#hell yeah (loves chewing on small plastic items)

[wouldyoudoitforaklondikebar]

would you eat (don't have to swallow just pop it in your mouth and chew) that one shopkin that looks like a klondike bar for a real one

[greatbigbellies]

New commission story. This is an anonymous commission about a dysfunctional couple who wind up pregnant with sextuplets! Contains heavy multiples pregnancy, stuffing, humiliation, and discomfort.

They had been dating for three months, and living together for one, and Morgan was already at his wits end. Lilith, his girlfriend, was lovely, and sweet, and pretty, and all the things he wanted in a girl… but she was also ungodly frustrating because of one reason, and one reason only: she refused to do ANYTHING that might be considered work.

She was between jobs, hadn’t so much as taken out the trash, and still hadn’t unpacked from moving in with Morgan! Now he made good money. Morgan could support the two of them and then some, and he didn’t want a maid for a girlfriend, but what he did want was some backup. Coming home from work every day to see Lilith sitting on the couch playing videogames, with a sink full of dirty dishes, a can full of trash, and a pile of takeout containers was absolutely grating.

So finally, he hatched a plan. Something almost cartoonishly vindictive, but it had to be done, as far as Morgan was concerned. He’d ruin her. He’d knock her up, stuff her full of food, and watch her inflate like a balloon. If she wasn’t going to move, then he’d make her physically incapable of moving! Multiples ran in both of their families, so with any luck, she’d land pregnant with more than one. He also did all of the cooking. ALL of it. So sneaking fertility meds into her meals wouldn’t be too difficult either, he’d decided. And so, his campaign of corpulence began.

13 Weeks

“Nrrrrggghhh… come ON! Damnit!” Lilith swore as she attempted to button her favorite jeans. They had been holding up well through the first trimester, stretching with her skin, but that was starting to change. Of course, a lot had changed in the last 3 months… she’d found herself pregnant, with SEXTUPLETS no less, and was dealing with the ramifications poorly. She’d been stress eating a lot, something Morgan had been enabling quite a bit, and her tummy was already showing some growth. Both from food and babies, her waistline had a definite visible baby bump, and her belly button was flattened and preparing to pop.

“What’s wrong?” asked Morgan as he stepped into the room, a smile in his voice. He looked to see her wearing just jeans and a bra, fighting with the waistline of her pants. “I’m too big for my favorite pair of jeans! These have the cute patches in them!” she lamented. “Oh babe...” he trailed off, circling around to her front. He pulled something out of his pocket and knelt down. She eyed him suspiciously, not sure where he was going with this. He revealed the item to be a thin rubber band, which he stuck through the button hole and wrapped both ends around the base of the button. “Voila!” he grinned. She frowned in return. “Really? A rubber band? They’re not buttoned properly, people will judge me!” “Babe, we’re just going to the mall, it’ll be fine, now put a shirt on and do your makeup so we can get going!” he urged. “Are we going by JCPenny’s to get me a bigger wardrobe?” she asked. Morgan had turned to leave but stopped at the question. He had to think of an excuse quickly. 

“Not yet…” he said. “But I’ll get my quarterly bonus soon, then we’ll go clothes shopping then!” he lied. She crossed her arms and glared at him, somewhat temperamental from pregnancy hormones. “You’re really going to make me walk around with unbuttoned pants and a top that rides up because you want to wait for a bonus?!” he grumped. He rolled his eyes and sighed. “We can’t be all willy-nilly with money anymore, Lilith, we have six kids on the way!” he retorted. Her face tightened, then softened. He was right. She rubbed her tummy and sighed. “Yeah, okay, what’s like… one more week with tight clothes? Your bonus is coming in soon right?” He nodded, “Any day now,”

20 weeks

 7 more weeks came and went, and Lilith saw no sign of that bonus… or her feet. Now looking full term with one baby, Morgan had been doing a number on her figure. All of the weight seemed to gravitate to her midriff, and so her tummy grew both with child and with a thin layer of fat. Still despite the small wrapping of chub, her bellybutton managed to work its way into a full fledged outie, about as big around as her thumb. 

She sat on the couch in her usual spot, playing a first person shooter on the console, but it didn’t feel the same anymore. She’d gotten in an argument with Morgan before he went to work. A conversation about job prospects got ugly when Morgan pointed out she was too visibly pregnant for anyone to hire her. “Get comfy babe,” he’d said, almost mockingly, “You’re not going anywhere for a while,” There was some yelling, and swearing, and Morgan ended up stomping out the door, it was an all around rotten day.

That was, until the door opened, to reveal Morgan carrying what had to be $40+ dollars in takeout from Lilith’s favorite restaurant. “Oh my god, babe, what’s all this?” she asked, turning to watch him. “I felt bad about our fight earlier, so I bought enough food to keep you and the babies happy, as a gesture of good will,” he explained. “Oh, honey, that’s so sweet of you, but I already had dinner! I-” “All the better!” he cut her off. “You’re eating for seven now, and the doc said to let you eat as much as you could, so…” he set the bags on the coffee table beside her. Morgan smiled down at Lilith, looking at her with those cold steel blue eyes. Lilith brushed some of her bright blue hair behind her ear and broke eye contact. “I don’t know hon… that’s a lot of food there…” she trailed off.

Morgan sat next to her, between Lilith and the food, and placed a hand on her bare midriff, running a palm over her stretching skin. “I know it feels like a lot, but this is for the babies! We have to get them up to weight by the time you’re full term, and the only way to do that is to eat everything your stomach can handle,” he explained, somewhat firmly. She sighed, “Yeah, I guess you’re right, for the babies,” she took the first of three heaping takeout containers full of teriyaki chicken, chow mein, and rice, and got to work. 

Morgan kept close to make sure she ate every last bite, only getting up to bring her water when she asked for it. The first box went down pretty quickly, her pregnant appetite getting the best of her. The second was remarkably slower, and Morgan could see it filling out her tummy, causing it to push farther out, just slightly. By the time they hit the third box, she was struggling. “Babe I’m too full… I’m done,” she whined in protest. “Nope, you need to finish what you started,” Morgan said, once again rather firmly. “Morgan I’m gonna throw up if I push it any more…” He took the plastic fork and gathered a mix of rice, chicken, and noodles, and slowly delivered it to her mouth. “Just one more bite, for the babies,” he smiled coyly. She begrudgingly took the bite and began chewing, brushing her blue hair out of her sweaty face. 

She was the fullest she’d ever felt, her belly feeling overstretched from a combination of growing babies and filled stomach. The pressure radiated from her midriff to make her whole body uncomfortable. She was miserable, and Morgan knew it. He tried not to show his enjoyment, but the truth was this was going better than he could have hoped for. 6 babies would leave her massive, and his mission to stuff her with every calorie under the sun was going smoothly. At this rate, they’d need a bigger bed to both fit on, an expense he was more than willing to make happen.

33 weeks

Lilith’s flip-flops pattered against her feet as she waddled toward the mall food court, moving as quickly as she could, which admittedly wasn’t very quick at all in her state. Wearing shorts that were stretched to capacity, held up with Morgan’s rubber band trick, and a “PINK” tank top that functioned more as a bra than anything else, she blushed red as she made her way. Everyone, from the young to the elderly, stared at her, or more specifically, her massive, mountainous middle. She was rivalling octomom in size, and the bigger she got, the more Morgan found excuses to take her out. He held her hand and tugged her along, leading the charge to the burger joint. 

“Babe everyone is staring! I want to go home!” she hissed at him. He turned to give her a side-eyed look and hiss back “You’ll be fine. Now come on, the babies are hungry!” the pair rounded a corner and Lilith came face-to-face with her highschool BFF. Gwen. “Lilith?” she asked, recognizing the hair color. “Y-yeah…” stammered Lilith. Morgan beamed. “Oh my god! Girl you didn’t tell me you were preggers!?” Gwen smiled and circled around to give Lilith a genuine hug. The two girls looked to Morgan, Gwen with excitement, and Lilith with embarrassment. “And Morgan, you’re looking suave as usual,” Gwen smiled. Morgan smirked. “Why thank you,” Gwen turned her attention to Lilith’s pendulous belly, “Gosh I wondered why I haven’t heard from you in months!? When’s the baby shower? I wanna spoil this little…” she trailed off… “These little… guys?” she asked. “We don’t know the sexes yet-” Lilith was cut off “In about a month and a half, we’re going to have lots of fun little games centered about this tank right here,” Morgan gave Lilith’s belly a hearty pat, “So tell all your girlfriends they’re invited, cause it’s going to be big!” he grinned. Lilith shot him a radioactive death glare, but he ignored it, his plans already in motion. “Okay! I gotta run cause I can’t be late for an interview but I’ll catch up later! Bye hon!” she said, running off. 

“Bye… Gwen…” Lilith shot another look at Morgan. “What the hell was that?! We’re NOT having a babyshower!” “Says you,” Morgan smirked. He proceeded to pile it on, “But your friend was so excited! Are you really going to dash her hopes like that? She just wants to spend time with you,” Lilith pouted, “I… guess so…” her response was cut off by a deep rumbling from her tummy. Morgan shot her a mischievous grin and took her hand again, continuing their trek.

Seeing as she was too big to fit in the booths, Morgan sat Lilith down at one of the chairs, and went off to order. She could feel all eyes on her as she placed a hand on her tummy to try to calm the movement she felt deep inside. What was in reality only a few minutes felt like hours as she waited for Morgan to return with the food. She was happy when she heard him approach, but was upset at what she saw him carrying. “That’s six burgers!?” she whisper-yelled incredulously. “Yeah, one for each baby!” stated Morgan, matter-of-factly. “I’m not about to pig out in front of all of these people!?” 

Morgan’s smile dropped when she said that. “Are you really going to let the stares of a few strangers deny food for your babies? OUR kids?” Lilith sighed. “Well… no, but can we take this home?” her tummy rumbled again in protest. “I don’t think they can wait,” Morgan whispered. “F-fine… but when I’m full I’m stopping,” she sighed. Morgan placed both hands on the firm, warm front of her belly, feeling her popped bellybutton under his right palm. “You’ll stop when THEY’RE full, alright?” Lilith looked down at herself. Her massive, bloated, overly pregnant self, and sighed. “Yes dear,”

She picked up the first juicy, tender steakburger he’d gotten her, and took a huge bite. The food itself actually tasted great, the mustard, tomato, and pickles. She had been craving pickles today, she just didn’t want to admit it. One by one, each burger disappeared into her huge pregnant gut, eliciting happy kicks from its occupants. Morgan smiled as he watched her. These burgers would have given her trouble a month ago, but now? Her stomach was stretched, her babies were hungry, and she had the capacity to be a professional speed-eater, all thanks to him.

Lilith was enamored by the tastiness of the burgers, she was downing one after another, about 40 seconds a piece. She was starting to get embarrassed though. The way Morgan was grinning at her… the way the other mall goers were just… staring. She was a big, fat, pregnant spectacle… and she hated it. She felt a *pop* from the front of her shots and her heavy belly lurched forward slightly, and she knew what had happened. “Uh oh, babe,” Morgan said loudly. “Looks like that rubber band wasn’t strong enough against your belly. I guess you were right,” he shrugged. Lilith’s cheeks burned with bright red embarrassment, but she kept eating, pretending not to hear him.

She jumped slightly as she felt his hand touch her bare tummy, rubbing it gently. “Now isn’t this better? Eating to your stomach’s content?” she swatted at him and pointed to the nearby slushy stand. “Cherry,” she grunted through a mouthful of food. “Whatever you say,” he slipped away. In reality, she just wanted some space from him. Ever since she found out she was pregnant, he’d been so clingy, spending every spare moment with her, making her eat and drink. “For the babies” had become as commonplace as breathing, she felt like, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was doing this all on purpose.

Her thoughts were interrupted by his quick return. “They were out of cherry, so I got you tiger’s blood,” he said, handing her the 44 oz drink. She swiped it form him with one hand, and polished off the sixth and final burger with the other. She felt heavy. Well… heavier, as the six greasy sandwiches settled in her gut. 7 more weeks… then she’d be due, and this would all be over.

39 weeks

Morgan had made good of his promise. He threw a baby shower, and Lilith was the center of attention, despite her wishes. Gwen, along with four other friends of theirs, had come to the party, and despite the relatively small gathering, Lilith felt absolutely smothered. She sat in her usual spot, in the center of the couch, and she was surrounded by her physically close, if not emotionally close friends. Her tummy had absolutely ballooned, and she was so big she couldn’t reach her popped navel anymore. While she’d stayed relatively free of stretchmarks, red and purple veins made themselves known on her shiny, overstretched skin. Her underbelly hung between her legs, which were forced to spread to make room for her massive mound of a womb.

No matter what she did, how much she complained, or what she threatened, Morgan would not buy her maternity clothes. Her belly hung proudly on display for all to see, weather she liked it or not. This had become so much more apparent during the shower. While Morgan brought food and drinks for all, Lilith sat planted on the couch, cooed at and touched like a walking petting zoo. She felt like she couldn’t go 10 seconds without a hand brushing against her belly, and the visible motion from the sextuplets inside did not help. “You’re positively glowing!” They all said. “You exude motherhood!” “I hope I look as good as you when I’m pregnant!” she hated all of it.

She snapped out of her surly stupor when she heard Gwen address her by name. “Lilith, I haven’t seen you covered up once this whole pregnancy! What made you decide to go belly-out the whole time?” Lilith forced a grin, “Well, Morgan had a LOT to do with it,” she replied, mentally grinding her teeth. “You’re just so brave, like it’s such a powerful look! You’re like ‘look out world, pregnant mama coming through’!” Gwen laughed, resting a hand on the side of Lilith’s gargantuan midriff. Morgan stepped into the room with some sort of plastic box. “You girls ready for another game?” he asked. Lilith turned red, the last game had been all about guessing the measurement of her waistline. All the guests had estimated her bigger than she was, and Morgan made a big show of measuring her, having a hard time getting the tape measure all the way around. 72 inches. She was 72 inches around. She was bigger around than she was tall. She almost cried at the realization.

Morgan opened the box to reveal a rainbow of different body paints and brushes, “You all get to belly paint!” Every girl there except for Lilith beamed with excitement. The various paints and brushes were snatched up lightening fast, and before she realized fully what was happening, Lilith was surrounded by five women all kneeling around her and applying paint to her overstretched, pregnant skin. Lilith couldn’t see what was being painted on her due to her sheer size, but she could only imagine how awful and embarrassing it would all look. Morgan already had his camera out, taking pictures.

Shivers went down her spine as Lilith felt the bristles and thick paint run over her sensitive bellybutton, Gwen giggling as she ran the brush up and down. Lilith felt so embarrassed, so large was her middle that she could be used as five canvases at once! Her face turned redder and she frowned as Morgan snapped shot after shot of her massive, bare tummy.

As time passed Lilith grew increasingly agitated. The sensation of paint brushes on her belly was absolutely grating, and the feeling of dry paint caking on the skin wasn’t helping either. She realized she was getting hungry, which was only souring her mood more. She felt her stomach gurgle and saw Morgan’s eyes light up. He as attuned to the sound of her rumbling tummy like a shark to blood, Lilith could tell he had something planned for this event in particular. Her belly rumbled again, this time louder, and the girls started to notice. “Damn girl, we gotta get you fed!” said Gwen, patting the belly. “You must be dying over there!” Lilith shook her head, “No, no I’m fine, I just need-” “Some cake!” beamed Morgan as he carried in a triple layer devils food cake. Lilith gulped.

“Gosh Morgan you treat her so well!” said one of the girls. “Anything for my girl!” he replied, setting the cake on the shelf of her belly. Lilith’s pleading eyes met Morgan’s powerful gaze, and she knew he was about to make her pig out. Right here. In front of all of her friends. He took a seat next to her on the couch, grabbed a fork, and scraped off a big mouthful. “Say Ahh,” he whispered. The girls went back to talking amongst themselves and painting, and Lilith was feeling pinned down by the weight of her sextuplet belly, and triple layer cake. She winced, and took the bite. “There… for the babies,” Morgan said, getting another forkful.

Bite after bite went down and Lilith could feel the brushes on her tummy slow down until nobody was painting anymore. All eyes were on her. She chewed and swallowed bite after bite of the sickeningly sweet cake, the frosting getting on her face and the top of her belly. She felt a couple of hands start feeling up her belly again as she pushed past the halfway mark of the cake.

It was so heavy and rich, and Lilith could feel every bite of it go right to her midriff. The babies began to stir and kick, which only landed more hands on her tummy. Bite. Chew. Swallow. Bite. Chew. Swallow. It became almost rhythmic as she entered a food induced trance. She could faintly hear the girls saying things like “wow, she can really put it away,” and “Is she going to stop?” and “I think I feel her belly getting tighter!”, but she was lost to the caloric intake and sheer, painful embarrassment. 

She only came to when the cake stopped coming. When she had eaten it all. Gwen clapped for her. Morgan gave her a kiss on the cheek to congratulate her. Everyone else kept their hands on her belly. “She gets real strong cravings for chocolate sometimes,” Joked Morgan, the other girls giggling at her expense. Moran got his camera back out. “Smile!” he said, mockingly, as he snapped a photo. 

A perfect shot of Lilith, 39 weeks pregnant with six babies, her belly bare, resting between her legs. Her tummy was covered in little paint doodles of flowers, trees, landscapes, and stick figure families, except for the top shelf, which was stained brown from the smeared chocolate. Her mouth was open as she breathed heavily through it, feeling ready to burst. Morgan sat down next to her again, and showed her the picture on the camera’s display screen. “This is you babe!” he laughed. “This is what you really are!”

[bbugyu]

hi can i request a wonwoo friends to lovers!!

abso-fuckin-tutely! since you were a lil vague, i asked my friendly neighborhood wonwoorideul for a prompt and she shouted out the song nothing by bruno major (aka one of the sweetest songs on wonwoo's spotify playlist)!

nothing + jeon wonwoo

moving in with your best friend was the best idea you ever had, even if he claimed it was his.

wc.3707 | fluff, angst, roommates/friends to lovers au, gn reader, like one swear and it barely counts bc it was hoshi, slowburn pining, wonwoo sees you and his mind is full of poetry, happy ending! (jp ver.)

thank you so much for my very first request! i tried to post this quickly, so i’m sorry if it’s not as polished as my other pieces. i was so impatient to get this out hahah. i love me some domestic wonwoo

*

wonwoo wasn't just your roommate, to be perfectly frank. the lanky guy had wormed his way into your close circle when you had worked part time together at a grocery store fresh out of high school, and when you both decided you needed to be closer to the big city, it just made sense to go together. you had never lived alone before, and your mother had said she would feel better if you had someone she knew around, someone to take care of you for her, even though you insisted you would be fine. she tried to get you to move in with your auntie, and while eating her food would be a definite plus, you absolutely despised the idea of living under the same roof as your chaotic cousin. so, when wonwoo mentioned wanting to get out of your podunk village, you excitedly told him you wanted to move to seoul.

"okay," he had said, looking at you over his comic book as he lounged on your family's couch. "let's go, then."

two months later, his dad was helping the two of you move into a tiny two bedroom apartment in a neighborhood of seoul that housed mostly old married couples, but you liked that it was a little more quiet than downtown. it felt more like home, but busy enough to give you your fill of the city. you could walk down the street to a cafe every morning on your way to the station, headed to your shitty temp desk job that you had just to pay bills. wonwoo was able to transfer to the main seoul office of his existing job as a software engineer, and was even able to work from home most days. you were forever jealous that he could hop onto remote meetings wearing a tie and button up over a pair of sweats. on days that he had to go into the office, though, he would walk with you and point out shops that you had yet to visit in your few months of living in the city.

"since when are you a flowers kinda guy?" you asked, gaze following his finger to the florist shop he pointed out.

he shrugged, adjusting his backpack straps over the blazer he wore. "might be nice for the apartment."

you eyed him. despite knowing him for years, sometimes he still surprised you.

on days that he didn't ride the subway with you, you would come home to find him sitting on the couch, swinging around a digital new york city from a web on the tv. you noticed the potted plant on the kitchen counter when you dropped your keys off in their designated tray. they were red, with tight round petals. you thought they almost looked like roses, but you knew that wasn't right. peonies? begonias? you didn't know enough about flowers to recognize them, but you figured he went to the florist in your neighborhood while you were at work.

he paused his game after landing on a roof somewhere. "how was your day?"

"good," you said, pulling off your light jacket and standing by the couch. "what's with the flowers?"

wonwoo looked around you to the yellow ceramic and red blooms, both colors that suited the other few colorful items in your minimalistic (mostly from having only lived there a few short months) white kitchen. "camellias. i thought they looked nice."

you nodded, thinking that he had more to say, but decided not to press. "have you eaten?"

he stretched on the couch, hands falling to the back of his beanie clad head as he let out a strangled noise. "do i ever eat without you?"

that made you smile. "any thoughts on dinner?"

wonwoo shook his head, settling back into the couch. "what do you feel like?"

"i'm craving pizza."

wonwoo pushed his glasses up his nose and adjusted to fish his phone out of the pocket of his favorite track pants. "go take a shower, i'll order."

you grinned. "you are such a good roommate."

"correction, i'm the best roommate. oh, also," he pointed towards the fridge in the kitchen. "soonyoung came by with side dishes from your aunt."

"oh, thank god," you said, walking over to wash your hands quickly and check the haul. "i was worried we were gonna have to buy kimchi this week. he wasn't annoying, was he?"

wonwoo shook his head, chuckling at the way you talked about your cousin as he tapped through menus on his phone. "he was fine. complained that you weren't here."

"doesn't he have a job?" you opened a plastic container and popped a sweet braised potato into your mouth. your voice was muffled as you chewed. "he knows i get off at five. if he wants to see me he should come when he knows i'll be home."

the small smile on wonwoo's face never left as you rambled about soonyoung, then your fantastic chef of an aunt, and then the new guy that sat at the desk next to you that microwaved fish for lunch. seriously, who microwaves fish? in an office?

wonwoo commiserated with you, then told you to hurry and go wash up, because he had just submitted the pizza order, to which you responded "okay, okay, i'm going. i'll be back in a minute."

after a steam filled shower, you left the bathroom while toweling your damp hair, sporting a plain black v-neck with your, similar to wonwoo's, favorite track pants.

wonwoo looked up and laughed, tugging on the hem of his shirt. "we match."

you eyed one of the several black muscle tanks wonwoo sports regularly and giggled, pulling at the stripes down your pants. "we do. you want wine?"

"hell yeah. friday night, baby."

you laughed, returning to the bathroom to hang your towel before making your way to the kitchen, pulling a couple of stemless wine glasses out of your cabinet. they were the only glasses in the apartment because, as wonwoo had said, your priorities are notoriously bad. but, you reminded him, they worked just fine with water too, so you convinced him that buying real glasses could wait until you were both slightly less busy. you grabbed the bottle of red wine off the counter and looked at the seal. "wonwoo."

"yeah?" he paused his game and looked at you over the small kitchen cart that acted as an island. you held up the wine.

"new bottle."

he sighed dramatically. "what would you do without me?"

you grinned happily as you got the wine opener out of a drawer, holding it out for him. he snatched the bottle and opener from your hands and made a face, but began twisting the corkscrew into the cork nonetheless. you planted your elbow on the wood topped cart and watched him as he tugged out the cork, decidedly ignoring the fact that he was wearing a sleeveless shirt and he definitely looked like he had taken a trip to the gym today. 

"you pour, i always miss."

you laughed, pulling at the shrapnel of the seal that wonwoo always refused to cut away before removing the cork. "maybe if you didn't make the neck such a mess it wouldn't go everywhere when we pour it."

"unnecessary step," he retorted, watching you as you poured the wine into the two glasses. he took the one closest to him as you finished. "cheers."

"cheers," you repeated, clinking your glass against his and taking a gulp. you let out a noise of approval. "happy friday."

wonwoo was smiling as he took a sip. "happy friday."

"where's the pizza?"

"uh," he patted his empty pockets, then put down his wine glass to retrieve his phone from the couch. "down the street."

wonwoo had to shove his feet into a pair of slides to meet the delivery person at the entrance of your building, and when he returned, you were giggling into your glass at your sns feed. the wine hit maybe a little too hard, but you hadn't eaten in too long for you to have almost polished off a glass already.

wonwoo gestured for you to join him on the couch, so you grabbed the bottle of wine and tucked it under your arm, carrying the two glasses over to where he was shutting off his game.

you ate merrily, and then you talked. about nothing and everything all at the same time. this happened more often than you ever thought it would, but a week into living in the city, wonwoo had come home from hanging out with some old friends to you crying on the couch with a show on that was far too comical to be the source of your tears. that night, he stayed up with you until the sun was peeking up over the buildings, listening to your worries and struggles. he shared his own fears. you were a blubbering mess. he kept sniffling his nose, acting like the tears welling up in his eyes weren't there when you laughed, despite yourself. wonwoo and you had always been close, or as close as past coworkers that had the same friend circle could be, but this was different. you couldn't remember the last time you had cried like that in front of anyone, much less someone who wasn't your mother.

when you woke up on the couch past noon, your sunday to a late start, your arms were wrapped around wonwoo's torso as he slept, one hand tucked behind his head and the other on your back. his face was inches from yours. your cheeks were pink and you suddenly felt hot, trying as gently as you could to escape without waking him. he stirred, but only to readjust as you snuck away.

he said nothing about the cuddling when he woke to the sound of you closing the front door, and you smiled as you held out the iced americano you got him at the cafe down the street. he squinted at you and scratched his head, taking the drink and sipping it before even testing his voice.

"thanks."

he looked at you, eyebrows furrowed. "what? you bought coffee. thank you."

you sat next to him and swirling the straw in your own drink. "no, i mean for staying up with me. sorry i was a mess."

there was a pause, and your heart almost stopped when he put an arm over your shoulder. "you weren't. and i'll stay up with you whenever you want."

wonwoo sipped at his drink again, giving you a light squeeze when a tear fell down your cheek.

living together meant you saw a side of him you had never seen before. the little things he did throughout his day, when he wasn't even particularly conscious that you were in the same room as him. he always bit at his thumb when he was working, and he had a habit of leaving the milk carton open in the fridge. he always made you smile when he emerged from his room with his headphones loud enough for you to hear them from across the room, and he cluelessly bobbed his head to whatever he was listening to while he refilled a water bottle, waving and smiling before he returned to his room. when your mom asked you how living with wonwoo was, you told her he was great. clean, respectful, and quiet. that you had never been closer. that he made you feel safer so far from home. you didn't, however, tell her that you discovered that he liked running home from the gym at 2 pm on the weekends, laying out on the floor with his shirt over his head before he convinced himself to take a shower.

you had always thought wonwoo was cute. how could you not? he was a handsome guy, but you had accepted your place as a friend to him and happily let it progress no further. but, now that you spent your afternoons off arguing with him on whether or not showering was even worth the trouble, you couldn't help but stare at him. watching his toned chest rise and fall as you thought about how he had admitted his crippling fear of failure to you at three in the morning when your face was puffier than a padded jacket.

you never noticed, but wonwoo watched you closer than he did anything in his life. that night, when he found you crying, he felt his heart clench as you told him all your insecurities. when he had pulled you into his chest and held you tight as you questioned whether moving so far from home was a mistake, he patted your hair and told you that it was going to be fine. you had him, afterall. he had you. the two of you could make it out here. and if you still wanted to go home when the lease was up in six months, he would be there to help you move back.

he didn't stop holding you until your breathing settled, your shoulders stopped shaking. he leaned back into the couch, bringing you with him, and you didn't protest when he ran his hand up and down your back, coaxing you to sleep.

since then, every time you spoke to him, he couldn't help but stare at you intently. he watched your eyes light up while you talked about something you loved. he watched you scrunch your nose as you talked about your new desk neighbor. he watched your lips push into a pout when he said he should go get some work done. he wondered if anyone else noticed the way you sucked on your teeth while you thought up a witty comeback, or the way you carded your fingers through your still wet hair. or the way your eyes creased into a laugh, your hand coming up to block your open mouth. or the way you chewed on your red wine stained lip while he tried to form a sentence in response, when all he wanted to do was put those lips on his.

wonwoo had been stewing with these feelings far longer than he thought bearable, but stuffed it down in fear that he might lose you altogether. he didn't want to lose you altogether. he had gone on a walk halfway through his workday at home, feeling antsy for no particular reason, though if he thought about it long enough he would have realised it was because you had said something about feeling lonely lately that morning. he saw the florist he had pointed out the week before, and his feet brought him through the door.

