bub. I’ll text you later, yeah?”

“Okay. Goodnight. Love you.”

Phil grins when Dan repeats himself. “Goodnight, Dan. I love you. Tell the kids I’ll be home soon.”

“Of course. Bye,” he says, waving for a second before the screen goes black. He sighs, looking down at Natalie’s sweet, sleepy little face. “I can’t wait for your other Dad to come home, munchkin. This one needs a break and a good snuggle.”

She smacks her lips and closes her eyes and Dan smiles, rolling his eyes. “I know, your life is so hard, being a baby. Let’s get you down for another nap, love.”

~~~

The next night, Dan wakes up from a deep sleep to warm breath on his neck. At first he’s confused, grunting as he tries to roll over, but a heavy weight around his waist stops him. “What the...”

“Shh,” a deep and unmistakable voice murmurs in his ear. “‘M tryin’ sleep.”

Suddenly, Dan is wide awake, rolling over quickly despite the protests from his husband. “Phil,” he breathes, warm and happy.

Phil blinks at him, a goofy, exhausted smile on his face. “Hi,” he says sheepishly.

Dan wraps himself around Phil immediately, peppering kisses to everywhere he can reach. “I missed you,” he kisses across Phil’s brow bone, feeling Phil’s breath on his collarbones. “So much.”

“I missed you too,” Phil replies with a little laugh, kissing at Dan’s throat.

Something occurs to Dan then and he pulls away, staring at Phil with a furrowed brow. “I thought you weren’t coming home until tomorrow.” He doesn’t mean to, but he can’t help but be a little accusatory. He wanted to make sure the house was clean, maybe do some laundry. Just the sort of husband things one did when they were in the best relationship of their life.

Phil gives him a sheepish smile. “I changed my flight so I could come home early and surprise you.”

Dan feels so much all at once, it reminds him of how it was in the early days, before the kids, before the fostering, before they even knew that they had feelings for each other. It’s overwhelming for a moment, and then Phil is tilting his chin, guiding their mouths together in a perfect kiss.

“Mm,” Dan hums against his lips. “I love you.”

Phil laughs. “Love you more.” His hand slips down Dan’s waist, his fingertips dipping just under the hand of Dan’s pants. Dan is hit with a wave of arousal so strong, and it’s not lost on him that it’s been more than a month since they had proper sex. He loved Natalie more than life itself, but raising a baby on top of the three children they already had was proving to be much more difficult than they’d anticipated. But after all they’d been through, the strain of no sex was nothing they couldn’t handle. After all, they’d gone ten years without it before.

Still, he’s only human, and when his husband is petting the soft skin at his hip, he can only react like any mortal man would. “Baby,” he sighs.

“Hm?”

It hits Dan what he’d just said, and he quickly remembers the other inhabitant of this room. “Phil. Phil, the baby,” he mumbles, tapping Phil’s arm.

“Already took care of her,” Phil replies back, kissing at Dan’s jaw.

“What? When?” Dan asks, pushing him back a bit.

Phil smiles. “When I got home. You were already asleep so I checked on the kids and then took Nat downstairs for a bottle and some cuddles.”

“Oh.” The image of that, of Phil coming in late and taking their baby down for her midnight bottle, is nearly enough to make Dan cry and definitely enough to turn him off. “Well, thank you for that, but I don’t think I feel like fooling around tonight, if that’s okay.”

Phil pecks him on the cheek with a little giggle. “Of course that’s okay, you idiot. I didn’t just come home early for that, you know. I mostly missed having my little space heater,” he says with a grin.

Dan rolls his eyes, but can’t help the way he smiles and leans in for another kiss. “Sometimes I think you only married me for my good looks and my stupidly hot body temperature.”

Phil kisses him back, but he’s smiling so hard that it’s sloppy. “Oh for sure. Those were my top two requirements for a husband. Is hot, runs hot.”

Dan snorts. “Right. So, father of your children was somewhere further down that list, I’m assuming?”

“Something like that,” Phil teases.

“You’re such an idiot,” Dan smiles, kissing Phil’s cheek before snuggling in for the night.

“But I’m your idiot,” Phil says in a stupid, sleepy voice.

Dan smiles, pressing one last kiss to Phil’s chest. “Always.”

[deankirk]

my absolute faves - a spirk fic rec list

No one asked for it, but I’m doing it anyway.

JIM KIRK/SPOCK

→  Papers in the Roadside: 50k, rated E

Summary:  Non-Starfleet AU. Jim owns a small bar in Chicago, keeps on picking up strays and taking care of everyone no matter how hard it makes his own life. Spock is a journalist writing feature articles for the Chicago Tribune; he depicts the world with uncanny skill, but hides more than one personal drama and is possibly under surveillance from the Vulcan royal family. They meet by accident just before their lives start to spin out of control.

This is one of the few AU’s I really love of spirk. 

→  Something Smart to Do: 21k, rated M

Summary: In which Jim finds himself fake-married to his first officer every other month. It's not his fault. Mostly. Dowries and Klingons are involved. Starfleet is decidedly not amused.

The 5+1, pretend relationship we all love.

→  Jealous Orbits: 5k, rated E

Summary: In which Kirk and Spock have had sex half a dozen times, but this time it counts.

Probably my all time fave, it has everything I love about this pairing.

→  Kiss Me (or Five Times Jim Kirk Had To Steal a Kiss From His First Officer, and One Time He Didn't Have To): 2,5k, rated T

Summary: In which Kirk and Spock have had sex half a dozen times, but this time it counts.

I love 5+1 fics, that’s a really good and fluff one. 

→  Lessons of Love: 28k, multichapter, rated M

Summary: Spock visits his father on New Vulcan before the five-year mission and he takes his still recovering captain with him.

Friends to lovers with the help of Spock Prime, I’m a sucker for this. 

→  These Things Tend to Get Messy: 5k, rated E

Summary: A lot, Jim tells himself. A lot of heartbreak.

Or:It begins because aliens make them do it, and then it becomes one of those things.

A trope I absolutly love but that is not much explored: fuckbuddies. Also, aliens made them do it.

→  Twist the Knife: 5k, rated E

Summary: “Captain,” Spock says, as elegant on his knees as he was standing up. “You are a man for whom action speaks louder than word. I endeavor to prove my loyalty, now and always, in language you will understand."

It’s a TOS spirk set on the mirror!verse. It’s dark and I love it.

→  Chains of Command: 9k, rated E

Summary: Admitting to each other that they are in love is not an issue. The problem is revealing it to everyone else.

This is how Jim and Spock’s relationship would be if Starfleet actually enforced fraternization regulations.

Angst. Pining. Love it!

→  Five Times Spock Was Sexted Anonymously: 5k, rated E and less than three is just a tease (send those nudes, make me drool): 5k, rated E

I love, love, love this trope, but there are so few fics of them sexting. Why?

→  How We Got Together: 3,5k, rated E

Friends to lovers, developing relationship, it’s so well done, feels so right!

→  Paper Tigers: 92k, multichapter, rated E

Summary:Thirty years ago, the war between Earth and Vulcan ended with a shaky armistice. Now, Earth's monarchs hope their volatile neighbors might formalize peace and ally with them against a growing Klingon threat. But Vulcans are fiercely independent, and are currently fighting their own war against a rebel insurgence. An alliance remains unlikely.In spite of this, the two planets' sons, Prince James Kirk of Earth and Dorli Kahr-lan Spock of Vulcan, find themselves passionately drawn toward each other the moment they meet, and their own private alliance could change everything.

AU, pre-reform Vulcan. Hot as a Vulcan desert.

→  Devil’s Bargain: 17,5k, rated E

Summary: Set after TMP. Spock’s impending pon farr makes him wary of agreeing to a second five-year mission, so Kirk agrees to lend a hand (so to speak) should the situation arise. What could possibly go wrong?

TOS spirk, pon farr.

→  Send Me the Moon: 6k, rated Teen & Up

Summary: Vulcan is sixteen light years from Earth. When James T Kirk is twenty-two, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute receives a transmission from a six-year-old Vulcan child named Spock. 21st Century AU. 

It’s a very unique view into their relationship.  

And, the ones that make my heart melts: the best kid fics out of here!

→  So Wise We Grow: 81k, rated M

Summary: "Commander Spock, we have located your son," the Vulcan lady on the screen says, which would be great, except Jim can tell by the look on Spock's face that he's never heard of this kid before in his life. "If it is expedient, the child will be sent to join you on the Enterprise within the week."

Spock has to deal with a Vulcan child that’s supposedly his son. Jim tries to help.

→  The Trouble with Vulcan-Human Hybrids: 54k, mutichapter, rated Teen & Up

Summary:  A story in which Spock and Kirk meet their future children when accidental time travel happens. Future Spock and Kirk have twin children, a son and daughter, who each take after their parents in unique ways. After a bit of an accident, the two children are thrown into an Enterprise where Dad and Father are still only coworkers, learning how to get along with each other.

I love their kids so much in this fic!

→  a sequence that you never learned: 64k, multichapter, rated E

Summary: "'Spock,' Jim breathes out, completely overwhelmed by the gesture—not quite believing that Spock knows him so well, that's he's already started researching, that he trusts Jim with a member of his own endangered species.

"When Jim gets it in his head to adopt an eight year old Vulcan, Spock presents a logical solution to the issue of Jim's humanity: marriage to a Vulcan citizen.

I love this Vulcan boy so much, I can’t even start to tell...

FIC RECS: part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

[peachteacutie]

Nursery School Teacher Jon Au!

Roles:

-Jon teaches the older children, the 3-5 year old's

-Tim works with the younger children/babies, the 0-2 year old's.

-Sasha is the director of the Nursery School

-Martin is a neighbor/adopted uncle that sometimes picks up their daughter Alice. He’s adopted in the sense that this child has claimed Martin as their uncle.

(Any other characters not here that you think should be included, like Melanie, Georgie, Elias, any Avatars, etc... just send an ask with what you think they should be, and we’ll figure it out together.

I’m considering making the avatars children so any thoughts on that?)

Fun Ideas From my brain/friends brains:

-Sasha is the best director. If Tim or Jon have any trouble with a parent, that they can not handle themselves, they send them to her.

-Sasha has no trouble handling difficult/rude parents.

-Jon wears exclusively long skirts, it’s a necessity you can’t convince me otherwise. They’re comfortable, and easier to fit his leg braces.

-Jon can almost answer ever single question a child asks him, and Tim is jealous of this talent.

-Jon is always patient with the children when talking to them or disciplining them because his grandmother was never patient with him. He doesn’t want any of these children to feel the way he did.

-Jon does the best voices for stories so he usually ends up doing story time for both classes. Usually in Tim’s room so they don’t have to haul all the infants to the older kids room. The older kids like getting to visit the babies.

-Martin will sometimes just stand in the door way watching Jon interact with the children, before Alice notices him and blows his cover.

-Children just handing Jon and Tim things.

-Ex: Rocks they thought were pretty, acorn caps, play food that they want them to pretend eat, etc.

-Just random displays of affection.

-Ex: grabbing their hand to hold it or just show them something, children crawling into Jon’s lap while he reads or even just snuggling in close, random sweet little hugs, etc.

-The children adore Jon, and Tim swears it’s because they know Jon is short.

Quote from @voiceless-terror:

Tim: He can communicate with them in a way we can’t, Martin. It’s the short King energy!

-Martin almost burst out laughing when Tim said that but he didn’t because he didn’t want to hurt Jon’s feelings.

-When Jon’s having a bad day or is just feeling grumpy Tim just hands him babies, because you can’t be grumpy while holding a baby.

Example from @voiceless-terror​:

Jon ranting about something, Tim hands him a small child.

Tim: Here, hold him for a sec?

Jon: Tim- ugh fine, okay

Ten minutes later.

Tim: Okay, I can take him back now.

Jon, staring intently at this chubby, gurgling baby: Not now we’re talking.

Meeting Idea courtesy of both @voiceless-terror and @balanced-to-a-tea :

-So the idea essentially is Martin comes to pick up a friend/neighbors kid from nursery School and is confronted with Jon intently listening to a child chatter away. Of course Martin falls in love immediately, and actually starts offering to pick up their daughter more so he can observe this stuffy little man dressed like he’s teaching grade school recite ABC’s to a room full of toddlers.

-They meet when Martin comes in to pick their daughter up only to find out that he hasn’t been registered as someone who can pick up that child. So Sasha leaves them alone to chat and make awkward small talk while she goes to call the parents to ensure that it’s okay for Martin to pick up their daughter.

-Leading to a couple awkward miss-understandings along the way such as:

 -Jon thinking that Martin’s flirting with him because he’s being so nice, as usually he has to deal with people getting irritated over these things, and it’s not uncommon for single moms (and a few single dads) to flirt with him.

-Later of course poor Jon does end up flirting with Martin and now Martin thinks Jon is just being nice. 

Ahhhhh So much! Anyway if anyone has any other ideas for this Au, hit up my Ask box I would love to hear them! I might write a fic for this in the future!

[end-of-reset]

Written Special, A Blast From the Past

3-year-old Chara finds the only adult in the house injured.

This is NOT NECESSARY for understanding the story, it is just for fun, and it was a blast to write baby Chara’s thought process. They are very silly and very adorable. Let me know if you liked this!

TWs: blood, injury, hospital mention, pregnancy mentions

”Appa” is their dad and “Halabeoji” and is their grandfather. 

He was taking WAY too long to get that drink. 

No drink took this long. And if it did, it had better be a really good drink. Like the canned stuff that Chara wasn’t allowed to have anymore because they “set the floor on fire” and “ate an entire book” and “banged on the piano for five hours” like those were bad things.

Okay, eating the book wasn’t such a good idea. It made their stomach hurt. But that’s the reason normal drinks exist! They don’t end with obscene energy highs and book eating.

Hmmm...

Chara slapped their hands on the wall. Bang, bang, bang. Their irritation grew more and more with each slap of their tiny hands. “HAaaaaalll-AAAHB-OHHHHjeee…” The wall rang hollow. No grandfather. No comfort.

Chara wiggled in place, bouncing their upper body until the springs creaked. All this noise, and still nothing? Sheisse.

Chara tried bouncing one last time. The springs creaked weakly. Ugh! It was the bed’s fault, really. It didn’t bounce, it didn’t make as much noise... But the crib was for little kids, and Chara was one of the big kids now. 

Just not in size. M-e-t-a-p-h-o-r.

This big kid bed wasn’t exactly fun, though. It didn’t have the little bars like the crib did. Chara got to gnaw on those bars and hit toys on them. They could be SO loud using those bars! This new bed just had pillows and those tasted like spit after too much chewing. Boring!

Chara stood up. “WHERE ARE YOUUUU. HELLO?”

No answer.

Chara tried again, and again, and again, shifting through all the languages they could use so far. “<WHERE ARE YOU?>” They repeated. 

Nobody came.

Chara frowned. “Where are you?” they tried using their inside voice, but there was no answer. If Chara used the inside voice, people HAD to answer. Otherwise, what was the point of the inside voice? 

…No, really…. why didn’t anyone answer? 

Halabeoji told Chara that everyone was gone because the new babies were trying to come early. Just like Chara, but even earlier, and there’s TWO of them, so the hospital had to make them them stop. The grown-ups all thought Chara didn’t know the babies were coming out of Mother, but Chara knew. They read about it. The babies were gonna be squeezed out and look like little raisin people. Everyone looked like raisin people at first, and then they get stretchy when they grew up. Would Chara get stretchy and tall, too? Must investigate later.

Hmm... The only other person in the house was Chara’s sister. She was stuck in her room, probably pouting. She was being all grumpy again! And she’d even got a DRESS as a gift from Halmeoni. Mother didn’t like that very much, but Chara could see their sister’s eyes light up over the frilly piece of fabric. Sure, it was pretty and looked like it tasted like candy, but could it make noise? Could it talk? If not, it was useless. 

But she liked it.

And yet, not even the dress could save her mood once Mother went to the hospital. Maybe ‘cause the babies were getting all the attention. It was always about attention.

“MIN-MIN!” Chara yelled. “YOU THERE?”

No answer.

Chara took a deep breath. “MIN-MIN…. MINNIEEEEEE…. MIN-MIN MINNIE MIN MIIIN……..”

She finally had enough after a round of this.  “What do you WANT?!“ she yelled, her voice coming back high-pitched and angry despite the muffling walls. 

"WHERE’S HALABEOJI?”

“I DUNNO! YOU ASK HIM! DON’T ASK ME!”

Chara heard a door slam. Uh, oh, Min-Min sure was lucky Mother and Appa weren’t home. Or she’d be in big trouble for that.

Hey…why didn’t Halabeoji say anything? He didn’t like loud noises, either… and he didn’t like when Min or Chara were yelling.

Chara hit the wall again, mindlessly. Well. Since nobody was coming, Chara would come to him.

They slid off their bed, wobbling slightly when their feet hit the ground. Walking still felt a little funny sometimes. Their legs weren’t used to holding their body upright all the time.... Crawling was easier and it looked like Chara was a bug, which made it even more fun. 

They could pretend to be a spy bug and steal Min’s dolls for future torture and/or chewing. The dolls were brightly colored and smelled like fruit, okay. There was fruit somewhere in the darn things… And someday, Chara would find it and eat it.

Chara dropped down from their bed and scrambled to the door, pushing it open and peering out. 

Silence.

Schweigen, silenco, chimmug...

“Haaaaalaaaabeeeeoooojiii?” They tried again.

“Stop YELLING!” Their sister yelled herself- oh, was that i-r-o-n-y?- and kicked her wall loudly. She was across from Chara’s room, so they saw the wall shudder with her tiny, weak little kicks. Later they would show her how to really kick a wall. She probably wouldn’t listen, because she never did, but they could at least say they tried.

Sigh, why were big sisters LIKE this? 

“Where is he?” Chara asked. “He not answering!”

“Why would he wanna? You ANNOYING.”

“No, no, Min-Min, yooooooou’re in-se-cure,” Chara stuck their tongue out. “Un-sich-er...”

“Whazzat mean...”

“I-N-S-E-C-U-R-E~ It means you-”

“I DON’T CARE!” 

There was a muffled scream. Probably into her pillow. She did that a lot when she was having a tantrum. She didn’t know that she should be biting the pillows instead of screaming into them. Biting felt much better sometimes.

The wall shook one last time before everything went quiet.

Chara pulled themself to their feet.

