#he’s technically here on a three night test period first but let’s be real they’re not gonna send him back to the shelter | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

peepingtoad · 4 years ago

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||—@dokuhebi submitted:

They are at a bar, the evening is warm, the people are cheerful, the drinks are free, and they are surrounded by familiar and trusted faces. This is no time to be feeling more blue than the curaçao cocktail sitting in front of them. One of far too many in their light weight system. Loosening a tongue that was far too cutting and dangerous to be so honest. But then, they remind themself, they are also only in their twenties, and had already been swept up in the dealings of multiple wars, civil and global. Assignments since they were seven. Orphaned since they were six. So really - what right did any technicality the universe could offer have to tell them they ought to wait for the ‘appropriate time’? Their golden eyes are watching him, the way his hand fits around the entire glass, the way he so quickly gets through each drink - yet somehow seems to be more sober than the serpent. How the white hair framing his face moves with him when he laughs, the shape of his eyes and lips when he smiles, the little glances he steals between them and Tsunade. And if they were being fair - which they self admitted they were not, and refused to be - they may realize that for every glance he steals at Tsunade, he gives one to them. That every time he offers her a drink, he offers them one. That if both they and she were cold, he would forfeit his jacket and then his shirt so both of his team mates were content. It should be enough. But when was anything enough for the viper? Especially when they found themself brooding a little too much. Because that was perhaps, one thing no one had found the trick to saving them from. Not since the day their parents died. Not since they caught a glimpse at the monsters in this world, and became so haunted by the prospect, that they imagined these monsters even when all was peaceful. Tormented by a monster once real and now more commonly fabricated. So as they move the straw in their glass, stabbing at the drink more than indulging it, they can not help their quip. The moment their teammate makes some statement, promise or playful joke about keeping the serpent and Senju princess safe, their golden eyes snap up and away from their drink. Not at all within the realm of festivity as Tsunade and Jiraiya offered. No, their voice, regardless of the smile they offer that shows little more than teeth, is coated in venom and tactless query. “What if you could only save one of us?” It isn’t a fun question, it doesn’t hold any playfulness. It is far too real a possibility in their shinobi lifestyle, and it is far too accusing a question. Too timed. It had been plaguing them for the longest while. Not quite who he would rescue, for they are not afraid to protect themself out on the field. But instead, a backwards way of trying to dissect his mind and decisions to find out who he loved the most. And while any sensible person would perhaps find a quiet moment to ask the man such a thing in private, for a true confession, the serpent must set up a trap, and corner him. If they ask him one on one, he may just say he cared for them, to appease them. But how much more blocked in the man is when Tsunade sits beside the serpent, both team mates facing Jiraiya. Of course, they don’t pose it as something serious. No, they disguise it as one of their mistimed and socially inappropriate jokes. How they are accused of being cold, cruel and weird for their off beat demeanor. An easy hiding place, madness. “Say we both drank poison, and you only had one cure. Or we were both targeted by enemies, and you could only intercept one attack,” they ask, toying with their drink as they toy with him, acting much like a cat playing with a mouse before eating it, wanting franticness and panic, or there simply wasn’t any fun, “well? Who would you save?”

With a countenance as naturally severe as theirs, it’s always difficult to say whether Orochimaru is even having a good time or not; even with alcohol thrown into the mix, it makes them no more easy to read than if they were stone cold sober. The only thing working in Jiraiya’s favour is many years by their side, of knowing them and their ways, and knowing that periods of watchful silence (a different beast to their regular silence) tends to mean that there’s something unpleasant going on within that unfathomable mind of theirs.

And it’s just like Jiraiya to simply let them lie dormant when first he senses that this silence is indeed one of those silences, figuring that if they want to say something, they no doubt will. No doubt waiting for the perfect time to pipe up amid the pleasant buzz and clatter of patrons and bar staff.

Until then, however, Jiraiya has every intention of maintaining the levity of the evening as well as he possibly can—first of all, because it had been quite some time since they all had a short reprieve home, and second of all because they damn well deserved it. After months spent surrounded by the drab grey of Ame, whose ruined ground was by this point nought but scorched earth, blood and the rot of corpses pounded into a slurry by the relentless downpour… yeah, he very much ached for his home, and wanted to make some good memories here to tide them over once they were sent back into the fray.

Still, it’s only natural that given the state of the world around them and the overall horrific turn their lives had taken, conversation soon turns to lighter recollections of their exploits, the frankly insane things they’d survived so far, and the numerous ways they’d saved each other’s skins. After all, the name Densetsu no Sannin had spread like wildfire, right to the point where it had become very well known at home, where the familiar visages that greeted them were of the utmost awe and (far less familiar) respect.

So it had been a simple thing to stir up some excitement and revelry with wild tales, until the three of them were left alone once more to chat more freely as they were wont to. In hindsight, it’s always easier to play up the theatre of their feats when one isn’t currently in that place of peril, with death reaching out to wrap barbed tendrils around one’s throat and yank them flailing into the underworld—but even then, the tall tales sold to random patrons come with a certain lull afterwards, punctuated more noticeably by the stabbing of a straw against ice and glass than he’d paid heed to so far.

And when Orochimaru speaks up, which Jiraiya had been starting to expect was coming like the most quiet yet brutal storm, he only needs to see the smile before he realises it won’t be good.

The stirring of the drink, whose colour was dimming thanks to the ice melting faster than they were imbibing, creates a little whirlpool in the glass that Jiraiya finds himself equally as mystified by as the question at hand. Oh, how he feels like he’d somehow been shrunk down and trapped in that boozy vortex, being spun endlessly around by a cruel and relentless hand! The unfortunate fact of the matter is, he has no idea what they’re really thinking while asking this, which is probably clear in the suspicious quirk of his eyebrow, and yet his own tipsiness is enough that despite gripping his glass a little tighter, he’ll rise to the challenge.

He won’t let himself flounder and sweat, and he certainly won’t let whatever game was being played get under his skin… and yet it still rankles him enough that the atmosphere becomes tinged with a certain… frost.

Most of the time, he thought it was Tsunade that really had no problem hurting him. But times like this come as an unpleasant reminder that she simply isn’t as subtle about it as they are. She’s straightforward. She doesn’t test him. Whereas when it comes to Orochimaru, the needles come so subtly in the dead of night, in the form of some question or comment, and without even the moonlight to afford him that warning flash. He’s had it before, where a casual conversation somehow ends with him feeling like he’s fucked up—so it sets in rather quickly that there’s nothing cute or fun about this line of questioning whatsoever, for all he gives a hum of amusement into the next swig of sake, before setting his glass bluntly down again.

“Are you forgetting how not ordinary we are? Surely not, my dear friend,” the sage says coolly, in that irritatingly old-and-wise tone of his—the one reserved for moments of profound wisdom and bullshitting such as these. “What’s poison, after all, to the finest medic the world has ever seen? Or to a disciple of Ryūchidō whose blood is said to match that of the most deadly viper itself?”

That was one of the more wild rumours that had surrounded Orochimaru, for sure, but Jiraiya is ever one for playing up the mystery. He knows damn well they’re a B type—just like him, just like Tsunade. Sometimes he wonders whether that was a purposeful choice on Sensei’s part… or a grave oversight. Putting that matter aside in his mind, Jiraiya taps his chin thoughtfully, trying to maintain the illusion that this is a well-meaning expression of Orochimaru’s characteristic curiosity rather than a test of… well, he’s not sure what, because he refuses to ease up on the illusion, you see.

“Well, Tsunade’s more likely to save herself from a mortal wound,” he continues, inclining his head towards her, “and you’re more likely to evade an attack in the first place…” Having nodded towards Orochimaru, he stares somewhere above and between them for a moment. “As for me? Well I’m as tough as a cockroach, not to mention quite wily, aren’t I? But I’m only one guy. Can’t I say I’d send my body to one, and my protective shield of hair to the other? I’ve got about a hundred tricks that means I don’t hafta choose…”

It’s a cop-out, and he knows it. Plus, that illusion… it really isn’t holding up that well. He just knows that saying the wrong thing will get him in trouble, or perhaps even come across as some grave betrayal… and that includes refusing to give a conclusive answer.

One or the other, Jiraiya. Think about it, think about it—would saying I’d just off myself for the two of them be acceptable? No no, probably not…

“Urgh, fine. In a situation where there was absolutely no option, no wiles or nothin’ that would help, just straight up choosing… I guess I’d simply have to go for the least annoying one.” He shrugs matter-of-factly, then spares a sneering side-eye and irritating lean towards their dearest medic, who is fast nearing drunken belligerence. “Sorry Tsuna!~”

His subsequent jolly guffawing is cut short with an ‘agh, ouch!’ as he is rather predictably socked in the arm for such a comment, not that Tsunade really seems to care. Mind games like this aren’t exactly her thing, and certainly not while drunk. In fact, in her drunkenness she slurs something or another about ‘not needin’ t’be saved by no-one, much less you, idjit’… which in part, may have impacted his choice to go that way at all.

Because really, how does one answer such a question in all seriousness? And what would they say, more pertinently, if asked the same ruthlessly unfair question? They’d never know, because neither of them ever would.

And Orochimaru should see it, how unfair it really is, in the way Jiraiya turns his teasing gaze from Tsunade to them—and how in that most minute of movements it takes to refocus his attention onto them, his overall demeanour shifts from merry to overcast, no matter how his lips try to hang on to that signature cheeky curl. There isn’t a particular message he’s trying to convey in that look, no specific reprimand or indication of exactly how serious his answer had been… just a certain wounded discomfort, marred with something else. Something that he himself can’t place, not even with the benefit of inhabiting his own thoughts.

