#hitting a fly with a sledgehammer

[brinconvenient]

My elder daughter is in London and very excited to see her first professional production of "Noises Off" so I decided I wanted to watch the movie, which I'd not seen in ages, again. I call this piece "For we live in a world of madness and I, sadly, remain sane"

[okcoolthanks]

we r 2 rats fighting for dominance and both of us are losing btw. we are squirrels chasing each other around the trees. we are housecats watching birds fly around outside. we are any 2 creatures as long as we are together. /p

CRYING SOBBING LOSING IT OVERTHIS ACTURALLYYYYYYYGGNGNGNHMBMBMN

[depresseddepot]

I've been on tumblr for a long time but none of you prepared me for the absolutely horrendous sounds the tardis makes

[deliciousangelfestival]

Guilt

Character: Mob!Bucky x Police!Female Reader

Summary: "Of all the women in the world, does she have to be a cop?" Bucky, a gangster, fell in love at first sight with a policewoman.

At the golf course, two outstanding men in the mob world are playing golf together to have a quiet time, to forget the worst day at the club they owned.

Steve, the second person in charge, still feels frustrated, while Bucky, the leader, is the only one enjoying the game.

"Of all the women in the world, does she have to be a cop?" Steve, his childhood friend, asked as he watched Bucky hit the golf ball.

Bucky clenched his fist in frustration as he made the shot. Turning to Steve, he replied, "I can't help it. She just took my breath away the first time I saw her."

Steve sighed, recalling the first encounter between Bucky and the policewoman when their club was unexpectedly visited by the narcotics police force.

Steve sighed, "She's known as a scary person, even among her colleagues," he said, relaying what he had learned from his connections.

"And from what happened last night, I feel like she holds a big grudge against people like us," Steve continued, reflecting on the recent events. Most of the cops he knew turned a blind eye to their business dealings, never getting involved with drugs.

Bucky remembered how composed you had been last night, effortlessly throwing punches and giving orders to make arrests. He even recalled the moment you pushed him to the ground and handcuffed him.

At that instant, he knew you were different from other women.

Bucky took another swing at the golf ball, causing it to fly too far. With a smile, he declared, "I will make her mine."

Steve sighed deeply, realizing that once Bucky had made up his mind, no one could stop him.

As Bucky began his courtship, he tried various approaches to get closer to you:

1. He sent you flowers with cryptic notes, hinting at his admiration and interest.

2. Bucky strategically positioned himself at events where you were present, making sure to catch your eye without being too obvious.

3. He orchestrated chance encounters, bumping into you at coffee shops or restaurants, always ready with a charming smile and a casual conversation starter.

4. He even went as far as anonymously sending you a gifts or helpful tips related to your work, trying to show his support and understanding of your profession.

But you didn't give any reaction; you consistently ignored him.

Bucky didn't mind your game of "playing hard to get." He was confident that in the end, you couldn't resist him.

However, his confidence wavered when you finally spoke to him, your words cutting through the air like icy daggers. "In 2022, Bobby Smith died because of a gunshot. He was my fiancé."

Bucky's face drained of color, his body going rigid with shock. The revelation hit him like a sledgehammer, the weight of guilt crashing down upon him. His mind raced as he realized the implication: Bobby Smith's death was because of him.

After the revelation, would Bucky give up his pursuit, or would he persist despite the overwhelming guilt?

[rubycruzin4abruzin]

Forbidden Crown - III

Summary: Kit and Airk visit Azarenth to celebrate your fifteenth birthday, but when your mother delivers some earth-shattering news, your relationships with the twins crumble. After an ‘experiment’ gone wrong, you realize some things about yourself that could destroy your life, as well as those of the people around you.

Pairing: kit tanthalos x princess!reader

Contains: angst, boy-kissing, girl-kissing, implied vomiting (not graphic), half-smut, heavy petting, second base, forced marriage, nightmare

Word Count: 3.5k

A/N: it’s getting steamy up in here

The day you turned fifteen was a cause of celebration for all of Azarenth. Your parents held an elaborate banquet in your honor, complete with minstrels and jesters, and invited the entire kingdom to celebrate. All day long, you received birthday wishes and blessings from the townspeople, indulged in your favorite foods, and drowned in a seemingly endless sea of presents. Luxurious garments, precious jewelry, fine craftsmanship; you were gracious for every one, but none compared to the greatest gift of them all.

“Tomorrow morning, the twins from Tir Asleen will be riding in for a visit.” Your mother informed you later that evening, after all the party guests had gone home.

You froze in your tracks, the news leaving you momentarily speechless. “Really? They’re visiting here?”

“Well I’d prefer not to have Kit stay,” your mother scoffed. “But heaven forbid I take one without the other.”

Far too excited to acknowledge your mother’s snide remark, you rushed to wrap your arms around her, expressions of gratitude flying from your lips. She stiffened at your touch, only obliging with a reluctant pat on your back.

Just when you felt like you were on top of the world, everything came crashing down in a matter of seconds.

“I expect you to be on your best behavior while they’re here, please put in the extra effort to make Airk feel comfortable. In five years’ time, you will be his bride.”

You froze again, the last sentence hitting you like a sledgehammer to a stone wall. Slowly, you removed your arms from her torso, stepping back to meet her gaze. “Pardon?”

“Sorsha and I decided it was time to tell you both,” she explained calmly. “We’ve been arranging this marriage to unite our kingdoms since you were young.”

Confusion, anger, betrayal; a plethora of emotions swarmed you as you stood there, stunned. “You’re telling me this now?”

“Darling, you’re fifteen now, a woman. We didn’t want to scare you when you were children but it’s high time you start to think about the future of Azarenth.”

Realization hit you like a pound of bricks. “That’s why you always put so much emphasis on a relationship with Airk? You were preparing us for marriage?”

“Well I see no reason for such commotion! From what you’ve told me, you and Airk get along quite well. I’m sure you’ll make a fine couple.”

She dismissed you with a wave of her hand before retreating to her bedchamber for the night, leaving you standing there in a puddle of conflicting feelings. On one hand, Airk was pleasant company, and he could make a fine ruler one day. On the other hand, your heart didn’t long for him, and just the thought of you two being expected to produce heirs made you feel ill.

In five years, in five short years, you would be Princess Airk Tanthalos. You closed your eyes, testing out the name once on your lips before running outside and dropping to your knees, emptying your stomach's contents into the street.

That night was spent tossing and turning in bed, fighting off images of a marriage to Airk before they overpowered you, transforming into a nightmare as you slipped into slumber.

You were walking through the Tir Asleen gardens with Kit, picking bouquets of flowers and laughing at nothing but your own contagious joy. Just when you were almost done arranging your flowers, she seized your hand without warning, forcing you to drop your bouquet and pulling you away from the garden.

“Kit! Where are we going?” You chuckled, but never received an answer.

Instead, she pulled you into the doors of the castle and led you through every room. Each room seemed to stretch on forever, the exit nothing more than an optical illusion. With every new step, Kit moved faster until you were practically chasing after her, each breath coming in ragged gasps as your feet slapped against the cold stone floor.

Finally, Kit led you back outside, where you seemed to have spent so long in the castle that the sky was now a dark black with no moon in sight. She continued to pull you until you stood in front of the garden once again, where she slowed her pace before pausing at the entrance. This time, instead of the garden being filled with fragrant flowers and low-hanging trees, it was furnished to look like a wedding ceremony, with Airk standing at the end of the aisle. All of the guests turned in their chairs, staring at you with stone-like expressions.

You looked down and found that your everyday clothing had been replaced with an extravagant wedding gown. “Kit,” you whispered, squeezing her hand. “Why have you brought me here?”

Kit turned to look at you, leaving you horrified as her face morphed into that of your mother’s. Her demeanor remained still and frosty as she dropped your hand like a forgotten promise.

“The future is upon us, Princess Airk Tanthalos.”

You shot up in bed, gasping for breath as your heart raced. Pressing a hand to your chest, you inhaled deeply, forcing yourself to calm down. The window facing outside showed the sky still an impenetrable black, clear and streaked with twinkling stars. You groaned, flopping back onto your mattress as you reluctantly prepared for the remainder of a restless night.

You practically sleepwalked through the next morning, the dark circles under your eyes hanging like crescent moons in the night sky. After grunting a barely perceptible greeting to your parents, you took your seat at the breakfast table and started on the meal the chefs had prepared for you. Each bite tasted like gray mush. You chewed mechanically, feeling as if your emotions were so dulled that even your taste buds were affected.

Silence filled the breakfast table as everyone noticed you weren’t your usual chipper self. Even your father noticed something was off and attempted to speak before your mother shot him an icy glare, placing her hand over his as an unspoken warning.

Before you even had time to pass out onto your plate, the familiar clip-clop of a horse-drawn carriage sounded from outside, signaling the twins' arrival. You stood up, trailing behind your parents as you stepped outside to greet your guests.

A creamy white horse stood just outside the castle entrance, attached to a rugged coachman steering a wooden carriage. Airk was the first to step out, shaking out his chestnut curls and smoothing the fabric of his thin tunic. The morning sun reflected off his green eyes, making them look like two polished emeralds.

Although you weren’t attracted to him, you had to admit, he had grown into a handsome lad. You began to wonder if there was a chance that marrying him wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, that maybe you could make it work, and learn to live somewhat content.

But then Kit stepped out of the carriage, and the very thought of marrying her brother became distasteful again. She was pale, and the dark circles under her eyes only accentuated her lack of color. Her clothing was loose, wrinkly, and her barely chin-length tresses were dyed black with an indigo plant.

To anyone else, she appeared as a tired mess, a pathetic excuse for a princess. But when you gazed upon her, all you saw was Kit. Your Kit. The girl you grew up with and simultaneously never saw, the one person who meant more to you than anyone else.

Your mother rushed to meet Airk, presenting a perfect curtsy and gushing over how handsome he’d gotten. To Kit, she offered nothing more than a brief nod and a stiff grin.

“Welcome to Azarenth, you two,” she greeted. “I trust you’ll feel right at home here.”

With that, she turned on her heel, marching back into the castle and leaving you to attend to your guests. You never really liked having your mother around; her chilly demeanor often irritating you to the point of submerging yourself into daydreams where you could run away, free from her parental confines. But now, as she walked away and you watched her figure grow smaller, you wanted nothing more than for her to return. Even if it was to make a snide comment, you would take anything to alleviate the tension that now floated between you and the twins.

Airk took a step towards you, clearing his throat and hiding his hands behind his back. “Happy birthday, Princess.”

You smiled in return, curtsying politely. The two of you stood there, silently staring at each other, the weight of what you both now knew settling between you.

“Yes, happy birthday, Princess.” Kit sneered, stomping over and offering an exaggerated curtsy.

Your smile faltered. “No need to be so formal.”

Kit scowled at you, her blue eyes, once bright oceans now beady cesspools filled with contempt. “Oh forgive me, your highness! I had no intention of offending her majesty, the future ruler of Tir Asleen!”

She scoffed, shaking her head and storming past you into the castle doors. Airk mumbled a quick apology on her behalf before following after her, leaving you outside, alone, caught in a whirlpool of heartache.

The rest of the day remained as tense as how it started. Kit had holed herself up in her designated guest room, so you were stuck with Airk. For the most part, you tried to avoid each other, save for occasionally crossing paths in the hallways and stuttering immediate apologies. When the kitchen maid rang the dinner bell, you reluctantly trudged to the dining room, dragging your feet all the way there to postpone interaction as much as possible.

Your mother eyed you critically as you were the last to take your seat at the table. “How kind of you to grace us with your presence.”

Pursing your lips out of disdain, you glanced over at Airk. He met your gaze, making accidental eye contact for a brief second before looking down and pretending to be transfixed by his supper. Your eyes traveled across the table to a seat left empty, Kit’s noticeable absence leaving a pang in your chest.

Sounds of silverware scratching against ceramic dishes filled the room as the four of you ate in silence. You and Airk kept your heads down, refusing to look up from your plates while your parents exchanged glances from across the table. Once finished, you pushed your plate away and requested to be excused, leaving without waiting for a response.

Grabbing your shawl off a nearby hook, you walked briskly out of the castle. The cold December air pricked against your skin as you hugged your shawl closer to you. Azarenth typically had a warmer climate with very few opportunities for cold weather, but something about this night felt especially frosty, enough for a handful of snowflakes to lazily drift down from the night sky.

