#his bag is outdated in this but um. ignore that

[yippee-optimistically]

I drew some of these while recovering from a cold so. sorry raz for making u sick ig. its millas hand on his forehead btw

[amethystarachnid]

I have an idea for this Accidental Roommates AU (example: both character and reader book the same apartment and are now roommates), and I hope this makes sense to you! So, it's with Tony&fem!reader. They'll turn into a lovely couple after some time, and adopt a kitten/cat together? Tony Stark is the biggest cat dad in the world, and no one will convince me otherwise hehe.

Thank you! 🧡 (or you can ignore this)

ROOM FOR TWO - part I

⤷ ANTHONY “TONY” E. STARK

ᯓ★ Pairing: Anthony “Tony” E. Stark x fem!reader

ᯓ★ Genre: romance, fluff

ᯓ★ Request from: MARVEL Multiverse

ᯓ★ Story type: short fanfic

ᯓ★ Word count: 6k

ᯓ★ Summary: Finding out that the apartment you were supposed to live in is overbooked isn't the best way to start college, especially if your roommate it Tony Stark in all his arrogance. Will things between you two change when you have to co-parent a stray kitten?

ᯓ★ part II

ᯓ★ TW(s): pure fluff

ᯓ★ AU: Accidental roommates

ᯓ★ Comment if you want to be added to the taglist (specify if you want the everything taglist or for a specific character)

ᯓ★ My Masterlist

ᯓ★ MARVEL Multiverse - choose an AU, pair it with your favorite character and make a request!

ᯓ★ Songs & Superheroes tales - The Game (to make a request, follow the rules on the link!)

ᯓ★ MARVEL Bingo

ᯓ★ English isn’t my first language

A campus rental, small and cozy, isn’t what you pictured when you imagined your first college apartment. The place is narrow, the walls are beige, and the furniture is outdated—but it’s private. Or so you thought.

When you first walk in, your suitcase bumping against the doorframe, you’re ready to start unpacking, excited about this small taste of independence. But before you make it past the entryway, you hear footsteps and a muttered curse.

Then you see him. Standing in the doorway to the kitchen, staring at you like you’re the one who doesn’t belong here.

“What are you doing here?” he asks. His voice is sharp, confused, and a little annoyed. He’s got dark hair that’s messily falling into his eyes and he’s wearing a band T-shirt, ripped and faded like it’s been through too many wash cycles. His jeans are equally worn, fitting him a little too well, and he has this stance—relaxed but tense at the same time—that suggests he isn’t someone who’s often surprised. You know who he is, of course. He’s in your engineering class, always the one who asks questions so far above everyone’s heads that even the professor sometimes looks thrown.

“Um… I live here?” You don’t mean to make it sound like a question, but it kind of is. Because despite the paperwork in your bag and the email from the landlord, this feels wrong. Or at the very least, unexpected.

“No, you don’t,” he counters, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow. “I do.”

You shake your head, forcing yourself to stand a little straighter. “I signed the lease last month. I have emails and everything.”

“Yeah?” He pulls out his phone, scrolling with one hand before he flashes his screen toward you. “So did I.”

You squint, trying to make out the details through the faint glare. And then it hits you. Your landlord—the one who’d been juggling your papers at your first meeting, his glasses slipping down his nose as he talked in circles about tenant rights and late fees—must have double-booked the apartment.

Great.

Tony sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Alright, this has to be some kind of clerical error. I’ll call the landlord and sort it out. This isn’t—” he gestures to you, almost like he’s waving you off, “—what I signed up for.”

“Hey,” you say, putting a hand on your hip. “I didn’t sign up for this either. You think I wanted a roommate?”

“Considering I was promised a solo apartment? No.” He rolls his eyes, the look almost theatrical. But there’s something tired in it, something that tells you he’s just as put out as you are.

You cross your arms and look him over, not backing down. “Fine. Call him.”

He stares at you for a second, like he’s trying to figure out why you’re challenging him, before he pulls up his phone again. He dials, waits for a second, and then mutters a low curse when he’s sent to voicemail. “Of course,” he grumbles. “The guy’s probably out somewhere completely unreachable.”

“Figures,” you mutter back. “This is a disaster.”

Tony shoves his phone back into his pocket and leans against the counter, watching you with a resigned sort of amusement. “Well, I don’t have anywhere else to go. And unless you’re secretly a millionaire with a spare apartment lined up, I’m guessing you don’t either.”

The sarcasm in his voice makes you narrow your eyes. “I have a backup plan, thank you very much,” you lie, because you’d rather not give him the satisfaction of thinking he’s got the upper hand here. But he’s not buying it. The way he’s smirking tells you that much.

“Right,” he says, dragging out the word, “but if you’re planning on staying at this backup plan, you’d better let me know soon because I’d rather not waste time unpacking if I’ll be the only one here.”

You bite back an irritated response, taking a deep breath instead. “Look,” you start, forcing yourself to be diplomatic, “why don’t we just… figure this out later? The landlord will be available at some point, and we can get this sorted then.”

“Fine by me,” he replies with a careless shrug, but you notice his eyes linger on you a little longer than you expect. “So what’s your name?”

“Y/N,” you reply shortly, unsure if you want to give him any more than that just yet.

“Tony,” he says. There’s something about the way he says it that feels almost like a challenge, like he’s waiting to see how you’ll respond.

But you just nod, trying to ignore the way he’s sizing you up, like he’s deciding whether you’re friend or foe. You’re here to study, to focus on your degree—not to get tangled up in whatever Tony Stark’s got going on.

“So, um…” You gesture around the apartment awkwardly, not really sure what to do next. “I guess we should… set some ground rules?”

“Sure.” He pushes off the counter and stands in the middle of the small kitchen, arms folded as he looks at you expectantly. “You start.”

“Alright,” you say, steeling yourself. “Number one: respect each other’s space.”

He nods, almost a bit too seriously. “Agreed. Number two: no loud music after ten.”

You arch a brow, half-smiling. “Already calling me a party animal?”

Tony shrugs, unbothered. “I’ve seen you in class. You don’t look like the type who needs extra chaos, that’s all.”

You’re not sure if it’s a compliment or a jab, but you let it slide. “Number three: split the cleaning. I’m not a maid, and I don’t plan on cleaning up after you.”

“Noted.” He holds up his hands in a mock defensive gesture. “I’m pretty tidy anyway.”

“Good.” You cross your arms, feeling slightly more in control of the situation now that you’re laying down some structure. “Number four: don’t touch my food.”

He smirks at that, leaning a little closer. “You think I want your ramen?”

“It’s very good ramen,” you retort, bristling a bit at the implication.

“Sure, sure,” he says, grinning now. “Anything else?”

“Not for now,” you say, though you know there are probably a dozen more things you could add. But you’ll figure those out as you go. For now, you just want to unpack and get this over with.

“Cool,” he says, nodding in agreement. He turns, heading toward the living area, which also serves as a shared bedroom thanks to a convertible couch and a twin bed crammed into one corner. “So, who gets the couch?”

You hesitate, looking between the couch and the twin bed. The bed is closer to the window, which would be nice, but the couch has more privacy since it’s further from the door. “Uh… maybe we take turns?”

Tony snorts, plopping himself down on the couch and stretching out, arms folded behind his head. “I’m good here,” he says with a smirk, like he’s already staked his claim.

Your irritation flares again, but you let it go, deciding that it’s not worth the fight. “Fine. I’ll take the bed.”

“Perfect.” He doesn’t even open his eyes, clearly satisfied with the arrangement.

You grab your suitcase and start unpacking your things into the small dresser on the far side of the room. Every now and then, you catch him watching you from the corner of his eye, but he doesn’t say anything.

The silence stretches out, a little too heavy and a little too tense, until you can’t take it anymore.

“So,” you say, desperate for a distraction, “what’s your major?”

“Mechanical engineering,” he replies without missing a beat. “What about you?”

“Engineering, too,” you say, feeling a bit relieved that you have something in common. But he just raises an eyebrow, like he’s not sure if he’s impressed or skeptical.

“Didn’t peg you as the type,” he says, his tone teasing but not unkind.

You laugh a little, rolling your eyes. “Yeah? And what’s ‘the type’?”

He shrugs. “Just… different. I dunno. You don’t seem like you’d be into all the math and circuits and long nights in the lab.”

“Shows what you know,” you say, surprised by your own defensiveness. But it’s true—engineering is your passion, even if people don’t always expect it from you.

Tony sits up a little, watching you with newfound interest. “Fair enough. Maybe you’ll surprise me.”

The way he says it, like he’s almost daring you to, makes you feel like you have something to prove. “Maybe I will.”

He grins, and you can’t help but smile back, despite yourself. There’s something about him that’s annoyingly charming, even if he’s a bit smug.

“So, guess we’re stuck together,” he says, stretching again and giving a mock yawn as he looks around the small space. “Might as well make the most of it, right?”

“Right,” you say, trying to ignore the flutter of nerves in your stomach. It’s going to be a long semester.

The evening settles in, the sky outside darkening as you both settle into your corners of the small apartment. And even though it’s awkward and tense and neither of you is thrilled about the arrangement, there’s a strange sense of possibility in the air. As much as you hate to admit it, maybe being roommates with Tony Stark won’t be the worst thing in the world.

Or maybe it’ll be a disaster.

The first few weeks of living with Tony Stark are, in a word, chaotic.

It doesn’t take long for you to realize that sharing a space with him means constantly navigating a fine line between friendly coexistence and utter frustration. He has this way of making himself at home in every corner of the apartment, like he’s somehow managed to expand into all the free space. You can’t go to the bathroom without finding his razor on the sink, his textbooks spread across the counter, or his laundry draped over a chair. And then there’s his music—always loud and mostly classic rock, blaring at all hours, completely ignoring your “no loud music after ten” rule.

One morning, as you walk bleary-eyed to the kitchen for coffee, you trip over a pile of Tony’s sneakers lying by the door.

“Tony!” you shout, cursing as you nearly spill your coffee. “Your shoes are everywhere. I can’t even walk in here without tripping.”

He pokes his head around the corner, toothbrush hanging out of his mouth. “Relax, Y/N, it’s just a couple of shoes. Don’t get your circuits crossed.” He grins around the toothbrush, somehow managing to look amused and cocky at the same time.

You glare. “It’s not just the shoes. It’s the shoes, your textbooks, the dishes you leave in the sink—do you know what a dishwasher is?”

He raises an eyebrow, half-amused, half-unbothered. “Do you know what a chill pill is?”

You roll your eyes, muttering under your breath, and try to focus on your coffee. He’s insufferable, really, and yet… somehow, every time he flashes that grin, you feel a flicker of something you can’t quite name. Not that it makes him any less irritating.

The semester picks up, and with it, so do the all-nighters. You’re both in the same engineering program, and you’re both competitive. When he’s hunched over his laptop at two in the morning, the screen casting his face in an eerie blue light, you find yourself in the same position, furiously scribbling equations, desperate to finish before he does. Occasionally, you catch him glancing over at you, eyebrow raised, like he’s silently challenging you to keep up. And you do.

One night, you’re both exhausted, sprawled on opposite ends of the couch after a particularly grueling set of lab assignments. You’re barely holding a pencil in your hand, too tired to even write another line. He’s in the same state, eyes half-closed, notebook resting against his chest.

“You’re not as bad at this as I thought you’d be,” he mumbles, half-asleep.

“Thanks,” you mutter back, too tired to argue or throw a sarcastic response his way. “You’re not that bad, either.”

He huffs, like he’s barely holding back a laugh. You don’t know why, but the sound actually makes you smile.

Tony’s bad habits still drive you crazy, though, especially when it comes to his tendency to hog the tiny bathroom you both share. One morning, after he’s been in there for over twenty minutes, you finally bang on the door.

“Tony, hurry up! I have class in half an hour!”

The door cracks open, and he peeks his head out, hair still dripping from his shower. “Calm down, I’m almost done.”

“Almost done? You’ve been in there forever!” you snap, crossing your arms.

He grins, completely unfazed. “If you’re so desperate, feel free to join me.”

You feel your face heat up, and before you can come up with a comeback, he winks and shuts the door again, leaving you fuming and red-faced in the hallway. That’s Tony, always pushing buttons just because he can.

Over time, though, things… change. Somewhere between the petty arguments and the grudging coexistence, you start to fall into a rhythm. You still bicker, but there’s an unspoken understanding now. You’ll swap the couch and the bed without making a fuss, automatically take turns in the kitchen, and sometimes, you’ll even study together.

You find out that Tony’s more than just the arrogant guy from class—he’s sharp, quick with a joke, and oddly attentive. Sometimes, you’ll wake up to find a fresh cup of coffee waiting for you, and he’ll wave it off, muttering something about it being “just convenient.” And in return, you start picking up his shoes without complaining, throwing his clothes into the hamper, and even bringing him snacks during your late-night study sessions.

It’s a Friday night, and for once, you’re not spending it at home or at the library. You’ve actually got a date—a rarity in your life—and you spent more time than you’d like to admit getting ready, carefully putting on makeup and smoothing down your dress.

Tony, of course, has been watching with that teasing glint in his eyes the entire time, slouched on the couch with his laptop, occasionally smirking like he knows something you don’t.

“You’re actually going out with this guy?” he asks, after you’ve checked your reflection for the fifth time.

“Yes, Tony, people do go on dates. You should try it sometime.”

He laughs, that casual, easy chuckle that you hate because it always manages to sound good. “I don’t need a date, Y/N. I get enough action as it is.”

You roll your eyes, grabbing your purse. “Enjoy your action tonight, Stark. I’ll be back late.”

But as the evening wears on, your mood changes. You’re sitting at a café table, checking your watch for the third time. Your “date” was supposed to meet you half an hour ago, but there’s no sign of him. A growing feeling of embarrassment builds in your chest, and with each passing minute, it gets worse. You don’t want to be that girl who waits around for someone who clearly isn’t coming. With a sigh, you grab your bag and head home, hoping Tony won’t notice your early return.

When you open the door, though, Tony looks up from the couch, eyebrows raised. “That was… fast.”

You sigh, closing the door and leaning against it, trying not to let the disappointment show on your face. “He, um… he didn’t show up.”

Tony’s expression changes, softening a little. He puts his laptop aside and stands up, crossing the room to stand in front of you. For once, there’s no teasing in his eyes, no smirk. “Wait, he stood you up?”

You shrug, forcing a smile. “It’s not a big deal. I probably wasn’t his type, anyway.”

“Not his type?” Tony’s face hardens a little, his tone sharp. “Y/N, he’s an idiot. You’re amazing. He just missed out on something great.”

You blink, caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice. “You don’t have to say that.”

He shakes his head, his hand reaching out almost instinctively to touch your shoulder. “I’m not saying it because I have to. I’m saying it because it’s true.” His gaze holds yours, steady and warm, and for the first time, you realize just how intense his eyes are.

There’s a moment of silence, heavy and charged, and you feel your pulse quicken. You’re standing close, closer than usual, and for once, there’s no witty comeback, no sarcastic remark from him. Just Tony, looking at you like he sees something in you that no one else does.

“Hey,” he says softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” you murmur, swallowing against the sudden tightness in your throat. “I just… I guess I feel a little stupid, that’s all.”

Tony’s face softens, and to your surprise, he pulls you into a gentle hug, his arms wrapping around you like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “You’re not stupid, Y/N,” he says quietly, his voice a warm murmur against your hair. “Some guys are just idiots. Trust me—I know a lot of them.”

You laugh against his shoulder, feeling some of the hurt and embarrassment melt away. “Thanks, Tony.”

He pulls back slightly, his hands resting on your shoulders, his gaze searching yours. “Anytime. Seriously.”

For a moment, you just stand there, lost in his eyes, feeling something shift between you. He’s still Tony—annoying, messy, impossible—but there’s something else there now, something unspoken. And suddenly, the idea of him as just your roommate feels almost… disappointing.

He seems to feel it too, because he lets go and steps back, clearing his throat. “So, uh… if you want, we could watch a movie or something? My treat. I have some popcorn in the cupboard, and I promise not to talk through the entire thing.”

You smile, nodding. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

And as you settle onto the couch together, for once in comfortable silence, you can’t help but feel like this night turned out better than you expected.

The first time it happens, it’s an accident. You don’t even plan on a second Friday movie night, but somehow, it just becomes part of the routine.

A week after your canceled date, you both end up crashing on the couch with a couple of cheap takeout containers, both too tired to think about cooking or studying. Tony puts on an old action flick, and you spend half the movie rolling your eyes at the ridiculous stunts, only to find him muttering a dramatic running commentary just to make you laugh. By the end of it, you’re not sure if the movie was any good, but you’re grinning, and you realize it’s the most relaxed you’ve felt in weeks.

From then on, Friday movie nights are a thing.

Every Friday, no matter how hectic your schedules are, you and Tony put aside a couple of hours to flop down on the couch and watch something. The movies vary—from classic thrillers to cheesy rom-coms, and even the occasional animated film—but somehow, it always feels like the best part of your week. And, slowly, it becomes one of the best parts of living with Tony.

You look forward to the comfort of those quiet evenings, knowing that you can just curl up with a blanket and relax without any pressure or expectations. Tony usually picks the movie, claiming he has “refined taste,” and you mostly let him—except for the times when you insist on watching something with a little more plot and a little less gratuitous explosion.

One Friday Night

It’s late in the semester, and you’re running on fumes. Between exams, projects, and late-night study sessions, you’re barely getting four hours of sleep a night. You’re slouched against the arm of the couch, wrapped in your favorite blanket, trying to keep your eyes open as Tony scrolls through the movie options.

He shoots you a look, one eyebrow raised. “You sure you’re up for this? You look about two seconds away from passing out.”

You wave him off, trying to suppress a yawn. “I’m fine. Just… pick something, preferably not too loud, and not too complicated.”

“Noted,” he says with a small smirk, settling on a lighthearted rom-com.

You start the movie together, but within minutes, your eyelids are drooping, the exhaustion from the week catching up with you. Tony glances over at you occasionally, eyes softening each time he catches you nodding off, but he doesn’t say anything. He just shifts slightly so you’re more comfortable, like he’s already expecting you to fall asleep.

And then, without really thinking about it, you let yourself sink against him, your head resting on his shoulder as you drift off. He freezes at first, his body going stiff as he looks down at you, eyes widening. But you’re already halfway to sleep, curled up with your blanket, completely unaware of how close you’ve moved.

Tony’s expression softens, and he settles back into the couch, letting his arm drape casually along the back, his body relaxing beneath your weight. He takes a deep breath, a tiny smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. He’s always liked having you close, but you’re usually too guarded, too quick to pull away if he even nudges a little closer during the movie. But right now, with you dozing off against him, he can’t help but feel a quiet kind of happiness.

When the credits roll, he’s still sitting there, one arm around your shoulders, careful not to move too much in case it wakes you. He’s not sure why it feels so right, holding you like this, feeling the warmth of your body against his, but he doesn’t want it to end. Not yet.

Eventually, you shift a little, mumbling something in your sleep, and he swallows, feeling his heart skip a beat. He’s never thought of himself as someone who’s into all that romantic stuff, but right now, he’s sure he wouldn’t mind just staying here like this for a little longer.

After that first time, the accidental cuddling becomes a regular part of Friday nights. Some weeks, you manage to stay awake for most of the movie, laughing and joking with him, but other times, especially when you’re exhausted, you inevitably end up leaning against him. And each time, Tony stays perfectly still, like he doesn’t want to ruin the moment, secretly relishing the feel of you snuggled against him, warm and close.

He never says a word about it, and you don’t notice, or at least, you don’t seem to. It’s a quiet, unspoken thing between you. And in a strange way, it brings you closer, turning those Friday nights into something special.

One Friday, as you’re drifting off, you mumble something into his shoulder. “Thanks, Tony… for putting up with me,” you say, voice thick with sleep.

He chuckles softly, brushing a stray strand of hair from your face. “Anytime, Y/N,” he murmurs, his voice low. “You’re a lot easier to put up with than you think.”

And even though you’re already asleep, the faint smile on your lips tells him you know.

One rainy Tuesday, you’re buried in textbooks, barely aware of the time, when the door bursts open, and Tony steps in, drenched from head to toe. There’s water dripping from his hair, his hoodie soaked through, but that’s not what catches your attention. It’s the tiny, gray-furred creature cradled in his arms, mewling pitifully as it clings to his chest.

You gape at him. “Tony, what—?”

He grins, holding up the little kitten, who peers at you with wide, curious eyes. “Found her outside the library, all alone in the rain. Look at this face—she’s practically begging for a home.”

You blink, not entirely sure how to respond. “Tony, we can’t just… bring a stray home.”

“Why not?” He’s already taken off his jacket, now gently rubbing the kitten dry with the inside of his sleeve. “She clearly needed someone, and I figured, hey, we’ve got space. I already named her and everything.”

You fold your arms, fighting a smile. “Oh? And what, pray tell, is her name?”

He lifts the kitten up, gazing at her with an affectionate look you’ve never seen on his face before. “This is Dumpling,” he says, voice soft as he scratches under her tiny chin. “She looks like a dumpling, don’t you think?”

You burst out laughing, surprised at how fitting it is. The kitten has round, wide eyes and soft, fluffy gray fur that’s sticking up in odd directions. Despite your initial protests, you can already feel yourself softening.

“Alright, Dumpling,” you sigh, reaching out to stroke her tiny head as she lets out a delicate purr. “I guess you’re ours now.”

Tony grins, triumphant, and Dumpling stretches a little, her tiny body relaxing against his chest. And just like that, you have a cat.

Within days, Dumpling has taken over your lives—and, somehow, your relationship with Tony transforms right along with it. The two of you fall into an easy routine of “parenting,” like you’ve somehow become an unlikely team. Dumpling’s food bowl is filled, water is changed, and cat toys litter the living room floor, a mess that somehow makes the apartment feel homier.

You and Tony develop a sort of playful banter around it, too.

One morning, you catch him standing at the kitchen counter, holding a small spoonful of tuna over Dumpling’s head, his expression one of extreme concentration as he tries to get her to “high-five” for it. You snort as you walk into the kitchen.

“Really, Tony? We’re training her now?”

He turns, smirking. “Hey, she’s got potential. I think with a little more time, she might be able to help us with homework.”

You roll your eyes but secretly love the way he’s taken to Dumpling. “You’re just spoiling her,” you say, grabbing your coffee.

“Oh, and you’re not?” He raises an eyebrow, pointing to the fluffy cat bed you impulse-bought online last week. “I think someone’s getting a little too attached.”

“Okay, fair.” You shrug, and as if on cue, Dumpling saunters over to you, rubbing against your leg and purring. You bend down to pick her up, laughing as she curls up in your arms. “But I’m the responsible one. She’s clearly a daddy’s girl.”

“Oh, so I’m ‘Dad’ now?” he teases, reaching over to scratch Dumpling behind the ears. She stretches into his hand, and he gives you a mock-stern look. “That makes you the mom, doesn’t it?”

You feel a slight flush at his words, but you roll your eyes, playing along. “Fine. But if she wakes up at three in the morning, ‘Dad’ is definitely taking that shift.”

He chuckles, and there’s a warmth to it, a little spark that seems to light up every time he glances at you.

As the weeks pass, Dumpling becomes an integral part of your Friday night ritual, usually curled up in your lap or wedged between the two of you as you watch movies. She has this adorable habit of pawing at Tony’s arm if he stops petting her, and though he pretends to be annoyed, you know he secretly loves it.

One night, Tony is stretched out on the couch, Dumpling sprawled lazily across his chest as he scratches her head. You’re curled up beside him, drowsy after a long week, watching a classic rom-com as the rain patters against the window. It’s cozy, peaceful, and you’re so comfortable that you can’t help but let your head rest against his shoulder. The weight of his arm, slung casually over the back of the couch, feels like it’s holding you there, like maybe he wants you just as close as you want to be.

Somewhere in the movie, Dumpling hops down and trots off to her bed, leaving just the two of you on the couch. You’re both quiet, the movie long forgotten as the rain falls softly outside.

When Tony shifts beside you, you feel him turn slightly, his gaze lingering. You look up at him, and for a moment, the two of you just stare at each other, the space between you seeming smaller and smaller.

He clears his throat, almost like he’s about to break the silence, but instead, he just chuckles softly, brushing a stray hair from your face. “You know, I think Dumpling was onto something.”

“Onto what?” you murmur, heart beating just a little faster.

He grins, that warm, gentle grin you’ve come to love. “She figured out she likes being close to you way faster than I did.”

Your breath catches, and you’re not sure if it’s the rain or the warmth in his voice, but something inside you pulls you toward him, drawn by the tenderness in his eyes, the way his fingers lightly brush your cheek. “Tony…”

He leans in, so close now you can feel his breath on your skin. “Yeah?”

You don’t answer, and he doesn’t wait, his lips capturing yours in a soft, lingering kiss. It’s tender, unhurried, like he’s savoring the moment, and you melt into him, feeling the warmth of his hand gently cradling your face. All those unspoken moments, the teasing, the playful “parenting” of Dumpling, the late-night study sessions—all of it seems to click into place, like you were always meant to be here, like this.

When you finally pull back, your face flushes with warmth, and he’s looking at you like you’re the only thing in the world.

“I didn’t know I needed that,” he says softly, a little breathless, his thumb brushing gently over your cheek.

You smile, your fingers finding his as you hold his hand. “Neither did I. Guess we can thank Dumpling.”

He laughs, that soft, happy sound that makes your heart skip a beat. “Yeah, our little matchmaker.”

From then on, the apartment feels different, warmer. Friday nights turn into something even sweeter, and Dumpling, your shared “little family member,” watches with a quiet approval, curling up beside you as you and Tony share the couch, hands intertwined, each of you finally knowing exactly where you belong.

Being with Tony as a couple is somehow both everything you expected and completely different. The teasing and playful dynamic remains, but there’s a new, unspoken warmth in everything you do together, a kind of quiet intimacy that’s hard to put into words.

You both quickly fall into a routine, but with small moments that make your heart race, the soft touches and lingering glances that remind you this is real now. Dumpling is still the center of attention in your little “family,” and her mischievous nature keeps you both on your toes.

It’s a lazy Tuesday morning, and you’re attempting to get ready for class. You’re putting on your makeup in the bathroom when Tony comes up behind you, arms slipping around your waist, chin propped on your shoulder as he gazes at your reflection in the mirror.

“You know, you look pretty cute in the mornings, even if you’re annoyed,” he murmurs, grinning as he watches your expression in the mirror. Dumpling is at your feet, playfully pawing at the hem of his jeans as he nuzzles against your shoulder.

“‘Annoyed’ is putting it lightly,” you say, though a smile slips through. “Dumpling decided to wake me up at 4 a.m. because someone decided it was a good idea to feed her a can of tuna last night.”

He shrugs, unrepentant. “She deserves the best. Besides, you look extra pretty when you’re slightly annoyed.” He presses a gentle kiss on your neck, sending a shiver down your spine.

You roll your eyes but turn to face him, the playfulness in his eyes melting into something softer. He brushes a thumb over your cheek and then kisses you softly. You hear a soft meow at your feet, and Tony chuckles against your lips, pulling back only to scoop Dumpling up. “Alright, little one. Mom and Dad have classes to get to. Try not to destroy the place while we’re gone.”

Dumpling mews indignantly but seems satisfied when Tony scratches her head, her loud purr filling the bathroom.

Word about you and Tony spreads across campus faster than either of you expects. For a while, you just think you’re imagining the occasional stares, the murmurs when you and Tony sit together at lunch, his arm slung casually over the back of your chair as he chats with his friends. But soon enough, the stares turn into glares, particularly from some of the girls who used to linger around him before you two were official.

You overhear whispers in the library one afternoon as you’re studying. Two girls at a nearby table are staring over, murmuring to each other with pinched expressions.

“Can you believe he’s with her? Tony Stark?” one of them says, not-so-subtly looking you up and down.

The other girl huffs, rolling her eyes. “She must’ve done something to reel him in. I mean, he could do way better.”

Their words sting, but you pretend not to notice, focusing instead on your notes. Just then, Tony appears behind you, pressing a kiss to your temple, and plopping down in the seat next to you. The two girls exchange wide-eyed glances, their whispers silencing instantly. You try to brush it off, but Tony notices the tension in your shoulders.

“Don’t listen to them,” he says quietly, his hand finding yours beneath the table. “They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

You look at him, and he gives you that soft, reassuring smile that makes everything else fade away. With him beside you, the whispers and stares don’t matter. You squeeze his hand, feeling a quiet pride at being the one he chose.

The Friday movie nights are still sacred, but now they have an even cozier feel. You and Tony snuggle up on the couch, Dumpling curled between you or lazily sprawled across your laps. The cat’s purring is a constant soundtrack, her favorite place being Tony’s lap, where she can knead her tiny paws against his hoodie.

One night, you’re nestled together, Dumpling snoozing away as the credits roll on an old thriller Tony insisted on watching. You turn to him, still feeling the thrill of the movie but comforted by his warmth beside you.

“I think we make a pretty good team, don’t you?” you murmur, resting your head against his chest.

He chuckles, kissing the top of your head. “The best team. Even if Dumpling keeps trying to sabotage my snacks.” He’s referring to how Dumpling “steals” the popcorn from his lap whenever he’s not looking.

You smile, pulling his arm closer around you. “And if she’s got any competition for attention on campus, I think I know who her biggest fan is.”

He laughs, his arm tightening around you, his face lighting up. “Well, can you blame me? Between you and Dumpling, I’ve got everything I need.”

It’s a quiet Saturday morning, and you’re curled up in bed, still half-asleep, when you feel the mattress dip slightly. You open one eye to see Tony settling Dumpling gently beside you, her little head nestled into your pillow. He grins as you blink at him, half-confused and half-amused.

“Good morning, sunshine,” he whispers, leaning down to kiss you. Dumpling lets out a tiny squeak between the two of you, as if demanding her own share of attention.

With Tony’s gentle kiss, the cozy weight of Dumpling snuggled next to you, and the soft light filtering through the window, you can’t remember ever feeling this content. It’s just a small moment, but it’s perfect, each day settling you further into this life you’re building together.

One night, you’re both lying in bed, Dumpling curled up at the foot, fast asleep. You’re wrapped in Tony’s arms, his fingers gently tracing patterns along your shoulder as you lie in comfortable silence, the room lit by the soft glow of the city outside.

Out of nowhere, Tony clears his throat, and you can feel his heartbeat quicken slightly. He takes a breath, then murmurs, “I love you.”