They looked around and walked down the hallway, wobbly on their legs but managing to remain standing.

Hmm. The house was NEVER this quiet. Maybe Chara could listen... and try to hear him. Like a dog. Like the neighbors giant dog that was Chara’s actual best friend (unlike Grandmother’s cat... the one that hated Chara.) Chara’s nose wasn’t like a dog’s nose, but maybe if they tried to listen…

Chara cupped their hands around their ears.

This was more like a dog. They pretended to be a dog like this a lot. 

They’d probably sneak up and surprise Halabeoji when they found him. Maybe not TOO big a surprise, but a little fun one.

As they listened, there it was- haggard breathing. Chara put their hands down and scurried after the noise, sticking their tongue out and imagining they were tasting the air, like a snake. A dog-snake, that was cool.

The scent of metal hit them first- straight up their nose, so intense they thought their tongue was ACTUALLY tasting it. Chara slowed, closing their mouth. Metal....

That could be something scary. Or it could be their grandfather playing. Either way, they were on edge until they reached the kitchen. They turned the corner, and-- OW! Chara stumbled , catching themself on the wall. They turned to look at what nearly tripped them... some legs?

Chara let their gaze travel up the expanse of the long, long legs. When their eyes reached the white button-up, they knew who it was. Their grandfather’s fallen body- facedown and still.

Chara frowned.

“Hello! Hello,” they repeated, grabbing his pant leg and shaking it. “Hello? You are asleep during drink time! S’pposed to be back now!”

He didn’t answer. Chara moved forward, stopping stiffly as red filled their vision. Ah, that was blood? All around his head and the floor… smelling so intensely of sweet metal. 

And their feet felt warm.

Chara looked down.

Chara had never seen so much blood. And now it was ON them. Huh. Was it supposed to be so… Thick? It felt warm between their toes, its copper scent wafting up to their nose and filling it with the strong scent of pennies. Chara didn’t know that much about bodies or about blood, but their mind still shivered slightly from the pervasive feeling of wrongness. 

“Blood... ‘s blood.” Chara mumbled. Blut, pi, ketsueki... “Bleeding is bad… That how things die.”

What should they do? Tell Min-Min? No, she would just scream. Screaming wasn’t fun unless Chara was doing it. Min always had to be dramatic about it... Tears and everything. 

Chara paused, remembering something they read. 

“If you bleed lots, you die forever…”

Then he’d go away. Chara didn’t want that! They liked him and his stories and big hands and big shoes the size of Chara’s whole leg. Maybe if it was someone else. If Min went away, that wouldn’t be too bad, because she was always whiny. Was there a way to replace her with him? Wait, then everyone would be sad because Min-Min was dead. Chara didn’t want that, either. Hmm.

He was still breathing, right? So he wasn’t dead, but hurt. Maybe he broke a bone in his head.

Chara kept watching, squinting. If he was dead, then his SOUL would be showing. It wasn’t, so he had to still be alive...  

If only they could see it. Chara didn’t know how to see SOULs yet. This is why Mother should be teaching them! What if someone else died or bled in front of Chara? They needed to be able to DO something about it!

Maybe there was something else Chara could do.....What could help? Maybe the hospital. Hospitals fix people who might die. Did that mean the auto shop where Auntie worked was a hospital? Must investigate later.

Chara stepped back. The hospital was HALFWAY across the village... it was a WHOLE four kilometers away. Chara could maybe walk that distance if they tried really, really hard, but they couldn’t drag Halabeoji ALL that way. He’d get blood EVERYWHERE, and people would want to ask about that! Then everyone would ask about how Mother was doing, and look at how BIG Chara’s getting, what’s their favorite color- all DUMB questions.

No, walking wouldn’t work. Chara needed to call someone for help... They had to call the emergency number that told the hospital to send an ambulence to their house. If they made the call, the people would be here really quickly, and they’d probably want to talk about boring stuff, but at least they’d get Halabeoji to the hospital and fix him before his SOUL fell out. 

Or his brain. Whichever came first. 

Chara looked around the kitchen. There, there it was- The house phone had been carefully hung up on the wall a good five feet from the ground and away from the easily-climbable counters. Chara eyed it. They’d only used that phone once. One time. Uno, ichi, il, eins...

Hmmm... All the other phones they’d used were flippy ones. Those phones were all dead and didn’t do anything. As long as Chara “didn’t throw them across the goddamn room AGAIN” then they got to play with them.

That rule was dumb. These phones didn’t let Chara call anyone any other way. They had to be used as noisemakers if they were meant to be of any use!

Though… it was fun to pretend to talk to someone about how smelly big sisters were.

Especially when the conversation took place in front of a big sister. Oh, hello, friendly dead snake that Chara found in the basement that will make Mother scream later, did you know lil’ Mini Minnie Min-Min took foooooreeeeever to be potty trained? Guess who learned how to use it at 2 and a half years. No, obviously it wasn’t Min, she could never! Hey, hey, Did you know the word for snake in German was schlange? It sounded like a bad word. What if Min knew there was a schlange within 20 feet of her? She’d cryyyyy…

Yup, phones were easy stuff. And the number for phone emergencies was the easiest. 

Chara scurried over to the neatly organized table and grabbed an adult chair.  The one made out of sticks, not wood blocks, because the others were too heavy to push. Chara had tried. They could knock over the high-chair, but it made lots of noise and then Chara got yelled at. The kind of yelling that you aren’t allowed to yell back at.

They dragged it over to the well, grunting with exertion. Their legs were already feeling wobbly, but nothing like they used to. That’s because Chara PRACTICED until their legs got big and strong. They were gonna use their feet to break watermelons someday, like the lady on TV did. Chara puffed out when the chair was in place, eyeing their handiwork with a smug smile. Okay, stairs. Good.

They climbed up onto it and swiftly grabbed the phone. It was a smooth oblong object with glowing little numbers… so tiny and bright…

Chara blinked. A little light shone from the number screen at the top. The lights were very pretty. This must be the look of a phone that was alive. If they opened it, would it bleed, too? Would it light up even MORE? Chara raised their arm, about to throw it down- No, NO, wait! No, they needed it ALIVE.

For now.

Hmm. Last time they called Mother and Appa using this phone, it was because they learned how to say bad words in French (a gros mot) and wanted permission to say them to Min-Min.

Puis-je dire à Min de casse-toi....

The answer was no. Even though French was REALLY hard and Chara could barely learn it! Those two didn’t understand just HOW important it was that Chara said the bad words to Min. Sigh. Grown-ups...

And after that, they put the phone high out of Chara’s reach! Such a shame. It’s a good thing Chara was so strong and knew about chairs. 

Chara pressed the buttons. They made fun noises, so fun that Chara almost kept pressing them just to hear the little music notes. Music was fun... this phone was like a tiny piano with far fewer keys! Keys that called people if you put in the right numbers.

9-1-1.

It rang for a single moment, then a voice rang out of it. Calls rarely took longer than a few rings here.

“Emergency services, how many I help you?”

“Hi.” Chara blinked. “I need am-buuuu-lens. You gotta send one.”

There was a pause. “U-um. How old are you, sweetie?”

The person must’ve realized Chara was little. They tried to make their voice sound deeper so they sounded bigger.

“Don’t need it for me. It for Halabeoji. He down on the floor and his head bloody.”

“….Have you told your Mama or Papa?”

“No. Them both at the hospital with you, making sure the babies don’t come out too fast.” Chara paused. “That would be bad,” they added, in case the phone person didn’t know. Sometimes grown-ups didn’t know simple things. That was okay, as long as they didn’t waste Chara’s time for TOO long.

“Yes, it would, um.. I’ve got your location, is this where you liv-”

Chara didn’t let the person finish. They didn’t need the other person telling them the score. They recited their address themself.

“Oh! Yes, that’s right. You must be ██████’s oldest, right? Mina…?”

“I’m Chara.” Chara frowned. Mother’s real name wasn’t important. “Did you get the ambulens?" 

"But… Chara is 3...?”

“3 and three-twelves. Cuz it’s been three month. Twelve months in year.” Chara knew math. This impressed people. They could also count to 100, which also impressed people, because grown-ups found simple things very impressive when they were not at all. Still, Chara made sure to count whenever they thought an adult needed to be reminded of just how many numbers Chara knew, which was often.

“...Y....Y-yes. It’ll be there very soon. Could you answer some questions while we wait?”

“Yeah, okay, as long as they good quest-ons. U-s-e-f-u-l.” They better not be silly questions or stuff about Chara’s age. Chara being 3 was not important! They would be 4 in a year and even older the next. So boring! “Don’t wanna talk ‘bout useless stuff. Did you know useful only got one l even though it "full”?“ 

"That’s nice, honey…. u-um. they’re good questions, don’t worry.” The person didn’t acknowledge their observation. Probably just jealous that Chara noticed it first. 

“Hmmm.”

“Okay…. Um, is he breathing? Can… You tell?”

Chara thought for a moment. They couldn’t hear anything, and they couldn’t cup their ears right now. Had to do something else. Something smart.

Outside, people licked their fingers to feel the wind. And breathing was just mouth wind.

They licked their finger and put it by his nose. It was weak, but they felt a warm gush of air against the wet skin.

Chara grinned. Breathing meant he wasn’t dead yet. (And yet, the not-dead phone didn’t breathe? Must investigate later.) “Yes. Slow and heavy. Should I roll him? He bigger than ANYONE ever.”

“No, you don’t have to do that, sweetie.”

“Next.”

“What?”

“Next quest-on.”

“...” Was that a giggle? “Okay. The injured person is bleeding, right?”

“Yup. From his head.” Tête, cabeza, meoli, kopf..

“…Well… do you think you could put a clean towel on his head and push down as hard as you can?”

“…I gotta be a band-aid?”

“…Yeah, basically.”

Chara looked around. There were some towels hung up on the wall- the clean ones were always put on the wall, kind of like they were being displayed. Chara walked over, grabbed, and pulled until one came down. “Gotta towel. Gonna be the band-aid.

“Good! See if you can find where the bleeding is, okay? Find where the blood is coming from, if- if you can, if you can’t, you should go get your sister-”

“Hold on.” Chara put the phone on his back. So it wouldn’t be on the floor. They crept closer, ignoring the blood squelching between their toes.

‘Go get your sister...’ HAH. Like Min would do anything. 

Chara couldn’t see anything from the back. It wasn’t nice to pull people’s hair, but they grabbed a handful from his scalp anyways and pulled with all of their might. Blood dripped down their grandfather’s forehead. An oozing gash sat up against the crown of his scalp, smeared blood surrounding it. Chara wobbled, their arm tiring quickly from the weight of his head. They shoved the towel underneath him and let his head back down, breathing heavily once the pressure on their arms decreased.

They huffed, picking the phone back up.

“Big cut on his front head. I can’t push that, so I put towel under. His head too heavy.”

“So his head is down on the towel? Is the towel bunched up?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, that’s good. You did a great job.”

Chara rolled their eyes. They didn’t need to be told the obvious.

 “ Try to press down on the back of his head, so the cut presses into the towel.”

“Okay.” Chara did so. “Next.”

“So, um…How old is the injured person? Is he your uncle…?

"He’s a grandfather. He’s 71.”

“Is he your Papa’s Papa?”

“...sure.” Chara wrinkled their nose. “Those are wrong names. But sure.”

“...” Another pause. Sheesh. “When did you find him like this?”

“Now. He said he gonna go get a drink and then didn’t be back. So I yelled and he didn’t come. So I went and find him.” Chara looked at his fallen body. They slid out of the chair, wobbling their way over to him.

“Do you know how long he’s been injured…? It’s okay if you don’t.”

Chara patted his shoulder. Just in case he could feel it. He might need the comfort. Since he didn’t get his drink.

“It was the noon when he gone outta my room. That’s drink time. I watch a Ger-mun video three times. The video ten minutes… So ten three times. Thirty minutes. Then I yelled at him to come. He didn’t. Then I went and found him and got phone after I made stairs.”

"I see, to reach the phone?”

“Well, yeah,” they scoffed. “I not allowed to reach it. But this 'merg-an-cee.”

“It is, you did the right thing!” Ugh, this person didnt need to tell Chara that. “Okay, so… Does he have any health issues that you know of? You don’t have to answer if you don’t know.”

Jeez, this phone person thought Chara knew NOTHING!

“Uuuummm… He hadda take medicines for his blood. Medicines not helping his blood right now. That blood is still on the floor.” Chara paused. “Nobody but him getsta eat them red pill thingies. I asked.”

And adults said they knew how to share. But Chara didn’t get any of the pill candy? Psh. H-y-p-o-c-r-i-t-i-c-a-l.

“Are you alone? He’s the only adult there, right?”

“Min-Min is in her room being grumpy. She not big enough to be grown-up yet.”

"Oh, that’s so cute, is that what you call your sister?”

Chara grumbled. “You said only good questions.” Why was everyone always so interested in BORING stuff? Min was never gonna go away. What Chara called her was normal. None of this was anything COOL and it certainly wasn’t helping Halabeoji die slower! 

"Y-you’re right. You are Chara, right?”

They rolled their eyes. “Yeah.” Chara tried not to sound annoyed, because maybe the person on the phone was being polite. Maybe these were mandatory questions everyone had to answer. But they were still bad questions and the person deserved to feel bad for them. “When’s help gonna be here?”

“Soon. Go unlock your front door, okay?”

Chara stood up and scurried out of the kitchen and to the front door. They tried to reach up and grab the handle, but it was locked tight with the white doorhandle helmet that made it hard to grab and open. They fumbled with it for a moment, their face tightening as they tried and failed to get ahold of the knob.  “I can’t. It got the lock helmet thing.”

"Okay, so… they’ll have to break in. Don’t worry, Joe’ll fix it!”

Everyone loved and knew Joe, the village’s architect. He build and fixed everything. His beard smelled like tanning solution and Chara didn’t like him because he tried to talk to them like they were friends. Chara wasn’t friends with people who smelled.

They chewed on their lower lip, deciding not to comment on the whole Joe thing. Chara would just avoid him when he came. He was apparently used to kids liking him, because the last time he came and Chara avoided him, he acted like his feelings were hurt. Baby.

“Should I tell Min-Min?”

“Probably… You should also get ready to go. Put some shoes on, okay? And-”

Chara raised a hand to their mouth. “MIN-MIN, THE DOOR’S GONNA BREAK!”

She shoved her door open. “-WHAT?!” 

Chara took a few steps back into the hallway, meeting her gaze with their own.  Oh, she was wearing the dress. Why did she have to lock herself in the room to wear it? Nobody was here to call her a baby for wearing it. Except for Chara. And they had better things to call her.

“What did you say??” Her voice rang down the hall, her hazel eyes wide. Chara knew they were hazel because Appa never, EVER shut up about what pretty eyes Min had. They looked like FUNNY eyes right now. Her expression was funny!

Chara pointed at the door. “911’s gonna break the door.”

Min looked at the door, then back at Chara, her brows furrowing. Pretty eyes didn’t hide the big brows that everyone in this family had, haha. “What? Whazzat mean? You gonna– you got us in trouble?!”

“Nooo. I did good things only.” Chara scoffed. “You gotta put shoes on. We gotta go to the hospital.”

“Huh?” She brightened a little. “Are we gonna go see the babies?”

“I’unno. I called 911. People gonna break the door down and take us, probably.”

Min’s expression dropped. She looked around, then back at Chara, as if this as a joke. “Wh…”

“But be calm. Calm is good.”

She did the opposite of calm. She started to shriek. “Why’re we gonna go? What’s going on?!” 

The person on the phone kept talking. “Is that your sister? Tell her to get ready to go, too.” Oh, right, Chara still had the phone.

They raised it up. “I’m telling her.”

“Y-You’re not s’pposed to use the phone. You’re gonna get in trouble for that,” Min pointed at Chara, her voice shaking. “You made a joke, right? This is a mean joke. Tell the people not to come, I don’t wanna go!”

“We gotta go!”

“No! You’re tryna make trouble!”

“No, I’m tryna stop Halabeoji from dying.” Chara shot back.

"Yeah, right,” Min scoffed, starting towards Chara. She was trying to replace her fear with anger, and it wasn’t going to work. Chara wasn’t afraid of her anger. Chara was afraid of normal things, like Joe the architect and Grandma’s cat.

Chara raised their voice. “STOP there or you gonna be upset. Don’t come into kitchen. He got blood everywhere.” They scurried backwards into the kitchen, grabbing two shoes from the kitchen pile with one hand.

“Nuh uh-” Min-Min started as she rounded the corner. Her voice cut off, her feet stopped moving.

Her eyes were frozen on Halabeoji’s fallen body. Chara shrugged, holding the phone up to their face. “I TOLD her she was gonna cry. And now she gonna cry. I TOLD her.”

“Um-”

Min’s voice started to rise. “AAAAAAA-”

The door splintered, then shattered. Oh, the help was here!

And Min just screamed even louder. Typical!

❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 

An entire ambulance ride with a hysterical sister wasn’t exactly Chara’s idea of fun. They tried to pay attention to the adults talking, but Min-Min held onto their hand like she was afraid they’d fall out of the car and splat on the road.

Chara sighed.

“Gonna be fine,” they told her. “Crying don’t do anything, anyways. Faster they help, faster things fix.”

She kept stammering, unable to get a solid word past her tears. Big, globby ones that made her face sticky and red. “Buh–buh— but- b-blood– his blood–” 

“You have blood too. Blood isn’t scary.”

“It is when it’s outta people! It’s supposed to be INSIDE! Outside means-- means-- people’s hurt!” 

Chara shrugged again. “He gonna get better. Crying not gonna make him get better faster. Going to hospital make him better faster.”

“I don’t wanna be h-here, though...” Min sniffled. “I wanna go home…”

“You gotta be grown-up to go home alone. You also small.” Pequeno, klein, jag-eun...

Min hiccupped.

“And you gotta clean up all blood if you home alone.”

“I- I don’t want that...”

Chara nodded. “Good. Cause you here. Away from blood.”

Min swallowed, struggling to take a deep breath. She really did try, but Chara couldn’t help but think of a gasping fish while they looked at her.

“I–I didn’t want this…”

“…well, duh. Nobody want this.” Except maybe cats. Chara wasn’t yet sure if cats were evil or if it was just Grandma’s cat. They could see him cursing Halabeoji. If he did, Chara was gonna tell EVERYONE.