What he does know, however, is that there’s certainly more truth in it than his skilfully casual approach to the answer, in the end, had let on… something that may not be as simple as a measure of love, which they were deviously trying to weed out of him, but of his fiery protectiveness for them in particular, which was admittedly a shade stronger than what he felt towards Tsunade. And maybe that is, in and of itself, reflective of his love for them… or, perhaps, what he feels he is to them. What value he has to them, in comparison to her. It’s far too much to figure out on such a pleasant night, the first in months, with the alcohol flowing and emotions hastily smothered beneath tall tales.

Whatever it is though, he just hopes that they recognise it somehow, lurking in his soft, subdued eyes, and that they’re satisfied.

#dokuhebi #welp #this one got my energy today haha #how dare they - how very dare they #submission #{fragments | dokuhebi | at war}#{verse:at war | dokuhebi}

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avasharpe · 4 years ago

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Sugar and Salt

Chapter: Five of ?

Summary: Sara gets some life changing news and so she and Ava try and make it as a family.

Fandom: DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.

Relationship: Sara Lance/Ava Sharpe, Amaya Jiwe/Zari Tomaz

Characters: Sara Lance, Ava Sharpe, Sin, Gary Green, Amaya Jiwe, Zari Tomaz, Behrad Tarari, Kuasa, Kendra Saunders, Sin, Aldus Boardman, and Laurel Lance.

Chapter Rating: General Audiences.

Additional Tags: Bakery and Coffee Shop, Mutual Pining, Non-binary character, Trans Character, Fake Marriage, But Real Feelings, Food.

Read at AO3

Read at FFN

Two Chapter updates in two days?! What who is she?

TBH this has been in my draft box for a while, but my college work took priority and I was so burnt out because of it (Bio is hard especially when it's online and the teacher is a mess) so school is almost over and I finally finished editing it and here it is!

……………………………………………………………………

It was an unusually quiet Saturday at the Bakery, Sara had just opened a little later than usual since none of the usual early morning customers were in yet, Amaya and Zari were nowhere to be found and the kids were playing in the office. Kendra was in the back doing prep work, and Sara was doing some extra cleaning in the corners of the seating area and trying not to gag on the vinegar cleaner.

The front door slammed open, and Zari and Amaya rushed in, followed by Kuasa and Behrad. Despite their quick entrance and sour faced kids, Zari and Amaya both had dazzling summer smiles, and seem to float on cloud nine as they ran over. Behrad and Kuasa made themselves scarce and scampered off to the office.

“Hey watch the…” Sara popped up from under the counter with a rag, wiggling her finger at them both, but was quickly cut off by Zari.

“You guys,” Amaya sang. “We've done something amazing, I mean it's completely rash but it's amazing. We're so excited.”

“It's not too rash,” Zari said, putting her hand on Amaya's arm. “We have known each other for years.”

“Still, it's pretty rash,” Amaya said, looking over at her.

Sara looked at them and then over Kendra, who had come out from the kitchen, looking just as confused as to why they were acting and talking so outrageous.

“Wait, what’s going on?” Sara asked, but before she could continue her question Amaya started up again.

“Well we were talking this morning, and at first it was just an idea we started to look into...”

“And then we found this perfect place and called just because we were curious, we figured we wouldn't be able to book it for at least a year or so,” Amaya said, easily picking up when she stopped.

“But they had a last minute cancellation and had an opening for August, so we jumped on that and booked it, but we just couldn't wait so we went downtown to the courthouse and met with the judge.”

It was at that point that suddenly everything clicked in Sara’s head. “Oh no, you didn’t!”

“Oh, we did,” Zari said in both disbelief, but utterly happy with their decision. “I even have a dress picked out, it was my mother's and it fits perfectly.”

“Are they talking about what I think they're talking about?” Kendra asked in disbelief.

“We also have my parents’ rings,” Amaya said. “They're both very simple gold bands, and my mother's has just the one diamond.”

“But they're perfect,” Zari said, gazing down at the ring on her left hand.

“You got married?!” Sara yelled. There was no question about it with the two of them standing there.

“Woah, woah, woah,” Kendra said, holding up her hands and closing her eyes for a second. “Let me get this straight, you guys are engaged right now, and your plan is to get married in August of this year, in four months?”

“No,” they both said in unison.

“We already got married,” Amaya explained with a smile. “We’re just planning a formal ceremony that will take place in two month.”

“We've thought it over and it's what we want,” Zari added with a matching smile.

“Exactly how long have you both thought about this?” Kendra asked, putting her hands on her hips.

“Since we got together two months ago,” Amaya said.

“But when I caught you two making out last week you said it had only been a month,” Kendra stammered.

“Well, technically it’s been seven weeks,” Zari said, looking up as she did the mental math.

“Oh shit,” Sara said. The realization dawned upon her. Seven weeks ago she and Ava had started sleeping together regularly. Six weeks ago she had her period, which was now a whole week late.

“Yeah, oh shit is right,” Kendra said. “You two cannot get married after only a month and a half of dating.”

“Oh come on, Kendra,” Zari said, walking over to her. “You’re the one who always goes on and on about how you knew from the moment you meet Carter that he was the one.”

“Yes, I have said that.”

“And you two were engaged after six months and married after a year,” Amaya said, raising her eyebrow.

“Yes, but the difference between two months and six months is a huge amount of time.”

“We’ve known each other for two years.” Zari said looking over at Amaya with loving eyes. “We know what we're doing, and this is what we want.”

“I have to go,” Sara said, coming out of her daze. As much as she wanted to push aside her own problems and focus on what was going on with her friends, she had to know for sure if she was pregnant or not. She turned around and walked straight back towards their office. “I have to go to the store. I'll be right back.”

“Sara wait,” Kendra said, following her down the hall. “You can't leave. We have to talk them out of this!”

“I know, but...” Sara hesitated. She and Kendra had always been especially close, but this was something that she would usually keep to herself, although she hadn't had a pregnancy scare in several years, and she knew Kendra wouldn't judge her. She would be there for her whatever the outcome was. “Kendra, I think I’m pregnant and I need to know for sure.”

Kendra's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates, but she nodded. “Go, I'll cover for you and say we need some wine or donuts or something if we’re going to discuss this.”

“Thanks,” Sara said, rushing into her office and grabbing her coat and wallet, slipping it into her back pocket. “In the meantime call up everybody, Mick, Gideon, Ray, Nora, Nate, Mona, Ava, and definitely call Charlie. If anyone can knock some sense into these two it’s them.”

“Oh yeah,” Kendra said, pulling out her phone.

……………………………………………………………………

Ten minutes later, Sara stood in line at the local grocery store with a bottle of wine, a dozen donuts, and a pregnancy test. This was by far the first time she had done this, though she’d had a few other pregnancy scares since she lost her virginity as a teenager. However, she’d never bothered to buy more than one test, it had only been positive once.

She always thought that Sin was her one, her one pregnancy, her one kid. She wondered if this time the baby would be blonde like her and Ava, whereas Sin got their thick black hair from Len. Sara shook her head, she couldn't think about that, not until she took the test.

The cashier checked her out with a raised eyebrow, but let her take the test, the wine, and donuts. Sara walked over to the bathroom, and five minutes later she was sitting in her car with the wine and donuts in her front seat and the test on her console. She waited anxiously as the timer on her phone counted down, five, four, three, two, one. Her phone vibrated, and she quickly shut off the alarm.

This was it. Sara took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and grabbed the test. When she opened her eyes, she looked down at two very pink lines. It was positive. She was pregnant with Ava’s child.

“Oh mama,” she said. This was going to change their lives forever.

That is if she kept the pregnancy. She would be okay financially, she knew that, but emotionally and physically? She was so sick with Sin, and her body ached the entire time. The hormone changes put her on an emotional roller coaster, and having Len there kept her steady and helped her emotionally. Feeling Sin grow and kick inside of her, and now watching them grow and mature into their own person now, it was worth all nausea, all the pregnancy aches, the crazy emotions, the painful labor and delivery, the sleepless nights, and endless worry.

She knew that Ava would support her financially and physically if she wanted to keep it, Ava had always been so responsible. They would split time when they were old enough, but even that would be difficult for everyone, especially a kid. But would Ava want it? Like Sara, Ava had always thought of Gary as her one child, and Sara knew that she was happy with things the way they were.

Sara knew she couldn't do this on her own unless Ava was there for her emotionally, physically, and financially. Sara was so thankful that Len was there for her when Sin was a baby, and raising Sin was the hardest thing she's ever done. Sara didn't know if she could do it again on her own. She didn't have the luxury to think about wanting to keep the baby. She couldn't do it on her own, as much as she would love them. She and Ava had to be in this together, or not at all.

That's what she would do, she would tell Ava and they would talk this over, and then she would make her decision. She turned her key in the car and started it up, driving out of the parking lot and back to the bakery. Right now she had to stop her friends from making the worst decision of their lives, and afterward, she and Ava could talk.

……………………………………………………………………

Apparently, not everyone wanted to talk them out of this. By the time Sara had gotten back, pretty much everyone was there.

Sara held up the bottle of wine and box of donuts as she walked in, having hidden the test in her coat pocket, thanks to the cap she had placed over the “pee here” end. She handed the wine to Kendra and whispered that they would talk later.

“I'm so happy you're married!” Ray said, pulling Amaya in for a hug.

“Thanks,” Amaya replied.

Mona seemed to vibrate with excitement and let out a high pitch squeal.

“Aunt Mona, Please don't scream, it hurts my ears,” Gary said, with his ears covered with his hands.

“Yeah, stop with the squealing, there will be no wedding and you two will get an annulment if I have anything to say about it!” Charlie said, making their displeasure known.

“Anyone who gets married is an idiot,” Mick announced and Charlie nodded in agreement.

Zari and Amaya argued back, and Sara walked over to where Ava was sitting at one of the tables, pulling up a chair next to her. Gary sat down at the table next to them and started looking up at the poster for John Constantine’s show that was placed above him.