It’s so soft that you almost miss it, but your heart skips, warmth flooding through you. You look up, seeing the nervous but hopeful look in his eyes.

A smile spreads across your face as you reach up, touching his cheek. “I love you too, Tony,” you say, voice soft but steady.

His face breaks into a grin, and he pulls you close, pressing a kiss to your forehead as if sealing the words between you. Dumpling lets out a sleepy, annoyed noise, but you both laugh, neither of you moving.

if you liked the story don't forget to leave a like, a reblog and drop a follow if you want to read more! <3

[iheartcake123]

☁️stay-seo moon-jo☁️

a/n: i feel like there’s not much strangers from hell fics out there so here’s something that’s been sitting in my drafts :)

warnings: swearing, someone being a pervert

Masterlist

Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6

Part 1

-3rd person p.o.v-

“it’s the cheapest rent in this area…the bathroom for girls is just upstairs and the kitchen area is just down the hall. actually girls used to live on the fourth floor but because of renovations it’s unavailable” miss.eom explained to y/n.

y/n nodded as she peered over miss.eom’ shoulder to see a man wearing a grey vest and ripped joggers watching her. her heart beat increased as she gripped onto the straps of her bag tightly.

“um,who’s that?” she gulped and miss.eom turned to look at the guy watching them.

“ah that’s nam-bok. he stays in the room down the hall. yah nam-bok don’t you have other things to do?” miss.eom raised her voice and the man disappeared into his room “ignore him, he’s just very odd”

“okay..what about the other residents? are there any other girls?” y/n asked.

“no, just a bunch on guys. but don’t worry, i’ll be here all the time! and not all of them are weird”

“oh okay” y/n felt her stomach churn.

she was the only girl.

“anyway! here’s your keys, remember rent is due on the first of each month” miss.eom handed y/n the keys before wiping her hands on her dress and walking down the hall.

a shiver ran down y/n’ spine as she stepped inside the dark room, closing the door behind her.

it wasn’t the best but it was efficient enough for her to stay in for the next 3 months while she saves up for something better.

after unpacking some of her belongings, y/n decided to go for a shower.

she held her towel, fresh clothing, shower shoes and toiletry items in her arms before grabbing her keys and walking out of her room, locking her door behind her. as she walked down the hall, she noticed the guy from earlier watching her but she brushed it off.

maybe he was waiting for someone, so that’s why he was standing out of his room.

watching everyone to pass time.

as she got into the bathroom, she went to lock it but it wouldn’t work.

a sigh escaped her lips.

she would just have to use the bathroom without it being locked. she grimaced as she looked around the bathroom. it was outdated and dirty.

god, she regretted deciding to stay here.

she slowly stripped her clothes before stepping under the running water which was surprisingly hot. she pulled the shower curtain closed and she let the water run down her hair and body, feeling some peace after the long day of her moving to a new city.

she felt at peace as she continued her shower, but it was soon broken after the bathrooms main door made a slamming noise, indicating someone had either come in or left.

she froze at the thought of someone being in there while she was showering and quickly wrapped herself in her towel.

who could it have been?

and that’s when she realised it had to have been the guy who was watching her from earlier.

she was furious.

she grabbed her items, not even bothering to get changed and immediately went down to complain to miss.eom.

the corridors were empty and she banged on miss.eom’ office door.

when she finally opened the door, there was shock on her face.

“yah, you can’t walk around in just a towel!” she exclaimed but y/n wasn’t bothered.

“there was someone in the girls bathroom while i was showering!” y/n said loudly and from the corner of her eye she saw the guy from earlier appear.

“it was him! he’s a fucking pervert!” y/n then yelled, pointing to him.

“oh, that’s not good. are you sure someone was in there?” miss.eom looked between the two.

“yes! someone was in there,it had to be him! he saw me walking with my things to go have a shower!” y/n argued and miss.eom motioned for her to calm down.

“is that true? you were watching her shower?” she turned to the guy.

“no, i didn’t even know she was going to go for a shower” he shrugged.

“you asshole! stop playing dumb. you saw me walking with my stuff!” y/n yelled.

“what’s going on?” a voice suddenly spoke from behind her and she flinched.

y/n turned around to face whoever just crept up on her.

“y/n here thinks that nam-bok was trying to watch her shower” miss.eom said.

“does she now?” the mystery man said as he sent a glare to the pervert.

“even if it’s true, there’s no evidence but i’ll be sure to check the cameras and install a working lock on the main bathroom door” miss.eom said retreating into her office.

“thank you, and sorry for yelling earlier” y/n then apologised.

just as y/n was about to walk to her room, her name was called.

“y/n. that’s your name right?” the mystery man asked and y/n slowly nodded.

“im moon-jo, it’s nice to meet you” he smiled extending his hand for her to shake.

“don’t take this the wrong way but i have no interest in getting to know anyone here. especially after what just happened” y/n said.

“of course, my apologies” he chuckled slightly, earning a fake smile from y/n.

she walked towards her room again.

and he called her name again.

“and y/n” he said with no emotions “don’t walk around here with just a towel. there could be perverts”

y/n gulped before nodding and entering her room, locking it for extra assurance.

it was only the first day but she already hated it.

she had to think of a plan.

she couldn’t stay there.

[wesimpforxiao]

Say My Name and I’ll Be There:  7.4

Author’s Note:  I believe I’ll be doing a LIVE pulling for Xiao tonight around 7:45 PST.  Join me if you want to see me cry from happiness or from not pulling him LOL.  The link is in one of my previous posts.  Before, during, or after this chapter, listen to this song to get a feel of what’s happening!  https://youtu.be/ifQ3JRS4gqc

.....................

The voices never truly left you alone after that.  You were practically becoming unhinged by the endless whispers that plagued your ears, and the quiet of night only seemed to egg them on further.  When you were blessed with their silence, you were plagued the physical pains of the karmic debt and your depression from joining the harbingers.  Childe was obviously growing more and more concerned with each passing day; you were beginning to freak him out.  The Tsaritsa and the other harbingers, however, found great amusement in your...condition.  It was a blessing in disguise; they were manipulating you much easier now that you were exhausted from the sleepless nights.

And it wasn't like you were constantly needing medical care, though you wished they would give you some heavy pain killers.  No; whatever damage your body was burdened with would be repaired by morning thanks to Xiao's blood.  The pain wasn't nearly as dramatic as the first wave, but it was a constant dull aching that ate away at your bones.  Slowly but surely, the pains grew over time.

Xiao made his presence known to you only twice more; he showed himself in the late evenings for brief periods of time to quell your aching heart and mind.  At least when he was able to be with you, the dreadful screams would disperse if only temporarily.  At least when he was with you, you were granted sleep.  Small waves of peace would reclaim you as Xiao watched over your sleeping figure.  

But once Liyue's festivities were underway, Xiao's visits became nonexistent and your mind was once again thrown into deeper chaos while he fought off more demons.  It was the busiest time of the year for both the inhabitants and the demonic presences of Liyue; it was Xiao's task to fend the latter off since the festivities attracted their attention and strengthened their presence.  He felt you slowly shattering, and it hurt him to know he couldn't be with you as often as he wanted to.

One day out of the blue, over a month after you joined the Fatui, Childe approached you with a grand smile across his face.  "Ojou-chan!  Why don't I show you around Snezhnaya?  It's much better than sitting in your room all day."

"...Aren't you always saying we could freeze to death?"  Your unamused expression failed to hinder Childe's enthusiasm.  "Why would I want to go outside?"  The bags under your eyes spoke volumes about your continuous sleepless nights.

"Come on, Mezzetin, it'll be good for you.  You could use the exercise."

"Are you implying something?" You're eyes narrowed dangerously, but Childe's grin only widened when your normal quips shone through your broken character.

"Well, if you ever feel the need to put me in my place, I'm more than willing to oblige to a fight," he watched your expression lighten for a moment before urging you.  "Come on, I'll show you around."

Sheer cold wasn't an issue for this winter wasteland like it was on Dragonspine, but it had to be at least five times colder here.  Childe made sure you were bundled up in a large furry coat before guiding you out of the castle and leading you to a town square that was surprisingly bustling with people despite the frigid temperatures.  Stalls lined the streets.  People gathered around to buy the freshest local food that included some incredibly large seafood varieties.  Others were in line to buy trinkets, house decor, and a variety of other items.

"...A farmer's market?"  Your cold breath of a remark caught Childe's attention, and he turned to you.

"Of course!  Go ahead and look around.  If there's anything you want, I'll buy it for you."

He's trying to cheer me up?  You examined Childe's earnest demeanor as he eyed the fish stall with stars in his eyes.  Can he just pick a side already?!  You rolled your eyes.  Still, might as well bankrupt him if he insists.  You broke away from him and continued down the rows of stalls for awhile, unaware that the harbinger had rejoined you.  

You were busy examining a few intriguing necklaces made of materials you haven't heard of when the whispers of the damned regained their voices.  You staggered a bit only to be steadied by Childe's hand on your shoulder.

Childe noted your glowing eyes.  "Happening again?"  His genuine concern made you relieved that he wasn't a complete monster like the other harbingers.  "If you need a break, there's a café over there that we can sit in."  Your strained nod prompted him to guide you with a hand at the back of your shoulders.

"Hm?"  A strange sound reached your ears, and this time it wasn't from inside your head.  Your feet came to a halt before the two of you reached the building, and you tilted your head towards the sound.  

It was a light and effortless tune that floated through the open air from yet another building.  The melody was slow to build, yet you hung onto its every note.  It took you a moment to realize that it calmed the demonic voices from screams to hushed murmurs.  You followed the path of the sounds until you found yourself in an extremely outdated music shop.

"Mezzetin?"  Childe attempted to regain your attention as he followed after you.  He caught onto the childlike wonder glistening in your teary eyes.  "Care to explain?"

"The pain..." a tear fell.  "It's subsiding."  You continued to stare at the harpist that played her tune at the back of the shop, eyes never leaving the fingers that plucked the strings. The voices were gone, and now you were only overwhelmed with a sense of peace.  

Childe watched you silently listen to the music for a long while.  An idea struck him.  "Have you ever played?"

"Huh?"  You snapped out of your daze and wiped the tears away.  "Um...Granny used to play a lot when I was little.  I know a couple tunes, but--"  Childe walked to the shop owner without letting you finish, pulling out a large sack of mora while he was at it. "H-hey! What're you doing?"

"If it brings you happiness, then I don't see the problem in buying it," Childe argued back after he had purchased the most expensive harp in the shop and left a considerate tip.  The two of you were walking back to the palace now.  He had ordered for his subordinates to take the instrument back with them.

"But I haven't played in years! And I said I only knew a few simple tunes--"

"--Then I will ensure you receive lessons."  He was not going to budge on this, and he made it obvious with his firm gaze.  "The rest of the harbingers made it clear that they do not care for your wellbeing, but I do.  Think of this as a gift and a type of therapy.  You've been down ever since Xiao left you--"

"I left him," you corrected.  And I so regret my decision.

"I'm just trying to prove that you aren't in a prison anymore.  If you want to see it as that, then by all means, continue to be depressed.  But something tells me you want to see Xiao again and find a way with him, no?"

"...Right."

"Then at the very least accept my apology gift to you."

"Huh? Apology?"  You gave him a questioning look, but he either didn't hear you or elected to ignore you.

......................................

Xiao was being as antisocial as ever, but it's not like he would ever turn down an invitation for tea from Rex Lapis himself.  Here he was, sitting just outside of Wangshu Inn with his master in the bright of day.  Aether probably put the archon up to the task considering how Xiao pushed him away what felt like ages ago, but the yaksha decided to give Zhongli the time of day only because of his deep respect for his savior.

"I've also brought more pain killers," Zhongli handed the yaksha a small jar of other-worldly medicines as he continued to fill him in on the upcoming Lantern Rite.  He had yet to bring you into the conversation, most likely to avoid irritating the throbbing wound in Xiao's chest.

"Mm."  Xiao gladly accepted the medication and set it aside.  This ensured yet another lull in their conversations.

"Will you go this year?"  Zhongli sipped at his tea.  "To the Lantern Rite?"

"My presence would only hinder the festival.  Besides, I'm not great with crowds."  The yaksha had yet to meet the archon's eyes, and kept his gaze firm on the teacup in front of him.  Truth be told, he would have gone this year...with you, since it was you who had asked him.  But now that these circumstances have come to pass, why should he go?  "It's just another excuse for humans to discard their trash into the ocean."  Why should he go when it would only remind him of his failure to keep you at his side?

Zhongli narrowed his eyes as he pondered whether words of comfort would aid his yaksha.  "It would be good for you to experience something new after all your years of living."

"I already have," Xiao clenched his jaw, signaling that the topic was beginning to walk on thin ice.  "She--"

"--Is not dead," Zhongli reminded. "Do not mourn for a loss that has not occurred."

"But she's dying," he argued back, finally releasing the emotions he's pent up ever since they left you.  Zhongli's look of confusion prompted him to continue.  "She can feel the karmic debt bestowed upon me."

"When did this begin?"  The archon's usual reserved composure faltered slightly while his eyes widened.  

"A month ago.  I visited her; she can hear the voices of the damned.  She's been in physical and mental pain ever since."

"The bond..." Zhongli set his teacup down a bit abruptly as he thought to himself.  "It appears these side effects grow stronger in the other's absence.  How intriguing..."

"How do we discard them?  Is there a way?"

"Have you not interpreted my words in Qingce Village all along?  Or my words at the Dawn Winery?  I've already given you the means to act, Xiao."

--Can feel your emotions...emotions cannot be permanently ignored...fall on deaf ears...early grave...  Xiao scoffed and downed the rest of his tea before forcefully setting the cup back down onto the table.  "You think admitting my alleged feelings for a mortal human would solve the problem?"

"She's done her part, now it is your turn," he straightened.  "If you fail to do so, I fear she will perish from your karmic debt in no time at all.  If what you say is true, it's a miracle she's still alive.  Your admittance would seal the bond, as it would eliminate the side effects altogether."

Xiao's head whipped in the direction of the playing of an instrument note, but was only greeted with the joyful screams of children running around nearby.  "Tch.  How annoying," he played his mishearing off and returned to his normal sitting position.  Another sound reached his ears, but he neglected to react to it.  The notes are off.

Zhongli didn't question Xiao's sudden alertness, but that didn't take away from the fact that yet another side effect has revealed itself to the archon.  It appeared as though the yaksha was already aware of this side effect.

And man, did this one annoy Xiao the most.  He heard the most random of tunes and chords at the most random of times.  It would even jolt him awake when he managed to fall asleep on rare nights.  It wasn't all unpleasant though; there were times in which the melody struck all the right notes and the result was a beautiful thirty second song before it was gloriously ruined by the musician's hesitance or embarrassment.

He knew it was you.  Your constant need to practice was as pestering as your old daily prayers before he revealed to you that he could hear them.  At least he only sometimes heard the plucking of strings.  As pesky and invasive as it was, your insistence upon playing what Xiao only assumed was a lyre somehow brought a bit of joy to his heart.  It meant that you were doing better than the last time he saw you.

He just wished he could hear the end result and not your sloppy practice sessions.

........................

Only on the eve of the Lantern Rite, several days before the celebration, did he come to appreciate the hours of hard work you were putting into practicing the music.

You had locked yourself in your room again after watching the failed experiments Dottore had forced you to witness.  How many did you see die today? Fifty?  He clearly needed to adjust the ratio of your blood to whatever else he had in that serum he developed.  What was worse was that you were beginning to become desensitized to the loss of human life; amused by it, even. Just as the Tsaritsa wanted. Sometime into the fortieth treatment, your pains grew stronger as did the voices of the slain daemons.

You retreated to your room, relieved that Childe had for once allowed you to be without his presence.  You sat yourself next to the window and allowed for the evening light to illuminate the music sheets the harbinger had bought for you.  Your fingers grazed lightly over the strings as the voices continued to grow louder, absently plucking one of them to ensure that you still had full control over your slightly twitching limbs.  You had nearly snapped the strings last time the voices overwhelmed you--

There's no time nor need to reminisce those incidents.  You pulled yourself out of your thoughts and began to play, the smooth vibrations of the harp humming against your chest and shoulder as the strings were struck.  Unlike your practice sessions, your hands glided over the strings from one position to the next like you had played for a thousand years.  No hesitation could be felt from the chords.  Finally, it seemed as though you mastered this song.

Xiao.  I miss you...your warmth...your embrace... Your infested thoughts soon cleared as your mind drifted to an image of him.  I wonder if he too finds comfort in music when the voices overwhelm him?  For you knew that when the voices grew louder, he too, was subject to them.  The music overcame the screaming daemons, and you were relieved with a sense of peace.  Your fingers continued to play through the music and repeated the song for as many times as you felt fit.  Your aching limbs continued to throb, but you didn't let that stop you from playing.  Your mind now clear as water, you poured your longing for Xiao into your music. You hummed the melody as you played.

One day you'll find your way back to him, or him to you.  Was it okay to allow yourself to believe in the possibility that he held the same feelings for you?  Did he love you? No--Could he?  It was already naïve enough to think he was capable of harboring such intimate feelings after living through hell for over two thousand years.  And even if he did, it's not like you'd live as long as he has.  Would he push me away again?  You shoved that thought out of your mind with another series of chords.

You wouldn't be able to put an end to your feelings no matter what he did.  He was too admirable, too strong, too strict, too beautiful.  He was too kind, even if he put up a front.  You loved him too much; perhaps that would end in your own downfall just as Childe predicted and beat into your head every day, but that was alright with you.  If the voices were to eat away at you until all that remained were ashes, you were okay with being true to yourself until the very end.  Even if he never thought of you as something more than a companion.  And as you thought of him, the longing to be reunited swelled within your chest and overflowed into your fingers.

Your song was your unspoken prayer, your love and dedication were your offerings.

[spinchs-field]

(SLAMS OPEN DOOR)I WANNA LEARN ABOUT FUCKED UP BACKSTORUES

(i don’t have a drawing of all of them together, but here’s all four of my mascots/sonas! Tangerine and Pawpy are mascots, Ghost and Vulcan are sonas, hence why they look basically identical. also please excuse Vulcan’s wackass anatomy, this drawing of it is old)

this is gonna be kinda long so everything’ll be under the cut

so Tangerine and Pawpy have pretty tame backstories, actually. 

Pawpy was a contestant in an object show with Frito (yknow. the ita bag from a few days ago). she got eliminated, but the elimination process is basically teleporting the contestant back to their home. somehow, the teleportation got all out of wack and Pawpy got teleported to Ghost’s dimension, where he now lives with the other three!

Tangerine doesn’t actually have much development as of right now, but he probably lived in a world where everything was made of sweets, kinda like Candyland (yknow. the board game)! something went wrong and he ended up in Ghost’s dimension, just like Pawpy did. Tangy has nearly been eaten so many times it’s not even funny. 

[ this is where things start getting dark. warning for mentions of murder and cannibalism for Ghost’s story. some vague gore, cosmic horror, and slight religious themes for Vulcan’s story ]

Ghost is um. a special case. he’s currently dead, and has been for a while, hence the name, but when he was alive, he was very much a fucked up guy. he’d kill and eat people, nearly every single month. he was constantly on the run from police despite the fact they had no idea it was him committing all the murders. hell, he even killed his own fucking roommates because they tried to call the cops on him. however, ever since he died, he kinda just. chilled out, since you don’t really need food or any energy at all to survive as a ghost in his world. i mean, he’s already dead. what’s he gonna do, die again?

Vulcan’s story is more of a tragedy than anything. he was a prince blessed with the ability to speak to the gods. because of this gift, he was kept locked up in his family’s castle. his parents were very loving, don’t get me wrong, they just couldn’t bear to know what would happen if someone against the royal family found him in public. for a big majority of his life, Vulcan desperately wanted to leave and explore the kingdom. his parents never allowed it. one night, he snuck out and took his horse out into the woods. for the first time, he felt truly free... until he began hearing the gods warn him about the consequences of this action. he ignored them, and they got more angered, shouting so much that it began to give him an agonising migraine. he powered through it, but his horse got caught in a bush and he fell off. the gods, blinded by their rage began to literally rip him apart. however, they had to keep their prophet alive, so they began replacing his body with their own. the energy released from this sort of cosmic horror event caused him (along with the gods that basically are him now) to get teleported to another fucking dimension.  (side note; people can’t really perceive Vulcan in a normal way. he either looks like a sort of... smudge in your vision or your brain trying to messily fill in the gaps. a lot of people would describe him as looking uncanny, or like a 3D model of a fictional character. no matter what you think he looks like, it’s always a hazy memory in the end. how i draw him is how he actually looks; just a living universe. he does have eyes btw, this ref of him is just outdated.)

[darthkruge]

hey could you do a jess mariano x reader where the reader has dyslexia but loves to read. someone at school makes a comment about her being dumb and she gets insecure but jess is super reassuring to the reader about how intelligent she is. also they can either be already dating or have mutual crushes. whatever you think fits better. <3

Jess Mariano x Dyslexic!Reader ~ All of You

Summary: Someone at school insults the dyslexic reader and their boyfriend, Jess, provides reassurance. 

Warnings: Bullying, language, insecurities, I think that’s it? 

Words: 2.1k

A/N: Hey!! I’m so, so sorry this took me so long to get to! I hope you don’t mind, I didn’t mean to keep you in the ask box void. I really enjoyed writing this, so thank you for requesting! I decided to make them already be dating because that’s where my brain went hehe. I hope you like it :)

You walked to school hand-in-hand with your boyfriend, as always. Even though it took him about 15-20 minutes out of the way, Jess never missed walking with you. He hated the thought of you starting your day by yourself and never wanted you to feel forgotten about or lonely. Thus, the tradition began and it has stayed the way you start your day, everyday, for the last few months that you’ve been dating. 

Jess pulled you behind the science building, pressing his lips to yours. Your hands instinctively wove into his hair and his arms wound around your waist, pulling your bodies together. He smiled into the kiss before pulling away from your lips and gently moving his kisses down the side of your neck. You hummed in content before moving to meet his face again, once again pressing your lips to his. 

These stolen moments were what you lived for. You’d never felt too confident in yourself, at least as far as relationships went, and you weren’t used to this kind of affection. Even so, you loved every moment of it. Everything with Jess felt so natural. No matter what, you came first to him and he never failed to show it. 

You both pulled away and he softly kissed your forehead.

“See you after second period?”

“Of course” 

“Okay, love. Text me if you need me. Or if you’re bored. Or if you miss me”

“Oh, yes! That Jess Mariano charm. I’m not sure how I’ll endure two classes without it!”

“I’m sure it’ll prove quite e difficult,” Jess said, laughing. The bell rang and he gave you one last smile before you parted. 

You walked into your English class with a smile on your face, giddy after the experience with him. He made you feel alive. It was the kind of feeling you didn’t know you needed, but once you felt it you couldn’t imagine losing it. 

You sat down in your seat, waiting for the teacher to start class. 

“Okay, everyone. Today we’re just going to be doing some silent reading for the first half of class and then I’ll put you in small groups to work on a new project”

Fuck. Group projects were the fucking worst. Unless you got one of your friends, people were normally assholes and impossible to work with. 

Even though you were upset with the new development, you were excited to have time to read. You pulled out your copy of The Great Gatsby that Jess had lent you and picked up where you last left off. Because you read so much and generally did well or at least half-decent in school, people never assumed you had dyslexia. Lots of people had this false narrative that if you have dyslexia, you must hate reading. It was something you were used to, the stupid comments and assumptions. You tried to not let it get to you but you sometimes felt frustrated. You’d run into loads of ignorant people in your life and while you weren’t ashamed to have dyslexia, you hated having to explain it to every new teacher, every new friend in your life. You never knew how’d they’d react.

Even so, reading was one of your greatest joys in life. Losing yourself in the work, in the story, it was enthralling. You loved to find characters that you connected with. Their emotions were palpable and made you feel validated and less alone. Reading was one of the main things that brought you and Jess together. He knew you had dyslexia and, thankfully, never treated you like you were any less. You were afraid he would break up with you once you told him, but, of course, he didn’t. You were still you, and that’s all he cared about. 

He loved trading books with you and hearing your thoughts on them. In doing so, he felt the two of you were brought closer together. Discussing literature was an almost intimate experience in your relationship. Learning which characters and themes resonated with a person was truly illuminating about their personality and mind. Right now, as you read Gatsby, Jess was reading Pride and Prejudice. You loved Jane Austen, as did Jess, and you completely enjoyed discussing her work. 

After a few moments lost in thought, your teacher’s voice pulled you back to the present. “Alright! Okay so for the group project you will be analyzing the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. Please read it together today and discuss what you think the most pertinent theme is. I’ve already assigned the groups and I’ll display them on the board right now.”

Your teacher stepped back and turned on the projector so you could see the groups. Scanning for your name, you internally groaned when you saw who you were with. Sarah, Justin, and Alex. They were all close and their friend group didn’t exactly have the best reputation. You grabbed your bag, walked over to them, and sat down.

“So, y’all just wanna read it? Then just talk about it, I guess. We’re looking for themes, right?” Sarah asked.

Everyone nodded, opening up the copies of the short story placed on your desks. You jumped in and immediately felt yourself pulled into the writing. After a few minutes, your eyes glued to the story, you heard the rest of your group closing their packets. 

“Alright, everyone done?” Justin asked.

“Yeah, you?” Alex said

Sarah nodded in agreement.

You, on the other hand, felt your cheeks flush. You were only about 70% through the story. “Sorry, I just need a bit more time, is that okay?”

“Ugh, fine, whatever. Just hurry up,” Sarah groaned. 

Your face burning, you went back to the reading. It wasn’t like you weren’t trying, you were! They just wouldn’t understand it. You couldn’t count the amount of times people had told you to just “focus more”. It made your blood boil, honestly. It was so dismissive and you couldn't believe people still thought that way. You always focused and it wasn’t your fault, and, yet, morons like these three persisted. After a few more minutes, you heard Alex again.

“Come on! You can’t possibly still be reading?”

“I’m sorry, just-” You sighed, running your hands through your hair. “Please, just a few more minutes?”

“God, you’re so fucking stupid. No wonder no one wants to work with you. All you do is hold people up, you’re a goddamn idiot” Alex said.

Your eyes burned and unshed tears started to push their way up but you fought them down. You wouldn’t let yourself cry in front of them. They didn’t deserve to see how they’d affected you. 

Finally, the bell went off and you were able to leave. Your group glared at you and you realized you  hadn’t discussed the themes. 

“It’s, um, the story’s about the juxtaposition of peace and violence. Even though the people are in a calm, controlled setting, they resort to violence every year. It’s an outdated tradition they keep up and, thus, it highlights the difference between their actions and how they want to be perceived.” You said quickly, voice wavering. 

Your group scoffed before walking off. That didn’t bother you too much. You knew your analysis was accurate and probably far better than anything they could have come up with, even if they’d spent the last 15 minutes of class discussing it. Despite this, you still felt deflated. The shit they’d said, the way they’d treated you? You couldn’t deny it, it got to you. 

You walked over to your locker and put your stuff away. After that, you decided you were just going to go home. You could call the school later and say you were feeling sick or something. Honestly, you couldn’t bring yourself to care. You were just so drained, you needed to get away from this place and the people in it.

However, you didn’t want Jess to worry. You sent him a quick text saying you weren’t feeling well and put on your headphones before walking out of the school.

What you didn’t expect was Jess to come flying out of nowhere, appearing by your side as if you’d summoned him.

“Jess! What are you doing? Don’t you have class!”

He shrugged. “You weren’t feeling well. Did you honestly expect I’d leave you by yourself? And, seriously, Y/N, you know I hate this place. You’re the only thing that makes it bearable so if you  wouldn’t be here, why should I?”

You nodded and kept walking forward. Jess looked at you quizzically, trying to decode your dejected state. He kept quiet, knowing not to push you to talk. He trusted you’d come to him when you were ready. Therefore, he simply followed you until you made it off campus, where you turned into a random alley and suddenly stopped walking.

Jess caught himself, almost running right into you. You suddenly turned around, dropped your bag, and bolted right into his chest. He was caught off guard but instinctively brought his arms around you, trying to comfort you. He noticed you were crying, your broken sobs getting muffled in his shirt. He soothingly rubbed his arms up and down your back, desperately trying to give you solace. After you finally quieted down, Jess gently and slowly pulled you back.

His hands gripped your shoulders as he studied your face, your sad gaze meeting his. “What happened?”

“Stupid English, that’s all”

“Come on, Y/N, don’t shut me out. What happened?” He said, his tone kind.

“I-” You trailed off, trying to keep your composure. “Some kids just said some shit. I was just reading slower than them and they said some shit. It’s not a big deal, I just- it got to me, okay?”

“Who?” Jess said, firmly this time.

“Jess-”

“Who, Y/N?”

“Alex, Justin, and Sarah.” 

Jess groaned, rubbing the heels of his hands over his eyes. “Fuck them, Y/N. They’re fucking ridiculous and they don’t know anything about you”

“I know, I know. That’s why I’m so goddamn frustrated! Because, like, it did get to me. Jess- Jess, they’re right. I felt like an idiot today, I felt stupid. And I hate feeling that way!” Hot tears smarmed in your eyes, the frustration and anger bringing them out. 

Jess’s gaze softened. As livid as he felt toward the three of them, he knew that’s not what you needed right now. 

“Hey, hey, hey. Love, take a breath. I’ve got you, okay?” 

You nodded, your breathing shaky from the stress of the day. 

“I’m sorry that happened today. Listen to me, Y/N. You’re so smart. You’re smarter than I am, hell, you’re smarter than anyone at that school! They’ve got nothing on you!”

You looked at him and smiled at his words but shook your head. “You don’t need to do that, Jess”

“Yes, I do. We promised we’d be honest in our relationship, right? Well, that’s all I’m doing. Seriously, Y/N, who else at that school could debate the themes in literature with me like you? Who could discuss the importance of accurate representation in books with me? Who could talk to me about just how influential YA books are and why they should be taken seriously-?”

“They are and they should!” You cut in.

Jess laughs, nodding in agreement. “Exactly!! You’re amazing, Y/N. And I swear those fuckheads are gonna get what’s coming to them”

“Jess-” You warn.

“Okay, okay!” He laughed, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “They just- they messed with you and made you upset and I fucking hate that”

“I hated it too. I hate doubting myself because of my dyslexia. I feel so shit about myself when I get in that headspace and I start spiraling and it gets out of control so fast.” 