“No! Not that!” Min wiped her eyes. “I told Mother I didn't like both them coming over because they talk to you always! I didn't know h-he w-was gonna... gonna diiiiee…” she sobbed again.

Chara stared. “The two... different things.” 

“Whuh?”

Hmm... Chara held up two fingers, one from each hand. “Left is you thought. Right is him get hurt. No connection,” they held both fingers in front of Min. “If connection was there it would be like...” they held up two fingers from their left, their favorite hand. “This.”

Min’s eyes followed every movement of Chara’s fingers, then dropped down to her lap. She seemed to have understood, but she wasn’t answering... did Chara not explain right? Maybe they should try again, in German-

Min wiped her eyes. “I didn't really want anything like this…” Her new dress was all crinkled from her crying, but she didn’t seem to notice. She sure was upset! Min always cared about things like that. She liked looking nice; it made her happy. Maybe looking bad was part of why she was so sad.

Chara looked up at her and smoothed down some of her stray hairs, much to her confusion. She had the same straight, dark hair that Appa had; a nice black color with no stray hairs or flyaways to be seen. It was pretty. Chara had dark brown hair that was probably supposed to be straight and shiny and pretty, but unlike Min, they didn’t like when people brushed it. When Mother brushed Chara’s hair, it hurt, so they yelled, and they didn’t let anyone but Halmeoni brush their hair. Maybe Min wanted Halmeoni to brush her hair, too. Maybe she was feeling l-o-n-e-l-y. “You look good,” they said, encouragingly.

Min just stared at them. “Whuh.”

Chara insisted, “You don’t look bad.”

“...Whhuuh....”

“Don’t be sad. You look good,” Chara asserted even harder. Why wasn’t Min cheering up? She looked GOOD. That was important, right!

“That’s... that’s not... that’s not about it! It’s... it’s.... cause they don’t like me!” Min glared, her eyes flashing briefly. “They only like YOU cuz you talk to them better!”

“They like you too. They got you dress. Cuz you wanted dress.” Chara stared. 

“Yeah, but... but....” Min trailed off, looking down at the rumpled skirt.  Min complained all the time about not having dresses or skirts. Mother always said they made her look like an infant and she was a big girl now. After all that complaining, she finally got her dresss, and she STILL had to complain? U-n-s-a-t-i-s-f-i-e-d. “...I messed up the dress... they’ll hate me lots for that, too....” 

“Water isn’t messing up. Tears made of water.” Chara pointed at the wet spots where Min’s tears had fallen. “Will wash out. Get clean. It don’t matter. If you wanna do stuff with them. You gotta learn more talking. It’s not hard.”

“Yeah, it IS.” She sniffled. “You learn stuff fast! I’m normal!”

Chara hesitated- normal?- but continued speaking soon after. 

“You gotta repeat stuff until it gets sticky in brain. Easy.”

Min stared at them, her face still red, but her tears notably disappearing the longer she talked. “O…kay….”

“I will teach! Practice and get good!”

“Mmm...”

“First! Ways to say thank you for the dress you got on. You know other words for dress? Deuleseu, vestido, kleid-”

“I don’t wanna know other words for dress.” Min frowned. She pulled on the skirt half-heartedly. “It just makes me know I got it on more. I didn’t mean to wear it out… Mother’s gonna be mad.”

“Looks good, though?”

“…yeah… Mother never lets me wear stuff like this. Cause it’s childish…”

“She call me that lots. But I here. Not gone. So she not hate childish stuff THAT much.” Chara pointed at themself, grinning. “AND she gonna have more babies. Childish stuff GOOD.”

Min smiled a little. Just a touch.  

Her tight grip loosened. Chara hadn’t held a conversation this long with her in a while. It was nice, actually. So was the light touch of her hand. Hmm, maybe big sisters weren’t so bad after all… Must investigate later…

“Here’s how Min will say 'thank you for the dress’, okay? Repeat after me-”

❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 

“Good, good, good, good, good, good…” Chara hummed, walking down the hallway with Min and one of the ambulance people. Chara couldn’t tell any of them apart in their matching uniforms. This one had a beard. That was something.

Chara pulled a hesitant Min most of the way, right up until they both saw Appa sitting in one of the beige sofas, his elbows on his knees. Min let go, bolting ahead.

She ran directly into Appa’s big ol’ arms. He was built like the same trucks he helped build, except he was much more hairy than your average truck. “AAAAA-” Min started crying again. Why did seeing their father make her start crying again? Jeez.

Chara just watched, scoffing. She was crying AGAIN. After they had calmed her down and everything! The dead snake with the dead phone was going to hear All About this once Chara could check and make sure the basements rats hadn’t yet eaten the body.

“I’m so sorry, Minnie, this must’ve been so scary,” Appa lifted her up, holding her while she cried into his shoulder. “It’s going to be okay, sweetie…”

Chara wandered to the table in the waiting room and picked up a magazine with a woman in a swimsuit (which was just fancy underwear) on the cover. “Live your best summer with new swimmers ear drops-”…. Do people swim in ears?

Must investi-

“Are you okay, Chara?”

They looked up at Appa. He noticed their clothes before they could respond.

“Oh, god, is that blood on your overalls?”

Chara lifted their feet up, curious Their overalls were too big for them, so the bottoms dragged on the ground whenever they walked. Normally, this made fun noises, but today…? It made wet, heavy sounds. The bright blue was stained with dark red where the denim trailed into the blood puddle. Huh, Chara hadn’t even noticed until now. No wonder their feet felt sticky.

“Not MY blood,” they said, shrugging. “Halabeoji got blood on floor. I stepped in it. Feet got wet. Sticky, too…”

“You… You stepped in it? Why?”

“…” Chars shrugged. “Accident.” Did he think they paraded about in it on purpose? ...Now that the thought was in their mind, that wouldn’t be a bad idea... besides SOULs, blood was the second most important thing to humans being alive. Something there was probably a-r-t-i-s-t-i-c.

Appa exhaled. He ran a hand through his dark hair, his gaze still boring into Chara. They ignored it, looking back at the magazine and turning it upside down in an attempt to find the Swimming Ear.

His voice drew them back out of their thoughts. “Chara…Did you really make the call?”

“Yeah. 911 is the help number. Min wasn’t gonna do it.”

“I’m SORRY…” she wailed.

“No, no, it’s not your fault,” he rubbed her back. “Shhhh….”

“Who told you about call?” Chara blinked. “It was private...”

“Nobody can have any secrets around here. The tech who took your call was absolutely hysterical. She wants to meet you, by the way.”

Meet some weird stranger with bad questions? “No, thank you. Let Min see her.” 

“I DON’T WANNA,” Min yelled. 

"It’s fine, sweetie, you’re fine-” Though he comforted Min, Appa’s face didn’t look happy or proud. He had a scared face on. Hm. Maybe he was scared for his own dad? Chara patted his knee- as high as they could reach. Comforting. Consolador. Tröstlich. Kaiteki-sa.

“He alive,” they said. “Ambulens said he hadda stroke. But he live and well and learning.”

Appa exhaled. “I see…..”

“...Whassa stroke?” Chara followed up.

“It’s when your brain doesn’t get enough blood….”

“Oh.” Chara thought. “Cause his blood on the floor?”

Appa’s face was turning an odd shade of green. Chara tilted their head, smiling.

Someone in a white outfit approached from the hallway- the same bearded person that escorted the two. “Hey, I heard what happened, man! I’m so sorry! I’ll keep you as updated as I can, yeah?”

“Thanks, Dan.”

So this was “Dan.” All the grown-ups knew each other. How did they remember all those names? Did you get names tattooed on your eyes in code when you grew up? Or did your name brain get bigger? Hmm.

Appa kept going. “Do you know what exactly happened? I heard a stroke...? He has blood pressure issues, but... I didn’t expect them to be THAT bad.”

“Dan” nodded. “Yeah, this stuff happens quick. It’s nobody’s fault, really. As far as we know, it’s ischemic, and Chara called for help soon after he fell, so he should recover well from it. The bigger issue is the head wound. During the stroke, he fell and cracked his head open-”

Min shrieked again. “AAAAAAAAAAH–”

Appa gave “Dan” a nasty look. Chara giggled into their hand.

“...Sorry. But the good news is, because he was found so soon, he hasn’t even been bleeding long enough to go into shock. They’ll give him an IV of tPA, some stitches, and treat him for the concussion, but unless something goes horribly, suddenly wrong, he’ll be fine.”

While “Dan” was talking, Chara took their shoes off and started to squeeze the blood out of the bottom of their overall legs. Nobody noticed until it was too late.

[imaginesbymk]

True Paranormal Story

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!

as the last day of october aka halloween, i thought i’d share my short story of something paranormal that happened in two houses i’ve lived in. never going back to that mf <3 these are multiple stories.

tags for mutuals who wanna have a good scare: @myriadimagines​ @fangirlsarah16​ @book-boys-are-my-guilty-pleasure​ @lotsoffandomimagines​ @johnnyshellby​ @murswrites​ @peakyswritings​ @emcon-imagines​ @randomfandomimagine​ @locke-writes​ @moonlit-imagines​ @irishwhiskeys​ @youswear-tolisten​ @kaetastic @karasong @spacetalbot @writeroutoftime​ @cactiem​ @smallheathgangsters​ @swanimagines @champagneholland​ (sorry if i forgot anyone!!)

tags: paranormal obvs, not forcing anyone to read if they get scared!

MY FAMILY and I lived in townhouses our whole lives. But these two houses we lived in really questioned my whole perspective on the laws of reality and the paranormal. This one townhouse we lived in was comfortable enough. I just hated the fact that the closet in my room had a door on the ceiling to the attic. Every time we watched a scary movie, my two older half sisters would tease me saying that the ghost or demon from the movie we watched was gonna come outta the attic door and get me from my bed. 

“You’re sleeping by yourself tonight, Kate?”

“Can’t we just grab blankets and sleep in the living room? That’s way more fun.”

“Why? Bathsheba wants to say wassup!” (Bathsheba from The Conjuring)

I always faked it until I made it- which meant I pretend I’m not scared of ghosts and demons until I’m actually not scared of them. Deep down, I was scared shitless, yet I continue watching scary movies and arming myself with my security blanket. 

This one night it was only me, my dad and my sister alone at home. It was in the summer and I got the hottest room in the house, so my blanket was thin and I had the fan on. 

I was about to drift off until I notice how my bedroom door was open. I knew because the hallway light was shining through, and my dad always kept it on ‘cause he’s always forgetful. I always kept the door closed.

Then I started to notice it moving back and forth just ever so slightly. If pressure applies to the carpet floor near my door when its open, it starts to move. Right away I assumed it was my Dad checking on me or my sister trying to prank me.

I shut my eyes and waited. Nothing. I looked over and saw that the door wasn’t swaying, the light was still on and no one was there.

I laid there, just waiting for someone to show up at the door so I can feel better. But nothing happened.

Now that I was awake, I was starting to feel a bit paranoid; maybe it was just house noises and the house floor did a thing that caused the door the move, maybe it was actually my Dad or sister walking around and tiptoed so they wouldn’t wake me up. 

Then I stared at my closet. What were the odds that something from the attic in my closet made the door move on its own? It’s stupid. Its 11pm, its hot, and all I wanted to do was sleep so I could enjoy my summer the next day going swimming at my rich cousin’s pool.

Like I mentioned my blanket was thin, so I kinda covered myself with it even though I knew it was going to get hot. I did the thing of faking it until you make it, that I wasn’t scared of anything. But you guessed it, I was scared. I was starting to feel anxious, that I wasn’t alone in my room.

Then, straight out of a horror film, I felt my legs being pulled to the edge of my bed.

It was with both legs, and at that time I was tall enough that my legs were long enough to reach the end. 

I didn’t scream, I kinda let out a yelp like when you walk on the ledge of a curb and trip or lose your balance. I tucked my legs in and threw the blanket off my head... and saw nothing at the end of my bed. 

I know how it sounds, but I felt a pair of hands grabbing me by my ankles when I got pulled. I thought it was my Dad getting my attention to scold me for not sleeping, but he wouldn’t even do that, he’d just yell at me at the foot of the door. I thought it was my half sister pranking me, but I didn’t hear anyone walk in, and she wasn’t at my bed. An intruder? Obviously not. 

Here’s a theory: I must of had a hypnagogic jerk in my muscles and my legs must of twitched, but that only happens when you’re drifting off to sleep. I was wide awake. I always had hypnagogic hallucinations of gigantic spiders on my ceiling and even sleep paralysis, but this was different.

The time came when I realized nothing else was gonna happen. I turned my lamp on and I finally went to bed. I never told my family this.

In the next townhouse, things started to happen again to not only me, but to my family. 

This one night I had to ask if my parents ever had a paranormal experience in our new townhouse. My Dad said one time he saw the ghost of my twin sister running down the hallway to the living room. He thought it was me, so he rushed over to yell at me on why I was home and not at school. He reached the living room only to find no one there.

My twin sister MaryJane passed away when we were babies, but my Dad said her ghost was all grown up to look my age, which explains why he thought it was me at first. 

I can’t remember if my Mom had a paranormal story to tell, but she’s hella superstitious in Filipino culture, like if you see a white moth, that means its a deceased loved one visiting you- that happened on my graduation, I saw a white moth flying in my room, and my Mom told me it was my twin sister. 

Next I asked my sister if she ever had one, she said yes. One time we were sleeping in the living room, kinda like camping on the floor, and at 3am, she heard the dishes move. I told her dishes do that when they are placed incorrectly in the rack and hit metal to make noise, but she told me the sounds she heard were like how a person is taking them out to place them back in the cupboards, and when looked in the kitchen, the dishes were in their rack, but no one had touched them. 

Now circling back to me. This happened last year. I’m in my bed, and I was having trouble falling asleep.  All I did to pass the time was go on my phone, which worsens the insomnia. 

Suddenly, I hear a sound, a human voice calling something. It was unintelligible, but it was loud, as if whatever it was, was standing in my room, saying something out loud for my attention.

I looked over and nearly felt myself falling into a dark hole. No one was there. My door’s always closed when I go to bed, I wasn’t playing any video on my phone, no phone calls. I was home alone with my dog because my parents were out and both my sisters had moved out a long time ago, so there was no reason my name would be called.

I kept my light on until my parents came home. I never told them this because I knew they wouldn’t believe me and just tell me I imagined it and that I wasn’t sleeping well.

This happened a long time ago, my parents and I moved and nothing’s happened. I don’t remember everything that has happened, but most of it is nothing but true. 

However if y’all don’t believe me, I wouldn’t be surprised. Maybe my mind has been playing tricks on me, convincing me that i was being haunted by simply house noises or the neighbors’ kids being annoying, or something went down in those two houses. Either way, I’m never going back. 

[adrischrv]

REGNUM [L.H] - Chapter 3

Author´s note: Hi! Here´s the third chapter! English is not my first language so lemme know if there are any mistakes. 

Word count:  2,902

Introduction.  C1. C2. 

The morning after the ball was quiet. The lack of Queen Susan’s joyful life was as strange as the King’s laughter and everyone in the palace could feel it. Even, though I only knew them for a short time. I remembered finding my mother talking on the phone with the Queen about nonsense to serious business matters, I was infinitely grateful to the Queen for taking my mother away from a couple of lessons.

Gardenstone has a particular way of saying goodbye to its loved ones: people would write a word describing such people on an acorn, they would gather and water them all over the forest. A nice old lady explained to me that different trees sprouted like the oak tree and when they grew up a person was also born with the written word in a way that reflected the impact you have on the world even after you die. She could assure me that people with good intentions would come out of the words of Queen Susan, King Robert, and Prince Jake. 

“Fifty delivered and about… sixty more arrived.”

Luke nodded, tired. I left the piles of papers on the big desk in front of him and took a seat on the other side.

After he had been appointed King and after the farewell, thousands of petitions from citizens and nobles had arrived in the early hours waiting to be authorized. Seeing the load of papers, I offered to help Luke and avoid the collapse of my neighboring country. My mother decided to do the same on her own by talking to the dukes and duchesses who feared for the future of Gardenstone as it was justly uncertain. 

“I slept for two hours… and everyone wants me to approve petitions, I don’t understand why.”

Luke had spoken more to himself, but that didn’t stop me from laughing a little.

“What’s so funny?” He asked, paying attention for the first time all morning.

“Of course they want you to approve petitions. They’re taking advantage. Since your father, may he rest in peace, is no longer the king, they expect you to approve everything he didn’t. But I hope you have not approved many, parliament will have a lot to discuss and it will probably be exhausting.”

Luke was stunned, looking for the right way to hide his inexperience.

“It’s parliament’s job, exhausting or not.”

“They wouldn’t give the same importance to every role and something important might be disapproved of or something unimportant might be approved, it’s risky.”

“If you know so much, why don’t you do it?”

Clearly, the regulation of his tone had a flaw causing it to come out more aggressively than planned.

“It would be a pleasure. I firmly believe that I can do it better than you, Your Majesty.”

Luke let go of the pen in his hand and crossed his arms. If I didn’t think it was funny I’d say he was trying to be intimidating but suddenly he relaxed his gaze.

“I’d like to check that out. Oh, and also about approving petitions, princess.”

I clenched my fists but like him I relaxed my gaze, ready to give an intelligent answer.

“I’m sorry I dared to think I was talking to a king, when it is clear the long road you have to be considered one.”

The slamming of the door interrupted Luke from saying - surely - something stupid.

“Busy, Your Majesty?”

Calum’s brown hair peeked out, smiling at the sight of me.

“Go ahead, did you get any sleep, Cal?”

Calum snorted at Luke’s question, taking a seat next to me at the desk, and took an exhausted stance, dropping his hands down his pants.

“Are you kidding? Mom keeps calling, I had to turn off my Jhin just like Dad. Who, by the way, sent me to find out if you had authorized his request.”

The “Jhin”, modern devices from cell phones that had the option to call among other things, and characterized by a function that allowed an easy finding of information about any individual, in the past there were social networks that were eliminated in the International Revolution and changed by the Jhin.

“You find it in this rubble and I’ll authorize all the requests you want” Luke sighed leaning back in his seat and pointing to the papers in front of him.

Calum looked at him sorrowfully, none of them in the mood. Said and done, Calum managed to find the petition he recognized by the notorious “H” for “Hood” in one corner of the paper, leaving it on top of all the others.

Luke took it, signed it without hesitation, and took a second to read.

“You should read it and then sign it, you know?” Calum mentioned, gaining the satisfaction I hoped to get from correcting Luke.

