#help i stayed until 2 am finishing this i started at 11

[bunniii1]

you are challenged by gym leader fyodor ✧

this time it wasn’t on my school ipad lol. on break and did it on my personal ipad but didn’t put much coloring into it bc too lazy. anyways fyodor is alive trust 🙏🙏

[gublernatural]

Security ✿ Aaron Hotchner

from the river to the sea, palestine will be free 🇵🇸 READ: this account stands with palestine, and so— i require everyone who interacts to educate themselves, and support/donate. READ THESE; 1 and 2, HELP HERE, BOYCOTT. silence is complicity, do not scroll past this.

♡ SUMMARY: reader calls aaron just as he arrives home from a case, needing a savior in her own home. aka baked goodies part 4

♡ WARNINGS: reader has the flu, criminal minds-esque violence, mentions of haley and her death, reader takes medicine for the flu and eats a frozen croissant and i do not wish to offend the French, not edited but when is my stuff ever?

𖤣 Part one here! 𖥧 Part two here! 𖡼 Part three here! ⚘

𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘.𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘.𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘.𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘

The flu. Of course, just as winter was finally wrapping up, your sniffles start and your throat starts to burn. The cold was no longer nipping at your nose, but you were still shivering at night. The fever you’d started a day ago didn’t feel like it was going away any time soon, so you’d decided to head to the urgent care a few minutes away.

The doctor had been surprised when your flu test came back positive, considering it was late march. “You’re probably the last positive we’ll get until thanksgiving time,” he had remarked as he signed the prescription for you. With a sigh, you made your way to the check out counter, got your prescription and headed to your car. You barely got your key in the ignition when your phone stayed to ring.

“Hi honey,” Aaron’s whisper filled your car as your phone connected via bluetooth. “Hi baby,” you mustered up all of the energy you had to coo at him, wanting to match his energy. He knew you weren’t feeling the best, so any energy you could give him was enough.

You swore he could feel the things you felt sometimes. You knew there was science backing the idea that your heartbeats could sync up, but this was a whole different level. Aaron knew you in ways no one else did, and no one else ever would. You’d been together for almost six months now, and you could very easily picture a lifetime with him. It was almost as if your souls were tied together, creating the most beautiful knot you’d ever seen. One that could only be named love.

“Feeling any better?” His voice was gentle, but you could tell he was keeping quiet. He was probably still in the Chicago Precinct, finishing up a very gruesome case. “I am now that I’m talking to you,” you flirted before breaking into a coughing fit. Your cover was blown. “Are you driving?” Aaron asks, ignoring your flirtation. “I have to get home, Aaron.” You were too tired for his overprotectiveness.

Once again changing the subject, he asks the million dollar question, “What did the doctor say?”

You winced at some dickhead behind you beeping at the car next to you as you answered, “The flu, he gave me some medicine.” You heard Aaron let out a sigh on the other side, “It’s spring time,” he declared, just as puzzled as you were. “I know, that’s what I said.”

“I’m sorry, honey.” You knew that would be his response. There’s nothing he can do but wish you well from about 11 hours away. He wished he could hop on the jet and come home to cuddle the virus out of you. But he couldn’t. He was here, in Chicago, catching evil criminals, and you were back home. You didn’t answer his sentiment, instead opting to sit in comfortable silence on the phone with you. He was alone in the conference room, mapping out similarities from the victims, so he put his phone on speaker and got back to work.

This was a comforting action for Aaron. It gave him some sort of peace he was always seeking when he was away on cases. The hairs on the back of his neck lowered and the pit in his stomach closed. Just a little bit, but the pit closed some.

A few minutes later, you were pulling into your driveway. You couldn’t help but peek out of your rear view mirror. It was as dramatic as a romance movie, the way you longingly looked at Aaron’s home, as if your gaze could spawn him in his front yard.

“Hey Aar,” You said, unable to hide how tired you were, “I’m home.” You couldn’t see but Aaron nodded, knowing that meant you were about to hang up. “Get some rest, please. And don’t forget your medicine.”

“I’m going to bed as soon as I get in the door. You don’t have to worry about me, I promise.” You switched your phone to speaker, disconnecting it from the car and turning the car off. “I’m still going to worry,” Aaron guaranteed. “I know, but try to not.”With a sigh, he agreed“I can do that, I love you.”

Saying “I love you” was something that came had come unexpectedly easy to Aaron. He’d thought after all of the loss he’d faced of people he loved, there would be a hesitancy, a fear that he’d buried somewhere dark and deep. But it wasn’t. It came easy and truthfully, just as being in love with you did.

It was surprising to you how often, how delicately, and how meaningfully Aaron said it. It carried so much weight when he said it, it was a promise every single time. A promise to be there to say it again and again, a promise to fight through whatever awful things are thrown at him to be the best version of himself for you, a promise to be there for you, a promise to be the man you deserve.

Aaron Hotchner was a serious man, always had been and always will be. But he’s especially serious about the people he loves, you and Jack the most.

“I love you too, goodnight.” You joked as you stepped into your home. “Goodnight, get some rest.” Aaron was smiling as he hung up.

You’re not sure how long you slept. It had to have been a few hours, considering it was dark when you woke up. Your head was pounding and and your stomach was rumbling.

You slowly dragged yourself out of bed, fighting through the deep ache in your bones. You couldn’t understand why you were both hot and cold at the same time, or why the ringing in your ears wouldn’t go away. You, despite all of the rest you’d gotten, were feeling about a thousand times worse than you were yesterday.

You stopped at your sock drawer, pulling out the thickest, fuzziest pair you could find, before hobbling down to the kitchen. You’d just gone grocery shopping, so you were sure there was something you could throw into the microwave.

As you rummaged through your fridge like an injured raccoon, your phone buzzed from its spot on the couch, where you’d tossed it after you came in. A text of Aaron lit up the screen, ‘Just got back to the precinct. We just have to fill out some paperwork and then we’ll be on the jet home. See you soon.’ it read.

After taking a few, small bites of the frozen croissant you’d found in the back of your freezer, you responded to Aaron’s text with a simple ‘be safe, love u’, energy level matching what you were currently feeling.

Then you headed back up to bed. There was some kind of uneasiness flowing through your veins, so you pulled up some mindless video to help you relax. You were sure it was just the medicine making you a little queasy, so you did your best to relax so you could sleep away the pounding in your head.

It took a while, about two and a half youtube video essays, but you did slowly drift off into an uncomfortable slumber.

Once again, you were unsure of how long you’d been asleep. You felt groggy, as if you could use a few more hours to truly feel good, even with the flu. You weren’t sure what woke you up, however.

It was dark out, so you reached for your phone to see if Aaron had made it home. ‘2:36’, the screen that was entirely too bright read. You signed, swiping down on your screen to show your notifications. A text from Aaron 35 minutes ago read, “Just got in the door. I bet you’re asleep, give me a call when you wake up. I’ll be up for a while.”

Every muscle in your body hurt, you pushed through for just 13 of them to form a smile at his care of you.

Just as your hand hovered over the call button on his contact, you heard your front door swing open with a bang.

Your head immediately perked up. You inched your way back toward headboard, trying to put yourself in a position as far away from the sound as possible.

Your breathing stopped as you listened. “Hurry the fuck up, we got two more to go to tonight.” You heard an unfamiliar voice call out. It was obvious they were trying to be quiet, albeit unsuccessfully.

Without hesitation, your finger hit the call button. It rang twice before Aaron’s groggy voice was coming through the receiver, “Hey honey, how are you-”

You cut him off with a desperate whisper of his name, “Aaron,” He was stricken with worry immediately. You were sick, so sick. You’d been running almost a 103 degree forever. Despite your medicine, there was no way you’d be able to speak with such conviction in your voice already.

“Aaron,” you repeated with as you squeezed your eyes shut, “Someone’s here.”

Aaron’s heart stopped in his chest. The last time someone entered the house of a person he loved, they never came back out of it. Haley’s last moments alive were spent with someone who was in her house when he shouldn’t have been. And now that was happening to you.

“Where?” Aaron asked as he shuffled around, moving to his gun safe. He quickly input the code, checked the safety and began to make his way to your house. He could hear Jackson barking in the background, doing his best to protect you.

You heard a crash somewhere downstairs, and decided you couldn’t sit anymore. Faster than someone with the flu should be able to, you stood up to move to the bathroom attached to bedroom.

“They’re downstairs, please hurry.” He could hear the fear in your voice, the way you were choking back tears. Jackson’s bark was getting progressively louder had Aaron’s heart speeding up.

Aaron didn’t answer as he approached the door. His end of the call went silent, before you heard your door crash open again. “FBI,” his loud voice boomed through the house. Even Jackson paused at that, standing with his fur perked up and his eyes focused on the door.

Aaron then yelled and you could tell it was directed towards you, “Call the police!”

You did as you were told, hanging up the phone call to dial 911. You quickly explained the situation and gave your address to the dispatcher. You told her that Aaron was here, he was an FBI agent, he was seemingly making sure the intruders weren’t leaving, and to please, please, please, not let him get hurt.

Her calming voice assured her that she wouldn’t.

You sat on the bathroom floor, shaking, running your hands through Jackson’s fur as you waited for the police to arrive. You wished Aaron could handle it. That he had the power to arrest them and it could all be over. But he didn’t, so you were stuck here, waiting, shaking.

It felt like an eternity, but was probably twenty minutes, but you heard the sirens as they pulled up. Once the cops were in the door, Aaron informed them of what was going on, and then made a beeline to your room. The door was still shut from when you went to bed, but not locked. Aaron decided to lecture you later.

His eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room as Jackson creeped out. Aaron gave him a few pats before following where he’d came from.

“Aaron,” he heard your tired voice call out. You were definitely crying, even if you hadn’t noticed it yet. “It’s me, honey,” he answered, finally finding you in the dark. He sat down next to you on the cold tile. He pulled you into his chest, completely enveloping you in nothing but Aaron.

You pressed your ear against his chest, searching for his heartbeat. You could hear how fast it was beating. The sound started to calm you down. As the adrenaline stopping running through you, the illness started to re-emerge.

Aaron didn’t speak as he held you. He held you until you stopped crying. He held you until your breathing evened out. He held you until you stopped shaking. He held you as Jackson curled up at your feet, also trying to protect you.

Ten minutes, then twenty minutes passed, then Aaron lost track of time. Still, he held you close with one arm, and gently combed his fingers through your hair with the other.

“You awake?” He whispered. “Mhm,” you replied. “Let’s go walk around the house.” Your eyebrows furrowed at his request. That was the last thing you wanted to do right now. Your bones hurt and you were scared of what could be lurking in the dark of your house.

“You won’t feel safe unless you know it’s clear.” You shook your head against him. “I won’t feel safe if you leave.” You promised him. Every word was true. “I’m not going anywhere.”

You knew every word of that was true, too.

“Can we go to your house tonight?” Somehow, you were even quieter. “Of course.”

Aaron moved to get up. He stepped over to flick on the lights and then help you up. You tried to ignore how lightheaded the shift in position made you feel, but stumbled as you got up. Aaron reached out, once again protecting you.

“Jackson’s not going to like being alone,” You sighed, with sad eyes. You didn’t want to leave him, but you weren’t going to feel safe. Against every part of his body wanting to tell you he’s just a dog and that’d he be okay, Aaron found himself saying, “He can come, too.”

“You don’t want dogs in your house.” You recalled the countless times Aaron complained about the dog hair. “I’ll make an exception tonight, you’re sick.” He justified. He could feel your body relax in his arms. With Aaron and Jackson by yourself, you knew you’d feel safe and secure. “Thank you, honey.” Aaron smiled at you using his favorite nickname for you.

“Well, let’s walk around and then we’ll head over.” You nod, following his lead. Aaron holds your hand as he guides you through the house, checking every nook and cranny he could think of. Jackson stayed right by your side.

As you made it to the bottom floor of the house, you could see two police cars still sitting, and two cops standing out front talking. You knew you’d have to give a statement or something eventually, but you were hoping Aaron could pull some strings due to how exhausted your body was.

“All clear,” You remark as you finish looking over the house. You’d have to replace your door handle on your front door, and your living room was in complete disarray, but you knew it’d be much worse if Aaron hadn’t come when he did. He was your savior tonight.

Aaron pulls you close again, relishing in your skin being against his. He was coming down from his own adrenaline high and all he wanted to do was hold you, so he could know that you were safe and alive, and opportunity that he didn’t have with Haley.

Something deep inside of him was gratified tonight. He knew that he could never replace Haley, that the love and the fear and the heartbreak he felt for her would always linger and would never, ever go away. But he also knew that he was a different man. He was a better man. A better father, a better lover. He knew that wherever Haley was, he was proud of the man Aaron had become. The man you helped him become.

Aaron pressed a kiss to your forehead, squeezed your shoulder, and then said, “Let’s go home.” You didn’t have to remind him about Jackson, as he moved to the closet that you kept his leash in. As if he could feel the heaviness in the air, Jackson didn’t put up an excited fight to put his leash on.

Aaron held your hand in his right, and Jackson’s leash in his left as he guided the two of you outside. You three took a few paces into the yard, before he was handing you the leash, mumbling an “I’ll be right back,” before walking to where the police were lingering.

You couldn’t hear what was going on, but you saw Aaron shake their hand after talking to them, and then he returned to your side. “They said you can go to the station in the morning to talk to them since I gave a statement. I told them you have the flu, so maybe we can get it pushed back more.” You nodded at his words, and slipped your hand back in his. Aaron ran his thumb along the soft skin of your hand as you walked across the street to his house.

Once you got inside, Aaron let you shower as he found a bowl that Jackson could drink from. The hot water helped your muscles relax, and unstuffed your nose. It felt good to be breathe for a couple minutes.

Aaron was already in bed when you made in to the room. Jackson was curled up on the floor at the end of the bed, softly snoring until you opened the door. “Come here,” Aaron gestured to the empty side of the bed. You complied and he pulled you tight against his side.

Even with the ache in your bones and burn in your throat returning, this was best you’d felt all week.

You tried your best to sleep. When that didn’t work, you tried your best to at least lay still so Aaron could sleep. When that also didn’t work, you sat up in the bed, frustrated. All you’d wanted to do all day was sleep, and now your body was still reeling from your house being broken into, so you could.

“You alright?” Aaron asked, hand moving to run along your thigh. “I can’t sleep,” You mumbled. You felt Aaron nod, before his hands slid up your body, guiding you by your torso to lay back down next to him. He pressed a kiss against your shoulder once he could reach it. “Let’s just lay here, then.”

You nodded, wiggling closer to him. His hand kept moving along your thigh, and you used it to slow your breathing down, matching it to the movement.

You weren’t sure how long you laid like that before Aaron broke the silence, “What would you think about moving in with me?” It was quiet, almost a whisper. It was easily the most timid you’d ever heard him be.

“Can Jackson come?” Aaron laughed at your response, a little less nervous than he’d previously been. “Of course,” he responded. It was quiet for a little bit as you pondered the question, before you replied, “If you talk to Jack and he’s okay with it, then I will consider it.”

Aaron nodded, know that was the best answer he could’ve received given your illness and how late it was. “Okay,” he replied, pressing one more kiss to your shoulder before laying back down next to you.

[propheticclown]

Just finished playing Mouthwashing and I just wanna leave my character opinions in this post. OBVIOUS SPOILER WARNING!!! Curly: Lovely character. I adore his characterization of being unable to do anything until it's too late. He stood on the sidelines for too long and was only given the option the stay on the sidelines for the rest of his life. That moment when he goes to confront Jimmy and the screen starts lightly shaking and starts flashing the "Kills 99.9%" to signify his utter rage and contempt for Jimmy at that point? Adore it. I don't think he's as horrible as people say. He had no malicious intent, but that ironically caused his downfall. He was too passive and that led to the failure of the crew and became a victim to Jimmy's twisted delusions. Swansea: MY GLORIOUS KING!!! I love his whole roundabout character. He's so three-dimensional. I adore him for accepting his flaws and genuinely being able to "Take Responsibility". His relationship with Daisuke, being the hardened man scorned by the world and wanting to make sure Daisuke didn't end up like him was so beautiful. The fact that he doesn't get mad at Daisuke for crawling through the vent and getting hurt because he knew he just wanted to help made me tear up. He's so incredible. Plus he can canonically throw it back, which is always a plus.

Daisuke: What an amazingly tragic character. A kid who feels useless and wants to help in any way he can, even if that means putting himself in harm's way. I love how he attempts to remain positive and cares about the other crew members. Even in his one moment of grief where he discusses his fear of disappointing others, it's never about himself. In his couple last scenes, he even talks about his mom and hopes she won't feel guilty. It's incredible. Anya: Oh, where do I even begin with Anya? I love her. Her whole character is tragic, but those profound moments where she's with Curly, where she's comfortable and we get to see her true self come out, it's so beautiful. She jokes around, gets intense about board games, and is even a bit energetic and passionate about nursing, but most of all, she's just a sweet person. She's incredibly skilled at keeping Curly alive after his incident. She keeps everything calm while Jimmy is away. Her grief and response to Jimmy's actions towards her are sad and I will absolutely admit that I cried after I found out she died and had to step away for a bit because she just was such a genuinely beautiful person. I wish we got to see more of her and I really wish we get to see more of her in the future. Easily my favorite character. I love her so much AAUGH!!! The fact that her and Curly's ID cards are always covered by Jimmy's in that ID card segment is so sad. I could make a whole post on Anya. I love Anya. 11/10. Need more Anya. Jimmy: Wonderfully written. I have never hated a person, let alone a fictional person, more in my life that when this fucker was on my screen. A horrible person. A genuinely irredeemable asshole who does nothing but bring the crew down with him. As much as I would adore making a whole rant post about him, it's 2:00 AM as of writing this and I wanna sleep. So basically; Fuck Jambalaya or whatever his name is.

[issdisgrace]

IT'S KINDA A LONG STORY

WARNINGS: None

A/N: This takes place in 2017, character is 28.

“You know you’ve been with us for 6 months and I don’t think you proper told us about how you started hunting.” Sam says, closing his computer. 

“Well, my grandpa was a hunter, so my father became a hunter. Then I decided to continue the family tradition and become a hunter.”

“Cool. How was your childhood? Mine and Sammy’s were fucked, to say the least? Went long periods in hotels. I had to steal food and a bunch of other shit.” Dean says.

“It was a mixed bag. It’s kinda a long story.” I say, sitting up on the bed. 

“We have time.” Sam says.

“Alright, strap in, I guess. As you guys know, I was born in ‘89. My mom got pregnant with me when she was 16 and.

"Had me a month after she turned 17 on my dad’s 17th birthday. My mom came from a very religious family, like super religious, and her getting pregnant with me got her kicked out. My grandma and grandpa let my mom move in. From what I heard, those months were good. My dad was working while trying to finish school while my mom dropped out of school. Mom helped grandma and grandpa with the stuff around the house. When my mom was 8 months and on some odd days with me, she went into labor. She was rushed to the hospital in the town over and had me around 11:45 pm. There were a couple of problems with me since I was premature, but the doctor got everything under control and after a week, I was able to go home. 

Anyway, when I was 2, my mom and dad got married. My first memory was Christmas ‘94. I remember opening a fairy princess set. It was nice at the time, but looking back now, it was very cheaply made. But fast forward to my 8th birthday, 97. I remember we had dinner and my father unwrapped his presents first, being older than I got to open mine. I had got nothing but dresses. I remember I broke out crying then when my mom and dad tried to comfort me I yelled that I didn’t want to be a girl, then ran upstairs and hid in my room. A couple of minutes later, my dad came up and entered my room. He just sat on the bed and talked to me while I was hide telling me that there wasn’t nothing wrong with wanting to be a boy and if I wanted to I could. I crawled out from underneath my bed and sat with him. He held me as I cried and we talked. It started with, is this how you really feel? How long have you been feeling this way? Would it make me happier to be a boy? I told him, It was about 6 when I realized didn’t want to be a girl, that I hated the long hair and dresses, and didn’t like my given name. We talked until it was time for me to go to bed. My dad tucked me in and stayed with me until I feel asleep. I must have been asleep no longer than a half an hour when I was woken up by yelling from downstairs. I could hear my mom yelling at my dad, saying I can’t just be a boy and that it’s just a phase. I remember hearing my dad tell her, so what if it is I have to figure out who I am and who I want to be? I just layed their crying while listening to the yelling and ended up crying myself asleep. 

The next day, things were tense, to say the least that I can remember. My grandma and grandpa talked to me after the very tense breakfast and asked if I wanted to go by something else. At that time, I didn’t know. They suggest names, even pulled out baby name books, and we looked through them. But I didn’t find a name that I liked so they were suggesting different names off the top of their head and I decide on Y/n after my mom’s brother, my uncle who is most definitely the funnest coolest person I have ever known. I remember the first time he came to visit after I came out and by then I had gotten my hair cut and a new wardrobe. I had told him that I was a boy and that my new name was Y/n. He was super chill about the absolute opposite of my mother, despite coming from the same background. And their one out he called me his mini me.

So fast forward to 99 I’m 10. My mom decide to get me nail polish and make up for my birthday. I was first upset, but that black nail polish called me and I painted them. They looked pretty good, and it made me feel masculine. After I was done with my nails and they were tried and I went downstairs to show my grandma and grandpa. They were in the living room and so was my mom. I show them and my mother butted in by asking if I was finally done with this phase and finally being a girl. I was so upset. I just ran out of the house. I ran into the woods and climbed a top of tree. I was close enough to the house that I could hear my grandparents and mother getting into a screaming match. They yelled at her for 30 minutes, then they came out to find me, but I stayed silent while I cried and they didn’t find me. They looked for another half an hour for me before my father came home from his hunt he left on a couple day prior. They rushed to meet him in the driveway and they told my father what had happened. 

And then there comes my mom came out of the house to yell about the whole thing again, saying that she wasn’t going to feed into the delusion and that I needed to start acting like a girl. Shit escalated and my dad yelled that he wanted a divorce and to get the fuck out of the house by morning. Then when things died down, my dad came and found me and I climbed down from the tree and he tried to comfort me. But i just kept crying and eventually I tired myself out and fell asleep. He carried me in and I woke up in my bed the next morning hearing loud crying coming from my mom. She tried to guilt trip and have my dad take her back. But it failed and eventually my uncle arrived and got my mom and her stuff and then she wasn’t in my life. Which in all this my uncle stood beside us, but he did help my mom because of the whole family thing. Anyway, my mom wasn’t completely out of my life. She would leave letters in the mailbox condemning me every couple of weeks.

So then fast forward to when I was 14. I was home alone. When I heard a car pull up. I went downstairs and opened the door and here comes my mom and her boyfriend. I knew something was wrong and quickly closed and locked the door. They started banging on the door and my mom was yelling how she could fix and that I didn’t have to pretend anymore. I called the police and hid in my closet. Listening to the banging. After a couple minutes, I hear two cruisers pull, then a commotion. Then eventually the commotion was over and I heard my name called out by the cop saying it was safe. I realized it was my friends Chris’ dad, John.

I got out of hiding and went downstair and the front door was totaled. It was on the verge of breaking. So I go outside they got my mom and her boyfriend in separate cruiser. John and the other officer, Charlie, made sure I was ok. They got another cop to come out and take my mom from John’s cruiser so John could stay with me. He did, and eventually my dad and grandparents showed up. We pressed charges, they both ended up getting 4 years. And that is the last thing I know about the whereabout of my mom. After that whole situation, my dad and grandpa taught me self defiance, which turned into teaching me how to hunt. 

Then when I was about 18, my grandparents go into a pile up caused by a drunk driver and died. It was really tough around then and I threw myself into my shitty waiter job at the local diner. Made decent money and got good tips. With the saved money, I got myself a car with my dad’s help and started traveling, doing hunts. Stayed in contact with dad through this time and still do. He ended up getting close to John after his wife divorced him and they fell for each other. They got married last year, which I attended their wedding, then I took a break from hunting. Then a couple of months ago I started back up my. band, that’s when I met you guys and here we are.”

“Damn sorry about the whole transphobic mom and grandparents thing.” Sam says.

“Eh, I got over it.”

“Pretty hard stuff to get over,” Dean adds in.

“Yeah, I went to a lot of therapy to get myself to this point.”

“Glad it went well for you. Therapists can be tricky. Some help and some don’t.” Sam said.

“I got paired with a pretty good one. Anyway, don’t mean to switch topics, but how does food sound to you guys because all that talking got me hungry?”

“Yes, I love the way you think.” Dean says.

“There’s a diner just down the road we can go there.” Sam says.

“Sounds good to me.”

[axkirak]

The Curse of Cassandra [EP : XIII]

Read in Ao3 : here

Pairings :  Qimir x f!reader(SEA Reader)  [The Acolyte]

Content Rating : Mature 18+ Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warning (AT YOUR OWN RISK)

tags/themes : Alternate Universe - Dune & Star wars, Partners in Crime, Strangers to Lovers

Summary : The last bloodline of House Atreides is about to reach its own conclusion. Both Yord and you understand what lies ahead and are ready to do whatever it takes to protect each other, even if it means one of you may have to sacrifice their life.

Status: just finished writing this fic! (It will end in Episode 14)

A/N : Just one chapter left until the end, and I'm feeling sad to see that many have stopped reading my fic. It's been tough to stay motivated to continue, but I want to finish what I've started. I hope those who are still following along are enjoying the story. Thank you for sticking with me

Ps.If you enjoy my work, please reblog it. Just liking the post won’t help others discover it.

➡  Intro // EP : 1 // EP : 2 // EP : 3 // EP : 4 // EP : 5 // EP : 6 // EP : 7 // EP : 8 // EP : 9 // EP : 10 // EP : 11 // EP : 12 // EP : 14 (Completed)

Special OS : Phantom Thread // My mother is my enemy

[Episodes 13] Here I am, here I remain.

"Run away with me."

You aren't particularly surprised to find Yord standing at your doorstep in the early evening; however, his sudden plea still manages to catch you off guard.

Yord is still panting, one hand gripping the doorframe tightly. His face glistens with sweat dripping from his forehead, a sign of how hard he must have pushed himself to rush here. His wide eyes looking at you reflect a whirlwind of emotions—anxiety, concern, and anger.

"You don't have to do this," Yord says, his voice serious as he continues when you remain silent. "Those plans are complete nonsense! How desperate do they have to be to drag you into such madness?"

Ah, so he knows everything, you think to yourself, assuming it was likely Jackie or Sol who told him.

The plan Yord refers to is Sol’s secret scheme, a final attempt after repeated failures to capture the new Sith Lord. It involves using you as both bait and a means to force Qimir into revealing himself.

Qimir is an unparalleled assassin known for his perfection, having never left any evidence or shown any vulnerability that could lead to his capture. The Jedi call him ‘The Stranger,’ a faceless phantom, an identity-less shadow. No one knows who he is, when he will appear, or who his next victim will be.

Until now, only you and Sol know about Qimir's past, but even that hasn’t helped solve the case. All records of his time as a Padawan were erased long ago, and Vernestra, who could have confirmed everything, is dead.

The final solution comes down to you. Your visions and the deep connection you share with Qimir are the only keys Sol believes can stop him.

You remember when Sol came to you personally to discuss the plan. You sensed the weight of his desperation and the pressure he was under to make this choice, despite the warnings you had already given him.

In your vision, Sol wasn’t even a match for Qimir. The chances of him throwing his life away in this plan were dangerously high.

Yet, despite knowing this, Sol remained determined.

"Perhaps this is the only way I can atone for what I did at Brendok," he told you in a calm voice, his eyes reflecting his weariness. "We all have sins to repay and fates we cannot escape. Let me face mine as a Jedi."

His words took root in your heart. You knew that fate wasn't just pursuing Sol—it was after you as well.

Your thoughts return to the present. You turn away, unable to meet Yord’s eyes. "It’s impossible," you finally reply, trying to keep your voice steady, but the words come out in a trembling whisper. "You're a Jedi Knight, Yord. You can't throw everything away for me."

"Fuck the Jedi and the Sith! They don’t even care if you live or die!"

You flinch. You’ve never seen Yord explode with such rage before.

Noticing your reaction, Yord realizes he's let his emotions spiral out of control. He wipes a hand over his face, taking a deep breath to calm the fury still simmering within.

“Please, I’m begging you... just come with me,” his tone softens, shifting from anger to a plea. “There’s still time for us to run. I’ll make sure no one finds you. You’ll be safe with me. I swear.”

Yord grips your hand tightly, and you can feel the tremor in his hold. The Bene Gesserit training tells you immediately what’s behind it—he’s afraid. But afraid of what?

“This has nothing to do with you, Yord,” you say, feeling a pang of sympathy but not knowing how to comfort him. “But I’ve seen clearly… it’s impossible.”

You know that facing Qimir again is inevitable. Even if you fled with Yord now, it would only delay the inevitable. Eventually, Qimir will find you, and this path would lead Yord to a cruel, tragic end—something you would never allow to happen to your only living relative.

“But I’ve seen it too!” Yord blurts, still refusing to accept your decision. “I dreamt of you... of your death, at his hands. I won’t let that happen.” 

His words don’t surprise you. Instead, you offer him a soft smile. The bond inherited from Paul Atreides stirs within your heart, prompting you to instinctively caress his cheek with loving concern.

"You may have just seen it for the first time, but I've seen it a thousand times," you say, weariness lacing your voice.

You’ve seen every choice, every possible outcome, and every death of your own—both in dreams and while awake. It feels as if you’ve lived through countless deaths, and the fear you once held has long faded into numb acceptance.

This is the torment of one doomed to see everything—a suffering no ordinary person could ever understand or endure.

"But death isn't the only path," you continue. "There are still many futures that can be changed, even if just slightly. But even a slight change can make all the difference. That's why I have to follow this plan."

"Then I’m coming with you," Yord insists.

You study the determination in his eyes under the temple’s dim light, realizing just how serious he is. "Yord, I’m not sure if..."

“You can’t stop me,” he interrupts, cutting you off as if he already knows what you’re thinking. “If you won’t go with me, then I’ll go with you.”

You want to argue, but you choose silence instead. You don't want him to come, yet you know that trying to stop him would be futile. Yord will do anything to stay by your side, to make sure you’re safe from every danger—even if it costs him his life.

And deep down, you know you’d do the same for him.

In that moment, both of you feel an unbreakable bond woven from a shared consciousness through the memories of your ancestors. The sibling love between Paul and Alia from the past intermingles with your own memories, merging into a blood bond that binds you both to your very souls.

Every path of fate and coincidence has intertwined to lead to this moment, where the last remnants of the Atreides bloodline stand before each other, waiting to take the final step toward the end of everything, together.

You press your lips tightly, your heart trembling with emotions too complex to name. Finally, you throw yourself into his arms. “I love you,” you whisper before pulling away.

Your unexpected action catches Yord off guard. He looks at you in surprise, noticing the silent fear in your eyes—the fear you refuse to voice and the fear he chooses not to ask about.

"I love you too," Yord replies, entwining his fingers with yours. In that instant, he feels as if the past and future have collapsed into one, compressing and enveloping both of you. His mind suddenly understands, without the need for explanation, that fate has already changed its course.

And though Yord can’t see visions as clearly as you do, he can still feel it…

...feel that this might be the last time he will ever see your face.

Eiram

Most of this planet is covered by vast oceans, with only a few forests deep within the islands. Scattered remnants of past disasters still litter the landscape—derelict houses crumbled by violent storms, massive trees left in unnatural positions, and the decaying remains of the Starlight Beacon, now completely covered in moss.

The ship lands silently on the beach of a deserted island. The ocean stretches behind them, dense forest lies ahead. It is peaceful and beautiful—an ideal spot for a tourist destination. Yet, Yord can’t shake the unease that gripped him the moment they arrived. Something feels wrong, but he can’t put his finger on why.

Yord tells himself it’s just the stress of the mission, but deep down, he knows it’s more. He’s sure you sense it too—the worry on your face confirms it.

“Are you all right?” Yord asks, his voice full of concern as he notices you dabbing a handkerchief to your bleeding nose.

He’s only recently learned that this always happens when you use your visions. You’ve told him it’s the price of defying nature—that each time you dive into heightened awareness, you pay the toll with your body. Yord feels sympathy for you, but there’s nothing he can do. He doesn’t have the power you do, and he has no idea how to ease the pain you endure.

“Not great, but I’ll manage,” you reply, your voice unusually cold as you nod at him. “Let’s keep going. We have a lot to deal with.”

Your gaze is steady as you look toward the wild forest ahead, the place where you told the Jedi The Stranger was hiding.

At that moment, Yord doesn’t catch the underlying meaning in your words or actions.

He doesn’t realize... until after it has already happened.

Why?

This thought races in Yord’s mind during his final moments of consciousness. His body slumps against a tree, completely immobile. Pain radiates in his head and back, and his vision slowly darkens. Yet he can still see you clearly. You stand above him with an expressionless face, holding the stun blaster—the very one he gave you for protection. It’s the same weapon you just used to shoot him from behind.

He furrows his brow, desperately trying to understand what just happened. What mistake led him to this situation?

His recent memories flash back to when the Jedi group, led by Sol and Jackie, ventured into the forest on your guidance. Yord had chosen to stay behind with you, ensuring your safety in case anything went wrong.

But they had unknowingly walked into the trap of a Sith Lord. None of them had suspected they were being watched the entire time—until the attack came suddenly when a tall man in a dark cloak lunged at them with a red lightsaber in hand. Though the man’s face was concealed beneath a strange helmet, Yord had known immediately who he was—The Stranger, the Sith Lord they had been chasing all along.

The battle erupted in a chaotic frenzy. Yord quickly realized how skilled Qimir was. His skills were no less than a master's, perhaps even beyond that. Despite being attacked simultaneously by multiple Jedi, Qimir maintained his defense steadily without flinching, countering with swift and powerful strikes. The brilliant red beam cut through the air with deadly precision. He moved too fast for anyone to keep up, and one by one, the Jedi fell before him, as if killing Jedi was no more than a simple task for him.

Yord could only watch in horror. Fear gripped his heart as he tightened his hold on his own lightsaber. In all his years as a Jedi Knight, he had never faced an opponent this terrifying.

“Yord! Get her out of here! Master and I will handle him!" 

Jackie's shout snapped Yord back to his senses. He quickly grabbed your hand, taking advantage of the chaos to escape immediately. He wasn’t even sure which direction the ship was in—all he knew was that he had to get you as far away from Qimir as possible.

A deep instinct told him that if Qimir reached you, something terrible would happen.

Yord stopped running when you suddenly pulled your hand away from his. At first, he thought you were just exhausted from running, but before he could turn to check on you, an immense force slammed into him. His body was thrown violently and crashed hard against a tree, the impact knocking the wind out of him.

And now, here he is—helpless, barely conscious, and fading fast.

His mind races, but no answers come. His blurry eyes focus on you, filled with confusion. Gathering the last bit of strength he can muster, he manages to ask, “Why?”

You slowly kneel before him. For a brief moment, Yord sees guilt in your eyes, but it quickly fades back into cold indifference.

“Because of love,” you answer him. "That's why I had to do this. Please forgive me."