“Thanks for texting me, from the looks of it they're pretty set on going through with the wedding,” Ava said with a concerned look.

“No problem," Sara said, whispering to her. “It's gonna take a lot to talk them out of this."

“Well they have known each other for two years, and if this is what they want them maybe we shouldn't stop them.”

What?” Sara said, turning her head to look at Ava as she tried not to yell. “You can not honestly think that this is a good idea?”

"No, of course not," Ava stammered. "But they’re already married. We may not be able to talk them out of this and you don't want to lose your friends, right?"

"No, but we have to at least try."

"Okay," Ava said with a smile, and Sara sighed, happy to know that Ava was on her side.

“This is insane!” Nate said. his hands on the top of his head. “You two are insane!”

“That’s what I said,” Behrad added, and Nate put his hand on the boy’s shoulder in solidarity.

Things quickly dissolved into a squabble, and Sara turned away from the commotion.

"I guess we picked the wrong couple to bet on," Ava said, with a chuckle. "And this doesn't mean you win.”

“I wasn't actually trying to win anything, I was just trying to get you to like me,” Sara confessed.

That gave Ava pause. “You wanted me to like you?”

“Yes,” Sara said, looking over at her.

They stared at each other for a moment. Neither one had admitted that they had feelings for the other. Sara knew that there was a possibility of Ava actually liking her, but it was something they had never discussed. It had mostly been a friends-with-benefits situation before things got complicated with the feelings Sara had had for the last few weeks. Feelings she suspected Ava reciprocated. Now things were complicated with more than just feelings.

“Hey Mama look! Constantine is having a show next weekend can we go?” Gary called out, now standing on the chair to get a better look at the poster.

“We’ll see about that honey, but can you please sit down?” Ava said, in her teacher-mom voice.

“Okay,” Gary quickly complied, sitting back down and reading his book.

With everyone else weighing the pros and cons and trying to talk some sense into the newlyweds, Sara took the opportunity to talk to Ava.

“He's a pretty easy going kid,” Sara said, watching him read. “Sin usually doesn't like to sit and read like that. Watch videos or play games yes, but they prefer to be moving.”

“Yeah, some kids are just built like that. I loved to read and I read to him a lot when he was younger, so I guess he just sort of inherited it from me. We both can just sit and read for hours,” Ava said with a smile.

Sara smiled too, then remembered the other reason why she wanted to talk to Ava. “Hey, do you have any free time this weekend? I really need to talk to you.”

“Sara, I know you like me and I really like you too, but we can't see each other while I'm Sin’s teacher.”

“I know, and this isn't about that, I mean it is but...” Sara trailed off, shaking her head and trying to figure out what she wanted to say. “Look, why don't we just have a playdate with the kids. You can bring Gary over and we'll have dinner together. It would be good for Sin to make some new friends anyway.”

Ava looked over at Gary and then back at Sara. “I don't know.”

“Please, Ava?”

Ava seemed to think it over, and Sin got up from their place watching all of this go down next to Aldus and Kuasa, to stand next to Sara. Sara smiled and pulled Sin onto her lap, needing a bit of comfort as she went through her own craziness. Sin laid back and put their head on Sara’s shoulder, and they both relaxed.

“Okay, Gary could use a new friend as well.”

“Thank you,” Sara said hoping her expression conveyed her gratitude.

“Alright everyone, enough this is happening whether you like it or not, now you can help us plan a wedding or you can leave,” Amaya said, staring them down.

Everyone looked either content or defeated, and even Charlie huffed and sat down in one of the chairs, gesturing for Amaya to go on.

Sara sighed, the exhaustion of everything with Zari and Amaya and with her and Ava kicking in. At least everything was somewhat settled.

“Do you want to go watch a movie with me in the office?” Sara whispered in Sin’s ear.

Sin nodded and got up, but still held Sara’s hand needing some comfort of their own.

“Does Gary want to watch a movie?”

“He’s probably fine for now, but if he wants to later I’ll send him your way.”

Sara nodded to Ava who smiled as they slipped away, and Kendra caught her eye as she left, following her into the office. Sin got the movie set up, and Kendra caught Sara’s hand in the doorway.

“I’m pregnant,” Sara whispered to her, turning away from the room.

Kendra pulled her in for a hug and Sara melted into her arms. She and Kendra were pregnant around the same time, and they supported each other. Through the surprise of being pregnant and normal pregnancy stuff, Sara was there when Kendra got her C-section, when Aldus was diagnosed with spina bifida, and Kendra was at her side when Sara’s labor became high risk, then during the craziness of having newborns.

“What are you going to do?” Kendra asked, pulling back.

“I'm going to talk to Ava,” Sara said, crossing her arms. “I don’t know if I’ll keep it, but I need her to be on board if I'm going to continue with this.”

Kendra just nodded and rubbed up and down Sara’s arms. “I'll cover for you whenever you need it, and I'll drive you to the clinic or to the doctors. Whatever you need.”

“Thanks,” Sara said, pulling her back in for one more hug before letting Kendra go and closing the door behind her.

She flopped onto the couch and laid down as Sin crawled up and laid in front of her. “We're watching Into the Spider-Verse.”

“Sounds good,” Sara said, even though this was the 100th time they were watching it.

Sara put one arm around them as Sin cuddled up against her, and they both relaxed as the movie started. Behrad and Aldus joined them not soon after, but Sara was out before the so-so popsicle joke that always started out the giggles.

……………………………………………………………………

Ava wasn't surprised when they weren't able to talk Amaya and Zari out of getting married. When someone sets their mind on something, it was happening and she knew that despite the suddenness of everything, they seemed sure in their relationship. The one thing that Ava was concerned about was what Sara had said to her at the Bakery. What could she possibly need to talk to Ava about?

Gary must have picked up on her nervousness, as he was equally concerned about meeting Sin and Sara. He hopped from one foot to the other on the elevator, as they headed up to Sara's third floor apartment.

“What if Sin doesn't like me?” Gary asked, looking up at her. “What if she thinks I'm weird like everybody else?”

“You're not weird, honey,” Ava said, looking down, reassuring him and rubbing his shoulders. “You just do things differently, that's all. Just remember, boundaries and personal space, and try to alternate talking about your likes with asking Sin what they like.”

Gary nodded and Ava smiled, trying to put herself at ease as well. When they stepped out of the elevator, they turned to see Sara standing in the hall. A brunette woman was holding their hands together between them, as they talked in low voices.

“Mama, that’s Sara!” Gary shouted.

Ava paused, holding Gary’s shoulder to wait. Sara looked over and dropped the hands of the other woman, stepping back and crossing her arms over her chest. Sara gave them a smile and a small wave. The other woman looked over as well. She seemed to be judging them, as her eyes narrowed and looked them up and down. They continued to talk in hushed tones as Ava walked forward.

When they were a few feet away the other woman leaned in and kissed Sara’s cheek. Sara then reached out and hugged her, holding on tight for a moment, before letting go. Jealousy flared up in Ava, but she held it down. They had never talked about being exclusive, nor were they even technically dating. Sara was free to see other people, not that it still didn’t make Ava want to be Sara's one and only.

“Goodbye Beloved,” the other woman said.

“Goodbye Nyssa,” Sara said, giving her a soft smile.

Nyssa turned and walked past them, but not before she grabbed Ava’s arm, applying a tight grip. She leaned in and whispered in Ava’s ear. “Please, take care of them. However, if you ever harm them in any way, I shall find you and return the pain you have inflected tenfold.”

A shiver ran down Ava’s spine as she looked into her dark eyes, knowing that she meant every word.

“Nyssa!” Sara hissed at her and pulled them apart.

Nyssa let go and walked down the hall. Ava looked back at her as Nyssa did the same, before opening the door to the stairwell and disappearing.

“Mama, what did she say to you?” Gary asked, completely oblivious.

“I’m sorry Ava,” Sara said, ushering them into the apartment. “I didn’t know she was coming over or I would have told her not to.”

“You don’t have to apologize. You can see whoever you want.”

Sara opened her mouth to explain, but looked down at Gary. “Hey Gary, I heard you liked magic. Now Sin and I don't know much about it, but we did get the Lego movie game.”

“I love the Lego Movie!” He smiled, getting excited. “Emmet is my favorite. I didn’t know they had a video game! Can I play as Emmet?”

“We don’t usually play video games at our house,” Ava explained. “We’ve never really been into that kind of thing.”

“Oh well, you don’t have to, we can get out a game or some toys. Come on in, Sin’s room is here on the left.”

Sara went to the first black door on the left, knocking first then opening the door and peeked in.

“Sin, Gary and Ava are here. Can we come in?”

The door swung open and Sin smiled back at them. “Yeah come on, I’ve got the game all set up.”

Ava peeked in to see Sin’s room was set up with a TV, the game, and two bean bag chairs. There was a bunk bed and toy shelf stuffed into the small room with legos, books, and other toys strewn across the room.

“Sin, I thought I asked you to clean these up?” Sara asked, sweeping some of the legos to the side with her foot. “We don’t want anyone stepping on these.”

“Sorry Mom,” Sin said, crouching down and picking them up in the box next to them.

“Woah,” Gary said, looking over at the TV where the game was paused on screen. “Is that the Lego game?”

“Yeah,” Sin said, running over and picking up the controller, and handing one to Gary. “Here, I'll show you how to play it.”

“Wait,” Sara said. “I think that Ava wanted you guys to find something else to play with.”

“No it's okay,” Ava said, waving her off. “I just meant that we don't have any video games at our house and I usually try to limit the TV time. Would it be okay if they just played for a half hour or so?”

“Yeah, we’ll just set a timer,” Sara said.

Sin got up and went over to the doorway, hanging onto the door frame as they poked their head out into the hall and shouted. “Hey Gideon, set a timer for 30 minutes.”

A voice from the living room responded to them. “Okay, setting a timer for 30 minutes, starting now.”