“You have my absolute trust, you know?” Luke replied in the same tone without taking his eyes off the document, opened his big eyes, and handed it to Calum who accepted it immediately. “Are you my Diplomatic Adviser? What about your father?”

“After what happened last night, he thinks it’s time for me to take his place. I would eventually, but it seems to him that I need to be by your side now to support you and test my training,“ Calum replied, noting the anguish in his friend’s expression. 

I had nothing to say so I got up and directed my interest to the books on the shelves pretending not to pay attention.

“I suppose your father went with your mother to his village…”

“You guess right,” Calum paused for a moment. “Hey, I know you’re not well. It must be hard to lose your family… I can’t imagine waking up without my parents and my sister… but you’re not alone, I’m here if you need to talk.”

Luke smiled sideways, quietly accepting his proposal.

“You need to take a break, it’s all happening so fast,“ Calum said, almost reading his mind. “The kingdom needs you to be in good shape.”

Frustrated Luke rose from his seat to sit in the corner of the desk.

“I don’t know what else the kingdom needs, and that will be your first task. Also, stop sending in paperwork, close down the possibility of sending in a petition until further notice.”

I was going to tell him how reckless it was to shut down the arrival of petitions but I finally stopped to think about the matter I had provisionally ignored: I had no power in Gardestone and I didn’t know what was going to happen to the alliance. 

“His Majesty, His Highness, young Hood” A guard appeared at the door with cards in hand which he dealt to the three of them. “Their Majesties King Ashton and Queen Lauren of Lauxwell would like you to attend a dinner they have arranged for themselves tonight.“

“Are those harpies still in my palace?” Luke raised an eyebrow. The poor guard did nothing but nod. “Get rid of them. I want them out.”

“Are you crazy?” exclaimed Calum, clearing his throat as he realized the mistake he had just made. “I mean, are you sure you want the Irwins out? As your royal advisor, I don’t think it’s true to your word, your majesty. King Ashton won the duel and the terms-”

Luke raised a hand to stop Calum from talking. 

“Guard, I need privacy, if it’s not too much trouble…”

The Guard bade farewell with a bow. 

“You too, Princess,” said Luke, “you can request as many maids as you need for tonight, but that’s no reason for you to stay here another second.”

I blinked uncertainly as to how to respond to his insinuation… or insult. I was still debating what was most appropriate.

“Did I not make myself clear? -Or would you rather stay here and stare at me a little longer?”

“I can’t ask my eyes to meet this turtle,” I answered, in the most pleasant tone I could find and advanced to the door.

“Are you sure? I can turn around if you need to,“ I heard him scream from the hall.

Halfway down the hall, I decided that I had to set certain limits for “his majesty” if I was going to live with him and his insufferable attitude for one more second. With that in mind, I changed my direction back to the office and stopped short when I heard my name in the conversation.

“-I’m serious, Cal Amberly is unbearable!”

Eavesdropping had never been something I enjoyed, much less needed. I knew there was nothing good about it… and yet I stuck my back to the wall outside the office. 

“-the whole kingdom is depressed. Just by spreading the word about Princess of Maredale’s temporary stay they have begun to produce the best quality products, the children went out to play again” Calum debated. “Your people feel the comfort they have not received from their king.”

“Is that what they want? Miss “I got a lesson in something important” and “I can run a country on my own”?” Luke asked, trying to imitate my voice. “Nonsense! I bet she can’t choose which well-known book to read without help, so many classes have been useless if she can’t speak for herself and waits for her mother to do all the work for her. A babbler! that’s what she is. Even that Ashton idiot has more courage than she does.”

I thought I’d walk through that door to tell him how wrong he was. I could even make a scene and choose to tear all of his fine clothes into pieces that would be scattered all over the palace. 

But I didn’t. Because deep down I knew he was right.

I spat cautiously. My eyes were threatening to drop the tears. 

“Please, Luke. You don’t know what you’re saying,“ Calum replied. “Queen Elizabeth is going to be back any minute and I don’t think she’d like to hear the way you express about her daughter.“

“If the Queen does anything, it will only show what a coward the Princess is.”

Without realizing it, I was walking with a strong step to my room.

Luke was telling the truth, what was the point of taking classes and lectures if I couldn’t speak for myself?

Ashton had said it too, though much more subtly. He implied that I could take charge of my destiny and it must not be like my mother had planned all along. 

Courage- I didn’t have it. I wanted to find it and show it off like a new toy, but that’s not how it works. 

“Princess, I was looking for you.”

Lidia interrupted my walk into the room, looked into my eyes that were probably already a little red and wet. She gave me a warm smile and took my hands and led me into the room. I sat down on the edge of the bed and talked, holding back my sobbing.

“Lidia, I was about to do the same thing, but…”

She hissed as her hands were lost in the closet.

“Quiet, from the look of your beautiful face I can tell you heard something…”

Lidia stood in front of me with a bright ruby red dress in her hands, a golden ribbon, the colors of the Gardenstone, all around. The silk fabric adjusted perfectly to my body, falling to my feet with a discreet opening at the side of my right leg; the waves of my hair embraced me. Suddenly it did not seem that I had been crying for the fool that the King was.

“….and by the look of you in this dress, I can tell you will shut the same mouths that said something about you.”

¥

The main dining room shone on its own even though the green decoration was quite noticeable, it looked like Christmas. The red walls looked soft, smooth, and warm, I liked to think that and the spruce chairs had been Queen Susan’s idea. In the center I expected a long table with food, a lot of exquisite food, I didn’t think I had seen those delicacies before, I assumed they were typical of Lauxwell. Around the table, the guests - mostly servants of the palace - had already begun to enjoy the food, while the nobles were talking and eating slowly. 

I took a breath, looked up, and entered the dining room. 

Lauren saw me first, smiled for a second, and went on with her meal. At her side, Ashton adjusted his tie and looked at me for a few seconds directly in the eyes as if he wanted to tell me something. My mother, who had returned from her talks, nodded approvingly. Calum took his attention off a plate, looked at me, and elbowed Luke. Luke did not flinch. 

“Sorry I’m late, go on with your dinner.“

“Princess, please sit next to me.” Ashton stood up, offering a chair. 

“No, sit next to me.” Luke did the same. “You are a guest in my kingdom, after all.“

They shared a challenging look, Luke just wanted to annoy Ashton and have the satisfaction of being able to ignore me all night. 

Luke’s eyes were fixed on me, seeking a truce not to favor Ashton.

“I am flattered, your Majesties,” I smiled innocently, “but I find the company of King Ashton more… appropriate.”

I took a seat next to Ashton. He politely placed a glass of red wine in my hands, for a moment our fingers brushed and I felt my cheeks warm slightly.

“Your Majesty Luke,” called my mother, “I am proud to report that all the dukes and duchesses are now calm again in their respective states. I have said some flattering things about you…”

“Thank you, your maje-”

“I hope I’m not wrong…”

I looked for my mother’s look on the other side of the table along with the opportunity to tell her that she was wrong, so wrong…

“I hope my daughter has contributed something today.”

Too late to talk about Luke.

I alerted the blond man’s intentions, as dirty as mine a few seconds ago. He had the luxury of taking a sip of red wine before responding.

“I found the company of Princess Amberly a bit… “ He looked me straight in the eye “…Comfortable.”

I took a bite of my food, waiting for him to cut off eye contact. He didn’t. The urge to stick something into those blue eyes increased with every second…

“If you find it so comfortable I can suggest that you keep it with you for a while longer.”

My mother’s words not only interrupted the discreet discussion between our eyes but also took us both by surprise. 

“What do you mean by that, Mother?” I asked.

“I am going back to Maredale, and seeing first-hand the opportunities you have at Gardenstone to demonstrate your potential, I think it is necessary for you to stay here. If His Majesty Luke approves, of course.”

“Of course I approve, Queen Elizabeth. It will be a real… pleasure.”

I didn’t look at Luke, I didn’t look at anyone. I released all frustration of such a decision at the plate in front of me.

Lauren told a story about a night she had decided to stand guard at a volcano on the Lauxwell border near a funeral home. She described it as a bleak, lifeless place too cold for even the heat of the lava to drive away. A giant beast with big legs and a wet muzzle with traces of blood was found, a wolf big enough for her to have faced it alone… but she had done it, she had hunted the beast and divided the skin among her friends in her kingdom. There was something so horrific about her story that made it interesting and kept us all at the table expectant and eager to hear more. 

Throughout the dinner I felt an extra pair of eyes on me, I had the luxury of finding the owner, and the simple fact that they belonged to a certain self-centered brat brought a smile to my face. 

“-that’s how I took my father to the bandits who threatened the kingdom. They will rot forever, end.” She took her cup up and drank it to the bottom. Everyone around her applauded, sighs of relief and fear sounded as well. 

“Thank you, sister. With these stories full of courage, we thank you for attending this dinner.”

Ashton extended a hand indicating to the servants to leave the dining room nicely, some stopped and thanked him, others took leftovers from the table mistakenly hidden between napkins and took them away. 

“Ridiculous, we have never forbidden them to eat. I guess we’ll have to start.“

Luke mumbled to Calum, he laughed but his face was afraid, he thought Luke was capable of it. 

Seconds later the two left the dining room followed by Lauren who walked with her head held high despite being under the influence of alcohol. I admired her in silence. 

A black hair stood in my way, accompanied by a wide smile. 

“Amberly, would you accompany me on a night walk in the gardens?”

“Of course.” 

Our arms intertwined, I tried not to blush at the sudden closeness as we got lost in the garden with the moon guiding our every step. 

[jbbarnesnnoble]

Through the Flames (Part Six)

Summary:  You’re a firefighter with the FDNY. After a fire that ends in tragedy, you find yourself running into some of the Avengers and maybe finding some new friends and romance along the way.

Features: Gun violence; Stabbing

Pairing: Sam Wilson/Reader

Notes: There’s one chance to take out Rumlow, once and for all.

Final part! We just have the epilogue left! 

Word Count: 2475

You flinched as Dr. Cho tended to your wound. Sam sat in a chair beside you the entire time, neither of you talking. Your thoughts were racing. Why did they need to talk to you about your father? You knew his work was secretive, but you never thought it could involve the Avengers in any capacity. How much was there that you didn’t know about your own father? 

“Hey, hey, look at me,” Sam said. You glanced toward him. 

“You’re alright. No one’s in trouble, okay? I should’ve waited to bring it up,” he said, his tone soft. You nodded. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Well, I got shot at one of my best friend’s funeral’s so, you know, just peachy,” you snarked. He smiled a little at that. You grimaced as you felt the last of the stitches go in.

“I’m done. I want to see you back in a week to check on them, they should be ready to come out then,” Dr. Cho said. You nodded.

“Thanks,” you said. Sam helped you up off the hospital bed. Taking your hand in his, he led you out of the medical wing and off to the Avengers wing. He had you sit on a couch while he grabbed waters for the two of you. You took in your surroundings, admiring the simplicity of the room and how homey it felt despite it being in what amounted to a military institution. Sam returned, handing you one of the bottles.

“We have a good idea of who it was. What do you know about HYDRA?” he asked, getting right to the point. You frowned. 

“Weren’t they that group that was exposed a few years ago? The one Captain Rogers thought had been wiped out?” you asked. He nodded. 

“We have reason to believe some of the survivors are connected to the fires. And to the fire that killed the rest of your family,” he said, trying to break the news as delicately as he could. There was no way around ripping off that bandaid. It was going to hurt no matter how he told you.

“What are you saying Sam?” you asked, you voice raising in pitch. You were sure you were connecting the dots. There was no way he was about to suggest what you thought he was.

“Your father worked for HYDRA back in the day. But that’s not the full story. He was a plant. Fury suspected that SHIELD had been compromised but could never get solid evidence. The governor at the time had been involved in HYDRA. Your father got close enough to him to be trusted. He was working with HYDRA until the collapse in 2014, to get information for Fury. He hadn’t been able to tip him off about Pierce because it would have blown his cover,” Sam explained. 

“Where is he? Is he safe? Sam, please. Is my dad safe?” you asked. You felt your anxiety rising. Sam placed a hand on your cheek, as he looked you in the eyes. It was a strangely intimate moment.

“I promise you. We’re doing everything we can to keep him safe. To keep you safe. And keep your friends safe. We’re going to stop them,” he said.

“Were the fires a threat or an attempt to kill me?” you asked. He sighed.

“We think the first ones were a message for you and your father. The last one was no doubt an attempt to kill you,” he confirmed. You sucked in a breath. 

“Instead one of my best friend’s got killed,” you said. Your voice cracked and tears threatened to fall. Sam pulled you close and you wrapped your arms around him as you let yourself break.

“HYDRA is gone, but some of their more zealous members lived. Brock Rumlow is the one who shot you. We had a clear image of him on camera. We’re working on tracking him down, but it’s going to take time,” he said. You frowned.

“But I can go home right?” you asked. He shook his head.

“It’s too much of a risk right now,” he replied. You glared at him. You didn’t like where the conversation was going. It sounded more like you were going to be held as a prisoner by the Avengers, or some damsel in distress in a castle. Either way, it wasn’t you. You refused to sit back and do nothing.

“I’m going home,” you said, standing up, careful not to jostle any of your injuries too much. Sam stood with you.

“You can’t. FRIDAY won’t let you out of this building. Not until we catch Rumlow,” he explained. You glared at him. You didn’t care how much you liked Sam. In this moment, he may as well have been your worst enemy with how you were looking at him. He shrunk back under your gaze. He admired the fire in your eyes. 

“You listen here Sam, and you listen good. I am not staying here. You’re driving me back to the city to my apartment and if it makes you feel better you can stay the night. But I’m not staying here,” you snapped. Sam held his hands up in mock surrender.

“No can do. As much as I’d love to, you’re safest here. You going back to your place would put your neighbors in danger,” he said. You paused for a moment. You hadn’t thought about that. You thought about Gloria nextdoor with her two kids, an adorable 3 year old and his six month old sister. Angela downstairs who’s grandkids visited constantly to check on her and spend time with her. Martin down the hall with his husband Nate, and their three kids. You knew Sam was right. You couldn’t put them at risk. Your shoulders slumped forward as you nodded in agreement.

“You’re right,” you said softly. 

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“It’s not your fault some HYDRA maniac is after me. Hell, I don’t even blame my father. Sometimes that’s just how it is,” you said. You were already calculating a plan in your head. If Rumlow had gotten this far without the Avengers realizing, you had a feeling it wasn’t going to be easy for them to find him. Not without you. 

This wasn’t your area of expertise. The best way to get into a car to get to an accident victim without causing further injury, how to vent a roof, signs of structural collapse, those were the things you knew. Taking on a man who was hellbent on getting to you was way outside of your depths. But if it was you he was looking to get to, there was no way you’d sit at the sidelines.

The other Avengers trickled into the room. Sam shot Captain Rogers a look. It seemed like an unspoken conversation was happening between them. A girl you recognized as the Scarlet Witch, Wanda Maximoff, sat beside you.

“We won’t let them get their hands on you,” she said quietly. 

“I know,” you replied. Introductions were made all around before Steve jumped into the details of the situation and the plan they had.

“Our best shot is using you to draw him out. I’m not keen on it, but we’ve hit dead ends in trying to find him and his base of operations,” Steve said. 

“Absolutely not. We’re not putting her in more danger. He was trying to kill her,” Sam argued. You placed a hand on his arm, gently drawing his attention to you.

“This is my fight, Sam. I might not understand why. But he’s the reason one of my best friend’s is dead. If he wants me, he can come get me. But he’ll have to go through you guys first, won’t he?” you asked. Natasha gave you a slight smile. You counted that as a win in your book when she seemed to not like you very much. 

“And if he gets through us?” Sam challenged.

“I have faith in you, Sam. You won’t let him,” you said.

“Fahrenheit’s in. So, what’s the plan, Cap?” Tony Stark asked. 

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

Central Park was oddly quiet in the hours before dawn. But the team had ensured it was empty of civilians. You had set a routine of jogging in the park before the sun rose in the sky once you were medically cleared from your injuries from both the explosion and the gunshot. Surveillance of the park indicated Rumlow knew. And as far as he knew, you had had a falling out with Sam and had left his side, staying in a place graciously rented by Tony Stark for a staycation that had no neighbors inside the building. As far as Rumlow knew, the Avengers weren’t keeping tabs on your moves, not after the public blowup you and Sam had. 

You and Sam had taken a walk through the park before going to grab lunch. He made a show of ordering for you, something he knew you hated. You kept reminding yourself. This was Sam. You liked Sam. Sam was your friend. Your very attractive friend who you wished would make a move on you because you were not about to make the first move. It didn’t take the sting away from what you knew was coming, what had to be done.

“I can order for myself,” you snapped. He held his hands up in surrender.

“Fine,” he said. Pretending to fight with him was difficult. But you knew you were being watched. It was a feeling that stuck with you every time you went out these days, ever since you left the safety of living among the Avengers. It had to be believable that you two had a falling out, that you were tired of being followed around by the Avengers.

“I’d like to go out alone for once,” you said bitterly.

“You know why you can’t,” he replied.

“Sam, I am sick and tired of being followed around like I’m a child. I’m a grown woman. I have a job, even if I’m on desk duty filling out reports,” you snapped. This was the start of it, what would hopefully draw Rumlow out.

After lunch, you and Sam stormed off in opposite directions. You had moved into the residence Tony had secured a few days prior. You made a show of tossing Sam’s stuff out as he arrived back, demanding to be left alone. 

“Fine. See what happens when we’re not here to protect you,” Sam snapped as he grabbed his duffle bag. It hurt. You knew it wasn’t real, but it still hurt. You never wanted to fight with him, even if it was acting. 

You snapped out of your thoughts as you heard movement. You knew Rumlow would still be suspicious. But the hope was he’d at least take the chance to get at you, even with the risk of it being a trap. You were certain you were about to find out if he took the bait. 

You heard a bullet fly by your ear as a gunshot rang out. You stumbled over your feet, turning and seeing Rumlow not far behind you.

“Gotta say, I was expecting you to be better protected. I heard you and bird boy had a fight. Shame that the Avengers would just leave you like that,” Rumlow taunted. There was something about his tone that made you believe he knew it was a ruse. You all knew it had been a hail mary play. 

“What of it?” you asked. 

“You know it’s not your father I’m after. No. No I want him to suffer for the rest of his days, fearful about when we’ll come for him after seeing what we do to you,” Rumlow said.