“I know. It’s not your fault when those spirals happen. And I know you know this, but I’m just gonna remind you: you’re not any less because you’re dyslexic. It doesn’t make you stupid or anything. It’s a part of you and I love you, all of you”

Your heart swelled at his words. Everyone thought Jess wasn’t good expressing his emotions but you knew the truth. He was quite eloquent when he wanted to be, he just sometimes had trouble with vulnerability. You didn’t blame him for it, with his past it made perfect sense. But when you needed that reassurement, that compassion, you could always count on him for it. 

He moved to place a kiss on your forehead before slinging his arm around your shoulder. “Let’s go home, okay?”

“Okay” You smiled up at him and kissed him once more before tucking your head into his shoulder. He pulled you closer and you grabbed his free hand with yours as you continued to walk through the Stars Hollow streets together.

[darth-does-stuff]

Chapter 1

triggers: food mention/food, cursing, some logan angst at the end

Age - 13

Logan’s alarm blared, phone buzzing on the old bookshelf that he kept in his room. His hand fumbled around for the phone, turning the alarm off before groaning into his pillow. 

He rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling with bleary eyes, barely even awake. With a grunt, he sat up and ran a hand down his face before putting his glasses on. 

Reluctantly, he got out of the covers and walked to the bathroom, washing his face. He stared at himself in the mirror for a few moments, noting the bags under his eyes. He made sure not to look at his arms, not even sparing a glance. For him, in the case of soulmates, ignorance was bliss. 

With a sigh, he walked out of the bathroom, his nerves settled enough for him to be ready to start his day.

That was, until his mother swept him up into a hug, peppering kisses all over his face. 

“My baby boy is all grown up! 13! God, soon you’ll be taller than me and driving and-”

“Mama!” Logan exclaimed, a grin belaying any exasperation he might have portrayed.

“Sorry, bud! I’m just so excited for you!” she grinned wildly, ruffling his hair and pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“Are you excited enough to not send me to school?” Logan tried, a small smile on his face. Emillia snorted. 

“Nice try, but no. You’re still going.” 

Logan groaned, rolling his eyes. “Worth a shot.”

“Now c’mon!” Emillia exclaimed, ignoring that last comment. “Eat your breakfast! I made you pancakes, your favorite!” she smiled, walking to the kitchen. Logan followed behind her, a smile remaining on his face no matter how hard he tried to get rid of it.

“You didn’t have to,” he mumbled, setting out the plates and cutlery. 

“But I wanted to. Besides, it’s your birthday and I also want pancakes. So, pancakes it is!” she smiled easily, putting the pancakes onto the plates.

Logan laughed, sitting down at the table. “Thanks, Ma.” 

“Anything for the birthday boy,” she kissed the top of his head, sitting down as well. Logan grumbled slightly, fixing his hair, flushing slightly from embarrassment. 

Wisely, neither of the two brought up the topic about soulmates, or how he was supposed to get one on his 13th birthday. It was a touchy topic for them, one of the few times the two had argued. As such, it was better off going unmentioned. 

“Do you know what you wanna do today? Besides school, of course,” Emillia grinned playfully.

Logan rolled his eyes but answered anyway, “Um, no not really. I have soccer practice today so I’ll probably come home later than usual. Besides that,” he shrugged, eyes looking down at his plate.

Emillia raised an eyebrow, always able to tell when Logan was hiding something. “Are you sure?” she pressed.

“I—um, well, I kinda wanted to go to that arcade we used to go to,” Logan mumbled, stabbing a piece of pancake with his fork. “Only if it’s not a bother, though,” he added, fingers drumming against the table. Emillia’s smile faltered, hating to see her son so insecure over just wanting something.

“Of course we can! We’ll go right after I get back from work. That sound good?” she recovered her smile, eyes crinkling at the corners.

Logan nodded, a faint smile playing at his lips. “Tha’ sounths good,” Logan replied through a mouthful of pancake.

Emillia snorted, “Okay, now hurry up if you don’t wanna be late for school.”

                                           ⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼

Logan fumbled with his apartment keys, managing to unlock the door and walk inside. He took off his cleats and set his bag down, running a hand through his hair as he looked around the apartment. 

After momentarily debating what to do, he ultimately settled on taking a shower. He trudged off towards the bathroom wearily, muscles sore. 

As he showered, Logan made sure not to stare at his arms more than he needed to, afraid of what he would see. Afterwards, now wearing fresh clothes, he sat at the dining table as he did his schoolwork, pencil tapping against the wood as he thought. 

At around 5:23, his mom arrived home, having been able to get off work early. Her face lit up with a warm smile when she saw her son. 

“Hey, birthday boy! You ready to go?” 

Logan nodded, a smile of his own forming. “Yeah, Ma. I just gotta put my shoes on.”

Emillia clapped her hands together excitedly, “Alright, we’ll go in a minute! I just gotta change real quick.” 

During the time she was gone, Logan slipped on his shoes and jacket, sitting on the couch as he waited for his mom. After a few minutes, his mom walked out, now dressed in casual clothes.

“You ready?” she asked once more, a huge smile on her face, showing off her dimples. Logan nodded as he stood up, slipping the outdated phone into his pocket. 

“Let’s go then!” she waved a hand for him to follow, both of them walking out of the apartment door. 

Instead of driving to the arcade, they simply walked, passing the time with mindless chatter, punctuated by laughter. Eventually, they reached the mall where the old arcade was located and walked in, Logan shoving his hands into his pockets as he looked nervous at the crowds that were present even in the evening.

However, all of his fears soon melted away as he and his mother walked into the arcade, his eyes lighting up and a grin forming on his face. He looked up at his mother, silently thanking her with his eyes. 

She laughed gently and tugged his hand slightly. “C’mon, I’m gonna kick your ass at pac-man. I mean—“

Logan laughed at her slip-up, his chipped tooth on full display. His mother smiled, gazing around at the arcade.

“You coming?” she teased him gently. 

“You can bet your ass I am,” Logan grinned.

“Logan!”

                                              ⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼⎼

Logan collapsed onto his bed, a permanent smile etched onto his face. He sighed contentedly, stretching his arms out. He felt a faint tingling on his arm and without thinking, he turned his head to look at it, wearing a ratty old t-shirt and shorts for pajamas. 

And that smile on his face faded as he was met with colorful sentences staring right back at him.

a/n: finally got around to finishing this chapter lmao

[mandos-lightningbeforethunder]

Start Again - Chapter Two (Din Djarin x Reader)

SUMMARY: You try and find your way off Puvo and get way more than you bargain for.

CHAPTER WARNINGS: None this time around. 

Author’s Note: This chapter sits at about 2.8k words, hope you enjoy it! Feel free to reblog :) 

CHAPTER TWO - THE JOURNEY

The credits weigh heavy in your pocket. The communicator clipped to your belt swings back and forth as you tread through the dense forest. You laugh at the thought of snatching the communicator from the belt of the pilot. He hadn’t even noticed, too enamored talking about himself. It was the first successful step in your journey.

Valara had been truthful in her word. She offered a distraction and excuse to her grandmother for your absence. But she also relied on your promise that you would check in the moment you left Puvo’s atmosphere. How you managed to do that went unspoken, but this was the first step to figuring out your past as far as you were concerned.

The step into the water reminds you of your destination. The tiny watering hole seems almost lifeless and you doubt yourself and the possibility of escape. What if the watering hole was abandoned, long before you even arrived on Puvo? The map you had managed to look at was older than you, so it was possible it depicted outdated information.

Approaching with cautious steps, you round the pond and venture toward the building. It’s small, the map made it seem larger, but it couldn’t have been bigger than Valara’s hut. Looking around, the flatness of nearby vegetation clues you in that a ship had landed here recently. When the next one would come, you weren’t sure, but you needed to remain hopeful.

Pushing on the door, it creaked and announced your presence. A Twi’lek bartender looked at you, eyeing the communicator on your belt. The other patron, a human, simply stared before returning to nurse their drink.

“You lost, traveler?” the Twi-lek bartender asks, pushing a glass of water toward you. You sat at the edge of the bar and looked around. You certainly felt lost. The watering hole was quickly becoming a disappointment.

“No,” you murmur, taking the glass and bringing it to your lips. “I’m actually looking for other travelers, hoping to hitch a ride.”

A scoff. “Good luck finding any travelers here. Last one I saw left a good week or so ago. Puvo hasn’t been traveling point in the galaxy ever since the Empire fell, no reason for anyone to stop here.”

You watch as the bartender wipes down the counter, then a glass, before wiping down the counter again. The routine repeats and the bartender repeats it out of boredom.

“You need a ride somewhere?” the human next to you asks. You turn to look at them, watching as they throwback the drink in front of them. Internally, you cringe. Perhaps someone sober would be more ideal, but this might be your only chance.

“Do you have a ship?” you ask. There hadn’t been any outside when you first came in. Maybe you missed it?

“Ha!” The bartender laughs. You sit back in shock at the sudden outburst. “Dinek having a ship? In his dreams, he lost that ship ages ago in some bet. Now he’s stuck here as my only loyal customer.”

“Oh,��� is all you manage to get out. Valara may have been right. You weren’t fit to leave Puvo and here you were, being denied.

“I’ve got a ship,” a voice says behind you. You’re startled but turn to the source anyways, praying that the bartender won’t deny this person.

Out of the corner of the room, another human appears. You hadn’t seen him, but maybe him sitting in the dark acting all brooding and mysterious hadn’t exactly caught your eye. You look at him, eyes narrowing as you search him. He seems to be doing the same, but his face relaxes, and his hand reaches out in a gesture to greet you.

“Kam,” he introduces, smiling. You take his hand, and he shakes it gently before it returns to his side. “Hannser.”

“You’re a pilot?” you ask, after introducing yourself.

“Well, sort of, I inherited a ship from my parents. It’s not much really, but I’ve been learning to fly with it.” Kam replies.

Another internal cringe. You’re limited to two options. Wait to see what other options arrive, if any? Or fly with an inexperienced pilot with a possible junk ship?

“Where do you want to go?” Kam asks, breaking you out of your thoughts. You haven’t even given him an answer yet on whether you want to fly with him. Your other options were severely lacking, however.

“Anywhere. I just need to get of Puvo,” you say. Kam seems to accept your answer before he eyes the communicator on your belt. “My friend wants to make sure I get off the planet safely.” You say, showing him the communicator and its lack of tracking capabilities.  

“Relax,” Kam laughs, shaking his head, “come on, the ships just outside in the tree line.” He walks over to his corner, grabbing a bag and swinging it over his shoulder.

You look back at the bartender, who seems to trust Kam’s word. The glass you had been previously drinking from is now wiped down and the counter has a fresh swipe from the cloth. Back to his routine, you thought.

Kam leads you through the doorway, even holding the door open for you as you pass through the threshold. He seems kind, but if Valara had taught you anything, you still needed to be mindful of people’s kindness.

The ship you see at the end of the trees is both as expected and unexpected. It’s clearly been through years of use, the paint chipped and worn. The engine cowlings showed signs of recent maintenance, which is promising. Approaching the ship, a walkway emerged to the ship’s deck. There were two sets of controls as you sat down in one of the seats, Kam sitting next to you.

Pressing a button, the ship choked a second before the engines turned over and hummed to life. Kam smiled at you, seeming to sense your nerves as the ship rose off the surface of Puvo.

“The hyperdrive is a bit wonky as of late, so I apologize for the rough ride. I heard there are jobs on Tatooine of all places, so that’s where we’re headed, that okay with you?” 

Tatooine. Nothing but desert. That was certainly a change from the grassland of Puvo.

You shouted in shock as the ship leaped into hyperspace.

Somehow, you managed to land on Tatooine without dying. Venturing off the ramp of Kam’s ship, you looked back at him as he pressed a switch and the ramp rose behind you. You offered to pay the hanger fees, in exchange for him flying you off Puvo. He agreed to the deal and you knew that this would most likely be where your paths would diverge. Kam needed work and you needed a start on figuring out your past.

The bustling town of Mos Eisley lies just ahead of you both.

You stuck close to Kam, having never been to another planet before. At least, that you could remember. The pilot didn’t seem to mind as you shuffled the busy streets together.

“Ever since Fett took over what remained of the Hutt regime, Tatooine has turned itself around,” Kam informs you. His words seem true. Valara had told you that Tatooine was a dangerous planet, filled with creatures who only sought out money and pain. Yet the sight you were seeing currently was the opposite.

It was an experience you had never been through. Several voices were shouting, shopkeepers eager to sell their products. Beggars reaching out to the few who would enlighten them. Children ran between the crowds of people, laughing and shouting. Kam turned to look at you to make sure you were still following him.

It was then you got a good look at the pilot. Fair skin and brown hair curled tight against his scalp. His blue eyes were youthful and full of life, but there was a kindness in them as well. Deep down, you’re glad you chose to fly with him rather than wait. He was much younger than you, give or take a couple of years. Thinking on it, he probably wasn’t much older than the son you had seen in your nightmares.

The cantina was loud and vibrating with life. When you entered just behind Kam, you took a quick look at your surroundings. This time, the creature manning the bar was a droid. It didn’t have the same routine as the bartender back on Puvo. It took orders and cleaned without so much as a chirp.

“I’m going to go find some work. May the force be with you,” Kam says, giving a half-hearted salute as a means of goodbye. You watch as he turns and disappears into the crowd.

“And with you,” you mumble out. You doubt he heard you.

A patron is heckling the droid, probably trying to get answers but the droid’s basic programming only allows brief conversation. Nothing of importance will come from it. Still, you need time to think of a plan. You sit at the bar and wait for your turn, but the droid is still occupied by the patron holding it hostage.

You look around again, trying to find Kam in the crowd of people. You spot him in the corner, chatting up a Twi’lek and you laugh slightly. It’s none of your business, but that didn’t look like work.

“To drink, ma’am?” The droid finally asks, stealing your attention away.

“Um, water, if you have any,” you say. The droid doesn’t display emotions and yet you can feel its confusion on your simple order. This is a cantina, after all, people come here to drink their sorrows away.

The glass is pushed towards you and you take it, lifting it to your lips. You pause, just as everyone else does when the cantina grows quiet. Patrons stare at the doorway and you turn to look with them.

A Mandalorian.

He ignores the attention and walks to the bar, leaning against it just a few feet away from you. The droid turns its attention to the Mandalorian.

“I’m in need of work, any jobs available?” he asks. The volume in the cantina returned to the previous levels, but your attention remained.

“I’m afraid not,” The droid replies, cleaning a glass. “The Guild is gone. There may be shipment work down at the shipyards.”

The Mandalorian seemed agitated by the droid’s answer. Maybe this was your chance. You had the funds, if he had a ship, he could take you anywhere you needed to go. Especially if those places had answers to your past.

“How much do these shipments pay?” The Mandalorian asks.

“I’m unsure. The payments range on the volume of shipments and weight. However, I haven’t heard anyone jovial about their rate of pay when completing such a job. You’re better off trying to find what remains of the Guild, bounty hunter.” The droid replies.

The Mandalorian lowers his helmet and what sounds like a frustrated sigh breaks through his helmet’s vocoder. Someone like him is better off as a bounty hunter anyways, you couldn’t imagine the talk if someone received their shipment from a Mandalorian.

“I can give you work,” you offer. The Mandalorian looks at you, his T-visor piercing into you.

“I’m not a taxi service.” He laments, standing up. You look at him, studying him. There’s a long spear strapped across his back. The hilt of a weapon swings back and forth on his hip. A closer look and the memory of a saber igniting fills your senses. You take a deep breath.

“I have credits. A lot of them,” you reach into your pocket, fishing out your bag of credits. He takes the offering and peers into the pouch, probably counting the amount.

“Where do you need to go?” He asks. Yes, he’ll take the deal, you think.

“I need to find my son,” you say. “I don’t know where he is. But I’ve heard stories about your people. I think you could help me find him. All I have are these broken memories of who I was before the Empire. Finding him could mean finding out who I am.”

The Mandalorian’s mood seems to change. In fact, he had gone stiff at the mention of your son. He tossed the pouch of credits back to you before a sigh broke through the vocoder.

“Keep the credits. I’ll find other methods of payment,” he says. “I’m at the hanger furthest from here, probably next to the ship you arrived on.” He gestures to where Kam is sitting.

Oh, he’s good, you think. You nod and pocket the pouch of credits. He pushes off the bar, turning to leave the cantina. He’s not expecting you to follow right away, but he knows that you will.

Readjusting your bag over your shoulder, you take one last look at Kam. He seems to be enjoying the company of the Twi’lek on his arm. Turning to the droid, you reach into the pouch and pull out a couple of credits.

“For the pilot, in the corner over there, please,” You say to it. It reaches out and grasps the credits before a hatch opens and it places the credits in there.

“You have my word.” The droid states, turning to serve another customer.

The Mandalorian is waiting for you outside. His armor glints in the setting suns as he pushes off the wall of the cantina. There he begins the walk toward the hanger with you following just behind him.

“I’m sorry to hear about your son,” He says. The alleyway has grown quiet, the bustling life of Mos Eisley getting further behind the two of you.

“I don’t remember him much actually,” you say, trying to comfort yourself. “Where did you get that saber?”

He looks down at the weapon attached to his hip. He removes it from his belt, holding it in the palm of his hand. He looks uncomfortable. The stories that Valara told you spoke of warriors who wielded the sabers as if it were another limb. The Mandalorian, however, holds it as if it burns.

“It’s complicated,” he says. “A story for another time.”

You nod at that, stopping as he approaches the ship. It’s larger than Kam’s and newer. A post-Empire ship, you think.

“Back so soon, Mando?” A woman shouts. She’s on the shorter size, easily dwarfed by the Mandalorian’s size. Her curly brown hair frames her aged face, and she stands surrounded by her platoon of little maintenance droids.

“I found work, Peli,” The Mandalorian says, gesturing to you. Peli’s eyes meet yours and in the darkness of the setting suns, you can see them narrow as she studies you.  

“Another stray?” Peli starts, but she pauses in her words. Sighing she looks at the Mandalorian and then at you again. “The Idrionna is all set as far as repairs go. Take care of it will ya? Don’t need to have another Razor Crest incident.” Peli mumbles, turning away from you and walking further into the hanger without so much as another word.

“Peli Motto,” the Mandalorian supplies. You nod and walk toward his ship, Idrionna. “I paid Peli for the night, so if you don’t mind, we can leave tomorrow at dawn.”

Tomorrow at dawn. You’ll need to get a message out to Valara about your whereabouts, to let her know you’re safe. She’s probably already freaking out, you think. You had promised to send her a transmission went you had left Puvo’s atmosphere. Yet here you were on a completely different planet and planning on leaving again tomorrow.

The cargo hold of the ship is small but still sizeable. It probably works for the Mandalorian, who travels alone. There’s a hallway that goes further into the ship, but you’re unsure of what exactly it leads to. A closet, maybe weapons storage?

“There’s a cot here,” the Mandalorian offers. It works almost like a bunk, embedded in the wall. You stare at the sad state of the cot, it doesn’t look as comfortable as the one back on Puvo, but it will have to do. The mattress is small, the blankets look worn. “I’ll be on the ship’s deck all night if you need me. Just,” he pauses, “give me a heads up if you do.”

“Thank you,” you say to him. You offer him your name, realizing that you hadn’t even told him back at the cantina. “What can I call you?”

“Mando is fine,” is all he says. In the darkness of the ship, you hear his boots ping off the ladder. He’s gone up to the flight deck for the night.

You sit on the cot and contemplate the choices you’ve made in the past day or so. You’re hoping the sleep will come easier tonight. If you were to get nightmares, you hoped that they gave you more answers than questions this time around. 

Read Chapter Three - The Reminder here!

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

When the Weight Comes Down - 5

Warnings: non-consent sex (series); some threats and mild aggression.

This is dark! (biker) Steve and explicit. 18+ only.

Series Synopsis: Your father’s a drunk, your mother a recluse, and you’re just another small town girl in Birch.

Sister series to Smalltown Bringdown

Note: Hey. So first, thank you too everyone who has been commenting on this and sending asks. I’m excited that you’re excited and it’s very awesome and encouraging. It always makes things a bit easier especially as I haven’t managed much writing this week but things will get better right?

Thanks to everyone for their patience and feedback. :)

I really hope you enjoy. 💋

<3 Let me know what you think with a like or reblog or reply or an ask! Love ya!

Chapter Five: Courage

Courage, my word It didn't come, it doesn't matter Courage, it couldn't come at a worse time

💀💀💀💀💀

Steve was as clueless in the shops as you, though a bit more confident. He asked for help from the employees but ended up opting for clothing you weren’t quite sure you liked. Short skirts, tight tops… You hadn’t been shopping outside a second-hand shop in, well, ever. 

He paid as you hid your discomfort. It was nice to look at new stuff but it felt wrong to have him pay for it. He didn’t seem to mind however as he ushered you along the endless mall pathways. 

You kept your head down as you neared a particular pink and black framed window. You were frightened as you passed the broad doorway and a woman in all black stopped you. You almost stumbled but Steve kept you on your feet.

“Excuse me, miss, we have a special promotion,” She stepped back and waved to a small wheel on a table. “Spin and win. Every spots a winner; five for twenty, half-off bra’s, buy one get one…”

“Not thank you,” You peeked past her to the lacy lingerie and blanched. “No I’m good.”

“Sure,” Steve said, “Go on. Spin.”

You took a breath. You really were starting to get annoyed by him. You wanted to roll your eyes but instead, you spun the wheel; five for twenty on panties. Great. She handed you the voucher and you thanked her. Steve was quick to go inside as you tarried behind.

“I don’t need any of this,” You kept your voice down as you followed. 

“You don’t know what you need.” 

He passed between the barely-clad mannequins and neared the drawered table of panties; none offered the same coverage as your high-waisted ones. Maybe you were a bit outdated but they all looked uncomfortable. He lifted a pair with no ass and held it up.

“Oh… no,” You uttered. “How about these?”

You held up some grey, sporty boy shorts. His brows knitted and he shook his head.

“Don’t you wanna look good for me, doll?”

You stared at him and set the panties back down. You crossed your arms and refused to look at any more. 

“No,” You whispered. 

He dropped the pair in his hands and turned to you suddenly. He leaned in as he lowered his voice. It was dangerous, angry.

“You gonna speak to me, you’re gonna talk so I can hear you,” He sneered. “And you’re gonna wear what I tell you.” He touched your chin and forced your head up. “Got it?”

“I don’t want any of this,” Your voice quavered. “I didn’t ask for it.”

“And I’m not asking you,” He hissed. “I’m not the asking type, you got me? I get what I want.”

“And what about…” Your voice trailed off and he squeezed your chin. “What about what I want?”

He smirked and shook his head. He let go of your chin and turned back to the table. He smacked your ass before he grabbed a pair of baby pink panties.

“You want me,” He said. “You just don’t get it, yet.”

You blinked and looked around. The sales attendant stood behind the desk and flipped through a glossy magazine. She glanced up and smiled at you and you quickly turned away. You slowly lifted the bags already in your hand and set them atop the piles of panties.

“I know what I want,” You let them go and spun on your heel.

You rushed between the tables of bras and panties as your heart raced. You stepped out into the bright lights of the main mall and turned to your left. You’d find the station and pay for a bus back to Birch; though that might not be for a couple hours. 

You sped up the further you got from the lingerie store and found yourself in a full out run. You didn’t know where you were going and were soon dizzy from the maze of the mall. You turned a corner and collided with something; rather someone.

Steve held the bags as he glared down at you. He grabbed your arm before you could get away and dragged you down a hallway marked emergency exit. His grip was painful as he dropped the bags and pinned you against the wall.

“You are… something else. That courage just comes out of nowhere.” He growled. “Now, I admire your gall but I don’t appreciate it.”

“Leave me alone, please,” You begged.

“You’re mine, you got that? Let me tell you a little about how that works. I wear this badge and I say what’s mine and no one else touches it. Only me.” He kept his arm across your chest. “Birch is a small fucking town, doll, and you got no way out. We both know it. So why don’t you enjoy what little you’ll get outta the shit hole.”

You gaped at him and pulled on his arm. He didn’t budge. You gave up and shook your head helplessly.

“First, you’re gonna apologise,” He said. “Then we’re gonna go back to that store and finish our shopping. You can try on a few things for me while we’re at it.”

You searched his face and he slowly drew his arm back and stood straight. You hugged yourself as you pushed away from the way. He watched you expectantly.

“I’m sorry,” You said quietly and he blinked. You raised your voice and repeated yourself.

“Good,” He nodded. “Now, I don’t wanna worry your ma too much so let’s stop dragging our asses.”

💀

Back in the shop, Steve picked out five pairs of panties then wandered along a wall of frillier attire. You cringed as you followed him. What would your mother think if she knew you were here? He grabbed a silky nightgown, little longer than a shirt and felt the creamy fabric.

“This one,” He handed it to you and grabbed a sheer romper. “Mmm, black or red?”

“Black?” You said. 

He gave you the red. He added a lacy set and strappy leather bodysuit. You struggled to balance them along with your bags of clothes. Resigned to his will, he had one of the women show you to the changing rooms. He sat on the bench amid the mirrored walls and tall stalls. He selected the silk piece and waited outside with the rest.

You pulled it on over your bra and panties. You couldn’t bear to look in the mirror and went to the door.

“It fits,” You called to him.

You heard a snicker and his boots. A tap on the door. “Open up, let me see.” He ordered.

The latch shook as you opened it. The moment it slid out of place he was pushing on the door. He slipped inside and shut the door behind him. You backed up until you were against the wall. He put his hands on his hips as he looked you over. He reached out and snapped your bra strap, visible beneath the lacy strap of the nightie.

“It would look better without that,” He said.

“I…” You pressed yourself to the wall as his fingers traced the line of your collar bone.

“Wear it tonight.” He stepped closer. He smelled of leather and something nicer. A pleasant woody scent. “You can send me a picture.”

“What?” 

“You’ll figure it out, doll,” He leaned in and kissed you; as deep as before as he pushed against you. He kissed you until he was breathless and you were weak. “I… can’t wait.”

You nodded dumbly. He tickled your arm and hummed. His blue eyes were dark. You crossed your arms to shield yourself.

“It’s okay to be nervous,” He stayed close. “It’ll get easier… once I show you how to be a good girl.”

You were speechless. He backed away slowly and sighed. He pulled the door open behind him, his eyes clung to you until he was on the other side. When he closed it, you let out your breath and braced yourself against the wall. What had you gotten yourself into?

💀

You shoved everything in a single bag before cramming it in the saddlebags on the back of Steve’s bike. He was happy enough with seeing the creamy nightie that he didn’t bother you much more than a few touches and kisses on your way out.

You were utterly confused and terrified. It wasn’t as if you’d never talked to men before but most of those you encountered were customers; harmless and often elderly. Married, most times. They never gave you a second glance and you never tried to make them do so. Perhaps it was fear of falling into a trap like your mother or your innate shyness holding you back. It was better to have the what if than a definite no.

Now you had caught the attention of a very bad men. The very type of man your mother warned you against, as hypocritical as that was. You didn’t know how and you weren’t sure about his determination. You only knew, it wasn’t good.

You straddled the bike behind him, impatient to get home. You were shivering by the time you got to Birch. As promised, thankfully, he drove up to your house. Unfortunately, your mother, ever in her crumbling castle, appeared at the window. Your father was on the porch drinking, sitting on the old stained sofa.

You got off and quickly undid your helmet and then the saddle bag. You traded the former for the shopping bag and said a swift goodbye. Steve kept you from walking away as he pulled you back to kiss you. You let him, embarrassed.

“I’ll text,” He said. 

“Okay,” You slowly backed away. “Um, I’ll try to answer. I’m still figuring it out.”

“Not that hard, doll,” He said. “I’ll see you around.”

He let you go and idled there as he watched you near the porch. Your father tossed his can as you climbed up the steps and he belched. 

“There’s the slut,” He yelled over and guffawed. “Always knew it.”

You flinched but ignored him as you continued to the door. You were used to his venom, he never had much to say to you and when he did, it was never nice. You could tell by the pile of empties that he was already deep in his daily stupor.

“Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?” He taunted as he rose. “Any daughter of mine ain’t gonna fuck those scum.”

Steve’s engine died. You froze and turned to your father as he staggered towards you. You backed up as he reached for you but he was stopped. Steve stepped between you and shoved him back. Your father fell on his ass.

“What the fuck?” He struggled to get back to his feet. “You get out of here, boy. Stop messing with my daughter.”

You mother opened the inside door and stood just behind the screen. She looked horrified. 

“You want me gone, you make me,” Steve crossed his arms. “Never had any problem with me or mine drinking at our hole.”

“Steve, please, he’s just drunk,” You touched his arm. “He gets like this.”

“I don’t care. All the easier to knock him on his ass,” Steve snarled.

“Please,” You squeezed his arm. “Steve. For me.”

He looked at you slowly and his expression softened. He took a breath and turned back to your father.

“If I hear you’re bothering her,” Steve jabbed a finger in the air. “I’ll come back and I won’t go till you can’t say anything else.”

“Big words,” Your father slurred.

“Pa,” You brushed past Steve and stopped your father from getting closer. “Stop. He’ll hurt you.”

“I’ll drag him through the dirt.” Your father barked.

“You can barely stand,” You argued. “Shut up and he’ll go.”

Your father shrugged you away and backed up. He bent to grab another beer from the case and dropped onto his couch. He scoffed as he opened the can.

“Fucking slut living under my roof,” He grumbled.

“Say it again.” Steve pushed past you in an instant. “Call her it again.”

He lifted your father by the scruff of his shirt and knocked the beer from his hand. He wriggled in Steve’s grasp as your mother finally came through the screen door.

“Stop!” She shouted. “Please…. Sir. Please, that’s my husband.”

Steve glanced between your parents and sighed. He let your father fall back to the couch. 

“Ma’am,” He nodded at your mother as he passed you. 

He touched your arm as he slipped past you and tramped down the crooked steps. He went to his bike and climbed on. 