"hi!" he looked up from the colorful display by the door to the person behind the counter and smiled politely. "did you need help finding something?"

"um," wonwoo blinked and looked around for a moment, then moved towards the counter. "i need a gift, i think."

the florist's eyebrows quirked curiously. "you think?"

he nodded, eyes flicking down to the nametag on his chest. he wondered if he was a foreigner with his three character name, but didn't mention it. "yeah. housewarming. for my, uh-" wonwoo paused, catching himself not knowing how to describe his relationship to you. roommate? wannabe lover? he bit his cheek. "my friend."

joshua nodded slowly, watching wonwoo's eyes as he worked his way through the sentence. "just friend?"

wonwoo stared at a flower arrangement to his right. "something like that."

"got it." joshua walked around the counter and gestured for wonwoo to follow him deeper into the store. "since it's a housewarming, how about a potted plant? something to brighten up the space for a long time. they'll think about you every time they see it."

wonwoo nodded, not saying anything about how funny he thought it was that he said he was getting his own roommate a housewarming gift. "that sounds nice."

"now, i'm not gonna claim to know you," the florist started, putting up his hands to exaggerate his words, they kept moving as he pushed and pulled pots, looking for one in particular. "you've said, like, maybe a full sentence to me, but those were some complex emotions when you called them a friend, so i'm gonna assume i know the situation. i think you should get camellias. specifically red ones."

wonwoo looked at the sunshine yellow pot in the soft featured man's hands. the petals of the flower were round and delicate, and he thought about how you said the color yellow made you happy. "why's that?"

"i think you should look up the meaning when you give them this," joshua said, and for some reason, wonwoo trusted him.

he came back to the apartment thinking about how he might have just gotten scammed into buying the potted flowers in his hands, only to find soonyoung about to hit the buzzer to call your unit, a far too large cooler bag sitting on the bench by the entrance of your building.

"is y/n around?" soonyoung asked, trailing behind wonwoo as they walked up the stairs, struggling slightly with the overpacked bag. "they didn't respond to my kakao."

"they're at work," he replied, flipping his keys over in his hands to find the one for your front door. "they'll be home around six."

"ah, shit," soonyoung laughed. "i always forget you guys have adult jobs. i would kill for a monday through friday."

wonwoo almost laughed, but left the smile on his face. "weekends are kind of overrated, anyways."

the shorter hoisted the bag of dishes onto the kitchen cart while wonwoo closed the door. "who're the flowers for?"

wonwoo stared at the pot in his arm as if it was the first time he had seen it. "oh, uh. just the place."

"for y/n?"

he looked at soonyoung, who had his chin in his palms, elbows planted on the counter as he smiled. he knew he was right when wonwoo didn't respond.

"i think they'll like them," he said, unzipping the top of the bag and starting to unload his mother's packaged dishes for his cousin. "they like the color yellow."

wonwoo just said "i know," before he opened the fridge and started rearranging things to fit the new food.

according to soonyoung, wonwoo was painfully obvious. when he had come by a couple weeks prior, you were arguing with him about some ridiculous childhood memory at your grandparents' home, and while soonyoung laughed, he noticed the smile on wonwoo's face when he watched you. he also noticed the way he instinctively put a hand on your back when you sighed about your newest temp gig, and soonyoung pulled on his ear as he looked at the ceiling, leaning against the kitchen cart much like he was today as he told wonwoo about how oblivious his cousin must be.

you pulled your knees to your chest as you sipped at your wine, the pizza box almost completely polished off by the two of you sitting on the floor in front of your couch. you stare at the pot of flowers.

"they're pretty," you said finally.

you too, wonwoo thought.

"camellias, right?" you turned back to him. "i like them."

i like you, wonwoo thought. "i went to that place down the street. the guy working was nice."

you nodded, sipping again. "any reason in particular?"

"i-" wonwoo paused, staring at his glass. he finished the last gulp in it and put it on the floor next to the pizza box. "you said something about being down recently," he said, folding his fingers together as he leaned back against the couch. "i wanted to get you something, i guess."

you watched his fingers as they pushed his glasses up his nose again, and your heart fluttered at the idea of wonwoo thinking about you when you weren't around. "really? that's so nice," you pouted, shoving his knee.

he laughed, pulling his knee onto the couch to face you. "the guy there - the florist, i guess? his name was joshua. he seemed to really know flowers." he knitted his brows together when he realized he was procrastinating on saying what he was nervous to. he put his arm on the back of the couch, rubbing his eye with the heel of his palm before continuing. "he said i should look up what they mean when i give them to you. red ones, specifically."

you perked up, heart racing. "what they mean? they have meaning?"

"y-yeah, i guess so," wonwoo said, then cleared his throat. 

"hey google!" you looked over to where the device sat by your tv. "what to red camellias mean?"

wonwoo stared at your profile as you watched the device think before its automated voice piped up.

"camellia flowers are available in white, pink, and red, with each color having its own unique symbolism."

you looked over to him, excitedly putting your glass to your lips as the voice continued.

"pink camellias symbolize a longing for someone, and is given to people who are missed."

wonwoo swallowed hard, fingers fidgeting against his temple.

"red camellias symbolize love, passion, and a deep desire."

your eyes widened slightly as the device shut off, glass still to your lips and eyes still on wonwoo's. he stared back at you, and you wondered if he meant it. but he never claimed that he didn't feel those things for you.

before you could think, you clumsily put your glass on the floor and moved. you didn't stop moving until your lips were on wonwoo's, pushing him back into the arm of the couch as you practically crawled into his lap.

his hands found your hips and he helped you settle into him, your fingers tracing his jawline as it worked against yours. you sighed into his lips as his hand slid up under your shirt, placed gently on the small of your back. pulling you into him. when you paused for a moment, you thought about waking up to this exact same view, that day after you had cried all night. but this time, his other hand pulled your jaw back to kiss him again, and you happily complied.

[lia-jones]

Growing Together - Chapter Twenty-Eight - The Proof Is In the Brownie

Author's note:

Hello beautiful people! It's been such a long time since I have posted, and I'm truly sorry for the no-show, but things ahve been hectic at work and I really couldn't get myself in the right headspace to write, but now we're hopefully rolling! I struggled a lot deciding whether I should write this chapter or not. It doesn't feel like my usual narrative, some of you will find it unusual, and still I had to get it out of my head. If you can, leave me a comment or an ask with your opinion!

So, without further ado, let's get to it!

“Oh God.” I croaked, looking around. “I think we took this thing way too far.”

Victor lifted his head from my shoulder, disheveled hair still covered with flour.

“You think?” He frowned. “We destroyed the kitchen.”

Feeding Instructions

“Andy, will you come here for a second?” I heard Victor call from the hallway.

“Yeah.” I stopped beside the aquarium, running my fingers through my wet hair.

“This is how much you give him.” He showed me a small plastic spoon with lobster pellet food. “Twice a day. Once in the morning, once in the evening. No more than that.”

Here we go.

“Are you also instructing me on how many times I should feed our son, or is it just the lobster?”

“You forget you fed him, and then you feed him more than necessary.” He dropped the food into the aquarium. “He’s getting fatter, his exoskeleton doesn’t even get a chance to harden.” He paused, staring at the aquarium. “Maybe I should make you a sheet to keep track of his feeding.”

“For the last time, Victor, I am not overfeeding the lobster! I am perfectly able to remember if I have fed him or not, I’m not senile.” I walked back to our room, starting to feel annoyed.

“This from the person who forgot her phone inside the refrigerator.” I heard him follow me.

“That is different, I was getting a yogurt for Owen and I was holding the phone...”

“I would buy you some memory supplements, but you’ll probably forget to take them.” He mocked me.

“You know, if you are so worried about the lobster, don’t go.” I turned to him. “Stay and feed him yourself.”

“You know I can’t do that. I need to make sure everything is running smoothly before the inauguration.” He held me by the waist.

“Right.” I leaned my head against his chest with a heavy sigh. ”And I need to stay behind to look after LCG and help Goldman if he needs me.”

“It’s only for two weeks.” He pressed his chin on top of my head. “Then you’ll meet me in Paris, and we can make up for the lost time.”

I wrapped my arms tightly around him, like somehow my embrace could force him to stay. Although traveling was a big part of Victor’s job, since we got Owen he used to avoid it as much as he could, and I got used to having him with us all the time. I knew LFG France was a big project that demanded a lot of his attention, especially during the first months, and he had no choice but to go, yet I still resented the fact that I would have to endure two weeks without his warmth, sleeping alone in a cold bed.

“In the meantime, will you please try not to kill our pet?” He broke our embrace, pecking me in the forehead. “Twice a day. No more, no less.”

“Oh, for the love of-”

“Nevermind, I’ll just ask Owen.”

And with that, my husband left me alone in our bedroom, probably to avoid the insults I was about to throw at him.

A Brownie a Day Keeps the Sadness Away

“You’re leaving tomorrow?” Owen poked his eggs. “But I have to go to school today, I won’t have any time to be with you before we leave.”

“We have tonight.” Victor smiled at his son.

“It’s no use, it’s not enough time.” The boy pouted. “And I’ll be too sad to enjoy it anyway.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at my five-year-old drama. Victor gave me a knowing look.

“Well, that being the case, I may as well return the tickets I bought to the Insectopia exhibition.” Victor spoke casually, his eyes on his phone.

Owen dropped his fork and looked at his father, his sweet brown eyes sparkling.

“We are going to see Insectopia today?”

Victor got up from the table calmly, retrieving an orange cardboard box from the fridge.

“We were, but since you are so depressed, you may not want to do it. I even bought your favorite brownies from Hungry Hippo, but I understand if you lost your appetite.”

“I can have brownies for breakfast?!?” Owen’s eyes opened so wide I thought they were going to pop out.

“Finish your eggs first.” Victor took three more plates from the cupboard, serving us all brownies. Owen took his fork again, eating his eggs in a rush.

“Done!” He announced after what felt like 10 seconds. “I want a brownie please!”

“God, Owen, did you even chew your food?!?” I looked at my son’s plate, surprised to see it empty. But I don’t think he even heard me, already busy cutting his brownie.

“Hmmm, these are sooo goood!” Owen closed his eyes as he took a bite of his brownie. “The best brownies ever, better than all other brownies! Not even Dad can make brownies this good!”

My husband’s face fell.

“My brownies are not this good?”

“No, these are so much better!” Owen replied with his mouth full of chocolate.

Victor gave me an inquisitive look. I sipped my coffee, pretending not to notice.

“Hmm.” He frowned, cutting a piece of his brownie with the fork and bringing it to his mouth. After a moment, his frown deepened. “They are. But how?”

Playing My Brownies Right

As usual, we drove Owen to school and headed to LFG Tower to work. On a regular day, Victor and I would spend our commute time talking about our daily affairs, clients we would meet, who would cook dinner or pick Owen up. But since it was his last day at home before he flew to Paris, all of that seemed irrelevant. The whole day just felt a bit sad for me.

“I wish you could take the day off for us to spend some time together. It’s been ages since we had some time for ourselves.”

“Some other time.” He sighed. “I need to get some last-minute affairs in order before I leave.”

“Can’t you take some time and have Goldman do it?” I complained. “You’ve been working non-stop.”

“I should take care of some things myself.”

“Funny, back when I was publishing my study, you were such a firm believer in delegating.” I squinted at him.

“Different situations.”

“Because I’m me and you’re you?”

There was a moment of silence, and I smiled thinking Victor was mulling over my astonishing comeback. Turns out, he wasn’t even listening.

“Do you think those brownies are better than mine?”

“That is your main concern right now!?”

“Well, are they?” He insisted.

“Ok, consider this a lesson of tough love.” I turned to him. “Yes, they are. Happy Hippo’s brownies are vastly superior to yours. And that’s ok. You don’t have to be good at everything. Someone can’t be good at everything.”

“I beg to differ.” He frowned, watching the road. “My whole life, I worked hard to achieve perfection, and I have reached it. I believe that with consistent effort and dedication, one can be good at anything.”

I stifled a laugh.

“Not brownies, though.”

“Don’t think I can’t tell you are mocking me.”

“Oh no, I’m going to lose brownie points.” I poked him.

“Will you back off?” He poked back. “I have plenty to do today, I don’t want to catch moronitis from you.”

“You know, if you were so good at everything, I’m sure you would have no trouble delegating your tasks to Goldman and spending the day with me.” I gave him a daring look. “In fact, I bet you can’t.”

“You bet?” He smiled mischievously at me. There was nothing Victor loved more than a good challenge. Unfortunately for him, I was well aware of that.

“Want to make it official?”

“It depends. What are the terms of this bet?”

“For today, until Owen arrives from school, if I dare you to do something, you’ll need to do it, and you need to do it perfectly. If I win, you’ll have to admit you are not good at everything. Also, you can’t nag me about anything for a whole month. Not about lobster food, not about the mess I make in the bathroom, nothing.”

“Fair enough. So if I win, you’ll have to always agree with what I say and act accordingly for a month. During that time, what I say goes, and you can’t go against it. And you will have to acknowledge my prowess as well.”

“I always have to agree? So I can never tell you that you’re wrong?” I frowned.

“Not for thirty days, you can’t.”

“Not even if you are talking your way into sleeping on the couch?”

“That won’t happen because you’ll always agree with me.” He smiled. “See? It’s a foolproof plan.”

“You have to win first.” I dared.

“I’m confident about my chances.” Keeping a cautious eye on the road, he pressed the screen of his phone. “And to show you I mean it, I will complete the first challenge.”

“You’re taking the day off?” I smiled, surprised to see my teasing work so well.

“I was already planning to, you idiot.” He pretended to be angry, although I could see him suppressing a smile. “I only had a short meeting to attend and then I would whisk you away from the office for some time for two. Sadly, you had to act childishly and ruin the surprise.”

Awww, soft Victor. I leaned against his bicep, my heart filled with love for this man. It almost made me feel bad for planning to make his day a living hell. Almost.

Put Your Mouth Where Your Brownie Is

“A supermarket? That’s your idea of time for two?”

“It’s been a while since we’ve had a quiet day at home, just the two of us.” Victor replied, filling our cart with several items. “And cooking together seems like a nice activity.”

“Well, since you’ll be gone for so long, I thought we could use some more…” I batted my eyelids at him. “... intimate time.”

“Fear not, I will not leave my wife unsatisfied.” He smiled.

That smile was enough to leave me a babbling horny mess. Get it together, Andrea.

It wasn’t until we stopped by the dairy fridge that I paid close attention to the contents of our cart: chocolate, sugar, flour, and a stick of unsalted butter Victor had just put there.

“We’re going to bake brownies.” My good mood was gone at that exact second. We were supposed to be taking time for us, how could he even think about brownies?

“We are going to try and recreate that recipe, perhaps even improve it.”

“Well, don’t use that butter then. Use this one instead.” I retrieved a stick of regular butter from the fridge.

“I will not use cheap butter to bake.” He put the salted butter in its original place. “It alters the consistency and flavor. It belongs on warm bread, not brownies.”

I could say I was disappointed that Victor was more concerned about his pride than the short time we had to be together before his trip. I could even say that it upset me how condescending he would sound sometimes, always telling me how to do things, like I was Owen’s age. All of these were true, but that wasn’t what was bothering me the most. Victor would leave soon, and we wouldn’t see each other for two weeks, and I knew I would be a needy insecure mess during the time he would be away, barely able to sleep on that giant bed by myself, missing his loving whispers in the morning, his huge sweaty body making love to me. To add insult to injury, this distance didn’t seem to affect Victor at all. He was cool as a cucumber, like this long trip away from his family was just another Tuesday.

I felt entitled to some pettiness.

“You know what? Forget about the old bet.” I took the stick of butter and placed it again in our cart. “Let’s make a new one. Same consequences, different challenge.”

“What do you have in mind?” He came closer, looking me in the eye.

“Simple.” I stared back defiantly. “The best brownie wins.”

All is Fair in Love and Brownies

The terms were pretty straightforward: we had fifteen minutes to prepare the batter, after which we would put both trays in the oven, simultaneously, and bake them for the exact same time. If we couldn’t decide on which brownie was the best, Owen would have the final say. The winner would have absolute power over the household for a month, and could not be defied during that time, unless in dire circumstances.

We placed the ingredients on the counter, along with the bowls and pans we would need. Victor started the timer on his phone.

“Ready?” He glanced at me.

“Let’s get this party started.” I smiled.

It was showtime.

Victor and I loved cooking together, but our cooking methods couldn’t be more different. I was more of a messy cooker, leaving eggshells on the counter, and flour everywhere, and most times my clothes would also become victims of my culinary endeavors, while Victor was methodical and clean, neatly arranging his ingredients on the counter, carefully measuring each one of them. Surprisingly, we worked pretty well together: Victor quickly embraced my spontaneous side and I obviously benefited immensely from his methodic one. Side by side, as competitors, not so much. That became clear when I grabbed the flour and placed it absentmindedly on the counter, the bag still open.

“Close the bag after you use it.” Victor paused his mixing to close the flour bag. “Clumsy as you are, you’ll spill flour all over the counter.”

“So what?” I shrugged, busy mixing my batter. “It’s just flour, we’ll clean it afterward.”

“Have you noticed how filthy your side of the counter is? How can you work in such chaos?” He scolded. “Eggshells everywhere, flour and sugar on the floor…” He wiped my forehead. “How did you even get flour on your face?”

And there he was again, talking to me like I was five. Oh boy.

“I’m sorry, is my mess making you uncomfortable?”

“Just stay on your side of the counter, I don’t want to get stains on my shirt.”

That was enough. If Victor was so adamant about treating me like a child, I would act like one.

“Oops!” I tilted the sugar jar over the counter, sugar spilling all over Victor’s side. “You are right, I can be really messy.”

“What’s the matter with you?” He quickly grabbed a cloth. “Are you trying to aggravate me on purpose?”

“Maybe I am.” I shrugged. “I mean, I’m sure a perfect man like you must be prepared to deal with all challenges life throws at him, including a messy wife.”

“A little sugar isn’t going to stop me, if that's what you think.” He gave me a smug look, returning to his work. “I’ll still win.”

“Is that so?” I paused my mixing, wondering what I could do to get him pissed.

“Easy now, don’t go doing things you might regret.” Victor raised an eyebrow at me, like he somehow had read my mind.

“I think my batter is ready. Tell me what you think.” I grabbed the spoon I was using to mix and whipped it towards Victor, a bunch of brownie batter landing on his neck and face. “Yummy, right?”

Victor paused, his eyes closed, taking a deep breath as he wiped the chocolate from his face. For a moment I thought he would just scream at me and storm away. I had something quite different.

“Not quite ready yet.” He took the flour bag and dumped it all over me. “It needs more flour."

“Are you sure?” I gave him a defying look, after wiping some of the flour off me. “Have another taste.”

And I did the unthinkable. I took my mixing bowl and poured it all over his shirt and pants.

“For the record,” Victor said after recovering from the initial shock, “you were the one who started this.”

I really can’t tell who threw what next, but the next thing I know is we were in full battle mode, ingredients flying everywhere. Victor got a clear advantage when he remembered he had some eggs close by. Thankfully, I was quick to react and managed to avoid being bombarded by opening the fridge door and hiding behind it. And that’s when I saw it. The can of whipped cream I had bought to garnish the other brownies, and that Victor had refused to use because food in a can is unacceptable. Well, I would put it to good use now. I emerged from behind my improvised shelter, shaking the can vigorously.

“Now, if you’re smart,” I pointed the nozzle at him, “you’ll admit defeat and walk away.”

“If you were smart”, he walked confidently towards me, “you’d know it takes a lot more than whipped cream for me to fold.” Before I could react, he grabbed both my wrists and made me twirl, holding my arms behind my back, the can forgotten on the floor. “Now admit defeat.” He whispered in my ear, from behind me.

“Oh, bite me.” I scoffed.

He didn’t waste a second. He took my earlobe in his mouth and bit it hard.

“Satisfied?”

I gave him a daring look.

“Harder.”

Bigger Brownies to Bake

My defiance was like a trigger in Victor’s mind. He didn’t give me any time to think or react, turning me effortlessly in his arms, his mouth taking mine in a passionate kiss. And just like that, our food fight turned into a steamy make-out session.

Yes, the kitchen was a mess, and Victor would be leaving soon, but none of the things that bothered us before seemed to matter at that moment, as we focused solely on each other and the way we felt, the world a blurry notion in the back of our minds. We simply gave in to our lust, kissing, touching, teasing, hands ripping clothes apart and throwing them on the ground. Victor was far from cold, despite popular belief, he was a very intense man, and loving him was just as intense. Every time we gave in to our feelings like this, it was like being swallowed by a gigantic yet pleasurable wave, only hoping we would come out whole in the end. We made love right then and there, on our kitchen island, too entranced to think of anything else. It was only when we came down from our high, landing in each other’s arms with a wide grin on our faces, that we minded the real world again.

“Oh God.” I croaked, looking around. “I think we took this thing way too far.”

Victor lifted his head from my shoulder, his hair covered with flour.

“You think?” He frowned. “We destroyed the kitchen.”

Our eyes met for a second before we both burst into laughter. Problems like a dirty kitchen seem so silly when we’re happy.

“Will you tell me why you have been so moody with me lately?” He pulled me closer to his chest.

“I haven’t…” I started defending myself, but gave up when I noticed him glaring at me. “I have been moody, yes, you are right.” I sighed. “I know this is stupid and you’ll probably make fun of me, but the idea of having you away for so long… it’s unsettling.”

“Idiot, it’s only for a few weeks.” He chuckled. “Before you know it, you’ll be taking the jet to meet me.”

“See? And that infuriates me too!” I pushed away from his arms. “Here I am, pouring my heart out, and you laugh! Like this is a joke, like there is no reason for me to be feeling that way, especially when it’s clear you won’t-”

He pressed his lips against mine, and as usual, my thoughts evaded me completely. His kiss was sweet and soothing, taking away all my anxiety. He took my face in his hands and broke the kiss to look into my eyes, his voice with a sweeter yet vulnerable tone now.

“You are usually so good at reading me.” He smiled. “How can you think I don’t care?”

His eyes were filled with such honesty that I began to question my reasoning as well. That man did nothing but love me, deeply, every day. How could I possibly question that? I watched as he lifted my wrist, holding the red ruby charm between these fingers.

“I carry your heart with me.” He whispered.

“I carry it in my heart.” I returned.

“I may not say much, but my word is biding. You never need to worry about these things, you have the answer to them already. Here.” He pointed at my bracelet. “Here.” He took my left hand, kissing my ring finger. “And hopefully, here.” His hand rested on my chest. “Even when this gets you in trouble.” He tapped my forehead with a smile. “I give all these reminders and still you forget? You are in dire need of those memory supplements.”

“Damn it.” I shook my head. “You won.”

“No, the terms were that the best brownie would win. We didn’t get to bake them.”

“You wanted to prove to me that you are perfect.” I wrapped my arms around his neck. “And you did. You are absolutely perfect. At least for me.”

“Well, that being the case…” He came closer, brushing his lips against mine. “I think we have a tie.”

The kitchen was pristine clean when Owen came from school, and our little adventure became our secret, a private joke we shared in our moments of intimacy. Another proof that, even in chaos and uncertainty, we would always find each other.

This project has been going for a year now (it started in February 2020) and it won't be over any time soon, so I would like to ask you, as much as possible, for your support, because we still have a very long way to go. So, if you enjoy the work, don't forget to comment and reblog. It gives it traction and enables other people to learn about it, and for me to get more excited about what I do.

[4dtk]

read part one here! there’s more dialogue in this one, oops. plus, this isn’t based on any song but there’s undertones of ‘love song’ by nct 127 in it, enjoy!

[jaemin, 6:38pm] the next time you meet jaemin is when the rain’s pouring heavily, creating music on the metal roof of the convenience store. it was just your luck to reach the store before the rain intensified, but now you were probably stuck for a good hour until the downfall subsided. he was holding a blue packet of chocolate hearts, talking to a friend who was situated on a bike.

“jaemin?”

he spun around at your familiar voice, arms going up in excitement at seeing you.

“is this the girl you were talking about jaem?” the other male giggled, putting on his helmet before starting up his motorcycle. you looked at him funny, wondering what things jaemin could’ve told him.

“sorry for laughing, but jaemin has only told me good stuff about you, don’t worry about it. i’m jeno,” you bowed slightly, smacking jaemin lightly after his friend had left the area. there was a subtle rev from the biker before hearing him speed off in the rain. you stole a chocolate heart from him as punishment, waiting for the familiar flavour to kick in but grimaced instead at the bizarre taste. snatching the packet from him, you noticed that it was a limited edition of blueberry chocolate hearts, shooting the male a disgusted look.

“what? blueberry chocolate hearts aren’t that bad.”

hearing the pitter-patter of the rain calmed your nervous heart, as you wondered what jaemin could’ve said for his friend to react like that.

“who was that?”

“he’s in my class, he majors in geology like me.” jaemin looked over to you, waiting for a reaction from you. was being interested in the earth weird?

“geology? it never struck me that you would be a man interested in rocks.”

“yeah, this man is also rock… hard,” you only sighed at that, leaving the male to laugh at his dick joke while you enter the store for the original flavour of chocolate hearts. you hoped he didn’t actually… have a boner, or that would be disturbing as hell.

“you kinda set yourself up for that one, (y/n), plus you make it seem like it’s a boring thing to be interested in, we also learn about volcanoes and earthquakes and anything that relates to the earth and its processes.”

you put your hands up in surrender, “i’m not saying it’s not intriguing—i did do geography in high school, i was pretty good at it, but i think i forgot most of it.”

jaemin smiled, bringing his arms into a big circle, mouth wide open even though there was a half-chewed blueberry heart in his mouth. “but that’s just the surface of it, we learn a lot more than high school geography.” you glanced at the boy, noticing the unique way in how his eyes gleam from the refrigerator light and how his gestures travel everywhere to get his point across.  