“So you’re going the villainous monologue route. You do know how that turns out in the end, don’t you?” you fired back. You moved as you saw him pull the trigger again, making the choice to run toward him. You had no time to think. The team should have been there by now, but they were nowhere to be seen. You wrestled him for the gun and it clattered to the ground.

Hand to hand combat was not something they taught you in the fire academy. You tried to meet Rumlow blow for blow but you knew you were outmatched. You fell to the ground but the gun was within reach. You wasted no time in grabbing it. You fired off a shot, hitting Rumlow in the shoulder, but it wasn’t enough to incapacitate him. He was on you in seconds, the gun tossed to the side as you felt a searing pain. He had a knife on him. You heard footsteps as he was yanked away from you. 

You looked up and saw Sam, worry etched on his face. You heard him yell for medical assistance.

“Keep your eyes on me,” Sam said as he kept pressure on the wound. You placed your hand over his, for your comfort or his you weren’t sure. But you weren’t planning on letting him go anytime soon. 

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

The white walls of the medical wing of the Avengers compound were a sight you were becoming too accustomed to. This time, Helen had you put in the cradle because of how deep the wound was. It was one of the more bizarre experiences of your life.

“I’m really starting to hope I never see this place again,” you said to Sam. Helen was insistent that you still stay overnight, to ensure everything healed properly. 

“I’m getting tired of seeing you in here. You scared me today, you know that?” he asked. You ducked your head a little.

“Sometimes,  you have to be the hero in your own story,” you replied.

“Sometimes you don’t have to be,” he shot back.

“In my defense, I was doing okay before he pulled the knife on me,” you defended. Sam laughed a little.

“If you consider a broken nose, four broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and a stab wound ‘doing okay’. I thought we were going to lose you,” Sam admitted. He looked away from you. You two were skirting around the obvious and you knew it.

“But you didn’t. I’m still here. Thanks to you. To the team. I never doubted for a minute you’d save me,” you told him. 

“I was scared. Rumlow managed to take out all the surveillance we had in that area. All I can think about is how I almost didn’t have this chance,” he said. You looked at him, confused.

“What chance?” you asked. He moved closer to you, and your eyes fluttered shut as his lips met yours. Your heart rate sped up and the two of you pulled apart, resting your foreheads together. 

“This one,” he said. You didn’t say a word, instead, pulling him in for another kiss. 

[iamvegorott]

A Lifetime Chapter 3

Taken Away

Howard sat with his legs crossed on his bedroom floor, a bowl of cereal in his lap and a police radio in front of him. Howard has a close relation to the police force here and other places and he wanted to know what was happening with them. A few months ago Yancy found that someone was selling a police radio on the down low and he managed to get it for Howard, the price being a bloody nose and almost broken arm. Howard paid him back with some cookies his mom made since Yancy refused to take anything else, saying he was just doing a favor for a friend. Yancy was a great friend, he was thoughtful, kind, caring and a lot smarter than most would give him credit for and Howard was thankful for having him in his life and he was finally ready to do what he's been threatening to for a while.

“Double 187, I repeat, double 187 at 197 Applegate Road.” Howard almost choked on his food. 

Double homicide.

“Yancy!” Howard quickly scrambled to his feet. 

“The suspect is confirmed to be there and the victim’s-” Howard was out of the house and sprinting before he could hear the rest of the report.

“Shit, shit, shit.” Howard cursed as he ran, heart-pounding. Howard knew that Yancy’s parents weren’t the best. His mother was forgetful and he’s been told that his dad got angry but there was no way that he would do anything to his wife and child, right? “Fuck!” Howard screamed his curse and started running faster as an ambulance blew past him. “Please, please, please,” Howard begged to anyone that would listen as he neared the house. 

“Stay back, kid.” A police officer ordered, using his arm to cut Howard short. 

“My friend lives there! Is he okay!? Please tell me he’s-Yancy!” Howard tried to push past the officer when he saw Yancy being lead out of the house, hands cuffed behind him and body covered in blood. “Yancy! Yancy!” 

“Calm down, kid.” The officer grunted, holding Howard back. 

“Yancy! Yancy, are you okay!?” Howard screamed, trying to be heard over everything. “Yancy!” Howard stopped when Yancy was put into a cop car that drove away. "What..."

“Go home. Trust me.” The officer turned Howard around. 

���They were screaming last night, but those two are always screaming.” Yancy’s neighbor, an elderly woman, was speaking to a different officer. “I’ve told you time and time again to do something but you never listened and look at what happened. That poor boy.” 

“Mrs. Policzek?” Howard went over to the woman. 

“Oh, Howard, dear.” Mrs. Policzek pulled Howard into a hug. “I’m sorry about what happened to Yancy.” 

“What happened?”

“Yancy killed his parents.” Mrs. Policzek said bluntly.

“He…” Howard went stiff.

“Ma’am, can we finish our interview please. I only have a few more questions.” The officer asked.

“Can’t you see this poor boy is in shock. Shoo, shoo, I’ll talk to you later.” Mrs. Policzek waved the officer away. 

“Ma’am-”

“Just give me a moment.” Mrs. Policzek slipped off Howard's hat and rubbed a caring hand through his hair. "It's okay."

“Some-Something has to be-be wrong." Howard sniffed. "Yancy wouldn't, he couldn't, h-he...he..."

“Howard, look at me, look at me, dear.” Mrs. Policzek said. “Put on a brave face. You’re a strong boy and you’ll make it through this. Do what you do best. Be brave.” Mrs. Policzek placed the hat back on Howard's head. "Follow your heart."

“Yes, ma'am.” Howard looked at the officer, who was tapping his foot impatiently. “I’m going to make a call.”

“Okay, dear.” Mrs. Policzek gave Howard a pat on the head to make sure the hat was nice and on before Howard walked away. Howard pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number, walking when the person picked up. 

“Hey, Uncle Slaw,” Howard said. “Could you do me a favor? Yancy’s in trouble.” 

x~x~x

Yancy, silent ever since the police showed up at his home, sat at a small table in another one of those weird interview rooms. The walls were empty and gray, there was a mirror that Yancy knew that he couldn’t see through it but people on the other side could and a door was behind him. One hand was free and the other was cuffed down to the table. He was finally cleaned up after being examined and he wore an orange jumpsuit. Yancy didn’t react when the door opened and a man went around the table and sat in front of him. The man placed a plastic bag on the table.

“Hello, Yancy.” The man greeted with a small smile. “I’m Mr. Murderslaughter.” Yancy looked up and saw a kind-looking man. “Yes, I know it’s ironic for a warden to have that name.” Mr. Murderslaughter chuckled, waiting to see if Yancy would say anything but he got nothing. “I’m here to help you as a favor and because you need it.” Mr. Murderslaughter reached into the bag and pulled out a container, popping it open to show that there were cookies inside of it. “You’re a child. Thirteen, right?” He asked as he handed Yancy a cookie.

“Yeah,” Yancy answered in a whisper, giving Mr. Murderslaughter some hope. Yancy bit into the treat and couldn't help from smiling a little, it was delicious and he could have sworn he's tasted them before.

“They’re not going to let you walk away from this, even at your age." Yancy's smile dropped as Mr. Murderslaughter spoke again. "People can’t look past someone killing their parents, no matter the reason because of the thought that you should love and respect your parents.” 

“Bullshit,” Yancy grumbled. 

“You’re right. It is bullshit. But that’s how the world is.” Mr. Murderslaughter watched Yancy slouch over

“I just want to go to bed.” Yancy shook his head.

“I understand, Yancy," Mr. Murderslaughter leaned forward. "Tell me what happened. What did you do?” 

“I killed ‘em,” Yancy stated and Mr. Murderslaughter straightened back up. “My parents are...were terrible people. I didn't like 'em, no one did.” Yancy was now looking at Mr. Muderslaughter as he spoke. “I had to get my own food, I had to make sure the house stayed somewhat together, that we wouldn’t get kicked out, that the bank wouldn’t come for us. I cooked and cleaned and did everything for myself and them.” Yancy started to shake slightly. “All I have ever asked from them was to be my parents, was to at least pretend that they cared for me, that they loved me, but that was too much for them.” Yancy let out a laugh. “I just wanted to make some mac and cheese, just some food since I wasn’t able to eat at school 'cause I had no lunch money. They usually forget I exist unless they want something from me and they wanted my food...so, they took it. They took it from me, didn’t like what they took and attacked me.” 

“They attacked you?”

“My dad started and I stabbed him with my screwdriver." Yancy gestured with his free hand. "And then my ma came in and I strangled her with my bare hands." Yancy posed his hands as if he was doing it all over again, eyes going wide. "I...I just wanted it to stop. I just...I just wanted…” Yancy had started to cry at this point, tears falling freely. “I just want to know that I’ll be fed, that I’ll have a bed and clothes and a roof over my head.” 

“I’ll make sure you get that.” Mr. Murderslaughter reached over and placed his hands on top of Yancy's making him lower them. "I promise."

—————–

Tag List (Let me know if you want to be added): @devon-rever-860 @m0th-dude @thesinginggal @rainymae523 @disneyamoo@salmonisforthebagel​ @antibeaneverybody​ @adverseflyer909​ @madallice329​ @rebastone​ @ninazappy @thedarkeningdusk​ @aoimatsurika @windymischeif @mirrored-calamity @yurmimi @thevampireauthoress

[egg-and-koji]

“Shadows of a Legacy” Lok Fanfic Ch 3 - Mako

160 AG

“Mako, come now, my sweet Dragonfly. We have to keep up with the line.”

At the airship station in Republic City, a mother called her young son. She held her hand out for him which he grasped as sacred. As they walked, he copied her steps; his gait overextended so his shorter legs kept up with her tiger-swan ones. When they reached the back of the waiting crowds, his grip on her soft, slender hand loosened as he jumped, trying to look over the people.

“I think. I see. Dad and Bo,” Mako said with each hop. 

 His mother laughed softly as she fixed his spiked widows’ peak. “I promise you’ll be taller than your father someday.” 

The eight-year-old raised his sharply angled eyebrows and gave her a small crooked smirk. His mother pulled him close, hugged her arms around him then clasped his small hands between hers and held their arms out like the bow of a ship. “S.S. Naoki is clear for sailing, Captain Mako,” she whispered into his temple. 

“Aye-aye!” He cheered and with a mix of giggles and engine sounds, the two politely cut through the waves of people to reach the rest of their family.

“Oh no, Captain! A pirate has First Mate Bo!”

A six-foot, middle-aged man dressed in a red scarf twisted around to face them. “Mwah haha, you’re too late to save him, Captain Mako,” he snarled dramatically out of the corner of his mouth and bounced the little chubby boy on his shoulders. “This whipper snapper’s turned to a life of pirating!” 

Bolin wrapped his father’s scarf around his own head and shouted, “Yar!” A bell marked the arrival of an airship. He dropped the scarf and wiggled against his father’s head. “It’s here, it’s here!” 

“Easy, little caterpillar, you’ll take my eye out with your heel,” his father chuckled. 

The young family moved with the flow of bodies as they lined up to have their tickets authenticated. Bolin ran his chubby fingers through his father’s greying hair, gripping tight whenever he pretended to drop him on Mako. The older brother laughed and tugged on the younger’s suspenders, making him whine and pop his thumb in his mouth for comfort. Naoki frowned at him and gently tugged on his hair.

Mako sighed and allowed her to usher him forward in front of her. His scrawny shoulders were caged in her silk-wrapped arms; his shelter; warm and loving as always. He tucked his arms up in hers, securing himself further as the comfort melted his bones. In every sense of the word; she was his world. When his firebending manifested two years ago, he deemed himself her protector; neither she nor his father were benders. The neighbors often teased Naoki, saying she made him without her husband San’s help. Mako had her pale ivory skin, sleek rook black hair, sunset orange eyes, and finely angled eyebrows. At least Bolin looked more like their father. 

“Do Granma and Granpa know we’re coming, Dad?” Mako tilted his head up to San walking beside them.

“I’m sure they received my letter,” he answered. “And I know they'll be very excited to meet you, boys.”

“But you said Granpa was sick?”

“He is,” his mother answered with a gentle squeeze, “and that’s why we’re going to Ba Sing Se before he gets too sick for visitors.” 

“What about momma’s Granma and Granpa?” Bolin slurred around his thumb.

“You mean mom’s mom and dad, not their mom and dad, Thumbsucker,” Mako mocked then tugged on his foot. Bolin whined and kicked away from him, his heel digging into their father’s armpit.

“Hey, come one now,” San warned.

As they inched closer to the ticket booth, Bolin squirmed. “I gotta potty!”

“I thought you took him already,” Naoki asked.

San turned to her with a disappointed look and whispered, “He tried.”

“I know where the bathroom is,” Mako beamed, “I can take him!”

“Hold on a second,” his father stopped Bolin from trying to wriggle off him. His stubby legs dangled as he touched the ground. San removed his scarf from around his neck and wrapped it around Mako. He weaved it around his neck like a tie. “There. Now we can find you in the crowd.”

Mako pulled the red cloth up over his nose; it smelled like his father’s cologne; a mix of the restaurant’s wood oven, cigars from his patrons, and a hint of Panda Lily from whenever he hugged Naoki. 

“Come on, Bo,” Mako said, grabbing his little brother’s free hand.

“Mako keep your little brother safe. Bolin, make sure you don’t let go of your brother’s hand, sweetie. Use your manners, boys. Oh and wash your hands,” Naoki called out after her sons as they disappeared in the sea of loud strangers and trolley whistles.

170 AG - Present Day 

“Hey! You gettin’ off here kid?” The trolley conductor barks at Mako, taking him out of his brief, unsatisfying nap. Amber eyes snap up at the old metalbender. He points out the window behind Mako’s head. “You said the police headquarters.”

“Yeah,” Mako grumbles, stretches from his slouched position against one of the trolley’s leaning poles then hops off. 

The mist that started at the end of his shift picked up into a drizzle. He pulls up the collar of his jacket to keep the rain from soaking his neck and scarf. The squeal of metal on metal echoes down the road as the conductor and rear metalbender push and pull the trolley on the rest of its route. 

A break in traffic lets Mako jog across the busy street to the front door of the Republic City's Police Headquarters. He drops his chin and shoves his hands in his pockets as he ducks in behind a sobbing family.

The chaotic movement of employees and civilians roars through the massive building. Wild, ringing alarms and telephones amplify the headache he desperately tried to ignore on the ride here. 

Suck it up, Champ, he tells himself over the noise.

He makes his way to the record department passing an elite metalbender officer sticking his nose up past a couple of out-of-shape, under-trained non-bender auxiliaries. Two upper-middle-class couples shout petty insults at each other and hurl baseless Equalist accusations. A freshly arrested triad initiate gets berated by a loud, red-faced shop owner, bringing up a shameful sense of deja vu for Mako. 

It’s odd to walk through the station without an escort and metal bracelets around his wrists. But the last few years haven’t given him a reason to be in any type of trouble with the law; the Fire Ferrets have gained a steady fan following and are now the team to look out for this season. Even better with the increase in Triad and Equalist activity.

Tension in the city has gotten worse since Amon’s disciples started publicly protesting again. As such it’s not unusual for some mistaken hooligans to get a little roughed up before getting cleared of whatever minor infraction brought them in. 

Mako rounds the corner of the main hall towards the department of records but stops and ducks back around the same corner. 

Shit.

Shady Shin’s obnoxious blue trench coat isn’t hard to miss against all the wood and metal features of the building. Mako slips away in the other direction, taking the long way around. He’d rather not deal with the Triple Threat right now; not after the other day. As if Bolin’s water tribe damsel even needed his help.

Leave it to Bo to try to “save” the Avatar. 

All he can do is suck it up and hope they have more important shit to deal with. He runs a hand through his damp hair, spiking up the front in his usual style, and straightens out his jacket before entering the department office.

Shadows from towering metal filing cabinets and massive volumes of paperwork cast over the front window. A few weeks ago this room was nice and tidy. The only thing remotely clean is the desk pushed up against the front. But no one’s there.

Maybe the old man finally got crushed by the mess.

He isn’t on his lunch break as Mako memorized his activity; can’t miss out on office hours if he knows the times by heart. Plus, he made sure to get there early, just in case. 

Mako taps the call bell and waits. 

No answer.

He’s about to tap it again when he hears shuffling footsteps.

An old, hunched clerk hobbles out from behind a pile of boxes. His crusted lips smack together as he huffs and groans his way up to the front desk. He doesn’t bother his visitor a glance as he flips through a thick ledger and deadpans, “Name.” 

“Mako.”

With another smack of his lips, he says, “Oh, you again…”

Mako ignores him. “You said two weeks, sir.”

“Eh, your request hasn’t gone through,” he says, flicking his wrinkled hand at the backed-up in-voices. 

“That’s what you said two weeks ago.”

“Well, so-rry...but the chief’s rather busy with Equalist and triad yahoos.”

“All she needs to do is sign the form,” Mako says in a neutral tone.

The clerk smacks his lips again and sizes him up. He scoffs. “And all you need to do is wait for it...unless you’d rather get one of your buddies to forge her signature.”

There’s no point in trying to argue with the cranky geezer. Mako clamps his teeth to keep his jaws from twitching.

Cool-under-fire.

He keeps his tone neutral as he says, “I’ll check back in another few weeks.” He places his hands on his upper thighs and gives his elder a low bow. “Thank you, sir.”

“Mhm,” the clerk sniffs then crawls to the back of his lonely dusty cave. 

Mako leaves the office. It takes every ounce of control to not slam the door on the way out. He takes a second to collect himself; white-knuckled grip still wrapped around the doorknob. 

First they “misplace” it, now they ignore it.

The irony isn’t lost on him. But he lets the frustration fade and makes his way back up to the main floor. After a quick peek to make sure Shady isn’t there, he leaves the building. The rain died down to a light mist again and the trolley to get back to the arena is already there taking in passengers. Mako lines up with the rest of them. 

As the line shifts, someone to his right seems to forget the concept of “personal space”. Then another one to his left. Behind the trolley, a familiar thundering engine lowers to a hum. Mako sighs internally as the driver's expensive leather shoes clap against the pavement. 

“Well if it ain't the captain of the street rats-whoops Fire Ferrets, Fire Ferrets-my mistake, Champ," Shady Shin snivels behind him. 

Ping-to Mako’s right-hisses at the waiting riders making them scurry up into the trolley. Mushi moves from his left side to intimidate the conductors to move along. No one on the street bats an eye as the Triple Threat surround the young firebender. 