“You just remember,” Steve called out as he shoved his key in. “There is no Birch without the club,”

[topsytervy]

Mob Rafe: The Series

Part 1

I still couldn’t think of a title after a month so it’s just going to stay as Mob Rafe: The Series

You can read the prologue here

Word Count: 4,096

Warnings: swearing, mentions of drinking, i think that’s it

~~~~

It was almost 10:30 when you stood in your kitchen, staring into your fridge that was practically empty, trying to figure out what you could make for breakfast. You finally decided on eggs after googling how to tell if they were still good or not and decided that they were fine. After all, JJ had eaten moldy bread before. What’s the difference between that and eating eggs a couple of days past their best by date.

As the eggs cooked in the pan, you grabbed the Aleve and a glass, filling it with water, before walking into the spare bedroom and setting them on the nightstand. You smiled as you watched JJ hug a pillow to his chest, looking rather serene. 

In about half an hour, he’d be complaining though and you’d have to listen to it until he left.

You went back to the eggs, stirring them around as you glanced out your kitchen window. You leaned closer and squinted, trying to make out the faces of the people who were going in and out of the place next door. 

That house had been up for sale since a week after you moved in, the old lady that lived there deciding that it was time to go into a home.

Well, her family decided. She screamed every curse word underneath the sun as her things, and herself, were being moved out.

That was almost a year ago. You tried convincing JJ to buy it but he said ‘I’m not living near a bunch of people who think my business is their business’. You tried to figure out who exactly was moving in but it was hard to tell considering it could’ve been any of the three guys who were exiting and entering the house.

You sighed before turning your attention back to the eggs that were close to done, hearing JJ groan from the guest room. 

“Who the fuck made the sun so bright?” You heard him say, voice muffled.

“Depends on the religion of the person you’re asking!” You hollered back.

“Well, I’m not religious so make it non-religious.” You heard a thump come from the room and you assumed that it was his feet hitting the floor.

“Then the Big Bang.” 

“Like the show?” 

You closed your eyes and pinched the bridge of your nose, taking a deep breath. “You know what? Sure. Like the show.”

JJ emerged, rubbing his face with one of his hands, the glass of water in his other.

“Oh, fucking hell. My head is pounding.” He mumbled, sitting down at the little kitchen table you had.

“I wonder why.” You asked, sarcasm lacing your voice as you plated the eggs. 

You brought the eggs over to JJ and set them down with a fork. JJ shot you a smile as you sat down across from him before he began to eat. “Where’s your food?” He questioned, eyeing the empty place in front of you.

You shrugged. “Not that hungry.”

JJ rolled his eyes. 

“I’m just not hungry in the mornings’ JayBird. You know this.”

“You should eat in the mornings. Even if it’s just a toaster strudel or a pop tart.” 

Now it was your turn to roll your eyes as you stood up and walked over to your almost empty pantry, rummaging around for anything. You managed to find a pop tart hiding away and you opened it, taking a bite from the pastry. “Happy?”

“When’s the last time you went grocery shopping?” 

You shrugged. “I’m planning on doing a little run today.” 

“You didn’t answer my question Y/N.”

You walked over to him and placed both your hands on either side of his face. “Don’t worry about me JJ. I’m not starving. Mom dropped off leftovers and I finished them an hour before you showed up last night. She’s been giving me so many leftovers, I just haven’t had the need to go grocery shopping in a bit. Besides, I finished off the potato salad she gave me two days ago at like 5 a.m. this morning when I went to go pee. So I technically had breakfast.”

“What was last night’s leftovers?”

“Tuna casserole. The week before that was a chicken pot pie. And the week before that was stir fry. And the week before that was-”

“Okay, I get it.” He cut you off.

You smirked as you sat back down in your spot. You were pretty sure that your mom was dropping off food just so she could get some time with you. Between work and classes, you didn’t really have time to go over and visit as much as you should. If you weren’t doing either of those things, you were either catching up on sleep or doing as much of your homework as possible. You were lucky you had a fenced in yard so Blue could run around for a while for those days you didn’t have the energy to take him out for a walk.

This also meant you definitely didn’t have the energy to drive yourself to the store and figure out what you needed for food and then drive back home. 

So, you were living on your mom’s leftovers that she brought over since she seemed to forget that there was one less person in the house so she didn’t have to make as much food.

“You want me to come with you?” JJ asked, scooping more eggs into his mouth.

“You really don’t need to. I think I can do a simple grocery run myself.” You smiled.

“Don”t say I didn’t offer when you’re making more than one trip.” 

You took another bite of your pop tart as you looked down at the floor where Blue and Piper laid, looking at you and JJ for any scraps. JJ was the one to break, giving the two dogs his last bits of breakfast before he leaned back, interlocking his fingers together as he placed them behind his head.

“What do you think the others did last night?” He asked.

You just shrugged, giving him the other pop tart which he reluctantly took after you wouldn’t bring it back to the foil after he shook his head no. JJ felt bad for taking it after just having eggs but if you were so persistent on him having it, he might as well just take the damn thing.

He took a bite and looked out the kitchen window and, through a mouthful of pop-tart, asked, “Who’s moving in?” 

You shrugged once more. “I’ll let you know later today when I find out.”

******

“You guys whine more than anyone I know,” Rafe told Kelce and Topper as they brought the couch through the door.

“Yeah. I wonder why. It can’t be because we woke up with massive hangovers and someone made us get up at 8:30 in the morning.” Kelce grumbled.

“I told you guys that you might want to take it easy on the alcohol considering we’re going to be up early tomorrow and the sun’s going to be shining all day. I also told you we'd ve working until we had everything moved in. It’s your fault that you two didn’t listen.” Rafe stated, looking behind him so he could see where he was going. "And think of this, you won’t have to go to the gym tomorrow."

“You sound like my mom. Shut up.” Topper grunted, looking at the floor.

As far as Rafe was concerned, it was Kelces and Topper’s fault. He did, after all, tell them what was happening and what day he was moving in. And he provided lunch for them and was also providing dinner so why were they whining. He would've been better off recruiting Sarah for this job. She would've complained less.

“I’m losing grip. Down. Down.” Kelce told the two.

They set the couch down on the floor and caught their breath, leaning against the piece of furniture. Rafe checked his watch. 

4:30 pm. 

He sighed as he noticed the hunger in his stomach for the first time since 11 when they ate lunch.

“It was nice of Rose and Ward to give you all their old furniture,” Topper commented, causing Rafe to look at him. 

Rafe scoffed. “They only did that so they could have an excuse to get new furniture.”

“Even if that’s true, at least you didn’t have to spend thousands of dollars to get furniture.”

Rafe sighed. Topper had a point and he had to admit, he was a bit grateful to his father and stepmother for deciding their furniture was outdated. Even if it was only 2 years old.

“Kelce, wanna grab the water bottles from the truck?” He asked. 

Kelce nodded, heading outside to retrieve the drinks as Rafe readjusted his grip.

"Oh, we're gonna finish this without Kelces’ help," Topper said, catching on after a couple of seconds of Rafe staring at him. 

Topper readjusted his grip, nodding to let Rafe know he was ready. 

"Yes, Top. And then we're gonna order a pizza." Rafe grunted as they lifted the couch once more.  

"You're paying right?"

"Yes, I’m paying. Now angle it more towards the right so it doesn’t hit this corner." 

"You're right or my right?"

"My right."

Topper did as he was told, happy for the free meal that would be provided. Rafe was just happy that this was one of the last things they had to move in.

They placed the couch down underneath the window as Kelce came back in, water bottles in hand. The brunette tossed a water bottle to each of his friends as Rafe grabbed his phone from his pocket. 

"Dominos or Little Caesars?" Rafe asked, looking between his friends.

"Dominos cause I want a sandwich," Kelce stated.

Topper looked at Kelce. "But little Caesars. Besides we had Firehouse Subs for lunch."

"Did I stutter? I want a fucking sandwich to go with my pizza, Topper."

The blonde stared at Kelce before sighing. "Fine. Dominos."

****

You looked into your trunk, trying to figure out if, no not if, how you were going to get everything in one trip when one of your neighbors approached you.

You looked over at her. "Hey, Mrs.Keling. How are you?" You asked, grabbing one of the paper bags.

"Fine Y/N but how are you?" She asked.

Mrs. and Mr. Keling lived across the street and four doors down from you and never really came over and talked to you. It was usually just the usual wave and smile, maybe a hello and a how are you. But that was only if you ran into each other. 

You raised an eyebrow. "Um…fine. Why do you ask?" 

Mrs.Keling glanced at the house next door, the Uhaul still parked there. You followed her glance before commenting. "Wow. They're still not done moving. They've been working since I woke up." 

"Aren't you worried about living next to him?" 

Those words made a chill go down your spine but you ignored it. "Should I be worried?" You set the bag back down in the trunk.

Mrs.Keling sighed. "Do you not know who's next to you?"

You shook your head. You hadn’t caught a glimpse of the mystery neighbor yet. You had noticed, however, many of the neighbors peeking through their windows or standing in their yards as they talked amongst themselves all day.

Mrs.Keling moved in closer and you looked at the middle-aged woman, slightly scared of who she was going to say moved in.

"Rafe Cameron." She whispered before stepping backward.

You felt yourself relax a bit, scared that it was going to be someone horrible.

 Granted Rafe Cameron wasn’t exactly a saint.

His past wasn't the best and his past consisted of terrorizing you and your friends but, from what John B, Pope, Kie, and Sarah had told you and JJ, he's pretty tolerable now. His hotheadedness, which probably was a result of his coke addiction, seemed to have died down immensely and he didn't really pick fights out in public anymore.

This was probably because if he got in trouble with the law for something stupid like speeding, his criminal activity would be uncovered.

Rafe Cameron may have looked like he turned a leaf and became a law-abiding citizen overnight but that’s why you never judge a book by its cover. Because, if anything, he got dirtier. 

People on the Island knew about Rafe’s new family that he got involved with back when he was 20, no thanks to Wheezie and her mouth.

She told one person to leave her friend alone or else her mob brother would take care of him and that’s all it took. However, no one could arrest him for any illegal activity cause, from what they saw, there was none. He was perfectly clean. Not even the scent of weed to cause them to suspect anything. Eventually, Shoupe had decided that everyone was pulling his leg considering Rafe always lets them search the place and no one had ever caught him doing anything that he could be arrested for.

You let it go, deciding that it was a rumor that could die. You were never much for the gossip that took place within the subdivision you lived in, let alone the island.

"Rafe Cameron lives next door now?" You asked, “As in the man who once climbed a tree to help get a child’s kite down?”

Mrs.Keling nodded. "He’s not as good as he seems Y/N and some of us are worried about you. There’s something about him that’s just...off."

You managed to hold back a scoff. Sure, some of them were worried and you knew they were but it was usually the seniors. The others just wanted to fake it to see if they could get some dirt on the others.

You shrugged as you looked into a bag, seeing the pie at the top, remembering that you picked it up for the new neighbor. "I'll be fine. I have a Blue." You reassured her, grabbing the pie.

You walked across the patch of grass separating your house and, what is now apparently, Rafe’s house. You raised a fist and knocked on the door. Looking around, you saw the neighbors staring at you as you stood there. You grinned and waved at everyone before turning back towards the door.

You heard laughter and footsteps before the door opened, revealing Rafe Cameron himself. He stood in the doorway towering over you, giving you a once over.

"I did some grocery shopping today and decided to pick up a welcome pie. It’s probably not that good considering it was in the clearance section but, ya know, as my dad always says "When you have a cheap pie, have a cheap beer with it"." You smiled, extending the pie towards him.

Rafe smiled back, taking the pie from your hands. "Your dads a wise man."

"Indeed, he is." You grinned.

Rafe looked past you and towards the people watching from their yards.

"Do you want to come inside? Have a slice of this pie you bought? It'd be unfair to not share." Rafe offered.

You smiled but shook your head. "Thanks for the offer but I'm going to have to decline. I've got to go get ready for my shift at work and get my groceries inside." You told him, turning to face your neighbors.

You turned back to the man in front of you and leaned in. "Don't mind these guys. They're, sadly, just your stereotypical suburban moms and dads who like to talk shit about others but hate it when others talk shit about them. Except for Bonnie. She's sweet." You said, waving to the old lady across the street who was tending to her roses. "Anyway. See you around, Rafe." You smiled, waving before turning around and heading back to your driveway where Mrs.Keling still stood.

Rafe watched as you exchanged a few more words with Mrs.Keling, no doubt in his mind that it was about him considering the older lady kept glancing his way.

"Well, she's cute." 

Rafe turned around to see Kelce and Topper standing off to the side where they could see outside. Rafe rolled his eyes at his two friends, both of whom wore a smirk, and shoved the pie into Kelces hands.

"You two wait for the pizza." He told them before walking pit the door and to your driveway. He smiled at Mrs. Kelsing who immediately bid you goodbye and scurried off to her home.

You looked at Rafe, a bag in each arm as you waited for him to say something. 

"You brought me a pie. Let me at least help you bring in groceries if you're not gonna have a slice of the pie." 

****

Topper and Kelce watched from the living room window as Rafe grabbed a couple of bags and helped you bring in your groceries.

"Why is he helping her?" 

"Cause that’s what you do when a nice cute girl brings you a pie. You help her with whatever." Kelce answered. 

"And you leave your best friends unattended with the pie? A poor choice really." Topper stated, flipping open the box the dessert was in. 

"A poor choice indeed." Kelce agreed, opening a box labeled kitchen and pulling out a couple of plates and forks.

Kelce served each of them a slice, clinking their forks together before digging in.

****

"Wait. My brother lives next to you now?" Sarah asked as you brought your friends the drinks they ordered.

It was probably 3 hours into your shift when JJ asked if you had met whoever moved in next door. And when you told the group, their jaws hit the floor.

"And he helped you bring in groceries? You sure that’s Rafe?" JJ raised an eyebrow as he immediately brought his bottle of beer to his lips.

You nodded as you tucked the now empty tray under your arm, looking at your watch. 15 minutes left of your shift.

"That’s so weird," Kie stated.

"Is it though? I mean, he has been wanting to have his own place for a while. It doesn’t help that Topper doesn’t pay attention to what name is on the sticky note when it comes to food." Sarah rolled her eyes, remembering all the times she called Rafe for something and heard an argument break out amongst the two boys.

And all she had to say was poor Kelce for having to put up with their bullshit.

"Yeah. I know that feeling." Pope commented, glancing at JJ.

The blonde immediately pointed his finger at Pope. "You don’t write your name on shit. You specifically said that we aren’t going to do the whole this is my food, this is your food." JJ defended himself.

"Uh, no. I never said that. Why would I say that, JJ?" 

"You tell me cause those words came out of your mouth."

"Oh did they? Cause I don’t remember that. In fact, I remember you saying we should put our names on our food so we know what belongs to who but then you broke that rule." Pope glared at his best friend.

"No. I said we should label the to-go boxes from restaurants when we dine in then take our leftovers home so we know what belongs to who."

"Okay. Pipe it down and quit the squawking." You told them, giving both of them a light smack.

"You two fight worse than me and Sarah and you two aren’t even together like that." John B shook his head.

"You don’t know that for sure," JJ smirked, bringing the bottle up once again so he could take a drink.

Pope sighed as the rest of you stood there staring at JJ before you shook your head. "I’m going back to work and in 15 minutes you all better be ready to leave." John B held up the keys to the twinkie and you snatched them from his hand. "And I'm driving."

You had driven to John B’s in your car and parked it there once you heard from Kie that everyone was planning on going out for drinks, opting on being the designated driver. This wasn’t the first time you did this, having them have their night out at the bar you worked at so you could drive them home safely after your shift. It gave them plenty of time to get shit-faced and you were able to make sure no one did something dumb while still being able to work.

It was kind of like Nani and Lilo’s situation of Nani bringing Lilo to work.

The pogues were Lilo and you were Nani.

*****

Rafe took a swig from his beer before setting it down harder than he needed to.

He was currently swearing under his breath as he sat on the floor, attempting to assemble an entertainment center he bought from IKEA as his two best friends sat on the couch, each enjoying another slice of pie as they had a beer themselves.

“I’m telling you, man, you should’ve had them to assemble it for you,” Topper told him.

Rafe rolled his eyes. “I can do it myself thank you very much.”

“You couldn’t do it sober. What makes you think you can do it drunk?” Kelce laughed.

Rafe turned around and sent him a glare. “I will have you know that it’s going to take more than a beer and a half to get me drunk.” He looked down at their plates to see them both halfway done with their pie slices. “Is there going to be any pie left for me?”

“You mean the pie that the cutie pie from next door brought over? There’s a slice left.” Kelce told him.

“And I’m not taking any chances,” Rafe muttered, slamming down the allen wrench and standing up, walking into his kitchen to retrieve that last slice.

He grabbed a fork and the box that the pie rested in, not bothering with a plate, before walking back over to his spot on the floor.

“You know,” Rafe started, using his fork to cut a piece of pie off his slice before letting his fork hover in the air, “you two having been pigging out this whole time, yukking it up and whatnot while I have been doing all this work.” Rafe punctuated his sentence by placing his fork in his mouth.

“Not true. We’ve been providing you moral support.” Topper defended.

“Well if you two aren’t going to provide physical help, then you can walk your asses out the door.”

Topper and Kelce looked at each other before nodding and getting up. “See you later, buddy.”

“Yeah. Oh, btw, Sarah said something about throwing you a little ‘congrats on getting a house’ party at John B’s on Friday since she didn’t want to throw it here and upset your neighbors!”

Rafe opened his mouth to speak but the door shutting cut him off.

"Thanks for helping." He muttered.

He picked up his beer and took another sip, checking his watch as he brought the bottle away from his lips.

12:30 AM.

Rafe sighed as he continued to eat his pie and drink his beer, deciding that once he was finished with his snack he’d head to bed. 

He got up to put his fork in the sink and throw away his garbage when headlights caught his attention.

He looked out the window, confusion on his face. This wasn’t the type of neighborhood where he expected people to go out until midnight. Hell, they didn’t even seem like the people who’d be out until 10.

It made a lot more sense when he saw the car pull into your driveway and you getting out of the car. He watched you walk up to your door and unlock it before walking in, closing the door behind you.

He shook his head before walking away from the window, continuing his way towards the kitchen. He threw everything away and tossed his fork into the sink before shutting off his lights and heading into his bathroom. He brushed his teeth before changing into a sweatshirt and sweatpants, heading into his room, and flopping down onto the mattress that laid on the floor with a groan. He suddenly regretted ordering his new bed frame online and not paying for two-day delivery. 

He let his eyes close, his breathing steady as he worked his way to sleep, letting darkness completely take over in a matter of minutes.

~~~~~

Taglist: @oleariaux @popcrone818 @void-sadie @diverrdown @teenagekook @acvross-the-universe @poguemackin @bibliophilewednesday

[annoyinglyjovialbird]

Voltron: Next Generation

A Portentous Warning: II

Word Count: 3010

The weekly meeting with Curtis on Earth and the crew of the Coeus happened on the day the teens were covering the bridge. Kova and Allie rushed past the kitchen, where the adults were eating whatever Hunk and Cake managed to make. Down the hallway, past the sleeping quarters, past Shiro's room, and to the left, was the bridge through the only doorway to the right. Kova never broke her stride, reaching out to grab her podium. Allie hadn't bandaged Kova's hands, leaving them still bruised and bloodied. Caleb, who had walked in seconds earlier, turned his chair around as Allie walked past to sit in her chair. Kova looked up at Caleb's turning, seeing the lavender fabric in his hands. He tossed the bundle to her like a basketball, and Kova managed to catch it. She had managed to put it on and pull the sleeves down to cover her knuckles when Krolia turned around. 

"Kovalia," Krolia said, noticing the teen standing at her console. "I was wondering when you would come." 

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," Kova said. She leaned on her console, hiding her knuckles in the bend of her elbows as Krolia approached the podium. 

"Um, sorry," Liz said. She and Cake were gaping at the sight of the Galra. "When did we meet?" 

"Cap, you can't secrets from us," Cake whined, puppy dog eyes in full view.

"Your team?" Krolia asked, looking at Kova again. The teen had closed her eyes and furrowed her brows, hoping to ignore the other two members. 

"Yep." She opened her eyes. "We have something to ask you." 

"About cargo." Krolia placed a hand on her hip. "I recall. What is it and where is it going?" At that, the teen sucked in her lips and took a breath. 

"Vatos," Kova called. Krolia, confused, turned around at the toddler that had been coloring in the corner. His sheets of paper were in disarray, with crudely made crayons in his fists. When Kova said his name, the little boy looked up with a toothy smile. "Hi," Kova said, giving a little wave. Vatos waved his fist before returning to his scribbles. 

"No." Krolia was quick in her response. "Kovalia, I am not and will not become responsible for the child." 

"Please?" Kova pleaded. "We can't safely transport him without running into the Fire." Krolia sighed, looking at the little boy. Vatos had managed to draw a mess of yellow, red, green, blue, and black. He stood, walked over to Cake's console, and proudly held up the paper to show it to Cake. Cake fawned over the picture, telling Vatos what a great job he had done. Krolia closed her eyes in defeat. 

"Where is he going?" She asked, turning her head to face Kova. It didn't help that Kova was trying to hide a victorious smile. 

"Earth, if possible." 

"Not Altea?" 

"If the Emperor were to become aware of the war, he would order all available troops to prepare," Allie cut in. "All of our citizens would be rehomed, and travel to Earth for refuge. Altea won't be safe." 

"Like Daibazaal," Krolia said, her voice low. "Alright, I'll do it. But I expect something in return, Kovalia." 

"You have my word." Kova rolled her eyes, sending off a message to Kenny. Since Kenny had been in charge of the toddler, Kenny was also assigned to prep a bag in case the deal came through. "Kenny will bring the bag, and Vatos is all yours." 

"You're lucky I was already on my way here." Speak of the devil. The door opened up and quickly closed behind him, tossing the bag to Kova. Kova, in turn, tossed it to Krolia. "Hey, Grandma," Kenny said, waving. "Wait, Grandma?!" 

"Kenneth, correct?" Krolia asked Kova, swinging Vatos's bag over her shoulder. Kova nodded. Cake explained, as well as you could explain to a kid, that Krolia was going to take him somewhere safe. 

"Where Mommy is?" Vatos asked. Cake's smile faltered. Allie's shoulders sagged. Caleb didn't meet the little boy's eyes. Kova moved, descending the staircase to Cake's level, and sat down on the step. "Where's Mommy?" 

"Mommy will join you later," Kova said, smiling at the little boy. "But she wanted us to keep you safe. So that's what we're going to do. Is that okay?" After a tick, the little boy nodded. "Good. Krolia, the woman over there, is going to take you to Earth. One of my dads is going to take care of you when you get there. Okay?" 

"Okay." Another head nod from the little boy. "Will I be able to color on my way there?" Kova shrugged, picking up the little boy so he rested on her hip. 

"You're going to have to ask Krolia," Kova said. "But I think she will." Kova had leaned in to stage-whisper in his ear, causing the little boy to giggle. Kova approached Krolia, handing Vatos to her. The little boy wrapped his arms around Krolia's neck to look over her shoulder at Allie and Caleb. Allie gave a small little wave and touched her markings. Caleb smiled at the little boy, only staring at him. 

"Until next time, Kovalia," Krolia said on her way out, heading towards the emergency exit to the right of the doorway. 

"Until next time, Krolia," Kova said softly, crossing her arms. After a few minutes, the Coeus shook again, and an escape pod flew past their window. The teens watched the pod until it was unclear if they were looking at a ship or a star. 

"How long has Grandma been here?" Kenny exclaimed, finally unfreezing from his stance. 

"Not long." Kova turned around, hoping to end the conversation. "This isn't—"

"Is the first time she's been on the ship?" Kenny asked, staring at Kova with wide eyes. Kova pursed her lips. With a raised eyebrow, she waited until Kenny finished.

"No, this is not the first time she's been on the ship." Kova walked over and climbed the stairs one syllable at a time until she reached the floor. "No, she hasn't asked how the ship is running and who fixed it." Kova finally made it to her console, pushing Kenny aside. He stood with a gaping mouth and wide eyes. He was shocked. Anyone else would. 

"She probably thinks it was you," Kenny spoke at last. Kova did what she could to not roll her eyes. 

"I can't speak for other people's thoughts, Ken." 

"Everyone else would." With that, Kenny marched out. Kova looked after him. If it wasn't her shift. Kenny would have to wait. 

The day stretched into the next, where the teens switched off with the adults. Liz and Cake offered to teach Pidge and Hunk about the little upgrades they had managed to do with their spare time. They admitted it was mostly Kova, but they helped. 

Kova, on the other hand, stood in front of Kenny's door. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail. She wore her blue dress and leggings under her lavender sweater since her gray vest was given to Keith. She held only a tablet in her hands as she stared into the door. Liz, Cake, and Caleb were pulling out all the stops since Kenny decided to stay in his room today. With a deep breath, Kova knocked and opened the door. 

The room was dark, save only for a distant red light. Kenny had turned part of the closet into a  vertical garden. Kova wasn't sure if the plants were already here pre-launch, or if they were collected over their trip so far, but it was a mystery. Immediately to the right of the doorway, the door to the ensuite bathroom lay, also dark. Across from the door, a bundle of blankets lay on the bed. The door closed behind Kova as she approached. The only shifted when Kova sat on the corner closest to the pillow and the wall. Pulling an outermost blanket away, Kenny's head of brown hair appeared from the bundle. At least he was still here. 

"Ken," Kova said softly. "Kenny, look at me." 

"Go away." Kenny's voice was hoarse. "Go be perfect somewhere else." The mountain of sheets moved as Kenny tried to merge with the wall. 

"Kenny," Kova tried to say. 

"Kova this, Kova that." His voice was mocking. "'Why can't you be more like Kova?' 'If Kova weren't the Colonel's kid, I would've thought she was my grandkid.' 'Kova's everything everyone wants.' 'Kova is perfection." Kova hadn't said a word while Kenny mocked the comments. She almost jumped out of her skin when he turned his head to glare at her. "Why do you have to be so perfect for everyone?" He turned back around, almost slamming his head against the wall. Kova retracted her hand from the blanket, but she hadn't moved off the bed. As the blood that rushed in Kenny's ear calmed down, he noticed Kova had yet to make a sound. He turned around again, looking at her face. Those pretty amber eyes were downcast, filled with so much sadness and hurt, Kenny wished he could take his words back. 

"I wasn't perfect enough for them." Kova's voice held just as much sadness as her eyes. "I have to fight with that every day. It doesn't help that eyes are always on me." Kenny waited as Kova took a deep breath. "I'm the Colonel's kid. I'm a top student. I'm the jack of all trades. I don't' have time to wallow, to process my feelings. I wish I did." Kova's eyes moved from her lap to Kenny's. "I wish I could be invisible, to not be the center of attention, to not worry about failing."

"You wish you were me." Kenny finished her sentence. A rueful smile appeared on her face, nodding gently. 

"I wish I could do what you did." Kova continued before Kenny could say more. "You rebuilt, upgraded, and in some places, restored this massive outdated ship without anyone ever noticing." With a hesitant hand, Kova ruffled Kenny's messy hair. "Sam would be proud. So would Matt."

"What about Colleen?" Kova scoffed as she returned her hand to the tablet in her hand. 

"Colleen has always been proud of her grandkids, whether they became evil emperors, homebodies, or high-ranking soldiers." Kenny smiled, playfully glaring at Kova. He sat up in bed, pushing his glasses onto his nose. That was when he saw the tablet in Kova's hands. 

"What's that for?" He asked, pointing at the tablet. Kova looked down and smiled. 

"I was hoping you would watch some old videos with me." She looked up, holding the tablet in front of her chest. "From before." 

"Before?" Kenny asked, looking between the tablet and Kova. "Like, /before/ before? Before the Achlys?"

"Before everything." 

"Let's do it!" Kenny said, excited. He scooched over to leave some room for Kova, who leaned into his pillows uncomfortably. They were much too soft. The tablet turned on and Kova clicked on a video file hidden under a folder labeled 'KHK'. 

The first video opened with a dark screen, with muffled voices over it. At last, the camera opened to reveal a toddler. The little girl had short black hair with a little ponytail on top of her head, held in place by a red hair clip. The toddler had big light brown eyes, with her tongue intermittently darting in and out of her mouth. As the camera zoomed out, more of the toddler's outfit was revealed. She wore a long-sleeved red shirt with a bow in the middle and ladybugs where her pockets would be, and a pair of light gray pants covered in little ladybugs and red shoes tap shoes. Her playful smile at the camera quickly turned into giggles as someone behind the camera bounced their dark pants-covered leg up and down. The toddler turned her attention from the camera to whoever was there. 

"Klance!" She shouted happily, squealing. 

"How come you're 'Klance', but I'm 'Unatt'?" Matt said off-screen. The little toddler turned her head to presumably Matt with a smile. 

"Untt!" The camera zoomed out further until the backs of Lance and Matt's heads could be seen. Lance had thrown his head back in laughter. The toddler, now assumed to be Kova, giggled again. 

"At least you're 'Untt' now." Lance was holding little Kova, bouncing her on his leg. 

"Be careful, Uncle Lance." The camera turned, giving a full view of what was the Kogane family home. With a turn of his head and across a floor shift, Lance looked at the dining table, where Kenny met his eyes. "TJ is gonna get really mad if you drop her." 

"I know, Ken," Lance replied, grabbing little Kova's waist and holding her above his head. "She's just a little daredevil." 

"She wouldn't be if you left her alone." The camera turned, flying over the armrest to focus on Pidge. She wore a long-sleeved green shirt, hands planted on the kitchen counter. Her eyes, matching the toddlers, were hard. 

"Sorry, Pidge," Matt said, and the camera flew to the other side of the room. "But if she weren't a little daring, she wouldn't be walking, talking, or potty-trained." 

"Yeah, Pidge," Lance said, finally lowering the little girl. She sat down on his lap, facing where the TV would've been. Matt handed her a stuffed ladybug, which she gladly accepted. "Pretty soon, little Kyla will be riding a bike into town." 

Before Pidge could respond, a giant wolf appeared in front of the couch. Lance, who had been reclining, sat up to secure a hold on the toddler. Matt nearly jumped onto the couch. Kyla, with the black and blue wolf only inches from her face, screamed. The wolf's bright yellow eyes turned to face the screaming child, approaching her to sniff. As Kyla calmed down, about to reach out to pet the wolf, it disappeared. After the moment of shock passed, Kyla was lifted again to stand on Uncle Lance's lap. 

"That was Kosmo," Matt said, coming down from the couch. 

"Y'know what that means, Ky?" Uncle Lance smiled up at the little girl, who smiled back. "Daddy's home!" 

"Daddy!" 

Behind the couch, the front door opened. Keith, muttering something was wrong with the wolf, walked into his home. He wore his Blade of Marmora suit, recognizing him as a high-ranking member. 

"Daddy!" Kyla exclaimed, bouncing up and down. "Daddy! Daddy!" 

"Hey, Lance," Keith greeted, finally seeing the child. "I didn't know you had a kid." Both Lance and Matt looked at each other, then at Pidge, who was trying to blend in with the fridge. That was when TJ emerged from the hallway leading to the bedrooms. 