“yeah? like what?" giving up your usual drink, you settled for the coffee service at the counter instead, knowing you'd rather enjoy a hot beverage rather than an iced coffee in this weather.

“normally, the geology of an area changes over time—rock units are deposited and inserted, deformational processes alter their shapes and locations. they are first emplaced either by deposition onto the surface or intrusion into the overlying rock. the former process can occur when sediments settle onto the surface of the earth and later lithify into sedimentary rock, or when as volcanic material blanket the surface,” you cut him to show off your high school level geography, poking fun at the male while your smile got through to his heart, “like, ash and lava.”

jaemin could only laugh in reply, waiting for you after the cashier as you waited for your cash to be returned and for your coffee to be made.

“igneous intrusions such as batholiths, laccoliths, dykes and sills, push upwards into the overlying rock, and crystallise as they intrude.” he ended off his small speech with a bow, passing him to receive the scorching hot beverage before going outside to sit with the rain.

“did you read that off wiki before this?”

“in a way, i… guess. i did have a test a few days ago, i have another tomorrow.” jaemin giggled, frowning right after at the last blueberry heart in the packet. he offered it to you, anyway, but turned it down due to its questionable flavour.

before you could insult him for his weird tastebuds, you heard a crash from inside the store, causing you to check out the sudden sound. umbrellas were scattered over the floor, having fallen over from its box when it was unstable. you and jaemin helped the cashier on duty to place the umbrellas back in place while you debated on whether you should purchase one to head back.

just do it.

“hey, sorry, can i purchase one of the umbrellas?”

the cashier only smiles at your question. “rushing to head back home, huh?”

you didn’t know how to answer her question, so you stayed quiet as she checked your item out. removing the plastic from the new umbrella, you tugged on jaemin’s arm to drag him under your shelter with him. at this, he shook his head.

“what?”

“i hate the rain,” he muttered, hand visibly tightening around the blue wrapper of blueberry chocolate hearts.

“i’m not gonna leave your sorry ass waiting here for the rain to ease off, you said you had a test tomorrow, right?” you tried your hand at tugging on his arm again, but he remained glued to his spot.

“iiiiiii just remembered it’s just a small quiz, doesn’t need much studying,” jaemin grinned, looking into your eyes for some kind of message, but all he got was your unimpressed face staring back at him before sighing, “okay fine. whatever. let’s go.”

it doesn’t take much for your heart to spike up in speed, his arm naturally going around your person as he takes over holding the umbrella. you can see how he pouted while leading the way back to the university dorms, noting how he kept looking down at his shoes. new shoes? was that why he didn’t want to go into the rain? jaemin’s enigmatic behaviour remains unanswered as you feel his breath on your hair, occasionally turning back to look at incoming traffic.

“you’re really warm, did catch a fever?” you asked cautiously, despite loving the warmth the boy gave out. it felt familiar and comforting, like a knitted sweater or blanket that resided in your dorms. said boy could only show you a small smile, eyes crinkled at its tips softly as he went on to cross the road that led to your destination. you definitely saw your own reflection in his eyes with how close you were standing, with how big and expressive they were.

“…dent pass?”

huh?

“do you have your student pass?” jaemin repeats, using his head to gesture to his occupied hands.

“oh no,” you said, not intending the other to hear your wave of panic.

“what is it?”

“my friend tapped me out, do you have yours?” your heart was at the verge of dropping, awaiting his answer that would decide your fate.

“so did mine,” jaemin could only purse his lips, halting in front of the dormitory gates in the pouring rain, “i am really hating this right now.”

“you don’t think i’m uncomfortable?” you scoff, looking up at him with an annoyed expression. his arm went from around your shoulders to your waist almost immediately, hands hovering right after he’d seen your surprised expression.

“sorry, about that.” he trailed off, looking anywhere but in your line of sight as you struggled to hide your smile. you shake your head, stepping closer to the geology major in a leap of confidence. both of you wish you could’ve stayed like that a little longer, though, the atmosphere was ruined with a ding! of your phone. it was a picture of the two of you smiling down at each other, prompting you to eye your roommate from where you were.

curse the room that was facing the dormitory gate; plus, she was being unnecessarily annoying today.

with a whoosh!, you sent out a text for her to pick you up before turning your attention back to the boy in front of you.

“hi.” you mumble, not knowing whether to smile when he was looking at you like that, where the strands of his hair were a little damp and his cheeks reached his eyes due to his wide smile.

“hey, (y/n).” jaemin whispers back, arm tightening around your body, hoping your friend never comes and that you could remain here forever.

funny, you were hoping that would be the case too.

[anarchistgumball]

Bakukami

Continuation of this fic not nessicary to read but highly appreciated!

Events from the previous night flooded Bakugo’s mind. Shit. Kaminari was curled up to his side lightly gripping his shirt, he didn’t know if he should wake Kaminari up or let him sleep because of the tough night he had. Bakugo cracked his neck and tried to escape from Kaminari’s grip, thankfully he succeeded. He went to the kitchen where Kirishima was making a protein shake (one of the few things he could make)

“So uhh are you going to tell me why Kaminari’s on our couch?”

“Jiro cheated on him, so he came here”

“Oh shit…. Why’d he go to you though…. You arent exactly the… nicest.”

Bakugo just shrugged and got out things to make breakfast. While Bakugo was cracking open eggs Kirishima seemed to be thinking.

“You know we should go get his things”

“What the hell do you mean?”

“Well, he probably doesn’t want to be around Jiro right now and it’s just a manly thing to do something for your bros”

Bakugo rolled his eyes. “We’ll talk to him about it.”

Kirishima nodded, poured out his shake and went to sit on the chair beside the couch. When Bakugo was done he could hear Kaminari yawning. Fuck, why did he have to be adorable and in pain and not his. He sighed and divided up the eggs for him, Kirishima, and their (hopefully at least semi- permanent) ‘guest’.

“Hey idiots”

Both Kaminari and Kirishima’s eyes lit up when they saw the plates.

“Thanks bakubro!”

Kaminari just smiled, as Bakugo handed off the plates.

“So.. Dunce face”

Kaminari raised an eyebrow at him, swallowed what he was chewing and spoke “Yeah?”

“Would it be okay if me and Shitty hair got your stuff from Jiro’s”

Kaminari looked down, face contorted in what looked like pain “yeah” It was quiet.

Kirishima put his plate on the coffee table and sat next to Kaminari, arms open. Once Kaminari’s plate was next to Kirishima’s he dove into the others arms. Kirishima rubbed circles into the others back while Bakugo awkwardly watched. Kirishima was definitely better than him at this though. Why couldn’t he be like Kirishima?

“Shhh Kami, it’s okay, it’ll get better.” He started stroking his hair. “We’ll help you, we all will. Me, Bakugo, Mina, Sero- we’re all here for you.”

Why couldn’t he help Denki? This wasn’t about Bakugo, he knew it wasn’t but now he felt like shit. Not necessarily their fault he felt like a shit friend- He should know that he should’ve said something like that, been more comforting. After a minute that seemed to last a lifetime Kaminari untangled himself from Kirishima.

“Thanks kiri”

Kiri just smiled while saying ‘no problem bro!’ Bakugo stared off somewhere trying to ignore everything.

Kirishima and him had just left to get Kaminari’s stuff. He was not looking forward to it, just knowing he’d have to interact with Jiro- someone who hurt Kaminari, left a bad taste in his mouth. Honestly on top of all the emotional shit if this got out it would effect her newfound career, how could she be so stupid? Once they pulled up Kirishima knocked on the door, smile dimmer. Jiro answered it, her eyes rimmed red. How the fuck did she have the audacity to cry when she caused this. She frowned.

“What are you doing here”

Kirishima opened his mouth to speak, but Bakugo interjected first. “We came to get Kaminari’s shit”

“No”

“What the hell do you mean ‘no’ I didn’t fucking ask- I told you why.”

“Kaminari has to come here if he wants his stuff and talk to me”

“Why?” At this point kirishima was on the sidelines while Bakugo and Jiro argued.

“Because I want- need to talk to him”

“No you don’t, not until he’s ready. Let us in.”

She wasn’t moving. “No”

Bakugo growled. “I swear to fucking god if you don’t let us in I’ll tell people and the damn media what you have done.” Shady? Completely. Did he care? Not in this instance. She moved. “Only his stuff.” Bakugo roughly entered, Kirishima treading after to him. They had trashbags to put Kaminari’s clothes and small things of his in. He went to their bedroom, it was somewhat messy- mostly Kaminari’s things strewn around. He couldn’t tell if it was his or Jiro’s doing. It didn’t matter as he shoved it into the bag, he took whatever might’ve been Kaminari’s not really knowing as the guy could wear sweats and a T-shirt one day and a crop top the next. He could hear Kirishima trying (and failing) to softly toss items like deodorant, body wash, and shampoo into the plastic bag.

“You guys don’t even fucking understand what happened” They could hear Jiro muttering.

“What did happen then” This time it was Kirishima who spoke up, voice harsher than normal. Jiro just pressed her lips into a thin line and stayed quiet.

When they got home Kaminari hugged them both, sniffling again.

“So uh We also got an air mattress because we didn’t know if you had a place to stay” Kirishima scratched the back of his head setting down the box that contained the mattress. Kaminari living with them was something Kirishima brought up on their way home, to Bakugo’s pleasure, he really didn’t want to be the one to open the conversation. It wasn’t a very long discussion before they abandoned going home in favor of getting the shitty bed. Kirishima didn’t mind another one of his best friends living with them especially if it meant less chores, Bakugo was pretty easy to convince seeing he already knew about his ‘soft spot’ for Kaminari.

“Oh I don’t want to intrude….I can find a place to stay”

“Or you can not let this go to waste and live here while you get back on your feet” In all honesty Bakugo would be fine with Kaminari never moving out, but he wouldn’t say that. He’d also be fine with helping Kaminari move on with Jiro but taking advantage of his friends while they were struggling wasn’t really his forte.

“Okay I guess but if ever geet in the way or intrude, or something-

“Pikachu shut up”

“Bro you aren’t intruding, we’d love it if you’d stay!” Kirishima elbowed Bakugo while he scowled.

“Okay guys, thanks! I love you two!” Kaminari basically launched himself towards the both of them, hugging them with one arm each.

“Love you too bro!”

“Yeah..” Was the only thing that escaped Bakugo’s mouth. When Kaminari released them, him and Kirishima kept talking about how cool it would be to live together. At least he wasn’t crying anymore.

@rreset (I didn’t know if you would want to be tagged in this but you requested a part two so here!)

[superfreakerz]

Heightened

This is a request from @millennial-star-gazer :) Sorry it took me so long to finish this! And I might've changed it a bit because I'm not really confident in my skills of writing E.N.D. lol. Hope you like it anyways! :D

"Heightened"

Rated M for smut.

Summary: After eating a potion-infused chip he bought from some sketchy clerk, Natsu is thrown into Dragon Force. Lucy quickly finds that it isn't just his appearance that is affected. With heightened senses, the boy is possessive and territorial over her.

Heightened

"Sir, could you perhaps be a dragon slayer?"

Natsu's ears perked at the question. He and Happy had been traveling home from one of the jobs that they went on together. Even though they loved the rest of Team Natsu, the two still chose to do some jobs alone to spend some time together.

Natsu nodded at the man behind the counter. They were currently in a magic shop, looking for any keys that they could bring back to Lucy.

"Yeah, I am. Why?" he asked.

"I have something that you might like," the man answered. "But first, do you have a partner?"

"Partner?" Natsu immediately pictured Lucy. "Yeah, I do. Why?"

"Because I can only sell it to you if you have one."

"Oh. Well what is it?"

The man bent down and pulled an item from behind the counter. Inside of a small bag was a sole potato chip.

Natsu quirked a brow, crossing his arms. "A chip? You're selling me a chip?"

"It's not just any kind of chip," the clerk said. "It's one that will make things more fun between you and your partner."

"More fun? How?"

"You'll have to see for yourself." The man's lips curled into a small smile, his cheeks tinted pink.

Natsu stared at the chip skeptically. It was a hefty price to pay for just a chip, but the guy did say it'd make things more fun. That was worth it, right? And since the shop didn't sell any celestial keys, they could use the money they saved for that on this instead.

"Alright, I'll take it!" Natsu exclaimed with an eager grin.

The man mirrored his expression, accepting the money and offering him the chip.

Little did Natsu know at the time that the kind of fun the man meant was something totally different.

Arriving at the guild, Natsu's eyes immediately searched for a head of golden hair while Happy flew towards Charle. Finding the blonde sitting at the bar with Cana and Mira, the boy decided to sneak up on her. Right behind her, he squeezed her sides and shouted, eliciting a scream from the girl.

Lucy turned around, glaring at Natsu. "Natsu! Don't do that, you jerk!"

The boy cackled. "It's too funny, Luce!"

"It's not funny!"

"Yeah it is!"

"It kinda is," Cana agreed.

"Yep!" Mira chimed in.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Turning towards her partner, she smiled at him. "How did the job go?"

"Piece of cake!" Natsu answered with a wide grin.

"That's good. I was actually going to go back to my place to write on my novel."

"Oh, I'll go with you."

"Okay, but you need to be quiet since I need to concentrate on my story! Are you going to bring Happy?"

"Nah, he's been talkin' this whole time about winning Charle's heart the moment we got back so I'm gonna let him do his thing."

With that, they were saying their goodbyes to everyone in the guild before heading back to Lucy's apartment. Natsu walked a step behind Lucy as she walked on the edge of the canal. He was on his toes to make sure that she wouldn't fall in- though, that'd be a pretty funny sight. He told her all about their job, all the while watching Lucy.

The sunlight reflected off of Lucy's golden hair, making her look like an angel. His eyes glazed over her curves, his fingers itching to feel them. He shook his head, forcing his gaze onto the pavement.

He and Lucy weren't like that. At least, not yet. Ever since the battle with Zeref and Acnologia, the two were in a weird stalemate. Natsu had a feeling that she had a thing for him, just as he did for her, but neither of them chose to really act on it. Maybe they were waiting for each other to make a move. Natsu wasn't sure. But he didn't want to do anything that Lucy wasn't ready for.

Reaching the girl's apartment, Lucy immediately went to her desk while Natsu situated himself on her bed. They were in a content silence as Lucy worked on her novel and Natsu played with his fire.

Still, Natsu could only keep himself entertained for so long. After half an hour passed of them sitting in silence, he was starting to feel fidgety. No longer interested in playing with fire, he shoved his hands in his pockets, his brows quirking as he felt a plastic bag in one of them. He had forgotten all about the chip.

"Lucy!" he suddenly called out, causing the girl to jump in her seat.

With a hand over her chest to calm her startled heart, she turned to face him. "What, Natsu? Don't just scream my name like that! You scared me!"

He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, sorry! But I just remembered something I bought for us!"

This piqued the blonde's interest. In seconds, she was getting up from her chair and sitting by him on the bed.

"What is it?" she asked, a wide smile stretched over her face. Reaching into his pocket, Natsu pulled out the plastic bag, showing it off. Lucy peered curiously at it, blanching when she saw what was inside. "A chip? You got us a chip? Not even a full bag, but just one single chip?"

"Yeah! The guy said that it would make things fun!" Natsu replied.

"How?"

"He said I'd have to see for myself."

Lucy placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Natsu, but you totally got ripped off. The guy just put a potato chip in the bag and said some nonsense about it so some idiot would buy it."

"Oi! I'm not an idiot!"

"You just bought a single potato chip."

"For us," Natsu said, nudging the girl. "I don't think he was lying!"

"What makes you say that?" Lucy asked.

"Because he knew I was a dragon slayer! So this only works for dragon slayers. And he said he could only sell it to me if I have a partner."

"Partner?"

"Yeah. Like you and Happy."

Lucy sighed. "Well, I'll let you have it."

Natsu inspected the chip. It did look like an ordinary chip… He shook his head. He refused to believe that he was played!

So, without a second thought, he plopped the chip into his mouth and began to chew. It tasted like any other chip. Swallowing, he waited for anything to happen.

"Well?" Lucy asked, staring at the boy. "Anything happen?"

The boy crossed his arms with a pout. "Not yet. But just give it some time! I'm sure it'll-!"

Natsu's eyes widened, his jaw slacking. His breaths began to stagger and his heart felt like it was beating a mile per second. He clutched his chest, the world around him starting to spin.

"Natsu?" Lucy called out. "Natsu, what's wrong?"

The boy couldn't even hear her. A strange, foreign heat traveled through his body. Being a fire dragon slayer who ate fire on a daily basis, his body always felt warm. But this was different. This was painful.

Natsu inhaled sharply, fisting his hair as the heat got worse. It felt like it was bundling up, about to explode within him.

Lucy was getting worried. Was the chip poisoned? Was that why he was acting like this? Looping an arm underneath Natsu, she began to lead him towards the door.

"I'm going to take you to the guild!" she told him, unsure if he could even hear her. He didn't react at all, so she doubted he could. "Maybe Wendy or Master can do something about this!"

It was a long, hard walk to the guild. Carrying Natsu the entire way was a struggle. It didn't help that the townspeople were staring at them, and it especially didn't help when Natsu would start to thrash around in pain.

But finally, they reached the guild. Kicking open the door, everyone in the guild turned their attention towards them.

"Someone help me!" Lucy shouted. Carrying Natsu the entire way had taken its toll on her body and she was exhausted. Falling to her knees, she was relieved when Gray and Erza came to help.

"What's wrong?" Gray asked, lifting Natsu and sitting him down at the nearest table. Everyone in the guild circled around them, concerned for the dragon slayer.

"I-I don't know!" Lucy answered, standing right beside the ice-make mage. "He bought some chip from someone saying that it would make things fun or something and next thing I knew he was like this! Wendy, can you help him?"

The girl frowned, shaking her head. "I'm not really sure what the problem is."

"It isn't poison?"

"No. If it were, I could heal him."

"I know where the shop is!" Happy chimed in. "Maybe we should go see the guy that sold it to us!"

"That's a good idea," Erza replied. "It doesn't help that none of us knows what's happening. We need to get some answers."

Lucy frowned, gnawing on her lower lip as she watched Natsu writhe in agony. She hated seeing him hurt. Suddenly, a cold hand landed on her shoulder. Gray smiled at her.

"Don't worry, Lucy," he said. "We'll figure it out. Flame Brains will be back to his annoying, idiotic self in no time."

Lucy nodded, forcing a smile to her face. "You're right. Thank you, Gr-!"

A low growl had interrupted her. Whipping her head towards Natsu, Lucy's eyes grew wide as her jaw dropped on its hinges. Natsu's pupils had turned to slits as he glared at Gray. Anger gleamed in his eyes. Suddenly, scales started to grow out of some parts of his face.

"Dragon Force?" Gajeel asked. "Why the hell is he goin' into Dragon Force?"

Before anyone could say anything else, Natsu leapt from his spot, tackling Gray down to the ground.

"Oi! What the hell, Natsu!" Gray shouted, trying to get him off.

Natsu ignored him, baring his sharp teeth. Another low growl resonated in his throat.

"Don't. Touch. Her," he ground out.

Everyone's eyes widened.

"Wait, is he talking about Lucy?" Erza asked.

"I only put my hand on her shoulder!" Gray said.

This only caused Natsu to get angrier. His nails turned to sharp claws, which he held dangerously close to Gray's face.

"Don't touch her!" he repeated. His voice was lower than normal, scratchy and hoarse.

Erza went to get Natsu off of Gray when the boy threatened to slash at her instead. Lucy swallowed thickly, taking a step towards him. She didn't want to set him off, but she needed to get him away from Gray.

"Natsu," she called out. This gained the boy's attention. "Come here."

He got up and went by the girl's side. Gray scoffed, glaring at him.

"I think I know what the problem is," Levy said, gaining everyone's attention. "Natsu wasn't poisoned. But he was definitely given something."

"What is it?" Lucy asked.

Levy blushed and chuckled awkwardly. "Well, it's going to sound crazy…"

"Just tell us!"

"I think the chip might've been infused with a potion that makes someone possessive and territorial. And since Natsu's a dragon slayer, that side of him is worse than most people's. His senses will be heightened."

"The guy did say that it was meant for dragon slayers," Happy informed her. "And that he could only sell it if Natsu had a partner."

"Partner? Well, that only proves my point. He meant partner as in significant other, not a partner you go on jobs with."

Lucy flushed from head to toe. "Wait… So you're saying that Natsu is possessive of… me?"

"Yep," Levy answered with a nod.

"But-But we aren't even- What!?"

"Oh please," Gray said, crossing his arms. "Everyone knows how you guys feel about each other. And I guess this means that Ash for Brains does too."

Lucy's cheeks were set ablaze. She did not come here to have her feelings towards Natsu talked about amongst the whole guild.

"Don't worry, Lucy," Levy said. "The effect will wear off eventually. For now, just endure it."

"You should probably take him home," Erza suggested. "We don't want him hurting anyone."

Lucy nodded, her heart thumping within her chest. Take Natsu home? While he was like this?

"Okay," she said. "Let's go, Natsu. Happy." That seemed to trigger the dragon slayer as he glared at Happy with a growl. "Seriously? You're getting jealous over Happy too?"

The exceed frowned. "It's okay, Lucy. I'll just go home. You can take Natsu to your apartment."

Lucy smiled apologetically towards the cat, knowing that his feelings were probably hurt. "Alright. Bye, everyone."

The guild wished her luck, and with that, she was out the door.

Even though carrying Natsu to the guild was tough, this was worse. Every time someone so much as looked at her, Natsu was charging them and getting in their faces. The same happened if someone was just walking close to her.

"Stop it already!" Lucy demanded, dragging Natsu by the scarf into her apartment. Once she closed the door behind her, she leaned against it with a sigh of relief, glad to be back home. Since they were alone, there was nobody Natsu could get angry at.

"Well, Natsu?" Lucy started, opening her eyes to glance at him. "What do you want to do-!"

The words died in her throat as she saw the way Natsu was looking at her. She was no fool. She was not blind to the hunger and desire that filled his onyx orbs.

A blush crawled up her face. "Umm, what do you want to do?"

Natsu ignored her and continued to stare at her. Her eyes trailed over the scales that protruded his skin. The dark look in his eyes paired with those scales…

Heat erupted within the girl like a volcano as the area between her thighs began to tingle in excitement. Lucy wanted to bash her own head in the wall. What was she getting turned on for? It wasn't like she could actually do anything!

Still, Lucy blushed from the intense look Natsu was giving her. This was her first time seeing him in Dragon Force. She'd seen him angry many times, but this was different. Though he was angry at everyone else, he never looked angry when he gazed at her.

Lucy was drawn from her thoughts as she saw Natsu walking towards her. With a tiny squeal, she pushed herself against the door. Natsu stopped right in front of her, his eyes boring into hers.

"N-Natsu?" she called out.

Before she could even register what was happening, Lucy found herself caged between Natsu's arms.

"Lucy…" he said, his voice low and alluring. The girl couldn't help but shudder from his voice.

"W-What are you doing?"

Natsu slowly started to lean his face towards hers. Lucy got the hint immediately, squirming in her spot with flared cheeks. Was this really happening? Was this going to be her first kiss?

With a frown, Lucy stopped him.

She wanted to kiss him, she really did. She had wanted to for a long time, actually. After all, she was madly in love with Natsu. But this was different. Natsu wasn't in control of himself and she didn't want to take advantage of him like that.

"I can't," she whispered.

"Why not?" he asked, gently grabbing her wrist.

"Because you may want this now, but I don't want you to regret it when the effects of that potion wear off."

Natsu tugged on her wrist, pulling her against him. "I won't regret it. I'm still me, Luce." With that, he began his descent towards her lips once again.

Lucy's breaths were shaky as he got closer and closer. Her brain was short-circuiting, her thoughts a jumbled mess. She could feel his breath fanning against her face. She closed her eyes, anticipating what was to come. And finally, their lips met.

At first, the kiss was soft, as if their lips were barely even touching. Fire shot through Lucy's body, coursing through her veins. Then, Natsu began to push harder against her, molding his lips with her own.

It was sloppy at first, but they soon got the hang of it, their lips washing over each other's like waves. Lucy, unsure of what to do with her arms, snaked them around Natsu's neck, bringing herself against him. She could faintly hear another one of his low growls, which she took as a sign that he liked it.

Everything was happening so fast. Not even an hour ago, the two were dancing around their feelings. And now, they were sharing passionate kisses.

Lucy couldn't complain about that.

Natsu began to tug on Lucy's lip with his sharpened teeth, gently enough so that it wouldn't hurt her. The sensation was odd, but Lucy found herself liking it as she began to tug on his hair. This spurred the boy to advance further, his tongue darting into Lucy's mouth and sliding against her own.

Lucy's eyes opened as she squealed, unfamiliar with such a feeling. Well, she was unfamiliar with all of this, but that caught her off guard.

Natsu smirked at her, making her fidget in her spot. The way his eyes bore into hers, the teasing smirk…

Natsu leaned towards her again, planting his lips against hers. As if warming her up to it, he switched between licking her lower lip and tugging it with his teeth. Then, he slowly pushed his tongue into her mouth.

Lucy leaned into the kiss, enjoying the odd sensation of brushing tongues with Natsu. His hands landed on her hips, tugging at her flesh that was revealed by her crop top. She could feel his fingers dipping underneath the hem of her shirt. The tingling sensation between her legs grew to a dull ache.

Natsu pulled away from their kiss and stared into Lucy's eyes as he paused his advances, silently asking for permission. Lucy was glad that even under the effects of the potion, he still had to control to make sure she was okay with it. With blushing cheeks, Lucy grabbed Natsu's hand and trailed it upwards, giving him the answer he was looking for.

Natsu crashed his lips over hers once again, his hand slowly moving up her side and under her shirt. His other hand was kept on her lower back, pushing her against him.

As Lucy felt Natsu's hand getting closer and closer to her breast, she couldn't help but squirm in anticipation. He'd touched them before, but this time would be different. She could tell he was teasing her by how slowly he was moving. His touches were driving her crazy.

Finally, his hand grazed her breast, causing her to inhale sharply. Natsu continued his pursuit until his thumb was right next to her hardened nub. He pushed his tongue into her mouth again as his thumb rolled over her peak, eliciting a whimper from the girl.

In seconds, Lucy found herself pushed against the door, moaning as Natsu continued to fondle her breast. To think that she'd been missing out on such pleasure! She could tell that her moans were having an affect on Natsu with the way he started to get rougher with his kisses.'

Not that she'd minded.

Natsu growled again as Lucy's fingers raked his back. His lips left hers in pursuit of her neck instead. He ravaged the skin, sucking it roughly and smoothing his tongue over it, leaving red marks in his wake.

Lucy whimpered again as Natsu's thumb rolled over her nipple. The ache between her legs was growing harder and harder to ignore. She needed to relieve herself. Her body acted on its own as she rolled her hips against Natsu, feeling something hard against her thigh. With flushed cheeks, Lucy glanced down to find something bulging under Natsu's pants.