Your voice sounds distant and faint. Yord wants to ask more, but the darkness spreads too quickly, swallowing him whole and completely overtaking his consciousness.

[rosanna-writer]

time won't fly (it's like i'm paralyzed by it) (2/?)

Summary: Every day, Rhysand wakes up next to Amarantha in her bed Under the Mountain. A prisoner, a weapon, a High Lord on a leash. He's been down there so long, it's starting to feel like time doesn't matter. Until one day, it doesn't. Feyre's death sends Rhysand back in time, waking up on the same day - over and over. Now, Rhysand must discover how to break the time loop, save his mate, and keep his sanity intact. A "round robin" style fanfiction with different authors. This work is meant to be read from beginning to end, but each chapter is written by a different author with their own spin on the time loop prompt. Warnings: canon-typical sexual violence, canon-typical violence, temporary character death Rating: Explicit Chapter Word Count: ~2k

To absolutely no one's surprise, I'm part of @feysand-hivemind! I am so lucky to be able to create something alongside the sweetest, most talented group of people with the biggest, wettest, wrinkliest brains (and the biggest wingspans to match). I love you guys so much!

Moodboard by @octobers-veryown

Chapter 1: now we're at the starting line (i did my time) - Loop 0-2 | Chapter 2: Loops 5-11

You can read it Here on AO3 or under the cut!

It had started with a deer and a wolf and a forest. Rhys supposed it could end there, too. There had to be a reason that he found himself back at this moment in particular, over and over.

Something momentous, something world-changing happened every time Feyre loosed that arrow. He knew that down to the marrow of his bones.

Perhaps, then, he’d been tasked with stopping it.

The biting cold and the gnawing hunger were there again, and along with her scent and the sight of her alive, it was nearly enough to distract him.

But her eyes landed on the deer. And then the wolf.

“Feyre!” Rhys called her name, the first time he’d ever dared to voice it aloud.

She turned, and the look she leveled at him was pure hate. A human with ice in her heart, indeed.

Faerie. Rhys heard her thoughts, and she’d spat the word, all venom in her mind.

He hardly noticed. His Feyre moved like an expert, drawing the bow and aiming before she’d even finished turning, loosing the arrow on instinct. It hit its mark, and Rhys couldn’t help but marvel—it had taken him years of training in Illyria to be able to hit a target while doing anything but standing perfectly still.

His painter was a predator, too. He wasn’t even upset she’d shot him.

Rhys’s hand drifted to the wound in his chest as he watched her. Feyre hadn’t wasted time watching to ensure her arrow had found its mark—no, she’d reloaded, and Tamlin’s sentry was already dying, too.

Blood was soaking through his tunic, and Feyre had reloaded again, clearly intent on shooting him a second time to finish the job. Relentless. She had exactly the sort of tenacity Cassian had always said was a hallmark of his most promising recruits.

“I wasn’t going to hurt you,” Rhys said, putting his hands up.

Feyre nocked the arrow but didn’t draw it. “Your kind isn’t supposed to be on this side of the Wall.”

His head was swimming, and for the life of him, Rhys couldn’t tell if it was the blood loss or those blue-grey eyes that were making him dizzy. A giddy, delirious, decidedly un-High-Lord-like laugh bubbled out of him.

“And I would have done something about that if you hadn’t shot me,” he said.

“What the hell are you talking about?” She reached back for another arrow but didn’t close her fingers around it.

Darkness was already eating at the corners of Rhys’s vision; there wasn’t much time left. “It doesn’t matter now.”

Feyre said something else, but Rhys didn’t hear it over the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. He swayed on his feet, stumbling backward until he hit a tree.

Something that might have been regret flickered in Feyre’s eyes.

The stain on his chest was growing, the fuzzy darkness overtaking more and more of his vision. Staying on his feet was too much, and Rhys tumbled to the ground. There wasn’t much time left.

Feyre didn’t kneel at his side or take his hand. He was dimly aware of her standing above him, watching silently as the last of his life drained out of him, probably just making sure he stayed thoroughly dead.

Good. She was being careful. Rhys had seen more than a few warriors die because they got cocky in the brief period between landing a killing blow and their opponent's final breath. Feyre was too smart to let someone she killed go down swinging and fell her too, and for some reason, knowing she could handle herself brought him an immense sense of relief.

Rhys faded out of consciousness, and with Feyre watching over him, it was almost…peaceful.

All too soon, he found himself right back where he started. A deer and a wolf and a forest. Cold and hunger.

Perhaps he’d frightened Feyre by calling her name so abruptly last time. He must have made her panic, so of course she’d reacted on instinct and let her arrow fly.

Rhys wasn’t stupid enough to make the same mistake twice. This time, he gentled his voice as he called her name.

And again, Feyre turned. And again, she shot him without hesitation.

But as he brought his hand to his chest again, Rhys noticed her cheeks had gone pink, most likely from the cold. Perhaps though…perhaps he’d overdone it and purred her name a bit too much like a lover.

He caught the tail end of her thought about him being the most beautiful man she’d ever seen, and even as blood oozed from the wound next to his heart, Rhys wanted to preen.

He was running on borrowed time before he bled out and time reset. None of this mattered at all, so he said, “For what it’s worth, you’re the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, too.”

Just for that, she put another arrow in his throat. The world faded into too-familiar nothingness.

Deer. Wolf. Forest. Cold. Hunger.

Rhys had called her name, and that had been a mistake—as far as Feyre was concerned, he had no reason to know it. Though it seemed patently ridiculous, he didn’t want to frighten her into shooting him again, so he said, “Pardon?”

Feyre whirled around, blinking in surprise, and drew the bow. “What do you want, faerie?”

“You need to run. Do not return to this part of the forest. Please. It isn’t safe.”

Her thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion, churning so quickly that Rhys could hardly keep up with all her questions or even begin to answer them. Somewhere in the middle of it, the deer bounded off into the trees.

Feyre swore. As far as she was concerned, Rhys was the reason her only chance at eating that day had just slipped away. She muttered something about faerie bullshit and shot him in retaliation.

As life drained out of Rhys again, he couldn’t help but wonder why he’d expected this to turn out any differently.

And yet, he tried again. Each time, Feyre either perceived him as a threat and shot him immediately, or enough time passed that the deer got away, and then she shot him in retaliation anyway.

Rhys had known his painter held hate in her heart for the fae, but he hadn’t anticipated just how deep it ran. In the few seconds he had before she let her arrow fly, it was impossible to get Feyre to trust him.

He lost count how many times she let him bleed out in the snow before he accepted that he needed to play the long game. That was fine—Rhys was an extraordinarily patient male.

He’d known that Feyre changed the world when she sank her arrow into the wolf’s eye. Perhaps trying to stop it was wrongheaded of him; it seemed as good a guess as any that these repeated deaths were a message.

Feyre needed to kill that sentry. Rhys needed to let her.

A deer and a wolf and a forest. Cold. Hunger. And a shadow, watching over all of it.

Resigned to do things differently, Rhys woke again Under the Mountain. He stared up at the ceiling as Feyre’s scent faded from his nostrils, and for a moment, he just savored the short-lived peace. It wouldn’t be long until Amarantha was awake, too.

Somewhere across the Wall, the Cursebreaker was slinging a carcass over her shoulders and trudging home.

And maybe one day, she’d bring Rhys and the rest of Prythian home, too.

[callsign-dexter]

Traveling Adventures

Summary: The Seresin-Bradshaw family takes a trip to Disney World.

Pairings: Jake Seresin x Daughter!Reader, Bradley Bradshaw x Daughter!Reader

Warnings: Swearing, Fluff, Little Y/N crying (if that is a warning)

Masterlist

Our Little Girl

A/N: Little Y/N is 3 yrs old

A/N Pt. 2: Yes Jake's name, later on, is turned to Pops but for now it's 'Daddy', I figured it would be an easier name for her to say since she is 3 and it rolled off the tongue for this fic.

Little Y/N was now 3 years old and her parents and grandparents thought it would be a good idea to take her on a trip that she could remember. Where to you ask? Well, none other than Disney World. From an early age, she made it very clear that she liked Disney movies and characters. So Bradley and Jake took some time off of work and bought tickets to Disney World. They headed to Florida in a week, leaving on early Friday morning and staying for at least a week. They decided to do it during the summer because she was out of school, and they had several days of vacation racked up over the years and months plus they had some higher-ups in the family so nobody batted an eye.

Jake and Bradley being Jake and Bradley decided to wait until the last minute, more like a day before, Thursday, to start getting ready and pack. Some clothes they wanted to take needed to be washed so they were up all night washing them and Little Y/N would not go to sleep for anything too excited about their trip, until about 3 AM and she crashed hard. They had to be up at 7 AM and Y/N up at 8 AM to be at the airport at 9 AM and catch their plane which started boarding at 11 AM. They figured to get there early since they had a 3-year-old with them. They were going to drive and leave their car but talked through it, Bradley didn't want anyone near his precious Bronco and Jake didn't want anywhere his precious blacked-out Ford F-150 so, Maverick and Ice said they would take them since Carole and Goose had plans already.

Being a typical 3 year old she was not any help, taking clothes out of the suitcase causing them to have to put them back in, and at one point sat in the suitcase, which they got pictures of and sent them out. They truly loved their little girl. Only two suitcases were going and one backpack. After everything was packed of theirs they started on hers, which was an adventure.

It started with her not wanting to cooperate and pick the outfits she wanted to wear and then she did what she was doing to her daddies, throwing clothes out of the suitcase and making them repack it. She then wanted to take multiple toys but after some convening from Jake, she agreed with taking 2 toys and her tablet. The conversation went a little something like this.

"Sweets, you don't need that many toys. You won't have time to play with them." Jake said trying to convince her but she wasn't having it. He was trying to stay calm.

"Nu-uh, Daddy." She said in a matter-in-fact tone "I'll have time." She finished and Jake sighed closed his eyes and his head went down. Why did she have to be like them? They knew she was stubborn but didn't think it would be this bad. Jake so badly wanted to say 'yea-huh' but even though he wanted to, someone had to be the adult in this situation, there would be enough opportunities to sass off to each other. She looked at him waiting for an answer.

"Sweets, how about you take two toys and your tablet?" He asked her hoping she would say yes. She paused and scrunched her face up into a thinking position, much like Bradley, and then smiled.

"Ok, Daddy. I do that." She finally agreed and Jake sighed in relief.

Jake got stuck with packing the rest of her clothes and two toys and placing her tablet in the kitchen to charge next to the backpack that snacks will be added to later.

Meanwhile, Bradley chased Little Y/N down to try and start getting her ready for bed since it was past 9 PM. Bradley finally caught her and put her in bed after several breaking outs she went down at 3 AM much to her parent's relief but dreading the next day.

7 AM rolled around much faster than the parents would have liked, only had gotten about 4 hrs of sleep by the time they got clothes done and washed and everything packed. Jake was the first one up and got ready with Bradley following right behind him. Jake went to check on Little Y/N while Bradley went on to the kitchen to start making coffee and packing the backpack.

"How is she?" Jake asked while handing Bradley a cup of coffee.

"Sleeping like a rock." Bradley said and shook his head feeling a little bit jealous that she could sleep in. Then again she was just like them and could fall asleep anywhere at any time.

"Must be nice." Jake said as he took a sip of his coffee.

"We're going to pay for it later though." Bradley said as a smile graced his face and chuckled.

"Yes, but it's going to be worth it." Jake said and Bradley nodded in agreement.

A little after 7 AM Maverick and Ice rolled in and walked in greeting both the males in the kitchen. Bradley and Jake greeted them with a hug and then when 8 AM rolled around it was time to wake Little Y/N up.

"It's 8 AM time to go wake up Sleeping Beauty." Bradley said and before either parent could jump on it Ice was already headed to the little girl's room and stopped before getting to the stairs.

"I'll get her. You'll have to deal with her all day at the airport." Ice said turned and walked toward the stairs, Maverick was not having that and rushed to where Ice was at the foot of the stairs.

"No, I'll go get her." He said and started to push Ice out of the way. Ice had this look on his face and it was game one.

"Don't think so Mitchell. I'm her favorite." Ice said and started up the stairs with Maverick close behind him.

"I don't think so Kazansky." Maverick responded competitive side coming out. This is how it went as they started to climb the stairs to the little girl's room. Bradley and Jake just stood back drinking coffee and watched the whole scene. It was hilarious seeing two Navy Admirals fight to see who would wake up their granddaughter. Don't think that Bradley didn't take a video because he sure did and sent it to the group chat. The first message was from Goose: "Takes me back to our days at Top Gun. They've always been competitive." Oh, how Goose wished could've been there but to be honest he would be fighting to go wake her up too.

Let's just say both of them got to wake her up, dress her, and make her brush her teeth. Bradley and Jake were just glad they could have some peace even if it were just for a minute.

Once they got her ready and the backpack packed they were heading to the car to start the drive to the airport like planned they got there at 9 AM. Now they have to get through security and find their plane.

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The car ride to the airport was pretty much uneventful. The road was clear due to it being early morning and morning rush hour was already done for. Ice pulled up to the curb where the departure sign was and parked. Bradley worked on getting Y/N out while Maverick, Jake, and Ice got their luggage out of the back including her car seat. Bradley was standing there with Y/N waiting for everything to be unloaded. They all hugged each other and promised that they would be sending updates.

The little family walked into the airport and headed towards security, they already had their tickets pulled up on their phones and I.Ds at their ready. Since they're military they have TSA precheck and they can skip the long line at security. Security was a breeze and Y/N behaved much to their dismay but they knew she was ready to be mischievous.

Once they got through Jake got through first, Y/N, went and he picked her up, then Bradley, they gathered their luggage and walked to an area away from people. Jake sat her down and Bradley got down to her level.

"Now Y/N. When we are not carrying you, you need to be holding one of our hands at all times. You also can't leave mine or Daddy’s sight. Ok?" Bradley said to her seriously and she could sense that.

"Ok, Dada." She replied. Bradley nodded glad she understood and stood up and they headed to their gate. They got there around 10 AM and now they had to wait. They sat near the window so she could see the planes take off and being taxied in, she was in awe.

It was getting close to her snack time and they knew that, so Jake got a packet of Goldfish out of the backpack and opened them. When she came to them saying "I hungry." All he had to do was hand her the opened packet. They were tucked in the corner so they could keep an eye on her and talk as well. Bradley and Jake talked about work and other plans to be made. Every now and then she would come back to them for either a drink or to hand them her Goldfish.

10:30 AM rolled around and they both decided to have a bathroom break. They decided that Jake would go first and then Bradley who would take Y/N with him. Everything went without a hitch. 10 minutes later they started to board. Active military, parents with children 3 and under, and ones that needed assistance boarded first. For it to be quicker Jake swooped her up which made her giggle and older couples, women, and parents smile, and they all three boarded the plane.

They found their seats, which were together. They put Y/N in the middle of the two and waited for them to taxi and take off. They would have to have a layover in Oklahoma. They figured it would be better to have a layover that way they could get Y/N off and let her stretch her legs. Bradley took the window seat and got Y/N settled while Jake stowed the luggage and car seat, which was thankfully collapsible and the flight wasn't very full. Once everything was stowed above he sat down and put the backpack between his legs and would put it under the seat in front of him. The flight would be 2 hr 27 min long and a 3 hr layover and their next flight would be 2 hr 42 minutes.

They were close to the front so they got to see everyone walk by. Y/N was fascinated by them. When the line got held up by an older couple they smiled at her when she looked at them. The older woman spoke up.

"Hello dear." She said and Y/N smiled and waved.

"Hi!" She said excitedly, Bradley and Jake were listening just in case they needed to jump in. "We're going to Disney!" She said the couple smiled they loved seeing kids have fun.

"Oh, that sounds fun. I love Disney." The older woman said and Y/N's eyes widened and jaw dropped.

"Me too!" She said, "My daddies fly planes." She said she was proud of her daddies and she loved the jets.

"Oh, they do?" The older gentleman spoke up for the first time said Y/N nodded and Bradley cut in.

"Sorry about her. She's just a little excited. Jake and I are Naval aviators." Bradley said apologizing for their hyper 3-year-old.

"Oh, you don't have to apologize! We love seeing kids happy. Also thank you both for your service." The older gentleman said and the woman nodded. The line started to move and they bid their goodbyes. The plane was boarded and it was getting shut. They started to get pushed back and Little Y/N watched in awe out the window. The flight attendants went through their required stuff and so did the captain. They got to the runway.

"Chick do you remember what this is called?" Bradley asked calling her by the nickname Goose gave her. She nodded enthusiastically.

"Runway." She said and Jake and Bradley smiled.

"That's right Sweets. Now sit back. We're going to go really fast and be up in the air in no time." Jake said and she sat back taking him seriously and true to his word they were given the all-clear and sped down the runway and lifted off. She was in awe of it all.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Once in the air and electronics can be used Jake got out Y/N's tablet and put it on a kid-friendly show while Bradley and Jake got their phones out and messed around with them. There was some turbulence here and there but they handled it like pros and they reassured their little girl that it was normal. Once the seatbelt sign was turned off she was climbing onto Bradley's lap and looking out the window and watching her tablet.

15 minutes into the flight and she and Bradley were out like a light Y/N was laying on Bradley, Jake got pictures and sent them to the group chat and even though they didn't send right away he knew they would once they land. Flight attendants were in awe at the two, and Jake couldn't help but smile. They came with drinks and snacks and Jake got both but declined for Y/N and Bradley since they were fast asleep. Turbulence was hit and woke Bradley and he made sure she was still asleep and he stayed up for the rest of the flight.

It was nearing the flight and Bradley carefully put her back in her seat and she cuddled up next to Jake. They both got their electronics switched onto airplane mode. They landed and taxied to their gate and were getting ready to begin their 3 hr layover. They didn't have the heart to wake up so Jake carried her out of the plane with the backpack over his should while Bradley grabbed the luggage.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Layovers are not fun to deal with. Once they hit the door that led off the plane Little Y/N woke up and groggy. "Daddy?" She asked.

"Yea, Sweets?" Jake replied. Bradley was right behind them and smiled.

"Disney?" She said keeping her answers and questions short due to tiredness and Jake smiled and shook his head while looking at her.

"Not yet, Honey." Bradley said and she seemed to accept that answer and buried her face into Jake's neck.

They went to their next terminal where they had to ride the airport train which fascinated the little girl. "DADA! DADDY! LOOK!" She shrieked out pointing to the artwork on the walls inside the tunnels. Luckily the train was kind of empty.

"Yea, Sweets. It's nice isn't it?" Jake asked and she nodded excitedly. She was standing on the seat hands pressed on the glass with Jake right behind her since the train had enough force to throw her off balance. The train announced their arrival at their terminal, Jake picked her up she protested because she wanted to see more artwork.

They headed toward their gate to find it and then once they knew where it was they were going to get something to eat, or at least one of them was, and bring it back to the other two.

Once they had their gate they set up near the corner and the window again and this one had a table with charging ports. They got comfortable and started their wait for the 3 hr layover.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

An hour into their wait Little Y/N toddled her way over to her daddies. She put a hand on each other knees and they automatically looked down.

"Food?" She asked knowing that she knew they understood. Jake looked at his watch and looked back at her.

"I guess it is time for lunch isn't it?" Jake said and Little Y/N put her hands on her hips and cooked her head to the side.

"Yea, Daddy." She replied with so much sass. Oh how she was so much like them was scary.

"Ok little miss sass. Dada will go and get food and we'll stay here." Jake said and turned to look at Bradley who was already getting up.

"What do you want to eat?" Bradley asked already knowing his daughter’s answer.

"McDonald's!" She yelled and they both laughed of course, they should've never allowed Slider to take her there now it's all she wants.

"McDonald's is fine. If you want something else I'll eat whatever." Jake said looking at his husband and letting his daughter play with his hand. Bradley nodded and headed off.

Jake and Y/N were both content until she started to get a little rowdy. She wasn't watching where she was going and bumped into the luggage several times. "Sweets. Be careful." Jake said in a warning tone and she made the stance she did early.

"You be careful." She said sassing her Pops. Obviously, she didn't listen to him and continued to run around. Jake was keeping an eye on her and his phone updating the group when he heard a crash. He looked up and saw her on the floor and she looked at him and started to cry. He was up in an instant and scooping her up and cooing her.

"Oh, Sweets. It's ok. You're ok. Shhh." He said and bouncing her up and down. She continued to cry. "What hurts?" He asked and she mumbled something incoherently "Hmm what was that Sweets?" He asked her and she stopped long enough to answer him.

"My knee." She said all pouty looking at him. He looked down at her knee and only saw a rug burn. A woman walked up to him.

"Is she ok? I saw her fall." The woman asked and Jake turned to her.

"She's ok. Aren't you, Sweets?" He asked her and she nodded. The woman awed.

"Are you traveling alone with her?" She asked starting to flirt.

"No, my husband is getting us food." He said just as Bradley was walking up.

"Jake, I-" Bradley began but stopped himself seeing the woman.

"Oh, there he is. Hi, babe." Jake said and kissed him and turned back to the woman who was smiling.

"The cute ones are always taken. You two have an adorable daughter." The woman said both men smiled and Jake hugged their daughter tighter.

"Thank you. She's the light of our life." Bradley said and the smiled. She turned around and left.

Bradley turned to Jake with a raised eyebrow. He then noticed the tear tracks. Jake sighed. "I told her to be careful and she sassed back and then she tripped. She said she hurt her knee and I only saw a rug burn. The lady saw and came over to ask if she was ok then started to flirt." Bradley nodded he trusted his husband.

"As I was saying beforehand. I got her McDonald's and us Subway." Bradley said showing the food. Y/N perked up at food. Jake sat her down on the chair at the table. Bradley walked over with her food and got it all out of her Happy Meal box. They plugged in their electronics and put a movie on for her as she ate. Bradley and Jake sat down where they can see her and started to eat their food. She got done after they got done and started to rub her eyes. A tall tale sign of her getting sleepy. Jake got up and went to her and picked up and instantly she curled into him. Jake walked back over to Bradley and sat down and she was asleep in an instant. Her slow breathing was putting him to sleep and before he knew it he was closing his eyes.

Bradley looked over and saw them asleep and quickly and quietly got his phone and took a picture and sent it to the group. He started to clean up and throw away trash and shut electronics off.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Finally, the layover was over and he was waking both of them up gently. They made quick bathroom breaks and when they got back it was time to board. They got boarded the same as last time. They took off at 3 PM. Bradley took over holding Y/N so Jake could get some feeling back in his arms. Jake updated the group and they were on their way.

Once everyone boarded it was the same process as last time and before Little Y/N knew it they were up in the air. She decided that she liked flying, no scratch that loved it if only she knew that she would be flying jets when she was old enough.

2 hrs 42 mins flew by and they were landing in Flordia at 6:42 PM. She stayed awake most of the flight. When they landed she got excited. They got off the plane and went down to the rental car. Bradley entertained her while Jake got the car. He got the keys but wouldn't let Bradley see it or know what it was. They picked up their luggage and Bradley picked up Y/N and they headed out to their car that was pulled out front. Bradley stopped in his tracks in his sight, a newer version of a Ford Bronco, just a little bit darker in color. "Jake you did not." Bradley said surprised.

"But Bradley, I did." Jake said with a smirk. Bradley was just smiling as Jake loaded the car and put in the car seat. They buckled her in and headed to their hotel for the night.

Once Y/N got into the car she was out like a light. When they arrived at their hotel Bradley got Y/N out and carried the sleeping toddler in to get the room keys why Jake got the luggage.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Bradley walked in and to the front desk, a pretty young lady by the name of Alice was working. She looked up ready to deal with another customer when she saw Bradley and his little girl. She smiled.

"What can I do for you, sir?" Alice smiled.

"Hi, I need a room with two beds." He said and she nodded.

"Just the two of you?" Alice asked and Bradley smiled but shook his.

"No, there is three of us." He said

"Oh wife or girlfriend?" Alice asked making small talk while she processed getting a room and taking his information down and the credit card that he had dug out one handed.

"No husband." He replied and smiled at the shock on her face everyone had the same reaction every time. Jake walked in right as she gave his card back. He kissed Bradley's cheek and she smiled.

"Have a nice night guys." Alice said and they smiled and walked to the elevator and rode it to their room they got into their room. They got her ready and changed into pajamas while she still slept they got ready and got into bed ready for the next day.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The next morning Little Y/N was up bright and early, meaning 6 AM. She got out her tablet and put on a show while her daddies slept. She knew to be quiet. Around 7 AM both men woke up they said good morning to each other and looked over to where their little girl was supposed to be sleeping but instead were looking at them smiling.

"Y/N, honey. How long have you been up?" Bradley asked and she held up 6 fingers and she went back to watching her show. Both of the men's eyes widened and looked at each other.

They went through their routine then they headed out the door with the key essentials ready for the day, including an extra pair of clothing in case they got wet or something spilled on one of them. By the time they were done, it was 7:30 AM. They went down to the rental Bronco and headed to Disney World. It was only a 30-minute drive to the park. Each time Little Y/N saw a sign for Disney she got more excited and talked a mile a minute.

They pulled into the parking lot and she squealed. Bradley and Jake smiled. They got out and Jake got her out while Bradley grabbed the bag. Jake sat her down and got down to her level.

"Ground rules. You don't run off no matter who or what you see, you keep us in your sights at all times, you hold our hands the entire time when you're not in our arms or on our shoulders, and you be polite and respectful. Understood?" Jake said in a serious tone, a tone that he would use with his Top Gun students.

"Yes, Dada." She replied and he nodded and stood up.

"Let's go have some fun." He added and Bradley scooped her up and they walked to the front gate. They waited in line they got to the front and showed their tickets and their bag was searched and into the park they went.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

They started with the kid's rides so that she could get the feel of it and she loved the thrill of it. Everything was either caught on video or in pictures and shared with the group. The grandparents were eating it up.

She got to meet so many characters from her favorite movies, especially Elsa because "She reminds me of Grandpa Ice." Of course, pictures were taken and sugary food was eaten causing her to have a sugar rush. Some couples offered to take the whole family's picture and of course, they took their offer.

They kept to the kid's rides that didn't require height requirements and were safe enough for toddlers. They rode 17 rides in total, her favorite ride was the Haunted Mansion ride since that is also her favorite movie apart from Frozen. There were more she wanted to ride but her daddies told her they can be saved for another day as they sat and ate and got hydrated. They had all week but she wasn't buying it.

"Sweets, we can ride those rides tomorrow. It's getting late." Jake said tired but having a good day.

"Nu-uh. It not late." She sassed putting her hands on her hips an action she had seen them both and her Grandma do several times.

"Yea-huh." Jake sassed back and Bradley just shook his head and sat back enjoying the show.

"Nu-uh, Daddy." She sassed right back "We stay and ride." She continued getting agitated another sign she tired.

"We can come back tomorrow." Jake said she paused to think putting a finger on her chin and then stopped and climbed into his lap. It was now 8 PM and the Magic Kingdom was going to be putting on fireworks, which they were close to.

"Fine. We stay for fireworks." She said no room for arguments and Jake sighed and Bradley laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" He turned to look at Bradley.

"She's just like you. Always bargains and usually gets what you want." Bradley said and it was true.

"She gets it from you too, husband." Jake said defending himself.

"I'm not saying she doesn't. You're the one to deny it." Bradley said and Y/N stayed quiet listening to them go back and forth getting comfortable in Jake's lap. This went on until 8:30 PM. They decided to walk to the Magic Kingdom and watch the show at 9 PM. Jake carried their daughter and held her the entire time.

9:18 PM rolled around and the light show and fireworks were done. They started to walk back to the gates with everyone else and as they were walking back Little Y/N fell asleep on Jake's shoulder. They arrived at the Bronco and carefully put her in and put the backpack in the back and got in and fought the traffic out of the park. When they got back to the hotel they did the same routine the night before. Both smiling this trip was so worth it.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Each day of the week while they were there they rode different rides and ate different foods. The Seresin-Bradshaw family was having a blast! Many souvenirs were bought and photos were taken. Bradley and Jake agreed that the trip was well worth it and they should do it again when she gets older.

Tag List:

@athenabarnes

@fanboyluvr

@aizawash0e

@els-marvelvsp

@alohastitch0626

@itsdesiree86

@multifandomlover4life

@happypopcornprincess

[boxboxblog]

2024 Abu Dhabi GP: Winners and Losers

Alright everyone, I will dive into my winners and losers podiums for this race. Remember, no hate to any driver they are all extremely talented, but I will be honest about their performance.

Let's go!

Winners:

Lando Norris

You would think I might put McLaren here seeing as it was the team who won the title not just Norris, but it is specifically due to the drivers results today that they even won. With Piastri getting knocked back to the midfield due to a collision with Verstappen, Norris needed to win the race in order to keep Ferrari from clinching it. He drove a calm and collected race, even with Carlos Sainz not too far off his tail, and dominated from the beginning. This race really showed how Norris has matured as a driver over the season. He went from the guy who lost pole almost every single time he hit turn one to the driver who kept it, and the lead, for the entire race. Clean, calm, cool. Very good job Lando Norris.

2. Charles Leclerc

So this 2nd place finish on my winners podium has nothing to do with the results in the WDC and WCC standings. Ferrari lost that, and Leclerc was only able to stay in 3rd for the WDC due to Norris' win. This has everything to do with the absolutely brilliant drive from Leclerc today, going from P19 to finish in 3rd. Genuinely thought this was going to be terrible for him due to how sideways his quali went and the penalty that sent him to the back, but he had already made it up 11 positions by the time the first lap was finished, and spent the rest of the race slowly picking off drivers until he made it to the podium. His overtakes were clean, calculated, and aggressive. His wheel-to-wheel was flawless, and his tire management was killer. While he did benefit from the chaos of the first turn with Piastri and Verstappen, there were no other factors that helped him out. No safety car, no rain, not many DNFs of cars ahead of him. This was a climb made on skill. Truly one of the best performances we have ever seen from Leclerc and perhaps the best performance of the day.

3. Lewis Hamilton

Another driver who was able to crawl up high after a terrible quali sent him to the back of the grid (p16 I believe?). He also took advantage of the first lap chaos to climb higher, but then pulled up to 4th with pure pace alone. He had brilliant overtakes, remained levelheaded and smart, and was even able to pass his teammate who had started much higher on the grid than he did. This race just shows the levelheaded skill that Hamilton has, and should put to rest any whispers that the 7x WDC has 'lost it'. Fantastic to see a good result from Hamilton for his last race with Mercedes, and a brilliant drive to watch. I am very excited to see him and Leclerc partner at Ferrari for next year.

Runner Ups: Pierre Gasly (getting Alpine 6th) Nico Hulkenberg (getting Haas 7th), and Lance Stroll (for some great overtakes)

Losers:

Liam Lawson

Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Lawson today. He started out strong, pulling his car into the points and keeping ahead of his teammate for the first time in a while, but tragedy soon struck. Lawson went in to pit, and when he came back out one of the tires was loose. This meant he had to pit again to fix this, effectively losing all the positions to drop to the back. Then he was handed a ten second stop and go penalty for unsafe release into the pit lane after almost colliding with another car, and so he had to come back into the pits again. Then toward the end of the race, they had to retire the car due to the engine smoking in the late laps. It was like watching Charles Leclerc's 2022 season encapsulated in one race; pure tragedy. A shame for Lawson, but mostly out of his control.

2. Oscar Piastri

The only reason Piastri is not my number one loser is the fact that McLaren did still win the constructors title, even with the mess that was his race. Most expected a McLaren front row lockout, but when Piastri was knocked by Verstappen off track, he fell all the way to the back and spent the entire race trying to make it back up. But then his collision with Colapinto (which caused the Argentinian driver to eventually DNF) handed him a ten second penalty, which made his job even harder. He only managed to make it up to one point, and he must have thanked God Norris won or every finger would have pointed at him for losing the title. Not a great day for him, even if much of it was out of his control.

3. George Russell

You would think someone who started in 7th and ended in 5th would not be on my losers podium but honestly, he had to be. Russell did not have a good race, dropping in pace until eventually Leclerc was able to undercut him with a pit, not covering that undercut off, dropping back from Leclerc as the race continued, and then eventually being passed by his teammate who has started a little less than ten places behind him. For any driver, this would be incredibly frustrating. But for Russell it might be even more so, as he has a point to prove with Hamilton leaving the team and designating him as the lead driver for Mercedes. Not great results.

Runner Ups: Max Verstappen (uninspiring race, and a collision he caused), Alex Albon (dropping out of the points once more), and Carlos Sainz (if he had caught Norris Ferrari would have won)

DNF Graveyard: Kevin Magnussen, Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson, Franco Colapintio, Ferrari's WCC Dreams.

Cheers,

-B

[klbwriting]

Surface Tension

Chapter 11 - Everywhere

Fandom: Aquaman

Pairing: Ormxfemale!Reader

Warnings: threats, light violence

Summary: Hendrix tries one more thing

Notes: this is not the end! there is an epilogue coming! comment/critique appreciated. song is 'Everywhere' by Fleetwood Mac

Taglist: @hyperagitatedcydonian13 @gabrieleskywalker @philiasoul @duchcess

Orm had barricaded the door to the lighthouse before taking AJ to a closet and setting him inside. The boy was crying, wondering where his parents were.

“Listen AJ, stay here and don’t come out until your dad comes to get out ok?” Orm said, holding the boy’s shoulders to still his shaking. He nodded. He was not even 2 but could understand this was serious. “Tell your dad, mom, grandma, and grandpa, tell them uncle Orm loves you, all of you.” He nodded again. Orm kissed his head as he heard Hendrix banging on the door. He closed the closet and locked it with a chair before going to the front door. He heard another bang on it, but this time he was ready.

Hendrix was knocked off his feet when the door blasted off, landing on top of him in the grass. Orm walked out of the lighthouse and stared at him. Hendrix sat up and met the former king’s eyes.

“I knew it…you are alive and the king had you in hiding. It was you fucking that lower city rat before too wasn’t it?” he said, standing. He pulled out his Atlantian dagger and held it up, ready to attack.

“Leave Hendrix, you don’t want to do this,” Orm said. Hendrix just smiled more, becoming a caricature of madness.

“O Orm, you’re mistaken. I want to kill all of you. That brat in the house, why don’t you bring him out and I’ll make it quick for him? Then I’ll take you back to Atlantis, let everyone see that the reigning king kept his tyrant brother alive, against their wishes. They will demand all of your heads.” He took a step forward, switching the blade to the other hand, waiting for an opening. Orm didn’t move, not wanting to start this fight.

Hendrix made the choice, running at Orm, slicing as he got close. Orm sidestepped, stumbling a little on the uneven ground. He still was terrible at fighting on land, but seeing Hendrix trip made him realize, so what he. He ran after Hendrix and threw a punch. Hendrix got his footing just in time to deflect, scratching Orm’s arm with the blade. Orm winched, the pain a surprise, and he was a half second behind as Hendrix dove through a window of the house. Orm gave chase and arrived just in time to see Hendrix pulled AJ out of the closet.

“Don’t, he’s a child, innocent in all this,” Orm pleaded. Hendrix held the knife up to the baby’s throat. “I’ll go with you, anything you want just let the baby go.”