"Dad!" He all but shouted. TJ's hair was shorter, cropped at the nape. He wore a familiar red and white jacket over a forest green shirt and black pants. TJ, with arms outstretched, walked towards Keith, who did the same. As Keith let go of his oldest, he walked past his second and ruffled his hair on his way to the counter to finally see his wife. It was quick. It could've been missed. Little Kenny, still sitting at the dining table, passed a note to TJ as he took a seat. TJ's smile fell as he read the note. He looked up to meet Kenny's eyes and Kenny gave a quick nod. 

"Hey, Uncle Lance?" Kenny said, a little too loud for an inside voice. "Does Kyla need to go to the bathroom?" 

"I don't know, Ken." Lance caught on quick, meeting the little girl's eyes. "Kyla, do you need to go to the bathroom?" She shook her head. "Are you hungry?" She shook her head again. "Are you tired?" At that, she nodded her head. A yawn followed, and Kyla started rubbing her eyes. 

"I'll take her to bed," TJ said, standing up from his chair. "She's our little sister, anyway." Keith looked up at his son, watched him pick up the little girl dressed in red, and walk deeper into the house. Keith stared at Pidge, who had only closed her eyes. Kenny silently slid out of his chair, walked to the couch, and sat in between Lance and Matt. He was staring right at the camera. 

"So," Kenny said. "What's the camera's name?" Both Lance and Matt now stared directly at the camera. 

"Chad?"

"Why?" Lance asked, staring at Matt. "How about Buddy?" The camera did something, earning Lance's attention. For a brief second, the lens turned colors before returning to normal. Lance smiled. "Buddy it is, I guess." 

"Okay, Buddy," Kenny said, and the camera deactivated. 

Kova paused the video before it could continue. She looked up at Kenny, now fifteen years older than the video. He pushed his glasses up as he stared at the dark screen.

"I, uh, didn't know Buddy's deactivation phrase," Kenny said, laughing. "But it was boring afterward anyway. TJ came back out after putting you down and admired the camera. It wasn't until he realized that the camera could've captured an unflattering angle when he asked if it was on." 

"Uncle Matt talked you through it, right?"

"Yeah." He smiled at the memory. "I was the only one who knew the phrase, besides you."

"I remembered." She smiled, too. "I always turned it on whenever something was happening. And if I didn't turn it on, Pops or Dad did." 

"Who made the video?" Kenny reached his hand out to Kova, who handed over the tablet. "There's, like, an hour and a half left." 

"Probably Pops." Kova shrugged. "Maybe it was Buddy. I just know that the video has been under my file for years and has only grown." Kova stood, stretching her arms. 

"Thanks for that, Ky," Kenny said. Kova froze mid-stretch. "I really needed that."

"What? The memory?" 

"The before." 

Kova smiled, holding her hand out. Kenny handed her the tablet, watching as she turned and walked towards the door. No words were said between the two, but the nostalgia hit them all the same.

[another-sonic-blog]

That Makes Us Two Chapter 1: Switched

Switched Bodies AU ShadAmy Boom!: 

Shadow and Amy hate each other, but if they want to get their bodies back, they must first embark on a mission together.

Can love repair the circumstances that were broken by hate?

.

.

.

Life was completely normal for Amy Rose. As normal as it can get when you have to defeat evil every day.

Fighting robots, villains, mostly destroying Eggman's plan. Yes, everything was going as usual in Hedgehog Village.

"Can't we do something else?"

Amy sighed as she looked to her Meh Burger.

"What do you mean?" Tails asked as he took a bite of his burger. "Don't you guys ever wonder where the meat we eat comes from? I mean, we are animals after all-"

"I mean we just do the same thing over and over again! We wake up, fight some villains, come to Meh Burger, repeat" Amy interrupted Tails as she looked to her teammates.

"Well, Ames, that's what we do. We are heroes and Tails that's actually a pretty good question, where does the meat come-"

"So we are bound to do this forever?"

Amy looked at Sonic who was now concentrating on his burger, too focused to figure out the mysteries behind it.

Sticks took a sip of her juice as she looked at Amy and with a burp, she added, "That's what the government what's you to do."

"If you don't feel like being a hero, then why don't you take a vacation?", Knuckles said.

"Knuckles we know that you may not have the brightest mind, but you may just have made a breakthrough!"

"Um, thank you?"

Amy stood up from her seat with a victorious smile on her face.

"I'll take a vacation!"

.

.

.

.

.

And so she desired, and so that became. Everyone on team Sonic agreed that Amy deserved a vacation away from all the fighting. Now, Amy was headed to do one of the things she liked the most...Archeology. According to her research, there was a cave on the outskirts of the city that may have important information about the 'Ancients'. The old civilization was well known for its technological advances. However, one day the entire civilization disappeared without any clues.

and this cave might just have the answers to that.

Amy was well prepared, lanterns, proper clothing, and equipment around her waist. It seemed like the lanterns weren't going to come in handy as the cave contained some purple markings that lighted the entire cave properly.

As she made her way through, she found a larger purple rock. It was the size of her hand and to her surprise, it was pretty light. She continued to appreciate the beauty of the gem and as she did, she noticed there was something engraved on it.

It was written in the Ancient language but she had a pretty good knowledge of it to know the meaning of the words.

"If in front of me war unfolds, I'll curse both until love is found."

Amy gave it a thought. Just what could this mean? She was deep in thought and she didn't notice someone approaching her.

"What in the name of Chaos are you doing here?!"

Amy was startled by the voice behind her. She dropped the purple gem, and it broke into five different pieces.

She turns around to find no other than Shadow the Hedgehog, Team Sonic's number one enemy standing right in front of her.

And he didn't look happy at all.

"YOU BROKE THE GEM, YOU IDIOT!", Shadow yelled at her and like hell was Amy was gonna let him have his way.

"YOU APPEAR OUT OF NOWHERE WITH YOUR GLOOMY FACE AND EXPECT ME NOT TO HAVE A REACTION?!" Amy yelled back at him, angry that Shadow had made her drop an important piece of her research.

"WELL, I EXPECT MY HOUSE TO BE FREE FROM PINK PESTS LIKE YOU!" Shadow walked closer to Amy and as the argument got more heated, they failed to realize that they were both stepping on the four remaining of the purple gem.

"YOUR HOUSE? WELL MR, I MUST SAY THAT YOU SENSE OF FASHION IS TOTALLY OUTDATED!"

"YOU LITTLE BRAT-"

Without knowing, the remaining of the purple gem began to glow at fast speed.

There was nothing the hedgehogs could do and the next second, they were both surrounded by the light coming from those four pieces of the purple gem.

It was just too bright...too blinding.

and then everything became black.

.

.

.

.

It must be around night time because Amy couldn't find any light source coming from outside the cave. Good to know that at least Shadow didn't murder her. Her body felt heavier than ever.

Also, she felt cold.

Around her chest area and her legs. Wait, what?

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG!?"

Amy screamed on top of her lungs, expecting the worse. She was terrified but she was more scared at the fact that her voice didn't sound like the usual.

She looked at her hands, which were more bigger now. Bandages, a lot of bandages around her hands, covering her black fur. She touched her chest expecting something round and soft; only to find a firm, sculpted, more mainly one. White chest fur covering it.

And oh god those horrible, outdated fashion shoes.

Oh, Chaos.

"I AM AN EMO!"

As if the first scream wasn't good enough to wake him up, now the second one certainly did.

He moved his head to where the screaming was coming from.

Not believing his eyes, he rubbed his eyes one, again and again just to confirm what his eyes were telling him.

He looked at himself really quick, pink and pin everywhere.

Boots, clothing, fur...

"I am an oaf!"

"Hey, I heard that!"

Shadow stood up from the ground as he approached Amy.

"Who's the fault is it that we are on this mess?", Shadow said with a hiss.

"Do you think I like this? Look at me! I am you!" Amy looked at Shadow's body once more showing a disgusted look.

"AND I AM YOU!"

"AND WHO'S FAULT IF THAT!?", Amy got closer to Shadow ready to get into hand-to-hand combat.

"If you hadn't broken that gem, we wouldn't be on this mess!"

"Well if you hadn't scared me then we wouldn't-"

Amy stopped midtrack as she realized that the five remaining pieces of the Purple Gem were gone. "The broken pieces of the gem...they are gone!"

Shadow turned to his previous spot to confirm her words and she was right indeed.

"Breaking the Gem must have caused us to switch bodies...maybe if we put the gem back together, we can undo this!" Amy said as touched the ground, making sure that there were no fragments of the purple gem hidden under it.

"HEY, DON'T DO THAT! THOSE GLOVES WERE HANDMADE!"

Amy frowned and game Shadow a 'really?' look. The look had triggered Shadow, didn't she know that her face was annoying enough?

Wait, no that's his own face.

"Seems like we are going to be hanging out for a while now," Amy said sarcastically.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't mop the floor with you."

"One, you don't have a floor, you live in this cave. Second, you NEED ME to be able to get your body back. Want to mop the floor with me? Fine, at the end of the day it's your body who you are harming."

"You have no idea how much I despise you right now" Shadow had to admit that this moment was uncomfortable. He was threatend his ownself while looking all...small and cute. This body of hers, it felt weird enough.

"The feeling is mutual, Shadow"

Shadow sighed, defeated. "Fine, we find the missing broken pieces of the Purple Gem, put them back together and we get our bodies back...after that, I never want to see your face ever again."

"and we shall never see each other again," Amy repeated, confirming what Shadow had said. She pulled out her hand expecting Shadow to shake it on agreement.

He pulled out his hand, ready to shake Amy's hand but as soon as he held it; an electric shock ran through both of their bodies. The electric shock made both their bodies jump to opposite sides of the cave.

Just what in Chaos had happened?

Shadow looked at his hand. He noticed that the bandages that were covering Amy's clothes were now gone due to electric shock. Her golden rings seemed a bit scratched but her glove was completely gone. He noticed that the shock had made a weird engraving on her hand that for sure would heal into a scar.

If Shadow didn't know better, he would think that the scar had a moon shape.

"Hey, Amy...", Shadow said now in a more serious tone.

"Yeah, I see it too...the engraving on my hand looks like a circle," Amy said lost in thought. "Wait, how do you know my name?"

"It's probably meant to symbolize a sun, mine looks like a moon." Shadow ignored her question. Actually, there was a story on how he found out her name, but he didn't feel like telling her that embarrassing story just yet.

Amy got close to Shadow and looked at Shadow's hand.

"It looks like a banana," Amy added.

"What kind of bananas do you eat?"

"Anyway, doesn't it hurt? My body has always been delicate when it comes to injuries." Amy added.

"Of course not, I am the ultimate life form, this is nothing to me-"

Oh, but he was wrong. He wasn't the ultimate life form no more. His body now belonged to Amy and he was trapped inside of her. He wanted to scream, yell but his pride got the better of him. But he couldn't hold it for too long. Now he felt it...a lot and a lot of...pain.

"SON OF A-"

.

.

.

Sonic couldn't go to sleep. After all, he hasn't heard anything from his girlfriend in three days and he was starting to get worried.

Did he say, girlfriend? He meant to say Amy, yes, Amy.

He wanted to give her her space but she promised to let him know if she was alright just so he could be at rest.

But she didn't do it.

Amy went for a vacation for a week on the last three days of her trip she hasn't communicated to him nor anyone on Team Sonic.

And so, Sonic decided to look for her.

He looked everywhere she could, the beach, museums, important historical places but nothing.

He checked everywhere but the cave he was about to go into.

"I am also  hungry, I've never felt this way! I am...I am starving, I need food!"

Sonic could swear that the voice he heard was Amy. But damn, since when did Amy speak like that?

He walked a bit more, letting the purple engravings of the cave light his path.

"I have dried meat on my bag"

Hold on a second...was that Shadow's voice?

"Oh Chaos no, I am vegetarian! Do you have any idea where does the meat you eat comes from?" Shadow said to Amy with a disgusting look. Before this could turn into a fight, Shadow and Amy looked towards the end of the cave just to see the blue blur standing right in front of them.

"Sonic!"

Amy was so glad to see him she wanted to run and hug him but knew it was impossible as long as she was in Shadow's body.

"Amy, what's going on? Why is Shadow here with you?", Sonic questioned as he gave Amy a nasty look. Sonic walked close to Shadow unaware that it was him due that Shadow had switched bodies with Amy.

Sonic placed a hand on top of Shadow's head, he looked into the pink fur, making sure there were no injuries.

"Touch me again and I'll bite your hand off," Shadow said and Sonic was taken back by this, still not believing his ears. "What did you say, Amy?"

"We are here because I am a creep and I just wanted to scared this pretty little girl hahaha!", Amy had now broken the tension between the two. She thought that being trapped inside Shadow's body would make it easy to impersonate him, but it seems like she needs more practice than that.

"Well, get lost Shadow! I am here to protect Amy! And if you don't like that, I am gonna have to fight you." Sonic said he put Shadow behind him.

"Oh no, please! Have mercy! Please take this beautiful hedgehog away before I pass on my gloominess into her!"

Shadow was having none of this crap. Amy was using his body to play jokes on him. Well jokes on her, two can play the same game.

"Actually, Sonic, there's something I've been wanting to tell you.", Shadow said with a teasing voice.

"What is it, Ames?"

"Sorry I never told you this but...I am in love with Shadow"

"WHAT?!"

"WHAT?"

Both Amy and Sonic yelled in unison. Shadow walked up to Amy who had a priceless expression. Even if Amy's face was his own, he had to admit that it was pretty comical.

"Yes, he is just so strong and way cooler than you!"

"Wait, not Sonic, it's not true, he, I am she is lying!", Amy tried to explain but Sonic had that look that Amy knew very well. He had heard enough and he wasn't going to listen to reason.

"I see...then, I'll leave you two alone."

And so, Sonic began to walk away. It took Amy everything to not stop him and tell him the truth. But knowing Sonic, she knew that he was going to take the wrong way. After all, you don't switch bodies every day.

After Sonic left, Amy turns to see Shadow smirking. Oh, how she wanted to wipe off that stupid smile but she stopped herself as she didn't want to leave a mark on her on the face.

"You will pay for this Shadow the Hedgehog!", Amy threatened him.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to pay all of it...every single one of them," Shadow said sarcastically.

"You are such a jerk! I am sure you can't even stand yourself!"

"You are right I can't stand myself and neither do you and according to math...that makes us two."

.

.

.

Next Chapter: https://another-sonic-blog.tumblr.com/post/186691087620/that-makes-us-two-chapter-2-duo

[qvestchen]

Ten Past Six // Johnten NCT : Chapter Nine

Summary: If Ten could describe his relationship with Johnny he would say it was like being in the same city and yet being in a long distance relationship without there being an actual relationship. Because if Ten was head over heels in love with Johnny, he was pretty sure Johnny was as oblivious to his feelings as ever.

Author: qvestchen

Status: Completed

Chapters: Home, Previous, Next.

Ten Past Six // Johnten NCT

Chapter 9: I don’t care about him

When Ten had walked out of the practice room, Johnny had stood there feeling a medley of emotions. He was so upset, he could feel his body shaking. He wanted to shout and cry at the same time. He wished he had just gone back with the others because anything would be better than what he was feeling now. He had thought that things were fine. He had thought he could make it fine. Turns out he couldn’t do anything.

He willed himself to pull it together at least until he was out of this place. With trembling hands, he grabbed his bag and cap and walked to the service stairs that lead to a backdoor on the ground floor. He was in no mood to meet anyone.

And yet when he let himself out into the cold night air, he found himself stopping by the figure who was sitting huddle on the edge of the stairs.

“Yuta?” he asked, his tone incredulous.

The figure moved slightly. “No, umm, it’s not me. Please ignore and move on.”

Johnny crouched down beside him. “Didn’t you go back with the others? Since when have you been outside here? You must be freezing.” He reached for his hands and it felt like he was holding ice.

Yuta giggled. “Everyone is too fucking busy. Taeyong was busy with Jaehyun. And Winwin…well, fuck him. He thinks he’s a prince.”

“Are you drunk?” Johnny helped him to his feet but he could see how he was swaying.

Yuta smiled. “Just a tiny bit. It feels amazing. I can’t feel anything. Take that Winwin!” He threw an empty can towards the fence.

It was then that Johnny realized that Yuta was sitting with a bunch of mostly empty beer cans throwing them at an anime version of Winwin he had drawn clumsily on the fence.

“I don’t care about him,” Yuta told Johnny.

Johnny sighed. “Let’s get you home, okay? We’ll talk about why this is all wrong when you’re sober in the morning. Come on.���

Yuta didn’t budge. “I don’t want to go home. I want to have coffee.”

“Now? I don’t even know what coffee on beer does to a person. I’m taking you home. End of discussion.”

“You’re being mean to me. Everyone is being mean to me. What did I do to deserve this?” Yuta sniffled.

“Okay, okay, we’ll get you coffee but then you’re agreeing to come home with me. Okay?”

“Okayyy.”

“Starbucks?”

“Yes. And you, stop smirking at me.” Yuta stuck out his tongue at the Winwin drawing on the fence.

They walked quietly. Johnny looked at his friend and felt a twinge of guilt. He had been so wrapped up in his own problems, he hadn’t even realized that Yuta might be suffering. Whatever tonight was, there was obviously something way too deep going on between Yuta and Winwin. He took off his hoodie when he saw Yuta shivering.

“Here,” he said, “you may not be feeling it but I can hear you teeth chattering with the cold. Sorry it might be a bit sweaty but I think you might turn into an ice block otherwise.”

Yuta took it without a word. He opened his mouth and then shook his head.

“What?”

“You know, I think I’m a lot drunk.”

Johnny laughed. “You were angry at Winwin. Yes, I would say you’re ‘a lot drunk’ because sober Yuta is never angry at him. You find excuses to clear his name.”

“No, I wasn’t angry at Winwinie, I meant that I couldn’t find our dorm. I was going to go back home after buying some beer but I just couldn’t find the place so I went back to where we were practicing. I was feeling tired so I thought I’d sit down for a bit and next thing I know…”

“Next thing you know, the great Johnny has rescued you?””

“No, I see my friend looking like he’s crying and I was like, Johnny? Why is he crying? Why are you crying?”

Johnny stopped. “I am not.”

“You aren’t?” Yuta squinted at his face. “Oof, you’re out of focus.” He stared. “You aren’t? Guess I am drunk but you have to admit I am an easy drunk to take care of.”

“I prefer a drunk Taeyong over you right now.”

Yuta laughed. “He’s so difficult to handle. What are you saying!?”

They entered the coffee shop together and soon they were seated across from each other, feeling the cold thaw. Johnny found himself calming down and inadvertently, his conversation with Ten kept replaying in his head and while he knew Ten had been wrong in saying all that he had said, he was forced to admit to himself that he wasn’t absolved of some guilt too. And that hurt him.

Yuta was telling him how much he hated Winwin. “Like his smile, ugh, why is it so beautiful? Have you seen him smile, Johnny? Don’t you hate how wonderful he is? Because I do. His voice is soft and I hate how I want to listen to him always. You know, he sounds just as beautiful when he speaks Japanese. I hate him.”

Johnny laughed again. “You keep using that word. I don’t think you know what it means because I’m pretty sure you mean you love him.”

Yuta stared. “You’re crying again.”

Johnny frowned and touched his cheek, looking surprised at the moisture. “No, I am not.” His face crumpled. “Oh god, what is happening to me?” His shoulders shook. “I’m so sorry. I know you are sad and I should be strong for you but oh god, why can’t I stop crying?”

“Joh—”

“Let’s leave,” Johnny said, getting up.

They walked out and Yuta’s head must have cleared in the air because he sprang to action. He rubbed Johnny’s back. “Hey, hey, it’s alright. You can tell me.”

“I thought I had it under control but it hurts so much. All the time. I really thought that I was managing it but now he’s upset too and I hate this, I hate hurting him and I am so…”

“Angry at yourself?” Yuta said, softly, his eyes filled with understanding. “I know I am the last person who should be giving this advice, but you shouldn’t be angry at yourself.”

“But I am!” Johnny said. “Everything up till now has been for nothing because, Yuta, you don’t know, how rude I was tonight.”

“Then, go apologize.”

Johnny ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t think he would take my apology at this point. He was angry too.” He sighed. “Plus, he’s got this weird idea that I don’t want him near me. Yeah sure, it’s tough sometimes when he’s all flirting without really meaning it but I treasure him as a friend and I don’t know how many times I have to tell him that he is my priority.”

“Maybe Ten doesn’t want to be your friend anymore.”

Johnny’s face fell.

Yuta quickly added. “Maybe he wants to be more.”

“N-no, he…he doesn’t. There are things you don’t know.” Johnny had the grace to blush as he revealed to Yuta about his confession and rejection.

“You don’t look surprised.”

“I knew bits and pieces,” Yuta said, shrugging. “I figured you’d tell if you wanted to.”

“I’m sorry I kept it from you.”

“Don’t be. We’re cool.” Yuta stared at the building as they reached their dorm. “I can’t believe I couldn’t remember this place.” He looked at Johnny. “Dude, I don’t know why Ten does anything he does but I know he likes you and maybe he’s just stupid but one conversation, you can start with the small things, and please, an actual conversation—no love letters, to be honest, they’re outdated—this time. If nothing, he’ll know you’re sorry for tonight and that mends stuff, right?”

Johnny nodded slowly. “You’re really good at this whole heart-to-heart.”

“Only when drunk, I’ve been told.”

“Okay, I’ll get going then,” Johnny said, as he ushered Yuta into the dorm.

“You’re going to Ten right now?”

Johnny nodded.

“Its three-thirty,” Yuta whispered, pointing to the clock in their living room. “Or am I seeing things?”

“Yes, it’s three-thirty but better now than later, right?”

Yuta took a deep breath, looking slightly green. “Okay, good luck. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Oh, should I help?”

“No, please. Go away now.”

Johnny grinned as he watched Yuta grumbling in the dark. He tip-toed over to the room Yuta shared with Winwin and Taeil.

“Winwin?” he whispered, tapping the sleeping guy’s shoulder.

Winwin cursed sleepily.

“I think Yuta is sick. Could you take care of him? I have to leave.”

Winwin sat up. “What happened?”

“Had too much to drink, I guess. Just—”

But Winwin was already rushing out of the room.

When Johnny reached the Dream dorm, he had lost what little motivation the pep talk with Yuta had given him. He was seriously reconsidering the whole ‘apology at three-thirty in the night’ plan. Maybe he should have texted it but he remembered how adamant Yuta had been for it to be an actual conversation.

“Okay, Johnny,” he told himself as he rang the bell, “actual conversations, for once.”

It took quite a while and another ring for the door to be opened.

A sleepy Kun opened the door, looking bewildered. “It’s not even sunrise!”

“Hey, Kun, sorry I woke you up but this is really urgent,” Johnny said. “I really need to see Ten.” He stopped mid-way towards Ten’s room. “Um, how upset is he?”

Kun blinked, still sleepy. “Uh, yeah. He was really upset when we came home and then he locked himself in his room. We tried to get him out for dinner but he told me to ‘fuck off, you gingerbread man, can’t I just be angry in peace?’. So yeah, he is really not in a great mood.”

“Upset and hungry. Great, he’s going to kill me,” Johnny said, downcast.

“Yeah, I don’t think a single apology is going to do it but it’s a starting place. Also, I would really appreciate if you guys filled me in to the whole picture one of these days because I really don’t know what to make of you two anymore.”

“I’m sorry. Soon.”

Kun gave him a look but retreated to his room after giving him an encouraging nod.

Johnny, grateful for the privacy, walked to Ten’s bedroom and knocked. “Hey, Ten?”

For the first time since his impromptu plan he was faced with the question of whether Ten was awake or not. Maybe I should have waited till morning, he thought.

“Um, are you awake, Ten? It’s me, Johnny.”

He knocked again, slightly loudly.

“I came to apologize. If you aren’t sleeping, can we please talk?”

Ten’s voice was sharp through the door. “Do you think after what you did I would have the mental peace to lie down and just sleep? Can’t you let me be?”

“Ten, c’mon, don’t be this way.”

“I told Kun not to call you. You shouldn’t have come.”

“Wha--!? No. Please, just let me in.”

Inside the room, Ten huffed. He knew what would happen if he let Johnny in. He would forgive him and Johnny would forgive him. They would continue to avoid the fact that they were falling apart. He would never tell Johnny that it was so difficult sometimes to see Johnny and not kiss him, to feel his presence beside him but not be able to tell that he adored him, he admired him, he loved him so much. Ten knew he was destroying himself at this point and taking it out on Johnny. No, he couldn’t let Johnny in. He couldn’t let Johnny see his puffy, tear-stained face and see just how much he affected him. Because what Ten wanted, he believed Johnny didn’t, and so there had to be a line and he was going to have to draw it.

“I’m sleeping, Johnny.”

Maybe it was how tired his voice sounded or the fact that both of them knew he was giving up, but Johnny nodded, more to himself than to Ten who was behind a locked door, and stepped back. “I’m sorry, Ten.”

He left without meeting Kun.

Ten heard him walk away. A click, the front door closed. There was a river of pain at the back of his throat. He curled up in his bed and tried to breathe over it. His eyes caught sight of the polaroids hanging around in his room.

It was them, the two of them and their friends but it was so obvious it was the two of them, growing up through the years. It had been so easy in those early days. Whenever he found anything tough, there was this tall, comforting boy who would step up beside him and make everything okay. They had been friends first but he had fallen for him so easily and quickly. So many cafés they had explored together. Johnny loved coffee and he loved going anywhere with Johnny. It was like every memory he had of his life in Korea was stamped with Johnny’s presence.

He felt a surge of emotions. Johnny was everywhere. He couldn’t even escape him in his own room. Johnny had entered his life and taken it over and now, Ten didn’t know how to organize his life.

He pulled down a couple of the polaroids, the ones where he looked the happiest because they hurt the most right now but soon, he was overtaken by an almost furious impulse to destroy everything that reminded him of him. Some pictures wouldn’t come off easily and then there were the birthday cards with long, long wishes inside and they all infuriated him.

“Why are you everywhere?” he shouted.

He emptied a box by overturning it messily in a corner of the room and started throwing things inside. He wanted to throw every piece of suffocating memory away. Except more pictures fell out of the box rather than in it and maybe it was because of that or maybe it was because he couldn’t reach the painting Johnny had got for him, soon Ten was just throwing things across his room.

He caught sight of his open sketchbook and he hated the fact that most of it was filled with half-drawn sketches of Johnny that he did in the name of portrait-drawing practices. He was so stupid. Johnny was right, he was stupid. He pulled out his sketchbooks from the shelf and was in the process of throwing them when he caught sight of the wretched book that Johnny had given him for his birthday. He threw it to the floor with special vengeance, hearing it fall and thud.

“To think I read the whole boring summary to impress him!”

After having wrecked his room thoroughly, he felt no less sad but definitely exhausted. He climbed onto his bed and fell asleep.

omg don't hate us for this, please! we promise the next chapter will be up real soon and there will be quite a few revelations, including kun's side story but what do you think is going to happen with johnten?

also, did you see the yuta side-plot developing? hmm, wonder what that means ;)

thank you so much for reading this chapter!

love, positive vibes and coffee~~

[bemyfriend-archive]

Don’t Look Now (I’m Being Followed)

Word Count:  14.057

Parings: Lee Jooheon x Im Changkyun (I.M)

Genre: superhero au, college au, roommate au

Summary: Searching for some apparent place, where floated needles decide the way. I’d dig my heels but I might crack the ice, give me some solid ground. The frost sinking in my cheeks, in my fingertips, I'm frozen senseless, everyday is a winter solstice without you.

The super hero / roommate au in which one is powered by the stars while the other is powered by the frigid cold. When one half of the duo gets seriously injured right before a fatal attack on the city, will the other come to his side?

A/N: this was originally posted to a03 for the spring monsta x fic exchange, i’ve decided to cross post on here just to see how it goes, as always this is unbeta’d because i’m lazy, there is references to drug use and major character death, as well as mentions of depression and suicide

Links: A03 ll playlist

Dragging his half dead body (and entirely dead soul) into the public library, Changkyun made his way to the science section hoping for some sign from Hyejoo. It had already been close to a year since she destroyed half the town. The only reason he knew she was alive was because he still saw her stars in the moon-lit night sky.

Fading in and out of thought, he walked around in a daze as his vision unfocused. Letting his thoughts drift to the distant shores of his own mind, he was met with the confused face of a platinumed hair man around the same age as him. Probably entering his first or second year of university like Changkyun himself.

Watching as the other took out his earbuds, Changkyun echoed the motion removing his own headphones. The tense air between the two was filled with the soft beats of music.

“Can I help you?” Platinum asked, removing his hand from the bookshelf as he hardened his gaze on Changkyun.

“Um, I just need that book on constellations, the black one, by Hye.” Changkyun responded feeling his hands get sweaty for some reason. Why was he nervous? Doing a once over on Platinum he realized he was almost the exact opposite of himself. First there was the hair, second this dude was dressed in pale greys and whites, thirdly he looked way too kissable, his cheeks were too soft to ignore. Changkyun just looked emo, scary, and dead inside, (which he was).

Lost in thought once more, he muttered a thanks as Platinum reached for the books once more. “Catasterismi?” Platinum asked. Giving a small nod in response, he watched on as the other took the book off the shelf and handed it to Changkyun, keeping as much space between them as possible, he acted as if he’d freeze Changkyun if the two made contact. “One strange book for one strange, and cute, boy.” Platinum smiled, showing off his dimples.

Muttering a small “thanks” he could feel himself blushing as he walked away. Cute huh? That was a new one, strange however, he was used to. Putting his headphones back on, Changkyun walked towards a corner of the library that was soaked in sunlight. The soft sounds of some My Chemical Romance song came through his headphones, helping him fall into a trance. Pulling out a chair, he sat down at an isolated table, back to the sun.

“Mama, we’re meant for the flies, and right now they’re building a coffin your size. Mama we’re all full of lies.” He sang to himself as he flipped through his book, glad that no one else was around to question his (very emo), music taste. Continuing to hum along to the song, he began to sway his head from side to side as he read through his sister’s book.

Jooheon had no idea what had come over him. What the hell was he thinking calling a stranger cute? Much less strange. He was the strange one here. Who wore a sweatshirt in the middle of July? Jooheon, that’s who. Shaking his head, he put his headphones back in being met with the soothing music of Michael Jackson. Making his way to the back of the library, meteorology book in hand, he was met with the sight of the stranger sitting in an isolated corner.