Natsu growled at Lucy, his body reacting to the way she rolled against him. He suddenly picked her up, all the while sucking on her neck. Her legs wrapped around his torso until she was dropped onto the bed.

Natsu grabbed the hem of her skirt before meeting Lucy's gaze again. She nodded quickly, watching as he tore her skirt off. At this point, she was fine with him doing anything to her as long as he'd relieve her of the ache between her legs. Natsu then ripped her shirt off, literally. Lucy couldn't care less at the moment though. Now she was left in only her red, lacy underwear.

Lucy wriggled in anticipation, waiting for Natsu to touch her again. Instead, she watched as Natsu went to her desk, grabbing one of her ribbons. With an arched brow, she watched Natsu approach her again.

Natsu settled himself over her, crashing her lips against hers. Her hands fisted his hair, but not for long before he grabbed her wrists and held her arms above her head. In seconds, she found her arms tied above her head to the pillars of the bed.

"N-Natsu?" she called out breathily.

The boy ignored her, tracing his fingers over her chest, circling her breasts. Lucy wriggled from the touch and rolled her hips towards him as he grazed her hardened peaks. Natsu smirked, amused with the reaction. And now Lucy had figured out why he had tied her up.

To torture her.

Instead of finishing her like she had hoped he would do, Natsu took his time teasing her. His lips traveled from her own lips towards her neck, then towards her chest. She swallowed thickly as he left butterfly kisses over her collarbone and down to the crease of her breasts. He circled the area around her sensitive nubs before slowly grazing his tongue over them.

This elicited a loud moan from Lucy, rolling her hips in need of being relieved. Natsu pulled the nub into his mouth, sucking and licking it. Lucy felt like she was walking on air, like she was on ecstasy. She'd never felt anything so pleasurable before, it was driving her crazy.

"N-Natsu…" she breathed out, her face flushed and dotted with sweat.

"Not yet," he replied, moving his face to her other breast and repeating the process. Lucy wasn't sure how much longer she could hold up.

Soon enough, Natsu's hand slid up her thigh, towards her underwear. His fingers danced along the hem, teasing her by sometimes slipping a finger underneath.

"Natsu," Lucy said, glaring at him.

"Beg for it," Natsu demanded.

"I'm not going to beg!"

Natsu's finger grazed over her underwear, feeling her juices soak through the fabric. His fingers delved closer and closer to her entrance, making her moan. Finally, she was going to be relieved of this suffering!

Then Natsu pulled his hand back, smirking at her.

"Beg," he said.

"F-Fine!" Lucy shouted, no longer able to control herself. "Please, Natsu. Please, for the love of god, finish what you started."

Natsu grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. Instead of using his fingers, which was what Lucy expected him to use, Natsu left kisses starting from her breasts, trailing down her stomach and over her underwear. Using his teeth, he tore the underwear apart, reveling in the flesh that he'd never seen up close like this before.

"N-Natsu?" Lucy called out. "What are you doing?"

He ignored her as spread her legs farther apart and began kissing her inner thigh. He slowly moved upwards to her folds.

Lucy's eyes widened as she realized what he was going to do. She squirmed, unable to hold still as his lips worked their way up to her region. Finally, he hovered over her folds, his hot breath fanning her entrance. Then, he began to suck on her lips, causing Lucy to moan.

He flicked his tongue over her clitoris, amused with the reaction as Lucy arched her back and screamed his name. He did it again and again, teasing her before he slid his tongue past her folds and circled her entrance. He could feel Lucy's legs wrap around his head, but he grabbed them and pushed her legs as far apart as he could, keeping them in place no matter how much she wriggled around.

And once his tongue slowly entered her, she began to thrash around.

"Natsu!" she cried, unable to help herself. The area was so sensitive, she needed to wrap her legs around his head, but he wouldn't let her. No, instead, he kept going deeper inside of her, exploring her edges with his tongue.

Lucy could feel her toes curling as she was on the brink of release. Once Natsu quickened his pace, her legs buckled and she shattered against him, calling out his name. It was like she was on a high, her body trembling as pleasure washed over her. Moans continuously slipped past her lips as he continued to circle his tongue inside of her even though she already climaxed. She rolled her hips against his face, trying to get his tongue even deeper inside of her.

Once the waves of pleasure began to die down, Lucy's legs went limp and Natsu finally pulled his tongue out of her. His eyes trailed over her naked body, dark and hungry still.

"Want to untie me now so I can finish you?" Lucy asked between pants.

Natsu smirked, shaking his head.

"Nah, I'm gonna keep you tied up."

"How am I supposed to finish you then?"

Natsu brought a finger to her mouth, answering her question with the action. Lucy's blush deepened as she nodded her head. She couldn't help but agree to whatever Natsu wanted. Honestly, she wanted to do it too.

So, she watched as Natsu pulled down his pants, his hardened member finally being set free. He caged Lucy between his legs as he brought his cock up to her mouth. Lucy opened her mouth, allowing Natsu to push his shaft inside.

Lucy was a little embarrassed to be in such a position, but at the same time it was exhilarating. Now she knew how Natsu had felt while pleasuring her. She enjoyed being able to pleasure Natsu.

He slowly pushed deeper inside, as far as he could before Lucy's gag reflex would be triggered. Once he knew how far he could go, he picked up speed, thrusting in and out of her mouth. The warmth of her mouth over his length had him seeing stars.

It didn't take long for him to feel like he was about to finish, not when Lucy tightened her lips around his shaft so that it tugged at it every time he thrusted. He could tell she was feeling adventurous herself.

Natsu's legs buckled and he moaned softly as he pulled out immediately, white liquid spurting out and landing on Lucy's face. His breaths were staggered as he leaned over her, watching the liquid drip down the side of her face.

Lucy's eyes widened, feeling a warm liquid slide down her face. She knew what it was, and honestly she was a little thrown off for a second. She'd heard Cana share stories of guys finishing on her face, but it never sounded appealing to her. But now, watching Natsu's eyes glaze over the trail of cum on her face in satisfaction, she began to understand why some girls liked it.

Natsu tore the ribbon that he had used to keep Lucy tied up. Her arms fell limply at her sides, numb. The two of them laid side by side, silent, save for their panting.

"How was it?" Lucy finally asked.

Natsu smirked at her. "Let me put it this way, you better relax while you can before we go for another round. And don't even bother putting on clothes unless you want me to rip those off too."

Lucy grinned, a blush spreading over her face. Suddenly, Natsu's words from before replayed in her head.

"The guy said that it would make things fun!" Natsu had said while explaining why he bought the chip.

Well, the guy wasn't wrong.

That was definitely fun.

[autisticprincess]

I know I said I’d do this I think yesterday but it just did not happen

SO I’m super excited because my @stimtastic order is here, and I’ve had a couple of days to use my new (and first, both buying stim toys, specifically for stimming at least, and my first time buying from stimtastic) toys. first I have to say, stimtastic is a fantastic company, they have great items, they’re quite reasonably priced, and my order arrived very quickly. I am forever grateful 💕

Now onto the toys! From left to right:

1. Chewable Blossom Pendant Necklace in Peach, $4.50 - this was the toy I was most excited about, and it turns out my excitement was appropriate; I can’t keep this thing out of my mouth. it’s perfect for just wearing around the house to chew while doing mundane things like cleaning, and also to de-stress after an overwhelming day. it keeps my mouth busy so I’m not biting on myself. I had trouble with it messing with my gag reflex at first for some reason (even though it was nowhere beyond my front teeth) but it’s perfectly fine now. one of the main reasons I bought it was for hands-free stimming while driving, especially in stressful situations such as road work, unfamiliar places, long drives, and highways. I got the chance to test it in that environment while driving around Reno and on the Reno freeway, including the spaghetti bowl, and I’m happy to report it works quite well for that purpose. I also would like to take it with me to classes next fall, but I am admittedly self conscious about this particular stim in public, so we’ll see how it goes and how other people react at that time. even if I don’t wear it in class, it’ll be great for driving on the highway to get to the campus.

2. Silicone Brush in Bright Pink, $1.75 - I. Love. This. Toy. like seriously, I never want it out of my hands. I always like feeling silicone pads/brushes in stores, but I wasn’t aware I would love it this much. I also love the noise that running my fingers over the bristles makes. I use it all the time at home, just laying around the house or to help come down from sensory-intense or overwhelming experience. I had initially been planning on using this in classes next semester, but for one, it’s a bit bigger than I anticipated, and also, I’m afraid the noise it makes might be too distracting for others. chilling between classes though? hell yeah!

3. Silicone Straw in Pink, $1.25 - I do just wanna start this off by saying I haven’t used this much yet. that said, as someone who loves chewing on straws, I have tested it’s chewing capabilities and this straw is like... straw-chewing heaven. it is on the short side, though, so be warned, it probably will be too short to use in most cups from fast food places/other outside eateries and things like reusable water bottles (in 16oz disposable bottles, it’s just the right length to keep in the bottle with the lid on, tho!) it’s fine in most drinking glasses and mugs. I love the carrying case and travel cleaning brush as well- it even has a little loop that you could use to attach to a bag strap or keychain or something. it also at the very least makes me feel better about my plastic output, even if in all reality it has next to no environmental effect, I like trying to help the planet, and if you aren’t inhibited in not wanting to use/being unable to use for any reason (and any reason is valid! my goal here is NOT to shame people who use plastic straws, especially since I often use them myself), this is a low-price but high quality (and chewy!) option for switching to reusable straws.

4. Pearlescent Glitter Water Wiggler in Pink, $2.00 - first of all, I just want to say I love that the name sort of rhymes. moreover, I was actually surprised by how much I ended up liking this toy. obviously I thought I would like it before buying, given that I did, in fact, buy, but it was even better than I thought it would be. my favorite way to stim with this toy is visually, by either shaking it or turning it over. the glittery swirls are super pretty and very calming- it’s the perfect way to relax or come down after a long day or stressful event. it is, however, also good for squishing (careful though, it’s liable to slip out of your hands lol) and I guess you could call it pressure stimming kind of? like tilting it side to side and feeling the weight shift. I absolutely recommend trying that. (just a quick note, according to stimtastic’s website, this product is only available until the Fall, so if you want one, get it now!)

5. Stretchy Squishy Paw Print, $1.00 - just a quick heads up before I give my review type thing, this toy is definitely on the sticky side, and is even almost, like, gooey, so if that’s not a good texture for you, I don’t really recommend it. for me, however, it’s fine, because I don’t mind that texture. it’s very very squishy, so one of the things I like to do is squish it in my fist. it also obviously has the pads texture of the paw print, but also a smooth side if you like the smoothness. I like running my thumb over the textures parts of the paw as I squish it. it’s also definitely stretchy, but I’m paranoid about stretching it too far and breaking it lmao so I don’t stretch it that much. it is on the small side, probably about an inch, inch and a half across on all sides, which for me is a plus, because it makes it very easy to take places and just have it in my hand, and also is good for more discreet stimming if you want/need that. it will definitely be going to classes with me. it’s also of course very cute.

6. Mermaid Sequin Stim Toy Bag in Pink/Silver, $3.00 - okay, I’ll be the first to admit, I’m OBSESSED with mermaid/reversible sequins (hello all the people in stores looking at me weirdly for standing and petting whatever has them on it), so when I saw this bag while looking for a bag to keep my stim toys in on-the-go, I was in love. the feeling of running my hands over and flipping the sequins, the noise of that and also just running my fingers one way over the sequins, and watching the light refract off of the sequins when tilting the bag is just perfection. it’s not huge, but I did manage to get all of the objects shown here inside with the zipper all the way closed. the zipper also goes around two of the sides, so you can just unzip the short side to put something smaller in, or you can unzip it all the way around the short and long side to put something larger (like the silicone brush in my case) in with ease.

All in all, a very pleasing purchase, and I will definitely be buying again (next on my list is the plush unicorn squishy in pink, the owl chewy in pink, and the infinite rings fidget in rose, but those will have to wait until after I pay for my summer class lol). I also told my mom, who is a special ed teacher, about them, and she’s thinking about buying her students some stim toys from them for next year.

[turtle-steverogers]

Chaotic Neutral

ok so i was gonna write literal angst but then saph and i got on a tangent and this was born so take this Fruity Pebbles+Walgreens crack hybrid

warnings: stab wounds

ship: ralbert

editing: no

“Can you drive me to Walgreens?” Albert asked as he walked out of his room, looking slightly disheveled as he walked out of his and Race’s shared bedroom.  

Race glanced up from his place at the kitchen counter, chewing absentmindedly on the eraser of his pencil, “Why?”

Albert shrugged, padding over in his fuzzy socks to lean across the counter, blocking Race from his physics homework, “We’re outta fruity pebbles.”

Race rolled his eyes, “Planning to get high soon?”

Albert shook his head, “No, but I’m thinking of it right now, so I wanna get ‘em while they’re on my mind, ‘cause I’ll forget otherwise,” He paused for a moment, lost in memory, “And you remember what happened the last time I didn’t have fruity pebbles when the munchies hit.”

A dark look washed over Race’s face, “Oh, I remember alright,” he rubbed his elbow subconsciously, “I still have the scar.”

Albert clicked his tongue, “Yeah, sorry ‘bout that.  Anyway, can ya bring me?”

“Sorry, babe,” Race said, shoving Albert off his textbook, “I gotta finish this, but feel free to take my keys if you wanna just take yourself.”

Albert pouted for a moment, “Fine, but it’s no fun without you.”

Race didn’t grace him with pity as he focused back in on his assignment, “Suffer.”

Albert huffed again, “Ugh, okay, I’ll be back.”

“Pick me up some lactaid,” Race called as Albert shoved his socked feet into a pair of Race’s slides.

“Yep,” Albert shouted over his shoulder as he left the apartment, making his way down to Race’s car.  

What should have been a ten minute ride turned into twenty five minutes due to traffic, but eventually Albert arrived at the Walgreens off campus.  He trudged inside, hyper aware of the fact that he looked like some sort of college student-hobo hybrid with his bright red fuzzy socks and slightly-too-small sweatshirt.  

He scanned the cereal aisles, letting out a quiet, ‘aha’, as he located the fruity pebbles, taking several off of the shelf to stock up.  Frantic whispers from the aisle beside him piqued his curiosity and he shifted closer in order to listen.  He couldn’t make out what the voices were saying, but in his peripheral, he could see two rather burly men huddled against the wall, shoving armfuls of varying items into one of their backpacks.  Blanching as he realized what was happening, Albert considered his options.  He could casually slip out of the aisle and pretend he never saw anything, or-

“Hey,” He heard himself bark, instantly regretting his decision as the two men’s heads whipped up, fury and confusion glinting in their eyes, “What do you think you’re doing?” Albert bit his tongue, willing himself to shut up as the guys processed his words.

Albert took an involuntary step back as one of the two men crossed over to him, “You didn’t see nothin’, princess,” He snarled, the smell of cigarettes hot on his breath, “Move it along and no one gets hurt.”

Albert couldn’t help the scoff that escaped his throat, “Wow, real threatening,” he drawled, “I feel so threatened right now.  C’mon, shoplifting a Walgreens?  Seriously?  I mean-”

He cut himself off with a gasp as he felt a sharp, almost nauseating pain grip his gut.  He looked down, open-mouthed in shock as he watched the knife the guy had stabbed into him leave his body.  

A wave of dizziness washed over him as his knees buckled and he managed weakly, “There are security cameras, you know.”

The men exchanged alarmed glances, before stumbling around each other to grab the backpack.

“Yeah, bet you didn’t think of that,” Albert managed around the ever growing pain in his abdomen, “Dummies.” he added for good measure.

The men ran out of the aisle, only to be stopped by one of the employees, who must have heard the commotion.  Or seen Albert get stabbed on the security footage.  Albert didn’t have the energy to question which.  He rested his head on the shelf behind him, closing his eyes briefly, before standing up.

“Sir, I don’t think-” He hadn’t even noticed the other store clerk, hovering worriedly near him.  

He waved a hand, cutting her off, “S’fine,” he mumbled, “I’ll be chill.”

“An ambulance is on its way-”

“Where’s your first aid aisle?” Albert asked, pitching to the side slightly.

The clerk raised her eyebrows, “Excuse me?”

“You’re first aid stuff, like, band-aids and shit.”

“Sir, I-”

“Ma’am, please,” Albert groaned, “This ain’t my first rodeo, I’m fine, just tell me where the goddamn bandages are.”

The clerk looked taken aback, but she pointed to an aisle diagonal from the one they were in nonetheless, “Uh, that one.”

“Thanks,” Albert mumbled, turning and staggering towards the first aid materials.  He blearily squinted at the shelves, haphazardly plucking a few bandage packs, as well as some gauze pads from the wall.  He grabbed a bottle of antiseptic from one of the higher shelves, then sat himself down on the carpeted floor and lifted his shirt, working with shaky hands to inspect the stab wound.  It was fairly deep considering and blood was flowing out weakly with each beat of his heart.  If he were in a better state, he probably would have been freaked out by the image.  Instead, he clumsily tore off a chunk of his already ripped t-shirt and soaked it in some of the antiseptic.

He gingerly pressed the cloth to the wound, hissing in pain as the alcohol sent a stinging jolt through his body, making his head light.  

Diligently, he cleaned away the blood, then dressed the wound using gauze and bandages, wrapping tightly to ensure the blood would clot.  After taking a few steadying breaths, he stood up and pulled a crumpled twenty dollar bill out of his pocket, crossing back over to the store clerk who had been watching him in awed horror.  

He handed her the twenty, then stooped down to pick up one of the fallen boxes of fruity pebbles, “Hope that covers everything I used,” he slurred, “Take care.”

He could hear various sirens outside and decided to slip out the side door to avoid any paramedics who might see him in his bloodied state.  He hailed a cab, ignoring the frightened stare of the driver as he rattled off his and Race’s address.  He zoned out during the ride, only realizing they had arrived when the driver called back to him, demanding his payment.  Albert tipped a little extra after discovering the blood stain he’d left on the seat, then made his way up to the apartment.  

Realizing belatedly that he’d left his apartment key in Race’s car, which was still in the Walgreens parking lot, he knocked weakly on the door.

Race appeared a moment later, eyes widening as he looked over his boyfriend, “Albert, what the fuck.”

“I got m’fruity pebbles,” Albert said, smiling.  

Race shook his head, dumbfounded, “What the hell happened to you- fuck.” He grunted as Albert jerked forward, collapsing unceremoniously into Race’s arms.  Race grimaced, hoisting Albert’s arm around his shoulder and leading him to the couch, carefully laying him down the length of the cushions.

Albert leaned to the side, the pain finally catching up to him as he gagged, vomit forcing its way up his throat.  Race stepped back as Albert threw up onto the ground, blood intermixing with his sick.

“Albert, Jesus,” Race murmured, worry creasing his eyebrows.

“S’fine,” Albert croaked, gesturing to the bandage around his stomach, “I handled it.”

“Clearly not,” Race said, voice cracking as he frantically waved his hand towards the bloody vomit, “What happened?  Actually, nevermind, I don’t wanna know until we get you fixed up.”

“I am fixed up.”

“Properly fixed up, you dumbass ginger fool.”

“Race, Racer,” Albert reached out a hand, latching onto Race’s pant leg.

Race bent down, carding a hand through his boyfriend’s hair, “Yes, love?”

“Are there munchies in heaven, do you think?”

Race blinked, “My god, you’re an idiot.  Hospital time, let’s go.”

XXX

“So, let me get this straight,” Race leaned back in the crappy plastic chair he was sitting in, studying Albert as he lay in a hospital bed, finally stable, “You saw some guys shoplifting, so you called them out, then challenged them, then got stabbed, then sassed some poor store clerk, then fucking yeeted over to the first aid aisle, tried to treat yourself, then dipped before an ambulance could get to you?”

Albert bit his lip, “Uh, yeah, basically.”

“Jesus Christ, Albert, you coulda gotten yourself legitimately killed.  I mean, good on you for stopping a robbery, but next time an ambulance is called for you, fucking take up that offer, okay?”

Albert groaned, slumping down into his pillows, “But I was fine, Racer!”

“No, you weren’t!  You needed a blood transfusion, Albert!”  Race closed his eyes, emotion rising in his throat, “Listen, it was really fucking scary seeing you bleeding out on our couch and I really don’t know what I’d do if you were to like, literally die or something, so for the love of god, use your singular fucking brain cell and take care of yourself next time, okay?”

Albert softened, guilt spreading through his body, “Okay, I’m sorry.”

Race stood, walking over to Albert and leaning down to hug him, “It’s okay, I just worry.”

“I know you do,”  Albert said, burying his nose in his boyfriend’s hair, “I appreciate your care.”

“I love you, bitchass, you know that?”

“I do,” Albert smiled, “I love you, too,” a pause, “Race, you didn’t happen to bring-”

“Planned ahead,” Race said, pulling the box of fruity pebbles from under his chair.

“I fucking stan you so hard what the fuck.”

“I...stan you, too?”

“You better,” Albert said through a mouth of cereal, “I’m wonderful.”

“Uh huh, sure.”

-

jfc someone literally tell me how al is still alive at this point

thanks for reading, chiefs

hmu to be added to my tag

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[grailacademy]

Welcome To Grail Academy - Chapter Twenty-two: Trouble

Finally, the exams were over. No more stress, no more classes, no more teachers, no more lectures. A wave of relief swept over the entirety of Grail Academy, the hallways of the school had never been so calm before. Where there was once petty squabbles and panicked studying, now was students exchanging contact information and hugs before the winter break set in. Everyone, except for Esmerelda and her teammates. They all stood huddled around Nico’s locker while he maneuvered the lock on it. He had forgotten the combination years ago, but the paper clip he wiggled in the slot between the combination wheel and the locking mechanism was working just fine. A small click, and the lock popped off. “So, what’s the plan again?”

Esmerelda crossed her arms, a look of thinly veiled disgust crossing over her face as she watched her teammate hook the lock onto a belt loop on his pants. Tacky. She explained, “Wicker Street has Boost deals every day, that’s where we’ll start. The police tend to patrol that neighborhood anyway, so we’ll follow behind one of the cars and use them to lead us to potential suspects or witnesses, anyone that might know something.” Bernard held his arms out like a bellhop while Nico dove into his locker, chucking garbage over his shoulder and stacking items of importance in his partner’s hands. A rack of cassette tapes, a hoodie, a wrench most likely stolen from the Weapons Ec class, a pair of gaudy platform boots, a spare cartridge of dust, a second, bigger wrench, fistfuls of cheap plastic bead necklaces, a poorly handmade mug, a half-eaten banana, and a pink knitted scarf. He wrapped the scarf around his neck and tied it, seeing flakes of snow flutter down to the courtyard through a window by one of the classrooms. “That’s all fine and dandy, but….” Nico paused and gestured to Esmerelda’s high-end fashionable fur coat and matching earmuffs, snickering with an apologetic smirk. “You don’t exactly blend in with the street life down there.”

The other boy nodded while he dropped all of Nico’s stuff into an open backpack slung across his partner’s shoulder. Except for the banana, he first checked to see if it was moldy or brown, and then ate the rest of it. “They don’t take kindly to rich folk”, Bernard said monotonously. Esmerelda stared at the two boys in shock while they engaged in the most unsanitary activity she had ever seen: sharing the old banana they found in the locker. Okay, thin veil of disgust was now gone. Her disgust was now out in the open, for all the world to see. Bernard munched on his portion, and offered the end of it to Nico, who simply took a bite out of it while the other was still holding the fruit. How did she end up on a team with these animals? Nico continued talking while he was still chewing his food, adding to the nastiness that no one but their leader found appalling. “Half the community’s been gentrified to hell, and it’s only getting worse, so yuppies are a no-go.”

“I’m a yuppy now?” Esmerelda raised a brow, cocking her hip to the side. That look was never good, the end of her brow twitching and arched with her arms folded, her lips pursed. That was the look that mothers gave their children as a silent way to say, watch your mouth. The boys knew that look well. Bernard actually took a step backwards, ready to run, knowing that whatever Nico said next would determine their fate. Nico laughed nervously, putting his hands out in front to defend himself just in case. “No, no no no! I-I didn’t mean you SPECIFICALLY, I just meant….well. You’re fancier than most people. And that’s not a bad thing! No! But you….stand out. And we’re trying to be stealthy, you know?” The smile on his face did nothing to hide the fear in his eyes. To their amazement, the hook in Esmerelda’s brow slowly lowered, and her mouth slowly creased into a small frown, and she grumbled. “….I guess I could tone it down, a bit.” Those words ushered sighs of relief out of Bernard and Nico, who silently praised whatever deities resided in the heavens for sparing their lives from certain death.

Bernard added, “We’ll still need covers if we want to get into any of the joints.”

“Already on it”, Nico disappeared into the depths of his locker once more before returning with three plastic computer chips clutched in his fist and shutting the cabinet with a metallic slam. He handed each of them to his friends and they plugged the chips into their scrolls, bragging, “Made them myself. What can I say, Nico Rosé comes prepared!” Bernard and Esmerelda wondered how someone like Nico was capable of getting such high-end IDs, but their questions were answered when they read over the uploaded text on their scrolls. Bernard squinted and held the ID up close to his eyes. “….You made me forty two years old.”

“And what are these names?” Esmerelda questioned, “I mean, Viridescence Eau De Nil? That seems overdramatic, even for my tastes.”

Nico waved off their complaints, chirping “I know, aren’t they great? It’s our cover! We’re a rock band, and we’re looking at new venues for gigs. It’s perfect!”

“I don’t know about perfect….” Bernard grumbled, noting that the name on his card was Brick The Dick. Nonetheless, they all slipped their IDs into their pockets, bundling up before heading out into the snow.

Aurum sat reclined in a dusty loveseat, flipping through channels on the tiny tv box he had set up on top of a crate. Lolanthe was meticulously whittling a small bar of wax soap with a pocket knife on the other end of the loveseat, shaping it into the figure of a duck. They both waited on the couch, in the refurbished office space that hung above the factory floor with its glass walls covered in papers. The tv monitor paused on a baking show, where a contestant carried an elaborate cake with rose decorations up to the judges. It made Aurum burst out in a huff, “Bah! I could do better than that. These people never put their heart and soul into their work!” His thick accent broke through when he raised his voice. Lolanthe rolled her eyes.

“I was a baker once, you know”, he turned to the woman next to him.

“I know, Aurum. You tell me every day.”

“You know what this show’s problem is? The contestants are too-”

“-Too afraid to use heavy butter. I know. I don’t understand why you watch this channel when all you do is yell at the screen.” She had clearly heard him make the butter argument many times before.

“Because, butter is what holds the entire pastry together! They’re fools! This show should be called Teaching Clowns To Use Butter.”  Their one-sided bickering was interrupted when Sable’s imposing silhouette slithered across the back wall’s window, and Aurum snapped the tv off when her shadow reached the door. In she walked, with Queenie by her side. They both stood up quickly, the loveseat even scooting backwards on its stubby legs from the force of them pushing against it.

Queenie passed the envelope under her arm to the two of them, and Lolanthe inspected its contents. Blueprints of a clocktower, Grail Academy class schedules, the layout of the school’s basements, red marks over exits and entrances. “It’s time.” Sable folded her hands behind her back as she spoke, “Call in the Butcher.”