“My friend Gideon works for Smoak tech, and one of her inventions is a google home type thing. She gave it to us for Christmas a couple of years ago, before the release.” Sara explained.

“Oh yeah, we have a Gideon at our place, I can’t believe your friends with her,” Ava said. They stood in the doorway, watching the kids start up their game and happily play for a couple of seconds.

Sara smiled. Sin and Gary got along pretty easily, as Sin showed Gary how to work the game, and they told him all about the Lego characters they were going to encounter. Sara nodded her head to Ava, and they both left.

Sara led her down the hall; there were two doors on each side of the hall, one on the right opened into a bathroom before finally the hall opened up to the main room. The dining room was directly in front of her, with the kitchen to her left, and to her right was a modest living room. The apartment was small, but cozy and well put together.

“You want any coffee or tea or anything?” Sara offered, taking a left into the kitchen and grabbing a mug from the countertop.

“Tea is fine, what do you have?” Ava asked, following her in.

“Well Laurel has a bit of a variety, looks like some peppermint, earl grey, there's a couple of others if you want to go through it?” Sara looked back at her, leaving the cabinet door open as she stepped back.

Ava looked over the variety and picked out an apple cinnamon type tea. When she turned around, Sara presented her with a simple blue mug full of hot water, and Ava put the teabag in and wrapped the string around the handle of the mug.

“I'm sorry about Nyssa threatening you in the hall. She's always been overprotective of us."

“It's okay,” Ava said, trying to hide her curiosity. “But you don't have to explain yourself to me.”

“I want to,” Sara said, looking at her earnestly. “She was falsely imprisoned two years ago and apparently got out a couple of weeks ago. That's why we broke up actually, she sent us away as she didn't want Sin and I caught up in the middle of a business war between her and the man who was taking over her father's company. He was the one who had her imprisoned. She just wanted to see us again and make sure we were okay. She was saying goodbye, that's all.”

“I get it,” Ava said, in a soft tone. “If my ex-wife ever came back. I would want to talk with her too.”

Sara smiled. She seemed to relax against the countertops, holding her mug between both of her hands.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Ava asked.

“Let’s sit,” Sara said, leading her back out of the kitchen and into the dining room. Sara set her mug down on the table before going back down the hall and closing Sin’s door.

“We can open it in a second. I just don't want them to overhear anything.”

Sara’s worried look was back. It had been on her face from the moment she had told Ava they needed to talk back at the bakery a few days ago. Since then, Ava's mind had been racing with the possibilities of what Sara could have wanted to tell her. It was either about them or about Sin. Ava had logically thought it was the latter and had hoped that it was just Sara wanting to talk about Sin’s new math IEP (Individualized Education Program) in regards to their Dyscalculia.

Sara sat down and folded her fingers together on the table in front of them. She looked down at them before looking back up at Ava. She hesitated and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Ava took a sip of her tea, trying to calm herself down. Then, Sara pulled out a stick and set it on the table in front of them.

“Ava, I’m pregnant.”

Ava froze as she looked down at the positive pregnancy test. The muscles in her mouth stopped working, and she choked down her tea, coughing and sputtering.

“You're what? You're pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“Wait, you're pregnant and it’s mine?” Ava asked, still not processing all of it.

“Well, half yours, but yes. There hasn’t been anyone else.”

Throughout this whole thing, Sara had remained somber as she spoke, while Ava was flailing around like an idiot. Ava took a deep breath and closed her eyes, taking a minute to process everything. Sara was pregnant, Ava was the biological second parent, and Sara was pregnant with their child.

“Okay, how far along are you?” Ava said, opening her eyes and looking over at Sara.

“I don't know, maybe five or six weeks.”

“Okay,” Ava said, trying to think about how to move forward and what Sara would need from her.

“Okay, that's all you're going to say, okay?” Sara flailed, clearly as freaked out about this as Ava was.

“I'm sorry,” Ava said. “I'm just still getting my head around all of this.”

“No, it's okay,” Sara said rubbing her forehead. “I'm just worried about this too.”

Ava reached over and took Sara’s hand, rubbing her thumb over the back of Sara's hand. “Have you thought about what you want to do?”

“Kind of,” Sara said, shaking her head a little. “I'm not really sure I just, I know that I can't do this unless you're a hundred percent on board. If you don't want to keep it, then I know I can never do it on my own.”

Sara looked back down the hall towards Sin’s door. “Sin was a surprise, and I went through all of this with her father, Leonard, we decided to keep them even though we were just straight out of college. We were young, and we thought we could do it all and it worked out, even after he died. I had my family and they were a huge help, but even with them, after Len died I found out that I was pregnant again. I toyed with the idea of keeping it, but I couldn't do it. I had an abortion, and it feels like I’m in the same boat now. I know I can't do this on my own. I can’t raise two kids alone. I mean, you know what it's like to be a single parent.”

Ava nodded. “Gary was planned, but even after that, my ex-wife, she just couldn't handle taking care of a baby. Looking back, I wish I would have gotten her more help, like a nanny or a babysitter. My mom was staying with us and helped out for two weeks, but after she left my ex-wife just couldn't handle it. She decided she didn't want Gary, or me, or the life we had built together. From then on it was just me and Gary, on our own, and I did it because I had to and you're right, it worked out. If I could go back and do it all over again, I would, but it was still the hardest thing I've ever done. I moved back in with my family and they were a huge help, but I couldn't have done it without them.”

Ava gave Sara's hand a squeeze and spoke again. “If this is what you want, then I am behind you a hundred percent. I'll go to all of the appointments, I'll buy everything we'll need for the baby, and we can work out something, but Sara do you want this?”

For the first time since Sara had told her they needed to talk, Sara gave her a genuinely happy smile. “Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I want another baby. Do you?”

Ava found herself easily smiling back at her, the thought of having another baby sent her straight to cloud nine. “Yes.”

Sara let out a breath and continued to smile, a few happy tears slipping from the corner of her eyes. Ava scooted closer to her and squeezed her hands.

“Look Sara, I don't want you to have to worry about how you're going to take care of this baby okay? I am here for you and for them, I’m gonna cover all the expenses so I don’t want you to worry about anything, and I want to be a part of not just the babies life, I want us, you, me, Gary, Sin, and this baby to be a family,” Ava said tearing up a little as she tried to find a way to say what she wanted to say next. “You know that I didn't have a family growing up. I was born into the foster care system and I just got shuffled around from the Sharpe’s who adopted me, but couldn't keep me, to the several other families who did the same.”

Ava took a deep breath; there was a part of her that still hurt from that rejection, and being forced from the first home she ever had when the Sharpe’s got caught stealing from their employers, even then Ava always felt like they were trying too hard.

“It wasn't until Nate became my friend in high school that he started inviting me over, and Dot and Hank, they took me in. They did everything that parents should when they didn’t have to and even though they never officially adopted me, I always knew that I was a part of their family. I just wanted to tell you that, because I want you to know that I will never turn my back on this baby or you, and if you decide that you don't want this, you can change your mind and get an abortion, or I would gladly adopt the baby.”

“No, no,” Sara said, shaking her head. “I want them, and I want you too, and I wouldn't abandon this baby or you like your parents and your ex-wife did. I promise you that we're in this together, okay?”

“Yeah,” Ava said, letting the tears fall and run down her cheeks as she let out another breath of relief.

They both cried, and Sara ran and grabbed the tissues from the bathroom, and Ava let Sara lead her over to the couch. They curled up together with a box of tissues and just held each other. Ava tenderly reached out and placed her hand on Sara's belly, and Sara folded her hand over Ava’s. Once the tears stopped, Ava started making a plan, something she liked to do to calm her nerves, and she found that it helped Sara too.

“My mom and I kept some of Sin's baby things, a few special outfits and toys, but I gave away everything else. I never thought I'd need them again.”

“Well, I kept most of Gary's things, even the crib, and the glider. I didn't think I'd use them again. but I just couldn't get rid of it, and there's one other thing.” Ava hesitated, unsure of how to approach the next topic, as they both had gotten excited as they planned for the baby.

“In the future, once the baby's born or maybe before then, I'd like to set up some sort of living arrangement together. If you want, I'd be happy to have you and Sin stay with us. I just think that with a newborn, it would be really important for both of us to live together so that we can co-parent. We don't have to if you don't want to. I just want to make this as easy for everyone as possible.”

Sara nodded, thinking about it a little and took a sip of her tea. “It’s a good idea, I just don't think we should rush into this. I think we should take it slow, you know, like weekly dinners and playdates. We're gonna be a family, might as well start acting like it.”

“That's fine with me,” Ava said, nodding and trying not to feel disappointed. Sara was right, they should take this slow. “I just want to be here for you.”

Sara bit her lip, before looking up at Ava and nervously asking, “Would you like to go out with me? As in, we start dating? I mean, I know we’ve talked and everything, but it's mostly just been a sexual relationship, and I'd like to get to know you more.”

Ava's heart fluttered in her chest, of course she had feelings for Sara. Ava had grown quite fond of her during all of the times that they had gotten together, and had been anxiously waiting for the right time to ask her out. She was just disappointed that she hadn't had the guts to make the first move.

“I'd really like that,” Ava said with a smile.

Sara smiled back at her and squeezed her hand. She let out a deep breath and giggled.

“Sorry," Sara said, hiding her smile behind her hand. “It's just weird, we're having a baby and we've already had sex, but now we're starting to date, it's just...”

“No it's okay, it is kind of funny,” Ava said with a little laugh.

"Well, I'm happy we're doing this."

"Me too."

A little while later, Sara and Ava relaxed on the couch, while Gary and Sin were making a castle in Sin’s room, having spilled the Legos all over the floor again. So far, they had already booked Sara’s first appointment with her OB-GYN at a time both of them could attend and had spent the rest of the time getting to know each other. At first, it was difficult, they already knew so much about each other, but once they started talking about work and the kids, things seemed so easy, and neither of them realized what time it was until Laurel had come home.