Taking a deep breath, he braved himself before walking up to the table and tapping the stranger on the shoulder. Interrupting the stranger’s hums of an outdated, and surely classic emo song, Jooheon tapped the strangers shoulder causing him to jump. And scream.

Faster than they both could realize, one of the workers was shushing them with threats of kicking them out. Bowing and apologizing to the worker, Jooheon looked back to the stranger only to be met with a glare. Giving a sheepish smile, Jooheon introduced himself. He watched as the other lowered his glare to his book before responding with his own name.

Counting it as a win with the cute stranger named Changkyun, he sat himself down across from him and opened his own book. Despite sitting directly in the sun’s harsh midday glare, Jooheon found himself occasionally glancing at Changkyun. Everytime he did, he found the other basked in the sun’s rays as if there was a halo around him. He wasn’t sure how or why, but he found himself falling for him despite the two of them having less than a conversation together.

Convinced that Changkyun was in a world of his own, Jooheon allowed himself to fully take in Changkyun. He had jet black hair, black eyes that seemed like they held both the answers for everything, and questions that no one knew to ask. He wore a black turtleneck sweater with a white line across his chest. Almost the exact opposite of what Jooheon wore, and somehow that interested him more. After all, opposites attract, right?

Almost the entire day had gone by with the two sitting in complete silence, neither wanting to spark a conversation that could lead to something more. Between them a stack of books in a variety of titles, authors, thickness, colors, and topics acted as a wall. A physical boundary to prevent them from talking. Hearing Changkyun sigh, either in frustration, or annoyance, he watched as the other stood up and collected his books.

Continuing to watch in silence, Changkyun slowly faded out of his field of vision with his stack of books and a backpack he didn’t have before. Deciding it was time to go as well, Jooheon let out a defeated sigh as he picked up his messenger bag and slung it over his shoulder. Not wanting the school year to start so he could continue reading his fictional books and not some stupid text books. Picking up his own stack of books that he had fanned through, he took out the best three and returned to the front desk.

Checking out the books, he carefully placed them in his bag before walking outside. Letting his eyes adjust to the fading sunlight, he began walking to his car only to see that Changkyun was sitting on top of a motorcycle. Somehow he wasn’t all that surprised, all the other needed was a leather jacket (and maybe pants) to complete the badass look. Unlocking his car, Jooheon tossed his bag onto the passenger seat and watched as Changkyun took off down the street.

Turning on the engine, he slammed his head against the steering wheel realizing he had forgotten to ask for Changkyun’s number. Sitting up and rubbing his forehead, he let out a small pout before putting on his seat belt and backing out of the library’s parking lot.

“I have got to stop slamming my head against things.” He whispered to nobody.

Returning to the library, Changkyun sat in the parking lot and pulled out the book that Jooheon had wanted. Taking out the note he had prepared at Kihyun’s, he slipped it in the book and walked inside. A part of him had hoped to see Jooheon again so that he could feel the other’s eyes on him. It was an odd feeling, one that he liked. He wasn’t entirely sure as to why.

Pulling open the heavy storm proof door, he approached the front desk and handed the book to the librarian. Asking them to hold it for Jooheon, he returned to his motorcycle outside and sat in silence for a moment, lost in his own thoughts. Shaking his head, he started up the engine and once again left his (now) favorite library behind.

Within a couple weeks Changkyun had given up hope of hearing from Platinum again, but yet here he was, thinking about the mysterious man dressed in all white. Parking in the lot next to his dorm building, he made his way through the front and to the main entrance. Walking up behind the shitty makeshift welcome desk, he tugged on the chair Kihyun was currently sitting in. “Your favorite resident has finally moved back in, how does that make you feel?”

“Sorry Changkyun, but Hyungwon moved in with the RA’s last week, can you believe he hasn’t even graduated and yet he’s working? He’s truly amazing.” Minhyuk turned to Changkyun and responded with a smile plastered across his face, eyes in crescents. Giving Minhyuk his infamous death glare in return, he tugged on the older’s chair making him fall out and onto the ground.

“So cold Minhyukkie, I thought I was the favorite since I’m the youngest.” He leaned back, putting his feet up on the table (most likely knocking over a binder or two in the process) he put his arm over his eyes feigning a broken heart. Faking sobs, he heard Minhyuk groan as he stood up and started rubbing his ass.

Continuing to bicker with Minhyuk, Kihyun’s smack across his chest caught his attention. Sitting up right, he turned to the pink haired male, ready to fight back only to be met with a key in front of his face along with papers.

“Oh no no no, I am NOT having a roommate, I refuse, the school can kiss my ass. Not today Pink Satan.”

“Which Pink Satan? Me or Hyungwon?” Kihyun smiled like the devil he was before shoving the papers into Changkyun’s chest and forcing him out of the chair. Laying on the ground, he watched as Minhyuk quickly took his chair back and placed his feet on Changkyun as if he were a leg rest.

“He fucking what now?” Closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath of the Summer air, he let his mind clear, feeling his face relax. “Nope.” He yelled before standing up, only to bump into Kihyun.

“Hey jackass, put aside the thought of two Pink Satans for now and meet your roommate.” Rubbing his forehead, Changkyun looked up and was met with the sight of a man dressed in white with platinum hair. “Changkyun, meet Lee Jooheon. Jooheon, meet your roommate, and pain in the ass, Im Changkyun. I pray for your mental stability.”

“Um, I can show you to our room and help you move some of your stuff in, but after that I gotta dip out for the new student orientation shit. I really only have an hour and a half, so you know, use me.” He smiled and raised his arms, forming a T as if Jooheon was just going to take his body.

Peeking at Jooheon, Changkyun noticed that the other looked more spooked than amused. “Alright room 415, here we go, party room, whoo.” Letting his head drop, he pointed to the entrance before walking towards it. Picking up a suitcase and duffle bag labeled LJH, Changkyun opened the door for the other and headed towards the elevator.

Once inside the two sat in a tense and awkward silence as the old (and probably unsafe) elevator dinged it’s way to the top floor. Maintaining the silence, Changkyun led the pair towards their room. “Just so you know, the pink haired satan, or Kihyun as some call him, is this floor’s RA. He’s chill but just don’t piss him off ya know?”

Unlocking the door, they entered the dimly lit doubles room. “I’m Im Changkyun, or I.M as some call me. Second year astrology major, early entry right out of highschool, wears too much black, probably looks like I’m always ready to kill someone, rarely talks to people outside of his group, blah blah blah. It’s all true. I’m sure you’ve heard some shit already but take it how you want it.”

Setting down Jooheon’s stuff on the plain mattress, Changkyun finished his introduction. “These beds are shit by the way, you’re gonna want a mattress topper of some kind. Anyway, I’ve told you everything you need to know about me for now, let's get you moved in.” Giving Jooheon a soft smile, he tried to make himself seem as nice as possible despite knowing it probably wouldn’t happen.

Tossing the keys and paperwork in Jooheon’s direction, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and left the room. Closing the door as softly as he could, he found himself aggravated as he walked in the direction of the stairwell.

Entering the stairwell, Changkyun began talking to himself not caring if someone heard him in passing. It’s not like it would make sense anyway. “I know he checked out the damn book and yet he couldn’t even bother giving me the time of day, but oh nooo, at the library he’s free to check me out and look at me whenever he fucking feels like it. Look at me getting my hopes up again.” Kicking the wall, he placed his head against the wall as well and breathed.

“Seven seconds in, hold five, release seven.” He whispered to himself as he continued to use the wall as support in calming himself down.

Jooheon couldn’t believe it. Not when he saw the black-cladded male basically pull a chair out from someone. Not when Kihyun had introduced them after he had stood up, and certainly not when he was trapped in the elevator with the man he now knew as Im Changkyun.

Once he was alone in the room, key and paperwork in his lap, Jooheon pulled the silver phone case off his phone. Taking out the note, he rolled it over in his hand mindlessly before unfolding it. “Since you couldn’t stop staring at me - xxx-xx-xxx - call me instead ;)” it read. He doubted that Changkyun had remembered him at all and that the note was more for fucking around together instead of building friendship that could turn into something more like Jooheon wanted.

He was already whipped for Changkyun, just from his mysterious aura and his humming along to music as he read. The other had to have people over him all the time, he just screamed attraction. Those two thoughts alone had made Jooheon too scared to call or text him, but now he didn’t have a choice, they were roommates after all. Oh my god, they were roommates. Putting his head into his hands, he rubbed at his eyes hoping it would help destress him. It didn’t.

Letting out a loud sigh, Jooheon pulled his face out of his hands slowly dragging his hands down his neck in defeat. Taking a second before looking around the room he let his thoughts run wild not making any sense.

Absorbing his surroundings (aka Changkyun’s side of the room) he noted that the other had glow in the dark stars up on the ceiling. Some formed random shapes, others made the constellations.

Changkyun’s side of the room was adorned in shades of black and silver. On the walls he had hung fairy lights (even they had black electrical cords), various posters of bands and video games, as well as some polaroids, none of which had him in them. A part of Jooheon wondered what Changkyun got up to or what kind of past he had to make him this dark and closed off. Continuing to look around and explore the small room, Jooheon found himself wanting to know everything about the other, no matter how long it took.

Starting to unpack his own stuff, the full realization of just how much they contrasted started to settle in. While Changkyun’s stuff was black and silver, Jooheon’s was white and gold. A total 180 from each other. Sneaking a peek over to Changkyun’s desk to get an idea of a good set up, he noticed astronomy textbooks among a wide array of albums and unlabeled binders. Maybe they’d have some classes together. Smiling to himself with a new found hope, he began setting up as Changkyun opened the door bringing in the rest of Jooheon’s stuff.

Once Changkyun dropped everything on Jooheon’s bed, he finally decided to speak up. “Changkyun listen, I uh just wanted to let you know that I got your note. And that I never called or texted because I was nervous and I thought I wouldn’t see you again. So let’s start over yeah? My name’s Lee Jooheon, I’m a second year transfer from abroad and I’m studying Biology.” Reaching his hand out, he watched as Changkyun simply looked at his outstretched hand.

“Nope.” Changkyun said with a soft smile before changing into a (unsurprisingly) black shirt that said “Orientation Leader” on the back with the school’s logo on the breast. He had waved and walked out. Feeling his heart sink into his stomach, the hope Jooheon had previously was gone. “Fucking idiot.” He whispered at himself as he heard the younger disappear down the hallway.

Walking back down to the RA’s table outside, Changkyun now had one mission before his orientation duty.

Slamming his hands down on the table (and most likely scaring a new student or two) he was met with Kihyun glaring up at him. “Yes Changkyun?”

“I want a new roommate.”

“Too bad.”

“He’s too cute and kind for me.”

“Then stop liking dick.”

“Um, no? Have you HAD a dick before? They're fan-fucking-tastic.”

“Fuck off and go do your OL shit gay lord.”

“Says the one with pink hair.”

“Ladies, ladies, you’re both very gay and very pretty but we have new students lets not scare them okay? At least not today?” Minhyuk had ended the conversation with a threatening smile towards the duo. Hearing whispers from both students and parents behind them, Changkyun huffed and walked away knowing soon he’d be seeing those same people. At least they knew there was a gay community on campus now.

The memories began to fade away as he finally broke out his homework. Changkyun heard the door open only to reveal a bruised up Jooheon with grocery bags on both his arms. Standing up to help his roommate (and crush) he began looking through the bags. “Hey dumbass, you forgot the milk. Again.”

“Fucking shit.” Jooheon muttered as he dropped his head in shame, allowing Changkyun to pat the other's soft locks. Feeling his heart soften towards the older’s antics once more, he began to wonder when he started feeling like this. Helping Jooheon with the groceries, he couldn’t help but wonder how he had gotten so beaten and bruised. Maybe he really was the Ice Dude.

Slamming his head against the desk, Jooheon groaned as he looked at his watch watching the time go by slower than molasses on crutches. Up hill. In the winter.

“Dude you okay?” A deep voice beside Jooheon spoke quietly, a soft prod in his side coming shortly after.

“Changkyun, buddy, pal. I love you, but why the hell did you pick morning classes. Also please don’t poke me.”

“You’re squishy it’s fun. As for morning classes, I know we both always have shit to do at night so chill, you’ll thank me for it one day.”

Moving his head to the side, Jooheon stared down Changkyun with a glare in his eye. “Yeah that’ll be the day you save my life or some bullshit.”

Finally sitting back up Jooheon let out a small sigh wishing the time could go faster. Resting his head in the palm of his hand he glanced to Changkyun. “I’m gonna go to the store after class, do you need anything?”

He watched Changkyun look at his phone and quickly cleared a notification. “Just some milk, I’ll be getting back late tonight, sorry dude.”

“All good man.”

Running out of the lecture hall, Jooheon could feel his body temperature dropping. Fast. He knew everyone was staring at him. It wasn’t often he made a beeline right after class. Running through the parking lot he unlocked his car, tossing in his bag and starting it up. Turning up the heat and letting out a small shiver, he grabbed his phone and dialed Hyunwoo before driving off.

“Where am I going papa bear?”

“Still not your dad, you’re going to the east wing on 5th and 14th. Don’t die.”

“Yeah that’s as likely to happen as me working with someone new.” Laughing to himself Jooheon drove onto the almost empty highway.

Changkyun stood up groaning. “If you’re gonna beat me, at least do it in bed after wine and dining me asshole. You know, I WAS gonna feel bad about hurting you, until you threw me through a fucking WALL.” Hardening his expression he stepped through the hole in the wall and turned to look at it. “Looks like my ass after some good dick.”

“What the literal fuck is wrong with you?”

“Says the one out here looking like a fucking twink.” Taking another look at the red head, he smiled to himself. “If you get naked and put some body glitter on I might think about sleeping with you.”

“Changkyun, the more dumbass comments you make, the more likely he is to throw you through another wall.” Turning to face Kihyun, remark ready to be made, he felt something connect with his jaw. “You see normally, I would call that lucky since you’re against Changkyun, but someone has sex on his mind. Again.”

Laying in the rubble of a new dent in their concrete floors, he raised up an arm in protest. “Not my fault my roommate is fucking hot. I can get serious if you want me to Minhyukkie. Do you wanna see my pet Wolfie?” Standing up once more, Changkyun brushed the dirt and dust off himself.

Running over to Minhyuk he connected his boot cladded foot with the older’s chest sending him against the wall Changkyun had previously gone through. Hearing the crack of Minhyuk's body against the hard concrete sent a satisfying shiver through his body.

Grinning, he watched as the older stood up clutching his chest, clearly gasping for air. “I’m that good huh? I guess I can leave everyone breathless.” Changkyun asked with a quick wink, a smirk to follow. Walking over to the barely breathing man he could hear Kihyun yelling at him to quit it. “Do you really want me to get serious? I haven’t even used my powers, do the stars scare you? Maybe one day I’ll summon Wolfie for you.”

“Get. Fucked.” Minhyuk breathed out before blacking out. Feeling his body get weak and watching as his vision blurred, he flipped off Hyungwon. “Can you ever leave time alone? For thirty seconds?” He yelled, resting his head on the rubble of the half destroyed wall.

“With you around? No.” Hyungwon smiled down at him before turning serious again. “In about an hour there’s going to be something happening, I’ll send you the location shortly. Get moving.” Nodding to Hyungwon, he stood up. “You know this wall kinda looks like..”

“Changkyun I said go.”

Letting out a small sigh he walked towards the exit, grabbing his jacket and keys off Kihyun’s workbench. “I’m gonna die to spite you both.” He muttered as he closed the door behind him. Just as quickly as the door closed, it was kicked open by a furious Kihyun screaming that “He had better not” and that “He’d stay dead this time.”

Climbing on top of his motorcycle he pulled his jacket tight around him before putting on his helmet and gloves. Starting up the engine he felt the machine roar to life under him. Patting the side he pulled down his visor, completely engulfing himself in black.

Leaving the hideout, Changkyun sped towards the highway. Driving into the blinding sunlight, a map popped up on his visor with the location of his new mission. 5th and 14th, at least he wasn’t going to the slums for once. Revving the engine and popping a wheelie, he smiled to himself as he weaved his way through the parking lot traffic.

Arriving at the location, Changkyun was met with the sight of someone dressed in hues of  white and blue standing over someone or something. Inching himself forward on the bike, he tapped the side of his helmet zooming in on the stranger. He had this itching feeling that he had seen him before somewhere. Maybe this was the new ice dude Minhyuk had been going on about.

Upon closer inspection he noticed the man in white had some type of weapon on his back. “Probably to help with physical fights.” He muttered to himself. How could this dude wear so much white? White pants, white trench coat, white hood, white scarf, white boots. Changkyun was seeing more white than when he came the other night.

Brushing his platinum hair out of his face, Jooheon walked up to the now motionless body that laid in a pile of rubble. Fixing the white scarf that covered the lower part of his face. “Listen buddy, I really don’t wanna hurt you anymore, so could you maybe, I dunno, turn yourself in? Please? I have an essay due tomorrow and its not done, plus my roommate is expecting me back soon ya know?”

Hearing a motorcycle engine in the distance his head shot up. Narrowing his eyes at the noise he watched the figure on the motorcycle slowly get closer. No doubt who ever it was under the famed Lupus mask, they were inspecting Jooheon. Squatting down he prepared himself to leave. There was no way in hell he was squaring off against Lupus. Not in this lifetime, he liked living. Thank you very much.

Much to his surprise Lupus had turned their motorcycle around, the moonlight reflecting midnight blues and greys off the mechanical body, along with the constellation on their helmet before revving the engine and driving off. He watched in silence as the picked up the (probably concussed) man in front of him. Throwing the man over his shoulder, he launched himself off an ice stalagmite into the sky towards the nearest police station. “Guess the essay isn't getting finished” He whispered to himself as he continued launching himself from roof to roof.

Arriving back at the dorm, Changkyun took off his helmet and threw it into his safe along with his jacket and gloves before slamming it shut. It was all a little odd. For the longest time he was the only super in this city until this Ice Dude showed up. The biggest oddity was that Ice Dude arrived around the same time as Jooheon.

A part of him was jealous of Ice Dude's powers. Ice stalagmites to launch himself through the air, another power that summons a small field of stalagmites, his weapon (whatever it was used for, or whatever purpose it served aside from beating the shit out of people), a frost shield, an ice grenade, and some type of ice blast. What else did this dude have at his fingertips?

It had to be so much better than using physical force and the stars to fight. Granted he knew he looked badass but still, Changkyun was allowed to be envious.

It didn’t make sense to him. Jooheon showed no signs of being a super, much less a powerful one with a skill set like Ice Dude. He was just, too nice. No matter how hard he tried Changkyun couldn't picture it. Hyungwon and Kihyun had also said it was highly improbable.

Usually there was only one super protecting a city or an area.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he changed into joggers and a sweatshirt before pulling out his homework. Sitting back in his chair, he pulled his backpack up onto his lap and propped his legs up on the desk. Shuffling through his bag as he looked for his assigned readings he felt himself get lost in thought.

What if Jooheon really was the Ice Dude? Their relationship could either change dramatically or not at all. Did Jooheon not trust him enough to tell him? Feeling his gaze drop he knew he couldn’t hold that against him. He hadn’t told Jooheon he was Lupus after all.

Who could blame him? Lupus was a scary dude that never showed his full power. The last time a full power like his was shown sent the country, along with half the world, into turmoil and confusion. What else could come out of a constellation coming to life?

The only time it had happened was when his younger sister Hyejoo had seen her best friend commit suicide, shortly after the incident her jet black wolf tore through the town, hunting down the people who had harmed her friend so badly. Once it all ended Hyejoo took herself off the grid, even cutting ties with Changkyun.

Finding himself lost in thought, Changkyun thought back to how he had met Jooheon and how he fell for him instantly. Chuckling to himself with the thought of Hyejoo indirectly bringing the two together.

Sitting at his desk, Jooheon toyed with the cowbell that he had bought a few hours prior. Why? Even he didn’t know, it just looked cute. It was a Saturday which meant nothing to do until nightfall. Leaning back in his chair he let out a groan of boredom as he wondered what to do with his life. Sure he could go train, but did he want to? No.

Turning his head to look out the window, he sighed again as Sol burned herself brightly for everyone to enjoy. He could hear the distant voices of other students outside, talking about the new movie they were going to see or some party that was sure to be a rager. All signs of classes and fatigue were forgotten.

Hearing a strange bark followed by someone shushing the bark. Deciding against his better judgment to ignore it, assuming someone had snuck their dog into the dorms again, he sat up and went back to playing with the cowbell. Lost in distant thoughts of stars and a black-haired boy among them, outshining them all.

No longer feeling the time passing, he turned on his stereo, soft beats and rhythms now filling the air. Hearing the soft click of the door unlocking, the barking was closer. Narrowing his eyes, he had the sneaking suspicion that his roommate was doing something stupid again.

“JOOHEON- CLOSE TH-FUCK.” Hearing Changkyun shouting he jumped out of his chair and ran to the door. Swinging it open he was met with the sight of the younger struggling with a hyperactive grey and white husky.

“You. Did. Fucking. Not.” Letting himself turn serious, (and a mix of disappointment and pride, but he wouldn’t tell him that), Jooheon was truly clueless as to what to do.

“I made a bet with Minhyuk and Kihyun that I couldn’t dog-nap the president's dog, so here I am.” Changkyun stated simply with a smile that brightened his whole face (a shit eating grin really). As stupid, idiotic, and ridiculous as the whole situation was, Jooheon couldn’t help but find himself smiling at the younger.

Dog-napping for a bet did have a certain charm. Allowing himself to laugh, he let Changkyun release the dog into the room with a triumphant yell, along with throwing his arms into the air. Checking the hallway, Jooheon closed the door slowly before turning around to face the younger. Seeing Changkyun taking selfies with the dog, he wasn’t entirely surprised, he felt more soft than anything.

“Take that fuckers.” Changkyun whispered as he sent the pictures and began playing with the dog after closing the blinds. Maybe this is what falling in love felt like. With the smile never leaving his face, he joined the younger on the floor as the dog knocked the cowbell off his desk.

Deep in sleep, Changkyun was nowhere near his typical dreamscape, instead he stood in the rain. In front of him laid six jet black caskets, all given military honors. The rain reflected his emotions, as if he had just lost something dear to him. Looking up from the caskets, he took in the appearances of everyone around him. They were nothing but black and staticy figures, all except a girl that now passed behind everyone.

Dropping his umbrella into the mud, Changkyun began chasing after the girl only to trip and fall into a casket of his own. Slamming his fists into the silk-lined pillow and bed of the casket, he let out a roar of frustration as the walls began closing in. He was totally helpless and he hated it.

On his way back to the dorms from practice and training, Jooheon was slammed into the ground, feeling his pulse racing through his veins and directly to his head. He kicked back against the mutant currently attacking him, he watched with a sense of pride as it flew a few feet back and hit a tree. Taking a closer look at what had suddenly attacked him he realized it looked a little too much like the Beast.

Curiosity piqued, he looked at it with a tilt of his head and narrowed eyes. Maybe this whole beast thing was bigger than they all knew. As a consequence of his short-lived brainstorming session, Jooheon found himself falling through the door of a run down (and probably condemned) building.

Standing up, he brushed the dust off his body nonchalantly. Jumping a couple times to warm himself up, he opened the now broken door and stepped through before taking his weapon from his back. With a quick flick of his arm, the weapon had activated and expanded to its full length. Throwing it at the mutant, he felt a sense of pride that he had successfully locked the mutant down by its neck.

Walking closer to inspect it, it had begun to retaliate against Jooheon. Flailing it’s limbs and letting out screeches of horror that could make someone’s ears bleed. The screeches had begun to turn almost demonic before they suddenly stopped. Bending down, he encased the mutant in ice as he checked for a pulse. Nothing.

“What happened?” He whispered into the wind, as the body turned to dust and disappeared before his eyes.

Arriving back at the dorms knowing he looked like a hot mess, Jooheon sighed deeply wondering what sexual comment Changkyun was going to make this time. Resting his head against the door, he unlocked the door and swung it open lazily.

Not bothering to take off his shoes, he kicked the door shut before walking to his bed and letting himself fall.

“Well you look like a hot mess,” Called it, “You good though?”

Turning his head to look at Changkyun, he took in another deep breath wondering where this conversation was going. “Yeah just a rough and long night is all, I can sleep it off.”

“Must’ve been some bomb sex.” Changkyun stated, covering his mouth as he let out a soft laugh. Feeling his heart soften at the sight, Jooheon felt a smile creeping onto his face as he fell a tiny bit more for the mystery that was Im Changkyun.

“Yeah, it really was.” He laughed back, letting his soft chuckles rake through his body he began wondering if Changkyun held the moon. Or maybe he was the moon. He had wanted to tell the younger who he really was, but he still couldn’t risk it. Feeling his smile fall, he rolled over and faced the wall before fading off into sleep.

It had been a couple days since Jooheon came back looking roughed up, more than usual at least. Covering his yawn, he looked at the clock on his desk. Three a.m, Jooheon should have been back hours ago. He was never held up past midnight, neither of them were.

With worry washing over his body, he went to his safe and took out his combat gear getting ready just incase. Leaving the room unlocked in a hurry, he took the stairs two at a time not wanting to waste precious seconds.

Once outside he ran to his bike, attempting to contact the others hoping one was at the hideout. Much to his disappointment, no one had answered which left it up to him. If Jooheon was in danger, he had to know.

Making it to the hideout in record time, Changkyun logged himself into Minhyuk’s computers and began searching the city’s cameras and traffic lights looking for any sign of Jooheon. The neon green text flashed across his face showing various combinations of street and camera codes. Finally finding what he wanted, he marked down the location and left with one of Minhyuk’s laptops.

Arriving to the camera’s line of vision he began scanning the area not finding anything. Pulling out the laptop, he started checking other cameras in a panic. A number began flashing across the screen and several cameras. “4155012x,” He whispered, “What does that mean?” Hearing a scream followed by a crash, he put the laptop away and began running in the direction of the noise.

Turning a corner as he ran, he saw the flash of a white trench coat across his vision. The person in the coat suffered another hit, this time into the ground creating a small crater. Unsure why, Changkyun felt angry, as if someone close to him was the one being attacked instead of a total stranger.

Once Changkyun had the mutant down for good, he watched in silence as its black griffon- like body faded to ash, the white armor from its face remaining. Turning to the body dressed in white, he faced a fear he didn’t realize he had. Jooheon was X. Picking the older up, Changkyun threw him over his shoulders fireman style as walked back towards his bike.

Jooheon made no movements or sounds as the younger carried him, or even has he drove to the hospital. “I’m taking you to Hoseok, he can fix you up, better than ever.” Changkyun whispered, more to reassure himself than Jooheon who was fading in and out.

“Stay with me buddy come on, you can do it.”

Jooheon heard a dark and somewhat mystical voice speaking softly to him. He felt weak, it was something he had never felt before. Helplessness? Despair? “Yeah despair, that’s the word. Goodnight.” Letting the darkness engulf him, Jooheon felt like his body was both falling and floating at the same time. “It’s like I’m riding myself through space.” He slurred, letting his head loll to the side.

Hearing confusion in the dark voice that surrounded him, he liked that voice. It wasn’t even a voice, it was home. Home was calling for him.

Running through the darkness that was slowly eating away at his body, Jooheon screamed for help. Tears started pricking his eyes as he called for Changkyun. Changkyun would always help Jooheon, he promised. In the distance behind him, Jooheon spotted a wolf with burning red eyes getting closer to him.

Making eye contact with the animal, a voice in his head resonated out the words “You can run, but you can’t hide.” Feeling fear sink deep into his heart , he got up and began running again. Finally reaching some sort of shore, He began to claw himself out of the darkness, only to find himself falling again.

A part of him gave up on Changkyun saving him, Jooheon felt his body jerk to a stop making him scream out in pain. Something or someone was holding his wrist to stop his fall. Looking up his eyes connected with Changkyun’s star-filled ones. Only the stars were fading, leaving the darkness of the void Jooheon was caught in.

“Did you really think I’d help you? That’d I’d stop your fall and demise? Or maybe you believed in the fairy tale of opposites attracting.” As soon as the younger finished speaking, the light from his eyes had vanished, and so had he; leaving Jooheon to fall once more. As he was falling the last thing he saw was Changkyun’s eyes burn a bright red, the color expanded like a lens flare from a camera.

Waking up with a scream Jooheon found himself in some sort of infirmary in a hideout. Or maybe it was actually the hospital. Looking around the room he was met with blinding whites, for once he hated his own color. Everything smelled disinfected and disgusting. Hospital, definitely hospital.

Feeling around his bed until he found a button, he took his chances and pressed it. Within minutes a doctor with pastel pink hair was walking into his room, clipboard in hand. As well as his weapon. Sizing up the doctor, Jooheon was debating if it was worth trying to fight his way out. He didn’t want to be medicated, he didn’t need to rest. He needed to defeat the beast.

The doctor began walking in Jooheon’s direction after kicking the door closed, eyes never leaving his. They watched each other carefully, it was almost as if the doctor recognized him somehow. Glancing at his identification badge, Jooheon whispered the letters CHW.

Sitting himself up, Jooheon propped his body up on his elbows, glaring at the doctor. Those initials seemed too familiar.

“Lee Jooheon, aka X, or as Minhyuk likes to call you, Ice Dude.” The doctor smiled softly at him, his features softening as if they were friends or perhaps lovers.

“Do I know you? And why are you looking at me like that?”

CHW sat in the chair next to his bed, crossing his legs and setting his clipboard on top. Looking at the clipboard, it held all the information on Jooheon. Far more than what any doctor should have. Information on his friends, family, Changkyun, his powers.

“We have a lot to discuss Mr. Lee. Let’s start with the failed experiment of your family, code 4155012x, also known as The Beast. Oh and we contacted Mr. Son Hyunwoo, we’re all officially colleges under the guise of The Code. Welcome to the both of you, now, shall we begin?” Hyungwon finished with a bright frog-like smile.

Changkyun knew taking Jooheon to Hyungwon was a risk, but he couldn’t take him back to the hideout. What if he found out Changkyun was Lupus? He couldn’t have that. If Jooheon was injured beyond recovery he could get Hyungwon to turn back time, he could be there to help him like he should have been this time. But he wasn’t.

Jooheon was hurting all because Changkyun was afraid of him finding out. A part of him wished that Jooheon had trusted him with the information on the beast, they could have worked together. But instead the elder was now in a coma while Changkyun sat outside his door.