Outside the office, Yorick leaned against the wall and anxiously spun the canisters in his revolvers. They locked in place, then unlocked, then locked again. Scarlet eyed him, annoyed by the repetitive clicking. He tightened the white scarf on his neck before turning around and wandering down a hallway to get out of the inevitable awkward silence that came with being a third wheel. Leaving Rettah alone with him. Yorick didn’t notice until he looked up, the lack of a third presence automatically made him nervous. Rettah twirled the curls in her ponytails, whistling a tune. Why was it so quiet? Even with her whistling, and the clicking of his revolvers, it felt eerily silent. Was he sweating? He checked his palms. Was there something on his face? He smoothed back his bangs and picked at his teeth with his pinky nail. Where was everyone? Say something, anything. Tell her she looks nice today. Tell her you love her. No, no, too fast. Tell her that her eyes shine like sapphires. Ugh, cheesy. Say you like her dress. Talk to her, you idiot.

“Uhm….you’re pretty.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, uh. You look pretty today!” The fidgeting with his gun’s canisters sped up.

“Oh, thanks!” Rettah smiled brightly. It made his heart leap out of his chest. She knows, she knows, she knows, she knows, she knows, she knows, reel it back, play it cool.

“Because, some days you don’t look nice….”

“Oh….?”

Crap, too cool, too cool. “N-not that you’re ugly! You’re definitely not ugly. I think you’re beautiful!”

Rettah made a strange face. It wasn’t anger, more like confusion. Yorick’s heart plummeted. Too much, you’re coming on too strong, you have to save it. Suddenly, he started laughing weirdly and looked up at the ceiling. “Yeah, yesterday you were a total hot mess! But you really cleaned up today!” His thumb slipped on the edge of the barrel, and the nervous spinning on his weapons caused the bullets inside to abruptly spiral out of their case in a shower of shells, all of them clattering to the floor. Rettah flinched, dodging the loose bullets, whereas Yorick was hit in the face by a handful of them when they sprayed upwards, making him jump. The jangling of the metal snapped him out of his rambling, and brought him far enough into reality to see Rettah walking away. He was trapped in awe of his own words, his body knelt down and his hands started to pick up each of the bullets without him telling it to. He felt like throwing up. “….You were a hot mess? Who SAYS that!?” He scolded himself, sweeping up the remnants of his bullet casings into his pockets.

The snowflakes passing across the orange glow of the streetlamps reminded Nico of the fireflies he used to catch during summer as a child. The light beaming off the insect made the flesh of his hands cupped around it turn a soft shade of pink. He preferred the warm weather to seasons like this, but there was still something charming about turning around and seeing his footprints alongside his friends tracks in the snow as they walked. The group made their way down street after street, shawarma and halal stands, hair salons, foreclosed apartments, rented office spaces, junkyards, sports bars, diners, autoshops, trailing behind a patrol car. “We’ve been following this dude for hours”, Nico muttered. Esmerelda responded by putting her index finger to her lips, hushing him so she could focus on her surroundings.

She had never been to this part of the city. Of course, they all visited the abandoned sector when they fought at the hotel, but that was only for a few hours. Esmerelda looked at each building, each stranger passing them, each rusted bench, each flake of paint peeling off the storefront windows, taking mental notes. The further they progressed down Wicker Street, the faster the quality of their environment deteriorated. She turned to her teammates, posing a question. “What happened here?”

Bernard stayed silent, idly flipping the fake ID in his coat pocket.

“Gentrification. Segregation. Whatever you wanna call it,” Nico piped up, “The governor thinks he’s doing the city a favor. Enriching the culture or something. The major parts of Calicem grow from new businesses and fancy houses, and the people who can’t afford to live in those houses and buy from those businesses are forced farther and farther out of the city, until they end up in shitholes like this where the resources are garbage.” This was the first time Esmerelda and Bernard had heard Nico speak like he knew what he was talking about. The first time he actually sounded serious. He pointed to the patrol car they were following, that was slowing down near a stop sign “It’s literally herding them like cattle. He uses the fuzz as his sheepdogs. Forcing them all into a corner, like some kind of slaughterhouse. He’s killing the city.”

The noiseless air that swept between the three of them rested on their shoulders like heavy fog, which strangely helped their attempt at being inconspicuous. “You ever wonder why every person who walked past us for the last three blocks was Faunus?” He tilted his head up to Esmerelda, who remained silent as she took a moment to look, really look, and see what he meant. Nico hunched down and slouched as he walked. “Exactly.” Esmerelda knew that her people faced hardships and struggles, but it wasn’t until this moment that she realized just how sheltered a life she lived before Grail Academy. It only made her hate her father even more, and it left a feeling of guilt to fester in her stomach.

“Hey.” Bernard nodded his head towards the patrol car. It came to a full stop by the side of the road, and the driver stepped out. The officer was adorn in military-grade armor, from chestplate to kneepads. Her hair was pulled up into a tight high ponytail, and she approached a burly looking man in a leather vest, who sat on a stool next to the entrance of a pub. They talked for a minute or so, the man scratching his bushy ginger beard. The officer pulled out a notepad and tore off a page, handing it to the man and getting back in her car. As she sped off, the man crumbled up the paper and tossed it over his shoulder. This had to be a good spot to start.

Nico’s back straightened, and he slung his arms around his teammates. “I got this one. Watch and learn.” Bernard just grunted and rolled his eyes. Esmerelda huffed, crossing her arms. “Time to work my magic~” Nico vocalized, strutting ahead and flagging down the bouncer.

“Should we be worried about what kind of ‘magic’ he’s going to work?” Esmerelda asked Bernard. He shrugged. “Probably.”

“Yo, big hoss!” Nico flashed his ID to the intimidating presence of the doorman, smiling confidently. He quirked a brow at the little pink punk in front of him, reaching out and taking the card. From out of his pocket, he pulled a blacklight torch, and shined the bluish lavender light on the plastic square. Somehow, the frown that was already on his face sank down more, as if he was deflating. The scraggly voice vibrated in Nico’s chest as the man spoke, “….Your groups name is Jaundice?” He said it as a statement, but his tone suggested that the bouncer was questioning Nico’s logic. Nico’s smile never faded, he stood unfaltered. “Yup! Rest of the band is back there,” He hiked his thumb over his shoulder towards Esmerelda and Bernard, waiting awkwardly under a street lamp. “We got a meeting scheduled with the manager. Tickets, merch, stage set-up, that sort of thing. Very important, you understand.”

The man shifted on the stool, unimpressed. “I’m the manager.”

“Uh-oh….” Well, their cover was officially blown, and they hadn’t even gotten into the pub yet. Nico’s grin dissipated. “Listen, I’m gonna need a more legit form of identification, or else I can’t let you in”, The doorman explained. Nico took the ID back and begrudgingly stuffed his scroll into his pocket, looking over at his friends under the lamp post. They were a few yards away, just enough that they wouldn’t hear anything he said or see any fine details where he was.

“….Alright.” Discreetly, Nico pulled his scarf down and tugged at the collar of his shirt, exposing his neck. The bouncer shined the blacklight on that section of skin, revealing the intricate patterns and symbols of a bird skull on his throat, the ink glowing an artificial pink under the light. The man’s eyes widened, and he flicked the flashlight off, making the tattoo disappear. The man whistled, “Phew. Chicken flew the coop, huh?” He held the door open, and Nico waved his friends over to follow him as they entered the bar. Neither of them could see what he did, but they were both thoroughly confused. “What did you do?” Bernard whispered. Nico just smiled again and linked arms with him. “Don’t worry about it. We’re in, aren’t we?”

“What did we get ourselves into….” Esmerelda breathed. Looking over the sea of bar patrons, the three of them gazed at an all-out bar fight taking place in the middle of the dance floor. The shiny jukebox propped up on the wall threaded a disc into the slot, an uncharacteristically upbeat surf rock song vibrating across to all corners of the pub. A bottle flew past Bernard’s head and shattered against the wall behind them. The women who were trying to dance screamed and scattered as a group of leather-clad men drunkenly wrestled and threw their fists. Near the back, everyone else ignored the commotion and continued to nurse their drinks and play pool. “This’ll be fun!” Nico joked.

[v3-killing-harmony-imagines]

The girls finding a positive pregnancy test, and they have a female s/o

Idk if you have this done before, but what if girls found positive pregnancy test in the bathroom and thought that their female s/o cheated on them, but it came out that s/o was just helping her friend with it and the test belongs to the friend?

Guys this took months to do please send help, Mod saihara is dying sorta.

Kaede Akamatsu:

She had woken up early in the morning to a pulsing bladder.

She groaned, and pulled herself from the warm bed to use the bathroom.

Just when she was washing her hands she noticed something on the ground, it almost looked like a thermometer…

Upon inspection, it didn’t really seem like it would be used as a thermometer...the display was only showing two li-

Then she realizes.

Of course….she doesn’t want to think you would ever cheat on her…right?

But the test…and in the bathroom…

She stumbles back into the bedroom, you’re still sleeping.

She gingerly places the test in a cupboard for later, to confront you tomorrow, as she tries to get some sleep.

The next morning she’s a mess, butter fingers, dropping things, and always not exactly meeting your eye contact.

Finally she just has to bring it out an show it to you.

She turns to you with shaky hands,“S/o…I don’t believe this….please this has to be wrong right?”

You blink, and look at what she has in her hands, “No that’s correct.”

She drops the pregnancy test, “No…you…you… why?”

You stare at her for a second, and then you realize what she meant.

“Oh, No! I’m not pregnant!”

“Hu-huh?” Kaede is trembling, tears stain the corners of her eyes.

“I was helping a friend yesterday, Oh Kaede, I’m not pregnant I would never do that to you...”

Kaede sighs in relief, “Oh thank god…”

You rub her hands in your own, “I’m sorry if I scared you, I’m not pregnant, I would never be.”

She gulps back a sob, “Yeah. I know.”

“Liar.”

“O-okay maybe I was a little bit scared…”

You give her a hug, “I love you Kaede, I wouldn’t take anyone else in this world.”

He hugs back, happy tears now springing slightly, “I love you too s/o.”

Maki Harukawa:

She’s up in the early hours of the morning, not really sure why she’s up herself.

She’s been sitting in darkness for a while, not moving, just thinking.

Eventually she decided to get up and get something to drink, sitting in the kitchen and hearing the night sounds fill her ears.

Once she’s finished, she doesn’t feel even a little bit tired so she walks into the bathroom, filling through the medicine cabinet in search of some sleeping pills.

A pregnancy test box falls out, it (almost) catches her off guard.

She catches it, turning it over in her hand.

Why would you two have that in here??

Placing the box messily back in the cabinet, she checks the trash bin and sure enough there’s a pregnancy test there.

She picks it up, her mind feeling blank as she recognizes the two lines burned into her mind, she stares at it until her mind blurs the image and she’s feeling nothing but rage.

She crunches the item in her hand, storming up to the bedroom.

She throws on a sweater and some pants, and begins rabidly shoving items into a bag.

With all her rustling she wakes you.

Her eyes almost look feral as she meets yours. “I’m leaving.”

You stumble out of bed, almost in a shock as she moves around, not looking at you.

Why you ask her why she just growls, “How about you ask your secret boyfriend about that.”

You’re even more confused, and scared, telling her that there’s no boyfriend.

“Ok, sure. Well have fun raising a kid or getting an abortion.” She hisses, still packing her things.

“What? I’m not?” Then you remember your friend. “Oh my god noooo, Maki that tester wasn’t for me.”

She pauses, even if she doesn’t believe in people often, she’s still trusting your words.

You explain to her that the test was for your friend, who came over when she was out of the house. In the whole situation you ended up just shoving it in the cabinet, and she must have just tossed it away in the trash.

 She inhales, “You aren’t pregnant?”

“No.”

“You aren’t cheating on me?”

“No, I would never.”

She sighs in relief, dropping her bags and drawing you into a hug. “Ok.”

“Ok, I love you.”

“Me too.” She mumbles. “I’m happy….you still want me.”

“Of course I would.”

“Okay.” She nods, hugging you tighter until the tears that threaten to spring stop and she can lay down and finally go to sleep.

Iruma Mui:

She had lost a small part on one of the machines she was working on, she had checked everywhere, but she still couldn’t find it.

So she was digging in the trash bin, flinging away bits and pieces of plastic and metal, when out comes the tester.

She stares at it for a moment, of course she knows what it is, but it startles her as to why it would be there.

She picks it up, caring no mind to sanitation as she inspects it further.

It’s marked positive, she laughs.

“Looks like some slut got impregnated by her pre-mature weed smoking boyfriend.” She cackles.

She feels sorry for the person, or people, who are now stuck with this bab-

Wait.

It’s in…the trashcan…but the only people who live here are- you and herself. And she sure as hell didn’t take it so…

She realizes that you’re the one who used it, and she goes still for a minute.

Just imagining that you cheated on her…you…didn’t want to be with her anymore and you needed the feeling of a coc-

There’s a knock at her door and she jumps.

She quickly fumbles with the test tube and hides it behind her back just as the door swings open.

“H-hi S/o, what are you doing here hm?” she nervously gets out.

As the conversation goes on she keeps fidgeting, always keeping her hands behind her back and smiling brightly, though, it doesn’t reach her eyes.

Finally you ask if she’s ok, and she nearly falls over, quickly sputtering about how there’s nothing wrong and that you don’t need to worry about an-

You reach behind her, and she squeaks as you pull the pregnancy test out from her fingers.

“I-It’s alright, I k-know that you o-obviously like someone who’s betterthanmeandthat’sreallyfinebecauseI’mnevergoingtobeasgoodassomeonelikethat.”

You tell her that this pregnancy test isn’t yours, it’s your friend’s who you helped to take.

She pauses, mouth hanging open before she breaks out into laughter.

She loudly exclaims that she knew all along that you weren’t cheating on her! She was just joking!

You roll your eyes, and she keeps laughing.

But she’s really relieved that you aren’t cheating on her, so much so that she goes out of her way that night to show you how much she loves you.

Toujo Kiruimi:

She’s cleaning, as usual. Sweeping the floors, dusting, doing the laundry, daily chores.

While going throwing out the garbage she notices something odd fall out.

She picks it up with a gloved hand- it’s a pregnancy test.

Not only that, but it’s a positive pregnancy test.

She gasps, managing to place the test away from the other remaining trash she throws out before sitting down with the test in her hand.

Ok…no need to be alarmed, there could be multiple logical reasons to why that would be in the trash…

S/o wouldn’t cheat on her, there must be some sort of reason.

She’ll talk with you when you return home and so she returns back to her job.

Her hands lightly shake at times and she feels queasy as time goes by, but she continues to work until you return home.

She’s already cleaned herself up and has situated herself on the couch.

“S/o, I need to ask you something.”

You two are both sitting on the couch, she doesn’t hold your hand but she’s more than capable of supporting herself on her own.

She beats around the bush for a bit…talking about how she was cleaning at first and looking here and there and how she found the test..

But then she finally just says: “This, you aren’t pregnant are you?”

You assure her that you are definitely not pregnant. You would never do that.

You explain that it was for your friend, who used it in your bathroom and they threw it out after they used it.

She sighs in relief, rubbing her sweaty hands on her dress. “I see. Thank you for explaining.”

You give her a small peck and rub her hand gently. “No problem love.”

“Still, will your friend be ok? I know that some people who…experiment early can get into a lot of trouble…”

You snicker at her refusal to say ‘Sex’ or even ‘fuck’. “They’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

She nods, entwining her fingers with yours. “Ok.”

Better them then you though.

Shirogane Tsumigi:

She had gone to throw something out in the trash, but something caught her eye.

Small and cylindrical…almost like what the safety needles she used to use as a kid, but bigger.

She picks it up, throwing the trash in as she does so.

And then she realizes that it is and she drops it, screaming.

(Mostly because she realized someone must have pissed on it but also because she knows what it must mean)

Despite her shock she returns to her work for a bit, to stall for time and trying to let her mind chew up the information, trying to find a way out of the situation.

It’s so…surreal to her, like something you read in a manga or see in an anime.

She knows because she uh…well, she knows a lot…let’s just say…

With the tester in a plastic bag, plastic gloves on and  tongs in her hands, she shuffles up to you.

“S/o…this..” she gives the bag a jiggle. “I found this in the trashcan.”

“Oh that’s-“

“I understand that…you had intercourse with a male and now and the father will leave, therefore causing you to chase him down on some drama dna test show and then you find out that he isn’t the father and-”

“Tsumigi, that isn’t mine.”

She pauses, “What?”

“It’s my friends, I helped her while you were working- I’m not pregnant.”

“Oh.” She sighs, of relief and bevause no drama will go down, though she’s a bit saddened by that. She hugs you, content that you still want someone as plain and as strange as her.

“Love you.”

You hug her back, “I love you too.”

Tenko Chabashira:

Honey, you’ve got a big storm coming.

She sees it and the first thing she’s thinking is that some menace had sex with a beautiful female and that they don’t deserve her.

She puffs her chest in triumph, thinking that her wonderful, beautiful s/o made the right choice and chose a girl like herself.

Her day carries on, it takes her a while for her to actually realize what it must mean.

She stops, mid kick in the middle of her training session. The gears turn before they finally click.

Oh.

Oh.

OH.

OHOHOHOHOHOH.

She’s running out of there as fast as she can, not stopping or slowing for breath until she reaches you.

Then the words tumble out of her mouth in a frenzy.

“S/O TENKO NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A PREGNENCY TEST IN THE BATHROOM AND AT FIRST TENKO WAS DISGUSTED AND THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT MALE DEGENERATE MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO A PURE WOMAN BUT THEN TENKO RELIZED THAT YOU MUST BE THE ONE TO HAVE THIS PREGNANCY TEST AND TENKO WANTS TO KNOW WHY WOULD YOU LET A MALE DEGENERATE MENANCE DO THAT TO YOU DID HE RAPE YOU? DID HE FORCE YOU TO HAVE SE-”

You have to tell her to calm down, that the pregnancy test belonged to your friend.

“Oh. Ohhhhhhh….”

Immediately deflation, she wraps you in a bear hug, ssaying how glad she is.

You chuckle, hugging her back, telling her that you only love her, as long as she needs to hear it.

Himiko Yumeno

“N-nehh…?” Shes groggy with sleep, rubbing her eyes and looking at the knocked over trash can.

“S/o…..why is there a robot tampon in the bathrooooommm…?” she calls, you coming into the washroom to see what the commotion was all about.

You tell her that it’s not a tampon, it’s a pregnancy test.

“Why is It in our bathroom….?” She hasn’t really put two in two together yet.

You fill in the blanks for her, saying it was your friends, who was pregnant.

“Nehh….children are a pain….” She mumbled, scooting over to you, flopping in your arms.

You pat her on the head, leading her back to the bed, and letting her sleep again.

She was never worried you were cheating on her in the first place.

Angie Yonaga:

owo what’s this?

She plucks it between her fingers, crouching and cocking her head, almost like a bird as she examines it.

It’s a pregnancy test? Meaning babies!

She jumps up, rushing to your side immediately, bouncing around and exclaiming about how kamisama has made you pregnant! And that you two will have a holy baby!

“N-no…angie that’s not-“

BABIES.

YOU TWO ARE HAVING BABIES.

It takes you hours to finally explain to her that you are not pregnant, and that you won’t be having kids any time soon.

By then, she’s a little disappointed, but thinking about it she really doesn’t care about being a mother.

Which is probably for the best, seeing as she acts like a child herself half the time.

[trollhunter94]

Pairing: Crowley x Reader

Warnings: None

Words: 2.4k

Summary: A recollection of the day that you spent with a stranger, exploring the streets of a new city and gaining a new friend in the process.

A/N: Dedicated to @ifindyourlipssokisssable for her love of Crowley, Mark’s tattoos and for being a lovely human being. Here’s some Season 10 Crowley for you.

I met someone today. Not a man though, not really.

He was a Demon, but not just any ‘run of the mill’ Demon. He was the King of Hell.

I know, crazy right?

It all started in a quiet and ominous Bar in the centre of my hometown. As I sat alone, wondering what to do with my day, a shady figure appeared beside me. Of course, I jumped out of my skin, knocking my drink off the table, which he skilfully caught.

I think he could sense that I was feeling a bit lonely, or maybe my countenance was just screaming ‘Loner’. In either case, I don’t really care because it was the best day of my life.

He placed the glass back on the bar with a look of amusement on his face before saying “very graceful. I’m sure you meant to do that”.

I responded with a sarcastic smile at this stranger. “Oh yeah. Only the cool kids knock their drinks over”. His eyes scanned me with uncertainty and caution. “Yes. I see that. Do they also sit alone and take coldly to new faces?”

“Sadly, I think they do” I said truthfully, taking a sip of my drink. He chuckled at my comment before perching on the stool next to me and outstretching a hand to introduce himself. “The name’s Crowley. King of Hell”. I shook his hand with the response: “King of hell? What are you, some sort of government stiff?”

His eyes widened, shocked by my reaction to this information. The fact that I didn’t question the place that he worked, just the method of how he got the job.

“No” he said heartily, shaking his head with amusement. “This isn’t a job that I get paid for”. My instant response was “that sucks”, followed by “why do you do it then?”

Lifting his eyes upwards, he thought about my question. “For the power, of course. Why else would I surround myself with a herd of snivelling and incompetent Demons inside a bureaucratic cesspool?”

The way he described Hell with a sense of dreariness and instability made me wonder, maybe he wasn’t doing his job properly. “Well, you know the saying. With great power” I warned casually with a pointed finger.

“Yes, I know” he muttered, unamused by this. “Responsibility is for mortals and parents”. I guess he was right. If you were an immortal, then death would be of no consequence. My chain of thought was quickly interrupted.

“What’s that you’re eating?” He pointed at the item in my hand, half-wrapped in foil. “It’s a chocolate bar” I said to him. “Do you want to try some?” He gave me such a sceptical face at the invitation, as if I was trying to poison him.

“Go on” I urged him, snapping the two bars apart and offering him one. “Have a Kit-Kat”.

“Is that a thing?” he asked me curiously, taking a different bar off the counter and inspecting the chocolate snack. “Yes” I stated with absolute certainty, “and it’s delicious”.

He held out his hand, curious to try this sugary snack that I defended so passionately. I happily placed it in his hand and watched as he put the whole bar into his mouth and chewed on the chocolate wafer.

“Mmm” he voiced his agreement with the taste and texture of it. “This is actually quite pleasant”.

“Yes” I agreed. “Yes it is”. He leaned forward, elbows resting upon the bar as he reached for my glass and took a sip. Putting it back down, he caught my gaze and held it rather intensely.

“Haven’t you got anywhere better to be, than this dingy little place on a Tuesday?” I thought about his question for a second before reasoning made me turn it back on him. “No, not really. Haven’t you though?”

A smile plastered his face before he shrugged his shoulders. “Ah, Hell can run without me for a day. Besides, how often does an opportunity like this come around?“

”Like what?” I asked. “To sit in a ‘dingy bar’ and hang out with me?”

“Well, that” he agreed with a head tilt, “and the chance to take you on an adventure”.

My eyebrows instantly shot upwards with intrigue. “Really? What kind of adventure? Does it involve pirates and swordfights?” Crowley instantly grinned at the mention of this. “No sorry, can’t do that. How about Eskimos and snowball fights?”

“Sounds better than sitting here” I agreed happily, taking the final sip of my drink.

“Let’s go party then, shall we?” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, putting them on with an air of coolness about him.

“What, now?” I questioned excitedly, picking up my bag and swinging it over my shoulder.

“Why not?” he simply replied, as he grabbed my hand and led me towards the exit. This unexpected turn of events didn’t bother me in the slightest. With nothing else to do today, I decided to go with the flow and let this stranger be my guide.

We barged through the doors and I was shocked that the usual scenery of shops and cars had been replaced with the sight of a bustling street market. It had two rows of stalls, trailers and tents that sold everything from paintings and clothing, to comic books and great-smelling food.

This definitely wasn’t my hometown, made obvious by the illuminated white tower that was situated before us. Crowley stood by my side as I took in the beauty of this place that he’d taken me. I think he was expecting a different reaction though, maybe surprise or confusion from the way he asked “what? Not tropical enough for you?”

“No”, I quickly responded. “It’s beautiful. Where are we though?” He just chuckled and responded with “that’s the beauty of not knowing, don’t you think?” He proceeded to pull me into the crowd of people, where we browsed the rows of the market.

I soon stopped at a stall that had an array of multicoloured hats and scarfs of every type. Picking up a red top-hat, I put it on and turned to Crowley for his opinion. He smiled and said to me “it suits you”. I quickly turned back to find him one to try on.

His face dropped when I picked up a deer-hunter and handed it to him suggestively. “Oh, no. I’m good” he politely declined. His refusal did nothing to deter me from placing the hat on his head. He didn’t take it off straight away, instead he glared at me for a few seconds.

He did look fabulous in that hat.

A good deal of browsing occurred before we both stopped to watch a break-dancing session that was taking place at a crossroads in the market. The young boy of about 15 had attracted a small crowd with his talented moves, so I decided to capture this moment on my phone.

After about 10 seconds of recording, I noticed Crowley nodding his head to the beat of the background music, so I turned the camera on him. As soon as he noticed me filming him, he struck a pose that radiated warmth and enjoyment.

This spurred me to turn the camera onto myself. “The King of Hell, everybody” I introduced him, relishing in the humour of this moment. I could have sworn he chuckled at this.

As I put my phone back in my pocket, I felt a warm hand clasp onto mine. “Come on, let’s see what else is around here”. The fact that he held my hand as we glided through a crowd of complete strangers, felt extremely normal. It was as if I’d known him for ages.

We walked along the sidewalk for about 5 minutes, browsing at the artwork displays and talking about the popular shows on HBO. Turns out he is a really big fan of Girls and Band Of Brothers.

It wasn’t long before we came across a simple convenience store that sold basic goods. I slowed down and tugged at Crowley’s sleeve as the urge to buy unhealthy food surfaced. He looked down at me at the sudden stop.

“Can we go in here quickly?” I asked him, pointing to the window of the store. The look on his face was reluctance, but he had little choice when I pulled him inside and headed straight for the sweets section.

He simply strolled around the store with hands in his pockets, not so willing to browse this commercial shopping facility. It wasn’t too long until some item piqued his interest though. He wasn’t sure what it was, but the skull head of it looked interesting. He picked it up and felt the smooth texture of the plastic.

He looked up as I approached him ready to leave the store, and his face changed suddenly. A look of shiftiness was given as he proceeded to tuck the item into the inner pocket of his overcoat. He was shoplifting. All I could do was smile as I pushed him towards the door, feeling like a troublemaker in his company.

We headed onward, not knowing where we were going, just enjoying the company of each other. After a while, we perched on a bench whilst I convinced him to try some of the food I’d bought. At first he was reluctant, dismissing the need for junk food, but soon crumbled under my powers of persuasion.

Once he’d tasted the inner centre of a Malteser, he was hooked. Thus began a contest of how many we could stuff into our mouths and how far we could throw one. Ten minutes of simple human pleasures was shared before we set off on another walk.