You retreated to a small courtyard away from the main thoroughfares, a secluded area complete with a center fountain you often used as a refuge. Taking a seat on the edge of the fountain, you stared at your reflection in the water, your mirrored image looking just as tired and stressed as it had that morning. You groaned, splashing away your likeness before immediately pulling your hand back, shocked by the iciness of the water.

As you sat alone with your thoughts, the sound of footsteps approached. You turned your head to see Airk at the entrance, pausing as soon as you met his gaze. He looked sheepish, his hands hiding behind his back as he nervously shuffled his feet.

“Your father told me I might find you here,” he spoke softly, answering the question you never asked.

You didn’t respond, so he moved towards you, taking a seat beside you on the edge of the fountain. The two of you sat in silence for a moment, staring at your feet while you listened to the gentle roar of the water behind you.

“Your parents informed you of the arrangement, I imagine.” He said in a low voice, addressing the elephant in the room.

You sighed deeply, nodding your head in response. “I feel so betrayed.”

Airk raised his eyebrows.

“Not because you’d make a terrible spouse!” You quickly backtracked. “I just… I feel so…”

“Caught off guard?” Airk interrupted.

You nodded. His assumption was only half-true, but true nonetheless.

Airk puffed out his cheeks, taking a moment to choose his next words carefully. “Well, perhaps we could… test it out? See what it’s like?”

You eyed him with furrowed brows. “What do you mean?”

“Married life,” he clarified. “Perhaps we could… try some of the things married people do? Just to see how it feels?”

Your eyes widened as you leaned back in shock. “I’m not doing that!” You crossed your arms over your chest and drew inward, suddenly feeling very exposed despite being fully dressed.

“No, no! I would never ask you to do that!” Airk sputtered, vigorously shaking his head.

You sighed in relief. Airk laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck, trying to calm his nerves.

“No, certainly not. I…” he cleared his throat. “…was truly suggesting we… try a kiss? Surely, married couples kiss. Perhaps we could just see how it feels?”

You glanced at his lips and contemplated his proposal. He had a point. “Yes.”

“Are you certain?” Airk’s eyes widened in surprise.

You nodded. “Well, we’ll be expected to kiss at our wedding anyway. May be convenient to remove the element of surprise.”

Airk positioned himself to face you. “I’ve never kissed anyone before.”

“I haven’t either,” you lied, thinking back to the innocent kisses you shared with Kit as children. Despite her spicy personality, she had always tasted so sweet. You wondered if Airk would taste just as sweet.

Before you knew it, Airk had leaned in and connected his mouth to yours. His lips were wet, soaked with spit, and his coarse stubble scratched at your chin. He didn’t taste sweet; he barely tasted like anything at all. There was no buzzing in your ears, nor bursts of warmth in your chest, just two mouths collided in a dispassionate exchange.

When Airk pulled away, you felt like crying. He stared at you expectantly. “Was that alright?”

You stared back at him, trying to suppress the nauseous feeling in your stomach. As he waited for your response, all you could think about was how different it was from kissing Kit, how you had never longed for him in the same way, and if you were arranged to marry his sister instead of him, would you be as upset?

Your mind raced with memories of Kit: stolen kisses behind trees, late night sneakaways, sharing secrets under covers. You thought back to when Kit introduced you to lewd literature, remembering how those pictures of women made you feel. Realization hit you like a punch in the gut, causing you to clutch your stomach and audibly gag.

Airk frowned. “Was it not?”

Tears welled up in your eyes. “I have to go.”

You stood up and practically fled from the courtyard, leaving Airk to sit alone, his face crumpled with hurt and immersed in a flood of confusion.

Frigid winds whipped your tear-stained face as you dashed through the outskirts of the castle, your footsteps echoing against the pavement. Your mind raced, a mixture of flashbacks and fear swarming this newfound epiphany. When you reached the castle entrance, you burst through the doors, darting past your parents and ignoring the questions they fired at you.

You had to find her. You needed to speak with her.

Rushing up the stairs, you ran through the corridors, past your own bedchamber, and paused in front of another. You doubled over, resting your hands on your knees in an attempt to catch your breath, heart pounding like a stampede of wild horses.

Finally somewhat calm, you stood straight, gazing not at the door, but at the nothingness that stood between you and it. With a deep breath, you disregarded all knowledge of basic etiquette and threw open the door, not bothering to knock.

“Kit!” You cried.

Startled, Kit whipped around to face the door, not expecting visitors. Upon seeing you, her face darkened. “Oh, you again. What have you come here for?”

“Kit, please, I need to talk to you…”

“Why?” Kit interrupted. “Because you need help planning your wedding? Are you here to boast about marrying my brother? How you’re going to live happily-ever-after and have hundreds of children? Would you like name suggestions?”

“You don’t understand…” you tried to swallow the lump growing in your throat. “I can’t marry Airk.”

Kit seemed taken aback by your admittance, but her demeanor quickly hardened again. “I hadn’t realized the Tanthalos blood wasn’t good enough for you.”

“That is not the reason…”

“My apologies, your highness!” Kit exclaimed, each word dripping with venom. “I shouldn’t have assumed you would want to be the future Queen of Tir Asleen! Our lowly kingdom must not meet your impossibly high standards!”

“Would you listen to me?!” You smacked her arm, unable to stop angry tears from streaming down your face. “You have no idea what you’re talking about!”

Kit flinched upon contact, but her hostility remained unyielding. Still, she crossed her arms over her chest and squinted, waiting for your explanation.

You sniffed, choking back a sob. “Airk kissed me.”

Kit’s expression barely shifted, but her eyes momentarily flickered with confusion. “Your fiancé kissed you? How distressing.”

“You don’t understand…” you drew inward as you stared at the floor, avoiding her piercing stare. “I hated it.”

You saw Kit’s arms drop to her sides out of your peripheral vision, body language softening slightly. She took a step towards you, and you squeezed your eyes tight.

“What are you saying?”

“I don’t want to marry Airk,” you repeated, finally looking up at her. “I don’t think I want to marry any prince.”

You took a seat on the edge of her bed and wiped your tear-stricken face. Kit stood stunned for a moment before moving to your side, placing a comforting arm around your shoulders.

“Do you think you might be a…?”

The word you’d both been raised to believe was dirty sat unspoken on her lips: sapphic.

You nodded, ashamed. The idea of a woman being attracted to other women was extremely frowned upon, especially for someone of nobility like yourself. But as you sank into Kit’s touch, societal expectations no longer seemed so scary. She always did make you feel safe.

“What am I going to do?” You wondered out loud, not exactly expecting an answer. Kit pulled you in closer, staring at you with unblinking eyes. You met her gaze.

“Kit, I…”

And suddenly her mouth was on yours, taking you by surprise and making you jump. She pulled back in fear, searching your face for any sign of resistance.

“I… I’m sorry…” she sputtered. “I must have misread something…”

Not wanting her to finish that sentence, you grabbed her face and kissed her ferociously, this time taking her by surprise. She gasped against your mouth, but soon returned the kiss with as much passion as you had given.

Kissing Kit was nothing like kissing Airk. Her lips weren’t wet; they were perfectly moist, and her skin was smooth against yours. That familiar grape-juice taste from when you were kids had aged gracefully along with her, now bursting with the flavors of sweet wine. Neither of you were very experienced kissers, but it wasn’t awkward like it was with Airk; there was no clumsy collision, just two mouths exploring each other in an act of tender intimacy.

Kit picked up her movements, kissing you hungrily with a passion that almost bordered on desperation. She grabbed at your waist, pushing you down on the bed until she hovered over you. You moaned at the unexpected feeling of your head against the soft mattress, and that was all the reassurance Kit needed to keep going. She placed a hand on your stomach and started to untie the laces of your corset, moving at a snail's pace in case you were to oppose. When you didn't, she removed the restrictive garment and inched her fingers up your blouse. You gasped at the feeling of her skin against yours, but when she pulled away to check in, you immediately brought her back to you, not wanting her to stop for anything.

You writhed underneath her as she explored the skin underneath your blouse. Longing coursed through your veins, each brush of her fingertips feeling like the warmth of a thousand suns. When she grazed her thumb across a particularly sensitive area, you moaned into her mouth, lifting your hips and pressing your core into her body. She shivered under the newfound contact, pulling away and looking down at you with apprehension.

“I’ve never really done anything like this before,” she admitted.

“P-pardon?” You sputtered through labored breaths, your body craving her in a way it had never craved anyone before.

“This…” she gestured at both of your bodies. “…is all new to me.”

“Likewise,” you whispered before leaning in to reassure her with a gentle kiss. “We don’t have to do anything more than this tonight. I promise I’m enjoying myself.”

Kit seemed to relax. “Would that be alright?”

“Truly,” you replied, because it was. It was more than alright. It was perfect.

Tag List: @chloepricesgirl @canmargesimpson @yourelliewillms @valenftcrush @camilleee222 @prettygirlfemme @slaytillieswooo @love4lyn @joanvisitsrome @athenalive @mih11 @j-pacifica @everybodyhatesari @vii-ofswords @sophi4v13

[bat-mom-writer]

Bat Baby: Part 4

Pregnant Reader(wife) X Bruce Wayne(husband)

Summery: Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, and Tim Drake, find their pregnant non-biological mother missing, how would they react?

(I do not own any DC characters)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5

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

"Hey, mom, I got your ice cream," Dick called out as he pushed open the bedroom door, the ice cream in his hand. The room was bathed in the soft glow of the moon, the curtains fluttering gently in the cool night breeze. He paused, the sight before him not at all what he had expected. The bed was empty, the covers thrown haphazardly aside, and the room was eerily still.

His heart skipped a beat as he scanned the room, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. "Mom?" he whispered into the quiet, his voice tentative. The only answer was the muffled sound of the television from the living room.

With a frown, he stepped into the hallway, calling out for her again. The house felt too still, the silence a stark contrast to the usual hum of activity that filled the Wayne Manor. He made his way through the corridors, his footsteps echoing through the empty halls. He checked the bathroom, the nursery, the kitchen, the study, the library, and even the fucking batcave, but she was nowhere to be found. His heart was racing now, fear blooming in his chest. Something was wrong; he could feel it in his bones.

The ice cream slipped from his grip, the containers of mint chocolate chip ice cream spilling out onto the floor. They landed with a soft thud, the lid popping off one of them, the cool sweetness immediately making a spill on the floor. Dick barely registered the mess as he sprinted down the hallway, the urgency in his steps echoing off the high ceilings.

Entering the living room, he found Tim and Jason still engrossed in their show, their backs to the door. "Guys," he said, his voice tight with anxiety. "Where's mom?"

They both swiveled around, their expressions mirroring his own concern. "What do you mean?" Tim asked, his eyes looking to Jason, and back to Dick.

Jason leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "Didn't she go to bed?"

"Yes! But then Bruce sent me to get ice cream and when I come back she was gone!" Dick exclaimed, his voice laced with panic.

"Did you look anywhere else?" Tim asked, his brow furrowed.

"Everywhere!" Dick said, frantically. "The whole house! She's not here!"

"She's a fucking pregnant woman, she couldn't have gotten far," Jason murmured, his voice a mix of annoyance and concern. "Maybe she just went for a walk or something."

"At one in the morning?" Tim echoed. "It's not like her to just wander off, especially in her condition."

Jason stood up, his posture rigid. "Bruce should know where she is," he said, his voice laced with accusation. "Where is he?"

Dick's mind raced as he thought back. "He said he had to check something in the garage," he recalled, the memory feeling distant and fuzzy. "That was when I came into the house the ice cream."

"Go find him, Dick!" Jason barked, his eyes flashing with urgency. "Tim and I will look outside."

"Don't bother," Damian said, his voice cutting through the tension as he leaned against the doorframe, his eyes heavy with a knowing that didn’t quite suit his age. "They're already gone."

The words hit Dick like a sledgehammer, knocking the wind from his lungs. "What?" he choked out, his eyes wide with shock.

"They left," Damian confirmed, his voice eerily calm. "I saw them drive off."

"What the hell?" Dick says, his mind racing. "Why wouldn't they tell us?"

"Is she okay?" Tim's voice was strained with worry as he stared at Damian.

Damian's expression doesn't waver. "They're on their way to the hospital," he says, his voice as calm as a lake on a still night. "Her water broke."