“Ya know,” Shady continues, “the boys didn’t appreciate Bolin’s little stunt the other day.” Mako doesn’t blink as Mushi spits out a glob of chewing tobacco at his feet. Shady drapes his arm over Mako’s shoulder. “Bail’s gettin’ pricier every day and we’ve got a sweet deal bringin’ in some serious paper tonight. But now...we got the tinmen on our asses, Champ.”

“I can pay you back next week.”

“With the team’s winnings? Oh wait, that’s right...you don’t got any. Well, I bet the plant’s payin’ good with the city’s new programs in place huh?” 

Here, we fucking go…damnit, Bolin.

Mako shrugs, “Yeah.”

“Thought so, but not everybody’s happy about it. Matter of fact, the supervisor’s a regular at The Jolly Cat and let me tell ya, man’s a real talker once you get a few drinks in ‘em,” Shady muses, “says profits took a hit from havin’ to cough up extra pay to all the fuckin’ ash makers he’s forced to hire.”

Ping snickers as he weaves a coil of flames around his fingers to light the cigarette hanging from his thin lips. He inhales deeply and blows the cloud of smoke in Mako’s face. 

Mako tilts his head away then runs a thumbnail over one of his brows. He keeps a lookout for another trolley as he sniffs, “So what do you want Shady?”

The waterbender’s twisted smile lives up to his name. He tsks, “Pah, the boss wanted me to bring you both in for the usual "talk" but...I persuaded him otherwise.”

“By?”

“Like I said, we’ve got a deal goin’ down tonight. No doubt our competitors’ve heard about it so we’re callin’ in all the bodies we can. And that includes you, Mr. Star-Athlete.”

"I've got a match tonight."

"It won’t be ‘til after. Plus, I'm sure you'll bring your A-game so this goes over smoothly."

A close-by trolley sounds its bell. Mako catches a glimpse of it in his peripheral vision. His jaw flexes as he says, "and if I refuse?"

"We all know you're smarter than that," Shady shakes his head. "But if it helps, the supervisor cried he'd get canned if the owner knew he hired any ex-traid. Got a real hard-on for us goodfellas."

The trolley pulls up and stops a few feet ahead. Mako eyes Shady Shin. "Where?"

"Cabbage Corp Docks.” Shady gives him his infamous slimy grin and pushes off his shoulder with a light pat. Mako boards the trolley and watches the three Triple Threats slitter back to Shady’s hotrod. As he climbs into the driver's seat, Shady calls out, “Good luck on your match, Champ."

Bolin’s gone from their dusty attic when game time comes around and having rested a few hours before soothed Mako of his headache.

He partially dresses in his gear; the rest in the locker room. The team’s waterbender, Hasook waits for him in the hall outside of the gym. He’s silent as he trails behind Mako dressed in a similar Pro-Bending uniform; a thick, neck-high protective undershirt and matching tights, a long-sleeved jersey and loose trousers with attached shoulder, elbow, and knee pads, and a pair of light-weight flexible boots all in their team’s white, red, and orange colors. The only differences are the few strips of color marking them as a water, fire, or earthbender.

The faint hum of the cheering crowds gathered to watch barely registers over the sound of his brother’s boisterous laugh coming from the locker room. The two benders enter to see Bolin with the Avatar laughing and leaning against the opened stadium railing.

“Aw man you’re lucky you’re the Avatar,” Bolin says, “you’d prolly be locked up for a while with the mess that fight caused.”

The Avatar shrugs and clicks her tongue. “Yeah, it’s nice to have “connections” in the city.

Connections my ass.

Mako takes a silent deep breath through his nose. Upon his exhale, he becomes “Team Captain” and tunes out the rest of their chatter as he opens his small locker and starts strapping on his padded fingerless gloves. His mind goes blank; empty for a few minutes before the light above the locker doorway signals the team to step out onto the platform. 

He grabs his helmet, shuts the locker, and walks towards the platform, ignoring the Avatar as she says, “Hey thanks for your guys attempt at helping me out. I obviously didn’t need it, but I still appreciate the thought.“

“Come on, Bolin,” he says, “we're up.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Mako hears Bolin tell her as he walks away from them, “my brother just gets real... focused before the match.”

Focused?

Focused would have gotten me that police report. Focused wouldn’t have gotten me pulled into shit with Shady. 

Focused...focused would have saved-bury it away, Champ!

The thick padding of Mako’s helmet muffles Bolin’s quick footsteps as he jogs onto the platform with the rest of their team. From his peripheral vision, his brother stretches to psych himself up. This is just another game for him. Hasook on his other side looks like he’d rather be anywhere else but here. Mako buries his annoyance. He figured something like this with him was coming sooner or later. He just didn’t think it’d be right as the fucking match starts. 

The stadium goes dark. The crowd’s hum gets louder. Spotlights from the ceiling shine down on the playing field. Rising from the platform in the middle, the announcer raises his microphone, points to one end of the field where an extending platform carries the three Fire Ferrets forward, and shouts to introduce them. 

Bolin’s obnoxious fangirls are somehow the loudest in the full house. The crowd roars and applauds. For an insignificant-unwanted-moment, Mako wishes it was really for him; that the people actually wanted him.

But he knows...

Pro-Bending...the power plant. These are the only ways a firebender like me gets accepted in this fucking city. 

And acceptance is key to his and his brother’s survival. So like a good little firebender, he salutes and waves to the crowd with a small smile. 

The two teams line up on either side of the field's centerline and assume Bending stances; hunched forward, knees slightly bent and fists held high. Mako eyes his opponents, The Tigerdillos; older benders with several more games under their belts than them. But his team wants this win more. They need two more wins to enter the tournament. He takes a deep breath, feeling his chi energies flow; the heat builds in his stomach and spreads out to his limbs, pooling at his fingers and toes. 

Focus.

The bell clangs and the two teams leap back to the back of their first 'zone', flinging elements at each other. Mako kicks out a burst of flames at his target while Bolin and Hasook deal with theirs.

Cool-under-fire.

He keeps his fists up to protect his head as he dips out of the way of an earth disk and flame blast. The elements whistle past his head. He takes a quick inhale and counters on the exhale with two fiery jabs. A stream of water and another disk fly at him. He keeps his elbows tight as they fly past his head then inhales deeply this time to send out a powerful fireball. The attack barely misses the middle Tigerdillo and the other two come forward to strike at Hasook and Bolin. Both attacks land, pushing them into the second zone.

The buzzer sounds and the zone border lights up.

The Tigerdillos advance on Mako. He dodges their attacks with a few backflips, but an earth disk hits him square in the gut. All the protective padding absorbs the painful force but the impact still sends him sliding back. One foot just over the zone's backline.

Buzzer.

He stifles a snarl as the border lights up again.

The centerline of the field lights up green, giving the clear for all three Tigerdillos to advance into the Fire Ferret's first zone and the Pro-benders continue their attacks. 

Bolin launches an earth disk that gets deflected back by the Tigerdillo’s earthbender. It hits Hasook, knocking him into the final zone.

Another buzzer.

The Tigerdillo waterbender kicks a disk of water at Mako and Bolin. The brothers dodge it, but Hasook is knocked off his feet. After another attack, he disappears from the field. Mako and Bolin brace together before splitting apart to dodge water and earth attacks. Bolin’s knocked into zone three. Mako follows shortly after taking a hit of his own. 

Fuck. He doesn’t bother looking up at the score lights. 

“Round one goes to the Golden Temple Tigerdillos!” The Announcer shouts as the bell clangs repeatedly and the crowd hollers. 

The brothers take their places back in their first zone as their waterbender rejoins them.

Mako tilts his head to him and says, “come on Hasook, get your act together.”

The bell clangs and the next round starts. The Tigerdillos line up to send consecutive attacks. All three connect with the Ferrets and immediately push them back into the next zone, but they quickly counter, pushing the opposing team all the way into their last zone, winning them the round.

Bolin and Hasook cheer. Mako ignores them and uses the break to try to catch his breath. 

The last round starts. Both teams leap back at the bell. The Tigerdillo waterbender targets Hasook. He dodges two attacks and nearly stumbles into Mako. Another attack pushes him into Bolin instead.

The two tumble onto the floor. 

“Get up!” Mako shouts then sends out a few jabs. 

The Tigerdillo earthbender kicks a disk at the two tangled Pro-benders, striking them as they're in the process of getting back up and both are sent flying out the back of the field, leaving Mako in a three-on-one showdown.

The Tigerdillo waterbender kicks a shot at Mako, who dodges under it. Additional attacks of all three elements come at him as he runs across the arena, ducking and spinning to avoid each one until he’s backed up against the edge of the field. Another step backward and he’ll be in The Drink with the rest of his team and another season cut short.

He pants. His ears throb from his quickened pulse. Sweat drips down his face. 

‘Mako…’, he hears his mother whimper.

No... not now! 

He tries to calm his breathing as the Tigerdillos advance. They’re relentless.

But Mako’s calm, bobbing and weaving and patient. He waits for his chance to strike. Waits for the Tigerdillos to wear themselves down.

Always waiting for the opportunity to come out on top. 

There! 

He twists out of the way of an attack and throws his own. The fireball passes right through the Tigerdillo waterbender's prepared attack, turning it to steam, slamming into his chest, and tumbles straight over the back edge of the field. 

The crowd’s roar vibrates through Mako’s veins. With it, he goes on the offensive. A heavy fireball jab. Two fiery flying kicks. And a deeper inhale to let out a massive flare generated with both arms extended. Although the remaining Tigerdillos block some of his attacks, their Firebender takes a hit, flies backward into the railing, and bounces out the back and into the water.

‘Mako-’

A red, buring haze falls over the world as Mako and the last standing Tigerdillo toss attacks with abandon. Both benders want this victory.

Mako needs it.

Earth and fire collide. Disks explode. Mako kicks a powerful flaming slash into the dust cloud. It connects with the Tigerdillo and pushes him back into his zone three. 

Mako leaps into the dust cloud with a flaming fist. He strikes the Tigerdillo’s earth desk. A wave of flames shatters his pathetic shield; the impact sends him crashing over the edge of the field. 

The bell clangs. 

The game ends. 

The arena trembles with the crowds’ thunderous cheers.

And the Fire Ferrets' firebender stands alone in utter silence.

‘Promise me…’

He lets out a short sigh of relief, becoming “Team Captain” again, and pulls off his helmet to gaze out at the cheering crowd before stepping back to the extending platform to return to the locker room. 

Hasook joins him on the platform as it moves. “Well played, Captain. But if you wanted to show off, you could have just told us.”

“You serious right now?” Mako side-eyes him then keeps his focus ahead. “Yeah, I carried your ass since you did more harm than good out there and almost cost us the match,” Mako sneers as they reach the locker room.

Hasook rips off his helmet and scoffs, “We fucking won didn't we?”

“Barely.”

“Fuck off!” Hasook throws his helmet to the floor with a growl and stomps out of the locker room.

“Useless.” 

“You guys were incredible out there,” the Avatar says, souring his mood.  “Especially you, Mr. Hat Trick.”

He walks past her without a glance. “Oh... you're still here? Thought you’d have Avatar stuff to work on.”

“Oh, you're still a jerk?” She mocks, “don’t you have people skills to work on Team Captain?”

“Ooh and the Avatar showcases her firebending with a sick burn, ha ha,” Bolin laughs.

Mako fights with the straps of his gloves as the Avatar continues. “Anyway, I've been immersed in Bending my entire life but I never learned how to move like that. It's like there's a whole new style here. Think you could show me a few tricks?”

“Ab-so-lutely,” his brother sings.

Having stripped off his gloves and stored them and the helmet back in the locker, Mako heads out to leave the room and says, “You kids have fun with that.”

The Avatar scoffs, “Pft kids? Aren’t you like, what, seventeen?”

“Eighteen,” Bolin corrects, then asks, “Mako, you’re not gonna watch me-your little brother-teach the Avatar...ya know, “master of all four elements”, some of my earthbending tricks? Seriously bro?”

Mako pauses. His back is to them. His brother can’t see his smirk fade into a restrained frown. “Nah,” he shrugs, “gonna see a guy about some job.” He holds up a hand in a half-wave as he steps out of the room. “Nice to meet you... Avatar Korra.” 

After a quick shower and change of clothes, Mako barely takes two steps out of the arena’s peninsula when he sees Shady Shin already waiting for him in his hotrod. 

“Killer game, Champ,” Shady whistles. He flicks away his cigarette butt as Mako gets in the passenger seat. 

“I thought we were meeting there,” Mako says. He leans an arm on the door and keeps his head low.

“And miss my boys’ game, not a chance,” he smirks.

The tires squeal as he rips downs the street. The golden glow from the Pro-Bending arena is replaced by Downtown's bright lights. It’s close to midnight, but Republic City never sleeps. Night only brings out the downtrodden side everyone pretends doesn’t exist. Traffic is chaotic, not that it matters much with Shady’s driving. He weaves between cars, inching them closer to their destination. 

“You’re awfully quiet,” Shady drawls from the corner of his mouth, “thought you’d be peppier after your big win, just one more right?”

“Mhm,” Mako says indifferently. He adjusts his long legs, fixing a fold in one of his knee-high spats, and says nothing else.

“Always so serious, kid. Eh, maybe it's good. Keep yourself level-headed huh?”

Shady pulls in behind the docks of Cabbage Corp; the city’s first automobile manufacturer; gone downhill since Future Industries created a monopoly off all the city’s technology. Two moving trucks come from another direction and park between some stacked high shipping containers. Ping and Mushi-two of the other Triple Threat officers-hop out. Some of Shady’s low ranking henchmen jump out from the back of the trucks. 

Shady parks a few feet away. Mako follows him out of the car. He shoves his hands in his pockets and scoffs, “You called half the crew, the fuck you need me for?”

“The extra firepower’s nice, but really... we just need your “Jazz Hands”, kid, in case these guys feel like wisin’ up.”

Typical.

“Zolt’s too caught up ruling his empire, he can’t do it himself?” 

“What can I say, he’s a busy man.”

The two join the rest of the gang huddled around the trucks. Shady Shin checks in with Mushi then tells the rest of those gathered to be on guard of their dealers. Mako’s greeted with enthusiastic praise for the Fire Ferrets’ win. Several non-benders gush about the play-by-play they heard on the radio. 

“Ey, hold on. How come your little bro’s gettin’ more tail than you?" One of them snickers.

“He ain’t getting shit,” Mako sniffs, crossing his arms and leaning against the hood of one of the trucks. 

“True, he’s too much of a chump,” Mushi laughs wickedly. Some of the guys chuckle.

“Alright, but what’s the deal with you, Mr. Big Shot?” Another Triple Threat eyes him with a gap-toothed grin. “You had that prissy eye-candy for a while there-uhh-” He snaps his fingers trying to remember. 

Shady says, “Mr. Sato’s girl. You lose your game with’er, Champ?”

“No,” Mako says as he shifts his weight to his other leg, “it just didn’t work out.” A universal echo of disappointment ripples through the gathered men. 

“Eh, it’s cuz he’s a chump...like his brother,” Ping croaked as the groans and boos died down.

“Oh yeah?” Mako softly challenges. 

“Yeah,” Ping repeats himself then lights a cigarette. “Man...skills like yours, I’d have dames left and right; one for every day of the week.” He whips around, starts dry humping the truck’s headlight and in a high pitched scratchy voice moans, “Ooh, Ping! Ahh...you’re soo much better than that little prick Mako...mmm, ahh!”

The other Triple Threat screech and holler at Mako’s expense. 

He takes a flask from an older earthbender and says, “A partner helps, but nothing’s stopping you from practicing by yourself. Oh, shit wait-you meant firebending? Nevermind mind then, can’t help you there. Sorry.” 

That earns him a few chuckles from some of the older Triple Threat members. Ping flicks his still-lit cigarette away. Mako uncaringly takes a swig from the flask and passes it to his right. The liquor pricks down his throat. Numb. Just like he wants to be for the situation Bolin unknowingly dragged him into. 

Shady Shin whistles everyone to attention as a few Cabbage Corp trucks pull up to them. Shady and the other officers form a half-circle in front of them. Mako stays towards the back with the rest of the Triple Threats. He takes another swig of the flask when it makes its way around again. It drowns his long ignored and buried loneliness.

A couple of guys dressed in the business’s jumpsuits get out of their trucks. The lead dealer walks up to Shady. Mako doesn’t hear what they're saying nor does he really care. The dealer signals for one of his people to unload the truck. They push over a few crates of boxed car parts. Shady stops one and has them open it. Mushi’s hulking figure steps up to one. His hand disappears into the box.

Then it clicks in Mako’s head. There’s a reason Shady’s putting so much trust in the giant earthbender. Mushi pulls his massive hand out of the box. A small amount of pale green powder sits underneath his disgusting long pinky nail that he dumps onto the tip of his equally disgusting tongue. 

Mushi pulls his lips back over his gums like a beast. “It’s good boss.”

Duffle bags packed with stacks of yuans exchange hands. The Triple Threat peons load the crates into their trucks. With the deal done, the Cabbage Corps guys scatter. Mako’s left disappointed, leaning against the hotrod as the Triple Threat’s recruiter dismisses the rest of his gang. 

Shady returns to the car. “Looks like we didn’t need you at all, my bad, Champ.”

“Figures…”

Shady pulls out a roll of yuans from his pocket and tosses it to him. “Think of it as an investment into your future.”

“Don’t bother. I’ve got it covered,” Mako says, tosses it back, and walks away. 

“You mean the plant,” Shady calls out. “You’re no more a machine to them than the piles of scrap metal they use your bending to power Mako...you know the Boss’ll take you back. No questions asked.” The young firebender stops in his tracks. Shady presses. “It’s a long walk to the arena…”

Mako stands far enough away that Shady can’t hear his defeated sigh. He calls out over his shoulder, “I can manage.”

Pale rising scarlet paints the sky by the time he gets back to the arena. Bolin’s snoring reaches the gym floor as he walks in. His footsteps on the creaky stairs don’t wake his heavy sleeper brother. Pabu chirps as Mako reaches the top step into their apartment. The little fire ferret pokes his head out from his owner’s loft. Mako holds his finger up to his lips to urge the critter to go back to sleep.

He strips down to his old, torn white tank top and faded, striped boxers then crawls up the ladder to his separate loft. He flops down on his thin, lumpy mattress. Pride and shame battle over his decision to toss back Shady’s cash.