We strolled down the back alley of the main street, talking about life experiences and regrets. I asked him if he’d ever killed anyone. His immediate response was one of surprise. Coming to a halt, he glared at me. I think he was deciding whether or not to be open with me. Eventually, he spoke up.

“I have…. done certain things, that I’m not proud of. Hurt people along the way and made a few enemies”.

“Enemies?” I questioned curiously. “Like who?”

“Well, most Demons” he responded casually. “Lucifer himself isn’t a fan of me sitting on the throne either. Not to mention the countless number of creatures and humans I’ve hurt or betrayed”.

“Wow” I said, slightly shocked. “That’s a long list”. He just chuckled and rubbed the scruff of his beard, thinking about how much he was despised by the people around him.

I decided to break the silence with another question. “What about tattoos? Got any?”

He gave a shrug and a moan in response. “Meh, I’ve had one or two. You?” I just shook my head, fully aware that I probably haven’t experienced as much as he has. 

“Oh, well that’s something we can rectify. In fact, I know a lovely little place nearby”.

“You know what?” I said light-heartedly, “why not”. His delight at the acceptance was a picture of radiance as he gave me a pleased nod and rested a hand on my shoulder. “Excellent. Let's go, shall we?”

He led the way to the tattoo parlour, holding the door open for me and walking alongside me to the counter. “Evening”, he addressed the man behind the desk. “This young thing would like to experience the wonder of tattoos for the first time”.

The tattooist was quick to accommodate me and Crowley, leading us over to the seating area. “Of course. Do you have anything in particular you want?” Before I had a chance to speak, Crowley jumped in to the conversation.

“Yes we do. Let me draw it for you”. He picked up a piece of paper from the table and began to draw his own design, being careful not to show me what he was creating. Once he’d finished, he handed it over to the artist and spoke to him so quietly, that I couldn’t hear them.

The man nodded before calling me over to lie down on his work bench and to reveal my shoulder. I was putting my complete trust in Crowley not to screw this up. I’d heard stories of some epic tattoo fails. Let’s hope this wasn’t going to be the Cool-Aid Man or something ridiculous.

I led on that leather surface and braced the prickly pain for what seemed like hours. Crowley would sit and chat with me for a while before strolling around the room, browsing the designs that covered the walls.

Eventually the artist wiped the inked skin for the last time and took a step back to admire his work. “There we go, all finished. Do you want to see?” I sat up with a sense of relief and nervousness of the finished result. “Yes please”.

He picked up a small mirror as Crowley approached the two of us. I gave him a look of nervous excitement before taking a glance at my new body art.

My only thoughts were “oh my god! Have you just tagged me? What does that symbol even mean? And why does it say ‘protected’?” His lips curved into a smile as he nodded, trying not to laugh at my not-so-positive reaction.

“Crowley!?” I reinforced my tone, demanding an explanation for this. “You’ll thank me for this later” he quipped before looking upwards in thought. “Maybe you won’t actually”.

I took another look, still doubtful of his intentions. “It does look pretty cool, but it‘d better not be some kind of satanic, devil-worshiping brand”.

As the artist applied a covering to my shoulder, Crowley told me that the tattoo was an anti-possession sigil. It stopped Demons from entering my body and taking over. To think that this was a possibility was frightening, making me wonder if anyone I ever knew had been possessed.

Crowley returned me back home shortly after that. Leaving me at my front door with a head full of new memories and a permanent reminder of our day together, he vanished into the night.

I don’t know whether I’ll ever see him again. But I will always have that day, the day I spent with the king of Hell.

Crowley tags:

@uselessace @bungeewabbit @roxy-davenport @queenofhellwithcrowley @gettinjoyful

[fazbearsecuritycrew]

IN WHICH FIGHTING IS ONE OF HIS MANY TALENTS

IN WHICH FIGHTING IS ONE OF HIS MANY TALENTS

NOTICE: Mentions of Blood, Cursing

Mike usually loves fighting.

What he does not like is hearing about Jeremy fighting.

happy birthday, fnaf 2!

WINTER 2003 - Where the hell was he?

Mike looked impatiently to his watch, becoming more and more concerned by the minute.

And, speaking of minutes, Jeremy had less than five to get his ass down here before his shift started.

There were the usual excuses- I overslept, or Traffic was crazy, or even his favorite one- My bike caught a flat.

But at least he was somewhat on time with those. Mike had never witnessed a guard who had worked more than a few days still have the balls to come in late. It usually scared them into arriving an hour early, at the bare minimum. It was like the first day all over again.

Knowing the kid already had a lot to juggle with, Mike usually let it slide (he had yet to die, anyway), but it seemed like he had been too easy on him lately. He’d probably have to chew is ass out for the stunt he was pulling tonight.

The signature bell on that familiar blue bike hollered through the air, and Mike felt the breeze that trailed behind the bicycle as Jeremy pulled up to the rack.

He prepared for this moment, mouth already halfway open and in the middle of his breath-

And he cut him off.

“S-Sorry Mike,” he started with the usual apology, although it lacked its usual haste. “I…h-had a problem today, a-and then I forgot to set m-my alarm, so I t-to hurry over to get h-here. So, u-um, yeah, and a-a-also, um…”

His voice began to trail off long before the words stopped tumbling from his mouth. Mike hadn’t even noticed when he had unlocked the door to the building, pulling his hat low as he stiffly walked inside.

Mike followed after him, sucking his teeth slightly at the lowered temperature on the interior of the establishment. He may have heard the boy wince as well, but it was hard to hear from back here.

Jeremy made sure to be a few quick steps ahead of him the entire walk to the office, not slowing down once to let Mike join him at his side.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that he was hiding something.

“…Yeah. Try to be early next time. Don’t want them ripping your ass to shreds because you couldn’t bother to clock in.”

He flinched, but otherwise gave a silent, curt nod.

In truth, Jeremy actually hadn’t been acting all that nervous tonight. No, it was more…suspicious than anything.

He had been hellbent on avoiding facing Mike. Anything he did, he did with his head down or his back turned. He had nearly dropped the flashlight trying to get it from Mike without turning around.

The situation with the tablet was a whole lot worse. His nose was practically stuck to the screen, apparently so enthralled by whatever the footage showed despite it being a slow night.

An hour of camera watching passed, and Mike grew even more curious as to what Jeremy had been hiding.

He said he had a problem. Problem? Wonder what it is?

He entertained himself for the next fifteen by thinking of all the possible scenarios that the boy may have gotten himself into.

He was famous for getting knee deep in troublesome shit, and this time proved to be no exception. Traffic jam? Missing uniform? Stubbed toe?

A snicker escaped, and from the corner of his eye could he barely make out the green that cast him a look in the shadows.

Well, fun over. At least it kept him distracted for a good bit. Good, because it was a Tuesday. He groaned. Tuesdays were always the worst.

Smack!

His neck swiveled around just as the sound finished bouncing off the walls. Jeremy flinched, looking around the room.

“T-The, uh, tablet fell.”

Mike walked back over to the desk. “It’s not broken, is it?” he asked, reaching down to pick up the fallen item.

Unfortunately, Jeremy had the same idea.

A sharp pain rang through his head when Mike had realized he had just headbutted the shit out of Jeremy. They fell their separate, each cradling their own sore forehead.

Mike rubbed at the skin while Jeremy scrambled around to look for his missing hat.

Mike looked up.

“Jeremy, what the FUCK?”

There was an unbridled rage screeching in his shout, but it wasn’t directed at the teen. Just directed at the bastard that did that.

Jeremy tried to hide his quivering bottom lip with a nervous grin.

“Wow,” the boy started, surprisingly calm. “Those street lamps sure do know how t-to pick a fight!”

“Fight!”

“Oops,” the guard mused. “Wrong word.”

Mike tilted his chin towards him and turned his head to see him better, earning a yelp from the teen.

“Jeremy, the hell happened to your face?”

While Jeremy had saw it for himself earlier, he truly thought it hadn’t looked that bad. Sure, that black eye was really working wonders for his complexion, and the split lip provided a nice accessory to the many other cuts that littered his face, but he had worse before.

It didn’t look that bad, right?

Clearly not to Mike, who was mostly focused on the fact that the guy’s eye was basically swollen shut. That was already bad enough, but the fact that that ugly amalgamations of blues traveled up to his forehead made it look like he had been slammed into something.

Honestly, it took everything in Mike’s power to not be somewhat impressed that he was still standing. Rather, that he could even see at all. That eye was basically out of order.

“I-It’s kind of a long story…” he paused, hoping the noir would catch the hint.

He did not.

Or maybe he did and chose to ignore it.

He further examined the beaten boy’s face, brushing hair out of the way to reveal a slightly nasty cut on his forehead. Huh. He didn’t even know that one was there.

He started mumbling under his breath. Mike always did that when he was pissed off. “Seriously, how the fuck did this happen?”

Jeremy tried to pull away, but the man made sure he had a secure grasp on the younger as he dragged him over to the desk, sending him a look that said, sit or else.

He pouted. “It’s nothing.”

Mike huffed. “Jeremy, your head is fucking bleeding. It’s something, alright.”

Jeremy made the move to reach for the tablet, lifting the screen in order to wind the music box. He kept the device in his lap.

“I-I’m not joking w-when I say it’s kind of long. Can I tell you a-after we don’t die?”

Mike righted the chair that was lying on the floor, shoving it in Jeremy’s direction. “Fine, smartass,” he huffed. “Tell me after the shift. But if I so much as hear about a fucking finger being laid on you, somebody’s dying tonight. Got it?”

He gave a little roll of his good eye. “Okay, okay.”

It seemed like the rest of the night sped by after that, between Jeremy monitoring the cameras and Mike scaring off any of the animatronics that stopped by the office.

By the time six AM rolled around, Jeremy could barely react when Mike suddenly threw his backpack at him, motioning for him to hurry.

“Go get changed,” he threw his thumb over his shoulder. “And the second you come out, you’re telling me the whole damn story.”

Jeremy gulped. The older man could be scary when he wanted to be.

Mike waited in the main room for the young boy to come out, mind once again wandering. As much as Mike loved the him like a brother, it’s not as if his tiny size and overall fragility didn’t scream Pick me!

His stomach turned, and he found himself dreading all the ideas of what those injuries could mean. Sure, he had been in a fair share of fights in his day, but that was just…brutal. Whoever gave those out had the intetion to seriously hurt or incapacitate someone. The fact that Jeremy played them off like a paper cut didn’t help either, like what he was looking at was something as mundane as a walk through the park.

He didn’t know what his home situation was like, but Jeremy rarely every mentioned his parents positively, if at all. He never mentioned it before, but Mike wasn’t stupid enough to note notice the occasional cut or bruise that appeared on his body.

He didn’t want to pry, but seeing those things alone made him think that someone was hurting him in the worst possible manner.

The creaking of a door echoed down the hall, and Mike looked up to see Jeremy shuffling out the bathroom, awkwardly holding his backpack, half stuffed with the uniform.

His face had looked a bit more touched up, or maybe that was just the effect of the color he wore on his clothing. But his lip was cleaned off, and there was a little bandage peaking out from under his hair. Still, the black eye was as obvious as ever, and he doubted anything could be done to cover that up.

He pulled a chair out for himself, stiffly sitting down across from the older night guard.

He blinked. “So, what do you w-want to know?”

He narrowed his eyes, that conversation started clearly being the last thing he expected. He couldn’t help but lean forward a bit, the plastic covering on the party table crinkling under his weight. “I wanna know who fucked up your face, obviously!”

“M-Mike,” Jeremy sighed, it clearly being too early in the morning for him to coherently deal with this. “If you th-think I’m being bullied o-or something, it’s not th-that.”

“There’s a hell of a lot of things that it can be, Fitzgerald,” Mike warned, eyebrows furrowing further. Before his very eyes, those murderous intentions behind eyes seemed to melt into something that could only be found in the well-meaning.

“C’mon, Jeremy. I know it probably sucks talking about it, but I’m only asking ‘cause I don’t want anything to happen to you that doesn’t need to happen.”

Tentatively, he leaned forward, placing a hand on his junior’s shoulder. “Seriously, man. I don’t wanna see shit happen to you, because there’s a lot you already have going on, and it breaks my heart to see shit like this. Talk to me, please?”

Jeremy gave a small smile, thought it didn’t quite reach the side with the split. “Mike, t-trust me- I’m fine.”

“But what happened?”

A hesitant pause.

“O-Okay, so maybe there was a fight?”

“Jeremy!”

The named threw his hands up in mock defense. “W-Wait! To be fair, i-it was in self-defense.”

“I’m laying hands on someone if they hit you.”

“No one hit me, okay!” he whined, that familiar pout puffing his cheeks out again. “I-I wasn’t getting teased o-or bullied or anything like that, so chill o-out.”

He bit his lip, leaning back into the cheap metal chairs of the pizzeria.

“It was for a f-friend.”

Mike paused, and suddenly it all made sense. Despite some of the more heroic antics that Jeremy had shown before, it seemed like he held an overall aversion to fighting. There was a type of guilt that shown in his eyes at any suggestions of violence, and Mike

“At first he a-asked me for help because all three of th-these guys were going to gang up on him, and I told him to fight his own battles because i-it was his fault he was in t-trouble,” he looked across the room again, eyes focusing in on nowhere in particular. “But th-then they started wailing on him at the same time, and I had to jump in, Mike. He was getting-”

He took a breather. “He was getting beat, Mike. Everyone just stood th-there while they tossed him over a table, slamming his head into the floor over and over again. And his girlfriend was just watching him get beat to a pulp, and I couldn’t, Mike.”

He sighed, averting his eyes with a hint of shame.

“So yeah. I did get in a fight t-today. I’m sorry.”

That final look up with those honest ass eyes was all it took for Mike to crumble.

The scowl that previously adorned his face had been replaced in place of an understanding smile. Leave it to Fitzgerald to get his eye basically poked out while trying to defend a friend.

Maybe he wasn’t very strong, and he may have still been a child, but damn if the kid didn’t have some serious balls.

A warm chuckle escaped Mike’s mouth as he stood.

“Huh?” He tilted is head, almost disbelieving. “What’s so funny?”

“Just thinking about how you probably looked out there fighting guys twice your size.”

Jeremy grinned, slinging is backpack over his shoulder, right on the man’s heels.

Closer to the entrance doors, Mike spoke up with a, “So?”

“S-So what?”

He turned, hands shoved in his pockets. “Get any good hits in?”

Jeremy nodded his head sheepishly, a red tint dusting his cheeks. “I did,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I m-may have overdone it a-a bit, though. I hit a guy in his knee with a chair.”

There was a confusing mix of laughter and surprise to Mike’s voice. He slapped his forehead. “Holy shit! You probably blew his knee out!”

“I hope not. I don’t have the money for a lawsuit.”

Mike barked out a laugh again, wiping imaginary tears from his eyes. “Man, I’d hate to get on your bad side. Double cross you and the next thing you know, your knees are getting curb stomped by a sleep deprived kid with multicolored hair!”

The teen gave a light laugh, acting as if he didn’t just talk about bashing a guy’s knee in with a chair.

Mike grinned. “I take it you won?”

Jeremy laughed. “Well, maybe not, but we didn’t go down without trying!”

[emospritelet]

Empty Corridors - Ch 18

Last time, Lacey was freaked out by realising that she has fallen head over heels in love with Gold.  So expect awkwardness :(

AO3 link

Gold was unused to feeling so content on waking.  He was wonderfully warm, his muscles aching pleasantly, and Lacey’s scent was filling his head.  Memories of the previous evening oozed into his brain, making him smile, and he licked his lips as though he would still catch the taste of her.  He reached out with a hand, hoping to pull her close, but the bed beside him was cold.  An odd sensation registered, something smooth and warm, patting his nose, and he opened his eyes.  The black kitten was watching him curiously, a paw reaching out to touch him with velvet pads, and he felt his grin widen.

“Well, good morning to you, too.”

He pushed himself up, throwing back the covers and making the kitten scamper away, and hunted for his clothes.  He presumed Lacey was already up and dressed.  It would have been nice to wake up beside her for once, and the first tingles of anxiety were starting to form, deep in his belly, as he thought about the possible reasons for her absence.  It had felt strange to talk about Bae with her; it had been so long since he had spoken to anyone about that, and he wasn’t sure what had made him decide to be open with her.  Perhaps her own fear and vulnerability, putting him in the unfamiliar position of wanting to protect and care for someone.  He wasn’t sure he was any good at it, and her absence from the bedroom made him wonder if he had shared too much, been too open.  Acted too much as though they were an item, instead of - well, whatever the hell this was.  Or perhaps she was regretting being open with him about her own past.  He could understand that, too.  Either way, he was pretty sure he had fucked up.

It took him a little while to get dressed and button everything, and his shirt was badly crumpled from where it had lain on the floor all night.  It would have to do until he got home, and he smoothed the front as best he could, knotting his tie.

Lacey was in the kitchen, standing with her back to him and gazing out of the window, but she turned as he entered, sending him a smile that seemed a little thin.

“Hey,” she said.  “Still no power, so no coffee.  Sorry.”

“No matter.”  He glanced out of the window at the clear blue sky.  “At least the storm is over.”

“Yeah.”  She held up her phone.  “Leroy texted me.  Power company says it’ll be back on later today, with any luck.”

She slipped the phone into her pocket, wrapping her arms around herself and looking down.  The anxious feeling began stealing through him, icy pinpricks crawling over his skin.

“We could try Granny’s,” he suggested.  “I’m pretty sure she has backup generators.”

“Yeah, I guess.”  She hunched her shoulders.  “I - I was kind of wanting to study today.  Thought I’d get some in while I can.”

She still wasn’t looking at him, and he wanted to sigh.  They had been so in tune the previous night, or so he had thought.  They had shared secrets and opened up, and when he had woken her from her nightmare and comforted her in the best way he knew, it had been different.  It had been like making love.  She had been silent afterwards, chewing her lip and not meeting his eyes, and so he hadn’t pushed it, simply spooning up behind her and feeling her relax as she slipped back into sleep.  She seemed to pull back whenever he thought he was getting close to her.  He supposed he could understand that, being used to keeping others at arm’s length as he did.  It was bloody infuriating, though.  He decided to give her space, as that appeared to be what she wanted.

“I’ll have to say no to coffee anyway, I have some things to take care of today,” he said briskly, straightening his cuffs.  “Looks as though you’re busy, too.  I suppose we’ll see each other on Wednesday, when you start work.”

Lacey blinked at him, uncertainty warring with what looked like hurt in her eyes.  Okay, so maybe he didn’t understand her.

“Yeah,” she said eventually.  “Yeah, I guess.  Wednesday morning, bright and early.”

“I open at eight-thirty,” he said lamely.  Lacey nodded.  She knew that, of course.  He had no idea why he had said it.  She was shifting a little awkwardly from foot to foot, and after a moment’s hesitation, he decided to reach out again.

“But if you wanted to meet for coffee beforehand,” he added, “I could see you in Granny’s.  Assuming the power’s back on.”

Her face brightened a little.  God, he had no clue what she was thinking.

“Okay, sure,” she said.  “We’ll start the day with a double-shot of caffeine.  Got a feeling I’m gonna need it.”

“Yes.”  His hands opened and closed on the handle of his cane, and he gestured at the pans of potatoes and coq au vin he had started to cook the night before.  “You - uh - you can heat that through if you like.  Should do you a couple of meals.”

“Thanks.”  Lacey glanced at the stove.  “Fingers crossed I can have it tonight.  Potatoes is something I can actually cook.  Kind of.”

He wavered, wondering if he should kiss her, and deciding that she didn’t want him to.

“Right,” he said.  “Well.  Wednesday, then.”

“See you around,” she said carelessly, and he nodded and backed away, heading for the door and wanting to bang his head against the wall as he went down the stairs.

Lacey listened to the door close, feeling anxious and awkward, and hating it.  She was aware that he wasn’t sure how to react to her coolness, but having been hit with a deluge of feelings that she didn’t know what to do with, running and hiding in the kitchen had seemed like the best option.  She had woken in his arms, warm and safe and content, until the reality of what she was feeling, and their whole situation, had made her panic and bolt.  Perhaps it had been the storm, and her being overemotional.  Perhaps she would see him on Wednesday and feel nothing for him but the faint sense that she wanted to screw his brains out.  Perhaps she could be casual about this whole thing.  And while you’re at it, perhaps you’ll get a 1580 on the SATs and every college in the country will beat down the door to enrol you, she thought dryly.  Admit it, you bloody idiot.  You fell in love with the man.  You knew full well it could never last, and you fell in love with him anyway.  Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Mentally yelling at herself didn’t make her feel any better, and so she made herself a dish of cereal - the milk was still okay, so there was that - and drank a tall glass of water.  Study would put him out of her mind, at least.  She was enrolled for the tests, and the second of December wasn’t that far away, really.  Sighing to herself, she reached for the books.  At least she could do her best in this.  Maybe he’d even be proud.

She had to work the next day, her final, early shift at the diner before her new job, and she was surprised to find that she enjoyed it.  Perhaps it was the air of excitement that she felt, despite her inner turmoil, or the fact that Leroy bought her flowers and kissed her cheek when she brought out his breakfast (extra bacon).  Granny and the other girls had got her a card and a present of a new black shirt and skirt, which she planned to wear on her first day.  Ruby had slipped one of the little aprons into her bag as well, causing raised eyes.  She had shrugged, grinning.

“Just in case you feel like a bit of roleplay with - anyone,” she said innocently, making Lacey blush and glare at her.

She spent the rest of the day studying, refusing Ruby’s offer of a night out, but agreeing to meet on Wednesday evening to talk about how her first day had gone.  The power was back on, and so she studied late into the night, her eyes burning when she finally pushed her books aside.

On Tuesday she decided to take a break and do some chores, and so she went into town to stock up on food with her last paycheck from the diner.  There was something else she needed to do, but it meant she would have to speak to her father, and so she had been putting it off for a few days, unable to deal with the inevitable confrontation.

The late October day was crisp and bright, and she breathed deeply as she left her apartment, enjoying the cold scent of the air.  She had spent the evening hunched over her books, and so she rolled aching shoulders, glancing down the street to where her father’s shop sat, its front bedecked with hanging baskets filled with ivy and winter pansies.  The infamous metal flamingos stood guard outside, and Lacey raised her chin.  She would have to go in.

It had been the conversation with Gold that had made up her mind.  She usually went to her mother’s grave once a month, just to clear the weeds and brush dust from the stone.  Sometimes she took flowers, but she hadn’t done that for a few months now, as the only place in town to buy them was Game of Thorns.  She had decided that caring for the grave was more important than how she felt about her father, and so she was about to pay him a visit.

The shop smelt the same, fresh and green, with the heady scent of roses near the counter.  Moe French was making up a bouquet, wrapping pink florist’s ribbon around the stems, and his mouth flattened as she walked up.

“Hey,” said Lacey.  “I wanted to take some flowers to Mum’s grave.”

He grunted, turning away.

“Haven’t seen you do that in a while.”

“When was the last time you went?”

He didn’t answer, and she sighed.

“Look, just make me up a small bunch of whatever’s pretty,” she said.  “You know what she liked, I don’t really remember.”

“You’ll be paying for it.”

“Obviously.”  Not as though you’d give me anything, is it?

He finished the bouquet he was working on, setting it aside, and reached into the plastic tubs at his feet for carnations and chrysanthemums.  He glanced at her as he worked, and Lacey shifted from foot to foot, feeling his disappointment.

“Did you get anyone to help out?” she asked.  “You could do with someone to cover the shop while you make deliveries.”

“I can’t afford an assistant,” he said sourly.  “Honest businessmen don’t have money to burn, you know.”

It was a blatant dig at Gold, but she ignored it.

“Just get one of the high school seniors,” she said.  “They could do a couple of hours after class.”

“I thought that you would help me out, like you used to,” he said.  “Guess not.”

“You never paid me,” she said impatiently.  “I can’t live on fresh air, I have bills and rent to pay.”

Moe snorted.  “Do you?  Gotta say I’m surprised.”

She was about to ask him what he meant, but figured she could guess, so she ignored that, too.  He added some greenery to the bouquet, his eyes flicking across to her.

“Walking around town in the middle of the morning, huh?” he said.  “What happened to this great new job of yours?”

“It was my last day at Granny’s yesterday,” she said coldly.  “I start tomorrow.  Signed a contract and everything.”

“I’m not gonna ask what the terms were,” he said, and she flushed.

“Yeah, clause thirteen says I have to blow him on Friday afternoons between three and three-thirty,” she said sarcastically.  “Better bring your rent payment in the morning, instead.”

Moe frowned.

“You’ve got a mouth on you, haven’t you?” he said.  “I never raised you to be like this.”

“You barely raised me at all!”

She was getting angry now, and the way his thick fingers fumbled at the flower stalks was annoying her further.  No doubt his hands were shaking from the drink.  He cut a length of ribbon, winding it around the bunch, and pushed it across the counter.

“Twenty bucks.”

“How much?”

Moe shrugged.  “You can afford it, right?  Must be some perks to being Gold’s whore.”

Shaking with anger, she shoved a hand in her purse and pulled out a ten dollar bill and two fives, slapping them on the desk.

“Better learn as much as you can while you’ve got the chance,” he said gruffly.  “I’m guessing you’ll be looking for a new job within six months.  Business and pleasure don’t mix, my girl.”

“Like you’d know.”

“I know him,” said Moe, popping open the cash register and putting the money inside.  “The man’s a snake.  A snake who takes what he wants.  The moment he decides he doesn’t want you, I’m guessing you’re out on your arse.  So don’t burn your bridges.  You might need that diner uniform yet.”

She glowered at him, insecurity crawling through her, and he sent her a wry, ugly grin.

“Unless of course you think he might actually have feelings for you,” he said snidely.  “In which case I’ll wait for the happy announcement that the richest guy in town is content to have everyone else’s sloppy seconds.”

Lacey’s jaw worked, and she grasped the flowers and turned on her heel, striding from the shop.  Tears pricked her eyes, encouraged by the cold breeze, and she blinked rapidly, setting off up the street towards the outskirts of town, and the cemetery.  She was seething with a mix of rage and humiliation, but a part of her whispered that her father was right, and that thought was too painful for words.

Gold had kept himself busy by reorganising some of the stock in the shop, in preparation for Lacey’s arrival.  His records were accurate and complete, but he spent all of Sunday and Monday going through each of the items currently for sale on his shelves, checking its description and provenance and deciding whether it deserved space in the shop or should be relegated to the back room.  It was exactly the sort of task he needed, keeping him busy enough that he didn’t dwell too much on the fragile state of his non-relationship.  He had avoided the diner, knowing it was Lacey’s last day, and hoping that her colleagues would take some of the pressure off her.  It would be strange to go in for coffee and not see her.  The brief thought that perhaps they might go together each day had evaporated.  She seemed to want to withdraw from him, and he knew better than to push his way in where he wasn’t wanted.

By Tuesday afternoon he had finished sorting the stock and was going through one of his rent ledgers when the bell rang above the door.  A glance up made him sigh to himself, and he set down his pen.  Miss Green strode up to the counter in a swirl of skirts, her dark green coat flaring behind her and her curls bouncing on her shoulders.