The words hit the others like a sucker punch. Tim's eyes widen, and he takes a stumbling step back. "What?" he gasps, his hand flying to his mouth. "We need to get to the hospital."

"Father told me to not let you go until he calls," he says, his voice devoid of its usual smugness.

The realization hits Dick like a truck. "Wait, you know the whole time?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Spill the beans you little shit," Jason grabs Damian by his shirt and pulls him up, his eyes blazing with a mix of fear and anger.

Damian shrugs, his eyes meeting Jason's. "They didn't want to alarm us," he says, his voice a little too calm for the situation. "They thought we'd make a scene."

"Make a scene?!" Jason's voice rises, his grip on Damian's shirt tightening. "Make a fucking scene?! I'll show you a scene!" He shoves Damian away from him, the force enough to send the younger boy stumbling backward.

Dick moves quickly, pulling Jason back before he can do any more damage. "Jason, stop!" he snaps, his voice filled with a command that he rarely uses. "We need to focus on finding them, not fighting with each other."

Tim nods, his eyes wide with a mix of shock and fear. "He's right," he says, his voice shaking slightly.

Jason's eyes narrow, and his jaw clenches. "I don't care what this little boy says, I'm going," he says, his voice a low growl.

Dick grabs his arm, his eyes pleading. "Jason, please," he begs. "It's what mom wanted."

Jason's gaze darts to Damian, then back to Dick, his anger slowly morphing into understanding. "Fine," he says, his voice gruff.

"Good," Dick says, letting out a sigh of relief. "We'll wait for Bruce's call. And when he does, we're going to be calm. No panicking, no shoving," He glances from Damian and Jason. "We need to be there for her, not cause more stress."

They all nod, and sit on the couch, the leather cool against their skin. The room feels suffocatingly quiet, the air thick with unspoken anxiety. The only sounds are the distant wail of a siren and the occasional beep from the security monitors. Each one of them stares straight ahead, lost in their own thoughts.

Hours later, the Dick's phone rang.

Next

Writer's note: Gonna be honest I see a lot of other wristers naming the daughter of Reader X Bruce, Martha, and I'm sorry, but I don't really love the name. Can I PLEASE have some other girl names idea? Then I'll make a Part 5.

[lilacgaby]

lucky me.

prohero!kirishima x reader

you always seemed to attract bad luck, yet you think your life might be turning around as you reconnect with light itself.

today was going horrible, just like every other day.

because of your quirk, luck, everyone's luck around you would be exponentially boosted. everyone, even the people who you hated would be lucky if they were within a 20-mile radius of you. you couldn't control it.

every single lottery won has been because someone was close to you, paychecks would come early, coins would always flip on heads, everyone in your class would always pass exams.. you get the deal.

the drawback? you'd have horrible luck your entire life.

as a kid, you'd trip and scrape your knees everyday. under pressure your voice would crack, or the tears you'd been attempting to hide would come out bursting, making you shake as you tried to speak.

the swings you'd use would snap, the slides would always burn you. your shoelaces would untie and make you fall. you'd always fall flat on your nose and have your nose bleed at the worse times. the only refuge from this? eijiro, who never seemed to mind. he'd call you brave for still doing those things despite knowing you'd get hurt.

he admired you, developing rose-tinted glasses for all things surrounding you over the years. in junior high, he'd hang around you still. he was a bit shy himself at this age, but he never failed to help you.. even as you tripped into a garbage can for the third time this week.

you hung out constantly, you were always at his home and his two mothers adored you. always up in his room as he tried to sing, as he fanboyed over crimson riot with you. you were even the one who dyed his hair, much to his mother's disdain.

you were there when he got accepted into U-A, he hugged you, calling you his good luck charm.

but after that, it seemed life had finally had to take the one good thing in your life away from you. obviously, you couldn't attend U-A, you had slept in the day general studies took their entrance exams, so you ended up in some run of the mill high school that didn't specialize in anything in particular.

eijiro was born a star, you knew it was pointless to love someone like that. someone who was destined for something more than you can dream of.

so you let your friendship die. as his messages to you came fewer and fewer, you let the memories of the good times he'd bring to you be the only remnants of your relationship, so that you could let him fly like he deserved.

after a quirk consultation way too late in your life, you managed to decrease your bad luck by 50%. it made all the difference in your life, allowing you to be in the middle top of your class, and let you get a job as a quirk consultant yourself.

you worked your way up for years, finally getting your bad luck down to 22%, just low enough to start your own consultant company that focused on quirks that would harm the users and cause prejudice against them.

everything was finally good. you were finally happy.

until red riot came crashing through the windows of your front door, the fight entering the office that was thankfully closed since it was a sunday.

"hey! what the hell?!"

"sorry 'bout that! watch out!"

there was a slab being chucked in your direction, just as it was about to hit.. red riot blocked it with a bit of hardening from his quirk. his face was colored with recognition as he saw you, but first,

"[name]?? wait, let me beat this guy first-"

"don't do it in my office!"

"too late for that--"

the villain, a sledgehammer.. man(?), had started removing huge pieces of cement from the inner workings of your wall. before he could get to attacking, your luck started to go to work. because of your consultations, you could now choose who your luck would effect,

but it'd bring your bad luck back to 100%.

eijiro, now unbreakable, easily beat the guy. he carried him out to the streets full of police that took him into custody.

he went back to normal, looking back at you. you were reeling, looking at the months worth of damage done. he went up to place a hand on your shoulder.

"i-im real sorry [name]. but hey, at least i got to see you right?"

"my company is destroyed."

"y-yeah, but hey! could be worse! you could be uh-- dead or something."

you sighed at that. "i guess you're right.. thanks red ri--"

"eijiro." he corrected, adamant as he held you by the shoulders.

"eijiro. thank you for saving my life.. even if my place is wrecked. and my favorite elephant pot too.." he looked genuinely distraught at not having been able to see the pot. "hey, i have an idea to get cheered up!"

she looked hopeful, wanting a moment away from the legal mess she'd have to go through to request funds to rebuild her place. "what is it?"

- - -

so he invited you on a date. can you blame him? you looked even more beautiful than he remembered.

he had the biggest crush on you since junior high. he just thought you were the cutest thing, you were so nice, so sweet to him. everytime you did everything his heart would leap out of his chest.

and this rang true at the date he organized at his new house: a large mansion, decked out in a classier version of his favorite 'manly' style of furniture, with the help of an interior designer of course.

he let you inside, he was letting you sleep in one of his spare rooms since your apartment that was on the second floor of your office was now deemed unsafe.

he had a small, yet probably more expensive than your house itself, dinner prepared for you two.

there were more dishes set out on the table than you think you've had your entire life. as you two caught up, laughed, and slowly became more comfortable like you used to be, he felt his heart soar.

you noticed your bad luck was dropping even faster than it would normally in his presence. it had already become 21% from 100%.

it took you a year to get it that low the first time. you looked at the ceiling thoughtfully, being pulled out of your thoughts by eijiro's joke flexing.

he brought out the final meal. as you two shared a comically huge piece of cake, you laughed at the realization.

he was your good luck charm, as much as your were his.

[hp-hcs]

am just gonna bombard you with requests until instructed otherwise because i've found my new favourite writer✨

but how about the theo's x obscurus male reader (yandere or not, both theo's or not) honestly i'll gobble up whatever given - yxdls

freaks — yandere! theodore nott x obscurial! male! reader

tws: implied/referenced child abuse; snape being a dick

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

To be honest, nobody had really ever noticed Y/N L/N until he came back from winter break with a black eye and a broken nose; and with just one snide comment from a certain Potions professor, he promptly exploded into the most terrifying thing any of them had ever seen.

An Obscurus.

It’d been the first class back from the break. Someone clearly must’ve hated the fifth years, because the new schedule listed Potions as the first class on a Monday morning. Exhausted, all of the fifth years had trudged in and taken a seat, too tired to care about any accidental inter-house mingling.

Professor Snape was having none of it. His beady eyes flashed as he surveyed his class of half-asleep teenagers.

“When an adult says good morning, it is polite to respond.”

“Good morning, Professor Snape,” the class mumbled in a completely exasperated tone.

His lip had curled back into a sneer. Opening his mouth to, presumably, berate the class, he was interrupted by the late arrival of a student.

“Mr. L/N. How wonderful of you to join us. We surely wouldn’t want to waste any more of your precious time.”

The boy in the doorway tried to shrink in on himself. He looked so small and lost with that busted up nose and eye. He started to make an apology, but made it barely two words in before Snape struck again.

“Perhaps it would be beneficial for you all to take a note of Mr. L/N as living proof that Charles Darwin’s theory was not without some error. Mr. L/N, if you would research the term natural selection and write ten inches of parchment on the subject. You can turn it in to me tomorrow morning. Take a seat.”

The boy’s cheeks burned with embarrassment and shame as he scrambled to a seat in the back row.

“Natural selection,” the professor intoned. “The riddance of those who are not well-suited to their environment. That is, abnormalities or freaks of nature.”

The class glanced back at the previously unknown boy. Who was this kid? Why did Snape have a vendetta against him?

Something in the ashamed boy’s eyes flashed. At the word ‘freaks’, he visibly broke.

A low rumble filled the classroom, making Snape pause mid-sentence. With a resounding crack, the flagstones just inches from the professor’s feet split and shattered, like someone had taken a sledgehammer to them.

Snape jumped back, his head snapping up in a panic. The walls began to shake and rumble threateningly. From the belittled boy in the back row, an odd dark mist was beginning to form, slowly swirling around his body before engulfing him completely.

The kids around him scrambled away in a panic, the entire class rushing to the doors. Theodore sat still, stunned as he watched the terrifying scene.

One of his friends tugged on his sleeve, shouting something that was immediately swallowed by the sound as the odd swirling mist began to pick up speed, whipping papers and quills around the room.

The crack that ran through the flagstone floor began to spread with an ominous rumbling, the stone walls beginning to shake and spiderweb with fractures. A dust cloud of debris emanated from every fissure, choking up the air and reducing any visibility.

A sound, like a small child crying, seemed to echo around the room. Theo, stuck in place, watched with wide eyes as the mist- no, whirlwind, began growing, getting more and more violent.

The whirlwind lashed out, reducing Snape’s desk to splinters. The crying got louder, and a sharp burst of magic from the whirlwind sent Theodore flying, hitting the ground hard and scrambling for cover under a table.

For just a split second, so fast that Theo barely had time to notice, the mist of the whirlwind parted, revealing a white glowing form in the center. The form was vaguely humanoid in shape, curled up on the ground in the fetal position with its hands clasped tight over its ears. Its shoulders heaved with the force of its sobs, and then it was gone, swallowed back up by the storm.

Theo wracked his brain for the beaten boy’s name, scrabbling for any memory he had of the kid who had always previously gone unnoticed.

“Y/N!”

The storm…paused, sort of. The debris that had been in the process of being thrown across the room halted midair, hanging suspended for a split second before whipping back around with a stronger fury.

The shattering of glass made Theo instinctively cover his face, smashed potions and vials sending shards of certain death flying through the air.

“Y/N! Y/N, you have to stop!” Theodore shouted, pleaded.

The storm howled with shrieking fury, leaking anguish and total despair.

“Y/N! He’s wrong about you!”

A chair was sent hurtling towards him.

Ducking, Theo continued talking, raising his voice over the wailing of the storm.

“I want to help, Y/N!”

The storm paused again, for longer this time. A cauldron, suspended midair just inches from whacking into Theo’s skull, dripped some sort of potion onto his leg, burning something awful.

That was a problem for a different time, Theo figured.

“I want to! I want to help! You don’t deserve to be treated the way you are!”

The storm drew back a bit, the iron cauldron clanging to the floor and spinning around in circles as the dark mist of the storm retreated.

Theo tried his last saccharine sentiment. “You deserve to be happy!”

With a loud whoosh, the storm completely vanished, quills and chairs dropping to the floor with a loud clatter. The boy—Y/N—sat on the floor in the same way as the glowing form had; fetal position, hands over his ears. His skin crackled, and dark sparks snapped and fizzed from it, although he seemed to pay no mind.

Theodore stumbled to his feet from under his table and carefully picked his way through the debris of the classroom to kneel down a comfortable distance away from the crying boy.

“Hey, hey, there you go. That’s better. Are you alright?”