The second the door opened and Laurel called out to them, Sara heard Sin race out to greet her. Sara realized how close she was to Ava, and Ava caught her look and scooted over to give a friendly space between them, then moved her arm from around Sara’s shoulders to the back of the couch.

“Auntie Laurel!" Sin said, rushing into Laurel's arms.

“Hey, there's my little nibbling.”

“Auntie, this is Gary, we’re making a castle,” Sin said, gesturing to Gary who lingered in the doorway.

“Well it's very nice to meet you, Gary,” Laurel said, walking into the main room and setting her purse and briefcase down on the dining room chair. “Why is it so dark in here?”

Neither Sara nor Ava had realized the sun had already gone down and the early spring night set in, as they had been consumed with their conversation with each other.

“Oops, I guess we just lost track of time," Sara said, reaching over and turning on the lamp next to her.

“I'm guessing you haven't made dinner either?”

Ava and Sara's guilty face spoke for them.

“I'll get started on it right now,” Sara said, getting up and out of Ava’s arms.

“Hey Mom, can Gary stay for dinner?” Sin asked, walking with her into the kitchen.

Sara looked over at Ava who shrugged and said, “If it's okay with you, I think that would be fine.”

“We'd love to have you. If you'll help me cook,” Sara said.

“Of course.”

“Yay! Come on Auntie, I want to show you this castle we made!” Sin said, trying to drag Laurel out of the kitchen.

“Wait, I want to say hi to Sara,” Laurel said, digging in her heels to the carpet and giving Sara and Ava a quizzical look, no doubt inquiring into the manner of their relationship.

“But you talk all the time!” Sin protested.

“Okay, okay,” Laurel said letting herself be dragged away.

……………………………………………………………………

Dinner went well, the kids played and laughed, and Sara was so relieved that they got along. Laurel suspected something, but she doesn't say so in front of the kids and indulged in their playful behavior. Sara wasn't very hungry, her nausea kept her from taking more than a few bites, but she kept her tea warm and Ava brought her a pack of crackers with the soup, sending her a soft and knowing smile. Sara knew that this was the right choice. Even though it would be difficult, having Ava there for her would make a world of difference.

After dinner, Laurel and the kids headed to the kitchen for cleanup duty, and Sara and Ava stole a moment away in the living room. She was able to talk with Ava, even if they had to do so quietly, but it wasn’t long before both kids were jumping on them, interrupting their private conversations. It was getting late, but Sara didn't want to ask them to leave, nor did Ava seem eager to go. It seemed as though the kids had the perfect solution.

“Hey Mom?” Sin asked, looking up at her with their best pout and big blue eyes. “Can Gary sleepover?”

“Please, we'll both be really good! We promise we’ll go to bed when we're told,” Gary added, sitting next to Sin with equally adorable eyes, that Sara can see he got from Ava. “I’ll only get up once or twice to use the restroom.”

Sara looked over at Ava, who was taken aback by the question. Sara wanted to say yes, so that she could have Ava a bit longer. “It's okay with me, but you'd have to ask Ava.”

They turned their adorable eyes to Ava, and Sara saw her being persuaded by their cuteness and pleading, but she managed to compose herself and look over them at Sara. “It's okay with you?”

“So long as you're down for it?”

“Well, I suppose that's alright.”

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Sin and Gary squealed with excitement.

“But,” Sara added, ceasing their celebration, “I insist that Ava join us as well. It's a new place and, we don't know each other that well, and I wouldn't want Gary to be uncomfortable tonight.”

Sara and Ava shared a knowing look. “I suppose I wouldn't mind having a sleepover of my own.”

They plan to have a movie night, and Sara helped them put new sheets on the bottom bunk of Sin’s bed for Gary. The two kids were now engaged in a mini lightsaber battle with two snake plushies they got from the fair last summer. Sara let them run off extra steam, while Ava ran home to pack them an overnight bag.

She tossed the old sheets into the washer, trying to avoid getting sick from the week old stinky kids smell. But there was one particular stinky sock that must have gotten stuck in the sheets, and she heaved. Sara turned away from the washer and fell over in front of the toilet, spitting up the tea and crackers. It came up as easy as it went down, and she was thankful that she had a light dinner.

Sara heard someone close the washer door and start it. She looked up to see Laurel pulling out the extra container of fragrance free soap they keep on hand for when they washed things for Aldus, measuring it out and putting it in the washer.

“If you want, I'll take over laundry duty for you, and we can switch to the fragrance free stuff?” Laurel offered, as she put the soap cap back and rinsed off the extra from her fingertips. “I remember how hard it was for you when you were pregnant with Sin.”

“How did you know?” Sara asked, sitting back as Laurel offered her a cup of water, and Sara used it to rinse out her mouth.

“Well, you're not exactly subtle, running to the bathroom all the time, taking naps, drinking tea, eating crackers, and throwing out my favorite lemon scented candle. That was a dead giveaway,” Laurel said, sliding down to sit next to Sara.

“I'll buy you a new one,” Sara promised, as she leaned her head on Laurel's shoulder, and Laurel put her arm around her.

“You could have just put it in my room or told me to take it to my office, but no, you had to chuck it in the dumpster. Not the trash, the dumpster.”

“Okay, okay, I'll buy you two new ones.”

Laurel laughed, and Sara knew she was teasing. They sat on the floor against the wall as the washer ran.

“Is that why Ava was over today, and you two were acting all weird?”

“We weren't acting weird,” Sara insisted.

“Oh please, you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. I'm surprised the kids didn't pick up on any of it.”

Sara rolled her eyes and shoved Laurel with her shoulder, then looked down at her hands.

“She’s the baby's other parent, and we're gonna try and make it work.”

“So I suspect I'll be seeing a lot more of them.”

“Yeah, we're going to try and do at least once weekly dinners and playdates, along with my appointments and other stuff.”

“I can't wait for Mom and Dad to hear about this.”

“Please don't tell them yet!”

“I promise I won't,” Laurel said, holding up her hands.

Sara sighed, knowing how both of her parents would react. Her mother would be over the moon. Dinah would drop everything to come visit and probably get overly involved, while her father would be excited for her too, but he would worry about her and he'd probably go after Ava for knocking up his baby girl. Sara should definitely get things settled with Ava before she told either of them.

Laurel leaned over to give Sara a hug. “No matter what happens, I'm always going to be here for you, Sara. But tonight, I'm going to go over to Tommy's so I can give you and Ava a little bit of privacy. Although, I suppose Ava can't get you pregnant again.”

The last part was said with a wink and Sara laughed and slapped her arm, Laurel feigned injury and wound up to strike Sara back.

“Wait, you wouldn't hit your pregnant sister,” Sara said, with big eyes and as she held her belly.

“You're lucky you're cute,” Laurel said, crossing her arms.

“Thanks,” Sara said, nudging Laurel’s shoulder. “It's going to be nice for Sin to have two siblings now.”

“Not only that, but you both get a whole family now,” Laurel said, and Sara knew that she longed for the same sort of thing.

The sound of a loud thump followed by breaking glass pulled them out of their sweet sisterly moment.

“We're okay,” Sin called out followed by a. “But we broke something.”

“Sara!” Gary said, running into the bathroom. “I'm so sorry, it was an accident. If you tell me where the broom is I'll clean it up.”

Sara sighed and put her hands on her belly, as it felt like the baby was making her stomach flip flop.

“I'll show you, Gary,” Laurel said, getting up. “And help you clean it up.”

“Thanks,” Sara said. Laurel sent her a wink and put her hand on Gary's shoulder. Sara wasn't the only one with a growing family.

……………………………………………………………………

They get the kids to bed pretty easily, both of them were worn out after the long day, and Laurel headed off to Tommy's not soon after, leaving both her and Ava alone. Sara's cravings have kicked in, and she was now laying on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, pesto covered chicken, cheese, and tomato stuffed pasta shells. Ava tried to hide her disgust, and she watched Sara inhale her food, and wrinkled her nose as Sara dipped the popcorn in pesto.

“It's not that bad,” Sara insisted, poking Ava with her foot on the other end of the couch.

“To you, maybe,” Ava said.

Sara just smiled and licked the rest of the sauce off of her fingers, before putting a plate on the coffee table and slowly sitting up, not daring to risk it coming back up.

“Well I guess I should make up the couch,” Ava said, standing up and looking around for a spare blanket.

“Why?” Sara said with a shrug. “We can just share my bed, I mean it's not like we haven't already had sex.”

“Well we haven't actually slept together before, and I don't want to give Gary or Sin the wrong impression.”

Sara nodded. “Well, it's not too unusual at our place. Whenever Kendra or my other friend's sleepover we always share the bed, so Sin used to it. Not that I've ever brought home someone without Sin knowing about them before, but if you're uncomfortable you could sleep in Laurel's bed. I'm sure it’s much more comfortable than the pullout bed.”

“I don't mind the pullout,” Ava said. There was a part of her that wanted to sleep next to Sara and find out what that would be like, but she wanted to take this part slowly, especially when the baby made things go so fast.

They got ready for bed, and Ava pulled out the fold away bed from inside of the couch and helped Sara make the bed. Ava quickly changed into her pajama shirt and matching pants; she brushed her teeth and washed her face before stepping out of the guest bathroom. She went over to the pull-out bed and crawled under the sheets, sitting up and pulling out a book. She had just finished the first page when she heard soft footsteps in the hall, and looked up to see Sara lingering in the entryway. She wore a pair of cute pajama shorts and a long sleeve shirt with a pair of pink fluffy slippers.

“You got settled okay?”

“Yes.”

“Okay,” Sara said, nodding her head, looking like she wanted to say more. “Well if you need anything, you know where my room is.”

“Okay, Goodnight Sara.”