“I think I’ll take him as a guarantee. You wouldn’t do anything with this child’s life in danger,” he said. He held AJ easily with one arm while escorting Orm towards the dock. Arthur, Atlanna, and Y/N all arrived at the same time. They froze as Hendrix held the knife to Orm’s neck, his other arm squeezing AJ enough to make the boy whimper.

“Let my son go,” Arthur demanded. He wished Mera were here instead of in Xebel with her father. Even Tom would be a help, but he had needed to travel to help a friend. Arthur looked to his mother and Y/N, they would have to be enough. He wouldn’t lose his son or his brother.

“Choose who lives your majesty, your brother or your son,” Hendrix said.

“Stop!” Y/N yelled. “Please…Hendrix I’ll go back with you, I’ll tell the council I forged everything, even the recording. I will tell them you are innocent just let them go please,” she begged. He shook his head with a laugh.

“Do you think I care about you now? Once I am finished with this your death will be slow, agonizing, don’t you worry. But right now, I have unfinished business with the royal family,” he said, focusing back on Arthur and Atlanna. Orm looked over towards the house and then sighed.

“Give me the boy,” Orm said, slowly turning to face Hendrix.

“Why?” he asked. He squeezed a little tighter, making AJ cry out. Orm chuckled darkly.

“I have been waiting for an opportunity like this for over a year,” he said. “Do you think I could kill my brother’s heir when he was always surrounded by the rest of them? My idiot brother, his whore wife, and my whore mother? If I had made one wrong move they would have shipped me back to Atlantis for a quick death. But now, well, you’re going to kill everyone anyone. Let me just have this one thing.” Hendrix looked surprised, looking to the aghast faces of the others.

“Orm…” Arthur said. Orm silenced him with a look.

“Do you really thing I would have some big epiphany by living on the surface? Dammit Arthur, I hate it here, I hate everything about this place. Its not only as wasteful and corrupt as I thought it was, its worse! I just needed time to get to you again, make sure you thought I could be trusted, and that’s frankly not an option anymore,” he said.

“You don’t mean that,” Y/N said, tears springing to her eyes. Orm glared at her and she recoiled.

“You are nothing to me, honestly did you think one night was going to mean something? You were just there at the time to be entertaining. Didn’t you notice I did nothing to help you? I left you in that cell to die because I didn’t care about you at all,” he said, filling his voice with an much venom as he could. The broken look on her face almost did him in. Hendrix laughed.

“This is an amazing turn of events,” he said. He looked at Orm and handed him the baby. “Have at it, hope you have fun.” Then he felt the knife to his throat.

“O he’s not going to have half as much as I am,” Aria said, drawing the knife just a little to show Hendrix that it was Atlantian and it could kill him. Orm let out a breath and backed up, away from them to keep AJ safe. Arthur walked over, taking the knife from her and holding it on Hendrix himself, just as guards from Atlantis arrived, along with several council members. They took Hendrix into custody before staring at Orm, who was still holding AJ.

“Well you caught me, I really tried,” he said, still glaring at Arthur. Arthur caught his meaning.

“Give me back my son” he said, moving towards him. “You’re outnumbered now little brother.” Orm looked around, cornered. He saw Y/N taking a step so he threw AJ towards her, gently, but the council wouldn’t know that. They would see a monster hurling an innocent baby. He ran then, diving into the water and taking off as fast as he could.

Several hours later and the council had heard the tail that Hendrix had found Orm, the two had joined forces to kill the royal family, and Hendrix clearly planned on killing Orm after all was said and done. Orm was alive and in the wind, guards were sent out to search for him, and Arthur agreed that he would need some time to make sure his family was safe before returning to Atlantis, where Y/N and Aria were free to return to if they wanted. Both decided to stay on land and were sent back to their homes.

Y/N arrived at the duplex and headed inside, expecting it to be empty. She closed the door and sighed, once again crying at the thought of Orm being gone again. She had seen him for a few minutes, and he had acted like a monster the whole time. She knew it had been a ruse to save his nephew but still, she had so badly wanted to touch him, hear him say he loved her, that he was going to stay with her. It was terrible. She heard footsteps in her kitchen before hearing him.

“What’s the matter?” Orm asked, rushing over to her. What was he doing here? Atlantians could be watching the house, waiting for him to show up. But he was here, holding her face, fingers gently wiping her cheeks.

“What are you doing? You could get caught,” she said, her own hands finding his face. He closed his eyes and leaned into her.

“I wasn’t going to leave you again. I already was useless to try and save you, I’m not going to sit by again. Let them catch me, I have to be near you, I love you” he said. She pulled him in and kissed him for as long as she could. He met her passion with his own, backing her into a wall to get closer to her.

“You’re never going to be safe here, we have to go,” she said as they parted. He nodded. “Let me pack, we’ll leave tonight. Where do you want to go?”

“I never did get to see snow,” he said. She smiled. Before the sunset they were gone, off to keep Orm safe and, more than that, be together.

Can you hear me calling Out your name? You know that I'm falling And I don't know what to say Come along, baby We better make a start You better make it soon Before you break my heart Oh, I I want to be with you everywhere>

[shes-homeward-bound]

Crash and Burn | Chapter 11

Summary: You’re the first female driver to compete in the Formula 1 World Championship in decades and it's your second year of navigating through a male-dominated sport. Your talent and drive to prove yourself made you vicious on the grid. Your seemingly unshakeable confidence was never questioned- until a certain Ferrari driver made you crash and burn.

Pairing: Carlos Sainz Jr. x Reader

Chapters: 11/11

Warnings: swearing

Word Count: 4.6k

Posted on: 05/25/2023

masterlist

A/N: The final chapter is finally here. I am so sorry for the wait. I wanted to make sure that it was all wrapped up and cute and fluffy just for you guys. Thank you so so much for taking the time to read whatever I write. I appreciate every single one of your comments. It was so fun writing for Carlos and a driver reader.

Finally, after many years in Formula One, Carlos Sainz had gotten his first pole position here in Silverstone. He cheers and scrambles out of the car and immediately gets congratulated by Charles and Max. He couldn’t believe it. After years of hard work, he has finally gotten the best chance to win a Grand Prix. He was thrumming with excitement and disbelief, he still couldn’t believe it even when they started interviewing him. Once finished, he walks back to the pitlane and is met with a flurry of kisses.

“P1! P1! P1!” you chanted. “Babe, you did it!”

You give him a crushing hug and he returns the favor. It’s been almost 2 months since the accident and he was finally comfortable enough to hold you as tight as he wanted. 

“I didn’t expect it! I thought I was doing bad out there.”

You give him a peck on the cheek. “This is your weekend, Carlos. You can do this!”

You and Carlos part ways only to have him meet you in Aston Martin hospitality so you could drive together back to your place. You offered to let him stay in your apartment for the British Grand Prix so Carlos let his parents have his hotel room. 

After a shower, you and Carlos lounged in your living room trying to decompress as much as possible. Dinner was cooking in the oven and you leaned on Carlos as you both sipped on your electrolyte drinks. The night before the race was essential and your performance coaches were adamant that you send pictures of everything you ate and drank. Rupert and Anna were so used to staying by your side and monitoring everything, but to give you two privacy, they resorted to constant messaging making sure you were prepping for the race. The oven dings and you pull out the baked salmon, roasted vegetables, and baked sweet potato. You send the text to the group chat and place your phone face down on the kitchen counter. 

Despite seeing Carlos almost every week, it didn’t mean you got to spend much time alone. It was one of the busiest parts of the season and you were always in meetings, needed for simulators, and doing things for media and promotions. The only times you would interact was a quick kiss if you happened to pass by, sometimes you couldn’t even see each other at the end of the day because you were too tired. You and Carlos were always surrounded by other people, so times like this were precious because you were finally alone. 

Carlos joins you on the kitchen island and helps you set up the plates and utensils. The last time you were doing something domestic was back in your apartment in Monaco. While you were eating dinner, you made Carlos do some manifesting with you. He rolled his eyes but did it anyway, he would do anything to make you happy. You qualified for P7 so Carlos included you and manifested that you would find your way to third place and share the podium with him. While you would love to, you had Charles, the Red Bulls, and Mercedes to worry about. You know you would have more podiums to come but it was Carlos who needed this. He wasn’t having the best season, and you wanted this to boost his confidence. 

You both wake up from a restful sleep and immediately start your race day routines. You and Carlos drive over to the hotel where Pierre and Yuki were staying to have breakfast with them. You were still a little superstitious about it so you never missed race day breakfast with Pierre. So far, everything was going alright, you and the boys safely made it to the circuit and split up to go to find your teams. 

It’s a few hours before the race and you are sitting in Aston Martin hospitality sipping on your electrolyte drink while you contemplate your life. Two months ago, everything was seemingly falling apart. Your relationship with Carlos was on the line and you were in one of the most ridiculous scandals in all of motorsport. You were in a huge car crash but were able to walk away and recover from your injuries. It’s so strange to look back and see how different your life was. Now, you and Carlos are happier than ever and you have just signed a contract to continue your next two years in Formula One with Aston Martin. Life finally seemed normal again and that scared you.

If things are good, then something bad is bound to happen. You know that’s a horrible mindset to have but after the accident, you’ve been having trouble staying positive. You find yourself paranoid that you would lose every good thing in your life. Carlos knows how you feel and he does his best to be there for you but he was busy too, so you did your best to keep these thoughts to yourself. Anna set you up with a therapist and you’ve listened to the advice she’s giving you. You’ve been getting better at staying positive, this is why you made sure to take some time every day to think about the good things in life. Like in this moment where you just sit and people watch. Aston Martin’s hospitality doors were constantly opening and each person was just as interesting. There were the new interns who would shyly look at you, one of Seb’s engineers who was always nervous, and the guys from your pit crew who were all pumped up and waved at you. 

The rest of the day was a blur as your anxiety increasingly spiked. You wanted this win for Carlos and it was beginning to affect you to the point Anna made you go for a quick run to shake off some of your nerves. It helped for a little bit but by the time you were in your car and doing the formation lap, you were buzzing with anticipation. 

You breathe deeply and do your best to get into the racing mindset. Once all the lights turn off, you send it. You had a fantastic start when you heard the screech of metal from behind you. You whip your head to see one of the Alfa Romeo’s careening past your car. You start swearing when you notice they are upside down. You had already driven too far but you looked in your side mirror to see they crashed into the fence.

“Holy shit! Who was that?” you yell into the radio.

“Red Flag. Red Flag. Proceed to the pitlane.”

You start breathing heavily. “Who was that? Valtteri? Guanyu?”

“It was Guanyu. We don’t have information yet, make your way to the pitlane.”

You looked ahead and everyone’s lights were flashing as you all slowly drove to the pitlane. Carlos’s car was ahead and you let out a sigh of relief, at least he was safe. Once everyone was parked and you received the ‘okay’ to leave the car, you scrambled out and ran to the pit wall. 

“What happened?” your eyes grew big as flashes of your accident appeared. “Are they okay?”

“Zhou, Russel, and Albon are out,” says your strategist. 

He points to the screen that was showing live helicopter and drone footage. It looked bad, Gunayu’s car was wedged between the fence and a barrier. You squint and see that George was on the scene, and see ambulances for Alex and Guanyu. Breathing hard, you find yourself having to use one of the engineers to help with your balance. You squint at the screen just hoping that you would be able to catch a glimpse of him moving in his car. You didn’t even notice you were hyperventilating until Carlos appeared in front of you and told you to breathe slowly. He brings you close and you bury your head against his chest.

“I can’t look anymore, let me know when he gets out.”

Carlos holds you and tells you little updates while you close your eyes and work on breathing slowly. After a minute, he tells you to look up, and that's when you see Guanyu safely get out of the car. You sag onto Carlos and tears start streaming down your face, as quickly as possible, he leads you deep into the garage where you can let all your emotions out and away from the cameras. Someone hands you a tissue and you do your best to contain yourself. Now that you knew the boys were okay, you needed to get back into racing mode. That’s when you suddenly remember Carlos and his predicament.

“Carlos! You’re P2 right now!'' You look at the tv screens and you can see that the marshalls and other staff members were cleaning up the area and restoring the barrier. Guanyu's car was still stuck and the people on the cranes still had to figure out how to get it out. “They’re going to redo the line-up. This is your chance to get your position back!”

Carlos just looks at you and smiles. You had just relived a trauma and here you were trying to get yourself together for his benefit, he did have the greatest girlfriend. He makes you sit on the floor and he sits on the ground so that your legs are touching. 

“Don’t worry about me, I just want to make sure you’re ready to race. I’ll make sure Max doesn’t get ahead of me. I know I can win this, I can feel it,” says Carlos. 

You lean your head on his shoulder and take in a shaky breath. “I’ll be okay to drive, it was just so strange to see an accident so similar to mine. I’ll make sure to visit their garage after to see if we can see Guanyu.”

You and Carlos see Rupert peeking into the Aston Martin garage and the both of you laugh. It was time to go back to work. Pressing a kiss on your forehead, he wishes you luck. You take him by the shoulders and look at him sternly. 

“Max is going to attack and be aggressive right away. He’s already pissed it’s a restart but that’s okay because you're faster and smarter. You can do this!” you say giving him a quick kiss and a shove out of the garage.

The engineers pull you aside and show your data from the start and they tell you what you have to do to achieve the same results. The team principal pulls you aside to see if you were mentally okay to race and you reassure him that you were okay. He seemed hesitant to believe you but when he sees the intensity in your eyes, he knows you won't disappoint him. Seb finds you sitting with Anna and your pit crew. He squats down and gives you a reassuring smile.

“How are you holding up?”

“I’m a little embarrassed. I got emotional but I'm okay. I’m just glad to hear the boys are safe.”

He nods. “I talked to George and he told me Guanyu is fine and just a little shaken up. The medics were able to get him safely out of the card news. Us drivers are insane, something huge happens like this and all we do is take a moment, shake it off, and go back on the track.”

You look at him gratefully and nod.

“We’re all crazy, but that’s what makes us the best in the world,” he says, squeezing your shoulder. 

The team principal says that the race starts in ten minutes so you go to the bathroom and go over your different strategies with the engineers one last time. You look for Carlos, and when you see that he was already in the car with his helmet on, you laugh. The other drivers were still in their garages, he was the only one out there. Making your way over to his Ferrari, you bend down and get at eye level with him. You stick your pinky finger out and he hooks his with yours.

“Don’t forget what I told you, faster and smarter. You got this.”

You see him wink at you through his visor. Using the halo to stabilize yourself, you lean down and kiss the top of his helmet. The pit crew that surrounded him smiled at the gesture, they wished you luck as you headed to your car. The other drivers start trickling onto the pitlane and you’re met with Anna who gives you a pep talk. With your helmet and seat belts on, you closed your eyes and imagined yourself going through the corners of Silverstone.

Because of the accident, some of the guys may be a little hesitant at the start so you plan on using that to your advantage. You have had a strange relationship with driving after the accident. Yes, 30 minutes ago you may have been crying over the crash but that was because it was so similar to the one you had. You find yourself much more aggressive than you were before the accident. You weren’t too cocky about it where you put yourself in more danger but you drove with absolutely no hesitation. The fans noticed and loved it, your family was expectedly weary but they trusted you and your judgment. Since the crash, you have been top 10 in every race and you plan on keeping it like that. 

A formation lap is done and when all the lights go green, you floor it. Turns 1-3 were smooth and once you’re on Wellington Straight, you finally let yourself breathe again. Your strategist tells you you moved up two places making you P5. This excites you, maybe you can make it to the podium with Carlos but you don’t get too excited. You had a whole race ahead of you and anything can happen. You have some interesting battles with Fernando, Lando, and Charles battling for 4th place. You almost had a close call with Fernando and you had to bite your tongue so you wouldn’t lash out at him through the radio. You resort to grumbling incoherent swears at your engineer and he just comically responds with “I know” knowing it was completely Fernando’s fault you almost crashed into him.

You let out a whoop into the radio when you cross the finish line. You finished P5 and was happy with your performance and was even more excited knowing that Carlos got his first-ever win. Parked in the pitlane and clambering out of the car, you clap Charles on the back but before he could even acknowledge you, you were sprinting away from him. Running as fast as you can, you make a beeline for Carlos and jump into his outstretched arms. He holds you tight and after a few moments he rips his helmet off and you do the same. You beam at each other as you clasp your hands around his shoulders, he was glowing and his eyes sparkled.

“Congratulations Carlos Sainz, you’re a Grand Prix Winner,” you say as he holds you tightly. “I am so proud of you and I love you so much.”

He smiles and brings his hands to your face, he was speechless as his heart beat fast at all the celebrations around him. Carlos kisses you deeply and the engineers and other teams around him start cheering loudly. You let go of him and he gives a little cheeky wink. While he hugs his parents and sisters, you get weighed and make your way back to the barricade. Carlos leaves to go to the cool-down room and with the help of his cousin and manager, you climb over the barrier to join his team and family. Carlos Senior and his sisters congratulate you for your p5 finish and Reyes gives you a bone-crushing hug, not caring at all that you are drenched in sweat. 

The announcer calls Carlos’s name and he steps outs waving at the fans who cheer him on. Once situated on the podium, Carlos looks down from the podium balcony, he can’t help but choke up. Just below him were the most important people in his life. The sea of red, his family, and you look up at him with smiles on your faces. He watches as you clutch his mother and sister’s hands and bounce in anticipation during the national anthem. Here he was about to receive a P1 trophy and he has never been happier or more grateful. Carlos knew his life was good, he wanted to be in motorsports and now here he was living the dream. He never thought he needed companionship until he met you, a person who would understand his goals in life and know how much dedication is needed for Formula One. 

When Carlos clutches his trophy, he meets your gaze and smiles softly. He had a second chance to deserve your love and he wasn’t going to mess it up this time. He knows what you both share is a once in a lifetime and he will never do anything to jeopardize your relationship. He caught a glimpse of what it would feel like if you were no longer in his life and he never wanted to feel like that again. 

—

August 2022 - Formula One Summer Break

The cool blue water looks more and more enticing as the hot sun beats down on your body. You prop yourself onto your elbows and see Carlos on the other side of the boat talking to Lando and Alex. You look around the yacht and see drivers and their friends or significant others lounging on the deck. You were floating somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea with a bunch of exhausted Formula One drivers with sore bodies. Toto Wolff offered his yacht to George for a couple of days to kick-start the summer break. George invited everyone but the younger drivers with no spouses and children were the only ones who took up the offer. The day after the race was usually painful and you and your friends could not wait to get back to Monaco.

You look at Charles sitting on the chaise lounge next to you, staring off into the horizon. The last few months have been rough on the Ferrari drivers but it was Charles who was suffering. He was leading the championship but bad luck just kept hitting him every weekend.   

You tap him on the shoulder and he looks at you with his eyebrow raised.

“Do you ever have moments where you just can’t believe that this is your life? I mean– I’m on a yacht with my closest friends and coworkers. It just happens they’re all Formula One drivers which means that I am one of you,” you say blissfully looking out into the ocean and the faint outline of France and Monaco. “I can hardly believe it.”

Charles looks at you and smiles. Ever since the accident happened, you were always so verbal with your gratitude. You would be doing the most mundane things such as doing the track walk or toasting bread and you would stop, smile and strike up a conversation with the closest person. There was a time when Carlos was holding your hand in the paddock and you stopped walking just so you could lift the clasped hands, and marvel at it for a few seconds before telling Carlos how much you loved him. Those who witnessed it couldn’t stop smiling, they loved your love.   

“We are so lucky,” agreed Charles. “Sometimes I forget, but times like this remind me how lucky I am to be alive and feel the sun or laugh with my friends.”

You look at him as he wistfully gazes toward the direction of Monaco. He thinks of those he had lost, remembering to live each day like it was his last. Charles is ashamed to admit it but sometimes he’d forget so he was glad to have someone like you in his life to remind him what was important. 

“That accident you had in Miami–” he stops before his voice cracks. He lets out a puff of air and breathes deeply. “I can’t imagine how painful that must’ve been.”

“You know, I don’t think I’ve thanked you enough for all the help and support you’ve given me and Carlos this year. Especially after the accident. You were always there to help us and I want you to know how much I appreciate it.”

Charles waves his hand nonchalantly, “I know you would've done the same if roles were reversed.”

Sometimes you would go back to the footage of the accident, you felt a phantom pain in your chest every time you saw the car careen towards the barrier. What hurt the most was seeing how people were reacting to it, you remember seeing Carlos and Lando watching the screens intently but not Charles. You could see the scene so clearly, him facing away from the monitors and breathing hard, his skin pale at the thought of your demise. When you were at the hospital he doted over you, stayed by your side whenever Carlos or Anna had to leave. You remember the way he and his girlfriend would visit you whenever they could when you all got back to Monaco. It made you smile to think of the good friends you had in your life. Charles was right, you would do the same exact thing if roles were reversed. 

Changing the subject to each of your performances this year, Charles starts talking about his frustrations with himself and the car. The two of you get distracted when you see Daniel push Yuki off the boat which leads to Pierre throwing Daniel into the water. Everyone starts cheering and laughing, their smiles turning mischievous as they eye the other people around them. You and Charles look at each other and grin as you get up and start running to the other side of the boat. 

Charles charges toward Pierre and with a yelp, they both crash into the water. You approach Carlos and he turns around with his hands already out to defend himself.

“Amor, no. Don’t do it,” his voice slightly panicked. He eyes the cold blue water and looks at you sporting a cheeky smile.

“What?” you say innocently. “I can’t give my boyfriend a hug?”

You lunge for him but he quickly moves out of the way. The two of you dance around each other playing a cat-and-mouse game. Ultimately, you manage to shove him off the deck but not before he catches your hand and pulls you in. The shrieks turn to laughter as you and the others splash around in the ocean. The contrast between the scorching sun and the cold water became a comfortable medium so you and Carlos decide to stay in and float for a while. The others went back into the yacht but since the sea was relatively calm, you thought you couldn't waste this opportunity to relax in the water.

Carlos lets out a sigh of contentment.

To you, the cold water was especially relaxing since every single muscle in your body was still screaming. A couple of days ago, you had gotten a podium for P3 in Hungary and that race had depleted all your energy. You were racing hard the last 10 laps of the race. George was right behind and the two of you got into some very intense battles but in the end, it was you who was spraying champagne onto Lewis and Max.

“I told you the water would feel nice,” you say, poking him on his side. 

You’re both staring at the clouds and blue sky but you don’t have to look to know that he was grinning ear-to-ear. He reaches for your hand and tangles his fingers with yours, ensuring you don’t drift away from him. You feel like you’re floating toward the sky, the only thing tethering you to Earth is Carlos’s dependable and firm grip. Sometimes you think about what might have happened if you chose not to forgive Carlos. You shiver just thinking about it. Maybe you wouldn’t have gotten into an accident or it could’ve been worse and resulted in permanent injuries or death. All you know is that Carlos is the love of your life and you would do it all over again even if it meant it would end in heartache. The thing is, you don’t think you ever have to worry about that. The universe has given you the perfect partner and despite any upcoming hardships, you know that you belong to each other and nothing will ever change that.

 The two of you enjoyed each other's company in silence until the water became too cold and you needed to get back on the yacht. Carlos helps you up onto the deck and head straight to the outdoor dining area. Everyone is already helping themselves to the food so you sit down and wait because Carlos insisted that he would make your plate for you. Lando teased you relentlessly but you just shrugged. Your boyfriend was excessive when it comes to taking care of you, he knows you could always make your coffee or grab a jacket if you’re cold but whenever you are with him, you barely lift a finger. Of course, you protest whenever he does this but he loves to spoil you so you let him.

Later that day after the sunset and the boat had docked in Monte Carlo, you, the other driver, and their girlfriends were pre-gaming in the lounge area. Everyone was dressed to the nines because you were going to the club and celebrating Max’s win and your third podium. Lily and Carmen compliment the emerald green cocktail dress and you grin when you tell them that Carlos had gifted it to you. This then leads to all the girlfriends scolding their partners for never gifting them a dress to their taste. The boys start hounding you about what kind of gifts you’ve given to Carlos and they are silenced when he flashes his watch you had gotten for him for his win in Silverstone. 

You sidle up to Carlos while his fingers glide over the silk and rest on your hip. Looking up, Carlos smirks down at you as your friends loudly squabble about who has the best sense of style. Everyone was throwing tipsy insults at each other, but it was all part of the banter. Carlos kisses the side of your head making you smile as laughter bubbles out. You wrap your arms around him and inhale the citrus and sandalwood. Feeling his gaze, you look up to see his dark brown eyes looking at you in pure adoration. Placing a hand on the side of his face, you pull him towards you and press a kiss on his lips. 

Here you were in a beautiful dress with the man of your dreams in your arms. You were performing well in the highest level of motorsport breaking records and boundaries for other women out there. A year ago, you were so focused on your work that every single thought was about becoming a world champion or getting as far up the grid as you can. You had to work harder than the boys just to prove that you belonged in this sport just as much as they did. Now that you’ve proven yourself, it makes that fire within you burn brighter. You want to be the best, you want to break records and show the world that you have what it takes to dominate the sport. It was strange to be competing with your boyfriend but it makes you better, some would even say ruthless. This is why you and Carlos work so well together, you teach him to enjoy and savor life while he helps you keep that laser focus on your goals.

You were now leaning against Carlos’s chest with his strong arms holding you close to him. His body gives you warmth as a cool sea breeze brushes past you. As the two of you admired the twinkling lights of Monte-Carlo at night, you can’t think of a better person to spend the rest of your life with.

---

Thank you for all the love. Feel free to send fic requests, I'm itching to write about the other drivers!

Tagged: @oyesmendes, @forzaferraris, @harley-sunday, @thatoneidiot16, @haterpenny, @mysticalnightenthusiast, @laura-naruto-fan1998, @helluvahazelnut, @starjane312, @thatchickwiththecamera, @sticksdoesart, @xscorpioxmoon, @sanne-p, @idkiwantchocolatee , @ruledchaos, @callmequeenbeee, @nochillnel, @dr3lover, @urbankaite2, @justharrysworld, @ohthemisssery, @zoobabystation, @fangirlingcontent-blog, @dan3avacado, @compulsiveshit, @iamasimpingh0e, @inurdreamms, @kodzuskook, @imsoconfused2903, @urbankaite2, @nsprinz, @loveofmylife12 , @capela-miranda, @organasith, @c0k3z3r0na, @thelightnessofthebeing @verstfosi, @glitterquadricorn, @bloomingpresent, @troybolton-14, @vio111a, @marvelousmendess, @bbbbruins, @itssherlockedontheinside, @secretlysoft444,

[skzhocomments]

A Chance of Fate (Lee Know) - Chapter 4 - Blooming Feelings

Story masterlist - please consult it for the summary of the story, trigger warnings etc.

Wattpad | AO3

Chapter 3 | Chapter 5

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Chapter 4 - Blooming Feelings

Chapter word count: 2.4k words

It’s been exactly three weeks since you met Minho and started living with him, and 19 days since you started taking daily walks with him and getting to know him. It’s also been 19 days since you noticed a feeling growing slowly from within your chest, and you truly disliked it. Not that it was unpleasant. It wasn’t. But you didn’t want to put a name to it, afraid that if you would, everything would change between you and him, and you’d end up with a broken heart. Or rather – a more broken heart.

You also started helping around at the restaurant as a server and sometimes in the kitchen if Minho had too many orders.

By now, you knew all the regulars and memorised their orders by heart.

Mr. Park would always come Monday-Friday at 6 PM sharp, just after finishing up at his job. He would always drink a glass of beer and eat Minho’s special recipe Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and on Tuesday and Thursday he’d drink 2 bottles of Soju and eat fried pork belly.

Mr. Cho would come every 2 or 3 days with his wife and eat some of Minho’s chocolate cake. He’d drink some wine, and she’d have a few cocktails, both of them leaving satisfied after each date.

You even met a few of Minho’s friends: Changbin (that you found out writes a lot of songs with Chris and Han), Seungmin (who went to the same Uni Han attends) and I.N. and his girlfriend. They would drop by, have a quick meal and chat a bit with Minho, but all of them were busy doing their own thing and wouldn’t stay for too long.

That was until tonight.

This Friday night, Minho closed up earlier, which you found unusual, especially considering that Fridays were one of the most profitable nights of the week for his business.

“My friends are coming.” He explained. “We meet here once a month to catch up. Ah, Jisung will be here too!” He smiled and started preparing different snacks and foods a few hours before their arrival.

“How many people will there be?”

“Well, there’s Chan and Olivia, Han, Changbin and Felix, I.N., his girlfriend Mary, Hyunjin, Changbin, Seungmin and Felix.”

“You counted Changbin twice!” you laughed.

“Well, he eats like two anyway!” he chuckled.

“Okay, then I’ll go ahead and set the plates for you.”

You grabbed some and started placing them on the big table Minho formed out from other tables.

After a few minutes, you placed 11 plates and 11 glasses, napkins, cutlery, and some soju bottles. You also grabbed some of the snacks Minho prepared. The table looked pretty nice, or at least adequate, you figured.

“Wow! This looks so much better than what I could’ve done! Good job, Dal-Rae!” he praised you and looked actually excited. “Everyone’s gonna be surprised by this, I never set the table or anything for these meetings. I think Jisung will be shocked.”

“Hahah, yeah. You prepare all this food and stuff, though!”

“But wait, why are there only 11 seats?”

“Well, you’re 11, right?”

“No, that’s not… right.” He replied while shaking his head disapprovingly.

“What do you mean? Chris, Olivia, Han, Changbin and Felix, I.N., Mary, Hyunjin, Seungmin, Felix and you. That’s 11.”

“Dal-Rae, we’re 12.”

“No, you’re 11. Did I count it wrong? Chris, Olivia-”

“No, dummy. You counted right. But you forgot your seat.” He ruffled your hair and grabbed another plate, placing it on the table.

“Oh- Am I… invited, though?” you asked unsure.

“What? Why wouldn’t you be-”

“SURPRISEEE!” a familiar voice shouted loudly and busted through the door.

“Jisung, what the heck?” Minho chuckled.

“Lee Know, Lee Know, Lee Know, I came to rescue you from your misery of having to set up the tab- What the fuck, man? This looks so beautiful, what? When did you learn how to manage without me?” he whined and faked a cry.

“It’s all her!” Minho pointed at you and bowed jokingly.

“Dal-Rae, just who I wanted to see! I missed you sooooo much!” he hugged you tightly.

“Don’t you text me everyday, though?” you chuckled, hugging the boy who quickly became your best friend back. “Although you didn’t even tell me you’re coming.”

“Wait, you’re texting her?” Lee Know raised an eyebrow.

“I do, but I still want to see you, Dal-Rae! I wanted to surprise you. Wow, getting big, are we?” he petted your belly and smiled, just when you felt a kick.

“Dude, don’t touch her like that-” Minho started and grabbed Han’s wrist, but was quickly interrupted.

“OMG! THE BABY JUST MOVED! THE BABY JUST HIGH FIVED ME!”

“Yeah, it keeps doing it! Especially if I lay down. If it’s a boy, it must be a future football player or something!” you chuckled.

“Or a boxer! Or maybe it’s a girl and she likes dancing!”

“Seriously? Did it… kick?” Minho asked, surprised.

“Yes!” Han exclaimed. “Oh my god, this is the most beautiful thing ever!!! What the heck. Wow. The miracle of life.”

You noticed something shift in Minho’s eyes. Jealousy? It can’t be. Curiosity? Maybe he wanted to feel the baby’s kicks too but didn’t know how to ask.

“Do you… want to…”

“No, no, I’m fine.” He quickly denied.

“Oh…” You frowned. You didn’t expect him to reject the idea so openly. Was he that uncomfortable with touching you, or was he just hesitating?

“I mean- I don’t want you to be uncomfortable-”

“I’m not! You don’t make me uncomfortable, so you can-”

“Seriously, guys? What the heck is wrong with y’all?” Han sighed and grabbed Minho’s hands and pulled him towards your belly.

You found it a bit amusing how Minho was always putting on a brave face, but now, looking at you, he seemed so unsure.

Was he really allowed to touch you? He knew Olivia hated people placing their hands all over her belly, she barely let Chan touch her, much to his dismay, so Minho never insisted, although he couldn’t deny that he was curious. And he hasn’t really had other chances to interact with pregnant people or to be close enough to someone as to ask.

For Minho, this felt… personal, in a way.

“I…”

“It’s okay.” You said and grabbed his hands that were hovering mere centimetres in front of your belly, placing them against you firmly.

His hands were cold, you noticed, and the expression on his face was expectant. Luckily for him, the baby seemed to be active today, so another kick came pretty quickly, making Minho open his mouth in shock and excitement.

“Oh! Wow!” he smiled brightly and looked into your eyes.

He was so beautiful. Of course, you’ve noticed that when you first saw him. But this? Fuck, your heart was not prepared for this.

The way he looked at you, the smile on his face, the way small creases formed around his eyes, mouth and nose, the way his cold hands felt on your warm belly…

This was too much to bear for your poor heart that was now running at 400 km/h.

The feeling came over you again, and you allowed yourself a second to wish that Minho was the father of your child instead. Then, you slapped yourself in your head and returned his smile.

Don’t be stupid, Dal-Rae.

“How’s that, Lee Know? Isn’t that great?” Han asked excitedly.

“Mhm.” He nodded happily.

“Makes me wanna have a kid too! That’s so unfair!!! Why don’t I have a girlfriend yet?” Han whined. “Dal-Rae, promise me you’re gonna make me the Godfather! Pretty please??”

“Oh! Would you want that? Like, for real?” you asked, this time you being the surprised one.

“YES!!! CAN I?”

“Dude, you’re too loud.” Minho covered Han’s mouth with his hand.

“Yeah, but isn’t it too quiet without me here?” he replied with a muffled voice, struggling to speak through Minho’s hands.

“Eww, don’t lick my hand! Gross!” Minho grimaced and let Jisung go.

“Han, I’d love it if you were my baby’s Godfather.” You replied, ignoring the small commotion and curses between the two.

“Oh my god!!! Really??? Lee Know!!! Did you hear that?? I’m gonna be the Godfather! This makes me a bit emotional.” He said, tearing up and hugging you.

“By the way, how’s Uni?” Minho asked, unimpressed.

“Wah, Dal-Rae, how are you holding up living with this asshole and his three asshole cats?”

“The cats are really nice, actually.” You replied with a chuckle.

“Hey! Just the cats? What about me?” Minho pouted, making you laugh.

“You… you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” You smiled and quickly corrected yourself, afraid he would misunderstand. “Both of you.”

Or rather, you were afraid he would understand.

It was true. Minho is the best thing that ever happened to you. And the fact that the “is” would soon turn into a “was” truly broke you, but you knew you couldn’t stay here forever.

It was stupid of you to get used to Minho’s presence and to depend on him so much. He was not the father of your child, so you had no right to live in your made-up fantasy that he was and that he would keep taking care of you.

After all, in less than 6 weeks, your baby would be born. Until then, you’d have to get a new job, search for a place for you two and get your life together.