Y/N looked up with a tear-stricken expression, wiping his sleeve across his face and sniffling. “‘m not a freak, I swear. Please don’t send me back.”

“You’re not,” Theo soothed. “I won’t. Snape was way out of bounds with that one.”

Y/N sniffled again, a fresh wave of tears streaming down his face. “He called me a freak.”

At the sight of the boy before him, sobbing pathetically over his douchebag teacher, Theo felt himself burn with rage.

How could anyone hurt this boy? Who’s done absolutely nothing wrong?

“I’ll make him pay, sweetheart. Don’t worry.”

[drewharrisonwriter]

One Day at a Time - Ch. 5: Late-Night Cravings

Pairings: Dave York x Female Reader

Series Summary: A man washed ashore, with no memory, and no name, finds a home and a life in the middle of nowhere.

Author's Notes: This story has been sitting in my drafts for over a year, waiting for the perfect moment to see the light of day. It wasn't until recently that I found the inspiration to finally finish the last two chapters, thanks to the incredible Keri @absurdthirst. Her story, "Washed Up," struck a chord with me—it had such a similar plot and concept to what I had in mind, and it reignited my passion to bring this piece to life. Keri's writing has been a constant source of solace and inspiration, and I'm endlessly grateful for her creativity and the way she crafts stories that speak to the soul. If you haven’t checked out her work, you absolutely should!

Warnings: Please be aware that this story contains elements of violence, explicit sexual content, and pregnancy. Additionally, there are medical inaccuracies throughout—because I don’t work in the medical field, so please take it all with a grain of salt. Enjoy the ride, and thank you for reading! 😊

Read this on AO3 | Check out my Masterlist

It was the third night in DC when you suddenly craved for something you would normally just crave when you’re nearing your period. You were lying in bed, Dave dozing peacefully beside you, when the sudden urge for something sweet and salty jolted you awake. You tried to ignore it, but after a few minutes of tossing and turning, you gave in.

“Dave,” you whispered, gently nudging him.

He grunted, blinking sleepily. “What’s up?”

“I need something from the store,” you admitted, feeling a little sheepish. 

“What? Now?”

You nodded eagerly. “I need it, and I can’t sleep.”

He rubbed his eyes, sitting up. “What do you need?”

You thought for a moment. “Ice cream… and maybe some chips.”

He chuckled, swinging his legs out of bed. “Well, let’s go then.”

The grocery store was quiet, the aisles nearly empty as you wandered through, scanning the shelves for your late-night snacks. You and Dave chatted softly, the fluorescent lights overhead casting a soft glow on the products lining the shelves.

“I still don’t get how you can eat chips and ice cream together,” Dave teased, reaching for a bag of kettle chips.

“Hey, don’t knock it until you try it,” you shot back, grinning as you grabbed a pint of your favorite ice cream.

As you made your way down another aisle, laughing quietly together, you barely noticed the woman who was slowly approaching from behind. She seemed to hesitate, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Dave, as if trying to place him.

“Dave?” she called out, her voice tentative but curious.

You both did not pay it any attention until the woman was standing beside you. 

You both froze for a moment as she looked at him and repeated the name, catching you both off guard. You exchanged a puzzled glance with Dave, who shrugged it off, assuming it was meant for someone else.

But the woman didn’t stop. She walked even closer, her expression one of disbelief as she reached out and placed a hand on Dave’s shoulder, getting in between you two. “Dave, is that really you?”

Dave looked down at the woman, a polite but confused smile on his face. “I’m sorry, you must have me confused with someone else.”

The woman’s eyes widened, her hand flying to her mouth as if to stifle a gasp. “No… no, it’s you. I’d know you anywhere. Dave, it’s me—Carol.”

The name hit Dave like a sledgehammer, a wave of something dark and unplaceable washing over him. Anger, confusion, and a deep-seated sense of wrongness twisted in his gut as he stared at the woman, his brow furrowing. “I’m sorry, but I’m not Dave,” he said, his voice steady but firm. “You’ve got the wrong person.”

But Carol shook her head, her eyes pleading as she stepped closer. “No, I’m your wife. You… you disappeared, and I thought… oh my God, I thought you were dead. We had a funeral–”

“Wife?” Dave’s voice was strained, the word feeling foreign and jagged in his mouth. His hands balled into fists at his sides, a cold fury rising within him that he couldn’t quite understand. “I don’t know you,” he said again, his tone sharp, almost desperate.

You watched the exchange with growing concern, your heart pounding in your chest. This was the moment you’d feared—the moment when the past would come crashing into the fragile life you’d built together. But as much as it terrified you, you knew you had to step in.

“Excuse me,” you said, stepping forward and gently placing a hand on Dave’s arm. “This is all very confusing, but maybe we should take a step back and talk about this calmly.”

Carol looked at you, her eyes flickering with a mix of surprise and suspicion. “Who are you?” she demanded, her voice edged with accusation.

“I’m…” you hesitated, glancing at Dave before deciding to defuse the situation. “I’m a friend. Listen, this isn’t the place for this. Why don’t we meet tomorrow over dinner and talk about it? Here’s my card.” You reached into your bag and handed her a business card, your hand trembling slightly.

Dave looked at you, his eyes searching yours for guidance, for reassurance. “I don’t want to meet with her,” he muttered under his breath, the tension in his voice clear. “I don’t even know her.”

You squeezed his arm gently, giving him a look that you hoped conveyed both understanding and firmness. “I know,” you whispered back. “But it’s important...”

Carol took the card, her fingers brushing yours as she did. “Tomorrow,” she agreed, her voice shaky. “I’ll text you.”

You nodded, offering her a small, tight smile. “Tomorrow.”

As you turned to leave, you felt Dave’s anger simmering just beneath the surface. It wasn’t just confusion—it was something deeper, something raw and visceral that he couldn’t seem to control.

“I’ll go check out our stuff,” you said softly, giving Dave a moment to collect himself. “I’ll wait for you in the car.”

He gave a curt nod, his jaw clenched as he turned back to Carol, who was watching him with a mixture of longing and disbelief. You could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on you, but there was nothing more you could do at that moment.

As you walked toward the checkout, you tried to steady your breathing, to push down the rising tide of anxiety that threatened to overwhelm you. Passing by the pharmacy aisle, your hand hesitated for just a moment before you reached out and grabbed a pregnancy test, slipping it into your basket alongside the snacks.

You paid for your items and headed out to the car, your mind racing with thoughts of what had just happened and what it could mean for the future. The night air was cool against your skin as you waited in the car, your fingers drumming nervously on the steering wheel.

When Dave finally joined you, slipping into the passenger seat with a tense sigh, you could feel the storm brewing between you. But for now, you both sat in silence, the unspoken words hanging heavy in the air, the weight of what was to come pressing down on you both.

–

The drive back to the hotel was filled with a tense, uncomfortable silence. He stared out the window, his jaw clenched, his mind clearly racing. You could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on both of you, but neither of you spoke until you were back in the privacy of your hotel room.

The moment the door closed behind you, he turned to you, his expression a mix of frustration and fear. “I don’t want to meet her,” he said, his voice tight with tension. “This is all too much, too fast.”

You took a deep breath, trying to keep your own emotions in check. “I know it’s a lot, but if she really is who she says she is, then you have to meet with her. You owe it to yourself to find out the truth.”

He shook his head, pacing the length of the room. “But what if she really is my… my wife? What does that mean for us?”

You watched him, your heart aching at the fear and confusion in his eyes. “We don’t know anything for sure yet,” you said gently. “But you have to meet with her… You need to know who you really are, where you come from.”

He stopped pacing and looked at you, his expression pained. “And what if that means I have to leave the farm? Leave you?”

The sadness in his voice was almost too much to bear, but you forced yourself to stay strong for him. You offered him a small, sad smile, stepping closer to place a hand on his arm. “If that’s what you need to do, then we’ll figure it out. But you can’t ignore this. Not if you want to move forward.”

He swallowed hard, his eyes searching yours for any sign of doubt. “I don’t want to lose this,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t want to lose you.”

You felt tears prickling at the corners of your eyes, but you blinked them back, determined to stay strong. “And I don’t want to lose you either,” you said softly. “But we both know that you need to do this. You need to meet with her, hear what she has to say. And I’ll be right there with you,”

He looked down, his shoulders slumping as he let out a heavy sigh. “Okay,” he finally said, his voice laced with resignation. “Okay… we’ll meet her.”

You reached up to cup his cheek, your thumb brushing lightly over his skin. “Whatever happens, we’ll face it together.”

Next Chapter 👉🏻

[thatchickwithtoomanyhobbies]

The End (Daniels)

***An alternative universe where sledgehammer killed off everyone but Daniels Saving-Private-Ryan-style. AKA- what would’ve happened had my mother been part of the writing staff. Note: Events in this story are different than the canon storyline (duh). Slight *puke warning*! Implied *Self-Deletion*! Do not read if that’ll be upsetting!***

He had to find him. Robert Zussman- his best friend, the last one left from his platoon, the man he vowed to fight to the end with, the person he cared about most in the world (besides his wife and child of course)- had been taken by the Nazi’s nearly four months earlier.

He’d been beside him for so long. He grieved the loss of their other friends with him. He’d given him words of encouragement when he found out he was going to be a father. He’d helped patch him up after a long day of battles. He’d been there for him through thick and thin, and the least he could do was go save him now. If only he could’ve saved the others…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Stiles had perished storming the beach. The poor man had seen the shell dropping and tried to jump out of the way, but he was too late. The bomb dropped right on top of him, sending him flying.

Zussman and Aiello had gotten to him first, and were surprised to find him still alive, glasses smashed, his legs below the knees gone. They’d tried to tourniquet them, but it was no use. The man had bled out less than a minute later crying for his ma. Apologizing to the air. Saying he was sorry it had to end this way.

He’d taken his last breath in Zussman’s arms, trying to tell him to tell his ma he loved her and would miss her.

The poor chap never got the chance to finish his sentence before his heart stopped. Daniels took his camera off his body, promising himself he’d send it back to his ma when he got the chance. From what Stiles had said of her, she’d want the thing to remember him by.

That poor woman. She’d already lost two of her five children in a car accident several year prior. Now she had lost yet another one to a dictator hungry for power.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Pierson was lost when the church had collapsed at Marigny. Aiello was with Jones taking out the AA Guns when German artillery started hitting the church. Once the building started coming down they’d all rushed to get out of it. Daniels had gotten knocked off the ladder when the bell fell and lay dazed on the floor under a fallen rafter.

Zussman, determined to help his friend, stayed back and helped pry off the piece of wood and get Daniels on his feet costing them precious time. The sergeant had yelled at them to keep moving. Quickly, before the building came down. By the time Zuss had gotten himself and Daniels to the door, the building was coming down on their heads.

Pierson, in one heroic action, grabbed both men and threw them out of the building and onto the street to safety. The last last thing the two soldiers saw was their Sergeant looking up in horror as the building collapsed, trapping him beneath the rubble.

Once they cleared the street, the remaining men dug through the remnants of the building for him, hoping that maybe he could be alive. It was in vain, as they found no trace of their commander in the rubble.

Pierson had a wife and two young sons back home. Sons that would now grow up without a father. In a way, Daniels blamed himself. If he hadn’t gotten trapped, perhaps Pierson would still be alive.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They had lost Aiello and Turner on the same day just minutes apart, something that made their deaths seem the worst out of all of them.

It was the same day he’d gotten the news that he was going to be a father. Aiello had teased him about it most of the morning to the point where he had snapped at him. Something that Daniels deeply regretted now. He’d take back his hash words to the man and laugh with him. Tease him back perhaps.

Turner had sent Aiello along with second platoon as they were a few men short. They all thought they’d be fine. Apparently not.

From what Daniels heard from the other men, Aiello- forever stubborn- had run ahead when they heard a singular shot ring out. Whether from a German or from Aiello they had no idea.

Daniels found out when he climbed the hill to find Aiello lying dead in the mud, a singular gunshot wound to the chest. There was no time to grieve him. No time for a even a prayer for him to reach heaven. The had to keep moving.

All he had wanted was to get home and throw himself headfirst into a music career.

“Forget Frank Sinatra! Frank Aiello is the next heartthrob, boys! I’m gonna top the billboards!”

He’d never get the chance to find out if that was true, his drum set back home now sitting forever unused.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Turner was gone just a few minutes after Aiello. In some ways his was the hardest hitting of all, as he had given his life for the men to escape. But Daniels blamed himself, as Turner had been helping him up when he was shot in the back.