“Goodnight Ava,” Sara said, giving her a smile before she went back to her room.

Ava only read for a little while, as she had already stayed up pretty late. She settled into the bed that was surprisingly comfortable, but harder than her mattress at home. There were soft city lights from the windows, and the sound of the busy street below was different compared to her quiet neighborhood. At last, she fell asleep, however, she didn't quite sleep soundly and woke up sometime later. She sat up and looked over to see Sara puttering around in the kitchen.

“Sorry,” Sara whispered, holding up a box of pasta. “I didn't mean to wake you. I'm just trying to find the granola bars I keep in here.”

Ava just blinked at her, as she watched Sara put the pasta back and held her back, rubbing circles with her hand.

“Do you want me to rub your back?” Ava offered.

Sara sighed in relief and immediately walked over, holding her granola bar. “That would be amazing.”

Ava moved to make room for her on the bed, and Sara laid down on her stomach as Ava went to work. She worked out the knots along her spine as Sara quietly ate, but before she was done Sara had fallen asleep. Ava didn't have the heart to kick her out of the bed, so she just put one arm around Sara and fell asleep next to her.

Unfortunately, it didn't last long, as a few hours later she felt someone poking her side.

“Mama? Mama?” Gary whispered, dragging out the syllables in her name. His favorite way to get her attention.

“What is it honey?” Ava said, opening one eye to see him standing next to her.

“Can I sleep with you?”

Ava opened both of her eyes and looked back to see Sara had rolled away from her.

“Sara's over there so there's room for me.”

Ava nodded and scooted back to make room for him. She opened the covers and Gary happily climbed in, snuggling close to her.

“Sara and I had just stayed up talking and we accidentally fell asleep,” Ava explained, hoping that he wouldn't question why they were sharing the bed.

“That's okay Mama,” Gary whispered, already half asleep. “You're just having a sleepover too.”

Ava sighed in relief at his explanation, but knew that she would have to ask Sara to leave the bed in the morning before he woke up.

Unfortunately, she didn't get the chance to do that. Ava awoke to feel the warm and soft morning sun creep into the windows. However, she soon realized she was stuck in between Gary and Sara as they had squished up against her. Each of them had an arm around her, and her and Sara's legs were tangled together. Sara's head was pressed against her shoulder blade, and Gary had spread out like a starfish, with one foot over her neck.

If she moved too quickly she would probably wake one of them up, something she wasn't inclined to do. As Ava gently moved, trying to wiggle out, she felt someone was watching her and looked over to see Sin glancing down at them. Ava immediately sat up, dislodging Gary and Sara from her side, but luckily neither of them awoke. She stared at Sin, who had their arms crossed and was glaring at Ava.

“Am I the only one around here who likes to sleep in their own bed?”

“I guess so,” Ava said, eyeing them carefully.

“Do you like to make pancakes Miss Sharpe?” Sin asked, with a mischievous smile that Ava knew they got from Sara.

“I do like pancakes, and you can call me Ava outside of the classroom if you want?”

“Okay Miss Sharpe, Ava, I’ll show you where we keep the pancake mix, but you gotta make the big pancakes, not the little ones,” Sin insisted, as they ran over to the kitchen and grabbed a stool.

Ava got up and followed Sin into the kitchen. They climbed up onto the countertop and Ava reached up to spot them, but they did need it as Sin found the pancake mix, setting it on the counter before turning around and looking back at Ava.

“Catch,” Sin said, and that was all the warning Ava got before Sin was flying into her arms. Ava carefully caught them and quickly set Sin down. Gary was never that brave, but years of teaching gave her quick instincts.

As they pulled the step stool over to the counter, Sin pointed out where the bowls and whisks were kept, and they poured a bit of pancake mix into a large bowl. Ava decided to add some nutrition to this surely sugary breakfast and brought out the eggs, along with some fruits and vegetables.

“So Sin, do you like cooking breakfast?” Ava asked, as she watched them mix up the bowl of pancakes.

“I love making pancakes,” Sin announced, whisking with the speed that told Ava, they were a pancake pro.

“What do you love about making pancakes?” Ava asked, trying to spark up a conversation. Of course, she knew Sin from having them in her class, but this was different.

“I like mixing it up and then watching it bubble in the pan, and I like flipping them over.”

“Well, you must be a pancake expert.”

“I am! I know exactly when they need to be flipped over so that they're golden brown,” Sin said, as they grabbed a knife, sliced off a good chunk of butter, and put it in the heated pan.

“Are there any other breakfast foods you like?”

Together, they poured the first pancake, and Ava made sure to fill the pan with batter, seeing how Sin's face lit up as she did.

“Yeah, I like cereal. Mom likes oatmeal, but that's boring unless you have the dinosaur egg one.”

“Yeah, that one's a favorite in our house too,” Ava said, dinosaur oatmeal was always the thing Gary begged for when they went shopping, but she usually saved it for special occasions.

Together, they quickly chopped up some strawberries and blueberries to mix in with the pancakes. Sin showed her how to flip the pancake in the air and make it land in the pan, while Ava taught her how to make a smoothie that they sipped on while cooking. Soon they had a breakfast feast.

Ava was glad to have this time with Sin, seeing them like this was slightly different than how they acted in the classroom. Ava loved being their teacher, but she knew that if things with Sara were going to continue, it would mean that Sin would have to be transferred to another classroom. She didn't want to compromise herself and treat Sin differently, because she was seeing Sin after school and dating their mother.

Even though she knew Nate's classroom would be the most logical choice, as his class was the smallest, Ava worried that with Gary being an almost sibling, Sin would be transferred to the other 4th grade classroom. Her co-teacher was older and had old fashioned methods that Ava knew wouldn't work well for Sin.

But they didn't have to worry about that now, and hopefully she could maintain her composure until she could successfully transfer Sin to Nate's class, or wait it out to the end of the year.

……………………………………………………………………

Sara woke up with someone else's foot kicking her thigh, and carefully turned away so she wouldn’t get a kick to the belly, but nearly fell off the bed and rolled over to lay on her back. She opened her eyes to see that it was Gary starfishing that forced her to the edge of the bed. She tilted her ear towards the kitchen, and she heard Ava and Sin talking, and the sounds of the frying pan going. Their happy conversation and easy banter made Sara smile. She carefully moved Gary’s leg over and tried to catch an extra hour of shut eye.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, as their other child’s presence meant that the snack and the late dinner Sara had last night bubbled up in her throat. Sara made a run for the bathroom and slammed the door behind her, not wanting anyone else to follow. She had forgotten how sick she had got while pregnant, and this time around didn’t seem like it would be any easier. Ava knocked on the door, but Sara didn't want Ava fawning over her and sent Ava away.

After her stomach settled, Sara took the opportunity to pee and wash her face. When she was done, she opened the door to see Gary waiting for her.

“Hey, did you need to use the bathroom?”

“No,” he said, just looking up at her. “Are you sick?”

“No, not really.”

“But you were throwing up? That means you're sick?”

“Yeah, but I think it's just because I ate too much popcorn last night,” Sara said, trying to brush it off.

“Don't worry, Doctor Sharpe M.D. is on the case!” Gary said, and Sara could do little to protest as he led her back to the living room.

Gary quickly ran off and grabbed Sin’s doctor kit. Sin didn’t really play with it, so Sara usually kept it in their closet, but Gary must have found it last night. He also got out a few packs of stickers and the real first aid kit that he said was in Ava's bag. Soon enough, Sara had a giant frowning sticker on her stomach, a band aid on her arm after she got a shot, and a thumbs up sticker on her shirt, for being a good patient.

Gary was currently checking her temperature and her blood pressure at the same time, while dressed in the cute little doctor's coat, with the stethoscope around his neck and his headlamp flashlight on his head.

“So you must like playing doctor, Gary.”

“Shhh,” he shushed her, adjusting the thermometer in her mouth. “You're not supposed to talk while I'm taking your temperature.”

Sara just nodded very seriously and he continued.

“Yeah, I like being a doctor,” he said, as he looked very seriously at the blood pressure cuff. “I don't like it when I feel sick, so I like to help people and make them feel better.”

He finally took the thermometer out of her mouth and the blood pressure off of her arm. He looked at the results and pulled out his clipboard, making a few notes that Sara leaned over to read.

“Is doctor second place to magic though?” Sara asked, scratching at the band aid on her arm.

“Yeah, but I don’t want to be a doctor, they have to go to school forever, and Mr. Constantine said I could have a job there when I’m a teenager, and that’s only five years away. But, for now, I like doing both, and Mama said I’d make a very good magician.”

Sara smiled as he rambled a little bit, so much like Ava in his professional and logical thinking.

They played for the rest of the morning, and Sara enjoyed getting to know more about Gary and his magician ambitions while Ava and Sin cooked breakfast. Once they sat down to eat, Ava sat next to her and Sara reached over to hold her hand under the table. This whole thing had gone extremely well, and Sara was surprised at how easily their lives had fit together. Ava was all in, and so was she. They were doing this, and although she knew it wouldn't always be this easy, she relished in the fact that in this moment it was.

#Sara Lance #Ava Sharpe #Avalance #legends of tomorrow #DC's Legends of Tomorrow #DC #otp: I love you ya goober #my writing #My FanFics

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endowrites · 7 years ago

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WIP Day #1

WIP Week: Day 1 - Your Oldest WIP

Title: Timeless (how’s that for a fitting name) Fandom: Naruto Rating: T Characters: Minato

Start Date: 10 July 2016 Last Touched: 19 March 2017 Word Count: 3.8K

It’s not technically my oldest WIP, but it’s definitely the oldest writing project I’ve got that I’m still planning on finishing and publishing someday.

The tl;dr of this fic was that it was an attempt to give Minato’s Hiriashin some introduction and background. Essentially, I turned it into a time loop jutsu, because I hate every time loop fic in this fandom but still thought it was a cool concept. It’s also canon compliant, which is a feat unto itself.