How were you going to do this? You weren’t sure.

~

“Dal-Rae, I was not expecting to see you tonight! How are you?” Olivia approached you rather coldly. Although she was smiling, you could tell how forced it looked. Maybe Minho shouldn’t have invited you after all.

“I’m good, thank you. What about you? Were you busy at the shop lately?”

“Oh, yeah! Very! By the way, this is Chris, I believe you still haven’t met him yet? Chris, honey, this is Dal-Rae, the girl that came with Minho to the store the other week. Oh! Hyunjin!” she exclaimed, noticing a tall frame enter the door. She left you and Chan alone and ran over to the younger, jumping up and ruffling his hair affectionately.

“Ohhhh, yes, I remember Olivia telling me about you coming to the store. I’m Chan, or Chris, whichever you prefer. Nice to meet you!” he said, turning his attention to you.

“The pleasure is mine. I’ve heard a lot about you from Minho and especially from Han. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”

“Good things I hope!” he chuckled.

“Yeah, nothing to worry about.” You returned his laugh and pointed him towards the table. “You can sit down if you’d like.”

“Do you live around here? It’s pretty late, so I’m just surprised that you’d come, considering you’re pregnant and all. I remember Olivia barely had any energy to interact with others, especially at this hour. She would sleep like a log.” He chuckled and affectionately took a glance at his wife.

“She lives here.” Han came from behind you and placed his arm around your shoulder.

“Really?” Chan asked, his face forming a slight frown that you would’ve missed have you not observed him so closely. “That’s great! Uhm… will you excuse me for a moment?” he brushed over you and headed towards the kitchen.

“Don’t mind him so much, Dal-Rae. He’s just trying to look out for Lee Know. Chan can get really protective of his friends, and Minho is like a little brother to him.” Han whispered.

“I… know. But… he doesn’t have anything to worry about. It’s true that Minho is helping me, but I would never take advantage of him. I will try to move out as soon as possible, before the baby comes. I promise.”

“Wait, what? When’s that?”

“In less than 2 months, so there’s really nothing to worry about. I’ll be gone soon.”

“What do you mean?” Han frowned. “How? Where?”

“I don’t… uhm… Minho is paying me way more than he should, I’m sure, so I do have a little wiggle room…”

“Did you tell Minho about this? That you’re planning to leave…?”

You were the one to frown hearing this question. How could you tell him and burden him even more with worry?

Trying to push aside the sinking feeling in your chest, you smiled briefly and muttered a quiet “Soon” with a shake of your head.

~

“Hey, man. The food looks great.” Chan approached Minho.

“Oh, I didn’t know you'd already arrived. I’m stacking up these plates still!”

“Smells great too.”

“Thanks. I’m working on a new recipe, so you’ll be my guinea pigs tonight.” Minho chuckled.

“Listen… Olivia told me that you brought a girl back to the store…”

“Oh, yeah. Her name’s Dal-Rae. What about her? She’s here tonight if you wanna meet her.”

“I just did… she seems like a nice girl… but Minho, Han said she lives here. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’m just gonna ask you this once. Are you… the father of her child?”

Right. The elephant in the room.

Lee Know sighed. “I’m sure Olivia already told you about it.”

“She did, but I want to hear it directly from you.”

“If she did, then you know the answer. No, I’m not the father of her child.”

“Then… what are you doing?”

“What am I doing?” Minho dropped everything from his hands and faced his friend.

“You know what I mean.” Chan replied sternly, frowning.

“No, I don’t.”

“Minho, don’t play dumb. Letting her stay here and eating your food? Paying hundreds of dollars for things for her?”

“What was I supposed to do then, hm? Let her go and pretend I didn’t notice she needs help? You didn’t see her when she first came in! She was full of bruises-”

“I’m sure we can find other ways to help her. We’ll contact a women’s shelter and-”

“We’ve already tried that route, smarty-pants.” Minho sneered. He was feeling irrationally angry. “And you know what happened? Nothing. There was no place for her.”

“But even so, hear me out.”

“No. I decided to help her. I can’t let her down now. Not when her due date is so close.”

“Minho-”

“Chris. I’m serious about it. She will stay here, and I will help her.”

“Why? What got you so worked up for this girl, man? You’re still young, you have time to find someone else.”

“You should know better than anyone that I don’t want someone else after what happened.”

“But still, this isn’t right for you.” Chan frowned. “I just wanna look out for you, man. If you’re doing this for her just for pity… That’s not right either.”

“That’s how it was at first, but now? I don’t know… I think I… for the first time in so long, I think…”

Minho wasn’t sure if he was able to admit that out loud, but Chan’s raised eyebrow made him confess with a sigh:

“I think I’m in love with her.”

~

Chapter 3 | Chapter 5

[mofffun]

New scenes in King-Ohger movie full cut

(lines by ear)

01:08 +line, Rita (to Gira): いつまで待たせる　始まるそう (How much longer are you gonna keep us waiting? It's about to start.)

01:34 shugoddom square establishing shots

04:19 extended orphange meal scene + lines. Gira brought out a pot and asked Debonica to help set the table. She refused and stole a piece of bread.

05:21 +line, Gira: 相変わらずうたうまい。([Debonica] is still good at singing like before.) Himeno walked closer and poked Gira vs. voiceover

09:39 (portal closed leaving Yanma and Rita stranded) +line, Yanma: 帰るだって　どこからだよ (Talk about leaving, how?)

10:29 Guided by a light beam from her tiara, Himeno crossed a long bridge on the sea

10:43 Kaguragi called for Racles. "Racles-dono, please answer if you're here!" A portal appeared and he crossed it to find himself in front of a burning Takitate Castle. Iroki's voice only "Long time no see, Kaguragi." "嫌なものを…" (~I don't like this.)

11:14 Underwater N'kosopa: longer establishing shot: top-down pan vs. forward dolly, + longer rita run

15:51 + Himeno exepctant reaction shot as she waited for her parents to materialize

17:05 Iroki: You dirty your hands for this throne. What did you get in return?

Kaguragi: People and country, and peace.

18:21 "These are all, Moffun." Close-up of Rita looking up vs. voiceover. Ghost swarm: +line "やっば無理だ!" (Nope, I can't take it [after all]!)

20:06 Yanma pulled on the spider thread until he reached a thick strand encasing a cable.

23:05 Ishabana and N'kosopa team shocked the retainers back to life

30:11 +line, Himeno: 醜い死に損ない (She called Rainoir an ugly thing who won't stay dead, while smiling)

30:24 Yanma: What ae you doing here?

Jeramie: 王を歓迎する場合に、狭間の王が仲間外れはいただけな (This is an occassion for kings, how could you exlude the king of the in-betweens?)

30:50 calibur roll call

34:00 Debonica's look at Gira. They got back climbing on Jeramie

Rainoir's last words:

だが　シュゴッドムの王は常に一人。ラクレスハスティーは生きでいる。勝負をつけたら、また来るがいい。その時、このチキューのすべてを話そう。

(However, there can only be one king of shugoddom. Racles Husty still lives. When a winner is decided, come see me again. Then, I will tell you everything about this Chikyuu.)

(note: the making uses 決着 (decision) instead of 勝負 (win/loss))

Gira smiled and walked away.

34:57 Coronation restart. Rita put down their sword at the altar, the kings reaction shots + Jeramie narrating.

35:32 Kings comments as Gira walked down the aisle

Yanma: よっ！元指名手配犯！(Yo! Former fugitive!)

Shiokara: Shhhh!!

Kaguragi: しかし 子とものお遊戯会見えんなくもう (However, he no longer looks like a child in dress-up.)

Hineno: 王冠　私がもらっちゃうかしら (Should I take the crown?)

Rita: 王位簒奪は重罪だ。奪うなら今こそ。(Usurping the throne is a serious crime. If you want it, do it now.)

37:21 Debonica cake scene moved to pre-credits

40:07 Post-credit scene #1

Rainoir: 死の国にまでもやってくるか (You found your way into the Land of Death?)

*transformed to block a beam attack, roll call speech*

今こそ、2000年前の仇怨(きゅうえん)を返す！ (2000 years... Now is the time for revenge!)

The beam vaporized him and camera cuts to Dugded crouching on a transparent disc hovering, "つまんね" (Boring.)

(note: the two characters are never in the same frame so i'm pretty convinced they are filmed separately. otherwise Rainoir's actor would've known about Dug/Ch2 in May. The post-credits scene are not specified as filmed during the original production so the suit part might be the advertised "newly-filmed scenes".)

41:13 Post-credit scene #2 (おまけ bonus scene)

The retainers' lies to shock them into the underworld:

Shiokara: 喧嘩最強 ヤンマくん! (Best at brawls is Yanma-kun!)

Sebastian: ヒメノ様はブズでございます (Himeno-sama is ugly.) *Thundercracker hesitates*

Morphonia: 働くて最… ([I love my] job..) (lightning before the sentence is finished)

Kuroda: 我こそはトウフの王… (I am Toufu's Lo[rd]..)

[danileepearce]

I share a plex server with some friends over where I live now and sometime ago someone requested and added Welcome To The NHK to the list of available shows on it. About a week ago i started to work my way through watching it and just tonight I finally finished it. I didn't really think to expect much from it, but it ended up a show, a world, a set of characters that im really glad i ended up spending my nights with.

Firstly, the show for a good handful of its duration is absolutely laugh out loud funny. I now understand in that way why it seems to have been at least a minor sensation in some corners of late 00s internet(i don't know exactly of the reach it had, but it was probably big). so many easily quotable/jokeable/memeable moments throughout, such a hilarious dissection of otaku culture and also really just like, early 20s life. satou is the most 22 years old any human being has ever been in their entire lives.

the show genuinely takes its sweet time really kind of slowly inching its true message on you; it front-loads itself heavily with its comedy and its stories about satou and yamazaki being complete ridiculous dumbasses over several episodes, with every episode ending with that insane ABABA BABA BA ODORU AKACHAN NINGEN song which, the lyrics are so well written and so relatable for 2006…i was only 11 when this first aired! ********************************************************************* [[MAJOR SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT, DONT READ IF YOU DONT WANT THEM, ALSO CONTENT WARNING FOR SENSITIVE SUBJECT MATTER]] *********************************************************************

but then you get to that point in the series where satou becomes This Close to committing suicide. its played off in a somewhat over-dramatic way and even that has humorous undertones to it, but the first true colors of the heart behind the show really begin to introduce themselves in a very visible way after that point. the end credits song changes to something a lot more grounded, and little by little from then on, the humor kind of falls away, the characters satou had to bounce off of in these ways depart from the main plot altogether (but they give satou and yamazaki that one last "snowball fight" lmao. how did those two never kiss) until its just him and misaki. i actually was stunned at how totally transformed the tone had become by the last few episodes.

When I finally got to the end, it was one of those endings….one of those resolutions….where i just kind of ended up going out for a night walk at 2 am, walking for almost an hour listening to music, and then sitting out on a lounge chair on my driveway staring up at the stars and just thinking.

The big lore reveal for misaki around the climax of the story made me realise just how much i had in common with her. Basically ever since i first became homeless, and honestly some time before that, I feel like i've basically just always dedicated myself to helping others as best as i can. i used to be pretty bad at it, but i was dedicated enough to making this a fundamental part of who i was it that it became a skill within myself i refined like a sharp blade over the years. i gave myself up to ppl completely, in more ways than one, often just to have a place to stay. to this day, i feel like i give so much to my friends. i try to give so much to whatever community i find myself in. because i think i too share a compulsion to give others the love and the kindness that i was never given when i most needed it. like misaki. i also have worried pretty heavily about if my usefulness would last to the people around me. ive also hinged my entire life purpose on that.

i dont think i have as tragic of a backstory as misaki's is framed to be, but my family life was in many ways as equally fractured as hers. my mom didn't kill herself, but it feels like she might as well have. she always seemed like there once was a human being there that just became completely consumed with hate, with christofascism, with this desire to have me constantly hurt and beaten by not just her but by just about every adult figure that graced my life for many years. my dad was just simply not present, and was consumed by this complete inability to ever have the relationship with me that i so badly needed from him growing up. at times he was an equal participant in the abuse. and additionally at times he was actually scarier and a lot more energetically violent. when satou is on the island and raises his voice and fist to misaki, her reaction was something i felt very deeply. it especially hit with the lore reveal.

additionally, i related to satou in a number of ways too. up until this year i had spent the last 9 years essentially living in this very open-wound self-exploitative way where i essentially kept no secrets and no part of me concealed from people until this spring, around my 29th birthday, and at some point in the following summer, everything just Slammed Shut on my fingers from the inside and has not reopened. i feel like ive radically transformed into being a much more private person. i hardly post anywhere on social media anymore and most times i just outright avoid it. ive unfollowed/disconnected from a lot of the ppl i knew in that time period. ive struggled lately with a very deep fear of the world and of nearly everybody in it, since many of the people i met after escaping home were also people that hurt me in pretty profound ways, both on and offline. i spend a lot of time just in my house, which i try to maintain as low of stimuli within as i can. sometimes i just lie down and i listen to music and get lost in a very deep currant of my own thoughts. sometimes i just spiral. i was spiraling pretty heavily over this last week especially. feeling like the world and everyone in it wants nothing to do but just hurt me. like ITS ALL A CONSPIRACY (OF COURSE! WHY DIDN'T I REALIZE THIS BEFORE!)to keep me always suffering and in pain.

And, like both characters, i have wanted to kill myself. many times over many years. sometimes for extremely silly and impulsive reasons like satou, sometimes for reasons based out of very real deep-seated trauma, fear, and a sense of never-ending heartbreak like misaki. the way she fixates on death and suicide leading up to her own attempts is something i've done more times than i can count. anyone who has known me for any length of time has learned this about me at some point. my most recent plan to do so was made at the end of july this year. its funny in that way how satou catches misaki before she falls, and how satou is caught by the chain link (lol) and misaki then helps him back onto the cliff. that to me very much analogues my friends catching me and me catching myself. maybe im also that chain link; where even in my most brazen and my most far-flung from a grounded feeling that a hard wall will always stop me short from going through with it. who knows!

and i mean, maybe a hikkikimori partially/subliminally fits my description as of present, but maybe without the negative connotations that seem to associate with that term. ive mostly become a lot more hermetic out of necessity. I've Lived So Much Life and a lot of life that no one should ever have to live, and i've finally arrived at a place of stability and support where i can finally just Withdraw from it all. i can live with a quietness and a control over my environment that i've essentially always longed for. i guess that ive lived the reverse life of satou; he seems very comically dedicated to Always Being A Hikkikimori and yet he ends up doing a lot of Living over the course of the series! and in the end it results in him kind of resurfacing properly into the world. thats what the series portrays as a happy ending but i'd like to think that my "reversed" version of that has a happy ending to it in itself. i can finally live how i feel i deserve to. i can finally find and feel my own happiness in the withdrawal from so many elements in my life that were hurting me, burning me, bruising me very terribly.

id like to think also that our overall attitudes towards ppl who quote-on-quote Don't Contribute To Society have vastly improved since 2006; on a few occasions the series seemed very mean spirited in a way that hasn't aged well. The brief focus on kobayashi's brother i thought was really touching though; seemed like a more sympathetic look at complete reclusiveness even though he too has another "happy ending" type resolution. some ppl are just most comfortable shut off and isolated from most things in the world, especially in a covid age.

but anyway, i really like that the way satou and misaki dedicate themselves to self preservation is a(nother) contract that basically binds them them both to stay alive together. neither one of them wants the other to die, so either they both have to or neither of them do. that's really cute and sweet. i think i would get a lot out of having that kind of agreement with someone. like really, the way that this series extrapolates upon what it means to live, what it means to keep going, is done in a way that is surprisingly very well handled and very affecting to someone like me. and i definitely am sure that im not alone in that. these subjects were always the series' secret weapon, they were always the CONSPIRACY. the series just wants us all to live, to take care of ourselves through everything as much as we can.

in all of this, im reminded of a memory of someone who long ago i used to talk to and message every day as an excited 16 year old who barely knew how to be an actual person and was only really just learning how to interact with people online. if memory serves, Welcome To The NHK was a series that was very close and dear to her at that time. i hope she's doing ok.

but yeah. i guess in its own strange way NHK has become one of my unexpectedly favorite anime of all time, something that is no secret to anyone who has reached this same sentiment about it. It was something that found me at the perfect place at the perfect time. i get it now. i feel like i now get so much. a lot of this feels written very messily and disorganized and complicated in my thinking and wording, but if you made it this far, thank you for reading. its been a minute since i felt this inspired to just write

[limeentertainment]

— project green: together we grow !

“are you guys eating well?”, han seokjin asks somewhere to the right of the camera pointing at the trainees. “who’s doing all the cooking? is it this guy?”, he points to LUCIEL. “if he takes care of the food as well as he does the coffee machine, you guys are eating like kings, huh?” it’s weird to see the dance coach that gave them all a hard time trying to crack a joke suddenly. seokjin has been to the apartment a few times during the last few weeks, though this is the first time he has all project members sit together.

“to start off, i want to congratulate you all for finishing the first mission successfully!” he claps for the trainees, and encourages them to celebrate the moment as well. “you have taken your first step in this journey, and you did so together. and with this, PROJECT GREEN officially starts!” the last word is spoken in english, and it comes with a sheepish grin. it’s clear that the manager is doing his best to amp it up for the camera.

“i am here to report on the second mission.” he pulls up a card with the lime entertainment logo on it, and reads from it. “PROJECT GREEN second mission, go! as we look to the future, it’s important to always remember where you started. your roots are what define how strong you’ll grow, and it’s time we set a good foundation for our members!”

seokjin then explains that, in order for the second mission to be a success, project members must prepare two cover performances of senior artists in lime entertainment, to be presented in front of the project manager along with other staff members on saturday, september 28, in the main lime entertainment training facility. members must decide on what two songs they’ll cover, work on the line distribution and any changes or remixes they would like to do if at all, and coordinate with staff members to design the outfits and the stage for the performance. these two songs will ideally cover a wide range of skills that the members can show their audience! 

project members will lay their roots and build up on their skills using these performances as a starting point. “in the future, we will look back on this moment fondly, and we will be able to show the world how much we’ve grown since.” seokjin finishes the instructions with a loud fighting!

“oh, and one more thing”, he starts putting things away as dinner is served, as a reward for finishing the first mission. “starting this month, we will have two co-leaders to help manage the group while i’m not around. and these leaders will be… two of you! each month, a new pair will be selected. for now, let’s go with…” seokjin looks around the room deep in though, and then points to each chosen leader. “SIWOO and SEOJUN!

good luck, members, and may you grow strong!

the second mission will run until 11:59pm est at the end of monday, september 30. the third mission will be revealed on october 2, during the weekly queue. please tag all posts related to this with lime:projectgreen2.

as stated in the post, muns will have free reign to choose mostly everything about the performances, though of course the events admods are available at all times should muns need any help getting the performance together. 

there is no need to write additional solos on each performance. the writing requirements stay the same as in the last mission:

on writing requirements: at this time, muns may use up to 2 replies regarding project green for regular monthly trainee threads since muses will still be attending regular training schedules at lime entertainment. we do ask that some of your replies this month be about general training and not solely about project green both as a way to further your muse’s skills and so non-project muses have writing partners available. project members are welcome to participate in company workshops as well at this time.

SIWOO and SEOJUN were selected as the first co-leaders of project green! they are meant to help resolve conflicts in the group, be decision makers and help with engagement and compliance, as well as make sure that all chores around the dorm are being taken care of. project manager seokjin is still in charge of the group, and both siwoo and seojun will report to him throughout the month.

! attention: members, over the course of this month you may receive a submission in your inbox! this will be from your project manager asking you a question, and it is meant to get the spontaneous reaction of the trainee on camera. the questions will be related to their life in the dorms, their new training routine, and their expectations for the project, as well as other personal questions to help build up their profile. muns do NOT need to answer this with an in-character solo, if they don’t want to - a simple ooc post with some bullet points will suffice!

[squarebracket-trickster]

and done writing for tonight. a very scattered writing session where I went on tumblr for 2.5 hours before actually writing, then I made mayonnaise and shrubs with my mom, then procrastinated on searching my manuscript for "stuff from previous scenes I needed to know before I could edit the current scene" by going back on tumblr. then I actually did some writing

I stayed outside until like 11pm writing. help my feet are so cold and I was hearing weird noises in the dark. but I had to finish, you know?

stats:

word count: 56 899, page count: 95, words since last writing session: 983, word equivalent in draft 2: 54 090, page equivalent: 95, word count difference: 2809, projected total word count: 77 049 + 2809 = 79 858 (cool, I lost another 11 words! Means I've shaved off 50 words total in the last two sessions.)

percent/80 000: 71.1%

percent/77 049: 73.8%

percent/79 858: 71.3%

percent based on draft 2: 54 090/77 049 = 70.2%

70% Yeah Babeyyyy!! Last 30% here we come

thoughts: these last several scenes have been so dialogue heavy. I don't want to trim any of it bc I think it's all either funny or important for plot. But there's got to be some way to balance it out. Action beats aren't enough. Descriptive passages aren't enough. What am I missing??? Like, the writing is pretty strong for what's there. But it's missing something...

I also worry that maybe the pacing is suffering. A lot is happening all at once, but is Isolde an active part or is she just recounting what's going on around her? How much of the dialogue and action beats are advancing the plot and how much are just catching the reader up to speed, because fuck there are so many moving parts to keep track of? Are the stakes apparent enough? Are Isolde and Henry succeeding too easily? Are the antagonists not active enough? Is Isolde not active enough, is she just describing Henry's plan at this point? Maybe that's what I'm missing. Internal conflict. Also just, in-scene pacing and tension building.

goal for next time: one more scene and then the masquerade section starts. the whole thing is about 6.9k. If I'm lucky and not tired tomorrow night I might get through half that (3k) and hit 60k total words. If not, I'll try to get there by the end of Saturday.

[fiveisnumber1]

The Worst Isn’t The Worst When I’m With You - A “Remembering The Past/Fixing The Future” Side Story

Timeless Fanfic Main Story Parts:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35

Hi everyone! Sorry that it's been a bit since I posted. I've been focusing very hard on finishing my master's degree, but now that I know I am officially graduating I will have plenty more time to write. To make up for things though here is a side story that I have slowly been working on in between portions of my final paper. I will be getting back to the main storyline and start working on the next chapter sometime next week. I'd also like to thank my trans bestie Georgia for her assistance on the last section of this side story, her advice and input were very much appreciated.

Thank you all for your patience, and much love <3

Warnings: Mentions of physical abuse (section 1/Lucas) and deadnaming/misgendering (section 7/Viktoria). If those topics are uncomfortable feel free to skip them.

_____________________________________________________________________

This is the story of Lucas Alexander Klein. Born June 16th, 2001 at 1:37 am to Austin and Meredith Klein. With two older siblings, Jackson and Katherine, he was the youngest and last child of the Klein family. From the outside life in the Klein household looked as golden and shiny as the hair on all their heads, but inside it was much darker. Rules and standards were engrained into the family structure and stepping outside those bounds led to one thing. Punishment. Physical punishment. But in the house, those rules were arbitrary and ever-changing. What was fine one day was wrong the next and it was entirely at the discretion of Austin Klein. He was an abusive man who relished the power he had over his children and his wife Meredith felt no need to step in as she idly let him parent the way he did.

Their children however were completely unlike them. Jack, Katie, and Lucas stuck together doing their best to keep each other safe rather than leaving each other alone to face things themselves. They were kind and empathetic to each other and other people because none of them wanted others to feel the way they felt. None of them wanted to be like their parents and did everything they could to make the world a better place, from activities, to volunteer work to just helping random people because they all knew how terrible it could be sometimes. Being the oldest, Jack took the brunt of the punishment in order for his siblings to face less. But when he turned 18 he knew he couldn't stay any longer. No matter how much he loved his siblings, for his own sake, he had to go, no matter how much he wanted to take them with him. And so he left.

Lucas was 12.

It was then that Katie tried to step up to protect Lucas just as Jack had done for them but as Lucas got stronger he instead stepped in to protect Katie even if it meant he got hurt more. But that didn't last long as two years after Jack left at age 18, Katie did too. She cried the day of her birthday as she packed her bags to leave and go live with some of her friends. She wanted to take Lucas with her, she told him she'd find a way to get him out, but Lucas refused. Jack had tried the same thing and Lucas remembered how their parents made his life a living hell until he stopped. Lucas, still trying to protect his sister, told her that he was strong. Strong like Luther Hargreeves, his hero and inspiration. Strong like he was in all the comics she and Jack gave him since he was six. He didn't want her life to be difficult because of him and he would be okay. And so she left.

Lucas was 14.

And so Lucas was all alone, with four years left til he too could leave and never look back. But until then he was stuck in his shitty situation. He stayed away from home as much as possible to try and minimize his time in his father's presence. Between school and sports and activities and friends he managed to stay away for the most part but not entirely. And it was on those days that he was stuck at home with no excuse or got home before his parents went to bed that times were tough. Very tough. But he never told anyone, not even his closest friend brushing stuff off as a thing he got from football or at the gym or being clumsy. Except for one night, when he was 16 and he finally came clean to one person. You.

June 16, 2017:

Today was a good day celebrating Lucas' 16th birthday.

Your friend group had a tradition of always saying yes to whatever people wanted to do for their birthday. It made for the best celebrations and always made the birthday person happy. And for Lucas, he decided he wanted to get away and go to the beach. And so you did. Getting up early everyone had piled into Dean's car and driven to Rockaway Beach. Together you swam in the warm salty water, collected shells on the sand, and even indulged Lucas in an impromptu game of capture the flag. You soaked in the sun and watched as Dean used a toy shovel to scoop up a tiny crab and fling it toward Kenny. It was hilarious. And once Lucas was satisfied with his beach day you moved on to the next thing.

And so after washing off in the bathrooms at the beach, you piled back into the car once more before coming back to the city and going to your favorite comic shop. You all scanned through all of the vintage comic collections looking for more Umbrella Academy comics for Lucas to take home and add to his collection, especially the ones that focused on Luther. Lucky for him you were able to find one, which of course you and all of your friends paid for him.

And then finally to end the day you went to the local arcade pizzeria to eat shitty pizza and play overpriced and definitely rigged games. And as you sat cramped together in a booth you presented your birthday gifts to Lucas. He loved every single one of them but you knew he really liked yours. You had gifted him an astronomy book that had Luther's signature in it. Granted, all you did was steal the book from Luther's room, but it's not like he was using it anytime soon and it made Lucas happy so what was the harm? As the day ended you had all gone your separate ways but you knew that you had given Lucas the best birthday you could. But as the night drew on, and you wrote about your day in your journal for Five to read one day, your phone began to ring.

Looking at the caller  ID you saw it was Lucas. It wasn't odd that he was calling you but the timing was. It was 11:18 pm. The latest he had ever called you before was 9 pm. Picking up your phone you could hear his voice on the other line.

"(Y/N)?" He questioned

He sounded out of breath and clearly upset.

"Lucas? Are you okay?" You asked concerned

"Can you come to the park?" He asked quickly "To the sitting area by the pond."

Something was off. Something was very off. You had never heard Lucas sound so panicked. Your heartbeat began to pick up its pace as you worriedly asked,

"Lucas, what's going on?"

"Please," he begged, "Please just come to the park."

He sounded like he was crying. There was no time for questions. Something was wrong and you needed to get to him. Immediately, you sprang from your seat and quickly replied,

"Don't move. I'll be there soon."

You could hear Lucas whimper a tiny sound of acknowledgment before the call ended. Rushing to your closet you quickly threw on a pair of shoes and a jacket before dashing out of your room and towards Reggie's office. Entering you looked around before finding the key to Hermes, the car the academy used to drive around in. Everyone was asleep at this point so no as was going to stop you from taking them. Running out of the office you transported your molecules outside and into the car. Placing the keys in the ignition you turned on the car and peeled out of the driveway behind the academy and onto the road toward the park. It took you practically no time and if Eudora had seen your reckless driving she would've been highly disappointed but the urgency was needed. Parking the car you immediately jumped out of it and ran down the pathways to the area he had told you to meet him. The park was dark and empty and your voice echoed throughout the area as you called,

"LUCAS? LUCAS?"

As you neared the area by the pond you could see a figure stand up and look your way.

"LUCAS!" You shouted

Quickly you spatial jumped over toward him but as you regained your focus and looked up at him the sight you saw shocked you. His face was wet with tears, streaks of dried blood ran from his nose and he had the beginnings of a black eye.

"Oh my god, Lucas what happened?!" You asked panicked

But instead of saying anything he just hugged you and began to cry. Wrapping your arms back around him your heart broke as you heard him sob into the quiet night. Just a few hours ago you both were having an amazing day together with your friends, what happened to make it go so wrong? Pulling away from the hug only slightly, you guided him over to one of the tables and had him sit down. Gently, you placed one of your hands over his black eye and made it colder in an attempt to quell the swelling and bruising. You could feel the wetness of his tears on the palm of your hand as he placed one of his hands over yours and pressed your cold hand against his eye more.

"Lucas, what happened? Who did this?" You softly asked

Lucas tensed up for a second. The fear of being honest was so ingrained in him that even the mere thought of opening up scared him. What if he was found out? How screwed would he be? But then he let out the breath that he was holding in and his shoulders dropped. He called you for a reason.

"M-m-my dad..." Lucas stuttered out "He did it."

His dad did this? Why the fuck would he do this? What reason did he have to harm his son like this? Not that any reason would be acceptable in the slightest but you needed to know what happened so you could help.

"What? Why?" You questioned more urgently

"Because I apparently got home too late." Lucas answered

"He did this because you were home too late? You've gotten home later before though." You mentioned

"I know...I- he's always changing his mind on what's allowed and not. It's always been like this..." Lucas responded sadly

Even with one eye covered, you could see his thousand-yard stare. You recognized that stare not only because you had caught glimpses of it on him before but because it was the same one you would get when you thought about the pain of your past. When he said it's always been like this he didn't just mean his dad changing his mind, he meant this. The injuries were not new. And that's when it clicked. The long sleeves in summer, the last-minute canceled plans, the way he would occasionally flinch if you approached him from behind or called his name too loud.

Your brain felt like it was running at a million miles per hour. Sadness and anger filled your system with adrenaline as you sprang to your feet and began to pace back and forth. You needed to help him. He didn't deserve this. Nobody did, but especially not your friend. Especially not when you could help.

"Oh my god, Lucas. We- we need to tell someone about this. We can go to Eudora, she's a cop-" You ranted your thoughts

"No- I-" Lucas tried to interject

"I mean I know the whole department. The detectives, the chief, the district attorney. They all like me and would be willing to help." You stated

As you paced past him Lucas grabbed your wrist catching your attention. You stopped and looked at him, tears in his eyes and the hand that held you visibly shaking.

"(Y/N), please. No." Lucas begged, his voice trembling "I can't go through the hell Austin put Jack through."

Jack was Lucas' older brother. You had met him a few times before he had moved out of Lucas' house but it was never for long. He was nice but also stand-offish, wary of people, and very protective of Lucas. But now it all made sense. You had no clue what type of hell Lucas was talking about but if he was begging you not to do anything you would put the subject aside for now. Even if you hated the thought of doing so, Lucas came first.

Relenting you sat down next to him once more, his hand still shakily gripping your wrist. And with a question nagging at your mind, you quietly asked,

"Dean is your best friend and Addison is your girlfriend so why did you call me?"

"Dean and Addison would be on a war path the minute I told them my dad did it regardless of whether I wanted them to or not." Lucas explained quietly "But you- I know you can keep a secret."

You looked at him confused and slightly concerned. How did he know you kept secrets? Did he know the truth and hadn't said anything?

"What makes you say that?" You asked

"When you talk about your past, you choose your words carefully so you don't lie, but I know you also don't tell the full truth. You have habits with seemingly no explanation like how no matter how old you are you insist on only 8 candles, the way you start to panic when it snows unexpectedly, or the way you grab onto people tightly if they walk too far ahead of you. Without fail, you refuse to leave the house on November 22nd every year but won't tell anyone why. Certain topics cause you to have a 1000-yard stare and I know on occasion you've hidden power-related injuries from the group." Lucas explained

You were taken back. He had seen all of that? You knew some of the things he mentioned were things you were actively hiding but you didn't expect him to notice. It seemed like none of your friends had noticed. And then there were other things you never realized you did. You grabbed onto people if they walked too far ahead? You would stare off blankly occasionally? He had noticed these things the whole time?

"You noticed all of that?" You questioned

"I did. Because it reminded me of myself." Lucas replied "And I don't know what it is and I don't expect you to tell me, but I know that whatever it is, it's something you feel you can't talk about. So I felt like...I felt like you would understand."

You did understand. Maybe not like how Lucas had experienced, but you held a lot of pain within you that you felt you couldn't talk about. You didn't know how people would feel or what they would think if you told them, especially your friends who knew the bare bones of your past. And for the people who knew a bit about your situation, like Diego, they already had their own biases so you'd never be able to have a true discussion with them. It was tough keeping all of your pain to yourself. You could feel tears come to your eyes as you somewhat understood how Lucas felt. How he was probably feeling now. Gently pulling your wrist out of his hand, you then took his hand in your own.

"Whatever you need, I'm here for you." You stated

"I just need you to hold on to this for two years. I'm used to it, I have strategies and I can get through. Once I turn 18 and get out there's nothing else my dad can do. And he never bothered Jack or Katie once they left and didn't bother him." Lucas explained "I don't know how he's going to react when he has no children to directly control but we'll get there when we get there. And if he does pull some shit I promise I'll let you get involved then."

"If that's what you want, that's what I'll do," You replied softly "But if you ever change your mind before then I'll help. Whatever you need I'll be here to support you."

Lucas looked at you. There was sadness in your eyes and the light of the lamp illuminated the tears that were beginning to form. There was something about seeing the pain reflected in your eyes whether from calling you out about your own secrets or finally admitting his that made him feel overwhelmed. He tried to hold it back, to not worry you further but sadness washed over him as he began to cry once more.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Lucas apologized through tears

"What are you sorry for?" You asked confused

"F-for crying and making you s-sad. For being scared an-and waiting this out. For not being st-strong enough to deal with i-it now." Lucas cried

Without even thinking, as those words left his mouth you let go of his hand and pulled him into a tight hug. You loved your friend dearly and to think he thought he needed to apologize for wanting someone to be there for him, for someone to let him be vulnerable, it broke your heart. He didn't deserve to feel this way. He never should've had to feel this way. You couldn't go back in time to change it, as much as you wish you had the power to, but you would do everything you could to help him now and going forward. As his head rested on your shoulder and tears stained your shirt, you stroked his hair gently trying your best to calm him. He wrapped his arms around you tightly once more, his body vibrating from the weight of his emotions. You had trouble breathing from the strength of his hold but it didn't matter. What mattered was Lucas.

"Lucas, you have no reason to be sorry." you cooed "You're the strongest person I know."

The strongest person you knew? Lucas couldn't believe it. There were way stronger people than him. He could think of a few but especially, one. Pulling back from the hug to look at you Lucas quietly questioned,

"As strong as Luther?"