It could've been enough to get them out of their living situation. But it was dirty money. He spent the last three years trying to do right by his brother. Tonight he came close to crossing his line.

His eyelids grow heavy and his head lightweight as the last of his energy slips from his body.

There isn’t enough to push her voice away again.

‘Mako...promise me, you’ll keep him safe.’

He swallows the sand in his throat and blinks away the stinging at the corner of his tired eyes as his lids finally fall.

[theofficialstereklibrary]

Hello!! Can you please update the canon divergent tag? Thanks so much!! Love you guys and the work you do here!

Sure! Sounds good to me - Jeep

The Neighbor by eqyptiangold (2,532 | 5/6 | T)

“He’s beautiful,” Derek muttered.

“What?” Jackson snorted derisively. “Derek,” he said, in his attempt at a flat tone that never quite sounded right. “He’s flailing. And lip-syncing.” The beta stared with judgmental eyes at Derek. The older werewolf pretended not to see, in favour of watching their new semi-neighbour. “Derek,” Jackson repeated. “He just did a single ladies move and fell. He’s on his ass on the floor and still singing.”

“I can see,” Derek grumbled.

“Clearly you can’t!” Jackson retorted. “You just called him beautiful.”

“You and Isaac moved the couch to creepily watch him through the window,” Derek countered. He decided to ignore the fact that he was settled on the couch next to them.

“I’m here to laugh at him,” Jackson said, sticking his nose up.

“I think he’s pretty,” Isaac chimed in helpfully.

Erase/Rewind by Pdxtrent (84,235 | 34/? | NR)

Derek woke up from his usual nightmares of fire and Kate’s mocking voice to his phone ringing. He grabbed for his phone, the only person who ever called him in the middle of the night was Laura. “Laura, what’s up?”

“Derek, it’s Martin Caldwell. Laura asked me to call you if she didn’t check in with me by ten tonight. She said if she didn’t check in she was probably in trouble.”

Derek sat up in his bed. “Did she say anything else?” he asked.

“No.” Martin said. “I know she was worried about some animal attacks that have been happening, which is why she came out here. But she’s been tight lipped about what she’s found out, I’m sorry.”

A Letter From Mom by StilesIsMySpiritAnimal (24,814 | 6/10 | M)

After waking up at the age of 11 without any memories of his past Stiles spends eight years with his father in the tiny town of Shelter Cove, California. After his father’s death he receives a notice from a storage facility in some town called Beacon Hills. Stiles is confused and thinks the manager made a mistake until he finds a letter that should have been for his 18th birthday that his dad never gave him. It’s from his mother, who he has no memory of. Weirdly enough, her letter mentions Beacon Hills and some woman named Talia, who he’s supposed to trust. Confused and angry at his father, Stiles sets out for Beacon Hills anxious and determined to find out what his dad had been hiding from his all these years.

Clean Up Crew by tokidoki_smile (16,337 | 9/? | E)

“Well, looks like I’m going to have to call him.” Peter huffed putting his hands on his hips as he hunched forward exhausted.“Who?” Derek panted, his knees wanting to give out under him. Who, could you reasonably ask for help in this mess?“Stilinski,” Peter replied as though he should know. He raised an eyebrow amused at his nephew’s confused expression. “You’ll like him, he’s a good kid.”

A good kid? Debatable. A good swing provable, but that would come later.

Attempting a magical ritual to commune with the deceased Hale pack matriarch leads to a monster on the lose. The remaining Hales must hire a dangerous Fox freelancer to clean it up.

Exception to the Rule by skyland3_nightfall (19,066 | 10/13 | NR)

Derek (23) is the local bad boy who suddenly thinks the best way to fuck over the sheriff is to fuck his son, Stiles (16).However stiles isnt that gullible and has three simple rules. If derek can follow these rules then Derek has the right to deflower the virginal son of the Sheriff.Meanwhile a sinister figure lurks in the background hoping to get a crack at Stiles too. Even if it should be against his will.

taste your beating heart by cnomad (48,269 | 10/18 | M)

Something is wrong in Beacon Hills. Derek was halfway across the country when he felt a call to return to his hometown, and somehow Stiles has been talked into letting the werewolf stay in his guest bedroom. This can lead to nothing good.

[chxseungyoun]

MASTERLIST

♡ Stories

Nine Percent

Cai Xukun - Detention - a bulleted scenario in which Xukun causes you to get detention for something he has caused.

Cai Xukun - The Boss - a bulleted scenario in which Xukun is your boss and he wants you to get that into your head; smut

Cai Xukun- Hogwarts Special!

Cai Xukun - Cold Heart, Warm Smile - a bulleted scenario where Xukun starts losing his life as a celebrity but begins with a new.

Lin Yanjun - Ms.Matchmaker - Mister flirt wants to flirt with you, the owner of a matchmaking agency. ; bulleted

Lin Yanjun - Little [Rated] - Yanjun is used to little gestures with you but there’s one thing about him that isn’t so little; written.

Lin Yanjun - Zipped Up - Why is the school director’s son mute? Is it a disability or something else? ; bulleted

Lin Yanjun - High in the Sky - Your daredevil best friend suddenly asked you to go skydiving with him; bulleted

You Zhangjing - FMY - There are three things Zhangjing loves. Can you think of all three? ; bulleted

You Zhangjing - Rule #1: Don’t fall in love - There is one rule you had with Zhangjing and Yanjun. Are you meant to break it?; bulleted

Dorm Life: 9% Status [SERIES] - you end up living in a frat house with one of the notorious squads in the campus?

Ms. Matchmaker - Lin Yanjun [SERIES] - a series requested from the bulleted scenario.

Huang Minghao - Goal! - In socces, Justin never misses his goal. Does this go for his love life too?; bulleted.

Huang Minghao - Clear as Day - You just broke your glasses and you need to get a new prescription! A love prescription, maybe?; bulleted

Huang Minghao - Hogwarts Special!

Fan Chengcheng - Story to Reality - your best friend just doesn’t understand why you keep reading scenarios about his bandmates ; bulleted

Fan Chengcheng - Why can’t I? - There is one thing Chengcheng wants to do but Zhengting keeps getting in the way?; bulleted

Fan Chengcheng - Misfit Union - A vampire in a bond with a hunter? ; bulleted

Fan Chengcheng - Hogwarts Special!

Zhu Zhengting - Only Me [Rated] - Zhengting loves you but he he doesn’t love you looking at other men ; bulleted

Zhu Zhengting - Unforseen Vow - The first son of the Yuehua coven is bonded with a what?! ; Bulleted

Wang Ziyi - Uncle to Daddy? - You’re babysitting with one of the delinquents from school ; Bulleted

Wang Ziyi - Escape the Maze - You are trapped within your dream. Escape with Ziyi!; bulleted

Wang Ziyi - Milkshakes at Midnight - You always get hurt and whenever you do, Ziyi takes you out for milkshakes ; Bulleted

Wang Linkai - Magical Debt - You need a wish to be granted but wizard’s have fees to grant them? Are you willing to take on that? ; Bulleted

Chen Linong - The Keeper - You don’t really think you’re the fairest of the land? Would a dragon tamer think differently?; Bulleted

Chen Linong - Hogwarts Special!

Chen Linong - Ataraxy - Soulmates who were cursed to be together for 2000 lives--kill or love?; bulleted

Nine Percent as dads - 1/ 2/ 3 - This goes for the future, alright? No sexualizing or anything, get out.

_91% _

Zhou Yanchen - Kismet - Sometimes fate goes by the name of kismet, sometimes it’s Zeren. ; written

Jing Peiyao - Peculiar - Weird is attractive sometimes, you know? ; written

Lu Dinghao - Plot twist - You’re in a school play as snow white but the prince is not your love interest ; bulleted

Lu Dinghao- Soulmate Disaster - Soulmates with your brother’s friend?; bulleted

Han Mubo - She hates the cold - The school president finds out your secret. When will you find out his? ; bulleted

Han Mubo - The Landlord's Son - You wished you did not have to deal with an arrogant man but he wasn’t that bad either; bulleted

Li Yingchao - Wifi Disconnected - You met the most unexpected person on an online forum. Is it time to delete that site from your history?; bulleted

Li Yingchao - Balcony Romance - New neighbor came while you were at your downest moment, how will that be?; bulleted

Zhu Yuntian - Exchange of Favors - You happened to be in trouble and you asked for Yunyi’s help? Yuntian comes to the rescue instead! ; written

Zhu Yuntian - Exchange of Favors [SERIES] - Why am I making another series that I take too long to update. Anyway, I love the Zhu twins.

Ding Zeren - Precision Zero - Zeren is pretty mucplans with precision and accuracy, except when it comes to you; bulleted

Hu Zhibang - Loud Thoughts - Sometimes the quietest people have the loudest minds; written.

Li Xikan - The Lady Killer - Is there a murdered on the loose or is it something else?; written

Qin Fen - My Shy Fiance - Being arranged to marry a complete stranger sucks! Or does it?; bulleted

Zheng Ruibin - Death’s Heir - Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 - Death has a son? He’s against his own father?! ; written trilogy.

Zhu Xingjie - It takes 4 hours to bake a cake - Xingjie wants you to go out on a date with him..but with one codition!; bulleted drabble

Huang Xinchun - My Chinese Boyfriend - The shy member of NEX7 is in a relationship with a foreign girl?; bulleted

Bi Wenjun - The Best Man - You have to attend the weding and the best man just happened to be really attractive; bulleted

Bei Honglin - Unplayed Melody - Your heated competition with Honglin has a reason behind it; bulleted

Zhou Rui - Exigent - You get recruited as a model by a high fashion designed!; bulleted

Yue Yue - Love Tour - Your on a trip to scotland? or are you taking a trip to Yue Yue’s heart?; bulleted

Jeffrey Tung - Heart Jockey - You don’t think being a disc jockey requires much skill. Jeffrey proves you otherwise; bulleted

Li Rang - His Tinkerbell - You recently got haircut and is nervous about your boyfriend reacting to it; bulleted

Lou Zibo - The Harvest - It’s harvest season and there is a competition between you and Zibo!; bulleted

Wang Yilong - Soul Catcher - You’re an aspiring reaper but can you handle the stress that comes with it?; bulleted

Bu Fan - Wines and Truths - They say a drunk person can be truthful? Are you sure?; bulleted

Lou Zheng - Incognito - You had to pretend to be someone else because of some reason. What could that be?; bulleted

Lin Chaoze - Greatest Gift - It’s your birthday and your boyfriend is in panic!; bulleted

Mu Ziyang  - Stay in Tune - Why does teacher Ziyang have such a bad reputation?; bulleted

Mu Ziyang - Hiemal- Where you try to fix your doings in the past life and you meet a prince ; bulleted

Li Quanzhe - A Cute Curse - There are just some cute things he deserves; bulleted

Gao Maotong - Nictitate - Somethings just start with a simple wink; bulleted

Zhu Xingjie - Pink Plethora - In which Xingjie unexpectedly likes the same color as you; bulleted

**_

_**

K-POP

Stray Kids

Minho - Did you predict that? - Your best friend Minho is second guessing your intuition, was he right all along? ; bulleted

Minho - It's snowing - Part two of did you predict that? Some things have changed between the two of you; bulleted

_ _

NCT

soon

_ _

X1 + Produce X 101

**

Kim Yohan - 7 Minute Halloween - You got dragged into going into a halloween party by your best friends? Wait, we’re playing a game? This can’t be good..

**

♡ Games

Fate Game - Nine Percent as Boyfriends

Nine Percent - Screenshot Game - School Edition - Part 1 (epilepsy trigger warning)

Nine Percent - Screenshot Game - School Edition - Part 2 (epilepsy trigger warning)

Nine Percent - Screenshot Game - Boyfriend Things (epilepsy trigger warning)

Idol Producer - Birthday Chart - Top 35 Mix

Astrology Compatibility - Idol Producer

Nine Percent Fortune - Screenshot Game (epilepsy trigger warning)

Awaken-F Screenshot Game (epilepsy trigger warning)

NEX7 - Screenshot Game  (epilepsy trigger warning)

ONER - Screenshot Game  (epilepsy trigger warning)

Gramarie Boys - Screenshot Game (epilepsy trigger warning)

Christmas with Nine Percent - Screenshot Game  (epilepsy trigger warning)

[spaceorphan18]

Glee’s Final Season [Part 4/4]

This part is dedicated to @snarkyhag - thank you for stopping Cooper from stealing a baby ;) <3 

For context - This set of episodes takes place five years after the events of season six (effectively season 11??) and ends around the time that the real series finale ends.  It is mostly canon compliant ��� though I did take liberty with a few things, most notably, changing Sam and Mercedes’s story.  But for the most part, it should settle in nicely into regular canon – and its intent is that this is my own version of the final season of the show.

Also note: I’m not that great at picking out music for these episodes, so feel free to fill in those blanks yourselves ;)

Previously on Glee:

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3   AO3 - FULL

///

Episode 11.20: Existential Crises

Rachel’s been nominated for an Tony.  She tries to play it cool, but she can’t help but incredibly excited about it -- this is what she’s worked her whole life for.  She gets plenty of phone calls - from her mom, from Will Schuester, from people she hasn’t heard from in a long time.  She even gets, surprisingly, a short message from Cassie July of all people congratulating her.    The day of the Tony’s there’s a party at her and Jesse’s home (thrown by her dads), while she and Jesse go to the actual Tony’s.  And, of course, she wins the Tony -- and it’s everything she had hoped it would be.

Later that night, after the party has died down, Rachel and Jesse have a quiet alone moment.  Rachel says she’s happy -- happier than she’s ever been.  And she really wants to take in the moment.  But there’s a strangeness to the feeling.  She’s now gotten the one thing she’s always wanted - where does she go from there - now that she doesn’t have a specific goal to achieve.  Jesse laughs, and tells her she’ll come up with a goal at some point - but for now they can enjoy having an open road.    

With the baby on the way soon, Burt and Carole come to New York to help get things set up.  It’s a nice time -- and Burt gives some great fatherly -- which he’s happy to pass down.  Kurt’s a little worried about being a dad -- thinking that Blaine’s more a natural at it.  But Burt knows he’ll be fine -- because he’s a lot like his mom, and his mom freaked out when they were going to have Kurt - but she managed to do a great job.  Burt also shares some stories about how Kurt was a kid - as tells them both to prepare for a possible mini Kurt.  (They admit they mixed the sperm together - so it could end up a mini Blaine!)  

Blaine meanwhile, as much as he loves Burt and Carole, can’t stop thinking about his own family.  He’s told his mom about it - but hasn’t spoken to his dad in the past few years.  Kurt encourages him to call his dad - maybe just telling his dad he’ll be grandpa might be a step in the right direction.  Blaine picks up the phone, and calls.  

Mercedes returns from tour - and Sam is thrilled to see her again.  The two have a joyous reunion, but it’s cut short by her producers wanting to see her quickly.  She feels like she doesn’t get a chance to slow down, as the album promotion continues, and she’s suddenly wanted in a lot of different directions.  Sam’s being super supportive, but it almost feels like she hasn’t returned at all.  She wants to tell her producers that she wants a break - but that is when they tell her they want her to do a World Tour.  

Artie and Tina have wrapped the movie - and it’s already been entered in a film festival.  Artie is super excited about it - and when he gets the news, he and Tina go out to celebrate - which turns out to be more like a date.  At the end of the night, Artie kisses Tina, and they’re both surprised by the sudden romantic reprisal.  

Brittany is told by her costar Mary Hollaran that Mary is leaving for Australia to go on a spiritual tour of the homeland.  (She doesn’t exactly specify what she’s talking about.) But because of this - the webseries can’t continue with just Brittany - and Brittany begins to freak out.  That web series is her life, and she doesn’t know what to do without.  Santana steps up - and reminds Brittany how much she helped Santana out when Santana felt lost about not having direction in her job.  She tells Brittany that they can find a new costar - or maybe this is a chance to find something new for Brittany to do - it’s now up for her to decide.

Episode 11.21: Disco Didn’t Die, It Was Murdered

[An AU-ish Episode]

The episode starts of in reality -- Kurt’s theater is almost finished, and as a way to celebrate, he invites everyone over to the theater so Kurt can host a variation on his murder mystery dinners - a musical murder mystery that they’ll play out for themselves.  Everyone’s set for the evening, when Cooper Anderson arrives - in town because he wants to start being a good uncle early, and asks to be a part of the murder mystery -- insisting that he’s the detective.  Kurt reluctantly gives in on this.  

[As they start the play, the scene shifts to a more AU-ish setting of 40s noir.  And plays out as if it were a real murder mystery.  All the music is in the style of 40s genre pop covers - or all Post Modern Jukebox songs.  I’m pretty sure Cooper would do great singing PMJ’s version of All Star.]

Cooper’s inner monologue narrates that he’s a detective, who comes to this hotel after a long day of drinking and love making and stopping bad guys.  (Cooper keeps ad libbing and making up back story - to which Kurt’s fourth wall breaking voice interrupts telling him to stop changing his script.) Anyway, Cooper was just wanting a night off when he walked into the hotel full of seedy characters but he can’t always get nice things.  

It’s not long before there’s a first victim -- an up-and-coming actress - Tina.  (Tina breaks the fourth wall - claiming she’s upset that she’s the first one dead.)  Detective Cooper decides to shut down the lounge so that they can interview everyone to figure out who the murder is.  

Jesse and Rachel play an socialite and heiress respectively, flaunting all of their shadily earned money.  Santana is the hotel owner - known for having mob connections.  Brittany is the barkeep and knows everyone’s secrets.  Artie is a mad-scientist willing to share his science discoveries with the highest bidder.  Mercedes is a lounge singer, who has aspirations of being famous one day.  Sam runs the security for the hotel, and is known to let things slip by.  Kurt is a fashion morgal with shady beginnings.  And Blaine is the mysterious piano player.  

Cooper is tries to find out who did it, and what their motive is, but he’s notoriously bad for playing the game.  One by one, the other players are killed off, until there are only three left - Kurt, Blaine, and Rachel.  And Cooper suggests wild guess after wild guess as to who is responsible for the murders.    At one point, Cooper suggests that Tina was faking her own death and she is the real murder (to which Tina likes - but Kurt says that’s not possible, so he needs to try again.)  Cooper only has one guess before the murderer wins so he goes into a long soliloquy (like detectives normal do) determining who did it -- and lands on Rachel.  He’s wrong, though, it’s actually Blaine.  