Turner insisted they leave him behind. To retreat while he held them off.

“No sacrifice too great,” he told Daniels managing a weak smile. In his opinion, this was too great a sacrifice. Turner had a wife and three children back home. With this one action, he was making her a widow and his three children fatherless.

Turner commanded them to go yet again. Zussman had grabbed him by the arm and ran. He had been forced to watch as Turner was inevitably shot dead by the Germans and lay lifeless in the middle of a German forest.

His family would never get to see his final resting place or say their last goodbyes. He was yet another casualty of this terrible war.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Zussman was the last one left from the first platoon besides Daniels himself, which made finding him even more urgent.

Zuss was the only one who knew just how much they had suffered. How much loss they had endured. How lonely the nights got once everyone was gone. The nights they’d console each other from memories plaguing their minds. Nobody knew like they did. He needed to find him. If he were to turn up less than alive…

He pushed the thought out of his head. He’d be alive. He’d be ok. They’d go back to the states together and maybe he could move Zussman in. Hazel would be ok with it. He could be an uncle to the baby and earn his keep helping out with chores on the farm. He’d suggest it to him when he found him.

He didn’t wait for the truck to stop before jumping out and running into the camp, screaming Zussman’s name. Maybe he’d hear. Maybe he’d answer. As he ran through the camp, he soon realized that it had been deserted and not too long before. He hoped, prayed, that Zuss was still alive. Unfortunately that prayer was not to be answered.

He looked up passing the gallows, noticing there was a man hanging there. He stood and stared, wondering how people could do this to their fellow humans when suddenly the horror dawned on him.

“Zussman! No!” He screamed, climbing up onto the platform to cut his friend down.

It was too late. Zussman was gone. He picked up his best friend and held him in his arms, his body was still slightly warm. He had been just a few minutes too late. If only he had gotten there sooner.

He put him down and let loose the contents of his stomach. It was his fault. If he had gotten there sooner. If he had driven faster.

He held his best friend in his arms and sobbed. He was last one left of the first platoon. The only one who survived the horrors of this war. They were all gone. He’d be the only one to go home to his family. He took the Saint Michael pendant off of his friend. He wasn’t catholic, in fact he had been raised baptist, but the longing to have something to remind him of his friend was stronger than his religious ties.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He rode up to the old farmhouse, barely a shell of the man who had left it nearly a year before. He lost everyone he cared about in Europe. His best friends. His superiors. He was the last surviving member of the first platoon.

That was odd. He figured Hazel would meet him outside when he arrived. Maybe she was inside nursing the baby. She had always been a bit more conservative, so she didn’t want to expose herself. That explained it.

As he walked up the front steps he imagined how good it would feel to hold her again. To kiss her lips. To snuggle up next to her on cold nights. He had missed her so much.

As he went to open the door he realized that it was unlocked. That was strange. She always locked the front door. It was the back door they left unlocked during the day. He was starting to feel uneasy now.

“Hazel?” he called into the house, door slightly ajar, hoping to hear her voice. He received no answer. He pushed the door open all the way. The sight that met his eyes shocked him.

The house was empty. Every single piece of furniture downstairs was gone. This couldn’t be happening. He’d heard stories from other men of this happening, but he never thought it would happen to him. He hoped this was some sort of cruel trick on Hazel’s part.

He quickly ran upstairs, calling his wife’s name. Praying he’d find her and his son up there, only to find the upstairs just as empty as the floor below.

He ran down the hall to their bedroom, crying slightly. He hoped she’d be in there. Maybe she sold the furniture to pay the bills. Or perhaps she was getting it replaced. He knew that was unlikely, but he couldn’t bring himself to believe the reality of the situation.

He burst into the room, finding only the old bed and mattress stripped bare. There was a note taped to the wooden headboard. With trembling hands he removed and read it. He broke down in sobs as the reality set in.

The baby wasn’t his and Hazel was gone, having moved in with the kid’s true father and taken the furniture for their new house. Everything he had was gone. What was the point? He had no wife. No son. His friends were dead. He couldn’t do it.

He pulled the picture out of his pocket, the one of him and the boys in basic and the only one Stiles ever got with Pierson smiling. He missed them. They had all been lost overseas.

He felt for the pistol in his other pocket. He managed a slight smile at the realization it was still there. He pulled it out and walked downstairs, out the back door, and into the fields behind the house. This was the end of the line for him.

He couldn’t wait to see the boys again. Stiles and his constant yapping, Aiello cursing up a storm, Zussman’s antics. Even Pierson and Turner. He rubbed his thumb over the picture.

“Hey, boys. I’ve missed you…”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The neighbors heard a singular pistol shot ring out across the fields dividing the houses. That was pretty normal to hear coming from the Daniels’ family farm. Red was probably shooting at another rat that got in the house. If only they knew the reality.

In an instant, the war had claimed yet another life, this one on American soil.

***I will admit, I may have shed a few tears writing this one. Especially Daniels’ ending there. Killing off the characters you love will do that to you. Perhaps I should go to therapy.***

[jenniferjareauwife]

I hate Andrew and would love the rage room 😂🤬

Rage Room

pairing: jennifer jareau x daughter reader

category: fluff

warnings: none

word count: 646

age: 16

summary: your mom brings you to a rage room

I saw my mom through the window of the rage room and smiled. She had her phone out, recording me. I had taped a picture of Andrew's face to the glass table I was about to absolutely demolish. I put on my goggles and watched her count down until I started smashing the sledgehammer against the glass table, smiling as I saw the glass fly everywhere, imagining it was Andrew.

It didn't time long for me to destroy everything in the room, and once I did I walked outside and high fived my mom, taking off my glasses. "With the amount of enjoyment I felt doing that I wouldn't be surprised if I were to turn out to be a serial killer."

"I don't want to have to send you to jail so I'm going to pretend like I never heard that." I laughed and looked through the window again, seeing the flash shards everywhere and the shredded picture of Andrew.

"I want him to see it."

"If he does he's going to file for a restraining order." She pointed out.

"Well...maybe I can hit him with a sledgehammer instead."

"Well...then you'd be in prison for murder."

"But since I'm not 18 yet it would be expunged from my records once I turned 18."

"Not if you intentionally murder someone." She put her arm around my shoulders, kissing my temple as we walked out of the building.

"But what if it was accidental?"

"I don't think the judge would buy that."

"Mom! You're supposed to be on my side here!" I protested, getting into the car with a disappointed look on my face. "I wish I didn't date a stupid piece of shit for a year." I slumped down in my seat.

"Me too. But you're not dating him anymore. So it's ok."

"I know but I wasted a year on him. Imagine if I had been with the right person. I would be so much happier."

"Yeah." My mom sighed and patted my knee. "Well...it might take you a while to find your person."

"Wow. That makes me feel so much better." I said sarcastically.

"I'm 43 and I still haven't found my person. But I'm so happy with you! You're all I need." She grabbed my hand.

"But what if I don't have kids? What if I'm just alone?"

"You're 16. You have so much time to find the right person for you." She started the car and backed out of the parking lot. "You're not expected to find the love of your life in high school." I sighed, leaning my head against the window. "It's gonna be ok, you know? Now that you dated someone like Andrew you know the red flags for people like him." She pointed out.

"Yeah. I guess."

"It's gonna be alright honey." We finally arrived home and I was so glad to just be home and spend time with my mom. She put her hand on my upper back and led me upstairs to my room. We both laid down on my bed and she grabbed my laptop from my nightstand, handing it to me so I could type in my password. I pulled up Gilmore Girls and leaned into my mom, hugging her arm tightly.

"Thanks for taking me to the rage room. I really needed that. I've felt so angry for so long and it felt amazing to finally be able to get it all out."

"Of course honey." She kissed the top of my head. "It always feels nice to relieve your anger. Especially when it's about a shitty boyfriend."

"You had a shitty boyfriend?"

"Mhm. Many. A lot of lessons learned." I sighed and leaned into her more. "But it's gonna be ok, yeah?"

"Yeah...I guess."

"It will be. No I guess."

"Ok...it'll be ok."

"I love you sweetie."

"I love you too mom."

[taistelutaide]

Tuomas knocks out the rest of the losers

Tuomas is still challenging all comers... and the men fresh off their last tournament losses are eager to take him up on it. Everyone he's already crushed is too afraid to stand up to Tuomas again, but for the rest of the men it's still a matter of pride, and each guy's going after the bragging rights if they manage to take the cocky bully down even in an unofficial bout. After all, they've got nothing left to lose...

Other than consciousness.

And after seeing these guys pounded by a massive man like Tuomas whose punches hit like a literal sledgehammer, the previous guys he kayoed feel lucky they went down after only one punch, rather than be on the receiving end of the ruthless beating Tuomas now delivers to teach the gammas a hard and fast lesson in male hierarchy...

Starting with Aleksi, sent flying by Tuomas's signature left hook...

Teuvo lasts a bit longer, before a right sends him to sleep...

Nikolas doesn't even make it out of his own corner...

Neither does Verner, sent back through the ropes by the last blow...

Paul puts up quite a fight before catching a crushing right straight...

Rauno bends over backward from the force of the knockout punch...

And another left hook sends Ralf straight to dreamland...

Jussi goes toe to toe, and Tuomas beats him senseless...

As does Viljami, whose eyes are closed before he even goes down...

Pekka's the next man to go over the ropes from the finishing blow...

As does pretty boy Mikko, hard as a rock below the belt as he does...

Same for Juha, too lightweight to keep his feet as he eats a hook...

While Lauri and Jonne each gasp in agony as they get dominated...

And Kalle and Simon are so out of it they flail like ragdolls as Tuomas knocks them silly around the ring...

Kai gets absolutely crushed...

Niko gets knackered...

Leevi's lights are long gone...

And if Otso weren't already considering retirement, Tuomas has definitely given him something to sleep on...

Oliver's completely outgunned, and a hard right bends him over backward on the ropes...

And as Natanael gets nailed he joins the club of men who for all intents and purposes are literally shown to be flyweights...

As does Felix, flung this way and that by Tuomas's massive fists...

Konsta's kayoed in the first few seconds...

Tommi twists as he falls to the floor...

Touko's last gasp is barely louder than the force of the punch...

Ukko's unconscious the moment Tuomas's fist finds his face...

Vesa is easily vanquished...

August will be aching after he wakes up from that jab...

And last but not least, Alex catches his arm over the ropes as he gets clobbered, holding him up as Tuomas pummels him in the face so many times you could almost forget he isn't just a speed bag. After now knocking out a full half of the men in the entire tournament, it's clear from the smug satisfaction in his eyes as he finishes off the last of them that Tuomas is in this purely for the masculine thrill of sending lesser men to sleep, and showing he can dominate anyone in the ring.

[m323200]

2x02: Loss: Part 1

Takes like about 7 1/2 months after they broke up, and got back together a few days after. 

Luke is 17 and Isabella is 16, the month of this story is during April, last chapter/part took place during September. 

Warnings: SMUT, SEX: Luke and Isabella have sex in this story, it doesn't go on for the whole story, it's certain parts

-Inspired by season 7 episode 22 of Double Click-

p.s, since they are at the age where people at age 16 or older do sex, there might be some of some mentions in upcoming stories.

WARNING

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WARNING

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WARNING

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WARNING

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YOUR ENTERING STORY THAT HAS SMUT! 

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DONT SAY I DIDNT WARN YOU BC I DID

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The night draped the Dunphy household in an intimate cloak of darkness, punctuated only by the soft rustle of sheets and the hushed whispers of the wind outside. Restless, I shifted in bed, the weight of anticipation and nerves settling heavily in my stomach. Tonight felt different, charged with an electricity that crackled in the air, sending shivers down my spine.

Beside me, Luke's breathing was ragged, his fingers tracing patterns along my skin and touching my boobs. I felt like there was sparks flying through my veins. We had talked about this moment countless times, but now that it was here, the reality of it all seemed to loom over us like a shadow, both exhilarating and daunting in equal measure.

With a tentative touch, I reached out to brush my fingers against Luke's cheek, my heart pounding in my chest as I searched his eyes for reassurance. He met my gaze with a mixture of excitement and desire, his hand finding mine in a silent gesture of solidarity. Surprisingly his dick is more than 5 1/2 inches long. I felt very nervous and so did he as it's our first time having sex.