"Stronger." You stated firmly

Now Lucas was especially confused. Not only was he the strongest person you knew, but he was stronger than Luther Hargreeves?

"How?" He asked

"Because even through all the unjustified malice you've faced you still choose to be kind." You answered softly "And there's a lot of strength that comes from still trying to be good even when everything seems so bad."

"I just don't want anyone to feel the way I feel or experience what I do." Lucas explained

"I know and if it means anything, you're doing a great job." You mentioned

"It does." Lucas replied before slumping against the picnic table and remarking "What a way to end my birthday, huh?"

You watched as he looked up at the dark sky above. The vast expanse of space covering the sky, but no stars to be seen with the lights of the city surrounding you. And then an idea hit you. Looking at the clock on your phone you saw it was 11:51 pm. You still had time. Quickly standing up, you exclaimed,

"Come with me, I have something to show you."

Lucas looked at you surprised but stood up anyway. Grabbing his hand, you ran off towards the hill at the center of the park, Lucas keeping pace with you. As the hill got closer you called back,

"Run to the top and look at the sky."

Lucas nodded his head and when you both got to the base of the hill he began to run up it. But when he saw you weren't following he stopped.

"Aren't you coming?" He questioned

"No, I need to be here." You quickly replied

You saw as Lucas still hesitated. Checking the time once more you saw it read 11:57. You were running out of time.

"Lucas trust me." You told him

Seeing the pleading sincerity in your eyes Lucas finally turned around and ran up to the top of the hill and looked up at the sky like you asked. Rushing over to the closest lamp post you dropped to your knees and phased your hand through the locked electric plate at the bottom. Placing your hands on the wiring inside you hoped you could recreate what you had done once before by accident. Looking at the clock once more you saw it said 11:59. It was now or never as you focused on the electricity inside the wires. Taking a deep breath you closed your eyes and then-

It was dark.

Lamp by lamp, building by building the lights shut off.

Lucas saw as the sky grew brighter and brighter. New stars became visible by the second as the world above illuminated with twinkling lights. It was so bright. It was so beautiful. He had never seen anything like this before except in pictures from his space books. Never did he think he would get to experience a sight like this let alone on his birthday. And as he watched a shooting star fly across the sky emotion overcame him again. A smile came to his face and tears welled in his eyes once more, not from sadness, but from joy. Closing his eyes, a few tears of joy ran down his cheeks as he made a wish on the shooting star above. When he was done wishing he opened his eyes and looked towards you, his friend who gave him the greatest gift of all.

Hope.

It would take time but Lucas knew from small moments like these, with the love and support of his friends, life could get better. No. Life would get better.

"(Y/N)!" Lucas called

You looked toward him trying to keep your focus on suppressing the city's electricity. It was taking all of your efforts, and you knew you couldn't hold it much longer.

"Make a wish!" He shouted excitedly pointing at the sky

Looking up you saw the same shooting star that Lucas had wished on and made a wish yourself. Closing your eyes, you wished that one day all of your friends would be with you and that they'd all be happy. Truly happy. As you finished your wish, you opened your eyes and looked up the hill toward Lucas.

"Happy birthday Lucas!" You shouted back

Lucas smiled. And as the lights of the city began to come back he knew that today was still a good day and with you as his friend, he knew no matter what every day after could be too.

________________________________________________________________________________

This is the story of Decano Francisco Sebastián Hernandez. Born December 4th, 2000 at 9:26 pm to Sebastián and Liliana Hernandez. With older brother Antonio and younger brother Matías, Dean was the forgotten second son. Although his mother attempted to show him he was remembered, he still did everything he could to try and climb into his father's graces and earn his praise. But as time went on Dean realized that praise would never come nor would his family fully remember that he was around. And even on the rare occasion they did, it was never as special as Antonio. He would always be second best.

He tried his best to accept it. If Diego Hargreeves from the Umbrella Academy could be number two and still be cool then he could too, right? He could still be a hero and make a change without his family's approval...no matter how much he wanted it. And so he worked and trained every day he could. His combat skills were much more than the average citizen, his knowledge of law, history, and mechanics was impressive for someone of his age and his archery skills became unmatched. But even with that he still compared himself to his older brother. Dean had far greater skills and knowledge but Antonio only had to exist to be number one. It felt unfair. He hated that he had no family to notice him.

That was until you came around. You noticed him. You noticed his skills, his knowledge, his talents. You saw it all and you praised him for it. The praise he had never gotten before. It was amazing. You were the closest thing he had to actual family.

No. You were his family.

You never rejected him, you never ignored him, you never not cared for him. You were his sister and he was your brother and together you were an unstoppable twin duo even if you weren't actually related. If neither of you had anyone else, you'd always have each other. Dean would protect all of his friends with his life, they were the family he chose, but especially for you. And especially after The Incident.

March 23, 2018:

School was boring today. In early March there's not much going on and today was no different. Typically, a slow school day with no tests or quizzes, or presentations was desirable, but after having days like this for the past 3 weeks it started to become mind-numbing. Dean was just itching for something to happen. But today was Friday which meant that he and the rest of your friend group had time to go off and do something exciting and he had the perfect idea.

For seven months at this point, your friend group had been going out across the city fighting crime just like the Umbrella Academy did. Just on a smaller scale. Dean and the rest of the group had received more in-depth training from you and they all learned how to work like a team. Each of you playing up each other's strengths and filling in the gaps where there were weaknesses. Together you ran like a well-oiled machine of seven highly competent fighters all under the direction of their talented and super-powered leader, you. And so like many other days as the final bell rang and your group of friends met up by the front doors of the school Dean proposed,

"So what do you guys say we take a little cruise around the city today? See what's up?"

Most of your friend group perked up with excitement at the thought. They loved going out to fight crime just like the Umbrella Academy did. They felt so cool and like their heroes. Hell, they didn't just feel like heroes, they WERE heroes. Even if nobody knew so besides the seven of you.

"That would be awesome!" Kenny exclaimed

"I've been dying for an adrenaline rush." Addison added

Dean felt excitement grow within him. Finally, the action that he had been looking for. He had heard rumors from some guy at his MMA club that there was some seriously shady business going on at the abandoned warehouse downtown. That would be the perfect place to shoot some arrows, fight some criminals, and get him out of this slump. Looking at the group as they all walked toward his car he shouted,

"Alright, the seven of us taking on the town once more!"

While the rest of your friends cheered for the adventure they were about to have, you gave a wary smile.

"What's that face for sis?" Dean questioned

"I don't think that's a good idea..." You mentioned reluctantly

"Why not?" Bren questioned confused

"I'm really tired." You replied

It was true, you were very tired. For years you had been working on some theories on how to use your powers to manipulate space-time. You had been tweaking one specific idea for the past 8 months now and you thought that you had gotten it to a workable place. All last night you had been trying to rip molecules apart in a specific fashion that would open a wormhole without creating a black hole. Over and over you tried again with no results, but then you started to get the hang of it and for one instance you could actually see something forming. It had been working up until the moment it snapped back closed causing a huge burst of energy and sending you flying into a wall knocking you out. When you woke up, your alarm for school was going off, your head hurt, and you felt mentally exhausted and physically tired. It was as if that burst of energy had knocked all of the energy out of you. You felt weak in a way you never had before. Granted, you had never pushed your powers to the point you did last night but you knew that you didn't have it in you to fight today. You had a regenerative nature to you so you knew that a day to relax and sleep in would fix you right up and you could go out fighting tomorrow, but today you just couldn't.

"I can't protect you guys as well as usual if I don't have the energy to." You added

"C'mon Ringmaster you've been training us constantly for eight months and we've been killing it every time we go out." Lucas reminded

"Yeah, but-" You began to say

"But nothing. We're practically professionals." Dean interjected

"If you want to take it easy this time when we go you can do that. I'm sure we can handle it." Viktoria suggested

As you all made it to Dean's car you stopped and stood in front of your friend group. It felt like they weren't listening to your concerns or what you were saying at all. You didn't have the energy to fight and you could not guarantee their safety like other times. The last thing you wanted was for something to go wrong because the outcomes were disastrous. Look what happened to Ben...

Most of the group was already his age. Hell, Bren had turned 17 nine days ago and Kenny had nine days until he turned 17. You were all around that age and it just put a bad taste in your mouth to have your concerns ignored.

"It's not about me wanting to take it easy. It's about me being at the power capacity to keep you safe." You emphasized, "We're not the Umbrella Academy."

"No, we're not the Umbrella Academy because we'll never be as cool as them." Dean stated, "But we sure are close!"

The rest of your friend group nodded ecstatically at Dean's sentiment as they all opened the back seat doors and slid into the car. Opening his door Dean looked at you as he asked,

"You coming?"

Letting out a reluctant sigh you knew you weren't getting out of this. You were just going to have to pool your strength as best you could and hope that you couldn't find any trouble around. Nodding your head you watched as Dean got into his seat before opening the passenger side door.

"They weren't even that cool..." You mumbled to yourself as you got in the car "They were lonely dorks who just happened to have powers..."

As you closed your car door Dean turned on the car and began to drive out of the high school parking lot. Speeding down the city streets he made his way toward the downtown sector of the city. And specifically toward the old abandoned warehouse that he had heard stuff about. If the rumors he heard were true there was some type of group or organization that was utilizing the warehouse to hide and guard something. As he approached the building, he slowed down and parked the car behind a dumpster. The anticipation built in him. Something big was going to happen he just knew it.

You however weren't excited about being here. From the times that you had spent in the police precinct waiting for Eudora to get off of work, you heard that there was some "underground" organization moving into the downtown area of the city. It was recent, so they didn't have enough evidence to confirm and were waiting on warrants to go investigate places such as this abandoned warehouse. You didn't feel right about being here but obviously, that was not the sentiment of everyone else.

You watched as they reached into bags and pockets pulling out the masks you had given them months ago and placing them on their faces. One by one, they got out of the car pumping each other up for what came next, but you lingered in your seat. Pulling Five's mask out of your bag you held it in your hands and stared at it. If he was here would he agree with this? Would he tell you to deny your gut feeling?

You knew the answer.

"You coming, Ringmaster?" Dean asked

You snapped out of your trance and looked away from the mask. To your right you saw your brother leaning over, the passenger door open, looking at you from behind the mask. Looking back at him you thought,

Dean, I don't know about this...

You don't have to come but the rest of us are going to go

From behind Dean, you could see the excited looks on your other friends' faces. Looking down at the mask in your hands once more you pushed your concerns down. Perhaps it would be alright. You had trained your friends well and they were competent in their abilities and working with each other. They were your friends and you trusted them with your life. Looking toward Dean you relented,

"Yeah. I'm coming."

Getting out of the car you closed the door behind you and placed the mask on your face. Things were going to be fine. Everything was going to be...

Fine.

And so you were off as you had done many times before. Going in solo, you scouted the building invisibly before reporting back.

"12 guys in total. Two are guarding the doors and the rest are inside. 8 in total are armed, the two at the door and then 6 more inside. Three of the men inside are arguing so tensions and adrenaline are high but it might give us the element of surprise since they're distracted with each other." You explained

"Not too bad," Bren mentioned

"We've definitely faced more guys before," Addison added

"So what's the plan?" Lucas asked

"Marksman and I will take out the armed guards swiftly and quietly. Once that's done I will sneak you all through the walls and to safe places to ambush. The first objective is for me to get the guns away from those that have them and then it's business as usual for everyone." You replied

And with the nodding of your friend's heads acknowledging your plan, you headed off. Taking Dean's hand you transported the two of you behind a parked car. A pinching feeling ran down your spine as you bit your tongue to keep yourself from making a sound. Peering very slightly through the windows of the cars you turned to Dean.

On my call, we take them out. I'll take left, you take right.

Dean nodded his head back as you shifted yourself closer to the front of the car while he stayed behind the trunk. You took a moment to center your self and then you thought,

Now.

Both you and Dean popped up from behind the car, a knife and arrow immediately flying from your position across the alley towards the two guards and lodging in their hearts. You watched as the men collapsed to the ground, their guns dropping from their hands. Using your powers you swatted the guns out of their reach if they were even still alive to reach for them. And once more the shooting pain you felt a minute ago raced through your body and caused you to stumble for a second. Regaining your balance you rushed towards one of the men on the ground and pulled your knife from his chest while Dean ripped his arrow from the other one. Tapping the one next to you with your foot you saw there was no response or reflex. Two fewer guys to worry about.

With the coast clear you waved the rest of the group over to you. Carefully, they snuck over and arrived at the doors with you and Dean. Grabbing onto Kenny and Bren's wrists you flashed them inside and behind a large boiler of sorts quietly making hand motions to signify for them to stay there and keep quiet. Returning back to the front door, you stumbled a bit as you materialized in front of the group, your knees feeling slightly weak. Grabbing onto Lucas and Addison, you repeated the process for them as well, placing them behind a pallet of crates and giving them silent instructions before going back and repeating the process once more for Dean and Viktoria.

With all of your friends in place, you moved yourself to a different location behind the group of gang members and hid behind a pillar out of view of everyone. You leaned up against it for support and you could feel your stomach begin to churn in such a way that you were becoming nauseous. Pressing your back against the wall you slowly slid to the floor and your arms wrapped tightly around your waist. As you sat there waiting for your gut to settle you could feel the sensation of something running down from your nose. Wiping your nose with the back of your hand you could see a slight trail of blood. Great. A bloody nose. Using your powers you slightly cauterized your nostril which did get the bleeding to stop but it also made your stomach jump. You just wanted to get this over with so you could rest for a while.

Peering around the corner you could see the few men from before talking as the others stood by. Closing your eyes you took a deep breath as you focus on the guns in the room. Most of them were holstered either on the hip or inside a jacket except for one man who held his weapon in his hand. One by one you used your powers to melt the holstered weapons to the point that they would be unusable. You knew that the molten plastic and metal were going to hit the skin of the men with holstered guns very soon so, to cause a distraction you finally melted the gun that was being held directly in hand. Poor guy decided on an all-metal one though. Oh well. The gun immediately turned into molten metal that had a bright orange glow. The man who held the gun cried out in pain as the others became distracted and turned to look. The action of the turning spilled the molten liquid from the other guns onto the men carrying them while the 6 unarmed men looked on in confusion.

As you tried to stand up a searing pain ripped through your thigh causing you to stumble back down, before finally forcing yourself up. You leaned against the wall you hid behind as you could feel your other nostril start to bleed and pain stab in your side. Taking deep breaths you tried to concentrate on the task at hand and push past your physical pain. And it was at this point with all of the men distracted that the rest of your friends sprung into action.

Quickly, Dean shot off two arrows taking out two of the men and causing them to drop to the floor. Addison had convinced a guy to run away from her only to be surprised picked up by Lucas and slammed into the concrete ground below. Viktoria had found some type of pipe and slammed it against the kneecaps of one of the men sending them to the ground before cracking it against their skull. The sounds of clanging metal and crackling of bone rang through the air like a loud soundwave. Kenny went back and forth fighting with one guy before finally managing to grapple him and bash his head repeatedly into the ground while Bren use his whips to grab and snap the neck of two other guys. In a matter of a few minutes what was once a room of ten men was dwindled down to three.

You finally stepped out from behind the pillar as you became more aware of your surroundings and the damp humidity of the space making itself known. It gave you an idea. Looking at one of the men left standing you pulled the water molecules from the air and redirected them into the body of the man before you. Slowly the water molecules began to fill his lungs as he gasped for air finding none. You pulled more moisture from the air and into his body as he began to drown from the inside. You watched as he doubled over pressing on his gut and trying to cough up water but it was no use as you began to fill the rest of his organs with water. His body began to swell from the fluids as foamy blood ran from his nose and mouth. And then he collapsed. Dead.

As he dropped though, so did you. You fell to your knees as you felt a tearing pain rip across your right forearm. You couldn't see what had happened though as your jacket covered the skin and before you could get a chance to tug it up you saw a man rushing towards you. With a flick of your hand, you sent him crashing into a nearby pillar, his head and neck crunching against the concrete, but you could feel a tearing sensation rip across your collarbone as you did so. You grunted in pain as you reached a hand up to touch the area, only to be met with the sight of blood as you pulled your hand back to look at it. You stared blankly at the red on your fingertips. This had never happened before.

But then you heard the sound of fleeting footsteps. Looking up you saw as the last man began running towards an exit, Bren quickly pursuing him. You watched as the man slowed slightly as he passed a large gas tank and everything that came next felt like it was in slow motion. You saw as the man pulled out a lighter and tossed it into the tank that Bren was about to pass. You didn't even notice as you pushed yourself up from the ground, your body reacting on instinct as you shouted,

"BREN!"

Flashing in front of him you pushed him to the ground behind you before turning your body towards the tank. Mustering all your strength you forced your powers to work overtime blocking the explosion from harming your friend. Energy coursed through your body as you tried to redirect the explosion and flames away from him. Searing pain ripping across multiple parts of your body until all you could feel was the sensation of your body being torn apart. You could feel the energy of the explosion dwindle and as you looked back, you caught a glimpse of Bren's terrified face before the world went blurry and then completely back.

From across the large warehouse floor, the rest of the group heard the sound of an explosion and a blood-curdling scream, and then...

Nothing.

There was of course the crackling of some flames but nothing else except haunting silence. Dean looked around before seeing Bren across the room kneeling in front of something. Concern shot through his body. What if it wasn't a something? Taking off toward Bren, Dean's heart raced but as he approached he was met with a horrific sight. There he saw the corpse of the last man burnt to a crisp, but that's not what terrified him. It was seeing Bren frozen in fear as he kneeled in front of a separate body.

Yours.

Rushing toward you, Dean dropped to his knees by your side as Bren remained frozen. Blood ran from your nose and seeped through parts of your clothing as you lay still on the ground, the area surrounding you and Bren blackened and charred. Your mask had fallen from your face only to reveal your eyes were closed. Grabbing your shoulders he gently shook you calling,

"(Y/N)?"

But when he received no response he shook you harder. This wasn't funny. You needed to get up now. Harder and harder he shook trying to wake you, but it wasn't working. His heart began to race and he could feel his hands shake as he held your face in them.

"C'mon sunshine, open your eyes." He begged, his voice cracking "Open your eyes please. I need you to."

The rest of the group found their way over to you as Kenny and Lucas saw the scene first. This wasn't good.

"Oh shit," Kenny said turning on his heel to go grab his medical bag from the car

"Don't look." Lucas exclaimed quickly pulling Addison and Viktoria in towards him shielding their eyes from the sight

Dean picked your motionless body up and held you tightly in his arms as he sobbed. This was all his fault. You told him you were uncomfortable and he let his own wants outweigh your concerns. And now here you lifeless in his arms. He was a failure of a brother. He promised himself he would keep you from getting hurt and yet he was the one who caused you to get hurt.

"I-I killed her." Dean cried, tears streaming down his face and leaving behind messy streaks "It's my fault I killed her."

The rest of the group recoiled in pain hearing those words. No. You couldn't be dead. They needed you.

Rushing back over with his med bag Kenny dropped to his knees next to Dean.

"Dean I can help. Let me help." Kenny stated trying to pull you from Dean's arms

"Back off!" Dean shouted pushing Kenny away

Kenny knew Dean's emotions were getting the best of him. He wasn't thinking straight and it was actively preventing you from getting help which is the opposite of what you needed right now. Kenny hated to do it, and he knew he would face Dean's ire at some point for it but he didn't care. You were his main concern right now. Looking back at Lucas, Kenny commanded flatly,

"Grab him."

Lucas hesitated for a second but saw the seriousness on Kenny's face. Stepping away from Addison and Viktoria, the two girls grabbed onto each other for support as Lucas wrapped his arms around Dean's waist and pulled him away from you and Kenny pulled your limp body from his arms.

"No No No!" Dean yelled, "Let me go!"

"I'm sorry." Lucas apologized pulling Dean further away from you

"LET ME GO!" Dean shouted

He needed to get back to you. He had to be there for you. You hated being alone. He wasn't going to let you be alone. He promised you so. Kicking Lucas in the shin, Lucas momentarily loosened his grasp enough for Dean to break free, but as began to run back toward you he was tackled to the ground. Lucas held his body against the floor, his face pressed against the cold concrete. And from where he laid he could see you. With one arm that he was able to get free, he reached out to you even though he knew he was too far to reach.

"THAT'S MY SISTER!" Dean cried out "GET OFF ME! THAT'S MY SISTER!"

Tears silently fell from Lucas's eyes as he held his best friend down. he knew how much Dean cared for you and he hated having to hold him down like this. Dean's shouts and cries were filled with heartbreak and pain that all of them were experiencing and it only made him feel worse for not allowing Dean to have the comfort of being near you.

"She's our friend too, Dean..." Lucas said, his voice cracking as he spoke

Dean did not respond and continued to cry out for you, but Lucas knew Kenny wouldn't be able to work on you if Dean wouldn't let him get close and so all Lucas could do was keep Dean tackled and hope that maybe he would calm down.

"I'M SORRY (Y/N)! I'M SO SORRY!" Dean wailed, his pleas echoing across the room

Kenny tried his best to tune Dean out as he was distracting him from providing you medical attention. Pulling out a stethoscope Kenny placed it in his ears and put the flat portion against your chest. Dean was wrong. You weren't dead. You had a pulse, but it was low. Very low. Same with your breathing. It was shallow. But you were still alive. Kenny had been in plenty of high-stress situations before in terms of medical crises, but this was different. This wasn't some stranger, this was you. His friend. Nevertheless, he had to put his emotions to the side and think of something quick. He couldn't let it get any lower or else there would be severe complications. Quickly wrapping up the cuts on your collarbone, arm, and waist he now needed to get your heart rate up. Flying by the seat of his pants he reached into his bag and pulled out a syringe and a vial of epinephrine. Pulling the syringe out of its sterile packaging, he placed it within the vial and pulled out 0.6 milliliters of epinephrine into the syringe. The standard dose in most cases was 0.3, but you were not a normal human and therefore he believed that following most standard procedures was not going to be beneficial. Pressing the depressor he made sure all the air was out of the needle before taking a deep breath and lining up the needle between two of your ribs and pressing it down directly into your heart.

Was it the best plan? No. Was it the standard? No. Did it present risks that would not come up in a typical case? Yes. But you were different. Unlike most people, you had a quickened regenerative factor, and he believed that as long as he could keep you alive your body would do the rest.

As he released the epinephrine into your system, he slowly pulled the needle back out, placing it back in the sterile packaging and into an empty pocket of his bag. Placing the stethoscope to your chest once more he could hear your heartbeat pick up its pace more and your breathing steadied out. With your vitals seemingly stabilized, for now, Kenny began to figure out the severity of your unconsciousness. Pulling out a mini flashlight he lifted up each of your eyelids and shined it into your eyes but found that your pupils were not responding to it. Kenny tried to get the limbs of your body to move but the only time they would do so was through intrinsic reflexes. And on top of it, even if unconscious there was no reaction to the needle he had just put in your chest.

"Oh, that's not good." Kenny said to himself

Slowly Bren, who had been kneeling there silently the whole time, looked over and asked,

"What's wrong?"

Kenny could see the look on Bren's face. Kenny knew his best friend since birth better than anyone else and it was evident that he was completely broken by this sight. Bren was blaming himself and while Kenny wanted to comfort his best friend he couldn't confidently reassure or comfort him until he knew you were okay.

"She's not just unconscious. She's comatose." Kenny answered trying to mask the concern in his voice "But I have some old medical equipment that my job let me take to practice using at home."

Standing up Kenny turned on his heel to face the rest of the group as he stated firmly,

"She's alive but we need to get her to my house now."

Lucas finally stood up which allowed Dean to spring to his feet and rush over toward where Kenny stood, the rest of the group quickly following behind.

"I'll drive." Dean stated, pulling his keys out of his pocket

"You're not driving." Kenny rejected

"It's my car!" Dean shouted

"I said you're NOT driving!" Kenny yelled back "You are in no condition to drive now give Lucas the keys!"

Dean grasped his keys firmly in his hands. Why didn't Kenny get it? He needed to be the one to do these things. He needed to help somehow to make it up to you. This was his fault. He was the one who caused this and now he had to try and figure out a way to fix it and he wasn't letting him.

Seeing how Dean was not relenting, Addison stepped forward and put herself in between Kenny and him. Grabbing his face she made sure that he was looking her directly in the eyes.

"See that fire? It's spreading, this place will come down on us if we don't leave including your unconscious sister and I can bet that police are probably headed this way due to the sound of an explosion. If we don't leave we're going to have more than a medical emergency on our hands so give Lucas the keys NOW." She commanded

Dean attempted to look away and tried to fight the urge to listen to her but he just couldn't seem to do so. She was too persuasive and he never knew how to not do what she said. Tossing the keys to Lucas, Dean looked behind Addison at Kenny and said,

"At least let me carry her."

"Fine." Kenny replied urgently "Now, we need to go!"

Placing your mask in his pocket, Dean scooped you up in his arms as he quickly carried you out to his car with the rest of the group with him. Lucas slid into the driver's seat while Addison and Viktoria shared the passenger seat and then Bren, Kenny, and he sat in the back seat with you laying across their laps. Lucas, who was typically a more responsible driver than Dean was, actually sped away from the warehouse and back to Kenny's house. Dean carried you inside and placed you on Kenny's bed as he and the rest of the group stood by and watched as Kenny pulled out some medical machinery and hooked it up to you along with putting a clear tube in your arm that dripped some clear liquid into it.

"What is this stuff?" Lucas asked

"That's an EKG heart monitor machine and this is a pole for the saline drip so she doesn't get dehydrated or lose important nutrients while she's unconscious," Kenny responded as he fiddled with the saline drip bag

"How did you get this stuff?" Viktoria asked

"My job just upgraded the stuff we had, and it's still functional so I took the old machines. Just in case." Kenny explained

"And the saline?" Addison questioned

"You can buy medical grade saline electrolyte solution in bulk on Amazon. I sometimes like to saline drip myself as I sleep after a night out 'cuz it diminishes the hangover the next day." Kenny added

As Kenny finished up and moved away Dean pulled up Kenny's desk chair next to the bed and sat in it. Brushing a strand of hair from your face, he looked down at your unconscious form and quietly asked,

"How long will she be like this?"

"Some people wake up in a few hours. For some people, it takes.....longer." Kenny responded quietly

"Well, then I'm gonna wait here until she does," Dean replied

"I don't know I think someone else should take the first watch, Dean." Kenny mentioned

"No." Dean retorted "I can't let her be alone. She gets scared when she's alone."

"Okay, so we'll rotate so she's not alone," Viktoria suggested

"No." Dean rejected once more

Lucas could see how poorly Dean was doing. He had stopped crying but he had sadness in his eyes and his tone was filled with worry. Placing a hand on Dean's shoulder, Lucas looked down at his best friend and tried to comfort saying,

"Dean it's not your fault. We couldn't have anticipated it."

"But it is my fault." Dean replied, "I'm the one who pushed going when she said we shouldn't."

"Dean, we all encouraged going," Addison stated

"And if it's anyone's fault it's mine." Bren mentioned quietly "I was the one who was in harm's way and if I didn't pursue that guy it wouldn't have happened."

"But I'm her brother." Dean stated, "I should've listened from the start...and now this is my karma...and I'm going to stay by her side no matter how long it takes."

The rest of the group knew there was no convincing him otherwise. Dean was Dean, loving yet stubborn. Seeing as nothing was going to change anytime soon the rest of the group knew that the only thing they could do was sit and wait.

"Okay, if you need us we'll be in the den, I guess." Lucas replied as he walked out the bedroom door with the rest of the group

And with the door shut, Dean took your hand in his as he said quietly,

"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry."

Hours passed and then days as your friends waited worriedly hoping for you to wake up. No one left Kenny's house, and instead, they resorted to sleeping in different places. With Kenny's mom away on a business trip, Lucas and Addison slept in her bed. Viktoria took the air mattress and Bren and Kenny each took a couch. Kenny would go into his room to check on you at regular intervals and make sure you were still okay and each time he did so Dean's eyes would watch intently hoping for any sign that you were waking up. The rest of your friends would rotate in every once in a while they had the emotional capacity to do so, but Dean never left your side except to go to the bathroom. And he'd only ever do that if someone else was there. With each day he became worse for wear as he forced himself to stay awake in case you woke up and needed an explanation. But exhaustion is something that can only be fought for so long and Dean had fallen asleep. But on Monday morning, three days after the events at the warehouse, Dean who had fallen asleep was woken up by his alarm on his phone of Heat of the Moment by Asia. But as his, eyes opened he could see yours open too.

You put a hand over your eyes to cover them from the bright light of the morning sun pouring through the window.

"What the fuck..." You mumbled

"You're awake. Oh my god, you're awake!" Dean exclaimed sitting upright

"Are we late for school?" You asked slowly sitting up

Tears welled up in Dean's eyes seeing you with your eyes open. You were here now. You were okay. Moving from his seat he immediately went to hug you as he replied choked up,

"We're not going to school today. I'm just so glad you're awake."

It was then that you began to remember the events that had occurred. You and your friends had all gone out to "save the day" and Bren almost ended up getting hurt. You had jumped in front of him and then after that, it was all black. You had told them it wasn't a good idea and you were about to say so when you smelled a pungent stench of body odor

"Dude, when was the last time you showered?" You gagged

"Three days ago." Dean replied still hugging you tightly

"Gross." You remarked, gently pushing him away

Seeing more clearly, you could see how red and puff his eyes were, shiny lines where tear streaks had run down his face, and his messed up appearance. Knowing your brother, you knew he blamed himself for this. He was taking on all the blame for you getting hurt even if that wasn't the case, and you could only imagine how many times your friends had tried to tell him the same. You let out a soft sigh as you took your brother's hand in your own.

"I'm okay now." You whispered

"I'm sorry." Dean replied quietly, his gaze turned away from yours

"You don't need to be sorry we couldn't have known, but if it makes you feel better I forgive you." You replied

Dean turned his head back to look at you as he gave you a small smile. Things were going to be okay. As you held your sibling's hand you could hear the door open as Kenny exclaimed,

"(Y/N)! You're awake! Guys (Y/N) is awake!"

Immediately the rest of your friends ran up the stairs and into the room as you were flooded with chatter and hugs from them all.

"Oh my god! you're okay!" Addison exclaimed

"Yeah, yeah. I just needed a power nap." You joked sarcastically "But next time you fuckers listen to me when I say no, I can't today."

"We will." Dean stated, "I'll make sure of it."

"I know you will." you replied giving him a smile "Because you're a good brother."

Dean gave a small smile. He was a good brother but this was never going to happen again, not if he could help it. He was going to be the best brother.

________________________________________________________________________________

This is the story of Addison Pheobe Evans. Born July 27th, 2001 at 10:13 am to James and Taylor Evans. Everything was just perfect in their life. Their marriage was perfect. They had been college sweethearts and met during their orientation college tour. They dated all four years and then got married soon after. And then they bought a perfect home. A large two-story house with high ceilings and white walls. A high chandelier in the entranceway, rigid beige furniture, and decor that was curated for the current trend filled the rooms. And then they had their perfect family. One older son Caleb, and a year and a half later a younger daughter, Addison. They had the perfect nuclear family in the perfect picket fence house in the perfect gated community. There was not one thing out of place and there would never be anything that wasn't perfect in the Evans household.

Including the people.

From day one the standards were set high for Addison. You MUST be perfect. You must get perfect grades. There was no room for laziness in the Evans household. You must look presentable at all times. If you did not look like you could host guests at the drop of a hat then you were not up to the dress standards for the Evans household. You must excel in any activities you do and those activities must be respectable. People had to see how talented and successful the children in the Evans household were. You had to make others jealous of how perfect life was by being an Evans because if you weren't perfect you weren't anything.

She had seen the shitstorm her older brother Caleb had to deal with when he brought over his girlfriend, whom her parents did not vet, to see if they were permissible to be with him. Apparently, she was perfect in terms of grades, activities, looks, and manners but the only issue was that her family lived in an apartment. Addison knew it was superficial, but because that girl wasn't perfect to her parents she wasn't good enough for Caleb.

Addison had to have her friends be interviewed to see if they could go over to her house to hang out, but the only people she felt confident would be acceptable to her parents were you and Viktoria. She was right but it was awful to put you both through an interrogation just to have you enter her home. And when Lucas asked her out she said yes but told him that he'd have to go ask her parents first before they could officially go out. Fortunately enough he passed in their eyes but the standards of perfection made her life a living hell.

The only times she felt she could be herself were when she was out of her parents' view. She preoccupied herself with being anywhere but home. They were the times she was happiest. But still, she wished she could be like Allison Hargreeves, have powers to make everything she did perfect without the effort by just speaking it into existence. Life would be so much easier.

It was immense stress on her but Addison managed to be "perfect". She did everything her parents expected of her, but it made her nervous. She was constantly worried, looking over her shoulder for the time that she would not be perfect. The time when she would fail at being an Evans.

July 30, 2015:

It had been three days since Addison's birthday, and three days since her parents had told her that they had enrolled her in Aria Cadence's Music Performance Camp. Addison was so excited at the prospect of going to the camp and she had told everyone in your friend group about it. And when she found out that Viktoria was going as well her excitement grew even more. The performance camp was one of the most renowned summer programs in the area and the ability to go to it was an honor.

But as she was planning for a month of music and theatre and performing her skills, her parents had given her a condition in terms of her participation in this camp. Get the leading role in the camp theatre performance or else they would pull her from the camp. The excitement she had felt for the past three days had drained in an instant as anxiety filled her brain. Wanting the comfort of someone with her she invited you over and you sat on the floor scrolling on your phone as she slowly packed her bags for the camp. As she stood in her closet you asked aloud,

"You still excited about your camp?"

Addison paused. She used to be excited, but now all she was was a bundle of nerves. She wasn't going to say no though. She wanted comfort but she didn't want to get into the details of why.

"Yeah, it's a month-long of musical fun." Addison answered, "At least that's what their website says."

"I mean, you'll have Viktoria too so even if it somehow sucks at least you've got a friend." You remarked

"True." Addison replied turning to look at you, "I still don't get why you don't want to go."

You looked up from your phone and gave her an expression that was a mix of annoyance and disgust. You hated rich kids. Granted, you too were rich and always had been. You were at the level of having fuck you, fuck around, and find out money but your parents taught you that someone's wealth was not as important as their character. What mattered most was how a person treated others, the good they put in the world, and the value of their character and beliefs.

"What? And be surrounded by a bunch of pretentious, talentless, rich kids whose parents bribed their way in?" You complained "Yeah no thanks. You know how I get around other rich kids."

"Aggressive," Addison commented

"Hate them." You stated firmly

Turning around the face you, Addison looked at you confused. You had never explained your reasoning behind disliking other rich kids and anyway, the more she got you to talk about yourself the less likely she'd have to talk about her own issues.

"Why?" She asked,

"As you know before I transferred to Argyle Public Middle School I went to Argyle Academy from kindergarten to seventh grade. I was surrounded by pretentious assholes who bullied me for being nice and quiet and smart. After a while of that, you develop a certain attitude toward those types of people." You explained

"Right, well it looks like you're not getting a rich boyfriend, huh?" Addison teased

You rolled your eyes at her statement. Money was the last of your concerns when it came to getting a boyfriend. Your first concern was hoping he came back...