“Oh, good, you’re here,” she said.  “I want to talk to you about the farm.”

“I trust there isn’t a problem?” he said neutrally, and she smiled.  It made his teeth ache.

“Not at all,” she said.  “It’s just that I wanted to make some alterations, and I’m aware that as landlord, you’ll want to look them over.”

Gold leaned on the desk, hands poised on splayed fingers.  She had his attention now.  Tenants taking it into their heads to make improvements without consulting him had cost him dearly in the past.

“I’ll want to see the plans and give my express approval before any work is done, yes.”

“Oh, it’s not the farmhouse itself,” she said airily.  “I just want to put up some greenhouses and ducting for the water supply, it’s nothing to cause you concern.”

“I’ll want to see the plans,” he repeated.  “And give my express approval.”

“Fine,” she sighed, rolling her eyes.  “I have the preliminary drawings.  I can bring them in this week.”

“Wonderful.”

He waited for her to go, but instead she stepped nearer, leaning on the counter.  It made him want to pull back, but he met her gaze as calmly as he could.

“I could bring them here, of course,” she said.  “Or you could come out to the farm.”

“It’s not me that wants to make improvements.”

“You could see what I’ve done with the place,” she said.  “The kitchen, for example.  I make an excellent pie.  I’d be happy to cut you a piece.”

She was grinning at him, and he decided that he had had enough.

“Miss Green, I’m at a loss to understand why it is you seem to think we’re old friends,” he said impatiently.  “I’m not aware that our paths have ever crossed, and yet since you came to this town you have been displaying a disturbing amount of over-familiarity.  Had we met before and I simply wiped it from my mind?”

Zelena pushed back from the counter, looking irritated.

“No,” she said, after a pause.  “And there’s no need to be so hostile, I can take a hint.”

“Really?”  He turned back to his ledger.  “And here I was thinking you were simply a budding stalker with too much free time.”

She pulled back with a huff.  “Has anyone ever told you that you’re insufferably rude?”

Gold showed his teeth.

“Frequently.  Do I look like I care?”

“Well, fortunately I have a very thick skin,” she said with a sniff.  “It takes a lot to knock me down.”

“That is fortunate indeed,” he said.  “For you.”

“I’ll see you later in the week, then,” she said.  “If you’re in agreement, we can sit down and discuss any terms.”

“My office hours are eight-thirty until six,” he said.  “And I’m in no mood to make exceptions, so do please remember that.”

She huffed again, tossing her hair.

“Fine,” she said.  “I’ll see you on Friday, I expect.”

“I am almost breathless with anticipation.”

Her mouth flattened, and she whirled away and stormed out, making him grin.  Bloody irritating woman!  There was something familiar about her, though.  Something he couldn’t quite place.  Her appearance in the small town, seemingly with no connection there, was unusual enough to make him suspicious, and he decided to do a little digging.  He drummed his fingers on the counter, weighing up his options, and after a moment, dug his phone out of his pocket.

“I have a job for you,” he said to the voice on the other end.  “A little detective work.  Usual fees.”

After giving as much detail about Zelena as he could, he rang off, turning back to his ledger.  He would know who she was, and what she really wanted, soon enough.

Wednesday dawned, grey and miserable, and Lacey curled her lip at the weather as she drank a mug of coffee and petted the kittens.  It was early, barely seven, and she was already dressed and watching the diner from her kitchen window.  It was odd to see Ruby and the others bustling about, setting out cutlery and refilling napkin holders, while she sat in the warmth of her kitchen and watched them.  Okay, so maybe she was actually waiting to see if Gold showed up and maybe she was all ready to get out of the door once he did, but that was beside the point.

As if on cue, she saw him out of the corner of her eye, a lone, slender figure in a dark suit and a red shirt, his black overcoat wafting behind him in the breeze and his hair rippling as he walked.  She downed the last of the coffee, and picked up the kittens to kiss them one by one.

“I’ll be back at lunchtime,” she promised.  “You guys be good, okay?”

Setting them in their basket, she grabbed the bag containing her laptop and charger, pulled a hat down over her hair and trotted out of the door.  She still felt awkward about seeing Gold, and was unsure how she was going to react, but she had told herself very firmly that she had a job to do, and her personal feelings towards him shouldn’t get in the way.

Just be casual, she thought as she crossed the road.  You’ve interacted tons of times, and the fact that you caught feelings and shit means nothing.  Concentrate on the job.  Just don’t be fucking weird about it and freak out when you see him.

She pushed open the door to the diner, calling out a greeting to Merida and Ruby, and caught Gold’s eye almost immediately.  He was just taking off his coat, draping it over the back of his chair, and he sent her a brief smile, his gold tooth glinting as he shook his hair back.  She felt her stomach flip, and almost stumbled into the table.

Great, Lacey.  Real smooth.

“Eager to get started, I see,” he said.  “Would you like breakfast?”

She busied herself setting down her bag and shrugging off her jacket.

“Coffee would be good,” she said.  “And - and I guess some pancakes, if you’re having some.”

“Make that two, please, Miss Lucas,” said Gold, as Ruby bustled up with a pad and pen.

“Sure thing.”  Ruby scribbled on the pad, winked at Lacey, and hurried off to grab the coffee.

Lacey pulled off her hat, shoving it into her bag, and sat up, knowing that her cheeks were flushed, and hoping he would think it was the cold air.  Gold was looking at her over tented fingers, the dark red of his shirt warm against his skin, light glinting on the heavy ring he wore on his right hand.  She sat back as Ruby placed steaming cups of coffee in front of them both.

“I brought my computer,” she said.  “I thought I’d probably spend at least the first few days setting up a spreadsheet to record the details of all the items.  It’ll make it easier to keep track of everything if we have a good database.  I’ll need access to whatever records you have on the crap in your shop.”

He nodded.

“I thought as much,” he said, taking a sip.  “I spent the past few days double-checking the prices and provenance on everything.”

She nodded, fidgeting a little in her seat, and he took another sip.

“I suggest you don’t label the goods as ‘crap’ when it comes to listing them for sale,” he added, his eyes twinkling a little, and she gave him a flat look.

“Just make sure I have as much info on them as you can give me.”

“Well, my ledgers have everything I’ve purchased and sold,” he said.  “I may need to provide you with more description, as a lot of the detail is held in my head.”

“It’s cool, I need to take pictures anyway.”  She added sugar and cream to her cup.  “I’ll need to set up in the back room.  A flat surface with some cloth covering it.”

“Black would be best for the jewellery, and perhaps green for the furniture and some of the china,” he said, rubbing his chin.  “Let me see what I can do.  It may not be today.”

“Not a problem, as long as I give everything a reference number we can use to add the pictures later.”

She could feel herself relax, as they talked about work, as they concentrated on what it was he had hired her to do.  She was surprised by how easy it was to fall into this new way of earning a living, discussing her ideas with him as though she had done this sort of thing before, and wasn’t an ex-waitress with a working knowledge of Ebay.  He seemed receptive to her suggestions, and amused by her enthusiasm, and by the time they left the diner she decided she had made the right choice.  She just had to keep on doing her job until she got over her feelings for him.

Gold had cleared a space in the back room for her, a small desk and chair on which she set her laptop.  He largely left her to get on with it, sitting at the workbench and making repairs to a pocket watch.  They sat in comfortable silence as Lacey began constructing her spreadsheet, adding columns for item descriptions, age and condition, along with purchase price, retail price and reserve auction price.  Gold made them tea at eleven, a strong, fragrant brew with chewy oatmeal raisin cookies on the side.  Lacey perched on her chair with her feet tucked under, nibbling at her cookie as he leaned back against the bench opposite.

“I’m gonna set up different sheets for different groups of items,” she explained.  “So there’ll be a furniture section, and a porcelain section, and a jewellery section, you know?  Should make it easier to find stuff.”

“Can you put something in there about sales data?” he asked.

“I can.  Do you do your accounts on computer?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

Lacey giggled.  “Pity.  Would have made things easier for you.”

He grinned, and took a bite of his cookie.

“I have to go out to look at one of my properties this afternoon,” he said.  “Will you be alright minding the shop until I get back?”

“What if someone wants to buy something?” she asked, and he shrugged.

“Prices are marked.  Sell it to them.  If they haggle, don’t go lower than ten per cent off.”

“Um…”  She chewed her lip, and he smiled.

“No one ever comes in, remember?” he said.  “That’s why I hired you.”

“Okay.”  She nodded.  “Sure.  I’m sure it’ll be fine.  I’ll - um - I’ll need your records so I can start putting the details in here.”

Gold jerked his head at a large mahogany bookshelf at the side of the room.

“All the ledgers are on there,” he said.  “You’ll no doubt find that things aren’t in the order you want, but I’m afraid there’s no way around that.”

“I can manage,” she said, looking at the thick, heavy ledgers.  “I think - I think this is gonna keep me busy for some time.”

“Well, that was the general idea,” he said, lifting his teacup.  “I assure you this isn’t urgent.  Just take your time.”

He took a drink, and she nodded, trying to relax a little more.  He was looking too good for her to be entirely comfortable, his jacket off and the red silk sleeves pushed up with his gold sleeve garters.  She hadn’t even known those were a thing until she saw them on him, but they only added to the attraction.  She found her gaze running down his body, remembering how he felt pressing down on her, and buried her nose in her cup to hide her blush.

“So which property’s causing you problems?” she asked, trying to distract herself.

“Oh, it’s one of my warehouses,” he said.  “It’s not causing problems, exactly, I just think it either needs extensive renovations or pulling down and replacing with something else.”

“Another warehouse?” she asked.

“Perhaps.  It depends on the interests of potential tenants.  The town doesn’t need more housing, it needs business investment.”

“You could turn it into smaller offices or retail spaces,” she suggested.  “Give discounts to start-ups, or start a weekly market for small traders.”

“Excuse me?”

Lacey sat forward.

“Look, there are plenty of people in this town who’d like to do something else, but don’t have the space or the time or the money,” she said.  “Take Leroy and Walter.  They work at the hospital, but Leroy’s a qualified electrician, and Walter’s a plumber.  They just never had any advice about setting up in business or any premises to work from.”

He was staring at her, but she pressed on.

“And - and then there’s Tiana,” she said.  “Making cupcakes out of her kitchen in the evening for whatever bake sale happens to come along.  If she had more space, she could take on some helpers, bake full time and maybe work up to that patisserie she always talked about running.”

“How do you know all this?” he asked.

“I talk to people,” she said patiently.  “Customer service, you know?  I could tell you the hopes and dreams of pretty much everyone in this town.  You know, except you, I guess.”

He was silent, and she wondered if she had overstepped.  She decided he could handle it.

“I’m just saying that if you maybe put up a bunch of smaller units and agreed a low rent for like six months, it might encourage start-up businesses,” she said, with a shrug, and Gold blinked.

“An interesting suggestion,” he said.  “I’ll consider it when I look the place over.”

He set his cup aside, picking up his jacket and putting it on.

“I’ll be back at lunchtime.”

She nodded, turning back to her laptop as he made his way out.  He hadn’t tried to kiss her, hadn’t so much as touched her since meeting her that morning, and it made it easier to think.  If she was going to be working for him, she had to hold onto as many of her wits as the man had left her, which were precious few.

She went to the shelves where the ledgers sat, pulling one out and opening it up on the desk.  There was page after page of notes on the items in the shop, each numbered, some with an entry to show the sale, all in Gold’s neat, flowing script.  She sighed as she looked at how many entries there were just one page.  At this rate she’d still be putting the database together when it was time to take the SATs.

Once a couple of entries were on the system, she decided it would be easier to use a ruler to see which item she was copying, and so she went on a hunt.  There was nothing on the desk or bench, and so she pulled out one of the desk drawers, reaching inside.  Her fingers touched thick paper, and she pulled out a bundle of envelopes, her brow wrinkling curiously.  A stack of letters and cards, that appeared to be unopened, bound with a rubber band.

Lacey looked around, suddenly nervous.  She was aware that she had no right to look, but she couldn’t help peeking to see if her suspicions were correct.  Bailey Gold, the top one said, followed by an address in New York.  It had been returned, unopened.  A quick flick through the pile showed that the others were the same, although the address changed to Portland, Oregon, and then to Phoenix.  The New York address was the most recent, and after a moment she pulled out her phone and took a picture.  She wasn’t sure why, exactly, but it felt like something she should take a note of.  Just in case.

Gold got back to the shop around one, and Lacey excused herself to go home to feed the cats.  He supposed he should have asked her to lunch, but then they were going to be together all afternoon, and she probably wanted time to herself.  He made himself some more tea, instead, with two of the oatmeal cookies, and started working on the pocket watch again.  He had thought over her ideas as he was looking over the warehouse, but although they had merit, he was not one to make snap decisions when it came to business plans.

Lacey returned at two, smiling briefly at him and returning to her work, and there was little more said until the clocks in the shop started striking six, and she stretched and yawned.  Gold flashed her a brief smile.

“How was your first day?” he asked, and she returned the smile.

“Okay, actually,” she said.  “See you tomorrow?”

“Coffee at Granny’s?”

She hesitated, but nodded.  He noticed that she was clutching her laptop bag to her chest, a little like a shield, and so he kept his distance.

“I’ll see you at seven-fifteen,” he said.  “Thank you, Lacey.”

She inhaled sharply, as though she was about to say something, but seemed to think better of it, and scurried out with the laptop bag under one arm.  He watched her go, wondering if he would ever understand what was going through her mind.  The bell above the door tinkled as she let herself out, and he stood up, his leg stiff and painful after sitting in one position for so long.  His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he reached for it, flipping it open to answer.

“It’s me, calling to make your day ten times better.”

The man who called himself Jefferson had an almost lazy drawl to his voice, and was a dreadful flirt.  Gold wanted to roll his eyes, amused in spite of himself.

“What do you have for me?” he asked, and Jefferson sighed.

“Straight to the good stuff, huh?” he said.  “No foreplay at all?”

“Do you want to be paid or not?” snapped Gold.  “I don’t have all night.”

“So my last date said.  Turned out that wasn’t true.”

“Jefferson!”

“Fine!”  Jefferson sighed heavily.  “Her name is Zelena Green, thirty eight years old, raised in London by a banker and his American wife, but went to Northwestern University and studied business.  She worked for Oz Industries up until 2012, then got laid off.  Since then she’s been doing consultant work for a health and beauty company in Philadelphia.”

“Okay, so far, so boring,” said Gold cautiously.  “I know you, though.  What’s your big reveal.”

Jefferson clicked his teeth, sounding exasperated.

“You never let me have any fun!”

“Just tell me.”

“She has interesting antecedents, if you move in the wrong circles,” he said.  “Her birth mother is Cora Mills.”

Gold tapped his pen on the counter, trying to hide his shock.  A name he hadn’t heard in a long time, and an unwelcome one.

“Thank you,” he said quietly.  “If I need anything further I’ll be in touch.”

“Sure thing.”

Jefferson rang off, and Gold slipped the phone back into his pocket, frowning.  Miss Green had made him uncomfortable from the moment he met her.  At least now he knew why.

[harrish6]

Healing What Has Been Broken - Chapter 7 - A Reason To Fight

-Chapter Start-

Once everyone was dressed, everything stitched up, bag packed, making sure that the 'bandages' around his ribs were secure, Error then wrapped up the two with the scarf and started to head back to Snowdin to get the two some food. He figured he knew that area the best and if a fight did break out then he would be in the best position. Error is still a bit iffy on what kind of AU this is shaping up to be and he did not want to be unprepared to fight off some blood thirsty cannibalistic Monsters.

It was a good thing he left when he did, Error decided, watching guards storm the dump not even a second he left it. Keeping a eye out it wasn't hard to figure out that they had already searched Snowdin top to bottom and had decided that the two couldn't have gotten that far, so they started to look in places near the lab.

'Heh. suckers~' Error snickered to himself, ignoring the stares he got as he walked through the snow. If he was going to have to walk into a store, then he might as well let the other Monsters see him. If he suddenly just walked in or out without warning they might get suspicious and tell a guard. Error was just going to lie and say he was from Waterfall, and that is why his and the others clothes are so dirty.

Taking a step into the little shop, Error ignored the shocked stare of the bunny Monster while he sat down Null, who just whined and pouted. Error decided to keep a wiggly, and slightly crying from hunger, Void in his arm. "I'M GoING To GEt fOoD." And with that Error went to the shelves with canned and jar food, looking very confused. 'What is good for children? Is it different then what others eat? What is even edible?!' Error just now realized he may be in over his head as he tried to read all the different labels. Error glanced down at Void, who was chewing on his trench coat. "DO YoU KNoW whAT tO GEt?"

"AHHW!" Was the answer that Error was not looking for.

"WeLL, YoUr NO HElp yOu liTTlE TeRRoR."

"HAHPH~" Error could only sigh at the coo directed at him. This was going to take longer then he thought.

Shifting the bottom of the dress around, Null made sure to keep a eye socket on the store worker. He was honestly about to run to Error and cling to his pant leg when the female Bunny leaned over the counter with a smile. "Why hello there! What's your name sweetie?"

Hesitating for a brief moment, eyes darting to where Error was then to the Bunny, Null puffed out his chest in defiance. Like he was expected the bunny to make fun of his name. He had a actual name now. One he could take in pride in, one Error gave him even. "Null!"

"What a unique name!" The bunny laughed. "Are you shopping with your Daddy and little brother?"

'Daddy?' Null face blanked in confusion. He had no idea what that word meant. "Error....Daddy?" Null questioned back, confusion written on his little face. "What is Daddy?"

The Bunny frowned before lighting up in realization. "It must be a different word for skeleton Monsters, I remember you all having your own language before the war. Not many of you around anymore though. Sorry about that." The Bunny gave a gentle smile, then pointed to where Error was standing, muttering furiously to himself looking at a brown can with a critical eye with a now giggling Void bouncing in his hold. "A Daddy is someone who takes care of you, loves you, and protects you. They keep you safe."

It was like a light bulb went off in his skull. Error must be this Daddy then. He kept them safe and warm, helped them, and had given them so much already. So that must mean he loves them and will protect them right? Null gave a bright smile and a quick nod. "Yea! Error is Daddy!"

The Bunny just giggled, before turning her attention to a approaching Error. "Did you find what you needed sir?"

Error just sighed, putting a few things of applesauce and other random cans of food, a few packets of juice, a pair of little blue boots, and a few spoons and forks. "DO yOU hAVe AnYtHInG fOR BaBiEs? LiKE tO EaT?" Error gestured with his head to Void. "AND cAN I uSE YOuR sINk? I NEeD tO cLEaN a FEw ThINgs fOR THe kiDs." Error was pretty sure that children should not eat dirt, like sixty percent sure, and that he should clean the bottles and sippy cup before using it. Might as well give the toys a quick wash too while he was at it. He paid Null no mind, even when he immediately latched onto his leg once he stopped in front of the counter.

The Bunny waved him off as she started to ring off the items. "No problem sir! And I think we have some baby formula in the back. Let me get ya it."

Soon all three were outside the store, all items tucked inside the travel bag, gold almost gone, and Null looking at his 'new' boots in awe. Looking around, Error decided it was time for the kids to eat, he could piratically hear their bones rattle with hunger. Without thinking much about it, Error started fast walking to Grillby's. It wasn't like he had a table of his own to eat off of, and he really didn't want the kids to eat in the snow. The other Monsters were sure going to look at them suspiciously if that were to happen.

He never noticed the looks he got because of a smol babybones clinging to his leg, laughing as the other walked because he was lifted into the air, and the little baby wiggling about with a red scarf, trying to eat it. But all the Monster's outside mostly stared because they were skeleton Monsters, and they only knew of one more. A Monster soon ran off to go tell someone, this was not something one could hide and it should be such a joyous occasion. After all, finding out that you are not the only one should the best kind of shock.

Grillby could only still in shock when three Monster skeletons walked in his bar. And even ten minutes later he is still waiting for the punch line. The taller one, who was very differently from any other he has ever seen and he remember what it was like before the barrier, was feeding the baby a bottle and trying to feed the smaller skeleton in the dress applesauce at the same time. The only Monster skeleton he knew of was Gaster, so how...? 'Maybe they hid after the barrier came up, not knowing about Gaster? The RUINS doors never opened, not after the Queen left.' And looking at them he could see the resemblance, it was very small but there. Snapping out of his daze, Grillby decided to just watch them for now.

-At The Royal Labs-

"Sir! Three skeletons have been spotted in Snowdin!" A knight saluted after busting in the room.

"Three!?" Was the dumbfounded response. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! It seems-" The other interrupted the other. "No matter that! I will have to go myself. Three! Just what is going on!?"

Stomps echoed across the labs. "Hurry up and distract the King and others! There will be no need to make this more public then it already it."

"Yes Sir!"

-In Grillby's-

"iS ThIS REAlly aNY gOOD?" Error questioned the baby that was sucking up the milk like there was no tomorrow. He then glanced to Null before lifting up another spoon full of applesauce. Null's face was already covered with the stuff. Apparently he had never used them, only his hands. And while Error has never used them as Error, he can slightly remember using them as Sans. "WhaT AbOUT yOU? iS IT anY gooD?"

"Yeah!" Grillby snorted when the little one suddenly grabbed the spoon, from who he was guessing was his father, and clumsily spooned the applesauce and raised it as high as his little arms would let him. What really made Grillby want to laugh though was the Father's expression. Confusion, weary, and a little of suspicion mixed in, like he expected the little one to hurt him or themselves with the little light pink plastic spoon that had little Monster SOUL's on it. "Try!"

Before Error had time to process that demand, and tell the other that he really doesn't need food-the hunger pains had stopped a long time ago or was it that he just became numb to it?-or had any in quite a few years so he can have it, the doors burst opened. A duck Monster ran up to the counter. "Grillby! The royal guards are all coming here and they all look ready for a fight! Do you think that someone did something?!"

And because Grillby still had a eye on the Skeleton Monster's, he saw the little one's face fall in horror, the tall one's face twist into into grim determination, and the baby whimper out from the sudden magic that was wrapping around all around them. It reminded Grillby of the war, when the parents would wrap their children in their magic as a warning. Daring the humans to try and take them from them. Never mind that this Monster's magic screamed destruction, loneliness, and so much pain. Almost like a wild animal that had nothing to loose. And with how the others magic felt, this was a Boss Monster. Grillby knew that this was one Monster that he would not want to fight ever.

And it seems like the royal guards are after him and his kids for some reason. That were marching to Snowdin to probably get them for whatever reason. A Boss Monster that Grillby was thinking could and would dust any Monster for his kids by the look on his face. A fight was going to break out here soon isn't it?

Lovely.

Grillby waved the duck Monster over, he had to warn the town before the guards get here and everything goes to hell. He did not want anyone to get in the middle of whatever is going on. The dark tall Monster finished packing up quickly and then took off his gloves and putting them in his pocket. Grillby only briefly saw the multicolored fingers, black, red to yellow and scared harshly, that were somehow suddenly covered in blue string.

The Boss Monster picked up the two baby bones and swept out the bar, looking grim but ready. And that made his SOUL stutter. 'Things are going to change after today.' Now Grillby had to wait to know if these changes would be good or bad.

As Grillby muttered lowly to a now grim faced Monster, he only knew two things.

One. He had no idea why the royal guards wanted those three. But he knew that they would come regret it if they lived through it.

Two. How he knew that? Grillby could remember before and during the war how protective the Monsters were of there children. Hell, even now. Look what happened to the Queen and King! Not many children had been born until a few years ago, not many wanted to have children only to lose them again as they did in the war. Scares were left on the SOUL because of that. And going after a Boss Monster's children was bad idea on a good day, down right suicidal on a bad day.

And Grillby didn't need to CHECK the others stats to know that going after that Boss Monster's children would give that person a B A D  T I M E .

-With Error, Outside Grillby's-

Error barely gave the Monster that shot out of Grillby's a second look. He had more important things to worry about. Storming to the nearby store Error slammed the door open without a second thought. 'How can I find them a home if these people keep trying to take them!? After their dusted someone it should be easier to find them one.' Never mind that Error just wanted to hurt the person who thinks it's okay to beat children and feel okay with it. It's one thing when it's your job, but when you start to feel fine with then that's when you need to take a good hard look at yourself.

The Bunny and other random customers jumped at the sudden intrusion. Error just gave a short glance at them all before going to the counter and sitting the kids by them. "ThE RoYAl sCIEnTISt iS aFTEr THeM tO hURt tHEm." Error quickly explained, tightening the travel bag around him so it wouldn't fly off when the fight started. "MAKe SUre thEY dOn'T GeT ThEm." He demanded, eyes asking them to even try.

All the Bunny could do was freeze, barely understanding what was going on. Error just bent over to look Null in the sockets, worried and scared eyes looked up at him. "i Am GOInG tO fIGhT HiM wiTh sOME BaD mAgIC. StAy iN HErE whErE iT iS saFE. I'LL cOMe GeT tHE bOTh oF YoU WHeN I dUSt thEm All." Error simply explained to the horror of everyone else beside the two baby bones. Error has fought Gods before, not counting Ink, and has lived to tell the tell. Fighting Gaster and other guards will be easy. And with that, Error turned and left.

The Bunny immediately turned to Null, who was holding onto a crying Void tightly. "What is going on!?"

Big eyes just looked up at her. "Daddy's protecting us from Him." And then he looked down to his baby brother wrapped in the red scarf. "Daddy is going to keep us safe. No more pain, no more test."

All the customers and workers felt a shiver go down their spines, hearing between the words. And then they all wondered how well did they really know what W. D. Gaster did? How well sis they know him? No answers came up and that horrified them.

But the worst thing is that anything that Gaster has done had to be signed off by the King. Conspiracies and rumors flowed out. After all this was over the whole Underground is going to be questioning the King about this.

Bunny looked from the children to outside the window. The tall Monster, Error, stood tall with his hands in his pockets. The cracks and deep scratches in his skull were more prominent in the light. She looked to the children, how they were also covered in scratches and bruises, but less prominent and luckily seemed to already be fading. How she did not notice before she has no idea. 'What has he done to you three!? What has the King and Gaster done!?'

Error paid no attention to all the Monsters running into the nearest building by them. No, he kept his eyes on the only road leading in from Waterfall. His magic started to build up, his SOUL pulsing with more energy he thought he had. And while he could still feel the pain from his wounds-his ribs screaming at him to just sit down already!-he ignored it all with practiced ease. He pulled his hands out of his pockets once he saw shadows coming closer.

So when the guards marched into Snowdin with Gaster in the lead, Error was ready.

Once Gaster saw the skeleton, his breath was stolen away. The Monster laughed, the glitch like voice echoing making everyone shiver. The skeleton ran a hand down his face where there were tear like markings falling down his face. To Gaster's shock when he pulled his hand down them and away, magic like strings come from them!

Gaster straightened. He had no time to gawk, he had to get back his projects for the fate of the Underground! "I believe you have something of mine Stranger!" Gaster gave a growl, snarling at the other only a couple feet away. "If you hand them over now, you will not be dusted!"