But before Blaine can claim victory, and reveal his motives, Rachel goes into labor.  The episode shifts back to reality as everyone gets excited about Rachel having the baby.  

Episode 11.22: Someone’s Going to the Emergency Room, Someone’s Going to Jail

Rachel is indeed in labor - and when they get to the hospital, they find that it’s not going to be a quick birth.  Kurt’s overly anxious - and yells at the staff when he’s at first not allowed to be in the room with Rachel.  Once in, he is kind of all over the place -- crowding Rachel, making sure she’s okay.  Rachel has to send him out.  Mercedes is there to comfort him - and walks him around the hospital, while he talks about how hard it is not to have any control over this part of the process.  And then starts worrying about all the possible things that could go wrong.  Mercedes calms him down and tells him that he just has to have faith that everything will be alright.  

Meanwhile - the hours drag on through the night.  Cooper is still around - driving everyone crazy - until he hooks up with one of the nurses - who takes him home.  Very early the next morning, Cooper comes back freaking out, holding a dead bird.  He doesn’t explain how, but he has somehow managed to kill the nurse’s pet bird.  Cooper doesn’t want the woman to know, and enlists Blaine and Sam (Sam who’s excited to have one last BLAM adventure) to buy a new one and replace it without the nurse knowing.  Blaine is not in the mood to be dealing with Cooper’s shenanigans, but agrees to help so it’ll stop Cooper from causing any more trouble.

They eventually do fine a replacement bird, and Cooper takes them over to the woman’s apartment. [Cooper can’t just ring - because apparently, the night didn’t go well, and he doesn’t want to confront her.]  When she leaves (for the grocery story) they try to get in through the window, but a neighbor calls the cops.  Blaine and Sam are arrested, while Cooper was able to sneak away with the new bird.  Blaine is freaking out having to go to jail, especially pissed off that it’s keeping him from the birth of his daughter.  They call Cooper to get them out, but Cooper is too preoccupied with the bird - and says he’ll get them out when he gets rid of the bird.

Cooper enlists Brittany and Santana.  The woman is at home again - and Santana pretends to be a salesman of beauty products while Brittany replaces the bird.  Once it’s done, they get Blaine and Sam out of jail.  Sam says it’s a good thing they’re going to a hospital because Blaine is probably going to murder Cooper.  

Meanwhile, Tina and Artie, needing something to do, find places in the hospital to hook up - since they just got back together.  They end up in a janitor’s closet, but their fooling around knocks down a bucket onto Artie’s head - and they have to get to the emergency room, where Artie finds out he has a concussion.  

Rachel eventually has the baby, and Kurt and Blaine marvel at becoming dads.  They name her Katharine Elizabeth Hummel-Anderson, and everyone loves her at first sight.  

Episode 11.23: Everything’s Great

A week later - and Rachel is slowly beginning to feel like herself again.  Jesse asks her if she’s plans on heading back to Jane Austen Sings! When she’s fully recovered - but Rachel isn’t sure she wants to.  The girl who took her place is doing great, and Rachel thinks she might be ready for something new.  Jesse hopes so - because he’s just had a new opportunity come his way - producing and directing a play over in London.  Rachel has to think about it - New York has really become her home, but eventually tells Jesse that she’s ready to venture out to new things - just like she had all those years ago when she left Ohio for New York.

Burt and Carole, who’ve been staying with Kurt and Blaine, finally decide to leave.  For the first time, the new parents are fully alone with their daughter, and the full realization that they are parents kind of hits them hard.  Making things difficult is that Katie doesn’t want to sleep - and they begin attempting everything, from Kurt reading from his countless parenting books, to Blaine calling up the pediatrician. And on top of that - they’re trying to balance work related that aren’t stopping because they now have a child.  They have a WTF are we doing moment - as they wonder if they can ever figure it out but  eventually, they’re able to sing Katie to sleep, and joke that Katie was just testing them as parents.  They realize they’re gonna spend a lot of time being tired - but when they look at her, they know she’s worth it.  

Mercedes is being pressured into making a decision about the World Tour.  She sits down with Sam, where they talk out their options.  She doesn’t want to leave Sam alone for another four months, but Sam says he’s willing to come with her.  Mercedes feels bad - and says she doesn’t want to keep compromising his life for her dreams.  Sam says it’s his dream to be with her.  Mercedes, touched, says he can come on the World Tour and that afterward maybe they can make their permanent home their place upstate - that way when Mercedes is not on tour, she can have a seclusive recording studio in the country, so Sam can feel at home, too, and so they can have a nice place to raise their kids.  

Artie and Tina go to the film festival.  The film doesn’t win any awards, but Artie is offered an assistant director position on a major film - which will shoot in Vancouver.  Tina says she wants to go with him.  Artie tells her he’s not going to let her follow him just because they’re together again.  Tina tells him it’s not for him -- that she’s come to some realizations that she hates her job, and maybe she isn’t supposed to be a performer -- so she’s going to have him teach her everything he knows about filmmaking, and she’s going to try to do things behind the scenes now.  

Brittany says they should start interviewing people to be her new cohost, so Santana sets up auditions.  No one, however, is clicking with Brittany - and Brittany fears it might be the end of her show.  Mary Hollaran comes back from Australia to visit - and offers to use her connections with Hollywood to find Brittany a new cohost. What ends up happening, however, is that they sell the show to a network, which develops a TV show out of the premise, which stars Brittany.  Santana is fully on board, as there will be plenty of rich people who will need her services.  

Episode 11.24: Mr. Schuester of Ohio

Will Schuester finally getting the expansion to his school, invites everyone back to Ohio for the opening of the new school.  Everyone comes back into town - even some old faces they haven’t seen in a long time.  

While they’re in Ohio, Kurt and Blaine take their daughter to see the newly rebuilt Dalton Academy - which is run by their old friend Trent.  Brittany and Santana visit Santana’s grandmother and Brittany’s parents.  Mercedes and Sam hang out with Will, Emma, and their kids. Artie and Tina visit Coach Beiste.   Rachel and Jesse take a trip to Finn’s grave.  

After the celebration of the opening of the new school, most of them head out for drinks, where they reminisce about old times, talk about thing that have never come up in the past ten years, reveal secrets, and generally catch up with people they haven’t spoken to in a long time.  (Just where has Matt been all these years?!?)   It’s a good night for reflection.  

Before they head out and go their own separate ways, Will asks them to do one final performance - to which they all happily agree to do.  

Episode 11.25: The Constant

Present Day: Artie is getting ready to go to Canada -- excited that he’ll be working on a major film (which is a major MCU film, btw).  He asks Tina if she’s sure she wants to go with him.  She’s sure.  They head to Tina’s work, where she quits her job, stating that she’s tired of playing it safe, and she’s gonna try to make something of herself.  Artie says he’s proud of her, and they share a kiss.  

Flash Forward: Both Artie and Tina are dressed up for an awards show.  At first it seems as though Artie might be winning award, since they are at a director’s award banquet, but it’s really Tina who’s been nominated, and she wins best director of a short film of her own making and her first real big success.  Everyone clams for Tina, and she’s never been so proud of herself.

Present Day: Sam and Mercedes are preparing for Mercedes’s world tour.  Sam almost seems more excited than Mercedes does, and has packed at least a dozen different language phrase books.  Mercedes tells him as great as it is that he’s excited, she’s looking forward to coming home and starting a family with him.  They sell their home in NYC, which make the move feel more permanent.  

Flash Forward: Mercedes is working on her new album from her home studio in the country.  You can see multiple Grammys on a case in the background.  Mercedes takes a break and leans against the doorframe leading outside to watch Sam play football with their three boys.  She couldn’t be happier.  

Present Day: Brittany and Santana are packing a car for their road trip out west.  The two share a moment of excitement as they hit the road, and arrive in LA ready to take it on.  

Flash Forward: Santana’s on the set of Brittany’s TV show, which is now an acclaimed hit, watching proudly was Brittany works.  Santana’s phone is going off -- one of her many clients is having a melt down, but she takes a moment to just enjoy watching her wife, before dealing with more craziness (which she loves).  

Present Day: Kurt and Blaine are in their apartment.  Kurt’s working on a new design for his fashion line, as well as talking to Elliott on the phone about possible first shows to go in the theater, while Blaine is holding Katie, and trying out melodies on the piano for a new musical.  Their lives are hectic, but as the evening settles in, and they get to be a small family, they enjoy their life.

Flash Forward: Kurt and Blaine are preparing for a one-night only revival of Trapped in an Elevator: A Love Story, which stars themselves - as themselves, which they’re performing for charity.  Included in the audience are Burt, Carole, Kurt and Blaine’s two daughters, Cooper, and both of Blaine’s parents.  They go out celebrate afterwards.  

Present Day: Rachel and Jesse shut out the lights in their apartment for a final time - and take a plane to London, a place that feels foreign to her as she arrives.  She takes it all in, though,

Flash Forward: In a full circle moment - Rachel is finishing playing Fanny in the West End’s production of Funny Girl.  She is met afterwards by Jesse and their young son -- and

Flashback (a week or so earlier): The group is having a final dinner at Kurt and Blaine’s to celebrate everyone going off onto new adventures.  It’s a fun filled evening, though as it ending, Artie points out this might be the last time they will all ever be in the same room.  Mercedes doesn’t think that’ll be true, but it’s a bittersweet realization nonetheless.  Rachel brings it around - stating that even if they all go in different (new, haha) directions they’ll always have one constant - the music, which will always bring back the memories.  As the show closes out - Rachel starts them off in one final song -- an acoustic version of Don’t Stop Believin’.  

///

~END SERIES~

[collecting-stories]

Magnolia V | Modern!Hvitserk

Martha and your sister get into your head and make you worry that maybe things with Hvitserk aren’t as good as they seem. And your parents are super dicks about dinner and make some rude af comments about your weight. 

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Despite any reservations you had about the sweater dress once you were alone, and the knowledge that you probably wouldn't actually see Hvitserk at all, you wore it to your parents anniversary dinner. Martha had teased you when you told her you were nervous going to the restaurant he worked at.  

"You shouldn’t be, with the way he looks at you when he comes in here." Martha had told you that morning, after Hvitserk had left. He still came in for his regular morning routine, though this time he stole kisses from you over the counter while you waited on him.  

"Yeah but we're not like boyfriend/girlfriend yet or anything I think." One date that was just pizza at your place didn’t seem like enough to qualify you and Hvitserk as 'together'.

"Oh my god, please rejoin us in 2018. That shit is for kids. He's totally into you, there's nothing to worry about."  

"Yeah but what if," you paused to wait on a customer, turning back to Martha to whisper the end of your sentence, "what if I see him? Do I say hi, do I introduce him to my family? Do I pretend I don't see him?"

"Just say hi...you don't have to introduce him. It's not like a serious relationship or anything."  

"I don't know...I guess it's not? What if it isn't? What if he's seeing other girls too?" You asked, "I mean, I'm sure he pulls all the time. What if he's on like tinder or match or something going on dates and I'm just like, another random date hook-up?"

"Wait. Have you guys hooked up?" Martha asked.

"Excuse me!" Her customer interjected, annoyed with being ignored.

"You owe 13.34." She replied, then looked back to you as they slid their card. "did you have sex with him?"

"Not like...sex exactly. Just like..."  

"Oh my god!" Martha squealed. "Oh my god, I'm so proud of you!"  

"Martha." You glared at her, embarrassed.  

"What? It's a big step. Just be casual. Say hi if you do see him but don't stress if you don't. And you definitely don’t have to introduce him to your family." Martha reiterated, "don't introduce him to your mum."

You nodded your head and tried to focus on restocking the trays of cookies in the display window.  

"What's the matter?"

"What if he is seeing other girls too?" You asked.

"It's okay, some people do. I always have a backup." Martha shrugged.

The sweater dress looked just as good on you tonight as it had the other night when Hvitserk was over but the confidence was less. You couldn't stop thinking about what Martha had said. She always dated a few guys until she knew things were working out with one of them. You'd only been on one date with Hvitserk and that was hardly a date. Maybe there were other girls too, that he went out with and you were being naïve thinking that you were the only one.

The thought of other girls turned into the thought of what the other girls might look like. Because your brain decided there most definitely had to be others. He was sweet and nice. Not to mention fit. Really, really fit. Maybe he flirted with people at his work or maybe he used some online thing like Martha did.  

You got to the restaurant earlier than your parents and sister, waiting outside until they arrived. You were checking your phone when someone jabbed your side, making you squeal and turn around.

"Hvitserk!" You smacked his stomach jokingly, "you scared the crap outta me."

"I couldn't resist. Told the hostess to let me know when you got there." His smile was enough to put your nagging worries at bay. He gave you a quick kiss, hands sneaking under your denim jacket to hold your waist.  

When you pulled away from the kiss you took the opportunity to steal a glance at the hostess near the door. She was pretty and thought about Martha again.  

"You okay?" Hvitserk asked, noting your change in mood.

"Hm? Just nervous about dinner. My mum's a pain." You replied. When you looked back at him you smiled and stole a kiss.  

"So I was thinking, I have off tomorrow night and there's a dog park a couple blocks away we could take Nesbitt to?" He asked hopefully.

"I know where it is, there's a food truck near there-"

"The one with the Cantonese food?" He finished and you laughed.  

"Yeah, yeah, the Cantonese food one." You replied.

With one more, quick kiss Hvitserk said goodbye, ducking back in to get to work. You watched him disappear from view, only turning back to the parking lot when a car horn went off. Your mum sat in the passenger's seat of the car, waving at you as your father parked. The engine was hardly off and your older sister was climbing out of the car and walking over to you.  

"We'll check in!" She called, dragging you into the restaurant with her.  

You rolled your eyes at her but said nothing as she told the hostess, who was even prettier up close, the last name for the reservation.  

"Right this way." The girl led you to a small table near the back and you realized that it was just by the kitchen. Every time a waiter came out you could see Hvitserk in the gap of the swinging door.  

"Must have known you were coming they put us the near the kitchen." Your dad teased as he came over with your mum.  

"Must've." You replied, sitting just so you could see the door. Your sister sat beside you.  

"Anna and I are doing this new diet she researched." Your mother said, reaching across the table to pat your sister's arm. "It's been going so well. You should really try it."  

"Yeah."  

Your sister was a nutritionist and a yoga instructor and your mum held her up on a pedestal because of it. The two of you had always gotten along and supported each other but it didn't stop your mum from trying to pit the two of you together. But Anna was always the favorite, because she was a lot thinner than you.  

"Mum," your sister stressed each syllable. "Can we just do dinner please?"

"What? I'm trying to be helpful, that what mums do. They're helpful." Your mum defended.  

"Thank you, mum, you're very helpful." You replied.  

The conversation quickly launched into discussion of a cruise that your mother and father were going on in the spring. They had invited Anna, who had declined because of her yoga workshop, but hadn't bothered to invite you.

You distracted yourself from the conversations by stealing glances through the kitchen door. A few times Hvitserk managed to sneak a look at the same time and once he winked. After dinner the waiter brought out a tray with dessert samples on it, placing it in the middle of your table.  

"We didn't order this." Your mum stated.  

"Compliments of the chef," the waiter replied, "it's on the house."

"Oh! How lovely!"  

"Don't but it close to her, she'll eat the whole thing." Your dad joked, pulling the tray a little away from you.  

Your sister rolled her eyes and leaned her head on your shoulder. Just as she did the door to the kitchen swung open and you caught a glimpse of Hvitserk, who waved before the door could close again. Your sister didn't miss the exchange, or the smile on your face as the door closed.

After dinner Anna told your parents that you were driving her back to her flat and, as soon as you were alone, she turned on her interrogation.  

"Who was that guy?"  

"I don't know." You replied, shrugging your shoulders.

"Don’t know my ass, he was gorgeous."  

"He's my upstairs neighbor." It wasn’t a lie really, but you knew what a gossip your sister was and you didn't want her telling your mom you were kinda seeing someone. Especially if Martha was right and it wasn’t serious and he was seeing other people.  

"Do you know if he's single?" She asked, "I might have to visit more often."

"I think he's seeing someone." You replied.  

"Not surprised, guys like that are never single."

"What do you mean?" You asked, curiosity getting the best of you.  

"Oh my god, you seriously need to get out more. Super fit guys like that? They turn on the charm and have girls lined up ready to date them. Trust me that was like...my last four boyfriends. They flirt with everyone." She replied.

"I haven't noticed. I mean, if he's flirted with me."

"I doubt it. They flirt with everyone that's their type. Not just anyone at all."  

"You think he has a type?"  

"Oh yeah," she laughed.

You were quick to change when you got home, balling up the dress and throwing it somewhere in the corner of your room. Nesbitt followed you back into the kitchen, nudging your feet to remind you that he still needed to go for a walk before you could go to bed. You plopped down on the sofa and let Nesbitt do his best impression of crawling on your lap though he was too big to fit.  

"I'll walk you in a minute Nes," you promised, scratching behind his ears and planting a kiss on his head. "We should get you a haircut soon."

When you finally got up you grabbed Nesbitt's leash from beside the door and let him out. You usually didn't leash him until you got outside the building. He usually didn’t take off running down the stairs, barking excitedly.  

"Nesbitt! You're gonna get us in trouble." You whisper-yelled after him, hurrying down the stairs after your dog.

You found him in the small vestibule, right at the mailboxes, happily yipping at Hvitserk's feet. He was still in his work uniform and happily greeted the dog by crouching down and petting him. When he stood up and saw you he excitedly opened his arms for a hug, which you gave him.  

"You alright?" He asked, placing a kiss at the side of your forehead. You didn't look as happy as usual and he was afraid something had upset you.  

"Fine, just taking Nesbitt for a walk." You replied, pulling away from him to leash the dog.  

"Can I come with?" He asked, looking hopefully at you.

You nodded and Hvitserk took your hand as Nesbitt led the way out of the vestibule. It was silent for a while, just the two of you walking and stopping occasionally on account of the dog. Hvitserk wanted to ask again if you were alright but he didn’t want to pester you if you weren't ready to talk to him. He assumed maybe it was something with your parents that was personal and you weren't at that point with him yet that you'd share.  

He walked you back to your door and gave you a kiss goodnight, promising to see you in the morning when he stopped by the bakery. You said you'd see him then but you didn't really smiled and you went back inside quicker than usual.

Once you were in bed, snuggled under the covers, you tried to think about how sweet Hvitserk was to you but all you could remember was what Martha and Anna said. It was silly to worry over, it wasn't like you and him were too serious yet, but you felt restless laying there afraid that maybe he was only killing time with you.  

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