"I don't care how much money a potential partner has or makes." You retorted "Love is not about money, it's about mutual respect, dedication, and connection."

"That's true." Addison replied, "But still when are you going to get a boyfriend?"

"When he falls from the sky, Addison." You remarked

It was a highly unlikely scenario that the "perfect" guy would just fall from the sky and become your boyfriend and Addison knew that. How was she ever going to do cute couple things, like double dates with you if you didn't have one?

"But (Y/N)!" Addison whined, "I want to go on a double date."

"I'm not gonna date just anyone so you can have your double date." You replied, "No one around is my type."

"Well, it's going to be hard to find a dark-haired, smart, sad boy with daddy issues and a good heart who might also have superpowers." Addison explained, "Who also really likes their girlfriend."

"That's not my type..." You mumbled looking away

It was absolutely your type though. How she peered into your mind and described Five without mentioning him by name was intimidating and you didn't like how she understood your own psychology better than yourself. It was a scary power to have. Granted, the only part she got wrong was the really liking his girlfriend part. Yeah, you were a girl and his friend and he liked you but it wasn't like that...

"Oh really?" Addison questioned sarcastically "Tell that to the numerous fanfictions you have open on your phone of redeemed Zuko, Robin from Teen Titans, and Spider-Man."

"I don't like being put on blast like this."  You snapped back

And then somehow, in the middle of your frustration, it hit you. You had asked her about camp and she somehow deviated that conversation into your non-existent love life. She was deflecting. And when she deflected, something was wrong.

"Wait! You're deflecting onto me." You remarked, "You always do this when you're worried about something."

Addison's eyes when wide as she realized you saw through her conversational ruse. Shit.

"No!" She exclaimed

"Yes!" You shouted back before asking "What is it?"

Addison paused. She knew she wasn't going to be able to deflect again because now you were on notice about it. Letting out a defeated sigh she quietly mentioned,

"I'm worried about the camp."

"Why?" You asked, "It's the camp you've been begging to go to and Viktoria is going to be there too so what is there to worry about?"

"My parents." Addison answered

"What about them?" You inquired

Addison slumped down in front of her dresser, sitting defeated on the floor as she looked over at you. Her head fell into her hands as she explained,

"My parents told me that if I don't get the lead in the camp's musical performance they're pulling me out of it because it would be embarrassing for the family for me to be at such a prestigious camp and not have a worthy role."

Anger began to form within you as you heard that statement. How dare they. How dare her parents present her with an amazing opportunity as a fucking birthday present, A GIFT, and then dangle it over her head like a carrot if she doesn't live up to some pre-determined standard.

"That's bullshit and you know it." You snapped

Addison didn't say anything though. She didn't even lift her head from her hands to acknowledge that you had said something. Her parents had such a grip on her that she was now obviously reeling from this. You needed her to recognize the truth though, this was bullshit.

"Addison look at me and tell me you know that's bullshit." You stated

Slowly, Addison lifted her head. It took her a moment, but quietly she spoke,

"I know it's bullshit..."

"Your parents are so superficial and egotistical that even Narcissus would pull his gaze away from the water to tell them to chill." You ranted

You were right. She knew you were right, but god it was hard to say so. She was so nervous. Her parents' judgment loomed over her just as it had for her entire life. What if she couldn't do it? What if she failed and became an embarrassment to her family name? Her parents still held things Caleb had done wrong over his head, and she saw how it hurt him. It was wrong, she knew so, but she also didn't want to be next.

"I just- what if I don't get the role? What if there's someone better?" Addison questioned

"Addison Pheobe Evans I don't know anyone as talented as you are." You reminded

"Really? Look at yourself, you can sing and dance and play the piano." Addison retorted frustrated

"Yes, but those were my parents' interests that they introduced me to and I just so happened to fall in love with them too." You mentioned "But theatre? You chose that. That's all you, Addi."

"It's never enough..." Addison complained looking away from you, "I do everything to make them happy and it's never fucking enough."

Letting out a small sigh, you got up from where you sat on the ground and walked over to where Addison sat before crouching down in front of her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, as nicely as you could make it sound, you said,

"Addi, I say this with so much love for you, but your parents don't love you."

Addison's head turned to look back at you hearing your statement.

"Huh?"

"Your parents don't love you, Addi. They love the idea of you." You elaborated gently "They didn't want children to raise them, they wanted children for show purposes to fulfill society's expectations of what the perfect life is. Your parents don't care about your happiness, they care about how they look to others and treat you and Caleb like decorations to make themselves look better."

Your words hurt. She knew you were only telling it how you saw it and you had never been wrong about things before, but it wasn't something she wanted to hear. For so long she at least believed that her parents' love could be conditional even if she believed conditional love was wrong. But now you had presented her with reality. A reality that she had been trying to avoid.

Her parents didn't love her.

They had no capability to love her, only themselves.

"It's not fair." Addison complained, "I wish I had Allison's power so I could rumor myself into a better life."

You were not surprised by her reaction to your words. The anger made sense, but you were taken aback by her statement. Allison's power, just like any power, was not something to be taken lightly. There were serious consequences if they were misused and the ability to control a person's mind just with one simple statement was a slippery slope that could lead to dangerous places if a person was cautious. One simple request could quickly turn into a series of more controlling ones.

"You don't want that." You replied firmly

Ugh! What did you know? You thought you were so knowledgeable on powers just because you had them. Standing up from the floor she began to angrily pace across her floor.

"I do!" She shouted "If I could rumor people I could make my parents actually genuinely love me and my brother! Or I could rumor the camp director into giving me the leading role so my parents don't throw a hissy fit and pull me out. I want that ability to control my life, make it better."

Addison was being ridiculous. She didn't know what she was talking about. You knew that she wanted to become successful in her parents' eyes and in her own but she was never going to accomplish that with the mentality she was having right now. You needed to get her to truly see what she was suggesting. Standing up you looked at your pacing friend and in a serious tone stated,

"Well, I guess you'll never be successful then."

"What do you mean?" Addison questioned, "Of course, I would be successful."

"It is really success if you never earned it?" You suggested

Addison paused.

"I- I mean-" She began to stutter out

"Because the way I see it if you had Allison Hargreeves rumor power, and you rumored people into giving you what you want you're not earning it, you're forcing it to be given to you." You explained

"But-" She tried to interject

You didn't let her though as you wanted to finish getting your point across to her. You felt bad as what you were doing was a bit harsh but she needed to hear it before she continued to bemoan the fact that she couldn't force people into doing what she wanted solely because her hero could do so.

"You will have proved nothing in terms of talent and any 'success' you have will always be hollow." You remarked "And one day you'll look back and realize nothing you got was actually yours and you will never know if it could've genuinely been yours."

Addison stopped. Once again you were right. God, she hated how you were always right, but you were. And if she had Allison's rumor ability, and made people give her roles to appease her parents' ideals of her, she would never be earning the parts. Just taking them. Why did life have to be so difficult? Why couldn't it just be easy and perfect? Allison's life was easy and she was perfect. Why couldn't she have that?

"I just wish I could be perfect like her..." Addison whispered looking down at the ground disappointed

You placed a reassuring hand on your friend's shoulder. As much as you wanted to explain to her how that was most likely wrong you didn't want to accidentally make things about yourself by talking about your past. This was about Addison and no one else. And so the best you could do was be supportive and work around the topic.

"I can promise you that she is not perfect. No matter how good it looks from the outside everyone has something going on. And with powers, I can only guarantee that fact because this shit," You said creating a small ball of flame in your hand "Only complicates life more."

"But her life looks perfect and I want mine to be too," Addison replied bringing her gaze to meet yours

"Addison, your parents want a 'perfect' life, is that really what you want? The same thing as your parents?" You questioned

"I don't know..." She replied quietly

"Removing your parents from the equation what would you change about your life?" You asked

Addison thought for a moment. If she excluded her parents there wasn't anything she could think of to change. She loved her brother, her friends, her boyfriend, and her life as it existed outside the realm of her parents' judgment. She loved it as it was.

"Nothing." She replied

"Then your life is already exactly how you want it to be." You responded kindly "You don't need to try and copy someone else's or have a superpower to make it any better."

Addison smiled as you brought her into a tight hug. You didn't want your friends to doubt themselves or try to change because of what their parents thought. That didn't work out well the first time and you weren't going to let it happen again. History would not repeat itself because you loved your friends and you were going to make sure they knew they were amazing and loved as they are.

"I believe in you, and all you need to do is believe yourself the same way." You said as you hugged her "You're perfect as you are and anyone who actually loves you can see that."

"Thanks, (Y/N)." She replied as she held onto you

After a moment, when it felt like Addison no longer needed a hug, you pulled back and gave her a wide smile.

"Now c'mon, you have a camp to pack for." You mentioned heading over to her closet "You're gonna need to look like a star after all since you're gonna get that leading role."

Addison smiled as she followed you to her closet to pick out clothes once more. You were a good friend and she was glad she had you to talk sense into her and keep her grounded. God only knows what kind of mess she'd put herself into otherwise without you here. Addison's life was great as it was, and with your reassurance, no one could tell her otherwise.

________________________________________________________________________________

This is the story of Kenneth Dearil Wagner. Born April 1, 2001 at 11:49 pm to Oscar and Clarissa Wagner. As an only child, he should've been his parents' focus. Unfortunately, that was not the case with his parents constantly arguing throughout his childhood. The shouting only stopped once his father walked out when he was seven. The screams still haunted him though. Like ghosts in his head.

During the day he was perfectly happy, especially when he was with his best friend and next-door neighbor Brendon Young. But when the sun set and it was time for bed the sound of those terrible fights returned plaguing his mind. If he tried to sleep he would have night terrors beyond compare and if he didn't he would experience severe insomnia for days. Seeing this his mom attempted to fix it by getting him a body pillow with an image of his hero Klaus Hargreeves in his Umbrella Academy uniform on it. She would tell him that Klaus would fight all the "ghosts" in his head as he slept. And when he was younger it really worked. He had Klaus to fight the ghosts and his mom down the hall to keep him safe.

But when he turned twelve his mom got offered a better-paying position at her job. The issue was that it was the night shift. Of course, she didn't want to leave her son, but she was a single mother and needed to make sure she could provide all that her beloved baby boy needed. Deciding that it would be better to have more money to take care of her only son she took the promotion and began leaving Kenny alone at night. If anything happened the Youngs were right next door anyway. But being alone in that empty house only made things worse for Kenny. While he still had Body Pillow Klaus, he was now completely alone. His night terrors got more terrifying and his insomnia grew worse. He was struggling and even his best friend Bren couldn't fix it, so he found a different solution.

He had overheard an eighth grader talking about how he had stolen some weed gummies from his older brother and had them in his backpack. Kenny had taken a drug prevention course in his health class and knew the possible outcomes of using weed. But honestly, at this point, he would give anything a try to get out of his own head, and without even thinking he very sneakily snuck the gummies out of the eighth grader's backpack and into his own. That night when bedtime came around he hesitantly took one, and for the first time since he didn't know when he actually felt at peace. His mind was calm and he was able to sleep well and from then on he never turned back.

The edibles helped him sleep at night and drinks from his father's abandoned alcohol stash kept him calm during the day. Granted he didn't let it affect his school work or his friendships, and he was always already a few days sober on the days he did his volunteer EMT job but together both items made life easier and helped him really open up with who he truly was.

But even though he had a supportive group of friends he needed more. He was still at home alone every night haunted by the ghosts of his past that hid around every corner. He could still hear the screams of his parents arguing even though both of them weren't present. He wanted to feel wanted. And so he went to parties. Became practically a king of the party scene and experimented more with some good results and some bad results. But at one party trying to forget his last few insomnia-ridden days he experienced one of the worst times he had so far.

May 22, 2016:

With his mom always working the night shift, Kenny was home alone a lot. But that lack of supervision turned out to be a blessing because it meant that whenever he wanted to, or more so needed to, he could just leave for a party. No questions asked, no lying necessary, just freedom to come and go as he pleased. And tonight was no different. He needed to get out of his house and needed to get out of his own head. And so, to a high school party hosted by one of the school's basketball players, he went. Consuming jungle juice, smoking what he knew to be sub-par weed, and making out with the Graves twins, Jasper and Jade, from the grade above him he was getting his mind off of things.

He had barely been sleeping, insomnia causing bad memories of the house he lived in to resurface. The shouting and screaming, the sounds of doors slamming, and the deafening silence when all was said and done. He could hear and see it all in his head even if it wasn't actually happening in front of him. But compared to the other times he had gone to a party to free his mind, this time, it wasn't working as well. And so he drank more jungle juice and smoked more sub-par weed. And the more he did so the more clouded his mind became. At first, it was a great feeling and he was having a good time, but as the night went on and he consumed more and more he began to feel ill.

Getting up from the couch he pushed his way out of the grasp of the Graves twins. As he walked away attempting to make it to the bathroom his view of the world doubled. It looked as if everyone had a twin. The world around him was spinning and the voices of the people he pushed past sounded muffled and distant. Kenny bumped into people and walls trying to find some type of support to keep him moving forward. As he finally found his way to the bathroom he saw no one inside. Thank god. Using that last bit of energy to push himself forward, he entered the room shutting the door and locking it behind him. But as he turned to approach the sink his legs could no longer hold him up. Falling towards the ground he hit his head on the side of the tub and everything went black.

Coming to, his eyes shot open and he sat upright, a chill running down his spine. But then all the feelings he had lacked laying cold on the floor flooded him at once. His head was pounding just like the distant sound of music playing outside the door. His vision was still blurred and seeing double. His muscles felt like jello and made him feel nervous to stand.

"You done fucked this time, Kenneth." Kenny said to himself as he leaned against the wall next to the toilet

He needed to get home, but there was no way he was getting home in this condition. The thought of standing up, let alone walking, was enough to make him nauseous. He needed help. Pulling his phone from his pocket, the screen lit up brightly causing searing pain to rip through his head. Quickly, turning the brightness down he struggled to type in his password but managed to do it before it locked him out. Tapping into the messages app he looked through the blurry names of the people he talked to who could help. He had his mom, but if he asked her to come get him he would never be able to leave the house again. Lucas, Addison, and Viktoria were definitely all asleep, and even if they weren't, they wouldn't be able to sneak out if they tried. Dean was probably asleep and wouldn't pick up because he's such a deep sleeper, while Bren was probably awake and although he would come to get Kenny there would be a whole lecture on the way home. Of course, the lecture would come from a place of care given that Bren was his best friend, but Kenny already knew his head could not take the talking to. At least not in this condition. Narrowing all that down, he was left with one option. You. With shaky hands, he tapped on your text conversation and tried his best to type out a message. Hitting the send button he watched as the blue bubble of his text popped up on the screen before placing his phone down on the tile floor. Resting his head back on the wall again, he closed his eyes as he tried to keep his head from spinning.

You however were looking at a wall of complex math in front of you in another attempt to figure out how you could use your powers to manipulate space-time. Matter and space-time were intrinsically intertwined so there had to be a way to get your abilities to work like that. There had to be...

Hearing the text chime of your phone from behind you, you looked away from your work for the first time in god knows how long. Seeing the time on your screen you realized it was 2:36 in the morning. Thank god it was a weekend or else you would be screwed in terms of sleep before school. Looking at the text on your screen you saw it was from Kenny. As you read it though, your head cocked to the side a bit confused.

pleade c0me hwre

It only took a few seconds to see that what the intended message was supposed to be was Kenny asking you to go to his location. Opening up the text you tried to figure out what was going on and replied:

Are you okay?

You waited a bit before seeing the bubble with three dots appear in the chat and then a blue message show up.

In bqthroom nedd hekp plz

He was obviously not okay. Looking at the find my friends app you saw his location pinned at a house that definitely wasn't his and you could only assume he was at the party that the Graves twins had been talking to him about. You looked back over at your work. You had been at it for hours, postulating and formulating some kind of theorem to work with. But at this moment faced with the choice of which problem to solve, the choice was simple. You needed to find Kenny now. You didn't even know if the other wanted to be found.

Turning on your heel you walked away from your work and toward the window across the room. Stepping out onto the fire escape you made your way down before hopping on your bike and using your phone to navigate your way to Kenny's location. After about 20 minutes you had made it to the house. Muffled music and the sounds of dozens of voices could be heard outside and only grew louder as you approached the door. Places like this weren't really your scene, but you put your feelings aside to get to your friend. Opening the door, you walked your way through the crowd of people drunkenly dancing and shouting their conversations over the blaring music. Looking around you tried to find where the bathroom would be located and after a bit, you saw a closed door that seemed like it would be one. Walking over you tried the doorknob but finding it locked you decided to just walk through the door. Everyone here was too drunk or high to comprehend or probably even remember you doing so. And there you saw Kenny leaning against the wall by the toilet. Walking over, you crouched in front of him and shook his shoulder a bit. You watched as he opened his eyes and looked confused for a moment before he finally smiled and said,

"Hey (Y/N), you came."

"Yeah, you said you needed help. What happened?" You asked

"I've been having a rough few days and went a little bit overboard." Kenny explained "I couldn't get home myself like this."

"It's gonna be okay. I'll get you home." You reassured before asking "Can you stand?"

Kenny looked at you for a moment before placing his arms on the ground and trying his best to push himself up. For a moment it seemed like he was going to be able to do it but then his arms gave out from beneath him and he slid back to the ground.

"No can do, buckaroo." Kenny groaned back

When he said he went overboard, he really meant it. You had been around Kenny when he was drinking or having a few edibles before but he had never gone off the edge. He knew his limits, which you could admit were high, but nevertheless, he typically stuck to those limits. You didn't like seeing him like this. You were going to figure out what was rough enough to make him forget his limits but first, you needed to get him home safe first.

"Okay, give me your hands." You replied extending your hands out

Nodding his head, Kenny held his hands out. Taking them in your own, you helped Kenny to his feet before throwing one of his arms around your shoulder to help him stand and walk. Once you knew he was stable you made your way toward the bathroom door but as you did Kenny planted his feet in place.

"I can't leave through the crowd." He mentioned

"Why not?" You asked

"I'll look like a quitter." Kenny answered, "It'll mess up my party king reputation."

Now, it was established that you hated the party scene but you weren't going to put your biases in front of your friend's desires. If he felt that it would affect him negatively, you'd find another way. It's not like you needed to walk through the house anyway. Turning to face the blank wall in the bathroom you said,

"This is gonna feel weird just for a second, okay?"

And with that, you walked you and Kenny straight through the wall and to the outside. The night sky above as you quietly made your way over to your bike. And then you realized there was no way you could get Kenny home on your bike in the condition he was in. That's it, next time something like this happens you're just stealing Reginald's fucking car. No license be damned. Looking around you saw a large child's wagon and a jump rope on the next lawn over and you got an idea. Sitting Kenny on the grass, you went over and grabbed the two items to bring next to your bike. Picking Kenny up again, you helped him into the empty wagon. He didn't quite fit as his legs hung out of the wagon but it was better than nothing. Tying one side of the jump rope to the wagon's handle, you tied the other side around your waist. Giving each side a tug, you made sure they stayed in place before getting on your bike and peddling away. As you peddled, you used your powers to make Kenny lighter making it easier to move. And with that, you were well on your way back to his house. The ride was relatively quiet besides Kenny's drunken ramblings from behind you.

"Y'know, I met god in that bathroom." Kenny stated

"Did you now?" You asked intrigued

"I did!" Kenny exclaimed before explaining "They were a little girl on a bike in a dress and floppy sun hat. She told me I wasn't supposed to be there but invited me for tea anyway. We had a good chat and she called me her silly clown creation before telling me that she was going to wake me up because I'm part of her earthly entertainment."

"So heaven is real?" You asked

"It's called The Void and it's just a place after death." Kenny answered

"I see...." You replied unsurely

He sounded very confident but Kenny sounded very confident a lot of the time. On top of it, he was highly intoxicated. And you were the type of person to like empirical evidence. It's not that you couldn't believe it, but you'd rather see it to believe it. Hearing the wariness in your tone however Kenny exclaimed,

"It's true!"

"Okay Kenny, whatever you say," You playfully relented "How about you tell me about that Lego Ninjago show you love so much."

Kenny's ears perked up at the name of his favorite show.

"Oh believe me, I'll fuckin' tell you about Ninjago." Kenny commented

And so for the rest of the ride back to Kenny's place, you listened to him explain the lore of Ninjago, his complaints about the writers adding Cole as a love interest for Nya, and his theories on what he thought would come next. As you pulled up to his house you rode your bike up the sidewalk path to his front door before untying the jump rope around your waist and getting off of the bike. Going round to the wagon you extended your hands out to Kenny and helped him up once more. As he stood he found his own balance without the need for you to support him. A proud smile came to his face as he proclaimed,

"Y'know I think I'm feeling better."

"Really? That's gr-" You began to say

But alas, you were cut off by Kenny leaning over and puking in the bushes in front of his house.

"Gross." You finished

Gently, you rubbed circles on his back as you let him finish emptying his guts into the bush. After he was done, he stood up straight once more and gave you a thumbs-up with a weak smile.

"C'mon buddy let's get you inside." You cooed guiding him toward the door

Letting you guide him, he reached into his pocket and handed you his keys. And when you got up the steps to the front door, you opened it and let both of you inside. Bringing Kenny over to the couch you sat him down before heading off to get some items to help him feel better. shuffling through the cabinets and drawers of the kitchen you find what you're looking for and collect the items. Coming back to Kenny you handed him a glass of half water and half Gatorade, a plate of some saltine crackers, and two ibuprofen pills. Taking the glass, Kenny grabbed the two ibuprofen and took them before grabbing the plate and beginning to pick at the saltines. Sitting down next to him on the couch you looked at him with concern as you questioned,

"So are you gonna tell me what happened?"

"I told you. I went overboard." Kenny answered curtly

"But why?" You pressed

You weren't going to let this go, were you? Granted, he couldn't fully blame you for pressing the issue, since he did call you in the early hours of the morning and you found him on the floor of a party bathroom incredibly unwell. The only person who had ever known about his insomnia and night terrors was Bren though. It was the reason he would've gotten a lecture if he had called Bren for help. While Bren understood the reasons Kenny did what he did, he thought they were destructive. He thought that Kenny would push his boundaries if things got bad and he would spiral. As his best friend, Bren was concerned, and perhaps he was right. If Kenny learned anything tonight it's not to push his boundaries again because the outcome was pretty shitty. Letting out a sigh, he looked up from his plate of saltines to you and explained,

"I've had really bad night terrors and insomnia for most of my life. I have some healthier ways to deal with it like melatonin and a um- specific body pillow to comfort me,"

"Yes, I've seen Klaus before." You interjected

"But they haven't been working and the night terrors were getting worse so I went to the party tonight and drank more than usual, had some shitty weed that was definitely more on the THC side, and made out with the Graves twins a lot to help me forget." Kenny finished

"You realize the Graves twins just use you as an incest buffer right?" You mentioned

"Whatever they do at home is their own business, all I know is they're both hot and are good with their tongues," Kenny remarked

"Didn't need to know that." You replied before adding sincerely "But you needed a distraction. I understand."

Kenny's head cocked to the side confused at your admission. You understood? How?

"You do?" Kenny questioned

"Mhmm. I have night terrors too." You admitted "And the occasional hallucination. Although those are much less frequent than they used to be."

Night terrors? Hallucinations? You never gave off the impression that you dealt with those things. You always seemed so put together. Even with the stuff you had told the group about your life before meeting them you still seemed like you were always on top of everything. How had he not seen it?

"I never knew..." Kenny whispered looking down at his plate of saltines

"I wouldn't expect you to." You explained "Only my mom, older brother Diego and his girlfriend Eudora know."

"I feel like I should've noticed though." Kenny replied still disappointed he never knew

"I hid it pretty well." You replied honestly "Never wanted to worry anyone."

"I'm sorry." Kenny apologized

"Don't be. I should've noticed what you were going through too." You stated

Kenny turned to look towards you. If he had never noticed you were going through these things then maybe you knew how to cope with them better than he did.

"How...how do you get through it in such a healthy manner?" He questioned

"I wouldn't call it healthy," You remarked "Just different than yours."

You were damaging yourself, just in a different way than Kenny was. You constantly were keeping yourself busy and even going so far as to sometimes stay up late until your body literally collapsed from exhaustion so you wouldn't have any time to think about the past. At least not in the way you didn't want to. You looked back towards Kenny, meeting his gaze.

"While you use whiskey and weed I just throw myself into learning. Books and theories and power training constantly so that anytime I'm alone I'm never without thought." You explained "If I distract myself I don't dwell as much and if I don't dwell I don't have nightmares."

"Does it work?" Kenny asked curiously

"Not all the time, but enough to justify doing it still." You answered

It wasn't the answer Kenny was expecting to hear but he understood it. While he numbed his mind to forget his past, you filled your mind to do the same. Kenny coped by making himself incapable of thinking properly about his trauma while you coped by making sure you thought of everything but your trauma. Kenny nodded his head slightly understanding your words.

"Yeah. I get that." Kenny replied trailing off "I get that..."

There was silence for a moment. A heaviness loomed in the air at the admission that both of you were far more broken than you let other people know. Of course, there was a feeling of solidarity but it stemmed from your unspoken sorrow. Kenny was okay with the silence. Honestly, it was nice to not have his head fill it in with the echoes of his parents screaming all those years ago. But looking over at you he could see the way you shifted uncomfortably. You must hate the silence. Trying to change the mood, Kenny put his cracker plate down on the coffee table before turning and laying down, his head now resting in your lap. Gently you stroked his hair, running your fingers through his dark curls. For someone with such a strong personality, you were always so gentle. Looking up at you he joked,

"We've got pretty messed up heads, huh?"

"Yeah," You commented looking down at him "But we have each other now and I think that makes them a little bit better."

You gave him a smile to which Kenny reciprocated with one of his own. But even so, as he tried to bring up the mood, he wondered,

"Why did you come for me?"

"Because you're my friend and you needed help." You responded

He would've accepted that answer outright if he couldn't see that it seemed like you had more to say. Your answer was a response on its own but it felt like you were holding something back.

"And?" He pressed

"And what?" You asked

"There's more. I can sense it." He replied

You let out a sigh. There was more. There was always going to be more because no matter what everything connected back to your life pre-time jump. It would forever influence who you are no matter how far in the past you wanted to put it. But you knew Kenny wasn't going to let this go and at almost 3:30 in the morning you had no reason to lie. Your voice dropped low and you spoke softly as you began,

"Before I lost my parents and had to move to my new house, I had a different group of friends. And I loved them so so much. They were the first friends I had and I did everything I could to have them know how much I cared for them but..."

"But what?"

"But I guess it wasn't enough." You lamented

Your eyes looked off at the wall ahead of you instead of at your friend. Your gaze tuning into a 40-yard stare as you rambled on,

"I thought maybe even though I left they still knew how much I cared and it would be enough to make sure they stayed okay...but that didn't happen. Last I heard, things went bad for all of them. Some came out better than others but none of them are okay and I fear it was my fault for leaving that they turned out the way they did."

"But you couldn't have known what would happen." Kenny tried to comfort

"I know..." You whispered before stating "But knowing what I know now, I swore to myself that if I ever made friends again I was going to make sure that there was never a doubt in their mind how much I loved them."

Kenny knew how much you loved him and the rest of the friend group. You made it known every day through your words and actions. Both explicit and implicit. You were an amazing loving person and none of them could've asked for a better friend.

"If it makes you feel any better I feel very loved right now." Kenny mentioned

"Good. You are." You said softly

"I hope you know that you're loved too." Kenny reminded "I love you. We all love you."

"I love you all too." You replied

There was silence again as you looked at each other. This time however it felt more peaceful. Nevertheless, Kenny didn't want you to get uncomfortable with the silence, especially after discussing something that you probably didn't want to linger on too long. Giving your brain something else to work with, he requested,

"Hey, will you sing that song I like? The one with the funny lyrics. I can't recall the name but the quiet kind of bothers me."

"Of course." You responded

You were happy to sing for your friend. You'd do anything to help make them feel better and loved and singing a song was not a difficult request to do. Gently as you continued to stroke Kenny's hair you softly began to sing,

I was scared of dentists and the dark I was scared of pretty girls and starting conversations Oh, all my friends are turning green You're the magician's assistant in their dream

Kenny closed his eyes, a small smile coming to his face as heard you sing while stroking his hair. Taking your free hand in his, he held it close and placed it over his heart.

Ah-ooh-ooh-ooh, ah-ahh-ah-ah And they come unstuck

Opening his eyes back up, he saw you looking down at him softly and he smiled wide. You were an amazing friend, and after tonight he was never going to let you forget that. Joining you in the chorus together you filled the quiet house with song and the bond of your friendship.

Lady, running down to the riptide Taken away to the dark side I wanna be your left-hand man I love you when you're singing that song And I got a lump in my throat 'Cause you're gonna sing the words wrong

________________________________________________________________________________

This is the story of (Y/N L/N). Born October 1, 1989 at 12:00 pm to (M/N L/N) with the man who would become your dad, (F/N L/N), present at the birth. Raised in a loving home with parents who would give you the world you had all you could ever need. Your parents did everything they could to make sure you were raised happy, healthy, and with a good and caring heart. They tried their best to help you when your powers developed but that however came with a caveat. Nobody could know.

And for years nobody did until you became too curious about the house you were forbidden to go to across the street. And it was there that you met Five and soon after the entirety of the Umbrella Academy. For a while things were great, you had friends and family and there was nothing wrong in your life. Of course, that was until Five ran away through time, accidentally dragged you with him, and the rest was history.

You knew the story of what happened, you were the one who lived it. The one who was currently living it. But nevertheless, you picked yourself up off the ground, tried to brush away the pain as best you could, and move forward. The last thing you wanted to be was alone. You hated the feeling of being alone and so you started over, filling the spots where others used to be. Not intentionally of course, but it still managed to happen. And through that life got better. You returned to a sense of normalcy in a new fancy home, going to school, with six new friends Lucas, Dean, Addison, Kenny, Bren, and Viktoria. And while you saw all of your friends as family, Dean became like a brother to you. Which was perfect because someone had to take over the brother spot since you had subconsciously filled in the father figure role.

And of course, that unintentional father figure role was filled by none other than your older brother, Diego. He watched over and took care of and loved you just like your dad had! And his lovely girlfriend Eudora filled in perfectly for your mom. The world outside saw you as a happy little family and while you had never said it aloud, you did too.

The three of you did so much together. You took plenty of day trips to do fun activities, you would go out for meals, and you even would spend time at Eudora's house playing games or watching movies or just being all together. And at Eudora's house, you had your own room right across the hall from where she and Diego slept. When you had nightmares of your past they were immediately there to comfort you until you felt better. They would drop you off at school as many days a week as they could and they would always make time to see you perform at your activities. By the time you were fifteen, they were already discussing what colleges to take you to go visit and when you turned 16 they threw you a wonderful sweet sixteen party. You could still remember clearly your "father-daughter" dance you had with Diego and Eudora wiping a few happy tears from her eyes on the sidelines.

They reminded you so much of your parents. So happy. So loving of you and loving of each other. You just knew that you three would always be together and happy. Right? No. The thing was no matter how much you wanted them to be your parents, no matter how much you subconsciously thought of them as that, they weren't your parents.

Granted for a very long time things were good but a little after your sweet sixteen things went downhill. Eudora was getting further into her career and Diego had been kicked from the police academy and refused to stop or slow his vigilante work no matter how many times Eudora asked. And one night that all came to a head, but the one thing they never expected was you finding out that night.

November 4, 2016:

After a long day of school on a Friday, most kids would've headed home when the final bell rang. But you however were not one of them. For you, you had been working with Dean on your history presentation after hours in the library. It was only assigned one day ago and you had a week and a half to finish it but you both decided it was best to trudge through and get it done as soon as possible so you didn't have to worry about it anymore. After about 3 hours of research and work to put it together you finally had your slide presentation done. You had made it a challenge to finish it by the time you did because when you were finally done the school library was going to kick you both out anyway as extended hours were finished and it would be closed for the weekend. Packing up your things the two of you walked outside to the now dark and empty parking lot of your high school. Feeling accomplished and ready to relax Dean turned to you and asked,

"Hey, do you wanna come over to my place? It's the weekend after all. We could play Mario Kart."

You however had other plans.

"Nah, I was planning on surprising my older brother Diego and his girlfriend Eudora at her house since they haven't made plans with me in like 2 weeks." You replied

"You know you don't have to keep reintroducing who they are. I know their names and their relation to you." Dean mentioned, "Also I've met Eudora, just not Diego."

You kept your friends separate from Diego and your mom Grace and relatively separate from Eudora so it sometimes slipped your mind that they already knew their names and relation to you through your mentions of them. Perhaps it was because you weren't ready to explain your past more so you established who they were over and over as a boundary that was not meant to be crossed yet.

"Oh right. Sorry." You mentioned, "And good, you don't need to meet him."

"Pfft, he shouldn't meet me because then he'd see how much better I am than him." Dean jabbed

You smiled as you playfully shoved his head and jokingly replied,

"Shut up, loser."

"Anyway do you want a ride to Eudora's?" Dean asked

"No thanks. I rode my bike to school today, so I'll just ride it there." You said gesturing to the only bike left on the bike rack

Dean knew you were completely capable of riding your bike to Eudora's safely. You were the most indestructible person he knew, but that didn't mean he didn't worry about you getting there still.

"You sure? I can just put it in the trunk of my car, it's pretty dark already." He pressed

"It's nice out right now. I think a bike ride would do me some good" You replied, "And anyway Eudora's is in the opposite direction of your house."

Dean was still a little wary, but he trusted you. You were right that the houses were in opposite directions and if you wanted to go surprise them then riding your bike would be a much better option than having his only semi-familiar car drive up outside a cop's house when it's dark out.

"Alright, well, if you're sure then I hope you have fun."

"Thanks!" You exclaimed

Walking over to your bike you unlocked it from the bike rack, putting the lock in your backpack before gently riding up next to Dean.

"Hey call me when you get there," He requested before adding "And be careful, the weather app says it's gonna downpour sometime in the next hour."

"Yeah yeah sure." You rushed as you began to ride away calling back "See ya, Dean!"

"Call me!" You heard him shout back

You waved him off as you continued to ride away as if to signify your same sentiment of yeah, sure, whatever. The streets were relatively empty with a car passing by here or there, and the fall air was crisp as you rode your way to Eudora's house. Like you had told Dean, it had been two weeks since you saw either Diego or Eudora. It was understandable if they were busy, but both of them typically made an effort to see you at least once a week individually, if not together. It was odd. They had never done this before. But then again, they had adult schedules and lives, and you were a sixteen-year-old who could do pretty much whatever you wanted whenever you wanted. So this situation was okay with you because now you could surprise them! You smiled as you pedaled your bike along the roads taking your time to just enjoy passing homes and the rising of the moon.