Error chuckled. 'If even Death or the Void itself can't dust me then I doubt you can!' "hElLo GAsTER! mY nAME iS ErRoR." Error tugged his string farther out, getting ready to use them. "AnD YOu ArE sOMeTHinG I REallY haTE."

Gaster snorted, giving one of the guards a signal to get ready to look for the projects while the rest distract the weird colored skeleton. "And what is that Error?" Gaster spat out the name as if a curse. "A Monster trying to save the Underground?!"

"HAhaHA!" Error shook his head. "CoME nOw! WhIlE yOU maY nOT KNow ME, I kNOw ABouT yoU." Every Monster hiding in buildings gasped when Error finished his sentence. Grillby, who was listen as closely as he could from the bar window, closed his eyes, how far has his old friends fallen after the death of his Mate and family? "i HAtE DiRtY cHIlD aBUsERS lIKe YOu Dr. WinG DInG gAStER!"

And then everything descended into chaos.

Screams and yells called out when  Gaster's purple upside down SOUL was forced out, blue strings wrapped around him and the SOUL. Guards started powering up their attacks while Error grinned. "DiRtY cHIld AbUSERs Like YOu shOUld BE bURniNg In HElL!"

Hands flew out and around Gaster, each one glowing a different color showing they each held a different magic. The yellow and red one basted the strings faster then Error could yank, him not noticing one guard slipping into the chaos.

-InkTale-

A tall skeleton with a big paint brush on his back stilled in mid-walk. A flare of odd feeling set in, something telling him that something is wrong but not in his AU. And the only other AU that is close to his is...!

Turning to look at the other skeleton that had came to talk to him about something, also standing straighter. "Did you feel that Blue?"

The skeleton, who was way shorter and wearing a blue jacket with gym shorts and pink slippers, nodded with a grim face. "Yeah. Your AU is closer to that new one then others, it's not shocking we would feel something. But this is on another level..." Blue glanced to Ink in question. "What do we do? This has never happened before."

"Let's go check it out. I know we usually leave them alone until they are more formed, but we don't get a new AU everyday. This is the first one in years!" Ink ready his paint brush, about to make a portal. "What if it is something serious?"

A portal opened to the clearing just before Snowdin, and even then they could feel it before they even walked through it.

Destruction, loneliness, and so much P A I N - S C R E A M I N G  O U T  F O R  H E L P - A N Y O N E  H E L P  M E - S A V E  M E  F R O M  T H I S - N O  O N E  C A M E .

Both skeleton's glanced at each other, horrified eyes meeting each other before both rushed out. Blue moving faster then he ever has while Ink felt like crying. Whoever's magic they are feeling has been through a lot and is falling. Has been falling for a long time with no one reaching out for them, no one to help them.

They can only hope that they are in time to catch them before they hit the ground one final time.

-With Error-

Magic of all colors were flung about, blasters and hands blasting and zooming around to finally get the other. The Monsters in the buildings could only watch in scared awe at what they were seeing. The dark Monster was now in the air, Gaster on the ground, and both glaring at each other as snow and dust fluttered around in the wind.

They never noticed two new Monsters arriving on the scene, hiding behind a nearby building.

"lET'S enD THis-!" Error growled out, lifting a hand out to-

"DADDY!" "AAAHHHH-!"

Jerking at the familiar voices, Error turned to see a cat Monster guard holding both Null and Void in his arms. Both children struggling to get out. crying and yelling. The Bunny from before along with the customers banging on the door to get to them, but having been locked in with magic. But what made Error's mind blank is what Null called him.

Daddy.

Null's and Void's teary faces filled his vision, hands making grabbing motions as the called for help. Called to him for help.

D A D D Y  H E L P  M E !

Y O U  C A L L  F O R  H E L P -

Without even thinking Error was already moving before anyone had any time to react. His SOUL screaming out at him to protect, to keep what is his safe. His children.

The guard didn't even have a chance before Error's strings wrapped themselves around his SOUL, pulling and cracking it as it flung him away, making him drop the kids. Error kicked the body, making him go flying into Gaster. Error paid no attention to the thud and screaming. To the shocked stares. All he had eyes for were the children.

His, Error's, children.

Making a random portal, Error didn't even think twice before jumping in it. He had to get somewhere safe, get the baby bones somewhere safe!

It will only hit him later that the children consider him their father, that they love him.

Something he feels he doesn't deserve nor should have.

Gaster shot up, blood leaking from his new scares around his face, glaring up at the portal with so much hate and anger-

"GASTER!?" A regal voice howled out from behind him. Gaster turned quickly to see his worst fears have come true.

King Asgore has come to Snowdin. And has most likely has found out the truth.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" Asgore's voice sounded so heart broken. Other Monsters slowly came out of their buildings. Faces distraught and confused. Grillby slowly shook his head in the crowd. How had his old friend fallen so far and hard?

"I DID WHAT I HAD TO!" Gaster cried out, even as he was slowly surrounded by the King's guards. "I DID IT TO GET US FREE FROM THIS PRISON!"

Blue and Ink were in shock. That was a Sans for sure...right? But it was one they have never saw before, and they knew all of them but the one in this new AU. Then there was the fact he was almost..glitchy? And it wasn't this AU's Sans, as the baby bone that called for him was obviously the Sans. And that magic they felt, the one screaming for any help-

Blue took in a deep breath. "I think we should tell the others Ink."

Ink could only nod, not able to take his eyes off where the portal once was. 'It looked like it was glitching as well...' "Yeah..."

Destiny laughed and laughed. They have picked right! Now Error was on his way to being happy and healed. They made such a good choice~

The AU's of this world have their own built in balance. Almost like the universe itself was sentiment, had it's own way of thinking and fixing when that balance was off. And once Error took the worlds Sans and Papyrus, it adapted.

Because it was so young, it was able to twist and turn it's code. Other Monsters would be placed in the spots that Sans and his brother were supposed to have. The AU would fix and make a new form to have balance. It had no need for someone to come and protect it, had no need for a creator and destroyer.

The Sans and Papyrus of this AU are now gone, their places are to be filled with others. The AU would fix the balance. But what would never leave is the memories of Error and the children called Null and Void, Project One and Two.

Error had, without his knowledge, helped form this AU. He had help create what it would become.

Destiny knew they picked the right AU.

After all, children are always the best reason to get better, to be better.

They are the reason one fights.

The reason to live.

-End Chapter-

It really hasn't hit Error that the kids see him as their dad. After Null yelled out for him as "Daddy!" he mostly went into shock and went into auto-pilot. He let his instinct take over, and his SOUL has recognized the kids as his children.

Once out of shock, he is going to be one big ball of confusion, depression, self-hate and a lot of hurt, as he doesn't think he would be a good father after all he has done.

The Ink in this Multiverse is tall, the one in Error's original is short. Error will point this out later after they meet officially, and after Error freaks out because he wonders how long he had been in the void for.

I feel like you could feel a lot from one's magic without checking their SOUL. And as these Sans's are the judge, I think they could tell a lot without checking and even more once they CHECK.

In the next chapter, Error and the kids land in another AU that Error thinks they can hid in for a while. And thanks to a little misadventure, Error meets the Sans of the AU much to his horror.

[zevakritpel]

Hell-Bent: Chapter 2--Come on and SLAM, and Welcome to the JAM

<Chapter 1        Chapter 3>

Fandom: Kuroko no Basuke

Pairing: Aokise, MomoRiko, Kagakuro, MuroMura, more???

u can find this on AO3 lol

Summary: Adult AU, Criminal Underworld AU. Where Kagami Taiga is a young heir suddenly targeted by 6 rather dangerous members of the criminal underworld (each with their own set of personal troubles), and Kuroko is a bodyguard with a dark past.

Warning: Violence, Strong language, a lil dark and angsty sometimes

[Friday. 20:01. Best Friends]

Oh. This dream again.

The one where he's still a child, sprinting as hard as he can on his small feet. He doesn't know why he's running or where he's going to, only that he can't stop.

So bright, so bright.

He's moving all alone in this blank white space.

.....no. Little by little, the others join him, running alongside him in a flurry of bright colours and childlike laughter that paint the surrounding emptiness. None of them can stop, but it's okay since no one can stop them, either.

It's okay. Since they're together.

They reach out to link hands, tiny fingers stained carmine red.

Bleeding and broken, but it's okay. It doesn't matter, since it doesn't hurt.

It does hurt, but it's fine.

It's fine.

They don't let go, even as the light fades, even as the darkness envelops them.

They don't stop running. Even as they break and crumble.

It hurts. It hurts.

Where is everyone?

Where is...

.

"Dai-chan! I brought food."

Momoi's voice pulls Aomine out of his dream: she is perhaps the only person who can enter his room unannounced and survive the experience unscathed. Without waiting for a reply, she climbs on top of Aomine's back and plops herself down, rustling through the plastic grocery bag on her lap.

"Did you think over the letter?"

"Uggggghh..................ya know, Satsuki..."

Aomine grumbles sleepily, disoriented from having his sleep disturbed so unceremoniously. This  damn woman never lets him rest...

"Yesterday you said 'job offer', but this just a fucking mandatory summons, yeah?"

"Yesterday? That was two days ago, Dai-chan..."

Momoi shifts her position on Aomine's back. Aomine can't see her face, but he knows she's almost definitely wearing a criticizing expression.

"Whatever. Get your ass off me, you're heavy- MMMPH."

Not sure what he expected: Momoi uncrosses her legs to shove Aomine's face into a pillow with her foot. After a brief struggle, Aomine reaches back to swat Momoi's ankle out of the way, then pushes her off himself. He sits up next to her, resting his back against the wall.

"So? You're going to do it, right?"

"Not like any of us have much of a choice..." Aomine yawns openly, stretching his neck to the side and massaging a knot out of it with his left hand.

"But why's he makin' the call to the 'Miracles' after all this time? It's been like four years, so why now?"

Momoi is quiet for a few moments, her head lowered so her hair hides her expression. Before Aomine can ask what she's thinking, she giggles.

"Does it make a difference? Both the challenge and the reward are too good for you-...for us to pass up."

Hmmm? Aomine can tell there's more than Satsuki's letting on. He's not sure if it's bothering her, but from the tone of her voice, there's something she wants to say reeeal bad.

"How's offing some rich brat considered a challenge..."

"He's not just any rich brat, Dai-chan, he's the heir to the Kagami Empire, hidden from the public until this year. Do some research for once?"

Research...that's what he has Momoi for.

"Besides...yesterday, a personal guard was hired to Kagami Jr. in addition to his other shields. It was like his security personnel had been informed of the call to the 'Miracles', so of course I looked into it."

"And?"

Momoi brushes a lock of her hair behind her ear and turns to face Aomine, her eyes large and gleaming.

"It's Kuroko."

There it is.

"....Tetsu?!"

Momoi nods in affirmation, then narrows her eyes slightly as she mutters, almost to herself:

"That Aida woman must have hired him without realizing his full strength or involvement in all of this..."

The incredulity relaxes from Aomine's face as the young gun considers the meaning of this startling revelation.

So Tetsu's playing this game on the opposing side...?

Of course he is.

"That's quite the statement he's making. Is Tetsu planning on challenging us all?"

Momoi's lips curl into a soft smile, but her peachy pink eyes are glowing much more intently than Aomine has seen in a long time. She's still gonna hold back on speaking her mind, but it's fine. Aomine can pretty much guess what she wants out of this huge chore of a job.

Aomine can't say he's looking forward to this inevitable reunion, but it's not like he has anything better to do, anyways. And Momoi's all fired up as well, so..

"Oh, that's right!"

The information broker claps her hands excitedly and holds up her plastic bag.

"I thought we could celebrate the start of the new game together! Let me use your kitchen, I'll fix us up some-"

".....no that's okay, Satsuki. Let's just go out. My treat."

No amount of Momoi's pouting can convince Aomine to suffer himself through her cooking, so after a ten minute struggle, they both head out to the nearest steakhouse.

Halfway towards the restaurant, a thought suddenly hits Aomine like a punch in the gut.

"Geh."

"Uwaaah, why are you making such an ugly face?"

"No, I just realized...if Tetsu is involved, then that damn skank is going to be unbearable."

Momoi raises her eyebrows and opens her mouth to make a retort, then thinks better of it, and waits for Aomine to finish muttering.

"Ugh, I already have a headache. You know he's still carrying that fucking cross around like a scar...pisses me off."

"..........Dai-chan still isn't being honest with himself, how sad."

"Huh? Stop talking shit, Satsuki."

[ Friday 21:12 'That Damn Skank' ]

For someone who just learned some of the best news of his life some hours ago, Kise is not in a very good mood.

"You're not eating, Ryouta. Is the food not to your taste?"

Mr. C  asks this innocently, gesturing towards Kise's untouched lobster bisque as if he isn't fully aware that the young model's lack of appetite stems from his own company...

Kise responds with a cold, sullen glare. There are plenty things the young model would rather be doing with his Friday night (e.g. literally anything else), but right now he has no choice but to indulge this persistent bastard in his annoying conditions.  

"Ooh, unfriendly as ever, I see."

Kise doesn't gain a shred of benefit from acting 'friendly' with this human hemorrhoid.

Seriously. Dealing with most people in this world is a huge pain, so even sitting through a late dinner like this with C is a trial.

However, as there's no one in the weapons trafficking business that's quite as reliable under such short notice, and Kise's circumstances are a bit urgent, well...he'll just have to endure this 'date' before conducting business.

At least the restaurant is nice. Tasteful decor, gracious staff, and  an exceptional menu selection--Kise's not so testy that he can't appreciate this.

C grins and takes a small sip of pinot blanc, never taking his mocking gaze off Kise for a second. Kise doesn't bother averting his eyes either.

Eat shit, old man.

"Your fans would cry if they found out about this hostile personality of yours."

No doubt.

But who isn't two-faced and deceptive these days....heh.

Kise continues to ignore the illicit arms dealer leering at him from the other side of the table, devoting his attention instead to the phone in his hand, which has buzzed several times with new messages.

[M-san: You have a shoot early tomorrow morning, so make sur.....

K: Just hurry up, you trashy airhead. I'll be waiti.....

<3 <3 P-chan <3 <3 :  I'm looking forward to our next appointment ^_^]

C isn't just unperturbed by Kise's blatantly rude behaviour, he's enjoying it fully. He slices off another small bite of his steak, chewing carefully before piping up again with:

"Quite the popular one, aren't you... Was that your manager? A client from your other job, or perhaps one of your many patrons?"

All three, actually.

Kise slips his phone back into his pocket and crosses his legs. He rests his hands on his knees, under the table, resisting the urge to play with his cross pendant.

"Always so busy, never settling down to one particular owner. Are you sure that's profitable for someone like you? After all, I've heard around that you're something of a collector's item--"

"I'm sure you know that's none of your fucking business," Kise replies coolly, his first words since he got to the restaurant. He would chastise himself for breaking his silence, but several lines have already been crossed, so...

"You've got ten more minutes to waste my time. Don't push it."

C pushes it anyways. After another fifteen minutes of one-sided banter, he finally sets his cutlery down with a clink and wipes his ungodly mouth with a cloth napkin.

"Well, thank you again for the lovely company. I enjoyed myself, as always."

C slides an expensive paper shopping bag over, looking for all the world like a sugar daddy gifting his young model paramour a new toy. To be fair, this image is a great cover for an illegal arms trade off, but it still pisses Kise off.

"I'll forward you the rest of the money tonight."

Kise accepts the bag, looking inside briefly to confirm its contents. He can't take it out for obvious reasons (though their table position is conveniently placed in a more private part of the restaurant), but he's dealt with C enough to trust him for a fair trade.

"Oh, no need. I'm more than happy to accept...more exciting forms of payment from you, Ryouta."

NOT!! A!! CHANCE!! IN!! HELL!!

The model slaps down five thousand yen to pay for his uneaten soup, then casts C one last icy glare before striding out of the building and into the chill night air.

AaaaaaaaaAAAAAAH.

What a fucking pain... That sadistic lech knows way too much, far more than Kise is comfortable with. 'Collector's item', who told him about that, anyways?  Jesus, so in this city, even a useless gun-selling pervert is well- connected enough to be privy to decades-old trivia.

...And would it kill him to stop trying to get into Kise's pants??

Ugh. No. It was worth it...all of it: now that Kise's equipped, he's almost completely ready.

The downtown streets are still humming with life, all bright sparkling lights and chatter and car fumes. This ambiance soothes Kise; with each step he takes, the tension from the previous exchange relaxes.

It's okay now. He can focus all his thoughts on this newest game.

Just wait a little longer....

~Kurokocchi~

[Friday. 22:03. Blooming Romance].

"Master Taiga--"

"Can you cut it with the 'master' stuff, it feels sarcastic coming from you."

".......Taig-......Kagami-kun, then."

"What."

"I'll be frank: can you hit me?"

"HUH?!"

"You're obviously well above average when it comes to physical prowess, but I need to test your strength."

"The fuck are you talking about, I'm not just going to randomly punch you."

"Would you feel better if I initiated?"

"Wait, wha- BASTARD, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING"

"Oh, I'm impressed you managed to dodge that. In that case, I won't hold back."

"KUROKO!! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU"

"Please don't back away, Maste-...Kagami-kun, this is for your own well-being."

"STO- WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU."

[Friday. 23:17. Nanodayo.]

Oh my god, Shin-chan...

Any misgivings Takao may have had about tailing Midorima all the way out to this sketchy ass bar have dissolved now that he gets to behold the beautiful sight before his famed 'hawk' eyes.

Look at him. Does he think wearing dark sunglasses in a dimly lit room is going to make him less noticeable or something? How can he even see, did he wear contacts-....No... holy shit, he's actually wearing prescription shades.

Takao silently congratulates himself for going through with this. Shin-chan has been acting so obviously suspicious these past few days that, but made it so hilariously easy to follow him, that there was really no choice in the matter.

Peeking behind a stray menu, the assassin watches with mounting amusement as Midorima sets a troll doll on his table--must be today's lucky item for Cancers-- and sits back a chair with unnatural stiffness. He's causing a lot of people around him to watch him with shifty-eyes.

So conspicuous.

He must be waiting for someone: Shin-chan isn't the type to frequent these types of places on his own time. He's so out of his element that it's almost sad...almost.

A server saunters up to Midorima and presumably asks if he'd like something to drink, causing the sniper to stare at her blankly for a few moments. Takao, flexing his lip-reading ability, watches Midorima first push his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, then reply  curtly with: "Oolong Highball".

PFFFF. How FANCY. Knowing Shin-chan, he probably wanted to order a water, but felt bad for the server's efforts. He's not actually going to drink it, is he...?

Takao does a quick scan of the room, making sure no one new has entered. Looks like Takao's meet up still hasn't arrived. Good, good.

The server ends up asking for Takao's order as well, so he quietly ask for a Caesar, while still hiding behind the menu, and continues to watch Midorima look oh so incredibly awkward. He's lucky this joint is so busy at this time of night, otherwise he'd really be standing out.

As he waits for his drink, Midorima rests his bandaged fingers on the table top, right next to that god-awful doll. Takao is faced with the real questions: where did he even find that thing...like, did he go out and buy it today, or did he always have something that weird in his possession...???

The lady comes back with the drinks and, for one fleeting, heart-stopping second, Takao is sure that Midorima looked directly his way. But judging from his lack of reaction, he still hasn't noticed. Takao takes a few cautious sips of his Caesar while keeping his gaze fully on Midorima. The important part is coming up right now....

After several minutes of hesitation, Midorima finally takes the glass into his hands. Slowly, slowly raises it to his lips. Takes a cautious sip. Slowly, slowly lowers the glass and pushes it a little too far away from himself. All the while, the sniper is keeping up a stoic face, but Takao's trained eye can tell how he really feels.

The assassin is so busy choking back his own laughter, he's almost startled by the sudden presence that moves past him, an average-looking middle aged man that sits right across from Midorima. He seems to have a slip of paper in his hands...?

That must be the meet-up. Well, fun's over: Takao has no intention of actually snooping in on Shin-chan's ~secret plans~. He quickly drains the rest of his drink, leaves some money on the table, then discreetly sees himself out.

The assassin shoves his hands into his coat pockets and strolls his way down the dark street. For about a couple minutes, at least,  until his honed survival instinct kicks in and he whips his head around to see:

"Shin-chan....?"

Midorima is standing at the entrance of the bar, holding a bottle firmly in his left hand.

"Hahaha, oh, no I wasn't-OK OK OK"

Takao takes off as soon as he comprehends the situation, but it's futile: Midorima never misses.

The bottle inevitably clips Takao's foot and brings him down onto the pavement.

"WAHA T_T "

This gives Midorima enough time to cover the thirty meter distance and grab his partner by the scruff of the shirt, pulling him up.

"Relax, Shin-cha--!! Ahh, okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I was worried about you, but I left as soon as that guy came to see you."

The sniper glares for a few moments (or Takao assumes he's glaring: he's still wearing the sunglasses), then releases Takao with a long sigh.

"It's unpleasant to have my personal life invaded."

Takao laughs sheepishly, but still pats Midorima on the back with his usual enthusiasm.

"You're right, you're right. that was my bad. But hey,"

Here, Takao stands on his toes so he can drape his arm over Midorima's shoulders and bring him down to a more reasonable level.

"I don't know what's been going on lately, but if you ever need any help, don't hesitate to ask me, 'kay?"

"................................................tha-......HMPH. Don't be ridiculous. Why would I need to-"

"Okay, okay. I get it, you just let me know when you need me. Come on, I'll buy you red bean soup as an apology."

Takao debates asking about the troll doll, but decides there are some things better left unknown.

[Friday. 23:24. Poker Face Part I]

"Well, well, now that I look closely...you're quite the pretty one, aren't ya?"

The gunman sneers menacingly, sidling up uncomfortably close to Himuro. He smoothes his ash-coloured hair back with one hand, and uses the other to grab Himuro's chin and turn his head roughly to face his own.

"Then why are ya hiding your face? Let's see here..."

He flicks his tongue over his lips before twisting them into a sadistic smirk, as he runs his hand up Himuro's cheek. Without hesitation, he brushes back the dark bangs covering Himuro's left eye.

"Haizaki...Shougo, was it?"  Tatsuya replies without flinching, deadpan as always.

Haizaki's mouth twitches a little and he takes a step back, clicking his tongue with annoyance. His previously shit-eating expression has turned into quite the impressive scowl.

He readjusts the collar of his black shirt before snapping:

"Huh. So what the fuck's a walking Ichimatsu doll doing here??"

Himuro has been likened to a 'lifeless doll' more times than he can count, but this is definitely a first.

He straightens out his own clothes and brushes them off.

"I wasn't looking for you, but I guess you'll do. I have a couple questions..."

[Saturday. 02:11. Poker Face Part II ]

Himuro is dead tired by the time he makes it back to the apartment. After ensuring all seven locks on the door are secure, he stumbles through the kitchen, down the hall, and finally makes it to the bedroom.

In the past twelve hours, it doesn't look like Atsushi's left the house at all, but at least he's moved himself onto a proper bed. An improvement from the kitchen floor, in any case.

Too exhausted to undress or worry about sleeping space, Himuro brushes the pile of candy wrappers off the sheets and flops himself down next to Murasakibara's sleeping form. He grabs the only pillow that isn't currently being crushed by his partner, and buries his face into it.

In the end, he still hasn't found out what he really wants to know. About Taiga and the Miracles....well, it's not really any of his business, is it? It's not, but he can't deny he wants to get involved for his own personal reasons.

A problem for the morning; for now, he sleeps.

............or not.

Without warning, Murasakibara's giant arm reaches out over Himuro's shoulders and turns his body towards himself, pulling him into his chest. Dangerously close.

Wh-wh.-whaA?!

"Atsushi...?"

As startled and confused as Himuro is, right now he's mostly struggling to think of something aside from the feeling of Murasakibara's long fingers pressed between his shoulder blades, or the fact that his face is mere centimeters away from Atsushi's chest.

"Muro-chin.....you went out...?"

"M-..mmm. I just got back."

So warm...

"You smell like Haizaki."

Of course he can tell; he might be a lethargic mess, but nothing gets past 'the Reaper'.

Himuro finds he's been holding his breath, so he exhales slowly before responding:

"Yeah, I met him by accident today, while I was trying to figure some stuff out. He wasn't very helpful, though."

..If the fresh bruise forming on Himuro's ribcage is anything to go by; damn, that Haizaki bastard packs a hard punch. Though he did end up revealing some interesting information later on, Himuro is starting to wonder if he should've talked to him in the first place.

It's difficult to gauge Murasakibara's reaction when he can't even see his face.

"Should I..not have?"

Perhaps it's just Himuro's imagination , but it feels as though Murasakibara's hold on him tightens a little.

As much as Himuro would love to relax in the arms of his precious Atsushi, the feat is too much. He squeezes his eyes shut and waits for an answer to his question. He can feel the blood rushing to his face (because of the warmth! It's so hot in here, haha, that's why!!), so he's glad at least his face is hidden.

After a long, long pause, Murasakibara finally mumbles:

"Muro-chin is really troubled by that Kagami kid, riiiight? .....I have to find him anyways, so don't.......go off.....on your............................................."

"Atsushi??"

Did he just.... in the middle of that crucial response.........

....fall asleep mid-sentence?!?

[Saturday. 04:01. *Mozart's Lacrimosa Plays in the Background Ominously*]

Akashi starts by unbuttoning his shirt, slipping the fabric off his shoulders and letting it fall onto floor.

Next: his pants, which prove slightly more difficult to remove with only one hand. Then his underwear (silk boxers, naturally) and socks (black dress socks). He leaves all his clothes in a pile on the ground and, finally, leaves his pocket watch by the bathroom sink.

Akashi's feet pad silently against cold tile as he steps into the shower. He sets the water to a cool temperature and lets it roll off his skin, washing away the blood from his hands and face. His head is bowed, and he watches the diluted red colour swirl and disappear down the drain.

After he's made sure to cleanse his body thoroughly, Akashi shuts the water off and heads towards the bath. The porcelain tub is already brimming with hot water, ready to go.

He tests the temperature with his foot once, twice, before stepping in and immersing himself in the dizzying warmth. He rests like that, with his wrists elegantly poised at either edge of the bath.

So.

Now that all the pieces are on the board, the long wait is finally coming to an end. It's been four years since they all left Hell, and now...it's time to meet again.

So close.

Akashi shuts his eyes for a moment and, even if it's only for a short time, he sleeps for the first time in weeks.

Notes (from AO3): 

Lmao sorry this took me longer to update, though I guess that's approximately the rate I'll be doing things from now on. (Kise was giving me grief and i'm still not 100% sold on the outcome but iT'S FINE I GUESS)

also Fun fact #1: Riko's informants are Mitobe and Koganei lmao. Idk if I'll put them in the actual fic, but just fyi all their report meetings are like

Riko: did you get the information on Satsuki Momoi like I asked?

Koganei: >:3C i'll let Mitobe handle this one

Mitobe: "...................................."

Koganei: and there u have it

Riko: ...just give me the fucking file.

Fun Fact #2: Akashi was using scented bathsalts because in my heart he's a dainty mafia princess