He knew how it all went. Jooheon woke up screaming with severe injuries. Hyungwon explained everything to him while putting him under. It was bittersweet, now Jooheon knew, but would he remember? Pulling his legs closer into himself, settling his head on his knees, he allowed his tears to fall.

Drifting off to sleep in the hallway, Changkyun made no protests when he felt someone familiar pick him up. Muscled arms pulled his frame close, forcing him to wrap his arms around the other’s neck.

“Hoseokkie, thank you for employing Hyungwon and putting up with my dumb ass.”

“Go back to sleep Changkyun.” Before he could even hear the end of the sentence, Changkyun was drifting off to sleep knowing he was protected. Hoseok may not have any abilities or powers, but his hospital was a safe haven for the freaks of nature that had these powers.

He and Kihyun ran the hospital together until Kihyun resumed school. That’s where Hyungwon came in, between his watch, Kihyun’s powers, and Hoseok’s skills. Not a single life was lost here.

Waking up in a daze, Changkyun found himself on an old and matted pure white mattress in the middle of an old processing plant. Scanning his surroundings, he spotted a girl with long black hair peering over an edge on the next floor looking down at him. Jumping to his feet, he began chasing after the girl, ignoring any signs of exhaustion were now gone. As he ran up the stairs two at a time, a feeling of familiarity washed over him.

Once he reached the top of the stairs, the girl was turning a corner down a hallway. Cautiously following her, Changkyun couldn’t help feeling like something was off. Racing to catch up to her, he rounded the corner only to be met with the sight of her silhouette at the other end of the blue and red lit hallway. Stopping in his tracks, the girl’s eyes began to glow red, the light flaring out as if it was some sort of camera glare.

Taking in her full appearance, he realized the girl was wearing the same school uniform Hyejoo had on when she disappeared. Taking a small and cautious step forward, he watched as she took a step back. It was almost like she didn’t want to be found, but yet here she was. As soon as the red light faded, she began running. Changkyun started going after her shouting her name down the empty hallways only to be met with the sound of his own voice and fast footsteps.

By the time Changkyun had caught up, the two were standing on a helipad. Hyejoo’s clothes had changed into a black skirt and white button down, along with torn leggings and black boots with a short heel. Almost as if she had just gotten out of a fight. Walking towards her slowly, she turned to look at him, face blurred out. Once she began to speak, Changkyun woke into a cold sweat, heart beating fast.

“I see you’re taking on missions again.” Changkyun stated, staring Jooheon into the ground through his visor. “I have half a mind to put you back you know that? We both know I could easily overpower you. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the twink letting you sit in on our training.” Seeing Jooheon shrink away, a part of him felt bad, but he also knew Jooheon needed the rest.

The older had been discharged less than a week ago and yet here he was. Leaving ice around the city as if there was no issues. Taking one last look at Jooheon, he picked up the thief and tossed him over his shoulder. “You can take care of his bow.” Changkyun muttered before turning away.

Once Changkyun had dropped the perp off at the police station, he drove to the hideout, heart set on working out his anger. What the hell had Jooheon been thinking? The whole team knew he needed rest but yet he was out on the field. What fucking idiots. Whatever missions Jooheon was taking on, Minhyuk or Changkyun could handle it, they all knew this. But still they allowed Jooheon onto missions without help.

A part of him had wanted to yell and scream at Jooheon, at the whole team. But he had held back, he couldn’t do that to the others. Even if he had wanted to, there was no way he could hurt Jooheon. Until he could come up with a good enough reason for Jooheon to stay off missions, he was simply going to focus on school and his own missions. It didn’t matter if they were roommates, if Jooheon was going to stop caring about himself, then Changkyun would too.

Turning his heart to stone (ice would remind him too much of Jooheon), Changkyun locked everyone out, not caring if it would bring his own self destruction.

After a few days of Changkyun ignoring him, Jooheon couldn’t take it anymore. He knew the younger was mad at him, but he couldn’t help it. If he wasn’t out on missions he felt useless no matter what he did, even if the rest gave him the chance to get ahead on homework.

Walking through the halls of the university, Jooheon spotted Minhyuk and Kihyun desperately attempting to get Changkyun’s attention with no avail. The youngest sat on the floor reading a book with his headphones on. He looked calm and blissful like that. Feeling himself fall deeper into the black hole that was Changkyun, Jooheon walked up to the trio.

Kicking Changkyun’s foot softly, he was met with a glare from the younger as he pulled off his headphones. “What do you guys want.” Jooheon felt himself shrink in front of the younger again. That wasn’t a question, it was a statement. Changkyun truly wanted to be alone.

Looking over to Minhyuk who met his eyes, a heavy silence sat on top of the four. “Can we talk? Please?” Jooheon whispered looking away from Minhyuk as he let his head drop in defeat. He already knew the answer. Changkyun had only been like this once before, back when they had found out they were roommates. It was understandable then, Jooheon had basically rejected him. But now, He had no idea what he did wrong.

Whispering a soft “Sorry.” Jooheon clutched onto his bag’s shoulder straps tight and walked away. Deciding just to go back to the hideout for some solitude, he was unsure what to feel with Changkyun closing off once more. He had been so ready to admit his crush on the younger until the silence had become deafening.

Arriving back at the dorm, some hours after driving around without purpose (aside from burning gas and killing the environment), Changkyun was relieved to find Jooheon missing. Dropping his bag on his bed, he sat down next to the discarded item. Releasing a sigh he didn’t realize he was holding, he reached over to the cord for his fairy lights and plugged them in.

Laying back on the mattress, he could feel every knot in his spine cracking and releasing after a long day of almost nothing, not including classes. Closing his eyes, Changkyun let his mind empty as he took a deep breath, constellations appearing before his closed eyelids. The stars dance and twinkled, holding something in them that he couldn’t recognize. What that would hold, he couldn’t tell.

He was curious and willing to admit that, but he also didn’t want anything to do with the strange stars. Some of them burned black, others burned white while one entered it’s supernova phase and exploded into a black hole. Feeling uneasy, Changkyun sat up and clutched his chest. Opening his eyes, he willed his heartbeat and breathing to slow.

Stars burned yellows, reds, and oranges. Only in its last cycle would a star burn white, but why would one burn black? It didn’t make sense. Black holes only brought despair and helplessness. What were the stars trying to tell him?

Zoning out, he could hear the heavy rainfall outside making its presence known against the windows.

It was late into the night by the time Jooheon had gotten back to the dorms, with it being close to two in the morning he knew there was the fifty-fifty of Changkyun either being awake or dead asleep. Hoping for the latter, he opened the door quietly wincing when he saw that Changkyun had his lights plugged in signaling he was awake.

Sighing inwardly, Jooheon put on a brave and unbothered mask, as if he wasn’t disappointed that Changkyun was awake. Kicking his shoes on and putting them next to his closet space, he silently hoped that the other had mistakenly fallen asleep at his desk again, leaving the lights in.

Taking a deep breath, he walked towards his bed, tossing his backpack to the side as if nothing was wrong. Completely ignoring the younger, Jooheon simply went about his nightly routine as if he wasn’t there and watching his every move like a wolf.

“So.” He heard Changkyun say as if he was disappointed, or possibly upset about something.

“Yeah?" Jooheon responded, still refusing to face the younger despite his growing curiosity. Stripping himself of his daily clothes and putting on his pyjamas, he could feel Changkyun’s glare on his back.

“How’re your missions going?” Oh?

“Fine I guess, nothing big yet. I haven’t felt the Beast lately so there’s that I guess. At least there’s nothing going on tonight if that means anything. Maybe things are settling down you know?” Scolding himself internally for saying more than a sentence to Changkyun, he couldn’t tell if the younger was actually curious, or getting ready to bitch him out.

“I really can help you, you do know that right? You don’t have to have some sort of redemption arc like a shitty anime. You really shouldn’t even be in the field, you should be resting. The Beast could have killed you that night, but it didn’t. Doesn’t that scare you? At all?” Changkyun sounded both concerned and upset, it was odd to say the least. “I have a lot of anger to let out, but I’m restraining myself more than you know.” He sounded disappointed now, like he wanted to unleash that rage onto Jooheon but couldn’t for some reason.

Simply humming in response, Jooheon climbed into his bed before breaking out his laptop to watch some random anime or drama. He couldn’t preticulary care at the moment. He wanted Changkyun to do something, he knew the younger was angry at him but yet he couldn’t release it. Maybe it was because it was so late at night, maybe there was something else behind it.

Seeing the lights turn off, he took that as the signal for Changkyun going to bed. Sighing in relief, Jooheon stared at his laptop screen as images flashed across it, never really catching his attention.

After a night of hardly speaking, Changkyun woke up with both a black hole and a fire in his heart. Jooheon acted like he didn’t care about his own life and well being, much less the people around him. One of those people being Changkyun himself.

By the time they went through classes, Jooheon hadn’t said a single word to him and his anger was at its breaking point. Slamming the door closed when he returned to the dorms, he found Jooheon sitting calmly at his desk with music radiating through the room through soft beats.

“You really wanna know something Jooheon? Now I’m really pissed, you simply brush me aside after I offer you help and express my concerns when I didn’t have to. I know I probably sound like a selfish prick, but really I kinda am. You’re out here risking yourself to defeat the Beast when we didn’t even know where it came from or why. You’re always risking yourself and not thinking about what the people around you have to say or what they feel. I’m one of those people you know, I’m tired of sitting on the sidelines as you destroy yourself.” Waving his hands around in anger, he was just short of yelling at the older who still wore a blank expression as he stared at Changkyun with hazed eyes.

“Are you fucking stoned right now?” Not a single part of Changkyun could believe Jooheon right now. Since when did he start smoking? Much less without him? By the looks of Jooheon’s face, he was just going to take everything Changkyun was saying and throw it aside. As if his words and he never mattered.

“Your local space gay, me, starts the day, saves it, and ends it. Be thankful prick. And what are you anyway? Are you like fucking Elsa from Disney’s hit movie Frozen from 2013? Are you gonna sing me to death? Are you gonna Let It Go? Are you gonna-” Unleashing his full fury at the smoked out Jooheon, he could feel his eyes burning red as Jooheon punched him.

Getting ready to fight back, Changkyun found himself encased in ice watching Jooheon grab his backpack and shoes as he left.

Despite the two working things out like Jooheon forced (ended was more like it), Changkyun still avoided the other as much as he could. Both in the dorms and in the field. He wasn’t going to standby and watch as Jooheon destroyed himself little by little letting this investigation and hunt get the best of him.

Tapping his foot along to the beat of his music, Changkyun finished up the last of his homework before stretching out. Letting his muscles relax, he released the breath he was holding. Allowing his head to fall back he closed his eyes and enjoyed the soft beats of some early 90’s pop rock song he couldn’t name at the moment.

Pulling his limbs back towards himself, he stood up and cracked his neck and back. Groaning, he walked to his bed and dropped himself on top. It was a successful day, his homework was done early, a professor was too hungover to come to class, a fire alarm went off in his second class and ended it, and he had managed to avoid everyone he knew all day.

The sun had finally begun to set as dinner thoughts began going through his mind. Maybe he would order something nice for once instead of cup noodles. Sushi. That’s what he’d get, yeah that sounded perfect. Sushi, a solid horror movie, and a face mask to destress and relax. “Thank fuck for Fridays.” He whispered as he smiled into his pillow and curled up into himself.

Losing himself in his thoughts and now tuned-out music, he let himself drift. Just when he felt his stress melting away into nothing, the door was unlocked and opened. Rolling onto his back and laying down a leg, he covered his face with a pillow now hearing the music he once had tuned out. He had never thought that Jooheon coming back would ruin a night, but it did.

Taking off his headphones he tossed them onto his desk with a small clatter. Sighing softly he stood up and looked for socially acceptable pants before putting in an order for sushi online. Hearing a soft “Hey” as he finally found a cleanish pair, he responded with a questioning hum.

“I have a question for you.” Jooheon stated, still in a soft tone. Jumping a little to get into his skinny jeans, Changkyun turned and looked at the older. He was looking at the ground like he was ashamed of something, and he still wore his combat outfit minus the scarf and weapon.

“You know, you have balls walking around in that thing knowing people could recognize you. Anyway, question, shoot.” Changkyun responded flatly with an uninterested tone a he pulled on a pair of partially destroyed converse.

“Well uh,” Glancing at Jooheon once more (who still stood in the doorway looking nervous), he noticed the other was playing with his hands as if he was scared. “You of all people know that I’m not exactly in the best position to be back in the field and fighting-”

“But yet you are.” He cut him off, not caring about disrespect. If Jooheon could ignore Changkyun’s well justified worries and fears, then he could put up with the tiniest amount of disrespect.

“Would you be able to help me with the Beast investigation?” Looking at the older in false shock, Changkyun mustered up the most sarcastic voice he could.

“Wow, the great Lee Jooheon aka X, aka Ice Dude, aka Prince Elsa, asking for help? Who died and replaced you.” Bringing out his more dramatic self, he covered his eyes and pretended to sob as he got down on one knee.

“Oh dearest Lee Jooheon please come back to me, I know I was ever so rude but please. An imposter now stands in thou’s place, someone who simply does not belong in this court of heroism and utmost honor! Our Ice Prince is missing, someone please alert the watch! Inform the council, we must set out search parties at once! He must have been kidnapped! Yes! That must simply be it! Our Jooheon would never run off alone! He is in danger!”

Finishing his act, Changkyun slipped on his other shoe and tied it quickly before standing up and grabbing his phone. “But seriously, who are you and what did you do with Jooheon. The Jooheon I know breaks my heart and works alone.” Stuffing his phone in his pocket, he grabbed his keys and wallet, opting out of his helmet and jacket.

“Have fun looking for someone who can actually help. That’s like me actually finding my sister.” Chuckling to himself, he walked out the door and slammed it shut.

After hours of arguing and fighting the two had somehow resolved everything, it became hard for Changkyun to remember why he was angry. Fuck he was whipped. Jooheon had revealed that he felt the Beast was his responsibility despite not really knowing why, and because of that he was taking on missions to get stronger wanting to shoulder the responsibility alone.

Changkyun was having none of it. The argument had ended in tears from both as well as an unexpected kiss that had felt all too right. After spending the night together, he awoke to the sight of a shirtless Jooheon in his bed. It was a sight that he could get used to.

Nuzzling the older awake for classes, Changkyun kissed his neck and jaw softly whispering sweet nothings into his ear. Eventually he had given up, opting for just dragging the other into the shower and waking him up that way. Instead of getting a lovey dovey Jooheon, he had gotten a salty and tired Jooheon, either way Changkyun was happy.

Going through their daily routine of classes, Changkyun noticed Jooheon began looking uneasy at one point, something had to be coming. Sure enough at the end of the day Jooheon had admitted he felt another Beast attack coming, but this time instead of being unnaturally cold, Jooheon had wanted to throw up and rip off his clothes as if his body was burning.

He could feel Jooheon’s grip tightening around his waist as Changkyun drove them into the storm. “Don’t be scared Heony, I’m not gonna hurt you, and I won’t let the Beast hurt you.” Feeling Jooheon nod into his back, Changkyun let a smile slip onto his face.

By the time they had arrived, he Beast was ravishing and destroying both everyone, and everything. With a quick phone call, the others were on their way to the fight. It would be a first to have the whole team fighting together, with the obvious exception of Hoseok and Hyunwoo.

Minhyuk had just taken a heavy hit and flew right into Changkyun. The cracking of bone was anything but a lovely sound, but they had to do this. The majority of the city had been evacuated thanks to Hyunwoo and Hoseok, others proclaimed that they’d never listen to a bunch of rag-tag teenagers and their crazy ideas. Serves them right if you asked Changkyun.

Dropping Minhyuk from his arms, he ran at the beast feeling the air flow through his hair. Jumping off one of Jooheon’s stalagmites, he focused the darkness both around him, and in him, into his fist. Hitting the Beast square in the chest, it stumbled a couple feet back as Changkyun fell back to the Earth.

Nighttime was quickly beginning to fall upon the fight. Hyungwon was trying to amplify him. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Jooheon near the Beast’s feet attempting to slow him down. Looking behind him, Minhyuk was standing up in Kihyun’s pale aura that was currently healing the older of the two. Running towards them as fast as he could, Changkyun was jumping over the rubble of the fight when he heard a roar.

“No.” He whispered, knowing what it meant. It was something Jooheon had mentioned before, that the beast could summon lightning storms as it pleased.

A blinding lightning bolt struck the ground where Minhyuk and Kihyun had stood. Hearing their screams, Changkyun screamed out for them. Again he was too late, always a little too late.

Growling, he could feel the stars taking over his body, ready to unleash a celestial rage against the Beast that had just killed two of his friends. Scratch that, the Beast that had just killed his family. Hearing Hyungwon yelling at him to stop, he could feel the constellations ripping through his body, supernovas imploding and creating new stars. Purely to fuel his rage.

He could still hear Hyungwon yelling at him to stop and calm down, that they could fix this. They always could. A new voice rang through his ears. Jooheon yelling now or never at him. Allowing himself to be consumed, stars fell from his eyes as the Beast let out another roar. Darkness began surrounding it, the five story Beast was almost completely cloaked in the dark, snuffing out the stars.

Hearing glass shatter as another bolt struck the ground, he knew Hyungwon was gone. It was just him and Jooheon. The faces of now deceased family flashed in front of his eyes. Hoseok. Hyunwoo. Minhyuk. Kihyun. Hyungwon. All of them, gone and dead.

Taking his time, Changkyun let the stars swirl around him as he screamed at the sky letting out his rage. He knew Jooheon was looking at him in horror. This was the older brother of the monster who destroyed an entire town after all. He could feel himself being lifted off the ground as he accepted the night sky into his body.

A cloud of dark matter surrounded him as he forced himself back to the ground, walking towards the Beast. It was finally breaking free of Jooheon’s ice. The Beast threw it’s fists to the building Jooheon was in with a silent roar, as if it was taking in a deep breath. Racing towards the building Changkyun could see Jooheon’s unconscious body falling towards the ground, and fast.

By the time he reached Jooheon, there was no sign of a pulse. Cradling him close, he looked into Jooheon’s now lifeless and blown out eyes. It was almost as if they had burned out. His pupils were unnaturally big and the rest of his body was slack.

Letting the anger wash over his body, Changkyun let out a roar and feels the air around him get hot and heavy. Letting his vision darken, he raised his hand summoning Lupus. “Meet wolfie bitch.” He muttered before charging at the beast with the wolf at his side. No longer in control he let the constellation wreck havoc on the beast.

Every cell of his being screamed for Jooheon but he was gone now, his crew? Gone. Hell, even Jooheon’s crew was gone. They had all lost their lives trying to kill this damned thing and it was about time he let loose. He just needed his sister first.

Picking up Jooheon’s lifeless body, he carried the older back to his motorcycle before climbing on. Sitting Jooheon in front of him, Changkyun pulled on his helmet before looking back at the beast once more. Tears pricked at his eyes as his wolf dealt damage to the beast. Starting up the engine, he pulled Jooheon as close as he could, nuzzling into his neck, no longer feeling a pulse.

“I’m sorry Heony.” He whispered as he revved the engine. Turning the motorcycle around to face the beast, Changkyun drove towards it. Hearing the wolf howl and cry as it went to town, he called it off watching it fade back into stars. “I’ll be back for you guys.” Changkyun whispered to his lost family.

After driving for a few hours (and most likely getting weird looks), Changkyun found himself standing in front of Jooheon’s family house. Getting off the bike, he took Jooheon into his arms bridal style. Walking the path that led to the house, he didn’t know what to feel. Sad? Angry? Denial? He couldn’t choose. Death happened to everyone, but why him and why now? When everyone needed him most? When Changkyun needed him most.

Knocking on the door, he wasn’t expecting anyone to answer, it was close to four in the morning after all. The only people awake were either coming back from a party, or students who had spent the whole night studying or gaming. To his surprise, Jooheon’s mother had answered the door. She had gasped in surprise, most likely not knowing just what exactly her son got up to at night.

“Please, come in.” She whispered, tears evident in her eyes. Nodding, Changkyun walked in being careful not to make too much noise. “Wh-what happened? Why is he dressed like that ice hero?” Understanding that the woman was in shock, he laid Jooheon on the couch before removing the older’s scarf and hood.

Sitting on the floor in front of the couch, Changkyun leaned his head back as he held the tears at bay. He could do this. Taking off his helmet, he rested it beside him and pulled his knees close. “Changkyun. Please.” He heard a whisper. However, it wasn’t the voice he had wanted to hear.

“It’s my fault Mrs. Lee, I wasn’t strong enough and too afraid of myself. I couldn’t protect him.” Finally letting the tears fall, he felt a pair of arms around him. “It's okay sweetie, I still have one son left. We can make it through.” He could feel the gentle sobbing of the woman, holding her close he allowed himself to cry as he sank into her touch.

“Stay tonight, and please rest.” Mrs. Lee whispered, looking towards the ground as she wiped her eyes.

“I can’t, I need to get back and figure out how I’m going to end all of this. No one else needs to die.”

“I wasn’t asking Changkyun, you can sleep in the guest bedroom or in Jooheon’s.” He watched in silence as the woman stood up and walked upstairs, clearly avoiding the sight of her only, and now deceased, son. He knew she didn’t react much, he didn’t either, maybe they were both denying everything. Wishing it was all a nightmare. If it was, at least then he could blame the stars.

Standing up, he kicked his helmet across the room in a short burst of rage. Rubbing the aches from his legs, he pulled out his phone and checked the time. Five fourteen in the morning. He stood wordless over Jooheon before taking off his weapon pack.

Throwing the dual pronged weapon to the floor, it made a noise making it clear that Changkyun had scratched the floor. Next, he tossed the backpack on top of it, vowing to destroy both. Sitting up the now pale and blue body, he removed the trench coat and allowed it to fall to the wooden floors.

Squatting down, Changkyun began to unlace the combat boots. He always found it funny how the two of them had matching boots, just in different colors. Adding them to the pile, he moved to pull off the scarf. Folding it neatly, he decided to keep it safe, either for himself or for Mrs. Lee. Placing it gently on a side table, he started taking off Jooheon’s broken chest guard. He never knew what the blue lights, that no longer shined, were for. Probably just to look cool. It seemed like something Jooheon would do after all.

Feeling himself tear up once again, Changkyun began wishing he was stronger or just more apathetic. At least then he wouldn’t be tearing up every ten minutes. Dropping the broken chest guard, he was met with the sight of the hole where Jooheon’s heart should be. Feeling his empty stomach swell, he ran to the bathroom and threw up stomach acid and water.

When was the last time he had eaten? At least two days ago now. “No wonder I couldn’t protect him, I’m a fucking mess.” Flushing the toilet, Changkyun dragged himself to the sink, cleaning his mouth and hands. Staring at himself, he found his own eyes now lifeless and dull, almost like he had died along with Jooheon. “Fuckin should have.” He responded to his own thoughts.

Closing the bathroom door behind him, Changkyun stared at the ground as he felt another breakdown coming on. The silence screamed that Jooheon was gone. All he was living for now was to kill that damned beast. There was nothing else.

Making his way back to the living room, he sat on the floor once again, this time resting his arms on Jooheon’s legs. “The stars were always so pale next to your eyes, even when I pissed you off, they challenged Sol herself. I can’t tell if this is my death, or my rebirth. Please wait for me.”

Wiping away his tears, Changkyun picked up Jooheon, who was now in a t-shirt and his thick combat pants, and carried him back to his room. Mindlessly talking to Jooheon in a small and toneless voice, he felt himself losing his soul. He was unsure of when it happened, but the older had become his Sol. Someone he needed to survive, and now he was gone.

Gently kicking open Jooheon’s door, he walked towards the bed setting down the older before pulling up the sheets. Pulling them over Jooheon, Changkyun began undressing. Staring at his scars, he wondered when it had become like this. No one told them use their powers, no one told them to stand out. They just, did. They asked for this life, no one forced them. “We were idiots weren't we?” He whispered to no one particular.

Getting under the covers, he pulled Jooheon close like he had so many times before. Nuzzling into the icy neck, he his tears fall once more until he finally drifted off.

The next morning, Changkyun woke to Jooheon’s still body. The older was paler now and his lips were beginning to tint blue. He looked like a fallen angel like this. Dressed in white, platinum hair laid flat against the pillow. Pulling himself close to Jooheon again, he could feel himself beginning to accept that Jooheon was in fact, gone.

“It feels like a dream you know? Your pale skin, closed eyes, lips turning blue. It’s hauntingly unnatural, almost like a dream.” Pausing to take a breath, he brushed some of the hair off Jooheon’s forehead. “You got me, and I had you, things that we got never flew. Please wake me up from this dream. After losing you, my entire body, and my illusions made by my folly. Let me call you once more even if it’s a fantasy, you were always my dream.”

Kissing Jooheon’s cheek, he allowed himself to linger, lost in thought. Thoughts of what could have been, no, what should have been, raced through his mind. Endless stars and galaxies filled his vision as the thoughts continued to haunt him.

“Maybe in another lifetime, another timeline, or even another universe, we could have made it. Just you and I. Goodnight my solstice.” Getting out of the bed and facing the cold and frigid air, Changkyun could feel the stillness of the atmosphere all around him. Making the bed, he tucked in Jooheon making it seem like the other was simply sleeping.

Walking backwards to the door, a new determination set in him. He had to defeat the beast. Running downstairs, Changkyun left a note for Mrs. Lee on the coffee table in the living room saying not to look for him and that’d he’d be putting an end to all of this.

Picking up his discarded helmet, he left it next to the note along with the pen. Gently placing Jooheon’s folded uniform onto the table, he picked the trench coat out of the pile before putting it on. Putting his boots on and lacing them up, Changkyun kicked the weapon up into his hand. Hearing Mrs. Lee beginning to stir upstairs, no doubt waking up to the sound of metal clanging, he walked out the door closing it as quietly as possible.

Once on the highway, Changkyun pulled up the map to Hyejoo’s hideaway. Jooheon’s weapon was now attached to his back and the white trench coat felt odd against his typical all black aesthetic. He felt like a timebomb as he raced and weaved through traffic. There was no doubt that there would be another Beast attack soon, and with civilians still in the city he had to work fast.

Stopping by their old house, he ran in like a maniac greeting his father quickly before running to Hyejoo’s room. Swinging the door open as he gasped for breath, he walked to her wardrobe and began ripping through her clothes looking for the ones he had seen in his dream.

Once he found them, he took off his backpack and shoved them in along with a few other things for her. If she was going to live off the grid she needed to take care of herself still.

The once untouched room was now a mess. Clothes thrown all over the places, drawers remained opened, but Changkyun couldn’t bring himself to care. He could fix his sister’s former room later, the Beast was more important.

Arriving to the abandoned processing plant, Changkyun got off his bike and kicked down the stand before running in. A new fire started inside of him, they were running out of time, perhaps they never had it.

Taking in a deep breath, Changkyun yelled out Hyejoo’s name. Taking deep breaths, he listened to the echoes of his own voice as he began to walk around. Soon enough he ran into the bed he had woken up on in his dream, only now it was covered in red feathers. Allowing his fight or flight to kick in, he broke out into a sprint retracing his steps where he had encountered Hyejoo before.

Once he reached the top, she was nowhere to be seen. Feeling panic set in, he yelled out her name once more, now getting desperate. Leaving the helipad he began searching the rest of the building coming across a parking garage.

After doing quick searches through all of the four floors, Changkyun had finally found her.

“Hyejoo.” He shouted, “I know that you know about the Beast. I’ve already lost too many people to it, others have too. If we worked together we can defeat it, everyone has forgotten about what you did. Some even understood. Please, come with me.” He knew he sounded desperate in his pleas, but that’s exactly what he was. There was no other way around it.

Hyejoo began walking towards him, still in her school uniform but with an oversized bomber jacket now as well. “I’ll help you brother.” she whispered.

Taking off his backpack, Changkyun handed her everything that he had brought. She accepted it with open arms before telling him that she’d meet him at his bike.

Changkyun had been right about his predictions. By the time they arrived back in the city a storm was beginning to stir above the five-story and walking natural disaster of a Beast. Once he got a good look at it, his anger was back in full force. It hadn’t even been 48 hours but yet it was back and ready to take more lives, something he wasn’t going to let happen.

Driving up closer, he felt Hyejoo let go of his waist as she jumped off the bike and summoned her wolf. Ready to scold her for doing something so stupid, he realized the entirety of what they were doing was stupid. Two teenagers taking on a highly deadly beast that wasn’t from this world without aid.

Feeling his wolf come to life he gave it the silent command to attack the Beast. Watching as the midnight body of the wolf attached itself to the beast, Changkyun drove full speed before bailing. Letting his body drop to the solid concrete ground, he felt the air get knocked out of his lungs.

Standing up, he grabbed a rock and threw it at the Beast as if it would inflict some type of damage. Watching his motorcycle explode, he watched in silence as it roared causing another lightning storm, darkness swirling around its body.

Catching up to his sister, both of the wolves were on top of the Beast keeping it distracted. Looking over to Hyejoo, she simply nodded knowing what he was thinking. With a small jump from Hyejoo and a burst of energy from Changkyun, he threw her off of his forearm, launching her at the beast. She landed a kick on it sending it stumbling backwards. The duo was shrouded in darkness, an anger felt by one became an anger felt by two. An anger that would become an unstoppable force. Once they began moving in perfect sync, the darkness around them became filled with stars, unleashing the full force of a constellation that was whole once more.

He had never fought with his sister before, hell he never expected her to come back simply because he said please. It felt natural instead of the static he constantly felt with Jooheon while they battled side by side (or each other for that matter). After all the burning stars and the freezing emptiness of outer space don’t really mix. But they almost did, almost. Fire and ice.

By the time the fight with the Beast was over, it had begun to snow. Almost as if Jooheon was giving his thanks for something that wasn’t his issue alone in the first place. Just like night and day, the sun must die so the moon can thrive. Only this time the moon wished he was the sun. One truly could not live without the other.

Within a couple days the snow in the middle of September became a worldwide phenomenon, as well as the Beast and the siblings. Changkyun and Hyejoo lead the recovery for all deceased bodies left from the Beast’s attacks. Once feared, they were both now seen as heroes. Truthfully Changkyun was shocked at Hyejoo’s apathy for seeing dead bodies, he expected to be some scarring after she had found her friend.

The funeral had slowly come and gone, all of them did. Changkyun personally recovered all of the bodies of his friends once it was over. A part of him felt that it was all too easy, maybe he didn’t care about them enough. He was emotionless. He couldn’t feel anything after Jooheon, but the others had happened before, so why couldn’t he feel anything?