And soon enough you could see Eudora's house in the distance. Her and Diego's cars were parked in the driveway and there were lights on behind closed curtains signifying that both were inside. As you pulled your bike up you gently placed it on the ground and pulled out your phone to call Dean. Tapping his contact image and then the call button you let it ring as you walked toward the front door, but as you did so you could hear what sounded like yelling. Getting closer to the door Dean's voice came through the phone,

"Hello?"

You didn't recognize it though as you stayed silent trying to hear if the yelling was truly coming from the house. Getting even closer to the door you could hear loudly hear the shouting of two familiar voices. Through the phone, Dean became more worried as he didn't get any response from you and could also hear shouting although it was muffled for him.

"(Y/N)? Are you there? Are you okay?" He asked concerned

But instead of getting a response the call ended. You had inadvertently ended the call as your hand fiddled to force your phone down into an undersized pocket on your jeans. Damn women's pocket sizes. Trying to find out what the shouting was about you turned yourself invisible and quietly phased through the front door, only to be met with a shocking sight. The living room was a complete mess as it seemed police files were scattered all over the floor. Diego and Eudora stood by opposite sides of the couch their faces filled with an emotion you had never seen before.

Anger.

"I'm trying to make the world a safer place!" Diego shouted

"No, you're trying to relieve your glory days and play hero because you don't know what else to do." Eudora yelled back "If you really wanted the world to be a safer place you would let the police department do its work."

"We both know that the police department isn't making those changes fast enough." Diego retorted "I'm stopping the problem at the source!"

"You're being reckless and disregarding the law." Eudora remarked, "What kind of example are you trying to set for (Y/N)?"

Oh no. They were arguing. You had never seen them argue before. Perhaps a playful banter but this wasn't that. This was serious. And to make matters worse it seemed to be that they were arguing about you. At least in some capacity. Quietly, you took a few steps closer.

"One in which she recognizes that if given the opportunity to make a change to do what's right, she should," Diego responded firmly, his arms crossed over his chest

"She is not like you, Diego!" Eudora snapped as she took a step toward him "Just because she has powers does not mean she should be inclined to save the world or whatever. I'm trying to raise a law-abiding citizen who can make positive changes in her own way. Not your way."

"I don't know what you're talking about! We both want the same thing!" Diego jabbed

Your bottom lip started to quiver and it felt like your heart was breaking in your chest. You knew it was. You had felt it break like this before, almost three years ago. Why? Why would they be yelling at each other? You had never seen two people who were supposed to be in love argue like this. Argue with so much anger and vile in their voices. Is this why they had been avoiding you these past two weeks? Because they were fighting so much? Your heart began to clench in your chest as tears formed in your eyes. And as much as you wanted to you couldn't look away from the situation.

"No Diego, we don't." Eudora scoffed "The hero schtick was charming at first but we're adults now. You need to grow up."

"I am grown! I make my own decisions and I'm tired of you telling me what you think I should do!" Diego spat before jabbing "Constant criticism isn't attractive."

"Neither is breaking the law! Or unnecessarily putting yourself in risky situations! OR NOT LISTENING TO YOUR PARTNER'S FEELINGS!" Eudora exclaimed

"This is who I am and if you don't like it then maybe I should just go!" Diego yelled stepping closer to Eudora

"Maybe you should!" Eudora retorted getting in his face

"No." You said quietly

After you realized what you had done you placed your hand over your mouth, not only as a reaction to you accidentally speaking but to hide the cries that you could feel forming in your throat. You could feel the way it tightened and clenched as you tried to hide any more sounds of the surmounting sorrow you felt. However, your one sad little no was enough for Diego to snap his head in your direction.

"Did you hear that?" Diego questioned more quietly

He looked at the area of the room where you stood. You knew he couldn't see you. You were invisible, but the look on his face made you think that maybe he knew you were there. His expression softened just enough for you to notice it and it almost seemed as if he was going to walk toward you. And for a moment, you wanted him to. You wanted him to find you, to realize that you had been there the whole time, and perhaps the two of them would tell you that they were alright. That it was just a one-off argument and they hadn't been hiding this from you for a while. But that one moment was short lived as Eudora remarked sarcastically,

"Oh, what? Is that the sound of another mission for you to leave me to go on?"

And so you watched as Diego's face contorted back into anger. His gaze whipped back toward her as he complained,

"You know what? I don't fucking need this and I don't need you."

"Fine by me!" Eudora shouted as she pointed to the door "Get your shit and leave my house."

"It'll be my pleasure." Diego sneered getting in her face before storming off upstairs

And there it was. The complete and utter heartbreak as you realized that this was the nail in the coffin. Just as you thought life was truly getting better it came back to slap you in the face again. Your hand pressed against your mouth harder as a few tears began to roll down your face. Maybe you were never meant to be happy...

Carefully you walked backward and phased yourself back out the front door before taking off toward your bike at the front of the drive. Hopping on your bike you immediately sped off. For a moment it sounded like you could hear the shouts of your name echoing in the distance but you couldn't dare turn back. It was too late. It hurt too much. The night was dark as storm clouds had gathered in the sky blocking out the moon and the air that felt crisp earlier now chilled you to your bones. Rain began to fall from the dark clouds above but you didn't stop pedaling. You had no clue where you were going. You had no direction. You just kept riding as far as you could away from the pain.

But it was unavoidable. It lived inside you. Your pain was like a cancer. One that you thought you had fought, but the truth was that it sat benign for years only to become malignant out of nowhere and taking over your being once more. Your scars from the heartbreak of being pulled to this time were carved open with the sharp pain of this new discovery. And just like that, all that you had built up came tumbling down. Tears spilled from your eyes as the rain picked up. The dark sky opening into a downpour drenching your clothes completely. The raindrops fell at a furious pace just like the tears from your eyes, both of them blurring your vision ahead. For a moment you lifted up your soaking-wet sleeve and wiped your eyes in an attempt to clear some of your vision but as you looked back up you saw the bright flash of oncoming headlights.

Quickly swerving out of the way your front wheel hit the street curb sending you flying forward off your bike. The left side of your face scraping roughly against the concrete sidewalk. Your body ached from the impact almost as much as your heart did from what you saw. Rolling onto your back you stared up at the dark sky as the rain beat down on you. Your head raced with all that you had suffered, all the pain and trauma you had endured in such a short time.

And you screamed.

You screamed into the void of the night, a harrowing sound of heartbreak cutting through the downpour. There was nothing you could do. Nothing you could say, that would stop this pain. You were forced to feel it no matter how it tore you apart and broke you down. And all you could do with it was scream. Scream the pain into the world just as the world had forced tragedy onto you. And when you could no longer scream, when your lungs ran out of breath, you just laid there on the sidewalk letting the rain fall down on you as you cried, wondering what you had done to deserve this. Closing your eyes you drowned out the world around you as you wondered if you could just sink into the earth and hide away from it all. But then you heard a voice shout,

"(Y/N)!"

Opening your eyes, you sat up and looked toward where the voice came from. And there you saw your brother standing there. He stood behind his open driver's side door, an umbrella in his hands as his eyes looked at you worriedly.

"Dean...?" You called weakly

Hearing you call back his name, he immediately stepped out from behind his car door, slamming it shut as he raced over to you. Still standing he held the large umbrella over you two as he got a better look at the condition you were in. Your clothes were fully soaked by the rain as blood ran down your face from the scrape you had gotten. And even though the only light was that of his headlights it was obvious your eyes were red and puffy from crying. Dropping to his knees to be at eye level with you he questioned panicked,

"Oh my god (Y/N), what happened to you? You hung up abruptly and I got worried. What happened?"

Tears began to well in your eyes once more as the events of earlier began to replay in your mind. You tried to speak but it felt like the words were stuck in your throat. You pushed yourself to speak, your voice wavering as you stuttered out,

"Th-they were screaming and fighting- an-an-and-"

But then you stopped. The words caught in your throat once more as you began to get choked up. They were so angry at each other. Their words were so full of malice. Every jab they threw at each other was another jab to your heart. And as much as you tried to keep it together, which was barely, you couldn't. You fell apart. Your body shook both from the chill of the rain that had fallen on you and from the strength of your emotion.

"Screw the umbrella." Dean said letting go of it before wrapping his arms around you "Come here."

Dean held you close as tears spilled from your eyes and you cried once more. Your sobs muffled as you buried your head into his shoulder. Dean held you tightly as he stroked your wet hair. He didn't even care that it was raining. All he cared about was figuring out what happened and what he could do to help.

"Hey it's okay, I'm here now. I'm here." He cooed

"They broke up, Dean. Diego and Eudora broke up." You choked out "I watched it happen."

Oh no. That's why they must have been avoiding you for so long. Because they didn't want you to see them fight...

"Oh, (Y/N) I'm sorry." Dean apologized

He had nothing to apologize for though. He had done nothing wrong. In all honestly, he was the only one doing something right currently. You didn't know why things always ended so fucked up for you when you least expected it. Things like this always ended taking you by surprise. You hated it. You hated it beyond belief. It was so overwhelmingly infuriating that you were stuck in this shitty cycle of loss and heartbreak. Pulling back from Dean you angrily shouted,

"It's not fair! Everything I love I lose!"

But just as quick as the wave of energy that caused your anger came on, it went away just as fast. Your shoulders slumped and you looked down at the sidewalk as you quietly repeated defeated,

"Everything I love I lose..."

"Hey look at me." Dean softly called, gently taking your face in his hands

As he tilted your head to look up towards him you could see the concern but also care in his eyes. You didn't know why he was here with you, getting completely drenched by the rain, but you appreciated his presence.

"Remember what you told me?" He quietly reminded "When you have no other family, you will always have me. Always."

You didn't know what to say, so you didn't say anything. All you did was lean back into your brother again and held him tightly as if the world was going to take him away from you too. Dean held you once more, his hand rubbing your back as he rested his head on top of yours and comforted,

"You're not alone. I'm going to take care of you."

After a quick moment, Dean stood up taking your hand to help you stand as well and although it didn't really matter at this point he held picked up the umbrella and held it over the two of you. Walking you towards the passenger side of his car he opened the door saying,

"C'mon let's get you out of the rain. I don't want you getting sick."

Sliding into the passenger seat Dean closed the door after you before heading back to grab your bike and put it in his trunk. Closing the trunk he closed his umbrella and threw it into the backset before getting in the driver's seat and turning on the car. He turned the heating on to keep you both warm as he turned around and drove the two of you back to his house. The ride was quiet. You weren't in a mood to talk and Dean wasn't going to force you to either, but at least you had stopped crying for now. As you got back to the house Dean parked his car in the garage before getting out and heading over to the passenger side to get you. The two of you walked together toward the door inside the garage that led inside the home. Taking your shoes off first, you entered the door that led into the laundry room, Dean closing it behind you. And right as Dean finished shutting the door, you could hear his mom call from inside the house,

"Decano? Has vuelto?"

"Sí, Mamá," Dean called back "(Y/N) también está conmigo."

"Oh (Y/N)!" She exclaimed

You saw as his mom rounded the corner into the laundry room, an excited smile on her face until her eyes landed on you. Her smile turned to an expression of shock as she quickly made her way over taking your face in her hands and turning your head side to side to look at you.

"Ay, dios mío! What happened?" She questioned

"Lo siento aparecer aquí en tan malas condiciones." You apologized before explaining "I was riding my bike over here and it started to rain. I couldn't see and hit the curb causing me to fall and scrape my face."

"Oh don't apologize mija. I'm just glad you're safe." She cooed

"Mamá, can (Y/N) stay the night?" Dean asked

"Stay the night? She can move in if she wants. We'll give her Antonio's room in the basement." Dean's mom responded before mumbling under her breath "...entonces tal vez finalmente le proponga matrimonio a su novia y se mude..."

You watched as Dean's mom turned to grab a towel from a stack of them before turning back and handing it to you.

"Here mija, take this towel and go take a hot shower since you must be cold from the rain. Dean will grab you some fresh clothes and can help with your cuts when you're done." She explained gently "And I'll make some hot food for you to have."

"Gracias Señora Hernandez." You thanked

"Te lo dije, llámame Liliana," She replied with a smile before walking out of the room presumably to the kitchen

"I told you my parents like you more than me and my brothers." Dean mentioned "If any of us came home in this condition solo we'd get hit with the chancla for sure."

"I'm surprised you didn't realize that when they asked to throw me a quinceañera last year because they had no daughters." You commented back

"No, I did. I'm just glad you convinced them to make it a joint party for us." He replied "The look of envy on Tony's face as we got a huge celebration and he didn't warmed my second-son heart."

"You're welcome for that by the way." You remarked

"Whatever man," He dismissed before recalling the task his mom set him to "I'll go find you some dry clothes, okay?"

"Okay..."  You responded "I'll go take a shower. Just leave whatever clothes you get outside the door."

With a quick nod of your head, you walked out of the laundry room and down the hall toward the bathroom. Turning on the hot water to the shower you stripped off your drenched clothing and got in. The heat of the water helped to warm you up and remove the chill you felt in your bones from the cold rain but it also stung the scrape on your face. You didn't mind it though. Honestly, the physical pain of the scrape helped to numb the emotional pain of the night a bit. It provided a distraction even if it necessarily didn't feel good. You had no clue how long you stayed standing there but when you felt the hot water start to become lukewarm you realized that it was probably time to get out. Turning off the water you grabbed your towel and dried off, wrapping it around you once you finished. Opening the door just slightly you saw a plastic shopping bag hanging on the door handle with clothes inside. Grabbing the bag, you closed the door once more as you used your abilities to dry your undergarments and put them on before changing into the baggy t-shirt and gym shorts that Dean had provided you. Hanging your towel up on the rack next to the shower you went and opened the door to the bathroom. Stepping out, you saw Dean walking down the hall from his room in your direction also wearing some new dry clothes. Catching sight of you, he came up and asked,

"Hey, how you feeling?"

You shrugged your shoulders. You weren't sure yet how you felt.

"Understandable." He replied adding "I hope the clothes are okay. I know they're probably still kinda loose but since you're smaller than I am, I tried to find stuff that I'll probably outgrow soon that would fit you better."

"No they're great, they're comfy. Thank you." You reassured

"Oh good." Dean replied

Dean then again recognized the cut on the left side of your face. Fortunately, it had stopped bleeding but it could get infected if it stayed uncovered and untreated like it currently was.

"Here uh- let me help you with that." Dean said gesturing back into the bathroom

With a nod of your head, you stepped back in and sat on the sink counter as Dean looked underneath the sink for the tiny first aid kit his family had. Finding it, he stood back up and placed it on the side of the counter away from you pulling out some antibiotic ointment and a very large bandaid. Placing some of the ointment on his pointer finger, Dean gently spread it over your cut making sure to get it evenly spread across your forehead and upper cheek on the left side of your face. When he felt he had done a thorough job he placed the tube of ointment back in the kit as he washed of his hand.

"That's gonna be a nasty scar, huh?" Dean commented

You looked behind you in the mirror as you saw the large abrasion that ran across the upper left side of your face. It was pretty bad, but you weren't one to scar. Any time you got hurt, the signs of an injury would disappear faster than most people's would. At least it did so for minor ones.

"Don't worry it'll be gone by morning. Like it never even happened." You replied quietly

Dean looked down at the first aid kit as he brought out the large bandaid he found. Gently he questioned,

"And the internal scars? What about them?"

"I don't know..." You murmured "I still haven't figured that out from the last time something this upsetting happened."

Turning back towards you, Dean tilted your face toward him so that he could get a better view of your cut. Opening the bandaid, he took the protective backing off revealing the adhesive part. Carefully, he brought it up to your face and placed it over your injury making sure to avoid getting adhesive on any of the scratched parts. After taking a moment to look his work over, his focused his gaze on you as he replied,

"That's alright. We'll figure it out together."

"Promise me." You said sticking out your pinky finger for a pinky promise

Wrapping his pinky around yours he gave a gentle shake as he promised,

"I swear."

"Okay." You spoke, the slightest hint of a smile on your face

"You hungry?" Dean asked as he put the first aid kit away under the sink

"Yeah." You answered

"Good. My mom made you a whole pot of soup." Dean stated

Giving him a nod you hopped off the sink counter as you walked out of the bathroom and to the kitchen, with Dean following closely behind. The two of you sat down as Dean's mom served you a bowl of fresh made pozole before then giving a bowl to her son. You ate your soup quietly only really talking when you asked Liliana for a second and then third bowl of soup. You didn't realize how hungry you were until you had started eating. But of course Dean's mom didn't mind and was in fact delighted that you wanted to have more than one serving. As you finished your third bowl, you got up from the table and walked over to place the bowl in the sink. Turning toward Liliana you asked,

"Would you like me to help wash the dishes?"

"Oh (Y/N), that's not necessary. Dean will do them, you should rest." She responded

"Are you sure? I don't mind helping him." You replied "I mean it's the least I could do to thank you for the food you made."

"You are so thoughtful, but it seems you've had a rough night and you are a guest. I'll get Matías to help him." Liliana explained before shouting "MATÍAS VEN A LIMPIAR LOS PLATOS AHORA."

You watched as Dean's younger brother ran into the kitchen, a frantic look on his face before stopping as he noticed you.

"Oh. Hi (Y/N)." He said

"Hey Matt." You replied

"What happened to your face?" He asked confused

"I fell off my bike and cut it up." You answered

"Aren't you a little old to be falling off a bike?" He asked condescendingly

Jeez. It was pretty harsh to hear that from a 10-year-old after the day you just had. But just as quick as it hurt, you immediately felt better as Dean's mom smacked the back of his head.

"No seas grosero!" Liliana chastised "Ve a limpiar con tu hermano."

You smirked as Matt walked past you grumbling under his breath before helping Dean with the dishes. Sitting in the living room you waited for Dean to be done with the dishes but as you rested on the couch you could feel yourself growing a bit tired. Once Dean was done with his chore he came to find you and the two of you walked down the hall to his bedroom, shutting the door behind you. As you looked at the room you saw a sleeping bag rolled out on the floor next to the bed. Turning to look at you Dean said,

"You can stay in my bed, I'll take the floor."

You were about to nod your head but then something in you just felt the need to check the bed more thoroughly. And instantly you regretted it. Granted, you were happy to now have this information due to your powers but you were also grossed out that there were...bodily fluids...in the sheets. You weren't surprised, he was a teen boy and teen boys tend to jerk off occasionally. But your lack of surprise did not mean you wanted to stay in that.

"Um- I don't want to take your bed from you." You politely declined "I can sleep on the floor."

"No, you should have a comfortable place to rest after tonight and anyway my mom would kill me if she found out I let you sleep on the floor." Dean insisted

"I've slept on a floor before, it's totally fine." You tried to persuade

"No absolutely not." Dean rejected "The bed is yours."

This was not good. He was not letting up and you worried about what to do now. Your mind raced with various thoughts about what to do in this situation because you had never been in this predicament before.

Oh god. How do I insinuate that I know he's jacked off in his bed and that his sheets are gross? 

Dean's head snapped toward you. You didn't speak...but he somehow still heard you. He thought for a moment that perhaps he was losing it from the stress of worrying about you but then he could hear your voice in his head speak once more.

Do I just keep denying sleeping in the bed until he caves? Can I somehow make UV light and not give him radiation poisoning by being so close?

You watched as Dean walked past you back to his bedroom door. Stopping at it he looked back toward you as he stated,

"I'll get new sheets."

Your eyes went wide as you began to question,

"How the fuck-"

I don't know you tell me.

Taking a step back your eyes went wide just as Dean's had done a moment ago. Did you just hear his thoughts? Could he hear yours? You knew the two fo you were close, but what the fuck.

"Oh- oh that's fucking weird." You retorted "We are NOT dealing with that tonight."

"Whatever you say, but I think it's cool." Dean replied before leaving his room

It only took a few moments for Dean to return with a new set of sheets, stripping the old ones and putting the new ones on. As he walked out of the room once more to bring his old sheets to the laundry room, you sat down on the newly made bed and looked out the window. The rain still in a torrential downpour. The door to Dean's room opened and closed once more as he made his way over and sat on the bed next to you.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Dean asked

"I don't know..." You responded, your eyes still trained on the rain outside

"That's okay," Dean responded "I'll be here either way."

There was a moment of silence between you two. Neither saying a word, just existing side by side. But after a bit, there was something you wanted to express. It wasn't specifically about what happened but you felt you needed to tell someone.

"It just feels like every time things are going well something goes wrong, and it always feels like my fault..." You sighed "Maybe I'm just a rain cloud on my own life..."

"Well if you're a rain cloud then I must be a thunderstorm because to me you're a ray of sunshine." Dean mentioned

"You think so?" You inquired

"I know so." Dean responded "My life was never as bright as it's been since you came into it."

You looked away from the rain and toward Dean, the corners of your mouth lifting up briefly into a small smile before falling back into a neutral position. It might not have been much, but it was a start. Leaning over you rested your head on Dean's shoulder as he wrapped an arm around you and rested his head on top of yours. You both stayed quiet for a moment, but then you could hear as Dean quietly sang,

Eres mi sol Mi único sol Me haces feliz Cuando el cielo esta gris Nunca sabrás, querida Cuanto te quiero Por favor no me quites mi sol

As he finished his song he turned his head only slightly to kiss the top of yours. There wasn't much he could do to change what had happened but as long as you knew he was there for you and he loved you he felt that was enough for now. You were his sister, his favorite sibling, his closest family and if he could help it, he would never let you suffer alone.

"Thanks Dean." You whispered

"It's been a long night, how about you get some rest?" Dean suggested

You nodded your head before pulling away from Dean as he also let you go. Dean slid from the bed onto the floor and climbed into the sleeping bag he set out as you got yourself comfortable in the bed. Turning off the lamp on his nightstand you both lay there in the dark as the rain poured outside but after a few minutes, you rolled over to look down toward your brother on the floor.

"Dean?" You called quietly

"Yeah?" He replied

"Will you hold my hand?" You asked

"Of course."

Sliding one arm off the bed you reached down toward Dean as he took your hand in his own. It felt comforting to know someone was there and you always slept easier knowing someone was nearby. As the waves of tiredness began to wash over you and your eyes began to get heavy you mumbled one more request,

"Please don't ever leave me."

Holding your hand just a little tighter, Dean looked up at you and quietly replied,

"I wouldn't even dream of it."

________________________________________________________________________________

This is the story of Brendon Mal-Chin Young. Born March 14, 2001 at 7:51 pm to Alistair and Adeline Young, Brendon would be the only child that the Youngs ever had. He was the only child they would ever expect they would need. But things didn't turn out quite how they wanted. When Bren was born, it was in the middle of his parents setting up their consulting business and therefore he got just enough of his parents' care for him to survive, but not enough to nurture him. And when he became a toddler that needed more supervision, he was placed in the care of his next-door neighbor Clarissa Wagner who was so happy to give her son Kenneth a friend to play with. Especially since they were only about two weeks apart in age. The two boys became inseparable and the Wagners became more like family to Brendon than his own parents did.

This would go on for years until his parents' business was settled enough that they were comfortable being home more often, but by that point, Bren had already formed his connections and bonds. There was a strong disconnect between him and his parents as when it really mattered most they weren't around and now the people he cared about most were Kenny, Kenny's mom, and Ben Hargreeves of the Umbrella Academy.

Bren was introduced to Ben Hargreeves as Kenny was discussing how cool he thought Klaus from the Umbrella Academy was. And together when they would hang out, Clarissa would read all the comic books to the boys and would even make sure to pick up two copies when new ones came out so that Bren could take on home. Bren admired Ben because he was like him. He looked like him and even though he was kind of in the background of his family he still had people who noticed him.

Ben was his hero.

But then tragedy struck. When Bren was just about to be six years old the Jennifer Incident occurred and Ben Hargreeves tragically died. It was unexpected and it absolutely shattered Bren. His hero was gone. No, no. He couldn't let that happen. Ben couldn't just be gone. Ben was like him and he was like Ben so Ben needed to be remembered. He didn't want to be forgotten, he didn't want his existence to be left behind by the people around him. And this incident put more space between him and his parents at a young age. They didn't understand why he was so despondent all of a sudden but never sought a solution.

And as he grew up his parents seemed to forget him more and more as they sunk themselves into their work because Bren wasn't turning out the way they wanted him to be. It was not that he wasn't successful, he was just successful in the wrong way. He played an instrument but it was the guitar. He was excellent in his English courses and was a stellar writer but he mainly put those skills into solitary reading or writing lyrics for songs. He had a physical activity that he was great at but it was focused on using two whips for some reason. It never made sense to them.

It hurt that his parents put him so low in their priorities. He wanted someone to remember him and love him as he was. Granted, he had his friends and of course, they loved and remembered him, but he wanted more. And when he was seventeen, that love would walk into his life in the form of Juniper Lee. But unfortunately, Juniper was not the miracle he was hoping for and the tragedy of that would hit him hard.

August 12, 2018:

Around two weeks ago, Bren announced he had gotten a girlfriend. Your group of friends was incredibly surprised by this fact since he had never even talked about liking anyone prior but nevertheless, you were all happy.

Well almost...

You did not like Bren's new girlfriend Juniper. Juniper was a recent transfer from Argyle Academy, the fancy K-12 private school in the city. The fancy private school that you would've continued to attend had Five not pulled you to the future. The fancy private school that you knew was filled with rich assholes who, one, bullied you in your youth, and two did not care about anyone but themselves. The fancy private school that had a strict honor code and a "one strike and you're out" policy. Already you knew this girl was bad news. But your opinion grew worse as you spent time around her.

She was in the English class you shared with Bren and Kenny, and she began sitting at your table at lunch. It was awkward and uncomfortable, but you tried to be cordial with her so you could be supportive of your friend. Juniper however exuded red flags. She was very controlling of Bren even if she tried to portray it as being playful. She never compromised with him even on little things. She was very critical of your friend group, but especially you since your cordiality didn't hide your disdain. And you had a strong assumption from the way you could feel her heart race with your powers that she was lying. A lot.

But on top of it, you could see how she was changing Bren, for the worse. He would brush off plans with your friend group to go be with her. He was becoming more critical of you all just like she was. But the biggest thing was he was becoming a real dickhead. Sure he could be a jerk sometimes, just like everyone can, but this wasn't that. He was acting out of character being super pretentious and all high and mighty for no reason. It was like she was completely changing who he fundamentally was.

And you despised her for all of that. You had a terrible feeling in your gut about her, but for Bren's sake, no matter how much you hated her or how he was acting, you kept your mouth shut. That was until you had ridden your bike to the local shopping center to pick up some new running shoes when you saw Juniper, Bren's girlfriend, making out with a guy in an Argyle Academy uniform.

The AUDACITY of that bitch.

You saw red as you pulled out your phone and took a photo of her before turning your bike around and riding like the wind to Bren's house. Enraged adrenaline pumped through your veins as you dropped your bike on his lawn and flashed into his room. Materializing in front of him, Bren looked shocked for a moment, and taking in your upset demeanor he questioned,

"Are you okay?"

"I need to show you something." You stated firmly

Pulling out your phone, you pulled up the picture from your camera roll before turning your phone towards him and showing him the image. Bren took the phone from your hand, examining the screen for a moment before looking up at you and asking confused,

"What am I looking at?"

"That's YOUR GIRLFRIEND making out with SOMEONE ELSE." You emphasized

"How can you be sure?" Bren questioned, "That picture is far away and it doesn't really look like her to me."

"Are you fucking insane?" You blurted him in disbelief

He had to be joking right? That was obviously her. It was clearly, unequivocally, 100% her. And he didn't believe it was?

"What?" Bren asked confused

"I have photographic evidence that your manipulative bitch of a girlfriend is cheating on you and you don't believe it?" You ranted pointing at your phone "It's right there!"

"Hey, you don't get to fucking talk about her like that!" Bren yelled

You honestly wanted to start laughing you were in so much disbelief. This was crazy. You felt like you were being pranked. Was he really this blind or was he being willfully ignorant? Either way, it was fucking stupid.

"Wake the fuck up, Bren! She doesn't love you!" You exclaimed "She. Is. Using. You!"

Anger welled up within Bren as he heard you hurl insults and accusations at his girlfriend. What did you know? You weren't part of their relationship. They were happy. They were in love. They were a power couple as Juniper liked to call the two of them. You just didn't get it.

"You know what, I'm starting to think Juniper was right about you." Bren snapped

"Oh yeah? And what did she say, huh?" You taunted sarcastically

"She said that you were jealous." Bren stated matter-of-factly

"Jealous?" You repeated with a shocked laugh "Jealous of what?"

"You and I were the last two people in the group to never had been on a date but now that I have Junie you're the last one and you're jealous of me being in love." Bren explained, his tone obviously demeaning toward you

Were you the last one to never have been on a date in your group now? Yes. But you had your reasons and you were fine with that. However, you were not fine with Bren, someone who is supposed to be your friend, demeaning you for your choices. You were not jealous of his relationship in the slightest because you would never get in a relationship with a lying, manipulative, cheater.

"I'm not jealous of you in the slightest." You remarked flatly

"And there you go denying it." Bren spouted "You've hated my relationship since the start because now you realize how alone you are! But that's not my responsibility and it's not my fault you've never loved anyone-"

Before he could fully finish his rant the sound of a smack resonated throughout the room. One of your hands was held up, frozen in place as the other held tightly around your locket. As Bren held his one cheek with his hand he turned to look at you. Shock and anger on his face as he questioned,

"Did you just fucking slap me?"

Tears pricked at your eyes and your voice trembled as you spat back,

"Fuck you, Brendon. I wish-"

You paused. Standing up straight Bren removed his hand from his cheek. Stepping toward you, he stared you down, his face getting in your own.

"What?" Bren asked, his voice low "What do you wish, (Y/N)?"

"I wish I never met you." You answered

Bren pulled his face back from yours and for the first time, throughout this whole argument, his expression contorted from anger into hurt. But it only lasted a moment as his anger returned and doubled. All of this just because you don't like his girlfriend. You were ridiculous and needed to get a grip on reality. You were lying to yourself. Just like Juniper said, you were jealous and you were wrong.

"Get out of my house and leave my relationship alone!" Bren shouted

At this point, you had resigned though. Your heart hurt from Bren's words about never loving anyone as your heartbreak over the only boy you ever loved washed over you again. The tragedy of letting him go and losing him to time still pained you to this day and you weren't going to deal with someone who obviously didn't care about hurting you. You stared at him blankly as you bluntly replied,

"Goodbye, Brendon,"

And with that, you flashed out of his room, picked up your bike, and rode back home with no new running shoes, one less friend, and a re-broken heart.

September 3, 2018:

It had been three weeks since your argument with Bren and things had noticeably changed. Besides English class, where it was impossible to do so, you actively avoided Bren. If he wanted you to stay out of his relationship you would make it easier and stay out of his life altogether. The rest of your friends noticed this change the day you started doing it and asked for an explanation. You showed them the picture, explained what happened, and told them that you did not want them to feel like they had to pick sides, and they were free to still be around him, just that you would not.

Of course, after explaining that, Dean immediately picked a side. Yours. You being his sister apparently mattered more than Bren being his friend. Nevertheless, if he wanted to stop talking to Bren that was his decision but you weren't making any of your friends choose. Which of course left the rest of them in an uncomfortable position. They saw the photo and were on your side, but if they just emotionally cut ties like Dean did it would only push Bren closer to Juniper. And so the rest of them continued to be awkwardly cordial with Juniper and try to still be normal around Bren in an attempt that he would hopefully come to his senses. But the confused tension was palpable.

Bren of course noticed the changes too. Most of the friend group was still around and talking to him, but any time Juniper was around they got weird. And if he ever showed up when a conversation where you were a topic was happening, the group immediately stopped and switched gears. Then of course there was Dean who Bren obviously knew was making a point to show he was mad and ignoring him. But the biggest change was you. You were never around anymore except for in English class where you didn't talk or look at him. You used to talk to each other all the time. English class was the time when you would jot down potential song lyrics into the margins of each other's notebooks that you could use for your band. Now the margins were empty. Lunch was when you would all be together with the group chilling before classes started again, but now you sat in the library for lunch with Dean. You didn't read any of the few messages he had sent you since your argument. Granted, none of them were apologies but he didn't need to apologize. Even so, it was as if he didn't even exist to you. As if he as a ghost in your life. When you said goodbye, he didn't think at the time that you would mean it.

But that was the way things were, and you settled into this routine over the three weeks. But as you were biking to the shopping center before it closed at 7, to finally go purchase new running shoes you got a phone call from Kenny. Braking, you pulled your bike over to the side as you picked up the phone.

"Hello?" You spoke

"(Y/N)?" Kenny replied, "I need you to do me a huge favor."

"Yeah, what do you need?" You asked

"I know you probably aren't going to want to do so but I need you to go to Bren's house," Kenny begged on the other side of the line

"Why?" You questioned annoyed

"Because you were right and he's upset." Kenny explained "He had gone over to Juniper's house and caught her in the act with some other guy. He called me heartbroken but I'm at work and can't go be with him."

"But why me?" You pressed "I mean Lucas is a ray of sunshine and positivity and Addison is the one who's good at manipulating people's psyches."

"Because you're the only other person besides me he'll listen to," Kenny replied "And I know you love your friends more than anything."

Damn it. You hated it, but you knew he was right.

"Fine," You sighed "I'll go."

"Thank you." Kenny expressed relieved

Hanging up the phone you let out a sigh as you once again were not going to get your running shoes. Getting back on your bike you turned around and after one quick stop along the way you made it to Bren's house. Laying your bike on the grass, you could see that the house looked empty. His parents' car was gone and the lights were off. Taking a deep breath you walked up to the door and into the house before making your way upstairs toward his room. As you approached his door you could hear the sounds of muffled crying.

Phasing through the door you could see him sitting on the edge of his bed, his face in his hands. Gently, you walked over towards him, but as Bren heard footsteps he looked up expecting to see Kenny, but instead finding you there. His eyes were red and puffy and his face was obviously wet from tears. His eyes narrowed at you as he snapped,

"What are you doing here?"

You knew he was upset, and there was a strong chance he was redirecting his pain toward you because one, he didn't know where to put it and you were the closest, and two, you did warn him three weeks ago about this. But no matter what he said, you knew he was hurting and you weren't going to let him be alone anymore. Walking to stand in front of him you looked down at him with a soft expression as you answered quietly,

"Kenny called. He told me what happened."

Of course, he did. When Bren had called him and Kenny said help would be over soon, he thought it was going to be him. Not you. Why did you even show up anyway? Probably to rub it in his face that you were right. Standing up he looked at you angrily, although his eyes were still filled with pain as he shouted,

"Well go on then, say it!"

You didn't respond. You didn't know what to say and instead, you just looked up at him with a sad, soft expression. Your lack of response, however, didn't ease him as he tried to get you to say what you came to say.

"Say it (Y/N)! Say I told you so!" Bren shouted once more, his voice breaking "Tell me that you were right and I was wrong and stupid!"

But you didn't respond to that either. You weren't here to berate him or shame him. You were here to try and help him begin to work through this pain. Quietly, you stepped forward and wrapped your arms around Bren, hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry." You whispered, "For everything."