"We don't have to do this if you're not ready," he murmured, his voice a soothing balm against my nerves.

I shook my head, a determined glint in my eye as I squeezed his hand in return. "I want to," I whispered, my voice trembling with anticipation. "With you, I want it to be with you. Also you have a condom right?..."

"Yes" he said and his smile was tender, his touch gentle as he leaned in to press a kiss to my lips. "I love you," he whispered, his words a vow that echoed in the stillness of the night.

Luke kept doing it slowly so we don't make a noise. We probably did it fast and slow. I had both of my hand on his chest and i slowly put my hands on his abs. It felt like we were having the time of our life. But as we were caught in the moment, we made a noise. The headboard made a sound and we quickly stopped and I hid under the covers like you were sleeping. The sound of movement in the hallway jolted us from our reverie, sending a surge of panic coursing through my veins.

Luke froze beside me, his eyes widening in alarm as we both realized the gravity of the situation. We listened as Phil's footsteps drew closer, the anticipation of discovery hanging heavy in the air. 

When Phil's voice pierced the silence, a jolt of adrenaline surged through me, propelling me into action. We scrambled to compose ourselves, frantically pulling apart in a desperate attempt to conceal the truth of what had transpired, but as Phil's flashlight illuminated the room, casting harsh shadows against the walls, our facade crumbled under the weight of his scrutiny. His stunned expression mirrored my own sense of disbelief, the reality of our situation hitting me like a sledgehammer.

For a fleeting moment, time seemed to stand still as Phil's gaze locked with mine, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. I searched for words to explain, to justify our actions, but found myself speechless in the face of his unspoken condemnation.

"Claire", Phil whispers, and he kept saying it till she wakes up. "What's going on?" Claire's voice was laced with concern as she surveyed the scene before her. Phil struggled to find the right words, his explanation stumbling over the weight of the truth.

"There's a girl in Luke's bed," he blurted out, his words tinged with disbelief. Claire's eyebrows shot up in surprise, her gaze flickering between Phil and me as she processed the revelation.

"Where's Luke?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern. Phil's response was a hesitant gesture towards the bed, his expression a mix of embarrassment and disbelief.

"In the bed with her," he explained, his voice barely above a whisper. Together, we approached Luke's bed, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on us like a heavy fog.

Before they head in, I hid in the closet and I made sure I had all my clothes because in the movies, they always leave something behind. And once they head in, Phil knew he wasn't imagining once I was gone. Phil said in a whisper-confident voice, "There was a girl in the bed with Luke!". "It was probably his Chewbacca doll that he slept with. And that's probably the only thing he'll be in bed with. Plus it's dark, and we shared an entire bottle of wine." Claire replied.

Once they left, I quietly left the closet and we, well me, decided to stop, I thought it was risky and we knew that there's a chance that us dating would get out...again. I climbed out the window and head back to Gloria and Jay's before someone I know sees me.

In the morning, I headed over to the Dunphy's house and as I watched Alex walk out, his departure leaving a void in the room, Luke's cheerful demeanor caught me off guard. His whistling filled the air, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere that lingered in the wake of Phil's discovery.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of unease, knowing that all eyes were now on Luke, his carefree attitude drawing attention like a beacon in the darkness. Andy's playful remark only added to the mounting tension, his words echoing the unspoken truth that hung heavy in the air.

"Someone woke up in a good mood," Andy observed, his tone laced with curiosity. "And there's only one reason a teenage boy is ever like that."

Before I could process Andy's implication, Phil interjected with a forced enthusiasm that bordered on desperation. "Yeah! Because it's family camp training day," he exclaimed, his words ringing hollow in the face of our shared secret.

I watched as Phil attempted to divert attention away from the elephant in the room, his efforts a futile attempt to mask the truth that lay just beneath the surface. "Luke and I are training for the big famcathalon," Phil continued, his voice strained with forced cheerfulness. "You're carb-ing good idea buddy!"

Andy's puzzled expression mirrored my own sense of bewilderment, his confusion palpable as he struggled to make sense of Phil's erratic behavior. But deep down, I knew the truth that Phil was desperately trying to deny, a truth that threatened to unravel the fragile facade of normalcy we had constructed.

As I made my entrance, Luke's presence beside me offered a small measure of comfort, his familiar warmth a reassuring anchor in the storm. But even as he sat down next to me, his plate piled high with food, I couldn't shake the gnawing sense of apprehension that gnawed at my insides.

Luke's voracious appetite drew a chuckle from Andy, his comment a fleeting distraction from the tension that pulsed through the room. "Hungry dude!" Andy remarked, his tone light but tinged with uncertainty.

Phil saw how close Isabella and Luke were and he notice what is one their necks, he thought it was a hickey or a bump, but he seized the opportunity to steer the conversation back towards safer waters, his insistence on family camp serving as a thinly veiled attempt to avoid the uncomfortable truth that lurked just beneath the surface. "HUNGRY FOR FAMILY CAMP!" Phil exclaimed, his voice bordering on manic as he attempted to rally enthusiasm for the upcoming event.

But despite Phil's best efforts, the truth remained unspoken, hanging in the air like a heavy fog. And as I exchanged a knowing glance with Luke, our shared secret weighing heavily on our hearts, I couldn't help but wonder how long we could keep up this up until it gets loose.

[ja-khajay]

Tagged by @ervona to post about 5 songs I've been listening to lately! Making a little mix and match playlist based on the half dozen tracks on my phone and songs I've recently discovered. I will detail a bit about each under the cut :)

Nouar - Cheika Rimitti (rai)

Twilight of the Thunder god - Amon Amarth (metal)

What's Golden - Jurassic 5 (hiphop)

Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel (pop)

Potions - Puscifer (? rock ?)

NOUAR

A few months ago, the combination of discovering a rai playlist on Spotify based on an artist I listen to with friends and another discovery of a radio station that exclusively plays north african and middle eastern music, the latter which became my go-to listen on the way from work for a while, I discovered this specific track. It's a huge niche hit, unknown to the general public but racking up in the millions of views online among fans of the genre and it's easy to see why! This is an absolutely hypnotic track which cleverly layers it's intrument with a catchy sung melody, periodically cut by the rythmic choir repeating its title. The main singer in the dialog has an outstanding voice and this all makes for a looping, hooking listening experience that makes you want to play it forever.

Twilight of the Thunder God

In a very different vibe, we have a track that perfectly matches it's overdesigned, historically based (yet inaccurate) cheesy madness of an album cover. This is the only song if this band I'm familiar with as a big hit. Power metal is among some of my favorite genres of music of all time, especially in it's overbearing energy and gratuitous use of double-pedals on the kick drum, fast bass and general theatrics. While I'm not a fan of growled vocals, this track compensates in my mind with one of THE catchiest hooks I know of in the genre. When I listen to TofTG, it's because I suddently remember it one day and get instantly compelled to download it on my phone and scream its lyrics at the sky until it leaves my head where it's stuck. This can take weeks...

What's Golden

Yet another radio discovery! I'm shamefully bad at hiphop, despite liking the genre a lot, no-one around me listened to it for ages so I don't have similar backlog as in other genres and as such as a grown adult am discovering it all with enthusiasm. This song sums up so many aspects I love in the genre which i'll definitly be using to nail what specific sub-genres are my favorite some day... catchy with a great flow and an instrumental that hooks you, it's impossible to not nod along to the beat and drop what I'm doing to listen to the full thing when it comes up on my playlist.

Sledgehammer

Yeah yeah it's a classic you all know it. And for a reason! This is one of, if not the only song I know which I can't separate from it's music video. I typically dislike MVs and prefer listening to music in pure audio format, but Sledgehammer comes with such a well crafted, wlel synched and creative film attached that it's always playing in my head when I hear it. This song was introduced to me by a mutual a few years ago which I'll be tagging in this post later as a thank you! I don't get its appeal as a dancey song, but it's definitly a track to dramatically walk to, which is probably the appeal the rest of this site sees in Once in a Lifetime...

Potions

For the nerds in the audience, this is a Reznor and Maynard collab so you know what you're getting into. The first thing that strikes me in this track is how loud the bass is - it turns the classic rock instrumental it's made from into something else that's just slightly overwhelming. And on top of that, very delicate vocals detail a raw, simple story of love and addiction. Where I chose this song above the many others of the band I'd been listening to a lot last month is this particular theme it has fits very well with a book series I'm reading right now, and it was easy for me to let my mind fly away with it on...:)

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Runner ups: The Shame Of Life - Butthole Surfers / Ai vist to Lop - Mont-Jòia / Feuer Frei! - Rammstein / For me, Formidable - Charles Aznavour / It Mek - Desmond Dekker & the Aces

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Tagging, your turn! @steamclouds @prolibytherium @internationalspacehobo @paristonhilll

[pokeexehasstoppedworking]

Applin Of My Eye Ch1 The Apple Shaped Heart Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree (plus story summary)

Part 5 of the Galar Soulmate Series spin off of Love Doesn't Do Encores/A Champion Time For The Heart and side parody of Dragon's Treasure/Diamond In The Rough (This story will be much shorter than the others but I didn't want to leave out the last guy. This will also be the final installment of the Galar Soulmate Series.) Everything was fine now. Eternatus was defeated. The bad guys caught. No more things to worry about...Or at least for Y/n. A small encounter with a certain farmer has made him realize that he never apologized for bowling her over with a wooloo. So when the woman who helped save Galar shows up on his doorstep with an injured wooloo he may realize that maybe he had some secret feelings he never expressed to her in the beginning.

(Before we begin keep in mind that I do not know the actual name of Milo's little brother so his name is only cannon for this story, and his backstory is also not cannon and just for the story.)

It was a funny thing how crushes often worked you see.

You couldn't really control when cupid would shoot you with his arsenal of arrows through your heart and piercing your brain with that fuzzy feeling that made you all warm inside. However he felt as if he might've been hit with a whole sledgehammer. He still remembered the first time he saw her there. Last year pretty early in the year too actually. It was when he was getting his wooloo ready for the Gym Challenge but unfortunately one of the little rascals had slipped out and started running all over the gym with him chasing right after. Eventually it was able to escape right out of the gym and rolled faster than a tumble weed in a tornado out of his gym and right up the dirt road leading right out of town. Well he went chasing right after it one hand holding his sun hat. To his horror the pokemon was heading right towards two women walking their way down the dirt road chatting oblivious to the danger. Unfortunately speed was never his strong point, he was more of a strength guy himself.

Gloria smiled and pointed to it as the two of you walked down hill on the path. "Look! See? I told ya it was a good idea to take the short cut."

You looked down at her deadpanned, the baaing becoming louder the farther you two walked. "Uh huh. And those people chasing us in the beginning was part of the 'good idea'?"

You two didn't see the thing coming towards you from down the path or the man giving chase to it. "Oh come on! It wasn't that bad. We got here faster and now we can rest up and see 'bout that gym.

"Oh yes. And battling someone inside a mine is a good idea too-"

"Nonono! Miss! Watch out-''

Something hard rammed into your legs and they went flying back, sending your front shooting forward and in an instant you faceplanted the dirt road hard. A resounding 'THUMP!' sound echoing out as whatever rammed into you just as suddenly disappeared. It was like a your legs were pins and you just got ran over by a bowling ball. Stunned your body just sat there face first on the ground with your sobble thrown from your shoulder a couple feet away. You didn't move even as a gasp reached your ears, along with baaing and running footsteps. Your sobble chirping in annoyance upon being flung sat itself up and shook itself off, but scurried away and burried itself under your limp noodle of an arm when someone bigger nearly ran it over. Still you laid there stunned.

"OH NO! OH NO!!" A man's worried voice reached your ears just as your brain finally started to register you had been knocked over. "I AM SO SORRY!! MISS!? ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?"

"Y/N!!" Gloria shouted and you felt her shake you frantically. "NO! This can't be how you die! Bowled over by a wooloo isn't a good way to die so please get up!!"

....You coughed. And groaned. Your vision blurry as your now dirty face slowly lifted itself from the ground and looked up. Blinking at the two faces before you. Gloria who was obviously concerned, but the other was a man one hand clutching a hat on his head as he looked you over with worry. "What was-"

"I am SO sorry, Ma'am!" The man you assumed kneeled down letting you get a better look at his freckled face. "My...Are you ok!? You took that tackle head on!"