Speeding down the highway in a daze, he had started to think about his bike’s tires slipping in the rain and causing a fatal accident. It’s not like he would mind anyway, everything was already lost. No matter what he did now, he couldn’t do anything to change the past.

Returning to the dorm, Changkyun removed his midnight black suit, throwing the cloths somewhere around the lifeless and stale room. Pulling out his phone, he opened Spotify and shuffled his library. Tossing the device onto his bed, he dragged himself to his desk feeling the life draining out of him, as if he had any life left to begin with.

Turning on his speaker, he listened to the quiet beeps of the bluetooth connecting to his phone. The beeping reminded him of when he had visited Jooheon in the hospital. Sure he was in a medically induced coma for close to a month, but at least he was alive.

Pulling his sweats off his desk, he used the last of his energy to put them on before sitting down on his bed. Allowing himself to fall back, he was met with the feeling of the plush mattress top. Turning onto his side and pulling himself into a fetal position, he stared at the emptiness of Jooheon’s bed.

Suddenly he felt smaller and emptier, as if he had lost his reason to live once more. That was beginning to happen more often. Turning up the music, he began singing along to the song that currently played through his speakers.

“It’s not the same, something’s changed, I never used to be able to see past the trees. A thousand unfamiliars are lying thick on the air, and I can’t breathe. Is our skin to keep the world out or our bodies in? This doesn’t look like home.” Feeling himself break out into sobs, he rolled over and pulled his pillow close. Sobbing into the pillow he allowed himself to drift off into nightmares of both his own death, and Jooheon’s.

[silverfootstepswrites]

Butterfly [1]

summary The end/the beginning

“Okay, okay, everyone quiet, please,” Tsunade called, clapping her hands together once. People settled into their chairs. Some placing their folders on their desks. Others tucking their phones into their pockets.

“I know everyone is anxious to prep for the day, so I’ll keep this meeting short.”

“Thank God,” muttered Asuma, leaning back in his seat. A few people chuckled, including the principal.

“First of all, I want to welcome everyone back. I hope that you had a chance to relax and recharge over spring vacation. It’s a brand new school year, so I hope you’ll go into it with open minds and high expectations,” Tsunade said, like she did every year. A few people nodded.

“On a sad note, Chiyo-sensei has injured her hip and will not be able to join us this semester. She’s on bed rest to recover from her surgery,” Tsunade then added. A murmur rippled around the room. Chiyo had been at the school for longer than anybody.  Although stern-faced, she always had words of wisdom to offer. Sort of like a terrifying grandmother to all the faculty.

“We’ve hired a replacement, though. I’m sure some of you will be familiar with her already.”

As if on cue, a head popped in through the door.

“Konchiwa!” she chirruped. flashing a grin.

Asuma jumped to his feet, nearly knocking his chair over.

“Ah! You!” he exclaimed, pointing. She danced into the room, reaching across the desk to bump her fist against his. They slapped their palms together. Gripping them tight for a moment.

“Sarutobi-sensei!” she said, releasing his hand.

“Haruno-kun! Wait, no. You got married, right? What’s your name now?” he asked.

Still smiling, she held up her left hand to reveal a bare ring finger.

“Just Haruno again. I got divorced last month!” she announced in the same cheerful tone.

Absolute silence answered her. Anxious eyes darting around as people tried to think of what to say. But she solved the problem by laughing.

“Anyway, I’ll be the new school librarian starting today,” Sakura declared. Teeth gleaming bright as she flashed another smile.

After Tsunade wrapped up the meeting, normally, the teachers gathered up their things. Some went to make copies before classes started. Others went to make coffee or put their lunches away in the fridge in the small kitchen tucked into the back of the staff room.

But today, everyone crowded around the new hire. Although, it was hard to call her “new” when most of them knew her quite well.

“Can’t believe you’re the replacement!” laughed Kurenai, clapping Sakura on the shoulder.

“That’s right, I was watching your interview on the television the other day. Is it true that you’re retiring?” Shizune asked.

“Alright, you’re smothering her. Give her some space,” grumbled Asuma, swatting his clipboard around. Fist on his hip, he glared around at his coworkers.

“We’ll go out for drinks tonight and you can pester her then,” he added.

“Bleh. You’re no fun, Sarutobi-sensei,” one of the teachers complained.

“Don’t make me blow my whistle at you,” Asuma threatened. It dangled around his neck from a red lanyard. And it didn’t take long for the rest of the teachers to disperse, finally getting started with their prep for the day.

Kurenai lingered, leaning against the desk. “We’ll do all the catching up tonight. For now, focus on getting settled in. Do you need help getting to the library?” she said.

Sakura shook her head. “I still remember.” Sakura tapped her temple.

“Alright. Let me know if you have any questions,” Kurenai told her. Patting the top of the desk twice.

The library was on the second floor of the school. It was at the far end of the hallway, right next to the home economics room. She remembered spending her free periods studying there, the smell of fresh cookies spilling over from the class next door.

She slid the white door open. It was empty, just as she had expected. It was too early for most students to even think about being in here. Sakura stood in the doorway, admiring the lines of shelves. There were rectangular wooden tables in the middle of the room. Matching chairs pushed in underneath them.

There was a counter by the entrance. She remembered passing her books to Chiyo-sensei over it, waiting for her to stamp the white card inside. The smell of ink clinging to the cover as she shut the book. She also recalled the Chiyo-sensei had kept an orchid on the corner of the desk. A little pop of purple in the room otherwise filled with different shades of brown.

Sakura set her bag down on the desk, flicking on all the lights. She moved to the windows. She opened up all the blinds, let the sunlight stream in. And she stood, admiring the view. Her hands on her hips, she watched the schoolyard. Students were beginning to trickle in. Some walking their bikes, others strolling through the gates with their friends.

She inhaled deep through her nose. Exhaled just as slowly.

It felt strange to be home after so long.

The gold medal was a nice weight around her neck. Sakura wore it for all the interviews and press conferences. It gleamed in all the photos, catching all the light. She smiled until her cheeks hurt. Fielding all the questions from the reporters waving their hands around. The nonstop click of the cameras almost sounded like applause everywhere she went.

“Sakura, you broke your personal best today. How does that make you feel?”

“Grateful. I feel like all the support and love I’ve received helped me get to this point,” she responded.

“Is there anyone specific you’d like to thank?”

“My coach, of course, who’s taught me everything. And my fans for always supporting me,” Sakura said. As if she hadn’t answered that one hundreds of times before.

“Sakura, what’re your plans for next year? There are rumors that you’ll be participating in the World Figure Skating Championships coming up next month.”

And Sakura paused at that. The cameras flashing made colors dance in front of her eyes. She blinked the strange shapes away.

“I won’t. This is my last competition. I’m officially retiring,” she stated.

A gasp rippled through the crowd. More flashes exploding in her vision. Hands flailing around harder to get her attention. And she could feel her coach gaping at her. Sakura stood.

“Thank you all for your questions,” she said, effectively ending the press conference. Offering one last smile and wave, she stepped off the stage. ignoring the way her coach shouted her name as she walked away.

Konoha was a city built defying common sense. Or at least, that was what Sakura had always thought biking up the side of a hill of a mountain to school each day. The ride down was much smoother. And while a lot of her classmates walked their bikes up, taking their time, Sakura was too stubborn to admit defeat. She huffed and puffed her way up each day. Sweat dripping down the back of her neck first thing in the morning. Legs growing stronger with the effort.

She remembered dashing from school as soon as the afternoon clean-up ended. Wheels of her bike spinning in mad circles as she rolled down the side of the hill. Rushing to get to the rink at the bottom of the mountain, or the studio the next town over. Her duffle bag banging against her spine as she ran up and down winding steps.

With the cherry blossoms tumbling off the trees with each gust of wind, Sakura couldn’t help but remember those days. Her ponytail whipping out behind her as she dashed madly towards a goal she couldn’t yet see.

Tsunade introduced Sakura as the new librarian during the opening ceremony. For students in the small town, the arrival of a new teacher sent a ripple of excitement through the students. But it was amplified when the students recognized her name and her pink hair. She could see them murmuring, whispering behind their hands. Eyes darting to her, bright with excitement.

After the assembly ended, Sakura found herself back in the library. In that quiet. And after years of being surrounded by noise on all sides, it was actually kind of nice.

She perused the catalogue and double-checked that the shelves in the library were properly labeled. She even ventured into the dusty back room. Opening up boxes, she found some novels that hadn’t yet been labelled and sorted. She browsed through them, crunching through a handful of cashews with her free hand as she skimmed.

The silence didn’t last for long, though. Students began to trickle in, often in giggling clusters. They whispered as they watched her from behind shelves.

Sakura pretended not to notice them as she thumbed through an old reference book. It had some good information, but it was a little outdated. Which was to be expected in a rural school like this, she supposed. She scribbled this down onto her notepad before she moved on through the inventory.

After a while, one of the students come forward with a book. Hugging it to her chest. Sakura held her hand out for it without looking up. Sakura wrote down the title and number of the book in her log. Pencil scratching across the page. She stamped the card in the inside cover.

“Make sure you return this in two weeks,” Sakura said, handing the book back over the counter.

“Um... Haruno-sensei, could I get a photo with you, please?” the girl requested. And it was only then that Sakura lifted her head.

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Why? I’m just a librarian,” Sakura asked.

The girl squeaked out an apology. She hurried off to join her friends. And they left the library, whispering angrily to each other.

When Sakura wandered into the faculty room around noon, she found Asuma waving his arms around as he told a story.

“And so I say, ‘Akimichi, why are you eating chips on the track?’ and he goes, ‘Because I haven’t had lunch yet, Sensei’,” Asuma concluded. A few of the other teachers chuckled. When Sakura slid the door shut, they looked up at her.

“Ah. Come over here, Haruno-kun. Say hello,” Asuma said, gesturing for her. Sakura’s face lit up as she walked over.

“Hatake-sensei,” she greeted him. Kakashi shook her hand, eyes crinkling as he smiled.

“Haruno-kun. Glad to see you haven’t forgotten your old homeroom teacher,” he replied.

"I'm guessing I didn't see you in the morning because you overslept? Or you were on the roof smoking?" she conjectured. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head, eyes crinkling again.

"Both. Fell asleep on the roof. The weather's so nice, lately," he confessed. And then his eyes popped open. He pointed his thumb in the direction of the man sitting beside him.

"Ah, Haruno-kun, this is Rock Lee-sensei. He's a brand new hire this year, so you wouldn't know him," Kakashi said.

And Lee couldn't even speak at first. His eyes practically sparkling as he stared up at her. Clasping his hands together, he fidgeted, looking a little like he might burst.

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" he finally blurted out, turning a few heads with the declaration. Sakura nodded, shaking his hand.

"What do you teach?" she asked.

"English!" Lee exclaimed. He still seemed to be having trouble adjusting the volume of his voice. Sakura smiled.

"I lived in America for a couple years. Maybe you can help me brush up on my skills so I don't get too rusty," she suggested. When she laughed, Lee did too. His nervous giggles too high-pitched to be natural. Asuma shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers.

The door slid open again and a few people walked in. The man at the front sighed, rolling his shoulders.

"Man, I'm beat. I hate the first few weeks with the 1st years. You have to treat them like they're babies," griped Shikamaru. He tossed his clipboard on his desk. But then he spotted Sakura, and his expression shifted. He walked over, hand held out. Instead of shaking it, Sakura slapped her open palm against his twice before they hit the backs of their hands together.

"Hey. Good to see you, Haruno," he said, grinning.

"Yeah. Good to see you too, Nara. Still can't believe you of all people became a teacher here. You were always griping about how you couldn't wait to leave," Sakura remarked, hand on her hip. Sighing, Shikamaru looked up at the ceiling.

"I can't believe it either," he griped.

They chatted for the rest of lunch break. Kurenai and some of the others joined them. Laughter filling the room as they revisited the old days. Asuma discovering Shikamaru taking a nap in the gym. The time Sakura scaled the side of the building on a dare.

"Remember that time you lifted someone over your head? That was scary," Shikamaru recalled.

"Ah, come on. He was sooo annoying," Sakura added. Kakashi shook his head.

"You guys were such a rowdy homeroom. You gave me so many grey hairs," he complained.

"Hatake-sensei, your hair has always been that color," pointed out Kurenai. They all burst into laughter at that.

After lunch, they all went their separate ways again. Sakura discovered a stack of biology textbooks hidden in the back of the book closet. She rubbed the dust off one of the covers and flipped through. They only looked to be a few years old. Gathering them up in her arms, she headed out of the library, down to the lab. Thankfully, there was no class inside when she peered through the window.

Sakura wedged her elbow into the crack in the door. Shoving it open. She stepped sideways into the lab to avoid smashing the books against the doorframe.

"Excuse me. Sensei?" she called out.

There was a light on in the tiny adjoined office. It flickered off. And then an older man in a white coat stepped through the door. His eyes widened. He rushed forward to take the books from her. Easing them onto the counter.

"Orochimaru-sensei, sorry to barge in like this," Sakura said. Orochimaru removed his reading glasses. He hadn't needed those the last time she had seen him. His expression warmed as he took her in.

"It's not a problem. How can I help you, Haruno-kun? Or, sorry. Haruno-sensei," Orochimaru corrected himself.

"I found these in storage in the library. I was thinking maybe you could use them," Sakura explained, placing her hand on the stack.

Orochimaru peered down at the pile, blinking.

"Well, I'm very thankful for this, but you should have sent some students. You carried these heavy things down the hall all by yourself?" he queried. Sakura smiled.

"I also wanted an excuse to come visit. Sarutobi-sensei wants to drag everyone to a drinking party after work. You're coming, right?"

When he pursed his lips, she already knew his answer. That didn't mean she was going to accept it.

"Please, Orochimaru-sensei. Don't you want to hear about all the cool stuff I've been doing?" she wheedled. Orochimaru's lips twisted.

"I don't know. I'm not a big fan of social gatherings," he hedged. He rubbed his hands together.

"I'll show you my training videos. Even the ones from when I was in Saint Petersburg," Sakura offered. Orochimaru's gaze sharpened. He stared her directly in the eyes.

"Even ones you haven’t posted to your Instagram?" he demanded. And Sakura laughed. She had won.

"You really are obsessed. Yeah, Sensei. Those too," she answered.

When the last bell rang and students filed out of the building, most of the teachers stayed put. There were clubs and activities to advise and paperwork to complete. Some holed up in the faculty room to grade as the sky began to darken.

Sakura lingered in the library, hands on her hips. Shikamaru tilted his head to one side. A book held against his hip.

"I mean, I don't think it's against school rules. I'd double check with the principal, though," he mused. Sakura tilted her head too. Crossing her arms across her chest. She nodded.

The door burst open. Asuma poked his head in, grinning.

"Come on, you two. Time to go!" he called.

"That old man's as annoying as ever," grumbled Shikamaru as they followed him into the hall.

In a town as small as Konoha, there weren't many places to choose from in terms of post-work drinks. There was a bar by the one and only train station, or another bar near the doctor's office. The one near the train station was a little nicer, however, and it seemed that the principal was in a generous mood.

The owner ushered them into the private room in the back. They settled around the low wooden tables. Purses and jackets went in neat piles against the walls.

Sakura made sure to sit next to Orochimaru, who still looked wary about the whole affair. On her other side sat Shikamaru.

Tsunade kept her speech short as she welcomed Sakura to the staff. Making a few jokes here and there that the older teachers laughed at. There were some new faces that Sakura wasn't familiar with. They introduced themselves, and Sakura forgot their names almost immediately. And there wasn't enough time to feel bad about this as food and snacks arrived.

Sakura unlocked her phone and scrolled through her old videos. She opened up the folder that read 'St. Petersburg Training'. Orochimaru leaned closer to get a better look. He pulled out his glasses, perching them on the end of his nose.

Tsunade laughed. “I still can’t get used to those. Orochimaru-sensei, you look like an old man.”

Orochimaru stared at her over his glasses before he replied, “Allow me to gently remind you that you’re a year older than me, Kouchou.” But Tsunade continued to laugh, raising a glass to herself in a toast.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not a day over 40,” she proclaimed. Laughter exploded from her end of the table at that.

Sighing, Orochimaru looked back down at Sakura’s phone. He fixed his glasses again. When Sakura hit play, Shikamaru heard the music and leaned in to watch too.

Sakura’s long ponytail whipped out behind her as she glided around the rink. She gathered momentum and speed, eyes narrowed as she concentrated.

Her left foot slid back. She pushed off, launching into the air. She spun around three times. But when she landed on her left foot, it buckled. She tumbled, hitting the ice hard. Shikamaru and Orochimaru winced in unison. In the video, a man skated over from the opposite end of the rink, chuckling as he helped her to her feet.

In the video, Sakura was laughing too as she stood. Brushing ice off the back of her leggings.

“Stop laughing and show me how to do it again,” she complained.

“You really suck at this. Maybe we should take a break?” he suggested, his back blocking out the camera for a moment. The clip ended there.

Sakura went on, playing through more footage from her training days. They could tell the passage of time from her hair. Long to short. Short to long. She went through phases, braiding it during her junior days, letting it grow long before cutting it short for her senior debut. And then it grew out again as she continued to compete. Her simple t-shirts started to bear famous logos and sponsorships began to pour in.

A few more people crowded around one end of the table to watch. They ‘ooh’ed and cringed in the same spots. Some gasping when she stuck the hard landings. Murmuring remarks when she spiraled in almost a blur, her arms held above her head. When the videos ended, Sakura looked up in time to see Orochimaru dabbing a tear from his eye.

“Oh, Sensei, you big softie!” she laughed, putting her arm around him for a second. He sniffed, expression quite composed.

“Your take-offs are so clean. But you’ve always been good at those,” he sighed, patting her knee. And then he shuffled back to his original position. Taking a sip of his beer.

“I had no idea Orochimaru-sensei was such a figure skating maniac,” Lee whispered. Kakashi chuckled as he poured him another drink.

“Orochimaru-sensei skated when he was younger. He’s the one that taught Haruno how to skate,” Kakashi replied. And Orochimaru smiled sheepishly.

“If only I was more careful and didn’t tear my meniscus in college,” lamented Orochimaru. Sakura patted his hand on top of the table for a moment.

“Then I wouldn’t have met you. I’m sure it’s still a tragedy in your mind, but I consider if one of my biggest blessings, Sensei,” Sakura assured him. Orochimaru went very quiet as he stared at her. Tears welled up in his eyes. Putting his arm around her, he yelled out for the waitress.

“Another round of beers on me, please,” he called.

A cheer rose up around the table.

Sakura spent the rest of the night getting to know the other teachers. The people like Asuma, Kurenai, and Kakashi had been her own teachers in high school. It felt strange to call them her colleagues now. And it felt even stranger for them to turn around and call her ‘sensei’ too. She saw new sides of them that she hadn’t had a chance to see. Like how Kakashi giggled with each new drink he tossed back. And how Tsunade told some bawdy stories that made Sakura’s cheeks burn as she listened in.

It had been nearly 10 years since she had set foot in her hometown. And while some of the faces were more lined, there was something comforting about sitting there. Listening to the inconsequential gossip. No stares or whispers as people tried to secretly take her photo.

She let Kurenai pour her another drink. Asuma lifted his glass and everyone else copied him.

“Welcome home, Haruno Sakura,” he crowed.

“Kampai!” everyone else cheered, clinking their glasses together. Beer foaming and sloshing down the sides.

Sakura threw her head back and laughed from deep inside her belly.

[warsamongstthestar-keen]

Chapter Five

The crew of the Ghost had loaded into the Phantom, leaving the astromech behind, and if the babble coming from the comm is any sign, he's not the least bit happy about it, and Zeb, in insulting the droid, is not helping. Hera is in her place in the pilots seat, everyone else is in the cargo hold on the benches. It's dimly lit, and Ar'iabel can sense the nerves and the tension all around, it's stifling, and hard to keep focused on the task at hand. Everyone is concentrating on their own part of the plan, and Keen decides to do what she always did before a mission back during the Clone Wars.

Firstly, she's pulls an old Temple Guard mask from her bag, a mask that she wears before every mission. She finds it's scarier if the person can't see her face, and it's more comforting for the people around her not to see her face if she feels nervous.

The Jedi shuts her eyes, slowly, weaving the others emotions and thoughts out of her way, diving deeper into the Force, going into a meditative trance, she knows the Force will alert her when it's time for the mission to start, what she's not expecting is to see a vision from her Master. He's sitting in his cabin on Dagobah, meditating. His eyes snap open, focusing on her, "Ah, Master Quinara," he starts.

"Master? What's happening?"

"Need you, I do, hmmmm."

"Of course Master, what do you need?"

"To Dagobah, you will come."

"As soon as I can, but, right now I'm on a liberation mission of Master Unduli."

"More important, that is. When you are finished, come. Wait, I will."

"Of course, Master," she bows to the figure, only to be abruptly snapped back to reality, standing as the rest of the Rebels do. Kanan glances back over his shoulder to look at his Padawan, "Try to stay focused."

"Thought there was no 'try.'"

The Jedi Knight rolls his eyes, jumping from the ship onto the platform, performing a neat flip. Master Quinara doesn't hesitate as she follows him, landing almost silently beside him. There are two Stormtroopers to meet the two, and each Jedi easily takes one out, while in the midst of their individual hand-to-hand Keen glances out of the corner of her eye, "Nice job, although, the landing could've been better. Solid nine out of ten." Kanan simply shoots a glare in her general direction.

The Knight knocks out his Stormtrooper, Ar'iabel having taken care of hers seconds before, he turns, offering her a sly smile, "Nice and quiet-like-" Only for them both to hear screaming, Quinara doesn't turn her head to the sound, although the Knight does, and falling from the sky is the Padawan, landing on the platform with a grunt, and stumbling into the large doors with a loud bang. Kanan squints at him, and Keen can feel the quick burst of anger that rises, only to be quickly quelled as Ezra slowly backs away from the door toward his Master.

The Jedi Master falls into a Jedi Ready stance, even without her Lightsabers. When nothing happens after moments of silence, Kanan addresses his trainee, "What just happened? You were supposed to exit with Zeb. You're lucky every stormtrooper in the prison doesn't know we're here." He crosses his arms ready to continue the lecture, but the doors slide open, and they're met with six Stormtroopers.

Keen doesn't hesitate, quickly shutting the doors behind two of the Troopers, she uses the Force and guides the weapons from the bucketheads, not a shot fired. "It's fine, you two, continue your chat, I've got this." As she says those words, one of the Troopers, having opened the doors, levels a gun at her, and, as he compresses the trigger, a Lasat lands on his head, taking him down, although the laser has already fired.

The Jedi watches as it heads at her, and manipulates it through the Spirit of the Cosmos. It changes trajectory, taking out a different Trooper. Sabine and Zeb are throwing two more over the side of the platform, and Kanan throwing the last one off using the Force.

"Whoa!" Ezra says, looking at her, "That was incredible."

Kanan storms toward his Padawan, fuming,"Stunts like that put us all in jeopardy. That is exactly why you need Master Luminara to teach you discipline."

"I was just following your example," Ezra looks absolutely miserable as he says this.

"Yeah? Well, try to stay focused and follow the plan instead."

Sabine calls Ezra over to open the door, and he extracts some sort of tool from his backpack. Keen watches him curiously, and closes her eyes. Lifting one hand toward the door, she envisions the door unlocking, manipulating the Force to follow her will.

Ezra looks at the door in shock when it opens, "Um, guys, that wasn't me," he states, worriedly.

"No, it was me, now let's go." She storms into the building, her eyes closed, searching for any presence of hostiles.

Kanan walks up to stand beside her, closing his eyes as well, "Luminara's here. I sense her presence, but it's clouded."

"I sense her as well, but, something's wrong," she opens her eyes, looking at Sabine who is at a terminal a few meters away, "Where's Master Unduli?"

"Detention block CC-01. Isolation cell 0169."

Anxiety spikes from the Knight, and he bangs a hand against the terminal, something so reminiscent to Anakin, that Keen can't help but smile. "They have isolation cells on the lower levels? We planned off outdated schematics."

"What does that mean?"

"It means the plan changes," Kanan scowls.

"Great," Keen murmurs, "I thrive through improvisation."

"You got a backup plan?" Zeb asks Kanan, ignoring the Jedi Master.

The Knight surveys his surroundings, walking toward the lift, "Figuring one out right now. Zeb, Sabine, you're coming along."

The Lasat grumbles something about holding the escape route, to which the Kanan responds, "Now the turbolift is our escape route. Let's go." He signals the crew into the lift, everyone crowding in.

The doors slide shut, and Sabine let's out a scoff, "His plan gets worse all the time."

"Just hope he doesn't change it again," Zeb says, smirking.

"I mean, I've been party to some bad plans, and I gotta say, this one takes the cake."

"I'm standing right here," the Knight grumbles.

"We know," Sabine, Zeb, and Keen say at the exact same time.

The doors slide open, showing the team the gleaming white helmets of two Stormtroopers. They're pulled into the elevator, and quickly knocked out.

Kanan runs out of the lift, Ezra on his tail, and Keen with more caution than them both. He turns his head and points at the Mandalorian and Lasat, "Maintain comm silence. And whatever you do, hold this lift."

Rounding the corner walk two Bucketheads, who obviously spot the Jedi, and Padawan, they shout at them, telling them to stop. Master Quinara pulls the Troopers to her, knocking them out with her raised arms. They're prone forms hitting the metal flooring hard.

"Wow. You're really not messing around tonight," Ezra says, looking surprised.

"There's a lot more at stake than you realize," Kanan answers for Keen.

The three Force-sensitive beings make their way to the cell within which Master Unduli is held, stumbling upon the Stormtroopers who are guarding her cell.

Kanan approaches the Troopers waving three fingers if front of their helmets, "Shouldn't you be guarding the Jedi's cell? It's on the next level."

"It's on the next level," the Trooper repeats.

"You better get moving," Keen says, waving her hand, with three fingers raised.

"We better get moving," the other Stormtrooper says.

"When do I learn that?"

"Luminara will teach you much better than I could," Kanan informs his Padawan. Ar'iabel rolls her eyes, getting tired of Kanan's flippant attitude. The Knight manipulates the Force, opening the cell, and the three stroll in.

Sitting on a bench is the cell is Luminara, although, her signature is changed, wrong, almost like she's not all there.

"Is it really her?"

"Yes, but something's wrong," Keen mutters, "Luminara?" The Master stands and walks toward a box with a window in it. She walks straight through, and the tiny of the window clears, revealing Master Unduli, dead. "Dank Ferrick!" Ar'iabel curses.

Ezra turns to his Master, demanding answers, his face so pitiful looking. Master Quinara senses a presence in the doorway, her hand automatically wrapping around her lightsaber. She whirls around before the person speaks, and sees him standing in the doorway. His skin an ashy grey, with red detailing around his face, his eyes yellow.

"No?" he speaks, causing both Knight and Padawan to turn to face him. "It doesn't seem complicated. I am the Inquisitor," the man says, igniting his lightsaber, "Welcome. Yes, I'm afraid Master Luminara died with the Republic. But her bones continue to serve the Empire luring the last Jedi to their ends."

Kanan ignites his blade, Keen pulling one of hers from the bag, poised and ready to ignite.

Ezra pulls out his comm, attempting to contact the other team members, but, receiving static in return. The Inquisitor attacks Kanan, and he blocks, the Inquisitor smirking at the boys attempts, "There will be no reinforcements," he informs Ezra, and Keen steps in front of the Padawan, her own saber igniting, "Interesting. It seems you trained with Jedi Master Depa Billaba," the man says to the Knight.

Keen senses the confusion rising from the Jedi, as he says, "How? Who are you?" In his confusion, Keen steps forward, her own orange blade clashing with the Inquisitor's red, although, she doesn't see it, her eyes closed, letting the Force guide her movements.

"The temple records are quite complete. In close quarter fighting, Billaba's emphasis was always on form 3, which you favor to a ridiculous degree," he informs the Knight, turning now to the Jedi, "And you, trained under Master Yoda, which must mean I have the pleasure of dueling Master Ar'iabel Quinara, the long dead Jedi."

"Yeah, well, reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated," she says, not taking the bait, and falling to distraction. Ezra lifts his arm, pulling his energy slingshot, launching it at the Inquisitor.

"Is that all you got, boy?" the man laughs, letting the balls hit him, them not causing any damage.

Ezra, smirks, stepping to the side, "Well, I've got that," he says, pointing to the detonator.

They rush into the hallway, the Inquisitor following them, he lifts his saber to his face, igniting the other side. Keen smirks, while Kanan quickly blocks as the man lunges. The Jedi Master grabs her second blade, igniting it as well. She flips one, holding it in a more reverse-style grip, the other remaining in the normal way. Kanan takes on one of the two blades from the Inquisitor's lightsaber, and Ar'iabel slashes at the other blade.

The Inquisitor knocks Kanan down, focusing fully on Master Quinara, she holds her own against the Inquisitor, but she is sadly rusty due to hiding from the Empire, and she's knocked flat on her back by the man.

"Are you paying attention, boy?" The man yells at Ezra, "The Jedi are dead, but there is another path, the Dark Side."

The boy let's out a huff of laughter, once again launching a ball of energy at the Inquisitor, "Never heard of it!"

The Inquisitor shouts at Kanan, "Did you teach him nothing? Do you really think you can save the boy? For his sake, surrender."

Kanan grunts, swinging his Saber against the Inquisitor, "I'm not making deals with you."

"Hmm. Then we'll let him make one, shall we?" The man says, shoving Kanan across the hallway with one shove of the Force, Keen flying in the opposite direction, landing on the floor hard, the air flows out of her lungs, and she sits there, catching her breath as the Inquisitor tries to turn Ezra to the Dark Side.

She finally catches her breath, and stands, the Inquisitor swinging his Saber, toward the boy, "Ready to die?"

Kanan, scared for his Padawan, lifts his arms and pushes with all the might of the Force, knocking the man first to the ground, then up to the ceiling, "No! Run!" he shouts to his Padawan.

The three start to run away from the Grand Inquisitor, but, he recovers quickly. With very little effort through the Force, he begins to spin the blade. It moves so quickly it's almost unable to be seen.

"Do yours do that?" Ezra asks the two Jedi.

"Come on! Let's go!" Keen shouts at the other two, and takes off at a sprint, knowing, with the help of the Force, that they are following her. Rounding a corner, she stops at an intersection, spying Sabine and Zeb at the other end.