Bren froze for a moment as you held him. He was expecting you to brag and taunt him about how you had warned him of this and he didn't listen, but instead, you apologized. You apologized for all that had occurred. You were sorry for fighting with him, you were sorry for not talking to him and you were sorry for what had happened to him today. And with that, all the anger that Bren was trying to feel and push onto you went away as he could feel the pain of this situation return. His chest clenched and his knees grew weak and began to shake. His legs gave out beneath him bringing the two of you to kneel on the floor. Gripping onto your jacket tightly, balling the fabric in his hands, he rested his head on your shoulder as he began to sob. He gasped for air between his painful cries as the memory of what happened played in his head over and over again.

Gently, you ran your fingers through the back of his hair trying your best to comfort him as he processed what happened. You quietly stayed there with him and let him cry as long as he needed because what else could either of you do?

"I got you. It's going to be okay, I'm here." You reminded

As his sobs turned into sniffles, Bren lifted his head from your shoulder and looked at you as he quietly asked,

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend, and I'm not going to let you suffer alone." You answered sincerely

"Why did you ignore me then?" He questioned

"You told me to leave your relationship alone." You explained, "I was never going to be supportive of her so I thought it was best for me not to be around at all."

Bren nodded his head before slowly letting go of you and sitting on the floor leaning against his bed. He took slow deep breaths after crying so long and his pulse began to steady. And as you quietly sat next to him he leaned and rested his head on your shoulder. You had apologized to him, and he knew that he had to apologize back to you. The things he said were wrong and you deserved to know so.

"I'm sorry for what I said." Bren apologized "It was wrong of me to say you were jealous and it was worse of me to claim you've never loved anyone. You're a very loving person."

"Thanks." You replied

"You hit me hard though." Bren commented, "So I kinda feel like I have to ask, who was he?"

You paused for a moment as you stared off into the distance. One of your hands instinctively went to hold your locket as you thought about the boy you loved. Your beloved Five. It had been years and yet in your mind, you could still hear his voice calling your name and see his smile as he looked at you. A bittersweet smile rose to your face for a moment as you reminisced.

"He was my best friend and I would've done anything for him." You explained "He had a shitty home life, and I thought- well I thought I was doing enough to mitigate that. But he still ran away and left me behind to deal with the fallout."

Ben tilted his head on his shoulder to look up at you. There was a slight smile on your face but there was deep pain in your eyes. Your voice was wistful as you spoke but there were tinges of sadness within it. This boy had broken your heart.

"He sounds like an idiot." Bren commented

"No. He was wonderful." You corrected "He was sweet and caring and smart and he knew me better than anyone else did. And he made me happy. So so happy."

Lifting his head from your shoulder he looked at you as he asked,

"You still love him, don't you?"

You looked towards Bren, an earnest yet melancholic expression on your face.

"With all my being." You answered, "It's been four years, and every day I still hope it's the day he comes back to me."

"Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation." Bren quoted

"Wiser words have never been uttered." You responded, nodding your head

"Thanks but those aren't my words." Bren said with a slight chuckle "They're from the poem The Coming of the Ship by Kahlil Gibran." Bren replied

A small smirk came to your face as you joked,

"Flexing your literature knowledge I see."

"Well, I've got to now since my ex hated it so much," Bren remarked

"I told you she was a bitch." You mumbled

"And there it finally is ladies and gentlemen. The I told you so!" Bren exclaimed to his empty room

"Yeah, yeah. I had to say it at least once." You laughed before adding "If it makes you feel any better though you'll never have to see her again because the only places she's going now are either juvie or a psych ward."

Bren's head snapped toward you as he heard you say that.

"What did you do?" He questioned

"Don't worry about it." You replied

He thought for a moment about the extent of your abilities and what you could have possibly done to get his ex either sent to juvie or involuntarily committed. But then he remembered how she was a cheating bitch and he honestly couldn't care.

"You know what? I won't." He stated proudly

"Good. Now go take a hot shower and put on some comfy clothes. I'll order us some comfort food and we can break out a bottle of wine to watch some shitty reality dating show with." You explained, "Be a pair of lonely broken fucks together."

Bren liked that idea. Shit still hurt but it hurt a little less with you around.

"Okay." He replied, a small smile on his face

You ruffled his hair a bit before standing up and walking out the door. And as he watched you walk away, he was happy to have you back in his life and there was no one else he'd rather be a lonely broken fuck with than you.

________________________________________________________________________________

This is the story of Viktoria Rodya Petrov. Born January 12, 2001 at 6:08 am to Vincent and Anastasia Petrov, Viktoria knew who she was from a young age even if others couldn't see it yet. She loved dolls and stories of princesses and dressing in her mother's clothes. Viktoria would profess how she was the prettiest girl in the world and would correct others when they told her otherwise. She hated when her hair was cut short and didn't like dressing in the clothes that her parents bought her. It wasn't right. It wasn't her. And she knew that.

It was not until her younger brother Maxim was born that her parents began to understand. As she grew older her parents could see the differences between her and her brother and the way they behaved. She and Maxim were quite different even if they looked the same. Viktoria's parents had their concerns about how the world would view Viktoria but in the end, it wasn't the world that mattered it was their daughter. And so they did all that they could to support Viktoria as she was and to help her feel as comfortable in her skin as possible. They stopped cutting her hair, they let her pick her own clothes, and they even went to specialty doctors to discuss how to make sure future Viktoria was just as happy as current Viktoria.

But even though her family was supportive of who she was, some of the kids in school weren't as nice. It wasn't all the kids, but the ones that weren't nice didn't understand and bullied her because they didn't get it. It made Viktoria sad and she became isolated, even from the kids who were nice to her. She wanted to be included, but it was easier to just pull away and be alone. If she remained in the background, just passing by, perhaps things would be easier. And they were, but it was a lonely existence.

Viktoria wanted people to see her as extraordinary. As someone who was allowed to be around other extraordinary individuals. But she wasn't sure how to do that. Until one day, she was watching the news on TV and saw the famous Umbrella Academy doing a press conference after stopping some French supervillain. While most kids would've focused on the superheroes Viktoria noticed someone off to the side. There in an Umbrella Academy uniform was someone who looked just like her holding some kind of string instrument. Viktoria didn't know who they were but they had to be part of the Academy. They had the uniform and all! If that person could look like her and be part of the Umbrella Academy they had to be extraordinary. And if they were extraordinary then Viktoria could be too.

Immediately, Viktoria begged her parents for a strong instrument like she had seen on the TV and was gifted a viola. She began taking lessons and excelled at her craft. This is how she would get the world to recognize her. Just like that Umbrella Academy member she would craft beautiful music and become extraordinary. But even with her skill and enthusiasm, it was going to take a while for the world to see her as extraordinary.

December 15, 2014:

Today was the day that Viktoria had been preparing for all weekend. The results of solo auditions were finally going to be announced. The high school orchestral band's winter recital was in a week and for months they had been preparing for the performance. It was going to be a spectacular night but what everyone was interested in was who would be getting the solos. Mr. Lennox the band instructor only handed out one solo to each instrument section. One for percussion, one for brass, one for strings, etc. The solos were completely coveted and for months Viktoria had been determined to get one. It would be an honor to earn one as a freshman and so for months she had rehearsed the solo piece over and over again until it was second nature for her. And when audition day came last Friday she put her heart and soul into the performance. And after spending the whole weekend anxious about what the results would be she finally was going to be able to see if she had gotten the solo or not.

Walking toward the entrance to the band room Viktoria could see you leaning against the wall outside the door. She gave you a nervous smile and a wave as she approached.

"Hey." Viktoria greeted

"Hi," You responded before saying "Results for solos are out today! You excited?"

"Kind of..." Viktoria replied warily

"What do you mean kind of?" You questioned

"I don't know, I'm just kind of nervous to see if I got it or not. They don't usually give solos to freshmen." Viktoria responded, "I mean you'll definitely get one since you're amazing, but I don't know about me."

Viktoria's anxiety always seemed to get the best of her, even when she was feeling somewhat confident in herself. It was always what if this, and what if that. She wanted to be perfect at her craft and for everyone to see so but sometimes it was difficult when her feelings were getting the best of her.

Seeing that Viktoria was obviously nervous, you placed a hand on her shoulder and reassured her,

"Well, I for one think that you are the best viola player out there and you will 1000% get that solo."

Viktoria gave you a small smile as she replied,

"Thanks, I needed to hear that."

"And hey, y'know what?" you mentioned "If I get a solo and you don't I'll tell Mr. Lennox that I pass on mine because it would be crazy if you didn't get one."

"Don't do that!" Viktoria exclaimed

It would be ridiculous for you to pass on a solo opportunity just for her. How could you even think of doing something like that?

"We have four years of high school and there's only one other piano player and they're a senior. I think I'll be okay." You stated with a shrug of your shoulders

You were so nonchalant about the whole ordeal. Viktoria wished she could have your level of confidence about things.

"If you say so..." Viktoria mumbled

"I do." You replied before asking "Now, you ready to go check the solo postings?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Viktoria remarked

With a nod of your head, you entered the band room, Viktoria trailing closely behind. She could feel nerves of anticipation begin to build within her. Viktoria wondered if she should take her anxiety medication out of her backpack as her palms became clammy and her heart began to race. She slowed her pace as she looked back at the door to the room wondering if she could just escape and go to the nurse. She was prone to giving herself a stomach ache from her anxiety so telling the nurse she was unwell would not be a challenge.

You however had noticed her demeanor and the way she stopped. Viktoria had a tendency to get in her head about a lot of things. She wanted to be noticed and accepted but she was also concerned about being too noticeable. You tried your best to reassure her and support her but you weren't in her shoes, so you could only do so much. Seeing the results sheet hung on the wall just a few steps away you turned to look back at her and asked,

"You coming?"

"You go first. I'm scared." Viktoria responded

You hesitated for a moment but then nodded. If this is what she needed then you would oblige.

"Okay." You said turning to walk over to the paper

Viktoria watched as you walked over and stood in front of the results postings. Your hand lifted up as your pointer finger ran down the paper looking for your name or lack thereof. Your finger tapped a spot on the paper three times before Viktoria saw you turn around. She looked at your face to see your reaction but was met with an expression of neutrality. She couldn't tell if you got the solo or not and was now concerned about figuring out how she was supposed to react. Slowly you walked back to stand in front of her your face of neutrality fading away as a smile appeared and you exclaimed,

"I got it!"

A wide smile came to Viktoria's face as she threw her arms around you wrapping you in a hug. Of course, you got the piano solo! There was no reason to ever doubt you!

"I knew you would! Congrats!" Viktoria cheered

Pulling back you looked at Viktoria, a smile on your face as you already knew the results of what came next. Stepping out of her way you gestured toward the paper on the wall as you replied,

"Thanks but now it is your turn."

Viktoria gave you a nervous look. Right. It was...her turn.

"Okay...here I go," Viktoria said warily as she took a few steps forward

But then once again she stopped. She couldn't bear to look at the paper. She was too nervous. It felt like she was gonna puke.

Rolling your eyes, you put your hands on the back of her shoulders as you pushed her forward toward the paper remarking,

"C'mon Vi."

Viktoria closed her eyes as she felt you push her closer and closer to the wall. When the two of you stopped walking forward she could feel as you grabbed her hand, pointed her pointer finger, and placed it somewhere on the paper.

"Open your eyes Viktoria." You requested

Taking a deep breath, Viktoria nodded her head and slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze landed on where her finger was pointed and it took her a moment to process what she was seeing. That was her name. Right there on the paper, it said Viktoria Petrov. Her jaw dropped. She did it. She got the solo. You both got solos as freshmen.

"Oh my god! I got the solo!" Viktoria shrieked "I got the string instrument solo!"

"I told you!" You stated excitedly

You knew Viktoria had gotten the solo when you looked at the page but you wanted to offer her the same excitement she had for you. She had worked so hard practicing the piece she would need to play and her efforts had paid off. She was a master at her craft and you were so happy she was being recognized as so. She deserved this.

"Looks like Mr. Lennox is running late once again." You stated, "Wanna go to the instrument storage to get your viola and hang til he gets here?"

"Oh definitely. A soloist is only good if they have their instrument." Viktoria replied confidently

"Yeah, I suppose that's true." You commented as you walked toward the instrument lockers

The room was relatively empty already as most people had gotten their instruments and headed into the band room so for the most part it was just you and Viktoria. Mr. Lennox had a habit of running 15 minutes late for class. The rumor going around with music department students was that he and the theatre director, Mr. Bardot, were hooking up before class since they both had a free period then. Nobody could confirm it of course, but Addison told you how she had seen Mr. Lennox's from one day tie sticking out behind the notorious theatre couch so you were inclined to believe it. Whatever the case was, it gave you and Viktoria more time to chat. The two of you went back and forth excitedly talking about your solos next week and how you would be inviting your families to come watch you perform when the sound of someone calling the name Viktor could be heard. Neither of you really paid it any attention until the voice entered the instrument locker room shouting,

"Viktor Petrov!"

Viktoria froze in place. She hadn't been called that name in a very long time and it wasn't a name she wanted to hear.

Viktoria was born Viktor Petrov and while she never hid the fact that she was trans she also wasn't making it known to everyone either. If someone she felt safe around asked her about it she wouldn't lie, but for the most part, she just laid low and kept it to herself and the people close to her who knew. It wasn't that hard to lay low either as her parents had started helping with her transition when they realized how serious she was in her identity around the age of 8. She started dressing like she wanted to, grew her hair out like she wanted to, and she finally was able to change her name to Viktoria. And fortunately, the schools she went to integrated that with ease. Her parents even went so far as to find a doctor who specialized in gender-affirming healthcare who assisted in her getting on puberty-blocking medication six months ago since she wouldn't be able to start hormone replacement therapy for at least two years when she was sixteen with her parent's written consent. Doing so helped with the dysphoria she was beginning to experience and kept the way she looked on the outside on par with who she was inside. She stayed small, petite, and with softer features and a lack of body hair. All of it helped her to feel more like her but it also helped in her ability to pass with relative ease. She had been presenting as herself for so many years that a majority of people didn't know and wouldn't have guessed otherwise.

But that didn't mean there weren't assholes. One of those was the voice calling out her dead name Ronan Jeffries. Ronan Jeffries and her had only crossed paths once before when she was in 6th grade and he was in 8th in the middle school band. Ronan was a violin player and therefore in the same section as Viktoria. Both of them were good players of their instruments but Ronan always seemed to have some kind of vendetta to be better than her. She never figured out how he had found out about being transgender but at some point he did and he made her life a living hell out of it. No matter how many times he got detention for calling her the wrong name or purposely misgendering her he still continued to do so. Apparently, her misery meant more than his record because halfway through the year he was forced to transfer to another middle school because he had gotten expelled from all his detentions. After his departure, Viktoria had pretty much forgotten about Ronan and his harassment marking it as a bad experience from her past. But hearing his voice now shouting a name that was not her own sent a frightful shock through her system.

Viktoria didn't move. She didn't even know he went to this school, in the months she had been here she had never seen or heard about him once. Her body froze as she tried to think of what to do or say but she couldn't come up with anything. But there was time to think of anything as a hand harshly grabbed onto her shoulder turning her around. There stood Ronan much taller and angrier than he was when she was in 6th grade.

"Who the hell do you think you are coming in and taking my solo Viktor?!"

"Ronan, what are you doing?" Another boy called from behind him "Why are you so mad at her?"

"Stay out of it, Sawyer." Ronan retorted "And they're a boy. His name is Viktor."

The boy behind him, Sawyer, looked confused at the entire ordeal. You however had a completely clear mind and a reaction time that could rival formula one racers. Immediately you pushed Ronan away from Viktoria, putting yourself in between the two. You didn't know who this guy was, or how he knew Viktoria but you weren't going to put up with his disrespect of her.

"Hey, hands off asshole." You snapped "I don't know who you think you are but she's a girl and her name is VIKTORIA. Now, I know you're not in our band class so why the hell are you here?"

"I don't need to be in the band. It's beneath me. I audition for solos as an individual player and for three years all the strings solos have been mine."

Oh, so not only was he a bigot he was a pretentious bigot. If there were two things you were known for not liking it was disrespect and pretentiousness. And this motherfucker decided to be both. If he didn't leave soon you knew he was going to have a very bad time.

"Get out of my way, I'm not here for you. I'm here for him." Ronan stated trying to push you aside

You planted yourself firmly, making yourself denser so that it was impossible to move you. He was not getting past. Not without a fight that is. He looked confused as to why he wasn't able to force your small frame out of the way but all you did was scowl back at him. Your eyes filled with rage as you replied loudly,

"HER."

"Are you blind?" He asked maliciously

"No, but you'll be when I rip your fucking eyes out." You threatened

Viktoria had her back against the wall of instrument lockers as she watched the two of you go back and forth. She could feel her hands shake as her heart raced. She was scared and backed into a literal corner. Even if she had you defending her, all she wanted to do was get away. Maybe if you two went into the actual band classroom he wouldn't follow. Then again, he didn't seem the type who would be afraid to cause an even larger disruption in front of more people. He would probably relish it. Perhaps you two could just run into the hall and then you could make both of you invisible. She didn't know, but it would probably be safer for both of you if you disengaged. Her hand still shaky, she placed a hand on your shoulder as she quietly said,

"(Y/N), let's just go..."

"Oh, so he's confident enough to steal my solo but too much of a coward to face me about it," Ronan remarked

"It's not your solo. You didn't get it." You corrected through gritted teeth "And stop calling her that, she's a girl."

And for the first time in a while, the confused boy, Sawyer spoke up and contributed,

"Yeah dude, I'm pretty sure that's a girl."

Ronan's attention looked back towards his friend, who obviously had no clue what he was talking about, as he snapped at him,

"Shut the fuck up, Sawyer."

Turning his attention back, Ronan looked over your shoulder. His gaze dead set on Viktoria. There was malice in his eyes and vile in his tone as he spoke,

"Mr. Lennox might think you're special but you're not. You're just an attention seeker who doesn't deserve that solo Vik-."

Before he could finish his sentence though you had shoved him into the instrument lockers behind him. The back of his head smacked against one of the closed wood doors. His eyes became trained on you as you looked back at him taking a step closer. Anger radiated off of you and adrenaline was pumping through your system at a rapid pace. You were done with his transphobic bullshit and you were going to put this to an end.

"Call her the wrong name ONE MORE TIME-" You threatened

"Or what?" He retorted

"Or I'm gonna ruin your life." You stated firmly

If he made just one movement, any movement, it would be game over for him. You watch as he scowled at you, clenched fists at his sides that began to raise slightly as he moved forward away from the lockers behind him. Your eyes kept focusing on his hands as he commanded,

"Shut up you freshman bitch."

And with that, you felt the impact of a fist colliding with your gut sending you doubling over. All the air in you felt like it was pushed out of your body, but you held your composure. You had taken a hit before this was nothing new. But then just as quick as the first punch came a second one flew towards your face making direct contact. You could feel the ring on Ronan's finger cut across your cheek.

"Oh my god (Y/N)!" Viktoria gasped

"Ronan what the hell are you doing man!" Sawyer exclaimed

Ronan looked down at his hands, one of them now covered in your blood. He stared at them, flipping them over back and forth, as shock and confusion appeared on his face.

"What the fuck..." he questioned under his breath

With him distracted, you stood up wiping your face with the back of your hand. Bright red blood coming from your nose and the cut on your cheek from his punch. You bared your teeth at him, anger burning in your eyes as you shouted,

"YOU FUCKING CUNT!"

Kicking him in the crotch you watched as he began to drop to his knees, his hands now covering where you kicked and he groaned in pain. Before he could fully hit the ground though, your hand roughly grabbed his hair slamming his head into the wooden lockers behind him twice. With one hand still gripping his hair you placed your other hand on his shoulder pushing him to the ground. As he landed on his side you kicked him in the gut hard enough to cause him to roll onto his back. As he groan out in pain again you dropped to your knees and began swinging at his face just as he had swung at you.

"THIS. IS WHAT. YOU GET. YOU BIGOTED. PIECE. OF SHIT!" You yelled as you punched him repeatedly

"Holy shit," Sawyer said in total shock

"(Y/N)!" Viktoria exclaimed

She didn't know what to do. This asshole deserved what you were doing to him and she knew she would've never been able to do it herself, but she didn't want you to get in trouble on her behalf. She knew you probably didn't care, but she didn't want you to have a bad reputation nor did she want herself to somehow end up with a bad reputation either. She wanted to be liked and accepted. The situation was hard enough already and it was only the first half of freshman year. The last thing she wanted was for people to look at either of you differently because of this. As Viktoria stood there panicking on whether to stop you or get help, Mr. Lennox finally showed up bursting into the instrument locker room. He looked disheveled and shocked as he frantically shouted,

"Miss (L/N) stop that right now!"

Bending over he pulled you off of your knees and away from Ronan who was bloodied and in pain on the floor. Carefully, Mr. Lennox let go of you as you caught your breath. Your hands and clothes were splattered with red, but you didn't care. You watched as Ronan slowly stood up from the floor but leaned himself against the wall away from you. Unconsciously, you took a step in front of Viktoria to block him from her.

"Someone tell me what is going on here?!" Mr. Lennox questioned loudly

"He punched me!" You shouted angrily "He physically and verbally harassed Viktoria and when I told him to stop he punched me."

"No, she beat the shit out of me!" Ronan exclaimed back

"Yeah after you hit me!" You yelled, "I was trying to defend myself and Viktoria, Mr. Lennox!"

"I didn't punch her, I swear!" Ronan denied

Mr. Lennox looked between the two of you noticing distinct injuries to your face and bright red on Ronan's hand.

"Ronan, there is blood on her face and blood on your hand. You really want me to believe you didn't hit her?"

"I didn't do it myself!" He bellowed

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Mr. Lennox turned toward Viktoria looking for answers. You and Ronan were going to do nothing but shout, therefore he needed an actual witness.

"Viktoria, did Ronan punch (Y/N) just now for the reason she stated?"

What you said was true but you had been much more vague in your description of events. Perhaps you were having trouble finding the words through your anger or perhaps you were worried about outing her to Mr. Lennox and that kid Sawyer. Either way, Mr. Lennox already knew and Sawyer seemed a little too dense about it all, so after taking a moment to herself Viktoria spoke up,

"Yes, he did. He grabbed onto me harshly and continuously called me the wrong name and pronouns. And when she verbally told him to stop he hit her."

"Twice. He punched her twice." Sawyer added

Viktoria could see the seething rage appear on Mr. Lennox's face, but he forced it down and tried to keep his composure. Turning slightly, he faced Viktoria and Sawyer as he said in a steady but serious tone,

"Thank you for that information, you two."

"Sawyer, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Ronan yelled, "Whose side are you on?!"

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" Sawyer yelled back "You punched a fucking freshman girl over a high school solo that some other girl got."

"He's not a girl!" Ronan exclaimed

Quickly rushing away from Mr. Lennox, you decked Ronan in the face once more sending him sliding down the wall. Turning back towards the others in the room you stated firmly,

"I'm sorry Mr. Lennox that one was on my own accord. I refuse to tolerate his bigotry."

"I understand, I really do, but you can't keep hitting him. We just-" Mr. Lennox sighed obviously overwhelmed by the situation "Ronan you're coming with me to the principal's office. Your words and actions are unacceptable. The rest of you stay here."

The other three of you in the room watched as Mr. Lennox went over to Ronan picking him up and carrying him out of the room, most likely toward the principal's office. Sawyer, the confused boy, then looked over toward Viktoria. He had an awkward look on his face as he nervously scratched the back of his neck.

"I know my words probably don't mean much but I'm sorry for what happened. I don't know what he was going on about. I've never seen him act like that before but you don't look anything like a boy to me." Sawyer apologized before adding "I'm gonna go away now but uh- congrats on your solo."

"Oh...thanks." Viktoria responded quietly

As Sawyer left the room and closed the door behind Viktoria let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. A wave of emotion began to overcome her as the embarrassment, sadness, and fear from the situation caught up to her. Seeing her body begin to tremble you walked over to her, gently taking her hand in yours as you softly said,

"Hey sit with me."

Viktoria could only respond with a slight nod of her head, and the two of you sat down on the ground, your backs leaning against the door of one of the lockers. You watched as she closed her eyes and breathed in and out deeply, her hand gripping yours tighter and tighter. Tiny tears fell from her eyes making her pain visible and leaving streaks down her reddening face.

"You okay?" You asked leaning closer to her

"I've been better." She whispered

Viktoria rested her head upon your shoulder. Her eyes still closed but her breathing became calmer and her hand now held yours a little looser. The room was quiet. You were trying to let her go at her own pace but after a few minutes, you decided there was something you wanted to say.

"I wish I could tell you that everything is going to be okay. That it was a once-off occurrence and this will never happen again. But we both know the world is full of assholes." You tried to comfort "What I can tell you though is that so long as I'm alive I'm not going to let anyone hurt you for being yourself. Or anyone else for that matter."

Slowly Viktoria opened her eyes, her breathing finally steadying as she looked up at you. Her hand holding yours tighter once again as she asked,

"You mean that?"

"Of course I do Vi. You are beautiful, you are talented, you are amazing just as you are," You explained with a smile "And I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you. Just as you are."

Tilting your face, you placed a kiss on her forehead. You never believed that physical affection was strictly a romantic act and your friends, who were like your family, deserved to feel loved too beyond just saying so. Wiping a few of her tears away with your free hand, you held the one in your other a little tighter as you stated softly,

"You are exactly who you are supposed to be."

Viktoria gave you a small smile. Thank god she had you with her for this.  Your love and reassurance helped her to feel a bit better even if she was still slightly shaken up. She could feel that you meant what you said and what you said meant a lot to her. There was another silence, the two of you just sitting there once more, but then just like you, Viktoria felt inclined to speak.

"I can't believe Ronan punched you." She joked, her voice croaky

"No, he didn't." You replied nonchalantly

Viktoria's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What did you mean? She saw what happened to you.

"(Y/N) I literally just watched you take a punch for me. TWICE." Viktoria stated

"Well, he didn't do it himself." You remarked with a shrug of your shoulders

"(Y/N), your face got cut by his ring. Your nose is bleeding. What do you mean?" Viktoria asked for clarification

A smirk came to your face as you used your powers to drag Viktoria's free hand off to the side. Gently of course. Her eyes went wide as Viktoria finally realized what you meant.

"Oh my god!" Viktoria exclaimed in a hushed tone "You made him punch you?"

"Well I knew I could take it," You stated matter-of-factly "And I couldn't call it self-defense if I threw the first hit."

"You're insane. Completely insane." Viktoria replied

"Perhaps, but there was no way I was going to let him get away with what he said to you." You mentioned, "Nobody is going to talk like that to someone on my watch but especially not one of my closest friends."

"I cannot believe you," Viktoria said still trying to process everything

"Well, you better. If we weren't at school where I've got to hide my abilities I'd send that prick same-day shipping to hell." You explained, "Full-scale combustion comes quite easy these days."

Viktoria blinked her eyes at you a few times not quite sure what to say. She didn't know how serious you were since your tone was so upbeat but honestly, it didn't really matter to her either way. You sure were one of a kind though. She had never met another person like you.

"You are...something else (Y/N)." Viktoria commented

"Yeah, but you Viktoria Petrov are amazing." You replied with a smile "And everyone at the upcoming concert is gonna think so too by the time you're done with your solo."

Just as you had finished your statement though you saw Mr. Lennox walk back into the instrument storage room. The look on his face was serious as he stated,

"(Y/N), the principal would like to see you, and the people listed under your emergency contact info are on their way."

"Oh no..." You said under your breath

This was not good. Diego and Eudora were not going to be happy about this. They both had the day off today, so they were going to show up together. God, they were probably in the car figuring out how they were going to lecture you already. You looked a mess too. Ronan's blood was on your hands and your blood covered your face and shirt. When they saw you they were going to flip and you had no clue if it would be at you or the kid who started it. Well, it was too late at this point and it's not like you regretted your actions either. You just had to face the music for what occurred. Letting out a heavy breath you stood up from where you sat on the floor. Looking down at Viktoria you remarked,

"Well wish me luck. I'm either gonna get my ass chewed out by Diego and Eudora for fighting in school or I'm about to watch two 25-year-olds beat the shit out of a 17-year-old."

Turning away you walked to the door to be escorted by Mr. Lennox to the principal's office. Viktoria watched as Mr. Lennox stepped out of the doorway allowing you to follow him, but before you could get too far Viktoria called,

"Hey (Y/N)?"

"Yeah?" You answered stopping to turn back and look at her

"Thanks," Viktoria said

A smile came to your face as you kindly replied,

"Anything for you Vi."

December 22, 2014:

It had been a week since the altercation that had happened in the instrument locker room occurred and with each passing day the anticipation of the winter concert continued to build until it was finally here. The auditorium was completely filled with students and family members coming out to see the show. The way the program worked was unconventional compared to how Viktoria was used to it in middle school. Typically, all the band would come out at once and perform and the soloist would stand up and go to the front of the stage when it was their turn. However, at the last minute, Mr. Lennox had been presented with a new format idea by Mr. Bardot and decided to go with it. Now the entire band would perform their group songs together, then once finished the entire band would exit, and then the soloists would come from off stage and perform well...solo. And unfortunately, with that new format, it meant that Viktoria would be the last performance of the night, on stage, in front of the packed auditorium, alone. 

As the soloist before Viktoria performed their song, Viktoria held the neck of her viola and bow tightly in one hand as she fiddled with the fabric of her clothes with the other. This is not what Viktoria had planned for and she felt extremely concerned about the whole thing. 

"You ready?" You asked leaning against the concrete wall of the stage left wing

"Yeah, I think so..." Viktoria replied pulling nervously at the skirt of her dress

You could tell that Viktoria was nervous. Between the change of format and the huge crowd, she was becoming extremely anxious and her anxiety was not going to help. Trying to ease her nerves you encouraged her,

"You're going to do great and I'm gonna be right here cheering you on." 

"Thanks. I'm glad you were allowed to be here." Viktoria replied before adding "I'm still sorry you can't participate and lost your solo though."

"Eh, don't worry about it. There's always the spring concert." You mentioned unbothered "Anyway, losing my solo and four days ISS is worth you getting to perform and that asshole kicked from school."

You didn't let Viktoria in on all the details of what went down in the principal's office last week but apparently when Diego and Eudora arrived to see you covered in blood things got pretty heated and things got even worse when you had explained why you looked that way. You told her you were disappointed nobody got into a fistfight in the office, but somehow the issue was resolved by Ronan being expelled from school, and you having in-school suspension all of last week plus losing the ability to perform at the winter concert. Viktoria appreciated all that you did but now the annoying irrational little voice in Viktoria's head wondered if Ronan was right. What if she wasn't actually good enough for the solo? What if she screwed up? Ugh, why did she have to be the last performance? Anxious thoughts plagued her mind and as she could hear the soloist before her beginning to wrap up their performance Viktoria blurted to you,

"I can't do it."

"What? What do you mean?" You asked confused

"I- I just can't." Viktoria stuttered nervously

She was getting into her own head too much and you needed to pull her back out. Taking a few steps over to her you gently placed your hand on her shoulders and turned her to look at you. 

"Viktoria, look at me." You stated softly but firmly "You practiced for months for this, you gave your all in your audition to earn this and now you are going to go out there and show everyone why this is your solo."

You were right. Of course, you were right. This was her solo. She worked hard for this. She fought for this. This was her time to shine. Her time for everyone to see her and know how amazing she could be. This is what she was good at, this was her passion and she was going to perform.

"Okay." Viktoria replied, "I'll do it."

The sound of clapping could be heard and soon died off as Marissa Syddel walked by shooting you a smug smile before meeting some of her friends and laughing. 

"Laugh it up Syddel," You berated "Just remember you got that solo by default because I beat a 17-year-old half to death."

You an Viktoria watched as Marissa and her friends immediately stopped laughing and quickly scurried off until they were out of your sight. You relaxed your shoulders as you turned back to your friend and gave her another reassuring smile.

"Y'know people are intimidated by you now." Viktoria mentioned

"Good. I'm not looking to make more friends." You stated 

Viktoria watched as Mr. Lennox stepped out from the opposite stage wing and walked to the center of the stage. Picking up a microphone he looked over to Viktoria before looking back toward the crowd and announcing,

"I'd like to welcome our final soloist to the stage, performing a rendition of Halo by Beyonce on the viola, Miss Viktoria Petrov."

There was the sound of clapping again as Viktoria looked over to you one more time.

"This is your moment." You reminded "Give 'em the performance of a lifetime."

"I'll try," Viktoria replied

"You will." You reassured, "I know you will."

Viktoria nodded her head at your statement and then walked out onto the stage. Glancing over to the side she could see the rest of your friend group sitting on the front row clapping and giving her thumbs ups and her parents and younger brother a few rows further back smiling and waving at her. Viktoria gave a shy smile as she made her way to center stage and turned to face the large crowd. The clapping faded as she lifted her viola up and rested it under her chin before lifting up her bow and placing it upon the strings. Taking a deep breath she held it for a moment reminding herself of all the positive things you said. She worked for this. She earned this. This was her solo.

And nothing and no one was going to take that from her.

Letting out her breath, she remembered what she had worked so hard on and began to play. And just like that, the crowd faded away and all that was left was Viktoria and her viola. With each note, she became more entranced in her performance. The music flowed from her as if the sound was already part of her, to begin with. Her soul poured out into the piece as melody filled every part of the room. A smile played on her lips as she got lost in her own performance.

This was her moment.

Just like the crowd, you watched intently from the sidelines. The music was so entrancing and you had no doubt that this was always going to be the outcome of her performance. She was an amazing musician just as much as she was an amazing person. A small smile came to your face as a few tears welled in your eyes knowing everyone here would get to see your friend in her happiest and truest form. She deserved this. The joy, the recognition, the praise. She deserved it all and you couldn't be prouder. She was her, and she was happy, and everyone could see so. And that was beautiful.

As her song ended, Viktoria slowly lowered her viola and bow and looked out into the crowd as people began to clap. She could see her parents standing up as they clapped for her, her dad lifting her 7-year-old brother up so he could see her better. And looking down at the front row she could see your group of friends as they stood up cheering and clapping up a storm. The love and support from her friends and family meant a lot but it was to be expected. However, what wasn't expected was the way people besides her friends and family began to stand. Person by person, row by row, the auditorium stood as they clapped for Viktoria.  Viktoria's face lit up with pride and her mouth lifted into a smile as she looked out across the sea of people giving her a standing ovation for her performance. This is what she worked for. She worked hard to have people recognize her and her talents and now they were. Not just her friends or her family. Everyone. And if this was her starting point it could only go up from here. After a few more moments, Viktoria gave a curtsy to the crowd before turning away and walking backstage toward you. Her head held high at the accomplishment she just did. When she was sure she was behind the curtain once more she rushed over toward you into a hug.

You held her tightly, beaming with pride at your friend. She had done such an amazing job and there was no better at playing the viola than her. As Viktoria pulled back from the hug, she looked up at you with bright eyes and a wide smile and asked enthusiastically,

"How did I do?"

You smiled at her knowing there was only one way to describe her performance,

"Extraordinary."

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