"What happened?," you mumbled and your answer was being easily lifted by the man by strong hands grabbing your shoulders.

"One of my wooloo! I'm so very, very sorry! She keeps running away everytime someone leaves a door open and I need her for the gym so I keep having to chase her down and bring her back!," the man quickly stated holding you up on wobbly legs as you shook your head as your poor sobble refused to let go of your arm. Hanging onto it like a koala bear would. Hands dusted you off. "Oh no. You're all a mess because of me. I hope you're not hurt, Ma'am."

You waved him off. "It's fine. Wouldn't be the first time I had to deal with troublesome wooloo," you grumbled remembering the Slumbering Weild incident. "I feel fine. Just a few dirt stains aren't gonna hurt."

The man sighed in relief. "Oh thank goodness. I was really worried when you fell so suddenly." His face quickly snapped with a frown to the wooloo who baaed at him. "And you! What did I tell you about running off like that!? This time you did hurt someone!" It baaed louder at him. "Don't you talk back to me! You're in big trouble young lady!......Hm?" He looked to Gloria who was currently staring at him in surprise before he suddenly smiled at her. "Oh. You must be one of the Gym Challengers, right?"

"I- W-Who me!?" She sputtered before nodding quickly. "Y-Yes, Sir! I am!"

"Ah! I thought so." His polite smile widened. "I saw you at the Opening Ceremony earlier this week! My name's Milo. It's nice to meet you."

"I know! AH! I mean!" Gloria sputtered holding up her hands. "I s-saw you too with everyone else! I'm so sorry!"

held up his hands. "Oh no. If anything I should be the one apologizing to you and your friend here for the trouble I put you through."

"Milo?," you asked confused gaining his attention.

He nodded. "I'm a Gym leader here and partial to Grass Type pokemon. And if I'm not mistaken your friend here is one of the ones Leon keeps going on about. I've been itching to see just how good the Champion endorsed Gym Challengers are..." he sighed moving his hands to his hips. "But I'm afraid you might have to wait your turn."

"Huh?" Gloria blinked.

"I know usually my gym's the first one trainers pass by on their trip, but I didn't expect so so many to come here right after the ceremony. I've been completely swamped and I still have three trainers waiting for their turns with me right now. And it doesn't help this one keeps running off the first chance she gets."

You mean I gotta wait until you have more time off just to fight me?" She groaned with a pout. "Maybe we should've taken the train to get here faster after all."

"Hey. The man's busy" You patted her back with a frown. "And obviously he's having a hard time right now. You said we had what?....A whole year until those finals come up? It hasn't even been a whole week yet. We can wait a lil bit longer and let Mr. Milo here sort himself out."

Milo gave you a surprised look and Gloria sighed before nodding. "You're right. We're here and that's the most important thing! I can wait a few more days if I have too."

You smiled. "That's the spirit!"

Even Milo eventually smiled. "Well then. Let me find out at the Gym Stadium when you're ready." He pointed behind him. "Just head on down this route and you'll run right into my stadium. See you there!" He then turned to the wooloo. "Come on now. Back to the stadium with you too. We can't keep the Gym Challengers waiting." It baaed at him in protest but didn't give too much of a fight when it started to follow him as he turned and gave one wave back to you two. "Again sorry for the trouble! Hope to see you soon!"

With a sigh you brought your arm up and your sobble blinked at you...before grabbing your cheek with a questioning chirp. "I'm fine. Just a little sore."

He thought that would've been it. You see he wasn't expecting to see her again. He thought he saw her the next day when he battled her friend in the stadium, but that was that. He lost, congratulated the young girl who looked about the same age as his little brother and off she went. He thought that would be it until he saw the next challenger. But he was surprised when night fell and he stepped out for a few moments to himself.

The night was peaceful. The night was quiet. It was one of the times he could actually get a bit of breathing room to himself and he always gave one last look around anyways. The wooloo were all snug back in their barn. The gym was cleaned up and closed. And most of the farm's chores were already done. All that was left was to do one last look around before bed. The night was pretty. The sun had just started going down over the horizon leaving sn assortment of yellows and oranges and pinks to be chased away by a dark blanket of black filled with millions of tiny stars. It was beautiful among the silent fields. Although he was never expecting to run into another person. Quite literally. He was just walking around the side of his barn when he almost ran face first into a woman. A woman with a sobble clinging to her shoulder. The sudden face to face encounter had her jumping back with a yelp jumping back and the sobble terrified ducking behind her head with a chirp. He himself took a step or two back from the sight as the two of them just...blinked at one another for a good second. Who was-

"Milo?," The woman asked with a blink. "What are you doing out here?"

He blinked. Why did she look familiar? "I...I own this farm? And who are you?"

"I'm Y/n." He still stared. "Your wooloo bowled me over the other day."

It all clicked in an instant. "Oh! You're that woman!" He remembered now. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?"

"Camping." She gestured behind her towards the back fields and when looked over her, he noticed there was two tents set up right in the middle of one of his fields. "My friends and I are camping out here before we leave tomorrow morning, but we had no idea this place belonged to you. I heard someone walking around out here so I came to check it out." It was then she held up her hands and apologized. "But we don't want to cause any trouble. If it's a bother, I'll have them move our tents somewhere else. I'm sorry."

"Oh no. It's no trouble at all," he insisted with a smile. "As long as you all don't litter, I don't mind at all. "

"Oh. That's actually really nice of you. Thank you so much. That battle you had with Gloria today was great!"

He paused all of a sudden caught off guard by what she had said. "Pardon me?"

She smiled at him. "I said your battle with Gloria was really fun to watch. You put up a good fight out there today. No wonder you're a gym leader!"

And in that moment he paused. She was complimenting him? HIM?! He had to look around real quick to make sure that there wasn't anyone else there for her to speak too even though he knew there really. He then looked back to her with that perplexed took. By now the small sobble had timidly poked his head from behind hers.

He pointed at himself. "You mean me?"

"Of course I mean you! You're the only gym leader in Turrffield. Who else would I be talking to?" She rose a brow.

"Oh. I-I meant no offense, Ma'am. It's just...well I'm not used to compliments actually." A hand reached up as an embarrassed smile graced his features. "I don't get a whole lot of them outside my friends and little brother."

"Really? I'm surprised. You put up such a good fight against Gloria." Ah. That must be her friend's name. The young girl who he battled today in fact. "You're also the first official gym leader I've met so far."

He blinked in surprise. "Really?"

She nodded. "You see. I'm uh... Visiting Galar. It's my first time ever being in this region. So today was my first time ever seeing a live gym battle and you're the first ever gym leader I've spoken too....Ever actually."

"Huh? You mean you've literally never met another gym leader before me? Like ever?" 

"Nope! First time ever today. Or night as it happens to be now." ...She smiled again. "But I'm glad it was you. You're really kind, I could tell by how you treated your Pokemon during the battle." She then turned and waved a hand good bye. "Well it was nice meeting you Mr. Milo. Sorry again for the trespassing. Have a good night."

"Uh...Good night."

That was it. He didn't see the strange woman again when he went to inspect the fields the next morning. The tents and people were gone, if he didn't find the small holes in the ground from the tent spikes, he would've believed he'd just dreamt up the whole thing. Oh well. She was kind though! It made him happy to be complimented for once but he soon forgotten about the whole thing when he just got on with his life. A lot of wool was harvested from him wooloo and so many crops were harvested from the fields this year! In fact this might've been the most plentiful harvest Turrffield has ever had. 

His little brother was making his way through the gym challenge as well! He was so proud of him! He really grew from a bud to a giant blossom this year. He was so proud watching Felix battle his way through the gym leaders one after another and make his way through the gym challenge. He always knew Felix was a much more stronger and capable trainer than he ever was. He'd grown so much than he'd ever could, one day when he was older he'd make an even better gym leader! If Ma and Pa could see him now, they'd think the same thing he was sure of it! So it came to no surprise when months passed and he saw Felix again sometime in August. The biggest smile on his face when he busted through the door of their home, almost scaring Milo into dropping the giant sake of potatoes he was handling,  and with a confident smile presented his full badge circle with all eight badges. 

"Milo! I'm competing in the semifinals this year!"

He  was then given the biggest hug and welcome Milo could ever give. His own little brother was going to be in the semifinals this December.  And it was then that he saw her again. When he and his brother traveled down to Wyndon city near Christmas time. Felix was getting ready to battle the other three finalists and he was patiently waiting for it all to start from the V.I.P lounge with most of the other gym leaders. But they couldn't until Leon showed back up, which was sooner than he expected when the door opened and the smiling Champion came walking in-

With one mighty push, Leon pushed the door open and walked right in. "Hey, Everyone." He called back into the room. "Sorry I'm late!"

"Leon. Don't tell me you got lost again! I thought one of us were gonna have to rescue you like last time.," came a woman's voice that sounded familiar from the inside, "I swear sometimes you're more confusing than a spinda."

You both slowly shuffled in as Leon chuckled a bit embarrassed. "C'mon, Nessa. That's a bit harsh." Shaking his head he smiled behind him as you brought up the rear. "I got a bit distracted on the way here and invited some friends over."

You stepped in and blinked at what you saw. The room you were all in was almost as big as Gloria's hotel room but less fancy. Warm thankfully, with some couches, a table with a few chairs, a big flat screen TV, and over in one corner was some kitchen stuff. By kitchen stuff there was a counter with a few cabinets, a sink, full sized fridge, microwave, and a coffee maker. And within the room around you was all ten gym leaders!! Ms. Opal was sitting at the table with a cup of presumed tea with Kabu who seemed to be meditating or asleep by the way he was just sitting there eyes closed and arms crossed. Gordie had been standing by the fridge leaning against the wall, but looked up from his drink when the door opened. Melony standing with him. Nessa sitting on the couch next to Bea, and across from them on the other couch was Raihan glancing at you with a surprised look with Alister sitting next to him on the opposite side of the couch. Milo was the closest one standing to you all looking to have been in the middle of eating some kind of doughnut in his hand when you walked in, and last but not least there was Piers. He had been the only one visibly standing and looking out the window as the stadium was filling up with people, but had side glanced over his shoulder just seeing Leon before turning back to the window before he could see you walk in behind him. Disinterested in whoever Leon brought with him. Oh if only he knew. And...HEY! It was the three trainers of Raihans. Sebastian, Camilla, and Aria. The triplets were encircled around the fridge most likely getting something to eat also.

Good morning," Victor greeted politely and a bit more confidently than you as he waved. "It's really nice to meet all of you."

You were going to say hi as well. Most probably to Nessa since you've spoken to her before or maybe Ms. Opal and ask how Bede was doing. Or....maybe Raihan if you were feeling a bit more brave. But it was one soft voice that interrupted all thoughts.

"Y-Y/n."

A lot of everyone around you (you included-) looked surprised as ALLISTER of all people spoke out and you watched in surprise as he slowly scooted himself off the couch until his feet hit the floor. With a turn of his head towards you he slowly walked towards you...and you smiled. 'y/n. Milo instantly paused, His emerald green eyes going wide all of sudden, and the doughnut he was holding nearly dropped. And his brows instantly shot up upon seeing YOU of all people standing there next to Leon.....YOU!? HERE!? WHAT WERE YOU DOING BACK HERE?! WITH LEON!? HUH-

"Hey, Allister." You greeted and to everyone's surprise you instantly lowered yourself to sit on your knees finally placing Silver down to your side to be eye to eye with Allister. This seemed to make him more comfortable to talk with you as he slowly walked up to you now being closer to his height. "Wow. You look great! Did you grow taller from the last time I saw you?"

He instantly nodded his hands into fists in front of his chest. "Uh huh. L-Leon s-s-said I grew three inches this year!"

You gave a small gasp. "No! That's so cool! You're growing up fast. Soon you're going to be even taller than him."

"Y-You think so?"

You nodded again smiling wide. "Oh yeah. A big strong person like you? I bet you'll be the tallest person I know!"

That seemed to make him happy as he smiled from behind his mask at you before reaching around to his pokeballs. You watched patiently as he fumbled before holding up a pokeball. "I-I made a new f-f-f-friend! W-Would you like to meet him?"

Still smiling you nodded. "I would love to meet your friend, Allister." You gestured to Silver next to you who chirped when you acknowledged him. "I want you to meet my friend too. Allister this is Silver. He's been with me for a while now. Say hello, Sil."