Here you can find a more detailed description I wrote up of the idea that eventually became this WIP. I modeled it after those “Twenty Times” style fics you’ve probably seen out and about (most famously this one), so that’s why it reads the way it does.

I’m just going to dump the whole thing, because it’s long and difficult to split into pieces and maybe by having a majority of it up on the web I’ll finally get the motivation to finish it. Enjoy!

Timeless

The first loop Minato didn’t consider a loop at all. It was his prologue - the beginning of his beginning.

Minato became a soldier in the first loop, as was expected of him. Dull wooden kunai were replaced by their sharp, deadly, real equivalents. Childhood was replaced by reality. Art was replaced by war.

But more often than not, Minato found himself daydreaming about new jutsu and seals and the almost magical properties of a well timed technique, rather than brute force and physical strength.

Minato was just as much a creative as he was a fighter. It was just his luck, then, that there existed the perfect combination of the two.

All of the studying, all of the work, all of the sleepless nights - Minato tucked them away under the veil of the first loop - the loop of life.

The loop that started it all.

The second loop was short, confusing, and sent Minato half into a tree.

He wasn’t aware at that time why they should have been called loops, however, so he simply referred to them as various failed experiments. Because that’s what they were - failures.

Failures in a never-ending struggle to tame time, no less, but still failures. No one ever accused Minato Namikaze of being anything less than ambitious.

The Second Hokage was a genius: a truly gifted shinobi. His ideas, however, were loose and scattered - much like the leaflets of paper filled with bizarre jutsu he penned (and then subsequently shoved into drawers that Minato later found in the Hokage’s library, after pestering the Third about it for so long that the man gave up and handed him the key).

Minato supposed, in hindsight, that it took one to know one.

Perhaps that was why the Hiraishin jutsu stood out to him above all the others. It was a technique that was so close to being something, that Minato could not rest until it was.

And that, after several months of endless experimentation, was why Minato found himself lodged in a dense patch of foliage.

He had overshot the calibration, and wound up freezing time for all of three seconds. Just enough time to trip, fall forward, and end up with a leg pierced on a stalk of sheared bamboo.

Kushina had not been happy about that incident.

Minato spent the brief period of time after the second loop tweaking his adjustments to the Hiraishin even further, perfecting what the Second Hokage had deemed imperfectible.

Time travel itself was impossible, that much had been proven to him by Tobirama’s extensive notes on the subject, but Minato wasn’t interested in time travel.

No. Instead, he found himself pouring hours of his time into the study of time dilation - the means by which to stop time, rather than wrestling with it. It was the path of least resistance, and still yielded the same effect: allowing him to move about in a bubble, out of phase from the rest of the world. Vast distances could be travelled in mere fractions of a second. Enemies could be struck down effortlessly, as if frozen in solid ice, and would die before ever seeing their killer. The world would pause for him, and wait at his beck and call.

He would be a god.

But it was all still theory. An impossible feat, for certain, but not impossible enough for Minato Namikaze.

The long, sleepless nights between loops Two and Three were spent under the quiet embrace of a desk lamp aside a pile of weathered old books from the Third Hokage’s personal library, and copious amounts of lukewarm tea.

As with all things Minato pursued, he found what he was looking for.

The next loop awaited him.

Loop Three proved to be just as much a failure as Loop Two, but no less important.

Having determined that simple concentration wasn’t enough to prevent himself from disengaging from the Hiraishin’s effects, Minato found himself locked in a bubble of space-time for nearly thirty-six hours. He sat alone, waiting for the jutsu to expire, the world around him frozen in motion. He had gotten so bored, in fact, that he had begun to count the leaves in the trees - and from that point on, Kushina bragged about the fact her boyfriend was fast enough to count entire trees worth of leaves in what seemed like a split second to anyone that would hear it. “That’s the power of the Hiraishin,” she’d brag.

Minato let her. They didn’t need to know the hows or the whys.

Loop Four was frustratingly similar to the one previous. Minato had managed to reduce the offset by a considerable amount - but that meant he still was forced to sit in a sphere of frozen time with nothing but himself, the pebbles at his feet, and his own unpleasant thoughts for nearly three hours.

The next time, he would bring a book. Or, at the very least, a stick to draw in the dirt with.

Loops Five and Six experimented with the diameter of the sphere. He still found himself stuck in what was, essentially, an isolation chamber for a far too long amount of time, but now he could stretch and move a bit - at least, as much as he was able to before chakra exhaustion began to eat away at his senses, eventually knocking him out the farther he pushed.

He woke up after Loop Five with a concerned Kushina shaking him to death, and woke up after Loop Six to an enraged Kushina shaking him to death. There was no middle ground.

He promised, rather half-heartedly, he would “be careful”; but he suspected Kushina saw through the ruse as soon as the muttered, sheepish promise slipped past his lips.

The way she shook her head and looked at him told him just as much.

Loop Seven tested the boundaries of the sphere. He purposefully left the diameter up to as much as ‘winging it’ would suffice, and began walking.

He found that he could move the sphere with him as he went, but it was very draining. Many factors, it seemed, cut away at his chakra reserves, almost to the point only a jinchuuriki would be a worthy wielder of the technique.

Minato realized soon after that Tobirama wasn’t being ignorant in dropping the project and focusing on his library of others with far more potential. Instead, he was simply being economical.

Minato was anything but. He had his heart set on the Hiraishin, could feel the potential power coursing underneath the lines of each page in Tobirama’s notebook.

No, Minato wasn’t economical. But he was determined.

Loops Eight through Fifteen proved fruitless, and it was only in Loop Sixteen that Minato discovered the missing link.

Kushina.

After several consecutive days of coming home tired and exhausted, Kushina demanded to observe Minato as he trained.

She watched him as he activated the Hiraishin, only the slight tilt in her eyebrow showing she was impressed. Once firmly settled in the cockles of near-frozen time, Minato had the chance to simply watch her - frozen in place, eyes bright as diamonds, her posture ragged and daring.

Minato bent over and plucked a small yellow flower from a bush to his right, feeling the tug of his jutsu extending to the flower’s space in the universe. His chakra encapsulated it in the grasp of the Hiraishin, moving it along through time parallel with Minato.

He reached over and tucked the knotweed between Kushina’s hair and her ear, smiling for a moment, before he disengaged the jutsu.

After he came back from under the influence of the space-time technique, the redhead clucked her tongue and waggled her finger at him.

“Seals,” was all she had said. “You need to focus your chakra so you don’t waste it all? Use seals. That’s what they’re there for, y’know.”

Minato’s eyes widened. Was it really so simple? Seals?

She blinked, reaching into her hair to grasp at something that wasn’t there before. She lowered the knotweed, smiled, looked up at Minato in surprise. “Wait, when did you do that?”

Minato was already gone.

Loop Seventeen was long delayed. Seals were the key, Minato realized that now.

The Second had used a basic seal when he first created the Hiraishin, that was certain, but Minato had dismissed the idea almost without a second thought. But he may have thrown the baby out with the bathwater in doing so.

Minato sat in the library at the desk that all but bore his name at this point, pouring over scroll after scroll, detail after detail - anything and everything he could get his hands on regarding seals, sealing arts, and just how he might be able to pull something off.

He started with Tobirama’s seal, attempting to decipher the strange, cryptographic means by which the man had crafted his art. He truly was a visionary, Minato had to admit, but the Second Hokage had many neurotic tendencies that made using his notes as reference next to impossible.

And then when Minato returned home that evening, angry and disappointed in himself, it was Kushina (again) that brought him out of his slump.

“What is it, exactly, that you’re trying to do?” she sighed with an eyeroll, murmuring ‘do I have to do everything around here’ under her breath as she dragged him to his study, an inkwell and brush finding their way into her hands almost by means of magic. “Look, it’s not that hard. All you have to do is use your brain a little.”

Minato watched her work, memorizing every minute detail as she laid brush to tapestry.

Loop Seventeen happened three days later.

After the thirty-second loop, Minato felt the Hiraishin was complete enough for an exhibition.

He had done all the testing - the seals did a fine job of localizing the sphere of the Hiraishin’s influence to an area on its own, and a small bit of flourish Kushina had taught him as he was completing it allowed for the bubble to extend to his location regardless of where he was, pulling upon little to no chakra in doing so.

It was around the time that he demonstrated the technique to both his sensei and the Hokage himself that Minato truly realized the extent of what he had accomplished.

“Tobirama was an inventor,” Sarutobi had mused that afternoon, from between lips gripping a pipe. “But you, Minato, are an innovator. Far too few shinobi have this skill. And it is one that will carry you far indeed.”

“Sensei’s right, kid,” Jiraiya smiled, crossing his arms across his chest. “You managed the unthinkable. The Second created more jutsu that is probably natural in his lifetime, and I’d be hard pressed to call any of them, save for maybe the Shadow Clone jutsu, complete.”

He was right. Minato had reduced the chakra costs from astronomical to hardly a drop, made a somewhat inconsistent technique that relied on the caster’s concentration and chakra potency into something based around seals and numbers, and created something that had the potential to devastate. Destroy.

Minato only nodded. “I certainly hope the Hiraishin’s complete. At least, complete now.”

Jiraiya let out a barking laugh. “Brat, you’ve spent more time researching for that technique than I did for any one of novels. Hell, all of my novels. I’ve seen what you can do with it. If it’s not finished, I’ll eat Gamabunta.”

Minato paled at the proclamation, but before he could respond in some sort of timid manner, the Third spoke up.

“I have a mission for you,” Hiruzen hummed, plucking a sheet of paper from his desk and sliding it forward. “Well, rather, a mission for your certain subset of skills. You say the Hiraishin allows you to… stop time?”