In response Silver have off some kind of noise towards Allister who stared for a moment. "H-Hello..." Before turning back excitedly to you. "H-Here! Y-You're gonna really like him!" You knew that you would either way. Everyone was now staring at you two in surprise. Even Kabu had opened his eyes to peer over at what was going on. A flash of bright light from Allister gave way to something white, floating, and very pretty. And you smiled wider realizing what exactly what it was. Floating there by Allister in all it's white glory, was a Froslass. "I m-m-met him w-w-when it snowed by the stadium. He really likes playing hide and s-seek with us."

"Ooh. He's absolutely beautiful." You turned to the pokemon, and as if he was another human, you greeted him. "How do you do? It's very nice to meet you, Sir."

The pokemon blinked at you seeming to be taken a back a bit but made some noises while smiling proudly at itself. Allister slowly pointed at him. "H-He s-says you're v-very polite and i-it's n-nice to see s-s-someone recognize h-h-his looks."

You chuckled. "Well thank you! I'm glad he thinks so." Slowly you stood back up to stretch your legs still smiling. "I'm glad to see you're making new friends to play with. Are you here to watch the semifinals too?"

Allister nodded again before pointing over to the couch. "B-Bea's going to take me to the h-h-haunted houses in the c-c-city for Christmas."

You glanced from him to her and smiled. "Well doesn't that sound great!" You waved to her. "Hi. I don't think we've met. Or seen each other really."

Bea seemed to still be staring at you totally bewildered but it was nessa who spoke up next. "Oh yeah. I remember you." More surprised glances were sent between her and you as she gestured towards you. "You were Sonia's friend with the sobble! Er.." She glanced between you and Silver who shook off snowflakes. "Well, it looks like he's not too much of a sobble anymore."

You gave couple laughs before reaching over to pat Silver's head. "Nope. My lil guy's practically all grown up now. Takes a lot of love and care and food, but Silver's worth it." You waved a hand to her. "But it's good to see you too Nessa. Hope things been well. My friend showed me your new line in the ads." You added remembering Gloria showing you a magazine with an article of her. "I really like the 'Sea Emerald Delight' dress."

She smiled your way before turning her gaze to Raihan who blinked at her. "I told you. Green dresses will look good on anyone all year round." the Dragon Gym leader rolled his eyes in response and stood up.

You also shook your head...but paused feelings eyes on you. And it wasn't just the others around the room. Your head turned over towards the windows and you paused seeing Milo staring right back at you cheeks stuffed with a doughnut , brows raised at you. You both stared at one another for a moment before you went back to smiling, crossed your arms, and rose a brow back.

"Hello there Milo! It's nice to see you again too!" Finally a familiar friendly face besides Lee. "You're here to cheer on your brother right? I believe he's going to be competing against my friends."

He still stared at you as you smiled back patiently before swallowing down the food in his mouth and forcing a smile. "Y-Yeah! Felix is going to be fighting out there an-and I don't want to miss it when it happens."

Ah." You nodded. "I'd expect nothing less from you all. It's real sweet of you to be here to support him!" You smiled wider. That just makes you a good big brother! I knew you were sweet !"

He nearly choked on his doughnut as his face blossomed a bright pink.

You chuckled and you would've said something back if a voice didn't startle you. "Nice to see you too.~" You jumped with a yelp and backed away from the taller guy that walked up to you two. Raihan smiled that fanged grin of his as you blinked at him. "You didn't even say hi to me.~ I'm wounded.~" His gaze shifted from Milo to you as you blinked. "Hey there, Sassy.~ Wasn't expecting you to come rolling up here with Lee! You have a knack for hanging out with famous people?"

You blinked a moment before raising a brow. "Not really. Leon just offered to be nice and I didn't want my water type out in the freezing weather."

"Aw. And here I thought you came all the way to see me.~" He faked sadness making you roll your eyes. Milo glancing between you both. "Y'know if you're free sometime that dinner date's still up for the taking!"

"No thanks."

You never really gave it a thought? Really?" Raihan asked blinking surprised for a moment as you shook your head no before he smiled and leaned down closer to you making you lean back. "Well that's a first I've heard. Usually I'm something people can't get off their minds.~ You've certainly been on my mind for a while.~"

.......You reached for a nearby magazine. "Uh huh. I'm ....flattered I guess but dude. You might as well be flirting with a rock."

Behind you all Nessa gave a small snort which Bea slapped her shoulder. "Aw. I guess you're right. But you are cute.~" He gave that smirk that could've made anyone swoon. You raised your magazine. "You're like a short cute firecracker making my heart explo-HMPH!?"

Milo yelped when you all of a sudden you grabbed his arm and pulled him in front of you. With you now half hiding behind him now, you brandished your rolled up magazine like a sword....A harmless sword but something to ward him off non the less. Raiham blinked having been bonked harmlessly by you. You scowled using your Milo-Shield and Magazine-Sword to swing at him a couple times. Piers blinked wide eyed at you not sure what was going on. The doughnut all but forgotten about, what was left of the poor food dropping to the floor as his face blossomed an even thicker red.

"Bad Gym Leader! Down!,'' you firmly said scowling swinging at him, "Go to h0rny jail!"

"Wha- Jail??" He asked but held up his arms from your harmless magazine attack. "H-Hey! I was joking, Sassy! Seize fire there!"

"Silver help!!"

Raihan's eyes suddenly went wide before snapping his head when he heard a loud chirp and stumbled back when Silver eye narrowed starting walking towards you. "Hold it hold it hold it!!" Raihan held up his hands to Silver and ended up having to literally jump over the couch he was previously sitting on and stood in front of the lady gym leaders to avoid Silver who now stood between you and Milo and the couch. He narrowed his eyes at Raihan and gave a loud chirp. "Geez. You weren't kidding when you said he was protective."

Piers ended up giving a loud bout of rare laughter at the sight of the display and Leon was able to pry her off of him to let him recover from the sudden jolt. If he wasn't so flustered by the sudden action. Oh well. They parted ways and he soon forgot about it when the semifinals actually started. Felix sadly lost first round but that was ok. He was proud of him and he came farther than so many other people in the gym challenge. He didn't really think he'd see her again after that but again he was sadly mistaken when Christmas came around. It was that wonderful time of year when the spirits were high and the laughter was everywhere. And after all what better way to spend time with his little brother on Christmas than to take him to the Festival? Milo wasn't expecting to see her yet again but here he was, just waiting for his little brother to get off a ride when she just walked right up to him.

The park was actually beautiful this time of year. A slightly frosty patch mostly cleared went through the quiet parts of the park lit up by the faint lights of the festival and a perfect full moon above you. It was starting to snow again now, not too much, only enough for it to look really pretty and fluffy falling from the otherwise clear skies. The smells of the parks pine trees filled the air with the faint scents of foods from the festival, giving it a balanced mixture of nature and dinner time. The snow on the ground shined reflecting the moon light from the darkened sky making it look like a forest of glitter against the cold. 

He shivered from the cold, rubbing his hands together from the cold and sinking further into his coat. It was always chilly out this season. He'd be glad when he was able to get back to their hotel room. It would just be after the parade after all. The gym leader was so wrapped up in his own worlds he didn't notice the woman walk up to him or the footsteps crunching through the snow until they were right next to him.

"Hey."

"Gah!" He practically jumped out of his skin and whirled around to the woman next to him who blinked and held a few objects in her hands. "Wha-...Oh. I -Its you. *Sigh* Please don't do that."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you...Again. That's just another thing I need to apologize to you for while I'm here."

"Huh?"

Her answer was to just hold up the objects in her hands. Which was two small bags and a cardboard cup holder holding two cups of hot chocolate, he could tell from how they smelt. "Seeing you the other day made me realize that I didn't apologize for all the inconveniences I gave you. So I'm sorry we trespassed on your farm. And I'm sorry for scaring you..Twice. And I'm sorry for using you to get away from Raihan. And I'm also sorry for making you drop your food. Here." You held out the food at him. "I got you and your little brother some replacement food as an apology gift." He opened stared at her, before looking at the food, then back to her, then opening his mouth- "Take it. My drizzlie would only eat it if I took it with me. And I have no place for it anyways."

....He slowly took the objects handed over to him with an unsure expression on his face...before giving a small smile. "I-...Thank you. Wow. Doughnuts and hot coco. Heh. Not a bad Christmas gift."

"Oh. That reminds me. I do have something for you." He again looked surprised when she dug into her coat pocket and pulled out two small metal keychains shaped like wooloo. They shined in the light as she held them out with a smile. "Here. Merry Christmas."

He could only stare at them. "A...gift? For me?"

"And your little brother. I got all my friends some and I figured you'd guys like one too."

...He took a moment longer to stare at them more before shifting the food into one arm to reach a free hand over to take them from her. A... Christmas gift? For him? But...he never got any Christmas gifts except from his few friends and little brother. He certainly didn't have that many fans so all the unexpected kindness was...So sudden. But...not unpleasant. In fact..the gesture struck something in his which made his heart pick up a beat and his face turned a darker pink than his hair.

"Well I'll see you later. Good luck in the Champion Cup tomorrow,  Milo. Merry Christmas."

And then she turned and left, leaving him to look on after her red faced as her eyes glittered in the Christmas lights, the snow gathering prettily on her f/c hair, and the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen on her face.

BU-BUMP!!

He nearly crushed the cups of coco as he felt his heart place a beat and his face burnt.

"O-O sweet wooloo knitted sweaters."

[lostlegendaerie]

yesss please drabble about the dreamxxdream rinharu airport art 🙌 I love that one so much I have it printed out on my wall

[based on this piece by @dreamxxdream ]

It's been a shit day. Flying always makes him feel a little sick between the motion of the plane and the dehydration of the air pressure, and he fought with his sister over text before boarding, so he didn't get any sleep on the flight. He's come home on a coach-enforced training break after he sprained his Achilles tendon when he slipped getting out of the pool and overextended the joint, and he just got the news the stray cat they always fed had to be put to sleep. If he were a few years younger, he'd be trying not to cry in public. (He still is, but he's succeeding this time. Take that, middle school self.)

What's worse is that Haru is the one who is picking him up today. Not to say that he isn't excited to see him; he's only been in love with the guy since he was in elementary school, but the feelings have always seem to him to be one-sided. That had even been what he fought with his sister about before he left Sydney; refusing to agree with her delusions that his friend and rival was even half as excited to see Rin as Rin was to see Haru.

He knows Haru won't be there with flowers and a sign with his name on it (he would crawl under the furniture with embarrassment if he was, oh my god) and that he'll get a nod and an offer to help carry his bags and a quiet drive back to his house. It's just--

Today is the kind of day he wishes he'd get a little more than that. But it's Haru, bothering to get out of the bathtub and pick him up, so he'll be grateful about it and pretend he's not a yawning wound of a man, waiting desperately for Haru to fill him. Makoto would have been a better choice. Might have even given him a hug.

The world is still unsteady under Rin's feet when he finally makes it through customs, still adjusting the backpack straps on his back, and makes eye contact with Haru just outside the glass doors. He steps forward, a cocky smirk already stretching across his face but--

Haru isn't waiting. He's coming to meet Rin, bright-eyed and just barely stopping himself from running. Rin's expression buckles, the exhaustion and simple human need to be touched yanking him forward despite the pain in his ankle and he only barely remembers to drag his wheeled suitcase behind him as he breaks into a hobbling jog.

Rin is hit with an armful of Haruka Nanase like an emotional sledgehammer, and just that easily his emotional walls crumble. He buries his face into Haru's shoulders, tears welling up behind his eyes, and squeezes Haru back.

"I missed you," Haru says, holding him back just as tight.

"Yeah," Rin chokes.

"I'm sorry about your cat."

"Yeah," he repeats, an eloquent and mature man who is absolutely not crying in the Tokyo airport. He does, however, squeeze Haru a little tighter as he breathes in the familiar scent of honeysuckle detergent, cheap deodorant, and the ever-present tang of chlorine that forms the aromatic memory of Haru in his mind. "Me too." To all of it.

Haru doesn't let him go immediately, letting them stand there and sway gently in the chaos of the airport, lost in each other's embrace. If Rin listens, he can hear Haru's heartbeat, just a little faster than normal, and he wonders if he owes Kou an apology for more than just his tone.

"Welcome home," Haru says, and Rin laughs into his shoulder.

"It's good to be back."