“Slow it,” Minato corrected. “And it requires a base. Tobirama used force of will, but that was far too unpredictable, and nearly impossible to use in battle. Not to mention how draining it can be. Instead of that, I’m using seals. But that means--”

“We get it, Minato,” Jiraiya interrupted, waving him on. “Spit it out.”

“I… yes. But only around markers I’ve already placed.”

Hiruzen paused, uncertain.

Jiraiya spoke again. “What about kunai?”

“Kunai?” Minato asked. “What about them?”

Jiraiya shrugged. “I dunno. Can’t you attach your seals to kunai and throw them?”

Once again, Minato found himself back at the drawing board.

Loops Thirty-Eight, Thirty-Nine, Forty, and Forty-One were forgotten in the heat of battle.

Minato swerved to the right, slashed his kunai at a shadowed figure, and ducked back as the foggy forest swallowed him.

He had just assassinated the military commander of the Hidden Mist. It was understandable that they would send their best men to return the favor.

Minato ducked, rolled, and slammed his elbow behind him as the hunter-nin stumbled forward. The movement carried Minato forward, and he dove out of the way of an explosive blast that rattled the surrounding clearing like glass in a windowframe.

He saw the blade before the shinobi that held it, tucked aside like an afterthought, forgotten in the heat of battle.

His body moved faster than his mind did, flaring chakra, molding it in a way that had become something short of second nature to him.

Time slowed. Flickered. Stopped.

Minato blinked again, his own body caught in the technique. He was hung in the air like a cloud, dangled above .

But he was safe.

He could have used a shunshin, or even a kawarimi. But instead, for some inexplicable reason, his body moved first - and here he was, caught in the throes of life-threatening battle, his most imperfect, most unrefined jutsu keeping him alive.

He smiled. Fitting.

Minato landed on the ground with catlike grace, his neck angling upwards, analyzing the battlefield. He leaned forward, grabbed the kunai from midair, and used it to slice the Mist ninja’s throat in two, quickly and without emotion.

He froze for a moment when the blood didn’t come pouring out. But then he remembered: time dilation. For some bizarre reason, the sensation of killing without blood sickened him. It made the job more... surgical, almost.

He plucked a basic kunai from his pouch, a seal - temporary - tied around the handle with thin white string, and launched it across the clearing, watching as it pierced the bubble of the Hiraishin’s influence and trailed its own path through time. The blade landed, and the two points connected.

The bubble expanded, grew like a small pocket of air trapped underwater, and Minato vaulted across the clearing to the other Mist ninja.

Another bloodless murder, and Minato disengaged the technique.

The job was done.

Minato took two steps forward, listening with a grimace as his actions out of time began to catch up with him, and the two ninja gurgled and moaned as they bled out.

Another step.

This time, he heard another sound.

It took him a heartbeat, then another to realize it was coming from his own mouth.

He looked down at himself, at the blade of the kunai that was piercing through his chest like a tumor, and the way blood, black as coal, began to trickle past his flak jacket and seep into the earth.

His heart seized.

“Heh,” the third Mist ninja said from behind him, cockiness bleeding into his words, “you may be fast enough for those two, but you’ll never be fast enough for me.”

He didn’t remember why he did it - why he felt compelled to use the Hiraishin. Perhaps Minato wanted a moment to kill his killer before the man could watch his death, or perhaps he wanted a moment of carefree silence to mourn himself… for the life he was undoubtedly about to give up from simple inattentiveness.

An image of Kushina flashed through his mind, bedecked in white and surrounded by the vibrance and beauty of color and marriage and love--

He roared, enraged. The jutsu flared, bubbling up past his skin like boiling water, flickering through the air, far more powerful than any time Minato had used it before.

The forty-second loop was the loop where Minato died.

But it was also the first loop - the first real loop. The first loop where time really did go back on itself, change itself, become anew.

He watched with disbelieving eyes as the blood spilled on the grass between his feet began to move, travelling up his body until nested within his chest once again. He watched as the kunai dislodged itself from his chest, and watched the fabric in his jacket stitch itself back together. He watched the leaves in the trees, as they retraced their steps in time and danced a familiar dance.

The bubble expanded past his skin, chasing time away like a skittish animal, until it returned to the way it was every other time - a shimmering sphere of impossibility, hovering just outside of his reach.

Minato turned, and saw red. The red of blood, the red of anger and rage… the red of the hair of his wife on the wedding day he so nearly missed.

Hiraishin had given him another chance, and he wasn’t about to soil it. The forty-second loop was where Minato died, but was also the loop where Minato was reborn.

The previous forty-one times Minato had used the Hiriashin, he realized later that month, were all loops. Every single one of them.

Sure, he hadn’t noticed it at first. But calling the forty-second ‘loop’ the first of its kind wasn’t accurate.

The Hiraishin twisted time more than just by freezing it. That was merrily because Minato hadn’t been pushing it as far as it could go, for fear of depleting chakra reserves and leaving him stranded, locked out of time.

In the heat of the moment, death on his doorstep, Minato had thrown any and all caution from his mind. He pushed everything he had into the technique, and it had delivered.

Minato could cheat time. He could cheat death.

“No shinobi, regardless of title, has ever held within them the power of a god - the true power of a god,” Sarutobi had said one lazy afternoon, after Minato had revealed his discovery, chest still heaving from returning to the village following another round of tests. The Hokage twiddled with his beard a little, staring out past the tall, imposing pillars that adorned the top of the Hokage’s Tower and down into the village he oversaw.

He turned, looked at Minato’s wide-eyed face, and gave him a look of fierce honesty - of expectation. “But you, Minato, are the first to truly wield it.”

Minato could cheat life. He could cheat chance, and reason, and calculation.

He turned, leapt from the rooftop, ran all the way home. His hands shook as he landed in front of his doorstep. A mix between terror and gratitude, adrenaline-bolstered fear locked them in place above the handle to the front door, and Minato just stood there.

He stood, and quivered.

Kushina had jumped when she opened the door to come looking for him an hour later, only to find him inches away. She pulled his shellshocked body inside, held him as he took massive gulps of air, rubbed the tension in his shoulders away with the soft pads of her fingertips.

“You’re alright,” she whispered to him as he stared, dazed, out the window into the fading light of early dusk. “You’re fine.”

Minato could cheat life, cheat death, cheat time. He had become a god, wielding that which had never before been wielded by man alone.

But Minato could not cheat the weight of the world on his shoulders, pinning him to the earth like the mortal he was.

“You should try teaching,” Jiraiya told him over dinner, two weeks after loop number one hundred and fifty-two. “It suits you.”

Minato froze. “Sensei?”

“Exactly,” Jiraiya winked, leaning his forearm across the table. “You’d be a fantastic sensei, kid. You’ve always had a knack for explaining the unexplainable. You would be a fantastic role model.”

“He’s right, you know,” Kushina said with a sly smile as she walked by, a bowl of ice cream in her hands. She slid into the seat in between the two men, and watched with a cocky grin as Minato floundered under their combined scrutiny. “What’ve you got to lose?”

He met Kakashi, Rin, and Obito three weeks later.

War followed not much longer after that.

He remembered the four hundred and ninety-sixth loop very well.

Everything was routine. Everything was supposed to be routine.

But war was war, and not even Team Minato, led by a god, could survive unscathed.

Minato had used the Hiraishin, just as he had many times before, as a means of traveling across continents - and the four hundred and ninety-sixth loop was no different in that regard.

But Minato quickly realized just how wrong he was, and how life changing Loop Four Hundred and Ninety-Six would become.

After Obito’s death, Minato receded into his jounin shell. Life dulled, drifted past his glazed eyes like beads of water dripping down stained glass.

He failed as a teacher. He failed as a shinobi. All of his uncertainty came flooding back, and more often than not Minato found himself marching towards the Hokage Tower, hands clenched into fists, to hand in his resignation. It was Kushina, only Kushina, that held him back, reminding him of his obligations.

But then Rin died too.

Kakashi took it harder than Minato did at first, but Kakashi’s pain fed into his own. He felt like a father would, struggling to stay strong for someone when he needed someone strong himself.

But still he powered onwards, simply because he had no alternative. Minato was a logical man by nature, and he knew his own strengths and weaknesses. He knew how his mind coped with loss.

So he buried himself in his research, studying seal after complex seal, mastering the art in a manner that few before him had ever accomplished.

He discovered the Reaper Death Seal after Loop Five Hundred and Twelve by accident.

He poured through several old Uzumaki tomes that Kushina had dragged up from the basement, long forgotten. He pieced together the archaic technique after weeks of backbreaking, exhausting research, and in the end, even after testing the jutsu’s less lethal components with rigorous valor, Minato still wasn’t certain the jutsu would work.

And then he became Hokage.

And his life went from stressful to chaotic with the snap of the Third Hokage’s fingers.

Loop Five Hundred and Thirty was a simple trip to the Hokage Tower - a summons.

“So you say this jutsu allows you to split… souls?” Hiruzen asked, scanning through the large ream of paper Minato had composed on the Reaper Death Seal.

“Well… yes.”

“Teach me,” the Third said, and his eyes were steeled and resolute.

Thanks for reading! It definitely is a bit rusty and reads more like my old style than my new, but I still really like it and the concepts it introduces.

I’m gonna cheat and use this as my response to the WIP Meme I was tagged in last night by @blackkatmagic (because otherwise I won’t have enough WIPs to use for this week!). the first line is:

The first loop Minato didn’t consider a loop at all.

...which is 10 words long. I don’t really know that many people here that write regularly, so instead I’m leaving this as an open tag to anyone that wants to participate themselves! And join WIP Week - it’s super fun and has done a great job of reminding me of projects I had completely forgotten about!

#WIP Week #WIPWeek #EndoplasmicPanda #my writing #writing #fanfiction #naruto #naruto fanfiction #tag meme #blackkatmagic #Minato #Kushina #Sarutobi #Hiruzen

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